The Shrouds of the Unholy: I Am Become Death?

[MilesTiden]

So, upon reading the Dead Life (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/dx20021031x) Article, I noticed something interesting in the wording for the Shrouds of the Unholy item.


Shrouds of the Unholy: These shrouds, like shrouds of the holy, look like ordinary funerary wrappings for dead bodies and are often decorated with symbols and icons representing the dead rising. If a dead body is wrapped in the shroud, and the command word spoken, the body will return as undead. The type of undead it returns as is determined by the speaker of the command word. The undead creature is not under anyone's control when it rises. Wrapping a body takes 10 minutes. The magic of the shrouds is useable only once, after which the wrapping becomes ordinary, fine cloth.

So, going by a strict RAW interpretation, does this not effectively mean you can make any kind of undead with these? That is clearly not the intent, and honestly appears like a misprint more than anything else, but is this a correct interpretation of the effects of this item? For example, could you turn into a Demilich (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/monsters/demilich.htm), or an Atropal (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/monsters/abomination.htm#atropal)? Or even possibly an undead god, like Nerull or Vecna? What exactly can you do with this?

Hell, by 3rd level anyone could afford to buy this, kill themselves and have someone hired to wrap the shroud around you. Boom, just like that. Does this even work?

[Necroticplague]

By RAW, you appear to be right. I think that intent was to pick from what the spell the shroud was made using could make, i.e., a shroud made using Create Undead would allow you to pick from Ghoul Ghast Mummy or Mohrg, while one made using create greater undead would allow you to pick from shadow, wraith, devourer, or spectre.Just my 2 coppers, though.

[jara]

that is very vaguely written, so depending on your dm, go nuts!

however, i would say that the undead gods are specific undead, not a type, and cannot be replicated. also, i would rule that the undead made by this item would have to be of an equal or lower ecl than the original corpse, maybe a few other qualifiers, i'm not sure. but that's just how i would rule it, and the vagueness leaves it up to your dm.

[CTrees]

Is it wrong that i want to make puppy liches, now?

[Roguenewb]

Is it wrong that i want to make puppy liches, now?

Yes. You should want to be making puppy *demiliches*. Its the more powerful option. =P

[TheGeckoKing]

So there's another RAW way of gaining Divine Ranks - use this to turn yourself into an Atropal, then point to that tiny mention of Divine Ranks and Abominations in the ELH.

Also, could a Necromancer potentially use this to create a Slaymate, and solve the eternal conundrum of acquiring one without DM Fiat?

[Chronos]

So there's another RAW way of gaining Divine Ranks - use this to turn yourself into an Atropal, then point to that tiny mention of Divine Ranks and Abominations in the ELH. That just gets you to Divine Rank 0-- Getting from 0 to 1 is at least as hard as getting from no divine rank to 0, and most of the really good stuff from divine ranks doesn't apply at 0. The things you can get from Divine Rank 0, you can mostly get from other sources more easily anyway.