Playing with the corpse flaw

[Xuldarinar]

In dragon magazine 330, there is a commoner specific flaw called corpse. All it says is: "You're dead, but you get an extra feat!"

Silly as it may sound, is there any way to put this to use? Make a solid character who's 1st level is commoner, who starts out as a corpse.

[Vizzerdrix]

I wonder how this would work with an undead character...

[Xuldarinar]

I wonder how this would work with an undead character...

Free bonus feat?

Though, the 1st level must be in commoner..

[JellyPooga]

There are certain Feats that grant gross physical changes that are only available at 1st level; the first ones that come to mind for me is the Dragon [thing] Feats that Kobolds can take. A Kobold Commoner could potentially take both Dragon Wings and Dragon Tail using that Flaw, for example. If raised as a Zombie, he could arguably retain both those abilities. Brought back as a Necropolitan, he certainly would (though the mechanics of being a Necropolitan don't, technically, mesh with being dead already!)

[Vizzerdrix]

Free bonus feat?

Though, the 1st level must be in commoner..

ooh! Take Chicken infested too, and after first level go into Dread Necro. Make sure you grab the Mother Cyst feat as well. Cyst up them chickens, wring their necks and animate them.


Just gotta find an undead thing playable from level 1.

[Jeff the Green]

Just gotta find an undead thing playable from level 1.

Gravetouched ghoul? LA +2, but that's manageable.

[Invader]

Dead and undead are 2 different things, playing an undead doesn't satisfy the fact that you're a lifeless corpse.

[Cruiser1]

In dragon magazine 330, there is a commoner specific flaw called corpse. All it says is: "You're dead, but you get an extra feat!"
Note that flaws generally already give you feats, so if the flaw says you get an extra feat, taking Corpse presumably gives you two extra feats: One for taking a flaw in general, and another from this specific flaw itself.

Also, just saying "you're dead", only means you're dead at the time the character enters play. It doesn't mean you have to stay dead, nor does it specify how you died. For a party beyond ECL 1, assume you died in the round before the game started due to eating poison or something. Have the Cleric cast Revivify on you, and you've been True Resurrected for only 1000 gold material components. A feat for 1000 gold of WBL is a great deal! :smallbiggrin:

[Fouredged Sword]

If you start at higher than level 1, spend some of your WBL to purchase a scroll or raise dead. Have the level loss take away your level of commoner, and then you start the game with the equivalent of 1 LA bought off, a little less cash, and an extra feat.

[GutterFace]

can it be combined with Necropolotan? or would you end up in a -1 level?

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Dragon 330 is the April 2005 issue, every one of the commoner flaws was an April Fools joke.

[Fouredged Sword]

Yes, but it is still RAW despite being a joke.

[Slipperychicken]

If you get someone to rez you, you should be able to keep the feat, right?

That could work if you begin play after 1st level, and your comrades simply bring you back to town for rezzing.

[Xuldarinar]

Campaign Idea:

All players begin as 1st level commoners with the corpse flaw. Character creation goes normally, but you tack on that flaw, bestowing them each with a bonus feat but they are all dead.

We begin with each of the players, dead, near each other. This goes on for several rounds before a necromancer arrives. Each player rolls a d4 and consults the table below.

Example Table
d4|Monster Class
1|Ghoul/Ghast
2|Vampire Spawn
3|Wight
4|Roll again(?)

Their commoner level is replaced with 1 level in the undead monster class they gain via the roll. The three on the list here are all 8 level undead monster classes, the others certainly could be added but would be more restrictive in some ways. Shadows (Savage Species, 10 level), Mummy (LM, 13 level) and Mohrg (LM, 20 level) could certainly be included.

[GutterFace]

cant you use this flaw as a commoner and just die, then roll Eidolon?

[eggynack]

Why don't we just combine this with dumb-RAW? You're dead, but you don't care, because death doesn't really impose any kind of condition by the rules. It doesn't even look like you'd pick up the zero or negative HP conditions along the way, because you just go straight from living to dead with nothing in the middle. Fwoompah, you get a feat for nothing.

[Vedhin]

Why don't we just combine this with dumb-RAW? You're dead, but you don't care, because death doesn't really impose any kind of condition by the rules. It doesn't even look like you'd pick up the zero or negative HP conditions along the way, because you just go straight from living to dead with nothing in the middle. Fwoompah, you get a feat for nothing.

You also become semi-immune to hp damage. So they pay you to take the (two) feat(s). A bargain if I ever saw one.

[Rebel7284]

Become a ghost?

[Darrin]

Become a ghost?

Savage Progression (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20040117a) is a thing. Hand of the Unseen Master to telekinetically attack your enemies with a cloud of infinite chickens.