Creating a Necropolitan - any way to repair/avoid damage to my body?

[kkplx]

Hey there

So, by becoming undead you lose the nice benefits of cure spells mending wounds - since as far as i know, as the "healing" effects of negative energy spells like inflict x wounds just sustain the forces that keep you going; instead of actually repairing damage to the corpse you're inhabiting.
I've only started reading through libris mortis, so i might come across a solution yet, but so far I'd love to hear your ideas.

The issue is that I'd like to avoid making the undeath too obvious with disguise skill checks etc, due to the usual prejudices against undead in pretty much every setting, but easy stuff like Alter Self (will be a wizard) is foiled by the type change ;)

I'm already planning on keeping up gentle repose on myself to avoid the decay (whether the DM will be okay with that or insist on a RAW interpretation of the spell is another thing...), but I'm having a hard time trying to stop the body from deteriorating in increments due to physical stress like wounds or extreme environmental dangers (like not realizing that your finger is burning or similar things).

Therefore my question is - what ways are there to repair damage to an undead creature's physical body (not just HP). (as well as possible alternatives to gentle repose)

[Crake]

You could probably argue that inflict actually does close wounds. Alternatively, if your DM is adamant that they don't, then a few castings of mending should cover the physical damage?

[CIDE]

Wouldn't a pocket full of permanent black sand accomplish this task for undead? I'm sure there'd be better containers for it. Like if the DM would allow black sand to be turned into glass and make a piece of black sand glass jewelry you wear that's in constant contact with your skin.

http://dndtools.eu/spells/sandstorm--85/black-sand--3162/

[OldTrees1]

Don't forget your own Unnatural Resilience ability. Your body still heals from resting.

[HunterOfJello]

Psionics should be able to help you out some, since it contains different healing abilities that aren't actually powered by positive energy. The costs end up being higher than divine magic, but it could work depending on which specific issue you're try to fix.

[kkplx]

Don't forget your own Unnatural Resilience ability. Your body still heals from resting.

Oh my god, that's simple and effective - true, that would actually make sense =)

[Jeff the Green]

Your problem isn't going to be open wounds, it's going to be the fact that necropolitans don't look human:

http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp42/Formosusii/Dungeons%20and%20Dragons/necropolitan.jpg

And this is an effect of crucimigration, not something gentle repose will help.

My advice is to wear gloves and get a Hat of Disguise.

[Aquillion]

My advice is to wear gloves and get a Hat of Disguise.The joker in me wants to suggest that the line "It continues to dress in the fashion it preferred while living" in the template description makes this impossible.

"I must disguise myself! But... my favorite hat! I cannot bring myself to replace it! Nooooo!"

[(Un)Inspired]

Your problem isn't going to be open wounds, it's going to be the fact that necropolitans don't look human:

http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp42/Formosusii/Dungeons%20and%20Dragons/necropolitan.jpg

And this is an effect of crucimigration, not something gentle repose will help.

My advice is to wear gloves and get a Hat of Disguise.

That's basically what my grandfather looks like and he passes for human.

[Soranar]

There are well known ways to heal the undead:

''Negative energy (such as an inflict spell) can heal undead creatures. The fast healing special quality works regardless of the creature’s Intelligence score.''

so yes, inflict spells basically work as their positive energy counterparts
and fast healing also works

so if they do repair damage, logically the body is also repaired

and passing for human for a necropolitan is only a DC 5 disguise check. Not exactly difficult to achieve

[kkplx]

There are well known ways to heal the undead:

''Negative energy (such as an inflict spell) can heal undead creatures. The fast healing special quality works regardless of the creature’s Intelligence score.''

so yes, inflict spells basically work as their positive energy counterparts
and fast healing also works

so if they do repair damage, logically the body is also repaired

and passing for human for a necropolitan is only a DC 5 disguise check. Not exactly difficult to achieve

Could you give me a breakdown how you got to that conclusion? Isn't a disguise check always opposed by hourly spot checks, and not a set DC that must be reached for success?

And in regards to the guy with the "I must disguise myself! But... my favorite hat! I cannot bring myself to replace it! Nooooo!" ... the Hat of Disguise can fulfill that part as part of the disguise, as it changes form and color ^^

[Juntao112]

Wouldn't a pocket full of permanent black sand accomplish this task for undead? I'm sure there'd be better containers for it. Like if the DM would allow black sand to be turned into glass and make a piece of black sand glass jewelry you wear that's in constant contact with your skin.

http://dndtools.eu/spells/sandstorm--85/black-sand--3162/

What if you ate it?

[Flickerdart]

and passing for human for a necropolitan is only a DC 5 disguise check. Not exactly difficult to achieve
Disguise doesn't have any DCs - all Disguise checks are opposed.

[Psyren]

That's basically what my grandfather looks like and he passes for human.

You may need to get him some help. (And a blood transfusion tan.)

[Coidzor]

What if you ate it?

Depending upon where one suffers damage and if any facsimilie of autonomic functions remain to the necropolitan, it might eventually, slowly pass, but otherwise it's in there until it's physically removed by poking a hole in there and should probably be doing its healing thing.

Just more likely to be non-fatally disemboweled as an undead than you are to have your magical armored boots destroyed.

[Nettlekid]

My vote would be for Fast Healing somehow. That would be how Vampires who are sliced up close their wounds, so it must work on undead bodies.

An Eternal Wand of Disguise Undead would also do the trick to disguise yourself on a daily basis. Lasts 24 hours, can make you look like any shape of generally the same creature type, and it works on your apparel too (since it mentions that a battleaxe made to look like a dagger still acts like a battleaxe.) Just change yourself to look exactly like you are, but with no cuts and things.

[OldTrees1]

A cheap way for undead to gain Fast Healing is to get the Evolved Undead template (Libris Mortis). It is gained at least once automatically by any undead that has been animated for at least 10,000 years. Although it probably will be gained by 1,000 years.

[Nettlekid]

A cheap way for undead to gain Fast Healing is to get the Evolved Undead template (Libris Mortis). It is gained at least once automatically by any undead that has been animated for at least 10,000 years. Although it probably will be gained by 1,000 years.

RAW (but certainly not RAI) Mass Lesser Vigor is probably even easier to gain the effects of, being only a 3rd level spell. It says it acts like Lesser Vigor and can affect multiple subjects, thus granting Fast Healing 1, but the target is one creature/2 levels, which is missing the "living" requirement of regular Lesser Vigor. The new target overrides the old requirement, so RAW you can get it on you.
(This might also be an interesting loophole in case for some reason, like PrC prereq or something, an Undead needs a Conjuration (Healing) spell to work on it.)

[CIDE]

What if you ate it?

I had considered that after the fact since in most cases Undead don't exact have a working digestive track. It should theoretically stay in there forever. Which gets even better if it's in addition to fast healing through some other means. It's a pretty cheap method for 1d4 fast healing anyway. It's too bad (for cheese sake) that its "damage" doesn't get increased at all.