Pimp my Undead!

[Dr. Azkur]

Welcome! You're all welcome to my hobby room very professional laboratory. Yes, yes, come i-... Ew! That was not supposed to be stepped on... Worry not, I'll buy you a new shoe. Or sew you a new foot if that thing was what I think it was. But first comes business!

So I'd like to ask for the playground's help once more. In the last session of the campaign I run the players came across a very funny-looking staff (or rod, or cane or very long and thick wand, I may not have been very clear), topped with a skull, made from black bone, with undead designs and patterns et al. It was evil. The party's rogue, great fan of UMD was eager to try it out and god be damned if he were to wait for Item Identification to do so, why should he care that it was inside the most dangerously trapped chest he had ever found? More of a reason to try it out!!!. Of course, I was well aware of this... and a common skeleton happened to found its way into the room. Now why does this last detail matter at all?
Because the staff was in fact a Staff of Undead Awakening. As in the Awaken Undead spell (Libris Mortis I believe).
So they saw Jim awaken, they saw Jim being Turned by the party's cleric and they saw Jim leave in a hurry.

So what I have now is potentially my coolest designated villain so far. Potentially. And I want YOU to help me design it (Please and thank you).

Jim (This skeleton's name in life and I supposed in undeath before he becomes a full-time villain. Because Mogworld). Jim... JIM! Jim is a plain old regular super regular statted-out-in-the-MM human skeleton. With a 10 in INT. And vile intentions. How would you turn him into a BBEG? Would you give him class levels? Would you throw every augmentation template in the books? All is fair in Pimp My Undead! (CR is not important)

One final note: I'd really like to give him the Spellstitched template, but I don't like that the SpA's have only a couple of uses per day, so if you can come up with a way to make those unlimited, that would be awesome.

I thank every one of you who responds.

What do you mean you're not licensed to do this kind of experiments? Remember what I always say: You don't need a license when you have swag. And I'm a very swell and swaggy doctor.

[Ionbound]

Well, I think first off, we need the rest of his stats. That said, of the top of my head, the Paragon template sounds like it could be interesting considering the lack of CR limit. And, as I think everyone will agree with me, he definitely needs class levels.

[Dr. Azkur]

As per request, the stats of the mighty Jim, the SRD Human Skeleton.

Jim
Human Warrior (?) Skeleton
Size/Type: Medium Undead
Hit Dice: 1d12
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 13 (+1 Dex, +2 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/+1
Attack: Claw +1 melee (1d4+1)
Full Attack: 2 claws +1 melee (1d4+1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 5/bludgeoning, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to cold, undead traits
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +1, Will +2
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 13, Con Ø, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 1
Feats: As per advancement.
Alignment: Neutral Evil

[eastmabl]

If you want unlimited use SLAs, you could slather on levels of Warlock.

Additionally, I've given a skeleton with class levels an intelligent magical item that controlled the skeleton and allowed him to take levels in wizard before.

[Silva Stormrage]

Ya I suggest warlock as well, fluff it as maybe accepting a bargin with a devil for hellfire power and the devil having control over Jim's soul. That way you can introduce a shadowy hand behind the dreaded Jim.

I suggest making a stealthy glaivelock, Jim can ignore any warlock invocation that allows a save after all with his charisma of 1. Look up on ways to pump eldritch glaive damage and have him get some way of hide in plain sight (Dark Template from that item is ToM?)

Eldritch claws are also an option.

[Azoth]

Can we change Jim to something that would have been human in appearance before skeletoning him?

The reson for this being if we make him a planetouched race first, and drop a few templates on him (spell stitched, phrenic, half fey, shadowed, and a few others all grant alot of sla/plas based on HD), then combine that with Magic in the Blood feat...Jim suddenly gets a BUNCH of abilities useable 3/day. While not infinite, it serves well for his fight scenes.

Secondly, why stop at a normal skeleton. Let's make Jim created by a Dread Necromancer who had every corpsecrafter feat and have him raised at a desecrated alter.

[Dr. Azkur]

If you want unlimited use SLAs, you could slather on levels of Warlock.

Additionally, I've given a skeleton with class levels an intelligent magical item that controlled the skeleton and allowed him to take levels in wizard before.
Oh I like where this could head...


Ya I suggest warlock as well, fluff it as maybe accepting a bargin with a devil for hellfire power and the devil having control over Jim's soul. That way you can introduce a shadowy hand behind the dreaded Jim.

I suggest making a stealthy glaivelock, Jim can ignore any warlock invocation that allows a save after all with his charisma of 1. Look up on ways to pump eldritch glaive damage and have him get some way of hide in plain sight (Dark Template from that item is ToM?)

Eldritch claws are also an option.
I'm good at making warlocks so this is definitely an option, I specially like the idea of making him stealthy.
And Hide in Plain sight seems like a work for the three-level PrC Lurking Terror.


Can we change Jim to something that would have been human in appearance before skeletoning him?

The reson for this being if we make him a planetouched race first, and drop a few templates on him (spell stitched, phrenic, half fey, shadowed, and a few others all grant alot of sla/plas based on HD), then combine that with Magic in the Blood feat...Jim suddenly gets a BUNCH of abilities useable 3/day. While not infinite, it serves well for his fight scenes.

Secondly, why stop at a normal skeleton. Let's make Jim created by a Dread Necromancer who had every corpsecrafter feat and have him raised at a desecrated alter.

Oh the Corpse Crafter feats! How did I miss those?!
Yes on your question and yes on the templates, although Skeleton Templates makes you lose non-(Ex) Special Qualities but I'll see what I can do about that.

[Slipperychicken]

Depending on their level (since they're apparently finding 7th level staffs), it might be appropriate to make Jim into a Paragon Creature (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/monsters/paragonCreature.htm) and give him some class levels. That would make him pretty dang fighty (with 24 hit points per HD, significant defensive abilities, and large bonuses to hit and damage to offset 1/2 BAB from skeleton HD) and set his mental scores up for spellcasting necromantic goodness.

Jim the Evil Skeleton may desire a suitable mount, such as a skeletal horse or dragon.

Also, from the name for this thread, I thought it would be about the logistics of running an undead brothel. I am far from disappointed, however.

[Mithril Leaf]

Two questions, is Athas a sourcebook for you and can he be animated by the best undead animator around?

[Tommy2255]

How long was Jim sitting in that tomb before he was Awakened? Long enough to become an evolved undead?

[Dr. Azkur]

How long was Jim sitting in that tomb before he was Awakened? Long enough to become an evolved undead?
Certainly! Good spot, man!


Two questions, is Athas a sourcebook for you and can he be animated by the best undead animator around?
Anything can be, I'll be sure to check it out.


Depending on their level (since they're apparently finding 7th level staffs), it might be appropriate to make Jim into a Paragon Creature (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/monsters/paragonCreature.htm) and give him some class levels. That would make him pretty dang fighty (with 24 hit points per HD, significant defensive abilities, and large bonuses to hit and damage to offset 1/2 BAB from skeleton HD) and set his mental scores up for spellcasting necromantic goodness.

Actually they're level 5! Plot > Appropriate Level Happenings.
Either way I like to tease them a lot, I gave them a bottled Wish at level 2, of course, it's been stolen like a dozen times by now... but they still think they have it (I can't wait to tell the one that drinks the fake that "it tastes like peaches. Maybe some drops of pineapple juice" and then be quiet for several seconds and just shrug when they ask).
Paragon Creature sounds like a bit too much, but mainly because I don't know what that is. I mean, yeah SRD template but... what causes it? What kind of stuff should Jim do to become one? Can he?


Also, from the name for this thread, I thought it would be about the logistics of running an undead brothel. I am far from disappointed, however.
Huh... I might just involve an undead brothel somewhere because of your comment. My world has many strange things, there is no excuse for missing that.

[Segev]

I've found what makes a truly memorable villain - especially the sort the party is to encounter again and again - is a good motivation and personality driven towards that motivation. What does Jim want? What is he doing that the party opposes? Is he simply driven by revenge? Is he cognizant of the fact that the staff is what Awakened him? Does he care about that?

If you wanted to "work his way up" to the Paragon template, he could have, amongst other obsessions, a drive to find the "perfect" bones, and be willing to go grave-robbing and on murder sprees to find the most exquisite specimens. Which he then replaces his own bones with. Eventually, he has found the most perfect ones and is a paragon human(oid) skeleton. Get him enough Wis to be able to take on 3rd or 4th level spells with Spellstitched, and he can have Animate Dead at least once per day. He uses that to ensure his new acquisitions are properly animate parts of him, as well as a pseudo "create spawn" ability.

I imagine he is particularly resentful of the party, especially if his initial impression was that the first thing he remembers ever encountering is that hateful Turning. Even worse if he knows they first Awakened him THEN Turned him! That's cruelty for the sake of cruelty!

[Bonzai]

More fun. Craft Contingent spell, restore undead. The party kills him, he comes back, albeit slightly diminished. They probably won't notice that at first. So have a couple of those on him. The Party kills him, and presto, he is restored. They kill him again, and bamf, he is back. The party might start thinking about running at that point even if he is just a skeleton.

[Slipperychicken]

Paragon Creature sounds like a bit too much, but mainly because I don't know what that is. I mean, yeah SRD template but... what causes it? What kind of stuff should Jim do to become one? Can he?


I don't know if there's a RAW way to become a Paragon Creature. Also, I agree it is far too much for level 5, as I figured the party would be a much higher level.

As for what it represents:


Epic Level Handbook page 209

Among the population of every
kind of creature are some specimens
that are its weakest, worst representatives.
Likewise, every population has
its paragons: the strongest, smartest,
luckiest, and most powerful of the
species. Paragon creatures may represent
the mythical First Creature, created
in its perfect form by some creator deity,
or perhaps the evolutionary endpoint of
a race after thousands of years of steady
improvement. Sometimes, paragons
just spring up accidentally, when all
the factors are right.


ELH pg. 208

Mind flayer paragons are to standard mind flayers what
gods are to most creatures. They represent the most insidious,
cruelest, and most powerful specimens of their race.
Their powers of the mind are ultimately honed.

I also agree that it's important to set up Jim's motivations and personality before figuring out what templates would make that work.

[Wacky89]

You could use Bone Creature from Book of Vile Darkness instead of Skeleton.

It gives +4 Dex and Weapon Finesse for free + alot other stuff.

[Segev]

Of course, for maximum cheese, Jim should find ways to up his Intelligence and become a wizard. He could even claim to be a lich! Then he goes into the Tainted Scholar PrC, and voluntarily fails every single save against becoming more tainted. Because the negative effects of taint expressly do not apply to the undead, so every time he casts a spell, his casting stat goes up!

[Snowbluff]

As per request, the stats of the mighty Jim, the SRD Human Skeleton.

Jim
Human Warrior (?) Skeleton
Size/Type: Medium Humanoid (Augmented Human)


Take Human Heritage, and become immune to a ton of things.

[Slipperychicken]

Take Human Heritage, and become immune to a ton of things.

It looks like that would let Jim, assuming he qualifies for it, keep his undead traits (such as immunity to mind-affecting, critical hits, and such), but simultaneously be a Humanoid(Human) and be treated as human for all effects.

If I'm reading this right, Human Heritage, because it means his type is no longer undead, should let him benefit from positive energy healing (as undead are called out specifically in Cure Light Wounds). However, his undead traits hold over, including benefiting from negative energy. So he should benefit from both positive and negative energy. Jim would also be immune to the effects of Hide From Undead and Turn Undead because he isn't undead. Also, he should qualify for living-people templates since he isn't technically undead anymore.

This could set Jim up for some shenanigans.

[Snowbluff]

It looks like that would let Jim, assuming he qualifies for it, keep his undead traits (such as immunity to mind-affecting, critical hits, and such), but simultaneously be a Humanoid(Human) and be treated as human for all effects.

If I'm reading this right, Human Heritage, because it means his type is no longer undead, should let him benefit from positive energy healing (as undead are called out specifically in Cure Light Wounds). However, his undead traits hold over, including benefiting from negative energy.

Pretty much, yeah. :smallwink:

[XmonkTad]

Jim should be able to add heads to himself.

Basically this works as him gaining the multiheaded template the first time he does it (assuming he is medium) and every time after he gains something plot related (a head that gives him sneak attack, or rebuke undead or something) that the original creature had.

Makes him a recurring villain with an obvious motive.

[Dr. Azkur]

Jim should be able to add heads to himself.

Basically this works as him gaining the multiheaded template the first time he does it (assuming he is medium) and every time after he gains something plot related (a head that gives him sneak attack, or rebuke undead or something) that the original creature had.

Makes him a recurring villain with an obvious motive.
Hah so eventually Jim becomes Nito from dark souls?


Take Human Heritage, and become immune to a ton of things.

It looks like that would let Jim, assuming he qualifies for it, keep his undead traits (such as immunity to mind-affecting, critical hits, and such), but simultaneously be a Humanoid(Human) and be treated as human for all effects.

If I'm reading this right, Human Heritage, because it means his type is no longer undead, should let him benefit from positive energy healing (as undead are called out specifically in Cure Light Wounds). However, his undead traits hold over, including benefiting from negative energy. So he should benefit from both positive and negative energy. Jim would also be immune to the effects of Hide From Undead and Turn Undead because he isn't undead. Also, he should qualify for living-people templates since he isn't technically undead anymore.

This could set Jim up for some shenanigans.
Guys please, I mean, that IS an awesome trick and I'm bound to try it out with a necropolitan, but I'm the DM right now, I have no need for such cheese.


Of course, for maximum cheese, Jim should find ways to up his Intelligence and become a wizard. He could even claim to be a lich! Then he goes into the Tainted Scholar PrC, and voluntarily fails every single save against becoming more tainted. Because the negative effects of taint expressly do not apply to the undead, so every time he casts a spell, his casting stat goes up!
Read above.
But yeah, heading to Wizard I'm definitely considering.


You could use Bone Creature from Book of Vile Darkness instead of Skeleton.

It gives +4 Dex and Weapon Finesse for free + alot other stuff.
It's worth a look, I'll check it out.


More fun. Craft Contingent spell, restore undead. The party kills him, he comes back, albeit slightly diminished. They probably won't notice that at first. So have a couple of those on him. The Party kills him, and presto, he is restored. They kill him again, and bamf, he is back. The party might start thinking about running at that point even if he is just a skeleton.
Heheheheheh


I've found what makes a truly memorable villain - especially the sort the party is to encounter again and again - is a good motivation and personality driven towards that motivation. What does Jim want? What is he doing that the party opposes? Is he simply driven by revenge? Is he cognizant of the fact that the staff is what Awakened him? Does he care about that?

If you wanted to "work his way up" to the Paragon template, he could have, amongst other obsessions, a drive to find the "perfect" bones, and be willing to go grave-robbing and on murder sprees to find the most exquisite specimens. Which he then replaces his own bones with. Eventually, he has found the most perfect ones and is a paragon human(oid) skeleton. Get him enough Wis to be able to take on 3rd or 4th level spells with Spellstitched, and he can have Animate Dead at least once per day. He uses that to ensure his new acquisitions are properly animate parts of him, as well as a pseudo "create spawn" ability.

I imagine he is particularly resentful of the party, especially if his initial impression was that the first thing he remembers ever encountering is that hateful Turning. Even worse if he knows they first Awakened him THEN Turned him! That's cruelty for the sake of cruelty!


I also agree that it's important to set up Jim's motivations and personality before figuring out what templates would make that work.

Yes, he's definitely resentful, of the party and of pretty much everything, he didn't even get a proper afterlife... you'd think he would at least be let be while dead but NOT EVEN THAT!
Rest assured... he's a motivated man. (Or woman. Y'know, we actually couldn't quite tell (http://oglaf.com/tibia/))

I like all the graverobbing that looking for the perfect bones implies.

[Cavir]

I've found what makes a truly memorable villain - especially the sort the party is to encounter again and again - is a good motivation and personality driven towards that motivation. What does Jim want?
[...]
... he could have, amongst other obsessions, a drive to find the "perfect" bones, and be willing to go grave-robbing and on murder sprees to find the most exquisite specimens. Which he then replaces his own bones with.
I imagine he is particularly resentful of the party,
Actually, instead of being resentful of the party, 1 or 2 party members have the perfect bone structure to add to his "collection". He's got all the time in the world to plot to acquire their bones too (cue reoccurring attempts). Heck, he might even be helpful to the party at times- can't let those perfect bones get crushed, eaten or dissolved by green slime! If the party has a Paladin you could have some fun with that too- Mr High and Mighty (or one of his party members) just got saved by the undead BBEG, or he has to accept help to save a party member.

[maniacalmojo]

Go mummy on them. He really wants to become living again now that he has gained his thoughts back. He desperatly searches and then finds ways of absorbing life from people causing him to be slightly more alive. As he travels he gains more skin and flesh and such causing him to appear as a mortal. being mortal makes him ache as he still does not know how to feel or connect. He is still undead but with a makeover. He things its not enough and takes more out of his victims, learning how to absorb more then just their appearance but take their strengths and powers as well.

Basically make him have like a spell thief or ur priest thing but with all class abilities and spells. He would benifit from both energy types and be able to sap party members of their cool stuff.

[Segev]

If you go with "some of the PCs have 'the perfect bones' for his collection" idea, recall, too, that he's undead...and can afford to be patient. Perhaps he resents the party and thus will be acting against them, but his creepy, almost deceptively romantic fascination with those who have what he's looking for provides opportunity to make him rethink his approach. Maybe he offers to make a deal for their corpses, when they're done using them.

Or maybe not. But it opens interesting possibilities to recall that, if he can't get them by force, he might seek them some other way...