PDA

View Full Version : Red Warrior and Green Elf Are Dead: Undead Campaigns



Maerok
2007-02-27, 05:32 PM
(A Cookie for whoever gets both allusions! :smallbiggrin:)

I've been thinking up an undead campaign, where the characters are undead (duh). However, I'm not sure if there would be any horrific conflict with certain types of characters, so I'm looking for suggestions/hints/tips/advice/counsel on running an undead campaign (where the ultimate goal is probably to become un-undead). Res and True Res, and the like, will be barred from use due to divine will. There's definitely going to be some divine action going on with a fledgling deity o' death. I also expect to put some hurtin' on the fourth wall...

Resources would be [without exception]:
d20srd.org (website)
Libris Mortis (book)
Tome of Necromancy (WotC forums; but none of the magic jar PrCs, unless I felt up to it)
'Complete Lich' and 'Advanced Necromancy' (two in-depth posts of mine)

ken-do-nim
2007-02-27, 07:30 PM
(I believe your title refers to Gauntlet II the arcade game I spent more money on in my youth than I care to admit. "Red warrior is about to die." - insert quarter fast!)

clarkcd
2007-02-27, 11:12 PM
That's what happens when blue valkyrie shoots the food! :smalltongue:


I'd recommend looking into the Ghostwalk source book. WotC product about running an undead campaign. From what I remember it has quite a few good ideas, magic items, spells, feats and PrCs for characters, living or undead, in that type of campaign.

Indon
2007-02-27, 11:17 PM
Yellow Wizard thinks you should avoid divine magic for the most part; undead generally do not get along with most deities. If you have a deity specialized in undead-ousity, then it might work, though.

Edit: In fact, the clerics of most deities will make good adversaries, because good ones might try to kill you and bad ones might try to control you.

oriong
2007-02-27, 11:26 PM
Make sure that the players are on board with the goal of the campaign, especially since it does seem to have a fairly concrete goal. Also, consider what the various types of undead may need or want if you're doing a multi-monster game.

Mattarias, King.
2007-02-27, 11:48 PM
I do believe your title alludes to the play "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead", non?

anyways, i suggest random black humor and undead jokes to lighten the mood sometimes, or something. along the lines of
zombie: "oh, hey, a new recruit. where're you from?"
skeleton: "me? oh, i was raised in waterdeep."
*rimshot*

or something weird like that. if you're hurting the fourth wall, i think some humor might fit in quite well. either way, sounds good.

Sardia
2007-02-27, 11:52 PM
Atmosphere, atmosphere, atmosphere, I'd say.
And be sure to drop the damage-dealing a bit-- d12 hit die and no Con mod is asking for hurt.

Kantolin
2007-02-28, 01:50 AM
Green archer!

*Mutter* Pansy elves, tryin' to take over everything...

Anyway, as has been stated before, atmosphere is the way to go. ^_^

Wippit Guud
2007-02-28, 01:56 AM
I have personally never heard of undead actively seeking to become alive again. Either the added powers or the effects of negative energy seems to corrupt them.

The_Snark
2007-02-28, 02:02 AM
No, green elf.

Red warrior needs food... badly!

Looks like we got both of them, though not in the same post.

I can see an undead paladin hoping to return to life or at least end this wretched state of existence. If your PCs were raised unwillingly, you could include otherwise incongruous combinations, such as a ghoul cleric of Pelor—obviously, this character will have some problems, like convinving his deity to let him keep his powers and trying to find sustenance without killing people, but that could be a good thing.

You could start off the campaign with them under the control of an evil necromancer, then have them manage to overcome him after a couple sessions and try to find a way to escape their state. Seems like an interesting way to start to me.

Sardia
2007-02-28, 02:12 AM
I can see an undead paladin hoping to return to life or at least end this wretched state of existence.

I suppose the challenge would be getting the Paladin to not kill...er...umm...destroy himself immediately. Considering he now technically would register to his own Detect Evil ability, this might be fun. Of course, he'll also register to Detect Good, and has his Paladin abilities, so there'll be a period of confusion...

TheOOB
2007-02-28, 02:18 AM
No where does the paladin code say that undead are evil, or that you even have to kill evil things.

Sardia
2007-02-28, 02:31 AM
No where does the paladin code say that undead are evil, or that you even have to kill evil things.

True as far as the second one goes, but RAW the Detect Evil spell shows undead, no matter the alignment, as having an aura of evil. Bummer for the guy who spent his Paladining career opposing evil and perhaps using that ability to discern good from evil a few times.

TheOOB
2007-02-28, 02:53 AM
Key thing to note, undead may detect as evil, but they arn't neccesarly evil, a subtle but very profound difference.

Unless of course you rule that negative energy is inheriently evil in your campaign, then all undead are in fact evil.

Sardia
2007-02-28, 02:57 AM
Key thing to note, undead may detect as evil, but they arn't neccesarly evil, a subtle but very profound difference.

Unless of course you rule that negative energy is inheriently evil in your campaign, then all undead are in fact evil.

Certainly not-- that Paladin's as good as they come. He's just likely going to be in for a bit of a head trip when his at-will Evilometer starts triggering on himself, perhaps both from the "What have I become?" aspect and the "When I chopped that guy's head off just because he showed as evil, was he really?" aspect.

TheOOB
2007-02-28, 02:59 AM
My paladins are philosophical like that anyways. As far as I'm concerned killing someone because they detect as evil is evil enough to permenatly revoke your paladin abilities. Someone needs to be a direct threat in order for it to be non evil act to kill them.

Sardia
2007-02-28, 03:11 AM
My paladins are philosophical like that anyways. As far as I'm concerned killing someone because they detect as evil is evil enough to permenatly revoke your paladin abilities. Someone needs to be a direct threat in order for it to be non evil act to kill them.

My campaign tended to give paladins a bit of a hard time-- slaughtering someone who showed up on detect evil was fine, but what showed up on the "Evil radar" varied with the paladin's level-- the higher they were, the more closely the effect mimicked the view of the deity, who was absolutely intolerant of evil.
At lower levels, they had lots of normal mortal morality mixed in with it.

TheOOB
2007-02-28, 03:17 AM
I don't know, paladins are supposed to be good, good people are giving and merciful, and avoid harming others if possible.

Besides, much of the times paladins kill evil creatures because it's more convienent then trying to bring them to justice, which is just wrong.

McDeath
2007-02-28, 03:58 AM
Would there be any way to run an undead Paladin? Depends on their Code and the definition of evil, I suppose.

Sardia
2007-02-28, 04:14 AM
I don't know, paladins are supposed to be good, good people are giving and merciful, and avoid harming others if possible.

Besides, much of the times paladins kill evil creatures because it's more convienent then trying to bring them to justice, which is just wrong.

With the caveat that this definition of Evil and subsequent rationale was that of the deity alone:

The means exists whereby the individual can know what good and evil are-- if nothing else, they can become Paladins and receive the ability directly from the deity.
Failure to do so means that the individual, when committing evil acts, either does not wish to know what good and evil are despite knowing that such concepts exist, or he knows that evil is and chooses to engage in it anyhow.
Every evil being, therefore, is at the least engaging in willful negligence to the detriment of others, and at the most is outright rejecting the very underpinnings of good.
Given that it is inconceivable to the deity that any rational mind should actually choose evil over good without being utterly corrupt and deliberately destructive of Good, there is no excuse for allowing evil to continue to exist. Head-lopping time, to minimize the damage as soon as possible.