Discreet Undead

[Dalebert]

Vampires come to mind right away. Which other undead, if any, have the potential to cautiously blend in as a normal humanoid? I realize there's always the potential of being discovered, depending on the skills and knowledge of those around them but some are probably right out. A wraith, for instance, will never pass for normal because they're not even solid. Mindless undead are right out. Could a ghoul possibly walk around at night with a hooded cloak or something and possibly not raise much suspicion as long as someone didn't get a good look at its face? They're actually above average human intelligence.

[bjoern]

Vampires come to mind right away. Which other undead, if any, have the potential to cautiously blend in as a normal humanoid? I realize there's always the potential of being discovered, depending on the skills and knowledge of those around them but some are probably right out. A wraith, for instance, will never pass for normal because they're not even solid. Mindless undead are right out. Could a ghoul possibly walk around at night with a hooded cloak or something and possibly not raise much suspicion as long as someone didn't get a good look at its face? They're actually above average human intelligence.

A lich could use Alter Self to appear like a normal person

[ArqArturo]

I think a well-disguised Necropolitan could pull it off.

[Socratov]

A Necropolitan Changeling should retain it's alter self qualities. So, it can still assume a non-undead form.

[AlanBruce]

Magic aside, which is the most obvious and easy way for an undead to blend in, many of the more intelligent ones have very humanlike appearances- albeit gaunt, but that can be easily explained through a successful Bluff skill.

An example that springs to mind is the slaughterwight (Libris Mortis). This undead is said to inflitrate cities and seek out targets to slaughter, hence its name.

The creature looks very much like a human and I believe it has bluff as a racial skill. Dress it up in adventurer attire, give it a wide brimmed hat and have it walk the streets in broad daylight.

It should not even raise an eyebrow.

Ghouls can do this too, but their faces are a lot more feral and twisted. Again, a few class levels in rogue and a solid Disguise check should help the undead blend in- preferably at night.

Vampires have already been covered, which leaves the 'skeletal' undead, like lichees, but since a lich would use magic anyways, it defeats the point i'm trying to work with here.

I'm tempted to say regular wights could pull it off too, but like ghouls, best for them to stick to the night streets- plus something about wights that would probably blow their cover is their dependency on life force (levels), so I'd imagine they would be spotted quite quickly once they began clawing at people in an alley.

[Zombulian]

Magic aside, which is the most obvious and easy way for an undead to blend in, many of the more intelligent ones have very humanlike appearances- albeit gaunt, but that can be easily explained through a successful Bluff skill.

An example that springs to mind is the slaughterwight (Libris Mortis). This undead is said to inflitrate cities and seek out targets to slaughter, hence its name.

The creature looks very much like a human and I believe it has bluff as a racial skill. Dress it up in adventurer attire, give it a wide brimmed hat and have it walk the streets in broad daylight.

It should not even raise an eyebrow.

Ghouls can do this too, but their faces are a lot more feral and twisted. Again, a few class levels in rogue and a solid Disguise check should help the undead blend in- preferably at night.

Vampires have already been covered, which leaves the 'skeletal' undead, like lichees, but since a lich would use magic anyways, it defeats the point i'm trying to work with here.

I'm tempted to say regular wights could pull it off too, but like ghouls, best for them to stick to the night streets- plus something about wights that would probably blow their cover is their dependency on life force (levels), so I'd imagine they would be spotted quite quickly once they began clawing at people in an alley.

Okay... (http://www.heavyonwholesome.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/health-benefits-lychee.jpg)
But also, ghouls have a flesh dependency that could probably put them in a similar position to Wights.

[AlanBruce]

like lichees

And I used to like that fruit… never again.

Agreed with ghouls. Libris Mortis did expand on their need to eat people, so perhaps giving one a bag of holding filled with flesh and marrow to "snack" on while they patrol a human city would be wise.

[Dalebert]

It makes them a lot more interesting and horror movie-ish if they can blend in a little and control their cravings at least enough to plan and scheme in a city.

[ShurikVch]

Actually, lich should look like alive, unless really old (skeletal ones are 1000+ years)

Also, "untyped" undead. There are several ways to get "Type: undead" without anything extra (such as template), so such creature probably should look the same