Quick Undead Question

[Rijan_Sai]

Is it possible for a ghosts body to be raised as a corporeal, unintelligent undead (i.e. zombie or skeleton)?

Or is there anything in any book (Libris Mortis; DMG; BoVD; etc.) that might explain either way, for or against.

This is something that might be relevant in an upcoming session...I'm pretty sure I know how the DM will rule, but I would like to know if there is an RAW for it?

Thanks.

[OldTrees1]

RAW: No prohibition
Fluff: Contradictory rulings. If and only if Skeletons are soulless undead then yes.

[sideswipe]

i would say yes as the skeleton is soulless. but if you awakened it, would that cease the ghost to exist? as its pulled back into the undead body?

[holywhippet]

i would say yes as the skeleton is soulless. but if you awakened it, would that cease the ghost to exist? as its pulled back into the undead body?

Awaken undead grants them intelligence, not a soul.

From the SRD:

Ghostly Equipment

When a ghost forms, all its equipment and carried items usually become ethereal along with it. In addition, the ghost retains 2d4 items that it particularly valued in life (provided they are not in another creature’s possession). The equipment works normally on the Ethereal Plane but passes harmlessly through material objects or creatures. A weapon of +1 or better magical enhancement, however, can harm material creatures when the ghost manifests, but any such attack has a 50% chance to fail unless the weapon is a ghost touch weapon (just as magic weapons can fail to harm the ghost).

The original material items remain behind, just as the ghost’s physical remains do. If another creature seizes the original, the ethereal copy fades away. This loss invariably angers the ghost, who stops at nothing to return the item to its original resting place.

So the ghost's original body remains and thus should be able to be reanimated.

[Rijan_Sai]

Oh good! I thought so, but it's nice to have confirmation. Especially since I...may or may not be the reanimator. (...As a ghost warlock. Yes, I am contemplating animating my own remains...to "keep them safe," of course! :smallamused:)
This is all dependent upon whether I get killed in a (presumed) upcoming battle. We've already agreed that the "ghosting" will happen whenever my character dies.

Which reminds me, while I'm sure that I could get enough onyx for the process, in the event it takes me longer then I expect, how many times can a body be reanimated, assuming it's not destroyed at some point?

[holywhippet]

Which reminds me, while I'm sure that I could get enough onyx for the process, in the event it takes me longer then I expect, how many times can a body be reanimated, assuming it's not destroyed at some point?

From http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/animateDead.htm -
They remain animated until they are destroyed. (A destroyed skeleton or zombie can’t be animated again.)

So it won't become de-animated until destroyed at which point you can't do it again barring some kind of special trick.

[The Viscount]

The body's totally up for grabs for reanimation. In case you need a text proof, it's in magic jar of all places, where it says
Only sentient undead creatures have, or are, souls.

As for restoring the zombie body, you're going to need revive undead, which works basically like raise dead, though the copied-without-thought willing spirit bit is kind of weird for mindless undead.