Necropolitan questions

[NudelJunge]

When creating a Necropolitan character, how much of the Undead type characteristics do they get? I mean, the Necropolitan description in Libris Mortis is pretty specific about not recalculating BAB and skill points, but what about stuff like Darkvision, immunity to mind-effecting effects, the various immunities, and using CHA mod on Concentration checks?

[Bakkan]

Every creature type has Traits and Features. Traits are common to every creature of that type (unless specified otherwise) while features are properties of any racial Hit Dice the creature has (as a necropolitan, you usually won't have any of these). So, as a necropolitan, you gain


No Constitution score.
Darkvision out to 60 feet.
Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, and death effects.
Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability drain, or energy drain. Immune to damage to its physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution), as well as to fatigue and exhaustion effects.
Cannot heal damage on its own if it has no Intelligence score, although it can be healed. Negative energy (such as an inflict spell) can heal undead creatures. The fast healing special quality works regardless of the creature’s Intelligence score.
Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless).
Uses its Charisma modifier for Concentration checks.
Not at risk of death from massive damage, but when reduced to 0 hit points or less, it is immediately destroyed.
Not affected by raise dead and reincarnate spells or abilities. Resurrection and true resurrection can affect undead creatures. These spells turn undead creatures back into the living creatures they were before becoming undead.
Proficient with its natural weapons, all simple weapons, and any weapons mentioned in its entry.
Proficient with whatever type of armor (light, medium, or heavy) it is described as wearing, as well as all lighter types. Undead not indicated as wearing armor are not proficient with armor. Undead are proficient with shields if they are proficient with any form of armor.
Undead do not breathe, eat, or sleep.

[Extra Anchovies]

The mention of not recalculating BAB/saves/etc is not a template specific rule; rather, it is a reminder of how type-changing templates work in general. The Monster Manual (specifically on page 291, "Reading a Template") lays out that a template which changes a creature's type also gives it the augmented subtype, and the augmented subtype is always paired with the creature's original type prior to templates, et cetera. In short, this means that a template that replaces a creature's type changes the creature's typings to [new type] (augmented [old type]); a human is Humanoid (Human), so a Necropolitan human is Undead (Augmented Humanoid, Human), for example.

The Monster Manual template rules continue by describing what mechanical effects the type change has on the creature:

Unless a template indicates otherwise, the new creature has the traits of the new type but the features of the original type. The example half-celestial unicorn has outsider traits (darkvision out to 60 feet, no soul) and magical beast features (10-sided Hit Dice, base attack bonus equal to total Hit Dice, good Fortitude and Reflex saves, and soon).
The Necropolitan template says that the base creature's HD at the time of the template's acquisition are converted to d12s, but no mention of BAB, saves, skills, etc means that there is no change to those parts of the base creature's statistics. The d12 hit dice of, say, a 12th-level Necropolitan Human Sorcerer also aren't undead racial HD - they're still HD derived from class levels, and applying Necropolitan just changed the die size.

[NudelJunge]

Thanks for the info guys, the cross-referencing was throwing me for a loop, but you both definitely cleared that up. MUCH appreciated!

[NudelJunge]

Okay, so one more question for a necropolitan: The Lifesense feat from Libris Mortis lets you see living creatures as though they are sources of light. For medium creatures, they radiate light in a 60' radius. Assuming that there are no obstructions between you and them, how close would you have to be too them to be able to see their bubble of life-illumination? It is kind of like, if you see someone carrying a torch at a distance, you don't have to be in that torch's area of influence to see it.

[Kelb_Panthera]

Okay, so one more question for a necropolitan: The Lifesense feat from Libris Mortis lets you see living creatures as though they are sources of light. For medium creatures, they radiate light in a 60' radius. Assuming that there are no obstructions between you and them, how close would you have to be too them to be able to see their bubble of life-illumination? It is kind of like, if you see someone carrying a torch at a distance, you don't have to be in that torch's area of influence to see it.

The rule for this is tucked away somewhere obscure (underdark, I think) and, if memory serves, it says that a light source can be seen at 6 times the distance its illumination reaches. I'll have to dig it up to get the exact details unless someone beats me to it.

[Duelpersonality]

The rule for this is tucked away somewhere obscure (underdark, I think) and, if memory serves, it says that a light source can be seen at 6 times the distance its illumination reaches. I'll have to dig it up to get the exact details unless someone beats me to it.

It is in Underdark, page 106. It's a DC 20 spot check to see illumination at 20 times the radius in complete darkness and 10 times the radius in dim light (moonlight and starlight). It is automatic at half those distances, and then allows Spot checks to see anything specific in the illumination that would require a Spot check normally.

[KillianHawkeye]

It is in Underdark, page 106. It's a DC 20 spot check to see illumination at 20 times the radius in complete darkness and 10 times the radius in dim light (moonlight and starlight). It is automatic at half those distances, and then allows Spot checks to see anything specific in the illumination that would require a Spot check normally.

I just wanted to note that this was also reprinted in the Rules Compendium, which may be slightly less obscure for some tables.

[Kelb_Panthera]

It is in Underdark, page 106. It's a DC 20 spot check to see illumination at 20 times the radius in complete darkness and 10 times the radius in dim light (moonlight and starlight). It is automatic at half those distances, and then allows Spot checks to see anything specific in the illumination that would require a Spot check normally.

Obscure rule, obscure source; can you blame me for having it wrong :smalltongue: