Eberron and Karnnathi Undead

[ZeroSpace9000]

I've been doing some groundwork for a campaign idea in my head, and my mind came to undead, specifically Karnnathi Skeletons and Zombies. I've been trying to find out how they're made, but can't find anything in their monster entries in the ECS, and there's nothing in Magic of Eberron either. Anyone know where this would be?

[Venger]

I've been doing some groundwork for a campaign idea in my head, and my mind came to undead, specifically Karnnathi Skeletons and Zombies. I've been trying to find out how they're made, but can't find anything in their monster entries in the ECS, and there's nothing in Magic of Eberron either. Anyone know where this would be?

There is no listed mechanical way to create them in the books. do you want to have an all karnnathi undead party?

[ZeroSpace9000]

No, more just wondering how easily done it is, for the sake of developing Karnnathi NPCs. If it's in 'DM-handwave' territory, that's fine.

[Venger]

No, more just wondering how easily done it is, for the sake of developing Karnnathi NPCs. If it's in 'DM-handwave' territory, that's fine.

yeah that's how it functions.

in the setting, I'd imagine it's part of basic training in the karrn military. when you're ready to ship out, they probably have casters zap everyone en masse with it so it automatically activates when they are killed, kind of like "oath of blood" but it would only turn them into karrn zombies or skels.

[Zombimode]

yeah that's how it functions.

in the setting, I'd imagine it's part of basic training in the karrn military. when you're ready to ship out, they probably have casters zap everyone en masse with it so it automatically activates when they are killed, kind of like "oath of blood" but it would only turn them into karrn zombies or skels.

I don't think this is how it works. Remember, while Karnath keeps large contingents of undead troops at the ready, they are controversial in the eye of the general (Karnathi) public (and even more so in other countries). Today's Karnath is not the same nation as 30 years ago.

Also, lingering magic that stays dormant until triggered is pretty rare in D&D, usually confined to (craft) Contingent Spell. Especially in the context of undead creation this would be a major outlier. There is no reason to assume that the creation of Karnathi zombies and skeletons is so different from usual methods.

Personally, I would put it as a special use of Animate Dead, either unlocked by a feat or with "special knowledge" requirement but no actual character resources.

[Extra Anchovies]

Did someone say Karrnath?


There is no listed mechanical way to create them in the books.

On the contrary! A Bone Knight (Five Nations, p. 117) of 5th level of higher can create a Karrnathi Skeleton or Zombie once per day as a spell-like ability through their Fill the Ranks class feature.

The earliest that Fill the Ranks can be acquired is ECL 9, with Paladin 4/Bone Knight 5. However, a 9th level character is rather exceptional in Eberron, so producing Karrnathi undead in battlefield-deployable numbers is likely untenable without another way to create them.

Edit: a bit of digging (gravedigging?) turns up some unofficial suggestions (http://www.bossythecow.com/askthedreamingdark%209-14.htm) from Keith Baker wherein he suggests allowing the corpses of 3rd-level or higher Karrnathi soldiers to be raised as Karrnathi Skeletons or Zombies with Animate Dead.

[ZeroSpace9000]

Huh, must have glazed over Fill the Ranks. Likely because of how slow it is; only 1/day kinda suck.

Well, good to know, still. And as for the creator comments, this is for a campaign I'm plotting in my head, so dodgy stuff like that is fine. Still good to have a rough idea of how it's done.

[Fizban]

I would have suggested that Create Undead ought to suffice, but forgot that's supposed to be deep end of the pool for Eberron. Animate Dead on people that were higher level makes sense, I believe the description says something about them being raised from the best or whatever. It'd be a waste if you had access to something that actually retained their class levels, but an alternate or ritual boosted use of Animate Dead for corpses of elite creatures it's a nifty idea.

Do take a moment and proofread the statblocks though, the originals were full of errors and IIRC the errata didn't fix everything.

[Regitnui]

It's a complex and highly technical procedure. Creating Karrnathi undead is to animate undead as power word: stun is to magic missile. It firstly involves having the corpse of a soldier loyal to Karrnath, so taking Thranish or Aundairan soldiers will give you nothing. Secondly, there are alchemical treatments which remain unknown, then at least one necromantic spell. The bone knight is incredibly powerful by the standards of Eberron, and is brute-force creating the undead, no doubt resulting in a weaker version, and this still takes her most of her ability for an entire 24 hours to do so. It ain't easy.

[Fizban]

It's a complex and highly technical procedure. Creating Karrnathi undead is to animate undead as power word: stun is to magic missile.
So it's an 11th level spell?

I mean, you're trying to make it sound cool and all but you can't have both a super complex ritual and actually making them any significant part of a war. Unless there's some fluff retconning about the ECS version being the weak imitations created by Bone Knights, who are themselves some of the most powerful available characters in Eberron.

[Regitnui]

It's more difficult than you think. The procedure was designed to create an army for Karrnath, so maybe it is easier to do en-masse with a team of twenty assistants. The bone knight is just powerful enough to brute-force create one a day. The bone keepers could rase a regiment with three days' work and total focus on the job.

The process of elemental binding, which we did have directions for, requires at least two mid-level spellcasters. It's usually done with several. The process for Karrnathi skeleton legions might be similar.