5th Edition Half-Undead Templates

[SirLamorake]

These are for an upcoming game I intend to run focused around the undead.

Universal Traits
Darkvision out to 60 ft. Immune to disease and aging. Resistant to necrotic damage and vulnerable to radiant damage.

Powers
Every half-undead has a few spells that they can cast using Ectoplasm. Your total Ectoplasm is equal to your class level and are spent the same as spell slots. Refill you Ectoplasm to half after a short rest (rounded down) and to full after a long rest. Your casting modifier is always the highest between your Intelligence, Charisma, or Wisdom. If a Wizard/Cleric/Sorcerer etc of equal level could cast the power on your list, you may cast it. They may be taken from any officially released source.

Death Knight
Armed and Armored
You are proficient in heavy armor and when wearing heavy armor you have +1 AC. You may summon a set of black plate armor and a single martial weapon as a bonus action, dismissing them at will. The armor does not grant disadvantage on stealth checks. While wielding the martial weapon you score critical hits on a roll of 19-20. At 5th, 10th, and 20th level both the weapon and armor gain a +1 magic bonus.
Powers
0, Green Flame Blade. 1st, Compelled Duel. 2nd, Find Steed. 3rd, Blinding Smite. 4th, Find Greater Steed. 5th, Enervation.
Ability Score Modifiers
Gain +2 Constitution and Intelligence. Your maximum for both are raised to 22.

Ghost
Intangible
You are resistant to non-magical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. You may squeeze through openings of any size. You have a flight speed of 15 ft.
Powers
0, Mage Hand. 1st, Unseen Servant. 2nd, Invisibility. 3rd, Spirit Guardians. 4th, Phantasmal Killer. 5th, Animate Objects.
Ability Score Modifiers
Gain +2 Dexterity and Intelligence. Your maximum for both are raised to 22.

Ghoul
Brute
You are treated as a Large creature for determining your carrying capacity. You have advantage on grapple rolls. Become trained in strength saving throws. Gain an unarmed bash attack that deals 1d8 damage. When unarmored you may add your strength modifier to your AC in addition to dexterity. Gain an extra 2 hit points per level. When casting spells you may use Constitution as your spellcasting modifier.
Powers
0, Primal Savagery. 1st, Thunderous Smite. 2nd, Enhance Ability. 3rd, Thunder Step. 4th, Freedom of Movement. 5th, Destructive Wave.
Ability Score Modifiers
Gain +2 Strength and Constitution. Your maximum for both are raised to 22.

Lich
Arcana
Every day at nightfall you may choose to lose access to a single Power spell and choose another of the same level. Add your proficiency bonus and spellcasting modifier to your total Ectoplasm. Gain advantage on intelligence saving throws.
Powers
Choose a cantrip, 1st level spell, 2nd level spell, 3rd level spell, 4th level spell, and 5th level spell.
Ability Score Modifiers
Gain +2 Intelligence and Wisdom. Your maximum for both are raised to 22.

Mummy
Embalmed
Become immune to damage from critical hits. Gain a natural slam attack that deals 1d10 necrotic damage. You are vulnerable to fire damage, not radiant damage. Gain 30 ft of blindsight. Twice between short rests you may choose to gain advantage on a saving throw. Once per round you may reroll any 1s on a necrotic damage die.
Powers
0, Toll the Dead. 1st, Hex. 2nd, Blindness/Deafness. 3rd, Bestow Curse. 4th, Blight. 5th, Insect Plague.
Ability Score Modifiers
Gain +2 Constitution and Wisdom. Your maximum for both are raised to 22.

Reaver
Slayer
Add your proficiency bonus to the damage rolls of weapon attacks. As a reaction to being attacked with a weapon you may replace your AC with a melee attack roll. This number applies to every additional weapon attack the attacker makes for the rest of the round. Become proficient in athletics and acrobatics skill checks.
Powers
0, Sword Burst. 1st, Hellish Rebuke. 2nd, Flame Blade. 3rd, Fireball. 4th, Fire Shield. 5th, Steel Wind Strike.
Ability Score Modifiers
Gain +2 Strength and Charisma. Your maximum for both are raised to 22.

Shade
Shadowself
You have advantage on all stealth and acrobatic skill checks. Increase your land speed by +10 ft and you may make an attack as a bonus action. Your darkvision goes out to 120 ft and pierces magical darkness.
Powers
0, Vicious Mockery. 1st, Bane. 2nd, Shadow Blade. 3rd, Hunger of Hadar. 4th, Shadow of Moil. 5th, Far Step.
Ability Score Modifiers
Gain +2 Dexterity and Charisma. Your maximum for both are raised to 22.

Vampire
Dhampire
Regain 1 hit point per round. Your carrying capacity is doubled. Increase your walking speed by +10 ft and gain a constant Spider Climb effect. As an action you may bite a helpless or grappled target and drain them of blood. This restores 1 hit die for every round you drink from them. You may only drain an amount equal to their challenge. If you drain over, they are treated to be at -1 hit points.
Powers
0, Mage Hand. 1st, Alter Self. 2nd, Blur. 3rd, Vampiric Touch. 4th, Compulsion. 5th, Telekinesis.
Ability Score Modifiers
Gain +2 to two ability scores of your choice. Your maximum for both are raised to 22.

Wight
Icewright
Become immune to ice damage. Gain a natural slam attack that deals 1d10 ice damage. Increase your movement speed by +20 ft. Gain lifesight (you can see living auras) out to 60 ft.
Powers
0, Chill Touch. 1st, Zephyr Strike. 2nd, Gust of Wind. 3rd, Haste. 4th, Staggering Smite. 5th, Cone of Cold.
Ability Score Modifiers
Gain +2 Dexterity and Strength. Your maximum for both are raised to 22.

[Composer99]

These are for an upcoming game I intend to run focused around the undead.

So, are these templates something that the player characters will be able to apply to their characters straight away at 1st level? Or is this something you intend for them to pick up later? (The way they're worded, I'm assuming they're for the PCs.)

As an overall remark, they're mostly (if not all) suuuper-powerful. If you're not buffing encounters the PCs will face, they will steamroll pretty well everything. Everything. So I presume that's what you intended.

As such, it's hard to really comment on these, because it seems like the power level is clearly intended to exceed the norm for 5e, which means there's not really a good point of comparison to say whether something is overpowered, underpowered, or just right.

Universal Traits
Darkvision out to 60 ft. Immune to disease and aging. Resistant to necrotic damage and vulnerable to radiant damage.

Powers
Every half-undead has a few spells that they can cast using Ectoplasm. Your total Ectoplasm is equal to your class level and are spent the same as spell slots. Refill you Ectoplasm to half after a short rest (rounded down) and to full after a long rest. Your casting modifier is always the highest between your Intelligence, Charisma, or Wisdom. If a Wizard/Cleric/Sorcerer etc of equal level could cast the power on your list, you may cast it. They may be taken from any officially released source.

Granting that disease is relatively niche, and aging is probably not often a factor in many campaigns, those are still nice immunities. The darkvision is great for anyone who doesn't already have it, and in an average campaign - so far as I am aware - you're likely to face necrotic damage more often than radiant damage.

Unless there's no multiclassing in this campaign, I would suggest changing your total ectoplam to match your character level. The way you've written it, it's basically a cross between ki (which refreshes on a short or long rest) and sorcery points (which refresh on a long rest).

When you say spell slots, do you mean spell points? "Same as spell slots" doesn't really make sense in this context.

The line about wizard/cleric/sorcerer also doesn't make any sense. Does that mean you can treat the spells you get from your "power list" as if they were prepared (for a cleric or wizard) or known (for a sorcerer), so you could cast them using normal spell slots?

Finally, at what level are you getting these spells? Same progression as if you were a 9th-level spellcaster (i.e. 1st level for the cantrip and 1st-level spell, 3rd level for the 2nd-level spell, and so on)?

Death Knight
Armed and Armored
You are proficient in heavy armor and when wearing heavy armor you have +1 AC. You may summon a set of black plate armor and a single martial weapon as a bonus action, dismissing them at will. The armor does not grant disadvantage on stealth checks. While wielding the martial weapon you score critical hits on a roll of 19-20. At 5th, 10th, and 20th level both the weapon and armor gain a +1 magic bonus.
Powers
0, Green Flame Blade. 1st, Compelled Duel. 2nd, Find Steed. 3rd, Blinding Smite. 4th, Find Greater Steed. 5th, Enervation.
Ability Score Modifiers
Gain +2 Constitution and Intelligence. Your maximum for both are raised to 22.

Free +2 weapon and armour by 10th level? Whoa nelly!

Ghost
Intangible
You are resistant to non-magical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. You may squeeze through openings of any size. You have a flight speed of 15 ft.
Powers
0, Mage Hand. 1st, Unseen Servant. 2nd, Invisibility. 3rd, Spirit Guardians. 4th, Phantasmal Killer. 5th, Animate Objects.
Ability Score Modifiers
Gain +2 Dexterity and Intelligence. Your maximum for both are raised to 22.

I... don't really know what to say, except that if you're going this far, you should probably also give the flight speed the (hover) quality, because ghost.

Ghoul
Brute
You are treated as a Large creature for determining your carrying capacity. You have advantage on grapple rolls. Become trained in strength saving throws. Gain an unarmed bash attack that deals 1d8 damage. When unarmored you may add your strength modifier to your AC in addition to dexterity. Gain an extra 2 hit points per level. When casting spells you may use Constitution as your spellcasting modifier.
Powers
0, Primal Savagery. 1st, Thunderous Smite. 2nd, Enhance Ability. 3rd, Thunder Step. 4th, Freedom of Movement. 5th, Destructive Wave.
Ability Score Modifiers
Gain +2 Strength and Constitution. Your maximum for both are raised to 22.

This is another really strong template. My only remark is that it just doesn't actually make me think of ghouls as they are presented in the 5e Monster Manual - or indeed, in any edition of D&D. Ghouls have always struck me as a bit emaciated, and of course there's their paralysing claw attack

Lich
Arcana
Every day at nightfall you may choose to lose access to a single Power spell and choose another of the same level. Add your proficiency bonus and spellcasting modifier to your total Ectoplasm. Gain advantage on intelligence saving throws.
Powers
Choose a cantrip, 1st level spell, 2nd level spell, 3rd level spell, 4th level spell, and 5th level spell.
Ability Score Modifiers
Gain +2 Intelligence and Wisdom. Your maximum for both are raised to 22.

Holy amazing spellcasting, Batman! This is missing the iconic lich paralysing touch, though.

Mummy
Embalmed
Become immune to damage from critical hits. Gain a natural slam attack that deals 1d10 necrotic damage. You are vulnerable to fire damage, not radiant damage. Gain 30 ft of blindsight. Twice between short rests you may choose to gain advantage on a saving throw. Once per round you may reroll any 1s on a necrotic damage die.
Powers
0, Toll the Dead. 1st, Hex. 2nd, Blindness/Deafness. 3rd, Bestow Curse. 4th, Blight. 5th, Insect Plague.
Ability Score Modifiers
Gain +2 Constitution and Wisdom. Your maximum for both are raised to 22.

So, when someone scores a critical hit against you, are you immune to all the damage, or just the extra damage from the critical hit?

Reaver
Slayer
Add your proficiency bonus to the damage rolls of weapon attacks. As a reaction to being attacked with a weapon you may replace your AC with a melee attack roll. This number applies to every additional weapon attack the attacker makes for the rest of the round. Become proficient in athletics and acrobatics skill checks.
Powers
0, Sword Burst. 1st, Hellish Rebuke. 2nd, Flame Blade. 3rd, Fireball. 4th, Fire Shield. 5th, Steel Wind Strike.
Ability Score Modifiers
Gain +2 Strength and Charisma. Your maximum for both are raised to 22.

Off the top of my head, I don't know where the source creature for this template is, so I can't say whether this is an apt adapation.

Shade
Shadowself
You have advantage on all stealth and acrobatic skill checks. Increase your land speed by +10 ft and you may make an attack as a bonus action. Your darkvision goes out to 120 ft and pierces magical darkness.
Powers
0, Vicious Mockery. 1st, Bane. 2nd, Shadow Blade. 3rd, Hunger of Hadar. 4th, Shadow of Moil. 5th, Far Step.
Ability Score Modifiers
Gain +2 Dexterity and Charisma. Your maximum for both are raised to 22.

So you can make a weapon attack as a bonus action every. single. turn? If it weren't for some of the other incredible abilities some of these templates get, I'd actually suggest that's going too far. That said, that particular ability just seems out of place for a template based on the shadow. Wouldn't something that does some Strength drain be more appropriate? (Not 1d4 Strength drain, like the monster, but 1 Strength per hit along with the necrotic damage would be fine.)

Vampire
Dhampire
Regain 1 hit point per round. Your carrying capacity is doubled. Increase your walking speed by +10 ft and gain a constant Spider Climb effect. As an action you may bite a helpless or grappled target and drain them of blood. This restores 1 hit die for every round you drink from them. You may only drain an amount equal to their challenge. If you drain over, they are treated to be at -1 hit points.
Powers
0, Mage Hand. 1st, Alter Self. 2nd, Blur. 3rd, Vampiric Touch. 4th, Compulsion. 5th, Telekinesis.
Ability Score Modifiers
Gain +2 to two ability scores of your choice. Your maximum for both are raised to 22.

Okay, the regain 1 hit point per round with no restriction really is going too far.

These two sentences

You may only drain an amount equal to their challenge. If you drain over, they are treated to be at -1 hit points.

make no sense and need to be re-worded. What does the first sentence even mean? The second sentence depends upon the first, so it's reduced to being unintelligible as a result, and at any rate 5e doesn't do negative hit points.

Wight
Icewright
Become immune to ice damage. Gain a natural slam attack that deals 1d10 ice damage. Increase your movement speed by +20 ft. Gain lifesight (you can see living auras) out to 60 ft.
Powers
0, Chill Touch. 1st, Zephyr Strike. 2nd, Gust of Wind. 3rd, Haste. 4th, Staggering Smite. 5th, Cone of Cold.
Ability Score Modifiers
Gain +2 Dexterity and Strength. Your maximum for both are raised to 22.

This is fine, relative to the other templates, except it really doesn't relate to the wight as it is in the 5e Monster Manual, or to its various incarnations in past editions of D&D. (I might be missing something, never having had too many of the Monster Manuals of previous editions.)

Also, there's no ice damage; it's cold​ damage.