Good-aligned Necropolitan? Also Necropolitan Auras.

[Particle_Man]

Can one be a good-aligned necropolitan? Is becoming an necropolitan an evil act?

If one becomes an necropolitan, does one's "alignment-based aura" vary in strength as any other undead entity's would? So a lawful neutral necropolitan with 3 HD would give off a moderate lawful aura?

[tyckspoon]

Can one be a good-aligned necropolitan? Is becoming an necropolitan an evil act?

If one becomes an necropolitan, does one's "alignment-based aura" vary in strength as any other undead entity's would? So a lawful neutral necropolitan with 3 HD would give off a moderate lawful aura?

You still have your free will, so sure, you can be Good. Participating in the ritual to become Necropolitan is arguably an evil act (as basically all means of creating undead are considered evil and the description of it involved invoking 'evil gods') but unless you happen to be a Paladin this should have no significant impact on a character - at worst you find somebody to give you an Atonement and carry on with yourself. Merely existing as undead should not cause you to become Evil.. Unless your DM subscribes to one of the theories about how undeath works where it does.

You will still ping on Detect Evil. This has nothing to do with your actual alignment - Detect Evil is just biased against Undead and will always show them as Evil regardless of their actual alignment.

(It's pretty clear the rules related to undead don't really have any space for undead as people instead of undead as monsters that are inherently opposed to life. Presumably if your DM is ok with Necropolitans they're also willing to bend on the "all undead and means of creating undead are automatically Evil" thing.)

[ThanatosZero]

I have a idea how it could be possible to become a deathless necropolitian instead.

https://forums.giantitp.com/showthre...1#post24809556

Assuming the hypothesis proves to be correct, the ritual which creates the necropolitian in the first place, needs it's ritual components changed in such a manner, that the source which powers you from now on, doesn't come from the lower planes, but from the upper planes instead.

[Doctor Despair]

If you're worried about pinging as evil, a Necropolitan Changeling with Racial Emulation should be able to detect as the humanoid they're disguised as for all purposes -- including Detect Evil. There are also a number of options to hide from alignment effects (Moral Facade, Misrepresent Alignment, Misdirection, Cloak of Khyber, Undetectable Alignment, Nondetection, God Blooded of Vecna, Deep Cover class feature for Spymaster/Zhentarim Spy, Master of Masks, etc)

[Telonius]

The Rite of Crucimigration involves killing the subject in order to change them into a Necropolitan, and uses "cursed nails." (No mechanical description given). Also:

Upon hearing the petitioner's last breath, the ritual leader calls forth the names of evil powers and gods to forge a link with the Negative Energy Plane, and then impales the petitioner. Dying, the petitioner is reborn as a necropolitan, dead but animate.

I don't think you could peg that as a Good act, and it would take a real stretch to call it Neutral.

That said, the template doesn't say anything about making an alteration to the base creature's alignment. So it's not as clear-cut irredeemable as becoming a Lich. It's a major decision and a major shift to the character, but (especially since the ritual doesn't involve anybody else besides yourself being hurt) I could see a Good character maintaining a Good alignment before and after the ritual. You'd still ping as Evil to a Detect Evil spell (much the same way as a redeemed Eludecia would still detect as Evil), but you'd also ping as Good to a Detect Good spell.