Chosen Undead (5e Race)
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Chosen Undead
“ | The Chosen Undead are no basic skeleton. They are our brother and sisters, our cousins and grandparents and our ancestors brought back into a world where they are hunted and hated by most, never to feel, or taste or smell in the same way again. | ” |
Physical Description
A Chosen Undead is the animated skeleton of a humanoid that has been given additional gifts from the animator at like there memories, personality, freedom of movement and speech. The physical skeleton is no different from in life, but now there are faint ethereal eye balls, teeth and a tongue in the skull that allow the Chosen Undead to speak and see normally.
Tieflings that have horns, tails or wings in life that then later become Chosen Undead keep these spectacular but the horns dull in colour and texture and tails and wings become ethereal.
Dragonborn Chosen Undead gain patches of ethereal floating scales like they had in life,
History
Chosen Undead are animated skeletons of a humanoid race that have been given more sentience and free will than normal basic undead. Animating a Chosen Undead is incredibly difficult so much so only the gods and the greatest of necromancers can do it and is also a jealously hidden secret due to its usefulness. Chosen Undead are very rare and even though they are both safer and more reliable than normal undead they are still usually killed on sight and mistrusted at best due to their undead state. All Chosen Undead retain everything from life however they do have an aspect they had in life magnified many times so that there are sub races within the sub race of undead, many have been noted but there are surely more.
After a creature has died and either refuses or can not be resurrected, they can still be forcefully animated into a Chosen Undead. This can be done in a number of ways:
- Talk to a god that has a strong connection to death and or life, so long as it doesn’t go against their faiths they might be convinced to being back the creature.
- The second method is to find a very powerful Necromancer to perform the required magical rituals to animate the creature as a Chosen Undead.
- The third and final method is to personally quest or research the magical rituals that are required to being back someone as a Chosen Undead, though this is ill advised though as the rituals are largely ineffective, especially to those not intimately familiar with resurrection magic.
Society
The undead possess no society, but are rather outcasts living in the wilderness or abandoned areas, though some have managed to be accepted in normal society. When many Chosen Undead gather in a location, they have previously formed a undead society based off normal ones though normally simplistic and safer, due to everyone being undead.
Names
Chosen Undeads names are the same names they had in life.
Chosen Undead Traits
A undead state block to replace the majority of a normal PHB race.
Ability Score Increase. Your original races stat changes are replaced by the ones gain from the sub race of Chosen Undead.
Age. Chosen Undead are animated at there original age at the time of there death and cannot die from old age, as their ageing process is halted.
Alignment. The chosen undeads alignment is determined by their alignment in life.
Size. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Soul Eater. Once every short and long rest you can harvest up to half your level (rounded down) in souls from the dead that are within 60 feet of you and regain 5 hit point for every soul. This ability takes 1 minute per soul. You do not full destroy a creatures soul and so they can still be resurrected after this feature though it can not be done within 24 hours of the creatures soul being eaten.
Dark Sigil. You are no mere skeleton and other undead can tell. Undead can tell you are one of them and if you are stronger than them, unless attacked or ordered to, undead won’t attack you.
Undead Nature. You do not require air, food, drink, or sleep. You gain immunity to poison damage and the poisoned condition. Health potions have no effect on you though healing spells still work, though healing received is halved for any spell that says it doesn’t effect undead.
Languages. Common, plus any one language usually one related to there original race.
Subrace. Your subrace options are
Guard in Death
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength, and Wisdom scores increase by 2, and your Intelligence score descreases by 1.
Guards life. In life you valued a sturdy shield and protection of other or yourself. You have advantage against the frightened condition and you gain proficiency with shields and chain mail.
Cleansed Dead
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom, and Constitution scores each increase by 2, and your your Strength score descreases by 1.
Healer Even in Death. As a being or purity, you may cast cure wounds twice without expending a spell slot. They regain use of this trait after they finish a long rest.
Warrior of Night
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution, and Dexterity scores each increase by 2, and your your Intelligence score descreases by 1.
Blade of the Darkmoon. Disappearing at night only to slit your enemies throats. You gain an extra 1d4 necrotic damage to weapon attack rolls when your in darkness or dim light.
Warrior of Sunlight
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength, and Wisdom scores each increase by 2, and your your Intelligence score descreases by 1.
Protection. You lived to help others and continue to do so. As a reaction during your turn you can choose a target within 15 feet of you, the target has disadvantage on all attack rolls for their next turn. You can use this feature once a short rest.
Forrest loved
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity, and Wisdom scores each increase by 2, and your your Strength score descreases by 1.
Forrest Inhabitant. In life you were an ally of the wild and of the spirts and people that inhabit it. You learn the Sylvan and Druidic languages. You also are considered proficient in the Nature skill.
Servant of the Chaos
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution, and Charisma scores each increase by 2, and your your Strength score descreases by 1.
Black Bones. A higher power has granted you a aspect of the abyss. You gain resistance to fire damage.
Gravelord Servant
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity, and Intelligence scores each increase by 2, and your your Constitution score descreases by 1.
Separate. You are closer to the grave than most, but it has its benefits. You are about to as a reaction fall to the floor as a pile of bones, while in this state you are indistinguishable from a pile of bones even from magic such as detect life or detect magic. While in this state a creature can move your skull and other bones to anywhere and you take no damage though you can not re form unless all bones are within 10 feet of the skull. While in this state you can still sense everything. It is a bonus action to reform, when you reform you are prone.
Way of the Dragon
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution, and Strength scores each increase by 2, and your your Dexterity score descreases by 1.
Dragon Ancestor. In life you knew of dragons and now in death you have been granted aspects of them. You gain resistance to damage type of a dragon and gain advantage on Persuasion rolls when interacting with dragons.
Darkwraith
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution and Dexterity scores each increase by 2, and your your Intelligence score descreases by 1.
Life Drain. The undead may grasp an enemy as an action. The foe must then make a Strength saving throw equal to 8 + your Constitution modifier (minimum 1) + your proficiency bonus or take 2d8 necrotic damage. This damage ignores all immunities/resistances, and the damage transfers over to the "undead" as temporary hit points. You regain use of this trait after you finish a long rest.
Random Height and Weight
Base Height |
Height Modifier* |
Base Weight |
Weight Modifier** |
---|---|---|---|
′ '' | + | lb. | × () lb. |
*Height = base height + height modifier |
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