Awaken Undead [Archive] - Wizards Community

Awaken Undead [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Huzzah!
03-22-07, 06:35 PM If a creature were killed, say a PC... say my PC... and then the spell awaken undead were cast on his corpse, would he retain any racial characteristics? While he would gain the Undead type, is there any reason that he would lose ability modifiers or extra feats and skill points?
malisteen
03-22-07, 06:59 PM First, your body would have to be animated as a mindless undead via animate dead. See the animate dead spell and the skeleton and zombie templates in the SRD.

Note that your soul is not still with the undead body. A druid could cast reincarnation on you, and you might come back as something else, with the zombie you still walking around unaffected. The zombie is not you, it's just your remains animated by negative energy.

Then the zombie would have to be awakened via awaken undead. See the spell in the Spell Compendium. The affects are spelled out very specifically. The undead creature would gain some intelligence, get some skills, a couple feats, maybe some of the special characteristics of your race (but nothing from any classes you might have had). It would not gain back your intelligence, or your feats, or your personality, because it still is not you. Just your corpse, animated by negative energy, and given some semblance of conciousness again by negative energy.

You, your soul, is still in whatever after-life your campaign says you went to (or in the body of that goblin or bugbear or gnome or what-have-you, if your druid friend did cast reincarnation on you).
Huzzah!
03-22-07, 08:42 PM Duly noted. Thanks.
Corpsekin
03-26-07, 03:42 PM however the body retains all the memories from its life, when you create an undead creature you are binding a negative energy spirit to the corpse that is why whights and ghouls have memories of their former life, its also how the huskglobe and speak with dead spell work. You soul keeps all the skills, class levels, HD and feats it had in life but since your soul is no longer in your body the undead remains of your character no longer have them. however awaken undead also gives the animated creature all weapon and armour proficiencies it had in life(tho if you read the skeletons proficientcies in the mm it says it is profecient with whatever it is equiped with ie everything) and extraordinary abilities such as sent or poision also come back.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Huzzah! 03-22-07, 06:35 PM	If a creature were killed, say a PC... say my PC... and then the spell awaken undead were cast on his corpse, would he retain any racial characteristics? While he would gain the Undead type, is there any reason that he would lose ability modifiers or extra feats and skill points?
malisteen 03-22-07, 06:59 PM	First, your body would have to be animated as a mindless undead via animate dead. See the animate dead spell and the skeleton and zombie templates in the SRD. Note that your soul is not still with the undead body. A druid could cast reincarnation on you, and you might come back as something else, with the zombie you still walking around unaffected. The zombie is not you, it's just your remains animated by negative energy. Then the zombie would have to be awakened via awaken undead. See the spell in the Spell Compendium. The affects are spelled out very specifically. The undead creature would gain some intelligence, get some skills, a couple feats, maybe some of the special characteristics of your race (but nothing from any classes you might have had). It would not gain back your intelligence, or your feats, or your personality, because it still is not you. Just your corpse, animated by negative energy, and given some semblance of conciousness again by negative energy. You, your soul, is still in whatever after-life your campaign says you went to (or in the body of that goblin or bugbear or gnome or what-have-you, if your druid friend did cast reincarnation on you).
Huzzah! 03-22-07, 08:42 PM	Duly noted. Thanks.
Corpsekin 03-26-07, 03:42 PM	however the body retains all the memories from its life, when you create an undead creature you are binding a negative energy spirit to the corpse that is why whights and ghouls have memories of their former life, its also how the huskglobe and speak with dead spell work. You soul keeps all the skills, class levels, HD and feats it had in life but since your soul is no longer in your body the undead remains of your character no longer have them. however awaken undead also gives the animated creature all weapon and armour proficiencies it had in life(tho if you read the skeletons proficientcies in the mm it says it is profecient with whatever it is equiped with ie everything) and extraordinary abilities such as sent or poision also come back.