Awakened Characters [Archive] - Wizards Community

Awakened Characters [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Green_Man
02-13-08, 10:05 PM Hi, I'm new to the forums, so forgive me if this question has already been asked.

I was reading Libris Mortis and saw the Awaken Undead spell. It gave me a really interesting concept for an Awakened Skeleton character. I am trying to figure out how to work it. The spell says that it gives mindless undead an intelligence of 1D6+4, and makes them no longer mindless. The skeleton template removes Intelligence, as well as lowers Wisdom and Charisma because they are mindless.

Would the Awaken Undead spell give back Wisdom and Charisma as well as Intelligence? If so, how much? To the racial maximum, or some reduction based on the Intelligence score rolled?

I find it hard to believe that a Ghoul/Ghast or some other undead would have bonuses to Charisma and Wisdom, while an Awakened Skeleton would not.

Also, would the Awakened Skeleton suffer some sort of Level Adjustment, or would the drawbacks outweigh the benefits in this case. Thanks in advance!
Werral
02-14-08, 01:53 PM Also does the awaken undead give them a new personality or do they remember how they were in life? Or is it something in between? Remninds me of Robocop and the Deathlok comics...

In Haitian legend if you give salt to zombies they remember their previous lives and that they are dead.
Navigator
02-14-08, 03:10 PM Skeletons have 10 Wisdom and 1 Charisma. Says right in the template.

Honestly, I don't think characters with any stat below 3 is playable. A charisma score of 1 means people regard you with approximately the same respect as a rock.

As far as personality goes, I've always viewed it as they have the mentality of an infant. I suppose if you wanted to justify playing a character, you could say that you've had the time to mature into an adult (how long that is for undead is way, far beyond what I'm willing to get into) and actually have a charisma score.

Using the above, I'd say use normal point buy with no constitution score, and plop the +2 dex on. Use the Lich's scheme for HD and Levels... and I think that's it.
Green_Man
02-15-08, 12:05 AM I saw on the template about the Wisdom and Charisma being 10 and 1, respectively. I assumed that it was because they had no Intelligence score, so they couldn't be effective with Charisma, and they had little common sense.

I'll look at the other stuff you said, though. You don't think there would be any level adjustment? Thanks!
Rustmonster
02-18-08, 01:57 PM Just to chime in about ability scores for undead, if you are using point buy, I would suggest that the Awakened Skeleton is required to have 2 less points than everyone else. This would be to cover the effective +0 they have in CON.
Legdiwena
02-21-08, 08:15 PM I thought when using awaken spells, mental stats went up to at least 3? In this case, obviously Int goes a bit more than that.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Green_Man 02-13-08, 10:05 PM	Hi, I'm new to the forums, so forgive me if this question has already been asked. I was reading Libris Mortis and saw the Awaken Undead spell. It gave me a really interesting concept for an Awakened Skeleton character. I am trying to figure out how to work it. The spell says that it gives mindless undead an intelligence of 1D6+4, and makes them no longer mindless. The skeleton template removes Intelligence, as well as lowers Wisdom and Charisma because they are mindless. Would the Awaken Undead spell give back Wisdom and Charisma as well as Intelligence? If so, how much? To the racial maximum, or some reduction based on the Intelligence score rolled? I find it hard to believe that a Ghoul/Ghast or some other undead would have bonuses to Charisma and Wisdom, while an Awakened Skeleton would not. Also, would the Awakened Skeleton suffer some sort of Level Adjustment, or would the drawbacks outweigh the benefits in this case. Thanks in advance!
Werral 02-14-08, 01:53 PM	Also does the awaken undead give them a new personality or do they remember how they were in life? Or is it something in between? Remninds me of Robocop and the Deathlok comics... In Haitian legend if you give salt to zombies they remember their previous lives and that they are dead.
Navigator 02-14-08, 03:10 PM	Skeletons have 10 Wisdom and 1 Charisma. Says right in the template. Honestly, I don't think characters with any stat below 3 is playable. A charisma score of 1 means people regard you with approximately the same respect as a rock. As far as personality goes, I've always viewed it as they have the mentality of an infant. I suppose if you wanted to justify playing a character, you could say that you've had the time to mature into an adult (how long that is for undead is way, far beyond what I'm willing to get into) and actually have a charisma score. Using the above, I'd say use normal point buy with no constitution score, and plop the +2 dex on. Use the Lich's scheme for HD and Levels... and I think that's it.
Green_Man 02-15-08, 12:05 AM	I saw on the template about the Wisdom and Charisma being 10 and 1, respectively. I assumed that it was because they had no Intelligence score, so they couldn't be effective with Charisma, and they had little common sense. I'll look at the other stuff you said, though. You don't think there would be any level adjustment? Thanks!
Rustmonster 02-18-08, 01:57 PM	Just to chime in about ability scores for undead, if you are using point buy, I would suggest that the Awakened Skeleton is required to have 2 less points than everyone else. This would be to cover the effective +0 they have in CON.
Legdiwena 02-21-08, 08:15 PM	I thought when using awaken spells, mental stats went up to at least 3? In this case, obviously Int goes a bit more than that.