Undead Necromancers and Death Priests
Most wizards and priests embrace undeath only as a last resort, after all of
the less drastic means of life extension have been exhausted. Nevertheless, some
necromancers and priests voluntarily surrender their mortal lives early,
trading all their human weaknesses for the dark powers of the deadalive. The undead
never need eat, sleep, or face any of the other mortal failings that
continually distract from their dastardly pursuits. They can devote centuries to
increasing their power or spreading their religion.
Certain individuals may suffer undeath as a form of divine curse or punishment
for terrible crimes or the use of black necromancy. But the majority of undead
necromancers and priests have chosen their fate and accepted the ultimate Dark
Gift. The vampire and lich are the most likely (and deadly) forms of undead
necromancers that a party will encounter in a campaign. A undead priest may be
encountered in either of these forms or that of a greater mummy. Most undead
continue to develop their powers in undeath, making them increasingly powerful
adversaries with time.
Vampiric necromancers are similar in most respects to their human counterparts
in terms of their wizard abilities. Their abilities to charm others and command lesser animals make them natural candidates for the Undead
Master kit. Vampire death priests will usually worship the Lord of Undead. In
addition to their spellcasting powers and vampiric abilities, the vampire
suffers from a number of serious weaknesses (holy symbols, sunlight, garlic, and so
on). However, as noted in Van Richten’s Guide to the Vampire, these weaknesses decrease with age, even as the vampire’s special powers
continue to mature and develop.
The lich, on the other hand, is a consummate immortal spellcaster, the
ultimate goal of any necromancer or death priest. Unlike mortal specialists, the
wizard lich can learn spells from any school of magic, and it still enjoys all of
the regular benefits of the Archetype (it still gains all of the additional
spells and saving throw bonuses of the kit). The lich also retains any special
powers it enjoyed while alive and may gain additional salient abilities as its
skills continue to grow. The DM should see the NPC sheet of Vermissa for an example
of a priestly lich. Van Richten’s Guide to the Lich contains an exhaustive description of this variety of undead.
The greater mummy, presented in the MONSTROUS MANUAL, is enchanted by a necromantic priesthood to retain its clerical powers in
undeath. Since this creature is sometimes created by more powerful priests (or
the gods) to safeguard a particular tomb or temple, its mobility and usefulness
as a villain are greatly impaired. In Chapter Nine, we explore the network
created by an undead priest (the lich Vermissa in this case) who has been forced to
remain in a particular location for centuries.
Along with those from the various monster races, undead necromancers and
priests should be reserved for special, nasty encounters. They can also serve as
memorable villains in a campaign. When used sparingly, these inhuman necromancers
should provide many surprising challenges for a high-level party of
adventurers.
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