Lebendtod

The lebendtod are a greatly feared form of undead, once believed to exist only in rare and isolated instances. Reports of them have increased suddenly, however, and many experts now fear that the lebendtod are more common and wide-spread than previously believed. The ability of the lebendtod to mask their true nature has apparently kept their existence secret for decades, perhaps centuries.

Lebendtod exist as they did in life. They maintain family units, occupations, and skilled trades. They continue their lifestyles they did before, except that they are at the beck and call of the necromancer who created them (or their "ancestor"). If the necromancer is killed and becomes a form of undead, they continue to serve him. If the necromancer dies normally, they switch their loyalty to the first powerful mage who declares himself their leader.

Entire villages of lebendtod have been reported, since the lebendtod can continue to exist normally for years and decades. Lebendtod have the ability to hide their undead nature. Twice per day, they can will themselves to resemble their former selves before their death. This change lasts until the lebendtod chooses to cancel it or until the lebendtod is struck by a magical weapon or spell. When this occurs, the lebendtod is instantly transformed to his or her undead appearance (similar to that of a ghast), to the shock and horror of all who witness the change.

The first lebendtod were created by a powerful necromancer. Thrilled with his new servants, he gave his creations the ability to turn their victims into lebendtod in order to propagate the "species." Any lebendtod can create another lebendtod by killing a victim and breathing into its mouth as the victim breathes its last breath. The victim must then be isolated and left undisturbed for 72 hours. If these conditions are met, the victim awakens as a lebendtod. If the body is disturbed any time before 72 hours have elapsed, the victim awakens as a ghast. If the victim breathes its last breath before the lebendtod can breathe into the victim, the victim dies normally. Only a wish spell can restore a lebendtod to normal life.

Combat: Lebendtod can attack with claw/claw/bite or with a weapon they wielded in life. Damage is normal for the type of weapon used, but the lebendtod receive no Strength bonuses.

Lebendtod also have the ability to detach and reattach their limbs and head at will. They sometimes do this to frighten their enemies, sometimes to use the severed part as a weapon, and sometimes to remove a severely damaged limb. Rumors exist of evil wizards disassembling lebendtod, packing them in crates, and shipping them into a city or castle, where the lebendtod reassemble themselves and attack the inhabitants.

Lebendtod are immune to sleep, hold, and charm spells. Cold-based attacks slow lebendtod for 2d4 rounds. Lebendtod suffer half damage from normal weapons and full damage from magical weapons.

Habitat/Society: Lebendtod maintain the lifestyles they followed in life. They age extremely slowly, appearing to age only one year per decade. A lebendtod gains 1 Hit Die per 10 years of actual age. Thus, a person who dies at age 30 then lives 50 years as a lebendtod will appear to be 35 years old. Lebendtod do not gain Hit Dice beyond 100 years of age.

Lebendtod retain the skills and abilities they had in life, but with reduced effectiveness. A person who becomes a lebendtod subtracts 2 points from all ability scores and his level of ability is cut in half. Thus, a lOth-level fighter whose ability scores are all 15 becomes a 5th-level fighter whose ability scores are all 13, when he is transformed into a lebendtod. The character's experience points are reduced to the halfway point between his new level and the next level (e.g., 24,000 XP for the fighter discussed above). The character can continue to advance in levels but needs double the normal number of experience points to do so.

Ecology: Lebendtod can be created by high-level wizards or by the lebendtod themselves. They do not reproduce in the manner of living demihumans.

Note: Due to the potential variety of Hit Dice and abilities of the lebendtod, the DM must determine experience points individually using Tables 31 and 32 in the DMG.