A D20 System Supplement from
Alderac Entertainment Group
Rating:
(4 out of 5 hearts)
This book contains a series of essays on the undead, those who serve them and those who hunt them. It also offers a collection of prestige classes and spells.
The first chapter of this book describes the existence, motivations and way of unlife of the living dead. The reasons why people seek undeath are discussed. How do the different types of undead fill up their time? What occupies their mind? What are their relationship to faiths and religions? How do they interact with each other and with the living? And of course, how does one become undead? These subjects are all addressed.
This chapter also discusses the "ecology" of undeath, negative energy and the negative plane. A section describes the living dead's different methods of feeding as well as their use for the living in this process.
The second chapter offers some new feats and a host of prestige classes. The Death Angel Feat lets you inflict critical hits on undead and has the Stout Hearted feat as prerequisite, so two feats to be able to inflict critical hits on undead, that seems honest. The Stout Hearted feat grants you a +4 bonus against gaining a negative level.
Fourteen new prestige classes are included in this chapter. While their concept is generally very interesting, their realisation is sometimes less so. The risen looses his eyes but sees with darkvision, except that someone using darkness to hide from them gets a bonus. Isn't that strange? The exorcist is branded with a symbol with which he can turn undead (on the hand, forehead or anywhere). It seems that you can't remove that symbol from the exorcist (can't cut his hand off, rip his flesh off, etc…). You just can't! The exorcist has a power with a strange duration: "until the water evaporates". A lot of these classes have an ability that lets them ignore damage reduction or spell resistance of undead enemies. While most of these prestige classes are very interesting and original, some modifications will most likely be necessary.
This chapter also includes descriptions of the tools and supplies of undead hunters. We get examples of the uses of talcum powder (makes invisible enemies easier to perceive). Of course, garlic, mirrors and stakes are mentioned.
Chapter three contains some campaign background information. This includes the description of eight new gods. These are gods of death and of the undead. There are some suggestions regarding what happens to the soul after death, describing the whole process of soul evaluation to choose where it will spend its afterlife, according to the material provided in this chapter. Some new domains, spells, magic items and artifacts complete this section. About half of the material in this chapter is designed to help fight undead, the other is designed to help undead fight. The new spells make a very interesting addition to the necromancer or undead spellcaster's arsenal. There is a bit of confusion with the type of bonus provided by necromantic spells. Most of what is called "sacred bonus" in this book should in fact be "profane bonus" according to the SRD's terminology.
Chapter four suggests some undead character archetypes. These archetypes provide guidelines designed to help roleplay undead characters. Most types of free-willed undead are described and potential roles/motivations are suggested. Examples include the power-hungry lich, the guardian mummy and the ghostly advisor. The zombie servitor is also suggested.
The fifth chapter discusses undead campaigns. Considerations such as the power level of play and the particularities of the setting are expounded upon. Themes for undead campaigns are suggested (everybody is undead, the game takes place after the PCs die, the world is ruled by undead, etc.). This chapter offers quite an array of potential campaign elements.
The last chapter proposes ideas for the creation of liches and mummies. These are not rule or specific spells and tests; this section is entirely descriptive and narrative.
This book's strengths lie mostly in its descriptive-narrative material. It is a good source of ideas for those who want to toy with undeath. It seems that the publisher is putting more efforts in the editing department because this one is a lot better in that respect than their previous books in that line.
Visit Alderac Entertainment Group.
New Feats: Death Angel, Pure Hearted, Show of Faith, Sixth Sense, Stout Hearted.
New Prestige Classes: Champion of the Dead, Chirurgeon, the Dying, the Exorcists, the Faith Hunter, the Hunter of the Fallen, the Knight of the Eternal Eye, the Paladin of the Pale, the Puppet, the Raider, the Risen, the Sacred Theurgist, the Unbeating Heart, the Wasteland Druid.
New Domains: Rulership, Spirit.
New Spells: Acid Blood, Animation Field, Blessings of the Light Bringer, Bonestaff, Dance of the Dead, Feign Life, Havrokr's Blessing, Havrokr's Desecration, Havrokr's Greater Blessing, Havrokr's Minor Blessing, Heal Undead, Hold Undead, Mask Undead, Mass Animation, Minor Heal Undead, Resist Turning, Restful Death, Strengthen Bone, Wall of Bone.
