Spell: Awaken Undead

Awaken Undead

(Originally from Libris Mortis: The Book of Undead, modified)

School: Necromancy [Evil]
Level: Sorcerer 7, Wizard 7, Deathbound 6
Components: V, S, M, XP
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Area: Mindless undead in a 25-ft.-radius spread + 5 ft./2 levels
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

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DESCRIPTION

This spell grants sentience and individuality to mindless undead creatures such as skeletons and zombies.

All mindless undead within the area immediately gain an Intelligence score of 8 + 1d6, unless limited by the nature of their original form. An undead creature cannot gain an Intelligence score higher than what would be reasonable for its original creature type at the DM’s discretion (for example, a skeletal dog typically cannot exceed Intelligence 2).

Undead that already possess an Intelligence score are unaffected by this spell.

Awakened undead regain fragments of their former existence. They recover any feats they possessed in life and may make use of them as normal. They are considered proficient with any armor and weapons they were proficient with in life; if this information is unknown, assume proficiency with all simple and martial weapons, as well as any armor they are physically capable of wearing.

Awakened undead instinctively seek to equip themselves appropriately. Humanoid undead will don armor and wield weapons if available, while non-humanoid undead (such as skeletal warhorses) may wear barding appropriate to their form.

They also regain any extraordinary (Ex) abilities they possessed in life that their current physical form is still capable of performing (such as scent or poison), subject to DM adjudication.

Unlike most mindless undead, awakened undead are no longer automatically under the caster’s control. They become free-willed creatures with their own motivations, though their initial attitude toward the caster is typically friendly. Their behavior from that point onward depends on how they are treated.

Awakened undead gain a +2 profane bonus on Will saving throws made to resist effects that would control or command them (including control undead).

In addition, they gain +2 turn resistance, or retain their existing turn resistance if it is higher.

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Material Component

A humanoid fingerbone.

XP Cost

200 XP

Prestige Class: Pumpkin King

Pumpkin King

The harvest remembers. The vine obeys. And in the fields where death takes root, something waits to rise.

Source: Pumpkin King (3.5e Prestige Class)

Requirements

• Feat: Body Assemblage
• Spellcasting: Ability to cast 3rd-level spells
• Special: Must be able to cast at least one necromancy spell of each spell level available to the character

Hit Die: d6

Class Skills

Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all) (Int), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int)

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier

Base Attack Bonus / Saves

Level	BAB	Fort	Ref	Will	Special
1st	+0	+0	+0	+2	Children of the Vine, Grow Vines
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+3	Pumpkin Bomb, Plant Spells
3rd	+1	+1	+1	+3	Pluck the Ripe, Soul of the Harvest
4th	+2	+1	+1	+4	Pumpkin Men
5th	+2	+1	+1	+4	Reap the Unworthy, Soul of the Pumpkin
6th	+3	+2	+2	+5	Patch of Doom
7th	+3	+2	+2	+5	Dark Harvest
8th	+4	+2	+2	+6	Cornucopia of Death

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

Pumpkin Kings gain proficiency with the scythe. They gain no proficiency with armor or other weapons.

Spellcasting

At each level, you gain spells per day and spells known as if you had also gained a level in a previous spellcasting class.

Class Features

Children of the Vine (Sp)

At 1st level, you may animate skeletons through creeping necromantic vines.

At will, you may use a modified animate dead effect that creates skeletons only. This ability requires placing a pumpkin seed in the mouth or eye socket of the skull.

• These skeletons last until the next dawn
• They count against your normal undead control pool (such as from animate dead)
• Flesh is stripped clean during animation
• Inert skeletons may be reanimated normally

Grow Vines (Sp)

You may cause pumpkin seeds to instantly grow into mature vines bearing fruit at will.

Additionally, your appearance begins to change:

• Living: dark green vines and leaves emerge subtly from hair and skin
• Undead: dried, brittle, brown growth replaces them

Pumpkin Bomb (Su)

At 2nd level, you may conjure and throw an explosive necromantic pumpkin.

• Range: 50 ft
• Area: 15-ft radius
• Damage: 1d6 per character level (unholy/negative energy)
• Reflex save for half (DC = 10 + ½ character level + Cha modifier)
• Action: Full-round
• Use: At will

Plant Spells (Ex)

You add the following spells to your spell list (using their druid levels):

• entangle
• command plants
• control plants
• plant growth
• wall of thorns

Pluck the Ripe (Ex)

At 3rd level, your undead are infused with necromantic plant growth.

Undead you create gain:

• Natural armor bonus = your Pumpkin King level (minimum +1)
• Immunity to unholy damage

Soul of the Harvest (Ex)

Your eyes glow with an inner orange light.

You gain:

• Immunity to unholy damage

Pumpkin Men (Sp)

At 4th level, you may create awakened vine-bound undead.

By replacing a skeleton’s head with a carved pumpkin (10 minutes), you create a Pumpkin Man:

• Functions as an awakened skeleton (awaken undead)
• Gains:
  • Natural armor bonus equal to your class level
  • Immunity to unholy damage
  • Woodland Stride (as a 2nd-level druid)

You may control a number of Pumpkin Men equal to your class level.
Exceeding this limit destroys the oldest.

Reap the Unworthy (Ex)

At 5th level, creatures damaged by your Pumpkin Bomb must also succeed on a Will save or become frightened for 1d4 rounds.

Soul of the Pumpkin (Ex)

Your body becomes unnaturally rigid and hollowed.

You gain immunity to:

• Energy drain
• Negative levels
• Ability damage
• Ability drain

Patch of Doom (Sp)

At 6th level, once per day you may create a necromantic growth.

• Area: 10 ft × 10 ft
• Effects within patch:
  • You and your undead gain Fast Healing 1
  • Immunity to turning (not rebuking)
  • Area is treated as desecrate

Additional traits:

• Permanent until burned and consecrated
• Can expand into larger patches
• Does not require natural conditions
• Suppressed under heavy ice or snow
• Consuming its produce acts as Black Lotus poison

Dark Harvest (Su)

At 7th level, death feeds your fields.

Any creature slain within your Patch of Doom rises as a Pumpkin Man:

• Not under your control
• Does not count toward control limits
• Will not attack you
• Will attack other living creatures entering the patch

Cornucopia of Death (Su)

At 8th level, death becomes a cycle you command.

If slain:

• You return at the next full moon within a Patch of Doom you created
• You lose one level as normal

Alternative:
If a Pumpkin Man exists in that patch:

• It is destroyed to form your new body
• You lose no level

After returning:

• Your head becomes a carved pumpkin with faint inner fire (cosmetic)

Feat: Body Assemblage

Body Assemblage [General]

The discarded husks of life are nothing more than a building material to you.

Source: Body Assemblage (3.5e Feat)

Prerequisites: Caster level 1st, ability to cast at least one 1st-level necromancy spell

Benefit: You may animate and control skeletons and zombies as though using the animate dead spell, except as noted here.

You may control a number of undead created with this feat whose total Hit Dice do not exceed 2 × your Charisma modifier (minimum 2 HD). This control pool is separate from and does not stack with any control granted by spells such as animate dead.

No undead created with this feat may have a Challenge Rating higher than your character level – 2.

Special: If you are 2nd level or lower, any undead you create with this feat counts as double its normal Hit Dice for the purpose of your control limit.

Undead created through this feat remain under your control indefinitely, but if you exceed your control limit, newly created undead become uncontrolled immediately.

House Rule: Hero Points

Hero Points (House Rule)

There are moments in any struggle that define the outcome - the instant before the spell completes, the heartbeat before the blade falls, the breath held in silence before discovery. While failure is always possible, true heroes sometimes defy fate itself.

Hero Points represent that potential for greatness.

Hero Point Pool

• Each player character begins play with 1 Hero Point, regardless of level
• Each time a character gains a level, they gain +1 Hero Point
• Hero Points are refreshed at the start of each new story arc (DM discretion)

NPCs and Creatures

• NPCs, cohorts, familiars, mounts, and companions gain 1 Hero Point per 4 HD or levels
• The DM determines when (or if) they are spent
• Exception: non-humanoid felines always have 9 Hero Points (because of course they do)

Gaining Hero Points

In addition to leveling, Hero Points may be awarded at the DM’s discretion. Typical triggers include:

Character Investment

• Writing a backstory
• Providing artwork, miniatures, or meaningful character detail
• Resolving a personal story arc

Story Progression

• Completing a major quest or narrative arc
• Advancing the story in a meaningful way

Faith & Devotion

• Acting in accordance with a deity or creed in a significant way
• These may be temporary Hero Points that fade if unused

Table Contribution

• Hosting, helping, or contributing to the group experience
• These should always be given freely, never expected

Heroic Acts

• Exceptional bravery, sacrifice, or cleverness
• Must not have been achieved using a Hero Point

Return from the Dead

• A character restored to life has Hero Points equal to their character level

Using Hero Points

• Hero Points may be spent at any time
• Spending a Hero Point requires no action
• You may spend only 1 Hero Point per round

Hero Point Effects

Act Out of Turn
Take your turn immediately, moving your initiative to just before the current creature.
You may take a move or standard action only.

Bonus
Before a roll: +8 luck bonus to one d20 roll
After a roll: +4 luck bonus

You may grant this bonus to an ally:

• +4 before the roll
• +2 after the roll
• You must be able to reasonably influence the outcome

Extra Action
Gain an additional standard or move action on your turn.

Inspiration
Ask the DM for a hint.
If no useful information is available, the Hero Point is not spent.

Recall
Regain:

• A spell already cast
• A limited-use ability that refreshes daily

Reroll
Reroll any d20 roll you just made.
You must take the new result.

Special (Heroic Effort)
Attempt something nearly impossible with DM approval.

Examples:

• Cast a spell one level higher than you can normally cast
• Ignore damage reduction on a single attack
• Attempt an otherwise impossible social or physical feat

Restrictions:

• No additional Hero Points may be spent on this action
• The attempt should involve a significant penalty or high DC

Cheat Death
When you would die, spend 1 Hero Point to survive.

• You are reduced to –1 HP and stable (or 1 HP, DM’s choice)
• The survival should be narratively justified

This may also be used to save:

• Familiar
• Animal companion
• Special mount

(Not other PCs or NPCs)

House Rule: Fall damage based on mass (size)

Variant Rule: Falling Damage by Size

Falling damage is determined by a creature’s size (mass), rather than using a fixed value.

A falling creature takes damage based on its size for every 10 feet fallen (to a maximum, as noted below). A successful Reflex save (DC 20) halves the damage taken.

Falling Damage by Size

Size	Damage per 10 ft.	Maximum Damage
Fine	—	—
Diminutive	1	10
Tiny	1d4	5d4
Small	1d6	10d6
Medium	1d6	20d6
Large	1d8	30d8
Huge	1d10	50d10
Gargantuan	2d10	100d10
Colossal	4d10	200d10

Notes

• Damage is cumulative per 10 feet fallen, up to the listed maximum.
• Creatures of Fine size or smaller take no falling damage.
• Apply any relevant modifiers (such as damage reduction) after determining total damage.

To explain:

What happens if you throw an elephant off a skyscraper?