Half-Dead (3.5e Race)

Author: EhSteve (talk) Date Created: 24/10/2009 Status: Just started Editing: Clarity edits only please

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Half-Dead

Not every undead falls into the category of mindless minions or master necromancer - every so often a certain phenomenon occurs wherein a corpse once raised from the dead will retain most or even all of his or her previous memories, personality and behaviors. These are called the Half-Dead as whilst they may appear to be badly degraded human bodies they have both the presence of free will and a near-perfect semblance of their former selves - though their former aquaintances might have something to say about this. Half-Dead have a common trait of a strong personality and are usually raised after a great sacrifice such as removing themselves by choice from those they care about in order to prevent spread of infectious disease resulting in death. Regardless of how close they may mimic their living selves, the Half-Dead are outcasts of society, their gruesome appearance (though varying greatly in stages of decomposition) repulsing those around them, no matter how close they were in their previous life. Half-Dead are often mistaken for zombies on first sight but can end up being highly intelligent and helpful in comparison to the mindless flesh-eating habits of the greater portion of Undead. As a result of their consciousness and the nature of their body, Half-Dead carry mixes of both human and undead traits such as a zombies physical resilience but not their complete lack of sensation. Half-Dead is a title reserved exclusively for human corpses due to their abundance in comparison to other races, dying in greater numbers and the larger undead population created from their dead bodies. A Half-Dead will usually retain his or her former name but after certain ages of wandering the earth, rotting and scaring the general population they may attempt to reconstruct themselves with more modern titles. Half-Dead are usually found near but not so often in large zombie populations, finding the pursuit of "Brains..." to be somewhat outdated after the first decade or so, but zombie populations are better use by the Half-Dead as protection against the outside as those that wander alone are usually hunted and destroyed.

Racial Traits

• +4 Constitution, −2 Wisdom, −4 Charisma: The advantage of the undead body is its resilience in adverse conditions and lack of need to sustain it but their gruesome appearance and dulled perception are another result of their raising
• Undead (living dead)
• Medium: As Medium creatures, half-dead have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Half-Dead base land speed is 20 feet, However, half-dead can move at this speed even when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load (unlike other creatures, whose speed is reduced in such situations).
• Unlike other Undead, the living dead have a Constitution score.
• Darkvision out to 60 feet.
• Does not need to eat, sleep, or breathe
• Does not need to sleep, but must rest for 8 hours before preparing spells.
• Half-Dead are not subject to nonlethal damage but are still vulnerable to critical hits.
• Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, disease, energy drain, death effects as well as to fatigue and exhaustion effects.
• Heals damage on its own as it has an Intelligence score. Negative energy (such as an inflict spell) can heal undead creatures.
• Unlike Undead a half-dead may be affected by raise dead and reincarnate spells or abilities. However Resurrection and true resurrection do not restore them creatures back into the living creatures they were before becoming undead.
• Automatic Languages: Common. Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages, such as Druidic).
• Favored Class: Any.
• Level Adjustment: 0

Vital Statistics

Table: Half-Dead Random Starting Ages

Adulthood	Simple	Moderate	Complex
—	—	—	—

Table: Half-Dead Aging Effects

Middle Age1	Old2	Venerable3	Maximum Age
—	—	—	+N/A years
At middle age, −1 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. At old age, −2 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. At venerable age, −3 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.

Table: Half-Dead Random Height and Weight

Gender	Base Height	Height Modifier	Base Weight	Weight Modifier
Male	4' 10"	+2d10	120 lb.	× (2d4) lb.
Female	4' 5"	+2d10	85 lb.	× (2d4) lb.

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