Dying undead

b-dog · 05-22-2017, 03:15 PM

I am curious about ideas for dying undead. The concept is that being undead is an unnatural state and it must be maintained by some sort of energy source. Vampires need blood to be able remain in the world of the living and maybe ghosts need some of connection to the material world to remain active so I was think that the other material undead need something from the world to sustain them. I was thinking of the demilich in the Tomb of Horrors where the lich was once a great power but over time even he began to age and slowly begin to die until only his skull and dust remained and his consciousness roamed other planes of existence. So I was thinking about undead like wights, zombies and others that are slowing dying over time. What ideas do you have?

Kelly Pedersen · 05-22-2017, 03:30 PM

Are you asking how to do this sort of thing mechanically, i.e. which GURPS traits such creatures would have? Or are you just wanting more suggestions of creatures that function like this, and what they could desire?

b-dog · 05-22-2017, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kelly Pedersen

Are you asking how to do this sort of thing mechanically, i.e. which GURPS traits such creatures would have? Or are you just wanting more suggestions of creatures that function like this, and what they could desire?

More just ideas for slowly decomposing undead.

Nereidalbel · 05-22-2017, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by b-dog

More just ideas for slowly decomposing undead.

So, ideas for the fluff part, more than game mechanics?

b-dog · 05-22-2017, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nereidalbel

So, ideas for the fluff part, more than game mechanics?

Yeah fluff that can later be converted into mechanics if necessary.

Varyon · 05-23-2017, 12:20 AM

While they won't expire for want of sustenance, each of my Seven Deadly Undead feeds in a different way. To save you from looking through that:

Vampire (Pride): Blood
Wraith (Envy): Spirit/soul
Skeleton (Wrath): Death - unlike the others, who have to actively feed but don't necessarily kill their victims, skeletons passively feed off the energy released when they kill a living creature
Ghoul (Gluttony): Flesh
Ooze (Lust): Body heat
Choker (Sloth): Breath
Gaunt (Greed): Food, sort of - they feed by making their victims hungry (FP with the Starvation hazard), feeding off of their.. fullness, I guess?

For a time I also considered making the Greed undead be mummies, who would have fed by desiccating their victims rather than starving them to death, but ultimately went with the gaunts, above. In all cases, the undead can feed from nonsapient animals, but doing so is far less "filling" than going after humans and the like.

Flyndaran · 05-23-2017, 12:45 AM

Fey supposedly faded over time from gods, to demigods, to magical bigger than life elves, to trickster winged fairies of marginal sapience.
Someone could probably co-opt that idea to undead... not just because I had an intense childhood nightmare about a 6 inch tall vampire.

The Colonel · 05-23-2017, 07:48 AM

Don't the default versions in Magic at least nod towards this by giving the zombie a destiny to become a skeleton etc.

Anders · 05-23-2017, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Colonel

Don't the default versions in Magic at least nod towards this by giving the zombie a destiny to become a skeleton etc.

I don't know about that, but Fantasy has it as a Feature of Rotting Undead.

05-22-2017, 03:15 PM	#1
b-dog Join Date: Nov 2006	Dying undead I am curious about ideas for dying undead. The concept is that being undead is an unnatural state and it must be maintained by some sort of energy source. Vampires need blood to be able remain in the world of the living and maybe ghosts need some of connection to the material world to remain active so I was think that the other material undead need something from the world to sustain them. I was thinking of the demilich in the Tomb of Horrors where the lich was once a great power but over time even he began to age and slowly begin to die until only his skull and dust remained and his consciousness roamed other planes of existence. So I was thinking about undead like wights, zombies and others that are slowing dying over time. What ideas do you have?

05-22-2017, 03:30 PM	#2
Kelly Pedersen Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Saskatoon, SK, Canada	Re: Dying undead Are you asking how to do this sort of thing mechanically, i.e. which GURPS traits such creatures would have? Or are you just wanting more suggestions of creatures that function like this, and what they could desire?

05-23-2017, 12:20 AM	#6
Varyon Join Date: Jun 2013	Re: Dying undead While they won't expire for want of sustenance, each of my Seven Deadly Undead feeds in a different way. To save you from looking through that: Vampire (Pride): Blood Wraith (Envy): Spirit/soul Skeleton (Wrath): Death - unlike the others, who have to actively feed but don't necessarily kill their victims, skeletons passively feed off the energy released when they kill a living creature Ghoul (Gluttony): Flesh Ooze (Lust): Body heat Choker (Sloth): Breath Gaunt (Greed): Food, sort of - they feed by making their victims hungry (FP with the Starvation hazard), feeding off of their.. fullness, I guess? For a time I also considered making the Greed undead be mummies, who would have fed by desiccating their victims rather than starving them to death, but ultimately went with the gaunts, above. In all cases, the undead can feed from nonsapient animals, but doing so is far less "filling" than going after humans and the like. __________________ GURPS Overhaul

05-23-2017, 12:45 AM	#7
Flyndaran Untagged Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Forest Grove, Beaverton, Oregon	Re: Dying undead Fey supposedly faded over time from gods, to demigods, to magical bigger than life elves, to trickster winged fairies of marginal sapience. Someone could probably co-opt that idea to undead... not just because I had an intense childhood nightmare about a 6 inch tall vampire. __________________ Beware, poor communication skills. No offense intended. If offended, it just means that I failed my writing skill check.

05-23-2017, 07:48 AM	#8
The Colonel Join Date: Jul 2006	Re: Dying undead Don't the default versions in Magic at least nod towards this by giving the zombie a destiny to become a skeleton etc.