The Seven Deadly Undead

[Varyon]

With the recent thread about aligning DF races to the Seven Deadly Sins, I felt it was time to ask for some help with some undead I’ve been making that follow a similar scheme. Some of these have already made an appearance on the forum, but that was before I decided to link them to the Sins (and subsequently needed to come up with three more). People (of most any race, but humans are the most susceptible) who exemplify a given Sin have a chance of rising as the appropriate undead. The changes to the body are exaggerations or a twisting of aspects of the Sin, and each must feed in some way related to the Sin, either directly or ironically. Their form also adheres to some aspect or symbol of death, while they feed upon something intimately associated with life (and they can pass more readily as alive shortly after feeding).

Each of the seven undead have two subtypes - an animalistic version that is referred to as a Feral or Hungry Dead, and a sapient version called a Revenant, High Undead, or similar. Ferals have small remnants of their old knowledge - they’ll recognize a firearm as a weapon, can still use melee weapons (albeit a bit clumsily), and so forth - but lack any real ability to communicate, and as the name implies are more like wild animals than people. Revenants are just as they were in life, but while they are aware of old attachments, they no longer feel them - a Revenant is roughly as likely to kill - or join forces with - an old friend as a hated enemy, all else being equal. Another type of undead is also recognized - the zombie is a borderline-automaton under the control of a necromancer (typically the one who created them), and do not occur “naturally.” Some scholars actually list four types of zombie, but that’s not important here. In fact, unless stated explicitly, most of the guidelines here don’t actually apply to zombies.

Each type of undead is difficult to kill permanently. Once an undead is slain, you have about a minute to bind or dispatch it with an appropriate weakness (see below). Once this time is up, the body that remains is a shell, and will slowly crumble to dust as the undead’s “soul” recovers, eventually reforming the body elsewhere. In GURPS terms, the undead function as though they had Unkillable 2, but 1 minute after death this gets upgraded to Unkillable 3. On the bright side, they often aren’t terribly difficult (aside from their built-in resistances) to kill temporarily, as they die upon reaching 0xHP.

Each type of undead has a weakness to holy symbols and objects. A simple holy symbol actively brandished by a believer in that faith (the undead’s faith in life doesn’t matter, and the wielder doesn’t need any special Advantage) functions as a Dread, and when in contact with a recently-slain undead will bind it, preventing it from escaping from the slain shell. Note this would mean you need to keep holding your cross to the slain vampire until someone cooks up a more permanent solution. Blessed objects are a Weakness (continuous damage while in contact), and Blessed holy symbols also function as above even if not brandished (and they need no wielder - a Blessed cross could simply be placed on the slain vampire to bind it). Powerful Holy objects - typically weapons - will actually dispatch an undead permanently.

Aside from that, there are a variety of more esoteric weaknesses that are shared by some - but not all - undead. Each undead has three, at least one of which will bind and at least one of which will dispatch. Many have further effects, such as reducing or eliminating defensive Advantages. This is the first place where I need help. The weaknesses I have so far are Salt (Dread and binding), Sunlight (Weakness and dispatching), Silver (Weakness, Vulnerability, and binding), Fire (Vulnerability and dispatching), Decapitation (dispatching; considering extending this to damage to the head in general), Staking (binding), and Running Water (Dread and binding). The undead I currently intend for these to affect - and any additional effects they have - are identified in the list of undead types later. The main thing I need help with are identifying other appropriate weaknesses, but help with what weaknesses are appropriate for each type of undead would be useful as well.

(continued in next post)

[Varyon]

All that out of the way, let’s take a look at the undead, arranged by Sin.

Pride - The vampire is a twisted caricature of nobility, and must debase itself by feeding on the blood of lesser beings. Their form adheres to the idea of the pallor of death - they gain a bit of color after feeding - but aside from that and their fangs they most closely resemble their old selves. The link between blood and life, of course, needs no real explanation ("The blood is the life" - Deut 12:23).
Feral vampires are Leeches, Revenants are Nosferatu.
Vampires are weak to Sunlight, Fire, and Running Water. Vampires are combustible, and running water strips them of Cannot Breathe - holding a vampire under running water can actually cause it to drown.

Envy - The wraith's form is insubstantial (sort of; it's more akin to IT:DR than true Insubstantial) and the features blurred, appropriate for someone who spent their lives wishing to be anyone but themselves. They feed on the very essence of others - the soul* - just as they once wished to strip everything from those they envied. Their lack of form adheres to the idea of Nothingness from death - they become more solid, and their features are no longer blurred (but rather look like a mix between who they were in life and who they fed upon) after feeding. The soul being the animating force of life, feeding upon it is highly appropriate.
Feral wraiths are Geists, Revenants are Specters. Better names are welcome.
Wraiths are weak to Salt, Sunlight, and Silver. Salt also strips them of their quasi-insubstantiality, making them markedly easier to fight (they can’t run through walls anymore) and slay.
*(This isn't as dangerous as it sounds - souls in my setting are pretty darn resilient, at least while attached to a living being, and heal rather rapidly; this is basically just FP damage).

Wrath - The skeleton is a visual reminder of violence and death, more closely linked to death than any of the other forms. They feed somewhat differently from other undead - they need only deal the killing blow to a foe, absorbing the very life released upon death, to feed, but this also means they cannot feed without killing. Their form is about the inevitability of death; the link of life to their way of feeding needs no further explanation. Skeletons who have recently fed and wear baggy clothing can pass as a gaunt human (or whatever race they are).
Feral skeletons are Bains, Revenants are Reapers.
Skeletons are weak to Silver, Decapitation, and Running Water. As with vampires, running water can drown them.

Gluttony - Gluttons (which would include severe alcoholics and drug addicts, not just overeaters) tend to take poor care of their bodies, thus the body of a ghoul is bloated and decaying. Ghouls feast upon the flesh of their victims, although unlike the others they can make due with the recently-slain, rather than needing a living victim (although they favor the latter). Their form represents the decay of death, and they feed upon the living body. Decaying flesh seals up into bruises and the occasional small, open sore after feeding, making the ghoul look more like a peasant or beggar in a bad way than a rotting corpse.
Feral ghouls are Wights, Revenants are Draugr.
Ghouls are weak to Salt, Fire, and Decapitation. Ghouls normally have pretty solid natural DR, but salt negates this and fire ignores it, although they aren’t quite as flammable as vampires.

Lust - This is the tough one. I personally tend to associate Gluttony and Lust, however (both are sins of carnal excess), and for miscellaneous other reasons, I opted to go with some putrefaction, albeit with the disgustingness toned down - Lust undead are basically Blob Monsters (warning: tvtropes link) with a humanoid form. Fortunately, rather than looking (and smelling) like putrefied flesh, they typically look much as they did in life, but are a bit... melty, are slightly translucent, and are always surrounded by a small, shallow pool of themselves. Instead of the obvious, I decided to restructure Lust as more a craving for intimacy - Lust undead basically grapple (and may partially engulf) their victims, then pull out the body heat (FP damage with the Freezing Hazard). After feeding, they lose the melty and translucent quality (but are still yielding to the touch, like a gel), and are solid enough to actually wear clothing.
I currently have no name for Lust undead - none for the class, none for Ferals, and none for Revenants. Obviously, this is one of the parts where I need help.
I’m also uncertain what weaknesses would be appropriate. Of those I already have, Salt makes some sense (semi-liquid foe), and Staking is a bit ironic. For the necessary dispatch weakness, maybe Fire? Again, help needed.

Sloth - Sloth undead have difficulty moving around, as their underused bodies have stiff, partially-locked joints, and a face stuck in a grimace. They are still dangerous in spite of their slow speed and poor coordination, as they feed by pulling the air from the lungs of any visible target at a distance (something akin to FP damage with the Suffocation Hazard). Their form is of course a reference to rigor mortis, and enough cultures associate breath with life for an easy association there. After feeding, the rigor (including on the face) diminishes markedly. Sloth undead are the only ones who make use of the post-feeding transformation for combat - typical tactics are to feed, grapple the target with the restored coordination, then strangle or smother it to death while continuing to feed on the breath.
As with Lust, I’ve got no name. For weaknesses, maybe Sunlight and Running Water. Staking might also make some sense. Help needed.

Greed - Greed undead are nearly skeletal, with skin stretched tightly over the frame, like someone who slowly starved to death, then kept starving. They can pull nourishment (FP damage with the Starvation Hazard) from the body of their victim with a touch. Their form is an obvious reference to famine, itself obviously closely linked with death and, in my opinion, closely linked with greed as well. Nourishment is of course necessary to keep life intact. Greed undead lose the horrifyingly-starved look (but are still dangerously skinny) after feeding.
Again, no names come to mind. Salt and Silver are both expensive commodities, so might make some sense, but I’m not certain what dispatching weakness best follows - Decapitation, maybe? Help needed.

Ideally, some of the new suggested weaknesses will work for some of the last three undead. Note I’d prefer each weakness to apply to either 2 or 3 undead, but this isn’t strictly necessary.


(In case anyone is curious about zombies, they are animated via RPM. For the four types, the first are basically just enhanced tools - like my Zombie Powered Armor - that are completely unable to function on their own and are made with Lesser Create Undead. The second are programmable automatons, made with Greater Create Undead. The third are actually one of the feral types from above, made with Greater Create Undead + Lesser Restore Mind. The fourth are one of the Revenants from above, made with Greater Create Undead + Greater Restore Mind. The third and fourth are still classified as zombies, however, as their creator has to maintain the spell for them to stay around. Type I and II zombies don’t have any of the above weaknesses, although Holy weapons still do extra damage. Type III and IV have the same weaknesses as the undead they emulate.)

[Flyndaran]

I would have thought Wendigo would work best for Gluttony. They are mythical monsters that are created, or possessed by a spirit, when one gives into cannibalism even when it's to offset starvation.
Breaking moral taboos to sate your sinful hunger sounds like Christian gluttony to me. Just add whatever universal undead traits your universe demands.

[Gadget]

would people who were compulsive gamblers come under gluttony or greed?

[whswhs]

Barrow-wights, as in Tolkien, are the classic avaricious undead, bound to a semblance of life by the will to guard their treasure.

Various sorts of gaki are appropriate to lust.

[LoneWolf23k]

I'd put Vampires as Lust, and Liches for Pride. Vampires are often associated with sexuality and carnality, and since Victorian days tend to be seductive killers.

Liches, meanwhile, are Wizards who have used magic to grant themselves a twisted form of Immortality, in full defiance of the Natural Order, to demonstrate their Sorcerous Might in a show of Hubris.

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

I would have thought Wendigo would work best for Gluttony.

Wendigo are more "possessed" or "insane" (the legend probably originated thanks to the effects of prion infection) than "undead." It's an option, but for ghouls I'm actually happy with the names I've opted to go with.

Originally Posted by Gadget

would people who were compulsive gamblers come under gluttony or greed?

Depends on what motivates them. Is it the rush, the roller-coaster ride of winning and losing? Is it the potential monetary reward? Is it the idea of being surrounded by an adoring crowd? If skill is involved, is it the sense of accomplishment when winning? Honestly, compulsive gambling is one of those things that could be part of just about any of the sins (although wrath is a bit of a stretch).

I'd probably be most inclined to mark it as greed for a roleplaying game, however.

Originally Posted by whswhs

Barrow-wights, as in Tolkien, are the classic avaricious undead, bound to a semblance of life by the will to guard their treasure.

Unfortunately, both wight and draugr work a bit better for ghouls than for greed undead. The barrow-wights from LOTR also drained body heat, which is more appropriate for Lust than Greed.

Originally Posted by whswhs

Various sorts of gaki are appropriate to lust.

Could you elaborate? The Wikipedia entry on Preta - gaki being the Japanese translation of this - has them as pretty appropriate for Greed. In fact, I think Preta will be the name for Greed Revenants. Thanks for putting me on the right track for that! Trawling through Wikipedia, I also came across the Yakshi, which might work for Lust Revenants.


While it's not written in stone, I actually have a method to my nomenclature. The name of the category is something that a modern reader is likely to see and automatically have a good idea of what the thing is (vampire, skeleton, ghoul, wraith - all pretty well established). The name of the feral form is simple and has a "common" sound to it (feral skeletons break from this slightly, although I should note that "bain" was actually chosen for being a homophone of "bein," the German word for "bone"). The revenant name is often more complex and cultural, like Nosferatu or Draugr (or Preta or Yakshi, now). I'm trying to stick to European-sounding names for cohesiveness, although some others can be allowed to slip through if they aren't too out there - Wendigo probably could have worked, and Preta certainly does. Unfortunately, I doubt there are many Japanese, Chinese, or Korean monsters that will work, but feel free to keep them coming - at the very least, I might be able to figure something out (or find another gem like Preta or Yakshi).

Originally Posted by LoneWolf23k

I'd put Vampires as Lust, and Liches for Pride. Vampires are often associated with sexuality and carnality, and since Victorian days tend to be seductive killers.

Liches, meanwhile, are Wizards who have used magic to grant themselves a twisted form of Immortality, in full defiance of the Natural Order, to demonstrate their Sorcerous Might in a show of Hubris.

I considered vampires for lust, but honestly I think they're more aristocratic than anything (it's just that "aristocratic" is often synonymous with "forceful, powerful, and attractive," the latter of which lends itself to associations with Lust).

Liches don't get to count in my setting for a few reasons. First, all of my undead stick to a theme about their physical form, which would make Lich the revenant form of the skeleton. Secondly, they're automatically associated with spellcasting, while my undead aren't necessarily casters (and while someone can slowly get turned into an undead through overuse of necromancy, this isn't purposeful). Phylactery's also aren't a thing.

[jason taylor]

Vampires seem to be a caricature of lust with the way they prey upon people and discard them or reduce them to slavery.

[jason taylor]

What about zombies?

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

Vampires seem to be a caricature of lust with the way they prey upon people and discard them or reduce them to slavery.

Recently kind of. I see them more as gluttonous hunger. They need what you have and will do literally anything to get it.
I compare it to when I had a hyperthyroid. The hunger I felt was unlike anything I had ever felt before or since. The intensity of the hunger and bubbling anger at its constancy was not similar to simply not eating for a couple days.