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 Heritable undeath?
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Starshade
Learned Scribe

Norway
279 Posts

Posted - 18 Apr 2015 :  19:20:14  Show Profile Send Starshade a Private Message  Reply with Quote  Delete Topic
There is many forms of undeath in movies, literature, etc. But is there any who is heritable in FR, that is, the undead creatures actually is still able to get children, and the trait could get herited?

Artemas Entreri
Great Reader

USA
3131 Posts

Posted - 18 Apr 2015 :  20:02:47  Show Profile Send Artemas Entreri a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Hmm I don't think so. Procreating is something only living things can do, unless of course magic is used.

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TBeholder
Great Reader

2378 Posts

Posted - 18 Apr 2015 :  22:10:47  Show Profile Send TBeholder a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Look... if you mean "half-vampires" "adorable daywalking abominations", just say so.
The answer was:
quote:
( Ed | THO )>
Yes, both half-vampires and skindancers exist in the Realms, but both are rather rare

People never wonder How the world goes round -Helloween
And even I make no pretense Of having more than common sense -R.W.Wood
It's not good, Eric. It's a gazebo. -Ed Whitchurch
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Tanthalas
Senior Scribe

Portugal
508 Posts

Posted - 18 Apr 2015 :  22:47:52  Show Profile Send Tanthalas a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Hmm, surprised that some undead are able to prcreate in the FR.

Sir Markham pointed out, drinking another brandy. "A chap who can point at you and say 'die' has the distinct advantage".
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hashimashadoo
Master of Realmslore

United Kingdom
1150 Posts

Posted - 19 Apr 2015 :  00:51:09  Show Profile  Visit hashimashadoo's Homepage Send hashimashadoo a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Tanthalas

Hmm, surprised that some undead are able to prcreate in the FR.



It is rather weird.

In D&D, everyone is given a soul at birth. Souls in D&D are supposed to be made of positive energy. Positive energy is the antithesis of negative energy. Undead are formed from negative energy.

One would think the energies would have trouble coexisting.

When life turns it's back on you...sneak attack for extra damage.

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Ayrik
Great Reader

Canada
7966 Posts

Posted - 19 Apr 2015 :  04:40:48  Show Profile Send Ayrik a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Undead typically have other, unnatural methods of procreating their kind.

Still, no reason not to accuse somebody of being a real son of a lich.

[/Ayrik]
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Diffan
Great Reader

USA
4425 Posts

Posted - 19 Apr 2015 :  05:33:31  Show Profile Send Diffan a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Half-Vampire

Necropolitan

and as far as I know there are no rules stating that you can't have offspring in an undead state though I'd venture that most DMs wouldn't permit it unless under extreme circumstances.

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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist

USA
11686 Posts

Posted - 19 Apr 2015 :  16:47:59  Show Profile Send sleyvas a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I'd pretty much go with it requires some form of shapechange magic, plus some powerful ritual to pass along the qualities of the shape you used to be.... or something similarly weird so its amazingly uncommon.

Alavairthae, may your skill prevail

Phillip aka Sleyvas
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
Moderator

USA
36779 Posts

Posted - 19 Apr 2015 :  17:50:19  Show Profile Send Wooly Rupert a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I once wrote a short story with a half-vampire; at that time, the only flavor of half-vampire I'd seen before was the Marvel character Blade.

The angle I went for my guy was that his father was a vampire who decided he wanted a child, and he rather vigorously pursued that goal by kidnapping women to be in his harem. (I was much younger and focused on that goal, and totally did not even think of what that would be like for the women)

The vampire kept trying, and it kept not working... So he began rather devoutly praying to his world's god of evil (another concept I now dislike). One day, this deity heard him, and decided to honor the prayer -- so one of the vampire's captives got pregnant.

The mother escaped, the boy grew up normal but eventually figured out that he had some abilities in common with vampires, and some immunities to their powers, so he became a vampire hunter.

The whole point of the story was the half-vampire and his human half-brother finding another vampire to slay, doing it, and then the half-brother reads the vampire's journal and hands it to the half-vampire, revealing he just killed his own father, at which point the story ends.

I came up with all that when I was like 17... I've never done anything else with it; I now dislike most of the concepts I came up with for the story.

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Hoondatha
Great Reader

USA
2449 Posts

Posted - 19 Apr 2015 :  18:42:34  Show Profile  Visit Hoondatha's Homepage Send Hoondatha a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I, personally, don't like the idea of undead being able to procreate. Undead are, first and foremost, dead.

That said, I don't see any problem with some sort of powerful and long-lasting curse on a particular bloodline that condemns each member of the family to become some specific type of undead when they die. It sounds like the kind of nastiness some genies would dish out for a slight, as well as possibly some more powerful types of fiend.

Doggedly converting 3e back to what D&D should be...
Sigh... And now 4e as well.
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
Moderator

USA
36779 Posts

Posted - 19 Apr 2015 :  20:42:34  Show Profile Send Wooly Rupert a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Hoondatha

I, personally, don't like the idea of undead being able to procreate. Undead are, first and foremost, dead.


I concur. I personally question how blood can flow to certain portions of the anatomy when there is a distinct lack of blood and no mechanism to make it flow.

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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist

USA
11686 Posts

Posted - 19 Apr 2015 :  20:50:13  Show Profile Send sleyvas a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Hoondatha

I, personally, don't like the idea of undead being able to procreate. Undead are, first and foremost, dead.

That said, I don't see any problem with some sort of powerful and long-lasting curse on a particular bloodline that condemns each member of the family to become some specific type of undead when they die. It sounds like the kind of nastiness some genies would dish out for a slight, as well as possibly some more powerful types of fiend.



Now, this is a good idea. They might keep their ancestors around out of love (or fear). They might have to keep it secret from their neighbors. This could be really good. In fact, perhaps Velsharoon had children in life (of which we know little) and he "blessed" them and their progeny to survive after death as undead.... perhaps because when they grew up, they had turned against him.

Alavairthae, may your skill prevail

Phillip aka Sleyvas
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TBeholder
Great Reader

2378 Posts

Posted - 20 Apr 2015 :  01:52:44  Show Profile Send TBeholder a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

I personally question how blood can flow to certain portions of the anatomy when there is a distinct lack of blood and no mechanism to make it flow.

I could point out the obvious counter-examples, but nevermind.
Which leaves, what - vampires and ghosts?

quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas

Now, this is a good idea. They might keep their ancestors around out of love (or fear).

Or simply being practical about it. People get used to just about anything.

People never wonder How the world goes round -Helloween
And even I make no pretense Of having more than common sense -R.W.Wood
It's not good, Eric. It's a gazebo. -Ed Whitchurch
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Hoondatha
Great Reader

USA
2449 Posts

Posted - 20 Apr 2015 :  17:08:48  Show Profile  Visit Hoondatha's Homepage Send Hoondatha a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Or they could go to the other extreme and become a family of undead hunters, hoping to put as many in the ground as they can before they inevitably join their ranks. Could lead to a character with a new angle for angst.

"For my coming of age, I had to lay my grandfather to rest. He objected. Strenuously."

Doggedly converting 3e back to what D&D should be...
Sigh... And now 4e as well.
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Starshade
Learned Scribe

Norway
279 Posts

Posted - 25 Apr 2015 :  11:31:37  Show Profile Send Starshade a Private Message  Reply with Quote
The idea was something along the lines of a "family curse", something fit for storyline NPC, as a story seed useful to get the story going, introduce a big bad evil guy (the ancestor), etc.
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