Darksign Undead (3.5e Template)

Darksign Undead
Summary::Undead associated with the rise of the elder evil known as the Dark Lord, these undead crave their lost humanity. They can harvest it from others, granting back their life for a brief time...

The circumstances of these undead are not well understood, but it is known that those marked with the "darksign" would become undead upon death, continuing to persist in a zombie-like state. Unlike normal zombies, they not only retain their speed and intelligence, but they are granted with a true immortality which would bring them back from the dead from places known as pyres. Pyres, everburning firepits created through obscure means, serve as a spawning point for darksign undead to return to the world of the living. If the pyres go out, the darksign undead will be unable to return and be lost between worlds for all eternity.

This template relies on the existence of pyres. If not provided by the game setting, a pyre can be created in a ritual which costs 3,000 gp and lasts for 8 hours. This generates a eternally burning fire which darksign undead can spawn anywhere within 20 feet of, and who can allow darksign undead to rest and heal within 20 feet. Pyre creation can be done by any darksign undead, or a spellcaster of at least 11th caster level.

Creating a Darksign Undead
This template is typically inherited, but the sign may not reveal itself until the moment of the creature's death. In addition its said it may be possible to acquire it, though the means are obscure and certainly occult. The darksign undead template may be added to any corporeal creature (other than an undead) that has a skeletal system (referred to hereafter as the base creature).

Size and Type
The creature's type changes to Undead, retaining its subtypes.

Hit Dice
Do not change any HD, BAB, or saves. Instead, any functions that ran off Constitution now run off Charisma instead, including hp, fortitude saves, breath weapon DCs, and Concentration checks.

Special Attacks
Absorb Humanity : The darksign undead has an aura out to 30 ft which allows them to absorb the souls of those who die around them. These souls give "humanity", which the darksign undead can collect and consume as if it were 1 day worth of food. Alternatively, they can sacrifice humanity at pyres with their restore humanity ability to gain living traits again. Darksign undead "eat" souls in this method, though eating a soul does not destroy it or prevent it from being resurrected or otherwise bound.

A darksign undead can only benefit from the souls of creatures of enough strength. This ability only works on creatures of a CR equal to the darksign undead's CR -5 or greater. Each soul gives 1 humanity regardless of strength.

Special Qualities
Darkvision : Gain darkvision out to 60 ft.

Hollowing : A darksign undead can retain its mind, sanity, and alignment... usually. Darksign undead crave humanity and if they go longer than 3 days without feeding, they "hollow out". Each day they must make a Will save DC 15, with an increasing +2 each day, or go mad with hunger. They lose the living soul ability and become feral and violent, gain immunity to mind-affecting effects, and seek to hunt the living for precious souls. In this feral state, if they are killed they will not respawn at a pyre, making this a vulnerable time for the undead.

Living Soul : A darksign undead still has its mind and soul. As a result, they are not immune to mind affecting effects or morale bonuses and penalties. They can be affected by abilities which affect the soul.

Partial-Undead Traits : As an undead creature, the darksign undead is immune to ability damage, ability drain, energy drain, death from massive damage, non-lethal damage, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, and death effects. They remain vulnerable to critical hits and sneak attacks, but gain 25% fortification. They are also capable of becoming exhausted, fatigued, and poisoned as their undead biology can still be depleted or disrupted of motivating energy. As an undead, they are healed by negative energy, and injured by positive energy. They do not recover hp naturally from resting, unless they are resting at a pyre.

Restore Humanity : When a darksign undead is at one of the pyres, it can sacrifice 1 humanity. If it does, it is restored to life, though it continues to benefit from the undead traits of this template. A restored darksign undead need not worry about going hollow and can persist in this form indefinitely. It can be healed by both positive and negative energy and may count as either living or undead whenever beneficial. Finally, the darksign undead gains their Charisma modifier as a morale bonus to saving throws, but only while restored. If the darksign undead dies, their restored humanity is lost and they return to being undead.

Return to Pyre : When a darksign undead is destroyed, its body and items disintegrate into ash and it respawns at the last pyre it has rested at in 1d10 days (or the closest one if they have never encountered one, or the last one has been destroyed). A darksign undead which has gone hollow does not respawn, and is truly dead when it is killed. Respawned darksign undead lose all humanity when respawned and must quickly find more or become hollowed.

Turn Resistance : The darksign undead has a turn resistance of +4.

Abilities
Con -, Cha +2.

Skills
Unchanged, and skills are kept even when hollow.

Feats
Unchanged, and feats are kept even when hollow.

Challenge Rating
+CR::2.

Alignment
Any, or Always Chaotic Evil when hollow.

Level Adjustment
+Level Adjustment::2

Example Creature
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