Ghede (3.5e Race)

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Author: Eiji-kun (talk)
Date Created: 11-12-13
Status: Complete
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Ghede

We all have a ghede waiting inside us. The skeletons of the living can be animated as undead, but these are crude simulacrum which mindlessly dance like puppets. Some undead are skeletal, such as liches, but few are sentient and defined as being skeleton alone. Yet within the realms of Father Ghede, he creates children in his image. Corpses thrown into blight pits or other special places of decay may animate as a ghede, a skeleton with sapience and the foggy memories of the one is spawned from, but an entirely new personality and life (or unlife) of its own.

Personality

You would think that as an undead the ghede would be evil, vicious, and mindless, but this is far from the truth. Their personalities are as human as the humanoid bodies they spawn from. Were it not for the conspicious lack of flesh they would easily pass as a normal living being, with all its virtues and flaws. Of course, many don't see it that way and the ghede are well aware of this, and so in most lands they have a bit of reservation about letting themselves be known. Many feel they are "alive" as any else and perform tasks such as eating and sleeping even when they do not require such activities, or even when they otherwise can't due to lack of flesh.

Physical Description

A ghede is a skeleton of a humanoid, typically human, animated by negative energy. They look nearly identical to the typical skeleton monster animated by the animate dead spell, but in pitch darkness ghede eyes burn with a soft illumination where their eyes should be, even "blinking" at times. With a lack of facial expressions, it would seem to be difficult to communicate to others but by glamour or actual gentle shifts in bone structure the ghede is capable of various "expressions", however subtle.

As an undead, the ghede have no biology of their own. They do not reproduce normally but rather humanoid corpses are brought to "blight pits", magical locations naturally found in lands ravaged by neromantic energy or created by certain rare spells and effects. In these swamp-like sinkholes corpses are dropped in with a random chance their skeleton will spontaneously spring up as a newly "born" ghede. From birth, they are equipped with faint memories of their past and basic knowledge, though it often takes a month or so before a clear personality and speech begins to develop. Ghede do not grow, they are formed fully as adults and stay that way until they are destroyed.

The rebirth process seems to work best on adult humans, but technically works on any humanoid with a skeleton.

Relations

Understandably, not many trust a skeleton. The ghede live in secret in various caves and corners of the world, or blended in the armies of necromancers and others who would embrace, not shun, the undead. Many take roost in ancient ruins which may have once been their home in generations past, as it is both nostolgic and rarely visited.

Alignment

Ghede may be of any alignment, as they are not restricted to evil in spite of their spooky origins.

Lands

Ghede do not have lands to call their own per se, but ruins, swamplands, and caves are ideal spots for blight pits and subsequently a "civilization" of ghede to appear.

Religion

Ghede follow Father Ghede, a giant skeletal being which may or may not be a demigod. They worship other gods too, usually ones relating to protection (for themselves), undeath, or methods of feeling the joys of flesh which they themselves lack.

Language

Ghede speak Common, though those with a high enough intelligence score often speak the language of the base creature they spawned from.

Names

Ghede take on the names of the beings they spawned from, or names of a similar culture if seeking to seperate themselves from their past lives. As a result ghede can have names from all over and from many races.

Racial Traits

  • -- Con: As skeletons, they lack constitution, or anything most would consider biology.
  • Undead (Dark Minded): Death is required for a ghede to be "born". 
  • Medium: As a Medium creature, a ghede has no special bonuses or penalties due to its size.
  • Ghede base land speed is 30 feet.  
  • Darkvision: A ghede can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and a ghede can function just fine with no light at all. 
  • Damage Reduction (Ex): Ghede possess DR 5 plus +1/2 their ECL/bludgeoning. At 10 HD, it becomes DR/magic and bludgeoning. 
  • Immunities (Ex): Beyond their undead trait immunities, ghede are immune to cold damage. 
  • Martial Training (Ex): Ghede are proficient in all simple and martial weapons, and all armor and shields (except tower shields). When taking a class with a d8 HD normally they instead gain +1 extra hp. When taking a class with a d10 normally, they instead gain +2 extra hp. When taking a class with a d12 normally, they instead gain +4 extra hp. 
  • Natural Weapons (Ex): A ghede possesses two claw attacks which deal 1d4 damage. 
  • Past Life Skills (Ex): Choose two skills (excluding Use Magic Device). These two skills become class skills, and you receive a +2 circumstance bonus on both as a result of the memory of your previous life. 
  • Turn Resistance (Ex): Ghede has a +4 turn resistance. If they are commanded via rebuke undead, control lasts for 1 day/level. 
  • Undead Traits (Ex): As an undead, ghede are immune to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability drain, energy drain, fatigue, and exhaustion. They are not immune to mind-affecting effects. They are healed by negative energy (such as an inflict spell) and harmed by positive energy (such as a cure spell). They are not at risk of death from massive damage, but when reduced to 0 hp or less they are destroyed. They may be raised and resurrected normally, which curiously brings back the undead ghede rather than the original being they were. In fact, the original being the ghede was spawned from may be raised and resurrected on their own (provided they can do so without the body since the ghede took it) with no harm to the ghede's existence. They are counted as separate beings with different lives and personalities.
The ghede use Charisma in place for any Constitution based effects, including Fortitude saves, Concentration checks, and save DCs. They do not add it to their hp however. A ghede receives d12s for HD regardless of character class (but see Martial Training above). As an undead they do not breathe, eat, or sleep. In spite of this, many ghede still try to eat and sleep, or at least mime such actions, as it brings a sense of comfort and sensation of being alive.
Undead do not naturally attack the ghede, as they are one of their own. Of course, the undead may still attack if provoked, ordered to, or are capable of thought and free will themselves.

Alternative LA 0 and Racial Class

An LA 0 version loses their immunity to cold, damage reduction, and immunity to sleep, paralysis, stunning, critical hits, fatigue, and exhaustion. They can take the following "class" to return to the full power version.

Table: The Ghede

Hit Die: d12

Level Base
Attack Bonus
Saving Throws Special
Fort Ref Will
1st +0 +0 +0 +2 Damage Reduction, Immunities (Cold, Critical Hits, Exhaustion, Fatigue, Paralysis, Sleep, Stunning)

Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level.)
The ghede can choose any eight skills to be class skills.

The ghede does not receive bonus hp from Martial Training for taking this class.

Vital Statistics

Table: Ghede Random Starting Ages
Adulthood Simple Moderate Complex
0 years +1d4 +1d6 +2d6
Table: Ghede Aging Effects
Middle Age1 Old2 Venerable3 Maximum Age
N/A years N/A years N/A years +Unlimited years
  1. At middle age, −1 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.
  2. At old age, −2 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.
  3. At venerable age, −3 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.
Table: Ghede Random Height and Weight
Gender Base Height Height Modifier Base Weight Weight Modifier
Male 4' 10" +2d10 20 lb. × (2d4) lb.
Female 4' 5" +2d10 15 lb. × (2d4) lb.



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Eiji-kun's Homebrew (5605 Articles)
Eiji-kunv
Facts about "Ghede (3.5e Race)"
AuthorEiji-kun +
Effective Character Level2 +
Favored ClassAny +
Identifier3.5e Race +
Level Adjustment1 +
Racial Ability Adjustments-- Con +
RatingUnrated +
SizeMedium +
Skill Points4 +
SubtypeDark Minded +
SummaryCorpses thrown into blight pits or other special places of decay may animate as a ghede, a skeleton with sapience and the foggy memories of the one is spawned from, but an entirely new personality and life (or unlife) of its own. +
TitleGhede +
TypeUndead +