Awakened Undead
You remember dying, and then, you were here. Whether by necromantic magic, divine intervention, or some other phenomena, you've been awakened from death and find yourself in the material plane. You share a number of traits with all undead.
Ability Score Improvement. Your Constitution score increases by 2.
Alignment. Seeing as most they are often created by evil or chaotic necromancers, undead often tend towards evil or chaotic alignments. Your own alignment may differ based on what magicks have brought you back to the material plane, and what goals you have with your newfound unlife.
Former Life. Choose a race besides this one. Before your death, you were a member of this race. Your size, movement speed, and height are the same as this race. You do not retain any special movement abilities (e.g. swimming speed or flying speed.) You retain no other racial traits from your past life.
Death Everlasting. Awakened undead do not age.
Undead Nature. Your undead nature grants you a number of benefits and drawbacks:
- You have two creature types: humanoid and undead. You can be affected by a game effect if it works on either of your creature types.
- You have resistance to necrotic damage, and you are immune to disease.
- You are vulnerable to radiant damage.
- You do not need to eat or breathe. If you have a corporeal body you may choose to eat or drink if you wish to.
Undead Fortitude. When you are reduced to 0 Hit Points but not killed outright, you may choose to remain conscious and gain temporary hit points equal to your level.
You still must make death saving throws as normal, and if you would die due to failing death saving throws you still die, even if you have Temporary Hit Points remaining.
You can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in Darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in Darkness, only shades of gray.
Languages. You speak Common plus one language that you would have spoken in life.
Subrace Awakened undead come in various subraces. Choose either Ghost, Mummy, Skeleton, or Vampire.
Ghost
Ghosts are the spirits of departed souls, usually bound to the material plane to achieve some unfinished business, to make amends with a loved one, or to take revenge on an enemy. You gain the following traits:
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Chilling Strike. Your unarmed strikes deal 1d4 necrotic damage.
Glide. You ignore difficult terrain.
Semi-Transparent. You can attempt to hide, even when you are only lightly obscured by mist, heavy rain, foliage, smoke, falling snow, or other similar phenomena.
Unfinished Business. Whatever it is that keeps you bound to this plane won't let you rest. Instead of sleeping, you enter an inactive state for 4 hours each day. You do not dream in this state; you are fully aware of your surroundings and notice approaching enemies and other events as normal.
Mummy
Mummies are preserved corpses, bound to the material plane through arcane rituals. Often they were powerful and influential figures from the past, but just as often they were merely devout followers of a god of death. These undead are less physically adept then most of their peers, but make up for it with boundless knowledge and magical talent, a product both of their educations in life and the complex necromantic rituals used to preserve them.
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1.
Ancient Knowledge. You gain proficiency in the Arcana or History, and you learn 1 additional language of your choice.
Bound Form. Your movement speed is reduced by 5 feet.
Curse of the Sands. You know the Thaumaturgy cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Guiding Bolt spell as a 2nd-level spell once with this trait and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the Silence spell once with this trait and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Wisdom of the Pharaohs. You have advantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma Saving Throws against magic.
Skeleton
Skeletons are a mystery, even to some necromancers. Their bones are seemingly barely holding together, and yet they can be formidable foes. Their light weight and lack of flesh makes them incredibly talented at evading notice, second only to their incorporeal cousins.
Most skeletons have adapted well to undeath, and have learned to use their bones in unanticipated ways, much to the detriment of any who would underestimate them.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.
Bag o' Bones. As an reaction, you can choose to collapse into a pile of bones. While you are in this state you are prone, and your movement speed is 0. You cannot benefit from any increases to your speed. In this state, you are indistinguishable from a normal pile of bones.
Fleshless. You have resistance to piercing damage.
Bone to Pick. Your arm can be removed and used as a weapon or tool. You can use a bonus action and a free hand to remove it.
If wielded as a weapon it deals 1d6 bludgeoning damage and has the Finesse property. It can also be used as thieves' tools or another set of simple tools, or used as a percussion instrument in conjunction with your ribcage. You can use another bonus action to reattach the arm.
Vampire
Vampires are among the most cunning and dangerous undead. They tend to be ruthless hunters, pursuing their prey with unmatched ferocity. But for all their bloodlust, they are often equally enamored with the finer things, many having a taste for expensive wine, fine art, and luxurious clothing.
Vampires are charming, erudite, and utterly assured of their own superiority.
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1.
Beguiling Charisma. You gain proficiency in the Persuasion and Deception skills.
Bloodthirst. As a bonus action, you can make a Bite attack against an enemy. If it hits, this attack deals 1d6 necrotic damage, and you gain temporary hit points equal to your constitution modifier. You can't use this trait again until you finish a long or short rest.
Gnashing Fangs. Your fangs are a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Dexterity modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Magic of the Night. You know the Minor Illusion cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Command spell as a 2nd-level spell once with this trait and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the Misty Step spell once with this trait nd you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Relentless Stalker. As a bonus action, you can move up to your speed toward an enemy of your choice that you can see or hear. You must end this move closer to the enemy than you started.
Sunlight Sensitivity. You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.
Homebrew by /u/LaynePlaysGames
Art on Page 01 by Peter Mohrbacher
Art on Page 02 by Winona Nelson
