Revenant (CR +0)

*Note Revenants are written to be compatible as player races. They are a good way to continue the story of a treasured PC who falls in battle, or to provide an interesting conflict for a new PC. Before playing a revenant, check with your DM to make sure they are willing to design and run a Deadline for you.
==Revenant (CR +0)==
For few gods is the afterlife a promise. For most, it is a reward for those who demonstrate piety above and beyond simple worship. Everlasting peace comes not simply through practice but through devotion. Where, then, does that leave the souls of the unextraordinary, the universalist, or the atheist? They often find themselves alone, their souls to wander the Shadow Plane, and ultimately hunted by the creatures who reside there.
One god, however, does offer life after death as a promise: Armenon. The King of Vaults offers this to any soul: "Dedicate yourself to me in life or in death, and I shall make you eternal." And this promise is one he fulfills. Upon dying (for the already faithful), or upon calling upon him to save their souls after death (for new converts), Armenon gives these unfortunates a new existence - one as a Reborn Revenant, a citizen of Dis.
This new unlife, however, does not come without cost. For along with this new existence, revenants are given a task - a deadline, as it's called - by Armenon himself. These tasks are always difficult, often horrible, and sometimes nigh-impossible. And for those who fail their deadlines, well... a fate is laid for them that sometimes makes them beg for the death they once fled from.
==Creating a Revenant==
"Revenant" is an acquired template that can be added to any living Humanoid creature (referred to hereafter as the base creature). A revenant retains all the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
*CR same as base creature
*Alignment Same as base creature
*Type The creature's type changes to Undead, and they gain the Vassal (Armenon) subtype. Do not recalculate BAB, saves, or skill ranks.
*Senses A revenant gains darkvision 60 ft.
*Hit Dice Change all racial HD to d8s. Class HD are unaffected. As undead, revenants use their Charisma modifier to determine bonus hit points (instead of Constitution).
*Defensive Abilities A revenant gains channel resistance +2; and immunity to bleed, death effects, disease, paralysis, poison, sleep effects, and stunning. They are not subject to nonlethal damage, ability drain, or energy drain. Finally, they are immune to damage to physical ability scores, as well as to exhaustion and fatigue effects. Unlike most undead, Revenants are not immune to mind-affecting effects. They also gain the following defensive ability.
====Unnatural Resilience (Ex)====
::Despite being undead, Revenants naturally heal damage and ability damage at the same rate as living creatures.
*Weaknesses Revenants gain the following weaknesses.
====Bound to Armenon (Su)====
:: Revenants must worship Armenon. They may worship additional deities by practicing universalism, but their piety with any deity who is not Armenon is decreased by 1. This penalty stacks with the penalty for worshiping non-ally deities.
====Deadline (Su)====
:: When a Revenant rises from the dead, Armenon immediately gives them a mandatory deadline. If the Revenant succeeds in their deadline, they become a Free Citizen of Dis. If they fail, or do not complete their deadline quest before their time runs out, they become one of the Shackled.
====Irretrievable (Su)====
:: Revenants are unaffected by resurrection effects. If a Revenant would be destroyed while they are a Free Citizen of Dis, they are transported back to the city fully healed, but they lose their status as a Free Citizen. They must undertake another deadline in order to leave the city, complete with the chance to either regain their status as a Free Citizen if they succeed, or become one of the Shackled if they fail.
*Spell-Like Abilities Revenants gain the following spell-like ability.
====Guise of Life (Sp)====
:: A Revenant can use disguise self as a spell-like ability to appear as they would have in life. They may use this ability for a number of hours per day equal to their Charisma modifier (minimum 1). These hours do not need to be consecutive, but they must be spent in 1-hour increments. This ability does not affect the appearance of the revenant's gear.
*Abilities Being Undead, Revenants have no Constitution score. They use their Charisma to calculate Hit Points, Fortitude saves, and any special ability that relies on Constitution.
==Additional Information==
===Revenant Images===
Revenant cavalier.jpg|Ariala, a Revenant cavalier
Revenant rogue.jpg|Alister, a Revenant rogue
Revenant cleric.jpg|Halasten, a Revenant cleric of Armenon
===Ecology===
*Environment any, same as base creature
*Organization same as base creature
*Treasure same as base creature
Revenants appear as they did in life, or more specifically, as they did in death. Revenants appear to be trapped in a state of mid-decay, their features pallid, and gaunt; their hair dry and rough. However, once they are Reborn, they do not actually decay any further, and only their appearance and the faint, sickly sweet smell of death hang over them. Revenants also have the supernatural ability to place a glamer upon themselves to appear living once more - an indispensable tool both for infiltrating the living, and for satisfying vanity.
Although they are often out, attempting to fulfill their purpose, or to enjoy their newfound immortality, revenants find their home in the city of Dis. The social structure of Dis is a cold, unforgiving one, out of necessity. If you are a Reborn - that is, if you have not completed a deadline, then you are a child. You're faceless fodder who's more than likely to join the legion of the Shackled. Until you're a Free Citizen, any respect, hospitality or companionship you're given come under the pretense of pity. Or of manipulation.
While revenants are under no obligation to assume a new identity, many do, as their new body is actually just that - a copy of their old body, which still remains where it was laid to rest. For this reason, and to avoid running into people who know they should be dead, many revenants assume new names and appearances of their own design.
Category:Creatures
Category:Creature Templates
Category:Undead Creatures
Category:Vassal Creatures