The Animated

*"What happens when something without a SOUL gains the will to live?"*

*- ENTRY NUMBER 8, Undertale*

The Animated are one of few separate kinds of ambiguously alive creatures in Parvolon. Abominations constructed by people through the use of magic, these creatures are created by supplying something was not or never alive with an intense amount of life force. Playing with the ability to live as a mortal being is tempting fate in this world, and these creatures prove no exception to this rule.

## Compulsions

***Compulsions*** are the first kind of *animated* creature that can be found in Parvolon. They are zombie-like creatures created by providing a deceased body a strong amount of life force, higher than the amount a dying or recently dead person would have in their body. Necromancers have observed that this creates a seemingly living creature out of a body that was *compelled* to live, hence the name. However, because these come from long-dead individuals, *compulsions* do not have a soul and do not act like the person that used to inhabit the body.

*Compulsions* do not move like people, but rather walk in a manner that has been described as mechanical or trance-like. They also have little to no expression in their face, often contorting their head in unnatural positions and looking at targets with a thousand-yard stare. They possess higher strength than the original host of their body, and only appear to feel mild pain. When they have rendered a person they are aggressive towards defenseless - and they are naturally aggressive towards all people unless charmed - they will then proceed to eat the person, whether dead or still alive.

Although not human, they are still vulnerable to some enchantments. *Charm Person* and *Charm Animal* both appear to work against *compulsions*, but any spell that would cause a person to fall unconscious or become afraid of the caster will automatically fail.

*Compulsions* cannot live on their own for extended periods of time; a compelled body can exist for about 24 hours on its own without additional life force being supplied on its own. However, these creatures cannot be *killed* in a traditional sense, as they are already dead to begin with. If threatened by one or a horde of these creatures, it is advised to immobilize them by decapitation. When split into pieces, they lose life force more quickly and cannot be recompelled by a necromancer.

### Known Abilities

Compulsions maintain many of the abilities that they original host had, as long as they were strictly physical in nature. However, they gain some other beneficial and detrimental abilities for gameplay.

***Unthinking.*** Compulsions cannot make intelligent decisions; for any case they are treated as having an Intelligence of *zero* and fail all Intelligence saves and checks. For a Dungeon Master trying to emulate their behavior, they seldom make strategic combat actions other than trying to pack hunt and following commands of their master.

***Abnormal Strength.*** Compulsions take *+2* bonus to their Strength ability score, and gain a separate *+2* bonus on attempts to grapple.

***Not Of This World.*** Compulsions have vulnerability to Radiant damage. *Lay On Hands* as an ability will harm these creatures rather than heal them, as will any other healing ability sourced from divine power.

***Impending Collapse.*** A compulsion can last for 24 hours without being supplied more life force from their necromancer. However, they only remain active for at most one hour if they have been decapitated. A character can make a DC 20 Strength check to decapitate a compelled body.