Risen

*"Once you get passed the foul-smelling, disgusting, walking corpse exterior of a Risen, they really aren't that bad. Most of them anyway, Got robbed by a halfling with only one arm once. What a rude, little bastard."
-Dorin Heartstabber, Pirate Captain of the "Garden Rain"*

Risen are zombies who have retained their control over their soul instead of being forced into undying servitude to a necromancer. Sometimes, the control is instead given by an especially powerful necromancer. The most common form of Emergence (a term referring to the soul's personality surfacing by fellow Risen) is the Red Eclipse, during this eclipse, undead have the very rare possibility of becoming a Risen. The Risen are formed back into the world as outcasts, their living counterparts either despising or fearful of the new form they have taken.

## **History**

Risen lack much of a larger history, being a race that is formed by rare occurrence, however, the soul regaining control of their undead body shares a relationship with a period of time referred to as "A Red Eclipse." During the Red Eclipse, The sun is blocked out by the moon, which makes a single, unbroken ring surround the black shadow of the eclipse. This lasts for several hours, during this time, undead will become more prevalent and Risen are formed.

Risen are almost always hunted down moments after the newly emerged soul takes its first steps into the material plane — after all, would you trust a walking corpse? The ones who are not hunted down wander the ends of the planet as outcasts. Risen adventurers are required to keep themselves hidden, both in appearance and smell, in order to not suffer from experiencing problematic, mostly violent, situations. A simple covering of the body with armor and clothes while wearing some form of helmet that hides the head hides the appearance while strong perfumes and highly-fragrant flowers — honeysuckle, roses, and lavender are the prevalent . Many Risen will come together and form makeshift towns. These towns reek of decayed flesh unless the Risen take precautions to deal with this.

## **Undead Life**

Risen simply appear as they did in death within varying forms of decay. Some may simply be bones while others are the more recent dead and may still appear, at a distance, to be as if they were alive. The smell, however, will easily give them away. In very rare cases, a Risen could have died in a position where the body will remain perfectly fresh until it is restored to life. These Risen do not possess a noticeable smell, but do still have an appearance where someone may think they look sickly.

Risen lack the need for food, water, rest, or even air. This gives them plenty of time which can be spent doing things to better the community they may have bonded to. Crafts, building, and other work can be done at a constant rate without a need for other living essentials. This makes Risen towns able to spawn up over a very short period of time.

Risen towns can be sometimes spotted miles away downwind simply from the smell. Risen lack the ability to smell, making it very difficult for them to understand just how awful they, and their towns, smell. Some groups that are more accepted by local communities of living peoples will spread flowers throughout the city to combat the smell.

Risen also lack the ability to taste, which may cause those who had once been chefs and alchemists to seek out a living apprentice in order to continue their work. This may not go exactly as planned when a walking corpse knocks on their door at night to ask if they want to join them for apprenticeship in the food industry.

## **Necropolis**

The largest known location of Risen are far the South of the mainland, on the dangerous island of Farrin, an island filled to the brim with monstrosities of all varying kinds. The location not only allowed the Risen to build in peace, but also remain fairly safe from the local fauna due to the incredible smell of death.

The Risen of Necropolis defend themselves from any who would dare to approach aggressively with deadly force. It is not surprising that soldiers that can train far longer than the living and have higher resistance to the effects of poisoning, disease, and even various spells. Those soldiers also fly into a rage, bolstering the Risen's power, when they're injured in combat.

The Mage Council of Mystosit have made a defensive pact with Necropolis, both because they wish to trade for the rare ingredients found from the local flora and fauna of the island and to watch the undead for possible aggression towards the living world.

## **Playing as a Risen (5e)**

*Ability score increase:* Constitution increases by 2 and Strength by 1.

*Age:* Risen count their age after Emergence. Risen do not physically age, but exist for near immortal time.

*Alignment:* Risen share the same alignment as they did in life.

*Size:*Risen share the same height as the creature they did in life.

*Speed:* Your base walking speed is 25 ft.

*Damage Immunity:* Poison

*Condition Immunity:*Poisoned

*Languages:* Speaks one language (usually Common) and Necril

*Darkvision:* You can see dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light.  You cannot discern color in darkness.

*Walking Dead:* A Risen is considered a Humanoid and an Undead. Spells that specify they do not work on Undead are ignored if they work on Humanoids.

*Dead Senses:*A Risen lacks the ability to taste or smell. A Risen does not need to breathe or consume food, but can attempt to do so.

*Waking Dead:* A Risen does not need to sleep, but does require a trance-like state for 4 hours. While in this trance, the Risen is aware of its surroundings and its senses.

*Consume Flesh:* The Risen may consume a pound of flesh from a dead creature that has been dead for no longer than one week. This action takes one minute and can only be done once per short or long rest. After the flesh is consumed, the Risen gains 1d4 temporary hit points. These temp hit points increase to 2d4 at 6th level, 3d4 at 11th level, and 4d4 at 16th level.

## **Playing as a Risen (Pathfinder)**

**Racial Traits:**

**Type:** Humanoid (Half-Undead)

**Ability Score Modifier:** +2 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma

**Size:** Medium

**Base Speed:** 20 ft.

**Darkvision:** 60 ft. racial

**Undead Brain:** Risen gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against disease and mind-affecting effects.

**Undead Body:** Risen take no penalties from energy-draining effects, though they can still be killed if they accrue more negative levels than they have Hit Dice. After 24 hours, any negative levels they’ve gained are removed without any additional saving throws.

**Undead Soul:** Risen are harmed by positive energy and healed by negative energy. A Risen with the fast healing special quality still benefits from that quality.

**Hardy:** Risen are hardier than most due to their connection to negative energy and their lack of functioning organs. Risen gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison, spells, and spell-like abilities.

**Poison Resistance:** Risen gain a racial bonus on saving throws against poison effects equal to their Hit Dice.

**Bite:** Due to the Risen's undead physiology, their bites carry the same force as any normal undead. Risengain a natural bite attack dealing 1d3 damage. The bite is a primary attack, or a secondary attack if the creature is wielding manufactured weapons.

**Frenzy:** Risen still suffer from bits-and-pieces of a zombie's psyche and are quick to lose themselves in a hungry frenzy upon being attacked. Once per day, whenever a Risen takes damage, it flies into a frenzy for 1 minute, gaining a +2 racial bonus to Constitution and Strength, but a –2 penalty to AC.

**Dead Senses:** Due to the Risen being undead, they are incapable of smelling or tasting.

**Languages:** Risen know Common and Necril. With high enough intelligence, Risen may choose from Dwarven, Elven, Orc, Halfling, Gnome, and Undercommon. Necril is a language Risen speak through the use of varying groans and hacking — a very harsh language to listen to.

**Favored Classes:**

**Barbarian:** Add +1 to total number of barbarian rage rounds per day.

**Fighter:** Add +2 bonus on rolls to stabilize while dying.

**Gunslinger:** Add +1/4 to Grit Points.

**Alchemist:** Add +10 minutes to duration of alchemist mutagens.

**Rogue:** Rogue gains +1/6 new rogue talents.

**Wizard:** Add one spell from the Wizard spell list to his Wizard spellbook. This spell must be at least one level below the highest spell the Wizard can cast.

**Witch:** Add +1 spell from Witch spell list to Witch's familiar. The spell must be at least one level below the highest spell she can cast. If replaced, the new familiar knows the bonus spells.

**Sorcerer:** Select one bloodline power at 1st level that is normally usable a number of times equal to 3 + Sorcerer's Charisma Modifier. The sorcerer adds +1/2 to the number of uses per day of that bloodline power.

**Ranger:** Add +1/4 to a single existing favored enemy bonus (Maximum bonus +1 per favored enemy).

**Magus:** Add +1/4 points to the Magus's arcane pool.