Undead Rouser (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

An undead rouser is a necromancer, a master of the undead.

Class Information

This is a summoner archetype.

Alignment: Any nongood. Creating undead is an evil act, and anyone making a career of it cannot be good. Neutral undead rousers use the powers of evil to do good, and have to act as if they were good outside of their unleaded-related activities to maintain their neutral alignment.

Hit Die: d8.

Class Features

The undead rouser has all the summoner's class features, except as described here.

Spell List

Add the following spells to the undead rouser's spell list. Spells marked * are new, see the appendix.

0—bleed, disrupt undead, neglect*.
1st— bone armor*, false life, cause fear, repair undead^ACG, rouse undead I*, sentry skull^ARG.
2nd— animate dead (lesser)^UM, command undead, ghost whip^OA, ghoul touch, rouse undead II*, unliving rage^ACG.
3rd— animate dead, daywalker^CaC, feign death*, ghostbane dirge^APG, repair undead (mass)^ACG, rouse undead IV*, skeleton crew^PIS.
4th— false life (greater)^UM, ghoul army^ISM, rouse undead V*, shadow projection^APG, possess object^UM.
5th— control undead, create undead, ghostbane dirge (greater)^APG, rouse undead VI*.
6th— false resurrection ^UI, feign death (greater)*, rouse undead VII*, temporary resurrection^UM.

Eidolon

Most undead rousers have an undead eidolon as described below. This is an option, not a requirement. An undead rouser can never have an elemental eidolon or an eidolon of good alignment.

Rouse Undead I (Sp)

Instead of summon monster, the undead rouser can use rouse undead (sp) of the same level. This replaces all instances of the summon monster ability.

Create Greater Undead (Sp)

At 19th level, the undead rouser can use create greater undead once per day. The undead rouser must must provide the material component of the spell. This replaces gate.

Undead Eidolons

Some summoners have a tie to the spirits of the dead rather than to outsiders. This is true of most undead rousers, but also of some other summoners.

Undead Eidolons

A undead eidolon is an undead creature, but use the same rules as other eidolons except as given here. Type: Undead eidolons are undead for the purpose of determining which spells and effects affect them. They only gain the abilities of the undead type as given here. Undead eidolons count as daemons for the purpose of evolution requirements. No Constitution score. Undead use their Charisma score in place of their Constitution score when calculating hit points, Fortitude saves, and any special ability that relies on Constitution (such as when calculating a breath weapon’s DC). This replaces the eidolon’s outsider type. Undead have d8 Hit Dice. Because of their higher Charisma score, undead eidolons still have the number of hit points given on Table: Eidolon Base Statistics. Unlike normal undead, undead eidolons have a base attack bonus equal to their Hit Dice. An undead eidolon gains a number of skill ranks equal to 4 + its Intelligence modifier per Hit Dice. Because of their higher Intelligence score, undead eidolons still have the number of skill points given on Table: Eidolon Base Statistics. An undead eidolon is healed by negative energy such as cause wounds effects and damaged by positive energy such as cure wounds effects. An undead eidolon can still be healed by rejuvenate eidolon. An undead eidolon is not extra-planar and cannot be summoned or dismissed. When it is killed, the summoner re-animates it with full hit points when next preparing spells. Class Skills: The following skills are class skills for an undead eidolon: Climb (Str), Disguise (Cha), Fly (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Perception (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Stealth (Dex). This replaces the eidolon’s list of class skills. Alignment: Same as the summoner. Undead eidolons are either morose but loyal, or driven towards a purpose that they want the summoner's help realizing. Base Form: Undead eidolons use these base forms instead of those given for normal eidolons. Biped Size Medium; Speed 30 ft.; AC +2 natural armor; Saves Fort (poor), Ref (poor), Will (good); Starting Evolutions claw, limbs [arms], limbs [legs]; Ability Scores Str 16, Dex 12, Con -, Int 11, Wis 10, Cha 15. Horror Size Medium; Speed 20 ft.; AC +2 natural armor; Saves Fort (poor), Ref (poor), Will (good); Starting Evolutions bite, claw, limbs [arms]; Ability Scores Str 14, Dex 14, Con -, Int 11, Wis 10, Cha 15. Base Evolutions An unchained eidolon gains these base evolutions as the summoner advances in level. A classic eidolon must instead invest as many evolution points as it can to the undead appearance evolutionUM. At 1st level, undead eidolons become immune to disease, ability damage to its physical ability scores (Constitution, Dexterity, and Strength), death effects, exhaustion and fatigue effects, nonlethal damage, poison, and sleep effects. At 4th level, undead eidolons become immune to bleed, paralysis, and stunning. They also gain DR 5/bludgeoning or DR 5/slashing (summoner's choice). At 8th level, undead eidolons gain immunity to ability drain, energy drain, and all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, patterns, and phantasms). They also gain channel resistance equal to half the summoner's class level. At 12th level, as a standard action, the undead eidolon can drain the energy of a living creature. Make a melee attack. In addition to normal damage, the subject gains 1 temporary negative level (see Special Abilities). Negative levels stack. Assuming the subject survives, it regains lost levels after a number of hours equal to the eidolon's Hit Dice. Usually, negative levels have a chance of becoming permanent, but these negative levels don’t last long enough to do so. At 16th level, undead eidolons can become incorporeal (see universal monster rules) a number of minutes per day equal to the eidolon's Charisma bonus. This time need not be consecutive, but must be spent in 1-minute increments. An incorporeal eidolon has no natural armor bonus but gains a deflection bonus to AC equal to its Charisma bonus. Their melee attacks become incorporeal touch attacks. At 20th level, undead eidolons can become incorporeal at will.

Appendix: New Spells

Bone Armor

Necromancy
Level: cleric/oracle 1, medium 1, mesmerist 1, occultist 1, psychic 1, shaman 1, spiritualist 1, sorcerer/wizard 1, summoner 1, witch 1
Components: V, S, M (bug carapace)
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: touch
Target: one creature or 1 undead creature/level (see text)
Duration: 1 hour/level or 1 hour (D) (see text)
Saving Throw: Fort negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: no

A living or undead target is covered in a carapace of bone, providing a +4 armor bonus to AC. Unlike mundane armor, bone armor entails no armor check penalty, arcane spell failure chance, or speed reduction. You can either affect one living or undead creature with a duration of 1 hour/level, or one undead/level with a duration of 1 hour.

Feign Death

Necromancy [death]
Level: cleric/oracle 3, medium 1, mesmerist 3, occultist 3, psychic 3, shaman 2, sorcerer/wizard 3, spiritualist 2, witch 3
Components: V
Cast Time: 1 immediate action
Range: touch
Target: willing living creature touched
Duration: 1 day/level or until triggered
Save: no (harmless)
SR: yes (harmless)

This spell kills a willing target, binds the soul to the body, and creates a contingency that allows the target to resurrect itself at any time inside the duration of the spell. If the spell ends while the target is dead, the soul passes on and can no longer resurrect the body. As a part of this spell, the corpse and its possessions are protected by magic aura. Note that a corpse is an object, including a corpse under this spell.

The casting time is an immediate action; it can be cast as a reaction to an attack but before the attack is executed; seemingly the attack killed the target. If prepared with a contingency it can trigger on your death. While dead and bound to the body, the target can perceive what is within 10 ft. of his heart. At any time within the duration of the spell he can resurrect his body.

Coming back from the dead is an ordeal. The subject of the spell gains two negative levels when it is raised, just as if it had been hit by an energy-draining creature. The save DC to remove these negative levels is automatically successful. Resurrection by feign death does not cause the loss of spells.

A creature raised by feign death has half its full hit points. Any ability scores damaged to 0 are raised to 1. All poison and disease are cured in the process of raising the subject. While the spell closes mortal wounds and repairs lethal damage of most kinds, the body of the creature to be raised must be whole. Otherwise, missing parts are still missing when the creature is brought back to life.

This spell was adapted from first edition.

Feign Death, Greater

Level: cleric/oracle 6, medium 4, psychic 7, shaman 5, sorcerer/wizard 7, spiritualist 6, witch 7
Duration: 10 years/level or until triggered

This is the same as feign death except as noted above and as follows.

The target's body is repaired when resurrected, healing any attribute damage and drain and restoring any missing body parts. Only the target's heart needs to be intact for the resurrection to be possible.

Neglect

Publisher: Purple Duck Games, Trailseeker.

Illusion (glamer)
Level bard 0, medium 0, mesmerist 0, occultist 0, psychic 0, sorcerer/wizard 0, spiritualist 0, witch 0
Components V, S, M (tattered ribbon or some cobwebs)
Casting Time 1 standard action
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target burst out to range
Duration 10 minutes/level
Saving Throw Will disbelief (if interacted with)
Spell resistance No

This spell causes the affected area to appear vacant, neglected, and unused. This spell creates illusory dust, cobwebs, thin wisps of mist, eerie but faint lights, rattling noises, ghostly footsteps, and similar mood elements suited to an abandoned or haunted look as desired by the caster. It does not impair visibility in any way, merely making things look like they have been undisturbed for a long time. It neither helps or hinders tracking. It cannot change the appearance of creatures.

Rouse Undead I

Table: Rouse Undead I Beheaded, belching Bestiary 4 Crawling hand Bestiary 2 Ectoplasmic human Bestiary 4 Giant Cockroach Exoskeleton Bestiary 6 Isitoq Bestiary 4 Skeleton Bestiary 1 Zombie Bestiary 1 Table: Rouse Undead II Burning skeleton Bestiary 1 Fast zombie Bestiary 1 Festrog Bestiary 3 Ogre zombie Bestiary 1 + Template Pickled punk Bestiary 4 Warhorse skeleton Bestiary 1 + Template Table: Rouse Undead III Draugr Bestiary 2 Juju zombie rogue 2 Bestiary 2 Ghoul Hecuva Bestiary 3 Poltergeist Bestiary 2 Skeletal champion Bestiary 1 Table: Rouse Undead IV Allip Bestiary 3 Attick whisperer Bestiary 2 Ghast Bestiary 1 Shadow Bestiary 1 Wight Bestiary 1 Table: Rouse Undead V Deathweb Bestiary 3 Ghul Bestiary 3 Giant crawling hand Bestiary 2 Mummy Bestiary 1 Wraith Bestiary 1 Table: Rouse Undead VI Festering spirit Bestiary 4 Guecubu Bestiary 3 Morgh Bestiary 1 Spectre Bestiary 1 Titan Centipede Exoskeleton Bestiary 6 Table: Rouse Undead VII Baykok Bestiary 3 Bloody Bones Bestiary 6 Gholdako Bestiary 4 Greater shadow Vrykolakas Bestiary 6 Table: Rouse Undead VIII Harinago Bestiary 4 Lich Bestiary 1 Nightskitter nightshade Bestiary 1 Sayona Bestiary 4 Table: Rouse Undead IX Banshee Bestiary 2 Gashadokuro Bestiary 4 Nightwing nightshade Bestiary 2

Publisher: Trailseeker

Necromancy [evil]
Level antipaladin 1, cleric/oracle 1, occultist 1, psychic 1, shaman 1, sorcerer/wizard 1, spiritualist 1, summoner 1
Casting Time 1 round
Components V, S, M/DF (drop of unholy water)
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect one or more undead creatures
Duration 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw none
Spell Resistance no
Publisher Trailseeker

This spell temporarily rouses a spirit as an undead creature. The creature appears where you designate and acts immediately, on your turn, and disappears at the end of the duration. It attacks your opponents to the best of its ability. If you can communicate with the creature, you can direct it not to attack, to attack particular enemies, or to perform other actions.

The spell creates one of the creatures from the 1st Level list on Table: Rouse Undead. You choose which kind of creature to rouse, and you can choose a different one each time you cast the spell.

Undead cannot be roused within the area of a consecrate or hallow spell. A roused undead cannot rejuvenate, summon, spawn, multiply by infection, or otherwise recreate itself or create another creature. Creatures roused using this spell cannot use spells or spell-like abilities that duplicate spells with expensive material components (such as wish). An incorporeal roused creature can be damaged by all physical attacks as if those attacks were magical.

Rouse Undead II

School necromancy [evil]; Level antipaladin 2, cleric/oracle 2, occultist 2, psychic 2, shaman 2, sorcerer/wizard 2, spiritualist 2, summoner 2

This spell functions like rouse undead I, except that you can rouse one creature from the 2nd-level list or 1d3 creatures of the same kind from the 1st-level list.

Rouse Undead III

School necromancy [evil]; Level antipaladin 3, cleric/oracle 3, occultist 3, psychic 3, shaman 3, sorcerer/wizard 3

This spell functions like rouse undead I, except that you can rouse one creature from the 3rd-level list, 1d3 creatures of the same kind from the 2nd-level list, or 1d4+1 creatures of the same kind from the 1st-level list.

Rouse Undead IV

School necromancy [evil]; Level antipaladin 4, cleric/oracle 4, occultist 4, psychic 4, shaman 4, sorcerer/wizard 4, spiritualist 3, summoner 3

This spell functions like rouse undead I, except that you can rouse one creature from the 4th-level list, 1d3 creatures of the same kind from the 3rd-level list, or 1d4+1 creatures of the same kind from a lower-level list.

Rouse Undead V

School necromancy [evil]; Level cleric/oracle 5, occultist 5, psychic 5, shaman 5, sorcerer/wizard 5, spiritualist 4, summoner 4

This spell functions like rouse undead I, except that you can rouse one creature from the 5th-level list, 1d3 creatures of the same kind from the 4th-level list, or 1d4+1 creatures of the same kind from a lower-level list.

Rouse Undead VI

School necromancy [evil]; Level cleric/oracle 6, occultist 6, psychic 6, shaman 6, sorcerer/wizard 6, spiritualist 5, summoner 5

This spell functions like rouse undead I, except that you can rouse one creature from the 6th-level list, 1d3 creatures of the same kind from the 5th-level list, or 1d4+1 creatures of the same kind from a lower-level list.

Rouse Undead VII

School necromancy [evil]; Level cleric/oracle 7, psychic 7, shaman 7, sorcerer/wizard 7, spiritualist 6, summoner 6

This spell functions like rouse undead I, except that you can rouse one creature from the 7th-level list, 1d3 creatures of the same kind from the 6th-level list, or 1d4+1 creatures of the same kind from a lower-level list.

Rouse Undead VIII

School necromancy [evil]; Level cleric/oracle 8, psychic 8, shaman 8, sorcerer/wizard 8

This spell functions like rouse undead I, except that you can rouse one creature from the 8th-level list, 1d3 creatures of the same kind from the 7th-level list, or 1d4+1 creatures of the same kind from a lower-level list.

Rouse Undead IX

School necromancy [evil]; Level cleric/oracle 9, psychic 9, shaman 9, sorcerer/wizard 9

This spell functions like rouse undead I, except that you can rouse one creature from the 9th-level list, 1d3 creatures of the same kind from the 8th-level list, or 1d4+1 creatures of the same kind from a lower-level list.

Summary of Changed Class Abilities

These abilities of the original class are lost or modified in this archetype:

• Eidolon
• Summon Monster (all)
• Gate

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