Revenants, the vengeful dead who walk, are a much-feared and storied creature. They have their origin in work unfinished, and tragedy. They sustain dreadful, even mortal, wounds without flinching, and seem unstoppable.
Revenants sometimes spontaneously arise when someone has been murdered, or dies with an important quest incomplete, their very desire to complete their business all that keeps them going. It is whispered that some spirits can be called back by powerful necromancers to complete a task. The terms of this call, and how this interacts with their journey to the Halls of the Dead, are unknown at this time. Requirements: A Revenant must have once been a humanoid with a strong will (Iron Will feat, or Charisma 15+ will qualify, although a GM may allow other acomplishments to qualify someone). Once they have become a Revenant, they are forever prohibited from returning to life, without the intervention of extremely powerful magic (Wish or Miracle, generally). Statistics: A Revenant gains the Undead (including imunity to critical hits and stunning) subtype, and takes only half damage from any weapon attacks. All of their Hit Dice become maximized (so a d6 will automatically give 6 Hit points per level, and so on), although they lose their existing Constitution score. A Revenant gains a bonus equal to their Charisma modifier on any attack and damage rolls while targeting the person or creature who slew them, and on any saving throws against effects generated by their slayer. In sunlight, a Revenant appears as they did in life, if a little more weary. When the sun sets, however, their undead nature becomes apparent, and they take a -6 penalty on any Charisma-based checks based on social interaction (except Intimidate), and -10 to Disguise themselves as being living again. A Revenant may be held at bay by being Turned, although they are not damaged by such abilities. A Revenant retains their original alignment - unlike most undead who become mindless or predators, they maintain their focus until If a Revenant is destroyed (reduced to 0 hit points), they "die" and then arise at the next midnight, angry at the new creature who slew them. Unfinished Business: When a Revenant's task is accomplished, or they have gained vengeance on their murderer (or if someone else has already accomplished such a task), they have a short time- perhaps a few minutes, perhaps an hour to say their farewells. They then fade away, their body decaying rapidly until only bones are left, despite the freshness of their death. Many choose to lay themselves 'at repose' in this time so that they do not leave a mess. How you can use Revenants in your game: - A player who has written their character an extensive backstory but dies early might become a Revenant, allowing them a chance to finish the task they're committed to. You might even allow them to be a Revenant as a starting character. - If your player characters start murderhobo-ing their way through your setting, an NPC might become a Revenant to hunt them down. This can give you a way to have consequences for the PCs' actions during the game. - Your PCs might encounter a Revenant as part of a mission- someone who has aims in common with them, but might seem a little odd or sinister. However, the Revenant might be able to protect and aid your PCs in their quest, at least until their task is accomplished. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 7 September 2019. Comments are closed.
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AuthorI'm Luke. He/him pronouns. Archives
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