Banedead

Known too as the shriveled dead, banedead are fanatics of a fallen tyrant god remade as undead. They appeared after the cataclysm that cast the gods down to walk the world, mostly around a ruined fortress-city on a northern inland sea. They look like desiccated men and women emptied of life, with red-glowing eyes and one hand warped into a hideous claw.

Fangs bite for 1d6 and the claw rakes for 2d6; the normal hand is never used, since the claw symbolizes their god's black fist. Every hit drains 2 Dexterity. At 0 the victim is paralyzed. Points return at 1 per turn, and paralysis lifts with the first.

Priests and paladins are their chosen prey, and any who try to turn them become prime targets. They also recognize holy symbols, preferring a priest of a good god when choosing among several. The lone exception: a priest bearing the symbol of the rival god of strife who seized their master's place draws all of them, ignoring everyone else.

Banedead keep their living cunning and fight with tactics and teamwork. Sleep, charm, hold, illusions and poison do not affect them, and only +1 or better weapons hit them. They turn as wraiths, and evil or neutral priests cannot command them in place of turning, except as described below.

Most serve a specialty priest of the tyrant god or of his son, or a wizard devoted to either, of 11th level or higher. Masterless ones haunt ruins and shrines sacred to those gods, and rumor says some prowl the ruined city hunting those who lost faith in the cataclysm.

The rite needs a site consecrated to either god, a presiding priest of 12th level or more, 24 or more living worshipers to pray, and 12 or more volunteers, the Promised Ones, to be transformed. Stories of captives forced into it are false. Afterward the new undead obey the presiding priest.

Only a successful turning by another priest breaks that hold; the old master must then win them back with his own turning attempt, retrying each round. He may also pass control to a wizard of the faith, but a wizard who loses them should flee, since banedead despise answering to secular magic.

How a dead god spawned new undead remains a puzzle. Some sages credit the son instead, believing the Promised Ones' souls are siphoned into him to build the strength he needs to replace his father.