Summoning Undead

When the rulebook was updated, the Undead stats were removed (because they too were updated). Listed below is the general information regarding Undead that all players (especially those who can summon them) should know. Listed with each undead will be the Challenge Rating and the amount of times one can be summoned. Stats will not be listed in the rulebook anymore and you must go to Logistics to get the cards for the undead (Those cards should also be returned when the undead are destroyed or expired.)
As a general reminder, NPCs will not be provided for PCs who summon any minions. You must get volunteers.

Undead
• Intelligent undead are under the total and utter domination of their creator or controller, and can (and must) act intelligently and analytically to carry out their controller’s commands. If freed from control they will follow the guidelines for their drives.
• Unintelligent undead can only be commanded to follow their creator and to attack living beings; they cannot fulfill other commands and cannot be instructed to avoid certain beings; they also have no sense of self-preservation and no ability to analyze a situation – they move and attack.
• Animalistic undead can only be commanded to follow their creator; they will attack living beings on sight, and cannot be corralled or commanded by the creator; they are capable of a degree of cunning and self-preservation instinct.
• Mindless undead cannot speak or communicate, they can however moan, gurgle, cackle, scream, or utter phrases from their former life; this is a combination of what little connection they have to their past life as a way for their trapped spirit to both agonize and relish ravaging the living.
• No undead will ever attack its creator (unless control of the undead is wrested from the creator).
• Undead are always considered ‘Evil’ regardless of their actions/intentions/desires/drive; they are creatures of negative energy.
• Once a person/creature is turned into undead, it no longer has free will, it does not remember any of its experiences, and is now acting merely as a host for the creature of negative energy that now possesses its body.
• Generally undead can always use claws, they are however affected like all other claw wielding creatures in that they take damage dealt too their claws or blocked by their claws, unless otherwise noted.
• All undead can sense if a target is living, represented by ‘sensing life’, this is because undead do not generally ‘see’ with their eyes but merely sense life and desire to destroy it. Thus being invisible, ‘playing dead’, and using ‘yellow headband’ hide skills, will not allow you to trick or hide from undead. The only current way to be invisible to this ability is to use ‘feign death’. “Life”, for the purpose of this ability, is defined as a being with a positive BP score and that is either conscious and moving, or unconscious and held in a standing or similarly active posture. The maximum range at which an undead can sense life is considered to be whatever the player can see visually.
• Hosts that still have the ability to resurrect may choose to dissipate if they are non-ritually created undead at the end of the game period in which they were created; this represents that the spirit is still too strong to be constrained by negative energy for eternity.
• All undead will be destroyed by true daylight.
• Healing will do normal damage to Undead, at the rate of 1 Point healed for 1 Damage to the Undead. A skill or ability must have the "Healing (Offensive)" trait to achieve this effect.
• Once undead are injured down to 0 or negative BP, they are instantly considered beyond any means to come back and are inert bodies that crumble to dust within 10 minutes. A destroyed undead body cannot be reanimated. Alchemical/sorcery items of their anatomy will remain for the 10 min until the body crumbles.

Undead Summoning Restrictions

Create Lesser Undead:
Lesser Undead Zombie (Unlimited) CR 5
Lesser Undead Skeleton (Unlimited) CR 5

Create Normal Undead:
Normal Undead Zombie (Unlimited) CR 10
Normal Undead Skeletal Warrior (Unlimited) CR 10
Normal Undead Ghoul (Unlimited) CR 10
Revenant (2 Per Event) CR 10

Create Greater Undead:
Greater Undead Zombie (Unlimited) CR 15
Greater Undead Skeletal Commander (Unlimited) CR 15
Greater Undead Ghoul (4 Per Event) CR 15
Greater Undead Revanant (1 Per Event) CR 15
Death Fiend (1 Per Event) CR 15
Skeletal Champion (2 Per Event) CR 20
Undead Servant (1 Per Period) CR-

Aleister wrote: • All undead can sense if a target is living, represented by ‘sensing life’, this is because undead do not generally ‘see’ with their eyes but merely sense life and desire to destroy it. Thus being invisible, ‘playing dead’, and using ‘yellow headband’ hide skills, will not allow you to trick or hide from undead. The only current way to be invisible to this ability is to use ‘feign death’.

What about the Gaian Prayer "Life Shroud"? Does this still work, or does the new rule change it?

Nothing about what is posted here is a new rule. I want that to be very clear.
Nothing has changed, this is just a reminder because this information was removed from the rulebook when the minions section was removed.

Chances are, that was just missed when the rule was written here. Life Shroud should work as intended.

What does CR stand for?

Challenge rating, cr10 mob should be hard or even fight for 10th lv pc.

Does Feign Life work against Sense Life as well?

Yes because the spell specifically says it foils any ability that detects life.

Bumping this reminder. All Undead cards for PCs MUST be requested at logistics. At no point should there ever be a hand written card in the hands of a PC summoned undead.

Are intelligent undead sentient or are all undead non-sentient? I'm asking for Majesty reasons.

That's a good question. In the most recent rulebook, Majesty doesn't have the Mental trait, which would seem to be relevant, since undead are immune to mental effects. A Rules Marshal want to jump in on this one?

Intelligent undead are considered sentient.

As a side note, most Authority prayers should have the Mental trait. There are several errors in the core rule book that will be addressed once we complete the heroic lists.

Mindless undead cannot speak or communicate, they can however moan, gurgle, cackle, scream, or utter phrases from their former life; this is a combination of what little connection they have to their past life as a way for their trapped spirit to both agonize and relish ravaging the living.

Dunno if this is intended or not, but this part here still makes reference to there being a trapped spirit inside an Undead's body.

I would like a clarification on this as well, do all undead have their souls trapped and twisted in them or is it only "natural" and intelligent? A whole bunch of healers are probably going to be interested on this ruling... What with the focus and all letting them see spirits...

How does this topic work with the question in this topic? www.knightrealms.com/forum/realizing-the...-life-vs-undead.html

They seem to be conflicting, and I'd just like to make sure I understand which one is supposed to be correct.