Embalmed
The days-long ritual finally completed, Rowan slowly
rose as if from a long, dreamless sleep. As the funerary bandages were removed and their shriveled skin laid bare, Rowan began to realize how deeply changed their "long sleep" had left them...
Raised by secretive funerary rituals, embalmed are humanoids who have been granted new life after death. Embalmed are fueled by necromantic magic, causing them to physically resemble partially-decayed corpses. For this reason, many embalmed choose to cover their faces and bodies with clothes or bandages when interacting with the everyday masses, though some choose to embrace or even flaunt their new form of life.
Deathless Appearance
Though many embalmed at least partially resemble mummies, the degree of these physical similarities differs from one embalmed to the next depending on personal lifestyle and the extent of one's bodily decay. The Embalmed Appearance table provides suggestions for your character's physical appearance.
Embalmed Appearance
| d6 | Appearance |
|---|---|
| 1 | Your body is covered head-to-toe in cloth bandages. |
| 2 | You appear frail and borderline starved, no matter how much you eat or exercise. |
| 3 | You take special pains to perfume and moisturize before leaving the house so as to mostly hide your true nature. |
| 4 | You appear deeply aged, but otherwise fully alive. |
| 5 | You embrace your deathless appearance, taking pleasure in scaring unsuspecting passersby. |
| 6 | You pass for unremarkable in the light of day, but reveal your true decayed appearance at the fall of dusk. |
Embalmed Origins
While some embalmed prearrange the rituals that result in their second life, others find themselves revived against their will, often by the actions of necromancers or death cultists who see them as little more than disposable tools. The Embalmed Origins table provides suggestions for how your character gained their lineage.
Embalmed Origins
| d6 | Origins |
|---|---|
| 1 | You were deemed an important person in life, leading to your funerary embalming and eventual revival. |
| 2 | Your family has always had a dark reputation, but it wasn't until you reached young adulthood and went through your "rite of passage" that you realized why. |
| 3 | Your corpse was unearthed and reanimated by a necromancer who brought you back for the purpose of serving their goals. You refused. |
| 4 | You made a pact with an otherworldly being, which refused to let a trivial thing like death prevent you from fulfilling your end of the bargain. |
| 5 | The place of your burial became desecrated, causing you to restlessly return to life to exact your revenge. |
| 6 | You were supposed to be fully resurrected, but the person performing your resurrection botched the ritual, leaving you stuck between life and death. |
Embalmed Traits
Your embalmed character has the following traits.
Ability Score Increase. Increase one of your ability scores by 2 and increase a different score by 1, or increase three different scores by 1.
If you replace your race with this lineage, replace any Ability Score Increase you previously had with these.
Age. You've inherited the average lifespan of one of your parents' races. If you aren't sure of your heritage, you could choose to use the average lifespan of humans.
If you replace your race with this lineage, you retain the average lifespan of that race.
Creature Type. You are a Humanoid.
Size. You are Medium or Small, inheriting the height and weight ranges normal for one of your parents' races. If you aren't sure of your heritage, you could choose to be Medium and use the height and weight ranges of humans.
If you replace your race with this lineage, you retain your size, height, and weight.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Ancestral Legacy. If you replace your race with this lineage, you can keep the following elements of that race: any skill proficiencies you gained from it and any climbing, flying, or swimming speed you gained from it.
If you don’t keep any of those elements or you choose this lineage at character creation, you gain proficiency in two skills of your choice.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You discern colors in that darkness as shades of gray.
Decaying Touch. You empower your unarmed strikes with necromantic energy. Your unarmed strikes deal necrotic damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Dreadful Curse. You channel the ritual magic that fuels you to curse your foes. As a bonus action, you can target a creature that you can see within 60 feet of you with a curse. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw against a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma modifier (choose when you gain this lineage). On a failed save, the target suffers one of the following effects of your choice until the end of your next turn:
- The target becomes frightened of you.
- The target can't regain hit points.
- The target takes an extra 1d6 necrotic damage the next time you hit it with an attack. This damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level (4d6).
You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Languages. You speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice.
If you replace your race with this lineage, you retain any languages you had and gain no new languages.
Bonus Content
- Want more half-mummy content? Visit our Patreon at patreon.com/livingstonelibrary to check out two bonus feats specifically designed for the embalmed lineage!
Design Credits
- Created by Reddit user /u/livingstone_library
- This document was created using GM Binder
Art Credits
- "Unraveling Mummy" by Tomasz Jedruszek
- "Lord of the Accursed" by Grzegorz Rutkowski
Special Thanks
- We'd like to especially thank our "Hero" tier Patreon supporters: Harrison Miller, Ryan Willey, and Charlie!
"Embalmed" is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.