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Shadovar
Senior Scribe
785 Posts |
 Posted - 01 May 2005 : 08:58:33
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My warmest greetings to all forum members who read this topic, I thank you for reading this topic as well. Alright, I have read many FR novels and in their stories, they do mention about undead but different forms of undead. I would like to inquire the forum members, about two things:
1) I am sure the Undead has a ranking hierachy, I know zombie is the lowest ranking Undead but so how does undead such as wights, banshees, liches, skeletons, ghouls, wraiths fit into the ranking hierachy, I mean how are they classified and which is greater than the other like High ranking, middle ranking, low ranking. For it is hard to place the various undead into a hierachy.
2) I have heard of novels mentioning Witch King, so wha is a Witch King? A lich? or is it another high ranking undead?
Replies to this topic are greatly appreciated and I thank any forum member for replying and reading this topic.
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We have fostered trust, recruited loyalty, and gathered the faithful. We have trained thousands. Our legions can cover the land, fill the sky and travel through the darkness. We can hunt any and all that would deny our heritage. Now is our time, now is the time of the Dark Reign(Rain) of the Empire of Shadows.
- High Prince Telemont Tanthul, Lord Shadow
In a speech given to the citizens of Shade Enclave
At the celebration of the Shinantra Battle victory when he revealed that he was THE Lord Shadow of legend. |
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Kajehase
Great Reader
Sweden
2104 Posts |
Posted - 01 May 2005 : 09:55:18
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Well, for starters, I don't agree about the undead having a ranking hierarchy, not even one based on game-mechanics. This is due to the fact that the power of each undead depends on how powerful they were in life - with the obvious exception of simpe zombies and animated skeletons (not even sure I feel the latter qualifies as undead).
As for the Witch King. Big bad bad guy who ruled Vaasa (the country north of the Galena Mountains, not the city in Finland ) until he was brought low by a King Gareth Dragonsbane and a group of heroes. For more detailed information I'd reccommend the old The Bloodstone Lands sourcebook by R.A. Salvatore (and considering the title of his upcoming novel it should most likely include at least a throwaway comment about the erstwhile ruler of Vaasa. The best information about the subject at hand should be in the Bloodstone Lands modules (H1-H4), though.
A minor curiosity about the above-mentioned products is that they were published prior to the realms proper and shoehorned in at a later time, and the Galena mountains is said to be named after a holiday-resort popular among some TSR-staffers. |
There is a rumour going around that I have found god. I think is unlikely because I have enough difficulty finding my keys, and there is empirical evidence that they exist.
Terry Pratchett |
Edited by - Kajehase on 01 May 2005 10:00:48 |
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Rudar Dimble
Learned Scribe
131 Posts |
Posted - 01 May 2005 : 11:15:55
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| Yes, the power of their undead form depends on how strong they were in life. But, if you really want a hierarcy, I'd suggest you just stick to CR's in the Monster Manual |
Jesus saves... and takes ½ damage |
Edited by - Rudar Dimble on 01 May 2005 11:17:05 |
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khorne
Master of Realmslore
Finland
1073 Posts |
Posted - 01 May 2005 : 12:57:37
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| I`ve always thought of Vampires and liches as being on top of the undead food chain. |
If I were a ranger, I would pick NDA for my favorite enemy |
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Rudar Dimble
Learned Scribe
131 Posts |
Posted - 01 May 2005 : 13:08:09
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quote:
Originally posted by khorne
I`ve always thought of Vampires and liches as being on top of the undead food chain.
Well, according to CR's they are (although I don't think there's a standard lich in on of the MM's), I guess. I don't have my books here right now, so I might be missing one here... |
Jesus saves... and takes ½ damage |
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 01 May 2005 : 16:19:07
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I believe, but I didn't pull it out to check, that Van Ricten's Guide to the Undead for 2e's Ravenloft lists the rankings.
And skeletons are actually the lowest form with zombies being second. Liches and Vamps are at the top. :) |
For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
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tauster
Senior Scribe
Germany
399 Posts |
Posted - 01 May 2005 : 19:17:04
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there are several criterias undead (or any category of beings) can be ranked, it depends on the point of view (in-game or out of character, among others).
- hitpoints/-dice
- experience points or challenge ratings
- numbers of attack
- movement rate
- magic abilities or not
- degree of intelligence or not intelligent at all
- etc...
it might be fun to come up with several (in character-) lists that sages might have compiled over the centuries:
there could be greybeards that never have actually seen any undead in their whole live, writing from the sheltered safety of their scriptorium (monks/clerics who spent their whole live in a temple of oghma, sages in some royal court who got questionen from some bored but well-paying noble, you get the picture...) and then there might have been the more adventurous mages (or bards) who haven´t only seen many undead but even battled them and have had firsthand experience which they wrote down after they finally settled down.
i can very well picture how much different both types of "rankings" would turn out, and how the "theorists" would comment the writings of the "practitioners" - and the other way round!  |
Edited by - tauster on 01 May 2005 19:19:52 |
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Undead Rankings
