Revenant (3.5 Race)

Author: the bluez in the dungeon (talk) Date Created: 17/10/2022 Status: Complete Editing: Clarity edits only please

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Revenant

Humans that are reanimated by a strong will to get their revenge.

Personality

Brooding beings, revenants are almost maniacal towards the conquering of their personal lifequest, receiving dreams about it, their minds turning towards it anytime they are not occupied. They mantain a shadow of their former self, which seems to be like an inconsequential part of their personality near their obsession for their quest, but it emerges from time to time nonetheless.

They usually enjoy and have the same reactions to external inputs as they had in life, but this aspect is often overshadowed by their primary goal: revenge, which leaves them appearing rude and rough to others. They still need to take their time as humans do and are not monothematic.

Physical Description

Revenants appears as humans, very close to their former self, so much that those that knew them can easily recognize them, if not disguised. Despite their human-like appearance they are still undead and most have grey skin, shaggy hair and a gaunt physique, though each one is different and some may resemble other typical undead or be even more rotten. Sometimes they even change hair and eyes colour, so that no one of them is like another.

They always have a clear mark where the wound, or wounds, that killed them were inflicted (or other kind of physical marks in case they died from other things rather than physical harm). For example a revenant that was beheaded may have a line on its neck, or its head could be only partially attached to the body, while one killed by poison may drip foul saliva from its mouth, or have veins highlighted in green.

The Deadly Oath

Revenants are humans that died while being horribly wronged, or without having completed their life's duty. Due to this circumstances, some have uttered, consciously or not, an oath of revenge or duty, the Deadly Oath. Whether this promise is heard by fate, a merciful god, a dark one or even darker and greater powers from beyond it's unknown, but nevertheless those that swear this oath may raise within a decade from the moment of their death (and no less than a year) to walk the earth again looking for retribution.

Relations

Mostly shunned by humans and other races due to being undead, they sometimes can live among civilization by keeping a low profile and disguising themselves as living humans.

They often live alone and have next to no contact with eachother, often due to their unusual birth. Some semblance lf societies may exist among them, often in the form of guilds that offer protection and help in ending their quests.

Alignment

The most common alignment among revenants is neutral evil, so bitter its their thirst for vengeance, followed by lawful and chaotic evil. Some are some kind of neutral and few are good, usually keeping their previous alignment, or, in rarer cases, redeeming themselves.

Lands

No land is home to the revenants, but they often appear in violent regions. They mostly stay hidden among humans, but some travel to other places.

Religion

Most revenants are atheist, but some either keep their previous spirituality, while others dedicate themselves to gods of death, undeath, revenge or violence, but this is not a strict rule.

Sometimes they worship deities which they believe can help them in their quest.

Language

They speak Common and automatically learn to understand and write Necril, the tongue of the dead. Many still remember languages they knew from their life.

Names

Usually they mantain their original name, but some choose to add nicknames or titles, or change it altogether.

Racial Traits

• Undead (Dark Minded, Unliving): Revenants are humans returned to life through sheer desire of vengeance. They don't gain the simple weapons proficiency of undead. 
• Medium: As a Medium creature, a revenant has no special bonuses or penalties due to its size.
• Revenant base land speed is 30 feet.  
• Darkvision: A revenant can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and a revenant can function just fine with no light at all. 
• Curse of the Restless (Ex): To revenants death is not the end. Death holds a tenuous hand over them, and resuscitation magic costs half material components when used on them (they are able to be resuscitated even though they are undead). They don't even need to have their body, or body parts, present to be resuscitated: just thinking about them is enough. They naturally come to life if dead for a decade (with no level loss), spawning in a casual position within 10 miles from their location of death (regardless of the conditions of their body).

If their Quest is completed, they die for good if killed, or if they wish so with a free action. The same is true if their Quest becomes impossible to end. If they are dead and their Quest becomes impossible to achieve, they won't come back from death. Only a wish, or similar magic, may restore them. Years passed in death don't count for the Deathless Quest. 

• Deathless Quest (Ex): Having sworn a Deadly Oath puts the revenant on a Deathless Quest. This is their overall objective in (un)life, which they are compelled to do. They suffer a -4 to social skill checks (except Intimidate) against those that are targets according to their Quest, as well as a -2 to AC, attacks and saving throws when in combat, but only against those that are not part of their Quest. Moreover, it gains a -4 against effects that are meant to provoke them. These penalties are suspended when Eternal Vengeance is active.

For each year that the Quest doesn't progress forward, the revenant gains a negative level, which cumulates with others. One of the negative levels is dissipated for each significat achievement made toward the Quest. When these negative levels are equal to the revenant's HD they will crumble to dust and die, and nothing short of a wish spell or something similar may restore them to life. 

• Eternal Vengeance (Ex): Each revenant has sworn a Deadly Oath. This may be revenge against their killer, against a certain group of creature, an oath of protection, or to achieve something heroic. In any case the oath must require the use of a major degree of violence. As a full round action, a revenant may focus and determine the distance and direction between themselves and their Quest's target. This knowledge is instantaneous, meaning that it gives away the target's position at that moment only.

Once per day they may call upon their Deadly Oath as a free action to gain a +1 to AC, initiative, saving throws, +1d6 inflicted damage, x4 their bonus to skill checks, but only as long as this rolls are made to directly achieve their Quest. This bonuses increase by 1 per each 5HD the revenant has. The effect lasts 1 minute per HD. 

• Semi-Human: Having usually a better shape than other undead, revenants can still mostly pass as humans, gaining a +2 to Disguise attempts at resembling humans. On the other hand, they are still unsettling, gaining a +2 bonus to Intimidate attempts, which doubles against the targets of their quest that have recognized them. 
• Revenant Traits: While undead, the dark minded and unliving subtypes mean they do not share all the traits of the undead. They retain their Constitution score, and only retain immunity to death effects, disease, and poison in addition to the alterations brought about by their subtypes. They also benefit from a constant endure elements as an extraordinary effect, as they care little for ambient temperatures. Like normal undead, they heal from negative energy and inflict effects and are harmed by positive energy and cure effects. They can be raised and resurrected, but because their state of undeath is tied to their Deadly Oath they merely are revived as an undead revenant once more.

Revenants have a minimal biology. They must breathe, eat, drink, and sleep. However, they consume food and drink at 1/4th the rate of a normal human, and last twice as long without air as a normal human. If denied air, revenants do not die, but rather become inert until they are exposed to air again. If starved or dehydrated, they are sickened until they can obtain the needed nourishment. Like a living creature, they do not die until they hit -10 hp, and automatically stabilize when brought below 0 hp. 

• Turn Resistance (Ex): Revenants have +4 turn resistance. They also react to turning and rebuking differently. Turned revenants are treated as shaken instead of normal turning effects until approached within 10 ft or out of combat for 1 minute. Destroyed instead becomes panicked. Rebuked revenants take a -2 penalty on all d20 checks against the rebuker, and are subject to suggestion if they would be commanded instead.
• Automatic Languages: Common, Necril
• Bonus Languages: Any
• Favored Class: Any
• Level Adjustment: +1
• Effective Character Level: 2

Vital Statistics

Table: Revenant Random Starting Ages

Adulthood	Simple	Moderate	Complex
1d10 years	+—	+—	+—

Table: Revenant Aging Effects

Middle Age1	Old2	Venerable3	Maximum Age
— years	— years	— years	+— years
At middle age, −1 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. At old age, −2 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. At venerable age, −3 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.

Table: Revenant Random Height and Weight

Gender	Base Height	Height Modifier	Base Weight	Weight Modifier
Male	4’ 10”	+2d10	110 lb.	× (1d4) lb.
Female	4’ 5”	+2d10	75 lb.	× (1d4) lb.

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