The undead, or the living dead, are merely animated creatures whose bodies continue to decompose. Their souls have left behind their mortal shells and do not care what happens to them. This type of undead makes up the majority of this type of monster, the undead animations.

These masses of flesh and sinew have no life of their own and are wholly dependent upon the Cleric or Mage who has magicked them for their existence. The process is easy, a simple spell, a few mutterings in the dark, and the flesh is animated. Proficiency Levels are as easy- the undead has one-half his living proficiency levels plus one proficiency level for every five character levels of the animator:

Undead Proficiency Levels = (Living PL ÷ 2) + (Animator CL ÷ 5)

The undead animation never gains Proficiency Levels. Neither are those Proficiency Levels transferred to the undead’s animator.

Undead Damage Tolerance is one tenth of their living Damage Tolerance plus 1 Damage Tolerance point for every 5 of the animator:

Undead Damage Tolerance = (Living DT ÷ 10) + (Animator DT ÷ 5)

An undead animation cannot have a higher Damage Tolerance than it did while alive.

The undead animations cannot use spells of either clerical or magical nature. The animation has no soul with which to worship or bargain, nor any intelligence with which to learn. In other words, the undead animations are Fighters or thieves.

Undead do not regenerate body parts or Damage Tolerance, the Damage Tolerance merely being a measure of the cohesion in the magicked body material. Neither do they drain “life levels” or Proficiency Levels or Character Levels. They are, for all extents and purposes, cannon fodder placed between you and your true opponent.

There are no magical means of turning the undead or of releasing spirits, though damage spells will cause full damage to both as long as the damage is magical in nature (a spell that effects normal fires will do no harm to a spirit, but an Elemental Bolt will).

For purposes of clerically turning the undead or releasing the spirits from the physical plane, a Cleric must be of equal or greater Character Level as the undead’s Character Level, or of equal or higher Character Level as the spirit’s Spirit Type number.

A second Character Level Cleric cannot turn an undead animation whose undead Character Level is 3 or higher. Nor can he release any spirit stronger than a wailer.

All forms of animated undead can be hit by normal weapons. Fire will utterly destroy the animated flesh.