Libris Mortis: The Book of Undead

[Catman Jim]

The new Wizards of the Coast Hardcover book Libris Mortis: The Book of Undead is out for sale now, beating Arthaus's The Masque of the Red Death release by a weekend. Written by Andy Collins and Bruce Cordell and priced at $30 US, the back cover proclaims "Nightmares from beyond the Grave! Hushed voices tell spine-chilling tales of encounters with the walking dead and other unliving horrors. No other creatures have evoked such fear and fascination as this dreadful menagerie of malevolent spirits and mindless shells. This suppliment for the D&D game presents a comprehensive overview of the undead. You'll uncover information for creating, customizing, and combating undead characters and monsters - including strategies and tactis commonly employed by undead and those who hunt them. Libris Mortis: The Book of Undead also provides new rules, feats, spells, and prestige classes, along with a host of new monsters and monster templates."

I just bought it yesterday and haven't had time to read it yet, but will pass along what the book includes.
Chapter 1: All about Undead - origins of undeath, physiology, psychology, society, and religions.
Chapter 2: Character Options - new divine & monstrous feats (59 total), undead in the party and undead monster classes (creating and playing an undead character, we'll have to see how this compares with the old Requiem rules)
Chapter 3: Prestige classes - 11 new ones, they are Death's Chosen, Dirgesinger, Master of Radiance, Master of Shrouds, Pale Master, Sacred Purifier, True Necromancer, Ephemeral Exemplar, Lurking Terror, Master Vampire, and Tomb Warden.
Chapter 4: Spells - 57 new spells for assassins, blackguards, clerics (in three new Domains; Deathbound, Hunger, and Undeath), druids, paladins, sorcerers, and wizards.
Chapter 5: Equipment - special items and alchemical substances, positoxins, magic items, and undead grafts.
Chapter 6: New Monsters - 47 new ones and templates, they are Angel of Decay, Atropal Scion, Blaspheme, Bleakborn, Blood Amniote, Bloodmote Cloud, Bone Rat Swarm, Boneyard, Brain in a Jar, Carcass Eater, Cinderspawn, Corpse Rat Swarm, Crypt Chanter, Deathlock, Dessicator, Dire Maggot, Dream Vestige, Entomber, Entopic Reaper, Evolved Undead, Forsaken Shell, Ghost Brute, Gravetouched Ghoul, Grave Dirt Golem, Half-Vampire, Hooded Pupil, Hulking Corpse, Mummified Creature, Murk, Necromental, Necropolitan, Plague Blight, Quell, Raiment, Revived Fossil, Skin Kite, Skirr, Skulking Cyst, Slaughter Wight, Slaymate, Spectral Lyrist, Swarm-Shifter, Tomb Mote, Umbral Creature, Visage, Voidwraith, and Wheep.
Chapter 7: Campaigns - incorporating undead in your campaign, running undead encounters, using variant undead, sample cults of undeath (Academy Necromica, Eyes of Vecna, Lurkers in Shadow, Minions of the Skull, and the Ruby Order), and adventure sites (Nuchar's Tomb, The Barrow, Fanghurst, The Warlord's Subterfuge, Necromantic Vault, and the Catacomb of the Scion).

190 pages, I see some definate use for this material in the Ravenloft setting. I did skim through the book quickly looking for any open reference to Ravenloft, and saw none. I'm sure that is purposeful with Wizards intention to have this book be a resource to any setting, but I will be looking for any hidden reference as I read it beyond obvious similarities, such as the "Brain-in-a-Jar".

[Wiccy of the Fraternity]

I'll have to see if I can scrape the money together for that book, I like stuff on the undead

Of course, I have to buy Gaz 5 and a couple other books first.

[Joël of the FoS]

It looks good so far, from what I've read (about 2/3).

Ch1 was a little simple, but the chapter on spells is deadly.

Many new monsters look cool too.

Joël

[Shadowsworn]

30 bucks US? That's about, with tax and all, over 50 bucks Canadian. I can't see myself ever spending that much on something that Ravenloft has already covered in exhausting detail already.

[AlterEgo]

The good news is that maybe the next D&D minis in Death Knell will have minis similar to the monsters found specifically in Ravenloft. Do any of these from the book sound familiar: Brain in a Jar, Grave Dirt Golem, Half-Vampire or Necropolitan? You betcha!

[Joël of the FoS]

30 bucks US? That's about, with tax and all, over 50 bucks Canadian. I can't see myself ever spending that much on something that Ravenloft has already covered in exhausting detail already.

I paid 40 $ Can in Montréal.

Here's a few comments. I'm writing a full review that will be posted on the site soon.

> Chapter 1: All about Undead - origins of undeath, physiology, psychology, society, and religions.

A little too simple IMHO. Interesting negative plane connection explanation.

Something weird in physiology - vision: all undead can see in pitch black ? Why ?

> Chapter 2: Character Options - new divine & monstrous feats (59 total), undead in the party and undead monster classes (creating and playing an undead character, we'll have to see how this compares with the old Requiem rules)

Feats: quite good stuff there. Good complement to a RL DM's VRGttWD.

Undead with PHB classes: highly unsure here. A ghoul gaining new levels in ranger ? I don't see undead that way (especially low I undead). Interesting NPC ideas perhaps, but cheesy for RL PCs ...

> Chapter 3: Prestige classes -

For non-undead: Death's Chosen, Dirgesinger, Master of Radiance, Master of Shrouds, Pale Master, Sacred Purifier, True Necromancer

A little far fetched or overpowered for RL, IMHO.

For undead: Ephemeral Exemplar, Lurking Terror, Master Vampire, and Tomb Warden

Interesting ideas here, to make some undead improve with time.

> Chapter 4: Spells - 57 new spells for assassins, blackguards, clerics (in three new Domains; Deathbound, Hunger, and Undeath), druids, paladins, sorcerers, and wizards.

Ouch. deadly stuff here ! Mostly good new stuff.

The Necrotic Cyst serie of spell is yuck and deadly. I like it

> Chapter 5: Equipment - special items and alchemical substances, positoxins, magic items, and undead grafts.

The alchemical and positoxin items are cool, as is the undead grafts (good ideas to improve a villain).

However, the magic item are cheezy for RL: without background and / or overpowerful.

> Chapter 6: New Monsters - 47 new ones and templates, they are Angel of Decay, Atropal Scion, Blaspheme, Bleakborn, Blood Amniote, Bloodmote Cloud, Bone Rat Swarm, Boneyard, Brain in a Jar, Carcass Eater, Cinderspawn, Corpse Rat Swarm, Crypt Chanter, Deathlock, Dessicator, Dire Maggot, Dream Vestige, Entomber, Entopic Reaper, Evolved Undead, Forsaken Shell, Ghost Brute, Gravetouched Ghoul, Grave Dirt Golem, Half-Vampire, Hooded Pupil, Hulking Corpse, Mummified Creature, Murk, Necromental, Necropolitan, Plague Blight, Quell, Raiment, Revived Fossil, Skin Kite, Skirr, Skulking Cyst, Slaughter Wight, Slaymate, Spectral Lyrist, Swarm-Shifter, Tomb Mote, Umbral Creature, Visage, Voidwraith, and Wheep.

Good new stuff here. About a third could be included in RL.

Chapter 7: Campaigns - incorporating undead in your campaign, running undead encounters, using variant undead, sample cults of undeath (Academy Necromica, Eyes of Vecna, Lurkers in Shadow, Minions of the Skull, and the Ruby Order), and adventure sites (Nuchar's Tomb, The Barrow, Fanghurst, The Warlord's Subterfuge, Necromantic Vault, and the Catacomb of the Scion).

Some interesting ideas here.

> I did skim through the book quickly looking for any open reference to Ravenloft, and saw none.

None too for me. I would have been surprised of any mention (but delighted)

Overall recommendation for RL: not incontournable, but good accessory.

Joël

[tec-goblin]

I am looking forward to it - it has this kind of "Eternal Love" religion (couples becoming undead to let the love continue which is GREAT). I or one of my players will buy it, no question. The problem: we'll have to wait 20 days more for it to reach Greece

[Hrtofdrkns]

I see that it includes a ghoul god. Finally. We ghouls have been treated as cannon fodder by everybody from the thinks-he's-so-smart lich and the I-still-pretend-to-be-human-and-have-to-interact-with-the-living vampire to right down to those small, weak, stringy, all bones goblins. Now we take a stand. We ghouls shall rally behind our god's banner and devour the living. OUR TIME IS AT HAND!!!

But first, dinner!
*chews on corpse*

[Drinnik Shoehorn]

I was left with a "m'eh" feeling after reading it. It's good, but not great and doesn't hold up next to the Draconomicon.

[alhoon]

I am looking forward to it - it has this kind of "Eternal Love" religion (couples becoming undead to let the love continue which is GREAT). I or one of my players will buy it, no question. The problem: we'll have to wait 20 days more for it to reach Greece

You mean At least 20 more Days. The shop told me that Libris Mortis may be late for a month and a half!

[Jason of the Fraternity]

I would have to agree with Drinnik for the most part. While I did like the book and found some interesting features in it, there wasn't anything that really grabbed my interest or attention. It was a good book, but I would be hesitant to say that it was a great one.

[Frukathka]

I want this book really bad. But right now, it looks to me like I need Complete Arcane even more. Oh, how IU hate having to deal with finacial responsibility, but then we all have to. D'oh!

[The Lesser Evil]

Is the visage in the monster section the same one that was from the 2E Planescape module Dead Gods?

[Drinnik Shoehorn]

Is the visage in the monster section the same one that was from the 2E Planescape module Dead Gods?

Yes, if you read thier description, it says they where created from the essence of fiends by Orcus when he was in his Tenebrous guise.

[Shoon VII]

i just got the book last week and went through it a few times. i can understand most of the comments regarding this book, but i dont understand how much of the material can't be used. basically, this book gives you different ways to look at monsters that are commonly used in RL campaigns. granted, there arent going to be a plethora of Palemasters in every corner of the Core, a single encounter can keep PCs on their toes. While i might not like PC's in my campaign to be able to be a Master of Radiance, they might encounter one as an NPC. the same goes with the spells. i like the Evolved and Swarmform templates and havealready applied them to a major NPC villian i am developing. they think they know what vampires are? i scoff at such assumptions now!