D&D Undead and Negative Energy: Evil?
Link to my intro post: http://draxiss314.tumblr.com/post/112112255814/d-d-undead-and-necromancy
First, let me apologize to all my . . . fan, that I’ve not updated in a while. This is because I’m lazy.
I can only do a thing for 1.5 months before I shut down. However, I’m now taking drugs! Hooray for brain chemistry alterations! So, maybe I’ll be able to be more consistent in my updates. Maybe. To be honest, I feel kinda important just acting like I have an update schedule.
In this post, I’ll be making an argument for the undead being “just misunderstood.” No, really. I mean that on a more fundamental level than you think. I WON’T be arguing that creating undead isn’t inherently evil, because it’s a dick move to turn someone into a critter that’s probably miserable.
The arguments I’ve found for undead being inherently evil (or at least, never good) are that they’re powered by Negative Energy, created through the defiling of corpses (or souls), actually evil spirits imitating the deceased, or have . . . unfortunate dietary requirements.
- The Negative Energy argument goes that, since undead are animated by Negative Energy, and since Negative Energy is evil, undead are evil. In any edition (excluding fourth, but in addition to Pathfinder), the canon view on Negative Energy is slightly inconsistent, depending on the author. Some say it’s a corrupting force, some say it’s just a tool. However, in ANY core book that catalogues the Negative Energy Plane*, the Negative Energy Plane has NO alignment descriptors. Even the Plane of Shadow, which has plenty of non-evil stuff associated with it, is slightly evil. This is the most conclusive evidence that Negative Energy isn’t evil.
A special note for mindless undead: I’ve read on a Pathfinder dev’s post that skeletons and zombies are inherently evil because they actively hunt the living, and behave like virus-style zombies. Would you consider the virus-style zombies to be evil? They’re operating off of an instinctual to hunt and satiate hunger (in a possibly non-existent stomach). A golem who’s initial programming is to kill isn’t considered evil, even a flesh golem out of control. MOVING ON.
- Another argument is that being create through a ritual that defiles you in some way turns you to evil. Another word for that argument is “victim-blaming.” Next!
- Since there’s some dubious evidence for this**, I’ll entertain the argument that the undead are actually not the original critters, but constructs of negative energy that have all the original’s memories. First, there’s no rules against a resurrected critter -who was formerly undead- retaining experience gained while undead. Second, undead critters CAN’T be resurrected from say, a loose finger according to RAW until they’ve been put down, meaning the soul is already out there doing it’s thing***. Third, there’s no rule stating that the actions a character takes as one of the undead are exempt from violating any oaths or taboos; atonement is still needed.
EVEN IF all that means nought, why should these “evil spirits” actually be evil? Besides the fact that there’s stuff stating that they might even believe they’re the originals****, being made from Negative Energy isn’t sufficient argument for them being evil.
- Dietary Requirements. Diiiieeeettttaaarrrry requirementssss. Alrighty, then.
Being compelled to consume something like life force, blood, corpses by an outside force doesn’t mean you’re automatically a bad person. It’s an outside force that makes life harder for you.
There’s solutions that don’t require an undead critter to kill people (or to kill people unjustly, anyways.) Finding volunteers, using animals, and feeding off “acceptable targets” are just the easiest solutions. You may note that these solutions seem to require the LIVING to not be dicks. Huh.
That’s all I have for now. Seeing how long it’s gotten, I think I might split this up into multiple sections later on.
*Mabar is the equivalent for Eberron, but Dragonlance’s Abyss is NOT, since it’s also the lower planes combined
** I’m thinking of a section from Libris Mortis, the Book of Bad Latin, but I don’t remember where. If I care enough to find it, I’ll provide a reference.
***except for mindless undead; I’ll probably get to that in a different post.
**** Libris Mortis again, I think? Pretty sure it was the same section. Maybe I’m thinking of something else entirely.
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