The unpopular types of undead that could be used in fantasy novels

[OP1000]

Revenants, jiangshi, ghouls, mummies, lich/lich kings, moving skeletons.

Is a lich the same as a skeleton that can use magic, or are the two types of undead significantly different from each other?

 

[RepresentingWrath]

Is a lich the same as a skeleton that can use magic, or are the two types of undead significantly different from each other?

A lich is usually a living person who voluntarily turns into an undead via binding and hiding the soul in a phylactery.

 

[Representing_Tromba]

Hmm, I think this disqualifies her as her status depends on a country of origin and fairy tale. Rusalka, or Koschei, is a better choice.

Perhaps. Though the same could be said for many different myths and folktales. It's part of why studying them is so difficult and frustrating.

 

[Fox-Trot-9]

Is a lich the same as a skeleton that can use magic, or are the two types of undead significantly different from each other?

Yeah, they're different. Skeletons are just the reanimated dead bones of the previously deceased, usually reanimated by a witch or a lich.

 

[AuntieMaysLittleCousin]

Yeah, they're different. Skeletons are just the reanimated dead bones of the previously deceased, usually reanimated by a witch or a lich.

A lich is a human that obtained immortality via dark rituals, while as an undead skeleton is the remains of the dead possessed by the ligering feelings of their owner. A lich can use dark rituals to bind a soul to it's corpse, turning it to a skeleton or zombie. A revenant is a soul that has returned from the Beyond and gained corporeal form, while ghosts and wraiths didn't. Vampires resulted from the accumulation of black magic in a corpse, though they could also be summoned from corpses with dark rituals.

Those are the main differences between classic undeads.

 

[Fox-Trot-9]

A lich is a human that obtained immortality via dark rituals, while as an undead skeleton is the remains of the dead possessed by the ligering feelings of their owner. A lich can use dark rituals to bind a soul to it's corpse, turning it to a skeleton or zombie. A revenant is a soul that has returned from the Beyond and gained corporeal form, while ghosts and wraiths didn't. Vampires resulted from the accumulation of black magic in a corpse, though they could also be summoned from corpses with dark rituals.

Those are the main differences between classic undeads.

Nice!

 

[Cipiteca396]

Bone/Grave Golems/Amalgamations. They get stronger when they integrate more bodies.
Dracolich and other draconic or monstrous undead. Bonus points if they were previously good like unicorns.
Reaper style undead.
Undead Genus Loci, basically (un)living locations like haunted forests or graveyards.
Also wildfire forests, poisoned swamps. Places where lots of things die suddenly.
Mimics or haunted wooden items. The trees come back to avenge their deaths. Daemonwood or Treants.
Microbial Swarms. An Undead disease, essentially.
Vermin Swarms. Basically just ghouls or zombies, but not human.
Ectoplasmic slimes.
Undead elementals, slain when the land they inhabit is corrupted or overexploited.
Death Druids, who see undeath as the natural extension of life.
Possessed objects. Armor is common, but Large statues or houses are cool too.

 

[Jovilynx]

If you're near sea, Sirens are a great choice. By mythology, they should be similar to Russian Rusalkas, though less aggressive.
And for my contribution to Baba Yaga/Jaga variants, we have Baba Roga who haunts mischievous children and has veeery long nails that leave marks on their beds as warning before grabbing them as prey <3

Also, Kuman Thong as a guardian spirit, though it has a high chance of back-firing so it would be good to use it as a curse.

Grimm dogs as well, for animal types, though they're highly territorial.

 

[Premier]

I've always been a fan of disembodied hands or limbs. All the creepiness of a spider or snake but it can also open doors and just fucking strangle you.

 

[MarukiLikesMikey]

Skin Kites, Eidolons, and a one that I made, a Kracodite.

(Kracodites take from as a weirdcore eyeball with mutiple pupils and big, shap teeth. People who become Kracodites are usually people who are bad or who have done misdeed in their lives, or died with a bad reputation)

 

[TheEldritchGod]

Big fan of the vampires that detach their head and internal organs from their body and fly around feeding, but can only get back in their body if they soak in a cask of vinegar.

The name escapes me.

 

[MarukiLikesMikey]

Penanggan?

 

[CheertheSecond]

Bone dinosaurs
Flesh house: buildings infested with reanimated flesh
Zombified tape worms: can’t reproduce but will try to suck nutrition from the guts
Zombified teeth: teeth with gum that moves around