DARKSUN CONVERSION NOTE.
Dungeon and dragon 3E.

The Kaisharga.

Steve Lévesque.
Rfrankl@sympatico.ca

Description :
The Kaisharga are a class of undead similar to the liches.  They have sought undeath, unnaturally extending their lives past the endurence of their mortal frames.  Unlife gives them many terrible powers.  Kaisharga appear as a gaunt, wasted humans with grayish, thinly stretched skin.  They wear the trappings they preferred in life and their eyes burn with a green fire.  (Like Spawn)
They are uncommon, and are more dangerous than liches.  Of course, they don`t use phylactery like liches does, to contain their life ennergy, so when they are killed, they die for good.  But to do so, it`s almost impossible.
To become a Kaisharga, one must simply eat a fruit. Sounds easy? No. The fruit tree must be specially cared for and must be regularly tended. The Kaisharga's tree does not necessarily have to bear fruit for the Sorcerer casting the spell. The tree must still be watered with the blood of the prospective Kaisharga (who must be at LEAST 12 HD, though may or may not be the Sorcerer casting the spells), and all other processes are the same.
Growing the tree 
The tree must be a sapling, no more than 3 days old when it is transported to the Sorcerer growing chamber. The sapling must come from a seed found in a graveyard, or near a graveyard. Once in the sorcerer`s growing chamber, certain spells must be cast in order to transform the tree into a fruit-bearing tree. The Sorcerer must cast Plant Growth to make the tree bigger.
During the planting of the seed, while Creating the Tree of Undeath, the caster will need to open a portal to the negative plane (Gate), and use (Permanency) and (Hold Portal) to anchor the portal to the tree, which will then have a steady supply of undead energy to draw upon for fueling the creation of the single fruit.  Even if the portal is closed, small tendrils of jet black negative ennergy will pass trought and will be absorbed by the tree. Powerful wards must be made to deny the entry to the matterial world for evil spirits. These wards will be formed like a circle, encopassing both the portal and the tree, blocking anything from entering our world.  Also, during the time of the creation of the tree, the Sorcerer will have to nourish it with unholy water that come from an evil priest of a chaotic evil deity.  The priest must be at least a level 12 during the time. At least 1 time per week the tree will feed on unholly water.  Also, the blood of the prospective Kaisharga must be use to nourish the tree.  Finally, the soil where the tree grows must countain the ash of a  Necromancer that died of old age of at least level 12.  The soil, the blood, and the water must be mixed when you plant the tree with a bone that came from a zombie slayed at night.  When the sorcerer will be able to distinguish the beginning of the creation of the fruit upon the tree, he will have to sacrifice his animal familiar, and drink the blood.  He will have to put the body in the soil, for the tree to nourish himself with his corpse, automatically switching his aligment to chatotic evil, and he will have to mix to the soil, a fine powder taken by crushing the bones of a fiendish creature.
The tree must be tended for 1001 days and watered daily, weekly with unholly water.  Finally, since the tree must never saw the light of the sun, and since a tree die without light, the Sorcerer will have to create some sort of magical light to sustain the tree at least 8 hours a day. 
The transformation
A single, beautiful fruit of jet black will be born by the tree. While the pear shaped fruit looks and smells very appetizing before the fruit's skin has been broken, it is in fact beyond terrible in taste and smell once bit into.  The inside is greenish black.  The wards cast during the growing process are bound to the tree, and when the ripe fruit is plucked, the Gate is rent open, and tremendous amounts of undead energy rush into the area, being visible as gray tendrils of fog whipping about in a tornado wind. It is during this time that the fruit is consumed, and the Kaisharga to be becomes the focus of this energy, drawing in such levels of undead power as to nearly defy the mind. The eater of the fruit must make a Fortitude check DC 25 or be completely and permanently eradicated by the incredible forces coursing through his dying body. The entire process of absorption takes about 5 rounds. A Fortitude Check roll must be made EACH round at –5 bonus each (DC 25, DC 20, DC 15, DC 10, DC 5) failure resulting in the death of the caster (The caster is mainly standing there, convulsing, arms outstretched, head thrown back, absorbing the energy, a la Highlander). The caster is as of this point a Kaisharga. After the absorption takes place, the weakened caster (given it is the caster eating the fruit, otherwise there is little problem) must cast a Dispel Magic (to remove Permanency) and to close the gate.
When the gate is closed, the Sorcerer die.
He will rise from the tomb 3 days later as a powerful Kaisharga.
This process slays the tree. 
Beware...
If the fruit is taken by someone else that stole it, the character die.  If the fruit is given to a warrior, a thief, or any class except a wizard, he will surely die also, except if the sorcerer was using his blood, and was working to make the fruit for him, in wich case, the character can become a Kaisharga.  The fruit will corrup the body, and trigger the magical ennergy and life force inside a person to become pure evil essence.  Since any non spellcaster have only life force with no magical ennergy, they are safe to take this transformation as their life force will be twisted.  A priest is also safe since his magic his not from him, but from his god, so he posses no magical ennergy by himself.  Sorcerers are also safe since magic, and life force, in their case are one.  Wizards on the other hands face a big problems.  They have life force like anyone, but their magic is a second source of power that they have learn to built.  When the body is corrupted and the magic evil ennergy are triggered, they release themselves into a tremendous combustion.  There is no way a wizard can become a Kaisharga.  
They can only become a lich, and to illustrate that fact, when doing so, they are placing their life ennergy into a phylactery, isolating it form the new magical corrupted ennergy inside their body, protecting themselves that way.
All Kaisharga have some special undead powers in addition to the one listed far above.  They have a total of 0 power points.  When they gain a special power, they get a certain number to add to those 0 points, gaining a new score.  They must choose a special weakness to counterbalance, bringing the score back to 0 or a negative one.  
Undead free Powers :
The change to a kaisharga raise all Str and Dex Score to 18.  If during life, the character did already have one score of 18, or better in Str, Dex, or both, this score is raised by 1 point.  Being undead, they have no more constitution score.

Hit Dice :  Increased to 1d12 regardless of the class.
Attacks Bonus : As wizard, or simply by class.
Good saving throw : Will
Skill points : As class
Feats :  As class

Spells and effects imunity : Charm, sleep, enfeeblement, polymorph, insanity, and death spells of all form, poison, paralysis, stunning, disease, necromantic effects, compulsion, phantasms, patterns, morale effects.
Energy resistance as follow : Cold 25, electricity 15, Fire 10.

They are not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, ability drain, and ennergy drain.

They no constitution score, and therefore, immune to any effects that require a fortitude check, unless the effects can affect non living, matterial things.
As a undead spellcaster, it uses his charisma score modifier when making a concentration checks.

They have a chill touch that deal an additional 1d6 point of damage and possibly drain a Str point (Fortitude DC = to half level + charisma modifier)
Anyone that is touched is affected, and anyone that attack with bare hands is also victim to the effect.
They has a turn difficulty of +3.
They have darkvision of 60 feet.  
They have a resistance of +2/10.
They also have an aura of fear like the dragon fear of 60 feet Radius.
They also have a Spell resistance of 11 + 1 per level.
Negative ennergy spells like : cause serious wounds heal them, while cure light wounds would harm them.

They also have some spell-like ability that they can use a certain number of time/day.

Spell like abilities are made as a level 18 sorcerers regardless of actual level :
They are :

Telekinesis 3/day.		Detect good 3/day.
Detect magic 3/day.		Detect law 3/day.
Detect chaos 3/day.		Detect evil 3/day.
Detect Thoughts 3/day.	Discern lies 3/day.
Discern location 1/day.	Levitation 3/day.
Dominate Monster 1/day.	Teleport without errors 1/day.
Darkness 3/day.		Whispering Wind 3/day.
Nondetection 1/day.

Here are the explanations for the different advantages and disadvantages possible when creating a Kaisharga.
Advantages
Accelerate Aging: The undead causes a living victim to age 1d6x5 years by simple touch. The victim has a fortitude check at DC 10 + charisma modifier + level /4.  Ex : a level 18 Kaisharga with 18 char, has give the character a DC of 18.
Cost : +2
Cause Despair: All living beings within 30+10 feet/HD over 5 lose hope and become distressed if they fail Will check DC 10 + charisma modifier + level /4. Victims suffer a 1d4 penalty on all rolls for a number of turns equal to the undead's HDx2.
Cost : +1
Cause Fear: All creatures under 4HD within 30 feet of the undead must flee for 4d6 turns.  They are automatically Panicked. All creatures with fewer HD than the undead suffer a -2 penalty on attack rolls against the undead.  They are Frightened.  If you have more than 4 hit dice, but lower than the Kaisharga, you can make a Will check with a DC of 10 + Charisma modifier + level of the Kaisharga / 4.  If you made it, you receive no penalty, if you miss the roll, you are Frightened.
Cost : Free.  All Kaisharga have it.

Cause Paralysis: Touch causes paralysis for 2d6 minutes.  A Will check DC equal to 10 + charisma modifier + level of the Kaisharga / 4 can avoid.
Cost : +3
Charm Person: Able to cast Charm person as a level 18 Sorcerer, 3 times a day as free.
Cost : +2
Claws: Has claws that cause 1d6 damage. If the undead already has claws, these cause an additional +2 damage per attack.
Cost : +1
Control Undead: Ability to control undead as a cleric of equal HD. If the undead was a cleric in life, their effective level is raised by 1d8.
Cost : +3
Drain Attributes: Drains 1d4 points with a touch. A Fortitude Check DC 10 + charisma modifier + level / 4 is required to resist the drain. Lost points return at a rate of 1 per hours after a period of days equal to twice the undead's HD only. A character whose attribute is drained to 0 remains unconscious until he regains at least 1 point.
Cost : +2
Enhanced Senses: The undead gets the feat Alertness for free.  If he already had alertness he gain an additional +4 in Spot, Listen, Search, and can sense the living more easily.
Cost : +2
Enhanced Spells: All damaging spells cast by the Kaisharga are at +1 damage per die of actuyal damage.
Cost : +2
Fangs: Has fangs that cause 1d4 damage. If the undead already has fangs, these cause an additional +2 damage per attack.
Cost : +1

Gaseous Form: Can take on gaseous form at will. In this form, the undead cannot be harmed by weapons, but spells affecting gases (sunrays, wind spells, sun spells) can cause damage.
Cost : +3
Improved Saves: Gets +1 bonus on all saving throws.
Cost : +1
Increased Ability Score: Has an attribute (of DM's choosing) of 18+1d6.  This increased ability score can be used only on ability that are at minimum at 18 only.
Cost : +3
Increased Hit Points: Gets 1d4 additional hp per HD.
Cost : +3
Increased Weapon Resistance:  They gat a resistance of +3/10, or +2/15 to your choosing.  This can be taken two time for a combined resistance of +3/15.
Cost : +2
Magic Resistance: They have a special magic resistance
Cost : Free, they all have this.
Produce Undead: Can produce one lesser controlled undead (skeleton or zombie) per HD, once per day. There must be bones or corpses present.
Cost : +2
Regeneration: Regenerates 3 hp per round.
Cost : +3
Spell Immunity: Immune to 1d4 spells of the DM's choosing.
Cost : +3

Spell-like Powers: Can cast a number of spells bonus of +1 per spell level.  Ex : If you can cast 5/4/4/3/2, then it becomes 6/5/5/4/3.
Cost : +4

Disadvantages
Bound to an Area: Is bound to an area and cannot leave. The area may range from one room to several miles radius.
Cost : -2
Cast no shadow: The undead casts no shadow.
Cost : -1
Code of Honor: The undead has a certain code that must always be followed. This can be used to coerce the undead into service.
Cost : -3
Easier to turn: Is turned as if 3HD lower, instead of +3.
Cost : -4
Elemental Susceptibility: Takes normal damage from cold and electrical based attacks and double damage from other forms of energy.
Cost : -3
Must Drink Blood: Must drink blood every day or be destroyed.
Cost : -1
Must Eat Corpse Flesh: Must eat corpse flesh every day.
Cost : -1
Must Eat Living Flesh: Must kill and eat living creatures.
Cost : -1

Rotten Stench: Can be smelled a great distance away and is easily identifiable as undead.
Cost : -2
Sunlight Vulnerability: Direct sunlight disorient a kaisharga.  It can takes only partial action during the round.  In the nex round, if he did not escape, he is utterly destroyed.
Cost : -2
Susceptibility to (Silver): Can be hit by a weapon of the appropriate type, even if it isn't magical.
Cost : -2
Susceptibility to Spells: Is susceptible to all charm, sleep and hold spells.
Cost : -3

Treasure : The possession of the Character.
CR :	Curent Level +5.

PS :
I know they can seem too powerful to some people, but keep in mind that I have only done a conversion.  I did not boost their power at all.
A Kaisharga on Darksun with some dreadful powers like the paralytic touch, drain attribute touch, make you older touch, 95% of magic resistance, level 20 priestress, with psionic power, with 20 in Str, Dex, and Con and 24 in charisma was a very nasty thing to face…

Specially if she had to eat living flesh to « survive ».

My recommandation if you want to use them : Make them rare as hell !