Pale Lord

Requirements:20 Base Class levels
Must not be undead
Dark Resonance
Classes allowed: any but psionic, druid or ranger
Class Feats:L1: undead graft
L4: undead cohort
L7: death touch

The Pale Lord is a mortal that pursues the power of undeath, but without a desire to sacrifice too much of his own mortality in that pursuit. The ritual they undergo - either by themselves or with the help of another powerful wizard - was developed just after Nilith's ascent. In this ritual, the caster's own body serves as a partial vessel for their network of spells. Through multiple steps, the body becomes partially transformed into an undead state, gaining some of the advantages of unlife. The Pale Lord, however, remains living, and as such must eat, age, and they will die as any mortal.