Zombie

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Zombie (CR 2)

Zombies are corpses of the (fairly) recently dead, brought back to unlife through necromantic ritual, having been killed by other zombies, or dying on desecrated ground. They have no intelligence, and are driven only by a need to consume the living. While brains may be extra tasty, zombies are happy to eat any living (or recently dead) flesh. Indeed, all but the freshest zombies show extensive bite wounds from being near other zombies (or even themselves).

Zombies are attracted to sounds, but can sense life when it is nearby. Once attracted, zombies will never stop trying to kill and eat their prey.

GENERAL

CR 2 Hit Dice 3

XP 600

NE Medium Undead

Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Sense Life 30 ft (as blindsight), Perception +0

DEFENSE

AC 14, touch 10, flat-footed 14 (+0 dex, +4 armor)

hp 28

Fort +3, Ref +0, Will +5

SR: -

Special Defenses: Undead Traits

Immunities: -

Weaknesses: -

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., but see 'Staggered' and 'Relentless Hunger'

Single Melee Bite +4 (1d8+1/19-20x2 plus Zombie Rot)

Full Melee Bite +4 (1d8+1/19-20x2 plus Zombie Rot)

Ranged -

Special Attacks Zombie Rot

Action Points 0

STATISTICS

Str 17, Dex 14, Con —, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 10

Base Atk +2; CMB +6; CMD 16

Feats -

Skills -

Languages -

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Sense Life

A zombie can sense life within 30 feet, and once detected, are unshakably persistent stalkers.

Staggered

Zombies have the Staggered condition. They can take only a single standard action per round, though they may convert that to a move action instead of attacking or taking another action.

Relentless Hunger

Despite being slow-moving, shambling eaters of life, zombies have an unnerving knack for catching their prey. Any time a zombie has come within 30 feet of a living being, but that being has moved out of sight of the zombie, the zombie may teleport as a standard action to the nearest space to that victim that the victim cannot see, but from which the zombie has line of effect to (IE, can walk to) the victim. Because the zombie is Staggered, this ability may never be used more than once per round, and once done, the zombie can take no other actions this round.

Zombie Rot

Any time a creature is bitten by a zombie, he must make a Fort save, DC 12, or contract the Zombie Rot disease. Onset is 1d4 days, frequency 1/day, effect 1d2 Con, this damage cannot be healed while the creature is still infected. Cure requires 2 consecutive saves.

Anyone who is reduced to a zero Constitution while infected rises as a zombie in 2d6 hours. There are no visible warning signs that this transition has occurred other than the ongoing sickness, until the zombie begins trying to eat all his nearby friends.

Similarly, anyone killed by a zombie though damage will also rise as a zombie in 2d6 hours. If resurrection is cast on a zombie, it returns to life and is no longer a zombie.

Immortal

Zombies cannot be killed through normal means. However, zombies may lie shattered and dormant after being defeated for months or even years before their bodies recompose and they once again rise to seek and consume the flesh of the living. A sanctify corpse, consecrate or gentle repose spell will add a year and a day to the time it takes for a zombie to re-compose. A resurrection spell will bring the person associated with the zombie's corpse back to life, destroying the necromantic bond on its corpse.

TREASURE

Sell value of approximately 500 gp.

COMBAT TACTICS

There's not much finesse to Zombie tactics, which are basically 'follow the living until you catch them.' Their Relentless Hunger ability makes them terribly persistent for mindless eating machines, but aside from that, it's all about the shambling. The slow, slow shambling.... A 'favorite' Zombie tactic is to use Relentless Hunger to reach a corner, then set up a charge attack to get into melee range. A charging Zombie suddenly popping around a corner is real nightmare fuel....