Zombie Template
Zombie is an acquired template that can be added to any corporeal creature (other than an undead), referred to hereafter as the base creature.
Challenge Rating: This depends on the creature’s new total number of Hit Dice, according to the Zombie Challenge Rating table.
Alignment: Always neutral evil.
Type: The creature’s type changes to Undead. It retains any subtype except for alignment subtypes (such as good) and subtypes that indicate kind. It does not gain the augmented subtype. It uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Armor Class: Natural armor bonus changes as per the Zombie Natural Armor Bonus table.
Hit Dice: A zombie drops any HD gained from class levels and change racial HD to d8s. Creatures without racial HD are treated as if they have 1 racial HD. Zombies gain a number of additional HD as noted on Zombie Bonus Hit Dice table. Zombies use their Charisma modifiers to determine bonus hit points (instead of Constitution).
Saving Throws: Base save bonuses are Fort +1/3 HD, Ref +1/3 HD, and Will +1/2 HD + 2.
Defensive Abilities: Zombies lose their defensive abilities and gain all of the qualities and immunities granted by the Undead type. Zombies also gain Damage Reduction 5/slashing.
Speed: Winged zombies can still fly, but maneuverability drops to clumsy. If the base creature flew magically, so can the zombie. All other movement types are retained.
Attacks: A zombie retains all the natural weapons, manufactured weapon attacks, and weapon proficiencies of the base creature. It also gains a slam attack that deals damage based on the zombie’s size, but as if it were one size category larger than its actual size, as shown on the following table:
Special Attacks: A zombie retains none of the base creature’s special attacks.
Ability Scores: A zombie gains +2 Strength and -2 Dexterity. A zombie has no Constitution or Intelligence score, and its Wisdom and Charisma become 10.
Base Attack Bonus: A zombie’s base attack is equal to 3/4 its Hit Dice.
Skills: A zombie has no skill ranks.
Feats: A zombie loses all feats possessed by the base creature, and does not gain feats as its Hit Dice increase, but it does gain Toughness as a bonus feat.
Special Qualities: A zombie loses most special qualities of the base creature. It retains any extraordinary special qualities that improve its melee or ranged attacks. A zombie gains the staggered special quality.
| Natural Attack | Fine | Dim. | Tiny | Small | Medium | Large | Huge | Garg. | Col. | Damage Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slam | 1 | 1d2 | 1d3 | 1d4 | 1d6 | 1d8 | 2d6 | 2d8 | 3d6 | B |
- Staggered (Ex): Zombies have poor reflexes and can only perform a single Move Action or Standard Action each round. A zombie can move up to its speed and attack in the same round as a Charge action.
Zombie Challenge Rating
| Hit Dice | Challenge Rating |
|---|---|
1/2 | 1/8 |
1 | 1/4 |
2 | 1/2 |
3–4 | 1 |
5–6 | 2 |
7–8 | 3 |
9–10 | 4 |
11–12 | 5 |
13–16 | 6 |
17–20 | 7 |
21–24 | 8 |
25–28 | 9 |
Zombie Natural Armor Bonus
| Skeleton Size | Natural Armor Bonus |
|---|---|
| Tiny or smaller | 0 |
| Small | 1 |
| Medium | 2 |
| Large | 3 |
| Huge | 4 |
| Gargantuan | 7 |
| Colossal | 11 |
Zombie Bonus Hit Dice
| Zombie Size | Bonus Hit Dice |
|---|---|
| Tiny or smaller | — |
| Small or Medium | +1 HD |
| Large | +2 HD |
| Huge | +4 HD |
| Gargantuan | +6 HD |
| Colossal | +10 HD |
Variants
The typical zombie is a slow-moving abomination that is tough to destroy. Yet this is not the only type of zombie to plague crypts or stalk graveyards. Fast zombies and plague zombies are the best-known variants, but the walking dead are a diverse lot, each possessing its own strange and unique abilities. In many cases these variant abilities may be applied to either skeletons or zombies, unless common sense dictates otherwise (such as a gasburst skeleton). Note: The bloody skeleton and burning skeleton variants indicate that they are created by use of the animate dead spell but count as double their normal HD when doing so. The variant zombies listed below did not include any such information. It is left to the GM to determine if this rule is fair when creating the zombies below (unless someone alerts us to some official ruling by a Paizo source that is.)Fast Zombie
Unlike the standard, plodding zombie, a fast zombie moves with a supernatural quickness. If Haste or Remove Paralysis is cast along with Animate Dead, the spell creates fast zombies. Speed: Fast zombies have thier land speed increased by 10 feet. Defensive Abilities: A fast zombie does not gain Damage Reduction 5/slashing. Special Attacks: A fast zombie gains the Quick Strikes special attack.- Quick Strikes Ex): Whenever a fast zombie takes a full-attack action, it can make one additional slam attack at its highest base attack bonus.
Plague Zombie
These zombies carry a terrible disease that perpetuates their undead lineage—those infected by a plague zombie’s contagion rise as zombies themselves when they perish.If Contagion is cast along with Animate Dead, the spell creates plague zombies. Defensive Abilities: A plague zombie does not gain Damage Reduction 5/slashing. Special Attacks: A plague zombie gains the Disease special attack.- Disease (Su): The slam attack—as well as any other natural attacks—of a plague zombie carries the zombie rot disease.
- Zombie rot: Type Injury; DC 10 + 1/2 the zombie’s Hit Dice + the zombie’s Charisma modifier; onset 1d4 days; frequency 1/day; Type Physical; Severity moderate; Saves 2 consecutive; Special Anyone who dies while infected rises as a plague zombie in 2d6 hours.
- Death Burst (Ex): When a plague zombie dies, it explodes in a burst of decay. All creatures adjacent to the plague zombie are exposed to its plague as if struck by a slam attack and must make a Fortitude save or contract zombie rot.
Void Zombie
A void zombie is created when a humanoid is bitten by an Akata and dies as a result of becoming infected with the void death disease. A void zombie is a fast zombie with a secondary “tongue” attack (actually the larval akata’s feeding tendril). Speed: Void zombies have thier land speed increased by 10 feet. Defensive Abilities: A void zombie does not gain Damage Reduction 5/slashing. Attacks: A void zombie gains a secondary tongue attack for 1d6 damage. This follows normal rules for a secondary Natural Attack. Special Attacks: A void zombie gains the Quick Strikes special attack.- Quick Strikes Ex): Whenever a void zombie takes a full-attack action, it can make one additional slam attack at its highest base attack bonus.
- Blood Drain (Ex): If a void zombie hits a living creature with its tongue attack, it drains blood, dealing 2 points of Strength damage before the tongue detaches.
Alchemical Zombie
This zombie has been created through alchemical processes rather than necromantic magic. Positive energy has less effect on an alchemical zombie, giving it Channel Resistance +2. Its alchemically treated flesh is also more resistant to damage, granting it an additional +2 bonus Natural Armor Bonus above that which it gains based on its size. (CR +1)Brain-Eating Zombie
These terrifying zombie variants feed on humanoid brains. They gain a bite attack that deals damage based on the zombie’s size as per a normal Natural Weapon, and the Grab special attack, usable against opponents of the zombie’s own size or smaller. When an opponent dies, the zombie uses its next turn to feast upon its victim’s brain, making spells that require a complete corpse (such as Raise Dead) useless. Anyone killed after being bitten by a brain-eating zombie rises as a brain-eating zombie in 2d6 hours unless the corpse is blessed or similar preventative measures are taken. (CR +0)Cursed Zombie
Created as the result of a powerful curse rather than through necromantic spells, cursed zombies can bestow a curse upon their victims. A cursed zombie gains the curse special attack, delivered with its slam attack. (CR +1)- Zombie Curse (Su): Will Save DC = 10 + 1/2 the zombie’s Hit Dice + the zombie’s Charisma modifier; frequency —; effect as Bestow Curse; cure —.
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