Medium undead, neutral evil
Armor Class: 10
Hit Points: 22 5d8
Speed:
25 ft
Saving Throws: Str +2, Con +2
Damage Immunities: Necrotic, poison, cold
Senses: passive Perception 10
Languages: Understands all languages it knew in life but doesn't speak
Challenge Rating: 1
Undead Touched. The zombie does not need sleep or drink.
Zombie Fortitude. If reduced to zero hit points, the cannibal zombie must make a DC 10 Constitution roll that if succeeded reduced them to 1 hit point instead. If failed or radiant damage reduced it to zero then it falls to zero hit points & dies as usual.
Actions
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack +2 to hit, reach 5 ft, one target. Hit 5 1d6+2 bludgeoning damage.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack +2 to hit, reach 5 ft, one target. Hit 6 1d8+2 piercing damage, plus the victim must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw. If succeeded nothing happens. If failed, the victim is poisoned, and takes 3 1d6 poison damage per turn(or per hour out of combat). If reduced to zero hit points the victim turns as a cannibal zombie in 1d6 hours. Healing magic, a Wish spell, or burning the body is the only way to prevent this happening.
Cannibal Zombies are pitiful creatures. Blurring the line between the living and the dead, they shuffle around in packs or hordes made up of the others of their kind seeking living victims to eat. Almost any human or humanoid will do, and when there is none left, will happily target other living creatures to eat.
Each individual cannibal zombie is infected with some type magical plague that kills off it's host leaving the cadaver with the bare minimum of life, and base instinct. Many slowly loose mass & body weight over time, and decay very slowly (usually regions of the body that have succumbed to the disease). Each of these zombies can recognize the living, and swarm towards potential victims, regularly speeding up a little and their groans getting slightly higher in pitch & timber. Many are still wearing the remains of their own clothing / equipment, but do not use any equipment or feel anything except an urge to feast on the flesh & blood of the living.
Regular purges are required to wipe out cannibal zombie outbreaks, and the burning of the remains are the safest in the short term. There is the odd rumour that sometimes the burnings seem to cause outbreaks in neighbouring regions.
Suggested Environments
Anywhere non-artic or non-desert.
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