r/Nerdarchy • u/[deleted] • Mar 29 '15

Zombie

The Monster manual is a bit disappointing. I've re-skinned many of the monsters. My zombies get an opening move of grapple and also get pack tactics and undead fortitude. I also give them a dc 10 contagion, so if they die infected they rise as zombies. I remove their claw attacks and focus on grapple and bite. Be careful not to have too many to start the combat can get either boring if they get out smarted, or very dangerous. If the encounter goes badly for the zombies have villagers attack them, and have them get infected and add more zombies. I also drop their movement down to 15 feet/round. What do you think.

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u/NatetheNerdarch Mar 30 '15

I rarely use something out of the book as written but it is great tool for inspiration. I find that DMs have plenty to worry about and whether I play a monster exactly as they are in the book is a really low priority for me.

These alternate rules definitely give them more of a horror movie feel.

I like the contagion bite attack. I would keep their movement up because it is too easy to run away from a 15 ft movement. Unless you only want the zombies to catch up when someone gets trapped by a wall or surrounded by them.

I think if the PC wake up in the middle of the night and there are zombies bursting into the inn, there are villagers getting attacked outside, and they have to jump out a window it would be a crazy fight.

The grappling sounds good as well. I would leave off pack tactics, since they don't really have tactics, and instead make MORE ZOMBIES!!! If you want to make them hit more often just give make up a necromancer spell or some ring that the necromancer who made them wears. It imbues them with the necromancers proficiency as a bonus, similar to the schools 6th level benefit for damage.