Animated Attacks [Archive] - Wizards Community

Animated Attacks [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Dungeoneer
03-06-07, 03:40 PM Ok, this one is in regards to animating the skeleton (or corpse to make a zombie, as the case may be) of a fallen foe. For argument's sake, lets say the base creature is a human.

It says in the MM, page 226, that for attacks, "a skeleton retains all the natural weapons, manufactured weapon attacks and weapon proficiencies of the base creature, except for attacks that can't work without flesh (such as a mind flayer's tentacle attacks)."

It is clearly stated that all of the base creature's feats are lost, but what about its attack bonuses if it were say, a 6th level fighter with a 17 strength. Would it then have the +6/+1 BAB (translating into +9/+4) or is that lost as well? (Does that mean that the skeleton just picks up its trusty greataxe and gets only one attack per round at a +3?)

And if that is the case, is there a way of improving a skeleton's abilities? I just find it kind of weird that a 6th level fighter that is killed and then animated would be such a small threat. I mean, I know it shouldn't be as big a terror as it was when the fighter was alive, but to be completely reduced to a 1HD creature...?

What if it was animated as a zombie instead?

Any comments or suggestions on how to handle this would be greatly appreciated!:thinks: :thinks: :thinks:
Kradlo
03-06-07, 03:56 PM The BAB is based upon the creature's hit dice. A skeleton retains the number of hit dice (which become d12s), and has a BAB of half its hit dice (rounded down). A zombie doubles the creature's hit dice (so a 4 HD creature becomes a 8 HD zombie), with BAB of half its hit dice (rounded down).

And the hit dice are based on race, not class. Your human 6th level fighter that becomes a skeleton becomes a 1 HD skeleton. Or a 2 HD zombie.

If you want greater undead, you'd have to use something like Create Greater Undead. Animate Dead just gets you skeletons and zombies, and that's all.
valcarde
03-06-07, 04:53 PM Thing to remember about skeletons and zombies: they are mindless undead, just husks given mobility through negative energy. They don't really have any weapon training or inate skill, just using whatever is at hand with an unnatural ferocity and strength. So a level 6 human fighter would still just come back as a 1HD skeleton.

Though I wonder...
Can you enchant a skeleton?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Dungeoneer 03-06-07, 03:40 PM	Ok, this one is in regards to animating the skeleton (or corpse to make a zombie, as the case may be) of a fallen foe. For argument's sake, lets say the base creature is a human. It says in the MM, page 226, that for attacks, "a skeleton retains all the natural weapons, manufactured weapon attacks and weapon proficiencies of the base creature, except for attacks that can't work without flesh (such as a mind flayer's tentacle attacks)." It is clearly stated that all of the base creature's feats are lost, but what about its attack bonuses if it were say, a 6th level fighter with a 17 strength. Would it then have the +6/+1 BAB (translating into +9/+4) or is that lost as well? (Does that mean that the skeleton just picks up its trusty greataxe and gets only one attack per round at a +3?) And if that is the case, is there a way of improving a skeleton's abilities? I just find it kind of weird that a 6th level fighter that is killed and then animated would be such a small threat. I mean, I know it shouldn't be as big a terror as it was when the fighter was alive, but to be completely reduced to a 1HD creature...? What if it was animated as a zombie instead? Any comments or suggestions on how to handle this would be greatly appreciated!:thinks: :thinks: :thinks:
Kradlo 03-06-07, 03:56 PM	The BAB is based upon the creature's hit dice. A skeleton retains the number of hit dice (which become d12s), and has a BAB of half its hit dice (rounded down). A zombie doubles the creature's hit dice (so a 4 HD creature becomes a 8 HD zombie), with BAB of half its hit dice (rounded down). And the hit dice are based on race, not class. Your human 6th level fighter that becomes a skeleton becomes a 1 HD skeleton. Or a 2 HD zombie. If you want greater undead, you'd have to use something like Create Greater Undead. Animate Dead just gets you skeletons and zombies, and that's all.
valcarde 03-06-07, 04:53 PM	Thing to remember about skeletons and zombies: they are mindless undead, just husks given mobility through negative energy. They don't really have any weapon training or inate skill, just using whatever is at hand with an unnatural ferocity and strength. So a level 6 human fighter would still just come back as a 1HD skeleton. Though I wonder... Can you enchant a skeleton?