Headcrabs and Headcrab Zombies
Zombie Level 2 Brute
Medium natural animate (undead) XP 125
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Initiative +0 Senses Perception +1; darkvision
HP 52; Bloodied 26
AC 12; Fortitude 15, Reflex 11, Will 12
Immune disease, poison; Resist 10 necrotic; Vulnerable 5 radiant
Speed 4
m Slam (standard; at-will)
+5 vs. AC; 2d6 + 2 damage.
M Zombie Grab (standard; at-will)
+3 vs. Reflex; the target is grabbed (until escape). Checks made to escape the zombie’s grab take a –5 penalty.
M Bite (minor 1/round; at-will)
Targets a living creature that has been immobilised; +5 vs. AC; 1d6 + 2 damage.
Alignment Unaligned Languages -
Str 14 (+3) Dex 8 (+0) Wis 10 (+1)
Con 17 (+4) Int 1 (-4) Cha 3 (-3)
I've made a few changes to the typical zombie (Monster Manual, p. 274). I've altered the numbers a bit in order to bring this closer to the monster creation guidelines found in the Dungeon Master's Guide (p. 184). I tried to make this reflect my personal idea of a propper zombie. The major changes are that i got rid of the "Zombie Weakness" quality (since the zombie rotter fills the gooey and frail category already) and added a bite attack. This characterises the zombie's drive to consume flesh. In combination with it's mindlessness, this might result in a creature so intent on eating you, it cares not whether you're a live or dead. The damage is fairly low, but it still gives adventurers additional incentive to avoid that grab of theirs.
EDIT :: I'm changing the bite's requirement to immobilisation. Fancy footwork will save you from the sting of it's bite, but if you're grabbed or otherwise cannot dance away, you're in danger of becoming the next meal. I increased the damage a little. In this way, it's sort of like extra damage from combat advantage that many striker-like monsters have, but it requires a different condition and another roll.
Initiative +0 Senses Perception +1; darkvision
HP 52; Bloodied 26
AC 12; Fortitude 15, Reflex 11, Will 12
Immune disease, poison; Resist 10 necrotic; Vulnerable 5 radiant
Speed 4
m Slam (standard; at-will)
+5 vs. AC; 2d6 + 2 damage.
M Zombie Grab (standard; at-will)
+3 vs. Reflex; the target is grabbed (until escape). Checks made to escape the zombie’s grab take a –5 penalty.
M Bite (minor 1/round; at-will)
Targets a living creature that has been immobilised; +5 vs. AC; 1d6 + 2 damage.
Alignment Unaligned Languages -
Str 14 (+3) Dex 8 (+0) Wis 10 (+1)
Con 17 (+4) Int 1 (-4) Cha 3 (-3)
I've made a few changes to the typical zombie (Monster Manual, p. 274). I've altered the numbers a bit in order to bring this closer to the monster creation guidelines found in the Dungeon Master's Guide (p. 184). I tried to make this reflect my personal idea of a propper zombie. The major changes are that i got rid of the "Zombie Weakness" quality (since the zombie rotter fills the gooey and frail category already) and added a bite attack. This characterises the zombie's drive to consume flesh. In combination with it's mindlessness, this might result in a creature so intent on eating you, it cares not whether you're a live or dead. The damage is fairly low, but it still gives adventurers additional incentive to avoid that grab of theirs.
EDIT :: I'm changing the bite's requirement to immobilisation. Fancy footwork will save you from the sting of it's bite, but if you're grabbed or otherwise cannot dance away, you're in danger of becoming the next meal. I increased the damage a little. In this way, it's sort of like extra damage from combat advantage that many striker-like monsters have, but it requires a different condition and another roll.
That being said I really like the idea of zombies being flavored as you need. One of the things that I loved about Libiris Mortis in 3.X
Right now I don't quite get the "vision" you have for this type of Zombie, is it supposed to be the type that grabs you and begins to eat your brains (slow hungry dead) or is it the hard hitting zombie that mindlessly flails about?
The grab is where this monster gets confused. Right now the grab would rarely be used, but if you swap a few things around I think it makes more sense. Swap the hit bonus on the slam and the grab. Up the damage on the bite to say 2d4+2 and make it only useable in a grab.
I think that makes a little more sense, but maybe I'm thinking of different dead guy that you.
When I first saw the title I was a worried that the boards would get bogged down in Zombie alternative lifestlyes, I am relieved to see it's not so!
You mean like a vegan zombie? :D That actually might be interesting... in a parody kind of way.
[...]Right now I don't quite get the "vision" you have for this type of Zombie, is it supposed to be the type that grabs you and begins to eat your brains (slow hungry dead) or is it the hard hitting zombie that mindlessly flails about?
The grab is where this monster gets confused. Right now the grab would rarely be used, but if you swap a few things around I think it makes more sense. Swap the hit bonus on the slam and the grab. Up the damage on the bite to say 2d4+2 and make it only useable in a grab.
I think that makes a little more sense, but maybe I'm thinking of different dead guy that you.
What i see them doing is attacking in groups, as pack hunters of a sort. One or two will surprise and grab a target and the group starts to surround him, flanking and gaining combat advantage. I made the bite require CA rather than just a grab because i figured an adventurer could dodge the slow zombie's normal, human-sized jaws easily enough, if he's not distracted. When they surround their prey is when zombies become most dangerous.
The hit bonus for the grab is lower because it targets the Reflex defense, which tends to be lower than AC, as i am led to believe. I'll look into it and see if it could use a boost though.
The bite is very low damage because it's a minor action attack, so the zombie can still slam while it bites. Since my strategy would be to have several zombies ganging up on a character, having a lot of decent to high damage attacks all at once might be... overkill? Tell me what you think though.
Great thoughts.
I hope this helps to clarify.Tiny aberrant magical beast XP 50
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Initiative +6 Senses Perception +2; darkvision
HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minion.
AC 19; Fortitude 16, Reflex 19, Will 15
Speed 2, jump 8
m Leap Attack (standard; at-will)
+10 vs. AC; 9 damage. The parasite may jump a number of squares up to it's jump speed before the attack. If it does, treat this as a charge.
M Meld (standard; at-will)
targets an unconscious humanoid; +8 vs. Fortitude; 20 damage (accounting for automatic critial hit). If the target dies, the parasite latches on and, together with the corpse, becomes a fresh headcrab zombie. It is stunned (save ends), acts on the parasite's initiative count, and may stand as a move action. The parasite may meld with recently dead corpses automatically.
Alignment Unaligned Language -
Str 13 (+3) Dex 18 (+6) Wis 10 (+2)
Con 12 (+3) Int 3 (-2) Cha 5 (-1)
The humble headcrab is a parasite from the Far Realm which found it's way into the natural world through short-lived, unnatural portals. It prefers warm, dark and damp places, preferrably those that are enclosed, such as costal caves or sewer systems.
An unengaged headcrab's primary motivation is to meld with a humanoid body. It's not how they accomplish it, but headcrabs can latch on to the skulls of recently dead or unconscious humanoids (killing them if they weren't already) and reanimate them virtually as a new part of it's tiny aberrant body.
Once it has a host, the headcrab becomes a nocturnal hunter. However, it's preferences remain ultimately unchanged. The headcrab zombie will favour humanoid prey, if given a choice. It continues to favour dark, enclosed spaces to nest in. Unengaged headcrabs will lay eggs in corpses unfit for melding, such as those from non-humanoids or too badly decayed or damaged to be of use to them.
Such eggs are typically abandoned immediately as the parent continues it's search for a host. However, since a headcrab's hunting range tends to be limited, surviving young often congregate in the same hollows, seeming to be drawn to and take comfort in the presence of more of their kind. It is not uncommon for an engaged headcrab zombie to carry some of its "family" along, if it moves on to new haunts.
(Disclaimer: I do not own the concept of the headcrab. The method of reproduction and much of the headcrab's behavior as presented here is non-canonical... in fact, i made it up on the spot. Deal with it.)
Initiative +6 Senses Perception +2; darkvision
HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minion.
AC 19; Fortitude 16, Reflex 19, Will 15
Speed 2, jump 8
m Leap Attack (standard; at-will)
+10 vs. AC; 9 damage. The parasite may jump a number of squares up to it's jump speed before the attack. If it does, treat this as a charge.
M Meld (standard; at-will)
targets an unconscious humanoid; +8 vs. Fortitude; 20 damage (accounting for automatic critial hit). If the target dies, the parasite latches on and, together with the corpse, becomes a fresh headcrab zombie. It is stunned (save ends), acts on the parasite's initiative count, and may stand as a move action. The parasite may meld with recently dead corpses automatically.
Alignment Unaligned Language -
Str 13 (+3) Dex 18 (+6) Wis 10 (+2)
Con 12 (+3) Int 3 (-2) Cha 5 (-1)
The humble headcrab is a parasite from the Far Realm which found it's way into the natural world through short-lived, unnatural portals. It prefers warm, dark and damp places, preferrably those that are enclosed, such as costal caves or sewer systems.
An unengaged headcrab's primary motivation is to meld with a humanoid body. It's not how they accomplish it, but headcrabs can latch on to the skulls of recently dead or unconscious humanoids (killing them if they weren't already) and reanimate them virtually as a new part of it's tiny aberrant body.
Once it has a host, the headcrab becomes a nocturnal hunter. However, it's preferences remain ultimately unchanged. The headcrab zombie will favour humanoid prey, if given a choice. It continues to favour dark, enclosed spaces to nest in. Unengaged headcrabs will lay eggs in corpses unfit for melding, such as those from non-humanoids or too badly decayed or damaged to be of use to them.
Such eggs are typically abandoned immediately as the parent continues it's search for a host. However, since a headcrab's hunting range tends to be limited, surviving young often congregate in the same hollows, seeming to be drawn to and take comfort in the presence of more of their kind. It is not uncommon for an engaged headcrab zombie to carry some of its "family" along, if it moves on to new haunts.
(Disclaimer: I do not own the concept of the headcrab. The method of reproduction and much of the headcrab's behavior as presented here is non-canonical... in fact, i made it up on the spot. Deal with it.)
As a side note, i'm considering making some of the parasite traits (disease saving throw and resistance to undead-affecting powers) into a "living dead" subtype, in order to capture the "complex interplay of living and unliving matter". What do you think?
You mean like a vegan zombie? :D That actually might be interesting... in a parody kind of way.
Graaaaains?