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Zombie

Simple to create and varied in purpose, these shambling undead are often used for their strength and endless stamina to conduct boring, repetitive tasks.

Zombie Abilities

Zombies can be modified with a variety of special abilities. While any one of these doesn’t always increase the challenge presented by a zombie, multiple abilities probably warrant an increase in level and adjustment to its statistics.

Infested The zombie’s flesh is infested with swarming vermin. When the zombie is hit with a critical hit or destroyed, the swarm is set free. Its initiative is immediately after the zombie’s. If the swarm is 4 or more levels lower than the zombie, it isn’t worth XP (and doesn’t add its XP to the encounter budget).

Spitting Zombie The zombie spits acid as a ranged Strike with a range of 30 feet. This uses the highest attack bonus among the zombie’s Strikes and deals 1d12 acid damage per 3 levels of the zombie (or 1d6 acid damage below level 3). On a critical hit, the target also takes 1d4 persistent acid damage per 3 levels of the zombie. Once used, the zombie must spend 1 action to cough up enough acid to use this ability again.

Tearing Grapple The zombies work in groups to rip foes to pieces. Whenever a zombie with this ability successfully Grapples a foe that’s already grabbed or restrained by another zombie with this ability, they violently struggle over the poor victim, dealing fist damage (or a similar Strike’s damage if the zombie doesn’t have a fist Strike). If the grapple is a critical success, the target takes double damage and ceases being grabbed or restrained by any other creatures. If the zombie has the Grab ability, using Grab deals half its fist Strike damage to the target.

Zombie Animals

Animals, like the snake, owlbear, and mammoth, can easily turn into zombies. They commonly rise from areas cursed by necromancy rather than being deliberately created. Risen pets sometimes develop a fondness for zombies, especially zombies of their former owners. An ordinary zombie can be a suitable companion, capable of petting the risen pet endlessly without the capacity to grow bored.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Pathfinder Book of the Dead © 2022, Paizo Inc.; Authors: Brian Bauman, Tineke Bolleman. Logan Bonner, Jason Bulmahn, Jessica Catalan, John Compton, Chris Eng, Logan Harper, Michelle Jones, Jason Keeley, Luis Loza, Ron Lundeen, Liane Merciel, Patchen Mortimer, Quinn Murphy, Jessica Redekop, Mikhail Rekun, Solomon St. John, Michael Sayre, Mark Seifter, Sen.H.H.S., Kendra Leigh Speedling, Jason Tondro, Andrew White.

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