D&D 5E How do I run a zombie horde?

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THEMNGMNT

Hero

• Oct 5, 2018

• #1

My players will be facing a horde of 50 zombies. I don't want to slow down combat by rolling each individual attack, tracking hit points, and so forth for each zombie. What's the best way to handle a situation like this?

I have five 7th level players: vengeance paladin, lore bard, four elements monk, beastmaster ranger, arcane trickster thief.

For some additional context, the players will be assaulting a dwarven ruin occupied by hobgoblins. What they don't realize is that the hobgoblins know they're coming and are going to unleash a horde of dwarven undead that have been corralled behind a set of locked double doors.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

 

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iserith

Magic Wordsmith

• Oct 5, 2018

• #2

Create zombie "swarms" that represent multiple zombies. Go with several Huge monsters with lots of hit points and the Swarm trait.

 

Valmarius

First Post

• Oct 5, 2018

• #3

To represent their dense numbers, I would write them up as "swarm" type monsters.

Call each zombie swarm a group of 10 individuals. Multiply zombie HP by 3 or 4 and buff their strength score.
Assume advantage on attacks from the help action, so add +5 to their to hit modifier.
Double their damage dice, and add the swarm effect where the extra die drops off at half HP.
Give them the swarm ability of half damage from BPS damage.

I've used this method recently, to create swarms of lizardfolk in support of a black dragon that my 4x 11th level PCs were fighting.

*Edit: Ninja'd

 

Last edited: Oct 5, 2018

Jester David

Hero

• Oct 5, 2018

• #4

Also check out page 250 in int DMG. There’s a section on handling mobs. Basically, you skip attacks and deal auto damage when you have a certain number of enemies.

 

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lowkey13

Guest

• Oct 5, 2018

• #5

*Deleted by user*

 

Oofta

Legend

• Oct 5, 2018

• #6

There are mob rules in the DMG (page 250), but I like the custom swarm idea as well. Personally I always try to give mobs/swarms a special feel that's appropriate for the monster. So for zombies, that includes literally swarming over individuals and getting special grapple attacks as a bonus attack to get advantage on their attack for example. I'd also consider having multiple mobs coming in from multiple directions to give a sense of being surrounded.

Zombies aren't scary as individuals, but because a solid mass of dead bodies surround you from all sides.

 

Valmarius

First Post

• Oct 5, 2018

• #7

Oofta said:

There are mob rules in the DMG (page 250), but I like the custom swarm idea as well. Personally I always try to give mobs/swarms a special feel that's appropriate for the monster. So for zombies, that includes literally swarming over individuals and getting special grapple attacks as a bonus attack to get advantage on their attack for example. I'd also consider having multiple mobs coming in from multiple directions to give a sense of being surrounded.

Zombies aren't scary as individuals, but because a solid mass of dead bodies surround you from all sides.

Click to expand...

I like the grapple idea!
Could steal a version of the Gelatinous cube's Engulf ability. The zombie swarm can move into a PC's space and they must save or be restrained. Could even swap out the auto acid damage of the cube for some auto piercing damage; Once you're restrained by the zombies, they start getting bitey!

 

Quickleaf

Legend

• Oct 5, 2018

• #8

THEMNGMNT said:

My players will be facing a horde of 50 zombies. I don't want to slow down combat by rolling each individual attack, tracking hit points, and so forth for each zombie. What's the best way to handle a situation like this?

I have five 7th level players: vengeance paladin, lore bard, four elements monk, beastmaster ranger, arcane trickster thief.

For some additional context, the players will be assaulting a dwarven ruin occupied by hobgoblins. What they don't realize is that the hobgoblins know they're coming and are going to unleash a horde of dwarven undead that have been corralled behind a set of locked double doors.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

Click to expand...

Good advice so far on how to handle the stats of the zombie horde.

I approach scenarios like this holistically. The PCs are trying to lay claim to this dwarven citadel occupied by hobgoblins. "Kill all zombies" isn't necessarily the only way to solve this challenge.

For example, maybe there's a portcullis or similar set of double doors that, if the zombies are lured within, the PCs can trap the zombies behind. Better yet, maybe there is something about the citadel's layout they can exploit to redirect zombies back at the hobgoblins...luminous braziers (that repel undead) which can be ignited with magic, a balcony which zombies can be forced off to drop down on hobgoblins from above, etc.

If you divide the zombies into five mini-hordes (one per PC), then each PC could make one "check" to handle a mini-horde. The bard, for example, might lure a horde with enchanting song into a banquet hall and lock them inside with the hobgoblins celebrating their recent victory.

 

Oofta

Legend

• Oct 5, 2018

• #9

One other note on this (can you tell I've run zombie hordes before?) is that in the past I gave them a "rise from the grave" power. Basically individual zombies pop up from the ground, no big deal. Then you realize you're standing on a mass grave as the ground beneath you begins to churn as they rise en mass.

 

Imaculata

Hero

• Oct 5, 2018

• #10

What I usually do, is treat the horde as one creature (as suggested above). But as soon as the horde is on its last hitpoints, I split it up into a few individual zombies.