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Help Me Make a 5E Zombie One Shot
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<blockquote data-quote="Leatherhead" data-source="post: 7556017" data-attributes="member: 53176"><p>So, here is my generic advice about zombie filled low level encounters:</p><p></p><p>If your party doesn't have Radiant Damage, <strong>Undead Fortitude</strong> is going to wreck their day. For the most extreme example, I can remember my group's first Zombie encounter in 5e. We had handily "won" the encounter, because the zombies were all trapped at the bottom of a well. But we couldn't just leave them there. As a consequence of this, we spent entirely all too long just shooting them like fish in a barrel until they died. It was a horrible slog.</p><p></p><p>Consider changing it to something like this:</p><p></p><p><strong>Regeneration:</strong></p><p>The Zombie regains 1 hit point every round. If the Zombie takes acid, fire, or radiant damage, or is hit by a critical hit, this trait doesn’t function at the start of the Zombie’s next turn. The Zombie is destroyed only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points and doesn’t regenerate. A Zombie that has been reduced to 0 hit points, but isn't yet destroyed, is paralyzed until they regain one hit point.</p><p></p><p>You can (and should) edit the damage types as necessary, depending on what kind of casters you have in the party. Though I have to say a party furiously defending and managing their torches as the only way to be safe from an undead horde really plays up the horror aspect.</p><p>What I like most about this mechanic is that it makes zombies more consistent, and it plays up on the old "Double-Tap to make sure they are dead" trope. </p><p></p><p>My less generic bit of advice: If you are looking for a "Super-Zombie" to lead the horde, consider a Spawn of Kyuss (from Volo's Guide to Monsters). It's a zombie, that makes more zombies. Though you would have to nerf it's Burrowing Worm to make normal zombies.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Leatherhead, post: 7556017, member: 53176"] So, here is my generic advice about zombie filled low level encounters: If your party doesn't have Radiant Damage, [B]Undead Fortitude[/B] is going to wreck their day. For the most extreme example, I can remember my group's first Zombie encounter in 5e. We had handily "won" the encounter, because the zombies were all trapped at the bottom of a well. But we couldn't just leave them there. As a consequence of this, we spent entirely all too long just shooting them like fish in a barrel until they died. It was a horrible slog. Consider changing it to something like this: [B]Regeneration:[/B] The Zombie regains 1 hit point every round. If the Zombie takes acid, fire, or radiant damage, or is hit by a critical hit, this trait doesn’t function at the start of the Zombie’s next turn. The Zombie is destroyed only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points and doesn’t regenerate. A Zombie that has been reduced to 0 hit points, but isn't yet destroyed, is paralyzed until they regain one hit point. You can (and should) edit the damage types as necessary, depending on what kind of casters you have in the party. Though I have to say a party furiously defending and managing their torches as the only way to be safe from an undead horde really plays up the horror aspect. What I like most about this mechanic is that it makes zombies more consistent, and it plays up on the old "Double-Tap to make sure they are dead" trope. My less generic bit of advice: If you are looking for a "Super-Zombie" to lead the horde, consider a Spawn of Kyuss (from Volo's Guide to Monsters). It's a zombie, that makes more zombies. Though you would have to nerf it's Burrowing Worm to make normal zombies. [/QUOTE]
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