Skeletons, Zombies, and Animated Corpses

[Anime Kidd]

One thing that has always bothered me is how D&D (and most other fantasy games) split animated corpses as either skeletons or zombies. It bothers me because they are generally the same thing, but one just happens to only bones. So it begs the question; can a zombie become a skeleton over time? What do you think? Do you think the two should be one creature or is there actually enough for the difference?

Also, are there any templates for animated corpses? All I know is that CoC d20 has one, but is there one for generic d20 fantasy/D&D?

 

[mmadsen]

So it begs the question; can a zombie become a skeleton over time?

First, some games explicitly spell out that, yes, a zombie becomes a skeleton over time. GURPS does this (or third edition did).

Second -- and I apologize for the pedantry -- begs the question doesn't mean raises the question. Begging the question means (or originally meant) making a circular argument :

The traditional use of the phrase 'Begging the question' describes a type of logical fallacy (also called 'petitio principii') in which the evidence given for a proposition is as much in need of proof as the proposition itself. A common form of begging the question is a circular argument, circulus in probando, vicious circle or circular reasoning in which the proposition to be proved is contained in one of the premises. As a concept in logic the first known definition of it in the West is by the Greek philosopher Aristotle around 350 B.C., in his book Prior Analytics.​

 

[reanjr]

Van Richten's Guide to the Walking Dead is a must-have for stupid, shambling, undead.

 

[Anime Kidd]

What GURPS book would that be?

 

[Steve Jung]

Also, are there any templates for animated corpses? All I know is that CoC d20 has one, but is there one for generic d20 fantasy/D&D?

In D&D 3.5, skeleton and zombie are templates.

 

[Anime Kidd]

In D&D 3.5, skeleton and zombie are templates.

Yes I know, but I'm talking about why there shouldn't just be a single template to represent the animated corpse type of undead.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Perceptions.

Zombies are percieved as shambling, but animated skeletons are closer to Ray Harryhausen's skeletons in the Sinbad movies.

So no, they should not.

The Auld Grump

 

[Darkness]

What GURPS book would that be?

GURPS Undead (p.89, possibly elsewhere as well). Maybe other books too.

 

[fredramsey]

I always think about it in terms of where the "corpse" came from.

If it is a recent kill, with flesh on the bones, when you animate it, it becomes a Zombie. If it is an old corpse, just bones, it becomes a skeleton.

Of course, those really dedicated (dead-icated?) necromancers can strip the flesh off a new corpse if they want skeletons. Ick.

 

[Darkness]

Of course, those really dedicated (dead-icated?) necromancers can strip the flesh off a new corpse if they want skeletons. Ick.

Necromancers need to eat, too. (The living ones, anyway.)

So do their familiars. (Same disclaimer as above.)

And their orc minions. (Same disclaimer.)