3.X Zombies: How Can They Be More Of a Threat?

[Doug McCrae]

Traditional slow zombies can work if the PCs end up surrounded, just like in the movies. Or put zombies at the bottom of a pit trap. Any situation where the PCs can't just run away.

If you can stick the PCs down somehow, with bear traps or something similar, you could get a genuine horror moment as the zombies slowly approach.

That's why they're slow in the films. To build tension.

 

[Stalker0]

I would go with the zombie mob, a variant of the dmg II mob.

The biggest advantages, a huge grapple, automatic damage, and a decent amount of hitpoints. You do NOT want to be in melee with that!!

 

[Klaus]

You know it. I know it. Current edition zombies are friggin pushovers, unlike movie zombies - those nigh unstoppable, animal intelligence, burst of speed, death-spreading killing machines!

What can be done, stat-wise, to make PCs fear zombies?

Here are a couple of my ideas...

1) Once per minute, give them the ability to charge at up to triple their base speed.

2) All zombies have a bite attack which, if the victim fails a Fortitude Save, rapidly drains the victims Con. The victim becomes a zombie when its Con score reaches 0.

Comments? Additions?

Also, what would adding these two extra things do to a zombie's CR?

Make the PCs all Commoner 1 with a 25-point buy.



I wrote up the Plague Zombie for Fiery Dragon (it's in Counter Collection 7: Undead):

 

[Scurvy_Platypus]

yeah, the problem with something like Zombies is, what level are you talking?

D&D is based on the idea that you fight some stuff for a while, and then you go somewhere else and fight other stuff.

You know, kinda like playing an MMO with their idea of going to different "zones" or areas or whatever and fighting monsters of the appropriate level.

So, are you saying you're looking for something like a level 15 zombie, or....?

If you wind up actually capping the game, like is done in E6, then you can wind up having zombies be much more scary. Buff 'em up a little, make their bite be diseased and an actual threat to making the PC into a zombie, and you're all set.

As I see it, either the game needs to be capped, or you need to be able to scale a zombie in a real fashion so it's actually a threat no matter what the level is. The continual escalation that D&D has though really argues against something like a zombie being a significant threat for very long.

 

[Kunimatyu]

Use their (likely) 4E abilities:

Hard to Kill: When a zombie would be destroyed, roll a d20. On a roll of 11 or higher, the zombie survives the effect and is restored to full HP.

Deadly in Numbers: When a target is adjacent to at least 4 zombies, the zombies may use their action to make an opposed Strength check with the target, adding +2 for each zombie past the first. If they are successful, the target is prone and all adjacent zombies are treated as successfully entering a grapple with the target.

Devour Flesh: A zombie that begins its turn in a grapple must spend its action to deal automatic bite damage equivalent to its slam attack.

 

[Griffith Dragonlake]

Mob rules, Aid Another, difficult terrain are all great ideas.

What I did for Grymwurld: A Dark Mirror™ Undead Plague adventure was:

• Immune to normal attacks. Only critical hits can damage them. Zombies are also immune to non-lethal damage. This simulates the requirement of decapitation or blowing the body apart.

• Unnatural: As an unnatural creature, zombies are immune to non-magical attacks but may be damaged by silver, gold, or blessed weapons.

 

[Mark]

Here's something I'm kicking around but haven't gotten to the stats yet. Bear in mind this comes from my 5 year old son (. . .)

Yeah, I'm proud of the little guy and can't wait to get him introduced to gaming.

Sounds like *he* is reintroducing you to gaming!

 

[Rechan]

So Presto, see anything you like?

Thusly inspired by this thread, I think I'm going to make the first adventure with some new people I met online will be a zombie attack.

I'm going to hand them the pre-genned NPC class characters, and see if they can survive.

 

[Scribble]

If you have iron heroes one of the monster feat mastery chains is "Swarm Tactics..."

Each ally with the feat threatening an opponent gives the attacker a +1 to hit... Later on in the chain is the ability to replace an adjacent fallen comrade instantly... So you take one down, the next one moves into place immediately... Later on bonuses to the defense and such like the attack bonus above... And finally if both attackers have swarm tactics they can grant each other sneak attack damage...

Give the zombie this ability (Either use the feat mastery idea, or just make them special abilities...) a bite attack, and maybe improved Grapple... Now we have a bit more danger. Especially if you let yourself get surrounded by a bunch of zombies...

up to +8 to hit... bite damage +1d6 sneak attack damage... Plus with improved grapple.. a zombie has a good chance of getting you on the ground and pinned... munch munch munch...

Kind of reminds me of the scene in zombie flicks where someone starts being surrounded... they start fighting off one, and another one sneaks up behind them and takes a chunk out... CHOMP!

 

[Simm]

Just an I idea I had, based on low fantasy, non contageous zombies.
Replace DR 5/slashing with

Unstopable (Ex): Zombies possess a undead vitality that makes them all but invincable to most attacks. Damage dealt to the zombie has no effect unless ot brings it to 0 or lower hit points.