Devon
First Post
Here's a template loosely inspired by the Ghost Pirate LeChuck of "The Secret of Monkey Island" fame. I'm working on an actual Ghost Pirate template (incoporeal, possession, etc.), but the Deck Zombie was more inspiring at the moment, and Ghost Pirate may be too powerful as it was presented in the adventure game.
Please let me know if its CR bonus should be scaled according to its level. However, I think I've spread its abilities around enough for a straight +2 CR bonus. Please feel free to offer suggestions.
Thank you,
- Devon
Zombies, Deck (template)
"Deck Zombie" is a template that can be added to any corporeal, seafaring humanoid or monstrous humanoid of Small size or larger (referred to hereafter as the "base creature"). Its creature type becomes "undead."
Deck zombies, known as Shakkarin in some waters, are undead sailors who still ply the seas in their tattered, spooky ghost ships. Their spirits are strongly tied to their bodies, and they retain a great deal of their original personalities, making them fairly recognizable to those who knew them in life. Their undead state has nevertheless warped them, making them some of the more demented, crass, and otherwise barmy folk to sail the high seas.
Deck zombies are almost mummified by salt air--their skin is tight and dry, and usually a pastel green color, and their hair turns black, or a dark shade of green, like seaweed. They wear the tattered clothes they wore in life, and wield the same weapons, although some tend to keep daggers and other small weapons handy by nonchalantly shoving them into their own decaying arms. Being undead, Deck Zombies are tireless workers, but if they are not strongly coerced, they will as often as not skip out of work and relax somewhere. In combat, they fight as they did in life, although they will occasionally tear off arms and legs and batter opponents with them, doing normal strike damage--their limbs are easily reattached.
Hit Dice: Add two hit dice, and change total hit dice to d12.
Initiative: Same as the base creature, modified for changes in ability scores.
Speed: Deck zombies move 20 ft., and cannot run.
AC: +2 natural armor bonus due to their leathery zombie hides. This stacks with the base creature's innate natural armor value, if any.
Attacks: Same as the base creature, in addition to clubbing with its own limb (club damage), or throwing its head (as a thrown club).
Damage: Same as the base creature.
Face/Reach: Same as the base creature.
Special Attacks: Same as the base creature.
Special Qualities:
Undead: Immune to mind-influencing effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and disease. Not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, energy drain, or death from massive damage.
Deck Zombies also have abilities according to their hit dice:
Hit dice Abilities
----- ---------
1-5 Gross-out, Resist turning, reattachment
6-8 Spit Fire
9-11 Dread fire
12 Evil eye
Gross-out (Ex): A Deck Zombie can attempt to stun opponents in combat with a grotesque display, by opening its face, taking off its head, exposing a gaping hole in its abdomen, or some other disturbing action. Anyone within 20 feet, facing the Deck zombie when it performs the Gross-out must make a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 Deck Zombie's hit dice + Deck Zombie's Charisma modifier) or be stunned for 1d2 rounds. Someone facing a Deck Zombie alone in melee combat must save or be stunned for 1d4 rounds.
Resist Turning (Ex): Deck Zombies, having no home, and in possession of most of their original faculties, cannot be turned, although they can be rebuked, obeying as long as they are tightly monitored.
Reattachment (Ex): Deck Zombies occasionally detach their own arms, legs and head for use in combat, for no reason other than to disturb their opponents. These are easily reattached as a standard action, and should an opponent remove one of the zombie's limbs in battle, the zombie need only recover the limb and reattach it. They do not regrow limbs, however, and usually have to fashion crude replacements with hooks. Its limbs function independently of each other, as does its head.
Spit Fire (Ex): A Deck Zombie can eventually spew forth gouts of flame after drinking grog, rum or other alcohol. Quaffing the alcohol is a move-equivalent action, and spitting the flame is a standard action. The flame is a line of fire 20 feet long and 5 feet wide, which does 3d6 damage; Reflex save for half damage (DC 10 + Deck zombie's hit dice + Deck Zombie's Dexterity modifier).
Dread Fire (Su): A Deck Zombie can light itself on fire as a standard action, doing an additional 1d6 fire damage with unarmed attacks during melee combat and grapples, but doing no harm to itself. The flames are a sickly green hue, and it can use them to set fire to rigging, sails, etc.
Evil Eye (Su): A powerful Deck Zombie can curse with a look. A number of times per day equal to the Deck Zombie's Charisma modifier, it may cast Curse on one person, as the spell, as a 12th-level caster (DC 16 + Deck Zombie's Charisma modifier).
Saves: Same as the base creature, modified for changes in ability scores.
Abilities: Ability scores are modified as follows: Str +2, Dex -2, Con --, Int +0, Wis +1, Cha +4
Skills: Same as the base creature, modified for stat bonuses.
Feats: Same as the base creature
Climate/Terrain: Oceans and other waterways.
Organization: Same as the base creature
Challenge Rating: +2
Treasure: Same as the base creature
Alignment: Same as the base creature (usually evil).
Advancement: Same as the base creature
Please let me know if its CR bonus should be scaled according to its level. However, I think I've spread its abilities around enough for a straight +2 CR bonus. Please feel free to offer suggestions.
Thank you,
- Devon
Zombies, Deck (template)
"Deck Zombie" is a template that can be added to any corporeal, seafaring humanoid or monstrous humanoid of Small size or larger (referred to hereafter as the "base creature"). Its creature type becomes "undead."
Deck zombies, known as Shakkarin in some waters, are undead sailors who still ply the seas in their tattered, spooky ghost ships. Their spirits are strongly tied to their bodies, and they retain a great deal of their original personalities, making them fairly recognizable to those who knew them in life. Their undead state has nevertheless warped them, making them some of the more demented, crass, and otherwise barmy folk to sail the high seas.
Deck zombies are almost mummified by salt air--their skin is tight and dry, and usually a pastel green color, and their hair turns black, or a dark shade of green, like seaweed. They wear the tattered clothes they wore in life, and wield the same weapons, although some tend to keep daggers and other small weapons handy by nonchalantly shoving them into their own decaying arms. Being undead, Deck Zombies are tireless workers, but if they are not strongly coerced, they will as often as not skip out of work and relax somewhere. In combat, they fight as they did in life, although they will occasionally tear off arms and legs and batter opponents with them, doing normal strike damage--their limbs are easily reattached.
Hit Dice: Add two hit dice, and change total hit dice to d12.
Initiative: Same as the base creature, modified for changes in ability scores.
Speed: Deck zombies move 20 ft., and cannot run.
AC: +2 natural armor bonus due to their leathery zombie hides. This stacks with the base creature's innate natural armor value, if any.
Attacks: Same as the base creature, in addition to clubbing with its own limb (club damage), or throwing its head (as a thrown club).
Damage: Same as the base creature.
Face/Reach: Same as the base creature.
Special Attacks: Same as the base creature.
Special Qualities:
Undead: Immune to mind-influencing effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and disease. Not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, energy drain, or death from massive damage.
Deck Zombies also have abilities according to their hit dice:
Hit dice Abilities
----- ---------
1-5 Gross-out, Resist turning, reattachment
6-8 Spit Fire
9-11 Dread fire
12 Evil eye
Gross-out (Ex): A Deck Zombie can attempt to stun opponents in combat with a grotesque display, by opening its face, taking off its head, exposing a gaping hole in its abdomen, or some other disturbing action. Anyone within 20 feet, facing the Deck zombie when it performs the Gross-out must make a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 Deck Zombie's hit dice + Deck Zombie's Charisma modifier) or be stunned for 1d2 rounds. Someone facing a Deck Zombie alone in melee combat must save or be stunned for 1d4 rounds.
Resist Turning (Ex): Deck Zombies, having no home, and in possession of most of their original faculties, cannot be turned, although they can be rebuked, obeying as long as they are tightly monitored.
Reattachment (Ex): Deck Zombies occasionally detach their own arms, legs and head for use in combat, for no reason other than to disturb their opponents. These are easily reattached as a standard action, and should an opponent remove one of the zombie's limbs in battle, the zombie need only recover the limb and reattach it. They do not regrow limbs, however, and usually have to fashion crude replacements with hooks. Its limbs function independently of each other, as does its head.
Spit Fire (Ex): A Deck Zombie can eventually spew forth gouts of flame after drinking grog, rum or other alcohol. Quaffing the alcohol is a move-equivalent action, and spitting the flame is a standard action. The flame is a line of fire 20 feet long and 5 feet wide, which does 3d6 damage; Reflex save for half damage (DC 10 + Deck zombie's hit dice + Deck Zombie's Dexterity modifier).
Dread Fire (Su): A Deck Zombie can light itself on fire as a standard action, doing an additional 1d6 fire damage with unarmed attacks during melee combat and grapples, but doing no harm to itself. The flames are a sickly green hue, and it can use them to set fire to rigging, sails, etc.
Evil Eye (Su): A powerful Deck Zombie can curse with a look. A number of times per day equal to the Deck Zombie's Charisma modifier, it may cast Curse on one person, as the spell, as a 12th-level caster (DC 16 + Deck Zombie's Charisma modifier).
Saves: Same as the base creature, modified for changes in ability scores.
Abilities: Ability scores are modified as follows: Str +2, Dex -2, Con --, Int +0, Wis +1, Cha +4
Skills: Same as the base creature, modified for stat bonuses.
Feats: Same as the base creature
Climate/Terrain: Oceans and other waterways.
Organization: Same as the base creature
Challenge Rating: +2
Treasure: Same as the base creature
Alignment: Same as the base creature (usually evil).
Advancement: Same as the base creature
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