Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
White Dwarf Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Nest
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions, OSR, & D&D Variants
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
EN Publishing
Twitter
BlueSky
Facebook
Instagram
EN World
BlueSky
YouTube
Facebook
Twitter
Twitch
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions, OSR, & D&D Variants
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
Deck Zombie (undead pirate template)
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Devon" data-source="post: 125477" data-attributes="member: 1446"><p>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.</p><p></p><p>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.</p><p></p><p>Thank you,</p><p></p><p>- Devon</p><p></p><p>Zombies, Deck (template)</p><p></p><p>"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."</p><p></p><p>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.</p><p></p><p>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.</p><p></p><p>Hit Dice: Add two hit dice, and change total hit dice to d12. </p><p>Initiative: Same as the base creature, modified for changes in ability scores.</p><p>Speed: Deck zombies move 20 ft., and cannot run.</p><p>AC: +2 natural armor bonus due to their leathery zombie hides. This stacks with the base creature's innate natural armor value, if any.</p><p>Attacks: Same as the base creature, in addition to clubbing with its own limb (club damage), or throwing its head (as a thrown club).</p><p>Damage: Same as the base creature.</p><p>Face/Reach: Same as the base creature.</p><p>Special Attacks: Same as the base creature.</p><p></p><p>Special Qualities: </p><p>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.</p><p></p><p>Deck Zombies also have abilities according to their hit dice:</p><p></p><p>Hit dice Abilities</p><p>----- ---------</p><p>1-5 Gross-out, Resist turning, reattachment</p><p>6-8 Spit Fire</p><p>9-11 Dread fire</p><p>12 Evil eye</p><p></p><p>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. </p><p></p><p>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.</p><p></p><p>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.</p><p></p><p>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).</p><p></p><p>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.</p><p></p><p>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).</p><p></p><p>Saves: Same as the base creature, modified for changes in ability scores.</p><p>Abilities: Ability scores are modified as follows: Str +2, Dex -2, Con --, Int +0, Wis +1, Cha +4</p><p>Skills: Same as the base creature, modified for stat bonuses.</p><p>Feats: Same as the base creature</p><p>Climate/Terrain: Oceans and other waterways.</p><p>Organization: Same as the base creature</p><p>Challenge Rating: +2</p><p>Treasure: Same as the base creature</p><p>Alignment: Same as the base creature (usually evil).</p><p>Advancement: Same as the base creature</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Devon, post: 125477, member: 1446"] 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 [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
Deck Zombie (undead pirate template)
Top