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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Arkhandus" data-source="post: 1495344" data-attributes="member: 13966">Here's an undead template I recently made for 3E D&D..... Please review it and let me know if you have any suggestions, or comments on the CR. I won't be converting it to 3.5 any time soon, so you may want to figure out any necessary adjustments for use in 3.5 games. Thanks. Presented first is a custom spell that can be used to bestow the template. NEW SPELL Flaying DeathNecromancy (Death)Level: Cleric 5, Sorcerer/Wizard 6Components: V, S, F/DFCasting Time: 1 full roundRange: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)Target: One corporeal living creatureDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: Fortitude partial and Will partial (see text)Spell Resistance: YesThis spell shreds the flesh of an opponent, causing the skin to spontaneously part and separate all over, opening large cut wounds all over and wracking the victim with pain. The target creature dies immediately if they fail a Fortitude save and have 10 or fewer hit points remaining. If they have more than 10 hit points remaining and fail the save, they instead suffer 1d6 damage per two caster levels, to a maximum of 10d6 damage. A successful saving throw against this spell results in 2d6 damage to the target. Regardless of these circumstances, any creature that dies as a result of this spell, whether immediately or through bleeding to death at negative hit points from the damage, may rise up as an undead flayed zombie 1d4 rounds later.This undeath will only be inflicted upon a creature that either dies immediately from this spell's damage or death effect, or who is reduced to negative hit points by this spell's damage and dies somehow before returning to 0 hit points or above. The subject also cannot rise as a flayed zombie unles they were an aberration, dragon, fey, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, or outsider, with Intelligence of 3 or higher. Otherwise, they rise to their feet and animate as a flayed zombie 1d4 rounds after their death, unless they succeed at a separate Will save. Upon rising as a flayed zombie, any outer flesh on the victim will slough off as it dissolves away, leaving them with only muscles, bones, and once-internal organs.A Remove Curse spell cast upon the creature's corpse before animation prevents this undead affliction, leaving the corpse inanimate and dead. Flayed zombies are undead creatures that retain limited intelligence and freedom, but are constantly plagued by the pain of their demise and undead state. The subject then gains the flayed zombie template, described below. The newly-risen undead is under no special control of this spell's caster, unless the caster uses some separate ability to command, dominate, or otherwise control the flayed zombie.Arcane Focus: The arcane focus component for this spell is a small razor of great sharpness, forged of platinum, which is worth 15 gold pieces.-------------------------------------------------------------FLAYED ZOMBIE A torturous demise from flayed skin and awful pain is often the birth of a flayed zombie, an undead creature who stalks the world in search of living creatures whom it can inflict the same death upon, stealing their flesh for itself to ease the pain of its undying existence. A flayed zombie has vague recollections of its former life, fragments in a broken mind, as they suffer constant agony from their missing skin, eyes, ears, nose, and more. These malevolent undead are consumed with the desire to inflict misery and death upon living creatures, so they can steal the outer flesh of their victims and drape it around themselves, finding relief by wearing the skin of the living. However, their stolen flesh rots away in days, leaving them distraught and roving once more in search of fresh victims. But wearing the flesh of a victim not only abates the misery of a flayed zombie, it grants them the memories and personality of their victim, allowing them to impersonate that individual and perhaps serve as a spy and information-gatherer for an evil necromancer....Flayed zombies are individuals who died as their skin and other outer flesh was being shredded and torn, or perhaps burnt and incinerated, or even dissolved away by acid. Regardless of how they lost their flesh, the flayed zombie's tattered remnants of an outer shell flake away upon rising as an undead, and they spend the rest of their miserable existence searching for replacement flesh. A flayed zombie appears to be a grotesque walking skeleton with all the muscles and organs it had in life, except for its skin, eyes, ears, nose, and other soft extremities, which makes it horrifying to look upon. A dim scarlet light radiates from the eyes, ears, nose, and mouth of the flayed zombie, another sign of its undeath, and it retains its mundane senses and speech. However, with its broken mind it is only capable of limited thoughts, and those center on the acquisition of new flesh to wear. It may stalk those it hated in life, following vague fragments of memory that remind them how they hated those folks so, or it may even stalk those individuals whom it was close to in life, wanting to wear familiar flesh. Its warped and distorted mind is capable of anything, and it will generally attack random individuals to steal their flesh.CREATING A FLAYED ZOMBIE"Flayed zombie" is a template that can be added to any aberration, dragon, fey, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, or outsider, that is living and corporeal with Intelligence of 3 or greater (referred to hereafter as the "base creature"). The creature's type changes to "undead." It uses all the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here.Hit Dice: Increase to d12.Speed: Same as the base creature.AC: The base creature's natural armor increases by +2. If the base creature did not already possess natural armor, then they instead gain a +2 natural armor bonus to AC.Attacks: A flayed zombie retains all the regular attacks of the base creature and also gains a claw attack if it didn't already have one. Each hand can be used for a separate claw attack, and can use one claw as a single attack, or as an extra secondary attack with a full-attack action, or in place of any number of regular attacks from a full-attack action. Otherwise a claw is treated like any other attack, and in grapple checks the claw damage may replace unarmed damage at no penalty. As a secondary attack the claw gains only half the usual Strength bonus to damage and suffers a -5 penalty on the attack roll. If using a full-attack action, the flayed zombie could utilize one claw for a regular attack in that action and the other claw for a secondary attack.Damage: Flayed zombies have claw attacks, which deal slashing and piercing damage. If the base creature does not have this attack form, use the damage values in the table below, based on the flayed zombie's size category. Creatures with natural attacks retain their old damage ratings or use the values below, whichever is better.Size DamageFine 1Diminutive 1d2Tiny 1d3Small 1d4Medium 1d6Large 1d8Huge 2d6Gargantuan 2d8Colossal 4d6Special Attacks: A flayed zombie loses all spells, powers, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities of the base creature, but retains any other special attacks of the base creature and gain the special attacks listed below.Flay (Ex): A flayed zombie tears flesh with its razor-sharp claws, which slice cleanly and efficiently through skin and hide to leave fleshy strips hanging and blood flowing. The claws of a flayed zombie threaten a critical hit on a natural attack roll of 19 or 20, instead of just a natural 20, which does not stack with any other adjustments to the claw threat range (use the better adjustment in such a case). Each claw attack that deals damage to a living enemy, as long as they are subject to critical hits, causes a bleeding wound that automatically deals the enemy 1 damage per round, starting with 1 bleeding damage immediately. A Heal check (DC 15) or any amount of hit point damage healed by magic or psionics will end the bleeding, but each Heal check or hit point healed in that manner only ends the bleeding from one such wound. If the bleeding of any such wound is not ended in such a manner, the bleeding of that wound slows enough to cease the continual damage after 1 minute has passed.Death Throes: When a flayed zombie is reduced to 0 hit points, its bones fracture, muscles spasm, and organs burst forth as it is destroyed, all the parts flailing about wildly and exploding. This is a special attack that affects all creatures within 5 feet of the flayed zombie if it is between Tiny and Medium-Sized, or within 10 feet if the flayed zombie is between Large and Huge in size, or within 15 feet if the flayed zombie is of Gargantuan or Colossal size. Flayed zombies of Fine or Diminutive size only affect enemies within the same space they occupy. This special attack causes 1d3 damage per size category of the flayed zombie, which counts as slashing, piercing, and bludgeoning damage, half of which rounded down is subdual damage. A Reflex save (DC 15 + one-half the flayed zombie's number of hit dice rounded down) by any subject reduces the damage to that subject by half. Those within the area are also covered in putrescent gore, which stinks as it immediately rots after the demise of the flayed zombie. The chunks and shards decay into dust and liquid over the course of a day. Just before exploding, any stolen flesh on the flayed zombie (see the steal flesh ability below) instantly sloughs off along with any equipment held, worn, or carried by the flayed zombie (the equipment is not damaged by the death throes). The various scars and wounds on the stolen flesh instantly re-open and tear wide, shredding the stolen flesh to pieces and leaving any equipment to fall off as the muscles and bones slacken, compress, twist, and begin to spasm.Spawn (Su): Any foe who is reduced to negative hit points or slain immediately by a flayed zombie's claw attack might rise up as a flayed zombie itself. This threat only applies to victims that are susceptible to gaining the flayed zombie template (as per the limitations noted at the beginning of this template's description). If the foe dies from that attack, or from the bleeding that follows, they must roll a Will save (DC 15 + one-half the flayed somzbie's number of hit dice rounded down) or suffer a chance they might reanimate as a flayed zombie themselves in 1 hour. Once the hour has passed, there is a 20% chance the corpse rises to its feet (if any) and animates as a flayed zombie. A Remove Curse spell cast successfully upon the corpse before animation will prevent this, as will any effect that brings the subject to life and keeps them alive long enough for the hour to pass. If the flayed zombie who slew them did not take their skin and related flesh (as per the steal flesh ability listed below), it dissolves away when they rise as a flayed zombie themselves. The newly-spawned flayed zombie is not linked to the flayed zombie who had slain it, so is not subserviant to them. Indeed, flayed zombies do not want to share the fleshy skins with others and will not cooperate with eachother, generally staying away from one another to search for wearable flesh on their own.Special Qualities: A flayed zombie loses all spells, powers, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities of the base creature, but retains any other special qualities of the base creature. Flayed zombies gain the undead type and also the special qualities listed below.Steal Flesh (Su): A flayed zombie is constantly in search of living creatures with skin it can remove and wear upon itself, in place of the skin it lost upon death when it rose as an undead. The flayed zombie is constantly experiencing a lingering pain from the loss of its skin, eyes, ears, nose, and other external flesh from when it was alive, which it seeks to remedy by carefully tearing these fleshy parts from the corpses of recently-deceased creatures and donning them itself, as a replacement skin. A flayed zombie can only benefit if it dons the flesh of a creature that has died no more than 2 hours prior to that moment, regardless of any special preservation of the corpse or its flesh (the flayed zombie takes a small morsel of the victim's spiritual energy when it dons the flesh, and there is not sufficient spiritual energy for it after 2 hours have passed). If it does take that flesh in time, the flayed zombie's stolen flesh lasts for a further 1d6+1 days before it begins to rot away (the stolen flesh cannot be preserved in any way once donned), and once it starts to rot in this way, the flayed zombie no longer benefits from wearing that stolen flesh. Any wounds upon the stolen flesh heal instantly upon being donned and appear only as very thin, hardly noticeable scars. Wounds sustained after donning the flesh likewise heal over instantly, but only in the stolen flesh, so the flayed zombie retains any damage actually inflicted (the stolen flesh merely appears unscathed after a few moments regenerating).The flayed zombie only gains benefit if it dons the flesh of a creature that is of the same size category and general shape as the flayed zombie (for instance, a basilisk flayed zombie cannot benefit from donning the flesh of a human, kobold, bear, or anything else that doesn't at least vaguely resemble a basilisk's reptilian form and belong to the same size category). Number of limbs, extra limbs, sensory organs, and gender are not factors for this purpose. A flayed zombie wears the skin, eyes, ears, nose, hair, and similarly external parts of the victim's body, magically fusing them with its skeletal and muscular structure as needed, and the flayed zombie magically compresses, expands, and rearranges its muscular and skeletal structure to a limited extent for the sake of fitting within the stolen skin. The flayed zombie is only capable of limited adjustments to its form in this way, which is why the victim must be of the same size category and general shape. However, any resemblance to the victim will be slightly limited regardless of how close or distant a match they may be. The flayed zombie acquires a small shard of the victim's spiritual energy upon donning its flesh, which grants the flayed zombie a few fragments of the victim's memory, personality, and similar mental traits, allowing the flayed zombie to impersonate the victim for as long as the stolen flesh has not begun to rot (and within the limits of the flayed zombie's limited mental ability scores, as the flayed zombie does not gain any of the victim's ability scores or mental special abilities in this manner). The flayed zombie receives a +10 circumstance bonus on all Bluff and Disguise checks while wearing the victim's flesh, but only for purposes of acting, responding, and seeming to be like the victim (as noted for this template's Skills).Additionally, while wearing the stolen flesh of such a victim, the flayed zombie gains any of the victim's special abilities associated with the stolen flesh, except for spells, powers, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities. For instance, a flayed zombie who takes the flesh of an elf can gain the low-light vision from the elven eyes, and gains the elf's racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks which comes as a result of their keen eyes and ears. However, they do not gain any feats or skills from this. While wearing stolen flesh that has not yet begun to decay, the flayed zombie feels comfortable and relieved from the otherwise constant pain of its own missing flesh. It feels no hostility towards other creatures and maintains most mannerisms of the victim, and will not attack anyone unless stricken first. The flayed zombie will try to fight like its victim in such circumstances, though it likely does not have the same feats and abilities, and will instead flee if that is what the victim likely would have done. Flayed zombies that are wearing stolen flesh feel relief and comfort as long as it is not decaying, which bestows upon them a +2 morale bonus on all attack rolls, saving throws, and checks. The flayed zombie does not even think about trying to acquire new flesh until the currently-worn flesh has already begun to rot, and they lose all benefits of the stolen flesh as soon as it begins rotting away. They also forget the personality, memories, mannerisms, and so on from the victim once the stolen flesh begins to rot.Damage Reduction (Ex): Flayed zombies become resistant to slashing damage after it had originally caused their death and transformation. They gain Damage Reduction 5/* against slashing damage only. This means that they suffer 5 less damage from any attack or effect that deals slashing damage, and if that effect deals damage each round, then it simply reduces the damage per round.Darkvision: A flayed zombie gains darkvision with a range of 60 feet, allowing them to see in total darkness out to that range.Saves: Same as the base creature.Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Str +4, Dex +4. The Intelligence score of the base creature becomes 4 as a flayed zombie, their Wisdom score becomes 10 as a flayed zombie, and their Charisma score becomes 8 as a flayed zombie. As undead creatures, flayed zombies have no Constitution score, and thus an effective Constitution modifier of +0.Skills: Same as the base creature, except as follows. Flayed zombies receive a +4 racial bonus on all Bluff and Disguise checks. In addition, while wearing the skin of another creature through their steal flesh ability, a flayed zombie also receives a +10 circumstance bonus on Bluff and Disguise checks until the skin begins to decay, at which point their steal flesh ability stops granting the bonus. This circumstance bonus only applies for purposes of impersonating the victim, so it only helps for acting, responding, and seeming to be the victim.Feats: Same as the base creature.Climate/Terrain: AnyOrganization: SolitaryChallenge Rating: Same as the base creature +2 (maybe +3?)Treasure: NoneAlignment: The base creature's alignment changes to neutral evil once they become a flayed zombie, as they despise those creatures that still have their flesh and normal lives, and they desire only to slay the living and take the flesh for themselves.Advancement: None-------------------------------------------------------------SAMPLE FLAYED ZOMBIE This sample uses a 3rd-level human warrior as the base creature.Flayed ZombieMedium-Sized UndeadHit Dice: 3d12+0 (20 hp)Initiative: +4 (+4 Dex)Speed: 30 ft.AC: 18 (+4 Dex, +2 natural, +2 large wooden shield)Attacks: Masterwork warhammer +8 melee; or claw +7 melee (without hammer and shield); or claw +7 melee/claw +2 melee (without hammer and shield); or masterwork warhammer +8 melee/claw +2 melee (without shield)Damage: Masterwork warhammer 1d8+6; claw 1d6+4; claw 1d6+4/claw 1d6+2; masterwork warhammer 1d8+4/claw 1d6+2Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.Special Attacks: Flay, death throes, spawnSpecial Qualities: Undead, steal flesh, damage reduction 5/*, darkvision 60 ft.Saves: Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +0Abilities: Str 19, Dex 18, Con ---, Int 4, Wis 10, Cha 8Skills: Bluff +3*, Climb +10, Disguise +3*, Jump +10, Listen +2, Spot +2, Swim +10Feats: Power Attack, Combat Reflexes, AlertnessClimate/Terrain: AnyOrganization: SolitaryChallenge Rating: 3 (maybe 4?)Treasure: -----Alignment: Always neutral evilAdvancement: ------------------------------------------------------------------</blockquote>

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