How to make Zombies Deadlier?

[Psychotic Jim]

Good ideas all around. One thing you could do besides beefing up zombies is to be rat bastardly and make the zombies seem subjectively creepier, messing with your players' minds. Have a small city of zombies that just mindlessly and rituallistically go about gruesome parodies of the daily chores they did in life, like in the Totentanz adventure from Dungeon. An old lady continues to water her long-dead rose bush, or a child could hug its rotten cat as the child dines on its brains. A variant on this is to have a city of zombies still retaining their minds and act as normal living people, but panic treat the party like the characters were zombies, panicing and running away as they called for help from the local undead clergy and paladins. Give the players a reverse experience in horror.
The party could also come face to face with zombified versions of old friends or enemies they have not seen in a while. A zombified friend of the characters or someone else sympathetic could beg for release from the undead state and answer a few questions before succumbing to the mindless rage of undeath and attacking.
Another good idea others mentioned was using the terrain to your advantage. Is the ground of the Deadlands like a graveyard or a desert? You could have zombies surprise the characters by grabbing their feet from right under them, hands reaching out from the soil to hold the characters' in place while other zombies attack. You could also have a lich, zombie lord (from Ravenloft's Denizens of Dread or from the Creature Catalog), or other undead controller organize legions of zombies to attack in regular waves.

Edit: There might be some truth in "Play AFMBE, D20 Iz Teh Suxx0rz!" as the latest edition of AFMBE has d20 zombie customization conversions. I second the reccommendation for the Van Richten's Guide to the Walking Dead also, you can really customize you zombies with that.

 

[Carrion]

Keeping in the spirit of regular old zombie, you have 2 choices;

intelligent zombies: use class levels: 5th level zombie barbarian with his 6th level zombie monk companion will give most zombie-slayers pause. (not to mention zombie spell casters, but that becomes pseudo-lich-like)

non-intelligent zombies: scrap the zombie write-ups and treat them as Animated Objects with a hardness the same as wood(bone and leathery flesh). Add arms and armor as you see fit.

Good luck. I like zombies too, but didnt care for the write-ups.

 

[Bottled Imp Games]

The Lords of the Night: Zombies

I'm not sure whether I should even post here, but Bottled Imp Games isn't known very well, and I felt a bit of promotion couldn't go amiss.

Our third release is all about Zombies: 96 pages of zombie slaying action. You want new types of zombies? Playable ones as PCs? Creatures that can slay your players, and bring them back from death?- This book has it.

Six new types of zombie, and I don't just mean templates, like Vampires and Liches before it, this book has all kinds of new creatures from Frankenstein's (flesh golem) type Zombies to Revenants that return from the dead to wreak havoc on the living.

In addition, it's got new zombie diseases, monster types, scenario ideas, a powerful core necromancer class and three Prestige Classes, plus a huge section on DMing fear and horror games - and life beyond the grave.

This book puts the fear and horror back into your game! It's all about wonder, about there being something much bigger (and more powerful) than you are.

Surely that's well worth checking out

Regards

Stuart

 

[italianranma]

I like zombie movies...What I do with all my zombies is give them the Improved Grapple Feat, and a special attack that if they pin a character they deal automatic bite damage based on their size. Then I send about 20 at the PCs at a time. As soon as one PC is grappled then the rest of the zombies join in: The PC can't escape unless he breaks the grapple on all of them. Finally you can have a really memorable moment in a zombie infested city where the Zombies keep bashing down doors, etc.
Zombies rock.
Heh.

 

[fnork de sporg]

There's a Ravenous Undead template in the undead themed issue of Dragon, though I forget which number issue that was.

I really like the idea fo using Flesh Golems as really bad ass zombies, and if you have ToH you simply must be using JuJu Zombies.

You could also play around with various effects of the Dead Lands themselves. Like, for instance, that within the Dead Lands the Turn Undead ability has no effect. Or that any dead body within the Dead Lands will automatically rise as an undead in however many rounds, even if they died from completely natural causes. Maybe this effect extends even to formerly undead corpses, as long as their bodies haven't been completely destroyed. Or it grants all undead Regeneration. Or it ups the DC of all negative energy based spells and abilites.

And so on.

 

[fnork de sporg]

OK, figured I'd ask it here rather than RPG.net where I cannot be assured of getting a D20 savvy audience.

There, that's better.

 

[frankthedm]

Have the zombies infected with diseases in a wide variety of forms. Whenever the P thinks they've got the solution to a disease, introduce a new type.

I think the most effective zombie tactic is swarming (use grappling, not ordinary attacks). The only problem is this gets boring very quickly. Really, you could just send wave after wave until the players' fingers are numb from rolling the dice so much but who wants to play like that?

You could also mix in ghouls & ghasts which could easily be mistaken for zombies. Or have zombies that have poisonous gases built up inside their corpses that explode upon being struck with weapons. Do you really want to cut down that zombie when you know it will release a cloud of spores or poison gas? What if the gas/spores could turn YOU into a zombie?

anyone post the juicy zombie from d20 modern yet?

Zombie, Liquefied (Template)
Liquefied zombies cannot speak. They are generally between 5 feet and 6 feet tall, and they weigh about 150 pounds.
Template Traits
“Liquefied zombie” is an acquired template that can be added to any corporeal creature other than a construct, elemental, ooze, plant, or undead (referred to hereafter as the base creature). The creature must be in an advanced state of decay, but not yet reduced to a skeletal corpse. The liquefied zombie uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Challenge Rating: A liquefied zombie’s Challenge Rating equals the base creature’s CR + the following modifier based on size: Tiny or smaller +0, Small +1, Medium +2, Large +4, Huge +5, Gargantuan +7, Colossal +10.
Type: The creature’s type changes to undead.
Hit Dice: Drop any Hit Dice gained from experience, triple the number of Hit Dice left, and raise them to d12.
Speed: If the base creature could fly, its maneuverability rating as a liquefied zombie drops to clumsy.
Defense: A liquefied zombie’s natural armor bonus to Defense increases to the following, based on its size (but use the base creature’s natural armor bonus if it’s higher): Small or smaller +0, Medium +1, Large +2, Huge +3, Gargantuan +6, Colossal +10.
Attacks: The liquefied zombie retains all the natural attacks, manufactured weapons, and weapon proficiencies of the base creature. A liquefied zombie also gains a slam attack.
Damage: Natural and manufactured weapons deal damage normally. A slam attack deals damage depending on the liquefied zombie’s size (but use the base creature’s slam damage if it’s greater): Fine 1, Diminutive 1d2, Tiny 1d3, Small 1d4, Medium 1d6, Large 1d8, Huge 2d6, Gargantuan 2d8, Colossal 4d6.
For purposes of Strength bonuses to damage, a slam attack attack is considered a two-handed attack.
Special Qualities: A liquefied zombie loses all of the base creature’s supernatural and spell-like qualities except for immunity or resistance to specific energy types. A liquefied zombie may retain any or all of the base creature’s extraordinary abilities at the GM’s discretion. In addition to gaining the undead type, a liquefied zombie has the following special quality.
Liquefied Spew (Ex): Whenever a liquefied zombie is damaged in combat by anything other than a bludgeoning weapon, some of the liquefied tissue spews forth, covering everything within 5 feet of the liquefied zombie. The scalding liquid deals 1d6 points of damage and exposes anyone it touches to the disease of necrotizing faciitis.
Darkvision (Ex): Liquefied zombies have darkvision with a range of 60 feet.
Allegiances: A liquefied zombie loses any previous allegiances and adopts a new allegiance to its creator. This allegiance cannot be broken.
Saves: A liquefied zombie’s saving throws are based on Hit Dice.
Action Points: A liquefied zombie does not acquire or amass action points. It loses any action points gained by the base creature.
Reputation Bonus: A liquefied zombie has a +0 Reputation bonus.
Ability Scores: A liquefied zombie’s ability scores change as follows: Str +4, Dex –2. Additionally, it has no Constitution or Intelligence score, its Wisdom changes to 10, and its Charisma decreases to 1.
Skills: The liquefied zombie loses all skills.
Feats: The liquefied zombie loses all the base creature’s feats except the following: Archaic Weapons Proficiency, Exotic Weapons Proficiency, Personal Firearms Proficiency, and Simple Weapons Proficiency. The liquefied zombie gains the Toughness feat.

Human Liquefied Zombie: CR 2; Medium undead; HD 3d12+3 (includes Toughness feat); hp 22; Init –1; Spd 30 ft.; Defense 10, touch 9, flat-footed 10 (–1 Dex, +1 natural); BAB +0; Grap +2; Atk +2 melee (1d6+3, slam); Full Atk +2 melee (1d6+3, slam); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; SQ undead, liquefied spew, darkvision 60 ft.; AL creator; SV Fort +1, Ref +0, Will +3; AP 0; Rep +0; Str 15, Dex 8, Con —, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 1.
Skills: None.
Feats: Toughness.

Otyugh Liquefied Zombie: CR 8; Large undead; HD 18d12+3 (includes Toughness feat); hp 120; Init +0; Spd 20 ft.; Defense 17, touch 9, flat-footed 17 (–1 size, +8 natural); BAB +9; Grap +19; Atk +14 melee (1d6+9, tentacle rake); Full Atk +14 melee (1d6+6, 2 tentacle rakes), +9 melee (2d6+3 plus disease, bite); FS 10 ft. by 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. (15 ft. with tentacles); SQ undead, liquefied spew, improved grab, constrict 1d6+6, disease, darkvision 60 ft.; AL creator; SV Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +11; AP 0; Rep +0; Str 22, Dex 10, Con —, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 1.
Skills: None.
Feats: Toughness.

Table: Diseases
Disease Type Incubation Period Initial Damage Secondary Damage
Anthrax Inhaled/Injury DC 16 1d2 days 1 Con 1d4 Con*
Small pox Inhaled/Contact DC 15 2d4 days 1 Str and 1 Con 1d2 Str and 1d2 Con
Pneumonia Inhaled DC 12 1d4 days 1 Str 1d3 Str and 1d3 Con
Hantavirus Injury DC 14 1 day 1d2 Str 1d2 Str* and 1d2 Con*
Necrotizing faciitis Contact DC 13 1d6 days 1 Con 1d3 Con*
West Nile virus Injury DC 12 1d4 days 1 Dex and 1 Con 1d2 Dex and 1d2 Con*
Salmonellosis Ingested DC 13 1 day 1 Str and 1 Dex 1 Str and 1d3 Dex
*If damage is sustained, make a second saving throw to avoid 1 point being permanently drained (instead of damaged).

 

[Al]

Slap on Regeneration 5 (taking normal damage from fire, acid and good) and you should be fine. Seeing the zombies coming 'back to life' should scare the PCs sufficiently...

(NB Don't use the standard 'Regeneration turns normal damage subdual' otherwise they will be invincible! Zombies getting up=scary, zombies being invincible=tedious)

 

[S'mon]

Hordes of unkillable "Evil Dead 2" type zombies I'd say was the way to go. Hacking them into several pieces just means they get more attacks per round!
And they should be highly infectious.
Personally I like zombies who are fairly slow, I just just treating them as Fatigued - no Charging or Running - is better than restricting them to Standard actions. Give them preternatural strength, DR 5/-, and Regeneration, except vs acid & fire (if you're feeling generous). Maybe Lightning heals them, cold no effect of course.

Hit Die - hard to judge, for typical Walking Dead I'd suggest 6d12, with Turn Resistance +4 or so. If the campaign is very high level, maybe 10d12, but prob no higher if you're using a horde.
You can use lone powerful zombies though - The old Judge Dredd 'City of the Damned' saga had an alternate Judge Dredd turned into an unstoppable super zombie by the psionic Mutant, psionically powered by him it was at least HD 20d12 with DR 15/-, Regeneration maybe 20 pts/round, and no obvious vulnerabilities - it could only be stopped by severing the psionic link between it and the Mutant himself.

 

[Wolv0rine]

It was more "oh, great, here we go again. X (the current melee character) is going to die. Woohoo."

I mean sure in game it provoked responses analogous to fear - we did our best to avoid the threat or counter it in some non-melee way, but it never got my heart pounding.

Either we were in a position to escape, or we weren't - at which point it became the fall of the dice - dice which were being rolled by someone else. Which frankly doesn't thrill me at all.

At least if you make the infection follow the normal disease rolls, then the PC's have something they can contribute.

Just one thing - at a guess, your rules were developed for a one-shot. Would I be right?

The "Classic Zombie" Ralts posted is from the d20 Modern setting Year of the Zombie, which is directly inspired by the George Romero movies (and their re-makes). Having been in one of those playtest groups (I was more than sceptical to begin with), I can tell you that called shots were the only way TO go. Every player, every-single-one, demanded rules for called shots to the head. The game was/is (haven't played it for a while, too busy putting projects together) harsh, gritty, and above all, scary. At one point, my fast hero Sam was gang-jumped by over a dozen zombies. If it hadn't been for my insane Defense and some seriously blessed Ref checks, I'd have been meat. Granted, the game model isn't for everyone (and there are different levels of intensity outlined in the book), but a sense of "Oh no, you're not killing us, no matter how hard you try" built up fairly fast, which went a long way to countering the "oh, it's X again. Anyway, did you see the Survivor finale while I roll up another character?" syndrome.

Some people will prefer or dislike a certain type of thing regardless, as always, enjoy what you play.

Me, I've survived YotZ long enough to hit 9th level, and I'm proud of it, cuz it was Just That Brutal.