Special Conversion Thread: Moldvay's Undead

[Shade]

I'd make this a straight monster. It won't have any class abilities and there aren't that many other creatures a template could apply to.

Edit: forgot giants could be lycanthropes.

I agree. We can restrict it to human and hybrid forms, since it says "wolf-man" and not "wolf".

Essentially, we've got a "monster entry" modified zombie with a hybrid "wolfman" form, than can advance to Large and probably Huge to account for giants that become prikolics?

Doesn't "instead" imply that it loses the natural attacks of the base creature?

Yep.

 

[freyar]

Your summary of the prikolics sounds spot on!

Abilities next?
Normal human werewolf (human form) has Str 13, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 8 and hybrid form has Str 15, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 8. Zombies get Str +2, Dex -2, Con -, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 1. So maybe
Str 15, Dex 9, Con -, Int -, Wis 10, Cha - (base form)
Str 17, Dex 13, Con -, Int -, Wis 10, Cha - (hybrid form)
?

 

[Shade]

Added to Homebrews.

Simply add "and silver" to the DR 5/slashing while in hybrid form? Or give it both 5/slashing and 10/silver? I think I favor the former.

Boost natural armor in hybrid form (as common for werewolf), or since the Dex improves let it slide?

Give it the usual bonus feats of werewolves (Iron Will and Track)?

Retain curse of lycanthropy? I'm voting yes.

Drop wolf empathy since they are mindless?

 

[freyar]

DR 5/slashing and silver.

I think we can go with a flat +4 natural in all forms; it's ok to rule that only part of the natural armor stacks.

Yes to bonus feats, I think, although it's maybe a little weird for a mindless creature to be able to track. They're also immune to many things that require Will saves, right?

Yes to the curse and yes to dropping wolf empathy.

 

[Shade]

Giant ants are mindless and have Track as a bonus feat, so precedent is on our side.

They're also immune to many things that require Will saves, right?

Do you mean because they are mindless, or is that part of the lycanthrope template?

 

[freyar]

Because they're mindless.

Intelligence: Any creature that can think, learn, or remember has at least 1 point of Intelligence. A creature with no Intelligence score is mindless, an automaton operating on simple instincts or programmed instructions. It has immunity to mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects) and automatically fails Intelligence checks.

Mindless creatures do not gain feats or skills, although they may have bonus feats or racial skill bonuses.

But maybe Iron Will could help in some other special cases?

 

[Shade]

Gotcha. There are quite a few non-mind-affecting spells and abilities that require a Will save, so it is somewhat benefical.

 

[freyar]

Ok, it's not going to hurt anything to keep it (ie, it's not taking up a feat slot), so it's worthwhile, then!

 

[Shade]

Updated.

 

[Cleon]

Doesn't "instead" imply that it loses the natural attacks of the base creature?

Hopefully the "It retains all the natural weapons, manufactured weapon attacks, and weapon proficiencies of the base creature" bit would stop most people thinking it loses the natural attacks.

I'm more concerned that a reader could think that "in addition to" implies it can use the slams and the base creatures natural attacks in a full attack.

A little reworking should clear it up, such as:

Attack: A quick zombie retains the natural attacks manufactured weapon attacks, and weapon proficiencies of the base creature. In addition, it gains two slam attacks it can use instead of the base creature's natural weapons. A quick zombie gains a +1 attack bonus due to its haste ability (see below).

Is that better?

I hope we don't get too worked up about this.

Besides, the sample creatures should make it pretty clear what is intended.