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<blockquote data-quote="Havrik Stoneskimmer" data-source="post: 5573228" data-attributes="member: 6670929">I didn't care for the Strahd Zombie published in Open Grave, and wanted something closer to the original from I6: Ravenloft with its original shtick of getting its arms lopped off and having them continue to attack. Obviously, you can't do that with a minion like the Open Grave version.I basically adapted a Grasping Zombie from Monster Vault (since it does just about everything I want a zombie to do) and leveled it appropriately for my campaign. I used d12s for the damage dice since that seems to be consistent for most of the zombies in Monster Vault. The original Strahd Zombie is 4 HD (so average hit points of about 18), and if it takes 5 or more hit points of damage in a single attack, a limb is severed and the limb continues to attack the PCs. To model this, I have a limb be severed if the zombie takes more than 1/4 of its maximum hit points in a single attack. I think this is quite likely (especially for strikers) so it should occur once in a while, but not so frequently that you end up with a &quot;Black Knight&quot; farce with the zombie hopping around on one leg trying to bite the PCs.Any comments or suggestions? I didn't add any resist necrotic or vulnerable radiant because none of the Monster Vault zombies have these. But the original Monster Manual zombies do have these traits. I'm not sure whether I should add them (the resist necrotic rarely comes in to play, but radiant vulnerability certainly does).Do you think the possibility of gaining additional attacks per turn make this too powerful for a standard monster? I don't really want to make it an elite, though - they're really just meant to be zombies with a little extra scary twist.Here it is:&nbsp;Strahd Zombie Level 7 Brute XP 300Medium natural animate (undead)HP 96; Bloodied 48 AC 19, Fortitude 20, Reflex 17, Will 17&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Initiative +2Perception +2; darkvisionSpeed 4Immune disease, poison&nbsp; TraitsZombie Weakness&nbsp;&nbsp; A critical hit automatically reduces the Strahd zombie to 0 hit points.&nbsp; Undying Vitality &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; When the Strahd zombie takes at least 24 damage in a single attack, one of its limbs is severed. A Strahd zombie limb (see below) initially occupies the same square as the Strahd zombie and acts on the same initiative count as the Strahd zombie. All damage that would be taken by a severed limb is instead taken by the Strahd zombie that it was severed from. If the Strahd zombie is reduced to 0 hit points, all of its severed limbs are killed as well.&nbsp; Standard ActionsSlam * At-Will (melee basic attack)&nbsp;&nbsp; Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +12 vs. AC&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Hit: 2d12 + 5 damage, or 2d12 + 10 damage against a grabbed target.&nbsp; Zombie Grasp * At-Will&nbsp;&nbsp; Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +10 vs. Reflex&nbsp;&nbsp; Hit: The zombie grabs the target (escape DC 16) if it does not have a &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; creature grabbed.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Triggered ActionsDeathless Hunger * Encounter&nbsp;&nbsp; Trigger: The Strahd zombie is reduced to 0 hit points, but not by a &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; critical hit.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Effect (No Action): Roll a d20. On a 15 or higher, the Strahd zombie is &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; instead reduced to 1 hit point.&nbsp; Str 18 (+7)&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Dex 8 (+2)&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Wis 8 (+2)Con 16 (+6)&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Int 1 (-2)&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Cha 3 (-1)Alignment unaligned&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Languages –&nbsp;Strahd Zombie Severed Limb&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Level 7 Minion Brute&nbsp; XP 75Tiny natural animate (undead)HP see undying vitality&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; AC 19, Fortitude 20, Reflex 17, Will 17&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Initiative +2Perception +2; tremorsense 10Speed 2Immune disease, poison, blinded, gaze effects&nbsp; TraitsUndying Vitality All damage that would be taken by a severed limb is instead taken by the Strahd zombie that it was severed from. If the Strahd zombie is reduced to 0 hit points, all of its severed limbs are killed as well.&nbsp; Standard ActionsSlam * At-Will (melee basic attack)&nbsp;&nbsp; Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +12 vs. AC&nbsp;&nbsp; Hit: 8 damage, or 12 damage against a grabbed target.&nbsp; Zombie Grasp * At-Will&nbsp;&nbsp; Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +10 vs. Reflex&nbsp;&nbsp; Hit: The severed limb grabs the target (escape DC 16) if it does not have a creature grabbed.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Str 18 (+7)&nbsp;&nbsp; Dex 8 (+2) Wis 8 (+2)Con 16 (+6)&nbsp; Int 1 (-2)&nbsp;&nbsp; Cha 3 (-1)Alignment unaligned Languages –</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Havrik Stoneskimmer, post: 5573228, member: 6670929"] I didn't care for the Strahd Zombie published in [I]Open Grave[/I], and wanted something closer to the original from I6: [I]Ravenloft[/I] with its original shtick of getting its arms lopped off and having them continue to attack. Obviously, you can't do that with a minion like the [I]Open Grave[/I] version. I basically adapted a Grasping Zombie from [I]Monster Vault[/I] (since it does just about everything I want a zombie to do) and leveled it appropriately for my campaign. I used d12s for the damage dice since that seems to be consistent for most of the zombies in [I]Monster Vault[/I]. The original Strahd Zombie is 4 HD (so average hit points of about 18), and if it takes 5 or more hit points of damage in a single attack, a limb is severed and the limb continues to attack the PCs. To model this, I have a limb be severed if the zombie takes more than 1/4 of its maximum hit points in a single attack. I think this is quite likely (especially for strikers) so it should occur once in a while, but not so frequently that you end up with a "Black Knight" farce with the zombie hopping around on one leg trying to bite the PCs. Any comments or suggestions? I didn't add any resist necrotic or vulnerable radiant because none of the [I]Monster Vault[/I] zombies have these. But the original [I]Monster Manual[/I] zombies do have these traits. I'm not sure whether I should add them (the resist necrotic rarely comes in to play, but radiant vulnerability certainly does). Do you think the possibility of gaining additional attacks per turn make this too powerful for a standard monster? I don't really want to make it an elite, though - they're really just meant to be zombies with a little extra scary twist. Here it is: [B]Strahd Zombie Level 7 Brute [/B]XP 300 Medium natural animate (undead) [B]HP[/B] 96; Bloodied 48 [B]AC[/B] 19, [B]Fortitude[/B] 20, [B]Reflex[/B] 17, [B]Will[/B] 17 [B] Initiative[/B] +2 [B]Perception[/B] +2; darkvision [B]Speed[/B] 4 [B]Immune[/B] disease, poison [B]Traits[/B] Zombie Weakness A critical hit automatically reduces the Strahd zombie to 0 hit points. Undying Vitality When the Strahd zombie takes at least 24 damage in a single attack, one of its limbs is severed. A Strahd zombie limb (see below) initially occupies the same square as the Strahd zombie and acts on the same initiative count as the Strahd zombie. All damage that would be taken by a severed limb is instead taken by the Strahd zombie that it was severed from. If the Strahd zombie is reduced to 0 hit points, all of its severed limbs are killed as well. [B]Standard Actions[/B] Slam * At-Will (melee basic attack) [I]Attack:[/I] Melee 1 (one creature); +12 vs. AC [I]Hit:[/I] 2d12 + 5 damage, or 2d12 + 10 damage against a grabbed target. Zombie Grasp * At-Will [I]Attack:[/I] Melee 1 (one creature); +10 vs. Reflex [I]Hit:[/I] The zombie grabs the target (escape DC 16) if it does not have a creature grabbed. [B]Triggered Actions[/B] Deathless Hunger * Encounter [I]Trigger:[/I] The Strahd zombie is reduced to 0 hit points, but not by a critical hit. [I]Effect (No Action):[/I] Roll a d20. On a 15 or higher, the Strahd zombie is instead reduced to 1 hit point. [B]Str[/B] 18 (+7) [B]Dex[/B] 8 (+2) [B]Wis[/B] 8 (+2) [B]Con[/B] 16 (+6) [B]Int[/B] 1 (-2) [B]Cha[/B] 3 (-1) [B]Alignment[/B] unaligned [B]Languages[/B] – [B]Strahd Zombie Severed Limb [/B] [B]Level 7 Minion Brute [/B]XP 75 Tiny natural animate (undead) [B]HP[/B] see [I]undying vitality [/I] [B]AC[/B] 19, [B]Fortitude[/B] 20, [B]Reflex[/B] 17, [B]Will[/B] 17 [B]Initiative[/B] +2 [B]Perception[/B] +2; tremorsense 10 [B]Speed[/B] 2 [B]Immune[/B] disease, poison, blinded, gaze effects [B]Traits[/B] Undying Vitality All damage that would be taken by a severed limb is instead taken by the Strahd zombie that it was severed from. If the Strahd zombie is reduced to 0 hit points, all of its severed limbs are killed as well. [B]Standard Actions[/B] Slam * At-Will (melee basic attack) [I]Attack:[/I] Melee 1 (one creature); +12 vs. AC [I]Hit:[/I] 8 damage, or 12 damage against a grabbed target. Zombie Grasp * At-Will [I]Attack:[/I] Melee 1 (one creature); +10 vs. Reflex [I]Hit:[/I] The severed limb grabs the target (escape DC 16) if it does not have a creature grabbed. [B]Str[/B] 18 (+7) [B]Dex[/B] 8 (+2) [B]Wis[/B] 8 (+2) [B]Con[/B] 16 (+6) [B]Int[/B] 1 (-2) [B]Cha[/B] 3 (-1) [B]Alignment[/B] unaligned [B]Languages[/B] – [/QUOTE]

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