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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Vanion" data-source="post: 2686254" data-attributes="member: 19612">A sneak attack (when flanking a foe) works on the premise that you're able to target a particularly vulnerable point of a creature's anatomy. When flanking or behind a foe, you're presented opportunities to strike the kidneys, the spine, the back of the skull (and therefore the back of the brain, which controls all motor functions, and of course the brain stem, which a person can't live without), an unblocked shot at several key arteries and nerve clusters, etc. The reason a rogue or barbarian becomes better at avoiding sneak attacks with improved uncanny dodge is becuase they're coordinated and aware enough to face opponents on all sides - however, as soon as this character is rendered prone, stunned, disabled etc, those weak points on their body become fair game once more. That's also the logic behind giving sneak attack to any prone or helpless opponent regardless of whether you flank them or not - the throat, groin, femoral artery, eyes etc all become vulnerable and the person no longer has the ability to defend attacks made at these locations. An undead creature simply has no vulnerable points, same as a construct or elemental. Hack off a zombie's head, and you're now facing a smaller zombie. Nothing short of complete and utter dismemberment and destruction of the corpse can break the necromancy that binds it to move and act.Like a skeleton, a zombie does not see through its eyes. It has some limited awareness provided by the animating magic, but otherwise its parts are just for show. None of them actually work. Even if the eyes did work, the brain is no longer functional, so there is simply nothing that interprets the signals sent up the ocular nerve. The energy used by an undead creature and their ability to interact with the world derives purely from the magic that is used upon them. Beyond the constraints of size and anatomical shape, the corpse itself makes little difference on a zombie's actual behaviour or capabilities.</blockquote>

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