What would this chaotic evil warlock do?

[NewJeffCT]

You are a chaotic evil vampiric warlock… (D&D 3.5)

You are stuck on an island with over 1,000 zombies and your enemies (the PCs) just left town and sunk your pirate ship with a lot of treasure on board. The zombies used to be pirates (human, orc, hobgoblin, half-orc, etc), but something mysterious caused them all to become zombies while the whole pirate haven went to you-know-where in a handbasket.

He knows he can leave at any time via his gaseous form.

Would zombies be able to walk on the bottom of the ocean, a la the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie? Meaning, the vampire commands at least some of them to follow him?

Thanks

 

[robertliguori]

You are a chaotic evil vampiric warlock… (D&D 3.5)

You are stuck on an island with over 1,000 zombies and your enemies (the PCs) just left town and sunk your pirate ship with a lot of treasure on board. The zombies used to be pirates (human, orc, hobgoblin, half-orc, etc), but something mysterious caused them all to become zombies while the whole pirate haven went to you-know-where in a handbasket.

He knows he can leave at any time via his gaseous form.

Would zombies be able to walk on the bottom of the ocean, a la the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie? Meaning, the vampire commands at least some of them to follow him?

Thanks

It's questionable whether or not the ocean counts as running water. If it does, Mr. Vampire will probably be very upset.

In his situation, I'd see if I couldn't coax my The Dead Walk invocation (he does have it, right?) to Command a few zombies, and carefully (and slowly) direct them to haul the ship to the beach.

After all, the PCs are punks, yes, but I have eternity and they don't. It would be hugely embarrasing to just skip out without my treasure, and very satisfying to spend time futzing around with necromantic power, retrieving every copper piece and refloating my godsdamned ship. See, it's not just about killing the adventurers. Yeah, I can do that. Obviously. Me big scary creature of the night, they weak and foolish bloodbags. But if I let what they did stand, if I just accept that my ship and loot are gone, I let them hurt me.

I really don't want to think about what would happen if a good dozen or so adventurers all decided to hurt me at once. So, I'm going to prove that I'm better than them, and I'm going to do to by lurking, acquiring power, nursing my wounded pride, and then appearing at a plot-opportune moment.

 

[NewJeffCT]

It's questionable whether or not the ocean counts as running water. If it does, Mr. Vampire will probably be very upset.

In his situation, I'd see if I couldn't coax my The Dead Walk invocation (he does have it, right?) to Command a few zombies, and carefully (and slowly) direct them to haul the ship to the beach.

After all, the PCs are punks, yes, but I have eternity and they don't. It would be hugely embarrasing to just skip out without my treasure, and very satisfying to spend time futzing around with necromantic power, retrieving every copper piece and refloating my godsdamned ship. See, it's not just about killing the adventurers. Yeah, I can do that. Obviously. Me big scary creature of the night, they weak and foolish bloodbags. But if I let what they did stand, if I just accept that my ship and loot are gone, I let them hurt me.

I really don't want to think about what would happen if a good dozen or so adventurers all decided to hurt me at once. So, I'm going to prove that I'm better than them, and I'm going to do to by lurking, acquiring power, nursing my wounded pride, and then appearing at a plot-opportune moment.

sounds like something I had in mind... however, one of the PCs may push for the party to return to zombie-island because he's offended at that many undead crawling about... never mind that they're (the zombies) trapped on the island with no way to get off and that they're all former pirates and probably evil.

 

[demiurge1138]

The zombies are in no way trapped on the island if the water is shallow enough. Too deep, and they'd start getting crushed by the pressure. Otherwise, they can just walk to the nearest shore. Sure, some might get picked off by sharks and other carnivores down there, but they could make it.

And I'm pretty sure the ocean doesn't count as "running water".

 

[Umbran]

The zombies are in no way trapped on the island if the water is shallow enough. Too deep, and they'd start getting crushed by the pressure.

Being "crushed by pressure" is a bit of a myth. If you can allow your lungs to fill with water, there's no traumatic crushing, and zombies have no need for air in their lungs. Eventually, way down deep, your ugly-bag-of-mostly-water body does compress a bit, such that the distances across the synapses in your brain shrink, causing problems. Again, working brain not such a big deal for a zombie.

Now, being nibbled away by the fishes might be an issue...

Read World War Z. Much good stuff on what zombies can and cannot do.

 

[jdrakeh]

Sure, some might get picked off by sharks. . .

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSPG9QQg4C0]YouTube - Zombie Vs Shark[/ame]

 

[Vorput]

YouTube - Zombie Vs Shark

... I... Bu...

What was that possibly made for?!

 

[Henry]

And I'm pretty sure the ocean doesn't count as "running water".

I'm glad 4e vampires don't care about the "running water" thing, because if anything counts as "running water" an ocean certainly would - it's always in a constant state of flux and motion! Trying to argue for or against would make my head split with the implications...

EDIT: Just looked and 3e Vampires DO have that running water thing in there! Yeesh! Though they do mention ships, which to me acknowledges rivers, lakes, AND seas.

 

[jdrakeh]

... I... Bu...

What was that possibly made for?!

It's a somewhat infamous scene from the Lucio Fulci film Zombi 2 (released in the US as Zombie).

 

[NewJeffCT]

Thanks for the replies. Is it just me, or is the 3.5 warlock kind of underpowered? My campaign tends to center on one larger encounter per session, and a 6th level warlock doing 3d6 as a ranged touch attack each round seems to pale in comparison to a 6th level sorcerer doing 6d6 with 4 fireballs that require no "to hit" roll, and then followed up by 6 scorching rays (12 rays in total) that each do 4d6, then 7 magic missile castings... I doubt my one larger encounter will go more than 17 rounds, either.