Zombies! New Dungeoncraft article up

[D.Shaffer]

*shrug* Eh, for me, with a couple of exceptions, a zombie is a zombie is a zombie. The only difference is the size and MAYBE the attack damage type. Other then that, a zombie isnt going to have the equipment to really do anything else except shuffle forward and try to eat. Most of the natural attacks a monster had when it was living arent going to be applicable anymore once it's zombified because it'll either rot off or the zombie is now too stupid to know how to use it.

If, at the end of the zombie listing, they had a 'Variant" section with "Flying zombies: They gain 20 flying speed, +20 XP each. Bite: Zombie bites increase one size. +20 Xp" etc, do they really need templates anymore?

 

[sidonunspa]

Is it possible to get a real EL 10 encounter with Medium zombies in 3.5?

EDIT: Not that I really care about using zombies by 10th level.

Ya you can chease it out.. advance them, add something like an item inside one that zombies which not only creates new zombies but has a constant a unhallow effect, give them turn resistance...

I think they had mob rules someplace as well.

 

[HP Dreadnought]

I just hope they make the zombies tough enough that they are a significant threat to 4th and 5th level characters, and can remain a threat to 10th level characters when encountered in large numbers.

I've always hated the fact that by 3rd level, zombies were a walk-over enoer!

 

[Rechan]

I just hope they make the zombies tough enough that they are a significant threat to 4th and 5th level characters, and can remain a threat to 10th level characters when encountered in large numbers.

I've always hated the fact that by 3rd level, zombies were a walk-over enoer!

I'm pretty sure they will. One of the blogs mentioned a playtest where they fought a special zombie that re-animated other zombies.

 

[ThirdWizard]

I think they said somewhere that monsters will remain a threat over a larger range of levels.

 

[grimslade]

I like the crumbs of info on the zombie. I like the design philosophy behind them as well. A zombie should be a shambling brute looking to grab "braaaaaiiinss". Zombies only differ in size IMC. They are mindless corpses powered by Liquid Evil. Their suffering is only eased (momentarily) when they can feast on the memories of the living by eating their brains. The zombie template was a tool I never used. I do not mourn its passing.

I dislike templates. I think the concept is correct but the implementation is to complex. I love to be able to customize monsters to twist player expectations, but i hate the editing of stat blocks and the poor job of balancing on different critters. (That's more of a CR system problem than templates)
I would love a system that is much more granular. What is the LA in 4E when I add poor flight to a monster? What if I add DR to a goblin? Or make a skeleton explode into shards of bone from the release of necromantic energies when they are destroyed, a final fireburst-like ability? The blogs seem to imply that this will be possible or will affect a monster level much if you do. If it happens I will be very happy.

 

[Sir Brennen]

Looks like we'll get to look forward to more zombie info this week (per Chris Thomasson's blog)