D&D 5E Zombies: Sink or Swim?

[James Gasik]

Swim, but badly (unless aquatic). By the rules, all you need is Strength, and zombies have that, but their (hopefully temporary) existence as decomposing corpses impacts their buoyancy- I'd say that's disadvantage for sure.

At least they can't drown!

 

[J.Quondam]

I think there are almost as many types of zombies as there are elves, so I just assume you can rig up a zombie for any occasion.

 

[Stormonu]

I think there are almost as many types of zombies as there are elves, so I just assume you can rig up a zombie for any occasion.

I think if you ask Snarf, they're one and the same.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

From a physical perspective, most zombies, as typically depicted, are too decayed to float, and the bits where gas could build up tend to be open. Moving around would also tend to burst anything like that.

So I gotta go with sink. The idea of swimming zombies also seems inherently dumb to me, but I don't generally like intelligent/competent zombies unless they're "zombie lord"-types.

Plus it's way scarier when something bursts out of the water rather than sort of bobbing along slowly and ridiculously (presumably doggy-paddling at most, no-one way any zombie can do an actual swimming stroke) for several minutes before it reaches you.

 

[jmartkdr2]

Other: attempted swimming, but they're really bad at it. They will get across eventually, but a simple stream too deep to wade will buy you some time.

 

[GuyBoy]

Zombie-infested seaweed rafts, similar to the Sargasso Sea, but undead.

 

[aco175]

Zombie-infested seaweed rafts, similar to the Sargasso Sea, but undead.

There was a cool encounter like this in the 3e Isle of Dread series in Dungeon Magazine.

 

[Dioltach]

At least they can't drown!

Didn't 1E Greyhawk Adventures have an entry for Drowned Zombie? (I sold my copy a few months ago, so I can't check.)

 

[jdrakeh]

Walk on the bed. And I have it on pretty good authority that they pick fights with sharks.

 

[Lanefan]

Zombies and Water

do they have air in their lungs? Does this make a difference? Are we going Pirates of the Caribbean walking on the floor bed? or walking dead floating mindlessly wherever the tide takes them.

This is all important for prepping on an island for your zombie-plan.

Sink, then wander on the bed as directed by the tides, currents, and terrain until they get deep enough that the water pressure squashes them to the point they fall apart and de-animate.

And what's this about air in their lungs? The better question to ask is whether they have any lungs left at all.