Monster Mondays

The Pattern Zombie

Frequency:  Uncommon
Number Appearing:  5 - 50 (5d10)
Armor Class:  6
Hit Dice:  2-9 Hit Points (1d8+1)
No. Attacks 1
Special Attacks: Slam, Tackle, Maul, Drag, Bite and Call Zombie (Shriek)
Special Defenses:  Piercing Attacks reduced to 1 HP per attack.  Slashing Attacks damage reduced by 2 hit points.  Special "Rise" defense.
Magic Resistance: None
Intelligence:  Low (Undead)
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Size:  Medium or Small
Psionic Ability: Nil

Pattern zombies are created by the hideous, hissing goblin green volcanic stone which drops down out of the sky during a Pattern Storm like a hellish form of hail.  Pattern Storms gather far in the North, generally in the region around the Black City of Oubliette in the Kingdoms Chimerical campaign setting.  These storms move into the South sometimes as far as the Northern edge of the Sea of Harlots.  Pattern Storms are violent supernatural weather patterns whose clouds hurl purple and green lightning and hail smoldering glowing green bits of volcanic rock.  Where this rock lands it burns into the ground and shortly thereafter animates any intelligent humanoid creature whose intact dead remains are within 100 feet of the stone.

The freshly dead pattern zombie is a faster mover in that it rolls initiative normally and can run at the normal movement speed for its humanoid race.  Significantly decayed pattern zombies suffer the same slow movement and initiative penalties as standard zombies.

Pattern zombies are vulnerable to sunlight.  They suffer one point of damage for every combat round they are directly exposed to sunlight or the equivalent.  While so exposed their flesh turns to charcoal and they smoke and smolder.  Pattern zombies will shun the daylight for this reason.  They possess a rudimentary set of behaviors and survival instincts making them more dangerous and indeed superior to lesser zombies.  They can burrow beneath the top soil sufficiently to hide from the daylight or will seek out in the shelter of buildings, under bridges and any cool shaded location during the day.  Their instinct to survive is over ridden by their will to consume the flesh of intelligent humanoid living creatures.  A group of pattern zombies hiding under a bridge will swarm out from beneath the bridge even in the middle of the day in a snarling mass to grab any nearby living humanoid.  They will then attempt to drag the poor wretch back into the shadows to eat them.

Pattern zombies have several attacks at their disposal.  Groups will use several of these in concert in order to bring down prey in an effective fashion.  They seem to communicate in a series of howls, moans and snarls which are totally incomprehensible without a speak with dead spell.

Pattern Zombie Special Attacks

Slam  The zombie makes a regular attack roll.  If successful they inflict 1d4 bludgeoning damage against a foe with their fists.  A zombie can also slam a door or barrier.  Each slam has a chance to break the door equal to a character with a 15 strength.

Tackle  The zombie may attempt to tackle prey.  The zombie makes a standard attack roll suffering a -2 penalty to hit.  If successful the target must make a saving throw versus paralyzation.  If the saving throw fails they are prone and also take 1d4 points of bludgeoning damage.  Any prone target may be attacked with a drag or maul attack.

Drag   The zombie makes a standard attack roll against a prone target.  If successful they drag the target 1d6x5 feet.  Usually the victim is dragged towards the shadows or a location where the zombies can work together to feast.

Maul  The zombie can make a standard attack roll with a +2 attack modifer against a prone target and maul them with bone like claws.  This attack inflicts 1d6 damage and forces a saving throw versus zombie taint.

Bite   The zombie can bite a target with a standard attack roll suffering a penalty of -2 versus targets carrying a shield.  A successful bite inflicts 1d4 points of damage and forces a saving throw versus zombie taint with a two point penalty on the saving throw.

Call Zombie  The zombie can let out a series of loud shrieks.  These calls are horrifying and force a saving throw versus fear as the spell.  Within if there are other pattern zombies in the area they will be drawn to the call within 1d3 combat rounds.

Special Defense:  Rise

When a pattern zombie reaches zero hit points roll 1d6.  On a roll of a 6 the zombie suddenly reanimates with a single hit point within one combat round.  The DM may delay this revival for the greatest scary effect in game.

Zombie Taint

A character afflicted with zombie taint will show certain symptoms within 12 hours of the infection.  Their body temperature will become cooler, nearly room temperature.  Their joints will frequently become sore and stiff.  They will develop a growing hunger for rare meat.  They will develop a short and sometimes violent temper.

The character otherwise remains normal until they are reduced to zero hit points.  When this occurs the tainted character will rise as a fast moving pattern zombie within 1d4+1 combat rounds under the control of the DM.

There you have it!  A monster from my homebrew campaign free to drop into your own game.

Happy Gaming!!!

Ed Kann