Creating a Zombie
“Zombie” is an acquired template that can be added to any corporeal creature (other than an undead), referred to hereafter as the base creature.


Alignment: Always evil.

Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +1.

Type: The creature's type changes to undead. It retains any subtype except for alignment subtypes (such as good) and subtypes that indicate kind. It does not gain the augmented subtype. It uses all the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Armor Class: Natural armor is based on the zombie's size. The zombie keeps the natural armor bonus of the base creature if its better. In addition, all zombies have Damage Reduction X/slashing, where X equals a value equal to 5 + 1/2 the zombies natural armor bonus, rounded down.

Zombie Size / Natural Armor Bonus
Tiny or smaller  = +0
Small            = +1
Medium           = +2
Large            = +3
Huge             = +4
Gargantuan       = +7
Colossal         = +11

Hit Dice: Change HD gained from class levels and racial HD to d8s. Zombies gain a number of additional HD as noted on the following table.

Zombie Size / Bonus Hit Dice
Tiny or smaller  = —
Small or Medium  = +1 HD
Large            = +2 HD
Huge             = +4 HD
Gargantuan       = +6 HD
Colossal         = +10 HD

 Zombies use their Charisma modifiers to determine bonus hit points (instead of Constitution).

Saves: Base save bonuses are Fort +1/3 HD, Ref +1/3 HD, and Will +1/2 HD + 2. Base save bonuses gain by class levels are unchanged.

Speed: Winged zombies can still fly, but maneuverability drops to clumsy. If the base creature flew magically, so can the zombie. Retain all other movement types.

Attacks: A zombie retains all the natural weapons, manufactured weapon attacks, and weapon proficiencies of the base creature. It also gains a slam attack that deals damage based on the zombie's size, but as if it were one size category larger than its actual size (see Natural Attacks).

Zombie Size / Slam Damage
Tiny or Smaller = 1d3
Small           = 1d4
Medium          = 1d6
Large           = 1d8
Huge            = 2d6
Gargantuan      = 2d8
Colossal        = 4d6

Special Attacks: A zombie retains none of the base creature's special attacks.

Abilities: +4 Str, Dex -2, Con --, Int +0, Wis -4, Cha +0.

Base Attack Bonus: A zombie's base attack is equal to 3/4 its Hit Dice. Base attack bonuses from class levels is unchanged.

Skills: Same as the base creature, modified by ability score adjustments.

Feats: Same as the base creature, and gains Toughness as a bonus feat.

Special Qualities: Same as the base creature. In addition, all zombies gain undead traits, and resistance to cold 5.



Variant Zombies;

~~~ Alchemical Zombie
 This zombie has been created through alchemical processes rather than necromantic magic.

Natural Armor: Increase overall natural armor bonus based on size by +2.

Special Qualities: A alchemical zombie gains the following special abilities. In addition, its damage reduction becomes 10 + 1/2 its natural armor/slashing.

Faithless Flesh (Ex): An alchemical zombie gains channel resistance equal to its charisma bonus, to a minimum of +1.

Scarred Flesh (Ex): An alchemical zombie gains resistance to acid and fire 5.

Challenge Rating: +1



~~~ Fast Zombie
Unlike the standard, plodding zombie, a fast zombie moves with a supernatural predatory quickness.

Speed: Increase the base creature’s land speed by 30 feet. In addition, the zombie gains a Climb speed equal to half the base creature's newly modified land speed.

Special Attacks: A fast zombie gains the following special attack.

Quick Strikes (Ex): Whenever a fast zombie takes a full-attack action, it can make one additional attack at its highest base attack bonus.

Special Qualities: A fast zombie gains the scent special quality and a +4 racial bonus on Survival checks to track by smell, and a +4 racial bonus to Perception checks.

Abilities: As a standard zombie, except its Dexterity is increased by 4 instead of reduced by 2.

Feats: A fast zombie gains Improved Initiative and Lightning Reflexes as bonus feats.

Challenge Rating: +1



~~~ Plague Zombie
These zombies carry a terrible disease that perpetuates their undead lineage—those infected by a plague zombie’s contagion rise as zombies themselves when they perish.

Special Attacks: A plague zombie gains the following special attacks.

Death Burst (Ex): When a plague zombie dies, it explodes in a burst of decay. All creatures adjacent to the plague zombie take 1d6 acid damage (a successful reflex save, DC 10 + 1/2 the zombie's Hit dice + the zombie's Cha modifier halves the damage), and are exposed to its plague as if struck by a slam attack and must make a Fortitude save or contract zombie rot.

Disease (Su): The slam attack—as well as any other natural attacks—of a plague zombie carries the zombie rot disease.

((Zombie rot; save Fort DC = 10 + 1/2 the zombie’s Hit Dice + the zombie’s Cha modifier; onset 1d4 days; frequency 1/day; effect 1d2 Con, this damage cannot be healed while the creature is infected; cure 2 consecutive saves. Anyone who dies while infected rises as a plague zombie in 2d6 hours. The bonus from Curruption [see below] has already been applied.))

Caustic Gusher (Ex): Plague zombies lose any natural armor or damage reduction they would have gained from being a zombie. Instead, all hit dice gained is increased to d12, and for every point of physical damage dealt to the plague zombie by a melee or natural weapon without reach causes its blood to splurt and spray all over the area. This puss like material deals 1 acid damage per hit dice of the plague zombie to the attacker, and exposes them as if struck by a slam attack, forcing them to make a Fortitude save or contract zombie rot.

Challenge Rating: +1



~~~ Ancient Zombie
These zombies are hundreds, if not thousands, of years old. There flesh perserved by the oldest of necromatic magic, these unholy horrors have evolved in whatever dark corner of the world they have hidden.

Death Touch (Su): When an ancient zombie successfully hits a living creature with a slam attack, the target must make a fortitude save and a will save (DC = 10 + 1/2 the zombie's Hit Dice + the zombie's Cha modifier). If both saves succeed, nothing happens. If one, but not both, saves succeed, the creature takes 1d6 negative energy damage for each hit dice the ancient zombie possesses. If both saves fail, the creature is instantly killed. This is a death effect.

Unholy Aura (Ex): All undead within 30 feet of an ancient zombie, including itself, gains channel resistance equal to ancient zombies charisma, to a minimum of +1.

Unholy Will (Ex): Ancient zombies have positive energy resistance equal to 5 + 1/2 there hit dice (rounded down) against positive energy damage dealt by the Channel Energy ability.

Death Thrall (Su): Any living creature slain by an ancient zombies Death Touch immediately turns into a normal zombie 1d6 rounds later with half of its max hit points available.

Essence Feed (Ex): Any living creature that has at least half of the ancient zombies hit dice (rounded up) that dies within 30 feet of it causes the ancient zombie to heal a number of hit points equal to the creatures hit dice.

Abilities: As standard zombie, except its Wisdom is increased by 4 instead of reduced by 4, and it gains an additional 2 Intelligence.

Challenge Rating: +1