Homebrew Zombie Species Details
You were the plaything, or minion, of some necromancer, but you have escaped them. Was this through your own actions? Did your master release you willingly? Or, worst of all, was your beloved creator destroyed by some do-gooder paladin, leaving you bereft of control, flung out into the cold world?
Regardless, now that your faculties return, you find many questions bubbling through what passes through your consciousness: Who was I, before I died? Where did I come from? What, now that I’ve returned, am I going to do for what could be the rest of time?
Inspired by and based on IneptJamie's Unbound Undead and WarfrontJack's Awakened Skeleton.
Zombie Traits
Risen and restless, you have the following traits.Ability Score Increases
When determining your character’s ability scores, increase one score by 2 and increase a different score by 1, or increase three different scores by 1.
Profiling
Age: As an undead, you are immortal.
Size: Your size is medium.
Speed: You have a walking speed of 30 ft.
Language: You know common and one other language of your choice.
Alignment: Zombies are creations of necessity and excess, they tend towards chaotic alignments.
Darkvision
You have darkvision for 60ft.
Zombified Constitution
You function very differently in death than in life:
- You are immune to Poison damage, the Poisoned condition, the Nauseated condition, and Disease.
- Your creature type is Undead.
- You do not require food or water, but you can consume them.
- When motionless, you can appear to be a regular inanimate cadaver. Observers must make a Perception check contested by your Deception to realize your true nature.
Undead Fortitude
If damage reduces you to 0 hit points, you must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 6 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or from a critical hit. On a success, you drop to 1 hit point instead. Each time you succeed on this save the base DC increases by 2, and it is resets when you take a long rest.
Zombie (Husk)
Cursed and frenzied you are more agile and aggressive than any normal zombie.
Frenzied Footwork
Your fervor drives you to quicker and more aggressive movement.
- Your walking speed is 35 ft.
- When you defeat an enemy with a melee attack, you may move up to half your speed and gain advantage on the next attack you make before the end of your next turn.
Husk's Curse
Starting at level 5, when you kill a humanoid with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to revive the fallen foe. Roll 1d4: On a 1-3 they return as a Husk Zombie, on a 4 they return as a Husk Zombie Burster. Regardless, the zombie revives with 10 hit points, is not under your control, and attacks the nearest living creature to it. It returns to death after 1 minute.
You can use this reaction a number of times equal to your Proficiency bonus per long rest.
Zombie (Shambler)
You are brutish, brutal, and unstoppable. While your brain may have rotted, your muscles are as hardy as ever.
Lumbering Brute
You're far from the best put together form of zombie, but a dreadful strength fills you nonetheless.
- Your base walking speed is reduced to 25 ft.
- Your hit point maximum is increased by 1, and increases by 1 every time you gain a level.
- You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
Deathgrip
When you've latched onto a target few things can force you to let go. You grip is tight and inescapable.
- You have advantage on Athletics checks made to maintain a Grapple.
- At the start of each of your turns you can deal 1d4 + your Strength modifier bludgeoning damage to a creature you have Grappled. This can stack with the unarmed fighting style.
Zombie (Wight)
Wights are intelligent undead humanoids that resemble armed and armored corpses. They never tire in pursuit of their goal of making eternal war against the living.
Sunlight Sensitivity
While in sunlight, you have disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Perception checks that rely on sight.
Life Drain
When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can choose to deal 1d6 necrotic damage to the target, in addition to the weapon’s damage. Its hit point maximum is reduced by the amount of necrotic damage you deal, and if it dies from the attack it revives at the beginning of its next turn as a Zombie. It revives with 10 hit points, follows your verbal commands, and lasts until it is destroyed. Zombies made in this way can gather Vitality Points for you, but cannot be made into Specialized Undead.
You can have up to 3 undead from this trait at any time.
You can empower your attacks with necrotic energy an number of times per long rest equal to your Proficiency bonus.
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