DM Entry: Crawling Dead (new zombie variant + new spell)

The material below has been added to the "Aryathan Jiil Tome of Monsters III.pdf" and uploaded to the google drive.

Zombie Variant: Crawling Dead

The crawling dead are zombies that have had their lower torso removed (by any means) and must crawl around using only its arms. Crawling dead may be created with a create crawling dead spell, see below.

Size: Reduce its size category by one. Do not adjust the creature according to the table “Changes to Statistics by Size” from the Monster Manual. The crawling dead uses its new size modifier for armor class, attacks, grapples, and Hide checks.

Speed: A crawling dead can move 5 feet as a move action and can’t run or charge.

Armor Class: Reduce natural armor by 1 (minimum +0).

Crawling (Ex): Because of its mutilated condition, it must always crawl using only its arms and hands. It is always considered to be prone and cannot be tripped. A crawling dead has a -4 penalty on melee attack rolls and cannot use a ranged weapon or two-handed weapons. A crawling dead gains a +4 bonus to Armor Class against ranged attacks, but takes a -4 penalty to AC against melee attacks. It is impossible for a crawling dead to stand up.

Improved Grab (Ex): If a crawling dead hits a creature one size larger than itself or smaller with a slam, it deals normal damage and may attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. No initial touch attack is required. When a crawling dead gets a hold after an improved grab attack, it pulls the opponent into its space. This act does not provoke attacks of opportunity. It can even move (possibly carrying away the opponent), provided it can drag the opponent’s weight.

Trip (Ex): A crawling dead that hits with a slam attack can attempt to trip the opponent as a free action without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the crawling dead.

Abilities: Dex -2.

CR: One-half of the base zombie.

Sample Creature:

Crawling Dead Minotaur Zombie	CR 2
Minotaur, zombie, crawling dead variant zombie
NE Medium Undead
Init -2; Senses darkvision 60 ft; Listen +0, Spot +0
AC 15, touch 8, flat-footed 15; prone +4 vs ranged, -4 vs melee
(Dex -2, Natural +7)
hp 81 (12 HD); DR 5/ slashing
Immune undead immunities
Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +8
Weakness single actions, crawling
Speed 5 ft; can’t run
Melee gore +6 (3d6+7/ 20 x3)
Melee slam +6 (1d8+5)
Space 5 ft; Reach 5 ft
Base Attack +6; Grapple +11
Attack Options improved grab, trip
Abilities Str 21, Dex 6, Con —, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 1
Feats Toughness B
Skills None
Crawling (Ex) Because of its mutilated condition, it must always crawl using only its arms and hands. It is always considered to be prone and cannot be tripped. A crawling dead has a -4 penalty on melee attack rolls and cannot use a ranged weapon or two-handed weapons. A crawling dead gains a +4 bonus to Armor Class against ranged attacks, but takes a -4 penalty to AC against melee attacks. It is impossible for a crawling dead to stand up. These numbers are already added into the statistics above.
Improved Grab (Ex) If a crawling dead hits a creature one size larger than itself or smaller with a slam, it deals normal damage and may attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. No initial touch attack is required. When a crawling dead gets a hold after an improved grab attack, it pulls the opponent into its space. This act does not provoke attacks of opportunity. It can even move (possibly carrying away the opponent), provided it can drag the opponent’s weight.
Single Actions Only (Ex) Crawling dead have poor reflexes and can perform only a single move action or attack action each round.
Trip (Ex) A crawling dead that hits with a slam attack can attempt to trip the opponent as a free action without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the crawling dead.
Typical Treasure None
Advanced Creature None

Create Crawling Dead

Necromancy [Evil]

Level: Cleric 1, Sorcerer 1, Wizard 1

Components: V, S, M

Casting Time: 1 standard action

Range: Touch

Target: One or more corpses touched

Duration: Instantaneous

Saving Throw: None

Spell Resistance: No

This spell turns the bodies of dead creatures into undead crawling dead zombies that follow your spoken commands.

The undead can follow you, or they can remain in an area and attack any creature (or just a specific kind of creature) entering the place. They remain animated until they are destroyed. (A destroyed crawling dead zombie can’t be animated again.)

Regardless of the base creature you use with this spell, you can’t create more HD of undead than twice your caster level with a single casting of create crawling dead. (The desecrate spell doubles this limit).

The undead you create remain under your control indefinitely. No matter how many times you use this spell, however, you can control only 4 HD worth of undead creatures per caster level. If you exceed this number, all the newly created creatures fall under your control, and any excess undead from previous castings become uncontrolled. (You choose which creatures are released.) If you are a cleric, any undead you might command by virtue of your power to command or rebuke undead do not count toward the limit.

A crawling dead zombie can be created only from a mostly intact corpse, although lower extremities are optional since they are lost as part of the casting of the spell. The corpse must be that of a creature with a true anatomy.

Material Component: You must place a black onyx gem worth at least 25 gp per Hit Die of the undead into the mouth or eye socket of each corpse you intend to animate. The magic of the spell turns these gems into worthless, burned-out shells.