Zombie

Zombie creatures are created through spells such as animate dead. Such a creature has no memory of its former life or self, and functions identically to any other zombie, though it may retain some of its abilities and powers.

Transformation. When a creature becomes a zombie creature, it retains its statistics, except as described below. The creature loses any trait, such as Amphibious, that assumes a living physiology. The creature retains none of its lair actions or legendary actions.

  • Creature Type. The creature's type changes to Undead, and it no longer requires air, food, drink, or sleep.

  • Armor Class. The creature's armor class becomes 10 + their Dexterity bonus, unless they had natural armor in life, in which case they take a -3 penalty to their natural armor AC.

  • Hit Points. The creature gains an additional 2 hit dice.

  • Speed. All of the creature's speeds are reduced by 10 feet.

  • Ability Score Adjustments. The creature gains a +2 to their Strength score, -4 penalty to their Dexterity score, and if a creature has a Constitution score of 14 or lower, it increases to 16. If it is already higher than 14, it gains a +2 to its Constitution score. The creature's Intelligence changes to 3 (-4) unless it is lower, a -4 penalty to their Wisdom score (minimum of 1), and Charisma changes to 5 (-3) unless it is lower.

  • Saving Throw. The creature loses all saving throws it had in life, it then gains a Wisdom saving throw.

  • Damage Immunities. The creature gains immunity to poison damage. It also retains any immunities it had in life.

  • Condition Immunities. The creature gains immunity to the poisoned condition and retains any immunities that it had in life. It also doesn't suffer from exhaustion.

  • Special Abilities. The creature loses all supernatural and spell-like abilities that it possessed in life.

  • Skills. The creature loses all skill proficiencies.

  • Senses. The creature gains 60 foot darkvision, if it already has darkvision it retains its range it had in life unless it is less than 60 feet.

  • Languages. The creature loses all ability to talk, but understands all languages it spoke in life.

  • Challenge Rating. The creature's Challenge Rating shouldn't change unless being a zombie removes or adds many traits or abilities.

  • Creature Feats. The creature loses all feats that it had taken in life.

  • Add trait Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces the zombie to 0 hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or from a critical hit. On a success, the zombie drops to 1 hit point instead.

  • Lost Traits. The creature loses any traits from class features, spells, magical effects and similar. They only keep traits that they naturally have like a Beholder's eye rays or a Tiger's keen smell or pounce.

  • Attacks. The creature either uses the weapons it had in life or gains a new slam Attack, it can make the slam attack once per turn, it deals bludgeoning damage and is proficient with the attack. The damage die is based on the creature's size per the chart below.

Undead Slam Damage

Size Damage Die
Tiny 1d4
Small 1d6
Medium 1d8
Large 2d8
Huge 3d8
Gargantuan 4d8
  • Elemental Damage. If the creature could normally deal damage with elemental energies, like Fire or Acid, it can no longer deal that type of damage.