Undead Templates

Zombie Skills: All zombies have the following skill limitations:

Climb: Rank 4 if the creature is capable of climbing
Dodge: Zombies have no self-preservation instinct and do not have a dodge skill.
Hide: Rank 4
Listen: Rank 4
Move Silently: Rank 4
Smell: Rank 4 if the creature had that skill in life.
Spot: Rank 4

Zombie Attacks: Zombies keep their two primary attacks plus a tail sweep attack, if appropriate for the creature, and lose all others.

• Humanoid zombies: One attack, period.
• Beastial zombies: Keep the creatures two primary attacks. Zombies can only use on type of attack once per round. Thus a creature that had two claw attacks in life only has one claw attack in zombie form. Most will also retain their bite attack unless something prevents them from doing this. If the creature has a tail sweep attack, it also retains that attack.
• The AV of zombie creature attacks is equal to their attack AV in life or 20 AV, whichever is lower. Thus a creature with a 10 AV in life will have a 10 AV in undeath. A creature with a 50 AV in life will have a 20 AV in undeath.
• Damage for all attacks will remain the same as does staging.
• All special abilities are lost, including breath weapons, magical gaze attacks, special effect touch attacks, etc.
• Zombies normally retain all of their natural defensive bonuses such as damage absorbsion, staging, and deflection bonuses. Depending upon the condition of the body, the undead may not get all of these bonuses. For example, a zombie dragon that has been skinned will not have it’s armor bonuses.

Attribute Modifications: Upon changing into a zombie, the creature's stats change.

Strength: Unchanged
Size: Unchanged
Agility: AGL -2
Reflexes: 1/2 REF
Constitution: 10
Fortitude: Unchanged
Reasoning: 0
Willpower: 1
Spirit: 1
Perception: 1/2 PER

Skeletons are among the easiest of the undead to create, right along with zombies. Usually they are created by the use of the Raise the Dead spell. Skeletons are actually a template creature and base all of their stats and skills off of the base creature. Given below are the stats for various sized humanoid skeletons and a few different bestial templates also. To create a skeleton that isn’t on this chart, use the skeleton template to determine attributes and stats for these creatures. Special care must be taken when creating templates for bestial skeletons. There are several limitations and rules that will apply to their abilities:

Skeleton Skills: All skeletons have the following skill limitations:

• Climb: Rank 4 if the creature is capable of climbing
• Dodge: Skeletons have no self-preservation instinct and do not have a dodge skill.
• Hide: Rank 2
• Listen: Rank 4
• Move Silently: Rank 0 with an additional -20 AV penalty if the feet are not covered or booted.
• Smell: Rank 4 if the creature had that skill in life.
• Spot: Rank 4

Skeleton Attacks: Skeletons keep their two primary attacks plus a tail sweep attack, if appropriate for the creature, and lose all others.

• Humanoid skeletons: One attack, period.
• Beastial skeletons: Keep the creature's two primary attacks. Skeletons can only use on type of attack once per round. Thus a creature that had two claw attacks in life only has one claw attack in skeleton form. Most will also retain their bite attack unless something prevents them from doing this. If the creature has a tail sweep attack, it also retains that attack.
• The AV of any skeleton creature attacks is equal to their attack AV in life or 20 AV, whichever is lower. Thus a creature with a 10 AV in life will have a 10 AV in undeath. A creature with a 50 AV in life will have a 20 AV in undeath.
• Damage for all attacks will remain the same as does staging.
• All special abilities are lost, including breath weapons, magical gaze attacks, special effect touch attacks, etc.
• Skeletons lose all natural damage absorbsion, defensive staging, deflection bonuses to DR, and other bonuses to DR rating.
• Large skeletons do not keep all of their physical strength. Skeletons with a base creature strength less than 30 retain their original strength scores. Skeletons whose base strength is greater than 30 either have a strength of 30 in undeath or a strength equal to their new size score.

Attribute Modifications: Upon changing to a skeleton, the creature's attributes change.

Strength: Unchanged
Size: 1/2 SIZE
Agility: Unchanged
Reflexes: Unchanged
Constitution: 10
Fortitude: Unchanged
Reasoning: 0
Willpower: 1
Spirit: 1
Perception: 1/2