Spellgorged Zombie Template (CR fixed)[3pp]

Creatures with this Template

It is the ultimate humiliation for a spellcaster to be reduced to a mindless, rotting husk used only to store the spells of a rival. Created with the use of a create greater undead spell, a spellgorged zombie is a programmed being, which appears much like a normal zombie. It must be made from a corpse that was in life an arcane or divine spellcaster. Spellgorged zombies may be used to store spells much like a ring of spell storing with the notable exception that they may be programmed to exhaust these spells by the spellcaster through a series of set commands.

Creating a Spellgorged Zombie

“Spellgorged Zombie” is an acquired template that can be added to character capable of casting arcane or divine spells (referred to hereafter as the base creature). A spellgorged zombie retains all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

CR: The spellgorged zombie’s CR depends on its HD as follows:

Hit Dice CR Hit Dice CR
1 1/2 7-11 4
2 1 12-14 5
3-4 2 15-17 6
5-6 3 18-20 7

Alignment: A spellgorged zombie is always neutral evil.

Type: The base character’s type changes to undead. It retains any elemental type modifiers (such as fire or aquatic), but loses any alignment or racial type modifiers. It does not gain the “augmented” subtype. Recalculate base attack bonus and base saves. It gains all the traits of an undead creature.

AC: A spellgorged zombie has a +2 natural armor bonus or the base character’s natural armor bonus, whichever is higher.

Hit Dice: Change all current and future Hit Dice—including those from class levels—to d8s.

Speed: If the base character can fly, reduce its maneuverability to clumsy.

Attacks: The spellgorged zombie retains all the natural attacks and weapon proficiencies of the base creature. A spellgorged also gains a slam attack if it did not already have one. Recalculate the base creature’s attack bonus based on its new type and ability scores. A slam attack deals damage depending on the spellgorged’s size. Creatures with natural attacks retain their old damage rating or use the values below, whichever is higher.

Size Slam Damage Size Slam Damage
Fine 1 Large 1d6
Diminutive 1d2 Huge 2d6
Tiny 1d3 Gargantuan 2d8
Small 1d4 Colossal 4d6
Medium 1d6

Special Attacks: A spellgorged zombie loses all the special attacks of the base creature and gains spell storing.

Spell Storing (Su)

A spellgorged zombie can store any spells cast into its mouth as if it were a ring of spell storing. The spellgorged can store a number of spell levels equal to its Hit Dice. Each spell has a caster level equal to that of the spellcaster that placed the spell in the spellgorged zombie. The save DC for any spell stored in a spellgorged zombie is determined using the ability scores of the spellcaster who placed the spell.

The spellgorged zombie need not provide any material components or focus and there is no arcane spell failure chance for wearing armor (since the spellgorged zombie need not gesture). When the spellcaster stores the spells in the spellgorged zombie, however, he must use all required components for the spell.

For randomly generated spellgorged zombies, treat the spellgorged zombie as a scroll to determine what spells are stored in it. If you roll a spell that would put the spellgorged over its spell level limit, ignore that roll; the spellgorged has no more spells in it. (Not every spellgorged need be fully charged.)

A spellcaster can cast any spells into the spellgorged zombie, so long as the total spell levels do not equal more than the spellgorged zombie’s Hit Dice. Any excess spells or spell levels are lost.

Abilities: Str +2, Dex –2. Being undead the spellgorged zombie has no Constitution score. Being a zombie, it has no Intelligence score. Its Charisma becomes 10.

Feats: A spellgorged zombie loses all feats and gains Toughness as a bonus feat.

Skills: The spellgorged zombie loses all skills.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Spellgorged Zombie Template from the Tome of Horrors Complete, Copyright 2011, Necromancer Games, Inc., published and distributed by Frog God Games; Author Erica Balsley and Patrick Lawinger.

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