Class for Headless Undead

[ShurikVch]

Foreword: in the webcomic "Dominic Deegan" necromancer Rilian was called "vile zombie". It sound so much D&D! I decided to check a creature to understand just how bad was that nickname.
So, "vile" is not a race, template, subtype or environment. Thus must search for particular monster, like vile wight from BoVD.
Finally found it in the DM Graphic Cyclopedia from Dreaming Merchant Press.
It's 3 HD headless zombie with claws. In the place of head is head-sized iron unholy symbol.
Looking at it's abilities (15/10/-/7/10/1), I think:
-Int 7? It can have a class... Oh, wait... It's headless, i. e. mute, nearly-deaf and blind (have lifesence, constant detect magic and time sense).
What kind of class can really work with such creature?
Spellcaster? Verbal components, LoS...
Skillmonkey? It's blind, mute, nearly-deaf and with Cha 1.
Warrior? Can it's lifesence overcome a total concealment from being blind?
Psion? With Int 7?

[Hand_of_Vecna]

It's headless, i. e. mute, nearly-deaf and blind (have lifesence, constant detect magic and time sense).
What kind of class can really work with such creature?
Spellcaster? Verbal components, LoS...
Skillmonkey? It's blind, mute, nearly-deaf and with Cha 1.
Warrior? Can it's lifesence overcome a total concealment from being blind?


It's best not to over think it, cause hey skeletons lack all sensory organs and are often depicted without visable ligaments.

Is ineptitude caused by sensory deprivation a theme when the creature appears in it's source material? If not, then it must do alright.

The attributes you listed pretty much pigeon hole you into melee maybe Warlock if you want to be different d12 hd Warlock could be an interesting melee.

[Psyren]

Any NAD class should work, like Warlock or Binder. (With that Cha, the Binding checks would probably fail, but that doesn't affect your powers.

Int or no int, is that thing meant to be playable?

[Ashtagon]

Intelligence 3+ is not the prerequisite to have class levels. What you're looking for is "Advancement: By character class".

[ShurikVch]

Thanks for the answers.

It's best not to over think it, cause hey skeletons lack all sensory organs and are often depicted without visable ligaments.

Is ineptitude caused by sensory deprivation a theme when the creature appears in it's source material?
It's explicitly called blind. Being also a deaf was just my assumption; it can understand spoken orders.

Int or no int, is that thing meant to be playable? Probably, opponent. Description not listed any LA...

Intelligence 3+ is not the prerequisite to have class levels. What you're looking for is "Advancement: By character class". Shrieking Hag have "Level Adjustment: —" and "Advancement: By character class". Dragons from MM, can advence by class, but what's it say in the "Advancement: ..." line?

[TuggyNE]

Foreword: in the webcomic "Dominic Deegan" necromancer Rilian was called "vile zombie". It sound so much D&D! I decided to check a creature to understand just how bad was that nickname.

You could have, y'know, looked up what vile and zombie mean? It just means evil, terrible, horrifying, debased undead mockery of life. That's it.


Probably, opponent. Description not listed any LA...

You can probably add class levels to it as an NPC, but it's pretty obviously not a playable character; lack of listed LA generally means LA: -.

[ZamielVanWeber]

BoVD has the Corpse Creature template for a sentient zombie. My group uses +2 for the LA (if it matters).