PDA

View Full Version : Advancing Skeletons or Zombies?



Kioran
2007-08-27, 03:30 PM
Hi!

In my Core campaign, IŽve run into a problem of sorts: Most of my favorite encounters (humanoid NPCs with class levels) are totally slaughtered, repeatedly and easily through the application of TashaŽs hideous laughter and other Will Save-or-dies. While this, in and of itself, is not much of a problem, IŽd like to use some Encounters the Gray-elf Bat-man twinkie wonŽt steamroll in one go.
Apart from some options (like giant Spiders), especially Undead have called my attention to them: Our ranger has them as favored enemies, plus, they can be quite fearsome and creepy if used correctly.

Now I like my challenges to be difficult to size up initially, at least without some serious analysis of the situation, mainly to prevent metagaming. So I thought about simply advancing Skeletons and Zombies. However, they seem to be the only monsters who are not meant to be advanced in any way.
Why is that so? Does it make sense to you? And what would you do? I figured 3 HD/CR for Skellies and 4 HD/CR for zombies, but then, that might be a little off. As for improvement: allthough they get no Feats, iŽd like to improve their natural Armor as is theyŽd taken all their Feats in "Improve natural armor" to toughen them up. Do you think it would unbalance gameplay?

Kurobara
2007-08-27, 03:39 PM
Why is that so? Does it make sense to you? And what would you do? I figured 3 HD/CR for Skellies and 4 HD/CR for zombies, but then, that might be a little off. As for improvement: although they get no Feats, iŽd like to improve their natural Armor as is theyŽd taken all their Feats in "Improve natural armor" to toughen them up. Do you think it would unbalance gameplay?

What I would do is advance the base creature before making them undead. (It may also be that that's what the designers intended, thus also answering the why, but that's pure speculation.) That should, for most creatures, also increase the natural armor, as most creatures get bigger as they gain HD, and skeleton and zombie NA are both based on size.

Lord Lorac Silvanos
2007-08-27, 03:39 PM
I am not quite sure I am following you.
The Skeleton and Zombie template can be applied to all corporeal creatures, so by changing the base creature (adding HD) you are also effectively advancing the Skeleton or Zombie.

Kioran
2007-08-27, 03:41 PM
*Duh*

off course, that makes some sense. still a problem with humanoids though. Whaever. I just use advanced humanoid Zombies anyway. CanŽt be much worse than their zombified giant comrades.....