How to deal with a zombie?

[darthspader]

Ok so we had a session the other night and during one of the combats our cleric used command undead to “steal” control of a zombie giant from the bad guys. We now have control of this very powerful undead and our group has decided it’s best to put it to rest. - we have a paladin in group. He didn’t object to taking control since we removed from an evil influence, but keeping it would be bad. We don’t want to fight it, or otherwise destroy it, and “setting it loose” would also be bad as then it’s basically going to go around being a giant zombie. Is there a way to “put it to rest” without fighting or destroying it?

Thanks!

[LordKailas]

I don't think so. Since animate dead has a duration of instantaneous you can't just "dispel" it.

you could "cure" it to death. Since it's a mindless undead under the effects of command undead it won't turn on it's master even if it's master attacks it. So you could have the paladin perform a coup de grace using lay on hands on the zombie. Sure it's immune to death effects but it's still an auto crit and you could repeat as needed.

Thematically, it might "feel" better to do that then to just smash it with a weapon until it stops moving, but honestly the effect is basically the same. In theory you can even get the zombie to help out by smashing it's self with a weapon.

[darthspader]

darthspader wrote:

Ok so we had a session the other night and during one of the combats our cleric used command undead to “steal” control of a zombie giant from the bad guys. We now have control of this very powerful undead and our group has decided it’s best to put it to rest. - we have a paladin in group. He didn’t object to taking control since we removed from an evil influence, but keeping it would be bad. We don’t want to fight it, or otherwise destroy it, and “setting it loose” would also be bad as then it’s basically going to go around being a giant zombie. Is there a way to “put it to rest” without fighting or destroying it?

Thanks!

I thought undead under command undead would break control intelligent or not if the controller or the controllers allies attacked it in any way. - also the undead won’t do anything it won’t normally do, although it might be convinced something is worth doing, but it won’t hurt itself or take actions that would be obviously suicidal like “jump off that cliff” - for reference the only thing on it is command undead spell.

[LordKailas]

darthspader wrote:

I thought undead under command undead would break control intelligent or not if the controller or the controllers allies attacked it in any way. - also the undead won’t do anything it won’t normally do, although it might be convinced something is worth doing, but it won’t hurt itself or take actions that would be obviously suicidal like “jump off that cliff” - for reference the only thing on it is command undead spell.

You're thinking of charm. Command Undead has no such restrictions when it comes to unintelligent undead.

Command Undead wrote:

A nonintelligent undead creature gets no saving throw against this spell. When you control a mindless being, you can communicate only basic commands, such as “come here,” “go there,” “fight,” “stand still,” and so on. Nonintelligent undead won’t resist suicidal or obviously harmful orders.

So, if you want the zombie to jump off a cliff it will do exactly that and if it happens to survive the fall its only recourse will be to wait for it's next order.

[Java Man]

Build a giant sized funeral pyre, command the zombie to lie atop it. Perform last rites for the poor soul that was mistreated in this way and light the pyre.

[LordKailas]

After looking over things a bit. I'm going to put a caveat on my previous statements. You stated in your OP that the cleric took control of the undead via Command Undead.

I've been assuming you mean the feat "command undead" which is based on the spell control undead. As opposed to Command Undead the spell which is a wizard only spell.

The spell has language that states that if you or your allies attack the undead it breaks the spell. Control Undead has no such language.

It's all very confusing that way.

[Mark Hoover 330]

If the zombie was once a villager:

1. Dig a hole and command it to drop in
2. Hit it with a splash potion of Weakness
3. Feed it a golden apple
4. Wait about 3-5 minutes for full effect

This is the only way I know to cure a zombie. Otherwise by RAW you've got to destroy the poor creature with damage. However there's one other thing you might try: talk with your GM.

Truly, this is the stuff of side quests and setting building. In the standard PF rules there's no "cure" for zombies. However maybe in your GM's homebrewed setting you might try to find the original caster and have them perform a rite that undoes their spell; appeal to the gods and see what can be done; quest for some ancient tome... etc.

This could actually be really cool for your GM's setting, game-changing even! If you could cure mindless undead through the proper application of runes, salt, cold iron, blessed candles and so on, perhaps your PCs now have an entirely new mission. What if you're meant to save mortals, not just destroy undead?

More than saving people, what if you could cure sentient undead? Perhaps there's a blood alchemy formula that can end vampirism? Perhaps the right kind of ritualized penance will reverse the transformation into ghouls?

My advice would be talk to your GM, then get a funerary cart pulled by impalas; fill the trunk of your cart with all manner of weapons and ritual gear; trick out the vehicle and your own bodies with multiple occult symbols to protect against possession and such... then hit the road! Remember: driver picks the music, passenger shuts his cake hole.

[blahpers]

Tie it down. Say a prayer. Simultaneous coup-de-graces with high crit multiplier weapons. Burn the remains, mix the ashes with holy water, scatter them to the four winds.

[darthspader]

Yea seems like this is gonna be a role play /dm solution... it was a storm giant, animated by an evil ghost. We killed the ghost after we took away its zombie giant gaurd. But now we have this giant to deal with. Lol. So we will investigate roleplay aspect.

Thanks!

[Mark Hoover 330]

*puts on GM's hat and turns to the player of the paladin* This pitiful creature was once a proud Storm Giant. She had been a proud shield maiden to the Jarl as indicated by a tattoo on her shoulder; based on other markings on her corpse you know that she once bore children, she'd survived many battles and, based on the length and style of her hair she'd been in mourning shortly before her death.

Now she is only a rotting shell, endlessly shambling through this world as a mindless, restless monster.

But hope rides the winds her people so zealously venerate. Every proud member of this race, at the moment of their birth, shares their first screams with the sky (Knowledge: Local, Religion; DC 25). In this manner a tiny sliver of their very soul and essence is stored among the heavens, carried by every storm that whelms down upon the earth. Storm giants believe themselves at one with the tempest and immortal so long as wind blows and rain falls.

Venture to the heights of the Storm Giant steading and seek an audience with their shaman. You must perform a service, a worthy quest in order to receive the woman's shield from the Jarl's Hall. If you prove your mettle the shaman will bless the device and deliver it to you for the final rites you must undertake.

With shield in hand and the undead maiden in tow find Eskralyvyndh, the Finger of Storms, the highest peak among the Storm Giants' lands. You will have to battle up its fearsome face against creatures even the giants give wide berth to, as well as the devastating elements. Once at the very top you must give the woman her holy shield; it will sear her undead flesh so you must act with haste!

While she holds the device on high encircle her thrice with the purest salt. Between the circles you will need to drive in a cold iron rod at the cardinal points, save for north which is the direction the woman must present her shield. At this point, beseech the god of storms to release her immortal soul in the heart of the storm's fury with this chant (gives handout to the players). All of you must continue to chant no matter how terrible the tempest rises.

If all is done to the liking of the fates a single bolt of lighting will shatter overhead, forking into four parts. The energy will contain the sliver of the maiden's soul within it. Three forks will ground into the mountainside while the fourth should find the shield and the Storm Giant bearing it. If she was worthy in life and proud in this moment, the curse of undeath shall be removed from her like the casting off of an old cloak and she will rise renewed and alive once more.

So... epic side-quest, several RP moments and a few saving throws later, the PCs have a Female CG Storm Giant, her feats focused around shield use, alive and indebted to them for saving her from undeath. Of course my fluff eluded to her having a family and mourning so I'd have to work those into the plot. Perhaps her husband had fallen in battle and, when she went for revenge she too died, only to rise again as a zombie.

Once returned to life she'll want to look in on her children. Her sons have grown and entered the service of a rival jarl in a neighboring mountain pass. Her daughter, Iryghvylyndh, took up the mantle of a proud shield maiden to her clan. Now, on the eve of war, the poor woman may have arrived too late, only to bear witness to her own children set against one another! Can the party now intervene and put a peaceful end to the conflict?

[Kiesman]

Wow. Can you move to my city and GM for us? If you came up with that in the space of an hour, I'd say you're a dang good GM.

[VoodistMonk]

Mark Hoover 330 wrote:

If the zombie was once a villager:

1. Dig a hole and command it to drop in
2. Hit it with a splash potion of Weakness
3. Feed it a golden apple
4. Wait about 3-5 minutes for full effect

This is the only way I know to cure a zombie. Otherwise by RAW you've got to destroy the poor creature with damage. However there's one other thing you might try: talk with your GM.

Potion of Weakness? What does it do to the zombie? Where do you get one? And why can't I find it online outside of MineCraft?

Golden Apple? What does it do to the zombie? Are you referring to the Apple of Eternal Sleep? Or the Alluring Golden Apple?

Please explain this to me. It's completely possible that I am very stupid, so please type slowly because I cannot read very fast.

[Kiesman]

It's funny you mentioned Minecraft, because he's actually just describing the method in Minecraft to cure a villager of Zombification.

[VoodistMonk]

Thanks for clearing that up for me.

[darthspader]

Dang.... that’s a pretty awsome side quest. I agree - move here and run a game lol.

The biggest/only issue with that is we are in the middle of a rather time sensitive quest. We don’t have the in game time to go off into the mountains. As epic as that would be. Was sort of hoping for a “quick” fix - something we could accomplish within a few hours maybe. The suggestion I came up with, sans role playing details:

1: tweak the details of a magic jar spell. Make it work in reverse. (Instead of the caster implanting his soul into the creature, the spell pulls the soul out and stores it in a container of some kind) - this would require a special perpetration of the spell with appropriate spellcraf and knowledge checks, plus the crafting of a suitable vessel (craft check, use of bless spell)
2: use a magic circle against evil on the zombie.
3: cast consecrate on the zombie and the vessel (again a spellcraft to “split” this spell)
4: destroy the vessel releasing soul to proper afterlife.

Results: a now empty dead corpse that can be buried properly, and the giants soul returned to its rightful place. This would require some resources, a few checks and a couple of mid lvl spells to work, but could maybe accomplish the goal.

We are playing this weekend so I’ll update how things went. Some great suggestions here as always. Thanks again.

[Meirril]

Mindless Undead don't have souls in residence. That is what makes them mindless and will-less.

You could just make a huge coffin, order the giant to dig a grave. Then order the giant to place the coffin in the grave. Then order the giant to occupy said grave while the rest of you bury it. This doesn't 'kill' the zombie, but it does make it get out of the way. Until someone else comes in and commands it again it will just lay there. Probably by the time its unearthed it will become a skeletal giant the hard way.

Personally I'd leave a grave marker. I wouldn't want a vengeful spirit to return. I will point out that someone that knows about a giant zombie might try to dig it up and control it later. But hey, that only happens if your GM wants to mess with you.