In the last session of my campaign, my players failed to stop a drow plot to poison the water supply with a potent mixture of alchemy ingredients that had previously been used to turn centaur into scorpion-like beasts. As a consequence, I'll have them go back to the town they were in previously and find the inhabitants turned into zombie-like infected. I was hoping to get feedback on them. Should they be a higher CR? Should they be modified to be (alone) CR 1 so I can more easily swarm them? I plan on making a few animals who have also been infected.
INFECTED HUMANS / CR 2 / XP 600
N Aberration
Initiative +1 Perception +3
-------------
AC 15 (1 Dex, 4 Natural) Flat-footed 15, Touch 11
HP 22 (3d8+9)
Fort +4 Ref +2 Will +5
-------------
Speed 40 ft, Move Up
Melee - Slam +6 (1d6 + 4 plus grab), Bite +6 (1d4 + 4 plus poison and disease)
-------------
Str 18 Dex 12 Con 16 Int 5 Wis 10 Cha 5
BAB +2 CMB +6 (+10 Grapple) CMD 17
-------------
Feats
Step Up
Iron Will
-------------
- Madness: Infected see all living non-infected beings as threats and attack.
- Group Tactics: Infected deal +1 damage for each infected adjacent to both them and the target, plus 1d6 sneak attack damage when flanking or the target is denied a Dexterity bonus.
- Poison: Injury, immediate onset, DC 14, frequency 1/rd for 3 rounds, cure 1 save, effect 1d2 Con damage + 1d2 Str damage
- Disease: Injury, 1d4 hour onset, DC 14, frequency 1/day, cure 2 saves. First failed save confuses target (as the spell), second failed save turns the target into an infected
- Diseased: Remove Disease cures the infected. DC to remove increased by 2 for each week since infection.
-------------
Tactics
- Alone: Grab & Bite, No regard for safety
- Groups: Surround, grab, pin, bite
- Infected will leave any foe that is unconscious and bitten
Yeah. Could get comfy in here.
My only problem with it is that they get sneak attack damage from insanity. Have you considered giving them things like Rage and Improved Aid?
I think the CR looks ok. These guys look interesting to be honest. Have you looked at classic horrors revisited? They have a template in there for infections grabing bitting zombies. If you want an idea of the 'balance' area for these guys have a look in there. I unfortunately dont have my copy handy or i'd give a more detailed thought on if the CR is right.
I would also leave their CR as is. After all handling an actual zombie swarm/infestation is the province of higher level characters. Low level character usually end up as future zombies in this kind of scenario if they are en mass. Low level characters should run not fight.
My only problem with it is that they get sneak attack damage from insanity. Have you considered giving them things like Rage and Improved Aid?
I thought about Rage, but I didn't want to give them class levels or head *too* far from existing monsters. I used the derro (who has both madness and sneak attack) as inspiration. I wanted them to have a real penalty for getting swarmed and surrounded.