Zombie template

[Vaahama]

First time that i'm actually building my own undead instead of picking one up from published material. That's a zombi drider created by a drow necromancer for some nefarious purpose!

So just to make sure i have it right have a look at it and tell me what i might have forgot or simply misunderstood in using the template conversion.

Zombie drider (CR5)

Large undead aberration
neutral evil
speed 30'/ climb 20'
darkvision: 60'

S 17, D 13, C 0, I 0, W 10, CH 10
HD: 11D8 + 11
HP: 55

Defensive:
Save: F+3 R+4 W+7
AC 13, touch 10, FF 13
DR 5/ slashing

Offensive:
BaB: +8
CMB: +12
CMD: 23 (35 VS trip)

attack:
slam: +10/+5 (1D8 +3), Bite +6 (1D4 +3)

no skills/feats
Plus all traits related to undead (and aberration?)

P.S. if the said necromancer had created that drider on a desacrated ground can i update the drider stats accordingly?

[FarmerBob]

Looks pretty good. Things I noticed:

1) They lose the aberration type.

2) HP are a little too low. Should be 4.5 * 11 + 11 = 60

3) They retain their prior attack abilities (mace, bow, bite), if you care about that.

[Some call me Tim]

I got a few notes highlighted below

Zombie drider (CR5)

Large undead loses aberration type
neutral evil
speed 30'/ climb 20'
darkvision: 60'

S 17, D 13, C --, I --, W 10, CH 10 zero is not the same as none
HD: 11d8 + 11 HP: 60

Defensive:
Save: F+3 R+4 W+7
AC 13, touch 10, FF 13
DR 5/ slashing

Offensive:
BaB: +8
CMB: +12
CMD: 23 (35 VS trip)

attack: retains attacks and proficiencies of drider
Melee mwk heavy mace +11 (1d8+3) or bite +6 (1d4+1 plus poison)
Ranged mwk composite longbow +9 (1d8+2/×3)
slam: +10 (1D8 +3) or Bite +6 (1D4 +3)
don't forget the staggered quality which prevents multiple attacks.

zombies have no skills/feats except
Toughness gains toughness as a bonus feat

Staggered (Ex): Zombies have poor reflexes and can only perform a single move action or standard action each round. A zombie can move up to its speed and attack in the same round as a charge action.

Poison (Ex) Bite—injury; save Fort DC 14; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d2 Str; cure 1 save. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Undersized Weapons (Ex) Although a drider is Large, its upper torso is the same size as that of a Medium humanoid’s upper torso. As a result, it wields weapons as if it were one size category smaller than its actual size (Medium for most driders).
I believe it would retain both these special qualities because they are extraordinary special abilities that improve a melee attack. (Of course, it could be argued that undersized weapon actually hurts its melee attack, but it would normally have had medium-sized weapons which means it would take a penalty to wield those. Meh.)

Plus all traits related to undead

Quote:

P.S. if the said necromancer had created that drider on a desacrated ground can i update the drider stats accordingly?

Sure, the zombie drider would gain 11 hit points if created in a desecrated temple.

[Vaahama]

Thanx for the pretty extensive and detailed reply Tim!

One thing that makes me confused is the # of attack round.
Since the drider BaB is +8 is he not entitled to a second attack at -5?

[AvalonXQ]

Vaahama wrote:

Thanx for the pretty extensive and detailed reply Tim!

One thing that makes me confused is the # of attack round.
Since the drider BaB is +8 is he not entitled to a second attack at -5?

You only get multiple attacks on rounds when you use a full attack action. Zombies can only take a standard or move action each round; a zombie can't make a full attack action, and therefore never makes more than one attack.

[Jeraa]

Vaahama wrote:

Thanx for the pretty extensive and detailed reply Tim!

One thing that makes me confused is the # of attack round.
Since the drider BaB is +8 is he not entitled to a second attack at -5?

Not with natural weapons, but he would get a second attack with his mace or bow.

Edit: And as Avalon stated and I forgot, zombies are limited to a standard action so can not do a full attack to get their additional attacks. So they are limited to a single attack. Also note that the Fast Zombie variant does not have the staggered quality, and can make full attacks.

[Some call me Tim]

Jeraa wrote:

Edit: And as Avalon stated and I forgot, zombies are limited to a standard action so can not do a full attack to get their additional attacks. So they are limited to a single attack.

That's why I said, "don't forget the staggered quality which prevents multiple attacks." :-P

Jeraa wrote:

Also note that the Fast Zombie variant does not have the staggered quality, and can make full attacks.

Plus when a fast zombie variant makes a full attack it gets one additional slam attack at its highest base attack bonus.

So a fast zombie variant would look something like this.

Fast Zombie drider (CR5)

Large undead
neutral evil
speed 40'/ climb 20'
darkvision: 60'

S 17, D 17, C --, I --, W 10, CH 10
HD: 11d8 + 11 HP: 60

Defensive:
Save: F+3 R+6 W+7
AC 15, touch 12, FF 12 (size -1, natural +3, dex +3)
loses DR 5/slashing

Offensive:
BaB: +8
CMB: +12
CMD: 25 (37 vs. trip)

Melee mwk heavy mace +11/+6 (1d8+3) or slam +10 (1d8+3), bite +6 (1d4+1 plus poison)
Ranged mwk composite longbow +11/+6 (1d8+2/×3)

zombies have no skills/feats except
Toughness gains toughness as a bonus feat

Quick Strikes (Ex): Whenever a fast zombie takes a full attack action, it can make one additional slam attack at its highest base attack bonus.

Poison (Ex) Bite—injury; save Fort DC 14; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d2 Str; cure 1 save. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Undersized Weapons (Ex) Although a drider is Large, its upper torso is the same size as that of a Medium humanoid’s upper torso. As a result, it wields weapons as if it were one size category smaller than its actual size (Medium for most driders).

[Some call me Tim]

Some call me Tim wrote:

Zombie drider (CR5)

...
AC 13, touch 10, FF 13
...

Missed this the first time around. For a normal Zombie drider that should read:

AC 13, touch 10, flat-footed 12 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +3 natural)