Idea: Zombies with spells stored by necromancy

[crosscowy]

This is in one of the old d&d books , not sure which one, maybe BOVD..


They're zombies with a spell stored in them... some are programmed to use it on the first enemy they see..

others are programmed so that when the zombie is cut open (destroyed) the spell fires off at the zombie.


Cloud spells and area of effect spells are the ones that are usually put in the "detonator" zombies.

The zombies that fire off their spell at the first target usually have a RAY spell in them, once the spell has been used it's gone. the zombie can only store a spell of a level that the zombie could cast if it was alive.

So a level 3 zombie could store 1 level 1 spell, or 1 level 2 spell.

level 7 zombies could store a spell of level 1,2,3 or 4

Some of these zombies can have a "see enemy" spell and a detonator spell, those are the most dangerous and difficult to make.
More often than not the spells stored are necromancy, but evocation and conjuration is common too.
Zombie with grease spells inside them are a riot.

[Grimgore]

It's an interesting idea, kind of like the PnP faux beholder "Gas spore" monster.

[crosscowy]

Yeah a gas spore would be a funny addition....


Fireball zombies would be the obvious one I guess.


The idea's not new, dragonlance BOZAK's and AURAK's explode on death. CUPRAK"s dissolve into a hazardous acid puddle, BAAZ auto-cast flesh to stone on their own corpse as they die so they turn to stone. They're all ON DEATH - Cast Spell type creatures. The possibilities are endless.

You could even make the death of one creature summon another, but I guess we already see this in the orchard with the flamebound sacrificers near the inferno of the damned etc.

[Belwaar]

Most zombies explode at some point or other, but I don't know whether or not they deal damage...been too long since I killed a zombie in the catacombs, etc.

[hazzazz]

the graverobber quest you do seem them blow up and I have been killed by one..
it also has a high chance of infecting you with a disease when this happens..


Though this isnt the same as having an area effect spell implanted into the zombie... a cloud kill appearingh when you kill one? nasty..

[barabel]

In the Monster Manual 2 (p215) it describes how corporeal undead creatures can be imbued with the ability to cast spells.

In the example table they provide, say a Spellstitched Ghast with a Wisdom of 13-14 could case 2-1st Level Spells (4/day), 2-2nd Level Spells (4/day), 2-3rd Level Spells (2/day).

All spells must be from the Conjuration, Evocation or Necromancy schools. In addition to this, they also gain

-Spell Resistance equal to 15+base creatures Charisma.
-Damage Reduction
-Turn Resistance +2

All this improves the creatures base Challenge Rating by 2.

[hazzazz]

yeah that sounds about right, spellstitched undead would be cool, but i'm talking more about the brainless dead simply with spell triggers inside them.. and the fact you dont know WHAT spell is inside them, or be able to tell them apart from the zombie with no spell inside them, is what makes it enjoyable.

(detect life, discharge stored spell at target)
(on death, discharge stored spell at location of body destruction)

etc etc