Strahd Zombie

Strahd zombies are a unique form of undead created only by Count Strahd Von Zarovich, the vampire lord of Barovia.

These horrible creatures are human bodies that have been resurrected into living death. They wear the remains of the armor and clothing they wore at the time of death. Since many of them were once guards at Castle Ravenloft, 50% of these zombies wear useless, rag-tag pieces of armor. They seldom carry weapons or tools.

Strahd zombies appear fragile. Their gray-green flesh looks soft, and even their bones seem brittle. Their eyes are dark, empty pits that somehow seem to see anyway. The zombie's lips and cheeks have shrunk, revealing large, crooked teeth. Their hands end in sharp, talonlike nails that bear little resemblance to a normal person's fingernails.

Strahd zombies smell like normal zombies. In other words, they exude a rotting stench that is noticeable up to 100 feet away if it's unobstructed.

Strahd zombies can utter only two sounds. Neither vocalization causes their mouths to move discernibly. The first is a low moan, which signifies an eagerness to act. The second is a mutilated whisper of the name “Strahd”. If a character declares that he wants to figure out what these creatures are hissing, he must make an Intelligence check to decipher it.

Combat: The sight of a Strahd zombie requires a horror check. If the viewer sees the vestiges of someone he once knew among the zombies, a -4 penalty is applied. Despite their fragile appearance, the negative plane energy is very strong in Strahd zombies. The power of Strahd Von Zarovich runs through them, making tiled as difficult to turn as mummies.

Like the common zombie, a Strahd zombie always strikes last in the round. Initially, it can attack once per round with a taloned hand. Eventually it may not have a hand to strike with, however. Any single hit of 5 points or more against a zombie severs a limb. Since they always reach out with arms extended, that usually indicates an arm. When both arms are gone, the head is the next logical target, since the zombie leans forward in an attempt to bite its victim. If an opponent attempts to hit something other than an arm or the head, he suffers a -2 penalty to his attack roll. If he rolls a natural 1, he hits an arm or the head anyway (whichever is thrust forward).

The zombie's severed head and arms can continue to move, at a rate of 1. The arms move like an inch worm, while the head rolls around. They con attack independently from the body once severed. If other body parts are severed, they flop around but cannot attack. The first time a character sees the severed limbs moving to attack, he must make another horror check. This time he gains a +2 bonus for having already stood his ground against the foul creatures.

The life force of a Strahd zombie is shared between all fallen body parts. When any body part suffers damage. the hit points are subtracted from the total of the whole. If the zombie is reduced to 0 total hit points, all body parts cease to move and attack.

Habitat/Society: Strahd zombies lurk in dungeons and graveyards, particularly around Castle Ravenloft. Being mindless undead, they have no society.

These zombies follow whatever order their master gives them. These must be a simple, no more than a single sentence of 20 words or less. They never check for morale, always following their orders until completely destroyed.

When in their native land of Barovia, Strahd zombies can “report back” to Strahd if it is a part of their orders. It takes them a full turn of inactivity to establish contact. Even then, there is a chance that Strahd may be too busy to listen. The report takes the form of a sensation; Strahd receives a simple feeling of success or failure. This ability is a part of Strahd's attachment to the land of Barovia. It is not an inherent capability of the zombies.

Ecology: Strahd zombies are not a part of nature, nor are they part of the warped quality of Ravenloft. They are created with an arcane formula known only to Strahd Von Zarovich. He can create them only from the dead bodies of humans.