Starfinder: Rotted Zombie

Chris Van Deelen

Rotted Zombie CR 1 XP 400

Neutral medium undead

Init +0 ; Senses Darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +0


Defense                                                             HP 7

EAC 9; KAC 10

Fort +1; Ref +0 ; Will +2

Defensive Abilities Hide in the pack

Weaknesses piercing or slashing weapons



Speed 30 ft.

Melee Bite, +3 (1d6+2 P) or two bashes -1 (1d4+2 B)

Offensive Abilities Explosive, gaseous discharge, infectious bite

Str +2; Dex +0; Con - ; Int -3 ; Wis +0; Cha +0

Skills Stealth +1

Feats None

Languages None

Gear None



Environment Any

Organization Solitary and packs of zombies (4+2d4)


Special Abilities

Changing Bite (Sp) The Rotted zombie can bite a regular zombie and this will infect it with the mutated virus. The regular zombie does not get a saving throw. Instead it will begin to mutate into a new Rotted zombie in 3d12 hours. The regular zombie will begin to bloat and take on the characteristics of the rotter and once the transformation is complete, it becomes a rotter.

Explosive (Ex) If they are hit by any slashing or piercing weapons the creature must make a Fort save (DC10 +1 for every 3 points of damage inflicted). If the save fails, the creature explodes in a 20 ft. radius, destroying it in the process. The explosion is purely negative energy, mixed in with the gas it produces. This negative energy will heal any damage suffered by any undead in the vicinity (including members of its own type). All targets in that radius are allowed a Ref save (DC 14) or they suffer 3d6 damage.

Gaseous discharge (Ex) The creatures constantly emit a gaseous cloud which surrounds them to a radius of 15 ft. Anyone entering this cloud must make a Fort save (DC 14) or are nauseated. Once they leave the area of effect, they will lose the condition after 1d4 rounds. This cloud also contains the same virus which can turn the living into undead monsters. The same rules apply for the infectious bite (below). Note this only affects those creatures who need to breathe!

Hide in the pack (Su) The Rotted zombie will use packs of normal zombies as cover, allowing them to keep it hidden until it is too late. Anyone attempting to spot a rotted zombie will have to make a perception check with a DC equal to 10 plus the number of regular zombies. So if there are 7 regular zombies, anyone trying to spot the Rotted zombie would require a DC 17 perception check.

Infectious bite (Ex) Anyone bitten by a Rotted zombie must make a Fort save (DC 12) or become infected with the linked virus. Every 24 hours the victim is allowed another Fort saving throw (DC 12) or lose 1d3 points of Constitution. When the Constitution score reaches zero, the victim dies and will rise as a either a regular zombie (01-80%) or a Rotted zombie (81-00%).  A cure disease or other similar spell, spell-like ability, or medical drug will cure the victim, and the lost Constitution score will return at the victims’ natural healing rate per day.

One of the many different variants of zombies that were created by necromancers, this particular zombie is just another variation on the theme. The major difference is they, like the flammable zombies, are able to exude a dangerous gas, which can prove to be quite deadly in on itself.

Physically these zombies appear as bloated, grey-skinned creatures. Unlike other zombies which typically have visible portions of their bodies missing, these undead monsters appear to be physically intact. They have the same urges as the others. They are always on the hunt for fresh victims to devour. They will attack via bite or bashing, but only the bite will transmit the plague.

One very strange effect that has been noticed is that sometimes when these creatures encounter large bands of zombies, they will seek out individual zombies and bite them. The bite will force the zombie to undergo a transformation into a Rotted zombie.

Another strange phenomenon is that these creatures always seem to travel in packs of no less than six regular zombies. If a pack drops to below four, they will actively seek out other zombies to replenish their losses. They are the only type of zombies that will actively seek out others and try to infect them a second time.

As if being turned into a zombie was not bad enough already.

Starfinder Creature Index