Starfinder: Screamer Zombie
Screamer Zombie Combatant CR 1 XP 400
Neutral Medium Undead
Init -3; Senses Darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +10
Defense HP 20
EAC 11; KAC 13
Fort +3; Ref +0; Will +5
Immunities Sonic-based attacks
Offense
Speed 20 ft.
Melee Bite +8 (1d6+7 P)
Offensive Abilities Changing bite, infectious bite, scream, summon
Statistics
Str +3; Dex -3; Con -; Int +0; Wis +3; Cha +0
Skills Athletics +5, stealth +5
Languages None
Gear None
Ecology
Environment Any
Organization Small groups (1d4)
Special Abilities
Changing Bite (Sp) The screamer 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 screamer in 1d3 days. During this period, the zombie can still attack, but any claw or punch damage inflicted is reduced by half as the arms begin to atrophy and eventually fall off. If they bite and un-infected individual, the usual rules for the infectious bite apply.
Infectious bite (Ex) Anyone bitten by one of these creatures must make a Fort save (DC 10) or become infected with a virus. Each hour the victim is allowed another Fort saving throw (DC 10) or lose 1d3 points of Constitution. When the Constitution score reaches zero, the victim dies and will rise as a Zombie. 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. This has an additional component.
Scream (Su) The screamer can use this scream once every second round. It has an area effect of 30 feet and anyone caught in this area of effect must make a Fort save (DC 10) or suffer 2d6 points of damage. Those who fail the saving throw are stunned for 1d3 rounds, and are also deafened for 1d6 rounds. Note this ability only affects living tissue – it will not harm undead, constructs or similar types.
Summon (Sp) The scream emitted from this undead monster will attract any type of zombie within a five mile radius. Typically 4d4 zombies will appear within 1d4 rounds, but the GM can decided how many other zombies are nearby. Any zombies who hear the scream will heed the call and will move at their maximum movement rate towards the location of The screamer. Even if this undead monster is killed, any zombies that were within the range of the scream will home in on the location.
The screamer is both one of the weakest versions of the varying types of zombie which have been created through nefarious means by necromancers or other beings which dabble in the negative energies.
Physically the screamer has the typical appearance of the zombies. They are walking corpses. What set these monsters apart from other zombies are three things. First, for some reason they have lost both of their arms. It is speculated that the mutant virus infects a regular zombie and accelerates the decay in the shoulder joints and within 1d3 days of a regular zombie becoming infected with the virus, the arms fall off. No one knows why this happens.
The second thing is that the jaw becomes unhinged and hangs loose from the skull. It never completely detaches. Those who have taken the time to study these undead monsters speculate that this happened because of the changes that take place in the creature’s vocal cords and is the result of the scream that they can emit. This is how the creatures got their name is the horrific scream they use with great relish.
These creatures can infect and cause regular zombies to mutate. They accomplish this by biting a regular zombie.
Finally, these zombies seem to comprehend that they are quite vulnerable, typically more so than other undead. As such they always stay together with a pack of regular zombies, typically 3d6, although they have been found in massive hordes of zombies.
Chris Van Deelen is the creator and contributor to over half of the Wisdom from the Wastelands series, contributor to the Swords of Kos: Hekaton anthology, and the recently released 'Swords of Kos: The Rite'. He also wrote Creatures of the Tropical Wastelands, and 100 Oddities found in a Car. As prolific as he is, Chris Van Deelen continues to write and produce material which will be in publication soon. Not only is he a prolific content creator, he also has a wide selection of fiction and stories! If you like his work, please follow his personal author page on Facebook and on Twitter to keep up with his latest news and game content.
