Starfinder: Sprinter
Sprinter Zombie CR 1 XP 400
Neutral medium undead
Init +7; Senses Darkvision 60’; Perception +2
Defense HP 11
EAC 12; KAC 13
Fort +0; Ref +3 ; Will +3
Weaknesses Decay
Offense
Speed 60 ft.
Melee Bite, +4, (1d6+2 P), two fists +0 (1d4+2 B)
Offensive Abilities Burst of speed, infectious bite
Statistics
Str +2; Dex +3; Con - ; Int -3; Wis +0; Cha +0
Skills None
Feats Improved initiative
Languages None
Gear None
Ecology
Environment Any
Organization Small groups (1d6), massive packs (5d10)
Special Abilities
Burst of Speed (Ex) Once per day, the Sprinter zombie can increase its speed. For 2d6 rounds, the creature’s speed is increased to 90 ft. per round. The sprinters AC increases by 3 points and it can make an additional bite attack, but both are at a +0 for the BAB.
Decay In these creatures, decay continues as normal, and typically after about two or so weeks, they have decayed to the point that they can no longer run. When this happens, the creatures likewise lose half their movement speed, but their physical attacks remain the same. The longest a creature can remain intact is 14+2d8 days, after which the decay destroys enough of the brain that the creature is truly dead. In hotter climates such as the tropics or in the heat of the summer, this is cut in half, while in the cold, the decay is delayed, taking at least four times as long to render the creature harmless.
Infectious Bite (Ex) Anyone bitten by one of these creatures must make a Fort save (DC 12) or become infected with the zombie virus. Each hour 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 spawn (see Create Spawn above). 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.
Only the Thinker zombie is more terrifying than this particular breed, and with good reason. These creatures are all but mindless, only interested in feasting on the flesh of the living.
What sets them apart and makes them far more terrifying than even the more commonly encountered zombies is how incredibly fast they are. Most people can easily outrun a zombie, and most people or creatures can outwalk a zombie! These creatures will chase you down like a cat after a mouse and they simply will not stop. The victim will often tire out well before they are able to make it to safety and next thing they know, they’re lunch and another zombie is born.
Typically a well-armed and organized group can deal with a handful of these creatures, but rarely are they ever found in such small numbers. They like to travel in massive hordes, and sometimes depending on the availability of prey, they can number in the thousands. It is most common to see around 20 to 50 at any one time however.
Another trait that sets these killers apart from other zombies is that in most other types the state of decay is greatly reduced or even outright halted. This is not the case with these particular types of undead.
As with nearly all types of zombie, they are created through the spread of a virus, which is transmitted through the bite.
