Starfinder: Bloater Zombie
Rotted Zombie Combatant CR 1 XP 400
Neutral medium undead
Init +0 ; Senses Darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +0
Defense HP 20
EAC 11; KAC 13
Fort +3; Ref +3 ; Will +3
Defensive Abilities Hide in the pack
Weaknesses piercing or slashing weapons
Offense
Speed 30 ft.
Melee Bite, +8 (1d6+4 P) or two bashes +4 (1d4+4 B)
Offensive Abilities Explosive, gaseous discharge, infectious bite
Statistics
Str +2; Dex +0; Con - ; Int -3 ; Wis +0; Cha +0
Skills Stealth +10
Feats None
Languages None
Gear None
Ecology
Environment Any
Organization Solitary and packs of zombies (4+2d4)
Special Abilities
Changing Bite (Sp) The Bloater 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 bloater in 3d12 hours. The regular zombie will begin to bloat and take on the characteristics of the bloater and once the transformation is complete, it becomes a bloater
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+1 damage. IF the victim is foolish enough to stay in the area of effect, they will suffer an additional 3d6+1 damage per round! If this kills them, they will automatically rise as a regular zombie in 1d4 rounds. The cloud will remain for 3d6 rounds before it finally dissipates.
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 10) 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 bloater 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 bloater would require a DC 17 perception check.
Infectious bite (Ex) Anyone bitten by a bloater must make a Fort save (DC 10) or become infected with the linked virus. Every 24 hours 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 either a regular zombie (01-80%) or a bloater (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, greenish 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 bloater.
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.
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.
