Starfinder: Thinker Zombie
Thinker Zombie CR 7 XP 3200
Chaotic evil medium undead
Init +4; Senses Darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +12
Defense HP 56
EAC 18; KAC 19
Fort +4; Ref +4 ; Will +7
Immunities All physical damage (+1 or better to affect).
Weaknesses Acid and fire.
Offense
Speed 30 ft.
Melee 1 bite +10 (1d10 P crit 1d4 Int loss) or +10 (by weapon)
Ranged +10 (by weapon)
Offensive Abilities Infectious bite
Statistics
Str +0; Dex +1; Con -; Int +2; Wis +2; Cha +2
Skills Acrobatics +5, athletics, +5, bluff +12, disable device +12, intimidate +12, stealth +10
Feats heavy armor, improved initiative, martial weapons, simple weapons
Languages Common, Infernal, Abyssal
Gear Full plate, 1 melee weapon, 1 ranged weapon (typically a firearm of some type)
Ecology
Environment Any
Organization Solitary or squad (1d8), or mob (4d4)
Special Abilities
Cursed Ash (Sp) When they are destroyed through fire, care must be taken to ensure that the chemical compounds in their bodies do not make it into the water table or air, or the terror will begin anew. A consecrate, remove curse spell, or channel positive energy is required, or the ash of the creature must be carefully gathered and sealed away. If this does not happen, any dead sentient humanoid within 10d100 feet of where the creature was destroyed will rise as a Thinker zombie in 2d12 hours. The GM is encouraged to determine how many undead are spawned from such an occurrence, and since they are typically encountered in populated areas, this will usually create 4d4 of these monsters. It can be a lot worse if the ashes are scattered near a graveyard, morgue or such a location.
Damage Immunity (Su) These undead creatures are completely immune to any physical damage, and cannot be harmed by any type of non-magical weapon. Spells and weapons of +1 or better are effective in combating them.
Infectious bite (Sp) Anyone bitten by one of these creatures must make a Fort save (DC 15) or become infected with a virus. Each hour the victim is allowed another Fort saving throw (DC 15) or lose 1d3 points of Constitution. When the Constitution score reaches zero, the victim dies and will rise as a Thinker Zombie. They will not notice when they die, they will remain conscious and the only difference is they will crave the cerebral cortex of any sentient creature nearby. If none are to be found, they will go on the hunt for what they crave. 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.
Vulnerability (Ex) The creature is susceptible to fire and acid damage, and will take an additional +1 point of damage per dice from each type.
Out of all the varying types of zombie, arguably the most terrifying are the intelligent zombies. These are creatures that retain both their personality and intellect after being bitten and dying. When they rise from the dead, they retain all memories, but have become deadly predators with only one goal - to consume the cerebral cortex of the living.
Unlike almost all other types of zombies, they are immune to all manner of damage, and the only way to kill them completely is through the use of fire or acid, or any method that will utterly destroy the bodies. They can walk through a storm of bullets and other than a few holes and maybe a missing limb or two; they will just ignore the damage in order to get at the living.
They are fully capable of speech and are excellent problem solvers, able to figure out ways to get at living prey. They are also fully capable of using weapons, but prefer not to, as when they feed on the living. The prey MUST be living. Dead brains will do nothing for them, and they are not interested in dead meat.
As long as a target is fully sentient, they will consume the brains of the creature, although only humanoids can be infected with the horrible necromantic energies and rise to become Thinkers as well. Any non-humanoid creature bitten by one of these creatures will not contract the virus.
The creatures will decay at a normal rate, and even after all that remains is the skeleton. Oddly enough the only part of the body that will not decay, no matter how badly decomposed the rest of the body, is the brain. They will continue to hunt for brains to consume, even if their bodies no longer have the support required to digest the meat.
Rumor has it that several different corporations with the aid of necromancers created this undead horror to turn its soldiers into literal indestructible killing machines, which could be placed inside powered armor and sent on a rampage to kill and eat the enemy. No one knows for sure, but there are tales of individual powered-armored soldiers found in the darkest depths of space and remote colonies and outposts. They are said to be indestructible and always stop to feast upon those they have killed.
