Yellow Musk Zombie Orc* (CR 1/2)

Medium Plant
Alignment: Always neutral
Initiative: +0; Senses: darkvision 60 ft.


AC: 15 (+2 natural, +3 studded leather armor), touch 10, flat-footed 15
Hit Dice: 1d8 (4 hp)
Fort +2, Ref +0, Will -1
Speed: 30 ft.
Space: 5 ft./5 ft.
Base Attack +1; Grapple +3
Attack: Heavy flail +3 melee, or javelin +1 ranged
Full Attack: Heavy flail +3 melee, or javelin +1 ranged
Damage: Heavy flail 1d10+3/19-20, javelin 1d6+2
Special Attacks: -
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 10, Con 11, Int 2, Wis 8, Cha 8
Special Qualities: Creeper loyalty, deadened mind, light sensitivity, plant traits, seeded
Feats: -
Skills: -
Advancement: -
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Solitary or gang (2-8)
Treasure/Possessions: Standard

Source: Fiend Folio

Yellow musk zombies are not zombies at all, though their low groans, sickly yellow skin, and vacant stares lead many to believe they are undead. Rather, the wretched creatures are all that remains of victims of the deadly yellow musk creeper. During their thankfully brief lives, yellow musk zombies do everything within their power to protect and support the plant that spawned them.

Outwardly, a yellow musk zombie orc resembles a normal member of its species except for its hollow, dead eyes and pallid, jaundiced skin. It has another important distinction that cannot be seen with the naked eye: When the yellow musk creeper responsible for its transformation devours a creature's brain, it leaves a fleshy seed within the creature's head that slowly germinates over a period of two months.

The mindless zombies are not truly evil, though their unswerving loyalty to their progenitor makes them determined and deadly opponents. A yellow musk zombie retains a vestige of intelligence, although it is incapable of using abilities or skills requiring special training or knowledge (including most class abilities or any tool or device more complicated than a weapon).

Combat

Yellow musk zombies fight on behalf of their patron and attempt to find new victims for it by dragging them into the yellow musk creeper's presence. They instinctively try to avoid killing potential victims, preferring to grapple or subdue intruders in order to bring living prey to their plant master. If their parent plant comes under attack, they quickly turn to lethal attacks to defend the yellow musk creeper.

The sample yellow musk zombie presented here uses a 1st-level orc warrior as the base creature.

Creeper Loyalty (Ex): A yellow musk zombie orc always acts to protect and nurture the yellow musk creeper that created it. It can range no farther than 100 feet from its progenitor for the first two months of its existence. Thereafter, it wanders freely for 1d4 days before dropping dead. Unless cured (see below), a yellow musk zombie orc automatically dies two days after the death of its patron creeper.

Deadened Mind (Ex): A yellow musk zombie orc recalls nothing of its previous life, and it exists only to serve its parent plant. It cannot make use of class abilities, skills, or feats it previously knew. It also cannot use magic devices, although it can still wield weapons and use armor.

Light Sensitivity (Ex): Orcs take a -1 penalty on attack rolls in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.

Plant Traits (Ex): A yellow musk zombie orc is immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and polymorphing. It is not subject to critical hits or mind-affecting effects. The creature also has low-light vision.

Seeded (Ex): If a yellow musk zombie orc dies, the growing seed inside its head takes root and grows into a yellow musk creeper within 1 hour.

This is a sample creature derived from a Template.