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LibraryOgre
2008-08-17, 11:22 AM
A friend of mine mentioned that his DM confronted his group with zombies made of their dead characters (there've been some casualties in their game, apparently).

How would you go about MAKING a zombie in 4e, though? I'm assuming its a ritual, but is there anything canon yet?

Tsotha-lanti
2008-08-17, 11:37 AM
DMG, page 184.

If they're based on PCs and you want 'em tough, give them each a character class template (making them elites) and powers the PC in question had.

Just pick the appropriate level for the kind of challenge you want them to be, and use the rules, the PCs, and the zombies in the MM as guidelines.

Creating any monster, NPC, or creature is always just as simple.

Edit: Oh, wait, did you mean in-character? There's no way for PCs to do it that I know of. NPCs don't need a rules way, they just have the mojo.

Sebastian
2008-08-17, 11:44 AM
Nothing canon yet, if I'd have to guess they'll pick a route similiar to Alchemy, you'll pick a specific feat and then you buy the specific ritual to create the specific undead using a lot of money.

LibraryOgre
2008-08-17, 11:49 AM
Edit: Oh, wait, did you mean in-character? There's no way for PCs to do it that I know of. NPCs don't need a rules way, they just have the mojo.

Yeah, I meant in-character.

MartinHarper
2008-08-17, 11:49 AM
How would you go about MAKING a zombie in 4e, though? I'm assuming its a ritual, but is there anything canon yet?

Zombie Lore, Monster Manual: it's a ritual. No details yet.

Tsotha-lanti
2008-08-17, 11:53 AM
Unless PCs are going to do it, or it's going to be done in combat, there's really no need to have rules for it. (Big mistake making rules for the lichdom ritual. Why?)

Speaking of creating undead in combat, one of the templates lets you do that, pretty much.

Edit: I do look forward to summoning and "summoning" mechanics, though. They'd all presumably get you minions of various types, the level dependent on the level of the effect, since creating a full-fledged monster seems unbalanced. (Semi-relatedly, why are horses not minions by default? It's not like the freaking horse is nearly as important as the rider.)

Colmarr
2008-08-18, 01:35 AM
Edit: I do look forward to summoning and "summoning" mechanics, though. They'd all presumably get you minions of various types, the level dependent on the level of the effect, since creating a full-fledged monster seems unbalanced.

I think you're guess is spot on, judging by how the 4e Bag of Tricks works.


Semi-relatedly, why are horses not minions by default? It's not like the freaking horse is nearly as important as the rider.

Because having the hero's horse chopped out from under him by the first thing that hits it is annoying. To be perfectly honest, I'm annoyed that there's no level 30 horse for PCs (hello, Brego) to ride.

Tsotha-lanti
2008-08-18, 04:20 AM
Because having the hero's horse chopped out from under him by the first thing that hits it is annoying. To be perfectly honest, I'm annoyed that there's no level 30 horse for PCs (hello, Brego) to ride.

It takes like 5 minutes to make one.

I suppose if you're using the horses for PCs, it makes sense to give them levels (although I don't see my players sucking up -150 XP per fight per horse anytime soon), but for NPCs, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense.