Plague Zombies

We present a new kind of undead for 5e: plague zombies built for medieval apocalypse play.

Plague Zombies is a monster supplement that reimagines the traditional zombie as a relentless, infectious horror designed for survival campaigns, siege scenarios, and collapsing kingdoms. These are not shambling hit point sacks. They are battlefield problems that demand precision, discipline, and hard choices.

This product introduces a unified mechanical identity for plague zombies:

- They do not die unless destroyed by a headshot.
- Dropping them to 0 hit points is not enough.
- They grapple.
- They bite.
- They infect.
- They turn the fallen into more of their kind.

Combat becomes tactical. Players must decide when to risk a called headshot, when to disengage, and when to spend precious magic curing infection. Radiant damage matters. Critical hits matter. Positioning matters.

They are simple fighters. They grab. They bite. They spread.

The Plague

A living creature struck by a plague zombie’s Bite must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or become infected. An infected creature remains alive but carries the plague within its body. After 1d4 days, the infection completes its course: the creature dies and rises as a plague zombie immediately. The infection can be cured only by lesser restoration, greater restoration, or wish cast before transformation occurs.

If an infected creature dies before the plague completes its natural course, the transformation accelerates. The corpse rises as a plague zombie in 10d6 minutes.

Plague Zombies are not meant to replace standard undead in heroic fantasy. They are intended for darker tables, where containment may fail and every battlefield wound carries long-term consequences.

Geography, origin, and cause of the plague are intentionally undefined. The outbreak could be divine judgment, necromantic experimentation, extraplanar corruption, or mundane disease amplified by magic. Whether the world is in early outbreak or full collapse is left entirely in the GM’s hands.

Plague Zombies are not variants. They are a system.

Plague Zombie Species

Plague Zombie (CR 1/2): Baseline infected corpse driven by proximity and hunger. Slow-moving but persistent, it relies on grapple-and-bite tactics and becomes far more dangerous when supported by other plague zombies.

Plague Zombie Dwarf (CR 1/2): Stocky and stubborn even in death, this infected corpse holds ground in tunnels and chokepoints, difficult to shove aside and well suited to underground outbreaks.

Plague Zombie Elf (CR 1/2): More mobile than most infected, this corpse ignores natural terrain obstacles and excels in forests, ruins, and debris-choked environments.

Plague Zombie Halfling (CR 1/2): Small and unsettlingly agile, this infected corpse slips beneath larger defenders and thrives in tight interiors, cellars, and cramped town streets.

Plague Zombie Gnome (CR 1/2): Slightly sturdier and more resistant to magical interference than other small infected, this corpse works well in arcane or workshop-themed outbreaks.

Plague Zombie Ratfolk (CR 1/2): Sewer-born and unnerving, this infected corpse moves through narrow spaces with ease and excels in dim, enclosed urban environments.

Plague Zombie Goblin (CR 1/2): Aggressive and opportunistic even in death, this infected corpse chains movement between victims and pressures weakened defenders in urban or dungeon settings.

Plague Zombie Merfolk (CR 1/2): Nearly helpless on land but deadly in water, this infected corpse drags victims beneath the surface and dominates flooded docks, rivers, and submerged ruins.

Plague Zombie Dragonborn (CR 1): Larger and more imposing than the baseline infected, this corpse retains a corrupted breath weapon that opens combat before closing to grapple and bite.

Plague Zombie Lizardfolk (CR 1): Amphibious and well adapted to swamp or river terrain, this infected corpse dominates flooded battlefields and uses water to isolate prey.

Plague Zombie Orc (CR 1): Physically stronger than most infected, this corpse advances relentlessly and exerts powerful grapple pressure against frontline defenders.

Plague Zombie Hobgoblin (CR 1): Disciplined even in undeath, this infected corpse performs best in clustered formations, reinforcing nearby plague zombies in organized assaults.

Plague Zombie Gnoll (CR 1): Feral and predatory, this infected corpse repositions aggressively after feeding and thrives in open terrain where pack behavior can dominate.

Plague Zombie Bugbear (CR 2): Long-limbed and heavy-set, this infected corpse controls space with extended reach and anchors mid-tier hordes.

Plague Zombie Ogre (CR 3): A siege-level infected brute, this massive corpse smashes barricades and overpowers defenders through sheer strength and crushing grapples.

Plague Zombie Minotaur (CR 3): Charging and devastating, this infected brute breaks lines with momentum, knocking victims down before tearing into them.

Plague Zombie Troll (CR 5): A regenerating horror, this infected monstrosity recovers rapidly unless suppressed by fire or acid and cannot be destroyed without a precise killing blow.

Plague Zombie Hill Giant (CR 6): An outbreak-level catastrophe, this enormous infected corpse grapples creatures of immense size and represents regional collapse rather than localized danger.

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