Autochthonic Cybernecromantic Entity

A 10 HD one of these is the central enemy of the Red Demon map I posted earlier this week.  Its zombie thralls crawl through the structure looking for more parts to rebuild and repair, unfortunately they find human parts just as useful as machine.

Autochthonic Cybernecromantic Entity

Cyberzombie advances to protect it's control unit.

No Enc. 1

Movement: (0')

Armorclass:3

Hit Dice: 1 per body absorbed

Attacks:3

Damage: 1D6/1D6/1d6 (Claw/Claw/Claw)

Save: F 5

Morale:10

Hoard Class: XIX

XP: 16 - 2400

Cybernecromantic Zombie

No Enc. 1-20

Movement: (20')

Armorclass:5

Hit Dice:3

Attacks:1

Damage: 1D8

Save:F 3

Morale:12

Hoard Class:None

XP: 65


The thinking machines of ancient times often long outlasted their makers and masters.  Some suggest this was because ancient man, in his hubris, never believed that his kingdoms would fall to ruin, others claim it is because steel is stronger than flesh, and the machines will stronger than that of their creators. Regardless of why they endured, trapped alone in the dark most thinking machines went mad, and some began to cannibalize the corpses of their masters.  Perhaps the machines were simply replacing part that wore away through eons in the still blackness with the available materials, or maybe madly attempting to recover the company and direction provided by their former masters some machines have incorporated human remains into their works, creating zombie-like servitors or limbs from corpses.  Each entity will have a central mechanical unit (occasionally incorporating biological material itself) and one or more undead revenants attached to it by cables and conduits and reanimated through the ancient technologies of the central machine.

These corpse servitors appear as zombies with tubes, piping and even mechanical limbs fused with mummified remains and can stagger as far as 200' feet from the central unit trailing connecting power cables.  The zombies each have three hit dice, but are otherwise very similar to normal zombies, though they are better armored because of their mechanical components.  Cyber-zombies still attack last during the round, but are likely to gain surprise (1-3) as the central unit will conceal them and leave them perfectly still when they are not in use. The cables connecting zombies to the central unit may be severed, each is AC 2 and requires 6 HP of damage to sever, and once severed the zombie will only be active for 1D2 more rounds before collapsing.  Surprisingly some necromantic element must be used in reanimated cyber-zombies as they can be turned as 4HD undead, but will only retreat to the central unit, which they will heartily defend.

The central unit is most often a large freestanding conglomeration of ancient thinking machines. Most often these units originally served as damage control computers or automated medical units, and are equipped accordingly with several mechanical servo arms.  The unit can attack with these arms fairly effectively, but only within melee range. Normally it will use its zombies for defense and may even pretend to be inactive to avoid attack.

The central unit may quickly make a new zombie (or revive a destroyed or severed one) in 2D6 rounds, and can do so without interrupting any other functions.  Upon gaining another zombie (beyond its original HD) the central unit will gain 1HD as its new servitor seeks additional parts and components to add to the whole, and the new zombie's brain adds processing power to the central units. Both machine and zombies have all the immunities normal to the undead and automatons, and the central unit may not be turned, though it does take double damage from electricity.

Autochthonic Cybernecromantic Entities are usually found in abandoned sites of ancient technology, and are intelligent in an insane manner.  Their exact whims are unknown and often absurd, but they can speak common and sometimes negotiated with.  They almost always have knowledge of the complex they are located within but rarely know anything else of use.  Tactical knowledge amongst Cybernecromantic Entities varies greatly, from simple wave tactics to elaborate traps and ambushes.  While not a strict rule, the machines that were originally for military purposes and those that have had a great deal of contact with the living post fall tend to be excellent tacticians and battle planners, while long lost civilian machines have little idea how to fend off intruders.