Lightning Zombie

A lightning zombie looks like a living member of its race except for its even, pale gray skin and a faint glow in darkness. It talks and tends to be fidgety and excitable. Theatrical by nature, it loves gaudy clothes and piles of jewelry.

Electricity, poison, death magic, hold, charm and sleep cannot harm these undead, which also have 60-foot infravision. They roll initiative normally and attack with a weapon or a single fist. Unarmed, one can make a successful attack to seize a foe; the grip does no harm itself, but breaking it takes an open doors roll. From the next round on it releases a jolt each round for an automatic 1d6, for as long as it likes, but it can do nothing else while holding on.

Turning works as for normal zombies, except a success only keeps the zombie 10 feet away from the turner (it backs off if closer) for one turn, or until the turner steps within 10 feet. Holy water deals 2d4 per vial.

They arise when unusually strong magic floods the corpse of a human, demihuman or humanoid. The original spirit is gone, so they have no memories or class abilities, yet they dimly sense they were someone else and recall 'waking up' in unfamiliar clothes. They pick new names and chase grand deeds of combat and adventure to brag about.

Not needing food, drink or sleep, they would be ideal guards, but they grow bored quickly and long for heroics. The magic that made them preserves their flesh, so they last forever unless destroyed.

When the body of a mighty hero or leader is struck by overwhelming magical energy, a greater lightning zombie results. Any lesser lightning zombies raised alongside it obey it if they were its subordinates in life, and it usually has 2d6 of them. Hungry for power, it tries to rule everything it sees. It strikes with both fists, harder than a lesser one, and its jolts deal 2d6. It is turned as a shadow, and holy water deals it 1d4+1.