10 Unique 5E Powers for Skeletons & Zombies

Spooky, Stinky, and Shambly Powers for 5E Zombies and Skeletons

If you’ve ever run skeletons or zombies using the default 5E statblocks, you know they can feel a little bland. At Foe Foundry, we believe even low-CR undead should be horrifying, flavorful, and memorable. These 10 unique powers are perfect for spicing up your homebrew skeleton and homebrew zombie encounters.

Quick Reference: Zombie & Skeleton Powers

Power Ideal For Effect Summary
Rotten Flesh Tier 1 Zombies Undead keeps fighting after dismemberment; adds grotesque flavor
Severed Limb Hordes of Zombies Grapples PCs even after the zombie’s death; good for swarms
Rotten Grasp (Flesh Rot) Plague-bearing Undead Inflicts disease and drains hit dice; increases long-term attrition
Toxic Breath (Filth Fever) Elite Undead or Titans AOE disease breath weapon; adds danger to undead bosses
Skeletal Reconstruction Skeleton Waves Reforms destroyed skeletons; perfect for surprise second waves
Loathsome Rattle Low-CR Skeletons Unsettles players; reinforces the horror of undead
Putrid Stench Zombie Mobs Aura-based nauseating stench; enhances immersion and threat
Vile Vomit Zombie Titans AOE acid/vomit attack; gross, effective, and flavorful
Bone Shards Exploding Skeletons On death, skeletons become shrapnel; good for punishing melee-heavy parties
Bone Storm High-CR Skeletons Swirling bone damage; unexpected move from a skeleton-based boss

A horde of zombies swarms the players

Severed Limb

Reactions

Severed Limb (1/day). When the zombie takes damage, one of its decaying limbs sloughs off and attempts to grapple the source of the damage if it is within 5 feet of the zombie. The target must make a DC 12 Strength save or be Grappled (escape DC 12) and Restrained by the limb.

Get it off of me!

To really play up the horror of a horde of Zombies, add powers that focus on surrounding, grappling, and overwhelming the PCs. Severed Limb is a unique and flavorful way for a zombie to grapple a PC, even after death.

For extra fun, you can send a swarm of Zombies against a high-tier party, and as they cut through them with ease the swarm of Severed Limbs can grapple some of them in place, just in time for the Zombie Titan to arrive.

Rotten Grasp (Flesh Rot)

Traits

Flesh Rot (Disease). This creature can inflict the Flesh Rot disease: The creature's flesh decays. The creature has disadvantage on Charisma checks and vulnerability to all damage.

Rotten Grasp. On a hit, the target must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the target loses 1 hit die and rolls those die and takes that much poison damage. If the target is out of hit die, it is diseased with Flesh Rot.

Rotten Grasp (Flesh Rot) is a unique Disease Power that allows a monster to inflict a nasty disease on a PC. PCs have probably never encountered anything like this before, so it'll create some interesting new situations for the party to deal with. The power also drains the hit die of the PCs which is helpful if you're in an attrition-heavy campaign arc.

Toxic Breath (Filth Fever)

Traits

Filth Fever (Disease). This creature can inflict the Filth Fever disease: A raging fever sweeps through the creature's body. The creature is Weakened. A weakened creature deals half damage with its spells and attacks and has disadvantage on Strength ability checks and saving throws.

Actions

Toxic Breath (Recharge 5-6). The ghoul exhales toxic gas in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature takes 24 (7d6) poison damage and is Poisoned for 1 minute (save ends at end of turn). If a creature fails this save three times, it becomes afflicted by Filth Fever.

Toxic Breath (Filth Fever) is another Disease Power that can be applied via an AOE breath attack.

Skeletal Reconstruction

Traits

Skeletal Reconstruction. On initiative count 0, the cursed bones of three destroyed Skeleton within 30 feet combine and magically re-animate into a new Skeleton that acts next in initiative.

Skeletal Reconstruction is a flavorful and unique way to create that feeling of endless waves undead. This is great for a situation where you want to throw a big group of Skeletons at a mid-level party so they can blow them all up with a Fireball, only for a second wave to materialize.

Rotten Flesh

Reactions

Rotten Flesh (1/day). The zombie ignores the first source of bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage it receives.

Uh, I think its head just fell off. Wait, why is it still attacking?

Rotten Flesh is a simple and flavorful ability you can easily add to any Zombie statblock. You can also narrate various body parts popping off as the ability activates.

Loathsome Rattle

Bonus Actions

Loathsome Rattle (1/day). The skeleton rattles its bones in a cacophony of sound, causing all who hear it to feel a chill of fear. Each non-undead within 30 feet must make a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw or be Frightened until the end of the skeletal creature's next turn.

Players are used to seeing Skeletons as low-threat mooks, and the basic statblock doesn't do anything to highlight how unnatural Undead creatures are. Loathsome Rattle is a mechanical way to highlight the unnerving and horrifying nature of the undead.

Vile Vomit

Actions

Vile Vomit (1/day). The hydra vomits a vile substance in a 15 foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature takes 66 (19d6) Poison damage and is Poisoned (save ends at end of turn). On a success, the creature takes half damage instead.

Vile Vomit is a nasty way to add some AOE attacks to a higher-tier zombie threat like a Zombie Titan.

Putrid Stench

Reactions

Putrid Stench (1/day). The zombie releases a putrid stench when it takes damage. Each creature within 5 feet must make a DC 10 Constitution save or take 4 (1d8) poison damage and be Poisoned until the end of their next turn.

Describing scents is an underutilized way to increase immersion with players. I don't have any experience being surrounded by a horde of rotting corpses, but I'm pretty sure I would remember the smells for the rest of my life. Putrid Stench is a simple power to drive this home.

Bone Shards

Reactions

Bone Shards (1/day). When hit by a melee attack, the skeletal creature explodes in a shower of sharp fragments. Each creature within 5 feet of it must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw, taking 3 (1d6) piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

When the barbarian cleaves through the Skeleton with their maul, you can describe how the Bone Shards fly in all directions like exploding shrapnel.

Bone Storm

Actions

Bone Storm (Recharge 5-6). The skeleton creates a storm of razor-sharp bone shards in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in the area must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 28 (8d6) piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Bone Storm is great for a higher-CR skeletal threat. It's a basic power but different compared to the "vanilla" skeletons in the SRD so it'll keep your players on their toes.

Try These Powers Out

Want to see these powers in action? The Foe Foundry Generator lets you summon the perfect shambling Zombies and Skeletons for your upcoming game.

Here's an example of the Skeletal Grave Guard, a good bodyguard for a Necromancer Mage:

Skeletal Grave Guard

Summoned with Foe Foundry

Medium Undead (Skeleton)

AC 18 (Breastplate, Shield) Initiative +0 (10)

HP 84 (13d8 + 26)

Speed 30 ft.

Mod Save
Str 10 +0 +0
Dex 18 +4 +4
Con 14 +2 +4
Mod Save
Int 6 -2 -2
Wis 8 -1 -1
Cha 5 -3 -3

Vulnerabilities Bludgeoning

Immunities Necrotic, Poison; Poisoned

Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 9

Languages Common

CR 4 (1,100 XP; PB +2)

Actions

Multiattack. The skeleton makes two Bone Spear or Bone Bow attacks.

Bone Spear. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10ft., one target. Hit 8 (1d8 + 4) piercing damage and 4 (1d8) necrotic damage.

Bone Bow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 80/320ft., one target. Hit 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage and 3 (1d6) necrotic damage.

Withering Blow. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10ft., one target. Hit 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage and 14 (4d6) necrotic damage. On a hit, the target gains Bleeding [14 (4d6) necrotic]. A bleeding creature suffers 14 (4d6) ongoing necrotic damage at the end of each of its turns. A creature may use an action to attempt a DC 12 Medicine check to end the condition. The condition also ends if the creature receives any magical healing.

Bonus Actions

Bait and Switch (1/day). The skeleton switches places with a friendly creature within 5 feet, without triggering attacks of Opportunity. Until the end of its next turn, the friendly creature gains a +4 bonus to its AC.

Reactions

Interception. If a friendly creature within 15 ft becomes the target of an attack, the skeleton can move up to 15 ft and intercept the attack. The attack targets the skeleton instead of the original target.

Summon your own Skeletal Grave Guard

Or perhaps you'd like a legendary zombie in the hulking form of the Zombie Titan:

Zombie Titan

Summoned with Foe Foundry

Huge Undead (Zombie)

AC 9 Initiative +3 (13)

HP 324 (24d12 + 168)

Speed 30 ft.

Mod Save
Str 22 +6 +10
Dex 8 -1 -1
Con 24 +7 +11
Mod Save
Int 5 -3 -3
Wis 8 -1 +3
Cha 7 -2 -2

Vulnerabilities Radiant

Immunities Poison; Poisoned

Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 9

Languages Understands Common but can't speak

CR 12 (8,400 XP; PB +4)

Traits

Stench of Death. Any creature that starts its turn within 10 feet of the zombie must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or become Poisoned until the start of their next turn. On a successful saving throw, the creature is immune to the zombie's stench for 24 hours.

Legendary Prowess (3/day). The zombie can choose to succeed on a saving throw or ability check instead of failing. When it does so, it takes 10 force damage.

Actions

Rotten Grasp. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 23 (5d6 + 6) bludgeoning damage. On a hit, the target is pushed up to 20 feet horizontally.

Reactions

Big Windup. Whenever a creature hits the zombie with a melee attack, the zombie readies a powerful strike against its attacker. the zombie has advantage on the next attack it makes against the attacker before the end of its next turn.

Rotten Flesh (1/day). The zombie ignores the first source of bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage it receives.

Legendary Actions (3)

Charge. The zombie moves up to half its speed and makes an Rotten Grasp attack.

Replenish. The zombie gains 10 temporary hitpoints. It can't take this action again until the start of its next turn.

Summon your own Zombie Titan

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