Frost giant zombie

Frost giant zombie
A frost giant zombie, as depicted in the Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 288.
Biological Information
Type	Undead
Parent race	Frost giant
Alignment	Typically neutral evil
Physical Characteristics
Size	Huge
Skin color	Blue
Hair color	White
Eye color	Glassy blue
Sociocultural Information
Planes	Material Plane (Exandria)
Locations	Eiselcross Fortress of the Dead Jarl
Favored climate	Cold
Environment	Arctic
Notable members	Conessa Berg

Frost giant zombies are corporeal undead who were once frost giants. These zombies wander Eiselcross. They exude a numbing aura, and are faster than they appear.

Description

The first frost giant zombie encountered by the Mighty Nein was a massive humanoid, standing around 20 feet tall. Its flesh was blue with white fur and armor, but its face was half torn away, exposing its skull, the jaw partially unhinged, "with bits of frozen viscera just dangling like red-purple icicles outside of the face".

Abilities

The following is taken from the Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 288, but some abilities have been demonstrated on-stream.

• Undead Fortitude: If the giant takes damage that reduces it to 0 hit points, it can make a Constitution saving throw and, on a success, drop to 1 hit point instead. It cannot make this saving throw if the damage is from a critical hit or if it is fire or radiant damage.
• Numbing Aura: Creatures that start their turn within 10 feet of the giant must make a Constitution saving throw; on a failure, they cannot take a bonus action nor make more than one attack on that turn.
• Actions
  • Greataxe: Melee weapon attack, reach 10 ft., deals slashing damage.
  • Hurl Rock: Ranged weapon attack, deals bludgeoning damage.
  • Multiattack: Two weapon attacks.
  • Freezing Stare: One creature the zombie can see within 60 feet must succeed on a Constitution save or take cold damage and be paralyzed until the end of its next turn.

History

Many frost giant zombies are former denizens of the Fortress of the Dead Jarl corrupted by an Aeorian artifact of immense necromantic power. They now wander the north of Eiselcross. However, as of 835 PD in Eiselcross, one can encounter the odd group of frost giant zombies that did not come from the Fortress of the Dead Jarl.

"Aeor" (2x132)

The Mighty Nein encountered three frost giant zombies near the Tombtakers' secret entrance to the ruins of Aeor. They killed two of the zombies, and Polymorphed the third into a sloth, to be dropped down a crevasse.

"Shadows New and Old" (3x96)

After the apogee solstice of 843 PD Bells Hells and Essek Thelyss tried to Teleport to Eiselcross, and although the wizard's second attempt brought them to that region, they appeared near the Fortress of the Dead Jarl instead of the valley they were aiming for. The giant zombies in the area noticed them and attacked them, with one of them throwing a projectile that hit Imogen Temult; the group deemed the area too dangerous to stay, and Essek cast Teleport again before the undead frost giants reached them.

References

Art: