[RPG] Does the Instant Death rule apply to zombies too

damagednd-5emonsterszombies

When you deal enough damage to reduce a creature to 0 hit points and there is enough remaining damage to overpass the max hit points, they are killed instantly, right?

So I'm using starving zombies for my campaign that are zombies with only 1 hit point. Zombies have the Undead Fortitude trait:

Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces the zombie to 0 hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or from a critical hit. On a success, the zombie drops to 1 hit point instead.

And I have two questions.

  1. If you deal 2 damage is it enough to kill these zombies?
  2. If so, does the Zombie's Undead Fortitude trait apply then?

Best Answer

The Zombies Still get Undead Fortitude

To answer your first question first: yes, dealing 2 damage is enough to "kill" these zombies. But so is dealing 1 damage. And in either case, they get Undead Fortitude.

The rule for dealing damage in excess of your total hit points is intended for player characters, not monsters. Note that on page 198 of the Player's Handbook (and here in the basic rules), it spells out the distinction between PCs and monsters (bold added):

Monsters and Death

Most DMs have a monster die the instant it drops to 0 hit points, rather than having it fall unconscious and make death saving throws. Mighty villains and special nonplayer characters are common exceptions; the DM might have them fall unconscious and follow the same rules as player characters.

Zombies are not typically "mighty villains." Thus, for most DMs, reducing them to 0 hp and then dealing them damage in excess of their hit point total is no more deadly than reducing them to 0 hp. Both events would normally kill them instantly, if not for their Undead Fortitude.

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