VG Meet DnD: The Boomer from Left 4 Dead

[Below you will find a new 4th Edition Monster converted from the popular game Left 4 Dead]

The Boomer

As the shadar-kai who live there know, the Shadowfell is a realm filled with a spiritual malaise that poisons the soul. On some occasions, this disease of the soul reaches through portals to the material plane and infects those who come into contact with it. Those who are greatly affected rise again when they die as undead, with the worst symbol of this taint rising as the vile corruption corpse (see the Monster Manual for further details).

Or so it was thought. Recently a new type of undead has risen up, bloated on the corrupt energies of the shadow fell these odious undead are known as "boomers". Manifesting the affliction of the Shadowfell as putrescent green bile, they soak their enemies in gruesome layers of vomit.

Boomers appear as obese humans in an advanced state of decay, the lower portion of their mouth and parts of their unclean forms bursting from the pressure of the corruption within. Fingernails on both hands have become elongated and their large bellies ripple like disturbed water as they hobble about on
stout legs.


Boomers and Atmosphere

In the game Left 4 Dead you almost always know (and therefore dread) when a boomer is on its way. You can also evoke this sense of apprehension by catering to their sense as a boomer approaches. For instance "As you round the corner an acrid stench of decay assaults your nose and you can hear a faint sloshing sound followed by a strangled gurgling sound. ".








Boomer Tactics
Boomers like to work in concert with a large amount of undead allies in particular they prefer to surround themselves with throngs of zombie rotters (Monster Manual) and their lesser cousins the putrescent zombies (Open Grave).

When they assault a group the boomer opens up with boomer bile and then moves into and along with any undead allies concentrates its attacks on the weakest member who succumbed to the blinding bile. If it recharges boomer bile it will try to target anyone who has either saved from or was not affected by the blinding condition.

Finally, the boomer will gladly throw itself into a prime position for its posmortem explosion if it is running low on hit points.

Boomer Lore
A character knows the following with a successful Religion check.

DC15: Boomers are undead created when mortals die near areas tainted by the presence of the Shadowfell. They channel that corruption into a blinding bile that they spew at their opponents.

DC20: Upon the death of a smoker they explode damaging and blinding those around them.