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| Version | User | Scope of changes |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 8 2006, 2:37 PM EST (current) | Ruminator | 5 words added, 6 words deleted |
| Jun 13 2006, 9:55 AM EDT | Ruminator | 1529 words added |
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RISUS UUUOOOOOHHH
Introduction
Everybody loves zombies. You can shoot your math teacher as soon as heturns into an undead walking creature with the excuse it's an enemy
for the living and that you're killing an already-dead corpse. You can
shoot some 10 of them and safely run away to reload your rifle. You
can kick them and see their buttocks fly away.
Anatomy of a Zombie
A Zombie core clichè may be like this:Zombie (telling living from dead, wanting to eat you, moving slowly)
This is, as said, just a core. Depending on the setting and on the way
you think of zombies, this may vary. This average zombie can still be
used as-is in in non-zombie-specific settings.
Their clichè level can have the usual range 1-6 depending on how
dangerous they are from a Newly Born Zombie (1) to a Zombie Lord (6).
Basically a Zombie is a very stupid walking creature wanting to eat
living beings. As appetizer they usually have brain. They apper to
know by instinct who is a zombie and who should be. They're not fast,
but they tend to move in groups of too-many-for-my-ammo. Occasionally
Occasionally, they have rudimental weapons like axes or choppers. Chainsaws are
often found in zombie settings, to split them apart or even carried by
them. For some strange reason, they appear to be somehow related with
leprous and a have a propensity for losing pieces of flesh and limbs.
They also have a terrible taste for clothing and seem to take
inspiration from post-transformation Hulk (the incredible one).
I also guess they stink of rotteningrotting flesh, but I'm not sure of it.
If one gets bitten by a Zombie, but does not become its dinner,
chances are she will turn into a zombie as well. The best way to
prevent your best friend to become a zombie once bitten is to
carefully separate his head from his neck. Exception for this are
treated in the "Origin Of Zombies" section. The time from "Gee, he got
me!" to "UUUUUUoooooohhhh" is up to the GM. Generally they turn into a
Zombie in the less appropriate moment (when the group is stuck into an
elevator, for example). Or within half an hour or a couple. Whatever.
Types of Zombies
There are various kinds of Zombies down there, these are the mostcommon. Every Zombie clichè, as said, can appear in different formats
(1-6), but remember the rule of thumb: the more they are, the less
they're strong (unless you belong to the Evil Game Master specie or
one of the players stole your girlfriend). So, let's welcome hordes of
Stinky Michael Jackson Looking Zombie (1), but be careful of using a
thousand You Read Into My Eyes I'm Gonna Eat You Zombie (5).
Zombie-Zombie
This is the average zombie. He walks saying "Uuuuuuooooohhhh" and is
attracted by the tasty flesh you happen to carry with you. A good shot
in his forehead would make it a Dead UnDead (0). As a special feature,
he suddenly remembers he can actually move faster when a player is
near (say some one or two meters) and tries to catch her (treat this
like a pump).
Carl Lewis Zombie
This is a zombie seen, for example, in 28 Days Later(c) by Danny
Boyle. Not only they never forget they can move fast, but they have
pieces of jaguar DNA into them.
Former-Something Zombie
A former-pronstitute, a former-filling station attendant, a former
Osama Bin Laden. When you look at this zombie it is soon clear that he
had a life before having a death and that he had a work. Indeed, this
is just like the Zombie-Zombie, but better shaped-out and with some
twists. A Former Lumberman Zombie (3) would try to kill you with his
axe, a Former Geography Teacher Zombie would try to tell you what the
main cities of Sudan are talking directly into your brain.
Zombie Lord
This is usually a Zombie Leader (6). A Good example is the one in
Romero's Land of The Dead(c). Leader of a group of Zombies, he's
stupid but not *that* stupid. Say he's smart enough to understand that
a glass wall can be broken to take the people hiding behind it or to
appreciate a soap opera. Because of this his followers can perform a
little bit more intelligent actions. Whenever the Zombie Lord dies,
the others go back to their no-brained existences.
Aunt Mary Zombie
This is a must have. Remember to include, here and there, a zombiefied
zombie-ified relative.
Fluffy Zombie
According to some scientist, bitten animals can turn into zombies as
well. Remember the doberman in Resident Evil. No use to call them
Fuffy or other stupid names, if you try to pet them you'll become a
One-Handed Stupid Guy (2). Throwing sausages to distract them is also
useless, you'd better throw your left foot. Any beast can do the work,
from dogs to cats, rats, bats. I'd love to see a zombie chimpanzee.
Nerd Zombie
This zombie is not really a nerd, but the GM almost certainly is. He's
running a Zombie game but he's in need of trolls, goblins and
beholders. So, here come monster zombies. Imagine them like you
prefer, but they gotta be huge, ugly and nasty. Possibly Five Eyed
John Cena Sized Dribbling Roaring Manticore-Like Zombie (6). Big
amounts of them in every Resident Evil related product.
AlmostDead UnDead
This is a classic. He's just gained 5 bullets from your magnum and
he's lying down on the floor. You approach the corpse to loot it just
to discover he's not a Dead UnDead (0) but an AlmostDead UnDead (1),
with just that little life into him to allow him to bite you one last
time. Any Zombie can be an AlmostDead UnDead before definitely die.
Origin of Zombie
But.. Where do they come from? Hypothesis on the subject are numerous.SWOOOFFFFF Zombies
They have been magically created by some sort of evil wizard with an
attitude toward necromancy. If you want to end the game in a joyful
way, invent something stupidly hippy like once the wizard is killed,
all the zombies and de-zombiefied. They're usually created via an
enchantment, a wand, a spell. Usual stuff, but the sound of the
sorcery is always SWOOOFFFFF.
Mad Scientist Experiment Zombies
They're the brainchild of a mad scientist, an evil experiment, a
para-governmental occult organization called Parasol or similar. This
is a more "scientific" approach to zombies. Think about making them
out of radiations, viruses and things like that. This also means
there's probably a hard-to-find cure to the desease. Nerd Zombies are
also common, if you choose this option.
Who Gives a Damn, Shot & Run! Zombies
Needless to say, the most common ones.
Running a Zombie Campaign
Zombies are good if thrown in any fantasy or horror settings amongvampires and werewolves. If you're not going for something original,
of course.
But they're also great for a Zombie-centric game. Modern world is
perfect for the purpose. Choose a large city, so there are more people
to turn into zombies and more zombies to kill.
Running a Zombie Campaign is easy. The characters wake up and find out
that there exists no more a civil (?) society but everyone apart from
them is walking strangely with a queer appearance and mostly is trying
to make a supper out of them.
The characters appearinglyapparently have never turned on the tv in their lives,
neverlives,never been to the cinema, never roleplayed, never bought comic books
so they don't instantly realize there's a zombie outbreak going on and
it takes a while to understand it.
Characters' main aim is (or should be) to save their butt. Optionally
find a cure to save the world or just escape in Bangladesh or a far,
far place to start over a new zombie-less life.
The main plot elements are the PCs running and shooting. This may be
boring or funny according to the place where they run and shoot and
the kind of zombies. This is up to the GM. Vary the locations, put
them in trouble.
There are essentially two ways of doing the things: loads of zombies /
loads of weapons or few zombies / few weapons. Loads of zombies / few
weapons is an option too.
In the first kind of game the PCs find often a weaponry, a
police-station and similar places to take kilos of ammo they'd
eventually move into zombie corpses.
In the second kind of game, there are fewer zombies, but they're
angrier and above all there are very few weapons and ammo. It's hard
to find them and PCs (gamers, actually) swear every time "one shot,
one kill" does not work. Think at any Resident Evil game (any but
Resident Evil 4).
If you're obsessed with background and narration, there must be a way
to stop the plague. Invent a decent arci-enemy controlling the whole
thing and having the key (magic medallion, sonic weapon or chemical
antidote) to stop it. Throw in some non-zombie foes like white collars
supporting The Enemy, bribed military police and so.
That's it. And remember: have fun, shoot and run.. Fast!
