Zombies (Southern Vancouver Island)

[JMars71]

So I've spent the past few days looking over various internet resources in search of some pseudoscientific rationale for my MP zombies. I mean, what's the point of having a science team that could look into stuff like this if the cause isn't nailed down to some extent? So, various strains of what I've read have blended together on the back-burner and I think I've hit on it ...

The zombies that have come to populate southern Vancouver Island are the result of a human engineered form of "super-rabies" in conjunction with a parasitic infection. The super-rabies causes those infected to secrete a very peculiar pheromone, which attracts a parasite. This parasite colonizes the central nervous system of the infected, and upon the death of the victim collectively provide the necessary electrical pulse to reanimate the corpse.

The parasite also has the effect of staving off decomposition; such that corpses up to even a year old can look relatively fresh, while the decrepit forms of the first infected can still be found some 6 or 7 decades after the fact.

Super-Rabies Virus

The virus is spread primarily through the bite or chance exchange of bodily fluids. A bite has a 90% chance of causing infection. Those that are successful at fighting off initial exposure are effectively immune and never need to roll vs. infection again.

Infection can also occur if an infected's blood splatter's an open wound (75%), or gets in one's mouth (45%) or eyes (05%). Successful resistance in these cases does NOT imply immunity.

Upon contraction the infected must immediately make a Constitution check. In fact, the "Project Director" should make this and any similar rolls secretly, with players being left to assume whatever they will.

Success means that they will stave off the effects for 1 hour, at which point another check must be made; with each success allowing another hour between checks.

Failure at any point means that the infected will begin to suffer effects with 1 to 10 minutes (d10), with the advancement of symptoms potentially occurring every 1 to 10 minutes as indicated by corresponding Constitution checks. Success staves off advancement for another 1 to 10 minutes.

With every failure within the 1 to 10 minute framework, the infected loses 1 Intelligence point, becoming correspondingly illogical and violence prone. Any stressful situation force the infected to roll a Intelligence check, with failure indicating that they fly into a fit of rage; which itself requires a successful Int. check to pull one's self out of. Check each combat round.

When the infected reaches 0 Intelligence they have entirely snapped with no hope of coming back. This will probably occur sooner as Int. degrades, but again, at this point the person is entirely gone.

The Rage

At any point point in the progress of the super-rabies the effects of Rage are the same, which, beyond homicidal mania, are +2 to Strength and Constitution (does NOT apply to infection checks!) and obliviousness to pain.

The infected are of course fully susceptible to structural damage, blood loss, fatigue, and all of the human frailties ... except pain/fear.

Stats can vary considerably, so, specific PCs or NPCs aside, the PD should prepare generic stats for men, women, children, elderly, plus-sized, and "brickshithouse" body types.

The virus burns out the host in 23+1 to 10 hours after Int. 0 is reached. Reanimation occurs in 1 to 100 minutes thereafter.

Zombies

Like the infected, zombies come in a variety of different shapes and sizes, though also include those that have suffered various forms of dismemberment, eg. missing arms, legs, severed at the waist, etc.

Beware the toothless zombie!!!

The most poignant difference in zombies is between fresh, ripe, and archaic.

Fresh zombies are the recently zombified, and can easily be mistaken for a hurt or sick person, even up close. Thanks to the parasite they can remain relatively fresh for up to a month. They are the strongest, fastest and most nimble of zombie-kind, but are considerably less formidable than either their rabid or uninfected selves. They suffer a -1 Strength, Constitution, and Dexterity to their base stats.

Ripe zombies might be mistaken for hurt or sick people at a distance or in the dark, and their movement will more closely approximate such than their fresh counter-parts, but with a fair look even an undamaged ripe zombie will be seen for the walking corpse it is ... with clear signs of decomposition evident. They can remain ripe for up to a decade, though half of that is more common. Ripe zombies are -2 Strength and Constitution, and their Dex simply drops to 4 no matter their base Dex.

Archaic zombies are 10+ years old, and it is not at all uncommon to find those that rank amongst the first infected. They are in sorry condition, shriveled, exposed bones, and not likely to be mistaken for a hurt or sick person under any but unusual circumstances. They are -4 Strength and Constitution with a Dex 4.

All zombies are subject to structural damage, eg. a shattered kneecap hobbles them, but are heedless to pain and not subject to shock, fatigue, blood loss, and most other human frailties. However, a headshot to a zombie has the same chance of killing them as it would his living counterpart.

Tactics

Both the infected and the zombies they become share similar combat tactics; grab or grapple and then bite. I assign the infected a 60% (12 in 20) Accuracy, fresh zombies 50% (10 in 20), and other zombies a 40% (8 in 20).

A grabb can be broken with a Strength check, adjusted up or down by the difference in Strength between the two, eg. a person with a Str 10 tries to break the grip of a person with a Str 13 ... they must roll 10-3 = a 7 or less.

The grapple is more dangerous than the grab, as the attacker hurls his weight upon the target. This instantaneously increases the the target's weight load by half the zombies weight. If this places places one's weight load within +/- 50 lbs of their max a Dexterity check is forced; failure means the target has fallen to the ground. This check must be made every round that the target remains on their feet but are still trapped in the grapple.

Any lighter and the target is in the grapple but can confidently keep his/her feet. Any heavier, and the target is dragged down. No roll.

Breaking a grapple while on one's feet is the same as grab. On the ground the target suffers a -1 for every 50 lbs the attacker weighs over 100 lbs rounded up.

Head shots

I never came across any rules for a called shot in the MP book. Mind you I haven't given it a fine toothed combing, but -20% (-4 on D20) seems fair.