Trained Attack Zombies

[dargo83]

imo the only zombies that could be trained would be thinkers and pattern zombies or even mock zombies but with enough time and effort i think it could work like if u keep them locked behind a remote controled door and starve them. them when ur safe haven is under attack let the dogs of war fly. put one of those invisble fences around the perimiter then put a collar around there necks then wire it up to a tazer converter to kick up the voltage and then have all of the people in the safe haven a panic button that controls the shock collar.

[Severus Snape]

I say no. Abso-friggin-lutely not. Not even thinkers or mock zombies. Normal, run of the mill zombies have zero intelligence and are capable of learning nothing. Thinkers and mocks wouldn't be interested in being "trained", and at least the thinker is intelligent enough to understand what is going on.

This is, without a doubt, the crappiest idea a group of players could come up with. I say give them some extra XP for creative thought, and then have the attack zed turn on them at the most inopportune moment.

[dargo83]

i think its a creative idea but futile but creative none the less. i like it and would allow it in my game just for laughs.

[Ravenwing]

I think it would only work with a Mock Zombie, and only then if the group played 'along' with it's delusions.

But the book fluff says that Death Cults and Retro's both control zombies by the sheer fact that they feed them. So, according to story fluff, it's doable.

[azazel1024]

Nope, not trainable.

Death cults are special, as dark priests have an ability channel the groups PPE to the zombies and is also semi-mystical implying that more than simply using words is going on when the dark priest is giving commands to zombies.

For retros, they are basically just letting innocents be eaten by zombies. Let the zombies loose around retros and they are going to try to eat the retros also.

Only way your group might be able to use the zombie is if they are unleashing it on the living and that is assuming whomever they are unleashing the zombie on is easier to get at than the PC group. Otherwise the zombie is going to go after the PCs instead...and probably will as soon as the easy prey is dead.
-Matt

[paulvdaley]

Trainable? Only in Day of the Dead so far I think. Bub even learned a little loyalty and how to fire a weapon.

An idea for attack zombies might be sort of an 'all or nothing' gambit if the players fear attack from other survivors. The dead -could- be corralled into chutes or holding pens in the yard or some strategic choke point. If the human enemy arrives, just unleash hell as ole Maximus might say.

This is far from simple work and people could be lost just performing the transfer, but they'd have attack zombies.

[Severus Snape]

Trainable? Only in Day of the Dead so far I think. Bub even learned a little loyalty and how to fire a weapon.

An idea for attack zombies might be sort of an 'all or nothing' gambit if the players fear attack from other survivors. The dead -could- be corralled into chutes or holding pens in the yard or some strategic choke point. If the human enemy arrives, just unleash hell as ole Maximus might say.

This is far from simple work and people could be lost just performing the transfer, but they'd have attack zombies.

See also Land of the Dead. The zombies in that movie learned to fire weapons, use blunt objects as weapons, and they learned that they don't breath and can cross large bodies of water by walking at the bottom.

[azazel1024]

I wouldn't allow it with principled alignments. No ifs, ands or buts.

A principled person would feel a strong desire to either 'cure' a zombie (and or look for a cure) or destroy it and end any potential suffering that the former person might possibly have, supposing their is any shred of former person submerged under the zombie.

They are not going to be playing around with training one. I just don't see that happening and remaining true to their alignment. A scrupulous alignment I could see trying to train one as it could be for the betterment of the group, and setting aside other possible moral qualms. A principled character I can't see that happening.
-Matt

[azazel1024]

Pretty much. I'd just go with what you want. I am not trying to get snooty, but if you don't want your players to do this, there are ample examples in the book precluding a trained attack zombie, or just that they would not be role playing in character if they were going to attempt to train a zombie based on the principled alignments that they chose.

Now if you want them to be able to do it, well there isn't anything in the books that says VERBOTEN! and even if there was, you are the GM. Your power is higher than even the writers at your gaming table.