What is your Spin on the Wave.

[gaby]

Tell Me How do you set up the Wave and your unique spin too it.

[Icefalcon]

Tell Me How do you set up the Wave and your unique spin too it.

My players have yet to find out what happened. However, written into the story is my take on it. What I did was take the vaccine explanation and had that mutate a latent gene. Because of this latent gene, some people can actually control the zombies (Death Priests). Also, because I did things this way, 1% of the population is actually immune to becoming a zombie when they die.

[auyl]

I personally do a virus/arcane mix. The reason death priests and their god are so prevalent makes me think this way, but at the same time showing that there is science involved in it. I don't think there will ever be an official answer about the Wave, but almost makes you think what Kevin's explanation for it is. Hmmm...curious.

[Icefalcon]

I, personally, do not like the arcane as an explanation. I prefer my zombie games to have no magic or psychic power what so ever.

[Marrowlight]

I was actually ok with the vaccine gone terribly terribly wrong scenario. Zombies are one genre where I don't need things super over-complicated. I just need carnage!

[Icefalcon]

I was actually ok with the vaccine gone terribly terribly wrong scenario. Zombies are one genre where I don't need things super over-complicated. I just need carnage!

Agreed.

[dargo83]

I was actually ok with the vaccine gone terribly terribly wrong scenario. Zombies are one genre where I don't need things super over-complicated. I just need carnage!

seconded

[Ravenwing]

I use a take on the Walking Dead TV series. Everyones infected, everyone turns. Why? Who the hell knows. Death Priests, Necromancers, and Witches are all extremely common in my games to, so most players assume an arcane reason for Zombies. I as GM, just don't worry about it.

[CarCrasher]

Some form of government screw up always is the best

[CyCo]

I was thinking about the causes of a zombie apocalypse (or even just an outbreak) just a day or so ago, and cobbled a few ideas together.

Start with the typical meteor shower. Seems fairly harmless and probably very pretty/cool to watch. But the meteors are carrying frozen spores. These are actually some form of parasite, some of which survive and even thrive in our environment. As such, it's really just a primitive creature. Obviously, their preferred 'home' is in the brainbox. Initial infestation is via a small insect (slug, millipede, whatever you fancy), that used the mouth/nose/ears to gain access to the brain. Maybe they can do that with 'live targets' maybe not. Much easier to take control of the recent dead (casualties from the initial meteor strike? Infected injured patients?).

Once they have a body then then integrate with the nervous system, but not very 'elegant'. This give us the typical 'zombie shuffle'.

Now they're a living organism, in a dead host. An obvious term would be 'puppet masters'. But they need to feed. The prefer fresh meat & blood. They use their dead host bodies to capture their prey. If their host is human (can they use animals as hosts?), they will try grappling with their prey, then biting them. As they're in the head of the body, they prefer bite attacks as then they can then feed on the flesh & blood as it passes down the throat, and they have exuded pseudopods equipped with mouths/siphons into the hosts throat so as to gain sustenance. And as 1) they're largely in adult humans, and 2) target humans (and whatever they can catch), people often get bitten on the throat and head. But if all they can get is your little finger, they'll gladly take it.

Also, the fact that they just 'reside' in the heads of mostly walking corpses, they can take lots of damage. Unless that damage is in the head. Excessive damage to the head will kill the parasite within. An interesting point. It has been noted that if the host body has taken 'terminal' damage (or the host has decayed to far), the parasite could try to leave the body and infect another one. This is why you should burn the dead, or a stray parasite may find them and 'raise them up. It also give rise to 'experienced zombies'. Parasites which have survived numerous hosts, start to either learn tricks, or maybe they're starting to absorb skill traits from their hosts. Also sometimes known as 'smart zombies', these are the ones who figure out how to open doors, organize ambushes, or even maybe fire a loaded gun!

They can pass the infection along, typically via the bite. As they're feeding on someone, there is a strong likely hood that they will be infected by spore released by the parasite from within the mouth of the host. Once in side of a host, they make their way to the brain, attracted by the large supply of heat and blood. It should be pointed out that they don't cannibalize their own body, it's both their vehicle and weapon. As a simple parasite, they're just eating/reproducing machines. And as small critters, they have an accelerated lifespan. They breed very fast. This prompts them to hunt continuously. And potentially every bite could be leaving behind the next generation. But be warned, their hands could also contain spores. As they use their hands to grapple their prey and to help them feed, it's very likely that their hands get caked with blood and flesh that could spill out of their mouths while feeding. Flesh and blood that may contain spores...

As they're primitive, they lack the understanding on how to use most of our daily items, let alone complex items like cars or even firearms. They struggle with opening doors. This leads them to battering down doors or even walls, and prefer open windows, but learn early they break easily.

It seems that either they can stimulate the hosts body to produce adrenalin, or perhaps secrete something similar, as they'll often be spotted picking up speed to chase down prey when close. Not a complete run, but faster than their normal shuffle. And it looks like they can use this ability to amp up the hosts strength, but this seems mostly used to boost the jar muscles. What is the strongest muscle in the human body? The one that powers the lower jaw. Some of these have been seen to crack open a human skull with the jaws. Why the do this isn't completely known. They do seem to prefer brain over flesh and blood, but it's a hard nut to crack. And it then removes a potential host from their environment. Maybe they use something from the brain to help fuel their bursts of speed & strength, but then that becomes a circular argument.

I'm sure I had more, looks like I've forgotten some. lol

And think parasites can't take over a body (ok, living, but not dead ones), go search on YouTube for snail parasites.

[Trent]

Some form of government screw up always is the best

Yes as its so believable . I made my players escape from Detroit (well clawson) lol

[Tirisilex]

I was actually ok with the vaccine gone terribly terribly wrong scenario. Zombies are one genre where I don't need things super over-complicated. I just need carnage!

I'm with this as well.

[Tor]

I use a take on the Walking Dead TV series. Everyones infected, everyone turns.

Do you use Half-Living in your game?

If so, do they suffer less prejudice?

Part of the reason they're feared is that they turn even from non-zombie deaths. If that happens to everyone, they're no more of a risk than anyone else.

[Grell]

I'm keeping it open for the time being...

[whassupman03]

Hello...

While I am currently unable to host a Dead Reign campaign, I would hope to use a combination of all five, introduced one secret at a time to put the puzzle together. At the core is the Death Cult of Brulyx, which uses technology-induced psionics (a.k.a. magic) to develop a vaccine through its Benford Group front to cause the Wave. These followers of Brulyx have infiltrated the governments of the world and major religious orders as well, in an effort to get Altrucure past government regulations, promote it, and keep government agencies and religious activists off their backs. Side operations involve but are not limited to instigating extremist operations and pitting their enemies against each other in an effort to take control of the world and extend undeath past manageable levels. Followers of Brulyx have been trying to destroy the world one piece at a time through terrorism and extremism to bring about the rise of Brulyx. But anyway, that's my take on it. Please take care; thanks a bunch, and have a good afternoon.

whassupman03

[asajosh]

I was actually ok with the vaccine gone terribly terribly wrong scenario. Zombies are one genre where I don't need things super over-complicated. I just need carnage!

Also agreed. Unless your group has a realistic chance of resolving the Zombie outbreak - what does it matter what the root cause is? Let it be a topic of debate among the players, the drive behind crazy(?) NPCs and adventure hooks, etc.

Just my two cents. Carry on.

[Tor]

This thread title got me wondering...

If a sportsfan in a stadium became a Pattern Zombie...

could we in theory see zombies doing the wave?

*now picturing zombies holding wrestling signs at WWE events and zombie jobbers and ladder matches*

[whassupman03]

Hello...

This thread title got me wondering...

If a sportsfan in a stadium became a Pattern Zombie...

could we in theory see zombies doing the wave?

*now picturing zombies holding wrestling signs at WWE events and zombie jobbers and ladder matches*

And we can also see Rob Zombified concertgoers rear-ending other cars on the way out while the zombie stoners are going "Whoa dude..." Seriously - things like that happen (Though without the zombies of course... ). I also wonder: Can zombies become stoned, ala Z Nation (But of course that's a topic for another thread...)? Please take care; thanks a bunch, and have a good day.

whassupman03

[Epically]

In my first campaign, it was a disgruntled government employee who let loose the virus.

In my second campaign, it's a cross between BTS and DR, Vampires created the virus and unleashed it as a means of gaining control of the remaining population and putting people into "farms". The Vampire population is not big enough to wage an all out war on mankind, so they wiped majority of the population so they can safely maintain the rest.

[whassupman03]

Hello...

In my first campaign, it was a disgruntled government employee who let loose the virus.

Yeah, that would be one heck of a way to go postal...

In my second campaign, it's a cross between BTS and DR, Vampires created the virus and unleashed it as a means of gaining control of the remaining population and putting people into "farms". The Vampire population is not big enough to wage an all out war on mankind, so they wiped majority of the population so they can safely maintain the rest.

Well that sounds similar to some of the Max Brooks material from The Extinction Parade, but without the threat that the zombies posed to the Vampires - and possibly without the intent to create them. Still, it sounds like a cool way to set up your storyline, excluding conversions of course. By the way, I would recommend Issue #68 of The Rifter - it will include a crossover between Beyond the Supernatural and Dead Reign, albeit in a different way, as well as pure Dead Reign material. Anyway, please take care; thanks a bunch, and have a good day.

whassupman03

[Epically]

In my first campaign, it was a disgruntled government employee who let loose the virus.

Yeah, that would be one heck of a way to go postal...

More on that: That campaign was a HU hybrid. The Government program he was working with was experimenting on super powers. He used it for himself, but didn't gain any powers that he was aware of. Very angry, yadda yadda yadda, then he discovered that he could re-animate and control the dead (after one of the experiments going wrong). He pretty much synthesized his power in the form of a virus and unleashed it on the world, a world he could control. (He was the main antagonist as the head of the death cult.)

[eliakon]

In my first campaign, it was a disgruntled government employee who let loose the virus.

Yeah, that would be one heck of a way to go postal...

More on that: That campaign was a HU hybrid. The Government program he was working with was experimenting on super powers. He used it for himself, but didn't gain any powers that he was aware of. Very angry, yadda yadda yadda, then he discovered that he could re-animate and control the dead (after one of the experiments going wrong). He pretty much synthesized his power in the form of a virus and unleashed it on the world, a world he could control. (He was the main antagonist as the head of the death cult.)

*Steals this*

[Epically]

In my first campaign, it was a disgruntled government employee who let loose the virus.

Yeah, that would be one heck of a way to go postal...

More on that: That campaign was a HU hybrid. The Government program he was working with was experimenting on super powers. He used it for himself, but didn't gain any powers that he was aware of. Very angry, yadda yadda yadda, then he discovered that he could re-animate and control the dead (after one of the experiments going wrong). He pretty much synthesized his power in the form of a virus and unleashed it on the world, a world he could control. (He was the main antagonist as the head of the death cult.)

*Steals this*

Lol, I'm honored.

[gaby]

Those for Gun control are part of Cult of Brulyx,wanted to disarm people so they early fall to the Zombies.

[Warmaster40k]

Deep breath, okay. Altrucure works the way it was suppose to, although the wave did affect people who received the vaccine, it affected across the spectrum. Meanwhile in some undisclosed military base experimenting with applied quantum mechanics lab a signal was broadcasted across the dimensional barrier. Weakening the barrier enough that Brulyx sends a whisper to prepare for the Breath of Brulyx. It was at this time, that the NASA announced that BIO-shack 1 had suffered a glitch and would be plummeting in to the atmosphere, this shack was used to study the effects of space on various life forms.

[whassupman03]

Hello...

Deep breath, okay. Altrucure works the way it was suppose to, although the wave did affect people who received the vaccine, it affected across the spectrum. Meanwhile in some undisclosed military base experimenting with applied quantum mechanics lab a signal was broadcasted across the dimensional barrier. Weakening the barrier enough that Brulyx sends a whisper to prepare for the Breath of Brulyx. It was at this time, that the NASA announced that BIO-shack 1 had suffered a glitch and would be plummeting in to the atmosphere, this shack was used to study the effects of space on various life forms.

Ah, the quasi-supernatural approach! It seems kind of like that miniseries that the History Channel aired a little while back about the Book of Revelations and the End of Days, where there were both supernatural and scientific elements. But anyway it's good to see that a lot of people are creative. Please take care; thanks a bunch, and have a good day.

whassupman03

[Trent]

How about government wizards used the wrong spell to contain a virus brought to us on a comet shot at us by alien necromancers because a earthly mega corp. used one of their monkeys for lab experiments (just to cover everything) ?

[say652]

I used a haywire chaos axe for a zombie outbreak.
Only animated dead though. But evrything in the storms radius came back.
Remove the Axe from the immortals chest adventure. U also used the created zombies as "generals" and I used the created zombie with Mystically bestowed Abilities.

[TiekoSora]

I have yet to run a DR campaign, but I would set it up as a non-arcane cause. I like how Walking Dead has done it. Those that have been dead prior to the outbreak do not rise. It's only the people that are infected and then die, that rise again. I do think though that once the body decays to a certain point it can no longer function at all. Decay would occur at 25% the normal rate based on environmental conditions. Warm and humid locations would experience a faster rate of decomposition, where drier places would have quite a bit slower decomp rate.

What causes it? Well a virus works for the kinds of zombies we see in movies like 28 Days Later. The part of the brain that contains memories, controls conscious thought, is ravaged by the disease, and the motor center is left relatively intact, reverting the "survivor" to an animalistic state driven by instinct. But what about a fungal cause? In recent years we have discovered at least one kind of fungus that can take over the body of a host organism, and drive it to do things that will perpetuate the invader's species. The fungal infection basically does the same as a virus by destroying the same part of the brain, but while it can manipulate motor functions, it does so sluggishly and awkwardly. Biting others can spread the infection (low risk) but the main means to reproduce is to move, go inactive, and the remainder of the brain becomes an incubator for an explosive discharge of fungus spores. Once the internal pressure exceeds the limits of the sac encasing the brain, spores shoot out the nostrils, eye sockets, and ears. Spores are airborne, and can cause infection on any living organism they land upon. This method would still allow for the decomposition of the "dead" and provide a secondary threat once the body has reached a state of near total entropy.

[SittingBull]

In my HU/DR game. The outbreak/wave was started by a hero. A hero who could heal himself and others. His wife died from freak accident and he poured his healing power into her body for like 21 hours. She came back alright and that was the beginning.

[TiekoSora]

In my HU/DR game. The outbreak/wave was started by a hero. A hero who could heal himself and others. His wife died from freak accident and he poured his healing power into her body for like 21 hours. She came back alright and that was the beginning.

Oh THAT'S good!

[SittingBull]

Its also the setting of a published novel but I got permission from the author to use his books setting in my public game. EXHeroes by Peter Clines; 4 books in the series and soon to be 5.

[Josh Hilden]

Its also the setting of a published novel but I got permission from the author to use his books setting in my public game. EXHeroes by Peter Clines; 4 books in the series and soon to be 5.

Peter's a great guy and a hell of a writer.

[SittingBull]

I hear some guy called Josh Hilden is a good writer also.

[Josh Hilden]

I hear some guy called Josh Hilden is a good writer also.

Well he tries