Should non Human Zombies be allowed in RIFTS?

[G]

[EDIT] - The spell create Zombie don't mention race and creates a sdc zombie...because its expected that you are using it on regular humans.

Should non Human mdc Zombies be allowed in RIFTS?

Any other thoughts on using Zombies in RIFTS can be posted in this thread.

A zombie really isn't a bad deal compared to a regular person...They both have 2APM & the same speed. The Zombie has 3 less int, is twice as strong and has about 5 times as many sdc (pretending that a standard human has about 30). If people weren't so incredibly squishy - you might be better off being a zombie, lol.

[The Beast]

Where's the option for "Yes - They still follow the normal zombie creation rules though?"

[G]

Where's the option for "Yes - They still follow the normal zombie creation rules though?"

That would be the second...Yes - mdc beings become sdc zombies.

If a being has a shell that can withstand being hit by a mini missile, you would be saying that casting this spell on it makes it so that the shell can no longer withstand being hit by a missile...when all the spell is really supposed to be doing is animating the body. Wether it makes sense or not - that is the balanced way of dealing with it - the purpose of this spell is really to create sdc minions not mdc minions, which use the golem spell. For humans, the spell makes the body tougher (5x the sdc, double the PS, doesn't take damage from kinetic attacks). Thus leading me to question what effect it should have on mdc beings, that are not mentioned in the spell description. As I said, making them weaker is the "game balanced" answer.

If they retain their mdc status and better than human stats its more trouble to figure out how to deal with their stats...and ups the power level of the Zombie...which puting more thought into it, I might not want to do..as creating a mdc golem costs permenant sdc loss. Perhaps creating a mdc zombie should cost permenant sdc loss as well.

I voted yes - use sdc for game balance, I can justify it later if I need too.

[Cybermancer]

The spell to create a zombie animates a corpse. Therefore, the MDC of the being has been used up and is gone. So an SDC construct is created as per the description of the spell.

[Killer Cyborg]

Where's the option for "Yes - They still follow the normal zombie creation rules though?"

That would be the second...Yes - mdc beings become sdc zombies.

If a being has a shell that can withstand being hit by a mini missile, you would be saying that casting this spell on it makes it so that the shell can no longer withstand being hit by a missile...when all the spell is really supposed to be doing is animating the body.

That's not all the spell is really supposed to be doing.
That would be the spell Animate Dead.

[drewkitty ~..~]

voted no because your answer selection did match the question asked.

If the question was "can the 'make zombie spell', make MDC beings into zombies? MDC zombies?" the answer would be, "depends on the size of the being, if it was much bigger then then a horse then no, smaller then a horse then it would be plausible" & "it would be sdc unless the corpse had been specially treated to keep it MDC."

*Sarcastic* "yes, non-humans can be made into zombies, elves, dwarves, hobbits, orks, goblins..... all can be made into zombies just like humans."

[Natasha]

Humans only, if I get to make the call.

But it's not like I'm opposed to non-human zombies, it just doesn't suit me.

[Spinachcat]

All depends on what you want Zombies to do in your campaign. Want them to die in droves, being blasted apart in a single shot? Then make them SDC. Want them tougher, then make the MDC beings become MDC zombies.

As for what races becomes zombies, that depends on your campaign. Maybe there is something specific to humans that makes them able to reanimate? If so, why? Maybe that's a whole adventure in itself. Maybe only certain races who were part of some ancient feud or infernal pact can be reanimated.

Personally, I enjoy zombie variations. There is the zombie who can not be stopped until all parts are destroyed, so even if SDC, they keep coming until you blow away the arms, legs and head. Of course, in Rifts you need to give a SDC zombie a way to do damage. You have grappling attacks, but then what? In my Rifts Easter Island game, my zombies can spray their blood which is also undead and forces its way through skin into the body to do battle with your immune system (aka, a viral poison).

And I can say Elizabeth Bathory! They did that in Hostel II.

[G]

I say no.

Along the same lines of SDC/MDC questions is the question of the *Appearance* of the zombie and whether it should be fixed as it was at the moment of reanimation or should decay (Rot).
By wich I mean what is the Decay Rate for a normal zombie, Specifically PB if you get the corpse a couple melle rounds after death, say just after you killed the guy?
I mean, I think the PB listed is 2 or 3, but how many hours or days does it take the corpse of somebody with a PB of maybe 18 to rot down to a PB of 3?
And even then it doesn't say whether the PB stays frozen as is the moment the corpse was reanimated or continues to drop over time despite the fact that the zombie lasts untill destroyed presumably even if that takes several decades or centuries.
This gets even more complicated when you consider the Mummy and the fact that most cinematic portrayals thereof show mummies as having the normal human PB.
So, in short:
1) Should a Zombie/Mummies PB be fixed at the moment of reanimation or should it drop over time, and if so how quickly?
2) If it does normally fall off, should there be some Incantation (with what PPE Cost?) or some alchemists potion that could restore/maintain PB so that the creature might walk abroad like we have seen in any number of cinematic portrayals of these types of creatures? We've seen lot's of portrayals where vain persons become dependent on youth berries, potions etc (can you say "elizabeth Bathory", boys and girls?)

When I first created this thread I was thinking the same sort of thing about how to increase the PB. I've decided I might as well go by the book, whatever process creates them makes them uglier than they were. This isn't decay - remember that they regenerate. Long ago decided that one of the best uses for them is as diversions - I dress a few like evil mages (they already have the ugly/scary part down) and people shoot them instead of me. I toss whatever bits of them are left in the saddlebags and by the next combat I have them again. They also make decent night time guards (go ahead try to ambush us while we sleep or strangle the guards on duty) and excellent manual labour.

[Spinachcat]

So if I were to do a variation that din't break down, what "Plot Mechanism" would be best?

Go with the Bathory concept. Devouring flesh and blood allows the zombie to regenerate its own flesh and beauty...which then decays so it needs to feed again. Maybe a well-fed zombie becomes a spectacular beauty?

The reason i keep bring up the need for an explanation is that every explanation would might give players different angles on combatting the creature, imparing it's ability to go abroad unnoticed, or all kinds of things. Like the man said "Know your enemy and know yourself and you will never get yer butt kicked"!

100% true. The explanation should be a part of the mystery the PCs must unravel, and by learning the explanation, they gain a better angle of attack.

[grandmaster z0b]

I think it would be possible to create a new spell that animates MDC monsters into some sort of undead, but not the current zombie spell.