Smarter than you think

[Beatmeclever]

Sounds like a good idea for a game. Have fun.

[cornholioprime]

An idea for why the zombies crave PPE. Maybe they ARE intelligent, just in an alien way, like other NPC characters have been in previous Palladium games. Maybe, they understand that killing feeds them AND helps increase their population. If so, do they have a goal, such as a set number of zombies? What would this accomplish? Would it allow a Zombie Alien Intelligence or other monstrosity to visit earth? If so, this would lead to a million more questions for Game Masters to deal with, such as "why earth?" and "why use zombies?" . Anyone have something to say?

Well, as far as your personal Game goes, it's a pretty good idea.....but in the canon of the Book, it is explicitly stated that they are extremely 'dumb,' even the Thinkers, are are pretty much fleshy automatons driven solely by instinct.

Contrast this behaviour with that of alien species like the Xiticix (Rifts Earth)or the Star Hives (The Three Galaxies), wherein said species really ARE possessed of an alien but intelligent way of thinking.

[azazel1024]

If you want to run it that way. It seems like in Canon the Zombies are rather stupid. They can see the P.P.E. and hunger for it. Their intelligence extends to being able to navigate (well, to a degree), control their motor functions, understand that other zombies will benifit from the released P.P.E. and that if it scratches their backs they'll scratch its back.

The average Zombie seems to be about as smart as a very, very dumb dog. A thinker seems to be about as smart as a moderately intelligent dog.

Personally I keep all of the paranormal, magic and psionics out of my Dead Reign games (all 3 of them I've run so far...I've packed in the games since I got the books a couple of weeks ago). I like it best as a straight horror/survival game.
-Matt

[asajosh]

IIRC, The original DR write up in Rifter 40 was geared this way: With a god or alien intellgence trying to invade Earth, needing a ton of PPE to do it (DR world is very low in mystic energy) and the zeds are "moving PPE collectors" for said deity.