Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse

[trechriron]

A couple ideas for "different" zombie plagues (I think I've posted these before somewhere...).

1) The Brain Fungus! Those videos and pictures of the insects (ants usually) that get infected with a fungus that causes them to seek out a high place, bite onto something and then they just die there. Slowly a stalk sprouts then grows from their head, eventually bursting, spreading spores everywhere. For humans, you would need some other behavior, perhaps bear hugging? Or seeking out public places and dying while sitting? But, the infected could be super violent if the triggered behavior is not allowed to happen. Maybe the infected become super paranoid and insist on "locking" everyone in a confined space until they die and infect everyone? The fact that this fungus actually exists is creepy. Not sure there's a precedent for an infection jumping from insects to humans (outside insects carrying common infections of course)...

2) A super plague wipes out a large percentage of the population (SARS, super flu, etc.). Instead of decomposing, about 25% of the bodies start to "transform". They form some kind of cocoon. About 2 weeks after the cocoon forms, a mad hungry zombie breaks out seeking anything to eat. Not only are they willing to eat people, but animals and any "regular" food they craved in life. The zombies raid grocery stores, gas stations, restaurants, and even stock piles in "safe" sanctuaries. They don't care if it's rotten. They are driven to consume.

The transformation could be the result of a strange bacteria symbiotic to the virus, or perhaps a new fungus that couldn't infect healthy people, but the sick made perfect hosts. I would make these zombies nigh invulnerable to traditional wounds. No head shots, no vital shots. You have to burn them or destroy them completely to stop them. The process would toughen skin and tendons, make bones more dense. I would make them a tad faster and stronger than normal people, with sensitive smell like a dog. With infrastructure seriously damaged by all the dead, these Consuming Zombies would wreak havoc IMHO.

[Kale]

Originally Posted by tbrock1031

One thing that may give your players pause is if the zombies develop (or are drones controlled by) a hive mind. Suddenly, even the lone shambler who is typically just to be avoided is the eyes and ears of an even greater threat. The shambling zombies are mere cannon fodder, but once they reach a minimum number of animated, they start to use rudimentary tactics, blocking paths in order to herd the living who are avoiding them into an ambush.

My GM used this in a zombie game I was a player in. It came as a nasty surprise when the zombies were smart enough to try to proactively take out our transportation (helicopter) nearly thwarting our attempt to raid a city for critical supplies by trapping us in the middle of a horde of shamblers at a hospital.

[Crakkerjakk]

My zombie apocalypses tend to turn into "with some skeletons, and then wraiths and vampires and corpse gloms, and oh **** what the hell is that?" Ramp it up slowly over time. Introduce new stuff whenever players think they have the threats figured out.

I'm a bit of a jerk.

[Otaku]

Originally Posted by Crakkerjakk

My zombie apocalypses tend to turn into "with some skeletons, and then wraiths and vampires and corpse gloms, and oh **** what the hell is that?" Ramp it up slowly over time. Introduce new stuff whenever players think they have the threats figured out.

I'm a bit of a jerk.

Well... as RPG players, doesn't it almost seem odd how in "zombie movies", the zombies are like "the threat", when we are used to them being evil minions?

If they are biological, as an RPG/gamer I expect Resident Evil/House of the Dead/Left 4 Dead/etc. type shenanigans.

If they are mystical, I expect additional undead, possibly with more video game shenanigans like Lord Raptor*.

That's on top of all the other attempted plot twists that might happen, such as psionic or demonic "puppet" zombies, hypnotized or enchanted human "zombies", a classical Scooby-Doo trip where the zombies are a hoax to cover for something else... I mean its an RPG; do you really expect the GM to keep it that simple?

*If you have no idea who this is, the short version is Capcom + Fighting Game + Zombie = Awesome

[The Colonel]

Originally Posted by trechriron

2) A super plague wipes out a large percentage of the population (SARS, super flu, etc.). Instead of decomposing, about 25% of the bodies start to "transform". They form some kind of cocoon. About 2 weeks after the cocoon forms, a mad hungry zombie breaks out seeking anything to eat. Not only are they willing to eat people, but animals and any "regular" food they craved in life. The zombies raid grocery stores, gas stations, restaurants, and even stock piles in "safe" sanctuaries. They don't care if it's rotten. They are driven to consume.

The transformation could be the result of a strange bacteria symbiotic to the virus, or perhaps a new fungus that couldn't infect healthy people, but the sick made perfect hosts. I would make these zombies nigh invulnerable to traditional wounds. No head shots, no vital shots. You have to burn them or destroy them completely to stop them. The process would toughen skin and tendons, make bones more dense. I would make them a tad faster and stronger than normal people, with sensitive smell like a dog. With infrastructure seriously damaged by all the dead, these Consuming Zombies would wreak havoc IMHO.

This could tie in pretty well to the UFO:Aftermath plot in which the zombies are the result of an alien bioweapon (I think they were called morelmen in the game...).

[The Wrathchild]

That's about the take I'd be interested in running: The zombie outbreak is the precursor of Alien invasion :-). Including the day it happens, when all the world catches ebola, and then ... not dies completely ;-)

[ronom]

Originally Posted by Otaku

Well... as RPG players, doesn't it almost seem odd how in "zombie movies", the zombies are like "the threat", when we are used to them being evil minions?

If they are biological, as an RPG/gamer I expect Resident Evil/House of the Dead/Left 4 Dead/etc. type shenanigans.

If they are mystical, I expect additional undead, possibly with more video game shenanigans like Lord Raptor*.

That's on top of all the other attempted plot twists that might happen, such as psionic or demonic "puppet" zombies, hypnotized or enchanted human "zombies", a classical Scooby-Doo trip where the zombies are a hoax to cover for something else... I mean its an RPG; do you really expect the GM to keep it that simple?

*If you have no idea who this is, the short version is Capcom + Fighting Game + Zombie = Awesome

I've discovered "State of Decay" on Steam myself. So now I'm starting yet another variant world, and will choose at random which to subject my characters to via a hook.

[Anders]

The reavers from Firefly are essentially zombies, aren't they?

[ronom]

I think they'd be a type of "infected".

[Jonas]

Originally Posted by Otaku

And I already answered those points and pointed out where I disagree with him. Mostly it boils down to either missing about half of what I said (well my responses do tend to be lengthy, obscuring and confusing details) or failing to actually explain where I was wrong in a manner I can understand. I compared a zombie plague or apocalypse to a similar level of rabies infected animals; going to the store would be a lot different in a world where packs of rabid dogs were a frequent occurrence. It would take some monumental stupidity to allow things to get "that bad", but if there is one thing we humans have... its stupid!

This assumes your later comments were a disbelief that a "zombie plague" or "zombie apocalypse" scenario could come about without some extreme plot contrivances. History is full of things that read like plot contrivances, so I am willing to allow a few while still treating a scenario as "plausible". The "human element" is a pretty huge thing in zombie scenarios, and we know people behave in a stupid manner. In the "zombies come from an infection" scenario, imagine how it would work if the condition was caused by a somewhat slow showing STI? Talk about people not behaving logically...

Disclaimer, I actually like post apoc and have found zombie stuff fun at times. That aside your typical zombie scenario can only happen through very specific set of contrived circumstances on multiple levels from cellular biology all the way through military doctrine/response and everything in between. There is no other way around it, pure and simple.