Dead Space Necromorphs

[Psychotime]

You should play it then. If you want to use the creatures you should play the game itself to see how they're supposed to work, not work off of a second hand account. It's never the same. Taking ideas from them and trying to incorporate them 100% are two different things, and the latter needs you to play the game. That's like trying to use Aliens or Predators without watching any of the movies.

You don't have to cut off their limbs to kill them, but doing so deals the most damage as opposed to shooting them in the head or torso. It doesn't make any real world sense, but it's just a game mechanic. I'd ignore it.

[GreatWyrmGold]

I have a very good reason to use Dead Space zombies: Half of my players are zombie nuts. If I put "normal" zombies in the adventure, they'd have an effective defensive perimeter set up by the end of the session. That means that I either need to come up with some gimmick of my own or borrow it from somewhere else. Dead Space has the "zombie gimmick" that I'm most familiar with, so I was wondering if there was some way to use that. If not, I'd have to come up with a creative, sensible "gimmick," and I'm running low on time before the campaign starts.

EDIT: You guys have been helpful so far, though. Even if I can't copy necromorphs, I'll be able to throw my players a screwball.

[Psychotime]

Honestly the necromorphs aren't too different from the kind of stuff you see in Left for Dead.

Here's the fan wiki that you can swipe ideas from if need be. Best places to get this sort of stuff.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by GreatWyrmGold

I have a very good reason to use Dead Space zombies: Half of my players are zombie nuts. If I put "normal" zombies in the adventure, they'd have an effective defensive perimeter set up by the end of the session. That means that I either need to come up with some gimmick of my own or borrow it from somewhere else. Dead Space has the "zombie gimmick" that I'm most familiar with, so I was wondering if there was some way to use that. If not, I'd have to come up with a creative, sensible "gimmick," and I'm running low on time before the campaign starts.

EDIT: You guys have been helpful so far, though. Even if I can't copy necromorphs, I'll be able to throw my players a screwball.

Not quite how most necromorphs work, but IT:Detachable Body Parts is a good counter to standard anti-zombie tactics, especially in fantasy (because in Fantasy a persistent flame[thrower] is much harder to make ubiquitous, even if there are short-burst fireballs on every corner).

[starslayer]

Necromorphs regenerate too; quickly.

And I believe they could even regrow severed limbs if you gave them enough time.

They also seemed to be effectively homogeneous.

So your 'zombie' becomes a predominantly melee homogeneous regenerator with vacuum support, does not need to eat, breathe, sleep, immunity to metabolic hazards, increased strength, monstrous appearance, and some strikers.

[Psychotime]

No, only two particular bosses are able to regenerate and regrow.

The Hunter and the Ubermorph.


Adelus is right on the ball and has put more thought in it than I have. Everyone listen to them.

[Mathulhu]

Use blow through and bleeding rules, attacks are limited to doing the targets damage before wounding modifiers.

Add Homogeneous, No Blood, No Vitals, and No Brain and those wounding modifiers will be small, significantly reducing the chance of doing meaningful damage.
With a high HT you have to rely on taking the target to -5xHP to kill it with torso shots.

Suddenly pruning the limbs off and stopping it from fighting seems like a really good idea.

[Psychotime]

I'm not 100% sure if they're immune to impaling attacks much.

Anyone remember the Javelin Gun? Love that thing.

Maybe it's the subsequent burning attack...and the fact that we're talking Ultra Tech weapons...

[Adelus]

Given their build, it seems three things are generally necessary to stop a Necromorph:

1. Dismemberment
2. Wide-Area Damage
3. Destroying the torso*.

*Does not apply to some like the Divider.

Slicing the limbs off to make it useless to the hivemind works. So does setting it on fire, setting off explosives near it, and applying electric shocks. If it has limbs and a base for them, its a threat and an asset to the hivemind. Destroying the base or removing the limbs makes it a liability.

For a good solution, try following Mathulhu's guidelines while also including some kind of disadvantage that causes it to immediately drop dead if it loses all mobility OR combat limbs. Trying to carve through it with Homogenous granting lower wounding modifiers, lacking vitals, blood, or a brain, and extreme health is going to be severely discouraged compared to just damaging the limbs and slicing them off. Best damage types will be Cutting, Burning and Corrosion, in roughly that order. Explosives are also useful for their raw damage output and the damage fragmentation can do.

Originally Posted by Psychotime

Maybe it's the subsequent burning attack...and the fact that we're talking Ultra Tech weapons...

Not ultra-tech weapons, per-say. Ultra-Tech industrial and mining tools. Unless you modify the assault rifle until it is practically a cutting laser, conventional weapons do almost nothing to phase Necromorphs unless used in great quantity. Isaac survived so well because he was using tools normally intended for slicing through bulkheads, applying remote electric shocks, defoliant work, and cracking open asteroid rock - all very useful against an homogenous foe who eats bullets for breakfast.

Considering the OP is planning on this for a fantasy campaign, I think he might need to tone his variant down considerably, because I'm not sure anything short of very heavy use of combat magic is going to give you the tools to survive against these things. And if you are close enough for melee range to hack at them, you're close enough to get a two meter long, steel-penetrating bone skewer through your ribcage.

[Crakkerjakk]

Give 'em Injury Tolerence (No Brain, No Vitals, Unliving), High Pain Tolerence, and Unkillable 1 or 2. Hacking off limbs is suddenly the only way to really inconvenience them.