Pyramid #3/92: Zombies

[PK]

How dare you assume
That we're here to eat your brains
#undead bigotry

— Tumblr zombie

People tend to overlook just how versatile and varied zombies really are. As both GURPS Zombies and GURPS Zombies: Day One showed, these shamblers come in an infinite variety, and can be anything from the heart of the story to a light touch of flavor. But don't take my word for it -- not when the authors of Pyramid #3/92: Zombies are here to prove it:

• Becoming a zombie is a fate worse than death . . . or is it? When a hero dies and resurrection isn't an immediate option, putting him on Unlife Support is a sensible (if macabre) option. GURPS Zombies author Dr. Kromm offers four emergency methods (and three new free-willed undead templates) for getting your PCs back into the game.
  
  
• The key to keeping zombies scary in a GURPS Horror game is defying the players' expectations -- keeping them off-balance and unsure of what's going on. And J. Edward Tremlett's The Unknown Hunger accomplishes this via two new horrific concepts. The Void is a cosmic darkness that creates infectious Conduits within humanity, while the Geistersturm allows Hellbound souls a chance to return as cannibalistic Skulkings.
  
  
• If the draugr and haugbui were terrifying enough to give the Vikings pause, they're certainly worth inflicting on your PCs. GURPS Vikings author Graeme Davis details The Viking Dead with an assortment of real-world tales, a new aptrgangr template, and a wealth of options and variants.
  
  
• Powered armor already has the advantage of replacing the wearer's strength and movement with its own machinery -- so why not go a little further? In this month's Eidetic Memory, David Pulver introduces the MAD Mk IV combat walkers, capable of retreat and extraction even after the wearer is disabled . . . and the virus that can turn them into Battlesuit Zombies.
  
  
• People commonly refer to cult members as "zombies," but what if they're right? The Church of the New Focus offers its parishioners new meditative techniques for inner peace and focus, but as Steven Marsh shows, each "level of enlightenment" comes with ever-increasing drawbacks, until the truly aware are little more than enslaved monsters.
  
  
• The remains of the dead are going missing from a cemetery, but as the investigators will soon learn, this is Not Your Average Grave Robbing. Michael Kreuter presents an adventure designed for the early 20th century (but easily adapted to a low-powered GURPS Monster Hunters game), along with stats for three zombies and a new form of Terror: "Despair."
  
  
• It's important to look beyond Western culture for your monsters; why not add some Indian Ghouls to your campaign? In this Appendix Z, Graeme Davis offers condensed descriptions of six monsters common to India and the Middle East, with pointers to appropriate GURPS Horror and GURPS Zombies stats.
  
  
• And you can't keep our usual features buried, including a Random Thought Table with advice for keeping your players surprised and off-balance and a Short Bursts that will have your heart racing for its life.

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[Phantasm]

Fascinating. I was going to write off this month's Pyramid as a wash - zombies don't do anything for me - but the Viking Zombies one sounds interesting, as does the Despair option for Terror (which I can use if I ever stat up D'spayre...).

[b-dog]

I am really interested in the Indian undead and also the Viking undead. I am curious how powerful they are in relation to DF PCs. Are they just CHOP!, next monster or would they be a real challenge for dungeon delvers? Are there ways to beef them up or does the DM have to do that? Thanks.

[johndallman]

To answer Steven's question on p3, I'm in favour of more focussed issues of Pyramid, in principle.

I have not been doing well with issues being interesting for me since I subscribed - this makes four out of eight that are thoroughly uninteresting to me - but I think the cure for that is to let the subscription expire and buy selectively. Focussed issues will make that easier.

[Johan Larson]

Could someone give us a hint about what the secret of The Church of the New Focus is? Maybe behind a spoiler tag.

[PK]

Originally Posted by b-dog

I am really interested in the Indian undead and also the Viking undead. I am curious how powerful they are in relation to DF PCs. Are they just CHOP!, next monster or would they be a real challenge for dungeon delvers? Are there ways to beef them up or does the DM have to do that? Thanks.

The base aptrgangr template (for the Viking undead) is a bit more potent than a standard zombie, but also includes lots of options for seriously beefing it up, to the point where a maxxed-out draugr could be a standalone threat for a party.

The Indian Undead is a 1-page Appendix Z, and thus doesn't include stats, but instead points to existing templates in Zombies and Horror.

[b-dog]

Originally Posted by PK

The Indian Undead is a 1-page Appendix Z, and thus doesn't include stats, but instead points to existing templates in Zombies and Horror.

Only one page for Indian undead? What a bummer.

[Johan Larson]

Speaking of zombies, one of Greg Egan's novels includes a nifty hard-science take on a zombie drug. In the near future, he stipulates, powerful drugs are available that can restart brain function in the recently dead. They only work if the person isn't too far gone and theydoesn't last very long, because while they are wildly toxic and do irreversible damage while active.

It's just enough to have a conversation with a recently dead person. Of course, the subject may not be aware he has already died.

[Turhan's Bey Company]

Originally Posted by johndallman

To answer Steven's question on p3, I'm in favour of more focussed issues of Pyramid, in principle.

I'll unhelpfully speak up in favor of variety. On one hand, focused issues are great for particular kinds of support. A werewolf issue would be interesting, as would be one on castles (or, perhaps more broadly, homes); a bunny issues is obviously a must-buy. If I had the slightest interest in zombies, I'd be all over this one.
On the other hand, there's a lot to like in some of the broader issues, notably those for gameable genres. The cyberpunk and cliffhanger issues were, I felt, particularly useful. And some previously very, very specific issues of Pyramid were focused to the point of uselessness for my purposes (horror and spies?). As I'd like to see a mix of different lengths and types of articles, I'd also like to see a mix in terms of scope.

[Mailanka]

Originally Posted by Turhan's Bey Company

I'll unhelpfully speak up in favor of variety. On one hand, focused issues are great for particular kinds of support. A werewolf issue would be interesting, as would be one on castles (or, perhaps more broadly, homes); a bunny issues is obviously a must-buy. If I had the slightest interest in zombies, I'd be all over this one.

I think the bolded is the biggest problem with this approach. People who'll want it will really want it. People who won't really won't. And that's fine, let the people who want it buy it, people who don't, don't. But what about us subscribers? I have it not because I want it, but because I subscribed. I'm not complaining: I tend to collect every GURPS product eventually, but I can imagine if they become very specific, and someone sees that most of his interests are not met (Say, we have a year of vampires, werewolves, zombies, castles, and no hacking, military sci-fi, martial-arts-in-space and star-fighters), then he might wonder why he's subscribing. Even if some of his interests are met, then if the hit-to-miss ratio is too high, then I'd stop subscribing, if I were him.

Ultra-focused books make more sense to me than ultra-focused magazines, ultimately because people are buying magazines blind, and you want them to buy them blind.