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Tabletop RPG Olgantha: Zombies!
12 years ago
General
Zombies
Been thinking about how I want to approach these staple monsters in my game world and decided to have something of a mixture with varieties dependent largely on the zed's race before death. As most zombies require a necromancer in my world to make them rise, it seemed the best case to have zombie hordes created due to overzealous casters trying to command more ghouls then they had the clout to control and likely became a treat for them to devour.
1. All races can become Shamblers. These are the typical slow-moving clods that aren't too impressive alone, but exceedingly dangerous in groups. Naturally, they crave flesh, and attack whoever they're commanded to attack unless their "summoner" is killed, then they attack whoever's nearby. Crits (headshots) always kill. Their bite can cause infection but a Shambler bite isn't certain doom. That's the job of another type of zed-o. Eating flesh heals them and they can use body parts--including their own--as bludgeons.
2. Ragers spawn from orcs and bugbears and when spontaneously produced happen in 1 of every 3 orc zombies (33%). They're faster, tougher and more violent than Shamblers and tend to care more about killing than eating.
3. Creepers spawn from goblins and halflings and when spontaneously produced happen in 1 of every 4 gob/halfling zombies (25%). They skulk in shadows and can climb nearly any surface, leaping onto unsuspecting targets with vicious glee (kinda sorta like L4D hunters).
4. Poppers spawn from kobolds and when spontaneously produced happen in 1 of every 4 kobold zombies (25%). These nasty monstrosities hurl themselves at their targets, goading them into attacking their swollen corpses so that they explode in fountains of gore, their bone acting like shrapnel damaging everything in a short radius. If more than one Popper is in a confined space, it can prove especially deadly.
5. Bilers spawn from humans and hobgoblins and when spontaneously produced happen in 1 of every 5 human/hobs zombies (20%). They don't move much faster than Shamblers and have neither the voracious hunger or propensity towards violence as most zombies. Instead they prefer to hold down a victim and vomit into their face to allow their contagious bile to infiltrate as many orifices as possible. Bilers are infection vectors and priority targets lest their killed victims rise as Shamblers or something worse.
6. Flappers spawn from gnomes and when spontaneously produced happen in 1 of every 5 gnome zombies (20%). These zombies fly in uneven "hopping" patterns, swooping down on victims, carrying them into the air while feasting on them before dropping their bodies from great heights and moving on, leaving their bodies for the Shamblers and other lesser ghouls.
7. Hivers spawn from vespids and when spontaneously produced happen in 1 of every 6 vespid zombies (17%). These zombies' bodies become riddled with holes filled by swarming wasps that attack at the Hiver's behest. Headshots cause instant death but also cause them to spill open in explosion of stinging fury. Their porous bodies make them take half damage to piercing and ballistic damage.
8. Captains spawn from dwarves and when spontaneously produced happen in 1 of every 8 dwarf zombie (13%). When dwarven zombies' heads are significantly damaged, their brain stem can sink into their necks, making them immune to insta-kills and blind hulks of rotting flesh besides.
9. Revenants spawn from elves and when spontaneously produced happen in 1 of every 10 elf zombie (10%). Because elves are naturally better than other mortals, Revenants come in different flavors, Effigy, Storm, Caustic, Frozen, and Tallman Revenants among them. Effigy Revs immolate themselves and hurl their roasting bodies at any they deem a threat. Storm Revs can fly and hurl lightning at anything attacking them as an immediate response. Caustic Revs spew acidic projectile vomit from short distances. Frozen Revs' bodies shatter on contact, sending shards of supersharp ice into nearby targets while their bodies regenerate slowly. Tallmen are immune to insta-kills, stretch unnaturally to about nine to ten feet tall with long, spindly, spike like fingers to impale their meals and are capable of walking through shadows as a means of travel. They seem to get more enjoyment at their meal's fear then the actual eating, always making them stare into their gaunt, skeletal face with the skin stretched tight before impaling them and letting them bleed out in midair like a pig on a skewer.
Been thinking about how I want to approach these staple monsters in my game world and decided to have something of a mixture with varieties dependent largely on the zed's race before death. As most zombies require a necromancer in my world to make them rise, it seemed the best case to have zombie hordes created due to overzealous casters trying to command more ghouls then they had the clout to control and likely became a treat for them to devour.
1. All races can become Shamblers. These are the typical slow-moving clods that aren't too impressive alone, but exceedingly dangerous in groups. Naturally, they crave flesh, and attack whoever they're commanded to attack unless their "summoner" is killed, then they attack whoever's nearby. Crits (headshots) always kill. Their bite can cause infection but a Shambler bite isn't certain doom. That's the job of another type of zed-o. Eating flesh heals them and they can use body parts--including their own--as bludgeons.
2. Ragers spawn from orcs and bugbears and when spontaneously produced happen in 1 of every 3 orc zombies (33%). They're faster, tougher and more violent than Shamblers and tend to care more about killing than eating.
3. Creepers spawn from goblins and halflings and when spontaneously produced happen in 1 of every 4 gob/halfling zombies (25%). They skulk in shadows and can climb nearly any surface, leaping onto unsuspecting targets with vicious glee (kinda sorta like L4D hunters).
4. Poppers spawn from kobolds and when spontaneously produced happen in 1 of every 4 kobold zombies (25%). These nasty monstrosities hurl themselves at their targets, goading them into attacking their swollen corpses so that they explode in fountains of gore, their bone acting like shrapnel damaging everything in a short radius. If more than one Popper is in a confined space, it can prove especially deadly.
5. Bilers spawn from humans and hobgoblins and when spontaneously produced happen in 1 of every 5 human/hobs zombies (20%). They don't move much faster than Shamblers and have neither the voracious hunger or propensity towards violence as most zombies. Instead they prefer to hold down a victim and vomit into their face to allow their contagious bile to infiltrate as many orifices as possible. Bilers are infection vectors and priority targets lest their killed victims rise as Shamblers or something worse.
6. Flappers spawn from gnomes and when spontaneously produced happen in 1 of every 5 gnome zombies (20%). These zombies fly in uneven "hopping" patterns, swooping down on victims, carrying them into the air while feasting on them before dropping their bodies from great heights and moving on, leaving their bodies for the Shamblers and other lesser ghouls.
7. Hivers spawn from vespids and when spontaneously produced happen in 1 of every 6 vespid zombies (17%). These zombies' bodies become riddled with holes filled by swarming wasps that attack at the Hiver's behest. Headshots cause instant death but also cause them to spill open in explosion of stinging fury. Their porous bodies make them take half damage to piercing and ballistic damage.
8. Captains spawn from dwarves and when spontaneously produced happen in 1 of every 8 dwarf zombie (13%). When dwarven zombies' heads are significantly damaged, their brain stem can sink into their necks, making them immune to insta-kills and blind hulks of rotting flesh besides.
9. Revenants spawn from elves and when spontaneously produced happen in 1 of every 10 elf zombie (10%). Because elves are naturally better than other mortals, Revenants come in different flavors, Effigy, Storm, Caustic, Frozen, and Tallman Revenants among them. Effigy Revs immolate themselves and hurl their roasting bodies at any they deem a threat. Storm Revs can fly and hurl lightning at anything attacking them as an immediate response. Caustic Revs spew acidic projectile vomit from short distances. Frozen Revs' bodies shatter on contact, sending shards of supersharp ice into nearby targets while their bodies regenerate slowly. Tallmen are immune to insta-kills, stretch unnaturally to about nine to ten feet tall with long, spindly, spike like fingers to impale their meals and are capable of walking through shadows as a means of travel. They seem to get more enjoyment at their meal's fear then the actual eating, always making them stare into their gaunt, skeletal face with the skin stretched tight before impaling them and letting them bleed out in midair like a pig on a skewer.
