Death Troopers / Resident Evil rules

[garhkal]

With the pc's getting all their actions, and i assume NO dodges by any of the zombie horde, i can easily see 4-5 actions PER player being taken. As a standard pc starting out has on average 6d blaster (even if it is the techie with a pistol spec), that gives them 3d for 4 actions. Even if they call the shot (so their point blank shot goes to a 10 diff vice 5), they are assured a hit on the average of three dice. So that is 4 targets getting hit each round by each pc. Unless there are hundred upon hundreds, the pc's WILL win out.. easily.
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[Esoomian]

That's the point a single zombie isn't very dangerous it's the massive horde that is dangerous.

Also assume the PC has a 5D pistol if the zombie has an autosoak of 15 then the PC needs to roll more than 21 (IE better than fours on every dice) to do more than cause the zombie to stumble.

If a PC made a called shot to the head that is +1D to the difficulty to hit. I'd generally assume if you can maim a zombie in the head it counts as destroyed rather than maimed but you still need to roll at least 21 on your damage to do that.

If the Zombies are in close range so it's an easy difficulty (lets say 5) + the called shot penalty (lets say 3) that's difficulty 8

With 6D in blaster you can take three actions per round and still have 3D to hit which should easily do it but even then you can't be assured each shot is going to be a kill shot.
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[TyCaine]

Agreed that the damage soak value makes it easier from a GM's perspective and less dice rolling to cover hordes of the things...

Also agreed that unless there's hordes, the PC's should win, zombies are assumed to be shambling masses with no technical abilities and they rely on strength/weight of numbers and the fact they will never give up... In Death Troopers from my understanding they are a little tougher from the fact that they retain technical knowledge and could always shoot you to bring you down...

All in all I think the soak works well and reduces the workload to track them, perhaps only using something other than the soak for more 'advanced' zombies...

Need to find the time to stat these changes and rules up 'officially'...

Which leads me to the question, what changes to stats do you guys think they should have? Assuming the 'basic' zombie, perhaps dropping Tech and Mech by -2D, Dex by -1D, but increasing STR by +1D? Any thoughts?

I'm also assuming we could stat a human zombie, but really it would be bonuses / penalties from the general creature/race template as theoretically anything could be 'turned'...



Ty

[Raven Redstar]

I'd also give them a +1D Search: Food, since their brain functions only support the need to feed. Hehe.

For the tougher Resident Evil type mutants. When they take 16+ damage they fall prone, as if it's dead. Then they have a major mutation overhaul, increasing in size and strength. Make it so the creature's body must be completely destroyed or else it's given a chance to mutate and become stronger.
These mutations should wait for several minutes, long enough for the players to leave. If you change the way it looks enough, they might not even realize that they're fighting the same thing.

I like the idea of a set soak difficulty, perhaps on other zombie creatures, you simply increase it. Maybe 15-16 for standard, 20-24 for advanced, 26-30 for a major mutant. (In RE, some creatures can only be killed with very heavy weaponry. Rocket Launchers or whatever.)

[ZzaphodD]

Is the 'shambling mass' zombie still in use? From what I have seen they are nowadays rather quick on their feet...and more of a 'rabid mass' zombie..

[Esoomian]

I'd give them stormtrooper stats but with -1D to dex, per and probably -2D to tech and knowledges. I'm not sure if I'd reduce mechanical or not.

I'd probably give them a +1D bonus to strength when it comes to doing damage (and soaking damage if not using an autosoak) but no bonus to strength itself as I wouldn't really want them to be better at brawling than they were before death.

[TyCaine]

Resident Evil prefers the shambling mass zombie except when you encounter the advanced zombies/mutants...

@Esoomian those stats seem to ring true with my original thought, and can probably be used as an applied template that can be overlayed on all/any existing templates/characters/NPCs/creatures/races

[Esoomian]

Glad to be of assistance.
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Don't waste money on expensive binoculars.

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[TyCaine]

This is a compilation of this discussion, thoughts?

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Zombies (overlay template / shambling zombie type)

DEXTERITY -1D
KNOWLEDGE -2D
MECHANICAL -2
PERCEPTION (as per original template)
STRENGTH (as per original template)
TECHNICAL -2D
Special Abilities/Rules:
Sense Living: Zombies are attuned to the living and can sense them within 30 meters, even if they cannot see them. Using this ability requires a Very Easy Perception roll.
Slow Moving: Zombies always loose initiative (strike last in all circumstances).
Unnatural Strength: Zombies have an almost unnatural strength, perhaps coming from the nature of the infection, or it's affect on the adrenal glands, this strength is most effective in HTH attacks where they attack with a base of STR+1D
Unnatural Toughness: Zombies are incredibly difficult to kill, and have a base damage soak level of 15, their only true weakness being the brain:
Beating the soak by 0-5 points makes them stumble they slow down or loose their attack this round (further details at GM's discretion). Any damage done while possibly graphic is largely inconsequential.
Beating the soak by 6-10 points maims the zombie, they loose an arm or a leg affecting performance but non-vital. The maimed zombie moves at half speed and has it's attack dicepool halved. Multiple maimed results do not stack. (further details at GM's discretion)
Beating the soak by more than ten points destroys the zombie, it's assumed they're either vaporized, obliterated or perhaps a lucky shot has severed the spine at the neck or destroyed the head.
Alternately the zombie's head can be targeted specifically by making a called shot to the head that is +1D to the difficulty to hit. Maiming a zombie in the head counts as destroying it rather than maiming but you still need to roll at least the soak + 6 damage.
Move: 1/3 original template rate
Size: (as per original template)

Notes: Damage soak level can be adjusted based upon type of zombie or armor worn.

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And thanks for all your input guys!

[ZzaphodD]

If you become a Zombie, why not have set stats? Why modifications of the current stats? Its a 'horde' monster anyways..

I can see that you would need some kind of rules for Wookie zombies, but why not make all humans equal.

[TyCaine]

The reason I was thinking an 'overlay' template would be that it could be applied to all creatures or races, in Resident Evil many dogs are also infected, though it must be admitted they would not be classed as 'shambling zombies' as they were a lot quicker...

But as an overlay (since, theoretically, why would zombies not also be Mon Calamari, or Wookiee, or whatever) it can be applied to all...

[Esoomian]

Because it's more scary if the deadly gunslinger that used to be a PC doesn't suddenly forget how to use his guns if he gets infected

Besides in the Death Troopers example the zombies were/are able to exist in the ships without being forced to batter down doors, they retained some knowledge of how to shoot their weapons and the like and it'd be better if a newly infected pacifist tech NPC with a specalization in stun weapons didn't suddenly 'learn' how to use basic blasters upon infection.

An overlay template is the easiest way to deal zombies of that variety.

I like what you've got so far TyCaine
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Don't waste money on expensive binoculars.

Simply stand closer to the object you wish to view.

[Critias]

Rather than special rules for taking damage and a special Strength boost solely to DEAL melee damage, I think a more elegant/simple solution might just be a template-flat Strength bonus. It'd give them scarier melee damage AND make them harder to kill, all in one fell swoop.

[Esoomian]

Ah but the reason for the autosoak was to speed up gameplay when you've got a hoard of zombies involved not just to make them more resiliant.

You don't want to be rolling soak for all 15 zombies in range of the grenade or all five zombies that the PCs are shooting at do you?
_________________
Don't waste money on expensive binoculars.

Simply stand closer to the object you wish to view.

[TyCaine]

@Esoomian Thanks! I'm thinking of putting together stats for a more advanced / faster type next (in keeping with the ResEvil theme (sorry watched it the other night and got 'infected') to cover instances like the infected hounds), then another set or two to cover the more dangerous beasties...

@Critias I'm open to ideas, which is why I started this thread, but had to bow to Esoomian's reasoning behind the soak to prevent dice roll fever when faced with a hoard...


With the faster type in mind, perhaps no DEX loss, no Initiative loss, greater MECH loss (to -2D in that they may be more predatory than technical)) but to even out things reduce the base soak level to 10 or 12 instead of 15
thoughts?


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Zombies (overlay template / predatory zombie type)

DEXTERITY (as per original template)
KNOWLEDGE -2D
MECHANICAL -2D
PERCEPTION (as per original template)
STRENGTH (as per original template)
TECHNICAL -2D
Special Abilities/Rules:
Sense Living: Zombies are attuned to the living and can sense them within 60 meters, even if they cannot see them. Using this ability requires a Very Easy Perception roll.
Unnatural Strength: Zombies have an almost unnatural strength, perhaps coming from the nature of the infection, or it's affect on the adrenal glands, this strength is most effective in HTH attacks where they attack with a base of STR+1D+2
Unnatural Toughness: Predatory zombies are difficult to kill, and have a base damage soak level of 12, their only true weakness being the brain:
Beating the soak by 0-3 points makes them stumble they slow down or loose their attack this round (further details at GM's discretion). Any damage done while possibly graphic is largely inconsequential.
Beating the soak by 4-6 points maims the zombie, they loose an arm or a leg affecting performance but non-vital. The maimed zombie moves at half speed and has it's attack dicepool halved. Multiple maimed results do not stack. (further details at GM's discretion)
Beating the soak by more than six points destroys the zombie, it's assumed they're either vaporized, obliterated or perhaps a lucky shot has severed the spine at the neck or destroyed the head.
Alternately the zombie's head can be targeted specifically by making a called shot to the head that is +1D to the difficulty to hit. Maiming a zombie in the head counts as destroying it rather than maiming but you still need to roll at least the soak + 4 damage.
Move: (as per original template)
Size: (as per original template)

Notes: Damage soak level can be adjusted based upon type of zombie.

Thoughts? I adjusted the soak down a little, and adjusted the damage levels down a little, while removing penalties for intiative, DEX and increasing HTH damage a little.