The Rancor Pit Forum Index
Welcome to The Rancor Pit forums!

The Rancor Pit Forum Index
FAQ   ::   Search   ::   Memberlist   ::   Usergroups   ::   Register   ::   Profile   ::   Log in to check your private messages   ::   Log in

Zombies in Star Wars
Post new topic   Reply to topic    The Rancor Pit Forum Index -> Adventures and Campaigns -> Zombies in Star Wars Goto page 1, 2, 3  Next
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
CRMcNeill
Director of Engineering
Director of Engineering


Joined: 05 Apr 2010
Posts: 16163
Location: Redding System, California Sector, on the I-5 Hyperspace Route.

PostPosted: Wed Jun 19, 2013 12:47 am    Post subject: Zombies in Star Wars Reply with quote

So, in light of World War Z coming out this week, has anyone ever done zombies in a Star Wars game? Since the Death Troopers novel established a version of virus based zombies, there is atleast some official basis for it? How would you stat them and use them in a campaign?
_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Leon The Lion
Commander
Commander


Joined: 29 Oct 2009
Posts: 309
Location: Somewhere in Poland

PostPosted: Wed Jun 19, 2013 5:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've done zombies.

Like many other things, I don't consider Death Troopers cannon. My first zombie scenario came before I've heard of the book, and I didn't want to change my established world once I did. Not that I'm against the idea of "classic" virus zombies in the SW, I just had a different idea.

I've made it very clear to the players & characters, that in my SW universe, there are no zombies. They don't exist in popular culture like they do here. There are stories of ghosts, ghouls, wrights, vampires even, revenants, and just plain resurections. But no zombies.

And then bam! Zombies.

The adventure started when, cruising merrily on their way through the rim, the PCs' ship performed an automatic emergency hyperspace drop-out somewhere in the deep dark of interstellar space. Something big blocked it's path in normal space, something that shouldn't have been there.

The problem was, their ship was... Temperamental. It was heavily modified, with many non-standard, even prototype parts, and very old besides. The stress of the emergency stop triggered some short-circuit, and as a result the ship just went and dumped all it's fuel (which in my rules is used to run both the drives and power core). Oops. They ware left stranded, adrift, with no drive power and only three days of emergency life support power.

Luckily, there was still the thing which they almost crashed into.

It turned out to be a derelict ship. It was massive, about 4km long and 1km in diameter. It was of a type neither of the characters recognized, but it looked old, immensly old. It had a huge hole ripped in it's hull, looked like micro- (or not so micro in this case) -meteorite collision damage. Dead, dark, and deathly silent, slowly spinning, no power or life form readings. Sensors revealed that it didn't even seem to possess a hyperdrive, and it's sublight engine was not an ion drive but a nuclear fussion rocket.

In a different situation, this could be a monumental find - an ancient artifact, a ship from the "dark age", untold thousands of years old, from before the invention of the hyperdrive. As it was, it represented the characters' only hope for salvation.

The PCs' ship was equipped, among other things, with a solid fuel converter. And per sensor readings, the derelict - "SEED", as the lettering on it's hull claimed - still possessed radioactive fuel for it's reactor and drive on board. All they had to do was enter the derelict and bring over sufficent radioactives to shove into their converter and they ware home free.

Right. Enter the creepy - and it was creepy, something felt very off about it - dead ship, and go poking inside. No sweat.

But, having no other choice, they went. No light, no heat, no gravity, no atmosphere. Only an uneasy, oppressive feeling.

"SEED" turned out to be, best the characters could determine from their survey, a STL colony ship. It had immense supply and equipment stores, artificial environment habitats and farms... And over 20.000 crew and passengers in primitive cold-sleep capsules. All very, very dead...

Still, it was just beginning to look like everything would be resolved happily with nothing more than bad feelings they could laugh about later. The characters made two trips with the radioactives, and they only needed one more to have enough converted fuel to reach civilizaton.

Which was, of course, when the dead began to get up from their hibernator-coffins. Walking with no regard to the lack of gravity, deathly silent in the vacuum, swarming out of every corridor. They ware not fast, but they ware everywhere. There was, after all, over 20.000 of them...

It quickly turned out this was the type of zombies which ware not stopped by a head shot. Hell, blown-off parts, like arms, ware still animated on their own, and continued to try to get the characters.

It was a pandemonium of panic. It was glorious.

Somehow, the party managed to escape the undead horde without loosing their radioactives container. They promptly shoved it into the converter and punched it out of there like all the hounds of hell ware snapping at their heels, especially as the optical sensors revealed some of the dead climbing out of their ship onto its hull, apperently ready to jump across the void towards the PCs' ship.

Later, the characters found out there ware already stories of the Death Seed, a Flying Dutchman kind of ghost ship with it's walking dead crew, haunting the space ways around those parts of the galaxy.

It was, honestly, one of the best adventures I ever managed to run. I'm mightily pround of myself for setting and maintaining the mood so well. I'm even more proud of my players for playing into it so well. There was absolutely no meta-gaming there. They completely bought into the idea that their characters have never even heard about zombies, and sold the resulting confusion, revulsion and terror perfectly.

The scenario only worked so well however, because, at that time, there was no Jedi among the characters. A Jedi would have ruined it, as they would quickly have sensed the truth. Because, as the party found out some time later, those ware not zombies, not really.

The derelict "SEED", being the site of the violent death and the tomb of the 20.000 of it's crew, became a powerful Dark Side nexus. And a certain Sith found it and turned it into his personal sanctuary. Empowered by the nexus, he could use telekinesis to animate, like a puppeteer, a small platoon of dead bodies. Hardly all of them, maybe 20 at most at any one time. But clever maneuvering in the closed confines of the ship let him create the illusion of the entire vast horde waking up and coming after the intruders. He didn't even want to kill them. Just have some fun and give them a good scare. And feed the legend of the Dead Seed further.

The same Sith used dead bodies in a similiar fashion on several other occasions, but at his normal level of power, without the empowering influence of the nexus, he never bothered animating more than 1, maybe 2 at once.

The zombies didn't really have stats, I just handeled them descriptively. But they could be as strong and agile as the animator wanted, to the limits of the telekinesis used, and basically unstoppable, as long as the animator continued to apply his power to move any usable surviving parts.

Ok, story time over. Here I go, running my mouth again.
_________________
Plagiarize! Let no one else's work evade your eyes,
Remember why the good Lord made your eyes! So don't shade your eyes,
But plagiarize, plagiarize, plagiarize... Only be sure to call it, please, "research".
- Tom Lehrer
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
TyCaine
Captain
Captain


Joined: 16 Oct 2009
Posts: 514
Location: Florida, US

PostPosted: Wed Jun 19, 2013 11:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I got into the Death Troopers novel, and also Resident Evil, a little while ago and pinged this forum for statting them, here's the original thread with stats for them on the 2nd and 3rd pages:

http://www.rancorpit.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3028

Anything that can be added to that, or re-thought out, would be excellent.



T.C.
_________________
"For every person with a spark of genius, there are a hundred with ignition trouble."
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
DougRed4
Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral


Joined: 18 Jan 2013
Posts: 2258
Location: Seattle, WA

PostPosted: Wed Jun 19, 2013 6:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sounds like a great adventure, Leon!

Reminds me of a spooky Supers game I ran last Halloween, which I really went all out for (spooky, horror music, playing by candlelight, etc.) and my players loved it. Some times atmosphere can really make a game session fun! Very Happy
_________________
Currently Running: Villains & Vigilantes (a 32-year-old campaign with multiple groups) and D6 Star Wars; mostly on hiatus are Adventures in Middle-earth and Delta Green
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Dromdarr_Alark
Commander
Commander


Joined: 07 Apr 2013
Posts: 426
Location: Boston, MA

PostPosted: Wed Jun 19, 2013 9:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wow, Leon. Mind if I steal that?
_________________
"I still wouldn't have a roll for it - but that's just how I roll."
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Leon The Lion
Commander
Commander


Joined: 29 Oct 2009
Posts: 309
Location: Somewhere in Poland

PostPosted: Thu Jun 20, 2013 4:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dromdarr_Alark wrote:
Wow, Leon. Mind if I steal that?


See my signature for my attitude on such things. Very Happy

In other words, steal away to your heart's content. 8)
_________________
Plagiarize! Let no one else's work evade your eyes,
Remember why the good Lord made your eyes! So don't shade your eyes,
But plagiarize, plagiarize, plagiarize... Only be sure to call it, please, "research".
- Tom Lehrer
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
ZzaphodD
Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral


Joined: 28 Nov 2009
Posts: 2426

PostPosted: Sun Jun 23, 2013 6:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The Zombie-ship story above sounds like the first time my players ran into the Tyranids.. Not 20.000 'Nids, but a lot of the lesser creatures that kept pouring...

I had 'zombies' (not living dead, but a Tyranid bug that burrowed into the brain and turned the victim into a 'zombie'..
_________________
My Biggest Beard Retard award goes to: The Admiral of course..
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message AIM Address
CRMcNeill
Director of Engineering
Director of Engineering


Joined: 05 Apr 2010
Posts: 16163
Location: Redding System, California Sector, on the I-5 Hyperspace Route.

PostPosted: Sun Jun 23, 2013 9:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ZzaphodD wrote:
The Zombie-ship story above sounds like the first time my players ran into the Tyranids.. Not 20.000 'Nids, but a lot of the lesser creatures that kept pouring...

I had 'zombies' (not living dead, but a Tyranid bug that burrowed into the brain and turned the victim into a 'zombie'..


Sounds kinda like the larva from Slither.
_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Esoomian
High Admiral
High Admiral


Joined: 29 Oct 2003
Posts: 6207
Location: Auckland, New Zealand

PostPosted: Mon Jun 24, 2013 5:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

TyCaine wrote:
I got into the Death Troopers novel, and also Resident Evil, a little while ago and pinged this forum for statting them, here's the original thread with stats for them on the 2nd and 3rd pages:

http://www.rancorpit.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3028

Anything that can be added to that, or re-thought out, would be excellent.

T.C.


I actually used the zombies mentioned in this thread to create a Dead Rising style adventure where the zombies aren't effective combatants on their own allowing players to get creative in one on one (or even three on one) combats but in a group they become quite dangerous.

I went a step further than the original thread and took away the zombies ability to do damage. Instead an attacking zombie automatically latches on and applies a 1D penalty to the player until it is removed or destroyed. Not much threat until you add in that once the player's penalties exceed their strength dice then they are pulled down by the hoard and overcome in D6 rounds (giving time for a rescue).

It went pretty well and there wasn't a lot of dice rolling for the hoard which is what I was looking for.
_________________
Don't waste money on expensive binoculars.

Simply stand closer to the object you wish to view.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Rollenspiel
Sub-Lieutenant
Sub-Lieutenant


Joined: 13 May 2011
Posts: 54
Location: NGC 4826

PostPosted: Tue Jun 25, 2013 2:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

There was a Clone Wars ep a year or two ago with zombie-like creatures. I just remember that it was a D&D-esque dungeon crawl with a blatant ripoff of one of the Alien movies.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
CRMcNeill
Director of Engineering
Director of Engineering


Joined: 05 Apr 2010
Posts: 16163
Location: Redding System, California Sector, on the I-5 Hyperspace Route.

PostPosted: Tue Jun 25, 2013 11:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

So it seems there are three different approaches to zombies: virus based, parasitic and Dark Side based. Any other possibilities?
_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Leon The Lion
Commander
Commander


Joined: 29 Oct 2009
Posts: 309
Location: Somewhere in Poland

PostPosted: Tue Jun 25, 2013 6:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You could count four, if you split the Dark Side type into the telekinesis-animated puppet and actual possession by a Dark Side (or other) spirit.

You could have technology-made zombies, of either the "Herbert West, Reanimator" type, whose resurrection is purely chemical-based, or the "Frankenstein/universal soldier" type, created via advanced surgery. This could also include cyber-zombies, where dead bodies are reanimated using cybernetic implants.

Another possibility could be the "voodoo type" - made with brainwashing/mind control. This could be acheived using the Force, some kind of drugs, or maybe a neural implant. The result is similiar to the parasitic type zombie - the victim doesn't even need to be actually dead, but is under complete control and will follow any instructions with total disregard for their own safety and press on regardelss of any injury.
_________________
Plagiarize! Let no one else's work evade your eyes,
Remember why the good Lord made your eyes! So don't shade your eyes,
But plagiarize, plagiarize, plagiarize... Only be sure to call it, please, "research".
- Tom Lehrer
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Esoomian
High Admiral
High Admiral


Joined: 29 Oct 2003
Posts: 6207
Location: Auckland, New Zealand

PostPosted: Tue Jun 25, 2013 6:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've always been partial to the idea of cybernetics that force a deceased host to find a new, living being to host the cybernetics.

It's an idea I might use in the future but probably not in a Star Wars environment as it has too much of a cyberpunk feel for my liking.
_________________
Don't waste money on expensive binoculars.

Simply stand closer to the object you wish to view.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
CRMcNeill
Director of Engineering
Director of Engineering


Joined: 05 Apr 2010
Posts: 16163
Location: Redding System, California Sector, on the I-5 Hyperspace Route.

PostPosted: Wed Jun 26, 2013 1:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Esoomian wrote:
I've always been partial to the idea of cybernetics that force a deceased host to find a new, living being to host the cybernetics.

It's an idea I might use in the future but probably not in a Star Wars environment as it has too much of a cyberpunk feel for my liking.


Sounds almost like the Borg from Star Trek. Techno-zombies?
_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Leon The Lion
Commander
Commander


Joined: 29 Oct 2009
Posts: 309
Location: Somewhere in Poland

PostPosted: Wed Jun 26, 2013 3:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

For that, I'd recomend the 1995 movie "Virus".

There, a living computer virus from space kills people with machines and then uses parts of the corpses equally with machine parts to build more bodies for itself.
_________________
Plagiarize! Let no one else's work evade your eyes,
Remember why the good Lord made your eyes! So don't shade your eyes,
But plagiarize, plagiarize, plagiarize... Only be sure to call it, please, "research".
- Tom Lehrer
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    The Rancor Pit Forum Index -> Adventures and Campaigns All times are GMT - 4 Hours
Goto page 1, 2, 3  Next
Page 1 of 3

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group


v2.0