"Dead Reign" zombies on Rifts

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Braden Campbell
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"Dead Reign" zombies on Rifts

Unread post by Braden Campbell »

Under the conversion notes (pg 55), its stated that DR-style zombies become MDC beings and largely take no damage from most non-magical mega-damage sources.

is it fair to then likewise presume that their strength becomes supernatural, turning their melee attacks into MD?
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Re: "Dead Reign" zombies on Rifts

Unread post by The Beast »

Personally I'd rule that way, but only because the book is about three feet beyond my current reach and I really don't feel like looking it up.
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Re: "Dead Reign" zombies on Rifts

Unread post by Axelmania »

Being MDC does not guarantee you have supernatural strength. I do not recall seeing that noted for them. They could use MD weapons though. Maybe a.vibro blade or loaded gun for a Thinker. Mock would be most dangerous.
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Re: "Dead Reign" zombies on Rifts

Unread post by glitterboy2098 »

seems to me that such zombies would almost be too powerful in rifts, given that it only takes a small group showing up and feeding to generate entire hordes exponentially.
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Re: "Dead Reign" zombies on Rifts

Unread post by Lt Gargoyle »

glitterboy2098 wrote:seems to me that such zombies would almost be too powerful in rifts, given that it only takes a small group showing up and feeding to generate entire hordes exponentially.



I do not have the Dark Reign game. But do you think partial Bord would be turned? Zombie Brodkil.

I would agree with this. MDC zombies could be super nasty.
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Re: "Dead Reign" zombies on Rifts

Unread post by glitterboy2098 »

if a partial borg can be fed on by a PPE-consumer like a vampire or a psistalker, i'd assume they could be turned. full borgs ought to be more or less immune though, since they have no PPE.

i'd want to know if the DR zombie condition could effect non-human Dbee's, and mutant animals.
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Re: "Dead Reign" zombies on Rifts

Unread post by Lt Gargoyle »

glitterboy2098 wrote:if a partial borg can be fed on by a PPE-consumer like a vampire or a psistalker, i'd assume they could be turned. full borgs ought to be more or less immune though, since they have no PPE.


That was my line of thinking. But as I do not have the books i would be guessing.

glitterboy2098 wrote:i'd want to know if the DR zombie condition could effect non-human Dbee's, and mutant animals.



Well is there anything in the book that would suggest otherwise? I realize not all the movies have animals turning, but I have seen a couple where you have a zombie dog. And if you use the rage virus from 28 days later, that spread across species.
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Re: "Dead Reign" zombies on Rifts

Unread post by Braden Campbell »

So, here's the gist of conversion from DR to Rifts: the SDC of zombies becomes MDC (plus, they get double points to their heads and necks). So, you're looking at 30+3D6 MDC main body per zombie. Ordinary SDC weapons (other than fire) do no damage.

It... just sounds like they become full-out supernatural creatures, which would make their strength supernatural, which would let them punch megadamage. A very general PS for these zombies is going to be around 20 or so each punch is only doing D6 MD. not much of a threat singularly or in small numbers.
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Re: "Dead Reign" zombies on Rifts

Unread post by eliakon »

I would, personally, say no.
And here is my reasoning why.
If the zombie does MDC, it will destroy the humans.
Thus no more zombies.

Seriously that is 300 to 400 points of damage on an average punch...
...or effectively the same damage as being hit with a direct hit with heavy tank canon in an SDC world.

Thus, to allow for there to be dead bodies left to reanimate I would say "keep the strength non MD". Maybe Augmented if you really need to go there... but I think you will be just fine with PS 20.
They will be terrifying enough I think.
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Re: "Dead Reign" zombies on Rifts

Unread post by kaid »

I think it is pretty reasonable to expect them to get upgraded to MDC damage. They still are not that potent vs anybody with MDC unless they have large numbers which is pretty in keeping with dead reign. One or two are rarely a problem its when they start moaning and you start getting 30-50 coming at you that life gets exciting.
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Re: "Dead Reign" zombies on Rifts

Unread post by Braden Campbell »

eliakon wrote:I would, personally, say no...


I get what you're saying, but if they can't inflict mega-damage, then... how are they any threat to PC's in even the lightest MDC environmental armour?

"There was a horde of 200 zombies, but it's cool; I was wearing my trusty suit of Plastic Man. Not a scratch on me. I just pushed through them, got into my car, and left." :-?
Last edited by Braden Campbell on Thu Sep 21, 2017 1:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Braden wrote:Thundercloud Galaxy has a flock of ducks in it that can slag a Glitterboy in one melee.

If that doesn't prompt you to buy it, I don't know what else I can say.
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Re: "Dead Reign" zombies on Rifts

Unread post by Glistam »

I know they aren't the same, but the basic Chaos Earth zombies so S.D.C. as regular attacks but can deal 1 M.D. with a power punch. I'd go with that idea - doing M.D. as a power punch. Personally I didn't like the Dead Reign conversion notes for Rifts, so I use the Chaos Earth zombies instead. I'm much happier with them.
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Re: "Dead Reign" zombies on Rifts

Unread post by The Beast »

Keep in mind that part of the reason DR zombies are so tough is that the setting has slightly altered rules for combat in that setting, and less magic in that setting. IMO giving them SNPS would offset to a degree the balance toward the players when bringing those zombies to Rifts.
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Re: "Dead Reign" zombies on Rifts

Unread post by Kurseteller »

kaid wrote:I think it is pretty reasonable to expect them to get upgraded to MDC damage. They still are not that potent vs anybody with MDC unless they have large numbers which is pretty in keeping with dead reign. One or two are rarely a problem its when they start moaning and you start getting 30-50 coming at you that life gets exciting.


In the Chaos Earth, Zombies can burry mechs in BODIES, so they can't move. Slow death from suffocation and loss of basic life support. Like the ones for the going to the bathroom. There is a short snippet where a GB/Chromium guardsman is in such a situation.
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Re: "Dead Reign" zombies on Rifts

Unread post by eliakon »

Braden Campbell wrote:
eliakon wrote:I would, personally, say no...


I get what you're saying, but if they can't inflict mega-damage, then... how are they any threat to PC's in even the lightest MDC environmental armour?

"There was a horde of 200 zombies, but it's cool; I was wearing my trusty suit of Plastic Man. Not a scratch on me. I just pushed through them, got into my car, and left." :-?

Because they hold you down?
Just because your in body armor doesn't mean that you get to ignore a bunch of PS20+ people grappling you.
Even if they can't kill you instantly if you can't get away then your still dead. Just you die the slower death of dehydration instead of getting mauled. Assuming that none of them are one of the more intelligent kinds that while your being held down by a dozen zombies madly clawing at your plastic armor with their hands in a futile attempt to get at the tasty mosel they can sense inside...
...that you don't see a thinker reaching down and start unsanaping your suit
*snap*
*click*
*pop*
<fades to black>

I don't understand the idea that everything has to be MD or its pointless.
What is scary about a zombie horde is not that one zombie can rip apart a main battle tank with its bare hands to crush the humans inside it to gooey pulp.
What is scary about a zombie horde is that no matter how many of them you "kill" nothing stops it and they just keep coming.

IMHO if your looking for a damage fest then the zombie genre probably isn't the tool. Bring in some demons or killer robots or non-Euclidian aliens or chest bursters or something. Zombies are for the 'nothing works, no matter how many we shoot they keep coming, and there are more of them then we have bullets...save the last shot for yourself" kind of horror.
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Re: "Dead Reign" zombies on Rifts

Unread post by Axelmania »

Maybe a generous compromise would be to let their power punches do 1 MD like juicers and Borgs? They would normally avoid that unless they noticed their attacks do nothing.

Or doesn't the superpower of SHPS work as if you had SNPS for DMG but half the amoubg? Could work it like that.
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