TEXT: © Palladium Books®
  
  1
  ______________________________________________________________________
  Warning
  Horror, Violence, Zombies & the Supernatural
  The fictional world of Dead Reign® contains subject matter that deals with the supernatural, death 
  cults, zombies, conspiracy theories, the paranormal, magic, war and extreme violence.
  The setting is our modern world taken over by the walking dead – zombies. Hideous animated corpses 
  that feed upon the living. The heroes are ordinary people who battle for their own survival and to reclaim 
  the world from the dead. Human civilization has collapsed, our cities and towns are infested with zombies, 
  madmen and cultists.
  Some parents may find the subject matter, violence, magic and supernatural elements of the game inap-
  propriate for young readers/players. Furthermore, the realistic manner in which the fictional horror mate-
  rial is presented may be disturbing for some young readers.
  WE STRONGLY SUGGEST PARENTAL DISCRETION.
  Please note that none of us at Palladium Books® condone or encourage the occult, the practice of 
  magic, the use of drugs, vigilantism or violence.
  ______________________________________________________________________
  Hell Followed™ is a sourcebook
  for the Dead Reign® zombie role-playing game.
  
  2
  Other Dead Reign® RPG Titles
  ! Dead Reign® RPG – Core rule book. Easy to learn. A lot of fun.
  ! Civilization Gone™ – New zombies, madmen and danger.
  ! Dark Places™ – More zombies, new threats, and adventure ideas.
  ! Endless Dead™ – Weird zombies, new O.C.C.s, and the military.
  ! Fear the Reaper™ – The code and info on the iconic heroes.
  ! Graveyard Earth™ – World overview, tables and more.
  The cover, by E.M. Gist, depicts a horde of zombies unwilling to let anything stand between them and their human prey.
  PDF Edition – January 2018
  No part of this publication may be scanned, OCRed, reproduced or distributed in any way for electronic publication on the Web/
  Internet or any other medium.
  Copyright 2016 Palladium Books Inc. & Kevin Siembieda
  All rights reserved, worldwide, under the Universal Copyright Convention. No part of this book may be reproduced in part or whole, 
  in any form or by any means, without permission from the publisher, except for brief quotes for use in reviews. All incidents, situations, 
  institutions, governments and people are fictional and any similarity, without satiric intent, of characters or persons living or dead, is 
  strictly coincidental.
  Dead Reign®, Rifts®, The Rifter®, Phase World®, Megaverse®, The Mechanoids®, The Mechanoid Invasion®, The Palladium 
  Fantasy Role-Playing Game®, Splicers®, Chaos Earth®, Coalition Wars®, After the Bomb®, RECON®, Nightbane®, Powers Unlim-
  ited®, and Palladium Books® are registered trademarks owned and licensed by Palladium Books Inc. and Kevin Siembieda.
  Hell Followed, Graveyard Earth, Endless Dead, the Creeping Doom, Dark Places, Beyond the Supernatural, Apocalyptic Soldier, 
  Altrucure, Benford Group, Brulyx, Creeping Doom, Floater Zombies, Half-Living, Ghost Walker, Hound Master, Brad Ashley, Dead 
  Rats, Dead Rats Live, Death’s Hand, D.O.A. Cult, Fire and Brimstone, Heaven’s Horsemen, Mr. Bananas, Mr. Boom Boom, I Am No 
  More, Skull Rider, Snoose, Wicked Pisser, Zombie Cop, Nick “The Brick” Vicovsky, Reapers, Reaper Gang, Road Reapers’ Survival 
  Guide, Road Reapers, Shepherd of the Damned, Bug Boy, Dead Mound Giant, Sewer Crawler, Worm Meat, Impersonator Zombie, 
  Crawler Zombie, Fast Attack Zombie, Flesh-Eating Zombie, Mock Zombie, Pattern Zombie, Sloucher Zombie, Terror Zombie, Thinker 
  Zombie, the Wave, Urban Underground, S.D.C., I.S.P., Inner Strength Points, P.P.E., Potential Psychic Energy, Mega-Damage, M.D.C., 
  and other names, titles, initials, characters, character likenesses and slogans are trademarks owned and licensed by Kevin Siembieda and 
  Palladium Books Inc.
  Palladium Online: www.palladiumbooks.com – also visit us at facebook.com/PalladiumBooks
  Dead Reign® – Hell Followed™ is published by Palladium Books Inc., 39074 Webb Court, Westland, MI 48185-7606. Printed in 
  the USA.
  Dedication from the Authors
  To Yoko, who is always there to listen to my ramblings on horror.
  – Taylor White, 2016
  To Nick Bradshaw, friend and fellow creator who makes me laugh and always gets my imagination going. This one is for you, my 
  friend. Keep that twisted imagination of yours forever burning bright.
  – Kevin Siembieda, 2016
  
  3
  Palladium Books® Presents:
  Dead Reign® Sourcebook 6:
  Written by: Taylor White and Kevin Siembieda
  Additional Ideas: Nicholas Bradshaw
                               Todd Spencley
                               Charles Walton II
  Editors: Alex Marciniszyn
                Wayne Smith
  Proofreader: Julius Rosenstein
  Cover Painting: E.M. Gist
  Interior Artist: Nicholas Bradshaw
  Graphic Story Art by: Nicholas Bradshaw
  Art Direction: Kevin Siembieda
  Typography & Layout: Wayne Smith
  Based on concepts and RPG rules by Kevin Siembieda.
  Special Thanks to Taylor White and Nick Bradshaw for brilliant contributions that have inspired us to expand 
  upon the zombie genre and take the Dead Reign setting to a new level. This is just the beginning. To E.M. Gist 
  for another dynamic zombie cover. And to Palladium’s heroic survivors, Alex, Julius, Wayne, Kathy and Chuck; 
  we live to fight another day.
  – Kevin Siembieda, 2016
  
  4
  Contents
  Drought .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  34
  Dust or Sandstorm  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
  Earthquake  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
  Extreme Temperatures .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  37
  Fire: Urban .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  38
  Forest Fire/Wildfire  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
  Flooding  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
  Flash Flood .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  41
  Hurricane .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  42
  Landslide/Mudslide  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
  Nuclear Explosion  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
  Power Plant Failure  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
  Rain and Thunderstorms .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  47
  Sinkhole  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
  Structure Collapse  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
  Tornado  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
  Toxic Leakage  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
  Random Illness Table from Toxins .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  51
  Volcano  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
  Nature Reshaping the Landscape  . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
  Hell Followed ... and so did Madness .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  54
  The Good  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
  Survivors share a common enemy and goals  . . . . . 54
  Be the good guy  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
  Masked Lunatics .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  55
  Heroes or Madmen .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  55
  Brimstone  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
  Brimstone Stats .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  58
  Fire, Brimstone’s Sidekick(s) .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  59
  The Dead Rats Gang  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
  Dead Rats Live  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
  Creating an NPC or Player Dead Rat  . . . . . . . . . . . 63
  The Dead Rats Secret Society  . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
  Blind Cells  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
  Two lives .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  64
  Dead Rats Stats  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
  Chainsaw Combat  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
  Secret Sign Language  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
  Snoose .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  66
  Joining forces with others  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
  Zombie Cop .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  70
  Mr. Bananas .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  72
  Mr. Kong .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  73
  Bonuses for Mr. Bananas  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
  Bonuses for Mr. Kong  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
  Skull Rider  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
  Hates Road Reapers  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
  Joining forces with others  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
  An Unlikely Rescue .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  79
  New Zombies .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  86
  Armored Brute  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
  Armored Brute Stats  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
  Armored Brute’s Body Armor .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  88
  Armored Brute’s Favorite Weapon  . . . . . . . . . . 90
  Cannibal Muncher .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  91
  Nowhere to Go  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
  Hell Followed .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 7
  Continuity of Operations  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
  The Federal Government Response .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 8
  Survivors living in the world, today  . . . . . . . . . . . 9
  Despite all that, rumors persist .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 9
  Conspiracy Theories, Rumors & Fairy Tales  . . . . . . 9
  Game Master Note about the Rumors  . . . . . . . . . 11
  Some of the most popular conspiracy theories  . . . . . . 11
  Project Biopsy  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
  Operation Rescue  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
  Operation Sleeping Giant  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
  Project Cans and Strings  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  12
  Operation Phoenix Rising  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
  Project Living Space Quarantine .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  14
  Project Abandon Ship/Genesis .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  14
  The Demonic Invasion Theory .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  14
  Forget the zombies, just survive  . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
  The Surviving Government  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
  Government Enclaves & Enclave Creation Tables  . . . . 15
  Government Continuity Enclaves .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  15
  Player characters who are part of an enclave  . . . . . 16
  Government Staff Composition Table  . . . . . . . . . . 16
  Goals or Standing Orders Table .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  17
  CDC  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
  FEMA  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
  Covert Zombie Research .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  19
  Enclave Location Table .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  19
  Urban/Industrial Hideout .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  20
  Halls of Government .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  21
  Military Personnel Table  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
  Recruitment Policies Table  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
  Enclave Attitude Toward Civilian Groups  . . . . . . . . 23
  Enclave Authority & Recognition by the People  . . . . . 23
  Mediating Civil Affairs Table .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  24
  Relief Centers  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
  Things likely to find at abandoned Relief Centers  . . . . 25
  Cell Phones .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  25
  Computers, Tables, and Paperwork  . . . . . . . . . . 26
  Emergency Operations Center  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  26
  Entertainment Devices .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  26
  Fencing .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  26
  Living Spaces  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
  Medical Treatment Facility  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
  Mobile Kitchen .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  27
  Portable Toilets .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  27
  Water Treatment/Storage/Purification  . . . . . . . . . 27
  An intact relief center  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
  Random Equipment Table  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
  Disasters  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
  Types of Disasters .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  31
  Avalanche  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
  Blizzard  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
  Coastal Surge/Tidal Wave  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
  Crashing Space Debris .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  34
  
  5
  Dead Mound Giant  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
  Personality Table .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  95
  Dead Weight Zombie  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
  Kidnapper Zombie  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
  House of Horrors .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 101
  Screamer Zombie  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
  Seeker Zombie  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
  Shopper Zombie .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 108
  Random Shopping Cart Items Table .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 110
  Shopper Zombie Stats  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
  Swimmer Zombie  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
  Toxic Zombie  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
  Save vs Illness/Disease/Poison Table  . . . . . . . . . 119
  Infection Symptoms and Penalties Table  . . . . . . . 119
  Vandal Zombie  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
  Survivors  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
  New Survivor O.C.C.s  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
  Drone Master  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
  O.C.C. Special Abilities  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
  Building Drones  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
  Drone Construction Tables .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 128
  IEDs/Explosives  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
  Drone Master Stats .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 130
  Federal Emergency Manager  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
  Federal Emergency Manager Mandates  . . . . . . . . 131
  O.C.C. Special Abilities  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
  Free Spirit  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
  Empathic Nature  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
  Naturalist  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
  Empathy with Nature .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 137
  One-Man-Army  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
  Bonus Gear .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 140
  One-Percenter .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 141
  O.C.C. Special Abilities  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
  NPC Considerations  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
  Zombie Prophet  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
  Zombie Mode  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
  O.C.C. Special Abilities  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
  Invisible to Zombies  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
  Influence the Dead  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
  Shield the Living .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 149
  Experience Point Tables  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
  Urban Survivors  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
  Home .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 151
  Tunnels and Holes  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
  This is how cagey urban survivors live  . . . . . . . . 152
  Family clans and small groups .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 153
  Cults .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 153
  The Safekeepers .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 154
  One notable cult in the Midwest  . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
  Mr. I Am No More  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
  Quick Find Index
  Area 51  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 & 12
  Avenging Devil, see Brimstone .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  55
  Building Drones, see Drone Master .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 127
  Cell Phones  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
  CDC .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  17
  Comic Strip: An Unlikely Rescue .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  79
  Comic Strip: Shells and Snoose .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 156
  Conspiracy Theories  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
  Dead Mound Giant  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
  Dead Rats Gang, The  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
  Dead Rats Live  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
  Disasters .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  30
  Disease Table, see Toxic Zombie .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 119
  Disease Infection Table, see Toxic Zombie .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 119
  Drones, see Drone Master .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 124
  Enclaves .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  15
  Experience Point Tables  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
  Explosives/IEDs .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 129
  Federal Emergency Mangers  . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 & 131
  FEMA .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  18
  Fire and Brimstone  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 & 57
  Fire, Brimstone’s Sidekick  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
  Good, The .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  54
  Half-Living, see Zombie Cop .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  70
  Zombie Mode  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
  Influence the Dead, see Zombie Prophet  . . . . . . . . . 148
  Invisible to Zombies, see Zombie Prophet  . . . . . . . . 148
  Masked Lunatics  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
  Masked Lunatic, Brimstone .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  55
  Masked Lunatics, Dead Rats  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
  Masked Lunatics, Stage Magician (Brimstone) .  .  .  .  .  .  55
  Masked Lunatics, Snoose  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
  Masked Lunatics, Zombie Cop  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
  Masked Lunatics, Mr. Bananas  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
  Mr. Kong .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  73
  Masked Lunatics, Skull Rider .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  75
  NORAD, see Operation Rescue .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  12
  O.C.C.s, New Survivors .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 124
  One-Man-Army O.C.C. .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 138
  One-Percenter O.C.C. .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 141
  Orbital Elite, see Project Genesis  . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
  Phoenix Group  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
  Project Abandon Ship, see Project Genesis .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  14
  Relief Centers  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
  Retro-Savages, see Project Biopsy  . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
  Secret Society, Dead Rats .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  63
  Sgt. Hubner, see Zombie Cop .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  70
  Wave, The, see Relief Centers  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
  Wicked-Pisser, see Skull Rider  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
  Wright Patterson  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
  Zombies, New .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  86
  Zombies falling from heights  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
  Zombie Gang, see Vandal Zombie  . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
  Zombie-Free Zones, see Operation Rescue .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  12
  Zombie Hero, see Mr. I Am No More  . . . . . . . . . . 156
  
  6
  using pencils. Neither of them dared to speak out loud outside 
  the tiny room, for fear of making the monsters try all the harder 
  to get inside. They had learned early on that the sound of their 
  living voices only agitated the creatures and incited them to en-
  gage in more frantic and loud hammering of fists and slamming 
  of shoulders against the walls and door. The astronauts had tablet 
  computers for awhile, until the batteries died. Not that it mat-
  tered. Their research had been shot all to hell in the chaos, and 
  there was no Internet to look at or radio broadcasts to intercept to 
  find out what was transpiring at home, below.
  Being scientists, and both intensely curious, Yuri and Jim 
  spent most of their time coming up with plausible reasons for the 
  illness to have transformed people into ... the living dead. What 
  could possibly bring the dead back to life and turn them into pred-
  atory monsters that preyed upon the uninfected? They would pass 
  the notepad back and forth between them, trading hypotheses and 
  debunking each other’s suggestions. The other game was devis-
  ing ways to kill the creatures and return home. Neither of them 
  had come up with anything plausible, but the mental exercise 
  kept them from wanting to break through the window and leap 
  into the void of space.
  Yuri could not let go of his Death Cult theory. He proposed 
  that a secret society of death worshipers to some dark god had 
  caused the dead to rise. Jim stuck to his story of a rampaging su-
  per-virus. Eventually, the two of them tired of arguing, endlessly 
  circling the conversation as they were endlessly circled the Earth.
  Finally, Jim decided to drop the whole thing. He passed the 
  notepad to Yuri, and it read “Let’s just agree to disagree, com-
  rade. I don’t have the energy to keep this up.”
  Yuri read what he wrote, and responded. He passed it back, 
  and his message read “Yes. However they came into being, we 
  can agree that all they want is to come in here and kill us. Let’s 
  not fight any longer.”
  Hours passed, with nothing said between the two men. Jim 
  counted out the last of their meals. There were ten left between 
  them. Ten meals. The air circulatory system would last a bit lon-
  ger without their attention, but without food and water they would 
  not last much longer. Yuri ran one more diagnostic check on the 
  space station’s life-support systems. Everything was nominal; in 
  the green. The automatic functions were performing well con-
  sidering no one had run a physical check on anything in months.
  Hours later, the dead still pounded at the door. Yuri and Jim 
  ignored them. The earplugs helped soften the noise to the point 
  where you could imagine it to be the background noise of a noisy 
  machine, not dead friends and crew members wanting to kill 
  them.
  A Chinese astrophysicist named Chin Nu Lee floated in front 
  of the window. Jim pointed at him and smiled. He elbowed Yuri 
  to get his attention, and mouthed the words “Look, there is Doc-
  tor Lee again.” Dr. Lee had been on a spacewalk when he fell ill. 
  He passed out and floated away from the space station. Some-
  how, his corpse was still wandering around the hull, trying to 
  find a way back inside. From inside his spacesuit, Dr. Lee’s dead 
  eyes gazed at Yuri and Jim; not looking at them, but past them. A 
  Nowhere To Go
  Yuri Chernavski and Jim Reynolds were the last ones left alive 
  on the International Space Station. All of their comrades and col-
  leagues had fallen ill months ago, and they never recovered. Yuri 
  and Jim, who had never met before arriving on the space station, 
  were left in charge of taking care of them. Within a few hours of 
  showing symptoms of a strange sickness, all of the other astro-
  nauts were dead. No one on Earth was responding to their emer-
  gency calls. Six months later, and still no one was responding.
  Their dead colleagues had risen up and turned into murderous 
  corpses. They banged on the door to the tiny observation deck 
  where Yuri and Jim were hiding. The dead never stopped bang-
  ing. They could not get through the door, it seemed, but they 
  never tired of trying. The dead didn’t speak, only moaned, low 
  and pained, from the other side. Thankfully, the two astronauts 
  had found some earplugs which gave them the last few months 
  in silence. Of course, they took the plugs out when they needed 
  to communicate, but they had quickly adopted hand signals that 
  worked well. The two had hoped that eventually the creatures 
  would eventually die and give them some peace, but months 
  later, the dead still clustered and hammered at the door. It was 
  almost as if they knew the two of them were still alive and wanted 
  in at them.
  The observation deck had a wall-sized window of clear plas-
  tic, allowing the two to watch the world pass by under their feet. 
  It had been a long time now, since they had stopped wondering 
  why no one on Earth was talking to them or trying to bring them 
  home. When the lights started to go out in most of the cities, ev-
  erywhere, the two realized that something catastrophic had taken 
  place. They knew it wasn’t war, and guessed it was a pandemic. 
  The radio broadcasts they managed to intercept before everything 
  went silent, seemed to suggest a pandemic, mass panic, and civil 
  unrest. They prayed it wasn’t the same weird disease that turned 
  the rest of the crew into cannibalistic monsters, but from what 
  they could tell, it sure sounded like it. Creatures that seemed in-
  capable of dying ... because they were already dead? Creatures 
  that – and they knew it sounded crazy – appeared to be the walk-
  ing dead like you see in zombie movies. But that was impossible, 
  right?
  It made them angry that their own people on the ground did 
  not alert them to the problem or explain what was happening back 
  home, before they lost direct radio contact. Before the world went 
  dark. By day, the Earth looked as it always did, a radiant blue, 
  green and white sphere. By night, everything was dark. A few 
  specks of light here and there, suggesting tiny clusters of human-
  ity might still exist. They imagined the silence at night to be deaf-
  ening. Unless it, too, was filled with the bumping and banging of 
  the angry dead searching for the living.
  When Yuri and Jim wanted to talk — needed to hear each 
  other’s voice – they would lock themselves into a room barely 
  big enough for both of them. The rest of the time, they used their 
  system of hand signals and traded messages on pads of paper 
  
  7
  blank stare that conveyed nothing and saw little. Dr. Lee’s hands 
  groped at the window, searching for a way to get inside the ob-
  servation room. Finding no grip, he floated past, disappearing on 
  the opposite side of the window. They knew he’d be back in a 
  day or two.
  Yuri took the pad and wrote something and handed it to Jim. 
  It read: “At first I was scared of them. But now I just feel bad for 
  them. They are helpless.”
  Jim shook his head and wrote. “You will be scared of them 
  again when they break the door down.”
  “I think we will starve to death before they break in.”
  “Maybe.”
  Yuri had the pad, but sat without writing for a long time. They 
  both knew that the space station would fail, or the food would run 
  out before the living dead got to them. They were just waiting 
  now, with nowhere to go. Finally, he wrote, “Do you think we 
  will be like them?”
  At first, Jim thought Yuri was trying to instigate another 
  “where did they come from” discussion again, but he could tell 
  from his face that the question was speaking of more traditional 
  fears, and an attempt to come to grips with the eventuality that 
  laid before them. Jim was never one to lay down so easily, and he 
  would not let his last friend do the same.
  “Do not worry about that. I will go into a mighty rage to pro-
  tect us both, my friend.” Alongside his comment, he drew a rough 
  picture of two astronauts bashing in the skulls of the dead with 
  their fists.
  Yuri smiled at the picture, amused. He wrote, “You can’t kill 
  them. They are powered by dark magic.”
  Jim responded with, “Of course you can kill them, they are 
  just regular people with a horrible disease! We will beat them yet, 
  you just wait and see.”
  Yuri winkled and wrote, “I do not think we have long to wait.”
  Hell Followed
  “I hear a lot of folks talking about life now in zombie America 
  as a living Hell. That Hell followed in the wake of the Wave. I 
  can see why. All the signs of Hell are there. The dead walking 
  the Earth, trying to exterminate the living. Weirdo cults popping 
  up everywhere, false saviors trying to exploit the hopeless and 
  fearful masses. Men and women driven mad by desperation or 
  hunger, preying upon each other for another day of scraping by 
  for what? This ain’t living. It’s barely surviving.
  “Our civilization is in ruins. No government any of us have 
  seen. Nothing is assured to us anymore. In a world where the 
  dead rule over the living, nothing makes sense except our suf-
  fering and bloody deaths. The world we knew ended with The 
  Wave, and only Hell followed.
  “Thing is, I don’t believe in that. I can’t believe in it. And I 
  hope you don’t either. Yeah, the world is pretty messed up right 
  now, but we can still fight, can’t we? We can still find something 
  to have faith in. Some people put their faith in bullets and guns. 
  Some people, like me and the Road Reapers, work to save lives 
  and destroy the risen dead. We still believe in families, communi-
  ty and brotherhood. Some folks believe in just themselves. Other 
  people believe in a higher power – some good, some wicked. 
  Whatever it is, you have got to find something to keep you going. 
  Without a reason to live and fight, you are just another one of 
  them. Another dead body wandering around aimlessly, waiting 
  for the day when you fall to pieces and rot away.
  “Hell didn’t follow the Wave. All that followed was another 
  day on planet Earth. Sure, it was a bad day, and it is a weird-ass 
  bizarre version of Earth, but hey, we’re still here and we’re still 
  breathing, and we’re still kicking. The sun still shines and the 
  birds still sing. Hell only follows those who give up on living. 
  Hell follows every person who throws his hands up to the sky 
  and cries, ‘Why me?’ when some crazy shit comes down into his 
  life. Hell follows the nothingness you invite into your hearts and 
  minds when you start asking yourself why fight any longer, and 
  you question the reason for surviving. Hell is what follows when 
  you sit with your thumbs up your ass, giving up the fight against 
  the monsters out there. When you think it’s too hard or pointless, 
  that’s when Hell will find you.
  “That, right there, is the only kind of Hell I fear, and that’s 
  hopelessness, not zombies. Me and the Reapers can handle the 
  zombies. You can too. We just need to hold onto hope and help 
  each other. People are starting to regroup. I have seen it with my 
  own two eyes. I have seen wilderness havens, fortified strong-
  holds, people living and thriving inside caves, and believe it or 
  not, people living on the rooftops and upper levels of skyscrapers. 
  That’s no lie. Folk will tell you that you can’t survive, not for 
  long in the big cities, but I’m telling you, where there is the will, 
  there is a way.
  “So don’t give up on God and Heaven just yet. Or us Road 
  Reapers for that matter. Find a way. There is always a way. Hell 
  followed, my ass. I’m living, fighting and riding hard every day. 
  Don’t you give up on yourself. We haven’t.”
  – Brad Ashley, Leader of the Road Reapers
  The Wave has rippled across the world. Billions have died, 
  and those billions have, in a dark and unholy nightmare, come 
  back from the dead to prey upon the living. When the dead rose, 
  Hell followed with them. A living Hell of murderous corpses, 
  
  8
  great disasters, and the complete and total disintegration of civi-
  lization.
  Now, the dead outnumber the living, and more are added to 
  their grim number every day. Every day the world teeters a bit 
  further towards what seems like oblivion. The food stores are 
  disappearing, rotting or kept from the living by the horde of zom-
  bies. Bullets are being used up. Gasoline is going stale. The great 
  mechanized infrastructure is failing. Poisons and contaminants 
  are being released into the environment. Every day, the popu-
  lation dwindles as people are succumbing to disease, violence, 
  madness and them – the hungry dead.
  Still, even in the face of extinction, there are those who dare to 
  stand up to the screaming, rotting Hell that the Earth has become, 
  with the simple defiance of living another day.
  They fight because they refuse to become a part of the Hell 
  that surrounds them. To some, this new world represents open 
  opportunity and total freedom. They have shed the restraints 
  of drudgery and banality and are now free to carve out their 
  own destinies. Others have found ways to hang onto life and 
  some semblance of civilization. They grip and hold onto tradi-
  tions and responsibilities because their ideals are greater than 
  any horrible thing that has crawled up out of the pits of Hell or 
  some dark nightmare. To them, the essence of existence is to 
  preserve the better parts of civilization and humanity, and pro-
  tect it for the benefit of the future, because there will be a future. 
  For others, life has not changed much, not really. The Wave was 
  something they saw on television and the Internet, which they 
  promptly ignored. For them, life has always been about battling 
  for survival, and the living dead are just one more challenge to 
  overcome.
  For still others, the world is completely transformed. It is a 
  place of darkness that has freed them from the constraints of 
  civilization to do as they please. They see the world as having 
  become a primordial hunting ground where the strong survive by 
  taking whomever and whatever they want, and the weak become 
  their slaves. The risen dead are the common enemy, the monsters 
  that stalk us all. It is a new world, their world, and the primor-
  dial hunter is just figuring out how to carve his place in this new 
  world. For them, this may be Hell, but if they have to live in Hell, 
  they intend to be counted among its rulers, not its victims, slaves 
  or sheep. They plan to spit in the eye of Death, take what they 
  want, and do more than survive. This new world will be theirs. 
  And someday the dead will answer to, and serve, them. Hell is 
  home now. Best find your place in it and make the best out of it. 
  The only alternative is death and becoming one of them, the dead 
  that never rest.
  As weeks turn into months, people are finding ways to sur-
  vive. Gathering to form groups, if not actual communities, and 
  figuring out ways to stay alive. Many want more than to survive. 
  Whether they be heroes like the Road Reapers and most Safe 
  Haven communities, Retro-Savages or evil Death Cultists taming 
  the dead, all are clawing out their place in the new, hellish night-
  mare that is our world.
  Continuity of 
  Operations
  The Federal Government Response
  to the Zombie Apocalypse
  When the Wave first hit and people started falling ill, there 
  were people who knew about it before anyone else. Intelligence 
  agencies, pandemic watchdog groups, and press people with the 
  right connections.
  The Wave traveled fast. Much faster than any normal plague 
  and faster than anyone had expected. But information traveled 
  faster, at least for those who had their ears in the right places. 
  Washington D.C. knew about the Wave before it even left China. 
  The administration watched the Wave as it traveled the globe. 
  And once they saw that this was no ordinary outbreak, that this 
  was something uniquely threatening, they knew just what to do.
  The American government, and possibly other governments 
  as well, were preparing for the end of the world before news of 
  the Wave had hit the major media outlets. High-ranking agents 
  and staff members scrambled as emergency continuity operations 
  were ordered by the President.
  Put simply, Continuity of Operations is a special protocol 
  installed by the government to keep the country functioning dur-
  ing a cataclysmic event. If Washington D.C. were bombed, if the 
  President and his successors were killed, if the entire world were 
  to face certain destruction, the United States government would 
  keep going. In theory, this would prevent a power vacuum and 
  general anarchy. Once the dust settled, whoever had been placed 
  in charge would be the acting President and would resume com-
  mand of the country. Immediate disaster recovery actions would 
  take place, and the government would take account of its dam-
  ages.
  So when the Wave really started to kick off and people started 
  falling ill by the millions every hour, the government was already 
  well into acting on its Continuity Protocol. Senior staff members 
  and other necessary administrators were being rushed off to se-
  cret bunkers, specially-outfitted airplanes, and ships floating out 
  at sea.
  This, however, was not your typical war or disaster scenario. 
  It was impossible to tell who would fall victim to the Wave and 
  become zombies that would, in turn, slaughter countless survi-
  vors everywhere. Including those sealed off inside secret bunkers 
  and hidden military compounds. People succumbed to the Wave 
  in droves, everywhere, without much clear warning. The very 
  people who were supposed to be running the government, mili-
  tary and relief centers became sick and died, or were slain by their 
  fellow elite as they died and rose again as zombies. Most of them 
  never got to their secret bunkers. Planes fell out of the air, and 
  the ships became floating slaughterhouses after what came next.
  
  9
  Of course, no government on Earth was prepared for a real 
  zombie apocalypse. It was bad enough when millions of people 
  across the globe became sick en masse and spontaneously died, 
  but much worse when those who died came back from the dead 
  and started killing everyone else. Many of those who survived 
  the plague ended up as victims for the Creeping Doom. There 
  was no unified government response to the zombie attacks, only 
  small, localized efforts to rescue survivors and evacuate people 
  from affected areas. Many of those failed as well. To the majority 
  of citizens, the government which they were counting on for help 
  and direction was nowhere to be found. Whether the government 
  and military had retreated to save itself, or had simply been swal-
  lowed up by the merciless zombie hordes, Washington had failed 
  them. Though rumors persist that tell of military camps and of 
  NORAD and Area 51 out west, no one knows if the rumors are 
  true.
  Survivors living in the world of Dead Reign, today, have all 
  but given up on the old government for anything. No one has seen 
  anything come out of Washington since the whole thing started. 
  What is left of the military seems to have no idea where the bu-
  reaucrats are hiding. No one has gotten any official orders from 
  any credible source in weeks. (And as time passes, months and 
  months.) The few survivors who have made the trip to known 
  government bunkers have returned with disappointing tales of 
  underground vaults, silent except for the scratching and moaning 
  of the dead. That is if they return at all.
  Despite all that, rumors still persist that there are men and 
  women in official administrative government positions “out 
  there.” They are still alive, somehow, somewhere, and they are 
  working to make things better. They have laboratories and ad-
  vanced research facilities and secret lairs and military protection, 
  and they are going to resurface to bring some damn order back 
  to this country! They will get rid of the zombies and rebuild civi-
  lization.
  Adding to these rumors are the rare men and women who 
  claim to actually be working for the federal government. As the 
  rumor goes, these Federal Emergency Managers are sent out 
  into the world to locate groups of survivors and help them get 
  whatever they need: food, medicine, warm blankets, fuel, guns 
  and ammo, portable housing, protection from bandits, etc. It is 
  said they move from survivor camp to survivor camp, staying 
  just long enough to help out and take a quick head count, and 
  then they leave, presumably to help others. And as the rumor 
  goes, they ask for nothing in return as it is all just “part of the 
  job.”
  The Federal Emergency Managers are not the only rare signs 
  of a still-functioning government. Rumors abound of coded radio 
  signals, scrambled satellite transmissions, and freshly-painted 
  markers left on the sides of buildings and roads. Many of these 
  signs use specialized lingo and symbols known to disaster re-
  sponders. They seem to mark places where zombies or survivors 
  are known to be located, and have different signs for each. Some-
  one is leaving these signs, but it does not appear they are intended 
  for the average survivor.
  In short, most people believe (or want to believe) that some 
  portion of the government and its military have survived and will 
  come to save them. People hold on to the idea that, some day, the 
  proverbial calvary will ride in, or fly in on helicopters, to save 
  the day; or will find them and sweep them away to a safe zone 
  defended by soldiers, tanks and jet fighters.
  Conspiracy Theories,
  Rumors and Fairy Tales
  Rumors abound about government enclaves and covert 
  military operations. Some rumors report the government estab-
  lishing survivor strongholds, sanctuaries and zombie-free zones 
  protected by the troops. According to the rumors, these efforts are 
  all for the benefit of survivors and open to anyone who can locate 
  and get to them. Other rumors suggest these facilities are avail-
  able only for designated government officials, their families and 
  military personnel. They are closed to the public and exist only 
  to protect military secrets, top secret installations, and designated 
  government leaders, support personnel and troops. It is presumed 
  these government leaders are working on plans to reestablish 
  control and retake cities, states and provinces from the zombies 
  and initiate rescue and emergency help for civilians at some point 
  in the future. The fact is, nobody knows, hence the speculation 
  and many rumors.
  Among survivors who believe the government is still operating 
  from the shadows, speculation runs rampant as to what the fed-
  eral government of the United States of America could or should 
  be doing. Stories and conspiracy theories of secret projects and 
  operations circulate like wildfire among survivors who pray for 
  soldiers and the National Guard to rescue them, and wonder why 
  nobody is coming. Many of these rumors and stories are labeled 
  with covert super-spy-sounding names.
  Many of the conspiracy theorists responsible for these rumors 
  had put their message out on the Internet shortly before it col-
  lapsed. Others have sent them out since the collapse of civili-
  zation via the airwaves with radio broadcasting, shortwave, CB, 
  and any other means they can find, to anyone in range. Some also 
  create and distribute crudely-made pamphlets as well as post-
  ing fliers on telephone poles and the doors or buildings to spray 
  
  10
  
  11
  painting messages and cryptic warnings on the sides of buildings, 
  fences and structures throughout the ruins of zombie-filled cities. 
  Of course, the most common and easiest method of spreading 
  rumors and conspiracy theories is by word of mouth. Survivors 
  are desperate for news and words of hope, so stories that promise 
  government salvation, refugee camps, and government sponsored 
  safe havens available to those who can reach them, are among the 
  most common rumors known and spread by everyone. (“Have 
  you heard? There is a military installation in the Nevada desert at 
  Area 51 that takes in survivors. One in the Colorado mountains 
  and Wright Patterson, Ohio, too. If you can get there, they’ll take 
  you in. We’re headin’ to Wright Pat. Heard tell that the govern-
  ment has plans for sweeping the country and exterminating the 
  zombies too. Only it will take months before they can begin to 
  execute that plan. We’re not waiting. Too dangerous to hole up 
  and wait. We’re heading to Ohio. You should too.”) It does not 
  matter that they don’t know who started this rumor or if it is true. 
  Desperate survivors cling to the hope it is real and spread the 
  rumor to everyone they encounter.
  Note: These theories, no matter how outlandish, are important 
  to know, because they drive the actions and behavior of many 
  survivors and distinct groups. Desperate times lead to desperate 
  measures, and without one voice or government to direct the con-
  versation or to be the voice of reason, speculation has run amok. 
  People believe what they want to believe, and follow charismatic 
  crackpots and fanatics if they tell a convincing story. All kinds 
  of wild theories exist. Many of which are based on hope, wild 
  conjecture, hearsay, terror and growing superstition. Most have 
  little or no bearing in reality or reliable point of origin, yet people 
  act on them. Game Masters, use these stories and the people who 
  believe them for encounters, the basis for adventure and story 
  arcs. People will behave in particular ways based on their beliefs, 
  blind faith (in anything), and the desperateness of their situation.
  Game Master Note about the Rumors: It is up to you wheth-
  er any, one or several of the rumors above are true. Have fun 
  with them and use them as a source for creating adversaries, non-
  player characters and adventures for the player group.
  Some of the most
  popular conspiracy theories
  Location Note: Though the following conspiracy theories and 
  rumors are generally presented with the United States of America 
  in mind, they can just as easily be applied to any country, from 
  China and Russia to France or Brazil. Most nations around the 
  globe have all suffered in the same way and are dealing with the 
  same problem on the same scale. The truth of the matter is, all 
  governments and their militaries are overwhelmed and crumbling 
  quickly, if not already completely destroyed or scattered. Emer-
  gency responders and the military were the first to be attacked by 
  the risen dead simply because they were surrounded by moun-
  tains of dead bodies prior to the dead reanimating to attack the 
  living. While there may be isolated camps and secret bases where 
  the members of the government and/or military have survived, 
  perhaps even with a small army, ask yourself, what can a few 
  hundred or even a few thousand personnel do against billions of 
  zombies? More fuel for adventure ideas, because some will try 
  to make a difference, others will hide and wait, while still others 
  will try to seize power and dominate others, or fight for their own 
  group at the expense of others.
  Project Biopsy
  These theorists claim that the zombies were created by the 
  government to use as a weapon – a claim to which many theorists 
  adhere. Based on this assumption, they reason the government 
  is already working on a way to “shut them off,” and will not re-
  surface in force until they have found the way to do so. Whether 
  the zombie plague was deliberate or an accident is left to much 
  heated debate.
  Those who believe the Project Biopsy theory say the govern-
  ment still exists, locked safely away in one or more secret mili-
  tary compounds, working to identify the source of the zombies 
  and plans for rebuilding civilization. Ideally, the solution would 
  revert all zombies back to regular, inert corpses, instantly, world-
  wide. Theorists have varying levels of optimism as to whether 
  this would even work.
  Others claim Project Biopsy is currently developing infan-
  try weapons to destroy the zombies utterly, like an acid cannon, 
  zombie-eating nano-bots, or a necro-flesh destroyer – a ray gun or 
  bomb – that would only kill the dead, not the living.
  A similar theory has one or more corporations responsible for 
  creating the zombies as an experiment to replace conventional 
  military troops, or even to replace living employees with a tire-
  less zombie workforce that does not need food, benefits, or pen-
  sions, and can work around the clock as obedient automatons; the 
  next logical step to job outsourcing. Obviously, something went 
  wrong and the corporation’s scientists are secured in a secret lab 
  or bunker where they work on a cure or other means of “shutting 
  the zombies off.”
  Most people who believe in a corporation version of Project 
  Biopsy usually point to bio-tech companies and genetic engineer-
  ing as the cause of the Wave that made people sick and creates 
  zombies out of those who die. This theory is especially popular 
  among Retro-Savages who reject science and technology because 
  of the Zombie Apocalypse. They believe this is God’s way of 
  punishing us for playing god and toying with the very building 
  blocks of life. Genetic research seems like a logical cause for the 
  Wave and the zombies, but there is no evidence of this, nor is it 
  reason to abandon all science and technology even if it were true. 
  Still, there are people who subscribe to this belief and have given 
  up machines and science, believing it is their only way to salva-
  tion for both the body and soul.
  Sadly, many such Retro-Savages look upon the zombies as 
  “the hand of God,” or “God’s children” sent to punish and set 
  the living straight on the right course. As a result, Retro-Savages 
  
  12
  have a propensity to feed outsiders, criminals and nonbelievers 
  to the zombies, as well as use zombies as watchdogs and attack 
  animals. The beliefs of Retro-Savages vary from semi-reason-
  able to the extreme reaches of madness, making them a danger to 
  many innocent survivors, particularly those who refuse to accept 
  their beliefs and live “a pure life free from technology and sci-
  ence.” Even in the short few months since the Wave, the beliefs 
  of Retro-Savages are spiraling into superstition, pure fiction and 
  unchecked religious zeal.
  Operation Rescue
  This rumor has it that the government has established several 
  “Zombie-Free Zones” and quietly sends out squads and com-
  panies of soldiers to find innocent and deserving survivors and 
  whisk them away to this safe place or places. Their primary ob-
  jective, to rescue the innocent from certain death and take them 
  to such refugee camps and keep them safe until the military can 
  launch an all-out war against the living dead and restore their na-
  tion to the way it was.
  Area 51/Groom Lake, known for its testing of secret aircraft 
  and the Roswell UFO incident, is one such region claimed to be 
  a Zombie-Free Zone under tight military control. It is said that 
  anyone who can make their way to them will be placed under 
  military protection and given work and a safe place to live.
  The NORAD Command Center and the mountains around it 
  are said to be another government haven. Rumors claim survivors 
  are not allowed inside the mountain complex of NORAD itself, 
  but are given protection in one of several nearby mountain res-
  cue camps defended by the Army. According to this tale, these 
  rescue camps in the mountains are idyllic towns that resemble 
  ski resorts, not tent cities. Families of four or more get their own 
  home, smaller groups and individuals have to share a home with 
  as many as 8-10 people per home. If the stories are true, there is 
  heat and air-conditioning, hot and cold running water, showers 
  and ample food. The Army has already cleared out the mountain 
  towns and villages, and armed troops and helicopters patrol the 
  area, tanks are posted at major streets and highways, and military 
  forces completely control all roads in and out of the mountain and 
  around NORAD. The rumors swear this is all true, but nobody 
  knows. If it is true, survivors finding a paradise-like safe haven do 
  not leave its safe embrace. If it is false, people never survive the 
  journey or may take to hiding in the mountains where the number 
  of zombies should be much less.
  It is a great story. However, desperate survivors want to apply 
  this type of rumor to every government base or secret compound 
  they know of, or learn about, but few are ever real. The way the 
  sick and dying began to rise everywhere, including within secret 
  government bases and sanctuaries, means most were compro-
  mised and quickly overrun. Few are the safe havens they want 
  them to be. Most are overrun by the risen dead, or the living, 
  like all survivors having fled with whatever supplies, weapons, 
  ammo and vehicles they could lay their hands on. In some cases, 
  survivors have managed to take and hold one area of the base, or 
  civilian survivors have managed to reclaim an area of it, or make 
  regular supply runs to it. Some military bases are still overrun 
  with zombies, making their promise of weapons, ammo, fuel and 
  supplies a tempting lure in what is probably a death trap. And be-
  cause survivors keep coming to military bases for such resources 
  and offer the zombies a regular food supply when they die for 
  their efforts, the risen dead have not left the bases. At military 
  posts where the zombies have gone, the base is usually already 
  stripped clean by survivors who got to it a long time ago.
  Operation Sleeping Giant
  This rumor states that the United States government and most 
  other world leaders have no plan for fighting the zombies or res-
  cuing survivors. They are alive somewhere out there, alright. 
  Safe and secure in their bunkers and caves and vaults. They are 
  alive and watching, but that is all they are doing. And that is all 
  they plan to do. Sit, observe, and wait, for now.
  These conspiracy theories claim the government has deterio-
  rated to the point of having no control over this national crisis. To 
  preserve their continuity of operations, they have simply decided 
  to pull completely out of the disaster, hole up, and wait it out until 
  the situation becomes more manageable. There is no rescue plan. 
  No reconstruction. No massive counter-assault.
  In fact, the government in hiding is hoarding what it can, send-
  ing small companies of troops out to secure more supplies as nec-
  essary for the long wait, especially from other secret and strategic 
  outposts that have been compromised by the zombies but should 
  still contain weapons, ammunition, meds and other vital supplies. 
  The citizenry are on their own. Survivor groups are secretly ob-
  served by the government, and some believe spies have infiltrated 
  some of the survivor groups that seem like a potential future re-
  source or force the government can ally with when they come out 
  of hiding; whenever that may be.
  According to the Sleeping Giant conspiracy theory, the “peo-
  ple in power” figure the crisis will eventually burn itself out after 
  a few years. All they have to do is wait it out and make sure 
  they can regain control when it does. By that time, the survivors 
  should be so weakened there should be little resistance when the 
  government and its military resurfaces to offer their aid and sup-
  port. Any petty upstart dictator, warlord or hero who thinks he 
  runs things in the good old US of A will have a little surprise 
  coming when Uncle Sam opens the hatches and puts things back 
  in order. In the meantime, it is best for survivors to forget about 
  any help from the government and focus on staying alive by any 
  reasonable means available to them.
  Project Cans and Strings
  The rumor says that there is a New Internet housed in mobile 
  servers, accessed only by a rare few. While this may technically 
  be possible, no one (least of all, the vocal conspiracy theorists) 
  has actually done it as of yet. Many survivors hold onto their 
  
  13
  old smartphones, laptops, and tablet computers in hopes that 
  someday they will discover a signal that will deliver a message 
  of hope, or at least the distraction of checking up on the remnants 
  of their social networking lives, and cat videos. But those batter-
  ies are dying, the hardware is failing, and the means to keep that 
  technology relevant are quickly drying up.
  Project Cans and Strings conspiracy theorists claim that in se-
  cret government enclaves, they are working to link everything 
  back up, so everyone in military bunkers across the country 
  knows what the others are doing. They hope that a massive plan 
  to take the world back can be orchestrated once this new network 
  is up and running. Or, maybe they will just talk to each other in an 
  effort to preserve the government status quo and protect the elite. 
  Going above ground only to handpick the best from the normal 
  survivors and scavengers for specific supplies or to watch and 
  observe normal folk on the surface and study the zombies. These 
  conspiracy theorists hope and pray that they are found favorable 
  to the elite and, some day, will be chosen to join them.
  Operation Phoenix Rising
  A similar theory claims that the Wave was caused by the 
  Phoenix Group, genius hackers and anarchists looking to create a 
  better world. Rebels and so-called “traitors” to the existing gov-
  ernments of the world, they had to tear down the old, even if it 
  meant taking down civilization with it and killing billions of peo-
  ple. It was a necessary sacrifice to bring about a new world order. 
  Some rumors suggest the Phoenix Group may have been a rogue 
  faction within one or more governments themselves. The USA, 
  Russia, China, India, or North Korea being the most blamed as 
  the source of this group of nihilists. To tear down the old, they 
  hacked into a government military facility that developed biolog-
  ical weapons and released the bio-engineered virus that caused 
  the Wave and brought about the Zombie Apocalypse.
  Now that the old world has collapsed, and while the last of the 
  old guard are being slowly rooted out and devoured by the zom-
  bies, the Phoenix Group is building the New Internet free of gov-
  ernment constraints, and working on their manifesto to outline 
  the plan for a better society. One in which communication and the 
  sharing of ideas is free, and everyone is equal and enlightened. 
  They are said to be working on (or sitting on) the cure until the 
  world has seen the light and is ready to accept their master plan. 
  In the meantime, they are said to be hidden and quietly continu-
  ing “their work.” This includes establishing the infrastructure to 
  the Phoenix Communications Network or the New Internet that 
  will be open to everybody. The rumor claims the Phoenix Group 
  is making an organized effort to provide right-minded people 
  with the information and help they need to survive, build safe 
  haven communities, avoid raiders, fight off the dead, tear down 
  the remnants of the old government, and reclaim the Earth for 
  rebuilding as the Phoenix Group believes it should be rebuilt. 
  These rumors say that if you find a cache of weapons, supplies 
  or medicine someplace you would not expect, it is the handiwork 
  of the Phoenix Group, and you may be recognized as one of the 
  enlightened. Or on the road to enlightenment.
  The Phoenix Group’s primary targets for destruction are mili-
  tary operations (even those helping survivors), soldiers, law en-
  forcement officers, political figures, political and religious orga-
  nizations, corporate leaders, and anyone who seems to be trying 
  to bring back or preserve the old government and corrupt society. 
  For the Phoenix Group, there is no status quo, no going back 
  to the old ways. That means all the old political infrastructure, 
  including religious organizations, must be destroyed. All the old 
  institutions are considered corrupt and bad. They must be left be-
  hind in the wreckage of the old world in favor of new, enlight-
  ened ways to live.
  Whether there is any truth to this rumor, or whether the 
  Phoenix Group ever really existed, let alone caused the Wave, 
  is unknown, but it is unlikely. However, there are survivor 
  groups, probably inspired by this rumor, calling themselves 
  The Soldiers of Change, Ops Phoenix and Phoenix Group 
  Sub-Chapters, out there, working to make their perception of 
  this rumor a reality. Or in the hopes that the founding Phoenix 
  Group will welcome them into the fold and give them protection 
  and membership in the new world order they are helping to cre-
  ate. Such groups actively subvert any government factions and 
  military operations that do appear, even if they are trying to save 
  and protect lives. The Phoenix Group devotees kill anyone who 
  looks or behaves like a soldier or police officer. They torture 
  and assassinate politicians, destroy historical documents, and 
  set fire to museums that have anything to do with the old gov-
  ernment or history of that nation. Government buildings, police 
  stations and military bases are vandalized, booby-trapped or de-
  stroyed, but only after being looted of weapons and resources. 
  They even undermine survivor communities that use the laws, 
  rules and policies of the old government. The zealots born from 
  this rumor target government leaders, politicians and business 
  people for death. Their credo, “Let the old ways die so that a 
  better world (designed by them) may rise.” In the 1960s, their 
  battle cry might have been, “Down with the Man,” and “Death 
  to Capitalism.” These self-proclaimed “rebels” and “soldiers 
  of change” are dangerous fanatics trying to push forward the 
  misplaced agenda of an organization that probably never even 
  really existed, except as a rumor. The irony being that a rumor 
  without substance has given life to a twisted fantasy that is be-
  coming a dark reality in a world some already consider to be 
  Hell on Earth.
  What makes members of any of the Phoenix Group factions 
  truly dangerous and unhinged is that they are willing to sacrifice 
  innocent people for their insane beliefs as well as die for their 
  cause themselves.
  If the Phoenix Group really did exist and cause the Wave, they 
  are the architects of global genocide and continue to take lives 
  to create their delusional vision of a better world. Throughout 
  history the outcry for a better world has been the call of every 
  rebellion and new movement, however it is also the justification 
  for every madman and cutthroat with a plan to “fix the world” to 
  
  14
  do it through bloodshed and the slaughter of the innocent. So it is 
  with the followers of the mythical Phoenix Group.
  Project Living Space Quarantine
  Project Living Space Quarantine is one of the crazier rumors. 
  It claims that the government is creating special homes for survi-
  vors designed to either trap zombies for easy extermination or to 
  lock down zombie invaders when they manage to breach the out-
  er wall of the home. On the inside, the homes are under constant 
  observation by 24-hour security teams who alert the occupants to 
  danger, hopefully in time for them to make it to a safe room. The 
  security force then notifies emergency responders to deal with 
  the trapped zombies. The homes are said to be equipped with 
  remote-controlled inner doors and walls that slam down to iso-
  late and contain zombie invaders until an extermination team ar-
  rives. This mechanism is also used to trap the living infected with 
  “zombie germs.” Each home also has a special furnace to cremate 
  the recently deceased so they cannot rise as new zombies. Being 
  constantly watched by the authorities in your own homes will be 
  a small price to pay to insure that you are not murdered by zom-
  bies in your sleep.
  According to some versions of this rumor, the government 
  is placing these anti-zombie homes at random locations where 
  survivors can find them and start a haven community around 
  them. Other versions of the rumor suggest that entire neighbor-
  hoods of these homes already existed at secret locations where 
  the wealthy and government elite evacuated just before the Wave 
  hit. This, again, goes back to the belief that the Wave and the 
  Zombie Apocalypse were deliberate, and that the government 
  was responsible.
  Another version of this theory has it that the government was 
  not responsible for the Wave or the zombies, but are building 
  such homes as the solution to a world of zombies. According to 
  them, these homes will become the future of post-apocalypse liv-
  ing, and they are being constructed and tested even as this rumor 
  spreads. Some theorists have drawn plans for what they envision 
  these new miracle, zombie-proof homes to look like. Of course, 
  most of these designs are deeply flawed: unrealistic, expensive, 
  physics-breaking, or simply ignorant of how tough zombies re-
  ally are. Many come with plans for automated laser turrets or sen-
  try robots or counter-gravity levitators and other wild nonsense. 
  Perhaps needless to say, no one has ever encountered any of these 
  anti-zombie homes, let alone an entire neighborhood of them.
  Project Abandon Ship,
  also known as Project Genesis
  This theory suggests the “chosen elite” within the government, 
  and their families, escaped Earth entirely to live among the stars. 
  It claims the elite live new lives, safe on the International Space 
  Station or a secret space station, or even a Secret Moon Base. 
  There are also theories of space-based super-weapons, like satel-
  lite lasers or gravity rail guns which can safely wipe the Earth 
  clean of the living dead from orbit whenever they choose. As the 
  theory goes, the elite in space intend to have the zombies destroy 
  what’s left of human civilization, then wait a few generations un-
  til the Earth replenishes itself and returns to a lush paradise to 
  begin anew, centuries from now.
  Other theorists say that the New Orbital Elite have left Earth 
  and never looked back. They are on their way to colonize other 
  worlds and leave the rest of us down here to rot. Those in favor 
  of this theory point to secret allegiance with aliens from another 
  world or dimension since the Roswell cover-up. Some wonder if 
  the Zombie Plague is not the handiwork of aliens. Perhaps Earth 
  was sold or traded to the aliens. This theory has it that the Wave 
  was the way to clean the planet of the human pestilence that oc-
  cupied it, and the zombies are the means to hunt down and de-
  stroy the human survivors immune to the disease. When all living 
  people are gone, the aliens will deactivate or otherwise destroy 
  the zombies and reshape the Earth to their own particular needs.
  The Demonic Invasion Theory
  An increasing number of survivors are starting to believe the 
  zombies are supernatural in nature. Whether they are the result 
  of some natural unknown phenomenon, magic, or something else 
  (some blame government experiments in time travel or teleporta-
  tion that opened a door to the realm of demons that has caused 
  the dead to rise), a supernatural explanation and mounting super-
  stition is becoming acceptable. Among the religious and fearful, 
  some believe the plague and the zombies are punishment from 
  God. Still others say they are demonic invaders that have a su-
  pernatural entity or dark god of some kind pulling the strings. It 
  then goes to reason that if that entity/god can be found and slain, 
  or banished, exorcized, or appeased in some way, it should bring 
  an end to the zombie apocalypse. This theory, and others like it, 
  are shockingly common and have spawned countless tiny (and 
  growing) survivor groups led by death cultists, self-proclaimed 
  prophets, seers, and messiahs who claim to know the “path to 
  salvation” or way to find the monsters’ demonic ruler and destroy 
  it. These prophets and psychics promise safety and a future for 
  those who are willing to accept them as their spiritual leaders and 
  follow them.
  A variation of the supernatural theory is that the zombies are 
  a gift sent to end the old corrupt world in order to create a new, 
  better one. The people who survive Hell on Earth will be the 
  worthy, and shall find a way to corral and control the zombies, 
  and turn them into indentured undead servants. Zombie helpers 
  to protect the survivors, plow the fields and do the hardest work 
  for their living masters. This world will become populated by 
  people working toward bringing heaven to Earth, because they 
  have survived Hell, know Hell and strive to be the best they can 
  be because of it.
  Of course those with a more dystopian outlook believe they 
  are being punished and that though they may learn to control 
  
  15
  and command the dead, they will be forever at war amongst ri-
  val tribes of survivors and the untamed, wild zombies scattered 
  across the globe.
  Forget the zombies,
  just survive, agenda
  Many other survivors believe that the zombies came into ex-
  istence independent of any outside controlling forces, or feel that 
  knowing how they came into being is not important. Forget the 
  government and conspiracy theories. For them, pulling together 
  to preserve human life and destroying the zombies one by one is 
  the only way to kill them and take back our world. It will take 
  time and conviction, but it is the only way. And yes, let us learn 
  from the mistakes of our past and rebuild a gentler, kinder world 
  than the one that has just died. This is the philosophy of a grow-
  ing number of survivor groups, starting with the Road Reapers 
  who perpetually spread this philosophy and save lives while do-
  ing it.
  The Surviving 
  Government
  By Taylor White and Kevin Siembieda
  It is really up to the Game Master as to whether or not the 
  government has survived the Zombie Apocalypse in any capac-
  ity whatsoever. Having them around may spoil the fun of an in-
  dependently-minded player character group. On the other hand, 
  having any fragment or fragments of the government and/or mili-
  tary can provide a sense of order and clear objectives for player 
  characters who are soldiers or government operatives.
  Such surviving pieces of the government or military may have 
  good or bad intentions. The majority of the leaders and their 
  people may be dedicated to high ideals and a powerful sense of 
  duty, or may have gone rogue. Player characters who are part of 
  any organization that is trying to save lives and restore a sense of 
  order may serve as protectors of the people, advisors or defenders 
  of small or large Safe Haven communities, or function as helpful 
  allies to survivor groups, and/or engage in rescue and other field 
  missions, including medical operations and zombie extermina-
  tion squads.
  Bad guys who are members of an evil, self-serving or ruthless 
  government operation are likely to be dangerous rivals to every-
  one else. This could make them villainous bandits and raiders, 
  would-be tyrants and brutal leaders in a cruel new world. They 
  may be law and order zealots, self-righteous saviors, military ex-
  tremists, control freaks or dangerous madmen with any number 
  of twisted or self-serving agendas. These rogue factions and vil-
  lainous survivors of the old world are likely to see themselves as 
  the men and women who still hold the reigns of power or who 
  represent the new world order. This may make them agents of 
  doom exterminating not just zombies, but anyone they fear is “in-
  fected” or “dangerous” to them, or who gets in their way. Others 
  may function from the shadows as mysterious Men in Black ob-
  servers or keepers of dark secrets. Or the Game Master may find 
  rumors and tall tales of government factions to be little more than 
  smoke and mirrors – a convenient plot device that may or may 
  not be real but whose rumored existence can drive the plot and 
  story, and motivate player characters.
  Government
  Continuity
  Enclaves
  And Enclave
  Creation Tables
  Game Master note about using the random tables: Random 
  tables are always provided to give the G.M. ideas and options he 
  can quickly and easily use to create characters, stories, rewards, 
  etc. In the case of the section below, the tables are for creating 
  possible government enclaves. Organizations and fragments of 
  the government that may still linger and have plans for “their 
  country” post-Zombie Apocalypse. HOWEVER, none of this is 
  written in stone. Please feel free to modify any of the categories 
  to fit the needs of your game, or completely create your own. This 
  is true of all tables. They are a guideline and source of inspiration 
  you can adjust as you deem suitable. Likewise, while the tables in 
  this sourcebook are written specifically with the United States in 
  mind, they can be applied to most national or state governments, 
  worldwide. Enjoy.
  Government Continuity Enclaves are places where federal 
  government personnel/staff live and work. These places are usu-
  ally bunkers and secret underground compounds secluded in na-
  tional parks, built into the sides of mountains, hidden on or under 
  a large military base, or built underneath major cities. Though, 
  technically, they do not have to be located at such places, this 
  seems to be the norm. That said, any place where government or 
  military personnel are still following a bureaucratic hierarchy and 
  maintaining a “keep the machine running” mentality can count as 
  an enclave. (Note: And the kind of places targeted by members of 
  the Phoenix Group, Retro-Savages, and Death Cults.) The people 
  living in these enclaves – many of which are tiny sanctuaries that 
  have survived due to their remote, isolated, fortified locations – 
  are no better off than any other survivor camp. For most, it is 
  
  16
  their sense of duty and the idea of continuing the operations of 
  the government that gives them something to live for. The well 
  intentioned government enclaves’ hope is that they can rebuild 
  the country and make it strong enough again to support the citi-
  zens who live there. Power-mongers and fear-mongers are likely 
  to see themselves poised to become warlords and the masters of 
  the hellish world they have inherited.
  Player characters who are part of a government enclave 
  have jobs that get them into action beyond the safe walls of the 
  secret base or bunker. A lot of what goes on in the real world 
  at these secret installations and bases is paperwork and record-
  keeping, or surveillance and monitoring of communications. 
  None of which is particularly glamorous or fun to play in a game. 
  Players will want their characters to get out in the world, fight 
  zombies, save lives and do things that keep them and their superi-
  ors safe, or try to rebuild society. The latter may involve looking 
  for survivor camps and other government enclaves, and helping 
  anyone they can, in any way they can, along the way. Zombie 
  extermination as well as supply runs and reconnaissance (going 
  into zombie infested areas) and rescue missions are all the excit-
  ing, action stuff players want in their adventures.
  Characters attached to a government enclave are likely to be 
  loyal to it and work to bolster the enclave’s defenses and to fur-
  ther its agenda – which may or may not accurately reflect the 
  intentions of the government before it collapsed. Remember, any 
  part of the government and military that has survived the Wave 
  and the advent of the Zombie Apocalypse is likely to be cut-off 
  and on their own just like everyone else. They may speak with 
  the authority of their government office, but what does that even 
  mean anymore? The leaders and members of that specific govern-
  ment enclave are calling the shots and doing what they believe is 
  their duty, their jobs and/or what their last orders instructed them 
  to do. Many are likely to try to fulfill the responsibilities of their 
  organization or office and do so with good intentions. Some will 
  do that better and with more compassion than others. Some may 
  be brutal and heartless, hardened by what they have seen and ex-
  perienced, or motivated by fear for their own survival.
  How any of this may play out in your games is up to the Game 
  Master and his players, but being members of a government en-
  clave, whether military or not, can provide strong direction, mis-
  sions and fodder for adventure. This could be a good, fun way to 
  go for player characters.
  Of course, not every Dead Reign O.C.C. will be suited for 
  government work, but most should fit somewhere. In some cases, 
  the character could be a family member or sub-contracted em-
  ployee, or Joe Average Citizen taken in by the enclave, and he 
  does his best to pull his weight. Moreover, not every government 
  enclave has trained soldiers. Some have only a few, or even no 
  soldiers/defenders/security personnel. That means while some 
  situations could have player characters who are soldiers, spies, 
  detectives and law enforcement personnel, other situations in-
  volving government enclaves could be mostly or entirely pen-
  cil-pushers struggling to survive in a hostile world of zombies. 
  They may have access to some weapons, but they are, in effect, 
  Ordinary People who are safe for the moment at a fortified base, 
  bunker or secret location. They may have access to government 
  secrets and information, but little of that matters against zombies.
  Whatever the case may be, it is all fun and challenging. Think 
  inside and outside the box. Game Masters and players, challenge 
  yourselves and your characters to survive in this crazy world 
  where the dead reign and human life could be on the brink of 
  extinction. Any of the possibilities can provide interesting role-
  playing opportunities, avenues of adventure and inter-party con-
  flict. Have fun with it.
  Government Staff
  Composition Table
  The populations of most government enclaves are small, 
  4D6x10 people. This includes the entire staff and their families, 
  and any security force. (For many that is only 2D6+2 soldiers, 
  Secret Service or hired security.) Smaller enclaves are not likely 
  to last long unless they are, indeed, locked away in a secret vault 
  or bunker. Enclaves of any size may devolve into barbarism, mu-
  tiny or dissolution. Much larger enclaves may be possible, but are 
  rare, if they exist at all. Game Masters, be careful with very large 
  organizations as their resources and manpower may spoil the el-
  ements of the setting, including terror, uncertainty, day-to-day 
  survival challenges, scarcity of certain necessities and discovery 
  in the world of the dead.
  Roll percentile dice or pick one to determine the vast majority 
  of government workers who are in this enclave. The Survivor 
  O.C.C./Ordinary People starts on page 85 of the Dead Reign® 
  RPG.
  01-20% Civil Servants: These are just regular folks who 
  managed to get into a shelter or bunker. They are likely just of-
  fice workers and clerical staff who have been lucky enough to 
  survive this long. There will be some kind of leadership based 
  on the old hierarchy, with office managers and security staff (if 
  any) at the top.
  Roll up these characters as the Survivor O.C.C. Student: Col-
  lege and/or Computer Technician or any ordinary person with 
  clerical or bookkeeping skills.
  21-40% Specialized Workers: These bureaucrats are highly-
  skilled and probably have not stopped working since the Wave 
  first began. They could be research scientists, engineers, civic 
  planners, or just high-ranking bureaucrats. Their skill sets could 
  be all over the place, but they will have big plans for reconstruct-
  ing the country after the zombies are gone.
  Roll up these characters as the Survivor O.C.C.: College Stu-
  dent, Scholar/Professor/Scientist or Engineer: Electrical or Me-
  chanical, or Communications Engineer or Computer Program-
  mer.
  41-60% Career Politicians: Senators, Congressmen, State 
  Governors, and other elected officials who were whisked away 
  by security forces. These people will be great speakers and have 
  
  17
  intimate knowledge of how societies function. Typically, the par-
  tisan politics and shadow games of the old world will have fallen 
  away. Only the most petty or ambitious politicians will hang onto 
  old party divisions.
  Roll up these characters as the Survivor O.C.C.: Entertainer 
  or Con Artist (similar skills and proclivities, but not a criminal), 
  or Scholar/Professor/Scientist, but could come from almost any 
  walk of life and be any Ordinary Person category except criminal 
  or police.
  61-80% Heads of State: These are top-ranking government 
  leaders, including members of the President’s cabinet, foreign 
  ambassadors, and other lawmakers. These are the people who ran 
  the government from the top down, and may have the highest 
  ambitions for fixing things.
  Roll up these characters similar as above, the Survivor O.C.C. 
  Entertainer or Con Artist (similar skills and proclivities, but not 
  a criminal), or Scholar/Professor/Scientist, but could come from 
  almost any walk of life and be any Ordinary Person category ex-
  cept criminal.
  81-00% Military: Government operatives who are predomi-
  nantly trained soldiers and some support personnel operating by 
  an established military hierarchy and protocols. All tend to be 
  law and order types looking for a way to establish a beachhead to 
  battle the zombie hordes and begin to rebuild their country. The 
  leaders of this enclave believe their training makes them the most 
  qualified to be calling the shots to restore the nation and protect 
  the innocent.
  These forces are likely to be organized, direct and forceful, 
  and have high ambitions for fixing things. Most are men and 
  women of action. Combat troops are likely engage in operations 
  they believe is their duty and/or the fulfillment of the last orders 
  given to them by a higher authority. Which, by the way, could be, 
  “hold your position and wait for further orders.” Whether there 
  are top ranking brass from the Pentagon present is up to the Game 
  Master, but a very real possibility.
  Roll up these characters as the Soldier O.C.C. described on 
  page 82 of the Dead Reign® RPG. Any non-combat personnel 
  are most likely to fall under the Survivor O.C.C. categories of 
  Engineer, Communications Engineer, Medical Doctor and Para-
  medic, and any of the Computer occupations.
  Goals or Standing Orders Table
  An enclave’s purpose, goals or standing orders direct how the 
  group conducts itself and address the types of missions and oper-
  ations it will conduct. Its primary purpose and goals are likely to 
  be long-term and put into place early on, and most likely have not 
  changed. However, the enclave may have been given final orders 
  before communications went down and governments vanished in 
  the wake of the Zombie Apocalypse. These agendas and final or-
  ders might have been determined by one the enclave’s own lead-
  ers, or by whoever initially set the staff in place, or by a higher 
  authority such as the head of the Centers for Disease Control, the 
  Pentagon, a regional leader, military commander, or the White 
  House. In the latter case, it probably came from a Cabinet Secre-
  tary, but possibly as high up as a General from the Pentagon, Vice 
  President or even the President. Their goals could also have been 
  selected by democratic process, or may be limited to whatever 
  their resources can actually allow. A particularly large or well-
  functioning enclave could have the manpower and resources to 
  have three or more goals. Most small and medium enclaves are 
  likely to focus on one or two primary agendas. Bear in mind, 
  these goals and purposes can be interpreted quite broadly. For 
  example, the purpose of saving lives or disaster relief operations 
  could be interpreted to mean medical treatment, food drops and 
  evacuation of survivors to Safe Havens being established by the 
  enclave itself, to helping survivors in other ways, to fighting zom-
  bies, since killing the monsters saves lives and secures areas as, at 
  least temporary, safe zones.
  01-10% CDC or similar Disease Control or Emergency 
  Crisis Response Team: These are federal specialists trained to 
  recognize, respond to and deal with disasters resulting from acts 
  of terrorism and enemy aggression that utilize terror, biological 
  and nuclear warfare, including toxic gas, germs, and other meth-
  ods of mass murder and terror. All of whom are highly organized 
  and efficient. Among their ranks are scientists, chemists, doc-
  tors, nurses, paramedics, first responders, firefighters, and (5%) 
  security personnel (soldiers or law enforcement, probably FBI 
  or Homeland Security), as well as support staff which should 
  include computer specialists and clerical personnel. Few or no 
  military personnel, weapons or combat vehicles, but will have 
  access to ambulances, firefighting trucks and gear, and medical 
  field equipment, drugs and access to labs and a clinic or small 
  hospital facility.
  In the aftermath of the Zombie Apocalypse, these guys are 
  likely to be looking for the cause of the Wave and zombies so that 
  they can create a cure. (They’ll be looking for a cure regardless of 
  knowing the origin of the Wave.) They may also be rescuing sur-
  vivors, treating and releasing survivors, studying select survivors, 
  and eliminating threats specifically to their continuing operation. 
  However, a lot of outright combat and zombie slaying, or orga-
  nized, military scale extermination of zombies is not going to 
  happen with this group. Nor is this enclave going to establish safe 
  havens or take in survivors unless those survivors can help them 
  with finding a cure or a biological means to destroy the zombies 
  (i.e. fight biological warfare with biological warfare). Ultimately, 
  this type of group is likely to remain isolated and secretive, help-
  ing survivors in a peripheral and indirect way while they search 
  for answers and a cure. Equipment includes light vehicles, trucks, 
  ambulances, oxygen masks, full environmental suits, and access 
  to laboratory facilities, quarantine chambers, and the federal and 
  military database and files on biological and nuclear warfare.
  11-20% Mitigate Disasters: These workers are trying to 
  make the Zombie Apocalypse a little easier on everyone by main-
  taining the country’s infrastructure and making things safer. They 
  clear roads of debris and stalled vehicles, do simple repairs on 
  bridges and railroad tracks, put up barriers and fences to try to 
  block the movement of zombie hordes, and leave trails and signs 
  
  18
  to help travelers. When a fresh disaster strikes, these workers are 
  out there assessing the damage and trying to determine if there’s 
  any way to fix the problem. Unfortunately, many recent disasters 
  are beyond their ability to fix. In that case, the mission is more 
  about helping anyone who was affected by it, and alerting other 
  survivors to the continuing dangers that the disaster has brought. 
  This group is likely to have a number of engineers, construction 
  workers, and laborers, as well as some first responders, but no 
  military or combat personnel.
  21-30% First Responders or Emergency Response: This 
  group is likely to be composed of local police, firefighters, para-
  medics, a few doctors and nurses and their support personnel. 
  Odds are they are active in helping and rescuing survivors, pro-
  viding medical treatment based on available supplies and helping 
  people escape zombies, not heavy combat with, or extermination 
  operations of, the zombies. That means they fight long enough 
  to rescue people in trouble and make good their escape, or to get 
  the supplies they need. They may help anybody in need without 
  questioning whether they are good or bad people, raiders or death 
  cultists. Equipment includes light vehicles, small trucks, police 
  vehicles, ambulances, fire trucks, firefighting and rescue equip-
  ment and gear, including such things as the jaws of life, bolt and 
  metal cutters, crowbars, axes, basic tools, rope, pulleys, ladders, 
  oxygen masks, and access to a small clinic or laboratory with 
  basic hospital equipment (X-ray, EKG, various other scanners, 
  1D4 operating rooms, and a couple of hospital wards). There are 
  likely to be no military personnel as part of this enclave; maybe a 
  few (1D4) police officers.
  31-50% Provide Disaster Relief/FEMA/Red Cross: This 
  enclave reaches out to survivors and helps them. This could 
  mean giving out supplies (food, drinkable water, medicine, 
  clean clothes, blankets, soap, fuel, etc.). It could also mean 
  giving out information on where people can find supplies on 
  their own, known Safe Haven communities, or warnings of 
  encroaching dangers, and even trying to establish safe havens. 
  Weapons and ammunition are NOT typically available to such 
  an enclave and never provided in disaster relief. There is no se-
  curity force for this group. This enclave deals with fundamental 
  human needs to survive. Naturally, enclaves that help survivors 
  must make sure their own stockpiles of food and supplies are 
  safe and secure, first, before helping others. Likewise, they are 
  likely to need to send out acquisition teams to find and return 
  with supplies from the ruins of civilization in order to continue 
  to provide help for survivors. The enclave may try to establish 
  safe houses, survivor communities and medical clinics (proba-
  bly mobile units). They will not wittingly help survivors known 
  to hurt or rob other people, such as bandits, raiders, psychos, 
  cultists, etc.
  51-60% Reestablish Communications: This enclave has 
  some communications gear, which could be modern satellite and 
  internet lines, or could be older radio or ground-based telephone 
  systems. Their primary goal is to connect with any other govern-
  ment enclave, survivor camps, military units, or private bunkers 
  that have their own communications equipment. People can trade 
  news, rumors, and warnings with each other. Plus it also just 
  helps to let people know they aren’t alone out there.
  61-70% Observe and Wait: This enclave does not help or 
  try to contact anyone else. In fact, they work to keep themselves 
  secret and hidden from view as much as possible. Their main 
  function is to watch the Zombie Apocalypse from a safe, defen-
  sible location, and remain passive, objective observers. They may 
  feel that their survival or continuity efforts are fragile and unten-
  able, and any interaction with the outside world would put them 
  in jeopardy. They may also feel that they, alone, are the elite of 
  the nation and are simply biding their time until the zombies and 
  the unclean plebian masses all wipe each other out. This enclave 
  will have protocols and plans already written for how they should 
  stay hidden, wait and rebuild when the time is right. 1D4+1 high 
  ranking public officials are part of this group and one third of its 
  personnel will be military personnel led by a director of opera-
  tions that is either NSA or CIA.
  71-75% Military Defense: This enclave is military, home-
  land security or law enforcement. The staff includes troops and 
  support personnel with a military trained leader, hierarchy and 
  protocols. Their job, to protect and preserve their nation, its gov-
  ernment and its laws. Unfortunately, this purpose can be inter-
  preted very broadly to justify all manner of good or evil. They 
  have communications equipment, basic medical, light to medium 
  combat vehicles, riot control equipment and gear, assault rifles, 
  shotguns, side arms, batons, shields, and smoke, tear gas, and 
  flash grenades.
  
  19
  76-85% Military Control: This enclave is military or NSA. 
  The nation is in total chaos so they are now the law and per-
  haps the leaders of the country. Half the personnel are trained 
  soldiers, the other half support personnel who follow military 
  protocol and hierarchy. The leader is a military commander 
  with his own hierarchy of subordinates. Their job, to protect and 
  preserve their nation and its top leaders/elite by any means nec-
  essary, as well as to defend their position and eliminate all im-
  mediate threats. Unfortunately this purpose can be interpreted 
  very broadly to justify all manner of good or evil behavior. En-
  claves such as this are likely to fight only to hold and maintain 
  their own stronghold and any new bases of operations they may 
  establish. They have communications equipment, and medium 
  and heavy combat vehicles, including tanks, APCS, helicopters, 
  combat drones, and possibly combat aircraft. Full combat gear 
  and body armor is available to each soldier as well as limited 
  access to heavy weapons, grenades, mortars, rockets and rock-
  et launchers, machine-guns, and other man-portable and light 
  vehicle-portable heavy weapons. These guys are ready for war, 
  or more to the point, ready to reclaim the nation via force when 
  the time is right.
  While one might think the members of this enclave would be 
  out front and center saving lives and establishing safe havens and 
  survivor camps, or battling zombies, they are much more likely 
  to do very little but hold their position and gather intelligence. 
  Their job is to protect the remnants of the government and its 
  secured leadership at secret and defensible locations. If no viable, 
  recognized leader appears to command them after 8-18 months, 
  at some point the top leaders within their own enclave will take 
  charge and surface as “official” representatives of the US govern-
  ment and leaders of the new world. How well that works out is 
  anyone’s guess.
  86-90% Military or Law Enforcement self-preservation 
  and the New Leaders: The old government and law enforcement 
  are gone. This is a new world. A living hell where only the strong 
  survive. And the members of this enclave intend to survive. This 
  group probably sees themselves as the elite or lucky who must 
  survive so that they can lead survivors, rebuild and rule over sur-
  vivors in a new world order. They are as militant, organized, bru-
  tal and probably as ruthless and myopic as any cultists or other 
  fanatics. The difference is they have some remnants of the old 
  military or law enforcement at their disposal. Any “safe haven” 
  community established will be for their own preservation. Only 
  survivors who are subservient to them and possess skills that 
  can contribute to their group’s survival and the advancement of 
  their plans to become the new power base in the post-apocalyptic 
  world are accepted into their enclave or survivor communities. 
  Might makes right, and they have the might.
  Equipment and gear is probably limited to police and National 
  Guard type gear: riot control, side arms, assault rifles, some shot-
  guns, basic body armor and radio communications gear, basic 
  medical supplies, and light to medium trucks and combat vehi-
  cles, but may have 1D4 heavy armored vehicles, even a tank or 
  APC or two, or a couple of combat helicopters. They are the new 
  power in town and any survivors taken in must accept them as 
  their leaders and obey or be exiled or killed.
  91-95% Preservers of Civilization and Culture: This en-
  clave refuses to let the old world die completely. Civilization is 
  not dead. It is still out there in museums and secure vaults. The 
  members of this enclave rescue artifacts and documents integral 
  to the United States government, its history and culture. They 
  may conduct daring raids on government buildings and museums 
  of all kinds to “rescue” priceless antiques and documents such 
  as the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, diaries, 
  and other records and works of art related to the depiction of his-
  tory, government and culture. While they do important work, 
  they are generally more concerned with collecting and protecting 
  these items in secret archives than helping their fellow man. Any 
  assistance to survivors is likely to be self-serving or a short-lived 
  moment of compassion. They do, of course, fight and work to 
  keep themselves supplied and able to continue their important 
  mission. In a time when survival against impossible odds is al-
  most everyone’s top priority, this enclave knows their life and 
  death rescue of antiquities will be appreciated by future genera-
  tions to come. There are plenty of other groups and individuals 
  helping people survive.
  96-00% Covert Zombie Research: The members of this en-
  clave take it upon themselves to learn everything they can about 
  the zombies. Their reasoning is, every mystery they solve or 
  secret they uncover only helps the survivors and combat forces 
  fight and destroy the monsters. These scientists and researchers 
  are looking for ways to destroy zombies, prevent new zombies 
  from being created, and possibly uncover the original cause of the 
  zombie plague, pretty much in that order. Their findings may be 
  disseminated freely into the general populace, or they may hold 
  onto this information until a higher authority makes itself known, 
  or until their data better serves their group’s own needs. Secre-
  tive, hidden, and avoids contact with most survivors.
  Enclave Location Table
  This is the enclave’s stronghold. This is where they are hun-
  kered down and base their operations. Most government enclaves 
  were established before the Wave, and so they have all or most 
  of the equipment, water, food and supplies their staff needs to 
  function for 8-18 months, sometimes longer. All have some kind 
  of power source, usually from generators, but could also have 
  solar, hydroelectric, geothermal (NORAD) or a connection to 
  the local power supply. Gear includes whatever that particular 
  type of government agency needs, be it office supplies and com-
  puters or military weapons and vehicles. All have some kind of 
  communications equipment, water purification system, hot and 
  cold running water, living quarters, offices, meeting room, war 
  room/operations center, a cafeteria, multiple storage lockers, a 
  garage or hangar, and possibly an armory and gun range or train-
  ing grounds. Those with medical or science orientation will have 
  some laboratories, at least one operating room (if not several), 
  and related gear and equipment.
  
  20
  Security at government enclaves is always tight, with rein-
  forced metal doors or hatches, some of which are more like the 
  doors to a vault or airlock, and all sorts of identification and ac-
  cess protocols. If you do not have the proper clearance and fit 
  the I.D. requirements, you do NOT gain access. Period. No one 
  can just wander in from the outside, and there are usually posted 
  guards, cameras, fences, barbed wire, and heavy blast doors.
  01-10% Aerial Sanctuary Aircraft: Although this could be 
  Presidential aircraft Air Force One, it could also be any number 
  of government aircraft designed for limited habitation. The living 
  space on an official airplane is cramped and confining in an emer-
  gency like the Wave, in which it was probably filled to capacity 
  or pushed a bit beyond capacity. An ideal, mobile aerial refuge 
  for long or short periods of time; a couple of days to a few weeks. 
  In our apocalyptic scenario, such an aircraft needs to refuel every 
  36 hours. This can be done in the air via special refueling air-
  craft or by landing at any airfield, provided it is not overrun with 
  zombies or controlled by bad guys. Any maintenance issues are 
  almost certain to require landing. Keeping the aircraft fueled and 
  in the air becomes a serious problem as the population dwindles 
  and military personnel are overrun or abandon their posts. After 
  the first few weeks of the apocalypse, when military air bases 
  begin to collapse under the weight of the ever increasing numbers 
  of zombies and people getting sick with the Wave (and turning 
  into zombies), these aerial refuges needed to land. Probably at a 
  secret air force base like Area 51, NORAD, Wright-Patterson Air 
  Force Base or a similar large and fortified, secret or government 
  controlled locations. The alternative is a forced or crash-landing 
  anywhere in the western hemisphere. Game Note: It could be a 
  fun adventure to find Air Force One or similar aerial government 
  refuge crashed or landed in the middle of nowhere. Is the Presi-
  dent or any of the First Family and other government officials 
  still alive? Are they in trouble? Do the player characters need to 
  rescue the President and his family or staff from members of the 
  Phoenix Group or Retro-Savages, or cultists? Or do our heroes 
  have to fight and slay the zombified President and his retinue? Or 
  what if the players find the aircraft, all fueled up, full of supplies 
  and ready to go — except there is no pilot, crew or passengers. 
  They are just gone!
  11-20% Floating Fortress: When zombies started taking 
  over the land, one of the best options for survival seemed to be 
  heading out to sea. This enclave is based on a battleship, aircraft 
  carrier, standing oil rig, shipping vessel (full of consumer goods), 
  or commandeered (or disguised to look like a) cruise ship. The 
  floating fortress probably makes frequent trips to dock at ports or 
  to ferry smaller vessels to land to scope things out and scavenge 
  for supplies. The Captain and any military or government lead-
  ers aboard also know where naval and secret supply depots and 
  caches are located for resupply, including fuel.
  21-30% Underground Bunker: This place was built long 
  before the Wave, probably during the Cold War. Many such 
  “bunkers” and “secret bases” were decommissioned after the fall 
  of the Soviet Union and turned into museums, theme hotels, or 
  sold off to private owners. The enclave could be based in one of 
  these old bunkers, or in those left operational and modern equiva-
  lents; the latter modern bunkers are not on any civilians’ maps. 
  An underground bunker will be difficult for anyone to locate or 
  get into, including zombies. The best ones have hidden entrances 
  and are not marked in any way. Game Note: All it takes is one 
  zombie or someone who got sick, died, and turned into a zombie, 
  to contaminate the sealed off environment and lead to everyone’s 
  ultimate demise. If that is the case, there could be a wealth of un-
  tapped food, water, weapons and supplies locked inside a bunker 
  like this. In that case, there are 1D6x10+30 zombies also locked 
  inside the bunker; four to ten times that number if this was a me-
  dium-sized or largish underground hideaway.
  31-40% Isolated Community, Base or Outpost: Rural 
  towns fared a little better during the Wave than the cities did due 
  to smaller, scattered populations spread out over farmland or wil-
  derness. Many did not have any hospitals or relief centers nearby, 
  so the sick and the dead were carried away to places where they 
  could be cared for. When the dead rose, there were fewer zombies 
  even if the entire community had eventually succumbed to the 
  Wave. Many small towns and farms remain capable of sustaining 
  life. This enclave either runs a town of civilians or is just squat-
  ting in a collection of homes and shops with none of the original 
  residents living there. Or there could have been a small outpost 
  or station, or even a quiet, small military base that, unknown to 
  the civilians, harbored a secret underground emergency refuge, 
  bunker or compound.
  41-50% Mountain Retreat: Hidden in the side, base or val-
  ley of a mountain is a secret underground emergency shelter, 
  refuge, bunker or compound. On the outside it looks tiny and un-
  assuming, perhaps something as simple as a communications or 
  radar tower, a generator and a concrete hut (large or small). What 
  nobody knew is that the “hut” is the entrance to a secret, govern-
  ment hideaway or installation built into the mountain.
  51-60% Desert Retreat: Located in the middle of nowhere, 
  right out in the open, is a secret underground refuge, bunker or 
  compound. On the outside it probably looks like a small and 
  unassuming weather station, earthquake monitoring station, old 
  military testing range with a communications tower, or even a 
  hunter’s cabin. What nobody knows is this is the secret location 
  and entrance to a Top Secret government installation built under 
  the floor of the desert.
  61-70% Urban/Industrial Hideout: Everyone assumes se-
  cret government bunkers and installations are built in the side 
  of mountains or under the desert, or some other remote location. 
  That is not always the case. They may be built under a military 
  base or even under an active factory or office building in the 
  middle of a major city! For example, there have been persistent 
  rumors for more than four decades about a secret tunnel located 
  inside an unnamed General Motors automobile factory in the city 
  of Detroit. The access door to the tunnel is unmarked or marked 
  “maintenance.” The tunnel is said to go on for as far as the eye 
  can see. It is said to stretch for more than two miles (3.2 km) 
  and is rumored to lead to a secret military installation, purpose 
  unknown. Urban legend? Maybe. Maybe not.
  
  21
  71-80% Commandeered Private Estate: This enclave is 
  based out of a government official’s home. This is likely to be 
  a mansion with several or many acres of land and possibly other 
  small buildings (garage, cottage, servants’ housing, stables, etc.), 
  and may even have a private helicopter pad. Definitely not the 
  average middle-class house in the city. It could be owned by a 
  high-ranking member of the enclave: a senator, congressman, 
  governor, general, admiral, head of the FBI or CIA, or an execu-
  tive-level administrator, or other government leader. Somewhere 
  below the estate, probably accessed via one of the buildings, is 
  an emergency bunker or secret emergency installation. The entire 
  compound may be fenced off and patrolled, or only the secret 
  compound is guarded.
  In the alternative, this could be an ordinary estate taken over 
  and militarized by the government or some branch of the military. 
  The original owners may be active and willing participants, or 
  dead, or the inhabitants were turned into zombies. Or the inhab-
  itants may still be alive, but have seen their home take over by 
  martial law and are now prisoners in their own home. They are 
  not involved with the enclave’s missions or goal, and have to 
  deal with having their estate seized by the government. For better 
  or worse, he and the other inhabitants of the estate are under the 
  protection of the government.
  81-90% Military Base: It is well known that some military 
  proving grounds and experimental research centers like the no-
  torious Area 51/Groom Lake in Nevada, and Aberdeen Proving 
  Ground in Maryland, have a sprawling, Top Secret, underground 
  compound and even underground hangars! Another secret base 
  is rumored to exist at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. 
  Area 51 and Aberdeen Proving Ground are rumored to be mas-
  sive top secret installations, but other secret refuges may be con-
  siderably smaller and probably located in remote locations. It 
  is believed that some missile silo bases in Michigan, Missouri, 
  Oklahoma, Nevada, and Nebraska actually harbor secret installa-
  tions and bunkers. Such facilities would have been locked down 
  and sealed to the public as soon as the crisis emerged. The only 
  civilians allowed being authorized workers and government of-
  ficials, and perhaps their families, with the proper clearance.
  Many military bases were overrun by zombies shortly after 
  the Wave. Many of the civilians who fled to these bases seek-
  ing protection or armaments also fell to the zombies. Odds are, 
  the surface of these bases are still overrun by zombies, and any 
  survivors trying their luck to secure fuel, weapons and supplies at 
  military installations do so at considerable risk and with varying 
  degrees of success. Usually ending in a hasty retreat or a bloody 
  death. HOWEVER, below ground, in the Top Secret installa-
  tion, could be the remnants of the government and hundreds of 
  troops and support personnel. If the player characters should run 
  across a base that has been cleared of zombies, they might have 
  uncovered the location of a secret enclave. On the other hand, 
  the enclave may want to leave the zombies unmolested to chase 
  away scavenging civilians, looters and raiders. The enclave is, 
  after all, secret for a reason. Having civilians or bandits hanging 
  around could be a problem. In fact, it is possible that defenders 
  of the secret compound may herd the zombies toward visitors to 
  make them leave. Anyone who gets too close to the truth may be 
  captured or shot, depending on the attitude and purpose of the 
  enclave.
  91-95% Sealed-Off Urban Zone: When the Wave really got 
  going and the zombies were pouring out into the streets, many 
  citizens took things into their own hands. They banded together 
  to fight and created barricades, blocking the dead from getting 
  into their neighborhoods. They moved trucks and cars into posi-
  tions to build makeshift walls, and used other materials such as 
  concrete dividing walls, sandbags and barbed wire. The perim-
  eters defended with guns, spears and bludgeons. Most of these 
  zones only lasted a short while before the survivors were over-
  whelmed by the sheer number of the risen dead. A scant few have 
  lasted, becoming proper survivor camps and walled towns. A 
  small percentage of sealed-off urban zones that are still around 
  may have been established by military troops, National Guard 
  or law enforcement and are run by government officials. Some 
  have become enclaves for the government. The enclave may be 
  the primary authority or run the haven in cooperation with private 
  citizens. Either way, the enclave has considerable influence and 
  power over the community, and may pursue its secret agendas 
  without their civilian counterparts knowing anything about them.
  96-00% Halls of Government: This enclave is made up of 
  those who stayed behind when everyone else fled or died. The 
  government people of this enclave continue to run their opera-
  tions as best they can from secured areas, offices, and basements 
  inside government buildings. This could be a state capitol, a fed-
  eral building, courthouse, jail, city/county building and so on. 
  In Washington D.C., many of these buildings have small fallout 
  shelters in the basement, or were designed to defend against ag-
  gressors. In most other communities only a few of these buildings 
  have a secret, emergency stronghold or bunker hidden inside, so 
  the enclave works from areas of the buildings that have been se-
  cured and cleared of zombies, at least for the moment. The walls, 
  doors, and windows will have been sealed up tight, and missions 
  into the outside world are hectic and fraught with danger.
  Military Personnel Table
  Many government enclaves had military personnel on site 
  to provide protection or as some kind of joint continuity effort. 
  Many more had soldiers who were ordered away to some other 
  operation during the global crisis and fell to the risen dead.
  Unless an unusually high-ranking government official recog-
  nized by the military is part of the enclave’s staff, the military 
  takes charge. Moreover, the military are not under any civilian 
  authority and are likely to be following orders from an outside 
  source or the last order from a superior before the collapse of hu-
  man civilization (neither of which may exist anymore), or have 
  taken charge. The military assumes the role of the leaders as is 
  dictated by the laws of martial order during times of upheaval. It 
  should be the perception of most military (and government offi-
  cers) that the role of leadership and establishing order is their job.
  
  22
  Pick the one that is most appropriate or make a random roll.
  01-40% None: The members of this enclave are on their own 
  for protection, security and fighting.
  41-70% Small Security Team: There are 2D6+6 soldiers, 
  National Guardsmen, law enforcement officers, or professional 
  hired security who guard the secret base and bunker and its per-
  sonnel. At some Top Secret facilities, security may be handled by 
  Secret Service agents, FBI, and even the NSA or CIA. Weapons 
  and equipment are likely to be basic combat or riot gear, including 
  standard body armor (vest), automatic pistol or submachine-gun 
  for a side arm, assault rifles, a few shotguns, and a few smoke, 
  tear gas and shock grenades. Nothing heavy; no tanks, jets, com-
  bat helicopters, etc.
  71-90% Well-Armed Platoon: 2D6x10 soldiers and enough 
  guns and ammo to keep any zombie mob or raider gang away 
  from the enclave. May have access to a few light or medium com-
  bat vehicles, humvees, APC, jeeps, light trucks, transport heli-
  copter or patrol boats.
  91-00% A Full Company or More: 1D6x100 soldiers and 
  enough gear to start their own war. They have communications 
  equipment, medium and heavy combat vehicles (including 1D6 
  tanks, 2D6 APCs, 3D6 Humvees, 1D6 light helicopters, 1D4 
  combat helicopters, 1D4 transport helicopters, 2D6 combat 
  drones, and possibly other aircraft or watercraft); each soldier 
  is equipped with full combat gear and body armor and there is 
  limited access to heavy weapons, grenades, mortars, rockets and 
  rocket launchers, machine-guns, and other man-portable and 
  light vehicle-portable heavy weapons.
  Recruitment Policies Table
  Government enclaves are sure to lose members through sick-
  ness, accident, disasters, combat and zombie attacks. This is even 
  more true with their outside field agents. They may, from time to 
  time, need to bring in outside help when workers go missing or 
  can no longer fulfill their duties. Of course, introducing outsid-
  ers into the enclave has its own share of trouble and danger. You 
  never know who you can trust, who might challenge your author-
  ity or steal and cheat. Heck, one of those eager, bright recruits 
  may simply be casing the enclave for an attack from raiders, war-
  lords, looters or cultists. As a result, they may hire outsiders, like 
  the player group, using trade goods of all sorts as enticement and 
  payment. Still, the enclave will need to bolster its numbers from 
  time to time. This table presents how open they are to bringing 
  new people into the fold and basic requirements and policies.
  Note: In all cases, the “new guys” must accept the leader-
  ship, operational rules, procedures and protocols of the group, 
  and prove themselves to be reliable team players that are loyal to 
  the enclave and its agenda. This provides benefits such as being 
  issued weapons, ammunition, vehicles and supplies that belong 
  to the enclave, but the recruits are allowed to use as per their jobs 
  and missions, as well as a place to sleep or live in a safe environ-
  ment (secret bunker, vault, stronghold, military base, haven com-
  munity run by the enclave, etc.) with access to medical treatment, 
  food, fresh water and basic amenities and teammates to support 
  and rescue them.
  01-25% Free agents only: The enclave is not bringing aboard 
  full members, but they may contract certain jobs to outsiders. 
  These missions are either too dangerous or undesirable for the 
  enclave’s regular or limited staff, or may require a certain skill set 
  or mentality (loose morals, that is) that no one in the enclave pos-
  sesses. Free agents are usually compensated well for their efforts, 
  and success in one mission may lead to more later on.
  26-50% Open recruitment for those who can pull their 
  weight or have special skills: The enclave is expanding or needs 
  reinforcements to fill recent losses. They seem fairly friendly to-
  ward outsiders and strangers and are always sizing them up as 
  possible new members to their group. This enclave will consider 
  any requests to join their group or work for them, but really only 
  want people who possess special skills (and/or something they 
  need, like a lot of guns and ammo, a tank, etc.) and are sym-
  pathetic to their cause. Anyone who joins must exhibit loyalty, 
  serve a purpose and push forward the enclave’s agenda. If the 
  recruit cannot contribute or questions their methods and goal, 
  they are rejected or kicked out. Strong loyalty and cooperation 
  is expected.
  There is definitely a short training phase for people accepted 
  into the enclave. Followed by an extended trial period (1D4+4 
  months) before the new recruit is considered a full-fledged mem-
  ber. However, there may be long, lingering trust issues and scru-
  tiny among some individual enclave members. All new members 
  have to prove themselves time and again to these doubters, even 
  though they may have officially been welcomed as a member of 
  the team. Whenever there is a problem or mistake, leadership 
  looks first at the “new guys” to blame.
  This enclave is likely to hire outsiders, trading goods and ser-
  vices, for their services, but always keeping them at arm’s length. 
  It may also have connections or allegiance to one or more Safe 
  Havens or other survivor communities.
  51-80% Actively recruiting: The enclave is always on the 
  lookout for desirable new members, and actively pursues talented 
  and gifted survivors, but takes in any survivor, young and old, 
  skilled and unskilled. They may be terribly understaffed, or might 
  simply be growing at a fast pace or building a Safe Haven for sur-
  vivors outside the immediate confines of their enclave. They may 
  talk up potential recruits with patriotic rhetoric (serve your coun-
  try, a bold new beginning, Uncle Sam needs heroes like you), but 
  also have something to offer in return. As noted at the beginning 
  of this table, members of an enclave have access to their facili-
  ties, services and even weapons, ammo and vehicles to use on 
  missions that help maintain, protect and grow the organization. 
  Resources are likely to be stretched to the limits most of the time, 
  because they do accept most people. Note: The ones they reject 
  and kick out are those who are a constant problem, troublemak-
  ers, thugs, criminals and other untrustworthy or dangerous indi-
  viduals.
  81-00% Closed to outsiders: The enclave is not looking to 
  bring in more people, and probably do not even work with outsid-
  
  23
  ers on a freelance basis. This enclave is likely to be secretive and 
  aggressively hostile toward anyone who pries into the enclave’s 
  business, operations or motives, and those who appear to be a 
  threat on any level. Best to avoid this group.
  Enclave Attitude Toward Civilian Groups
  This is how the government enclave treats civilian groups and 
  survivor communities.
  01-30% Respectful and helpful: The enclave recognizes lo-
  cal survivor authority figures and actively works with them to-
  wards mutually beneficial solutions and goals. However, both 
  remain separate and are not likely to trust each other completely. 
  This arm’s length approach means the enclave may not share ev-
  erything they know nor make all their resources available to the 
  survivors, and vice versa.
  31-50% Respectful for now: This enclave is not necessarily 
  helpful. They recognize survivor leaders, but only so far as the 
  national emergency extends. The plan is, once the zombies are 
  gone and it is time to rebuild, these civilian authorities must relin-
  quish any power they may have and dissolve their station, turning 
  things back over to the real government.
  51-65% No respect. Open aggression: The enclave rejects 
  any civilian authority, does as it pleases, and follows its own 
  agenda whether or not their actions are disruptive or destructive 
  to the civilian survivor group(s). When questioned or asked to 
  consider other options, the enclave informs the civilians they 
  have no rights or authority over them, and if they don’t like it, to 
  get the hell out.
  Any resistance or protests by the civilians are met with vio-
  lence. The civilians’ concerns and petitions are ignored and all 
  civilians are treated like second-class citizens by this enclave, or 
  worse. As far as the government enclave is concerned, is the ci-
  vilians who need to comply to their will or get out of their way. 
  There is no respect nor consideration for the rights or needs of 
  civilians. Even civilians who turn to this enclave for guidance and 
  are willing to do anything they ask in order to get their protec-
  tion and help, are largely ignored or manipulated with little actual 
  concern for their welfare. To this enclave, these people are either 
  a liability or collateral damage waiting to happen. Nothing more.
  66-80% Openly respectful, secretly manipulative: The en-
  clave plays along, acknowledges civilian leaders and groups, and 
  seems friendly and cooperative. However, the powers behind the 
  enclave are secretly using the civilians for their own purposes 
  and ends. This could mean using them as guinea pigs in experi-
  mentation, using them as laborers, pitting them against perceived 
  threats (like raiders, cultists and rival groups whom the enclave 
  feels threatened by or wants eliminated), using them as cannon 
  fodder, scouts, scroungers, spies and all manner of things. Like-
  wise, the members of the enclave may manipulate members with-
  in the civilian group to eliminate leaders they don’t like or to get 
  them to do things that further the enclave’s agenda.
  81-00% We are the Law. Aggressive and Authoritative: 
  The hard-liners within this enclave refuse to accept any authority 
  but their own. They do not acknowledge any civilian leaders or 
  group springing up among survivors as having any authority. In 
  most cases, these deluded survivors and any claims of sovereign-
  ty or independence are ignored. In other cases, they are expected 
  to do as they are told by the real authority, the members of the 
  enclave. In the worst situations, the enclave considers outspoken 
  and uncooperative civilians and survivor groups to be lawless 
  and dangerous rebels, anarchists, or criminals ignoring or trying 
  to usurp the true law of the land. Force and violence (or covert 
  ops) may be used to try to bring these rebels in line and under 
  their authority. This could mean military law, to assassination or 
  blackmail of the civilian leaders to control them, to outright oblit-
  eration of the defiant group.
  Enclave Authority and
  Recognition by the People Table
  Although maintaining continuity of operations technically 
  places government enclaves in charge as the highest authority 
  around, most know they cannot exercise that authority against 
  the independent survivors who are running amok in the streets 
  and fighting zombies, unless they have a small army. And most 
  enclaves do not have a small army at their disposal. As far as 
  many survivors are concerned, the government is gone – nonex-
  istent. Unless the enclave can offer them protection or services, 
  they have no need for their bureaucratic garbage and orders. The 
  only law is every man for himself. Without a visible government 
  authority and enforcement (soldiers or police), the law is mean-
  ingless and the authority of any government enclave is question-
  able and tenuous at best, unless they have the muscle to enforce 
  their claims of authority.
  Such enclaves can posture, threaten and make all the claims of 
  authority they want, but ultimately, survivors are concerned with 
  the basics of survival: their hungry bellies and the advance of the 
  zombie hordes. Government agents who can respect that should 
  find their dealings with regular citizens go much better. Again, 
  might makes right, so unless an enclave has a show of force or 
  makes them believe they have more power and resources than 
  they really have, nobody is going to follow their orders. Another 
  reason for many secret military and federal enclaves to remain 
  isolated and operate in secret. Those who go public or are work-
  ing to help survivors need to win support via their words and 
  actions.
  01-20% Meaningless and ignored: The people do not rec-
  ognize the authority of this government enclave or agency, and 
  ignore them. The survivors do not try to interfere with or un-
  dermine this enclave, they just don’t have anything to do with 
  them. That’s okay if the enclave is secretive or feels the same 
  toward them. It is not so okay if the enclave has good intentions 
  and really wants to help survivors, fight zombies, or establish 
  Safe Haven communities. In short, the people want nothing to 
  do with the enclave. This may be transfering their fears, dis-
  
  24
  appointment and/or hatred for a government that proved to be 
  impotent and helpless during the crisis, or simply the belief that 
  there is no government or authority over them, and they can 
  choose to live as they please.
  21-40% No trust: For whatever reason, whether deserved or 
  not, the civilians do not trust these feds. Everything the enclave 
  says or does is viewed with suspicion and questioned. There is 
  some cooperation, but the civilians hold back their full support as 
  well as information.
  41-60% Resentful and uncooperative: The civilian popula-
  tion dislikes and resents the enclave for its interference, bossi-
  ness and lack of significant help, and/or for imposing its authority 
  upon them. Civilians resent their presence and seldom work with 
  the members of this enclave unless forced to do so or unless there 
  is something tangible in it for them. Neither shares information 
  with the other and they are rude, disrespectful and condescending 
  toward each other.
  61-80% Accepted and welcomed: The civilians trust, respect 
  and work with this enclave. Whether deserved or not, the enclave 
  has won the hearts and minds of the survivors in the area, and 
  with it, their complete cooperation and full disclosure. The sur-
  vivors consider the enclave their comrades, protectors and even 
  friends.
  81-00% Hated as an enemy: Survivors consider this enclave 
  to be self-serving and dangerous. They treat its members as an 
  enemy with open hostility. In fact, the enclave and the civilians 
  may hate and/or fear each other to the point that they work to un-
  dermine or destroy each other. Whenever the opportunity arises, 
  each side tries to steal, raid and hurt the other. Even under the 
  most dire of circumstances, neither side is likely to come to the 
  other’s aid, nor join forces against a common enemy.
  Mediating Civil Affairs Table
  As sworn officials in the United States government, many en-
  clave members, particularly leaders and politicians, feel a duty 
  to help survivors by mediating conflicts and disputes, serve as 
  a judge and administer justice, and create new laws, rules and 
  regulations to avoid conflicts and disputes. Government workers, 
  especially those who worked in law, the judiciary, congress or the 
  senate before the apocalypse, can be valuable impartial judges or 
  advisors to help all parties come to a fair and reasonable resolu-
  tion or issue punishment. Of course, some enclave members may 
  choose to stay out of the interpersonal affairs of survivors, leav-
  ing such things up to the locals.
  01-20% Fair and Unbiased: The members of this enclave are 
  happy to step in to help survivors settle disputes and establish law 
  and order. They listen to all sides involved in the issue or crime, 
  and deliver their best and fair verdict or advice. They still know 
  that they are outsiders in the affair, and no one is under any obli-
  gation to listen to them, but they do what they can to help. Most 
  people respect their decisions and act upon them.
  21-40% Spirit of America: The members of this enclave 
  do not get directly involved in disputes or establishing law 
  and order, but instead try to “inspire” the affected parties to 
  resolve things on their own in a fair and judicious manner. 
  The enclave member(s) is likely to make patriotic speeches or 
  hand out books and outlines that detail the kinds of trials and 
  disputes the civilians are dealing with, and may offer opinions 
  and many possible solutions to consider, rather than a final 
  decree or verdict. The idea is to allow the civilian leaders and 
  the people in their communities to operate independent of the 
  federal government while still upholding the underlying val-
  ues and ideals of the United States of America. This keeps 
  everyone on the same page philosophically, allowing for bet-
  ter communication and integration back into the country once 
  everything calms down a bit. And it keeps the enclave’s hands 
  clean of any unpopular or bloody decisions or acts of retribu-
  tion.
  41-60% Letter of the Law: The members of this enclave 
  count among its members a large number of policy-makers and 
  legal experts who are willing to mediate and judge civil affairs, 
  but they make their rulings by the book and even record proceed-
  ings and write rulings. This can drag out minor squabbles into 
  long, tedious disagreements, and requires both sides to present 
  their cases in a manner suitable to the enclave’s “court.” Mor-
  ever, some may not take into consideration the extraordinary cir-
  cumstances of the post-apocalyptic world, while others are quite 
  harsh because of the extraordinary situation, with exile and death 
  penalties common.
  61-75% Local Authorities: Members of this enclave refuse 
  to make rulings and offer little, if any, advice. They leave all the 
  important decision-making to the locals. When they do offer ad-
  vice or recount precedents, it is from the old way of doing things 
  and does not take into account the extraordinary circumstances of 
  the post-apocalyptic world.
  76-90% Hanging Judge: Desperate times require desper-
  ate measures. The judiciary of this enclave is a no-nonsense 
  tribunal who is fair but extremely tough due the extreme cir-
  cumstances of the post-apocalyptic world. Offenders who 
  commit serious crimes of rape, torture, kidnaping and mur-
  der, as well as repeat defenders or proven of robbery, are ei-
  ther exiled or put to death. There are no resources to waste on 
  keeping prisoners for more than a couple weeks, and repeat 
  offenders are punished severely and usually either exiled with 
  whatever they can carry (his family can go with him, but their 
  pleas for leniency go unheard) or executed. This may include 
  crimes of stealing a person’s food, weapons, horse or vehicle! 
  All things that could result in the loss of one or many more 
  lives or loss of additional property people need to survive in 
  this hostile environment.
  91-00% Indifferent. No help: This enclave does not get in-
  volved in the disputes and tribulations of the little people’s prob-
  lems. They have their mission and much bigger things to focus 
  on. The people will have to fend for themselves.
  
  25
  Relief Centers
  Disaster relief centers were set up soon after the onset of 
  the plague that became known as The Wave. People fell ill so 
  quickly and in such fantastic numbers that hospitals, emergency 
  rooms, and immediate care centers were unable to cope. Emer-
  gency management teams from the government and humanitarian 
  organizations started converting churches, schools, community 
  centers, stadiums, parking lots and military bases into places 
  where the sick could be quarantined and looked after. Aid came 
  in from charities and donations, in the form of food, medicine, 
  tents, cots, blankets, soap, books and toys for children. Anything 
  people would need to ride out the sudden pandemic that ravaged 
  nations around the globe.
  At the rate people were falling victim to the initial sickness, 
  relief centers were springing up everywhere. Medical crews and 
  volunteers worked tirelessly to comfort the ill, but unfortunately, 
  there was nothing anyone could do. Whatever this sickness was, 
  it didn’t respond to modern treatments. In a matter of days, the 
  relief centers were filled to the brim with victims of this new 
  plague. And people were told to stay home or chose to stay home, 
  and wait for help behind closed doors.
  And then, nearly all at once, everyone started dying.
  The deaths at the relief centers and all over the world were just 
  as sudden and mysterious as the sickness. There was no explana-
  tion for any of it.
  When the victims of the pandemic came back from the dead 
  and starting attacking the people who had been trying to help 
  them, it became total panic and chaos. A horror show beyond 
  comprehension.
  And things only got worse from there.
  Relief centers, just like hospitals, military bases, and urban 
  centers, are among the places that the survivors in the world of 
  Dead Reign have learned to avoid. Although many of the dead 
  left to chase down escaping victims or to search for living people 
  elsewhere, relief centers are still crawling with zombies. How-
  ever, when supplies are low and the zombies appear scarce, mak-
  ing a suicide run into one of these places could prove fruitful 
  in securing medicine, medical supplies and equipment, as well 
  as fundamentals such as sleeping cots, blankets, pillows, bottled 
  water, bandages, and food. They have been relatively untouched 
  since the Wave began, and there may be a treasure trove of useful 
  supplies inside.
  Relief centers vary in size and capability. The largest were set 
  up at convention centers, stadiums and military bases. They can 
  hold thousands of people comfortably, while the smallest may 
  only have held a few dozen. Chances are good that those thou-
  sands are now zombies, wandering aimlessly or hibernating and 
  patiently waiting for desperate survivors to stumble upon them. 
  Some locked inside and hungry.
  Regardless of size, relief centers are all set up roughly the 
  same, with the same types of supplies, facilities, capabilities and 
  purpose: to help the victims of the Wave.
  Some things survivors are likely to find in an abandoned 
  relief center are:
  Cell Phones: Cell phones are common items found at relief 
  centers by the dozens if not by the hundreds, and even found in 
  the pockets of some zombies. By the time the Zombie Apoca-
  lypse hit, technology had made cell phones much more than a 
  simple communication device. They offer many applications that 
  can be of service to survivors. (Especially if your time line is 
  modern day.)
  Recharged cell phones may no longer function (or not func-
  tion well) as a means to communicate, but they remain useful as 
  pocket-sized, portable cameras and video and sound recorders 
  for people who have a need for such a thing. And there are actual-
  ly many uses for a cell phone as a recording device. Selfie-sticks 
  or one’s own hand can hold a cell phone out to see what is lurking 
  around the corner as well as to record all kinds of information: 
  A new type of zombie, an important location, a particular build-
  ing, street signs, equipment (“Is this what you are looking for?”), 
  and people who may represent possible resources, help or danger. 
  Showing someone a picture of the face of a cult leader or bad 
  guy is much better than describing the guy with words. Likewise, 
  
  26
  taking a photo of a street sign, address, building or landmark can 
  be immensely helpful in locating it again, or avoiding the place. 
  Video or sound recordings of meetings with strangers and people 
  who have an offer, request, demand or ultimatum to deliver are 
  also valuable. The recording captures tone and inflections, not 
  just words, and preserves everything said, leaving nothing to 
  memory.
  Survivors can recharge their cell phones via car chargers, solar 
  devices and wherever there is electricity, provided they have the 
  right simple equipment like a car charging cord. When the equip-
  ment, wi-fi and power source is available, photos and informa-
  tion can also be shared with other electronic devices, tablets and 
  computers, even on the Internet, if available.
  The value of a cell phone goes beyond photos and record-
  ings. Many have an app that enables it to be used as a flashlight, 
  some have a compass capability, others count footsteps and link 
  to health monitors. All have alarms and sounds that can be set 
  to a specific time or which can be used to create sound and light 
  to distract, lure or confuse zombies (and other survivors). Music 
  and games can be used to entertain and help pass time. Recorded 
  messages and photos of loved ones can be used for sentimen-
  tal reasons and motivation, not to mention mobile phones can be 
  used as the timers for bombs and electronic devices, and other 
  applications.
  Computers, Tables and Paperwork: Folding tables, note-
  pads, reams of paper and workers with laptop computers, printers 
  and a few tablets were used to register incoming disaster victims. 
  Again, without new manufacturing, things like paper, pens and 
  pencils might find an increasing value. Laptops are only as good 
  as their batteries last or if the survivors have a means of recharg-
  ing them – which for enclaves is easy. Otherwise, there is nothing 
  especially useful to survivors, unless they are searching for the 
  names of someone who may have been here (Family. Friends. A 
  loved one. A doctor.)
  Emergency Operations Center: A large office, separate 
  from the living spaces and probably behind fences and locked 
  doors. This is where the relief center staff coordinated their ef-
  forts with first responder teams and emergency rescuers. Many of 
  them could communicate with their larger parent organizations; 
  either the federal government or some other group. There may be 
  a wealth of data and information here for intrepid survivors. They 
  may find the locations of other relief centers, supply drops, re-
  gional offices, coordinating hospitals and National Guard bases, 
  donation distribution centers, and known survivor gathering loca-
  tions, as well as notes about the Wave and symptoms. Maps may 
  also be available as well as walkie-talkies, computers and a per-
  haps a video camera or two. There could even be secrets or rev-
  elations about the zombies themselves. Who knows, maybe the 
  people at this relief center found out something about the Wave 
  and/or the zombies that no one else ever did.
  Entertainment Devices: Relief workers knew it was a good 
  idea to keep the people under their care relaxed, occupied and 
  distracted, so they wouldn’t worry so much about their illness or 
  the huge mess going on outside. Children especially get restless 
  and bored. So there is likely to be a good supply of DVD movies 
  (mostly comedies, kid’s stuff, and family films), music CDs and 
  data sticks, books, and activity kits with coloring books, crayons, 
  stickers, etc., maybe even a few stuffed animals, dolls and ac-
  tion figures. There are books and periodicals for adults as well. 
  These items and portable music and movie players can bring re-
  lief, distraction and nostalgia to survivors in this world too, and 
  they have some value in trade to people who haven’t given up on 
  technology.
  Fencing: Tall steel fences are often erected as a means to keep 
  people corralled into specific areas and to keep looters and the un-
  infected out. Fences isolated the sick from the healthy, and later 
  on, the dead from the living. Although they are of little use to sur-
  vivors, fencing may provide a useful barrier against zombies. If 
  the characters can find the keys to the gates or have tools to break 
  open locks and chains, or to cut through fencing, they can move 
  through the fences with ease. And with keys, they can lock up be-
  hind themselves to keep zombies and thugs out. If the characters 
  have some large vehicles, they can even take the fences down and 
  use them in their own camps.
  Each section of fencing is 10 feet (3 m) tall and 10 feet (3 m) 
  wide; some topped with another foot or two (0.3 to 0.6 m) of 
  barbed wire. There are interlocking bolts to connect sections of 
  fencing in any length. They are built to keep people from climb-
  ing over them, so any attempt to do so suffers a -40% Climb and 
  -30% Prowl penalty. The fences have an Armor Rating of 16 and 
  200 S.D.C. each.
  Living Spaces: This is the area where the refugees/disaster 
  victims were kept. Again, this will vary according to the size 
  of the relief center. There are cots, sleeping bags, small tents, 
  pillows, blankets, and all kinds of small personal effects that 
  people had on them. There are precious few useful things to 
  scavenge from the dead, as most sick people and family mem-
  bers just brought things like family photos, electronic devices, 
  books, magazines, and personal information (birth certificates, 
  etc.). Many of the sick and dying had nothing when they came 
  to the relief center. Still, the characters may find the odd battery, 
  bottle of water, snack bars, booze, pocketknife, pen flashlight, car 
  keys (for a vehicle nearby), or first aid kit. Weapons, alcohol, and 
  drugs (sometimes even prescription medication) were most likely 
  confiscated upon entry into the relief center, so there may be a 
  huge stash of these items in a nearby office. Of course, there are 
  plenty of wallets and purses with cash and credit cards in them, 
  but such things have no value in the world post-apocalypse.
  Medical Treatment Facility/First Aid Station: The relief 
  centers were set up to help victims of a plague, so the majority 
  of its space and resources went to medical treatments and care 
  of the ill. Sick people needed beds, IV fluids, antibiotics, blood 
  packs, and fever reducers. Most of this medication is perfectly 
  good even months after the apocalypse up to a year or two later. 
  Even expired meds one or two years beyond their expiration date 
  can be used, but at roughly half their usual potency. The bad news 
  is there are also likely to be heavy concentrations of zombies in 
  urban areas as well as inside and around the medical facility. 
  
  27
  And depending on when the player characters arrive in search of 
  meds, the facility may have been looted by other survivors, but 
  there may still be some medication and supplies.
  Mobile Kitchen: Mobile kitchens are huge trailers brought 
  in by semi-truck to help prepare meals for disaster victims and 
  workers alike. They have everything a modern kitchen cook could 
  ask for: ovens, stovetops, griddle-tops, deep fryers, refrigerators 
  and freezers, pots and pans, cutlery, utensils and cookware, sinks 
  and cleaners, water and a fire suppression system. Unfortunately, 
  most of the food has rotted away, leaving only dry goods, condi-
  ments, canned goods and boxed meals as edible food.
  Portable Toilets: If the relief center was located in a place 
  that had its own plumbing and restrooms, they would have be-
  come pretty foul within a few days, but manageable with frequent 
  maintenance. Those without indoor plumbing or which required 
  additional toilets, would use chemical toilets located in portable 
  stalls (port-o-potties) that don’t require running water. But they 
  are still a far cry from clean. After the crash of civilization, work-
  ing toilets are a luxury, and port-o-potties are something a sur-
  vivor community might really need or want. Natural biological 
  decay has taken the edge off of some of these filthy places, but 
  not by much. In any case, there is not likely going to be anything 
  useful to scavenge in toilet areas other than the portable toilets 
  themselves.
  Water Treatment/Storage/Purification: Getting clean water 
  to refugees was a priority for relief center workers. Water cooler 
  containers came in by the truckload, donated by charities, bev-
  erage companies, or by the city’s water company. Relief center 
  workers also bought cases of bottled water from retail stores 
  (as much as they could get, what with everything flying off the 
  shelves in those frightening days of scarcity). Some relief centers 
  even had portable water purification plants, or relied on consumer 
  water filters.
  Signs of Passage: It is likely the player characters are not the 
  first survivors to wander into an abandoned relief center. Depend-
  ing on the zombie population and the desperate needs of other 
  survivors, the facility may have been already looted – more than 
  once. It is possible survivors/looters have been in and out of the 
  facility for weeks or months. That may not be all bad, because 
  they may have left clues to other supply stashes or the existence 
  of survivor communities. Those who fell victim to zombies and 
  never made it out alive might have dropped medical supplies 
  and/or weapons, a backpack with other supplies or loose items 
  left where they fell. That means even a looted relief center might 
  have items survivors need, if they have the time to scrounge 
  around for them.
  It is also possible people are still present at the medical facil-
  ity. (Game Master’s discretion, and may depend on the timeline 
  of the Dead Reign setting you are playing.) People present may 
  be innocent survivors looking for supplies and medicine they 
  need, or they may be holed up someplace inside where it is safe, 
  or unable to escape due to the number of zombies blocking the 
  exits, or they may be bad guys with bad intentions. As always 
  with encounters, the G.M. determines if these survivors are good 
  guys or bad people, and whether they may be willing to share 
  resources and/or possess helpful information to share and even 
  invite the player group to join them. Of course, such a meeting 
  could go badly. These people may have a, “We claimed it first,” 
  attitude and be unwilling to share and ready to fight to keep it. 
  Or they could be cultists, bandits or another dangerous group of 
  survivors.
  An intact relief center full of supplies could be a godsend 
  to any group of living people, even bandits, raiders, and cultists. 
  They may not wish to share with others, or may let them wander 
  around unmolested long enough to ambush them and steal what 
  they found and take whatever they want from them (or try to do 
  so). If it looks like people have been to the location since the 
  place was abandoned, the player characters need to be extra cau-
  tious.
  Random Equipment in
  Abandoned Relief Centers Table
  01-03% Tents: 2D6 tents in good condition. Each can hold 
  up to four adults comfortably and provide protection against the 
  wind and rain. G.M. Discretion: There could be a 01-20% chance 
  that each tent that was built and used (not compacted for carry-
  ing) contains 1D4 hungry, dormant zombies. Also, roll again on 
  this table to see what else may be inside the tent.
  04-06% Cots: 4D6 cots in very good to excellent condition. 
  There are ten or twenty times more, but they are stained in blood, 
  gore, body fluids, and other materials. And some still have a rot-
  ting corpse and maggots laying on them! Many of the “used” cots 
  are probably okay for use if thoroughly cleaned, but survivors 
  may be justifiably concerned that some are contaminated with the 
  Wave virus or other germs and bacteria. Making those in good 
  condition most desirable. Each cot is a sheet of canvas stretched 
  over a light aluminum frame that folds up for easy transport. 
  Good sleeping when a mattress cannot be found.
  07-09% Sleeping Bags: 4D6 sleeping bags in very good con-
  dition. Will keep the character from sleeping on the cold ground. 
  20% chance of holding at bay a Crawler zombie.
  10% Dog Food: People were discouraged from bringing their 
  pets to the relief center. This food was for rescue and helper ani-
  mals. 1D6 cases; 24 cans to a case. They are labeled with flavors 
  like “Steak & Bacon” and “Chicken, Fish, & Cheese.” A find for 
  survivors with canine companions. And though not intended for 
  human consumption, desperate times ... may lead to other uses.
  11-13% Medical: Hand Sanitizer/Anti-Bacterial Soap: 
  Used to kill bacteria on hands, clean wounds, and sterilize uten-
  sils. +2 to save vs bacterial based diseases.
  14-16% Medical: Bandages and Basics: 4D6 packages of 
  large, padded bandages, 3D6 small bandages, 6D6 rolls of gauze, 
  1D4 rolls of surgical tape, a box of ordinary bandages with 
  1D4x10 left in the box, plus two full tubes of first aid antibiotic 
  ointment like Neosporin (increases healing and reduces chance 
  
  28
  for infection), a bottle of iodine, a large bottle of hydrogen per-
  oxide, a splint and a box of plastic surgical gloves with 6D6 pairs 
  still in the box.
  17-19% Medical: Pain Pharmaceuticals: Consumer pain 
  relief (ibuprofen, aspirin), or hospital-grade pain meds (codeine, 
  morphine, etc.), antibiotics, etc.
  Pain meds: +5% to save vs coma/death and reduce any penal-
  ties due to pain/severe injury by half. Aspirin and similar meds 
  reduce fever (and associated penalties) by 30%. Note that hospi-
  tal-grade painkillers have a narcotic quality to them and can lead 
  to an addiction if the character abuses them. They are also likely 
  to make the patient sleep for 2D6x10 minutes after taking them.
  20-22% Antibiotics: Antibiotics kill the bacteria that cause 
  infection, but are useless against illness caused by a virus like 
  the flu and the Wave. Antibiotics: +15% to save vs coma/death, 
  +1 Hit Point or +2 S.D.C. recovery per 24 hours of healing and 
  prevents infection and gangrene from wounds.
  23% Medical: Doctor’s Equipment/Tools: A bag or case 
  with the instruments a physician needs to examine and treat 
  patients, including stethoscope, pen flashlight, 2D6 tongue de-
  pressors, mirror, 2D4 surgical gloves, a computer tablet, some 
  basic painkillers and antibiotics, surgical kit (needles for sutur-
  ing, sutures, 1D4 scalpels), surgical staple gun, pair of scissors, 
  prescription pad, notepad, two pens, 1D6 packages of gauze, 
  and everything you might expect in a first aid kit. Might (50% 
  chance) include the necessary tools for surgery or for conducting 
  an autopsy. +10% to relevant Medical skill rolls.
  24% Medical: Kit for making a cast: Splint, wrap, plaster 
  and everything you need to set a bone and make a cast for an arm 
  or leg.
  25% Medical: Portable X-Ray Machine: 1D4 of them. The 
  G.M. may substitute other portable medical items if he so choos-
  es.
  26% Medical: Portable Defibrillator: 1D4 defibrillators. 
  Used for starting/stimulating a stopped heart.
  27% Medical: Portable EKG Machine: Electro-Cardiogram 
  machine for monitoring the heart.
  28% Medical: Portable Lights: High-powered adjustable 
  lights for examination and surgical/autopsy procedures.
  29% Medical: Portable Generator: 1D6 small, portable 
  generators.
  30% Medical: Body Bags: 4D6 unused body bags. Hundreds 
  of body bags that were used, most of them ripped open from the 
  inside out. 5D6 sealed body bags zipped closed and moving with 
  zombies bagged and inside!
  31% Medical: Sheets: A cart with 2D4x10 clean, white 
  sheets used for bedding and light covers.
  32-34% Canned Food: 4D6 cases; 12 cans in a case. Roll to 
  see what’s inside: 01-15% Creamed Corn, 16-30% Clam Chow-
  der, 31-45% Pork ‘n Beans, 46-60% Chicken Soup, 61-75% 
  Children’s Pasta, 76-90% Cream of Mushroom soup, 91-00% 
  Ravioli. Include their own pull-tab in case you do not have a can 
  opener. In the alternative, these could be boxes of dry cereal of 
  various types.
  35-37% Bottled Water: 2D6 cases; 12 bottles in a case.
  38-39% Weather Radios: Regular radios require either wall 
  outlets or batteries to work. These have a crank you turn to power 
  them up. Usually also have a built-in light. There have not been 
  any radio transmissions for a long time, at least none saying any-
  thing of real importance. Still, you never know...
  40% Professional Radio: This is heavy gear used to transmit 
  on a wide range of frequencies. They were used to coordinate 
  rescue efforts and send out alerts to survivors, but that was back 
  when there was still power. And people. If the characters can 
  power it up, they can send a transmission out there to whoever 
  might be listening within a range of 40 miles (64 km).
  41-43% Large Generators: These large, portable generators 
  helped keep things running after the city’s grid died. They run on 
  gasoline or propane. The tank is 2D4x10% full.
  44-46% Maps: Detailed maps of the local area, including 
  streets and topography. These are probably covered in scribbles, 
  used to conduct rescue efforts and make notes of zombie con-
  centrations and possible supply stores. It’s up to the characters 
  whether or not they want to check these places out.
  47-49% Lights: 2D6 work lights, 1D6 flashlights, and 2D4 
  helmet lights. They will need batteries, but otherwise they work 
  just fine.
  50-52% Packages of Batteries: 3D6 packages of fresh batter-
  ies (six batteries per package) of various sizes.
  53-55% Tools: A metal box or rolling cart of basic hand tools, 
  used in carpentry, repairs, and electrical work. All of them are in 
  good condition.
  56-58% Protective Clothing: When people started coming 
  in by the busload with a strange disease, it was clear there was 
  an epidemic going around. What was not clear was how it was 
  transmitted. The relief center crew played it safe and dressed 
  head-to-toe in hazmat suits, masks, and rubber gloves. These 
  outfits protect the character from toxins, chemicals, the spread 
  of disease, and radiation, but they are flimsy and fragile and 
  useless in combat. If there are zombies around, some of them 
  might be wearing these suits. 2D6 hazmat suits plus 1D6+1 
  coveralls.
  59-61% Consumer Electronics: Laptops, smartphones, tab-
  let computers, video game systems. All of them laying around, 
  dead. If you can find a way to charge them, they might provide 
  a nice distraction, but they are otherwise useless. 2D6 of each.
  62-64% Thermal Blankets: 2D6 silver thermal blankets. 
  They aren’t pretty, but they will keep you warm on a cold night.
  65-67% Mosquito Netting: Set up like a large tent, these pro-
  tective screens keep bugs from eating you up while you sleep.
  68-70% Portable Cooking Station: Small pots, pans, and 
  utensils and a propane powered grill. Suitable for military use or 
  for camping.
  71-73% Basic Toiletries: 3D6 of each of the following: toi-
  let paper roll, toothpaste/brush, deodorant, shampoo/conditioner, 
  shaving razors/cream.
  74-76% Flares: 2D6 road flares; inflict one point of damage 
  as a weapon; or can be used to scare off one or two zombies.
  
  29
  77-79% Ambulance: 1D4 fully stocked ambulances are 
  parked near one of the main doors or bay doors! This could be 
  a huge find for a survivor community or something to trade to a 
  survivor community.
  80-82% Small Truck or White Panel Van: Roll to see what 
  is in the back: 01-20% medical supplies (G.M.’s discretion). 21-
  40% Food (G.M.’s discretion). 41-60% 1D6x10 body bags of 
  which half the zombies have already managed to escape from. 
  They are dormant until disturbed. 61-80% Empty except for 1D6 
  50 gallon (189 liter) drums of gasoline brought in for the emer-
  gency generators! 81-00% a sleeping survivor who took refuge 
  inside the back of the truck.
  83-85% Police Car: A police car, with the keys still in the 
  ignition. The car has no gas (it was left running). Inside the trunk 
  is a first aid kit, a shotgun with 30 rounds of ammo, a flashlight, 
  2D4 road flares, a thermos with cold coffee in it, two billy clubs 
  (inflict 1D6 damage), two bulletproof vests, spare tire, a tire iron 
  and a jack.
  86-88% SUV/Responder Vehicle: This is a rugged Sport 
  Utility Vehicle used by relief workers and rescue teams to get 
  through disaster sites, debris, light flooding, and zombies. It has a 
  half-tank of gasoline, but the keys are nowhere to be found.
  89-91% Shipping/Cargo Trucks: These 16-wheelers came 
  in loaded with supplies for the relief center. Roll to see what’s in 
  the back. At least half the truck is still loaded with supplies. 01-
  20% Water for drinking plus 1D6 cases of coffee, 1D4 cases of 
  powdered creamer, and a case of sugar packets. 21-40% Canned 
  food. 41-50% Dry food, mostly cereal and snack foods like Pop-
  Tarts and granola bars; all good for at least another 12-18 months. 
  51-60% Cleaning supplies like bleach, soaps, detergent, etc., and 
  includes 1D6 cases of toilet paper and 2D4 cases of paper tow-
  els. 61-70% Fresh linens: bed sheets, pillows, pillowcases, and 
  blankets or towels. 71-80% port-o-potties (never used; 4D6+20 
  of them). 81-00% The decaying remains of 1D6x100 dead bod-
  ies stacked from floor to ceiling inside the trailer of the truck, 
  of which 20% are zombies, dormant until disturbed. When the 
  doors are opened, the stench is horrific and will hit the living like 
  a ton of bricks. Roll to save vs non-lethal poison, 16 or higher. 
  Those who fail their roll are overwhelmed, gag and vomit, los-
  ing half their melee attacks, all combat bonuses are reduced by 
  half and no initiative for the entire melee round and for as long 
  as they stand within 10 feet (3 m) of those open doors. The zom-
  bies inside will try to attack but half are stuck under the weight 
  of the dead bodies. Still the few dozen that are able to crawl out 
  are trouble.
  92-94% Domestic Cleaning Supplies: 4D6 various bottles 
  and drums of soap, bleach and cleaning solutions used for clean-
  ing and sanitation.
  95-96% Weapons: Civilian Small Arms: 2D6 loaded pistols 
  and/or revolvers and an additional 1D4x10 rounds of ammunition 
  can be found after an hour of searching the facility. They may 
  have been confiscated and placed in a drawer or cabinet in one of 
  the offices, or found scattered among the belongings of the people 
  who were once in the facility.
  97-98% Weapons: Civilian: 1D6 loaded hunting rifles, 1D4 
  shotguns and 4D6 rounds of additional ammunition. The weap-
  ons may have been confiscated and placed in a cabinet, locker 
  or the corner in one of the offices, or found scattered among the 
  belongings of the people who were once in the facility or even 
  just laying on the floor where they were dropped when the person 
  fell victim to one of the newly risen dead.
  99-00% Weapons: Military/Law Enforcement: 2D4 loaded 
  assault rifles, one heavy sniper rifle, two combat shotguns and 
  1D4x10 additional rounds of ammunition for each weapon. In 
  the alternative, the military grade weapons are 2D6 smoke gre-
  nades, 1D6 tear gas grenades, 2D6 fragmentation hand grenades, 
  a flare gun with 1D4 extra flares, and 1D4 riot control shields and 
  batons. The weapons were brought into the facility by the police 
  or National Guard and probably belonged to forces assigned to 
  help defend the facility and/or maintain order there. These items 
  are likely to be found on the floor scattered throughout the facil-
  ity where they were dropped when the soldiers or police officers 
  fell victim to the risen dead as they suddenly began to rise and 
  attack en masse.
  Note: After several months have passed, at least 30% of the 
  emergency relief centers will have been completely looted of 
  valuables, especially the smaller facilities. Another 50% will have 
  been partially scavenged and looted, leaving 20% untouched. 
  There are two main reasons for this. One, most hospitals, schools, 
  stadiums and makeshift relief centers are located in the heart of 
  cities, where survivors must navigate through streets and build-
  ings filled with zombies just to get to the facility. Two, the fa-
  cilities themselves are likely to have a lot of zombies around and 
  inside the buildings, and many more zombies at the location still 
  trying to claw and chew their way out of body bags or find their 
  way out of rooms and hallways. Most of these facilities had many 
  hundreds if not thousands, even tens of thousands of sick people 
  and giant piles of dead bodies before the dead rose. Game Master 
  discretion as to what dangers and resources can be found at these 
  and similar locations, but a locked facility will be crawling with 
  hundreds or thousands of zombies – which is why it still has sup-
  plies. Odds are, the large facilities may just not be worth the risk 
  to open up. Even Zombie Slayers and Road Reapers often leave 
  these large buildings locked tight, even reinforcing the doors or 
  erecting barricades on the outside and spray painting warnings on 
  the walls, rather than unleash what could be thousands or tens of 
  thousands of zombies onto the streets. FYI Game Masters, this 
  and all notes and tables are guidelines for you to use as you deem 
  best for your player group and the adventures you are creating. 
  Use them as they are, change them, or create your own. Have fun.
  
  30
  Disasters
  By Taylor White and Kevin Siembieda
  The Wave is a catastrophe for mankind. A true apocalypse 
  by any standard. The animated dead turn that catastrophe into a 
  horror show that defies belief and makes disaster relief and re-
  covery that much more difficult. Humanity’s numbers have been 
  reduced to mere percentage points of what they once were. And 
  we are no longer at the top of the food chain. The living are now 
  the hunted. Hunted by packs of reanimated dead, smart zombies 
  and fellow survivors. The carnage alone has returned the Earth 
  to a state more similar to a time before mankind’s domination 
  over it. That becomes all the more evident with the passage of 
  time as lawns, parks, and gardens become overgrown, streets and 
  roads are not cleared of fallen trees and debris, and animals start 
  to resurge and fill in the gaps of the uninhabited cities and towns. 
  The streets are quiet now, except for the hungry dead that wander 
  them, and there is room for nature to creep back in.
  The natural world has been continuing on its own course, un-
  moved by the plight of humanity or the proclaimed reign of the 
  dead. Vegetation moves in, animals adapt, weather and nature 
  proceed unhindered.
  In the world before the Wave, government agencies and hu-
  manitarian organizations were there to mitigate disasters. There 
  were people who studied them extensively, learning how they 
  worked and what conditions caused disasters to come about, how 
  to be prepared for their impact and how best to respond in their 
  aftermath. Early warning systems were developed using high-
  tech devices and scientific methods. Regular folks were instruct-
  ed on how to protect themselves from disasters. Education and 
  communication prevented unnecessary deaths.
  When disaster struck, there were agencies on the scene to rescue 
  those who had been afflicted. Rescue workers and volunteers pulled 
  them out of the rubble, led them to relief centers, and helped them get 
  their lives back in order. Federal and state governments led recovery 
  efforts. Rubble and debris were swept away. Bodies were buried. 
  Memorial services were held for those who did not make it. Soon 
  enough, relief money came in, which instigated new construction. 
  Flowers grew over the ripped up earth. Ashes were washed away 
  from the wind and rain. People mourned, rebuilt, and life went on.
  Storms, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, volcanoes and earth-
  quakes still happen in this post-apocalyptic world. Only now there 
  are no advance telecasts or warnings of the oncoming danger. 
  While some of these natural events will trap, harm and destroy 
  zombies, it is the living who must endure the danger and hard-
  ships and bear the full brunt of such disasters. Weather patterns 
  are complicated phenomena that depend on a large list of fac-
  tors and conditions. Hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding and droughts 
  are still going to happen. Only now, there is no one to help pull 
  disaster-afflicted people out of the rubble. No rescue teams will 
  come to someone stranded in a flood, or trapped in a collapsed 
  house. Fires and floods rage unchecked. No one knows if a com-
  ing rainstorm will be a light sprinkle or herald the coming of a 
  terrible storm or tornado. Earthquakes can topple cities and there 
  is nothing anyone can do about it.
  Everyone is on their own. Survivors in the world since the 
  Wave are at the mercy of the elements. There are no more re-
  covery efforts except whatever the random survivor or survivor 
  community is willing to offer. Your fate may lay in the generosity 
  of a complete stranger.
  One of the real awful things about disasters, especially in the 
  world of Dead Reign, is that they tend to compound each other. 
  One disaster causes another, and things spiral into destruction 
  until finally, some kind of equilibrium is reached and things set-
  tle down. The aftermath of that can be total devastation. Heavy 
  rains may lead to flooding, which leads to a mud or rockslide 
  and/or the collapse of buildings and bridges whose foundations 
  are weakened; roads become covered in mud, rock, fallen trees 
  and all sorts of debris – including zombies still hungry for the 
  living washed away by the current. Signposts that still pointed 
  the way to cities and locations are knocked down or covered up. 
  High winds tear down electrical wires that might still have been 
  carrying power to homes or buildings. Fires are a whole other 
  story, burning down portions of wilderness and consuming entire 
  neighborhoods and downtown areas, because there is no one to 
  fight them. And fires may occur even during rainstorms.
  What is most regrettable is that disasters that kill the living, 
  rarely harm the walking dead. Fire, unless it consumes them com-
  pletely, does not destroy zombies, but does make their appear-
  ance more gruesome and create abominations like Fused Zom-
  bies and Walking Graves. Floods do not drown zombies, but they 
  may carry them to new locations where the dead can feed upon 
  the living after the waters subside. And sometimes one disaster 
  leads to another. For example, structure collapse is common to 
  both fire and floods, and fire may occur during rainstorms (often 
  from lightning strikes) and flooding.
  That said, sometimes, depending on the nature of the disaster, 
  nature helps survivors. In a fitting twist of nature’s ambivalence, 
  zombies are totally oblivious and helpless against most disasters. 
  And that is something the living can take advantage of. People 
  can take precautions, find shelter and try to flee a storm or disaster 
  that they recognize coming. Zombies are oblivious and, with a 
  few exceptions, never know what hits them. This can work to the 
  benefit of survivors if they act quickly. Flooding and storm surges 
  can temporarily wipe the streets mostly clean of the risen dead, 
  trapping them under debris, mud and rocks, or washing them 
  downriver or even out to sea. Fire chases zombies away. Both of 
  these incidences give the living the opportunity to rush in, once 
  the brunt of the disaster is over, to try to find valuable resources 
  that have not been destroyed by the catastrophe, or use it as a way 
  to try to reclaim a community while the number of zombies are 
  minimal. The biggest danger of trying to reclaim an area after 
  a flood is that it is probably vulnerable to future flooding, mud 
  slides and disasters, so building there is probably a bad idea.
  NO disaster, not fire, earthquake, flooding or overflowing riv-
  ers are going to eliminate all the zombies, not even close. Re-
  
  31
  member, the animated dead do not drown or suffer from expo-
  sure. Zombies automatically try to cling to objects like telephone 
  poles, buildings, and trees, so a good number of them hold on un-
  til the flooding comes to an end. Others are washed into a debris 
  pile, or carried to rooftops, and flounder until the water subsides 
  before slogging it back to town or the new area where the water 
  has taken them. Zombies trapped inside a building just float there 
  or are tossed about by the current, but again, do not drown and 
  are waiting inside when the water recedes and scavengers return 
  in search of supplies. In an earthquake, a zombie may be trapped 
  by debris, but does not die from its injuries nor from exposure or 
  lack of food and water. It waits, patiently, for prey to come within 
  its grasp. Likewise, fire may chase mobs of zombies away, but 
  when it is over, they come sauntering back to wander the black-
  ened ruins.
  Zombies hate fire and back off from it, but only so far. While 
  the zombies will try to keep ahead of the flames, they are likely to 
  only wander 1D6+6 blocks away (about a half mile to a mile/0.8 
  to 1.6 km). While that creates an area where survivors could sneak 
  in and try to salvage goods, they are fighting two ravenous mon-
  sters: the flames which may be coming their way and the zombies 
  blocking their escape. Zombies trapped inside a burning building 
  remain inside, confused and believing themselves safe until the 
  fire catches up with them. Zombies who do not see the fire from 
  inside a building do not try to vacate it until the fire reaches them. 
  For a zombie, if it cannot see the fire or feel its heat, it believes 
  itself safe from it. Worse, a zombie’s driving instinct is to kill 
  and feed, so unless the fire is an immediate threat, the monster 
  is likely to attack any living creature it happens upon, even as it 
  was trying to vacate the area. This means zombies remain a threat 
  even during a fire and most disasters, so while nature may cre-
  ate some opportunity for human survivors, it is not a cakewalk. 
  (Note: Buildings that catch fire are likely [90%] to burn down to 
  the ground, leaving nothing of value in their wake.)
  As noted earlier, a disaster can displace the zombies, taking 
  them someplace else and even dumping them near a survivor 
  camp, safe zone or someplace where zombies were not plentiful 
  prior to the event. They may be mangled, burned, drenched or 
  covered in filth, but they are still functioning zombies.
  The frequency at which disasters may occur in a game is en-
  tirely up to the Game Master and the particular circumstances 
  of the character group and storyline, but they should not be fre-
  quent. Flooding is likely to happen in flood plains, along rivers 
  and low-lying areas next to bodies of water, while tornadoes are 
  most common to the American Midwest, with the largest num-
  ber of tornadoes occurring in Tornado Alley (Texas, Oklahoma, 
  Kansas, Missouri, and Iowa) between May and September. Hur-
  ricanes in the USA hit the Gulf Coast States and East Coast, par-
  ticularly Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas, mainly from August 
  through November. Droughts and wildfires are common in the 
  Southwest and West Coast, with the greatest threat in the summer 
  and fall, June through October. Earthquakes can happen poten-
  tially anywhere, but in the USA, the strongest and most danger-
  ous are likely to occur west of the Rocky Mountains.
  Types of Disasters
  Note: In all cases, additional problems, penalties and disasters 
  related to a particular event or initial disaster, like flooding after 
  days of rain, is left to the sole discretion of the Game Master.
  Avalanche
  Blizzard
  Coastal Surge/Tidal Wave
  Crashing Space Debris
  Drought
  Dust or Sandstorm
  Earthquake
  Extreme Temperatures
  Fire: Urban
  Forest Fire/Wildfire
  Flooding
  Flash Flood
  Hurricane
  Landslide/Mudslide
  Nuclear Explosion
  Power Plant Failure
  Rain and Thunderstorms
  Sinkhole
  Structure Collapse
  Tornado
  Toxic Leakage
  Volcano
  Avalanche
  Avalanches can occur in elevated snowbound areas, high up 
  in the mountains or around the Poles. Snow slides or avalanches 
  occur when snow on the slopes of glaciers and mountains be-
  comes unstable and slides down in great sheets of rolling ice and 
  snow. They typically occur after heavy snowstorms when a layer 
  or “slab” of new snow is too heavy to stick to stable, packed snow 
  underneath. Avalanches are a threat in mountainous regions from 
  December through March.
  The weight of a traveler can dislodge a small area or cause a 
  slab to slide, causing a chain reaction that can send the side of a 
  mountain sliding downward. The loose snow avalanche begins in 
  a small area, not unlike rolling a snowball down a hill to make a 
  boulder. These avalanches travel at speeds of up to 100 miles per 
  hour (160 km)!
  Most victims die within a half hour from suffocation (6D6 
  minutes if not trained in Wilderness Survival), so the odds of 
  finding a person alive are poor. For one thing, it is like trying 
  to find a needle in a haystack. The buried individual could be 
  anywhere along the 2D6 mile (3.2 to 19.2 km) avalanche trail 
  and could be buried under as little as a foot (0.3 m) of snow to 
  60 feet (18.3 m) of it! Groups need to be equipped with shovels 
  and probes to locate and rescue the victim of an avalanche. Or the 
  
  32
  victim himself needs special equipment like a mirror or flashlight 
  to signal for help, or shovel, pick or hand axe to dig himself out.
  Avalanche Damage: In the real world, large avalanches cre-
  ate a wall of air in front of them that inflicts terrific concussive 
  force to everything in its path. Often, the sheer impact of this air 
  blast is enough to kill people and strip trees of their branches 
  in the case of large, fast-moving avalanches. Since it would not 
  be very dramatic to have heroes killed off in this manner, the 
  damage for player characters caught in an avalanche is scaled 
  down considerably. The air blast of a small avalanche inflicts 
  6D6 damage to everyone and everything caught in its path. The 
  blast from a medium avalanche inflicts 1D4x10 damage. The air 
  blast from a large avalanche inflicts 1D6x10 damage. A super-
  large avalanche inflicts 2D6x10 damage. Subtract damage from 
  S.D.C. first, and those inside a vehicle take half damage but will 
  have to break out the glass to be able to start digging out. That’s 
  if they can even determine which way is up!
  The crushing damage avalanches do to fixed, standing struc-
  tures from the sheer weight of the snow is far greater than the air 
  blast. Buildings, trees, and other such stationary structures suffer 
  the following damage: A small avalanche inflicts 2D6x10 dam-
  age to every structure. A medium avalanche does 1D4x100 dam-
  age. A large avalanche, 1D6x100 damage. Super-large avalanch-
  es do 3D6x100 damage. Note: In real life, the damage would be 
  ten times greater.
  Heroes caught in avalanches often are bounced around at 
  the forefront of the rushing snow, carried along the surface, and 
  are spared the brunt of the physical damage to be had. For player 
  characters, the greatest danger is not outright physical harm but 
  the suffocation that results from being buried alive in snow. Be-
  ing covered over by an avalanche completely immobilizes its vic-
  tims. They cannot even move their mouths to cry for help. The 
  only chance for survival a buried victim has is to be dug out by 
  friends or dig themselves out to effect an escape. Characters with-
  out the Wilderness Survival skill have 6D6 minutes before they 
  suffocate to death. Those with Wilderness Survival get 30+1D6 
  minutes per level of experience. As a rule of thumb, rescuers can 
  dig through packed, post-avalanche snow at a rate of one foot (0.3 
  m) per minute. If they have a shovel or other tool, they can dig out 
  two feet (0.6 m) per minute.
  To randomly determine how deeply the victim has been bur-
  ied, consult the following table:
  01-20%: Lucked out! Battered and bruised (damage as above), 
  but alive and on the surface of the snow. Visible to friends, rescu-
  ers and zombies.
  21-40%: Only 1D6 feet (0.3 to 1.8 m) from the surface. This 
  is still enough to kill. Plenty of avalanche victims die under just a 
  few inches of snow, but the character has a chance.
  41-60%: Could be worse. Buried 3D4 feet (0.9 to 3.6 m) from 
  the surface – or – trapped, pinned by debris or heavy tree branch-
  es, slab of ice, etc. If the character is trapped, he has two big con-
  cerns: 1. freezing to death or 2. being found and slain by zombies.
  61-80% Buried deep. 3D6+10 feet (3.9 to 8.5 m) from the 
  surface. Survival seems unlikely.
  81-90%: Bad News. 5D6+15 feet (6.1 to 14 m) from the sur-
  face. The chance for rescue is slim to none.
  91-00%: Deep Sixed! 6D6+26 feet (9.5 to 19 m) from the 
  surface. This character meets his end under the snow.
  People who are caught in one of these disasters have little 
  chance of rescue. Unfortunately, if they are not buried too deep, 
  someone covered in snow may be still within the zombies’ sens-
  ing range (10 feet/3 m under snow). The question is, do the zom-
  bies who are able to sense the life essence know enough to dig 
  down into the snow to locate a helpless victim? In most cases, 
  the answer is no, unless there is a Thinker or other smart zombie 
  to lead them. However, the monsters are likely to moan, gather 
  and stand over the location of the victim trapped under the snow. 
  Note: This can provide a valuable clue to any would-be rescu-
  ers, provided they can fight off the zombies to begin digging for 
  survivors.
  Effects on Zombies: Zombies take half damage from an ava-
  lanche and do NOT suffocate. They may be trapped and buried 
  under tons of snow for months or years. A buried zombie may 
  try to dig its way out if it can, but probably gives up after a few 
  hours and goes dormant until the snow melts or it is accidentally 
  dug up.
  This Disaster May Be Accompanied By: Extreme Tempera-
  ture (cold), Flooding, Mudslide and Structure Collapse (heavy 
  snow may cause roofs to cave in). Mudslides and floods have the 
  same root cause: heavy rainfall or when snow melts too rapidly. 
  When the frozen earth cannot defrost fast enough to absorb the 
  water from a rapid thaw, Flooding or Flash Floods and/or Mud-
  slides result.
  Blizzard
  Blizzards are severe winter storms made up of blowing and 
  drifting snow and sustained high winds of 50 mph (80 km). There 
  is a six inch (0.15 m) accumulation of snow every hour.
  Duration: Blizzards usually last for 3D4 hours and can para-
  lyze a region by covering it in snow. Sometimes there are small 
  lulls in the activity lasting 5D6 minutes before the wind and 
  heavy snow returns.
  Visibility: Terrible. You can only see 8 feet (2.4 m) in front 
  of your nose, and the roaring wind makes it difficult to verbally 
  communicate beyond that distance. This means people out in 
  the blizzard are unable to see or hear approaching danger more 
  than 8 feet (2.4 m) away. Threats from other humans and animals 
  should be minimal, as most seek shelter and wait for the storm 
  to blow over, and those out in it are under identical penalties. 
  Zombies, however, can function relatively unhindered during a 
  blizzard. The cold does not bother them much, perhaps reducing 
  their speed by as much as half, and they can find living victims 
  by sensing their living presence. HOWEVER, a blizzard reduces 
  their unnatural sight and sensing abilities by half. Still, that is 
  better than a human and you would not know there were zombies 
  coming during a blizzard until they were right on top of you – 
  within that 8 foot (2.4 m) range of visibility.
  
  33
  Other Penalties for Humans in a Blizzard: Reduce Spd by 
  60%, -1 attack per melee round and vision, including special op-
  tical equipment, is limited to 8 feet (2.4 m). All combat bonuses 
  are reduced by half, and shooting at targets more than 8 feet (2.4 
  m) away is the same as Shooting Wild (no bonuses apply and -4 to 
  strike); -90% to Land Navigation, Tracking, and Transportation/
  Driving skills, -20% to all other skills being performed outdoors 
  in a blizzard.
  Damage: 1D6+4 damage per 30 minutes for characters who 
  are not properly outfitted for the blistering wind, cold and wet 
  snow. Anyone stuck outside during a blizzard is not likely to sur-
  vive for very long without warm clothing and some kind of shel-
  ter. Hypothermia can set in quickly, and death follows soon after. 
  Wearing a thick coat, hat, gloves, and boots protects the charac-
  ter, as will a very sturdy tent or building. So will a cave, tunnel, 
  sewer, etc., except the entrance/exit is likely to become covered 
  with heavy snow; too much snow to push through or even dig 
  out from under. Thus the risk of becoming trapped; a real danger 
  if the characters do not have food or if there are zombies or bad 
  guys trapped somewhere inside with them.
  The Effects of a Blizzard on Zombies: Severe cold does not 
  have much impact on zombies, but when compounded by ice and 
  snow, blizzard conditions can slow them down considerably. Ac-
  cumulated ground snow covers trails, transforms the landscape, 
  and is likely to confuse zombies, causing them to walk in circles, 
  turn back the way they came, fall into and get stuck in tall snow-
  drifts where they may become buried in the snow. Ice and freez-
  ing rain hit them and do not melt, instead covering their cold bod-
  ies with a layer of ice the same as your car. If the blizzard persists 
  for more than a few hours, zombies may go dormant, curling up 
  into a ball or just sitting or standing in one spot. This may lead 
  to them becoming completely covered and buried in snow, and 
  invisible to people. The monsters moving out of the snow only to 
  attack the living when they sense one nearby. That can be a seri-
  ous problem after any heavy snow. Dormant zombies that remain 
  under snow for more than a week or two may become entombed 
  by melting snow that freezes into ice. Some may be stuck in place 
  until there is a great thaw. Windblown snowdrifts that can reach 
  1D6+4 feet (1.5 to 3 m) in height (more sometimes), and the risk 
  of Avalanches and roofs and tents caving in from the weight of 
  the snow.
  This Disaster May Be Accompanied By: Extreme Tempera-
  ture (cold), Flooding, Flash Floods, Landslide/Mudslide and 
  Structure Collapse (heavy snow my cause roofs to cave in). Mud-
  slides and floods have the same root cause: heavy rainfall or when 
  snow melts too rapidly. When the frozen earth cannot defrost 
  fast enough to absorb the water from a rapid thaw, Flooding or a 
  Flash Flood and/or a Mudslide may result.
  Coastal Surge/Tidal Wave/Tsunami
  Although these disasters have different origins, the end result 
  is fundamentally the same. A massive amount of water is dis-
  placed from an ocean or large lake, and washed ashore with ter-
  rible force. The water causes flooding far inland, carrying boats, 
  automobiles, bikes, picnic tables, and other objects, as well as 
  people, away in powerful torrents of rushing water. Uprooted 
  trees, sheds, fences and other weak structures collapse under the 
  force of the water to become more floating debris to slam into 
  buildings, boats, and people, causing more damage and injury by 
  the rushing water. Crops, gardens, some trees, and light structures 
  are likely to be completely destroyed. Cars, debris, people, pets 
  and livestock are also swept away, and the foundations of build-
  ings weakened and their interiors flooded up to 30 feet (9.1 m) 
  high.
  Coastal Surges happen during storms, usually coming in when 
  a hurricane or tsunami (caused by an earthquake out at sea) hits 
  landfall. Wind and pressure drive the water ashore with the force 
  of a bulldozer.
  Tsunamis are the result of undersea earthquakes. The rising, 
  falling and scraping together of continental plates causes a tre-
  mendous release of energy that is transferred into the water. Un-
  like a coastal surge, which moves water only along the surface, 
  tsunamis carry water like a wall through the ocean. This water 
  can travel for thousands of miles until it hits land, drenching and 
  smashing everything in its way. Tidal waves is another name for 
  tsunamis, but is also used as a more generic term for giant waves 
  caused by things other than an earthquake, such as a hurricane or 
  other powerful storm, underwater volcano, powerful underwater 
  explosion, waves rushing in from a collapsed levy or dam, etc.
  In the days before the Wave, early warning systems alerted 
  people to possible high waves, tsunamis, and off shore storms. 
  Now all of that is gone. The only warning people have is to watch 
  the seas and sky, and hope for the best.
  Tidal Surge Damage: Being smashed by a such a wave does 
  1D4x10 damage and has a 01-40% chance of knocking human 
  victims unconscious. Unless rescued quickly, unconscious vic-
  tims are carried off by the wave and drown. Everyone struck by 
  the wave is knocked off their feet – humans, animals and zombies 
  – and swept away by the powerful current.
  Living people swept up by the wave suffer an additional 1D6 
  damage per every two minutes from being struck by floating de-
  bris and knocked around. The most ideal survival mechanism is 
  to find a tree or building to clutch onto and climb above the water 
  level. But even that is no guarantee of survival. Clinging to de-
  bris or being in a small boat is no help as they are carried away 
  by the wave at great speed and force, making them impossible to 
  control or keep from capsizing or from being struck or crushed 
  by heavy debris.
  Characters can try to swim or climb out of the mess, but they 
  do so with a -45% penalty! The best option is to try to hold on to 
  something and get rescued, except in the post-apocalyptic world, 
  there are no organized or government relief efforts. If a character 
  can grab onto something stable, he can hold on for one minute per 
  point of Physical Endurance (P.E.). After this time he is simply 
  too exhausted and is swept away by the force of the water. Ex-
  hausted characters stuck in water are in serious danger of drown-
  ing or getting battered to death by debris in the swirling water.
  
  34
  Large objects like cars and buildings take 4D6 damage per 
  every hour.
  Effects on Zombies: Zombies are too slow to escape a surge 
  or tsunami wave, and most would not even try. They usually end 
  up being washed away with the rest of the debris, buried or car-
  ried off. After the flooding recedes, zombies that can get back up, 
  do so, as if nothing happened. Those that do not wander off in 
  any given direction, go dormant until a living victim comes near. 
  Zombies pinned by wreckage or buried under mud and silt lay 
  dormant until some unsuspecting human accidentally unearths 
  them.
  This Disaster May Be Accompanied By: Flooding, Structure 
  Collapse, Fires, and Toxic Leakage.
  Crashing Space Debris
  It was estimated that there were over 13,000 artificial satel-
  lites, both active and inactive, circling the Earth when the Wave 
  hit. On top of that are hundreds of thousands of various pieces of 
  orbiting space junk. In the days before the Zombie Apocalypse, 
  all of these objects were tracked and catalogued. These satellites 
  were the remains of the age of space exploration, and were the 
  backbone of the modern telecommunications infrastructure (cell 
  phones, global internet, satellite TV, and so on). Most of it will 
  just sit up there for millions of years before finally falling back to 
  Earth or being cast out into deep space. Some of it, however, will 
  come crashing down like a meteor, much sooner.
  Without people in stations on the ground to keep tabs on these 
  satellites, their trajectories eventually cause them to smash into 
  each other or slide lower and lower until they enter Earth’s at-
  mosphere. Once a satellite or piece of space junk gets knocked 
  off course, it hits others. Those errant satellites and junk fly off 
  and hit more, which fly off and hit more. Soon a relatively safe 
  orbit-space becomes a demolition derby of exploding space de-
  bris. Over the years, many are guaranteed to fall back to Earth. 
  Thankfully, most will either burn up on re-entry or fall harm-
  lessly into the ocean.
  Still, there is a certainty that some crashing space debris will 
  hit land. A large number of those that do should hit wilderness 
  areas where the damage they cause should be minimal. Some, 
  though, will hit cities, towns, highways, bridges, and may even 
  fall smack into the middle of a survivor camp. Some debris ex-
  ploding on re-entry will scatter flaming metal chunks over hun-
  dreds of miles and may start a number of fires.
  Due to the sheer number of orbiting artificial satellites and de-
  bris, they continue to fall for decades. Without any defense or 
  warning system, survivors and zombies may fall victim to a piece 
  of space junk that falls on their heads. Player characters who spot 
  the crashing debris in time should get a chance to find shelter or 
  even dodge out of the way. In most cases, the falling man-made 
  debris resembles a meteor or meteor shower falling harmlessly to 
  Earth from a safe distance.
  Damage: Depends largely on the size of the debris. Satellites 
  come in all kinds of sizes, and many shatter into much smaller 
  pieces during re-entry. Small debris under the size of a softball 
  does 5D6 damage and is burning hot to the touch. Medium-sized 
  space debris is around the size of a loaf of bread and inflicts 
  1D6x10 damage. Larger debris, up to the size of a microwave 
  oven or carry-on luggage, causes 3D6x10 damage. Debris up 
  to the size of a car causes 2D4x100 damage, but is quite rare. 
  A massive piece of space junk is super-rare, but would inflict 
  1D6x1,000 damage.
  Effects on Zombies: Zombies, like people and structures, take 
  the damage listed from crashing space debris. While humans 
  should notice the blazing debris rocketing to earth, zombies do 
  not notice something falling from the sky until it smashes right 
  into them or nearby. The landing of space debris creates a loud 
  explosion, shakes the earth and attracts 1D6x100 zombies in a 
  city/urban environment or 1D6x10 in a rural setting. If the burn-
  ing hot space junk should crash in an area with dry vegetation, 
  there is a 01-50% chance it starts a grass or forest fire.
  This Disaster May Be Accompanied By: Structure Collapse/
  Fires, Wildfires, and Toxic Leakage (radiation from old satel-
  lites).
  Drought
  Drought is when a region is experiencing a lack of water for an 
  extended period of time. When there is no rain for weeks, months 
  or years at locations that are used to seeing a more regular series 
  of rainfall events, that is drought. Droughts can be so severe that 
  rivers and lakes can completely dry up, leaving bare beds of sedi-
  ment and rock. The plants and animals and people that depend 
  on that water and vegetation or wilderness have a much harder 
  time surviving without it. In the past, droughts have contributed 
  to the mass migrations of people and groups of species. Faced 
  with long-term drought, many animals, including humans, had to 
  move to find other water sources and environments to hunt and 
  grow crops, or die.
  Modern civilization, through irrigation and aqueducts, carried 
  water to regions that did not normally have it. When the turbines 
  that power those systems are left unattended or their operators 
  killed by the Wave and turned into zombies, many places have 
  started to become barren again; some even becoming dust bowls 
  and deserts.
  Survivors of the Zombie Apocalypse are at the mercy of 
  drought conditions and may have to take drastic steps to secure 
  water at some locations. If a drought lasts more than six months, 
  walled towns and bunkers might have to be abandoned, no matter 
  how safe.
  
  35
  Droughts kill plant life, causing them to shrivel and dry up. 
  Dry, dead plants become kindling for brush fires after four weeks 
  without rain. There is a 01-45% chance of a brush fire turning 
  into an inferno that could consume tens of thousands of acres; 
  roll once per week. All it would take is one lightning storm or 
  careless spark to set a drought-ravaged region ablaze. It is not 
  just wilderness and rural areas that are in danger. A brush fire can 
  start just as easily in an urban setting. Once a schoolyard, park 
  or home catches fire, the flames are likely to leap from house to 
  house, building to building, and burn down entire neighborhoods 
  and city blocks. No building, large or small, is safe, especially in 
  a drought.
  Drought Damage: 1D4x10 damage to plant life per week of 
  drought. Dehydration does serious damage to people and ani-
  mals, 2D6 direct to Hit Points every day without any water dur-
  ing hot, drought conditions. The G.M. and players may want to 
  assume that player characters are getting enough water to stave 
  off dehydration even during a drought. Then again, the search 
  for drinking water could be a good scavenger adventure that can 
  lead to all sorts of travels, trouble and adventure. See Fire, for 
  fire damage.
  Effects on Zombies: Drought has no effect on zombies other 
  than drying them out and making them smell a little less nasty. 
  Long-term drought works to preserve and partially mummify 
  zombies, especially those that have gone dormant. Mummified 
  zombies have a cracked, wrinkled and leathery appearance, but 
  are otherwise the same. Zombies are, of course, very vulnerable 
  to fire and try to avoid it.
  This Disaster May Be Accompanied By: Dust Storms, Ex-
  treme Temperatures (heat), and Wildfires.
  Dust or Sandstorm
  Dust storms occur when heavy winds blow across a sandy or 
  arid region and pick up particulate minerals, dust and sand on the 
  way. These particles hang in the air and coalesce into massive 
  clouds that can blow over entire cities.
  For game purposes, dust and sandstorms are nearly identical 
  to blizzards as far as visibility, reduced hearing and navigation 
  are concerned. There is no extreme cold or snow accumulation to 
  deal with, but there is the problem of dust and sand getting into 
  everything, stinging the skin and getting into the eyes and lungs. 
  Dust and grit does coat everything, though nothing like snow, 
  but since it does not just melt like snow and ice, they needs to be 
  cleaned off. Once it gets inside your clothes, vehicles, and weap-
  ons, it is stuck there until you clean it out.
  Although dust storms are not too directly harmful to people 
  without adequate protection, it can cause choking, temporary 
  blindness and even long-term problems.
  Duration: Dust storms last for 1D6 hours and can paralyze 
  a region by reducing visibility and covering surfaces in dust or 
  sand.
  Visibility: Terrible. You can only see 8 feet (2.4 m) in front 
  of your face. The roaring wind makes it difficult to verbally com-
  municate beyond that distance, and opening one’s mouth without 
  a protective covering results in a mouth full of dust and grit.
  People caught in the storm are unable to see or hear approach-
  ing danger. Threats from other humans and animals should be 
  minimal, as most seek shelter and wait for the storm to blow 
  over and those out in it are under identical penalties. Zombies, 
  however, can function relatively unhindered during a dust storm. 
  Their ability to see and hear is reduced by the dust and wind, but 
  the dust does NOT hurt their eyes nor make them cough or gag. 
  They are still able to find living victims by sensing their presence 
  and life energy. HOWEVER, a dust or sandstorm reduces their 
  sensing abilities by half. Still, that is better than a human, and 
  you would not know there were zombies coming during the dust 
  storm until they were right on top of you – within that 8 foot (2.4 
  m) range of visibility.
  Penalties for Humans in a Dust Storm: Choking: Dust and grit 
  that gets inside the nose, throat, and lungs may cause coughing 
  and difficulty breathing, and may bring on an asthma attack for 
  people who suffer from asthma or other respiratory conditions. A 
  coughing fit lasts 1D4 melee rounds (15-60 seconds).
  During a coughing fit, the individual loses half his melee at-
  tacks, and all combat maneuvers are -2 (i.e. -2 to strike, parry, 
  dodge, etc.). There is a 40% chance of getting dust or grit in the 
  air passages that causes momentary choking/coughing every time 
  you try to speak outside in the storm; 60% when shouting.
  Penalties for Temporary Blindness from Grit in a Dust Storm: 
  The eyes also need protective coverings, ideally goggles or glass-
  es. A brimmed hat, whether it is a baseball cap, cowboy hat or 
  fedora, pulled down low, and keeping the head tilted down and 
  away from the wind is also helpful in protecting the eyes and 
  face, as well as keeping dirt out of the hair. Trying to see in a dust 
  storm requires eye protection, even if it means covering your eyes 
  with your hands, looking down, squinting and peeking out from 
  behind them; -4 on Perception Rolls and -2 to all combat rolls.
  Getting grit in the eyes hurts, and causes the eyes to close 
  and water profusely. Trying to open them is difficult and only 
  sustainable for a second before being forced to close them 
  again. During that second, the victim can only catch a glimpse 
  of the world around him and that image will be blurry from the 
  watering eyes.
  Obscured vision and irritation occurs when grit gets under the 
  eyelid or into the corner of the eye. Penalties apply even if only 
  one eye is directly affected by grit: -7 to strike, parry, dodge, etc., 
  until the eye is washed free of the grit; -10 if both eyes are af-
  fected. Note: There is a 66% chance of getting dust or grit in the 
  eyes every time the character looks up or into the wind, or every 
  five minutes when looking down and covering the eyes with his 
  hands, a hat, cloth, etc. No danger of grit and blindness when 
  the eyes are covered by goggles, and low risk when protected by 
  eyeglasses of any kind (12%).
  Duration: The eyes cannot be restored to normal vision until 
  they are flushed clean with water or a solution made for cleaning 
  eyes in a soothing way. Either should work equally well, and the 
  vision is cleared within one melee round (15 seconds). Cleaning 
  
  36
  the eyes free of grit must be done away from the wind, otherwise 
  more blowing dust and grit will get in the eyes.
  Other Penalties for Humans in a Dust or Sandstorm: Reduce 
  Spd by 60%, -1 attack per melee round, and visibility, including 
  special optical equipment, is limited to 8 feet (2.4 m). -2 to all 
  combat bonuses, and shooting at targets more than 8 feet (2.4 m) 
  away is the same as Shooting Wild (no bonuses apply and -4 to 
  strike). -90% to Land Navigation, Tracking, and Transportation/
  Driving skills, -20% to all other skills being performed outdoors 
  in a dust or sandstorm.
  Dust Storm Damage: Minimal; 1D4 per hour spent outside. 
  Young or fragile plants, usually crops, take 1D6 damage per hour.
  Effects on Zombies: Zombies are unaffected by dust and sand-
  storms. The flying sand may pit their skin and cover them in dust, 
  sand or dirt, but does not hurt them at all.
  Disaster May Be Accompanied By: Drought, Extreme Tem-
  peratures, and Rain/Thunderstorm.
  after another. Those that occur after a big earthquake are called 
  aftershocks, and gradually taper off in severity and frequency.
  Moving around during an earthquake is difficult to impossible. 
  Speed is reduced by 1D4x10+40 percent, and driving requires a 
  Control Roll at -35%. A failed roll means the vehicle crashes.
  Damage: Varies depending on the location/environment 
  where the earthquake occurs and severity of the activity. Damage 
  that does take place is inflicted upon the ground itself, sometime 
  toppling trees and causing rock, earth and mudslides in tall hills 
  and mountainous areas, and to structures such as roads and build-
  ings. It is falling debris and the collapse of walls, towers, bridges 
  and buildings that inflict injury upon people and animals. Thus, 
  people living in urban areas are in the greatest danger of injury 
  and death caused by an earthquake.
  Low-magnitude quakes (4 or less on the Richter Scale), if 
  they can be felt at all, cause minimal damage: 2D6 to structures 
  and 1D6 to people hit by falling objects.
  Medium-level quakes (5 to 6 on the Richter Scale) may 
  cause extensive damage to homes, roads, bridges, and other 
  buildings: 3D6x10 every melee round (15 seconds). People 
  are in great danger during this time and need to take shelter 
  under an arch or head outside into an open area away from 
  falling debris. The problem is that the quake happens out of 
  the blue and lasts only 1D4 melee rounds, so it is difficult to 
  move very far.
  The greatest danger is from falling debris or half of a building 
  crashing down on you! Characters who are indoors must make a 
  dodge roll of 14 or better or take 4D6 damage from falling debris 
  every melee round that the earth is moving.
  Characters can try to reduce damage via roll with impact 
  (needs a 14 or higher to save). A successful roll with impact 
  means they take half damage, but may still be trapped/pinned.
  If the entire building collapses, there is still a chance that the 
  character has an avenue of escape.
  Roll 1D20: 01-08 means the character(s) is alive but trapped 
  and needs help from others to be dug out.
  09-20 means the character survives and has a clear path by 
  which he can crawl out to safety on hands and knees! However, 
  any large equipment or vehicle is crushed or pinned under tons of 
  debris. Get to safety before there is another quake. Roll again for 
  each possible earthquake aftershock to see if the situation wors-
  ens.
  It takes a combined P.S. of 60-100 points, or heavy machinery, 
  to rescue a character who has become pinned by debris. Locat-
  ing people who have been buried by fallen buildings is difficult, 
  dangerous, and consumes precious time that the victim may not 
  have. Dogs, drones, and even local zombies can be used to find 
  people trapped under rubble.
  Heavy-magnitude earthquakes (7 to 11 on the Richter 
  Scale) can reduce a modern city to rubble, toppling even the 
  strongest and tallest buildings: 3D6x100 damage every melee 
  round (15 seconds).
  Characters who are indoors must make a dodge roll of 16 or 
  better or take 1D4x10 damage from falling debris every melee 
  Earthquake
  Earthquakes occur when tectonic plates in the Earth’s crust 
  slide and shift against each other. The result is a release of incred-
  ible amounts of energy that ripples across the planet’s surface. 
  It feels like a violent shaking of the ground beneath your feet, 
  although this shaking rarely lasts more than a minute (60 sec-
  onds). (Roll 1D6 to determine how many melee rounds the quake 
  lasts.) The destruction caused by an earthquake is most devastat-
  ing to cities and towns. Although earthquakes are most common 
  along the fault lines where tectonic plates meet, their effects can 
  be felt hundreds of miles (kilometers) away. Nearly every place 
  on Earth is vulnerable to earthquakes, though some more than 
  others, such as the West Coast of the USA and Canada.
  Earthquakes almost always occur without warning, though 
  one or several minor quakes (4.5 or under on the Richter Scale) 
  may foreshadow a greater one. Quakes can come in groups, one 
  
  37
  round that the ground is moving. If the entire building collapses 
  there is still a chance that the character has an avenue of escape.
  Roll 1D20: 01-11 means the character(s) is alive but trapped 
  and needs help from others to be dug out.
  12-20 means the character survives and has a clear path in 
  which he can crawl out to safety on hands and knees! However, 
  any large equipment or vehicle is crushed and destroyed under 
  tons of debris. Get to safety before there is another quake. Roll 
  again for each possible aftershock to see if the situation wors-
  ens. The character may continue to take damage from injuries 
  and blood loss.
  Note: Walking around inside or even within the shadow of a 
  collapsed building after a heavy-magnitude earthquake is danger-
  ous in the extreme. The structure is unstable and shifting weight 
  and stress can make more of it break loose to topple more de-
  bris on the area and people below. Likewise, a floor that is still 
  standing or has pockets in which people may have survived, can 
  continue to weaken and collapse. Each collapse or falling debris 
  is the equivalent of a Medium Earthquake as far as damage to 
  characters and the chance of getting pinned inside or under fall-
  ing debris is concerned.
  Effects on Zombies: Zombies lose their balance during an 
  earthquake and fall over. Zombies are too awkward and dumb 
  to try to pick themselves up off the ground quickly or to run for 
  cover, and do not move until the shaking has passed. The only ex-
  ceptions are Thinkers, Mock Zombies and Fast Attack Zombies. 
  This can buy survivors precious time to get away, provided they 
  can manage to stay on their own feet and avoid falling debris. 
  Zombies inside collapsing structures take damage and may be-
  come pinned or completely buried. If they can manage to squeeze 
  out, they will, even if they have to leave behind some of their 
  body parts and become armless or even a legless Crawler. If they 
  cannot escape, the zombies go dormant, awakening and attacking 
  any human (rescuer or looter) who happens to unearth them.
  Optional: Roll 1D20 to determine the zombie’s fate as 
  follows. G.M.s can roll for specific zombies or massive groups 
  of them: 01-05 The zombie’s (or a group of zombies’) head(s) 
  is crushed and the monster(s) is killed! 06-10 The zombie(s) is 
  pinned and cannot escape unless someone deliberately works to 
  dig it out and set it free; goes dormant. 11-15 The zombie(s) is 
  pinned and can only escape if it tears itself in half (takes 1D4 
  hours) and squirms free as a Crawler. 16-20 The zombie(s) man-
  ages to escape unscathed and continues to roam the ruins in 
  search of the living to feed upon. People pinned in the debris are 
  the first to fall victim to scavenging zombies.
  This Disaster May Be Accompanied By: Structure Collapse, 
  Fires: Urban, Sinkholes, Toxic Leakage, Landslide, Volcano 
  (quakes sometimes precede an eruption), and Tsunami, but the 
  latter only if the quake occurred in the ocean’s depths. Flooding 
  may occur if a dam or reservoir was compromised and the water 
  spills into an inhabited area.
  A unique, rare effect of earthquakes is the liquefaction of the 
  soil. This is when groundwater is shaken to the surface, which 
  pools and creates muddy holes that can swallow cars, buildings, 
  and people (and zombies), causing Sinkholes and Landslides (the 
  latter only in elevated areas). Liquefaction also sometimes brings 
  things to the surface, like coffins, old cars, rock and junk.
  Extreme Temperatures
  Extreme temperatures can threaten any place on Earth, but 
  some places are so inhospitable that few people have ever dared 
  to venture there, much less eke out an extended existence. Des-
  erts and polar regions are some such places. Even now, those 
  regions are more or less empty of people; less than one human 
  being per hundred square miles (259 square km). Only the brav-
  est or most well-prepared survivors exist in these places, where 
  zombies are few, but the weather is fierce and the living is hard.
  The majority of survivors live in more temperate climates, 
  just as they did before the Zombie Apocalypse. Even though the 
  weather and temperatures may be on the side of the survivors 
  most of the time, extreme fluctuations are not uncommon. It still 
  gets as hot or as cold in Michigan or Kentucky or California or 
  New York or Canada or Mexico as it ever did. There will be times 
  where the outside world is not friendly to survivors. Heat waves, 
  cold snaps, polar vortexes, and warm fronts all continue to occur 
  and cause problems for people. There may be days of 110 degrees 
  Fahrenheit (43.3 C) and high humidity, during which characters 
  need to be active: scrounging, traveling, or fighting for their lives.
  Damage and Penalties: For the most part, being exposed to 
  extreme temperatures for a short time or under controlled condi-
  tions does little damage, but makes characters ill-tempered and 
  prone to complaining, outbursts and brawls. As long as a person 
  dresses appropriately for the weather, and keeps himself fed and 
  hydrated, especially hydrated, most people do not suffer lasting 
  or life threatening issues. The worst of it may be a fist-fight be-
  tween a chronic complainer and someone who wants to shut him 
  up.
  Survivors are vulnerable to extreme temperatures when they 
  are left to the elements for a long period of time and without 
  proper attire, food or water, such as traveling through the desert 
  or a snowfield with no protection, or being exposed to very ex-
  treme temperatures for a short period of time, such as a burning 
  building, wildfire, or winter storm. Taking precautions, like hav-
  ing appropriate clothing, wilderness survival skills, food, water, 
  proper shelter and taking frequent rest stops, usually protects a 
  character against extreme temperatures. The Wilderness Survival 
  skill comes in very handy for dealing with extreme temperatures 
  and other hostile conditions.
  If the character is in danger from the elements, he can make 
  a saving throw versus Extreme Temperatures. A 14 or higher is 
  required to save and Physical Endurance bonuses apply. If the 
  character makes the save, he only takes half the penalties and 
  the minimum amount of damage (no more than half damage). 
  Failing the save means the character suffers a -20% penalty to all 
  skills, reduce his Spd by half, reduce combat bonuses and attacks 
  per melee by half, and the individual suffers 2D6 damage every 
  1D6+12 hours in extreme heat or cold. Start by subtracting from 
  
  38
  S.D.C., then Hit Points. These rules are a quick, simple way to 
  determine penalties and damage without going into the specifics 
  of hypothermia, frostbite and heat exhaustion, dehydration or dy-
  ing of thirst. (The latter can happen in 3-4 days without water!)
  Effect on Zombies: Zombies are totally unaffected by extreme 
  temperatures. They are more like objects, dead things, than liv-
  ing beings. Heat, humidity, and below-zero cold means nothing 
  to them.
  This Disaster May Be Accompanied By: Drought, Blizzard, 
  Rain/Thunderstorm, Hurricane, Tornadoes, Dust Storm or any of 
  the disasters that leaves the character trapped and/or exposed to 
  harsh conditions and extreme temperatures.
  Fire: Urban
  – Buildings and Homes
  Fires have devastated towns and cities since the apocalypse 
  first started. Rescue crews, including volunteers, were over-
  whelmed with the number of fires that broke out after the dead 
  rose. Many were left unchecked and brought down entire neigh-
  borhoods. Since then, new fires have started from lightning 
  strikes, careless survivors, and battles with raiders or zombies. 
  Most of these blazes got too big too fast for anyone to control 
  and were left to rage, taking down anything they touched that 
  could burn.
  Oil refineries and natural gas plants shut down months after 
  the Wave. Many of them have exploded or burned to cinders 
  since then. These plants were sprawling, and they became infer-
  nos once they ignited. Some continue to burn and will likely keep 
  burning for months ahead. The smoke and smell can be detected 
  for 1D6x10 miles (16 km to 96 km) all around.
  Visibility, Smoke: Visibility inside a burning structure is ter-
  rible. Humans can only see 5 feet (1.5 m) in front of their nose, 
  and even that is blurry and obscured; equal to partial blindness 
  (-5 to strike, parry, dodge, etc.), and are -50% to Land Navigation 
  skill while inside the structure to find an exit, stairs, window, a 
  specific room, a specific item or other people. Only characters 
  with passive nightvision optic systems are not affected by partial 
  blindness penalties, but visibility is still limited to only about 100 
  feet (30.5 m) and may be affected by the heat and fire, making 
  it impossible to see in or beyond brightly lit areas (i.e., lit by the 
  fire). Note: Infrared optics cannot see through smoke as the par-
  ticles in the air block the infrared beam.
  More Smoke Penalties to Humans: The lack of breathable air 
  and airborne particles causes people to gasp, choke and suffer 
  difficulty breathing. If trapped in a smoke filled area where fire is 
  devouring the available oxygen, the people will suffocate.
  Coughing and gasping for air reduces Spd by 20%, the indi-
  vidual loses half his melee attacks, is -3 on Perception Rolls and 
  continues to take damage every melee round, see below. This 
  lasts for as long as the victim(s) is trapped in a smoke-filled area, 
  or until a breathing apparatus and oxygen or fresh air is available. 
  Only characters with breathing gear (gas masks and oxygen sup-
  plies) are NOT affected by smoke penalties.
  Smoke Damage: Injury and death from a structure on fire is 
  more likely to happen from smoke inhalation long before the fire 
  itself reaches people trapped inside a burning building. Fire con-
  sumes all of the oxygen, replacing it with choking smoke. When 
  houses and buildings burn, the structure and the flammable mate-
  rial inside (furniture, carpeting, linens, drapery, clothing, plastic, 
  etc.) releases a thick, black smoke. When a survivor sees plumes 
  of black smoke in the distance, he knows a house, building or 
  entire neighborhood is on fire.
  Characters who are caught in a burning structure are partially 
  blinded (see Visibility, above) and suffer 1D4 damage every me-
  lee round (15 seconds), or 4D4 per minute, from the suffocating 
  smoke, fumes and lack of oxygen! That’s why people trapped in 
  a fire are told to, a) crawl along the floor, because heat and smoke 
  rise, so low to the ground/floor is where the most breathable air 
  is found, and, b) cover the nose and mouth with a scarf, towel, 
  or piece of clothing. Both help, but not for long. Damage is first 
  subtracted from S.D.C., then Hit Points. Get out fast and move 
  away from the building.
  Fire Damage: Intense heat and flames add to the panic and loss 
  of your sense of direction, while smoke makes it difficult to find 
  an exit. Getting burned by the flames inflicts 2D6 damage every 
  time a character gets struck by a lick of flame or he must brush or 
  push against a burning structure.
  Falling debris occurs as the structural integrity weakens from 
  being subjected to extreme heat and burned away. Falling debris 
  inflicts more damage and can pin or kill people inside a burning 
  building. Note: See damage from Medium Earthquake for dam-
  age stats for this type of injury and the odds of getting pinned 
  by falling debris. Get out fast or die. G.M.s, use your discretion 
  about trapping characters in a burning building. Try to give them 
  some sort of reasonable way out (or even a miraculous one), but 
  be fair. People die all the time from smoke inhalation and fire 
  because they lingered in a burning building too long. In game 
  context, heroics and foolishness can get a character killed. It hap-
  pens.
  Surviving and Extinguishing Fire: A character whose cloth-
  ing, hair or body gets caught on fire takes 4D6 damage per melee 
  round (15 seconds). The fire can be smothered by rolling on the 
  ground with a successful roll with impact (1D20); a roll of 11 or 
  higher is necessary. Likewise, friends or bystanders can pound 
  the fire out with blankets or clothes. In all cases, the victim takes 
  4D6 damage for the equivalent of one full melee round of fire 
  damage. These actions may also leave the character vulnerable to 
  zombies and other dangers.
  Small fire does 1D6 damage per melee round (15 seconds) 
  and slowly spreads. It becomes a medium fire in 2D6+3 minutes. 
  It can be put out in one or two melee rounds by one or two people.
  Medium fire does 3D6 damage per melee round (15 seconds) 
  and spreads more rapidly the longer it burns. It becomes a large, 
  fast-moving fire in 2D4+2 minutes. It can be put out in 2D4+4 
  melee rounds by one or two people, half that time with more.
  
  39
  Large fire does 5D6 damage per melee round (15 seconds) 
  and spreads more rapidly. It becomes a raging fire in 1D6+2 min-
  utes. It can NOT be put out by one or two people. 6-12 people 
  may be able to put out this fire in 2D6 minutes; 50% chance of 
  success. Double the number of people fighting the fire increases 
  the chance of success to 75% but takes just as long.
  Raging house/building fire! Building and other structures on 
  fire suffer 1D6x10 damage per melee round. The building will 
  collapse once 60% of its total S.D.C. is gone, but will continue 
  to burn until there is nothing left but the foundation and charred 
  ruins. The fire burns and spreads with terrifying speed. There is 
  no putting out this fire or saving the building. Get out as fast as 
  possible. Collapsing debris is equal to a Medium or Heavy Earth-
  quake; G.M. discretion.
  Effects on Zombies: Smoke is one of the few things that hin-
  ders zombies. They can still see and sense life energy in a smoke 
  filled structure, but at a greatly reduced range (100 feet/30.5 m). 
  Furthermore, their fear of fire may override their endless hun-
  ger, compelling the zombies to ignore prey, especially elusive 
  prey, and leave (70% likelihood). Remember, zombies fear fire. 
  Smoke usually indicates fire, and the monsters want to escape 
  fire because it can destroy them. Zombies are still able to find 
  living victims by sensing their presence and life energy, even in 
  dense smoke, but their zombie sensing/seeing range is reduced to 
  a meager 100 feet (30 m). Smoke also knocks out their ability to 
  recognize and track humans by scent. Of course, humans are even 
  more impaired and physically hurt by smoke and fire, and are not 
  likely to realize a zombie is present until it is right on top of them 
  – within that 5 foot (1.5 m) range of visibility. Other than that, 
  smoke does NOT make zombies cough or hurt them in any way.
  Zombies take full damage from fire. Zombies trapped in-
  side a burning structure try to exit it any way they can, even if 
  that means dropping down into an elevator shaft, walking off a 
  rooftop or going out a window. Slouchers and most dull-witted 
  zombies do not think about the collateral damage a fall may do 
  to their bodies, they just want out. If a zombie is pinned by fallen 
  debris, it needs to pull itself free, or become burned and killed or 
  buried and trapped under tons of falling debris. A pinned zombie 
  trying to escape fire is likely to tear, chop or chew off a pinned 
  limb and even tear its body in half (becoming a Crawler) to es-
  cape fire. If a zombie is unable to free itself, it suffers full damage 
  and may be immolated and destroyed in raging fires. Otherwise, 
  it goes dormant.
  This Disaster May Be Accompanied By: Earthquake (only for 
  comparable damage from a crumbing and collapsing structure 
  and getting struck or pinned by debris), Toxic Leakage, Power 
  Plant Failure.
  Forest Fire or Wildfire
  Wildfires are fires that start small, but quickly grow in size 
  until they cover large sections of burning land. In the days before 
  the Wave, these fires were fought by specially trained response 
  teams who used a number of techniques and types of equipment 
  to battle forest fires. This included cutting off their fuel and 
  drenching everything in water. With no one around to combat 
  the blaze, there is no limit to how far a wildfire might spread. 
  Only when there is nothing left to burn or a heavy or sustained 
  rain (rains for two days, or better yet, several days) will stop and 
  extinguish the fire.
  Wildfires usually start from lightning, but they can also be 
  sparked by another disaster, or by human action. When people 
  cause wildfires, it is usually by accident or negligence, not by 
  arson. There are more people living in the wilderness now, hav-
  ing escaped the zombie-choked cities. Many of them are not edu-
  cated in proper survival techniques, and make mistakes with their 
  campfires, discarded cigarettes, or sparking generators that can 
  start a fire. Wildfires are also a potential hazard during or after a 
  battle. Zombies have also been known to ignite wildfires, usually 
  after being immolated by a careless survivor. While burning, the 
  monster stumbles around, spreading the fire to anything flamma-
  ble with which it comes in contact. If that is dry grass or leaves, a 
  forest fire may be ignited.
  Wildfires can burn up hundreds of miles of forest. Player char-
  acters need to act fast to either fight, contain, or escape the flames. 
  Generally, the fire moves at a consistent Spd of 2D6+10. The 
  G.M. can adjust this for things like sparse or plentiful fuel, wind 
  conditions, and so on.
  Visibility, Smoke: Visibility is as bad as a blizzard or dust 
  storm, and people can only see 8 feet (2.4 m) in front of their nose. 
  Worse, smoke inhalation is a constant danger for anyone without 
  goggles and an oxygen mask or other breathing and life support 
  system. Passive nightvision goggles can see through smoke, but 
  those without it suffer from partial blindness (-5 to strike, parry, 
  dodge, etc.) and are -50% on the Land Navigation skill. Only 
  characters with passive nightvision optic systems are not affected 
  by partial blindness penalties, but visibility is still limited to only 
  about 100 feet (30.5 m) and may be affected by the heat and fire, 
  making it impossible to see in or beyond brightly lit areas (lit by 
  the fire). Note: Infrared optics cannot see through smoke as the 
  particles in the air block the infrared beam.
  More Smoke Penalties to Humans: The lack of breathable air 
  and airborne particles cause people to gasp, choke and suffer dif-
  ficulty breathing. If trapped in a smoke-filled area where fire is 
  devouring the available oxygen, the people will suffocate.
  Coughing and gasping for air reduces Spd by 20%, the indi-
  vidual loses half his melee attacks, is -3 on Perception Rolls and 
  continues to take damage every melee round, see below. This 
  lasts for as long as the victim(s) is trapped in a smoke-filled area, 
  or until a breathing apparatus and oxygen or fresh air is available. 
  Only characters with breathing gear (gas masks and oxygen sup-
  plies) are NOT affected by smoke penalties.
  Smoke Damage: Injury and death from a forest fire is more 
  likely to happen from smoke inhalation long before the fire itself 
  reaches them. Fire consumes all of the oxygen, replacing it with 
  choking smoke. A wildfire is a raging inferno that moves with the 
  wind, leaping from tree to tree like a living monster. Characters 
  who are caught in a forest fire without special optics are partially 
  
  40
  blinded (see Visibility, above), but also suffer 1D4 damage every 
  melee round (15 seconds), or 4D4 per minute, from the suffocat-
  ing smoke, fumes and lack of oxygen! Damage is first subtracted 
  from S.D.C., then Hit Points. They need to get ahead of the fire 
  and away from it as fast as possible. Finding a river or lake can 
  save you from burning, but the oxygen is still being burned up 
  and smoke is going to cover the area. Getting away as fast and far 
  from a forest fire as possible and moving in a direction opposite 
  of the blowing wind is the smart move.
  Fire Damage: A forest fire is a raging inferno. For survivors of 
  the Zombie Apocalypse there is no way to stop it, only escape it. 
  Damage is 1D6x10 per melee round to any vehicle, home, build-
  ing, tower, or object engulfed by the flames. They will continue 
  to burn until consumed by the fire. The intense heat of wildfires 
  burns and scars even heat-resistant structures, and melts the inter-
  nal wires and workings inside of machines and vehicles.
  Surviving and Extinguishing Fire: A character whose cloth-
  ing, hair or body gets caught on fire suffers 4D6 damage per me-
  lee round (15 seconds). The fire can be smothered by rolling on 
  the ground with a successful roll with impact (1D20); a roll of 11 
  or higher is necessary. Likewise, friends or bystanders can pound 
  the fire out with blankets or clothes. In all cases the victim takes 
  4D6 damage for the equivalent of one full melee round of fire 
  damage. These actions may also leave the character vulnerable to 
  zombies and other dangers.
  Effects on Zombies: Zombies avoid wildfires when they can, 
  and those who find one bearing down on them will try to flee. 
  Their slow speed, however, is likely to make that impossible if 
  the fire is moving quickly, and it will burn them to a cinder. Zom-
  bies at a distance respond to the smoke and the size and intense 
  heat of the flames by fleeing, driving them away long before the 
  fire can catch them. The same is true when a city or neighborhood 
  catches fire. This could drive mobs of zombies into areas where 
  there were few, or into the path of travelers or a Safe Haven. 
  Mobs of displaced zombies forced out by fire or other calamity 
  are like a plague of locusts killing and devouring every living be-
  ing they encounter on their journey.
  This Disaster May Be Accompanied By: Nothing else usually; 
  just more wildfires and subsequent drought-like conditions for 
  1D4 years.
  Flooding
  Rivers had locks, dams and controls to prevent them from 
  flooding cities and towns along their banks. When they did over-
  flow, there was usually advanced warning that it could happen, 
  organized evacuation and help for those who got trapped or 
  caught in the rising water. None of that exists anymore. There 
  is no early warning system for storms and floods, nor civil or 
  government rescuers. Worse, with nobody to man and operate 
  these facilities, many of them only needed one good rainstorm 
  to overload and cause massive flooding. In areas where levees 
  had changed the flow of the river, towns and cities sprang up in 
  the basin. However, without anyone to maintain the levees and 
  dams, flooding will ravage such locations, permanently engulfing 
  such communities, covering portions of roads and highways, and 
  changing the course of rivers to the way they once were, or creat-
  ing new paths for the streaming waters. This is not limited to rural 
  areas or downriver communities, urban environments and big cit-
  ies are equally vulnerable to flooding – think Hurricane Katrina 
  and what it did to New Orleans and other cities and towns. Now 
  imagine there are no emergency relief centers, rescue opera-
  tions or rebuilding possible. Those communities are permanently 
  swamped and underwater. Gone. Within a year or two after the 
  Wave, many maps will need to be redrawn to show places where 
  rivers and ravines block any further passage.
  Other urban areas are likely to see temporary flooding that 
  does eventually subside in 2D4 days, but bridges may be washed 
  away, mud, fallen trees and tree branches, vehicles, dead bodies 
  (or are they zombies) and debris may cover sections of roads, 
  making them difficult or impossible to travel over by vehicle. 
  And things only get worse over time with subsequent floods.
  Other places may see sewers overflow and spill into transit 
  tunnels, cellars, basements, and out onto the streets. Naturally, 
  vehicles are taken by moving water, but even standing water can 
  cause most vehicles to stall. Six inches (15 cm) of flood height is 
  all that is needed to stall most commercial vehicles. A foot (0.3 
  m) or more floats most vehicles, especially in a strong current. 
  If the water reaches the engine, it keeps the pistons from firing 
  and then the vehicle is useless. In some cities the underground 
  subways and tunnel systems, which are far below the natural 
  waterline, may become permanently flooded and/or filled with 
  mud and debris, eventually rendering them completely impass-
  able. Of course, zombies, snakes, rodents and predatory animals 
  lurk down there in the murky depths. Some zombies trapped in 
  the mud or debris piles, clawing and biting at anyone who comes 
  within their reach.
  Flooding ruins structures and vehicles, but it also buries use-
  ful supplies and washes them away. Over time, the rushing water 
  also erodes the land, which can cause buildings to collapse and 
  then fall into the water, sweeping them away. If a survivor group 
  was making runs into a town for supplies, but a massive rainfall 
  breaks the levee and submerges the town, most dry goods and 
  other supplies are ruined and rendered useless. Whatever remains 
  becomes that much harder to get to, requiring boats and strong 
  swimmers, and finding it under the silt and debris.
  Damage via Drowning: People who possess the Swim skill 
  suffer a penalty of -20% and could drown. People who cannot 
  swim need a boat or a piece of floating debris to hang onto or they 
  slide into the water and drown within 1D6 minutes.
  Unless a flood victim has a large enough piece of floating de-
  bris to lay on without having to exert a lot of energy to hold on, 
  the act of clinging onto something to stay afloat is exhausting. Af-
  ter 1D6+12 hours, the victim suffers damage direct to Hit Points. 
  Reduce Hit Points by one per each additional hour of exposure 
  and exertion (this may be in addition to damage from other in-
  juries. When reduced to one Hit Point, the person cannot hold 
  on any longer, lets go and slips into the watery depths. He can 
  
  41
  still be saved, but immediate action is necessary; drowns in 1D6 
  minutes and cannot be resuscitated. Note: This loss of Hit Points 
  also occurs after four days without drinking water and after 44 
  days without food.
  If the flood waters are particularly fast-moving, use the dam-
  age listed for Coastal Surge/Tidal Wave/Tsunami.
  Structural Damage: Long periods of being submerged under-
  water causes structural damage. Without pumping stations to 
  help get rid of the water and barriers like levees and flood walls 
  to keep more from coming in, flooded areas may stay that way 
  for many weeks, months or years. This eventually degrades the 
  quality (S.D.C.) of most structures by 50-75%. Some collapsing 
  outright. Those that stay standing get warped and rot and weaken, 
  eventually buckling or crumbling away. This makes those struc-
  tures that much more dangerous to venture into, even if the upper 
  half is dry and seems relatively safe.
  Flooding destroys paper products, books, electronics, and 
  food not sealed in a waterproof container, and soaked clothing, 
  furniture and fabrics are stained and probably ruined. They also 
  become a breeding ground for bacteria, mold, mildew, insects 
  and animals. Flood waters frequently mix with sewage, making it 
  unsafe to drink the water or swim in it, and a source for bacteria, 
  mold and disease even should the waters subside and things dry 
  out. Use the rules found on page 51 of this book, reprinted from 
  page 58 of Dead Reign® Sourcebook Two: Dark Places, when 
  dealing with flood water that may be contaminated.
  Effects on Zombies: Minimal, and no chance of drowning. 
  With a few exceptions, zombies cannot swim and are helpless 
  in rushing water, swept away until they can either grab hold of 
  something and climb out or until they are deposited at a particular 
  location. Unless they are particularly well-balanced, sturdy, or 
  agile, the monsters get swept away by moving water higher than 
  three feet (0.9 m). Once they are off their feet, they have a hell of 
  a time getting back up, and the water takes them away. Zombies 
  can walk through standing flood water, even if it goes over their 
  heads. In deep or rushing water, the zombies float along or sink to 
  the bottom and are trapped in the water until it drains away or de-
  posits them someplace where they can walk or crawl out. Floods, 
  especially rushing flood waters, can deposit dozens, hundreds or 
  thousands of zombies in new locations as the waterlogged mon-
  sters slog out of the water in mobs, and shuffle off in no particular 
  direction in search of food.
  The more capable zombies in flood waters are typically Swim-
  mers, Crawlers and Blow Fish. Thinkers, Armored Brutes and 
  Mock Zombies are smart enough to not let themselves get washed 
  away, and if they are, they know to try to grab hold of floating 
  debris or a stable structure (fence, wall, house, pole, etc.) to hang 
  onto and pull themselves out of the water. Juggernauts and Ar-
  mored Brutes are also strong enough to wade through flood wa-
  ter with a light current, but are swept away, like anyone else, in 
  strong currents.
  WARNING: Even shallow water below the waist – a mere 
  2-3 feet (0.6 to 0.9 m) deep – can harbor danger unseen until it is 
  too late. First, currents can be stronger than you think, sweeping 
  away people, their gear and even vehicles. They can also harbor 
  zombie Swimmers and Crawlers that are not likely to be visible 
  in the dark, muddy brown water that comes with flooding. The 
  water from a storm and flooding is always brown, never clear, 
  and may harbor snakes, alligators, crocodiles and other dangers 
  depending on the location.
  Flooding is most likely to occur when it rains continuously for 
  several days or comes down rapidly (1D4 inches an hour for 2D4 
  hours). As always, additional problems and related disaster, like 
  Flooding, is left to the sole discretion of the G.M.
  This Disaster May Be Accompanied By: Structure Collapse, 
  Toxic Leakage (from overflowing sewers or broken pipelines) or 
  Landslide/Mudslide.
  Flash Flood
  Flash floods are free-flowing rivulets of fast-moving water 
  that race through the area, drowning and washing away most any-
  body caught in the rush of water. The rushing torrents of water 
  race down at speeds of 30-60 mph (48-96 km) and are 3D6 feet 
  (0.9 to 5.5 m) deep.
  The worst place to be during a flash flood is in a small valley, 
  dried-up riverbed, or other such depression. Flood waters channel 
  into such places, and only increase in their ferocity. One should 
  take caution when traveling in these; a flash flood will occur with 
  only one melee round of warning, unless travelers have some 
  other means of advance notice. Note: Old riverbeds, flood plains, 
  mountains, hillsides, ravines, chasms, low areas of highways, 
  viaducts, storm sewers, and drainage channels are the most likely 
  places where flash floods occur.
  Damage: Characters with the Swim skill can try to stay afloat 
  and navigate the rush of water, but their Swim skill is at -25% and 
  they take 3D6 points of damage from the initial onslaught and 
  for every 30 minutes caught in the battering waves and floating 
  debris. Those who fail three consecutive Swimming rolls when 
  caught in a flash flood drown! And those who do make their rolls 
  can only stay in the rushing water for a number of minutes equal 
  to their P.E. before they tire and drown, too. Characters caught in 
  a flash flood may also lose any items not strapped to their bodies, 
  and paper goods, electronics and food are likely to be ruined un-
  less sealed in a plastic bag or waterproof container.
  Structural Damage: 1D4x10 damage to all structures and vehi-
  cles caught in the stream and rapids of the flash flood, but the wa-
  ter usually subsides and disappears within 1D6 days. However, 
  roads may be left covered in mud/dirt 2D6 inches (5 to 30.5 cm) 
  deep, plus debris (tree branches, rocks, boulders, some toppled 
  
  42
  trees, junk, etc.) and vehicles and zombies swept away by the 
  current and deposited wherever the water culminated.
  Effects on Zombies: Half damage and no risk of drowning. 
  With a few exceptions, zombies cannot swim and are helpless 
  in rushing water, swept away until they can either grab hold of 
  something and climb out or until they are deposited at a particu-
  lar location. Unless they are particularly well-balanced, sturdy, 
  or agile, the monsters get swept away by moving water higher 
  than three feet (0.9 m). Once they are off their feet, they have 
  a difficult time getting back up, and the water takes them away. 
  Zombies can walk through standing flood water, even if it goes 
  over their heads, but in the rushing rapids of a flash flood, the 
  monsters are swept away until they hit still water or some sort of 
  barrier such as a telephone pole, tree, wall, building, etc. Dozens 
  to hundreds of zombies may be swept to new locations via flash 
  flood conditions. Note: Even Swimmers and Blow Fish, Think-
  ers, Armored Brutes, Juggernauts and Mock Zombies are swept 
  away in the strong rapids of a flash flood.
  This Disaster May Be Accompanied By: Structure Collapse, 
  Toxic Leakage (from overflowing sewers or broken pipelines) or 
  Landslide/Mudslide.
  Hurricane
  Hurricanes are cyclonic storms that are localized mostly to one 
  region and season. They typically only spawn in the warm Atlan-
  tic waters and come inland, striking the East Coast and the Gulf 
  of Mexico. Peak hurricane season in the USA is August to Oc-
  tober. They are less frequent in the Pacific, but can appear from 
  May to November. Hurricanes travel hundreds of miles inland, 
  causing destruction from winds, rain, flooding, and coastal surg-
  es. Worldwide, hurricanes and tropical cyclones occur in areas of 
  high humidity and frequent storm activity, notably the Carribean, 
  Gulf Coast, West Indies, the Asian Pacific, and the Indian Ocean.
  The actual hurricane system is a massive spinning maelstrom 
  that hits coastal regions hard, and then eventually dissipates once 
  it gets completely over land or burns itself out at sea. In the USA 
  hurricanes feed on the warm, moist air of the Gulf of Mexico and 
  Atlantic Coast. Wind speeds are between 75 and 155 miles per 
  hour (121 km to 250 km) or more. At sea, the storm is 3D6x100 
  miles (480 km to 2880 km) in diameter. The “eye” of the storm, 
  a center region of relative calm, is 10% or 15% of the overall 
  size of the cyclone. The size of the hurricane shrinks 25% 1D4 
  days after reaching landfall, and over the next 1D4 days it shrinks 
  again and again until it becomes nothing more than a heavy rain-
  storm.
  Damage is inflicted upon the land and to all standing struc-
  tures, and vessels at sea, especially frame houses and boats and 
  ships in dock (which are likely to be smashed or carried up onto 
  land by tidal surges). The high winds strip leaves, break branches 
  off trees, may snap trees, towers and telephone poles in half, top-
  ple trees and lampposts, knock down electrical wires, tear apart 
  roofs and siding from buildings, and send objects flying through 
  the air and hitting people and other structures. The heavy down-
  pour of rain that comes with hurricanes drenches anyone step-
  ping outdoors in a matter of a few seconds, and water pools and 
  streams down streets and hillsides that can causing landslides/
  mudslides, flash floods and flooding after only one hour of rain. 
  (1D6 inches/2.5 to 15.2 cm of rain per hour!)
  Before the Wave, advance detection and warning systems 
  were in place to identify and track storm systems that could 
  develop into hurricanes. People living in coastal towns and cit-
  ies had ample time to prepare themselves for these dangerous 
  storms. There are no more warning systems. Anyone who still 
  lives by the coast is on their own.
  Duration of Hurricane: On average, Hurricanes exist for 
  2D4+2 days and usually start as large, strong tropical storms that 
  turn into Hurricanes as they travel and approach landfall before 
  dissipating over land or going back out to open seas where they 
  turn back into a tropical storms and fizzle out.
  Thankfully, a hurricane is constantly on the move, so it sel-
  dom stays over any one particular area of land for more than 12 
  hours (2D4+4 hours), with the worst of it with the heaviest rain 
  and strongest winds lasting half as long. However, while a hur-
  ricane hammers the coast – extending as far as 4D6 miles (6.4 to 
  38.4 km) inland – the region is paralyzed and people are in grave 
  danger.
  Visibility: Poor. Dark clouds, torrential rain and flying par-
  ticles and debris make it impossible to see more than 2D4x10 
  feet (6.1 to 24.4 m), often half that distance. The roaring wind 
  and heavy rain make it difficult to verbally communicate beyond 
  10 feet (3 m) even when shouting as loud as possible. That means 
  people out in a Hurricane are unable to see or hear approaching 
  danger, such as zombies, more than 10 or 20 feet (3 to 6.1 m) 
  away! Threats from other humans and animals should be minimal 
  as most seek shelter and wait for the storm to blow over.
  Penalties: Varies with the intensity of the storm as described 
  below.
  Damage: Varies. As destructive as the wind of a hurricane 
  can be, it brings with it additional disaster conditions such as 
  Coastal Surge/Tidal Wave, Flooding, Flash Flooding, Struc-
  tural Collapse (similar to Earthquakes), rough seas, massive 
  waves, and flying debris. Dangers and damage from these re-
  lated disasters vary depending on the severity of the hurricane, 
  see below.
  Category One (74-95 mph/118 to 152 km winds) and Cat-
  egory Two Hurricane (96-110 mph/154 to 176 km winds): 
  Wind and flying debris (gutters, roof shingles, branches, etc.) 
  cause light damage: 6D6 damage to structures for every hour of 
  the storm, and 2D6% of power lines are lost every hour of the 
  storm. Ships at sea take double damage.
  People Damage: 1D6 damage from flying debris for every 10 
  minutes out in the storm. Seek cover. No damage to zombies.
  01-15% chance of Coastal Surge/Tidal Wave with damage re-
  lated to it along the coastline up to a half mile (0.8 km) inland.
  01-20% chance of Flooding, with related damage, penalties 
  and issues.
  01-10% chance of Flash Flooding.
  
  43
  Penalties: Spd is reduced by half, -5% to the performance of 
  any skill due to many factors, -15% to aircraft piloting skill rolls, 
  -15% to boat/ship piloting skills, and -10% to pilot any type of 
  ground vehicle in such a storm.
  Category Three Hurricane (111-129 mph/178 to 207 km 
  winds): Building damage is severe, taking 2D6x10 damage for 
  every hour of the hurricane. Siding, roof shingles, gutters and ga-
  bles are torn clear off, sheds and shacks are blown to pieces, their 
  contents carried off by the wind and drenched by torrential rain, 
  plus possible additional structural damage done to frame houses 
  and light buildings. Trees are snapped in half and those with shal-
  low root systems are uprooted and toppled. 4D6% of electrical 
  wires are knocked down every hour of the storm! Ships at sea 
  take double damage and may be set adrift or battered and sunk.
  People Damage: 2D6 damage from flying debris for every 5 
  minutes out in the storm. Seek cover! 1D4 damage to zombies 
  for every hour out in the storm. Zombies suffer only one point of 
  damage for every 30 minutes out in a hurricane.
  Penalties: Speed is reduced to 25% of normal, -30% to the 
  performance of any skill outdoors, -2 attacks per melee round as 
  the character fights the wind, -35% to aircraft piloting skill rolls, 
  -40% to boat/ship piloting skills, and -25% to pilot any type of 
  ground vehicle in such a storm.
  01-45% chance of Coastal Surge/Tidal Wave with damage re-
  lated to it along the coastline up to a mile (1.6 km) inland.
  01-60% chance of Flooding, with related damage and issues.
  01-40% chance of Flash Flooding.
  01-66% Structural Instability and Collapse: Houses and light 
  buildings. When the structural integrity of a house or building is 
  compromised from battering winds and soaking rain, the occu-
  pants are in danger of the roof being torn completely off and the 
  walls or ceiling/upper floors (and its furniture or storage) caving 
  in on top of them, or having other debris such as trees and tree 
  limbs, pieces from neighboring structures or boats, and other fly-
  ing debris, come crashing in through the wall or window (yes, 
  even if boarded up) or dropping down on them! Characters who 
  are indoors must make a dodge roll of 13 or better or take 4D6 
  damage from falling debris every three melee rounds (45 sec-
  onds) until they vacate the premises.
  If half or the entire house/light building (gas station, one or 
  two story building) collapses, there is still a chance that the char-
  acter has an avenue of escape.
  Roll 1D20: 01-08 means the character(s) is alive but trapped 
  and needs help from others to be dug out.
  09-20 means the character survives and has a clear path by 
  which he can crawl out to safety on hands and knees! However, 
  any large equipment or vehicle is crushed or pinned under the 
  collapsing house or building. Get to safety before more of the 
  building or debris comes crashing down. Roll again for 15 min-
  utes inside a frame house or other light structure, and once every 
  two hours of the hurricane in a large, heavily built, concrete and 
  steel building, but stay away from windows and the top floors!
  Category Four Hurricane (130-156 mph/208 to 250 km) 
  and Category Five Hurricane (157 mph/251 km or higher): 
  Building damage is catastrophic, taking 1D6x100 damage for ev-
  ery hour of the hurricane. Frame houses and light buildings are 
  decimated. The entire roof is completely ripped apart and scat-
  tered by the wind, and 1D4 sides of the building collapse, and any 
  upper floors (up to three stories) also collapse and cave in. Trees 
  are snapped in half or uprooted and toppled. 6D6% of electrical 
  wires are knocked down every hour of the storm! Ships at sea 
  take double damage and may be set adrift or battered and sunk.
  People Damage: 4D6 damage from flying debris for every 
  2 minutes out in the storm, plus other danger and damage from 
  flooding, etc. 2D6 damage to zombies for every hour out in the 
  storm. Zombies sustain 1D6 damage every 30 minutes out in a 
  hurricane.
  Penalties: Reduce poor visibility by half! Speed is reduced to 
  a mere crawl, 10% of the character’s usual speed. Verbal com-
  munication requires shouting with a range of 4 feet (1.2 m), -50% 
  to the performance of any skill outdoors, -3 attacks per melee 
  round as the character fights the wind, -60% to aircraft piloting 
  skill rolls, -50% to boat/ship piloting skills, and -40% to pilot any 
  type of ground vehicle in such a storm.
  Seeking cover is imperative!
  01-80% Chance of Coastal Surge/Tidal Wave with damage 
  related to it along the coastline up to two miles (1.6 km) inland.
  01-90% Chance of widespread Flooding, with related damage 
  and issues.
  01-60% Chance of Flash Flooding.
  01-95% Structural Instability and Collapse: Houses and light 
  buildings.
  01-25% Structural Instability and Collapse: Large, heavy 
  buildings.
  When the structural integrity of a house or building is compro-
  mised from battering winds and soaking rain, the occupants are in 
  danger of the walls and ceiling/upper floors (and its furniture or 
  storage) caving in on top of them, as well as having other debris 
  such as trees and tree limbs, pieces of walls and rooftops, gutters, 
  and other flying debris crashing in through the walls or dropping 
  down on them! Characters who are indoors must make a dodge 
  roll of 14 or better or take 5D6 damage from falling debris every 
  melee round until they vacate the premises.
  If half or the entire house, or the floor of a large building col-
  lapses (probably the roof or one or more upper floors), there is 
  still a chance that the character has an avenue of escape.
  Roll 1D20: 01-11 means the character(s) is alive but trapped 
  and needs help from others to be dug out.
  12-20 means the character survives and has a clear path by 
  which he can crawl or climb out to safety on hands and knees! 
  However, any large equipment or vehicle is crushed and de-
  stroyed under the tons of debris that has fallen on top of it. Get 
  to safety before more of the building collapses. Roll again for 5 
  minutes inside a frame house or other light structure, and once 
  every hour of the hurricane in a large, heavily built, concrete and 
  steel building, but stay away from windows and the top floors!
  Note: Walking around inside or even within the shadow of 
  a collapsed building after a hurricane is dangerous in the ex-
  
  44
  treme. The structure is unstable and shifting weight and stress 
  can make more of it break loose to drop more debris on the area 
  and the people below. Likewise a floor that is still standing or 
  has pockets in which people may have survived, can continue 
  to weaken and collapse. Each collapse or falling debris is the 
  equivalent of a Medium Earthquake as far as damage to char-
  acters and the chance of getting pinned inside or under falling 
  debris is concerned.
  Effects on Zombies: During a hurricane, zombies function 
  without fear of death or injury, but are vulnerable to the high 
  winds, collapsing buildings, flooding, and being swept away 
  by flood waters just like the living. Reduce the zombies’ un-
  natural sight and ability to sense the living by 75%. Still, that 
  is better than a human who will not realize a zombie is com-
  ing from behind or the side until it is only 10 feet (3 m) away. 
  If the zombie(s) is heading toward the living in front of him, 
  range is 1D4x10 feet (3 to 12.2 m) of visibility, but even then 
  the zombie may be obscured enough where it is impossible to 
  tell whether it is one of the living or the dead until it is 10 feet 
  (3 m) away.
  Also reduce the zombie’s Spd by half, and zombies lose 
  their balance during a hurricane and have trouble walking 
  against the wind. Many let themselves be nudged and pushed 
  in the direction of the wind and end up huddled in a large 
  mob, pinned against the walls of large buildings, fences, and 
  vehicles to wait out the storm, or swept away by flood wa-
  ters. Zombies may also go inside a house or building during 
  a hurricane, but are too dumb to avoid going into light struc-
  tures vulnerable to hurricane winds. This can buy survivors 
  precious time to get away from the monsters, provided they 
  can manage to stay on their own feet and avoid falling debris. 
  Zombies inside collapsing structures take damage and may 
  become pinned or completely buried, and even carried off by 
  the wind and end up 2D4x100 feet (61 to 244 m) away. If they 
  can manage to pull away from pinning debris, they will do so, 
  even if they have to leave behind part of their body and be-
  come armless or even a legless Crawler. If they cannot escape, 
  the zombies go dormant, awakening and attacking any human 
  who happens to unearth them.
  Optional: Roll 1D20 to determine the zombie’s fate as 
  follows. G.M.s can roll for specific zombies or massive groups 
  of them: 01-05 the zombie’s (or a group of zombies’) head(s) 
  is crushed and the monster(s) is killed! 06-10 The zombie(s) is 
  pinned and cannot escape unless someone deliberately works to 
  dig it out and set it free; goes dormant. 11-15 The zombie(s) is 
  pinned and can only escape if it tears itself in half (takes 1D4 
  hours) and squirms free as a Crawler. 16-20 The zombie(s) man-
  ages to escape unscathed and continues to roam the ruins in 
  search of the living to feed upon. People pinned in the debris are 
  the first to fall victim to scavenging zombies.
  Disaster May Be Accompanied By: Coastal Surge/Tidal 
  Wave, Extreme Temperature, Flooding, Flash Flood, Landslide/
  Mudslide, Structure Collapse/Fires, Sinkholes, and Toxic Leak-
  age.
  Landslide/Mudslide
  Landslides may occur at tall hills, mountains or steep cliffs. 
  They usually are the result of sustained heavy rain or 1D6+4 
  days of steady rain with few or no breaks, and usually preceded 
  by flooding. The soaked earth turns into mud that erodes and fi-
  nally slides away. A landslide or mudslide can also result from 
  an earthquake. On its way down, landslides and mudslides bring 
  down uprooted trees with them and pick up rocks, boulders, de-
  bris, vehicles, homes and other structures. All of which come 
  crashing down and cause more destruction as the heavy objects 
  smash into other vegetation and man-made structures.
  There is generally no distinction between a landslide and a 
  mudslide. However, some landslides or rockslides are smaller, 
  and unleash a much narrower stream of falling rock, earth and 
  trees. A dry landslide/rockslide is likely to be the result of water 
  erosion, but rather than a stream of mud, the landslide is some-
  thing that finally gives way after the rain that created the unstable 
  land. Rather like an avalanche, the landslide is likely to be caused 
  by a person or people stepping in the wrong place, or from the 
  vibrations of one or more vehicles, or the inevitable pull of grav-
  ity. A dry landslide is likely to send a cascade of trees, rocks 
  and earth tumbling down the side of a mountain, cliff or tall hill, 
  crushing and burying everything in its path.
  Depending on how large the landslide or mudslide is, it can 
  cover portions of a road, knock down a bridge or a few build-
  ings, bury a dozen vehicles, to completely crushing or burying a 
  town or part of a city. The largest landslides and mudslides are 
  caused by earthquakes that liquefy the earth and send down a 
  deadly swath of mud and rocks to bury a town or forest below. In 
  the post-apocalyptic world, there is no recovery effort, so places 
  that fall victim to a landslide or mudslide disappear completely, 
  buried under earth and rubble.
  Most victims die within 1D6 minutes from suffocation, unless 
  lucky enough to be buried inside an air pocket or inside a sealed 
  vehicle with a limited amount of air (2D6x10 minutes). Since 
  about half of buried mudslide victims die in minutes, the odds of 
  finding a person alive are terrible. For one thing, it is like trying 
  to find a needle in a haystack. The buried individual could be 
  anywhere along the 2D6 mile (3.2 to 19.2 km) trail and buried 
  under a few or many feet of mud and earth or pinned under debris 
  (uprooted trees, branches, rocks, rubble, vehicles, etc.). Groups 
  need to be equipped with shovels and probes to locate and rescue 
  the victim of a landslide or enjoy a moment of miraculous dumb 
  luck (G.M.’s discretion). A victim on the surface of a landslide, 
  but pinned by debris, is likely to need special equipment like a 
  mirror, flashlight or cell phone to signal for help or make sound 
  to attract rescuers. The problem is such efforts are also likely to 
  attract any zombies in the area. Digging or chopping yourself free 
  from debris is unlikely.
  Landslide/Mudslide Damage: A small landslide inflicts 
  6D6+6 damage to everyone and everything caught in its path, but 
  victims are able to pull or dig themselves out within 2D6 minutes. 
  
  45
  Half that time with help. However, gear and equipment that was 
  not physically strapped to the character(s) is lost and cannot be 
  recovered. Vehicles caught in the slide are also lost and cannot 
  be accessed or recovered. A medium landslide inflicts 2D4x10 
  damage and equipment and vehicles are lost, same as above. A 
  large landslide inflicts 3D4x10 damage. A super-large landslide 
  inflicts 6D6x10 damage. Subtract damage from S.D.C. first and 
  then Hit Points. Those inside a vehicle take half damage but will 
  have to break out the glass to be able to start digging out if buried. 
  A very difficult, nearly impossible task if buried more than a foot 
  (0.3 m) under dirt or mud.
  The crushing damage landslides and mudslides do to fixed, 
  standing structures from the sheer weight and force of the slide is 
  catastrophic. Buildings, trees, and other such stationary structures 
  suffer the following damage: A small landslide inflicts 1D4x100 
  damage to every structure. A medium landslide does 2D4x100 
  damage. A large landslide, 4D4x100 damage. Super-large land-
  slide does 5D6x100 damage. Note: In real life, the damage could 
  be greater. Plus a portion to the entire town could be partially or 
  completely buried, leaving only the rooftops and upper levels of 
  buildings taller than two stories visible. Other tall buildings may 
  be knocked over or collapse into the mud or rubble.
  Heroes caught in a landslide or mudslide have little chance 
  for survival, unless it is a small or medium-sized event. Anyone 
  buried under the mud or earth more than a foot or two is lost, 
  suffocated in minutes. Being covered over by heavy mud, dirt or 
  debris completely immobilizes its victims. They cannot move or 
  open their mouths to cry for help. The only chance for survival a 
  burial victim has is to be dug out by friends or dig themselves out 
  to effect an escape.
  To randomly determine the victim’s circumstance, consult the 
  following table:
  01-20%: Lucked out! On the surface. Filthy, bruised and 
  banged up, maybe even seriously injured, but alive.
  21-40%: Partially buried and pinned by debris. In addition to 
  the damage sustained, it takes 2D4x10 minutes of work for sev-
  eral rescuers to finally get the victim free.
  41-60%: Only 1D6 feet (0.3 to 1.8 m) from the surface. This 
  is still enough to kill most people in 1D6 minutes.
  61-80%: Bad news. Buried under 3D4 feet (0.9 to 3.6 m) of 
  dirt or mud. That’s tons of weight.
  81-00%: Buried deep. 3D6+10 feet (3.9 to 8.5 m) from the 
  surface. There is no way to rescue the individual without a small 
  army of people or heavy machinery, neither of which is likely 
  to be available. And if it was, it would still take hours. People 
  caught in one of these disasters have little chance of rescue.
  Note: Zombies cannot sense the life energy of anyone buried 
  under more than four feet (1.2 m) of dirt or debris. And even 
  when they try to sense a buried person, unless there is a Thinker 
  or other smart zombie to lead the others, most zombies are not 
  smart enough to dig for their meal. Instead, they moan, gather 
  and stand over the location of the victim trapped under the dirt 
  even if he is close to the surface. If trapped by debris and partially 
  visible, the monsters try to reach and claw for him. Again, they 
  gather, but are not smart enough to pull the rubble away to get at 
  their potential prey. Not even with the instruction of a Thinker or 
  Mock Zombie. However, a Death Priest may be able to use the 
  zombies or cultists to free and capture or kill someone pinned 
  by debris. Note: A gathering of zombies can provide a valuable 
  clue to would-be rescuers that someone is pinned and in need of 
  rescue.
  Effects on Zombies: Zombies take damage as normal, and are 
  buried or pinned under the mud, dirt and/or debris, but not killed. 
  Zombies buried under tons of earth go dormant until they are dug 
  up.
  This Disaster May Be Accompanied By: Extreme Tempera-
  ture, Flooding, and Structure Collapse.
  Nuclear Explosion
  This is the least likely of disasters on the list. Since political 
  war is at an end and the nations of Earth have disappeared, the 
  only war now is the living against the dead. Still, there happens 
  to be an enormous stockpile of nuclear weapons sitting around 
  in the USA, Russia, China, Korea, and other places. All unpro-
  tected and unguarded. Even if there are guards, it is likely to be 
  only a few of them, and they are not going to last long without 
  support. That said, it is not like you can waltz into a missile base 
  and flip a switch or press a button to launch nukes. There are 
  codes and safety measures that need to be overcome, not to men-
  tion gaining access to the base and the missiles in the first place. 
  Breaching the blast doors of a missile base and its silos is not an 
  easy task. Still, it is theoretically possible for a highly motivated 
  Death Cult, army, or terrorist to get his hands on a nuclear mis-
  sile or materials to make an explosive nuclear device. The most 
  likely scenario could be nuclear submarines or warships making 
  limited nuclear strikes to burn down a few cities to destroy all the 
  zombies walking the streets, but even that seems unlikely. A rea-
  sonable person, especially military personnel, will consider using 
  nuclear weapons only as a last resort, and even then is not likely 
  to unleash any. There is no real point or purpose to nuking even 
  one city, let alone a particular country.
  Nuclear missiles are large and extremely dangerous if you do 
  not know what you are doing. They can leak radiation that kills a 
  regular person in a few hours to just minutes when mishandled, 
  and require special priming to detonate. Still, a group of trained 
  specialists or engineers could, in theory, do it if they were highly 
  motived to do so. The trick is getting your hands on one. Most 
  submarines and ships carrying nuclear weapons are likely to see 
  the Captain or one of the last personnel scuttle and sink the ves-
  sel, sending it to the bottom of the ocean before he dies, to make 
  sure the nukes can NEVER fall into the hands of crazies and ex-
  tremists. Missile bases will be locked down. And it is not like the 
  design manuals, codes and data on how to operate or launch the 
  nuclear device are just laying around. Thus, the denotation of a 
  nuclear bomb of any kind is extremely unlikely.
  Damage: For your reference, nonetheless, the actual damage 
  caused by a nuclear blast is too high to really count. Consider it to 
  
  46
  be one million points of damage, inflicting complete destruction 
  to a 10 mile (16 km) radius from the blast center, with consider-
  able damage done to an additional 10 mile (16 km) radius, de-
  stroying and burning down all wood structures, homes and light 
  buildings. Most cities would be entirely leveled, blown to dust. 
  What was not destroyed in the initial fireball and intense shock 
  wave would be subjected to high levels of deadly radiation, and 
  fires would last for days. Secondary fires would burn for another 
  2D6 miles (3.2 km to 19.2 km), doing 2D6x10 damage to every-
  thing and everyone caught in it. Specially shielded vehicles and 
  bunkers may take only a fraction of this damage (half or a quar-
  ter), but they take damage too.
  A comparatively small “suitcase” nuke, or “dirty bomb,” is an 
  equally remote possibility. Such a device could wipe out half of 
  a city, if one was used, inflicting one third the damage, above, to 
  one third the radius of effect.
  Effects on Zombies: Zombies suffer the full effects of the blast, 
  shock wave, and fire, atomizing all caught in the blast, along with 
  living humans and animals. The zombies who soon after wander 
  through the burned and blackened ruins would become irradiated 
  and potentially dangerous to the living; considered Toxic Zom-
  bies. This is bad for survivors, because the radioactive monsters 
  are deadly via close proximity and direct contact.
  This Disaster is Accompanied By: Drought, Extreme Tem-
  perature, Structure Collapse, Fires, Wildfires, and Toxic Leakage 
  (fallout).
  Power Plant Failure
  When the Wave hit, no one realized it was the end of human 
  civilization as we knew it. They all thought things would get bet-
  ter. At least they did until the power went out. Everywhere. At 
  some point, the lights went out and never came back on. Some 
  of the power plants that civilization requires to function are still 
  sitting there, waiting to be restarted. All they need is some fuel 
  and a bit of maintenance and they can be working again. Some 
  nuclear power plants, however, have become unstable, toxic, and 
  very dangerous.
  Regular power plants stopped working hours after they were 
  abandoned or their operators were killed. They run on fossil fu-
  els, and once those fuels were no longer being fed into the power 
  plant, everything went dark.
  Hydroelectric power stations, which generate electrical power 
  from natural sources of running water, are an exception. They are 
  mostly automated, and needed very few people to function. How-
  ever, even they are not likely to last more than 1D4 months after 
  being abandoned. Downed electrical wires from fires, wind and 
  other damage further undermine the infrastructure of the power 
  networks everywhere. Theoretically, hydroelectric power plants 
  could be made to work again, and provide power to a permanent 
  survivor settlement. Geothermal power plants are similar to hy-
  droelectric, in that they went into an automatic passive mode, 
  allowing the energy they normally harvest from inside the planet 
  to be vented without collecting any of it.
  Nuclear power plants have many redundant systems to keep 
  them stable, but without workers maintaining those systems, they 
  eventually either shut down as an automatic failsafe or break 
  down. These power plants used radioactive fuel rods to heat wa-
  ter, which generates steam, which powers turbines, which gen-
  erate electrical power. Eventually, those fuel rods lose potency 
  and have to be stored for later disposal. Spent fuel rods are kept 
  in cold water, but without a cooling system, the water heats up 
  and evaporates. Active fuel rods, the ones actually powering the 
  plant, need a cooling system too. The timetable for this is differ-
  ent for every power plant, but when the cooling system grinds to 
  a halt and all the cooling water evaporates, a meltdown, fire and 
  explosions are likely to result.
  Nuclear power plant failures happen 1D4 months after the 
  Wave, unless shut down first and put into safe mode. A rar-
  ity considering how quick and unexpected the apocalypse 
  occurred. There are more than 500 nuclear power plants in 
  the U.S. alone, with many others worldwide. The majority of 
  them will experience a meltdown or explosion of some type. 
  When that happens, deadly radioactive material escapes from 
  the plant and spreads outward for 1D4 miles (1.6 to 6.4 km) 
  around the power plants. This creates dead zones where no 
  vegetation and very little animal life can survive. The smaller 
  animals like mice die quickly. Larger animals, like deer and 
  bears, leave the area when their food sources dry up. In some 
  cases, the deadly radioactive zone spreads even further when 
  explosions and fires send the deadly radioactive material up 
  into the stratosphere, where it travels and spreads for thou-
  sands of miles. This radioactive material comes back down in 
  the rain and in poisonous clouds of gas. Although these cases 
  are rare, there are still places in the world of Dead Reign that 
  are radioactive enough to cause sickness and death to anyone 
  who wanders into them (G.M. discretion). These places are 
  frequently marked by signs and roadblocks to keep everyone 
  out.
  In some cases, more modern nuclear power plant designs al-
  low for the active fuel rods to melt into a molten sludge and burn 
  through their own holding tanks. Typically, they would then pour 
  into cavernous concrete cellars, where they continue to burn and 
  will do so for decades. Theoretically, the sludge is safe down 
  there, and it won’t leak out and poison the area around it.
  Damage: Staying in an area of radiation for more than eight 
  hours causes minor radiation poisoning (nausea, headache, vom-
  iting, burning eyes; victims are -1 attack per melee, -2 to strike, 
  parry, dodge, and reduce Spd by half while sick). Duration is 2D6 
  days. Any unshielded electronic equipment (most commercial 
  items) brought along has its circuitry completely destroyed by 
  the hard radiation.
  Characters who stay in a radioactive area for a longer period 
  see even greater penalties, and may develop health complications 
  like cancer, neurological damage, and death. Even if the charac-
  ter does not know what is causing this damage, they are sure to 
  know the area they are in is strange, harmful, and could kill them 
  eventually.
  
  47
  Effects on Zombies: Zombies do not care about radiation, but 
  that does not mean it does not affect them. Thankfully, zombies 
  are constantly wandering around, so most do not linger in radia-
  tion zones. Moreover, nuclear power plants in the USA are usu-
  ally located in rural areas away from population centers, again, 
  giving zombies little reason to come looking for live prey or hang 
  around. However, those that do become imbued with radioactive 
  particles. Some may have even wandered into hot radioactive 
  sludge and have had their bodies fused and twisted together to 
  form Zombie Amalgamations (see Dead Reign® Sourcebook 3: 
  Endless Dead). Some have taken on so much radioactive mate-
  rial that they constantly emit high levels of the stuff. They are 
  walking environmental hazards, poisoning everything they get 
  close to, and transmitting radioactive particles through their bites 
  and melting flesh.
  This Disaster May Be Accompanied By: Toxic Leakage and 
  Drought.
  Rain and Thunderstorms
  By itself, an ordinary rainstorm is nothing to be worried about. 
  The more violent thunderstorms, accompanied by lightning, 
  are seldom much to be concerned with either, though lightning 
  strikes can be deadly and start fires.
  Overall, rain is a benefit to all living things, bringing fresh 
  water and washing away the old and dead. It is when the rain 
  continues for a long time, or comes in heavy downpours and 
  rains faster than the ground can absorb it, that it starts to become 
  dangerous and causes flooding. Rainstorms in North America 
  are the most common weather to cause localized disasters, 
  mainly flooding, flash floods, damaging high winds, and light-
  ning, which can cause fires, and all of which can knock out elec-
  trical power. A rainstorm can also be accompanied by a tornado 
  anywhere in the USA, Canada and Mexico, but are uncommon 
  except through what is known as Tornado Alley in the Midwest 
  of the USA.
  Rain sometimes comes as a light sprinkling to a steady rain, 
  and sometimes comes with thunderstorms, which bring heavy 
  winds and lightning. Thunderstorms cover large areas and can be 
  very damaging. Over time, the wind and rain brought by storms 
  will knock down power lines, signs, billboards, homes and build-
  ings.
  Survivors in the world of Dead Reign® are at the mercy of 
  the elements. Without warning systems in place, there is no way 
  for anyone to tell what kind of weather is approaching more than 
  an hour or even minutes before it strikes. Nor can they know the 
  severity or how long it might last. This makes survival, whether 
  in the cities, rural areas or in the wilderness, that much harder 
  and more unpredictable. Walled towns and survivor camps need 
  some kind of runoff or drainage system to make sure their living 
  spaces do not flood from the slightest downpour, and their struc-
  tures have to be strong enough to last through years of storms. 
  On the plus side, rain brings drinkable water for people, animals, 
  plants and crops.
  When the precipitation starts to pick up, it is always best to 
  find shelter, especially now when there are no weather forecasts 
  to inform you whether the rain will be turning into a storm ac-
  companied by strong winds, lightning, flooding or tornadoes. 
  Searching for high ground and a dry shelter with a solid roof is 
  always a good idea. If the rain lasts a long while, perhaps even 
  days, or comes down in buckets and flooding can be seen in the 
  lower areas around your location, it is best to move to higher 
  ground before it is too late. Heavy flooding lasts for days and 
  traps people for 2D4 days before the waters subside enough to 
  safely vacate the area.
  Visibility: Light rain reduces visibility to five miles (8 km). 
  Moderate rain reduces visibility to two miles (3.2 km). Heavy 
  rain reduces visibility to half a mile (0.8 km). Torrential rain re-
  duces visibility to 1D4x100 feet (30.5 m to 122 m).
  Damage: Regular rain does no damage, but being soaked 
  makes people uncomfortable, distracted and irritable (-1 on Per-
  ception Rolls and initiative).
  Small hail may sting when it hits the skin, but does no damage. 
  Heavy, large hail does 1D4 damage per minute to anyone who 
  stays out in it, but virtually no serious damage to buildings and 
  vehicles. Duration is very short, 1D4 minutes.
  Lightning does 6D6+6 points of damage direct to Hit Points 
  and is likely to kill the person!
  Remember, shallow water can be still be dangerous. Currents 
  can be stronger than you think, carrying away people or their 
  gear, and stalling out vehicles and moving them downstream. 
  Shallow waters may also harbor zombie Swimmers and Crawlers 
  that are not likely to be visible in the muddy, brown water that 
  comes with flooding.
  Effects on Zombies: Rain has little effect on zombies besides 
  making them sopping wet and may serve to wash the dirt, fresh 
  blood, bugs and trash off of them, temporarily. If they are track-
  ing living people by scent, they do so with a -40% penalty due to 
  the rain washing the smell away, but they otherwise function as 
  normal. Likewise, a heavy or torrential rain reduces the range of 
  the zombie’s ability to sense the living by half. Lightning does 
  half damage to zombies, and there is a 20% chance of catching 
  them on fire if they are struck.
  This Disaster May Be Accompanied By: Strong Winds with 
  gusts up to 40 mph (64 km), Tornado, Coastal Surge/Tidal Wave, 
  Flooding, Flash Floods, Landslide (mud or rock), Structure Col-
  lapse/Fires, Wildfires (from lightning). However, such additional 
  “disasters” and problems are a rarity, with only one or two oc-
  curring 1D4 times a year. There are some exceptions, of course, 
  such as Tornado alley (Texas up through the Midwest, including 
  the states of Oklahoma, Kanasas, Arkansas, Missouri, and Iowa, 
  which get dozens of tornadoes every spring and summer, and to 
  a lesser degree, but still the northern tip of Tornado Alley, Min-
  nesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan and south-
  ern Ontario, Canada). Likewise, there are places where Flooding, 
  Mudslides and Wildfires are more common.
  Flooding is most likely to occur when it rains continuously for 
  several days or comes down rapidly (1D4 inches an hour for 2D4 
  
  48
  hours). As always, additional problems and related disasters, like 
  Flooding, are left to the sole discretion of the G.M.
  Sinkhole
  Sinkholes occur when a piece of the ground is dissolved or 
  falls away, creating a deep depression or hole. Sinkholes can be 
  bowl-shaped, or they can lead deeper into cave systems or under-
  ground reservoirs. Sometimes this is a completely natural result 
  of erosion and dissolution of rock, but when sinkholes occur in 
  developed regions, it is usually the result of crumbling under-
  ground tunnels or water erosion. Subway systems, basements, 
  sewers and other underground chambers fill up with water, and 
  rust, and rot until the street or backyard caves in. Sinkholes are 
  not a common occurrence and are usually isolated incidents, with 
  the hole measuring 2D6x10 feet (6.1 to 36 m) in diameter and 
  2D6x10 feet (6.1 to 36 m) deep.
  Damage: Houses, buildings, walls, roads, and bridges take 
  1D4x100 damage from a sinkhole, and always end up with a big 
  section collapsed and swallowed up. Cars, trucks, and parked ve-
  hicles take 2D6x10 damage from falling into a sinkhole and may 
  suffer additional damage if the sinkhole continues to crumble and 
  drop debris on it. People and zombies who are standing on the 
  sinkhole as it happens have little warning before the ground un-
  derneath them falls away. If the character can make a dodge roll 
  of 17 or higher, he can manage to escape falling into the sinkhole. 
  Otherwise, the character takes 6D6 damage from the fall, and 
  there is a 75% chance of being buried by loose earth, mud or fall-
  ing debris. A successful roll with impact reduces damage by half.
  Effects on Zombies: Zombies cannot dodge sinkholes when 
  they appear under their feet, and fall down into them. Damage is 
  only 3D6 points, but the monsters have no way out, so they just 
  mill around at the bottom hoping for food to drop down to them. 
  If there is a cave or tunnel system, the monsters may wander or 
  crawl down them, taking them to other locations underground as 
  well as other possible exits to the surface. Zombies who come 
  upon an open sinkhole walk around it, but many walk right up to 
  edge and can be pushed into the hole very easily. The walls of a 
  sinkhole are usually very steep, so climbing out is not usually an 
  option. Zombies that cannot escape, eventually go dormant until 
  potential prey comes along.
  This Disaster May Be Accompanied By: Flooding, Flash 
  Floods or Toxic Leakage if the sinkhole breaks a sewer line, gas 
  main, or a vehicle containing toxic chemicals drops into it and 
  leaks.
  Structure Collapse
  It takes regular maintenance to keep buildings, skyscrapers, 
  bridges, docks, roads and other structures in good condition and 
  from falling victim to nature, erosion and decay. Solid construc-
  tion helps, but even the toughest structures need repairs, patch-
  ing, paint, refinishing, and renovation. Without those crews to 
  keep things up to code, humankind’s works of creation will start 
  to deteriorate and crumble. A building that is missing a roof, has 
  broken windows, or is damaged by fire, storms, or floods, is ex-
  posed to weather and deteriorates all the faster. With the passage 
  of time and the effects of damage from people and weather, the 
  structure may become unstable and parts of it begin to collapse. 
  The problem for survivors in the world of Dead Reign® is that 
  when a structure gives way, it may go down around their heads 
  and there is no one to clean up the mess.
  It would take up to a century for most modern skyscrapers to 
  approach the collapsing point. A few years after the Wave, the 
  structures most vulnerable to sudden collapse are those damaged 
  in some way (earthquake, fire, flooding, etc.) as well as those 
  made from the cheapest or shoddiest materials. The cities are 
  far from falling down in the early days and years of the Zombie 
  Apocalypse, but there is definitely damage, sometimes severe, 
  from vandalism, fighting, storms, fire and flooding. As glue, 
  caulk, rubber and wood rot away, windows and glass panels fall 
  out, allowing weather and animals to enter, and increasing the 
  decay of the structure.
  Water seeping into basements, cellars and low-lying areas cre-
  ates breeding grounds for mosquitoes, mold and pestilence, as 
  well as providing cover for zombie Swimmers and Crawlers lurk-
  ing below the water, whether it is shallow or deep. Flooding and 
  water eventually weaken the foundations of buildings, especially 
  frame houses and wood constructs.
  Fire can devastate the biggest and best made skyscrapers and 
  apartment buildings, and devour entire neighborhoods. There are 
  no rescue crews, builders or repair people, so buildings damaged 
  by fire are unstable structures that become vulnerable to further 
  damage from weather and animals. Walking through a fire or 
  flood or decay damaged building is the same as a building dam-
  aged by a moderate earthquake. Parts of it could crumble away 
  to drop debris on anyone inside, or collapse to pin people under 
  debris.
  When an oil refinery or natural gas plant ignites, explosions 
  and fire follow. When that happens, these sprawling plants are 
  likely to become infernos. Some continue to burn for months. 
  The smoke and smell can be detected for 1D6x10 miles (16 to 96 
  km) all around.
  Damage: The danger from a collapsing building varies with 
  the level of deterioration of the structure itself. Most unstable 
  structures are roughly equivalent to a low-magnitude or medium-
  level earthquake, only roll to avoid falling debris every 1D6+2 
  minutes or whenever a character does something violent to the 
  structure of the building. That includes kicking open a door, 
  slamming into, pounding on, or tearing down a wall or support 
  beam, moving heavy debris, using explosives, dropping some-
  thing heavy (100 pounds/45 kg or more), and even running faster 
  than a Spd of 8, and similar. Game Master discretion. Rules for 
  surviving a collapse that drops the character down to the next 
  floor or two, or having one or two floors above you drop down on 
  your location, is the same as the medium-level earthquake. Pray 
  you do not get pinned.
  
  49
  Effects on Zombies: Minimal, as usual. If a zombie is pinned 
  by fallen debris, it tries to pull itself free or, if possible, leave the 
  pinned limbs behind. If a zombie is unable to free itself, it goes 
  dormant.
  This Disaster May Be Accompanied By: Wildfires, Toxic 
  Leakage, Power Plant Failure.
  Tornado
  Tornadoes are exceptionally violent cyclonic storms that form 
  spontaneously out of common thunderstorms. Depending on 
  weather conditions, a tornado can seem to appear without warn-
  ing, even when conditions are calm and things are still. However, 
  most occur during a rainstorm. A green or yellow sky and dark 
  clouds moving counter-clockwise are all indicators that condi-
  tions are right for a tornado.
  Unlike hurricanes which are massive storms, a tornado might 
  be thought of as a concentrated funnel of swirling, destructive en-
  ergy. Tornadoes are instantly recognizable from the ground as a 
  giant funnel of swirling clouds and moisture, that twists and turns 
  as it tears across the countryside. The typical F1-F3 tornado is a 
  spinning, black funnel cloud with winds of 90 to 180 mph (144 to 
  288 km). The funnel sucks in and destroys everything it touches. 
  Winds are high all around the tornado, not just at the funnel, with 
  debris flying through the air at great speed.
  Although there were computer models and storm conditions 
  that could predict tornadoes, as well as early warning systems, 
  sirens and trained storm chasers on the ground who knew how 
  to recognize the conditions for such storms, that is all lost in the 
  aftermath of the Zombie Apocalypse. Tornadoes are most numer-
  ous in the famous Tornado Alley, which comprise the states east 
  of the Rocky Mountains and west of the Mississippi River. Some 
  storm chasers remain active. They go out with teams to watch 
  for storms that could damage or destroy survivor communities, 
  always with escorts to watch for zombies in the fields and towns 
  of the Midwest.
  Tornado Size: Pick one or roll percentile dice for random de-
  termination.
  01-25% Narrow: 100 feet (30.5 m) in diameter.
  26-50% Small: 1D4x100 feet (30.5 to 122 m) in diameter.
  51-75% Medium: 2D4x100 feet (61 to 244 m) in diameter.
  76-85% Large: 3D6x100 feet (91.5 to 549 m) in diameter.
  86-95% Massive: 1D4x1,000 feet (305 to 1,219 m) in diam-
  eter.
  96-00% Giant: 1D4 miles (1.6 to 6.4 km) in diameter.
  Duration of Tornado on the Ground: On average, a tornado 
  lasts for 3D4 melee rounds (45-180 seconds) on the ground, but 
  can do tremendous damage in those 1-3 minutes. The movement 
  or path of a tornado is erratic. It may hop and skip over houses, 
  leaving a few structures still standing, barely scathed, while ev-
  erything around them may be damaged or completely flattened. A 
  tornado may also double-back on itself, going back to an area that 
  it has already hit. Most travel along the surface for 3D4 melee 
  rounds in a zig-zag or wave motion, seldom a straight line.
  Visibility: Poor. Dark clouds block the sun in the sky, turning 
  day into a near nighttime darkness. Heavy and torrential rains of-
  ten precede or accompany a tornado, but other times the rain may 
  be very light. Visibility during the tornado is typically about one 
  mile (1.6 km). Flying dust, particles and debris makes it difficult 
  to verbally communicate beyond 10 feet (3 m) even when shout-
  ing as loud as possible as the funnel cloud approaches. When the 
  tornado is right on top of you, only its roaring winds can be heard. 
  Threats from other humans and animals should be minimal as 
  most seek shelter and wait for the storm to blow over. Zombies 
  caught up in the storm are swept up and carried away by it.
  Penalties: Varies with the intensity of the storm as described 
  below.
  Damage: The amount of damage inflicted is per melee round 
  that a structure, vehicle or individual is exposed or swept up in 
  the tornado. Most encounters with tornadoes are lethal. Seek cov-
  er immediately.
  The exact amount of damage inflicted varies with the inten-
  sity/power of the storm. Size has nothing to do with the power 
  of a tornado. Massive tornados can be weak or powerful, and 
  a small, compact but powerful tornado can be an F4 or F5. The 
  Fujita Scale is based on the wind speed and damage inflicted by 
  a tornado, not its size. A tornado that forms over water is called 
  a water spout.
  F1 Tornado (74-112 mph/118 to 179 km winds): Wind and 
  flying debris (gutters, roof shingles, branches, wood, scrap, tools, 
  etc.) cause moderate to severe damage to homes and buildings: 
  1D4x10 damage to structures every melee round (15 seconds) 
  of being buffeted by tornado winds, dirt and debris. Power lines 
  are torn down, leaves and small branches are sheared from trees, 
  trees with shallow roots are uprooted and toppled, half of the 
  shutters and gutters are torn away from frame houses, 1D6x10% 
  of shingles and siding is torn from the house, 1D6x10% of wood-
  en fencing, mailboxes and similar items are ripped out and car-
  ried away. Automobiles may have been pushed off the road or 
  overturned, mobile homes may be knocked from their foundation 
  or overturned, and small sheds destroyed.
  Damage: The only way to survive any tornado is to either get 
  out of its path or go beneath the funnel cloud by going inside a 
  basement, cellar, storm cellar, storm bunker, pit or trench. No 
  damage.
  Anyone caught above ground in an F1 tornado is pulled into 
  the swirling wind and, if their body is ever found at all, it is hurled 
  4D6x100 feet (122 to 731 m) away, or the individual is buried un-
  der debris, probably the walls or roof of his own home. Damage 
  to structures is 1D4x100 per melee round (15 seconds). Damage 
  to people caught in an F1 tornado is 1D6x10 per melee round.
  F2 Tornado (113-157 mph/181 to 251 km winds): Frame 
  homes and small buildings are lifted off their foundation and 
  moved 1D6x10 feet (3 to 18.3 m) away, the entire roof is torn 
  clean off, as are gutters and shutters; parked cars are missing, and 
  mobile homes are pushed or tumbled, or picked up and dropped 
  1D6x100 feet (30.5 to 183 m) away, and boxcars knocked over. 
  Those inside vehicles tumbled or picked up and dropped take 
  
  50
  4D6 damage per melee round (15 seconds) of the tornado’s du-
  ration, and the vehicle is totaled. Trees with shallow roots are 
  uprooted and toppled, others snapped in half.
  Damage: The only way to survive any tornado is to either get 
  out of its path or go beneath the funnel cloud by going inside a 
  basement, cellar, storm cellar, storm bunker, pit or trench. No 
  damage.
  Anyone caught above ground by an F2 is pulled into the 
  swirling wind and, if their body is ever found at all, it is hurled 
  1D6x1000 feet (305 to 1,828 m) away, or the individual is buried 
  under debris, probably the walls or roof of his own home. Dam-
  age to structures is 2D6x100 per melee round, and people carried 
  off by the tornado take 2D6x10 damage per melee round (15 sec-
  onds), with little hope to survive.
  F3 Tornado (158 to 206 mph/253 to 330 km winds): Frame 
  houses are obliterated, nothing left standing. The roof and 
  1D6x10% of the walls of well constructed houses made of brick 
  or cinder block are destroyed, most trees in the path of the torna-
  do are uprooted; trains overturned, cars, trucks and mobile homes 
  are rolled, dragged or picked up and dropped 1D6x10 feet (3 to 
  18.3 m) away. Any people inside such vehicles take 6D6 damage 
  and the vehicle banged up, its paint scratched up and pitted, the 
  axles, probably broken. A terrifying experience, but with some 
  luck, survivable.
  Damage: The only way to survive any tornado is to either 
  get out of its path or go beneath the funnel cloud by going in-
  side a basement, cellar, storm cellar, storm bunker, pit or trench. 
  Anyone caught above ground by an F3 is likely never to be seen 
  again or the individual is buried under a crushing heap of debris. 
  Damage to structures is 4D6x100 per melee round, and people 
  outdoors suffer 3D6x10 per melee round (15 seconds), with little 
  hope for survival.
  F4 and F5 Tornados (207-312 mph/331 to 530 km winds): 
  Frame houses are obliterated, nothing left standing. The roof 
  and 2D4x10% of the walls of well constructed houses and office 
  buildings made of brick or cinder block are destroyed, and small 
  buildings lifted off their foundations and moved 1D4x100 feet 
  (30.5 to 122 m). Most trees in the path of the tornado are com-
  pletely stripped of leaves and branches and flattened, 1D4x10% 
  are gone, carried off by the storm. Cars, trucks, mobile homes, 
  trees, lampposts, and other pieces of large, heavy debris are 
  picked up and carried off by the high winds to become flying 
  missiles thrown or dropped 1D6x100 feet (30.5 to 183 m) away. 
  Any people inside such vehicles take 6D6 damage per melee 
  round (15 seconds) spun around inside the tornado and another 
  3D6x10 damage from the final impact. The vehicle is a crumpled 
  wreck; survival unlikely. Thankfully, most large objects such as 
  walls and pieces of buildings are shredded into smaller pieces by 
  the tornado so there are not too many massive flying missiles! 
  A tornado hurled car, van, small truck or girders does 1D4x100 
  damage on impact! Large trucks, semi-trailer, box cars, trains, 
  tankers, etc., inflict 2D4x100 damage upon impact. The vehicle 
  itself is destroyed and anyone inside is killed. There is no chance 
  for survival.
  Damage: The only way to survive any tornado is to either get 
  out of its path or go beneath the funnel cloud by going inside a 
  basement, cellar, storm cellar, storm bunker, pit or trench. Any-
  one caught above ground by an F4 or greater magnitude tornado 
  is likely never to be seen again. There is no hope for survival!
  Damage to structures is 1D6x1000 per melee round; half that 
  to large buildings reinforced by steel, such as skyscrapers, but 
  they are badly damaged. 2D4x10% of the roof or any floor di-
  rectly hit by the tornado is missing, all windows throughout the 
  building are blown out, and any awnings, signs, poles and towers 
  are ripped off and carried away.
  Damage to people is 2D4x100 points per melee round (15 
  seconds), with no hope for survival. Any people inside vehicles 
  carried away by the tornado are killed, with no hope for survival, 
  and the vehicles destroyed.
  F6 or greater is said to be inconceivable. Its path of destruc-
  tion would look as if the ground was scrubbed of whatever was 
  once present. Vehicles, refrigerators, lampposts, telephone poles 
  and large pieces of debris becoming missiles that would do con-
  siderable damage on impact.
  Effects of Tornadoes on Zombies: Zombies who do not have 
  the sense to avoid a tornado – which are most – get carried away 
  by them and get pretty torn up. Zombies take 4D6 damage per 
  melee round, triple damage in F4 or higher storms. After a tor-
  nado, 1D4x10+40% of the zombies swept up by the storm are 
  destroyed. Any that survive are likely (80%) to become Crawlers 
  or Deadweight zombies. If the twister picked up a great number 
  of zombies, it may tear them to pieces and rain them down all 
  along its path.
  This Disaster May Be Accompanied By: Fire, Rain/Thunder-
  storms and Structure Collapse (if anything is left standing).
  Toxic Leakage
  Toxic Leakage covers a wide variety of environmental haz-
  ards caused by the introduction of chemicals and waste material 
  into the natural world. The reasons for these leakages are as var-
  ied as the types of toxins that player characters may run across. 
  Toxins typically come in the form of gasses, vapors, liquids, oil, 
  
  51
  and sludge. They can be noxious and caustic to smell, or totally 
  odorless. There are no easy guides to avoiding toxic leakage. The 
  best thing is to be aware of the environment and have some kind 
  of knowledge of local factories, refineries, or treatment plants 
  where toxic leakage is most likely. If there is one nearby, chances 
  are it has experienced some kind of leak and is a hazardous place.
  With the Zombie Apocalypse totally unraveling the normal 
  flow of transportation, trains, semi-haulers, and tanker ships 
  have been abandoned, derailed, crashed, and run aground. The 
  chemicals, waste material, and crude oil they were carrying still 
  inside their container or slowly spilling out. Player characters 
  traveling on the rails or the highways are likely to run into a 
  toxic crash site at some point. It is best to find a way around, 
  or roll up the windows and move through the area as quickly as 
  possible.
  Coal slurry is a waste by-product of coal mining. It is a cor-
  rosive, abrasive mixture of dirt, rocks, coal residue, and water. 
  Slurry is kept by mining companies behind giant dams built to 
  contain millions of tons of this stuff. The problem is, these dams 
  are rarely as safe as they are supposed to be, and breakage and 
  leaks are going to happen sooner or later. Before the Wave, there 
  were clean-up crews and public awareness to prevent and clean 
  up chemical spills. Now there is no one to stop the inevitable fail-
  ure of the toxic coal sludge dams or clean up the mess afterward.
  Sewage treatment plants fail a short time after the power grid 
  goes down, which sends raw sewage into rivers and streams. Most 
  of this biological waste has been diluted or broken down since 
  then, but there are still places, especially underground, where 
  sewage has been left to stagnate. Also, some sewage treatment 
  plants remain active longer than others, because their power grid 
  does not go down when everything else does. That means there 
  are still some sewage plants with millions of gallons of waste wa-
  ter sitting and waiting to be released. When it does, it goes right 
  out into the natural water sources or the open streets.
  In chemical waste dumps, leaks were monitored and con-
  trolled, but now there is no one left to do it. As a result, deadly 
  chemicals are seeping into the ground and the water. This isn’t 
  such a problem with buried nuclear waste, which is contained in 
  drums sealed in concrete and buried so deep inside the earth that 
  it is unlikely to affect anyone living on the surface. The millions 
  of barrels of industrial chemical waste are a much greater dan-
  ger. They were buried in concrete or plastic-lined ravines under 
  barely a hundred feet of topsoil. In time, these chemical troughs 
  will be exposed to the open air and their barrels will suffer dam-
  age from rust and wind, which will cause further leakage and 
  contamination of the area.
  Damage: Being directly exposed to toxic leakage does 1D6 
  damage per minute. There are also likely to be a host of side 
  effects, especially from biological contaminants like sewage. 
  Exposed characters may experience rashes, headaches, fatigue, 
  dizzy spells, frequent vomiting, dehydration, and death. The real 
  problems are in the long-term effects of living in affected areas. 
  Toxic leaks will get into the ground and water, tainting and de-
  forming plant growth. Animals that drink this water and eat the 
  plants are likely to get sick and die from it. Those that don’t will 
  see their offspring develop a higher risk of deformities and birth 
  defects. See the Random Table, below, reprinted from the Dead 
  Reign® Dark Places sourcebook.
  Effects on Zombies: Toxic leakages affect zombies different-
  ly. Harmful chemicals like acids cause great harm to a zombie: 
  2D6 damage per minute. Water tainted with coal ash slurry, sew-
  age, or oil do nothing to them but make them even more caustic 
  to be around. In cases where the zombie is completely saturated 
  with the toxic leakage, it may become a Toxic Zombie (described 
  in this sourcebook) or a Bug Boy, Worm Meat, Sewer Zombie (see 
  Dead Reign® Dark Places sourcebook) or a Zombie Amalgama-
  tion (see Dead Reign® Endless Dead sourcebook).
  This Disaster May Be Accompanied By: None, but may be 
  the result of other disastrous occurrences, such as an earthquake, 
  landslide or storm that releases toxins. Likewise, dead bodies, 
  improper disposal of human waste, stagnant water, etc., all breed 
  insects and disease, and turn water toxic and the area around it is 
  hazardous to humans.
  Random Illness Table from Exposure
  to Contamination, Toxins and Toxic Zombies
  If the character swallows more than a gulp of foul water, 
  eats contaminated food, is exposed to radiation or toxins, or is 
  scratched or bitten by a Toxic Zombie, roll to save vs illness on 
  this table. The victim needs 15 or higher to save. Include any ap-
  plicable P.E. or other bonuses to the saving throw. If the character 
  saves, he’s fine. If he fails to save, roll for one of the following 
  illnesses and penalties. Duration: All symptoms and penalties last 
  1D6 days unless stated otherwise.
  01-10% Cold, Severe, or Equivalent Symptoms: Feels sick 
  and run down, suffers from mild headaches, intermittent low fe-
  ver, running sinuses, watering eyes, lack of appetite, and food 
  and drink lack taste or taste funny. If the victim tries to push 
  himself and engages in more than two hours of physical exertion, 
  working out, labor, running, exploration, and similar, his illness 
  gets worse; roll again on this table. If Cold is rolled again, double 
  the penalties for the duration and double the duration of the ill-
  ness. Penalties: Reduce Spd and P.E. by 30%, -1 attack per melee 
  round, -2 on all combat bonuses, no Perception Roll or initiative, 
  and -10% on skill performance.
  11-20% Cough and Sore Throat: A nagging cough, sore 
  throat and mild fatigue. Penalties: Reduce Prowl and all stealth 
  and public speaking or performance skills by half. Reduce Spd 
  by 10%, -1 on Perception Rolls, initiative and all combat bo-
  nuses.
  21-30% Dysentery: Stomach upset, some cramping and diar-
  rhea. The character feels weak and fatigued, cannot hold down 
  food, and suffers from dehydration. Penalties: Reduce S.D.C. by 
  half, reduce P.S. and P.E. attributes by half, Spd by 30%, -1 attack 
  per melee, no initiative, -2 on Perception Rolls and all combat 
  bonuses, skill performance is -15%, and the character is unmo-
  tivated and drained. When the character is struck with a sudden, 
  
  52
  unstoppable bowel movement accompanied by cramps (lasts 1D4 
  melee rounds), he has only one melee attack/action, no initiative, 
  no Perception Roll, and no combat bonuses!
  31-40% Fatigue and Muscle Ache: The character has a low-
  grade fever, feels weak, tired and his muscles ache. This makes 
  sleeping and feeling comfortable difficult. Penalties: Reduce Spd 
  and P.S. by 25%, reduce attacks per melee, Perception Rolls and 
  all combat bonuses by 25%, skill performance is -15% and the 
  character is unmotivated and just wants to sleep and rest, if only 
  he could get comfortable.
  41-50% Fever: The character is burning up with a high fever, 
  suffers from chills and dehydration, feels dizzy and weak, vision 
  is blurred, the body aches and it is difficult to concentrate. Pen-
  alties: Reduce Spd, attacks/actions per melee round, all combat 
  bonuses and skill performance by half; no Perception Rolls and 
  no initiative.
  51-60% Flu-Like Illness: The character has a terrible cough, 
  runny nose, moderate fever, no appetite, and aching muscles. He 
  feels awful and wants to lay down. Penalties: Cannot Prowl, all 
  other skills suffer a -30% penalty, no Perception Rolls or initia-
  tive, reduce Spd, attacks/actions per melee round, and all combat 
  bonuses by half, reduce P.B. and S.D.C. by half.
  61-70% Murderous Headache: The head pounds with a 
  brutal, throbbing headache. It makes concentration difficult and 
  sudden or rapid movement painful. Penalties: -1 attack per me-
  lee round, reduce all combat bonuses by half, -30% to all skills, 
  reduce Spd by half, and cannot run or leap without throbbing pain 
  (loses two additional attacks/actions).
  71-80% Lung Infection: The character feels tired, has dif-
  ficulty breathing, coughs, wheezes and cannot catch his breath 
  when even moderately active. Penalties: Running, combat or 
  heavy labor for more than one melee round (15 seconds) results 
  in chest pains and shortness of breath. When this happens, reduce 
  Spd, attacks per melee and all combat bonuses by half, no initia-
  tive. +2 days to the duration.
  81-90% Nausea/Stomach Poisoning: Severe stomach upset, 
  cramps and bloating, accompanied by a low fever and vomiting. 
  Cannot hold food down and may become dehydrated. Penalties: 
  Generally feels uncomfortable and tired, reduce Spd by 20%, -1 
  attack per melee and -15% on skill performance. Strong odors, 
  bad odors, fast or sudden movement, and eating causes vomit-
  ing. Likewise, combat, running or heavy labor that lasts more 
  than 1D4 minutes causes the character’s stomach to turn and he 
  throws up. The vomiting character cannot perform any skill nor 
  attack, parry, dodge, or move while vomiting, and may get some 
  on his clothing, loses initiative, loses 1D4 melee attacks for that 
  round and all combat bonuses are half for the rest of that melee 
  round.
  91-95% Poisoned: The character feels week, feverish, and 
  nauseous. Penalties: -10% to Spd and skill performance, reduce 
  P.S. and P.E. by 20%, reduce S.D.C. points by 90% and reduce 
  Hit Points by 1D6x10%. The Hit Points and S.D.C. recover as 
  normal with rest and sleep, but only after the poison in the char-
  acter’s system has run its course (i.e. the duration of the illness).
  96-00% Rash: A large, ugly rash forms on the character’s 
  hands and arms, neck, legs or abdomen. The rash is constantly 
  itchy, annoying and distracting. Penalties: Perception Rolls are 
  half, no initiative, attacks/actions per melee and combat bonus-
  es are at -2, and M.A. and P.B. are -2. Scratching could lead to 
  bleeding and infection.
  Volcano
  Volcanoes are vents in the earth’s crust where molten rock 
  (magma when it is underground, lava when it boils onto the sur-
  face) pushes up through to the surface. Molten rock is burning 
  hot. Touching it is like touching liquified tar or wax. When lava 
  breaks out onto the surface it is accompanied by toxic gasses 
  and steam. Over time, this material cools and turns to solid rock, 
  forming mountains. Far underground, however, the magma re-
  mains a boiling cauldron, and the pressure from the gasses and 
  heat builds. When the pressure gets too great, the mountain starts 
  to shake, and finally explodes, spewing molten lava, shards of 
  rock, gasses, and burning ash into the air and covering the area 
  for miles around it. Like an overflowing cauldron, smoke and 
  toxic gasses pour out from the top (the volcano vent) and lava 
  spills down the mountain and into the area below.
  The area of destruction around a volcano depends heavily on 
  the size of the volcano itself. Volcanoes can steadily pour out 
  lava in a small area of just a few miles, or they can explode with 
  tremendous violence and spray lava and ash for hundreds of 
  miles. The largest volcanoes have enough power to block out the 
  sun and alter the climate of the planet. Thankfully, no such super-
  volcano has erupted on Earth in thousands of years.
  Volcanoes are comparatively rare, especially in North Amer-
  ica, but Iceland, South America and many areas located in the 
  Pacific have active volcanoes. Everyone should know well in ad-
  vance if they are in a volcano danger zone, and will get warnings 
  in the form of tremors and rumblings, 2D4 days before any actual 
  volcanic eruption.
  Damage: Boiling lava does 2D6x100 damage per hour to 
  any structures it runs into, overwhelming and burning them up. 
  People take 2D6x10 damage per melee round (15 seconds), and 
  if caught in a lava flow they are dead in seconds, burned alive. 
  There will also be the matter of falling stones and burning ash 
  falling from the air. Ash ruins food, clogs the engines of vehicles 
  and gets into the eyes, nose, mouth, and lungs of anyone caught 
  in the blast radius of the volcano without protection for the eyes 
  and lungs. Breathing becomes difficult and the characters who 
  breathe in too much ash and smoke suffer from sporadic cough-
  ing fits for the next 3D4 days, and suffer 4D6 damage.
  There is also a 01-33% chance the hot ash starts many small 
  fires that, if not put out, grow into wildfires that can burn down 
  forests and urban communities alike. The spray of rocks and lava 
  from each eruption inflicts 3D6 damage per melee for 1D4 melee 
  rounds. And each eruption is the equivalent of a medium-level 
  earthquake. The initial eruption is the equivalent of a heavy-mag-
  nitude earthquake.
  
  53
  Effects on Zombies: Zombies can burn and instinctively fear 
  lava as much as they do fire. They try to get away from it if they 
  can, but may feel safe inside a building, unaware that the lava will 
  melt and burn the structure down with them inside. The ash only 
  bothers them when it is hot enough to burn them, pockmarking 
  and burning their skin and flesh, but does no notable damage.
  This Disaster May Be Accompanied By: Earthquakes, Wild-
  fires, Fire: Urban, Structure Collapse, Landslides, Mudslides and 
  Toxic Chemicals (toxic gas cloud and damage that causes toxic 
  leaks).
  Nature Reshaping the Landscape
  No place on Earth is safe from the ravages of weather and 
  nature. Over time, weather and nature change the environment, 
  transforming the landscape faster than you might expect.
  Weather and rain, let alone any natural disasters, can wipe out 
  or cover entire towns and neighborhoods, even cities. The crum-
  bling of the infrastructure of the old world gets worse with each 
  passing season. Vegetation covers fences, walls, buildings and 
  roadways. Dams and levees that break and collapse could turn 
  towns, farmland and portions of highways into lakes and rivers. 
  That little town and Safe Haven community you made contact 
  with last summer could be gone next spring. Not abandoned, 
  gone. Buried under a mudslide or a permanent body of water, 
  perhaps only rooftops and light poles showing above the water. In 
  a decade as the wood rots, even they will sink under the water as 
  homes collapse and roofs cave in. A tornado can reduce parts of 
  a town, farm or downtown area (rare) to rubble, leaving nothing 
  standing. Along coastal towns, a hurricane can decimate coastal 
  communities, reshape shorelines and flood low-lying areas.
  With man-made dams, levees and locks unmanned and not 
  maintained, existing rivers and lakes may swell over their banks 
  or become diminished, smaller and different. Fallen trees and de-
  bris, as well as the constructs of beavers and animals, may create 
  new dams that alter the flow of rivers and create new flood zones, 
  ponds, lakes and rivers, wash out roads and permanently flood 
  certain communities.
  Fire and storms can also alter the skyline of any city, toppling 
  portions of skyscrapers and high-rises and sending debris into the 
  streets, making them impassable at various junctions.
  After one year, nature, weather and disaster alters the land-
  scape enough to make ALL maps and any GPS that may continue 
  to work unreliable. Its data is old and compromised. The old data 
  cannot know if a bridge or road has been washed out or that a 
  toppled or burnt down building now blocks portions of several 
  streets, or that a town is underwater or has been burned to the 
  ground.
  The first few years after the start of the Zombie Apocalypse 
  may not be too terrible in regard to changing environment, with 
  large areas still intact, if overgrown. However, in the years to fol-
  low, nature quickly conceals and topples man’s creations. More 
  and more roads stay underwater or become covered by mud and 
  rock, upon which vegetation and saplings take root. In a few 
  years, you would never know there was ever a stretch of high-
  way there. Growing trees, vines and underbrush quickly begin to 
  cover most street signs and markers, concealing the names and 
  markers that identify highways, exits and distances to cities and 
  other locations. The effects of fires and storms may make it im-
  possible to recognize specific neighborhoods, with unkempt rural 
  areas and parklands being the first to be absorbed back into the 
  wilderness. Of course, cities and large communities will remain 
  visible for decades, but they will become overgrown and altered 
  within the first few years and continue to change with the march 
  of time and the effects of weather.
  All of this makes travel and the location of specific people and 
  places increasingly difficult for survivors. It also makes the world 
  feel smaller and scarier. The loss of the communications network 
  immediately made everyone, everywhere, cut off from the rest of 
  the world. Not just faraway places, but from our own neighbors. 
  It is impossible to know what is happening just a few blocks away 
  unless it is loud and apparent. Survivors may be further disori-
  ented and thrown off as the environment and the places they once 
  knew begin to become obscured or increasingly changed and dif-
  ferent looking.
  If there is no way to effectively fight the zombies and rebuild, 
  life for the living is going to be very different for a very long time. 
  Making cooperation between individuals essential, and skills like 
  Land Navigation, hunting, and other Wilderness Survival skills 
  vital to their survival.
  Note: In recent years before the Zombie Apocalypse, humans 
  took note of the increasing frequency of extreme weather. This 
  is due to a gradual warming of the Earth, which, right or wrong, 
  was blamed on excessive carbon dioxide in the atmosphere put 
  there by the pollution of heavy industry and other manmade 
  handiwork. This shift in the Earth’s climate, rising ocean levels 
  and extreme weather (heat, cold, storms, etc.) should continue to 
  affect the world’s weather patterns for many years to come. How 
  much and how frequent, if at all, is left to the Game Master.
  
  54
  Hell followed
  ... and so did madness
  reign. While some survivors revert to a dog eat dog mentality, 
  most try to hang on to their sense of morality. They help strangers 
  whenever they can, even if it is something as simple as waving 
  them away from zombies lurking around the corner, or leading 
  them to safety, or sharing a morsel of food or providing them 
  with a bit of helpful information.
  The good gather in groups and try to establish Safe Haven 
  communities. Remote places where the zombies are fewer and 
  people can live. Or places that can be fortified against monsters, 
  living and dead. Many believe in God and turn to their faith more 
  than ever. Others cling to their faith in themselves and their fel-
  low man, or in science. But all work at surviving and are quick to 
  aid their fellow man. You heard right, they are quick to come to 
  the aid of other living beings, even if they are strangers passing 
  in the night.
  Think about how you would like to behave under such dire 
  circumstances. You would be afraid, but you would not turn your 
  back on others. Not when the living are so few, and life is more 
  precious and rare than ever. Human beings are social creatures 
  who are stronger and more effective in numbers, so it is natural 
  for survivors to seek the companionship and strength of other 
  well-intentioned people. This is how most people behave.
  Cynics and nihilists might insist people would become more 
  predatory, selfish and vicious than ever, and some most certain-
  ly do, but the reality is the opposite. After the initial panic and 
  shock of it all, most people step up to help one another. You see 
  it happen all the time in moments of disaster. Complete strangers 
  volunteering to help those in need. Sure the vultures and oppor-
  tunistic thugs come out, but they are the dangerous and ruthless 
  minority. The majority are fellow survivors and neighbors work-
  ing together to save more lives and rebuild the world they lost.
  Survivors share a common enemy and common goals. The 
  enemies are the zombies, cultists and madmen. Whenever a sur-
  vivor can help another good person escape or defeat such mon-
  sters, it is a victory. For many in the Zombie Apocalypse, human 
  life becomes more important and precious than ever. Strangers 
  help each other to escape the clutches of the risen dead as well 
  as brutal thugs and evil Death Cultists. It does not matter that 
  they may never see these people again. What matters is that they 
  helped them to survive another day. Perhaps such risk-taking ac-
  tion is born from the fact that every small victory – every good 
  deed – breeds hope and makes the do-gooders feel like they and 
  the people they helped matter. That they made a difference today. 
  Saved a life and brought someone else hope, even if that some-
  one else was a total stranger. In a world where the dead reign 
  and hope is a commodity hard to come by, that is a very good 
  With the passage of time, things seem to be getting worse for 
  the world at large. A lot worse.
  There are more strange zombies than anyone could have imag-
  ined possible. The world governments appear to have collapsed 
  or are at least missing in action. There is no help coming. And 
  while some people rally together to help each other and build 
  Safe Haven communities, others seem to have given in to mad-
  ness. The mad act in strange and unexpected ways and engage 
  in eccentric and dangerous behavior. Many people have become 
  increasingly superstitious, adopting strange ways, bizarre beliefs 
  and odd or self-serving philosophies to explain what has hap-
  pened or to justify the terrible things they do to survive. Some 
  practices are born from insanity, others from depravity, and some 
  from cruelty and hatred. Many are macabre and grotesque, mak-
  ing life seem all the more as if it has become a living hell.
  The survivors and cultists found in what were once densely 
  populated cities seem to be adopting the most extreme and un-
  usual behavior, but the strange and bizarre can be encountered 
  anywhere.
  To make matters worse, there are plenty of madmen and weir-
  dos running around living by their own twisted code or lifestyle, 
  doing as they please or whatever they think is necessary to sur-
  vive in a world where the dead walk and horror prevails. They 
  are in addition to traumatized and shell-shocked survivors also 
  doing crazy things that can get innocent bystanders or compas-
  sionate survivors trying to help them, hurt or killed. Those who 
  are out of their heads or are emotionally shut down are a liability 
  to everyone, not just themselves.
  The Good
  It may come as a surprise to some, but the good people far out-
  number the bad and the crazy ones who are dangerous to others. 
  It is just that the bad and crazy are frightening and dangerous, so 
  they are the boogeymen and killers and thieves who lurk in the 
  shadows along with the risen dead, and haunt the dreams of the 
  good. In an environment where a weapon, food or medicine could 
  mean life or death, those who steal it when you are not looking, or 
  take it by force, are just as wicked and cruel as those who would 
  kill you for it.
  Most survivors are still caring people with good intentions just 
  like you and your own friends. They want to help others and do 
  what’s right. They are not cutthroats, killers or thieves. They are 
  not madmen or uncaring. They are frightened survivors trying to 
  find their way in a hellish landscape where chaos and monsters 
  
  55
  thing. Hopelessness is the greatest enemy any survivors can face. 
  Where there is no hope, there is little chance for survival.
  The common goal is survival. That encompasses a lot: Find-
  ing a safe place to hole up where the zombies and bad people 
  cannot find you, finding and collecting food and water, acquiring 
  weapons to defend yourself and loved ones, building resources 
  (including people as allies), and just surviving one more day. Like 
  many times of crisis, the only way survivors can deal with it all is 
  to take it one day at a time. Surviving another day is a triumph all 
  by itself. Enabling a friend, teammate or complete stranger to do 
  so as well, is a greater victory. Many survivors (especially player 
  characters) will find themselves working with strangers to escape 
  a wandering zombie horde, avoid cultists, or to acquire food, wa-
  ter, fuel, medicine and other necessities. When strangers work 
  together to win such valuable resources, they share the spoils of 
  their efforts and move on. The strangers may go their separate 
  ways, travel and work together for awhile longer, or stay together 
  as an increasingly capable and well-oiled machine. Whether their 
  small troupe stays small and independent, or grows into a band 
  of zombie-slaying heroes or a haven community, depends on the 
  people involved, luck and circumstance.
  Even in the Zombie Apocalypse, most people know the dif-
  ference between right and wrong – good and evil. And though 
  desperate times can lead to desperate and harsh measures, most 
  people cling to their sense of justice, mercy and what’s good and 
  right. Human beings can surprise you, and in the Zombie Apoca-
  lypse it is the good that triumphs more often than not.
  Be the good guy. There is great reward and joy in it. Every sur-
  vivor who tries to make a positive difference, saves lives, fights 
  the zombies and stands against evil and injustice, is a hero in the 
  truest sense of the word. A defender of the innocent, a champion 
  of life, and a harbinger of hope. He stands against impossible 
  odds and somehow believes he, and other people like him, can 
  make a difference. Can change the world. And you know what? 
  History has proven such optimists and heroes to be correct. It 
  has shown us time and time again that one person, or a particular 
  group of people, can make a difference for the many.
  Humans are cagey and adaptable creatures. When they work 
  together toward a common goal, they can perform miracles and 
  do the impossible. Never forget that.
  Masked Lunatics
  Heroes or Madmen?
  Inspired by Nick Bradshaw. Written by Kevin Siembieda.
  About the Location for these Lunatics and Groups
  Many of the specific NPCs (Non-Player Characters) described 
  below have been given specific cities and regions where they live 
  and operate. None of this is written in stone. Please feel free to 
  place them wherever you want them. It could be Los Angeles, 
  Manhattan, Toronto, London, Singapore or anywhere. Put these 
  characters, or characters like them, wherever it serves you, your 
  players and the story.
  Brimstone
  “Minneapolis had the devil’s face shining above it. Above the 
  Wells Fargo tower. They swore it wasn’t intentional and the face 
  disappeared. Where did it go? Who knows? How did it appear in 
  the first place? What did it mean?
  “It was a foreshadowing of things to come. Now, in this time 
  ... In this new time ... this time of the dead. There is a face smiling 
  over the Twin Cities. My face. The face of the devil. The face of 
  Brimstone.”
  – Brimstone, the Avenging Devil
  Brimstone seems to be equal parts hero and lunatic. He always 
  dresses in black – usually in a stylish jacket with a red lining, 
  matching pants, a white shirt with a red tie, white or grey gloves, 
  and an ornate red leather, devil’s mask. His two favorite weap-
  ons are a pitchfork (3D6 damage) and Molotov cocktails, but he 
  packs a 9mm pistol (5D6 damage per shot) and a switchblade 
  (1D6 damage) as backup. He also has a thing for red spray paint 
  and tags buildings with symbols of a red pitchfork, a devil’s head 
  or flames, and words like, “We defy death.” “Brimstone is watch-
  ing.” “Fire purifies.” “No cult zone.” “Cult death zone.” “My 
  Town.” “Under the protection of Fire and Brimstone.” “People 
  of Earth, stand together.” “Vengeance is mine.” “I am the devil.”
  Brimstone is often accompanied by a sidekick named Fire. 
  Most of the time they fight zombies and rescue people in trouble, 
  but the duo is also known to kill Death Cultists and undermine 
  their efforts and those of other bad guys. Fire and Brimstone 
  take down Death Cultists and evildoers whenever they can get 
  the jump on them or are on a mission of revenge. The pair have 
  burned down a number of cult hideouts and strongholds that have 
  tried to take hold in and around “their city.” They have no love 
  for Retro-Savages either, but do not actively hunt and slay them. 
  They are satisfied with just chasing them away.
  Fire and Brimstone live up to their name in other ways. 
  These avenging spirits use simple tricks, traps, smoke and fire 
  to fight evil. While smoke does not hurt zombies, it does register 
  with zombies that where there is smoke there is (usually) fire. 
  As a result, zombies hesitate rushing into a cloud of smoke and 
  linger on the edge of it before half of them enter the smoke to 
  pursue the glowing life energy they see or sense inside. However, 
  those precious seconds (1D4 full melee rounds; 15-60 seconds) 
  is often all the time Fire and Brimstone need to make good their 
  escape, or help survivors slip away or find a hiding place. Smoke 
  is also very effective against the living who, unless they have 
  goggles, gas masks and passive nightvision optics (like those Fire 
  and Brimstone carry with them), are completely blinded by the 
  smoke until it dissipates. Smoke from a burning fire also contains 
  hot embers, ash and particles that cause coughing and lung dam-
  
  56
  
  57
  age to the unprotected – which is most survivors and cultists – 
  making the pursuit of Fire and Brimstone difficult, if not outright 
  impossible. (Note: See the section on Disasters for penalties and 
  damage from smoke and fire.) Moreover, you never know if you 
  are being lured into one of Brimstone’s fire traps. One moment 
  you are chasing Brimstone or Fire, and the next moment you real-
  ize the building is burning all around you and there is no escape.
  Brimstone uses firecrackers, flash powder, flash grenades, 
  smoke grenades, tear gas, fire, lights and sound in all sorts of stra-
  tegic and tactical ways. Some are used to make a startling appear-
  ance seemingly out of nowhere (he loves stepping out of smoke 
  and disappearing into smoke and even into flames) or create a 
  distraction, vanishing in a puff of smoke or flash of light, and for 
  herding zombies and other enemies to wherever he wants them to 
  go; which is often into an ambush or trap that burns them alive.
  Brimstone is the master of misdirection, bold action, heroic 
  deeds, and mystifying escapes. He has become so renowned for 
  such feats that many people are starting to believe he may actu-
  ally be a supernatural being. A devil? Perhaps, but he is more 
  likely a fallen angel trying to redeem himself. Or maybe he is 
  a demon of vengeance, given that he frequently helps people in 
  need, is the guardian and protector of several small survivor com-
  munities, protector of the innocent in the Twin Cities area of St. 
  Paul and Minneapolis, and strikes down zombies, Death Cultists 
  and all manner of wicked people. The survivor communities in 
  the area could not have been established or survived as long as 
  they have without Brimstone’s help. Not just in protecting their 
  people from zombies, but also from Death Cultists who would 
  make them their slaves and servants.
  For the growing number of survivors in and around the Twin 
  Cities who have seen Fire and Brimstone in action on more than 
  a few occasions, it is obvious that while Brimstone always seems 
  to be the same man, he has many Fires. Brimstone’s sidekick 
  known as Fire either changes, or there is more than one of them. 
  For those keeping count, there is a Fire who is a large, heavyset 
  black man, a thin black man, a white man, a white woman, and a 
  Hispanic woman. All are called Fire and all have been seen with 
  Brimstone at some point or another. There are also reports from 
  people who have claimed to see Fire by his or herself, sometimes 
  at the same moment that Fire and Brimstone are known to be 
  elsewhere. This would suggest that Fire is a sidekick who is re-
  placed as needed, or that there is a small group of heroes working 
  under Brimstone, the presumed leader of the band.
  Though not directly a member of any survivor community, 
  Fire and Brimstone have had a strong enough influence on the 
  area that a number of small communities have been able to pros-
  per and survive.
  What nobody knows is that Brimstone was an up and coming 
  stage magician who was known for his pyrotechnics and theat-
  rics. He now uses those special skills to help other survivors and 
  to kill zombies and Death Cultists. He keeps his identity a secret 
  to protect himself and those he cares about, and so that he can 
  walk among the living or infiltrate enemy camps without their 
  knowing who he is. And because he is crazy.
  Brimstone really thinks of himself as a superhuman Angel of 
  Vengeance. He and his family were some of the lucky ones when 
  the plague struck. They survived the Wave and the initial zombie 
  manifestation. They holed up for a while in their country cottage 
  and then joined a survivor camp building a Safe Haven commu-
  nity. The group was doing very well until they caught the eye of a 
  Death Cult that saw them as competition. One evening, Brimstone 
  returned to find their community in ruin. Half the people gone, 
  including his family, others half dead. The community crawling 
  with zombies. He and the other men from the community who 
  had gone on a supply run in the nearby city, soon learned a Death 
  Cult was responsible. When they went to plead for the return of 
  their family members now held by the cultists, they were given 
  the choice to join the cult or die. Upon joining the cult, Brimstone 
  learned his wife had proven too defiant and had been raped before 
  being sacrificed to the zombies. His children and several friends 
  suffered the same fate.
  Suffice it to say, the man who now calls himself Brimstone, 
  exacted his revenge upon the cult, killing as many as he could in 
  a fiery blaze and freeing those they had enslaved or taken captive.
  To those who earn his confidence, all Brimstone tells them 
  is that he has been reborn by the Zombie Apocalypse and is fu-
  eled by the fire of vengeance. Who he once was does not matter, 
  because that man died the night the Safe Haven fell, and was 
  replaced with the demon of vengeance called Brimstone.
  Donning a mask and drawing upon his background in stage 
  magic and a pyrotechnics special effects guy, Brimstone has be-
  come a sort of mythic hero. A Zorro or Batman-type vigilante 
  who is the champion of good people, and the boogeyman to the 
  wicked. He uses every gimmick, illusion and deadly pyrotechnic 
  skill he has to continue to hunt and destroy cults and evildoers. 
  To that end, he likes to use fire because his victims suffer more 
  and because fire is beautiful. Brimstone and his sidekicks help 
  the innocent and protect survivor communities in the Twin Cities 
  area from zombies, religious zealots and all manner of evildoers.
  Who he may be when he is not wearing the mask is anyone’s 
  guess. His assistants or sidekicks are more than a half dozen 
  strong and all named Fire. They are people Brimstone has helped 
  in the past, and who now help him in his crusade to crush evil and 
  kill cultists. Many share Brimstone’s psychosis or have their own 
  issues that make them unquestioning allies happy to fight at his 
  side. At least two of them believe he is a supernatural being who 
  has taken possession of a human body – a willing vessel who had 
  pleaded to God for justice and revenge, not just for himself, but 
  for all the suffering innocents, and whose prayers were answered.
  Like Zorro or a comic book hero, Brimstone has proclaimed 
  his hometown of Minneapolis and St. Paul to be under his pro-
  tection. It is a smart move, because his magician’s workshop is 
  located somewhere in the city (the Uptown area) and he knows 
  the city like the back of his own hand. It is this insider knowledge 
  he uses to his full advantage to travel unseen and to hide from his 
  enemies. Brimstone has secret equipment and weapon depots and 
  safe houses all over the city. Places he can resupply, patch him-
  self up or lay low for awhile. He also has 1D6 fire traps set up and 
  
  58
  ready to go at a moment’s notice. All designed to be contained 
  fires that incinerate anything that gets caught it their blaze.
  As crazy as he may be, Brimstone is also brilliant and cun-
  ning. A master of strategy and tactics, trickery, illusion and traps. 
  He is just as happy to lead bad guys into the clutches of zombies 
  or rivals as he is killing them himself. As good and noble as he 
  and his sidekicks can be, make no mistake, Brimstone is a tor-
  tured soul capable of cruelty toward his enemies. He is quick to 
  threaten, intimidate and engage in the torture of his enemies and 
  wicked people. Often prolonging torture. He loves to use fire and 
  seems to truly enjoy the screams of evildoers as they are burned 
  alive in one of his fire traps or attacks. He is merciless when deal-
  ing with Death Cultists, murderers, rapists and all whom he has 
  judged to be wicked. Laughing and cheering, or taunting them as 
  they die an excruciating death. He is relentless and ruthless in his 
  crusade against such villains, and in his goal to keep them out of 
  the Twin cities.
  On the other hand, the madman has taken extraordinary he-
  roic measures to rescue and protect the innocent, and can exhibit 
  gentleness and deep compassion that is surprising. He has defied 
  death and beaten impossible odds so many times (usually through 
  cunning, trickery and the help of his sidekicks and other agents), 
  that many people believe he cannot be killed. And some wonder 
  if he is not a real demon of vengeance. In a world where the dead 
  rise to stalk the living, the idea of real demons and angels seems 
  all the more plausible, even likely. The man in the Devil mask 
  might as well be one of them. They are just glad he is on their 
  side.
  Brimstone Stats
  A Masked Lunatic and Hero.
  Also Known As: The Avenging Devil and Saint Paul Devil.
  True Name: Unknown, perhaps even to Brimstone, himself.
  Alignment: Anarchist with leanings toward good.
  Attributes: I.Q. 20, M.E. 9, M.A. 23, P.S. 15, P.P. 21, P.E. 17, 
  P.B. 15, Spd 19.
  Armor: A Point-Blank Bulletproof Vest: A.R. 11, S.D.C. 70, 
  worn under his shirt and jacket (-5% Prowl/movement pen-
  alty). The jacket, gloves, pants and dress boots are all a spe-
  cial fire-resistant costume Brimstone had custom-made for his 
  stage act before the Zombie Apocalypse struck. He has five, 
  complete spare suits. Also see Weapons, Equipment and Ve-
  hicle.
  Hit Points: 47
  S.D.C.: 26
  Age: 29
  Experience Level: Seven.
  Occupation Before the Wave: Professional stage magician with 
  a military background.
  Common Skills: All, including Automobile 96%.
  Skills of Note (special, Stage Magician and Pyrotechnics): In-
  cludes I.Q. bonus and special training (when applicable).
  Basic Electronics 86%
  Basic Mechanics 81%
  Climb 81%
  Camouflage 81%
  Demolitions (preferably pyrotechnics) 98%
  Demolitions Disposal 96%
  Disguise 81%
  Escape Artist 96%
  Land Navigation 71% (+30% in the Twin Cities)
  Optic Systems 81%
  Palming 96%
  Pick Locks 86%
  Prowl 56%
  Radio: Basic 91%
  Roadwise 68% (+30% in the Twin Cities)
  Rope Works 91%
  Tailing 66%
  W.P. Forked, 3rd level.
  W.P. Handguns, 7th level.
  W.P. Rifle, 7th level.
  Hand to Hand: Expert, 7th level.
  Bonuses: +3 on all Perception Rolls, +1 on initiative, +5 to strike, 
  +6 to parry and dodge, +2 to roll with punch/fall/impact, +3 to 
  pull punch, +2 to disarm, Karate kick attack (does 2D6 dam-
  age), Karate punch (does 1D6 damage), Critical Strike (double 
  damage) on unmodified 18, 19 or 20, W.P. Paired Weapons, 
  Backhand Strike (does 1D4 damage), 75% to inspire trust/in-
  timidate, +1 to save vs magic/poison, +5% to save vs coma/
  death and +5 to save vs Horror Factor (special).
  Attacks per Melee: Five.
  Weapons: A pitchfork with a six foot (1.8 m) handle. He is fair-
  ly skilled with this weapon (W.P. Forked) and uses both the 
  forked end and the blunt end as the situation dictates. Molo-
  tov cocktails and other pyrotechnics devices. Brimstone has at 
  least three Molotov cocktails in his backpack, another dozen 
  in his car nearby (more for special missions, a dozen at every 
  safe house and secret weapon cache), four small smoke de-
  vices of his own design and making, two conventional smoke 
  grenades, two small flash grenades of his own design and 
  making, two conventional flash grenades, one explosive gre-
  nade, firecrackers and flash powder. The mad hero is so well 
  known for his use of the pitchfork and incendiary devices, that 
  people forget he has no hesitation about using the 9mm pistol 
  he keeps concealed in the small of his back or in his suit coat 
  along with 2-4 four extra ammo clips. He also has a switch-
  blade in his pants pocket and another in one of his boots.
  Equipment of Note: A specially made fire-resistant costume/suit 
  and slacks with a bulletproof vest under the shirt and jacket.
  Gas mask, small oxygen tank, passive nightvision goggles 
  (he has several of them back at his lair and a spare in some 
  weapon caches and safe houses), a flare gun with two flares, 
  four hand flares, two cigarette lighters (in addition to the one 
  in his pants pocket and the book of matches he keeps in his 
  jacket pocket and another concealed in the lining of his belt, 
  along with a few lock picking tools and wire), toolkit, a can of 
  
  59
  lighter fluid, and spray bottles filled with various accelerants, 
  all carried inside a backpack Brimstone wears or carries with 
  him on the street. Back at his lair and at several safe houses, 
  Brimstone has many life-sized mirrors and other sized mirrors 
  and gimmicks which he uses to create illusions, traps and dar-
  ing escapes. Zombies are quite confused by mirrors and pile 
  up and block the way through mirror mazes and entrances that 
  are transformed by mirrors.
  Vehicle: Brimstone has acquired several ordinary looking auto-
  mobiles and a few pickup trucks and jeeps/SUVs which he has 
  scattered around the city. The key to each vehicle attached to 
  the undercarriage someplace via a magnetic holder.
  Trade Goods: Brimstone and his assistants (the various Fires 
  and friends) gather supplies that survivors need and stock 
  them away in a safe place. That way, he has supplies, medi-
  cine, food, water and such to give to people in need or to trade 
  for other supplies the Safe Haven communities might need. 
  If someone Fire and Brimstone has rescued offers them pay-
  ment for their help, and if Fire or Brimstone believe they can 
  spare it, the heroes graciously take items for their stockpile of 
  goods which they use to help others in need; weapons, ammo, 
  medicine and food are always welcomed. Brimstone and his 
  sidekicks keep the welfare of survivors in mind at all times 
  and try to plan ahead. The heroes also engage in frequent raids 
  to rob and loot the Death Cultists, bandits and other bad guys. 
  Stealing supplies from the wicked and giving them to the good 
  people in need.
  Territory: Brimstone operates in and around the Twin Cities, St. 
  Paul and Minneapolis. Somewhere in Uptown Minneapolis is 
  his secret, home base. He occasionally ventures out farther on 
  special misisons, but not often.
  Joining Forces with Others: Brimstone and the various Fires 
  are happy to join forces with other heroes, zombie fighters 
  and survivors to battle monsters and the forces of evil. Just 
  don’t expect them to follow any plan to the letter. These he-
  roes march to the beat of their own drummer. Similarly, Game 
  Masters may have Brimstone, or Fire and Brimstone, or one or 
  two of the Fires, appear like the proverbial cavalry to help the 
  player group out, when appropriate to do so.
  Fire
  Brimstone’s Sidekick(s)
  “He saved my life and showed me a better way to live. Now I 
  help Brimstone protect the innocent, destroy the creeping doom, 
  and fight evil in all its forms. Together we can make a difference. 
  All of us. I hope people see that and follow our lead as I follow 
  his.”
  – A common sentiment of all the people
  who don the identity of Fire.
  Fire is the sidekick and assistant to Brimstone. The thing is, 
  there are actually eight different people who appear as “Fire.” 
  One is at the side of Brimstone, while the others either engage 
  in operations elsewhere in the city or recuperate from any inju-
  ries received on an earlier mission. All are people who have been 
  saved by Brimstone, or have had their loved ones saved by the 
  masked hero. Many have suffered similar losses and most teeter 
  on the fringe of madness themselves. Their work as masked vigi-
  lantes in which they help other survivors and punish the wicked 
  is one of the things that keep them from tipping over the edge of 
  insanity.
  All assistants or sidekicks to Brimstone are known as “Fire.” 
  The men usually wear a red, orange, yellow or black tuxedo (a 
  color that represents fire is most desired), a gas mask colored red 
  with devil horns attached to it, boots and gloves.
  The female Fires both wear a pantsuit, boots and gloves. Each 
  jacket is covered in sequins. One suit is red with red sequins, the 
  other black. Both were costumes created for the stage magician’s 
  assistants and are fire-resistant like Brimstone’s own. (There are 
  two extra red and black costumes, as well as two white suits with 
  red sequins, trim and tassels that have yet to see use.) The females 
  may wear a devil mask to partially cover their face or a red gas 
  mask like the males, their choice.
  Both the male and female Fires carry a backpack with them, 
  with similar gear to Brimstone, plus a couple of sacks and “ex-
  tras” they like to use on the job. For example, one the males fa-
  vors a shotgun and a nightstick, another an AK-47, and one of 
  the females uses a submachine-gun, while other favors a machete 
  and a .38 revolver.
  
  60
  Fire Stats
  A number of Masked Lunatics and Heroes under the guise of one.
  True Names: Unknown, perhaps even to Brimstone.
  Alignment: Varies with the individual.
  Attributes: I.Q. 20, M.E. 9, M.A. 23, P.S. 15, P.P. 21, P.E. 17, 
  P.B. 15, Spd 19.
  Armor: Bulletproof Vest: A.R. 10, S.D.C. 50, worn under their 
  shirt and jacket. Also see Weapons, Equipment and Vehicle.
  Hit Points: Varies with each. Use G.M. discretion.
  S.D.C.: Varies with each. Use G.M. discretion.
  Age: Varies with each. Use G.M. discretion, but most are young, 
  under 36 years of age.
  Experience Level: Varies with each Fire, but typically 3rd or 
  4th level.
  Occupation Before the Wave: Ordinary People with various oc-
  cupations described under Skills of Note, below.
  Common Skills: All, including Automobile 96%, plus Optic 
  Systems (+15%), Radio: Basic (+15%), and those of their oc-
  cupation as listed below.
  Skills of Note (varies with the individual): All are the people 
  who don the Fire identity are Survivor O.C.C.s/Ordinary Peo-
  ple. All are fiercely loyal to Brimstone and his methods. All 
  are well-intentioned and work to help others, but their ten-
  dency to use extreme measures and violence makes most of 
  them Anarchist alignment.
  Fire #1: Also known as the “Big Man” (African American, 
  male): Automotive Mechanic. Unprincipled. The Big Man is 
  not the first “Fire,” but he came before all the other current 
  Fire’s.
  Fire #2: Also known as “Slim” (African American, male): 
  Student: College. Scrupulous. Smart, kind, resourceful.
  Fire #3: Also known as “Brick” (White male, but due to 
  his large, heavy build, he is sometimes confused with the Big 
  Man): Factory Worker. Unprincipled.
  Fire #4: Also known as “Ratchet” (White male): Factory 
  Worker. Anarchist.
  Fire #5: Also known as “Shotgun” (White male): Police 
  Detective. Unprincipled.
  Fire #6: Also known as “Rosco” (White male): Firefighter/
  Fire and Rescue. Anarchist.
  Fire #7: Also known as “Bullets” because she uses a sub-
  machine-gun (White female): Factory Worker. Anarchist. 
  Hardboiled and deadly. She is the visage of vengeance.
  Fire #8: Also known as “Hot Shot” because she’s a fear-
  less daredevil and driver (Hispanic female): Extreme Sports. 
  Anarchist.
  Others are likely to be recruited over time.
  Note: In addition to Fire, most good people living in the Safe Ha-
  ven communities or on their own in and around the Twin Cit-
  ies of St. Paul and Minneapolis consider Fire and Brimstone to 
  be valiant heroes and will help them in any way they can. As 
  should most characters of a good alignment who have heard 
  the popular tales of these two heroes.
  Attacks per Melee: Most have 4 attacks per melee round.
  Bonuses: Varies with attributes and skills, but generally +1 on all 
  Perception Rolls, +2 to strike, parry and dodge, +3 to strike on 
  a Called Shot/Aimed, +2 to roll with impact, and +2 to save 
  vs Horror Factor.
  Weapons: As noted above and similar to Brimstone with some 
  differences. Game Master’s discretion.
  Equipment of Note: As noted above and similar to Brimstone 
  with some differences, as well as equipment common to the 
  Survivor O.C.C. Game Master’s discretion. All have a favorite 
  weapon, carry a backpack with two extra sacks, a can of red 
  spray paint, gas mask, small oxygen tank, passive nightvision 
  goggles, a flare gun with 1D4 flares, 1D4+1 road flares, two 
  smoke grenades, one flash grenade, two cigarette lighters, a 
  book of matches, signal mirror, walkie-talkie, cell phone (for 
  the video capabilities), a canteen and other odds and ends, all 
  carried inside a backpack.
  The female Fires have a specially made fire-resistant cos-
  tume/suit and slacks with a bulletproof vest under the shirt 
  and jacket.
  Vehicle: Each Fire has access to at least two ordinary looking 
  automobiles or pickup truck, jeep or SUV of their own, and 
  knowledge of Brimstone’s stash of vehicles and safe houses 
  scattered around the cities. The key to each vehicle attached to 
  the undercarriage someplace via a magnetic holder.
  Trade Goods: Even more than Brimstone, his sidekicks are al-
  ways on the lookout for supplies survivors need, and collect 
  and stockpile them for times of need by innocent survivors, 
  as well as their own crusade against evil. Destroying evil and 
  helping survivors are their two top priorities. Stealing and rob-
  bing Death Cultists and other villains is its own reward. Sto-
  len supplies are usually given to local Safe Havens and good 
  people in need.
  Territory: Operate in and around the Twin Cities, St. Paul and 
  Minneapolis. They occasionally venture out farther, but not 
  often.
  Joining Forces with Others: Same as Brimstone, above. The 
  Fires are always ready to fight evil, kill zombies and take 
  down the bad guys. They are happy to team up with and lend a 
  helping hand to other brave survivors or heroes.
  
  61
  The Dead Rats Gang
  Written by Kevin Siembieda. Concept by Nicholas Bradshaw.
  Gangs, groups and communities of survivors are coming to-
  gether for their mutual survival. Not just in the rural areas and at 
  remote locations, but in and around abandoned cities. It is com-
  monly said that you cannot survive for long in the zombie infest-
  ed cities. Yet some defy the odds and succeed at the impossible.
  One such gang of heroes is the enigmatic Dead Rats gang, 
  also known as the Dead Rats Live gang. Their weapons of 
  choice, a chainsaw and baseball bat. They may use other types 
  of saws and serrated blades, but their primary weapons are chain-
  saws and bats.
  
  62
  There is an eerie, unnatural, even surreal element about the 
  Dead Rats. The way they dress, the way they speak, and the weap-
  ons they use create this scary, inhuman aura about them. When 
  they speak it is either to announce “Dead Rats Live” – whatever 
  that is supposed to mean – or they speak in one- or two-word and 
  short phrases. “Come.” “Go.” “Run.” “Stop.” “Wait.” “Stay.” 
  “Danger.” “Help.” “Safe now.” “Drink.” “Good.” “Bad.” “Medi-
  cine.” “Don’t come back.” “Okay, now.” “Be good.” “Friend.” 
  “Kill.” And similar monosyllabic words.
  Depending on the emphasis on the words and tone, “Dead 
  Rats live” seems to have several meanings and usages. “Dead 
  Rats live!” is a battle cry or can be a pronouncement of victory 
  and triumph. A softer, passive “Dead Rats live” may be meant to 
  identify themselves as what people have taken to mean, the Dead 
  Rats gang. “Dead Rats live?” may be a question asking whether 
  a Dead Rats gang was responsible for a rescue or carnage against 
  zombies or evil cultists. It may also be asking if members of the 
  Dead Rats gang are present or nearby. Hand gestures are often 
  used by the Dead Rats to further clarify their intended meaning. 
  “Dead Rats live?” followed by a pointing gesture, fist pump, or a 
  wave to join them or to hop inside their van, can all mean some-
  thing different, but helps deliver the message. For example, the 
  phrase “Dead Rats live” and a gesture like shoveling or spooning 
  food toward the mouth of their mask may be asking if you are 
  hungry or if you have food to share. “Dead Rats live” accom-
  panied by hand gestures may be used to signify almost anything 
  they want it to mean.
  Oddly enough, these people NEVER attach other words to the 
  phrase “Dead Rats” or “Dead Rats live.” You will never hear a 
  sentence like, “Dead Rats help.” “Dead Rats are responsible.” 
  “Come with the Dead Rats.” “No fear Dead Rats.” Or anything 
  of the sort.
  If you didn’t know better you would think they were mentally 
  or emotionally incapable of forming full sentences, or did not 
  know the language. However, anyone who has spent any time 
  with them can attest to the fact that they are smart, well orga-
  nized, use maps, drive, understand technology, can read, use a 
  wide range of hand signals (some military, others completely 
  unique to this group to communicate between themselves), and 
  are clever and resourceful. It is clear that members of the Dead 
  Rats gang know their way around city streets and feel at home in 
  urban settings. They know how to find salvage and are experts 
  in fighting zombies on the streets and in confined environments, 
  be it on the street, in an alley, on a stairwell, in a hallway or in a 
  kitchen.
  While there are reports of Dead Rats using guns and all types 
  of weapons when they have to, they do not seem to carry fire-
  arms on their persons. They prefer chainsaws and baseball bats. 
  Which means combat is up close and personal. And bloody. Very 
  bloody. That could explain why the Dead Rats gang members 
  always wear matching hazmat suits and homemade rat masks. 
  Under the rat mask is a helmet to protect the top and back of the 
  head, and another mask, suggesting the gang members have a 
  reason to conceal their identity. The other mask under the conical 
  grey, brown or white rat mask may be a full gas mask, a Hallow-
  een mask, often a mask of an animal like a rat, mouse or monkey, 
  a clown mask, or one that is the face of another person like a pres-
  ident or old man or woman, but never a zombie or devil mask. In 
  some cases, the second mask underneath may be as simple as a 
  nylon stocking pulled over the head, a pillowcase with eyes cut 
  out or a bandana pulled up over the mouth and nose, like those 
  used by train-robbing cowboys you see in the movies. A cloth 
  or nylon face covering is much more flexible and comfortable 
  to wear than a plastic mask. Plastic masks pulled over the entire 
  head have no way to let in air or ventilation under it, and cause 
  the wearer to sweat profusely inside the mask. Such masks are 
  best for short, guerrilla style assaults lasting less than 20 minutes; 
  cloth or nylon masks for longer missions.
  Whenever a Dead Rats gang is seen making a fast entrance or 
  hasty retreat, it is ALWAYS in a white panel van with no mark-
  ings. Like those used for making deliveries or by services like 
  plumbing and heating repair guys.
  All of this suggests deliberate ritual and symbolism. The 
  hazmat suits and rat masks are their gang colors. The use of the 
  chainsaws, bats and white panel vans their calling card. “Dead 
  Rats live” is their signature and a way of marking their territo-
  ry. As a territorial marker, it sends a warning to rival gangs and 
  Death Cults to stay out of their territory, or else. Or that the Dead 
  Rats are invading their territory and to get out before it is too 
  late. Spray painting or carving the words “Dead Rats Live” on 
  the sidewalk, the sides of buildings, walls, and other structures is 
  more than marking territory and warding off rival gangs. It also 
  lets good people in the neighborhood know that the area is now 
  under the watchful eyes and protection of the Dead Rats. That 
  should mean it is much safer, with fewer zombies and no resident 
  cultists or evildoers. At least, as long as the Dead Rats gang is in 
  town.
  Like some other hero gangs, the Dead Rats are becoming 
  infamous in the Midwest for appearing out of nowhere to rescue 
  people in need. Like the proverbial cavalry, they seem to explode 
  onto a scene to get people to safety (probably in that white van) 
  or battle whatever is threatening them, and then run off or jump 
  into a white panel van (which may have suddenly pulled onto the 
  scene) and vanish at top speed.
  Dead Rats are known to travel on foot and in white panel vans. 
  Like the more famous Road Reapers, also originating in the Mid-
  west (Chicago), it appears that the Dead Rats gang members are 
  willing to teach others how to be like them. They hand down 
  their philosophy and their complete instructions on fighting tech-
  niques, rescue procedures, the laws of secrecy, and symbology, 
  right down to the way they talk, the white panel van, weapons, 
  type of clothing and the rat mask. (Note: When hazmat suits are 
  not available, white, yellow and other colors of coveralls like 
  those used by painters and workers who need to completely cover 
  their bodies and clothing, are acceptable alternatives, as long as 
  ALL gang members wear the same color and style of coveralls.) 
  All of this creates a powerful bonding and sense of tradition and 
  unity among their members. All of their traditions and supersti-
  
  63
  tions take on a greater feeling of kinship and significance that 
  must be maintained and passed on within the branches of this 
  secret society.
  The weird part is the strangeness of the symbolism this gang 
  has chosen. Some of it makes sense, and the white, unmarked 
  panel van seems likely to symbolize the traditional white knight 
  or cowboy hero who wears the white hat and rides in on a white 
  steed. The hazmat suit or coveralls make practical sense to pre-
  vent being covered in blood and gore – biological materials that 
  could carry disease. This is appropriate protection considering 
  nobody knows if the Wave is still a threat, and with death comes 
  additional pestilence and disease. Moreover, the coveralls can be 
  quickly put on and taken off for quick changes from their secret 
  Dead Rat persona to their public identity. But it is still an odd 
  choice for a uniform. So are the choice of weapons.
  Chainsaws and baseball bats may have been chosen to in-
  voke fear in the living more than for fighting zombies. Chainsaws 
  are loud and effective, but they are heavy and awkward to use in 
  combat without training and practice. Baseball bats work well 
  and are silent, but often require several blows to a zombie’s head 
  to take it down. Clearly there are other, more effective weap-
  ons. However, both weapons are bad ass and represent tough-
  ness, confidence and fearlessness on the part of its wielder. Think 
  about how menacing and dangerous a person in a mask standing 
  there with a chainsaw or a bloody baseball bat looks. Just the 
  sound of the chainsaw and its rotating blades screams deadly and 
  powerful, especially in the world of zombies where sound attracts 
  more of them. Almost any stance with a bat or chainsaw shouts, 
  “bring it if you dare,” and “I mean business.” It also indicates 
  such combatants are no strangers to close combat and know how 
  to fight in close quarters and confined areas. Indeed, urban com-
  bat and fighting indoors is the Dead Rats’ speciality.
  As to the meaning of “Dead Rats live,” that is anyone’s 
  guess. Certainly the way they dress, their speech pattern, behav-
  ior, secret hand signals and choice of words give these heroes 
  an inhuman and creepy aura about them. Are they crazy or are 
  they fearless? Are they champions of the people – heroes – or 
  another group of fanatics with some, as of yet, unknown agenda? 
  Or are they something more? Something mystical or supernatu-
  ral, perhaps? All that is known about them is that they appear to 
  be faceless heroes who do not ask for recognition or reward. They 
  destroy zombies, rescue the living and hunt Death Cultists and 
  evil in whatever form it takes, living or dead.
  The Dead Rats gangs are different than the Road Reapers 
  who drive across the land far and wide. There is an increasing 
  amount of evidence and anecdotal stories to suggest the Dead 
  Rats gangs are local heroes who may travel, but mainly adopt 
  one place from which to operate. A city that is presumably their 
  home or base of operations. Dead Rats wish to remain anony-
  mous, hence the two sets of masks, which also adds to their air 
  of mystery and menace. They could be anyone by day, zombie 
  slayers and heroes by night ... or whenever they are truly needed. 
  That timing may be as simple as when three or more of the gang 
  members decide to don their uniforms and go out hunting mon-
  sters or go on patrol to keep their claimed territory safe. As safe 
  as possible, anyway.
  Or is there something more to the masks? Could their 
  layer of secrecy and anonymity mean they need to keep their 
  identities secret? Might one or more have infiltrated other 
  survivor groups, and even Death Cults, bandits, tribes of 
  Retro-Savages or government enclaves? Could they use their 
  position in these groups to gather information to help others 
  without their survivor group knowing it? There are no known 
  clubhouses or places where one can go to find a Dead Rat 
  like there are for other gangs and groups. They simply appear 
  when they are needed, or are glimpsed doing this or that – usu-
  ally something heroic and helpful, or fighting zombies – be-
  fore they vanish.
  Dead Rats are rarely encountered in groups smaller than four, 
  and more often in groups of 5-12. Dead Rats are seldom seen in 
  greater numbers, though there are some tales of several bands of 
  Dead Rats conducting attacks or engaged in activities in the same 
  city at the same time. Is that evidence of coordinated group action 
  or coincidence? Are they all members of the same fraternity of 
  weird heroes, or are they separate, sub-chapters that sometimes 
  coordinate their efforts and work together?
  Whoever they are, the Dead Rats gangs are always found in 
  urban settings where you would expect to find rats, particularly 
  the larger cities. Never in rural areas or the countryside. It is be-
  lieved the Dead Rats started someplace in Minnesota or Wiscon-
  sin. They are certainly known to exist in the Twin Cities area of 
  Saint Paul and Minneapolis (their home base?), with reports of 
  Dead Rat chapters also in Chicago, Indianapolis, and as far as 
  Detroit.
  How far their influence may spread is yet to be seen, but the 
  Dead Rats are beginning to become the stuff of legend and sym-
  bols of hope and defiance where survival is said to be hopeless 
  – zombie infested big cities.
  Creating an NPC Dead Rats Live 
  Gang or group of player characters
  Whether NPCs (Non-Player Characters) or a group of player 
  characters, Dead Rats can be ANY O.C.C. That said, 98% are 
  the Survivor O.C.C. – ordinary people who have chosen to live 
  extraordinary lives, and given a little extra training in the use of 
  chainsaws and baseball bats as deadly weapons, and the secret 
  ways of the Dead Rats Live Order.
  The Dead Rats are a secret society that has come into exis-
  tence since the Zombie Apocalypse. Their odd way of talking and 
  hand signals is their secret language.
  Their goals are simple: Save lives, slay zombies, stop evil, 
  help the good, and rebuild human civilization to the way it was. 
  This makes zombies, Death Cultists, Retro-Savages and evildo-
  ers (raiders, bandits, murderers, and evil madmen; pretty much in 
  that order) their enemies.
  
  64
  Their aura of secrecy is intended to protect the identity of its 
  members and to provide the gang with a fear factor that keeps en-
  emies scared and off balance, and everyone else guessing. Keep-
  ing their identities a secret protects themselves and their friends 
  and families from retribution by their enemies and rivals.
  Humility is part of the Dead Rats’ philosophy. Their members 
  do not (usually) seek praise, glory or reward. They do what they 
  do because it is right. They come in with chainsaws roaring or 
  baseball bats swinging and leave when combat is over and the 
  innocent have been sent down a (comparatively) safe path.
  Blind cells within the Secret Society. The Dead Rats’ secret 
  society is set up as blind cells, so the members of a particular cell 
  (typically 5-12 members, sometimes a bit less or a few more) 
  do NOT know the identity of the other Dead Rat cells or even 
  how many cells exist. So if one cell is found out and its members 
  captured, they cannot “rat out” any of the others, even under tor-
  ture. Only the members of that particular cell know each other’s 
  identity. In many cases, even the members in the same cell do not 
  know the identities of all the people in their particular group, as 
  the leader and second-in-command use blind drops and signals 
  to alert the other members of their gang to people who need their 
  help. Likewise, there are regular meetings and times that the gang 
  members gather to discuss recent events and formulate plans and 
  tactics. In almost all cases, the members of a survivors’ group, 
  and even the spouse of a Dead Rat, do not know that their family 
  member or fellow survivor is a card carrying Dead Rat.
  Two lives. This enables the Dead Rat members to live two dif-
  ferent lives. One as a Dead Rat vigilante, the other their ordinary 
  life. That ordinary life could be as a loner, a hermit, a member 
  of a family group or of a larger survivor group, and maybe even 
  someone in a group of cutthroats or a cult who does not agree 
  with that organization. Not everyone who joins a larger group, es-
  
  65
  pecially Death Cults, is a willing participant. Some are enslaved, 
  others are strong-armed or otherwise pressured to join the group. 
  Such individuals may disagree with some, most or all of the 
  group’s methods, rules or philosophy, but stay with them to keep 
  the family together or because it is his best option for survival, or 
  because leaving is not an option and he would be hunted down 
  and killed if he tried to leave or speak out against the leadership 
  or their practices. Instead, that person (male or female) slips out 
  at night, or whenever he can, to join his Dead Rats brethren to 
  fight zombies and help people – and maybe even fight the very 
  group to which he belongs. Such Dead Rats are living dangerous 
  double lives that could get them killed if their identity should be 
  uncovered. They may stay with a hated group out of necessity, for 
  the welfare of family or friends, or because their position within 
  the wicked organization provides them intelligence no one else 
  could get, or because they hope to change (or destroy) it from 
  within, or help people escape from it.
  New Cells. Dead Rats always keep an eye out for like-minded 
  people they can either recruit into their gang, or whom they can 
  recruit as members of a new cell. This is typically done by a Dead 
  Rat who has been an active and trusted member of a cell who 
  goes off to start a new one, with himself as the leader. Other times 
  they teach another group the ways of the Order of the Dead Rats 
  Live, and let them go their own way. This is how Dead Rats cells 
  are found in a growing number of locations, usually cities where 
  heroes and rescue teams are needed.
  Dead Rat Stats
  A Masked Lunatic and Hero
  Also Known As: Chainsaw Rats and the Rat Gang.
  True Name: Unknown, varies with each individual.
  Alignment: Most are Principled, Scrupulous or Unprincipled. A 
  few are Anarchist.
  Attributes: Varies with each member of the Dead Rats gang. 
  Roll up as usual.
  Armor: Typically, none. A few may wear a bulletproof vest 
  (A.R. 10, S.D.C. 50) or other light armor, worn under their 
  hazmat suit. Also see Weapons, Equipment and Vehicle.
  Hit Points: Varies with each member of the Dead Rats gang. 
  Roll up as usual.
  S.D.C.: Varies with each member of the Dead Rats gang. Roll 
  up as usual.
  Age: Varies from 16-50, but this is a young man’s game with 
  most under the age of 36.
  Experience Level: Varies, 1D6 levels of experience per average 
  Dead Rat.
  Occupation Before the Wave: Roll up as a Survivor O.C.C.; 
  varies with each member of the Dead Rats gang.
  Common Skills: All, including Automobile.
  Skills of Note: Varies with each member of the Dead Rats gang 
  as per their Survivor O.C.C.; roll up as usual.
  Special Skills known to ALL Dead Rats:
  Radio: Basic plus the following.
  Chainsaw Combat (special): Using a chainsaw gives the 
  Dead Rats the element of surprise, because they don’t start 
  their chainsaws until they are ready to pounce into battle and 
  the sound of several of them is like mechanized thunder roll-
  ing your way. The sound coming from several combatants 
  with chainsaws also confuses zombies and makes them hesi-
  tate (-1 one melee attack) as they try to decide which sound 
  to attack first. Most living people are correct to be afraid of 
  the whirling blades and anyone with a melee weapon facing a 
  chainsaw is smart to back down or run away.
  The ripping, cutting power of the chainsaw in the hands 
  of a Dead Rat easily disarms his opponent of any blade or 
  club-like weapon, and his saw can damage gun barrels and 
  gouge and twist knife or sword blades. Any blade caught in 
  the swirling teeth of the chainsaw is likely to get pulled right 
  out of the person’s hand (+2 to disarm for the Dead Rat with 
  a chainsaw) and hurl it into the air. The flying weapon may 
  hit someone else on the side, but it throws the weapon away 
  from the chainsaw user. And of course, the chainsaw can 
  literally disarm by severing fingers, a hand or arm in a few 
  quick seconds.
  A chainsaw is also useful for cutting through wooden doors 
  and barricades, cutting rope, sabotaging stairs and railings, 
  cutting wood and furniture, clearing fallen trees and telephone 
  poles in the road, and so on.
  Chainsaw Combat Penalties: Still it is awkward and heavy, 
  and trained users like the Dead Rats are -1 to parry and dodge, 
  and -1 melee attack per combat round when they wield a 
  chainsaw. People not trained to use a chainsaw in combat are 
  -1 to strike, -3 to parry and dodge, lose two melee attacks and 
  do not gain any of the chainsaw bonuses, below.
  Chainsaw Combat Bonuses: +1 to strike, +2 to disarm and 
  the weapon has a Horror Factor. The masks and garb of chain-
  saw wielding Dead Rats give them a Horror Factor (to hu-
  mans) of 14.
  Smartish zombies like Thinkers, Mock Zombies and even 
  Pattern Zombies and Fast Attack Zombies recognize the dam-
  age the chainsaw can do, and regard the saw wielding Dead 
  Rat with a Horror Factor of 15, with the usual penalties if the 
  monster fails to save vs H.F. Zombies who snap out of the 
  Horror Factor or save against it, are likely to try to avoid the 
  blade and even back away and retreat from such an adversary, 
  in favor of finding less dangerous prey.
  Horror Factor 10 for a Dead Rat with a bloody or blood-
  stained baseball bat or any other type of weapon.
  Chainsaw Damage: 3D6 damage +3 in the hands of the 
  Dead Rats.
  W.P. Blunt: The skill and bonuses apply to any blunt weapon, 
  but the Rats’ favorite weapon of choice is the baseball bat, 
  with which they are +2 to damage regardless of the type of bat 
  used and in addition to the damage listed below.
  Aluminum: 1D6
  Wood: 2D4
  Wood Composite (professional): 2D4+2
  
  66
  Secret Sign Language: The Dead Rats have created their own 
  sign language. This is more a collection of military type of 
  hand gestures with specific meanings rather than the one for 
  the deaf which spells out letters and words. It includes signals 
  for stop, wait, silence, go, attack, spread out, retreat, go high, 
  go low, use bats, use saws, use knives, use guns, and several 
  other things. It is very effective for the gang members. Base 
  Skill: 72% +2% per level of experience.
  Bonuses: All Dead Rats are +3 on Perception Rolls to recognize 
  danger, recognize when a person is in trouble, and find escape 
  routes; +1 on all other Perception Rolls, +1 on initiative, +2 to 
  damage with baseball bat, +3 with a chainsaw, +2 to disarm, 
  and +3 to save vs Horror Factor (special).
  Additional bonuses vary with each individual based on 
  the Dead Rat’s Hand to Hand Combat skill, possible Physical 
  skills, attributes and level of experience. Roll up as a Survivor 
  O.C.C.
  Attacks per Melee: Varies with each member of the Dead Rats 
  gang, but typically 4 or 5.
  Weapons of Note: Each Dead Rat takes into combat one base-
  ball bat (typically wood or composite, 2D4+2 damage), one 
  chainsaw (3D6 damage), and one heavy knife or machete 
  (1D6 damage).
  A leader and the second-in-command or designated gun-
  man has an automatic pistol (4D6 damage per shot) and/or a 
  shotgun or assault rifle, probably slung over his shoulder on a 
  strap, and one extra ammo clip for each.
  Equipment of Note: Homemade Rat mask, a couple of other 
  masks or hoods or stockings for their secondary mask, plas-
  tic gloves, hazmat suit or coveralls, gas mask, flashlight, cell 
  phone for taking snapshots and video of locations, strangers, 
  enemies and potential targets, and may also use assorted other 
  saws and serrated blades. Each cell has access to at least two 
  (often 5-6) white panel vans.
  An extra 1D4 baseball bats, two extra chainsaws, a five 
  gallon (19 liter) container of gasoline, a gallon (3.8 liters) 
  of water, a first aid kit, a pair of binoculars, passive nightvi-
  sion goggles, a pair of extra shotguns and one assault rifle 
  with a nightvision scope, plus 100 rounds of ammunition 
  for each gun is in the van. Note: Dead Rats enter combat 
  light, with any additional gear (first aid kit, bottled water, 
  guns and ammo, etc.) in their white panel van. Remember, 
  unlike many survivors on the run, the Dead Rats are based 
  in and live in the city or surrounding area. Any extra gear 
  and personal items are kept at their secret base/hideout/safe 
  house, rendezvous point, a secret cache, or at home. This 
  includes the equipment that comes with a specified Survi-
  vor O.C.C.
  Vehicle: Individual Dead Rats may or may not have a vehicle in 
  their public life; many do not. However, each Dead Rat cell 
  usually has access to 1D4+1 white panel vans located at lo-
  cations known to each member, often in plain sight hidden 
  among many, many other abandoned vehicles on the street, in 
  parking structures, garages, etc.
  Trade Goods: As a rule, none. Dead Rats are a weird sort of 
  rescue team that works under cover to gather information and 
  strike as a commando-style unit. They come in charging to 
  take down bad guys and zombies, rescue people in danger, 
  point the way out for them or assist in some other way, and re-
  treat into the night, often as quickly and unexpectedly as they 
  appeared. Nobody expects Dead Rats, not the goons and zom-
  bies they slay nor the people they save. Consequently, Dead 
  Rats do not hang around to chat or trade goods. They may, if 
  they have something a survivor needs, toss people some basic 
  items like bottled water, food or blankets, or a first aid kit, 
  but they almost never hang around after combat for more than 
  1D6 minutes, if that long. That said, the gang is likely to hang 
  around, unseen, and intercede a second and even third time if 
  the survivors need their help, but they are not a touchy, feely, 
  friendly group. The only time a Dead Rat may spend time or 
  travel with other survivors is if he or she gets separated from 
  the gang, captured or injured and is unable to leave. Of course, 
  for all they know, the Dead Rat is someone they see every 
  day or have met, because he could be a member of their own, 
  larger, group or community.
  Territory: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, western Indiana and 
  Detroit, Michigan.
  Joining Forces with Others: There are at least two Dead Rats 
  factions/cells operating in the Twin Cities (probably double 
  that) and both have fought along side, or come to the aid of 
  Fire and Brimstone and vice versa. Again, while Dead Rats 
  may suddenly appear to help out a group of survivors or he-
  roes, they do not usually hang around long enough to make 
  friends. However, if one or more Dead Rats joins the player 
  group, he or they are reliable teammates and allies who can be 
  trusted. A Dead Rat never abandons a person in the middle of 
  a fight.
  Snoose
  Masked Lunatic and Hero
  “I’m no hero. I’m just a guy like you who tries to do the right 
  thing. With the cops and government gone, we need to stand up 
  for each other. And, you know, do what’s right. I’m not going to 
  stand around with my hands in my pockets while people get hurt. 
  If I can lend a helping hand, kill some zombies, or take down a 
  creep or weirdo, I do it. Wouldn’t you?”
  – The man called Snoose, just a drifter
  Snoose does not think of himself as a hero. If anything, he 
  thinks of himself as just an Average Joe who tries to be a good 
  guy and do what’s fair and right. He’s also the guy who takes a 
  stand against injustice and evil, and helps others. Sadly, in this 
  world, that makes him a hero.
  Unlike other heroes described in this section, Snoose does not 
  have an agenda, purpose or goal. He is just a survivor and a drift-
  
  67
  er trying to figure out his place in this weird new world. He has 
  joined forces, for a time, with many other individuals and small 
  groups during his journey, and has even helped out at a couple of 
  survivor communities. However, he has never felt like he quite 
  fit in, and always moves on after awhile. He never had a wander-
  lust before the Zombie Apocalypse, other than moving from one 
  job or another; mostly factory and warehouse work. But now, he 
  can’t seem to settle down.
  There is nothing wrong with good, honest work, so Snoose 
  does not mind physical labor. In fact, the way he sees it, the help 
  he generously gives to others is just him pulling his own weight 
  and helping those who cannot help themselves. It’s no big deal. It 
  is the right thing to do. After all, he ain’t no freeloader.
  It is that grounded sense of fairness and his ability to see right 
  from wrong with crystal clarity, that makes it impossible for 
  Snoose to ignore injustice and cruelty. If someone needs help, 
  he helps them. If someone is in trouble and cannot stand up for 
  themselves, Snoose steps up for them and tries to right the wrong 
  or make things fair and just.
  This matter of fact, “I gotta do it, because it’s what’s right” 
  philosophy harkens back to the heroes of many an old Movie 
  Western. The ones where the soft-spoken, no nonsense hero has 
  such a strong moral compass that he just automatically does the 
  right thing, because what else would anyone do in his shoes? The 
  irony is, most people are too weak, scared or unsure of them-
  selves to take that stand and do the right thing. That’s what makes 
  Snoose and those rare people like him, natural born heroes.
  In one of those old Western stories, Snoose would not be the 
  sheriff. Life is not that complicated for him and being an author-
  ity figure or wielding power has never appealed to him. Snoose 
  would be the ordinary neighbor or the drifter who avenges the 
  sheriff after a bunch of deperados bushwacked him and are ter-
  rorizing the town. Snoose is the guy to step forward to set things 
  right again for the townspeople. For him, taking down the bad 
  guy is like putting down a rabid dog. It is ugly work, but some-
  body has to do it. It might as well be him. When justice is served, 
  he goes his own way. Wherever that may be. All of this makes 
  the drifter who calls himself Snoose a mysterious figure. The fact 
  that he wears a gas mask that he never takes off in public, espe-
  cially in the zombie-filled abandoned cities, only adds to his air 
  of mystery and mythic persona. “Who was that masked man,” 
  certainly applies to this brave drifter who is always ready to help 
  someone in need.
  Snoose does not much care for dictators, bullies, thieves, 
  murderers, schemers, messiahs, politicians or any authority that 
  tries to enslave or mistreat people. He especially dislikes villains 
  who try to turn brother against brother. He is a peace-loving man 
  who knows sometimes violence is required to preserve the peace. 
  Snoose is plain speaking and has no use for what he calls “creeps, 
  cutthroats and weirdos.” He tries to be understanding and sympa-
  thetic for victims of trauma and mental illness, but that does not 
  excuse them from justice if they do wrong.
  Snoose loves animals and has been seen with a horse, a cat, 
  and a number of dogs (he loves dogs and horses), but he is prac-
  tical about them too. He knows he cannot properly care for or 
  protect a horse, so he usually leaves the animal with a survivor 
  group or Safe Haven if he thinks they can better care for it, and 
  they can put it to better use. Pee-Dee was his favorite dog, but the 
  zombies got him one night. Other animals like chickens, ducks, 
  geese, possums, racoons, wild boar, snakes and alligators are best 
  left for eating, but in a pinch, Snoose would consider eating just 
  about anything. He misses the taste of a good steak with mashed 
  potatoes, as well as pork chops and bacon prepared just about 
  any way you can make them. Oh, and french fries. ow he misses 
  french fries.
  In combat, the easy going, plain speaking Snoose might as 
  well be Hercules come down from Mount Olympus. He is a bulky 
  guy who is stronger than he looks, and he looks strong. He is 
  decisive and seems able to fight with boundless energy. He is 
  merciful when he can be, deadly when the situation calls for it. 
  There’s no point of wasting resources or putting people at risk by 
  locking up and feeding a “dirt bag who needs killing,” so Snoose 
  has no problem dispatching murderers and other cutthroats. That 
  goes double for Death Cultists and, of course, zombies. He does 
  not agree with people who say killing the zombies is pointless 
  and that you could never destroy them all. “They ain’t natural. 
  They kill people and turn ‘em into zombies, so it makes sense to 
  
  68
  slaughter the damn monsters. Look, you kill a zombie, it ain’t co-
  min’ back. Kill enough of ‘em, and you got yourself a safe zone. 
  It just makes sense. Not to kill ‘em is crazy.”
  If Snoose has a weakness, it is his compassion and sense of 
  justice. He comes to the aid of anyone in trouble, helping first 
  and asking questions later. He has a real soft spot for women and 
  children, and he comes running when they are in danger. Sooner 
  or later, that big heart is going to get him killed, but right now, 
  he is a godsend to every town, Safe Haven and survivor group he 
  comes across. Saving lives, righting wrongs and slipping away 
  to the next place without expecting so much as a thank you. “It’s 
  nothin’. I’d like to think you would do the same for me.”
  Snoose Stats
  A Masked Lunatic and Hero
  Also Known As: Shovel Mask, Gravedigger and Gas Mask Man. 
  The prior two because he is often seen with a shovel or dig-
  ging graves for the fallen. Snoose believes in giving good 
  people a proper burial.
  True Name: Jared Lancaster.
  Alignment: Scrupulous.
  Attributes: I.Q. 17, M.E. 11, M.A. 23, P.S. 21, P.P. 19, P.E. 18, 
  P.B. 14, Spd 17.
  Armor: Leather jacket (padded and reinforced), A.R. 10, S.D.C. 
  12. Also see Weapons, Equipment and Vehicle.
  Hit Points: 45
  S.D.C.: 35
  Age: 28
  Experience Level: Fifth.
  Occupation Before the Wave: Survivor/Ordinary Person 
  O.C.C.: Factory Worker, comic book collector and game en-
  thusiast.
  Common Skills: All, including: Automobile 92%.
  Skills of Note: Snoose learned to ride a horse when he worked on 
  a farm one summer as a teenager.
  Athletics (General)
  Automotive Mechanics 88%
  Basic Mechanics 78%
  Body Building & Weightlifting
  Climb 78%/68%
  Cook 73%
  Creative Writing 63% (a hobby before the apocalypse)
  Gardening 69%
  First Aid 83%
  Horsemanship: General 63%/33%
  Physical Labor
  Pilot: Automobile (favors SUVs and Jeeps) 92%
  Streetwise 50%
  W.P. Blunt, 5th level.
  W.P. Staff (or in this case, Shovel, 1D8 damage), 5th level.
  W.P. Rifle, 3rd level.
  Hand to Hand: Basic, 5th level.
  Bonuses: +2 on Perception Rolls when fighting, or dealing with, 
  zombies, creeps and weirdos (i.e. madmen, Death Priests, 
  Death Cultists, and bad guys), +3 to strike, +5 to parry and 
  dodge, +6 to damage, +3 to roll with punch/fall/impact, +2 
  to pull punch, +2 to disarm, kick attack (does 1D8 damage), 
  Critical Strike (double damage) on an unmodified roll of 19 or 
  20, 75% to inspire trust/intimidate, +2 to save vs poison (and 
  magic), +6% to save vs coma/death and +2 to save vs Horror 
  Factor.
  Attacks per Melee: Five.
  Weapons: Large shovel (2D4 or 1D8 damage); you can always 
  use a shovel, plus they make a decent weapon. The shovel 
  is one of his favorite weapons. A hunting rifle with 72 extra 
  rounds, a shotgun with 40 solid slugs and 36 scatter-shot car-
  tridges, 9mm pistol (3D6+6 damage per a single shot, 5D6+3 
  damage for a burst of three shots) and 88 extra bullets for the 
  pistol, and a survival knife (2D4 damage).
  Equipment of Note: A pocket knife (1D4 damage), a spare large 
  shovel, a toolkit, a large crowbar, a gas-powered chainsaw, 
  a first aid kit, compass, cell phone, a pair of binoculars, two 
  extra gas masks, a box of disposable surgical masks, a box of 
  100 plastic gloves, two cigarette lighters, a black leather jacket 
  with extra padding, leather gloves, a motorcycle helmet (A.R. 
  
  69
  14, 50 S.D.C.) when he thinks he needs one for extra protec-
  tion, sleeping bag, 1D4 blankets, backpack, a large satchel, a 
  saddle (kept with the car), a handkerchief, 3D6 cans of beer, a 
  case of water, three five gallon (19 liter) gas cans, a 30 gallon 
  drum of gasoline and an extra case of water (40, 16.9 ounce/
  half liter bottles) back at the car, and the standard equipment 
  for the Survivor O.C.C.: Factory Worker.
  Vehicle: Land Rover SUV with four-wheel drive and two spare 
  tires.
  Trade Goods: Varies depending on circumstance and availabil-
  ity. Snoose likes to travel light, so he seldom has a lot of trade 
  goods, and what he has is basic stuff. Otherwise, he scavenges 
  what he needs, like most survivors.
  Territory: Snoose started out in Detroit and travels where the 
  wind blows him. He has been to a number of cities and towns 
  in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and lower Michigan.
  Joining Forces With Others: Snoose is a drifter, and by that 
  very nature meets and travels with other people, for awhile. 
  He is always ready to fight evil, kill zombies and take down 
  the bad guys, provided the conflict has a realistic chance of 
  success. He has not stayed alive this long joining suicide mis-
  sions. Snoose is practical and though a natural born hero, he 
  is not going to do something stupid or set himself up to get 
  killed. He is a solid ally who has his teammates’ back and fol-
  lows the plan until it goes south. If nobody is taking the lead, 
  the resourceful Snoose will take charge or do what he thinks is 
  the best for everyone to survive.
  
  70
  Zombie Cop
  A Masked Lunatic and Hero
  “I don’t know what death means anymore or whether I’m even 
  truly alive. I think I’m a monster too stubborn to die. So I fight 
  the other monsters and protect the living. To serve and protect 
  was my sworn duty in life. I don’t see any reason to change now. 
  Not when I’m needed more than ever. Maybe that’s my purpose. 
  Maybe that’s what God wants me to do. So be it.”
  – Sgt. Hubner, Zombie Cop
  Sgt. William Robert Hubner has already died — twice. Once 
  on the inside when his parents, wife and children died during the 
  Wave, and a second time while fighting zombies inside a burning 
  building. He was bitten and about to be eaten alive when the floor 
  above him came crashing down on them all. The debris killed or 
  pinned the zombies. Sgt. Hubner’s smoldering body was recov-
  ered by other police and firefighters on the scene. Sgt. Hubner 
  was pronounced dead on arrival. His corpse put in a body bag and 
  sent to the morgue.
  Then he woke up. But not as one of the risen dead. He was 
  something different. Something, for him at least, worse. A crea-
  ture people call the Half-Living, but which Officer Hubner calls 
  “living hell.”
  Though he was tagged and bagged, Sgt. Hubner was not truly 
  dead. With the voluminous number of sick pouring in and the 
  dead starting to rise to kill the living, he was mistakenly pro-
  nounced DOA when he was actually in a deep coma. In all the 
  chaos, it was an understandable mistake. Vitals were so low they 
  were barely readable. Body temp, well below normal as the ser-
  geant began to transition into a Half-Living. Without close scru-
  tiny and the proper equipment, most doctors would have thought 
  him to be deceased.
  Waking up in a bag on the floor, in a room filled with the 
  dead who had risen and clawed or chewed their way out of their 
  own body bags, was a nightmare. He scrambled under one of the 
  examination tables and waited to be torn to pieces. Instead, the 
  zombies ignored him. After hours of shivering under the table, he 
  eventually realized the walking dead saw him as one of their own. 
  That meant he could walk among them without fear of attack. 
  For weeks he did that. He walked among the zombies, numb, in 
  shock, trying to comprehend what had happened, not just to him, 
  but to the world.
  At some point, Sgt. Hubner began to gather his wits and made 
  the decision to rejoin the living. He went home and then to the 
  precinct to collect his uniforms, body armor, a large amount of 
  weapons and ammo, and took a squad car. He found a safe place 
  to live at in “Zombie Central” – the heart of the city. A place 
  where survivors have a difficult time lasting for very long even 
  when making a run to gather supplies.
  Despite all he has gone through – the loss of everything, his 
  family, friends, colleagues, even his own human identity – Sgt. 
  Hubner still sees himself as a police officer on the job. Only now, 
  his job includes helping people in need against raiders, bandits, 
  lunatics, zombies and Death Cultists. He wages a one-man war 
  waged against the zombies and evildoers. And though he is hell-
  bent on destroying zombies and fighting evil, saving lives always 
  takes precedence over killing the dead or stopping the bad guys. 
  Now more than ever, the living need protection and his help.
  Sgt. Hubner has been helping survivors and killing zombies 
  ever since. As a Half-Living, Sgt. Hubner can go places swarm-
  ing with zombies and walk among them unnoticed by most. He 
  still has to be wary of the smarter aberrant zombies, and Death 
  Priests, both of which are able to identify him as a Half-Living 
  and a potential threat, but this gives him much greater flexibil-
  ity than most survivors. He is able to walk among the dead and 
  mimic their behavior to do reconnaissance and locate supplies. In 
  fact, it is this ability to walk among the zombies that has earned 
  him the nickname Zombie Cop, among the survivors who know 
  him and those who see him among the walking dead. Sgt. Hubner 
  takes no offense to the name, and finds it to be a fitting title for 
  this new hellish world.
  Zombie Cop locates and gathers basic supplies such as blan-
  kets, medicine, guns and ammo, food and bottled water and 
  leaves them at the gates of survivor camps and Safe Haven com-
  munities. He has become a known and mostly welcomed friend 
  of the local survivor and Safe Haven community in the region in 
  and around St. Loius, Missouri. Zombie Cop is a friend to many, 
  but not actually a member of any community or group. He knows 
  and understands why many people shun him and don’t complete-
  ly trust him. After all, even he no longer considers himself to be 
  human. As a result, he patrols the streets alone, hunting zombies 
  and evildoers as something of a “lone ranger.” That said, Zombie 
  Cop is quick to help others, and does sometimes team-up with 
  other survivors and heroes, but ultimately sees himself as a mon-
  ster and an outsider.
  Zombie Cop always has two first aid kits, 40 bottles of wa-
  ter, some canned and dry food, six blankets, and extra weapons 
  and ammo in the trunk of his souped-up police cruiser. The ar-
  
  71
  mor modifications to his squad car are compliments of a survivor 
  community in return for his help and heroism.
  Zombie Cop Stats
  Masked Lunatic, Hero and Zombie Hunter
  Half-Living: See pages 70-72 of the Dead Reign® RPG for 
  complete details and information about the Half-Living.
  Also Known As: Dead Cop, Rags (because of the bandages over 
  his face and head) and Sgt. Hubner to those who meet him, 
  Bill to those who know him well and might be considered new 
  friends.
  True Name: Sgt. William Robert Hubner.
  Alignment: Scrupulous.
  Attributes: I.Q. 11, M.E. 10, M.A. 9, P.S. 32, P.P. 10, P.E. 12, 
  P.B. 6 (badly burned and scarred face and body, which is why 
  he covers his face in bandages), Spd 9.
  Armor: Bulletproof Vest: A.R. 10, S.D.C. 50, worn under his 
  uniform or his police jacket and a motorcycle cop’s helmet 
  (A.R. 14 and 50 S.D.C.). Also see Weapons, Equipment and 
  Vehicle.
  Natural A.R. for Half-Living: A.R. 7.
  Hit Points: 56
  S.D.C.: 43 (includes Half-Living bonus).
  Age: 39
  Experience Level: Ninth.
  Occupation Before the Wave: Survivor/Ordinary Person 
  O.C.C.; Police Patrol Officer.
  Common Skills: All, including Automobile 98%.
  Skills of Note (Police Officer):
  Athletics (General)
  Climb 85%/75%
  Combat Driving
  Detect Ambush 85%
  First Aid 90%
  Fishing 85%
  Land Navigation 72%
  Law 95%
  Military Etiquette 90%
  Recognize Weapon Quality 80%
  Radio: Basic 98%
  Roadwise 67%
  Surveillance/Tailing 85%
  Running
  Streetwise 56%
  Swimming 85%
  W.P. Blunt, 9th level.
  W.P. Handguns, 9th level.
  W.P. Shotgun, 3rd level.
  Hand to Hand: Expert, 9th level.
  Attacks per Melee: Six.
  Half-Living Natural Abilities (special): Cold and heat do half 
  damage, pinpoint location of a Zombie Moan after hearing it 
  for 45 seconds, is not attacked by Slouchers and most zombies 
  unless he attacks them first; always has initiative against dumb 
  zombies. Smart zombies may recognize he is not one of them, 
  and a potential threat or spy. Hates zombies and is loyal to his 
  friends and associates.
  Also see Bonuses, below.
  Bonuses: +2 on Perception Rolls recognizing zombies and notic-
  ing when a smart zombie or Death Priest has recognized him 
  as a Half-Living. +1 on initiative, +2 to strike, +4 to parry 
  and dodge, +3 to pull punch, +3 to disarm, +17 to damage, +3 
  to roll with punch/fall/impact, Karate Kick attack (does 2D6 
  damage), Karate Punch (does 1D6 damage), Critical Strike 
  (does double damage) on unmodified 18, 19 or 20, W.P. 
  Paired Weapons, Backhand Strike (does 1D4 damage), Body 
  Flip/Throw (does 1D6 damage, victim loses initiative and one 
  attack), +4 to save vs disease and poison, and +5 to save vs 
  Horror Factor.
  Weapons: Three Police automatic shotguns with 421 extra 
  rounds of ammunition and 28 rubber riot rounds, two SWAT 
  grenade launchers with 30 shot clip. His stash of grenades in-
  cludes 32 smoke grenades, 18 tear gas grenades, 11 flash/stun 
  grenades, and 16 explosive grenades. He also has three assault 
  rifles with 640 extra rounds of ammo, a SWAT sniper rifle 
  with 180 extra rounds, a 9mm pistol (2D6+6 damage) with 
  488 extra rounds, a survival knife (2D4 damage) and three 
  police batons (2D4 damage).
  Equipment of Note: A pocket knife, toolkit, large crowbar, two 
  pair of sunglasses, three uniforms, two police jackets, leather 
  gloves, police motorcycle helmet (A.R. 14, 50 S.D.C.), cell 
  phone for photo and video use, six walkie-talkies, six pairs of 
  handcuffs, 100 zip-ties for handcuffing/binding people, bin-
  oculars, a bottle of tequila and the standard equipment for the 
  Survivor O.C.C. Zombie Cop also has one full suit of Riot 
  Armor he holds in reserve (A.R. 14, S.D.C. 180), a riot shield 
  and two extra bulletproof vests.
  Vehicle: A souped-up, armored-up police squad car with the fol-
  lowing always in the trunk of his car: two first aid kits, 40 
  bottles of water, some canned and dry food, six blankets, large 
  crowbar, 20 feet (6 m) of rope, 20 long cable ties for binding 
  fugitives, and 1D4 extra weapons and 100 rounds of ammo 
  for each.
  
  72
  Trade Goods: Varies depending on circumstance. Sgt. Hubner 
  generally collects medicine, water, food, blankets, tools, am-
  munition, and other things survivors often need, and drops 
  them off at known survivor camps and Safe Havens. He is 
  quick to share information and basic supplies with people he 
  knows, obvious heroes and survivors whom he sizes up to 
  be good people. He never trades with anyone he has doubts 
  about or who is evil or allied with Death Cults or bad guys. 
  He’ll always have something worth trading for. Otherwise, 
  he scavenges and steals what he needs, like most survivors, 
  and stockpiles goods at various secret locations to give to 
  those in need.
  Territory: Like the heroic Brimstone, Zombie Cop has his main 
  turf where he tries to aid and protect the survivors in his home-
  town, the city of St. Louis, Missouri. However, he has made 
  some runs beyond the city to help survivors, and is willing to 
  travel to areas elsewhere in Missouri as well as into parts of 
  Illinois and Indiana.
  Joining Forces with Others: Zombie Cop is all about fighting 
  evil, killing zombies, taking down the bad guys and helping 
  good people. He is happy to join forces with brave survivors 
  and heroes if it is for the greater good or eliminates a source 
  of evil. Like Snoose, Zombie Cop is practical and pragmatic, 
  so he will NOT agree to a plan that is crazy or suicidal. He is 
  a reliable ally who has his teammates’ back and follows the 
  battle plan. Should things go wrong, he is resourceful and tries 
  to never leave a man behind.
  Mr. Bananas
  A Masked Lunatic
  “Ook. Ook. I am monkey-man mutant hybrid. Rotting People 
  no scare me, because they no catch me. I much too fast and clev-
  er. You want me show you? I bring Rotting People here and show 
  you, no catch me. Fun. Hey! You have apple!! Give me, please, 
  ‘kay? Me hungry. Apple yum yum. Give now.”
  – Mr. Bananas, in a friendly conversation
  Mr. Bananas is crazy with a capital W! To him, up is down, 
  black is white, and left is orange. Mr. Bananas is one of the many 
  survivors who has suffered from a severe psychotic break.
  A psychotic individual is someone who sees the world as 
  something quite different from what we consider reality. They 
  also tend to be violent, especially when their weird fantasy world 
  is challenged. “No, those are not unicorns, those are zombies. 
  Run.” Only the psychotic really sees unicorns, and is not going 
  to run. Try to stop him from petting the unicorns, and he or she 
  is likely to push you away, hit you or drag you along to ride the 
  pretty unicorns. A psychotic delusion can be almost anything. 
  The psychotic might see you as a zombie, a monster, an enemy, a 
  family member, a ghost or a figment of his imagination, and cer-
  tainly you are the misguided, deluded or crazy person, not him.
  The psychotic fiercely clings to his delusion or fantasy. He 
  or she has to, because it is that person’s coping mechanism. The 
  fantasy is the only way the psychotic can keep going and func-
  tion, even if his actions are ridiculous, insane and/or harmful to 
  himself or others. Challenge that fantasy and the psychotic fights 
  back, literally, not out of wickedness, but because he cannot bear 
  to face the reality. As a result, the person or people hurting him 
  by challenging his reality must be silenced, one way or the oth-
  er. “No, I can’t leave! I’m days from finding a cure to the zom-
  bie plague. Then I’ll be able to cure everyone who is a zombie. 
  You’ll see. That’s why you need to help me.” Of course, his lab 
  is pure smoke and mirrors, a set that may look real or crazy, and 
  the cure, nothing but colored water and toxic chemicals made of 
  cleaning liquids from the store. Worse, “in the name of science 
  and finding a cure,” the madman may have a basement or garage 
  full of zombies. “Specimens” or “test subjects” he feeds the liv-
  ing to, especially those who try to stop him or take him away.
  In the catastrophic event of the Zombie Apocalypse, emotion-
  al and mental trauma, shock and disconnection with reality are 
  
  73
  commonplace among survivors. There is so much tragedy, loss, 
  change, and horror, that many people cannot process it and lapse 
  into some sort of traumatized mental state. For many, the only 
  way to cope with the living nightmare is to disconnect from it and 
  create their own fantasy world. Even heroes like Fire and Brim-
  stone, Zombie Cop, and the Road Reapers, who continue to func-
  tion on a very high level, are severely traumatized and are NOT 
  firing on all cylinders. They are responding to the trauma and 
  painful losses caused by the Wave and the Zombie Apocalypse. 
  In their case, they press forward by becoming zombie fighters and 
  heroes who save lives and fight the monsters and wicked people. 
  It is, in most cases, their obsession to destroy the zombies and 
  restore the world to the way it was. Every life they save or help is 
  one more step toward restoring order, or so they tell themselves. 
  Without that purpose and resolve, they might give up and become 
  like the ruthless villains and monsters they battle. Their obsession 
  gives them hope and purpose, and a reason to live. These heroes 
  face impossible odds. Their every action puts their own lives in 
  jeopardy every single day. Isn’t that a little crazy? Their madness 
  is simply proactive and helpful to others.
  Other people fare much worse. Some become homicidal, some 
  give up and follow whomever offers them safety even if it means 
  embracing evil. Some are driven by hate or fear, or desperation 
  or revenge. Others by high ideals, family or a belief in a higher 
  power. Many go completely mad and live in a fantasy world or 
  adapt strange ideas or ways of doing things. Still others shutter 
  themselves away and shun all human contact, or commit suicide.
  Mr. Bananas is an example of someone who has gone quite 
  mad. At first glance he seems harmless. He wears a monkey mask 
  almost all the time, even when nobody is around to see him. He 
  always puts one on whenever he leaves his secret hideaway lo-
  cated up in one of the skyscrapers or highrises someplace. He 
  calls himself Mr. Bananas, and explains he is just a juvenile chim-
  panzee-human mutant created in a secret laboratory. According 
  to him, he was injected with a serum that makes him impervious 
  to the Wave and the zombie’s bite, and has been given the agil-
  ity and powers of a chimpanzee! However, “Rotting People bad, 
  so I stay away from them.” He will go on to explain in a child-
  like voice and playful manner how he is too fast and clever to be 
  caught by the “Rotting People,” and how he lives up high, “where 
  Rotten Ones cannot go and bad men can’t get me either. Chimps 
  are smart. Mr. Bananas even smarter.”
  According to Mr. Bananas, one of the nice scientists let him 
  out of his cage to escape when the Rotting People came. There 
  were other chimpanzee-human mutants, including his entire fam-
  ily, who were let out of their cages too, “but I no think they get 
  away. I think I am the last of my kind. But I look for my family 
  and hope they did escape, so one day we be together again. Some 
  day.” This makes Mr. Bananas sad and he will change the subject 
  or start acting like a monkey. Whenever Mr. Bananas does not 
  like a particular subject matter or he becomes tired of talking, or 
  he wants to play, he acts like a child pretending to be a monkey. 
  All words are replaced by, “Ook, ook, ook,” grunts, squeals and 
  giggles.
  When Mr. Bananas gets scared, he hides in a corner or some-
  place up high and whimpers. When someone tries to get him 
  down, he “ooks” at them and slaps their hands away. If there are 
  objects such as rocks, bones, books, etc., Mr. Bananas throws 
  them at people who are scaring or bothering him. He has excel-
  lent aim, too. He will also kick and stomp at them to knock them 
  down, which can cause serious injury if Mr. Bananas is outside 
  on the ledge or the roof a building. Or up in the rafters.
  When Mr. Bananas fears for his safety, is being threatened, 
  captured, caged, manhandled or attacked, Mr. Kong comes to 
  his rescue. As you might guess, Mr. Kong is the violent, homi-
  cidal manifestation of Mr. Bananas – his protector id. Mr. Kong 
  is much stronger and behaves very much like a gorilla, only he is 
  not satisfied with grunting, growling and chest pounding. If the 
  “threat” does not back away, far away and let him leave, he at-
  tacks with the ferocity and power of an angry ape. And because 
  Mr. Bananas is so meek and child-like, this ferocious attack 
  comes out of nowhere. This sudden, homicidal attack usually 
  catches people off guard and gives Mr. Kong initiative (+5 on 
  initiative!). Depending on which mask Mr. Bananas was wear-
  ing (he has several), it probably prevents him from biting, but 
  he punches, kicks, and grabs any available weapon handy. That 
  could be a chair or piece of debris to use as a club, or a knife or 
  gun dropped or taken from one of his attackers, or even a hand 
  grenade. Mr. Kong may scream and howl and fight like a wound-
  ed, feral beast, but he knows how to use weapons with deadly 
  human proficiency. Moreover, there is a pair of brass knuckles 
  (+1D4 to punch damage) and a switchblade (1D6 damage + P.S. 
  damage bonus) in his pocket along with some candy and a small 
  rubber ball.
  Mr. Kong is all fury and rage. He is merciless in combat and 
  fights to cripple and kill his opponents. If there is a group, he 
  fights long enough to make good an escape, running, leaping, and 
  climbing with shocking agility and speed, until he vanishes. Pur-
  sue him at your own peril.
  If Mr. Kong is facing an opponent one on one, or a group 
  whom he is getting the better of, he is likely to stay and fights to 
  kill. Anyone who turns and runs, had better keep running. When 
  Mr. Kong is triumphant in combat, knocking someone uncon-
  scious or killing him, the brute drags or carries the body some-
  place in the shadows, smashes the skull and eats the brain before 
  going on to eat other internal organs, then some of the flesh.
  When he is done feasting on his kill (only one of them if there 
  are several victims), Mr. Kong vacates the kill zone and goes 
  to someplace safe where he leaves Mr. Bananas. Mr. Bananas 
  remembers everything Mr. Kong does, including the eating of his 
  victim, but remembers it all as if he was a witness to the event, 
  not the one responsible. As far as Mr. Bananas knows, any kill-
  ing and brutality was done by Mr. Kong. His violent, protective 
  guardian. When Mr. Bananas cannot find food or is in need of 
  other important resources needed to survive, Mr. Kong appears to 
  make the kill or to get what is needed. That can include medical 
  supplies, as Mr. Kong – who never speaks a word – can perform 
  basic First Aid on himself. Otherwise, Mr. Bananas throws him-
  
  74
  self on the mercy of strangers he thinks will patch him up, feed 
  him or help him.
  Mr. Bananas would not – cannot – hurt a fly. Well, actually, 
  that’s about all he can hurt. Mr. Bananas, like all apes, eats bugs 
  (flies, cockroaches, grasshoppers, crickets, worms, etc.), fruit 
  and vegetables. No meat. Nor does he care for processed foods 
  like bread or cereal, though he will eat canned fruit and veg-
  etables, including baby food. His favorite, of course, bananas. 
  Mr. Kong, by comparison, only eats meat, cooked or raw, and 
  always feasts upon his kill. Sometimes, when he likes the people 
  he has met, he may warn them to let him go or not to hurt him or 
  they will have to deal with Mr. Kong. However, he never says 
  what Mr. Kong will do. Just that, “You are going to make Mr. 
  Kong angry. Please don’t make Mr. Kong angry. Let me go. 
  Oook. Ook. Ook.”
  Mr. Bananas is not all sweetness and innocence. He is curi-
  ous, likes to follow survivors, and goes through people’s belong-
  ings, pulling items out of backpacks, sacks, boxes and vehicles, 
  and tossing them all around, and stealing what he wants. Fruit, 
  vegetables, candy of all types, honey, jelly, jam, pudding, juice, 
  wine, water, and similar foodstuff, as well as odds and ends he 
  may find interesting, like a pocket mirror, binoculars, lipstick, 
  spray paint, markers, and anything that may strike his fancy at 
  the moment, are all targets for theft. If there is something other 
  people want and are searching for, it makes him want it too, even 
  though he has no use for it. If he finds it first, he runs off with it 
  and hides it. If people find it, Mr. Bananas will try to steal it from 
  them. These trophies and toys either end up in his lair up high in a 
  skyscraper, or get left on a rooftop or stairwell somewhere when 
  he gets tired of it.
  He may tail survivors, steal from them and pop up at the most 
  inopportune times to “play” or “go exploring.” He may also beg 
  for food (ideally fruit or candy) and engage in acts of petty ven-
  geance and vandalism if shooed away or not given what he wants.
  Take note, Mr. Bananas may talk like, and try to behave like, 
  a cute, little monkey or chimpanzee, but he is a six foot (1.8 m) 
  tall, half-naked, 200+ pound (90+ kg) man wearing a monkey 
  mask. A mask that, like the man’s hands, forearms, chest and 
  belly, is usually caked in dried blood and bits of gore. His sweat-
  pants are filthy and also splattered with dried blood. He is NOT 
  cute or funny. He is creepy as hell!
  Mr. Bananas
  A Masked Lunatic
  Also Known As: Monkey Man. He, of course, identifies him-
  self as Mr. Bananas. To most, he is another scary-looking but 
  seemingly harmless crazy person living on the street as best 
  he can.
  True Name: Tom Popek.
  Alignment: Mr. Bananas: Anarchist. Mr. Kong: Diabolic, and a 
  homicidal killer.
  Attributes for Mr. Bananas: I.Q. 10, M.E. 8, M.A. 14, P.S. 9, 
  P.P. 15, P.E. 14, P.B. 9 (without the mask), Spd 26.
  Attributes for Mr. Kong: I.Q. 13 in a cunning, predatory way, 
  M.E. 8, M.A. 4, P.S. 22, P.P. 18, P.E. 20, P.B. 9, Spd 20.
  Armor: None.
  Hit Points: 49
  S.D.C.: 30
  Age: 40
  Experience Level: Special, as per personality.
  Occupation Before the Wave: Survivor/Ordinary Person 
  O.C.C.: Educator, and science fiction nerd, but most of these 
  skills are not applicable.
  Common Skills for Mr. Bananas: Native Language: English 
  90% and Spanish 60%, only. He cannot read, write or do math.
  Common Skills for Mr. Kong: All, including Automobile 90%. 
  Yes, Mr. Kong can drive a car if the keys are available, read 
  signs and knows math, but he does not speak, only grunts, 
  growls, howls and kills.
  Skills of Note for Mr. Bananas (Special): Limited only to those 
  listed here. Speaks English, but cannot read.
  Climb 90/80%
  Identify Plants and Fruits 90%
  Land Navigation 70%
  Palming 50%
  Prowl 40%
  Running
  Tailing 60%
  Skills of Note for Mr. Kong: Limited only to those listed here. 
  Understands English and can read and drive a car, but does not 
  speak or communicate in any way. Mr. Kong only comes out 
  to fight and kill.
  Climbing 90%/80%
  First Aid 85%
  Land Navigation 90% (+8% to find way back home).
  Swim 70%
  Tracking (People) 50%
  W.P. Blunt, 4th level.
  W.P. Knife, 4th level.
  W.P. Handgun, 4th level.
  W.P. Rifles, 2nd level.
  Hand to Hand (Special, see Bonuses and Attacks, below).
  Bonuses for Mr. Bananas (special): +1 on initiative, +1 to par-
  ry, +4 to dodge, +4 to roll with impact/fall, and +3 to save 
  vs Horror Factor. Attacks per Melee for Mr. Bananas: None, 
  really. Mr. Bananas has three melee actions per round. He 
  never attacks anyone, and sort of fights, only to protect him-
  self. That usually involves a slap with his hands (stings but 
  does no damage), stomp (1D4 damage, usually to the fingers 
  of those who climb up after him), and kick (1D6 damage, usu-
  ally at the hand reaching for him or the ankle or knee of the 
  person trying to grab him), or throwing objects that are not 
  weapons (i.e. he would not pick up and throw a dagger or stab 
  with a pair of scissors, but he would throw books, china, tin 
  cans, small rocks, toys, etc.), and he does NOT know how 
  to use even simple weapons like a club, let alone fire a gun, 
  and never even punches. Wearing the monkey mask usually 
  
  75
  prevents him from biting, but if he can bite it only does minor 
  damage (one S.D.C. point).
  Bonuses for Mr. Kong (special): +3 on Perception Rolls that in-
  volve killing and quickly finding something to use as a weap-
  on, +4 on initiative, +5 to strike, +2 to parry and dodge, +4 to 
  disarm (and to scoop up the weapon for him to use against his 
  opponent), +2 to roll with impact/fall, and +6 to save vs Hor-
  ror Factor.
  Attacks per Melee: Mr. Kong only, and he has seven attacks per 
  melee!
  Weapons: Aside from the brass knuckles (+1D4 damage to 
  punch attacks) and a switchblade (1D6 damage) he and Mr. 
  Bananas keeps in his pants pocket, only whatever weapons 
  may be available. That includes pieces of wood, pipe or de-
  bris and any weapon he can get his hands on, including guns, 
  knives, hatchets, etc. A favorite tactic of Mr. Kong’s is to dis-
  arm an opponent and use his own weapon against him.
  Equipment of Note: Only the weapons above, 2D4 pieces of 
  candy and a small rubber ball in Mr. Bananas’ pants pocket, 
  usually nothing else on his person, unless it is a canteen or 
  bottle of water, some food, and other odds and ends (as noted 
  in the description), but nothing either personality uses as regu-
  lar weapon or tool.
  Back at the lair, Mr. Bananas has 13 bloodstained mon-
  key masks, several blankets, pillows, toys, junk, bottles of 
  water, cans of food (fruit and vegetable based), and things 
  like sunglasses, wallets, some pots and pans, drinking water, 
  juice, wine, miscellaneous tools, maybe even 1D6 canisters of 
  gasoline, but neither personality uses much of this stuff. By 
  the way, his lair is a pigsty filled with junk, empty cans and 
  bottles, bags, paper and rags.
  Vehicle: None, though Mr. Kong can drive a car if the keys are 
  available when necessary.
  Trade Goods: None. However, Mr. Bananas may steal and keep 
  one or more items a survivor or group needs or wants. Other-
  wise, he scavenges and steals what he needs or wants at the 
  time.
  Territory: Mr. Bananas stays in the city where he knows the lay 
  of the land. If he travels beyond that, it is not far. And if he 
  should get swept up and taken away by a survivor group trying 
  to help, he will pester them like mad until they take him home.
  Note: There are no other personalities. Nor does this lunatic have 
  any memory of his past from before the Zombie Apocalypse. 
  Whatever happened to him, it is too unbearable to remember. 
  That past life is gone. Mr. Kong appears and is willing to fight 
  to the death before letting himself remember the past.
  Joining Forces with Others: Mr. Bananas may be willing to tag 
  along with a group, but his behavior is dangerously erratic, 
  unpredictable and likely to get anyone he’s with killed. He 
  only thinks about himself and ... well ... is crazy as a loon. Mr. 
  Kong only surfaces to protect Mr. Bananas and to kill. He will 
  not join anybody for any reason and is not likely to make the 
  distinction between friend and foe if he shows up in the middle 
  of a combat situation. He fights only enough for him to escape.
  Skull Rider
  A Masked Lunatic
  “There’s no more laws or lawmen. If you’re smart, you don’t 
  trust nobody. Never show them fear. You do as you please. Take 
  what you want. And take down any fool who tries to tell you oth-
  erwise. Nowadays, justice is what you make it, brother. Survival, 
  that’s a luxury. None of us knows how much time we have left 
  here in Hell. Me, I spend my time kicking ass and killing Road 
  Reapers. You got a problem with that, you can kiss my ...”
  – Skull Rider, better known as Wicked-Pisser
  
  76
  
  77
  The Skull Rider is another masked man gaining notoriety in 
  the Midwest. He rides a black motorcycle, wears a black leather 
  jacket, black gloves, blue jeans, boots, sunglasses, a helmet with 
  a skull and crossbones, and a black bandana with white skeleton 
  teeth. His weapon of choice is an AK-47, but he packs a 10mm 
  pistol, machete and a survival knife, the latter tucked in a boot 
  and concealed under his pant-leg.
  He calls himself Wicked-Pisser and has the disposition to 
  match the name. He seems to switch from brooding loner to 
  smart aleck with a wicked disposition. Annoy him beyond his 
  small amount of tolerance, in either mood, and he is likely to 
  beat you into unconsciousness or shoot you where you stand. 
  Wicked-Pisser is a rough and tumble bruiser who shows no fear, 
  can take care of himself and does not generally enjoy the com-
  pany of others. When he does associate with people, it is usually 
  with thugs, punks, bandits, raiders and other tough guys or people 
  of ill-repute. He likes to drink, but seldom drinks so much as to 
  lose his edge. He enjoys gambling, with craps and poker his two 
  games of choice. According to one rumor, he was a mixed martial 
  arts champion before the world went to garbage. Another says he 
  is ex-special forces, and another that he was nothing more than a 
  street brawler and a part-time bouncer.
  Something of an enigma, Skull Rider has been known to help 
  people in need, especially when they are up against zombies or 
  Death Cultists. That said, Wicked-Pisser is also known to leave 
  people he considers to be “dumbasses” to suffer at the hands of 
  such monsters and even joke or laugh about it. A dumbass is 
  anyone who ignores his warnings or advice, and those who do 
  things that are just plain foolish or stupid. (“What did ya think 
  was gonna happen, dumbass?” And he rides away or sits back to 
  drink a beer watching the fool get torn apart.)
  For reasons known only to Skull Rider, the man hates Road 
  Reapers. So much so that he has made it his mission to hunt 
  them down and kill each and every one of them. One can only 
  presume that Skull Rider’s crusade against the Road Reapers is 
  deeply personal and motivated by revenge. What they could have 
  done to make him want to kill them all is impossible to guess at. 
  For that matter, Skull Rider takes an immediate disliking to all 
  heroes, especially those who are full of themselves. When asked 
  why he kills Road Reapers, he tells the person to mind their own 
  business. If pestered about it, Wicked-Pisser tells them they need 
  to back off and leave him alone. (“What part of F-off and leave 
  me alone, do you not understand?”) This is a final warning. Ask 
  again or do something else to annoy or anger him, and he attacks 
  without further warning with vicious ferocity. The lucky ones get 
  knocked out or take a beating. The unlucky ones who push him 
  too far – and the man is easy to push over the edge – are gunned 
  down or stabbed. Anyone who tries to interfere gets more of the 
  same.
  Skull Rider is smart, sneaky and deadly, so he seldom takes 
  on more than he can handle, such as an entire group of Road 
  Reapers on his own. At least, not up close. He will, however, 
  pick off one or two Road Reapers from a distance or attack a 
  group without warning, gunning down as many as he can, be-
  fore riding off like a bat out of hell. Any chance encounter with 
  one or two is likely to lead to a brutal fight. And Wicked-Pisser 
  fights dirty. He goes for the soft parts of the body first – throat, 
  nose, eyes, groin – and often taunts and toys with any Road 
  Reaper who he knows he has on the ropes, beating him to a pulp 
  or slicing him into pieces before putting a bullet in his head. 
  When he finds a group of Road Reapers, he either attacks from 
  a distance, firing a spray of bullets before speeding away, or he 
  stalks them from a distance. Stalking attacks can be devastat-
  ing, because Wicked-Pisser finds a good place for an ambush 
  and waits for an opening for a surprise attack to kill as many 
  as he can.
  Skull Rider uses hit and run attacks with practiced expertise, 
  waiting in ambush and attacking without warning. When he can 
  pick Road Reapers off one by one, or attack from behind, he 
  does so. When he can sabotage their vehicles or lure them into 
  the clutches of zombies or other danger, he does so. He also 
  targets them for robbery and is happy to rat them out to their 
  enemies and raiders who might take a run at the “so-called he-
  roes.” Anyone who tries to help a Road Reaper or get in the 
  way of anything Skull Rider wants, is likely to get caught in the 
  crossfire.
  Wicked-Pisser has swagger and is seemingly fearless. He 
  has that street, gang-banger toughness and confidence that is 
  unnerving to most people. He is bold, but never reckless. Skull 
  Rider never leaps before he looks – and always sizes up his 
  opponents and assesses the situation before he takes action. If 
  he is outnumbered or losing the fight, he makes a hasty retreat. 
  An exit and escape option he has probably already figured out 
  before he took his first shot. He is no coward, but he is not 
  afraid to walk away from a fight to survive to fight another 
  day. It is that street smarts and savvy that has enabled him to 
  survive in a dangerous world and to take on the likes of the 
  Road Reaper gangs.
  As wicked and violent as he is, you never know when or why 
  the Skull Rider might help someone. Other times he just watches 
  and laughs, or rides away as an innocent person is attacked or 
  eaten alive.
  You can tell when Skull Rider in a good mood, because he is a 
  wisecracking smart aleck with a mean streak. He is still prone to 
  violence, but he is likely to let the target of his cruel wit or angry 
  fury live, unless he or she is a Road Reaper. In a bad mood, he 
  is short on patience, cruel and murderous. He takes no crap from 
  anybody and will beat up or kill anyone who bugs him or invites 
  a confrontation. Wicked-Pisser is notoriously short on patience 
  and on mercy. He is known to be a cold, calculating killer who 
  is unsympathetic to the plight of most survivors, except when 
  he chooses not to be. There are actually times when Skull Rider 
  steps up to put his life on the line to help others. However, he may 
  also rob those people, stealing from them when they aren’t look-
  ing or when they have something he needs. He does not hesitate 
  to beat up anyone and take what he wants from them – especially 
  if he found them to be directly or indirectly annoying – living up 
  to his Wicked-Pisser moniker.
  
  78
  Skull Rider Stats
  A Masked Lunatic
  Also Known As: Wicked-Pisser (which is the name he calls him-
  self).
  True Name: Blake Giles.
  Alignment: Miscreant.
  Attributes: I.Q. 15, M.E. 14, M.A. 11, P.S. 26, P.P. 20, P.E. 14, 
  P.B. 12, Spd 21.
  Armor: Bulletproof Point-Blank Vest: A.R. 11, S.D.C. 70, worn 
  under his leather jacket. Also see Weapons, Equipment and 
  Vehicle.
  Hit Points: 54
  S.D.C.: 46
  Age: 32
  Experience Level: 8th.
  Occupation Before the Wave: Survivor/Ordinary Person 
  O.C.C.; Athletics: Fighting Competitor (mixed martial arts), 
  a brawler and a bouncer.
  Common Skills: All, including Automobile 96%.
  Skills of Note (Fighter):
  Aerobic Athletics
  Athletics (General)
  Art 65%
  Body Building & Weightlifting
  Boxing
  Carpentry 58%
  Climbing 80%/70%
  Combat Driving
  First Aid 85%
  Gambling 70%
  General Repair & Maintenance 85%
  Hunting
  Kick Boxing
  Land Navigation 70%
  Leather Working 96%
  Physical Labor
  Pilot: Motorcycle 90%
  Seduction 63%
  Streetwise 44%
  Swim 85%
  W.P. Handguns, 8th level.
  W.P. Knife, 6th level.
  W.P. Rifle, 6th level.
  Hand to Hand: Martial Arts, 8th level.
  Bonuses: +1 on initiative, +5 to strike, +9 to parry and dodge, 
  +1 to disarm, +11 to punch damage, +13 to kick damage (see 
  Kick Boxing for damage via type of kick, most do 2D8 or 3D6 
  damage), +2 to entangle, +5 to pull punch (includes pulling his 
  kicks to inflict less damage), +5 to roll with impact/fall, Criti-
  cal Strike (double damage) on an unmodified roll of 18, 19, 
  20, W.P. Paired Weapons, Back Flip and Back Flip Escape, 
  and +2 to save vs Horror Factor.
  Attacks per Melee: Six.
  Weapons: Hunting rifle with 128 extra rounds, 2 sawed-off shot-
  guns with 96 solid slugs and 72 scatter-shot cartridges, 10mm 
  pistol (4D6 damage per a single shot, 6D6+3 damage for a 
  burst of three shots) and 140 extra bullets for the pistol, and 
  two survival knives (2D4 damage).
  Equipment of Note: A pocket knife, toolkit to repair his bike, 
  small crowbar, two pair of sunglasses, black leather motor-
  cycle jacket, leather gloves, motorcycle helmet (A.R. 14, 50 
  S.D.C.), bandana with skeleton teeth (and 3 extras), a case of 
  whiskey, a case of rum, and standard equipment for the Survi-
  vor O.C.C., plus a bulletproof vest under his shirt and jacket.
  Vehicle: Pickup truck with a 50 gallon (189 liter) drum of gaso-
  line and another for fresh drinking water, plus 1D6 five-gallon 
  (19 liter) cans of gasoline, a ramp for getting his motorcycle 
  into the truck bed, and the straps and ties to secure it. His mo-
  torcycle is whatever he can find available along the way, but 
  he prefers a sports bike like a Suzuki, Ducati or Yamaha. He 
  also has motorcycle saddlebags which he uses as needed.
  Trade Goods: Varies depending on circumstance. Wicked-
  Pisser generally trades in weapons, ammo, fuel, and booze, 
  or whatever people in a particular region needs or wants, be it 
  tools to medicine or food. However, he prefers trade to trade 
  in items that usually have a high demand like those first items 
  mentioned. He’ll always have something worth trading for. 
  Otherwise, he scavenges and steals what he needs, like most 
  survivors.
  Territory: Wherever Road Reapers can be found, Skull Rider 
  may follow, but his main hunting grounds are southern Wis-
  consin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and lower Michigan.
  A Note about Road Reapers: The Road Reapers travel coast to 
  coast, all over the country and into Canada, but they are most 
  numerous in the cities found in the States of Illinois, Wiscon-
  sin, Iowa, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, lower Michigan, Pennsyl-
  vania, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and Texas.
  Joining Forces with Others: Skull Rider is a drifter, but a loner, 
  not to mention an ornery, homicidal maniac. He is most likely 
  to join a group only if it benefits him or provides him an op-
  portunity for revenge. On rare occasion, he may join a battle 
  or help someone because he took a liking to them (or one of 
  them), one of them reminds him of someone he once cared 
  about, or because he was itching for a fight and to do some 
  killing. Or simply because it struck his fancy in the moment – 
  he might not even know why.
  Wicked-Pisser is unpredictable and could turn and run if 
  things start to go wrong, or turn on the group (or one of them) 
  for almost any reason at any time. (“Remember in the bar, 
  when you called me a coward? Well, take this.”) Likewise, 
  he is likely to expect to get first choice of any booty to be 
  had, and may steal or take supplies, weapons or a vehicle 
  when his temporary “teammates” are not looking. Ultimately 
  he is only out for Numero Uno, himself. Good luck counting 
  on this guy.
  
  79
  An Unlikely Rescue
  Even a Mock Zombie can be a hero in this Hellish world
  Story and Art
  by Nick Bradshaw
  
  80
  
  81
  
  82
  
  83
  
  84
  
  85
  
  86
  New Zombies
  By Taylor White and Kevin Siembieda
  Armored Brutes are a new aberration among the zombies. The 
  most immediate and obvious difference is that the monster is 
  wearing body armor! That armor may be a police/military com-
  bat vest, riot gear and helmet, chains wrapped around its arms and 
  torso, a car door or sheet of metal hung around its neck to cover 
  and protect its chest and belly, or layers and layers of clothing. 
  In other cases, the armor may be a leather jacket or better yet, 
  full motorcycle regalia with leather pants, leather gloves, leather 
  jacket and, if one was available, a helmet. Under the leather jacket 
  is likely to be several layers of clothing such as a T-shirt or three, 
  a button-down shirt on top of them, with a sweater or hoodie over 
  that and maybe a windbreaker or jacket over that, all of which 
  provide protection as padded armor. In other cases, the zombie 
  Armored Brute
  Cannibal Muncher
  Dead Mound Giant
  Dead Weight Zombie
  Kidnapper Zombie
  Screamer Zombie
  Seeker Zombie
  Shopper Zombie
  Swimmer Zombie
  Toxic Zombie
  Vandal Zombie Gangs
  “I don’t know if they are learning or evolving, or if there is 
  something already in them that is making the dead act this way, 
  but it sure looks to me like they are actually getting better at kill-
  ing us. It’s like they are making conscious efforts to horrify us 
  and catch us off-guard.
  “I’m telling you, zombies are showing up in places we didn’t 
  think they could go. They’re making choices and decisions that 
  look like planning. Yes, you heard me right, they are making 
  freakin’ choices to find and hunt us down.
  “Are these new behaviors surfacing as a result of a need to 
  take down those of us who have survived this long? Is there some 
  kind of intelligent force guiding them, teaching them? Maybe the 
  smart zombies were somehow exceptional in life? Maybe they 
  are damn demons from Hell and smarter than we ever gave them 
  credit for. I don’t know. I don’t have the answers, but, man, the 
  questions are freakin’ me out.”
  – Wyatt “Bone-Head” Williams,
  Road Reaper and amateur philosopher
  Armored Brute
  “We call these zombies Armored Brutes for the obvious 
  reason, they wear armor. Some just put on layers and layers of 
  clothing. Don’t laugh, it will stop a knife or a low caliber bullet, 
  and lessen the impact of a crowbar. Some wear leather and wrap 
  themselves in chains or other hard materials to protect their bod-
  ies. Some manage to find police and military grade armor, and I 
  once seen one in a suit of armor from a museum or someplace – 
  no lie – and he was a son of a bitch to kill.
  “As if that weren’t bad enough, these things don’t moan, they 
  watch you and stalk you from a distance, and like to corner you when 
  you’re alone. That’s not all. They use a club or knife to kill you with. 
  Nasty abominations, these big fellas. Don’t take them lightly.”
  – Brad Ashley, Leader of the Road Reapers
  
  87
  may wear the leather jacket or a bulky coat with chains or chicken 
  wire or cyclone fencing wrapped around its arms, chest and torso. 
  Still others resemble a homeless person wearing so many layers 
  of clothing and coats that they look to be obese, but are really 
  covered in sheets of clothing. Half wear a helmet or head cover-
  ing of some sort, the rest do not; perhaps because Armored Zom-
  bies like to growl and menace their prey before attacking.
  There is more than the use of makeshift body armor that 
  makes Armored Brutes dangerous.
  1. Body armor. Armored Brutes look for, and wear, some sort 
  of armor, even if it’s just layers of clothing. They wear whatever 
  armor they can find or make from their environment. Armor may 
  be taken from museums, military bases, prisons, or pieced to-
  gether from materials gathered from junkyards, weapon shops, 
  toolsheds, and hardware stores. Such places may also provide the 
  monster with its weapon for killing. Moreover, such locations are 
  likely to harbor 1D6 Armored Brute zombies! Though they prob-
  ably stalk the living as individual hunters or in pairs, not as a 
  coordinated group.
  To say that Armored Brutes make armor is a stretch, but the 
  creatures do tie pieces together and wear them as a vest or poncho 
  or sandwich board-like covering attached by chain, wire and/or 
  rope and hung suspended from around their necks. Crude and 
  sloppy looking, but effective, especially for the slow-moving 
  Brutes.
  2. Armored Brutes use simple weapons. The most common 
  are bludgeons such as a club, baseball bat, hammer or piece 
  of wood, piece of pipe or rebar, but they may also use a knife, 
  machete, ax, sickle, sword or anything that hammers, chops or 
  stabs.
  Their unnatural strength is enough to swing blades, chains, 
  and hammers with the force to cripple or kill a living person in 
  a few blows. They never tire, so they never stop swinging once 
  they find a potential victim. Not until the person is dead and the 
  zombie feeds upon the energy released at the moment of death. 
  When Armored Brutes go dormant, they frequently do so with 
  their weapon clutched in their hand, sometimes even raised and 
  ready to fall on any living person who steps too close.
  3. They uses simple but deadly strategies and tactics. For 
  example, Armored Brutes are silent killers. They may growl, 
  grumble and hiss, but they do not moan because they prefer to 
  have the victim’s life energy all to themselves.
  Armored Brutes like to corner prey, leaving their target with 
  no way out except past it. The sense of being trapped by such a 
  monster adds to the terror of the situation and causes some survi-
  vors to panic. And people who panic make mistakes and become 
  easy prey. Victims of an Armored Brute attack insist the zombie 
  smiles and enjoys simple cat and mouse games. Indeed, Armored 
  Brutes are known to position themselves in a doorway or at a sur-
  vivor’s vehicle or between the living and something of value, like 
  a weapon, supplies or a fallen teammate. How the zombie recog-
  nizes such things is anyone’s guess, because Slouchers, Crawlers 
  and most zombies cannot. But the Armored Brute can, and makes 
  its intended victim(s) come to it, or try to get past it.
  Likewise, one or two Armored Brutes seldom attack a group 
  that outnumbers them. Instead, the fiend likes to pick people off 
  one or two at a time. The monster seems to know it has advan-
  tages over the living, so it knows it can usually handle one, two or 
  three humans. More than that, and the monster lurks in the shad-
  ows, waiting for easier prey or loses itself in a crowd of Slouch-
  ers, watching, and perhaps following from a distance, until them 
  can find an opening to attack.
  Though not a true berserker, the Armored Brute does tend to 
  fight until it is killed and does not give up pursuing prey until it 
  loses the trail, succeeds or is, itself, destroyed. Some also seem to 
  aim to cripple their prey and then finish them off slowly, toying 
  with its terrified prey like a cat.
  They are among the rarest of the risen dead – those who are 
  skilled and good at killing. Unlike their sloppy, flailing cous-
  ins, these monsters play to their strengths. They do not shamble 
  around mindlessly nor gather in large hordes, waiting for a victim 
  to wander by. They go out and find them. They don’t stop for 
  anything. They smash through barriers or find an entrance or exit 
  and wait for their prey to come to them. Standing there waiting 
  and blocking the exit with their own large body, inviting combat 
  from the living.
  Armored Brutes can be encountered anywhere, but are most 
  commonly found in densely populated areas such as streets, 
  alleys and corridors of cities, urban neighborhoods and in and 
  around military bases, stadiums, hospitals and relief centers. The 
  majority are lone hunters, though they may hide among groups 
  of more common zombies and pretend to be one of them. Some 
  will hunt in pairs, sometimes in threes, but never more than that 
  – most hunt as lone individuals like a mountain lion on the prowl.
  Armored Brute Stats
  Also Known As: Armored Zombie and Killer Zombie.
  Alignment: Considered Diabolic.
  Attributes: I.Q. 1D4+4, M.E. 1D6+2, M.A. 1D4, P.S. 2.5 x 
  Strength when alive (typically 3D6+21), P.P. 1D6+1, P.E. 
  1D6+18, P.B. 2D4, Spd 1D4+6.
  Armor: See the Body Armor Table, below, for details.
  Hit Points: P.E. attribute number +12, but all Main Body S.D.C. 
  must be depleted first before Hit Points can be affected. Note: 
  See S.D.C. by Location and Hit Points for more details. Also 
  see the table for Body Armor, below.
  S.D.C. by Location:
  Note: This is the zombie’s S.D.C. by location BEFORE any 
  armor is applied. Most armors only increase the S.D.C. of the 
  Main Body or Main Body and Head.
  * Hands (2) – 1D6+4 each
  * Arms (2) – 1D8+8 each
  * Feet (2) – 1D6+6 each
  * Legs (2) – 2D6+10 each
  * Lower Jaw – 1D6+5
  ** Neck – 1D6+12
  ** Head – 2D6+16
  *** Main Body – 3D6+40
  
  88
  Armor Rating: 14; also see Body Armor, below.
  Horror Factor: 14
  P.P.E.: 1D4
  Natural Abilities:
  See Life Energy (P.P.E.): 9,000 feet (2,743.2 m) at night 
  or in darkness.
  Sense Life Energy (P.P.E.): 25 feet (7.6 m) to sense 1-6 
  people, 50 feet (15.2 m) to sense a group of 7-24 people, and 
  100 feet (30.5 m) to sense a group of 25 or more people. Half 
  that range to sense animals. One quarter that range, 6.2 feet 
  (1.9 m), when a zombie is dormant.
  Recognize Human Scents: 83%. This also tells the zombie 
  that humans are nearby, or have been present recently.
  Track Humans by Scent (special): 24% chance, +10% if the 
  human is sweaty or hasn’t bathed in three or more days, +10% 
  to follow the scent of blood, +5% if there is more than one hu-
  man present in the same area, +5% to smell perfume, cologne 
  or aftershave. All bonuses are cumulative.
  Smell Fear in Humans (special): Makes the Armored Brute 
  more aggressive: +2 on initiative and +2 to strike and disarm. 
  If the level of fear is fever-pitched or five or more people are 
  terrified, the zombie is also +2 attacks per melee round.
  Zombies Can See Without Eyes: The eyes glow with a red 
  light inside empty eye sockets.
  Keen Sense of Hearing: Can pinpoint the location of a 
  Zombie Moan after hearing it for only 30 seconds.
  Impervious to Most Everything: Only decapitation, de-
  stroying a zombie’s brain, and fire can kill a zombie. Does 
  not need to breathe, and survives underwater and in a vacuum.
  S.D.C. and Hit Point Regeneration: 1D6+3 S.D.C. and 2 
  Hit Points are automatically restored every hour. Extra P.P.E. 
  may also restore S.D.C. and Hit Points at a rate of 1D6+2 
  S.D.C. and one Hit Point per extra P.P.E. point. See S.D.C. 
  and Hit Points for details.
  No Life Energy of Their Own: Zombies are cold, dark crea-
  tures without body heat or an aura. They cannot be seen by 
  infrared and thermal imaging optic systems. Rather, zombies 
  register the same as a piece of timber.
  Go Dormant: A stasis sleep that keeps zombies from de-
  caying. Walking dead hide when they go dormant and can be 
  waiting anywhere.
  People Slain by the Zombie Rise as One: Victims slain in a 
  zombie attack, their P.P.E. absorbed, rise as the walking dead 
  within 2D4+4 minutes after expiration. Zombies created by 
  the Armored Brutes usually end up being disfigured and gory 
  from the brutal attack by the Armored Zombie; their bodies 
  are usually in such a mangled, twisted, bloody mess at the time 
  of their death.
  Skills of Note (special): Climb 25%/15% in armor (double with-
  out armor), Track People 38% by following visual cues (it is 
  able to recognize and follow tracks and trails, especially when 
  most survivors do not think to cover their tracks from zom-
  bies), and simple strategies as described above.
  Attacks per Melee: Three, usually by weapon.
  Damage (S.D.C./Hit Points):
  Bite: 2D6 damage (and a chance of infection if the wound 
  isn’t treated shortly after receiving it). P.S. damage bonus does 
  NOT apply to bite attacks.
  Head Butt: 2D4 damage + P.S. damage bonus (if any).
  Punch/Claw Attack: 1D6+3 damage + P.S. damage bonus 
  (if any).
  Power Punch: 2D6+6 damage + P.S. damage bonus (if 
  any), but takes two actions.
  Kick Attack: 2D4+2 damage + P.S. damage bonus (if any).
  Weapon: See special abilities, but can use any melee weap-
  on if one is in reach. Damage is by weapon + P.S. damage 
  bonus (if any).
  Power Weapon Strike: Does double normal weapon dam-
  age + P.S. damage bonus (if any), but takes two actions.
  Note: Leap Kick, other kicks, body flip, and martial arts 
  attacks are NOT possible.
  Bonuses: +3 to strike with a melee weapon; also see Body Armor 
  and Natural Abilities.
  Penalties: -1 on initiative and -2 on Perception Rolls (it notices 
  things and acts upon them).
  Vulnerabilities: Dumb, animalistic, easily tricked, slow moving, 
  cannot swim, slow climber, head shots, decapitation and fire 
  kill, severe cold reduces speed. Fear of fire holds them at bay 
  and fire has a Horror Factor 14 to the zombie.
  Armored Brutes’ Body Armor
  They are called Armored Brutes and Armored Zombies for 
  a reason, they wear body armor or some type of layered protec-
  tive plating or covering. The weight, encumbrance, discomfort, 
  and difficulty of walking around in heavy armor does not seem 
  to bother them other than making them somewhat slower than 
  usual when wearing the really heavy stuff. If this zombie loses its 
  armor in a battle, it will find or make more. An Armored Brute 
  does not often swap out its body armor, or make upgrades for 
  better, nicer armor, but it might if the new found armor is clearly 
  better than what it is currently wearing. The creature may stack 
  heavier armor or clothing on top of lighter armor or clothing. As 
  a rule, an Armored Brute wears its body armor until it loses all 
  or most of its S.D.C. Of course, the Armored Zombie does not 
  clean or repair its armor, so body armor and layers of clothing are 
  almost always covered in blood, gore, rust, filth, bullet holes, cuts 
  and gunk. The grimier and nastier the zombie’s armor, the more 
  battles it has seen and the more victims it has claimed.
  Armor Rating and S.D.C. Note: Since all zombies have an 
  A.R. to begin with (usually 14), wearing body armor improves 
  that A.R. and is indicated as a bonus (+1, +2, +3, etc.). All attacks 
  that fall under the improved A.R. only do damage to the S.D.C. of 
  the additional armor. Subtract damage first from the S.D.C. of the 
  armor (protects the zombie’s Main Body), listed below. When the 
  S.D.C. of the armor is reduced to zero, it is so damaged as to be 
  useless and falling off the zombie. With the armor gone, damage 
  above the Zombie’s Natural A.R. (typically 14) reduces the Main 
  Body S.D.C. of the monster. Called Shots to the head or limbs 
  
  89
  still apply to zombies wearing body armor, so attacks to the head 
  or a particular limb can still be made, it just requires a Called Shot 
  and a high roll to hit its mark.
  Choose one or make a random roll for the type of ar-
  mor worn by the Armored Brute. The A.R. bonus and S.D.C. 
  amount provided by the armor varies by type.
  A note about helmet S.D.C.: Helmets provide additional 
  S.D.C. protection to the zombie’s head. Unless armor lists a hel-
  met, assume there is no helmet (G.M. discretion). A typical bi-
  cycle helmet: 15 S.D.C., football helmet: 30 S.D.C.; motorcycle 
  helmet or ancient armor helmet: 50 S.D.C.; modern military hel-
  met/riot control: 50 S.D.C.
  01% Museum-Quality Full Armor: Full suit of European 
  knight or Japanese samurai-style body armor. The armor may be 
  plate, scale or chain mail armor. The armor may have been in 
  a museum or private collection or be the creation of someone 
  into historical reenactments, or Renaissance festivals. Armor Bo-
  nuses: +4 to the Zombie’s A.R. (improves A.R. to 18). Armor 
  S.D.C.: 150 to the S.D.C. of the Main Body and +12 S.D.C. to all 
  other body locations, plus a helmet to protect the head (50 S.D.C. 
  to head). Armor Penalties: Reduce the zombie’s Spd 30% and -1 
  attack per melee round due to encumbrance and weight.
  02-03% Museum-Quality Half Armor: Half suit of Euro-
  pean knight or Japanese samurai-style body armor. This may 
  have been in a museum or private collection or be the creation of 
  someone into historical reenactments, or Renaissance festivals. 
  Armor Bonuses: +3 to the Zombie’s A.R. (improves A.R. to 17). 
  Armor S.D.C.: 75 to S.D.C. of the Main Body. Includes a helmet 
  that protects the head (50 S.D.C. to head). Armor Penalties: Re-
  duce the zombie’s Spd by 20% due to encumbrance.
  04-10% Leather Jacket and Helmet: Protects upper body 
  and head. Armor Bonuses: +2 to the Zombie’s A.R. (improves 
  A.R. to 16). Armor S.D.C.: 40. Includes a helmet which provides 
  an additional 50 S.D.C. to just the zombie’s head.
  11-20% Leather Jacket and Layers of Clothing: Protects 
  upper body Armor Bonuses: +2 to the Zombie’s A.R. (improves 
  A.R. to 16). Armor S.D.C.: 35. No helmet.
  21-30% Long Coat, Other Jackets & Layers of Clothing: 
  Protects upper body. Armor Bonuses: +2 to the Zombie’s A.R. 
  (improves A.R. to 16). Armor S.D.C.: 45. No helmet. Armor Pen-
  alties: Reduce the zombie’s Spd 10% due to encumbrance.
  31-35% Police/Combat Vest: Protects upper body. Armor 
  Bonuses: +2 to the Zombie’s A.R. (improves A.R. to 16). Armor 
  S.D.C.: 70. No helmet.
  36-40% Chains Wrapped Around Leather Jacket and 
  Layers of Clothing: Protects upper body. Armor Bonuses: +3 
  to the Zombie’s A.R. (improves A.R. to 17). Armor S.D.C.: 55. 
  No helmet. Armor Penalties: Reduce Spd by 10% due to encum-
  brance and weight.
  41-45% Chains Wrapped Around Layers of Wood or 
  Thick Sheets of Plastic or Cushions From Furniture: Protects 
  upper body. Armor Bonuses: +2 to the Zombie’s A.R. (improves 
  A.R. to 16). Armor S.D.C.: 70. No helmet. Armor Penalties: Re-
  duce Spd by 10% due to encumbrance and weight.
  46-50% Fencing (Heavy) Wrapped Around Layers of 
  Clothing: Protects upper body. Armor Bonuses: +2 to the Zom-
  bie’s A.R. (improves A.R. to 16). Armor S.D.C.: 45. Half also 
  wear a helmet of some kind. Armor Penalties: Reduce Spd by 
  10% due to encumbrance.
  51-55% Long Coat Over Many Layers of Clothing, plus 
  Helmet: Protects upper body. Armor Bonuses: +1 to the Zom-
  bie’s A.R. (improves A.R. to 15). Armor S.D.C.: 32. Helmet pro-
  tects the head; S.D.C. varies with type of helmet.
  56-60% Heavy Coat Over Many Layers of Clothing: Pro-
  tects upper body. Armor Bonuses: +1 to the Zombie’s A.R. (im-
  proves A.R. to 15). Armor S.D.C.: 24. No helmet.
  61-65% Layers of Clothing, Many: Protects upper body. 
  Armor Bonuses: +1 to the Zombie’s A.R. (improves A.R. to 15). 
  Armor S.D.C.: 14. No helmet.
  66-70% Sheet or Planks of Wood Hung Over Chest: 
  1D4+1 large planks/sheets of wood, on top of each other, like 
  sheets, hang from the neck on a chain, rope or wire to protect 
  the main body/upper torso of the zombie. This may be sheets of 
  plywood, part of a door, pieces from a table or other furniture, all 
  of the above, etc. Protects upper body. Armor Bonuses: +2 to the 
  Zombie’s A.R. (improves A.R. to 16). Armor S.D.C.: 50. Half 
  wear a helmet to protect the head.
  71-75% Car Door or Layered Pieces of Metal Hung over 
  Chest: A large piece of thick metal or layers of metal hang from 
  the neck by a chain, rope or cable over the chest and torso of the 
  zombie. Protects upper body. Armor Bonuses: +4 to the Zom-
  bie’s A.R. (improves A.R. to 18). Armor S.D.C.: 90. The zombie 
  is likely (75%) to have a helmet that also protects the head. Ar-
  mor Penalties: Reduce the zombie’s Spd by 30% and -1 attack per 
  melee round due to encumbrance and weight.
  76-80% Metal Hung Over Chest: A large piece of metal 
  hangs from the neck by a chain, rope or cable over the chest and 
  torso of the zombie. Protects upper body. Armor Bonuses: +2 
  to the Zombie’s A.R. (improves A.R. to 16). Armor S.D.C.: 70. 
  Half wear a helmet to protect the head. Armor Penalties: Reduce 
  the zombie’s Spd by 20% and -1 attack per melee round due to 
  encumbrance and weight.
  81-85% Chunks of Heavy Objects: This could be old car 
  batteries, cinder blocks, or chunks of metal or concrete, pipe, 
  heavy tools, etc., strapped on with rope, chains, or wire. Protects 
  upper body. Armor Bonuses: +3 to the Zombie’s A.R. (improves 
  A.R. to 17). Armor S.D.C.: 110. No helmet. Armor Penalties: 
  Reduce the zombie’s Spd by 30% and -1 attack per melee round 
  due to encumbrance and weight.
  86-90% Meat Armor: The zombie’s upper body is covered in 
  either an animal carcass or the dismembered limbs of its victims 
  or chopped from dead bodies. Arms, legs, torsos, and other vari-
  ous pieces tied together with rope, wire or chained and worn over 
  the zombie’s upper torso like a macabre vest made of body parts. 
  The limbs are painted in blood and gore from head to toe. Armor 
  Bonuses: +2 to the Zombie’s A.R. (improves A.R. to 16). Armor 
  S.D.C.: 55. And +1 to the zombie’s Horror Factor. Armor Penal-
  ties: Reduce Spd by 10% due to encumbrance.
  
  90
  91-94% Spikes and/or Blades for Armor: This is not really 
  armor that is worn, it is metal spikes and rebar and/or knives and 
  hooks, and sharp metal shards the zombie deliberately stabbed 
  through its body, the points facing out, to create a sort of make-
  shift pin-cushion armor. Armor Bonuses: +2 to the Zombie’s 
  A.R. (improves A.R. to 16). +1 to the zombie’s Horror Factor. 
  And anyone pushed into this spiked armor or grabbed by the Ar-
  mored Zombie and pulled into it takes 2D6 damage. Oddly, the 
  Armored Zombie does not think to use these spikes and blades as 
  weapons, instead clubbing or stabbing its opponents to kill them. 
  Armor S.D.C.: 60. Armor Penalties: Reduce Spd by 10% due to 
  encumbrance.
  95-97% Police or Military Full Combat Armor: Protects 
  upper body. Armor Bonuses: +2 to the Zombie’s A.R. (improves 
  A.R. to 16). Armor S.D.C.: 120. Half also wear a helmet of some 
  kind.
  98-99% Police Riot or SWAT Gear: Protects upper body 
  and groin. Armor Bonuses: +3 to the Zombie’s A.R. (improves 
  A.R. to 17). Armor S.D.C.: 180. Includes a military grade hel-
  met which provides 50 S.D.C. to the zombie’s head. Armor 
  Penalties: Reduce the zombie’s Spd by 10% due to encum-
  brance.
  00% Bomb Suit: Suitable for all EOD operations. Protects 
  upper body and groin. Armor Bonuses: +4 to the Zombie’s A.R. 
  (improves A.R. to 18). Armor S.D.C.: 220 to Main Body and +10 
  S.D.C. to all other body locations, plus a military grade helmet 
  which provides 50 S.D.C. to the zombie’s head. Armor Penal-
  ties: Reduce Spd by 20% and -1 attack per melee round due to 
  encumbrance.
  Armored Brute’s Favorite Killing Weapon
  Armored Brutes are more violent than the typical Sloucher. 
  They do not kill with teeth and hands, though they can, but choose 
  to use a melee weapon to chop, hammer, smash, and mutilate the 
  living people they come across. Large, heavy blugeons are ex-
  tremely common, but any weapon from knives and machetes to 
  swords and chunks of debris work just fine.
  Roll on the table below (or pick one) to determine an Ar-
  mored Zombie’s weapon of choice.
  Note: A comprehensive list of specific melee weapons and 
  the damage they do is found in the Dead Reign® RPG, pages 
  114-116.
  01-05% Bone: The monster uses a large human or animal 
  bone for a club. 2D4 damage plus P.S. damage bonus.
  06-10% Blunt Ancient Weapon: Mace, morning star or simi-
  lar blunt weapon does 2D6 damage plus P.S. damage bonus.
  11-20% Blunt Crude Weapon: Tree limb, two-by-four, and 
  most wooden objects that can be used as a simple club. 2D4 dam-
  age plus P.S. damage bonus.
  21-30% Baseball Bat (professional/composite) or equiva-
  lent baton-sized piece of pipe or rebar suitable for use as a 
  club: 2D4+2 damage plus P.S. damage bonus.
  31-40% Large, Heavy Pipe, Rebar or Hunk of Metal: 3-5 
  foot (0.9 to 1.5 m) length of pipe, etc., inflicts 2D6+2 damage 
  plus P.S. damage bonus.
  41-50% Heavy Hammer: Damage varies, but is typically 
  2D4 or 2D6 damage plus P.S. damage bonus. Note: A compre-
  hensive list of specific melee weapons, including a sledgeham-
  mer and war hammer, and the damage they do, is found in the 
  Dead Reign® RPG, pages 114-116.
  51-55% Rebar and Concrete: A 5-7 foot (1.5 to 2.1 m) length 
  of steel or iron, ripped from the ruins, with a heavy chunk of con-
  crete at one end. The stabbing end does 2D4 damage plus P.S. 
  damage bonus. The concrete, hammering end does 2D6 damage 
  plus P.S. damage bonus.
  56-60% Chain: The monster uses a 5-10 foot (1.5 to 3 m) 
  length of heavy chain as a whip. 2D6+2 damage plus P.S. dam-
  age bonus.
  61-65% Massive, Blunt Scrap-Fashioned Weapon: This is 
  likely to be a large bashing implement like a car bumper, metal 
  pole, street sign, piece of a picnic table or bench, or a large piece 
  of concrete. 4D6 damage plus P.S. damage bonus.
  66-75% Jagged Piece of Metal: Knife-sized does 1D6 dam-
  age plus P.S. damage bonus; a large sword-sized piece does 2D6 
  damage plus P.S. damage bonus.
  76-85% Knife: This zombie loves knives of all kinds and 
  even has 1D4 extra knives on its person, stuck in a belt or tied to 
  a rope, or tucked into a sack. Damage varies, but is typically 1D6 
  damage plus P.S. damage bonus. Note: A comprehensive list of 
  specific melee weapons and the damage they do is found in the 
  Dead Reign® RPG, pages 114-116.
  86-90% Sword: This zombie prefers large swords. Damage 
  varies, but is typically 2D6 damage plus P.S. damage bonus. 
  Note: A comprehensive list of specific melee weapons and the 
  damage they do is found in the Dead Reign® RPG, pages 114-
  116.
  91-95% Axe: This zombie prefers large axes or scrap that can 
  be used like an axe. Being a zombie, it can swing a two-handed 
  axe with one hand. Damage varies, but is typically 2D6+2 dam-
  age plus P.S. damage bonus. Note: A comprehensive list of spe-
  cific melee weapons and the damage they do is found in the Dead 
  Reign® RPG, pages 114-116.
  96-00% Farm Implement: Various sharp things such as a 
  scythe, pitchfork, shovel, or pickaxe that can be found around 
  a farm or in work yards. Damage varies, but is typically 2D6 
  damage plus P.S. damage bonus. Note: A comprehensive list of 
  specific melee weapons and the damage they do is found in the 
  Dead Reign® RPG, pages 114-116.
  
  91
  tossed the half-eaten corpse aside. This zombie always seems to 
  be munching on something dead. Just make sure its next meal 
  isn’t you or one of yours, because though they eat their own, they 
  much prefer the living.”
  – Brad Ashley, Leader of the Road Reapers
  All zombies are ravenous, unfeeling monsters. They devour 
  the living with dispassion in order to maintain their own blasphe-
  mous existence. The Cannibal Muncher zombie takes its hunger 
  to a new and bizarre realm of depravity.
  Cannibal Munchers feed on both the living and the dead. They 
  kill humans for their life energy (doubled P.P.E. released at the 
  moment of death), but when living humans or animals are not 
  around, the Cannibal Muncher turns on its own kind. Munchers 
  kill other zombies and devour the miniscule amount of natural 
  P.P.E. they have, and then eat parts of their rotting flesh; as much 
  as half a carcass in a single sitting. Living, dead, or zombie, Can-
  nibal Munchers are not discriminating in their pursuit of food. 
  They eat fresh road kill, meat scraps, corpses of humans and ani-
  mals, and gnaw on the limbs of fellow zombies, but killing the 
  living is at the top of their list, zombies second.
  There is plenty around for them to munch on, sometimes even 
  feeding on the limbs of other zombies, peeling off their flesh as 
  they shuffle along in groups of Slouchers. The food they eat has 
  no real nourishment and usually drops behind them in chunks 
  and bits at random intervals. Anything the Cannibal Munchers 
  eat simply rots, as the zombies do not have enzymes 
  or stomach acid to dissolve and decompose what they 
  eat. In many cases, Cannibal Munchers look bloat-
  ed, their bellies stretched and distended due to the 
  chewed up scraps of dead skin and meat they have 
  swallowed. Sometimes their bodies rupture around 
  the middle, and all the putrid, undigested chunks of 
  meat tumble out. Anything they eat afterwards just 
  falls right out and onto the ground, though the Can-
  nibal Munchers seem oblivious to the fact.
  Why the monsters eat flesh is anyone’s guess. 
  They don’t need it for nourishment. All the flesh con-
  sumed by the Cannibal Munchers rots in their bellies 
  or slowly trickles out of them. They sure do not eat 
  for the taste of it, because a lot of what they eat is 
  rotten and infested to begin with. Like Pattern Zom-
  bies, their compulsive eating may have to do with old 
  memories about having food on a daily basis when 
  they were alive, and it compels them to continue to 
  eat even when they are dead. The risen dead may be 
  empty husks working on the most basic of instincts, 
  but bits of memory and old habits remain. They are 
  most obvious in Pattern Zombies, Thinkers and Mock Zombies, 
  but some sort of human memory or instinct remains buried in the 
  walking dead. Or maybe there isn’t any sense to it at all. Many of 
  these reanimated automatons seem to have faulty wiring causing 
  them to behave in unusual ways. It could be the Cannibal Munch-
  Cannibal Muncher
  “They look like any other Sloucher until you see it attack an-
  other zombie, kill it and start eating parts of it. I watched one 
  drag around the carcass of a recent kill for three days before it 
  
  92
  ers, and all “aberrant” zombies, are defective with improper wir-
  ing and glitchy programming.
  What is known is that the P.P.E. absorbed when a Cannibal 
  Muncher kills another zombie is just as good and satisfying as 
  slaying a living creature. It also enables the zombie to regener-
  ate, though at half the amount as occurs from feeding upon the 
  living. This means, aside from having bloated bellies, Cannibal 
  Munchers are among the freshest, most alive looking zombies in 
  a mob. Their bodies in comparatively good physical condition. 
  That’s because they feed twice a day, and each kill, whether liv-
  ing or a zombie, replenishes their dead bodies via the life energy 
  they absorb.
  Unlike Flesh-Eating Zombies, the Cannibal Muncher does 
  NOT display increased aggression or predatory behavior. They 
  do not hunt or track their food in a more focused manner, they 
  simply shamble along until they sense life, or hunger compels 
  them to slay and feed upon another zombie. Munchers are like 
  gluttonous grazers. Wandering around aimlessly until a person, 
  animal or zombie gets close enough to grab and kill. Sometimes 
  using their bulk and weight to their advantage, pulling down their 
  victims and pinning them against walls or falling on top of them 
  before biting and eating them alive.
  Cannibal Munchers are fairly uncommon to begin with, and 
  their gruesome eating habits make them targets for destruction by 
  all types of survivors, including some Death Cultists who do not 
  want a zombie that preys upon other zombies roaming the streets. 
  Grossed out, survivors just want them dead, and the smarter zom-
  bies try to stay away from them. Smart zombies like Thinkers, 
  Armored Brutes and Mock Zombies, as well as the aggressive 
  types such as Flesh Eaters and Fast Attack zombies, recognize 
  Cannibal Munchers as a threat and avoid them, but Slouchers, 
  Crawlers and most other zombies do not, and fall easy prey to 
  the strange creatures. The cannibalistic behavior may sound wel-
  comed, but there are too few Munchers to make a dent in the 
  zombie population. Besides, they, like all zombies, prefer to feed 
  upon the living, making them as dangerous as any of the risen 
  dead.
  Death Cults want them dead, because in a controlled and clois-
  tered community, Cannibal Munchers have been known to kill 
  off all the other zombies caged in a pen or room. Death Cults 
  want these other zombies to use as an army of the dead to control 
  their congregations of the living. Cannibal Munchers kill both, 
  making them an annoyance. There is also some concern among 
  death worshipers that Munchers may carry some sort of plague 
  that scrambles the zombies’ brains, turning others into cannibals 
  as well. If that plague (if it is a plague) could spread among the 
  zombies, over time, it would reduce the zombie population in 
  greater numbers. Which is not something cultists want to see hap-
  pen. As a result, most Death Cults are constantly on the watch for 
  Munchers and either pen them separately or more often, extermi-
  nate them.
  Not many, but some other zombies notice when they are being 
  eaten by a Cannibal Muncher and react by pulling away, fleeing 
  or fighting back. Some kind of defensive impulse fires off in their 
  dead brains and they fight their fellow zombie attacker, though 
  the Cannibal Muncher is usually in better condition and kills the 
  other zombie first.
  Cannibal Muncher
  Alignment: Considered Diabolic.
  Attributes: I.Q. 1D6, M.E. 1D6, M.A. 1D4, P.S. 2x Strength 
  when alive (typically 2D6+18), P.P. 2D6+1, P.E. 1D6+15, 
  P.B. 3D4, Spd 2D4+4.
  Hit Points: P.E. attribute number, but all Main Body S.D.C. must 
  be depleted first before Hit Points can be affected. Note: See 
  S.D.C. by Location and Hit Points for more details.
  S.D.C. by Location:
  * Hands (2) – 1D6+4 each
  * Arms (2) – 1D8+6 each
  * Feet (2) – 1D6+4 each
  * Legs (2) – 2D6+6 each
  * Lower Jaw – 1D6+5
  ** Neck – 1D6+12
  ** Head – 2D6+14
  *** Main Body – 3D6+32
  Armor Rating: 14
  Horror Factor: 13 (15 when feeding; watching it is bizarre and 
  disgusting).
  P.P.E.: 1D6
  Natural Abilities:
  See Life Energy (P.P.E.): 9,000 feet (2,743.2 m) at night 
  or in darkness.
  Sense Life Energy (P.P.E.): 25 feet (7.6 m) to sense 1-6 
  people, 50 feet (15.2 m) to sense a group of 7-24 people, and 
  100 feet (30.5 m) to sense a group of 25 or more people. Half 
  that range to sense animals. One quarter that range, 6.2 feet 
  (1.9 m), when a zombie is dormant.
  Recognize Human Scents: 83%. This also tells the zombie 
  that humans are nearby, or have been present recently.
  Track Humans by Scent (special): 25% chance, +10% if the 
  human is sweaty or hasn’t bathed in three or more days, +10% 
  to follow the scent of blood, +5% if there is more than one hu-
  man present in the same area, +5% to smell perfume, cologne 
  or aftershave. All bonuses are cumulative.
  Smell Fear in Humans: Makes zombies more aggressive: 
  +1 on initiative and +1 to strike or disarm. If the level of fear 
  is fever-pitched or five or more people are terrified, the zombie 
  is also +1 attack per melee round.
  Zombies Can See Without Eyes: The eyes glow with a red 
  light inside empty eye sockets.
  Keen Sense of Hearing: Can pinpoint the location of a 
  Zombie Moan after hearing it for only 30 seconds.
  Impervious to Most Everything: Only decapitation, de-
  stroying a zombie’s brain, and fire can kill a zombie. Does 
  not need to breathe, and survives underwater and in a vacuum.
  S.D.C. and Hit Point Regeneration: 1D8+3 S.D.C. and 3 Hit 
  Points are automatically restored every hour. Extra P.P.E. may 
  also restore S.D.C. and Hit Points at a rate of 1D8+3 S.D.C. 
  
  93
  and 2 Hit Points per extra P.P.E. point. Cannibal Munchers 
  can absorb the P.P.E. from a dead zombie the same as they do 
  a living person. See S.D.C. and Hit Points for details. Also see 
  special abilities.
  No Life Energy of Their Own: Zombies are cold, dark crea-
  tures without body heat or an aura. They cannot be seen by 
  infrared and thermal imaging optic systems. Rather, zombies 
  register the same as a piece of timber.
  Go Dormant: A stasis sleep that keeps zombies from de-
  caying. Walking dead hide when they go dormant and can be 
  waiting anywhere.
  People Slain by the Zombie Rise as One: Victims slain in a 
  zombie attack, their P.P.E. absorbed, rise as the walking dead 
  within 2D4+4 minutes after expiration.
  Skills of Note: Climb 35%/20%.
  Attacks per Melee: Three, usually by biting and grabbing.
  Damage (S.D.C./Hit Points):
  Bite: 2D8 damage (and a chance of infection if the wound 
  is not treated shortly after receiving it). P.S. damage bonus 
  does NOT apply to bite attacks.
  Head Butt: 2D4 damage + P.S. damage bonus (if any).
  Punch/Claw Attack: 1D6 damage + P.S. damage bonus (if 
  any).
  Power Punch: Not possible.
  Kick Attack: 2D4 damage + P.S. damage bonus (if any).
  Weapon: Rare, but sometimes a Cannibal Muncher uses a 
  kitchen or carving knife as a weapon to kill prey and/or to slice 
  off a victim’s flesh.
  Note: Leap Kick, other kicks, body flip, and martial arts 
  attacks are NOT possible.
  Bonuses: +2 to strike and +2 to grab and hold onto someone.
  Penalties: No initiative penalty and -5 on Perception Rolls.
  Vulnerabilities: Dumb, animalistic, easily tricked, cannot swim, 
  poor climbers, head shots, decapitation and fire kill, and se-
  vere cold reduces speed. Fear of fire holds them at bay; Horror 
  Factor 16.
  Dead Mound Giant
  Written by Kevin Siembieda. Inspired by Nicholas Bradshaw.
  “I don’t even have words to describe this thing. It’s like some-
  thing out of a nightmare. A horrible, gigantic thing as big as a 
  van or a truck. Me and a bunch of Road Reapers encountered one 
  in a parking structure in Milwaukee. It was bigger than a damn 
  semi. Its head was the size of the cab, its body the size of the 
  trailer, pulling itself along with one massive hand. It was so big it 
  could barely crawl up and down the parking ramps. Thankfully, 
  it never left the parking structure, limiting its impact on the area. 
  But it did have an impact because it controlled two or three dozen 
  Slouchers.
  “This creature doesn’t make sense to me or any of us. It seems 
  to be a fusion of the dead. As if its body were made from dozens 
  of zombies it had absorbed to make its own giant, twisted body. 
  None of this makes much sense, but then, I’m no man of science.
  “My advice is when you see a Dead Mound Giant, you kill 
  it. If you can, that is. Try to attack from a distance, because this 
  thing is deadly and it controls mobs of other zombies. It you can’t 
  kill it, seal it up tight so it can’t get out. And whatever you do, 
  never trust anything it says. These giants are schizoid. You never 
  know who or what you’re dealing with on any given day. Us 
  Road Reapers have nicknamed it the Giant Schizoid Zombie, 
  because it has multiple personalities. A lot of them. You never 
  know what you’re dealing with. Avoid it or kill it. And if it’s after 
  you, run like hell.”
  – Brad Ashley, Leader of the Road Reapers
  The Dead Mound Giant is a monstrous zombie amalgam 
  reminiscent to a Walking Grave (see the Endless Dead source-
  book for details). The Walking Grave is a fusion of a dozen or 
  more zombies. The Dead Mound Giant is also a mass of fused 
  zombies, but quite different in other ways. While it is made of 
  dozens of corpses and zombies fused together into one massive 
  abomination, the Dead Mound Giant seems to absorb the other 
  bodies and reshape them into a new, giant body. This new, giant 
  body is clearly a composite, or mash-up, of many, many zom-
  bies fused together, but the majority of them look as if they are 
  being absorbed into a blob-like mound. Then their bodies, flesh 
  and bones, are somehow reformed to create one giant, nightmare 
  zombie. The Dead Mound Giant always has a giant, hideous head 
  and face the size of a car, and at least one giant appendage. Usu-
  ally a twisted hand and arm; sometimes two hands and arms.
  The mass of the body resembles a fused Walking Grave with-
  out legs, but instead of a dozen zombies stuck together, the Dead 
  Mound Giant uses the bodies of other zombies to form a giant 
  new one — the other bodies disappearing into the giant new crea-
  ture. To move, it undulates or slithers like a snake, but it travels at 
  a snail’s pace. There have been reports of a few Dead Mound Gi-
  ants with lower bodies made of several Crawlers at the base of the 
  body that try to pull the massive thing where it wants to go, but 
  most have bodies that more resemble a giant head, arm and hand 
  forming out of a blob or mound of partially absorbed zombies 
  that have melted into it. Many of the melted bodies are still recog-
  nizable but are distorted and misshapen messes absorbed into the 
  overall mass of the Dead Mound, and reshaped into something 
  giant and terrifying. Since the mound of melted bodies has no 
  functioning legs to speak of, the creature forms one or two mas-
  sive arm-like appendages and uses them to pull itself along, but 
  again, at a slow pace.
  It is this complete formation of a new, giant head, arm and 
  hand the size of a bus, that makes the Dead Mound Giant some-
  thing very different than the typical Walking Grave or any other 
  zombie. That and the multiple brains that seize control of the 
  thing at alternating intervals. For this reason, the creature is nick-
  named by some, the “Schizoid Giant” – a giant blob of zombies 
  seemingly melding into one grotesque giant controlled by several 
  distinctly different zombie types. Presumably, these are the brains 
  
  94
  
  95
  of some of the zombies that have been absorbed into the mon-
  strosity. Each of these brains take turns every 2D6+10 hours at 
  controlling the giant for all of them. The more intelligent and ag-
  gressive zombie minds tend to be the ones most often in control, 
  overwhelming and pushing down the simple-minded instincts of 
  Slouchers, Crawlers, Bug Boys, Juggernauts and their ilk. That 
  means Thinkers, Mock Zombies, Kidnap Zombies, Impersonator 
  Zombies, Pattern Zombies, Shopper Zombies, Armored Brutes 
  and others, take turns controlling the body.
  The words (when a Mock Zombie brain is in control) and ac-
  tions of a Dead Mound Giant reflect the nature and instincts of 
  the specific type of zombie in control at the moment. If it is a 
  Sloucher, its actions are simply to find and consume the living. 
  If it is a Pattern Zombie, it is about doing something or going 
  someplace that it did when alive. If a Thinker or Kidnapper Zom-
  bie is in control, its goal is to lure the living into its clutches. 
  Prisoners are eventually killed for food as it, or the next zombie 
  to seize control, desires. If a Mock Zombie, its actions are likely 
  to involve trying to win the favor of the living and trick them into 
  believing it is an ally or a victim trapped within the terrible, undu-
  lating mound of half-absorbed zombies. It may even plead for the 
  living to help find a way to free it from the rest of the giant body.
  Dead Mound Giant
  Also Known As: Giant Mash-Up, Giant Zombie, Schizoid Zom-
  bie, Schizoid, and Nightmare Zombie.
  Alignment: Diabolic with multiple changing personalities as per 
  zombie type. All of them evil or obsessed with the slaughter 
  and devouring of living human beings.
  Attributes (Mental): I.Q., M.E. and M.A. varies with the type of 
  zombie that is in control at any given time. See Personality/
  Zombie Types Table, below.
  Attributes (Physical): P.S. 3D6+32 for the giant arm and hand. 
  If there are any human-sized limbs that have not yet been com-
  pletely absorbed into the giant’s blobby body mass, they have 
  a P.S. of 2D6+10; P.P. 1D6+6, P.E. 1D6+40, P.B. 1D4, Spd 
  1D4+2 undulating, double when pulled along by two giant 
  arms.
  Hit Points: P.E. attribute number x5, but all Main Body S.D.C. 
  must be depleted first before Hit Points can be affected. Note: 
  See the description for S.D.C. by Location and Hit Points in 
  the Dead Reign® RPG, pages 36 and 37, for more details.
  S.D.C. by Location:
  * Human-Sized Hands and Arms (2D6 of them) – 1D6+1 each
  * Feet (2D6) – 1D6 each
  * Legs, Others (2D4) – 2D6+4 each
  ** Necks (2D4) – 1D6+6 each
  ** Human-Sized Heads (3D6 of them) – 2D6+5 each
  ** Human-Sized Faces (6D6; in addition to heads) – 2D6+2 
  each
  ** Human-Sized Biting or Moaning Mouths (1D6) – 1D6+1 
  each
  Giant Head (6-10 feet tall/1.8 to 3 m and 4-6 feet/1.2 to 1.8 m 
  in diameter) – 5D6x10+120
  Giant Hand and Arm (typically one; 8-10 feet (2.4 to 3 m long) 
  – 3D6x10+100
  *** Main Body – 1D4x100+400
  Note: The head is so big it does not require a Called Shot 
  to hit. The shooter need only to announce he is shooting at the 
  head rather than the Main Body. Double the size, S.D.C., and 
  all of the above for truly massive Dead Mound Giants like the 
  one Brad Ashley described. If a hand or arm is destroyed, the 
  Dead Mound Giant can regrow it by absorbing more zombies 
  or corpses into its body. It takes 1D4+2 months to fully re-
  form. Damage to the giant head that is not lethal also regener-
  ates and repairs itself in half the time.
  If the giant head is destroyed, all the smaller heads are still 
  active, moving and attacking. Each functioning as a sepa-
  rate zombie but fused together. The overall body is unable to 
  move, because each zombie is independent and at odds with 
  the others, so the Gaint becomes a chaotic blob easily avoided 
  unless it is blocking an entrance of something of importance.
  Armor Rating: 13
  Horror Factor: 17
  P.P.E.: 5D6
  Personality/Type of Zombie in Control: Roll percentile dice for 
  random determination or pick one. This personality changes 
  as often as the G.M. feels is appropriate or once every 2D6+10 
  hours. Note: Zombie types with an asterisk (*) can control 
  3D6+6 additional zombies to help it and to do its bidding and 
  carry out its plans. The lesser zombies are mostly Slouchers 
  and Crawlers, but can also include two or more of those on this 
  list, or any type of zombie the G.M. may desire.
  01-05% Flesh-Eating Zombie. It hungers for meat and 
  life energy.
  06-10% *Impersonator Zombie. It wants to lure the liv-
  ing to their doom.
  11-20% *Kidnapper Zombie. It wants to capture, keep 
  and play with living prisoners before it/they devours them. It 
  sends out the zombies it controls to hunt the living and drag 
  them back to it.
  21-30% Pattern Zombie. Tries to follow the pattern that 
  compels it, capturing and killing people along the way.
  31-40% Shopper Zombie. Must gather things. Objects 
  and items the living want.
  41-45% Screamer. It hates silence and wants to scream.
  46-50% *Armored Brute. It wants to hunt and kill or find 
  armor to cover itself in.
  51-60% Sloucher. It is hungry. It is always hungry.
  61-70% *Thinker. When it takes control it may use its 
  smarts to find a way out of a trap, prison or trouble, or how 
  to lure humans into its clutches or keep its existence a secret.
  71-75% Cannibal Muncher. And it is hungry for dead 
  meat and life energy.
  76-80% Seeker Zombie. It sees you and wants you dead! 
  You more than any other.
  81-90% *Mock Zombie. It is a friend. It swears you can 
  trust it. That it doesn’t want to hurt you (though it can’t speak 
  
  96
  for the others). Or it is angry for being abandoned and left as a 
  part of this gruesome monster, which makes it seek vengeance 
  among the living. Bloody vengeance. Mock zombies are the 
  most chatty. The other personalities do not talk or speak very 
  little.
  91-00% *Vandal Zombie. It can control an additional 
  4D6 zombies (in addition to the usual 3D6 for smart zombies), 
  to hunt the living and drag them back to the Giant to be de-
  voured. It also sends them out to smash things all around its 
  lair.
  Natural Abilities:
  See Life Energy (P.P.E.): 9,000 feet (2,743.2 m) at night 
  or in darkness.
  Sense Life Energy (P.P.E.): 25 feet (7.6 m) to sense 1-6 
  people, 50 feet (15.2 m) to sense a group of 7-24 people, and 
  100 feet (30.5 m) to sense a group of 25 or more people. Half 
  that range to sense animals. One quarter that range, 6.2 feet 
  (1.9 m), when a zombie is dormant.
  Recognize Human Scents: 83%. This also tells the zombie 
  that humans are nearby, or have been present recently.
  Track Humans by Scent: 22% chance, +10% if the human 
  is sweaty or has not bathed in three or more days, +10% to fol-
  low the scent of blood, +5% if there is more than one human 
  present in the same area, +5% to smell perfume, cologne or 
  aftershave. All bonuses are cumulative.
  Smell Fear in Humans (special): Fear makes the Giant 
  Dead Mound happy and more aggressive: +2 on initiative and 
  +2 to strike and disarm, and +2 attacks per melee round, as per 
  zombie type in control.
  Zombies Can See Without Eyes: The eyes glow with a red 
  light inside empty eye sockets.
  Keen Sense of Hearing: Can pinpoint the location of a 
  Zombie Moan after hearing it for only 30 seconds.
  Impervious to Most Everything: Only decapitation, de-
  stroying a zombie’s brain, and fire can kill a zombie. Does 
  not need to breathe, and survives underwater and in a vacuum.
  S.D.C. and Hit Point Regeneration: 1D6+3 S.D.C. and 2 
  Hit Points are automatically restored every hour. Extra P.P.E. 
  may also restore S.D.C. and Hit Points at a rate of 1D6+2 
  S.D.C. and one Hit Point per extra P.P.E. point. See S.D.C. 
  and Hit Points for details. Note: If its giant arm or hand is 
  destroyed or severed, it regrows by absorbing more zombies 
  and dead bodies (needs 1D6+12 of them).
  No Life Energy of Their Own: Zombies are cold, dark crea-
  tures without body heat or an aura. They cannot be seen by 
  infrared and thermal imaging optic systems. Rather, zombies 
  register the same as a piece of timber.
  Go Dormant: Dead Mound Giants seldom go completely 
  dormant, even when there are no victims around, due to the 
  fact that it is made of several people.
  People Slain by the Zombie Rise as One: Victims slain in a 
  zombie attack, their P.P.E. absorbed, rise as the walking dead 
  within 2D4+4 minutes after expiration.
  Skills of Note: Minimal, as usual, per the dominant zombie in 
  control at the time.
  Attacks per Melee: Five, usually by biting, clawing, or striking 
  with its massive fist, and by snatching people up. See crush/
  squeeze attack under damage, below.
  Damage (S.D.C./Hit Points):
  Bite from the Giant Maw: 4D6 damage from a bite attack 
  by the giant head. P.S. damage bonus does NOT apply to bite 
  attacks.
  2D6 damage from a bite by one of the 1D6+4 zombie nor-
  mal-sized human heads that have not yet been completely ab-
  sorbed into the monstrous body of the Dead Mound Giant (and 
  a chance of infection if the wound isn’t treated and cleaned). 
  P.S. damage bonus does NOT apply to bite attacks.
  Crush/Squeeze Damage: 2D6 + P.S. damage bonus from 
  crush/squeeze attacks; each squeezing action counting as one 
  melee attack. The giant must first grab his victim in its giant 
  hand (counts as one melee attack). Each squeeze does damage. 
  The Giant has a 2D4+8 foot (3 to 4.8 m) reach!
  Head Butt: Not possible.
  Punch/Claw Attack: 3D6 damage + P.S. damage bonus (if 
  any).
  Power Punch: 1D4x10 damage + P.S. damage bonus, but 
  counts as two attacks.
  Kick Attack: Not possible; no functioning legs.
  Weapon: The Dead Mound Giant does not use weapons, 
  per se, but may pick up an object and use it as a club, and does 
  sometimes throw objects with its large arm. Medium-sized, 
  ordinary objects thrown by the large arm inflict 2D6 damage + 
  P.S. damage bonus. Note: It cannot handle or throw anything 
  smaller than a microwave oven.
  Large thrown objects such as a car’s fender, a car door, 
  chunk of concrete, an easy chair, couch, table or dead bodies 
  (which may include some of its own zombie minions) inflicts 
  5D6 damage + P.S. damage bonus and have a 01-33% chance 
  of pinning the victim targeted. If pinned, the victim loses three 
  melee attacks and initiative, and needs one full melee round to 
  push it off of him or to pull himself free. Loses only two melee 
  actions if others lift the debris off of the victim or pull him free 
  of it. Note: The effective throwing range is 120 feet (36 m).
  Combat Note: Leap Kick, other kicks, body flip, and mar-
  tial arts attacks are NOT possible by Dead Mound Giants.
  Bonuses: +1 on initiative, +2 to strike and parry,; also see Natural 
  Abilities.
  Penalties: Varies with type of zombie in control of the Dead 
  Mound. Typically -3 on Perception Rolls.
  Vulnerabilities: Cannot swim, sinks like a rock. Head shots and 
  fire hurt and can kill the Dead Mound Giant. Severe cold re-
  duces speed by half. Fear of fire holds it at bay; Horror Factor 
  16. Due to the size of its head and partially formed body, both 
  of which form out of the mass of many absorbed zombie bod-
  ies, the Dead Mound cannot be decapitated.
  
  97
  Dead Weight Zombie
  Zombies falling from heights
  “Be aware of your surroundings at all times. That includes 
  looking up, especially when you are walking along the side of 
  tall buildings. I’ve lost more than one Road Reaper from fall-
  ing zombies dropping on them. Yeah, you heard right. A stink-
  ing Sloucher that drops down from above, out of nowhere, and 
  bam, dead meat and a zombie pancake that is still trying to kill 
  you. Crazy world, right? Who would have thought you’d need to 
  watch out for falling zombies, but you do.
  “Sounds stupid, right? And maybe it is, until they start drop-
  ping on you like bombs. Get hit by one and you are toast. When 
  it starts raining zombies, you need to move away fast. What hap-
  pens is, zombies are dumb enough to step off a roof or climb 
  out of a window to get at you. They don’t realize the fall is go-
  ing to mess them up bad, so they just reach out and kerplunk. 
  Even if one of these S.O.B.s misses hitting you, it is startling and 
  gross, and splatters blood and gore everywhere in a 12 foot (3.6 
  m) diameter. Odds are, the damn thing isn’t dead either. It may 
  look like a human pancake, but the wretched creature continues 
  to grab and bite at you. Worse, if there was a mob of them, there 
  may be more zombies falling down at you a moment later.
  “Most Dead Weights – that’s what me and the boys call them 
  – can still moan even if the fall has crushed its arms and legs. The 
  noise of the moaning and more zombies hitting the concrete or 
  dropping on parked cars may lure more Slouchers in your direc-
  tion. If you can recognize and reach the head of the Dead Weight, 
  I say put it out of its misery once and for all. Never take chances 
  with zombies, even messed up ones that don’t seem like much 
  of a threat no more. Take them down and move on. And look up 
  when you’re walking along the side of tall buildings.”
  – Brad Ashley, Leader of the Road Reapers
  
  98
  Dead Weights are normal zombies, usually Slouchers, that 
  have fallen from a great height. Usually what happens is a zom-
  bie is up high on a rooftop or the overpass of a bridge, or leaning 
  out of a smashed out window while from the 10th or 20th floor, 
  or higher. It sees or senses a living person below it, and walks 
  right off the edge or topples out the window reaching for it. Sud-
  denly, the zombie becomes a bomb that can seriously injure or 
  kill anyone it lands on, and covers everyone else around the point 
  of impact with cold, black splatter.
  Dead Weights that fall on top of people are likely to kill them 
  from the impact (1D6x10), and can cause serious damage to 
  cars, buses, awnings, and anything else they may hit on impact. 
  A falling Dead Weight that drops in front of a car or motor-
  cycle may force it to swerve off the road or crash (-15% penalty 
  to skill roll to maintain control of the vehicle). A falling zom-
  bie that hits a vehicle can smash out windshield glass, cave in 
  the roof or crush the engine hood (-30% penalty to skill roll to 
  maintain control of the vehicle). Dead Weights that come down 
  in numbers can create speed bumps and roadblocks (or block 
  sidewalks and entrances to buildings). Moreover, the fall does 
  not kill the zombie, unless it happened to hit head first. So not 
  only has it torn up your ride or killed someone by landing on it/
  them, but it has not batted an eye and is ready to rip you apart. 
  Most Dead Weight zombies still have at least one working arm 
  to lash out and grab you with, as well as a biting mouth and that 
  endless hunger.
  Dead Weights are most dangerous at night, when they can see 
  the warm glow of living people from much farther away. They 
  also seem to have a more accurate and extended ability to sense 
  the presence of the living. This means that even if they cannot 
  see you, they know approximately where you are. They might be 
  right above you, and you would not know it until one drops on 
  your head.
  Many zombies high up in buildings have been trapped there 
  for weeks or months, and are hungry. So hungry that they step off 
  roofs and drop down from windows to get their prey, below. Yes, 
  Dead Weights go dormant, but they are typically light sleepers 
  and sometimes spontaneously wake up on their own to wander 
  around in search of food or a new place to hibernate. During this 
  brief period of restlessness, the monster may see or sense living 
  people in the street below and go after them by plummeting from 
  a roof or window. They also wake up when hearing the Zombie 
  Moan, and may walk right off to follow it, even from a great 
  height.
  Dead Weights are a one-trick-pony. They do not walk back up 
  inside tall buildings, definitely not with the intention to drop off 
  of one again. And it is not as if they could. The impact of landing 
  from great heights onto pavement, vehicles, or people, tears the 
  zombie up pretty badly. Even though the monsters do not feel 
  pain or trauma, and do not need their bones or organs to keep 
  going, they are broken and mutilated after a fall. Both legs are 
  almost always broken or shattered, and some may be completely 
  torn in half by the fall, so they do not walk away from the impact. 
  However, if one or both arms are intact, the zombie becomes a 
  Crawler. Many more have at least one broken arm, broken ribs, 
  broken spines, and ruptured bellies or are just smashed up. They 
  either pull themselves around with broken limbs or lay there in 
  the street, immobile and slowly starving, except for whatever 
  food might happen their way. This is where survivors need to be 
  careful. That seemingly shattered or mashed up corpse may still 
  be alive and able to grab and bite. Tripping and falling on top of 
  a Dead Weight zombie with shattered limbs, but a head that still 
  bites, can result in an attack. Similarly, a pile of several, mangled, 
  Dead Weight zombies is very dangerous. For one thing, there are 
  likely to be a number of zombies with at least one working limb, 
  and within the pile are likely to be several biting mouths anxious 
  to feed. Such a heap of zombies could easily turn into a Fused 
  Zombie, Walking Graveyard, or worse, a Dead Mound Giant as 
  the bodies rot and form together to make something even more 
  monstrous. So the danger of a falling Dead Weight zombie does 
  not end on impact.
  Dead Weight Zombie
  Also Known As: Zombie Bombs, Pancake Zombies, and Zombie 
  Droppings.
  Alignment: Considered Diabolic.
  Attributes: I.Q. 1D4, M.E. 1D6, M.A. 1D4, P.S. 2x Strength 
  when alive (typically 2D6+18), P.P. 2D6+2, P.E. 2D6+15, 
  P.B. 2D4, Spd 1D4+3 before getting splattered; 1D4 after im-
  pact, if it can move at all.
  Hit Points: P.E. attribute number, but all Main Body S.D.C. must 
  be depleted first before Hit Points can be affected. Note: See 
  S.D.C. by Location and Hit Points for more details.
  S.D.C. by Location Before the Fall: Same as the Sloucher.
  * Hands (2) – 1D6+4 each
  * Arms (2) – 1D8+6 each
  * Feet (2) – 1D6+4 each
  * Legs (2) – 2D6+6 each
  * Lower Jaw – 1D6+3
  ** Neck – 1D6+10
  ** Head – 2D6+14
  *** Main Body – 3D6+30
  S.D.C. by Location of a Mangled Dead Weight Zombie AF-
  TER the Fall:
  * Hands (2) – 1D6 each
  * Arms (1 or 2) – 1D8+ each, but one is likely shattered.
  * Feet (0) – None that work.
  * Legs (0) – None that work; broken or shattered.
  * Lower Jaw – 1D6+1
  ** Neck – 1D6+3
  ** Head – 2D6+8
  *** Main Body – 2D6+16
  Armor Rating: 10 for its shattered body.
  Horror Factor: 8 for one or two. 10 for a pile of them. 13 seeing 
  one fall on top of a teammate or someone near by, or when it 
  starts to rain zombies.
  P.P.E.: 1D4
  
  99
  Natural Abilities:
  See Life Energy (P.P.E.): 9,000 feet (2,743.2 m) at night 
  or in darkness.
  Sense Life Energy (P.P.E.): 25 feet (7.6 m) to sense 1-6 
  people, 50 feet (15.2 m) to sense a group of 7-24 people, and 
  100 feet (30.5 m) to sense a group of 25 or more people. Half 
  that range to sense animals. One quarter that range, 6.2 feet 
  (1.9 m), when a zombie is dormant.
  Recognize Human Scents: 83%. This also tells the zombie 
  that humans are nearby, or have been present recently.
  Track Humans by Scent: 18% chance, +10% if the human 
  is sweaty or hasn’t bathed in three or more days, +10% to fol-
  low the scent of blood, +5% if there is more than one human 
  present in the same area, +5% to smell perfume, cologne or 
  aftershave. All bonuses are cumulative.
  Smell Fear in Humans: Makes zombies more aggressive: 
  +1 on initiative and +1 to strike or disarm. If the level of fear 
  is fever-pitched or five or more people are terrified, the zombie 
  is also +1 attack per melee round.
  Zombies Can See Without Eyes: The eyes glow with a red 
  light inside empty eye sockets.
  Keen Sense of Hearing: Can pinpoint the location of a 
  Zombie Moan after hearing it for only 30 seconds.
  Impervious to Most Everything: Only decapitation, de-
  stroying a zombie’s brain, and fire can kill a zombie. Does 
  not need to breathe, and survives underwater and in a vacuum.
  S.D.C. and Hit Point Regeneration: 1D6+3 S.D.C. and 2 
  Hit Points are automatically restored every hour. Extra P.P.E. 
  may also restore S.D.C. and Hit Points at a rate of 1D6+2 
  S.D.C. and one Hit Point per extra P.P.E. point. See S.D.C. 
  and Hit Points for details.
  No Life Energy of Their Own: Zombies are cold, dark crea-
  tures without body heat or an aura. They cannot be seen by 
  infrared and thermal imaging optic systems. Rather, zombies 
  register the same as a piece of timber.
  Go Dormant: A stasis sleep that keeps zombies from de-
  caying. Walking dead hide when they go dormant and can be 
  waiting anywhere. Dead Weights usually go dormant while 
  teetering on the edge of tall buildings, cliff edges, highway 
  overpasses, bridges, and other high-up structures.
  People Slain by the Zombie Rise as One: Victims slain in a 
  zombie attack, their P.P.E. absorbed, rise as the walking dead 
  within 2D4+4 minutes after expiration.
  Skills of Note: Climb 55%/40%.
  Attacks per Melee: Three, usually by biting and hitting with 
  fists. Or one, by dropping onto a victim.
  Damage (S.D.C./Hit Points):
  Bite: 2D6 damage (and a chance of infection if the wound 
  isn’t treated shortly after receiving it). P.S. damage bonus does 
  NOT apply to bite attacks.
  Head Butt: 2D4 damage + P.S. damage bonus (if any).
  Punch/Claw Attack: 1D6 damage + P.S. damage bonus (if 
  any).
  Power Punch: Not possible.
  Kick Attack: 2D4 damage + P.S. damage bonus (if any).
  Weapon: Rare, but sometimes may use a melee weapon or 
  handheld object as a weapon to bludgeon/hit with.
  Freefall Impact Damage from Five Stories or Higher: Depends 
  on the height the zombie fell from, usually between 5D6 and 
  2D6x10 — 1D6 damage for every story (10 feet/3 m) of height. 
  So a zombie that falls from a five story window does 5D6 dam-
  age upon impact. A fall from a 10 story window does 1D6x10 
  damage, a fall from 20 stories does 2D6x10 damage, and so on.
  It should be noted that a fall/leap and impact from four sto-
  ries or less does NOT splatter the zombie. A zombie that falls 
  from 1-4 stories does 1D6 damage from each story (10 feet/3 
  m of height), takes half damage to its own Main Body, and 
  continues to attack with tooth and claw. G.M.s might want to 
  reduce the damage to the zombie from as much as 7 stories, 
  leaving it with one or two broken legs and 3D6 damage from 
  the fall, but still intact and capable of walking with a dragging 
  limb or as a Crawler. Falling from heights greater than 7 sto-
  ries makes it a classic pancake zombie.
  Note: Leap Kick, other kicks, body flip, and martial arts 
  attacks are NOT possible.
  Bonuses: +1 to strike in melee combat. +2 strike with Freefall at-
  tack, dropping on someone below like a bomb. Also see Natu-
  ral Abilities.
  Penalties: -8 on Perception Rolls.
  Vulnerabilities: Dumb, animalistic, easily tricked, slow moving, 
  cannot swim or climb after becoming a Dead Weight zom-
  bie; head shots, decapitation and fire kill, severe cold reduces 
  speed by half. Fear of fire holds them at bay. Fire has a Horror 
  Factor of 16 for zombies.
  
  100
  Kidnapper Zombie
  “You won’t believe it, but there is a damn zombie that kid-
  naps people, locks them up and tortures them before killing them. 
  Yeah, insane, I know. You think you see a zombie giving you the 
  eye, or you see that S.O.B. more than once at different locations, 
  you’re being stalked by a Kidnapper zombie. Take him down be-
  fore he picks you or one of your teammates off. Trust me on this.”
  – Brad Ashley, Leader of the Road Reapers
  Kidnappers are zombies that have learned to enjoy the sweet 
  taste of death and how to savor it over a long period. They do so 
  by not going dormant, staying alert all the time and taking cap-
  tives.
  Most zombies wander and groan. When they make a kill, they 
  noisily and sloppily devour their meals, blundering through the 
  process of killing a living person with no regard for the delicacy 
  of terror or panic. Slouchers are amateurs, only effective because 
  of their great numbers. Kidnappers are murderous zombies that 
  are good at stalking prey, holding them prisoner, enjoying their 
  terror and killing captives slowly, one at a time, over several days 
  to have a steady diet of life energy.
  Kidnappers slowly patrol a wide area, searching and watching 
  out for live prey. They may gather with mobs of Slouchers, but 
  they are the ones that seem to be moving with deliberate pur-
  pose and watching you with cruel, hungry eyes. When no liv-
  ing people can be found, the Kidnapper 
  zombie broadens its search until it finds 
  someone. When it finds living prey, it goes 
  into actively hunting them for the purpose 
  of capture. Snatching them away and tak-
  ing them back to its lair like a predatory 
  animal.
  A Kidnapper zombie may use mobs 
  of Slouchers and packs of Flesh Eaters to 
  help locate and corner prey, but tries to re-
  move the prey from the clutches of the oth-
  er zombies so it may feast entirely by itself 
  at a moment of its own choosing. To that 
  end, a Kidnapper zombie tracks and fol-
  lows living people, sometimes for days. If 
  the zombie’s prey is part of a large group, 
  the Kidnapper remains hidden and silent, 
  keeping just close enough to observe and 
  follow its prey without alarming any of the people to its pres-
  ence. To that end, Kidnapper zombies are expert at pretending to 
  be simple-minded and slow-moving Slouchers to lull prey into a 
  false sense of security. When it is ready to attack, it inches closer 
  and closer to its prey until it has an opportunity to snatch it away, 
  as quietly and quickly as possible. If the prey is by itself or in a 
  small group (2-3), the Kidnapper may terrorize them all, first by 
  grunting, breathing heavily, lightly moaning, and softly laughing. 
  It may also throw things, bang and knock over or break items to 
  create a distraction or to put its targeted prey on edge. Then it 
  hides and waits for the right moment to strike, capturing one, and 
  dragging him away. Kidnapper zombies never use the Zombie 
  Moan, unless it is pretending to be an ordinary Sloucher. Using 
  the Zombie Moan would only bring other zombies and interlop-
  ers to its location, and the Kidnapper has no desire to share its 
  captive with anyone else.
  Sometimes, if the Kidnapper zombie can make it into the 
  camp of only a few living people, it leaves something so they can 
  find it. This “something” could be a weapon, or a severed head 
  
  101
  or limb, a trail of blood or body parts, a dead animal, bones, or 
  even just a few bloody hand prints on the wall. Always some-
  thing noticeably new or different, and something that might lure 
  one or two away from the others, or leave the most helpless be-
  hind while the brave and the strong scout around to see what this 
  may be all about. The Kidnapper never builds or constructs traps; 
  those are too complex even for this cunning and sadistic killer. 
  Kidnappers are only after kidnaping one or two victims and cre-
  ating an atmosphere of terror so it can divide and ambush prey. 
  Anything else is too elaborate.
  Kidnappers are also sometimes called “Fiends” because they 
  don’t sleep and their constant hunger and intense lust for inflict-
  ing pain makes them incredibly aggressive and cruel. It is not 
  enough to capture and keep 1D4 victims in a room, pit, cage, 
  etc., before eating them. No. The Kidnapper zombie likes to tor-
  ture and terrify its captives before finally killing them, one at a 
  time, for their life energy. This capacity for cruelty is a rare emo-
  tion missing from most mindless zombies. The Kidnapper kills 
  to feed, but it also likes to create fear and emotionally torment 
  as well as physically hurt its captives before feeding on them. 
  Like Pattern Zombies, this monster could have been an active or 
  closeted sadist before he or she died and became one of the living 
  dead. Now that old desire manifests itself as a pattern of kidnap-
  ing, torture and killing, not unlike some serial killers. Or it may 
  be some glitch in the reanimation process that makes them dif-
  ferent from the average Sloucher. The Kidnapper stalks from the 
  shadows, attacks when you least expect it (sleeping victims are a 
  favorite), placing its rotting hand over your mouth, and dragging 
  you back to its house of horrors.
  House of horrors is how the rare escapee or survivor of a Kid-
  napper zombie describes the creature’s base of operation. Kid-
  napper zombies pick houses, especially those away from others, 
  and hidden, dark places such as a basement or boiler room of 
  an apartment building, an empty room or basement in a school, 
  a corner in a factory or warehouse, an out of the way office or 
  supply room in a mall, a walk-in refrigerator at a restaurant, a 
  barn or a shed, a hut, hunter’s lodge or cave in a forest, sewer, 
  boxcar, and ramshackle house. They drag their victims back to 
  these lairs, where they are locked in a windowless room (or one 
  that already had boarded up windows), penned, caged, chained 
  and/or tied down. There, the Kidnapper zombie keeps its cap-
  tives, torturing them as the whim strikes it. The walls and floors 
  of such lairs and makeshift cages and pens are likely to be stained 
  in the dried blood of past victims, but not many bones or bodies 
  are present. The Kidnapper leads those reborn as zombies onto 
  the street to wander away from its secret lair. A variety of sharp, 
  jagged, and rusty stabbing and cutting implements lay around 
  adding to the horror. These items may be used for torture and 
  killing, or the Kidnapper may literally bite and gnaw on them, 
  picking at wounds or shoving their dead fingers inside of them to 
  kill their victims. Desperate pleas for mercy or release go without 
  response.
  At any given time, a Kidnapper zombie is likely to have 1D4 
  victims in various stages of torture, locked away. When it slays 
  one or two, usually in front of the others, it goes out to find new 
  replacements. When Road Reapers and other zombie-killing he-
  roes discover a Kidnapper’s house of horrors, they usually burn 
  it to the ground, even after killing the monster and rescuing any 
  captives.
  Kidnappers look like any other Sloucher, which means it 
  could be wearing any kind of clothing or rags, or wander around 
  buck naked. That said, the creature has a tendency to wear long 
  coats, heavy coats, and bulky clothing. No matter the style of 
  clothing, their clothes are probably filthy and caked with blood. 
  Many carry kitchen knives and other large knives in the large 
  pockets of their coats or tucked in their belt. The knife(s) is used 
  to threaten captives with to keep them quiet and cooperative, as 
  well as for torture and as a weapon to fight with when necessary. 
  Oddly enough, Kidnapper zombies know to tie up their captives 
  with rope, cord, barbed wire, fishing line and/or duct tape, some 
  of which is also carried on their person.
  Like most zombies, Kidnappers never talk, but shush, hiss, 
  growl, grunt and softly laugh and chuckle.
  Kidnapper Zombie
  Alignment: Considered Diabolic.
  Attributes: I.Q. 1D4+3, M.E. 1D6+1, M.A. 1D4, P.S. 2x 
  Strength when alive (typically 2D6+18), P.P. 2D4+4, P.E. 
  1D6+15, P.B. 2D6, Spd 1D6+6. Note: Because they feed on a 
  regular basis and devour all of their victim’s P.P.E., Kidnap-
  pers often look surprisingly fresh and whole. From a distance, 
  it might even be seen as another living survivor.
  Hit Points: P.E. attribute number, but all Main Body S.D.C. must 
  be depleted first before Hit Points can be affected. Note: See 
  S.D.C. by Location and Hit Points for more details.
  S.D.C. by Location:
  * Hands (2) – 1D6+4 each
  * Arms (2) – 1D8+6 each
  * Feet (2) – 1D6+4 each
  * Legs (2) – 2D6+6 each
  * Lower Jaw – 1D6+3
  ** Neck – 1D6+10
  ** Head – 2D6+14
  *** Main Body – 4D6+30
  Armor Rating: 13
  Horror Factor: 13, but 16 to captives inside its lair or when the 
  creature is actively trying to be scary.
  P.P.E.: 1D4
  Natural Abilities:
  See Life Energy (P.P.E.): 9,000 feet (2,743.2 m) at night 
  or in darkness.
  Sense Life Energy (P.P.E.): 25 feet (7.6 m) to sense 1-6 
  people, 50 feet (15.2 m) to sense a group of 7-24 people, and 
  100 feet (30.5 m) to sense a group of 25 or more people. Half 
  that range to sense animals. One quarter that range, 6.2 feet 
  (1.9 m), when a zombie is dormant.
  Recognize Human Scents (special): 86%. This also tells the 
  zombie that humans are nearby, or have been present recently.
  
  102
  Track Humans by Scent (special): 30% chance, +10% if 
  the human is sweaty or has not bathed in three or more days, 
  +10% to follow the scent of blood, +10% to follow scent of 
  fear, +5% if there is more than one human present in the same 
  area, +5% to smell perfume, cologne or aftershave. All bo-
  nuses are cumulative.
  Smell Fear in Humans (special): The smell of fear makes 
  Kidnapper zombies more focused and aggressive: +3 on initia-
  tive, +3 to strike, +2 to disarm, and it can knock out it victims 
  via attacks from behind or a surprise attack on an unmodified 
  roll of 18, 19 or 20. If the level of fear is fever-pitched, or five 
  or more people are terrified, the Kidnapper zombie is +2 at-
  tacks per melee round. The monster always works alone and 
  likes to make its kill when no other zombies are present.
  Zombies Can See Without Eyes: The eyes glow with a red 
  light inside empty eye sockets.
  Keen Sense of Hearing: Can pinpoint the location of a 
  Zombie Moan after hearing it for only 30 seconds.
  Impervious to Most Everything: Only decapitation, de-
  stroying a zombie’s brain, and fire can kill a zombie. Does 
  not need to breathe, and survives underwater and in a vacuum.
  S.D.C. and Hit Point Regeneration: 1D6+3 S.D.C. and 2 
  Hit Points are automatically restored every hour. Extra P.P.E. 
  may also restore S.D.C. and Hit Points at a rate of 1D6+2 
  S.D.C. and one Hit Point per extra P.P.E. point. See S.D.C. 
  and Hit Points for details.
  No Life Energy of Their Own: Zombies are cold, dark crea-
  tures without body heat or an aura. They cannot be seen by 
  infrared and thermal imaging optic systems. Rather, zombies 
  register the same as a piece of timber.
  Go Dormant: Kidnappers never go dormant, even when 
  there are no victims around. They just keep searching for them.
  People Slain by the Zombie Rise as One: Victims slain in a 
  zombie attack, their P.P.E. absorbed, rise as the walking dead 
  within 2D4+4 minutes after expiration.
  Skills of Note (special): Climb 50%/35%, Prowl 75%, Rope 
  Works 70%, and Tailing 75%.
  Attacks per Melee: Three, usually by biting, clawing, or slash-
  ing with a weapon, or by sneaking up on someone and snatch-
  ing them up, covering their mouth and dragging them away. 
  Also see Smell Fear in Humans for additional bonuses, when 
  applicable.
  Damage (S.D.C./Hit Points):
  Bite: 2D6 damage (and a chance of infection if the wound 
  is not treated shortly after receiving it). P.S. damage bonus 
  does NOT apply to bite attacks.
  Head Butt: 2D4 damage + P.S. damage bonus (if any).
  Punch/Claw Attack: 1D6 damage + P.S. damage bonus (if 
  any).
  Power Punch: Not possible by Kidnappers.
  Kick Attack: 2D4 damage + P.S. damage bonus (if any).
  Weapon: By small, easily hidden knives and hooks (1D6 or 
  2D4 damage) or by net or rope.
  Note: Leap Kick, other kicks, body flip, and martial arts 
  attacks are NOT possible by Kidnappers.
  Bonuses: +2 initiative, +2 to strike in combat, +4 to strike and 
  capture from behind or using the element of surprise. Also see 
  Track Humans by Scent and Smell Fear in Humans for addi-
  tional bonuses, when applicable.
  Penalties (special): -4 on most Perception Rolls.
  Vulnerabilities: Cannot swim, head shots, decapitation and fire 
  kill, severe cold reduces speed. Fear of fire holds them at bay; 
  Horror Factor 16.
  Screamer Zombie
  “You ever hear of the Banshee’s wail? Well, that’s what 
  Screamers are. Banshees, who will lead you to your grave if you 
  listen to their cries. Be careful, their wails, screams and words 
  sound perfectly human, but they come from a damn zombie that 
  mimics sounds and human words and voices. If you are like us 
  Road Reapers and try to help other people survive, be warned, a 
  Screamer can lure you into all kinds of dangerous situations. You 
  think you’re going in to save a man or woman, or a crying child, 
  when what’s really waiting for you is a Screamer and a mob of 
  Slouchers, or a Screamer and a Kidnapper Zombie or cultists 
  waiting to grab you. Be wary of calls for help and that friendly 
  voice. Never run into anywhere blind. I don’t care what you think 
  you hear. Caution.”
  – Brad Ashley, Leader of the Road Reapers
  Screamers are the noisiest and loudest of zombies. They are 
  very good at listening to sounds, and imitating them. For some 
  reason, the loudest, sharpest, most emotional and human sounds 
  are what attracts them most and are the sounds they replicate and 
  repeat. Screamers can shout, scream, cry, whimper, wail, bark, 
  and mumble. Their ability to mimic and imitate means they can 
  also say words and phrases, but the words they say have little if 
  any meaning to the zombies.
  Screamers usually have a repertoire, or playlist, of 3D6+4 voice 
  samples they cycle through. These are things they have heard 
  from living people, such as, “Hey.” “Here.” “Over here!” “No! 
  No!!” “Help.” “Help me.” “Run!” “They’re coming!” “Look.” 
  “Die! Die!!” “Kill you!” “Where are you?” “This way!” “Don’t 
  go in there!” “In here.” “It’s safe.” “Be careful.” “It’s me!” “I’m 
  coming!” “Trade?” “Let me help.” “Go away!” “Come here!” 
  “Don’t be afraid.” “Too many.” “Zombies!” As well as an array 
  of screams, groans, growls, barks and swear words, sometimes 
  even tunes that are whistled or hummed. And they go through this 
  list of words and phrases with the same volume level and intona-
  tion as they heard it; an almost perfect imitation. Unlike the more 
  clever Impersonator zombies, Screamers do not know what they 
  are yelling about, and are not deliberately trying to trick or lure 
  anyone to their doom. They are parroting what they have heard 
  without any context to their situation.
  
  103
  
  104
  The voices of Screamers are powerful and clear. Reverberat-
  ing off of city streets, buildings, and trees. Since Screamers are 
  merely imitating and repeating sounds like a parrot, they tend to 
  say and repeat the sounds they hear most often, or that seem to 
  have struck a cord with them. This is often things said by the liv-
  ing, and are often outbursts or screams of terror, fright, or intense 
  pain. These are the voices of the zombies’ victims, and others 
  who were under attack or have been killed while the Screamer 
  was listening.
  Screamers confuse and distract survivors, and even Reapers 
  and other experienced zombie hunters have trouble discerning 
  the calls and words of a Screamer from a living human being. 
  When they start shouting, every survivor who hears it must de-
  cide if it is human or not, helpful or a lie, and whether they should 
  check it out or let it go. Somebody might be in need of help, or it 
  could be a trap. If a character assumes the screams and calls are 
  coming from a zombie or raiders preparing an ambush, is he pre-
  pared to live with the consequences of being wrong? Certainly, 
  heroic characters will want to investigate, while some will simply 
  not wish to know or take the risk.
  Sometimes it is hard to pick a Screamer out from a crowd of 
  zombies. They are not actually screaming at anyone, they just 
  scream and shout. So sometimes survivors have to deal with 
  sleepless nights of zombies screaming outside their windows. 
  The noise is loud, disturbing, and the experience is strange and 
  nerve-racking.
  The really bad thing about Screamers is that they attract a lot 
  of attention from other zombies and people. Even though their 
  screams do not have the gathering power of a proper Zombie 
  Moan, the regular noise does bring the dead out of the shadows 
  to investigate. Screamers are usually surrounded by 6D6 Slouch-
  ers and 1D4 zombies of other types. When they spot a potential 
  victim and really let loose with a moan, all of the zombies around 
  them notice the person too, and a convergence starts rolling faster 
  than it normally would. That is why Screamers are best avoided 
  or destroyed from a distance.
  It should also be noted that smart zombies, including Thinkers, 
  Mock Zombies, Impersonators, and Kidnappers sometimes use 
  Screamers as bait in traps or to lure out, mislead and ambush the 
  living. So do Death Priests, Death Cultists and other bad guys.
  Screamer Zombie
  Also Known As: Banshees, Shriekers and Parrot Zombies.
  Alignment: Considered Diabolic.
  Attributes: I.Q. 1D6, M.E. 1D6, M.A. 1D6, P.S. 2x Strength 
  when alive (typically 2D6+18), P.P. 1D6+1, P.E. 1D6+15, 
  P.B. 2D4, Spd 1D4+6.
  Hit Points: P.E. attribute number, but all Main Body S.D.C. must 
  be depleted first before Hit Points can be affected. Note: See 
  S.D.C. by Location and Hit Points for more details.
  S.D.C. by Location:
  * Hands (2) – 1D6+4 each
  * Arms (2) – 1D8+6 each
  * Feet (2) – 1D6+4 each
  * Legs (2) – 2D6+6 each
  * Lower Jaw – 1D8+3
  ** Neck – 1D6+10
  ** Head – 2D6+14
  *** Main Body – 3D6+30
  Armor Rating: 14
  Horror Factor: 13; 15 when screaming or wailing.
  P.P.E.: 1D4
  Natural Abilities:
  See Life Energy (P.P.E.): 9,000 feet (2,743.2 m) at night 
  or in darkness.
  Sense Life Energy (P.P.E.): 25 feet (7.6 m) to sense 1-6 
  people, 50 feet (15.2 m) to sense a group of 7-24 people, and 
  100 feet (30.5 m) to sense a group of 25 or more people. Half 
  that range to sense animals. One quarter that range, 6.2 feet 
  (1.9 m), when a zombie is dormant.
  Recognize Human Scents: 83%. This also tells the zombie 
  that humans are nearby, or have been present recently.
  Track Humans by Scent: 18% chance, +10% if the human 
  is sweaty or hasn’t bathed in three or more days, +10% to fol-
  low the scent of blood, +5% if there is more than one human 
  present in the same area, +5% to smell perfume, cologne or 
  aftershave. All bonuses are cumulative.
  Smell Fear in Humans: Makes zombies more aggressive: 
  +1 on initiative and +1 to strike or disarm. If the level of fear 
  is fever-pitched or five or more people are terrified, the zombie 
  is also +1 attack per melee round.
  Zombies Can See Without Eyes: The eyes glow with a red 
  light inside empty eye sockets.
  Keen Sense of Hearing: Can pinpoint the location of a 
  Zombie Moan after hearing it for only 30 seconds.
  Impervious to Most Everything: Only decapitation, de-
  stroying a zombie’s brain, and fire can kill a zombie. Does 
  not need to breathe, and survives underwater and in a vacuum.
  S.D.C. and Hit Point Regeneration: 1D6+3 S.D.C. and 2 
  Hit Points are automatically restored every hour. Extra P.P.E. 
  may also restore S.D.C. and Hit Points at a rate of 1D6+2 
  S.D.C. and one Hit Point per extra P.P.E. point. See S.D.C. 
  and Hit Points for details.
  No Life Energy of Their Own: Zombies are cold, dark crea-
  tures without body heat or an aura. They cannot be seen by 
  infrared and thermal imaging optic systems. Rather, zombies 
  register the same as a piece of timber.
  Go Dormant: A stasis sleep that keeps zombies from de-
  caying. Walking dead hide when they go dormant and can be 
  waiting anywhere.
  People Slain by the Zombie Rise as One: Victims slain in a 
  zombie attack, their P.P.E. absorbed, rise as the walking dead 
  within 2D4+4 minutes after expiration.
  Skills of Note: Climb 35%/20% and Imitate Voices & Sounds 
  85%/77%.
  Attacks per Melee: Three, usually by biting and hitting with 
  fists.
  Damage (S.D.C./Hit Points):
  
  105
  Bite: 2D6 damage (and a chance of infection if the wound 
  isn’t treated shortly after receiving it). P.S. damage bonus does 
  NOT apply to bite attacks.
  Head Butt: 2D4 damage + P.S. damage bonus (if any).
  Punch/Claw Attack: 1D6 damage + P.S. damage bonus (if 
  any).
  Power Punch: Not possible by Screamers.
  Kick Attack: 2D4 damage + P.S. damage bonus (if any).
  Weapon: Rare, but sometimes a Screamer may use a melee 
  weapon or handheld object as a weapon to bludgeon/hit with.
  Note: Leap Kick, other kicks, body flip, and martial arts 
  attacks are NOT possible by Screamers.
  Bonuses: +2 to strike. Also see Track Humans by Scent and Smell 
  Fear in Humans for additional bonuses, when applicable.
  Penalties: -2 to initiative and -7 on Perception Rolls.
  Vulnerabilities: Dumb, animalistic, easily tricked, slow moving, 
  can’t swim, poor climbers, head shots, decapitation and fire 
  kill, severe cold reduces speed. Fear of fire holds them at bay; 
  Horror Factor 16.
  “I prefer the name Ravenous, myself. These dead are so hun-
  gry they become frantic and persistent about getting to you. I’ve 
  seen the Ravenous or Seekers follow the living to their Safe Ha-
  ven, dig under the fence to get in, find the person they tailed there, 
  and kill him before attacking anyone else. I’ve also seen Seekers 
  climb over other zombies and jump onto moving vehicles to get 
  to their prey. That’s how driven they are to feast on your bones. 
  Get one on your tail and watch out, because it will track you like 
  a bloodhound.”
  – Brad Ashley, Leader of the Road Reapers
  All zombies are known to be tireless, relentless, wandering 
  man-eating monsters. Seekers are that and more. They let nothing 
  stand in the way of claiming their victim’s life. Seekers become 
  frantic like sharks in a feeding frenzy and slide into a frenzied at-
  tack mode whenever prey is spotted. The monsters push through 
  gathering swarms of zombies to get toward the front, and when 
  prey takes refuge inside a building, it is a Seeker who is likely to 
  find a way to circumvent barriers and obstacles and get inside.
  A frantic Seeker zombie may try to bash its way through bar-
  riers, sometimes picking up rocks and sticks to do so, drag away 
  blockades and objects in its way, or climb over them. Other times, 
  it may tear down boards from windows, or dig under a fence or 
  wall like a dog. Seekers are the last to leave after a convergence, 
  and the first to return to attack if they see movement or sense 
  life. Seekers also travel long distances in pursuit of their prey, 
  and stay on the trail long after other zombies have lost interest 
  and turned back or wandered away. Seekers never stop coming 
  after their intended victims unless the monsters lose the trail, are 
  drawn away by new, easier targets, or are slain.
  Their frantic, relentless drive to pursue and feed can also be 
  used against them. Seekers are as dumb as any Sloucher and can 
  be tricked to walk right into traps, pits, and gunfire. In fact, where 
  most zombies back away from fire, Seekers are much less hesi-
  tant, and are willing to step through the flames to get to prey that 
  is clearly visible. If they can keep moving, they do so, climb-
  ing up and over other zombies or obstacles, and moaning louder 
  than all the rest, except for Screamers. Nothing short of killing a 
  Seeker stops its relentless pursuit of the living.
  Seekers have much higher tracking and sensing abilities 
  than most other zombies, and actively pursue any living thing 
  they can sense. If their prey escapes, they follow as best they 
  can until the trail goes completely cold. As if this were not bad 
  enough, occasionally a Seeker locks in and singles out a specific 
  living person as a special target. Those chosen by a Seeker swear 
  that when it happens, they can see a shimmer of excitement in the 
  zombies eyes and a chilling, lusty smile and sigh usher from their 
  dead throats (Horror Factor: 12).
  Any survivor chosen or marked by a Seeker is said to never 
  be forgotten by it. Your face, your scent, your life energy, the 
  taste of your fear is remembered by the monster forever. When 
  your paths cross again, that particular Seeker makes a beeline to 
  you as its target. No other living being earns its attention unless 
  it is to avoid an incoming attack or to fight back. Even then, the 
  Seeker Zombie
  “All zombies are not created equal. Some have different abili-
  ties and habits that give them an edge. It may not be much, but 
  it’s enough to put your life in jeopardy, especially when you are 
  dealing with a horde that’s a mixed group of different types of 
  zombies. The Seeker is one of those with an edge.
  
  106
  Seeker fights only long enough to get past this new obstacle and 
  pursue the prey that is marked for death. There is no distance that 
  is far enough, or barrier that will stop it. The Seeker pursues until 
  one of you is slain. If the target for death manages to escape by 
  going inside a building where the Seeker cannot follow, it waits. 
  It waits as long as it takes. And while it waits, it walks around 
  the edifice, over and over again, looking for a way inside, or to 
  figure out the location its targeted prey is most likely to use as an 
  exit, and wait for him there. A Seeker will wait or travel for days 
  or weeks, never stopping, never resting, until it finds its marked 
  victim. Once it finds that person, it kills him and devours the life 
  essence, savoring it much more than other zombies. Run, drive, 
  fly, or swim, it does not matter, a Seeker that has targeted you, 
  never stops looking for you.
  There does not seem to be any pattern as to whom a Seeker 
  targets, and most people are not even aware they are targeted 
  until this unrelenting killing machine pursues them or ignores 
  other targets to chase them. Men, women, children, the elderly, 
  Death Cultists, Road Reapers, soldiers ... anyone is a potential 
  candidate, but it is almost always someone who has escaped its 
  clutches in the past. Again, the targeted individual may not real-
  ize that either, especially if the Seeker was just a nameless zom-
  bie in a swarm of zombies that started to converge on the street. 
  In that moment, something clicked in the monster’s mind and you 
  became a specific target to be hunted and slain. Whenever it sees 
  you again, it craves your blood. It is as simple as that.
  When a Seeker has found someone it has marked for death, 
  and is close enough to attack him, it gets excited and becomes 
  extremely aggressive. The same is true when it can smell fear, 
  which is almost always the case when humans face the dead. 
  (See the Smell Fear in Humans for applicable combat bonuses 
  and additional attacks.) Moreover, Seekers are a little faster than 
  Slouchers and many other zombies. Their focused pursuit makes 
  them relentless and helps them notice ways to circumvent bar-
  riers and defenses, including tearing them down, climbing over 
  them and other zombies, digging under barriers and actions not 
  normally expected from zombies like lunging at a target, grab-
  bing hold of a moving vehicle, diving into water to go after the 
  living, and similar feats.
  There is one more weird thing about Seekers: The people they 
  mark and pursue as a specific target, versus a kill of opportunity, 
  often (not always) rise as another Seeker.
  A Seeker only pursues one marked/targeted person at a time, 
  but it may have several in its memory bank. When more than one 
  “marked” prey is encountered, the Seeker picks one and takes 
  action, ignoring anyone else until it slays that marked person or 
  is, itself, destroyed.
  Seeker Zombie
  Also Known As: The Ravenous and the Relentless.
  Alignment: Considered Diabolic.
  Attributes: I.Q. 1D4, M.E. 1D6, M.A. 1D4, P.S. 2x Strength 
  when alive (typically 2D6+18), P.P. 1D6+1, P.E. 1D8+15, 
  P.B. 2D4, Spd 2D4+6
  Hit Points: P.E. attribute number, but all Main Body S.D.C. must 
  be depleted first before Hit Points can be affected. Note: See 
  S.D.C. by Location and Hit Points for more details.
  S.D.C. by Location:
  * Hands (2) – 1D6+6 each (a bit stronger than most).
  * Arms (2) – 1D8+6 each
  * Feet (2) – 1D8+4 each
  * Legs (2) – 2D6+6 each
  * Lower Jaw – 1D6+3
  ** Neck – 1D6+10
  ** Head – 2D6+14
  *** Main Body – 4D6+30
  Armor Rating: 14
  Horror Factor: 14
  P.P.E.: 1D4
  Natural Abilities:
  See Life Energy (P.P.E.): 9,000 feet (2,743.2 m) at night 
  or in darkness.
  Sense Life Energy (P.P.E.): 25 feet (7.6 m) to sense 1-6 
  people, 50 feet (15.2 m) to sense a group of 7-24 people, and 
  100 feet (30.5 m) to sense a group of 25 or more people. Half 
  that range to sense animals. One quarter that range, 6.1 feet 
  (1.9 m), when a zombie is dormant.
  Recognize Human Scents (special): 85%. This tells the 
  zombie that humans are nearby, or have been present recently. 
  The zombie will know instantly if someone it has previously 
  marked is within this range.
  Track Humans by Scent (special): 40% chance, +10% if 
  the human is sweaty or has not bathed in three or more days, 
  +10% to follow the scent of blood, +10% to follow fear scent, 
  +5% if there is more than one human present in the same area, 
  +5% to smell perfume, cologne or aftershave. All bonuses are 
  cumulative.
  Smell Fear in Humans (special): Makes the Seeker more 
  aggressive and relentless than other zombies: +2 on Percep-
  tion Rolls to find humans or a path to get to its prey, +2 on 
  initiative, +2 to strike, and +1 to disarm. If the level of fear is 
  fever-pitched, or five or more people are terrified, and when 
  the Seeker is face to face with its targeted prey, the zombie is 
  also +2 attacks per melee round.
  Zombies Can See Without Eyes: The eyes glow with a red 
  light inside empty eye sockets.
  Keen Sense of Hearing: Can pinpoint the location of a 
  Zombie Moan after hearing it for only 30 seconds.
  Impervious to Most Everything: Only decapitation, de-
  stroying a zombie’s brain, and fire can kill a zombie. Does 
  not need to breathe, and survives underwater and in a vacuum.
  S.D.C. and Hit Point Regeneration: 1D6+3 S.D.C. and 2 
  Hit Points are automatically restored every hour. Extra P.P.E. 
  may also restore S.D.C. and Hit Points at a rate of 1D6+2 
  S.D.C. and one Hit Point per extra P.P.E. point. See S.D.C. 
  and Hit Points for details.
  No Life Energy of Their Own: Zombies are cold, dark crea-
  tures without body heat or an aura. They cannot be seen by 
  
  107
  
  108
  infrared and thermal imaging optic systems. Rather, zombies 
  register the same as a piece of timber.
  Go Dormant: A stasis sleep that keeps zombies from de-
  caying. Walking dead hide when they go dormant and can be 
  waiting anywhere.
  People Slain by the Zombie Rise as One: Victims slain 
  in a zombie attack, their P.P.E. absorbed, rise as the walking 
  dead within 2D4+4 minutes after expiration. Note: There is a 
  01-60% chance that a person slain by a Seeker turns into one 
  when it rises from the dead.
  Skills of Note (special): Climb 85%/70% (much higher than 
  most), Underground Digging (special) 40%, Swim 30%, Tail-
  ing 60%, and Track 60% (via visual cues, footprints, blood 
  trail, and signs of passage). Also see Track Humans by Scent 
  and Smell Fear in Humans.
  Attacks per Melee: Three, usually by biting and hitting with 
  fists.
  Damage (S.D.C./Hit Points):
  Bite: 2D6 damage (and a chance of infection if the wound 
  isn’t treated shortly after receiving it). P.S. damage bonus does 
  NOT apply to bite attacks.
  Head Butt: 2D4 damage + P.S. damage bonus (if any).
  Punch/Claw Attack (special): 2D4 damage + P.S. damage 
  bonus (if any).
  Crush/Rip/Tear (special): Seekers have extra-strong hands 
  that help them climb and tear or knock down obstacles. Does 
  2D4 damage + P.S. damage bonus (if any) to barriers and 
  inanimate objects. It also knows enough to pick up and uses 
  available rocks, wooden boards or branches and tools laying 
  around to chop, stab or pry off boards and barriers, or to dig 
  under them.
  Power Punch (special): 4D4 damage + P.S. damage bonus 
  (if any).
  Kick Attack: 2D4 damage + P.S. damage bonus (if any).
  Weapon: Rare, but sometimes a Seeker may use a melee 
  weapon or handheld object as a weapon to bludgeon/hit with.
  Note: Leap Kick, other kicks, body flip, and martial arts 
  attacks are NOT possible by Seekers.
  Bonuses: +2 to strike. Also see Track Humans by Scent and 
  Smell Fear in Humans for additional bonuses, and when in 
  the worked up, frenzied state or face to face with a targeted 
  victim.
  Penalties: -5 on Perception Rolls, except Perception Rolls to find 
  humans or a pathway to get to its targeted prey.
  Vulnerabilities: Dumb, animalistic, easily tricked, slow moving, 
  cannot swim well, head shots, decapitation and fire kill it, se-
  vere cold reduces speed. Fear of fire gives the Seeker zombie 
  pause, but may not hold it a bay. Fire only has a Horror Factor 
  9 for Seekers.
  Note: Seekers are usually mixed in among Slouchers and other 
  zombies. Even if there are several Seekers in a zombie mob, 
  they do NOT attack like a pack of wolves, nor work together 
  like a team. Instead, each Seeker heads off after a different 
  human target. If those humans are in the same group, it may 
  seem like the Seekers are chasing down the group like a wolf 
  pack, but each has its own prey target. And never the same 
  target. Of course, if several Seekers are after different people 
  in the same group, if one loses the trail, it will follow and 
  take cues from the other Seeker(s) in pursuit of someone in 
  the same group.
  Shopper Zombie
  “I am tempted to say this zombie is one of the craziest things 
  I’ve ever seen, but I have seen plenty of crazy things since the 
  Wave and the dead rose. Believe it or not, a Shopper Pattern 
  Zombie can be an asset, especially if you can track it to its lair.”
  – Brad Ashley, Leader of the Road Reapers
  Shopper zombies get their name from the fact they collect and 
  carry around a lot of junk. At one time, before the Wave, that junk 
  might have been useful, but now it is all just meaningless junk 
  for a zombie who has no need for any of it. Shoppers are a type 
  of Pattern Zombie that can be encountered almost anywhere, but 
  seem most common in urban settings. As you might expect, they 
  are most likely to be found inside and near shopping malls, strip 
  malls, retail outlets, consumer electronics stores, clothing bou-
  tiques, flea markets, downtown areas, and upscale suburban dis-
  tricts. Shoppers mill about, checking out the sales and looking for 
  the hottest fashions, the trendiest gadgets, and the sweetest deals.
  Of course, they are really just going through the motions of 
  their old lives. They stare at faded and rotten print advertisements, 
  blank television screens, and cell phones that stopped working 
  long ago. Some wander the streets or through deserted parking 
  lots, possibly looking for their cars or looking inside vehicles for 
  items that strike their fancy. Others spend time walking around 
  inside stores, picking up and putting down items, and selecting 
  others to keep. Seeing one or more Shoppers could be funny if it 
  was not so sad and weird.
  As the Shopper zombie walks among the aisles of a store or 
  the parking lot or streets nearby, it picks up things it seems to 
  want, and places them in a plastic or cloth shopping bag, pillow-
  case backpack, suitcase, box, basket or shopping cart. Shopper 
  zombies love shopping carts and are likely to fill them from top 
  to bottom. It is unclear whether or not the zombie actually rec-
  ognizes what it has selected, as some just pick up any old thing 
  they find, even empty soda pop cans and broken computer tablets 
  and bits of machinery. However, they seem to be attracted to real 
  items that had value before the Wave, including paper money, 
  credit cards, wallets, purses, cell phones, and keys that have been 
  dropped on the street or which the zombie finds and takes from 
  a dead body.
  If the backpack you left behind a dumpster or next to a shrub 
  goes missing, and there is no other living person around, your 
  pack has just been requisitioned by a Shopper zombie! Shop-
  pers seem to zone in on backpacks, duffle bags, suitcases, sacks, 
  pillowcases, boxes and bags of all kinds and either dig through 
  
  109
  them, leaving items they don’t want strewn all around, or they 
  take them. Likewise, if a Shopper sees a person drop a gun or a 
  tool, or package, while the other zombies chase down the living 
  food source, the Shopper is likely to stop to pick up the item, be-
  fore it shuffles after the zombie horde chasing down living prey.
  Since many stores were looted early on after the Wave, and 
  many more have been picked over by scavenging survivors, 
  Shopper zombies may be another source for finding useful items. 
  Most objects in their bags, boxes and carts are random bits of 
  merchandise and items that may or may not work. Some Shop-
  per zombies seem to have an affinity toward a particular type of 
  item such as clothing, shoes, jewelry, tools/hardware, electronics, 
  computers, automotive parts or supplies, books, weapons, ammo, 
  medicine, music, food items, booze, and so on. The benefit is that 
  many Shopper zombies really do have items survivors need. The 
  trick is getting the item or items away from the Shopper zom-
  bie, and digging through the worthless trash (rags, filthy clothing, 
  empty bottles and containers, broken electronic devices, etc.) to 
  get to the good stuff. You never know what kind of hidden trea-
  sures a Shopper zombie might have stuffed in its cart or its stash 
  of items hidden away at its home.
  Yes, a Shopper Zombie always has a specific place it con-
  siders its “home.” These lairs may be an actual house not too 
  far away (within a 15 mile/24 km radius of its favorite shopping 
  area), or it may have a lair inside a nearby building under the 
  stairs, or in a basement or supply closet, or an office someplace, 
  or an actual apartment, or a garage, or storage facility, and so 
  on. Sometimes, the zombie establishes its treasure hoard inside 
  the mall or shopping center itself, but the location will be away 
  from the actual shopping areas, such as an office, restroom, util-
  ity closet, lunchroom, under the stairs, in the corner of a parking 
  structure and similar locations. Those Shopper zombies who have 
  chosen a specific building, office or house, come and go from that 
  location without ever getting lost.
  Some Shopper zombies are like hoarders who just toss their 
  new acquisitions onto an ever growing heap of junk and salvage 
  inside a particular room – moving to the next room when that one 
  gets filled up – while others put their newly acquired possessions 
  neatly on shelves and countertops, tables, or stacked in an orderly 
  fashion in a closet or along the walls in boxes. However, even 
  the neat and orderly Shopper zombies do not sort or classify their 
  collection of goods. The items are always a mishmash of things 
  all jumbled together. A gun or drill is mixed in with bottles of 
  water or soda and books and clothing; a few bottles of beer are 
  kept with jars of jam, a hubcap, some kitchen knives, a dozen cell 
  phones, a few baseball caps, and a box of nails and a screwdriver, 
  along with empty containers and a few women’s purses (some 
  items splattered in blood); or any combination of stuff from bat-
  teries to baseball bats, comic books, games and action figures.
  Shopper zombies have a benefit to survivors who are able to 
  gain access to their secret junk piles. Killing one at the shopping 
  mall or on the street may get you access to whatever it has in its 
  bags or shopping cart, but the real jackpot for survivors is when 
  they are able to track the strange Pattern Zombie to its lair. The 
  problem with this is that its “home” could be five, ten, fifteen 
  miles (8, 16 or 24 km) away! And following the Shopper zombie 
  unseen by other zombies as it travels up and down streets that 
  may be filled with other zombies at every turn, is tricky and dan-
  gerous business. It should be noted that Shopper zombies do not 
  
  110
  take a straight, direct route “home.” They wander the streets in 
  a long, twisting way home, picking up any odds and ends laying 
  in the road or on the sidewalk, perhaps even stopping at different 
  stores to pick up a few more items that strike its fancy.
  That’s the other weird thing about Shopper zombies, you 
  might think they would pile their cart or bags full with as much 
  as they can carry, go home, dump it off, and come back for more. 
  But, no. Shopper zombies only go shopping 1D4 times a week, 
  and only take a few items here, a few items there, before return-
  ing home with them. A cart may contain several dozen items (half 
  of them empty cans and other junk) or a half dozen. Likewise, 
  the items they may pick up on the street may be only one or two 
  here and there. It might pick up the extra ammo clip and leave the 
  gun where it lay and vice versa, or pick them both up, but leave 
  the backpack or rifle laying next to them untouched. That said, 
  Shopper zombies almost always grab anything they see the living 
  drop. It is almost as if the creature wants what someone else had.
  Shopper zombies might be the least aggressive zombies 
  around. They are much more easily distracted than regular zom-
  bies. The sight of a power tool, tablet computer, video game con-
  sole or backpack takes all of their attention, even more than the 
  opportunity to slay and feed upon a living human being. Survi-
  vors and Road Reapers have been known to walk briskly right 
  through a group of Shopper zombies, shrugging off any that try 
  to reach out for them as they brush by them. Of course, you must 
  still be cautious around Shoppers. They are still murderous zom-
  bies and you never know when hunger will override their inter-
  est in collecting junk. Worse, you never know when something 
  you are holding or carrying – including something as simple as a 
  backpack, canteen, baseball bat, hat, tool or weapon – will attract 
  the monster’s attention. If one wants what you have, it attacks and 
  will kill you to get it. Likewise, if one or more Shopper zombies 
  sense fear in a living person, they are likely to snap right out of 
  their shopping pattern, drop their merchandise, and pursue and 
  attack.
  To get at a Shopper zombie’s cart or bags, the zombie needs to 
  be taken down first. Shoppers do not usually drop the merchan-
  dise they’ve collected; it is too important to them. If they do, they 
  never travel more than 1,000 feet (305 m) away, and are not likely 
  to pursue the living who manage to get away from them. Unless, 
  of course, the person has something the creature wants. Once the 
  zombie has been disposed of, the living are able to root through 
  what it has collected. Most of the contents of a Shopper zombie’s 
  bag, box or cart are things that are useless now: dead electronics, 
  rotten food, bones, empty bottles and cans, soiled clothing, paper 
  products, CDs and DVDs, pieces of wood and metal, and so on. 
  But sometimes they pick up good, useful, even vital items to the 
  survival of the living – medicine, weapons, ammo, food, bottled 
  water, coffee, etc. Everyone feels better with a new blanket or 
  pair of shoes.
  Exactly what can be found that is still useful is left entirely to 
  the Game Master. The Dead Reign® RPG has a useful table for 
  100 random corpse searches (starts on page 142). Roll or select 
  2D4+1 times on that table if you like. Or you may use the random 
  table below, which is geared more towards common retail con-
  sumer products and household goods. Everything on this table is 
  considered to be in good condition, still in its original packag-
  ing, and should be useful to the living. Of course, the home of a 
  Shopper zombie will have much, much, more. However, anyone 
  caught taking items from inside the Shopper’s sanctum sends it 
  into a killing fury – double the number of attacks and +4 damage 
  to all attacks.
  Shopper Zombie’s Random Shopping Cart Table
  01% Hardware, Paint: Any, G.M. discretion as to the type 
  and color. Spray paint or cans of liquid paint. In the alternative, 
  it could be a number of painting supplies such as rollers, brushes, 
  tarps, tape, paint tray, scraper, spray canister, and so on.
  02% Hardware, Power Tool: Any, G.M. discretion. Could 
  be a chainsaw, polesaw/tree timmer (gas or electric powered), 
  circular saw, drill, nail-gun, dremel tools, air compressors, lawn 
  tools, etc.
  03% Hardware, Nuts and Bolts: Any, G.M. discretion. Any-
  thing from nails and screws, to nuts and bolts, etc.
  04% Hardware, Garden Tools: Any, G.M. discretion. May 
  include one or more rakes, shovels, hoes, hole/post diggers, hedge 
  clippers, hedge trimmers, pruning shears, hand shovel, hand axe, 
  sickle for cutting tall weeds, gloves, boots, metal garden stakes, 
  wooden stakes, mallet, hammer, bug spray, chicken wire, rebar, 
  wheelbarrow, lawn hose, weed killer, weed trimmer, tiki torches, 
  lamp oil, tarps, rope, wire, twine, etc.
  05% Hardware, Fencing: Any, G.M. discretion. Wood or 
  metal posts, chicken wire, cyclone fencing, privacy fencing, 
  wood for making fences, etc.
  06% Hardware, Building: Any, G.M. discretion. Concrete, 
  tar, plaster, joint compound, caulking, glues (all kinds), duct tape, 
  other tapes, PVC pipe and connectors, other pipe and plumbing 
  supplies, sledgehammer, crowbar, and other tools and equipment 
  related to building (hammer, nails, screws, etc.).
  07% Hardware, Cutters: Any, G.M. discretion. Scissors, 
  wire cutter, box cutter, bolt cutter, tree trimmer, knife (various 
  types and sizes), machete, axe (large), hatchet (small axe), sickle, 
  saw (various types), garden shears, etc.
  08% Hardware, Hand Tool: Any, G.M. discretion. 2D6 dif-
  ferent hand tools from screwdriver, pliers, hammer and wrench, 
  to clippers and saws.
  09% Hardware, Lighting: Any, G.M. discretion. Flashlights 
  (large or small), head lamp, clamp light, lantern (battery oper-
  ated), oil lantern, package of batteries (various), small generator, 
  electrical wire and supplies, lamp fixtures, outlets, lamp oil, ciga-
  rette lighters, matches, a box of lightbulbs, floodlight, flourescent 
  lightbulbs (long), electric lamp, etc.
  10% Hardware, Adhesives & Bonding Elements: Any, 
  G.M. discretion. Duct tape, electrical tape, box tape, caulking, 
  glues (many and various), spray adhesives, string, rope, wire, 
  chain, bunji cords, cable ties (various sizes), etc.
  11% Auto Supplies and Spare Parts: Any, G.M. discretion. 
  A car battery, spark plugs, brake pads, calipers, headlights, power 
  
  111
  inverter, carburetor, window wipers, car alarm, lights, stereo sys-
  tem, etc.
  12% Auto Supplies, Liquids: Any, G.M. discretion. Brake 
  fluid, motor oil, lubricants, fuel additives (decreases fuel con-
  sumption by 10% for 1D4 weeks, makes old gas work, etc.), 
  gasoline in a five gallon (19 liter) container, window wiper fluid, 
  cleaners/waxes, etc.
  13% Automotive Tools: Any, G.M. discretion. Jumper ca-
  bles, jack, crowbar, mallet, drill, wrench set, battery charger, 
  gauges, air compressor, etc., or could be anything (or lots of tools 
  for working on cars).
  14% Auto Supplies, Tires: Any, G.M. discretion. 1D4+1 
  tires for a car, SUV or pickup truck.
  15% Bicycle Parts: Any, G.M. discretion. A spare tire, wheel, 
  seat, mirror, handlebars, bike chain, lock, etc.
  16-17% Food, Canned: Any, G.M. discretion. Anything in a 
  can or jar, from jelly or pickles to canned sauces, soups, condi-
  ments, fruit, vegetables, tuna and meats, etc. In the alternative, it 
  could be pet food.
  18-19% Food, Dry Goods: Any, G.M. discretion. Breakfast 
  cereal, oatmeal, cookies, crackers, pretzels, chips, popcorn, nuts, 
  seeds, trail mix, packages of flour, wheat, rice and grains, cake 
  mix, dry pasta/noodles, sugar, salt, spices, dry pet food, etc.
  20% Candy: Any, G.M. discretion. Chocolates, licorice and 
  chew candy or gum to lollipops and other hard candy.
  21% Soda Pop: Any, G.M. discretion. May include or be 
  substituted with fruit juices, carbonated sparkling water, and fla-
  vored bottled water.
  22% Almond Milk: Any, G.M. discretion. Almond milk has 
  a long shelf-life of 2-3 months, and does not need to be refriger-
  ated until after it is opened. May be substituted with powdered 
  milk and other powdered drinks (Kool-Aid, etc.).
  23% Alcohol, Light: Any, G.M. discretion. 2D6 bottles or 
  cans or pack of beer or 2D4 bottles of wine.
  24% Alcohol, Hard Liquor: Any, G.M. discretion. 1D6 bot-
  tles of whiskey, bourbon, rum, tequila, etc., or a variety of liqour.
  25% Pharmaceuticals, Painkillers: Any, G.M. discretion. 
  Aspirin, ibuprofen and other pain relievers (+2 to save vs Pain, 
  +5% save vs Coma/Death), creams, heating patches, heating 
  pads, leg cramp medicine, etc.
  26% Pharmaceuticals, Antibiotics: Any, G.M. discretion. 
  Antibiotics, anti-bacterial cream, hand cleanser (+2 to save vs 
  Disease).
  27% Pharmaceuticals, Cold and Allergy Relief: Any, G.M. 
  discretion. May include a wide variety of antihistamines and other 
  allergy, cold and flu relief medicine, ear drops, nasal sprays, etc.
  28% Pharmaceuticals, Vision: Any, G.M. discretion. Eye-
  glasses (probably common reading glasses), contact lenses and 
  cleaners, eyepatch, eye drops/soothing solutions, sunglasses, etc.
  29% Pharmaceuticals, First Aid: Any, G.M. discretion. 
  Bandages (+1 save vs Disease), gauze, pads, tape, medical tape, 
  first aid kit, cleansers, peroxide, iodine, antacids, vitamins, food 
  supplements, power bars, etc., as well as vitamin and other over-
  the-counter and prescription medicines.
  30% Pharmaceuticals, Medical Supplies: Any, G.M. dis-
  cretion. Walkers, wheelchair, canes, braces, splints, neck brace, 
  leggings, heating pads, adult diapers and pads, bandages, tape, 
  plastic gloves, surgical masks, oxygen tanks, breathing appara-
  tus, thermometers, blood pressure reader, fluids (various), syring-
  es, and other supplies.
  31% Hygiene, Body Care and Cleansers: Any, G.M. discre-
  tion. Bars of soap, hand soap/body wash, shampoo, toothpaste, 
  wipes, deodorant/body spray, moisturizer, lotions, shaving ra-
  zors, electric shavers, shaving creams, gel, hair clippers, barber 
  scissors, hair pick, comb, brush, hair pins, hair ties, mirror, hair 
  blower, electric curlers, nail clippers, nailfiles, tweezers, trim-
  mers, toothbrush, etc.
  32% Hygiene, Other Cleansers (liquid and powder): Laun-
  dry detergent, dish soap, bleach, cleanser, wipes, sponges, brillo 
  pads, and other cleaners.
  33% Hygiene, Cleaning Equipment and Supplies: Mops, 
  buckets, pails, broom, dusters, dust pans, garbage cans, garbage 
  bags, various containers, etc.
  34% Hygiene, Equipment: Any, G.M. discretion. Mirror, 
  scissors, hair picks, nail clippers, file, exercise weights, etc.
  35-36% Containers/Storage/Carrying: Any, G.M. discre-
  tion. Buckets, barrels, baskets, plastic or glass jars, sealable bags 
  from sandwich-sized to lawn bags and larger, cloth bags, gro-
  cery bags, plastic containers/tubs/boxes, cardboard boxes, build-
  it-yourself shelving and carts, duffle bag, backpack, school bag, 
  luggage, etc.
  37% Smokes: Any, G.M. discretion. 2D6 packs of cigarettes 
  or cigars, or vapor cartridges. May be substituted with chewing 
  tobacco or nicotine lozenges, or marijuana.
  38-39% Bottled Water: Any, G.M. discretion. 2D6 gallon 
  jugs (3.7 liter) or a case of 24-36 bottles of 16 or 20 ounces (0.47 
  or 0.6 liter) bottles.
  40% Pet Supplies: Any, G.M. discretion. Leashes/collars, 
  chains, muzzles, cages, medicine, toys, beds, pet food and treats, 
  etc.
  41-42% Jewelry: Any, G.M. discretion. Could be one or 
  more rings, bracelets, necklaces/chains, pins, and earrings to 
  wristwatches and cufflinks.
  43% Money: Any amount, G.M. discretion. Cold hard cash in 
  paper and coin. May alternate with credit cards. All of it is cur-
  rently worthless in the Zombie Apocalypse.
  44% Car Keys: Any, G.M. discretion. 2D6 sets of car keys, 
  Now if you can only find the vehicle they go with. It is probably 
  back at the mall or shopping center. Good luck finding it. 01-06% 
  chance per each set of keys if the characters actually search for 
  the vehicle.
  45% Rope/Cords/Binding: A length of rope, cords, cables, 
  chains, string, spool of wire (any type), fishing line, cable ties, 
  etc.
  46% Wallet: Any, G.M. discretion. One or more men’s wal-
  lets or change purses, probably with money and credit cards in-
  side.
  
  112
  47-48% Woman’s Purse or Handbag: Any, G.M. discre-
  tion. One or more purses, probably with money, credit cards and 
  keys inside. Being a personal bag of some size, a purse may also 
  contain any or all of the following: makeup, comb, hair brush, 
  nail file, cell phone or table, pocket mirror, pocket LED flashlight 
  or key chain flashlight, 1D4 pens or markers, a small notepad, 
  wet wipes, chewing gum, antacid, breath mints, coughdrops or 
  some hard candy, one 8 ounce bottle of water, a few facial tis-
  sues or a handkerchief, hair tie/scrunchy, a whistle, a child’s toy, 
  a small spray can of mace and possibly even a small caliber re-
  volver or pistol!
  49% Shoes, Running/Athletic: Any, G.M. discretion. Male 
  or female, adult or children.
  50% Shoes, Work/Outdoor Boots: Any, G.M. discretion. 
  Male or female, adult or children.
  51% Shoes, Formal/Designer: Any, G.M. discretion. Not 
  much use for these in the Zombie Apocalypse.
  52% Apparel, Jacket or Coat: Any, G.M. discretion. Spring 
  or winter jacket or coats of various materials and style.
  53-54% Apparel, Men’s Casual: Any, G.M. discretion. 
  Men’s casual clothing from jeans to slacks, t-shirts, sweats, and 
  hoodies to button shirts and sleepwear of various materials and 
  style. May include or substitute hats and baseball caps.
  55-56% Apparel, Women’s Casual: Any, G.M. discretion. 
  Informal skirts, blouses, slacks, dresses, sleepwear, etc., of vari-
  ous materials and style.
  57% Apparel, Children: Any, G.M. discretion. Kid’s sizes 
  and clothing of various materials and style.
  58% Apparel, Formal/Designer: Any, G.M. discretion. 
  Suits and dress clothing, gowns, dresses, etc., for men or women. 
  Not much use for formal wear in the Zombie Apocalypse.
  59% Apparel, Utility/Environmental or Work Clothes: 
  Any, G.M. discretion. Specialized work clothes and gear, like 
  hazmat suit, snorkle or SCUBA gear, winter clothing, uniforms, 
  hard and related gear (gloves, scarves, hats, boots, jumpsuits, 
  lab coats, scrubs, aprons, gloves, hard hat, goggles, steel tipped 
  boots, for various types of work and conditions).
  60% Caffeinated Drinks/Coffee: Any, G.M. discretion. Cof-
  fee, tea, and energy drinks. Any beverage that provides a strong 
  enough caffeine high and is able to help one ignore fatigue and 
  sleep.
  61-62% Cooking Utensils: Any, G.M. discretion. Pots, pans, 
  knives and other utensils.
  63-64% Kitchenware/Cooking Small Appliances: Any, 
  G.M. discretion. Toaster, timer (with alarm), crock pot, micro-
  wave, bread maker, waffle maker, food slicer, knife sharpener, 
  blender, coffee maker, coffee grinder, roaster, ice-cream maker, 
  can opener, portable stove, hot plate, electric grill, water purifier, 
  water filters, vacuum sealer, etc.
  65% Housewares: Any, G.M. discretion. Mirrors, frames, 
  framed artwork, throw pillows (small and decorative), rugs, mats, 
  lamps, silverware, cutlery, dishes, bowls, glasses, chinaware, tea 
  pot, salt and pepper shakers, coffee grinder, coffee maker, oven 
  mitts, small containers, nicknacks, etc. Also see Kitchenware, 
  above, and Electronic Devices, below.
  66% Housewares, Large: Any, G.M. discretion. Small elec-
  tric appliances, like vacuums, clocks, alarm clock, mini-fridge, 
  water purifier, dehumidifier, food prep, etc. Also see Kitchen-
  ware and Electronic Devices.
  67% House Security: Any, G.M. discretion. Floodlights, 
  camera systems, motion detectors, timers, baby monitor, alarms, 
  PA system/speaker, locks, security door, etc.
  68% Desktop Computer: Any, G.M. discretion. Any style 
  of computer and related equipment such as monitor/flat screen, 
  printer, etc.
  69% Tablet/Ipad: Any, G.M. discretion.
  70% Monitor/Flat Screen: Any, G.M. discretion.
  71-72% Computer: Any, G.M. discretion. Computers and 
  basic computer related gear, bluetooth speaker, solar charger, 
  battery pack, UPS power supply, surge protector, USB cable and 
  other cables, hard drive and other computer components.
  73% Computer, Software and Games: Any, G.M. discre-
  tion. Programs and games.
  74% Video Camera/Digital Camera: Any, G.M. discretion. 
  From helmet cameras to handheld recorders, camcorders, digital 
  cameras, camera lenses, camera lights, tripod, and other goods.
  75% Electronic Devices: Any, G.M. discretion. Calculators, 
  optic systems, electronic toothbrush, hair dryer, hair curler, MP3-
  player, portable videogame device/player, radio, portable DVD 
  player, digital book reader, CDs, DVDs/Blu-Ray, thumb drive, a 
  flying drone, digital clock, battery charger, rechargeable batter-
  ies, automobile charger, LED light, LED flashlight, headlamp, 
  laser pointer, smoke detectors, battery powered lantern, head-
  phones, stereo speakers, stereo system, baby monitors, electric 
  fans, batter operated portable fan, and so on.
  76% Cell Phone/Smart Phone/Communications: Any, 
  G.M. discretion. Any type of cell phone, stereo system, walkie-
  talkie, CB or shortwave radio, etc.
  77% Toys, Games: Any, G.M. discretion. Electronic, com-
  puter, board, box, miniature games, card games, role-playing 
  games, puzzles, balls, etc. Useful for passing time and boosting 
  morale.
  78% Toys, Action Figures: Any, G.M. discretion. Action fig-
  ures, dolls, vehicles, building blocks of all varieties, etc., maybe 
  even a drone. If the “drone” is an inexpensive model or an actual 
  simple toy, similar to a remote control airplane or helicopter, it 
  can still be used by the Drone Master O.C.C. as a simple drone 
  or for parts.
  79% Hobby and Science: Any, G.M. discretion. Microscope, 
  magnifying glass, tool kits, hobby knives, vials/test tubes, bea-
  kers, jars, Petri dishes, burners, and related gear.
  80% Cleaning Supplies: Any, G.M. discretion. Laundry de-
  tergent, dish soap, bleach, disinfectant cleaners, etc.
  81% Sporting Goods: Any, G.M. discretion. Survival knife/
  axe (2D4 damage), 1D6 boxes of ammunition, 4D6+10 arrows, 
  a shotgun, a pistol, a rifle, camping supples, clothing, boots, and 
  just about anything you might find in a sporting goods store.
  
  113
  82% Sporting Goods, Outdoors: Any, G.M. discretion. 
  Hiking and camping supplies, sleeping bag, blanket, backpack, 
  tent, flares, cooking kit, boots, head gear, tent, compass, can-
  teen, bottled water, lighters, portable stove (propane), outdoors 
  cooking grill (propane), signal mirror, lighter, cigarette lighter, 
  box matches, fire-starter kit, charcoal, propane canister, portable 
  heater, pocket heater, electric socks, etc.
  83% Sporting Goods, Fishing and Boating: Any, G.M. 
  discretion. Poles, lines, hooks, sinkers, tackle, tackle box, fish/
  deboning knives, nets, wading boots, vest, hat, backpack, satchel, 
  rowboat, motorboat, outboard motor, canoe, kayak, inflatable 
  raft, life preserver, and related supplies.
  84% Sporting Goods, Climbing: Any, G.M. discretion. 
  Rope, spikes, clamps, mallet, boots, gloves, backpack, flashlight, 
  headlight, climbing boots, cleats, etc.
  85% Sporting Goods, Athletics: Any, G.M. discretion. Gear 
  for any sport, like as baseball bat, mitt, balls, baseball, basketball, 
  soccer ball, football, golf bal, golf clubs, hockey stick, skates, 
  shoes, hats, helmets, gloves, pads, and related gear, skis, snow-
  board, snowshoes, protective gear, jerseys, etc.
  86% Sporting Goods, Hunting: Any, G.M. discretion. Hunt-
  ing rifles, shotguns, archery (bows and arrows), survival knife, 
  skinning knives, hatchet, compass, gun scopes (all kinds: tele-
  scopic, infrared, passive nightvision, etc.), laser targeting, laser 
  distancer, nightvision goggles, game camera, snares, traps, blind, 
  tent, camouflage netting, camouflage fatigues, backpack, etc.
  87% Sporting Goods, Target Shooting: Any, G.M. discre-
  tion. Pistol, revolver, rifle, shotgun, archery (bows and arrows).
  88% Sewing/Fabric Materials and Tools: Any, G.M. dis-
  cretion. Bolts of fabric, yarn, thread, scissors, sewing machine, 
  sewing needles, knitting needles, zippers, buttons, etc.
  89% Writing/Office Supplies: Any, G.M. discretion. Pens, 
  markers, pencils, notebook, writing pads, staples, stapler, calcu-
  lator, thumb drive, etc.
  90% Arts & Crafts: Any, G.M. discretion. Pens, markers, 
  pencils, crayons, acrylic paint, watercolor, oil paint, spray paint, 
  calk, pastels, glue (all kinds), felt, canvas, paper of all kinds, 
  sketchbook, pads of paper, color paper, art board, posterboard, X-
  acto knives and blades, magnifying glass, paint kits, scissors, box 
  cutters, portfolio cases, tackle boxes, art books, patterns, paper, 
  wood cutters/chisels, wood burner, modeling clay, Styrofoam, 
  and so on.
  91% Batteries! Any, G.M. discretion. One or several pack-
  ages of batteries (varies with size), may even have one or two car 
  batteries.
  92-93% Fuel: Any, G.M. discretion. Fuel such as gasoline (in 
  any size container that seems appropriate), diesel, kerosene, pro-
  pane, cooking oil, lamp oil, cooking charcoal, propane tank, etc.
  94% Generator or Portable Heat: Any, G.M. discretion. If 
  a small to medium-sized, wheeled gas or propane generator, or 
  perhaps a cooking grill (charcoal or propane powered), it is likely 
  to be the only item or one of a few items the zombie has, due to 
  its size and bulk. In the alternative, portable heaters could include 
  kerosene, propane, or oil heater, electric heater, and similar.
  95% Books/Magazines: Any, G.M. discretion. Fiction, 
  graphic novels, and similar helps to pass the time, instruction 
  manuals, cookbooks, survival guides, hunting, and how-to books 
  can help people survive.
  96% Cosmetics: Any, G.M. discretion. Beauty makeup, lip-
  stick, lotions, creams, etc.
  97-98% Blankets: Any, G.M. discretion. Blankets, large and 
  small, comforters, quilts, etc.
  99% Linens and Bedding: Any, G.M. discretion. Bed sheets, 
  pillows, pillowcases, etc.
  00% Holiday Decorations: Any, G.M. discretion. Christmas 
  and Halloween string lights (all kinds), stockings, light-up dec-
  orations, tree ornaments, talking and light-up Halloween props 
  (talking skulls, spooky busts, statues, books, lanterns, etc., all 
  battery operated with close range motion detectors of 4-8 feet/1.2 
  to 2.4 depending on the prop). Any moving, talking, lit-up deco-
  ration/prop is ideal for creating distractions and even as an early 
  warning system.
  Shopper Zombie
  Alignment: Considered Miscreant.
  Attributes: I.Q. 1D4, M.E. 1D4, M.A. 1D6, P.S. 2x Strength 
  when alive (typically 2D6+16), P.P. 1D6+1, P.E. 1D6+20, 
  P.B. 2D4, Spd 1D4+6.
  Hit Points: P.E. attribute number, but all Main Body S.D.C. must 
  be depleted first before Hit Points can be affected. Note: See 
  S.D.C. by Location and Hit Points for more details.
  S.D.C. by Location:
  * Hands (2) – 1D6+4 each
  * Arms (2) – 1D8+6 each
  * Feet (2) – 1D6+4 each
  * Legs (2) – 2D6+6 each
  * Lower Jaw – 1D6+3
  ** Neck – 1D6+10
  ** Head – 2D6+14
  *** Main Body – 2D6+30
  Armor Rating: 13
  Horror Factor: 12
  P.P.E.: 1D4
  Natural Abilities: Standard, with some variation.
  See Life Energy (P.P.E.): 9,000 feet (2,743.2 m) at night 
  or in darkness.
  Sense Life Energy (P.P.E.): 25 feet (7.6 m) to sense 1-6 
  people, 50 feet (15.2 m) to sense a group of 7-24 people, and 
  100 feet (30.5 m) to sense a group of 25 or more people. Half 
  that range to sense animals. One quarter that range, 12.5 feet 
  (3.8 m), when a zombie is dormant.
  Recognize Human Scents (special): 60%. This also tells the 
  zombie that humans are nearby, or have been present recently.
  Track Humans by Scent (special): 13% chance, +10% if the 
  human is sweaty or hasn’t bathed in three or more days, +10% 
  to follow the scent of blood, +5% if there is more than one hu-
  man present in the same area, +5% to smell perfume, cologne 
  or aftershave. All bonuses are cumulative.
  
  114
  Smell Fear in Humans: Makes zombies more aggressive: 
  +1 on initiative and +1 to strike or disarm. If the level of fear 
  is fever pitched or five or more people are terrified, the zombie 
  is also +1 attack per melee round.
  Zombies Can See Without Eyes: The eyes glow with a red 
  light inside empty eye sockets.
  Keen Sense of Hearing: Can pinpoint the location of a 
  Zombie Moan after hearing it for only 30 seconds.
  Impervious to Most Everything: Only decapitation, de-
  stroying a zombie’s brain, and fire can kill a zombie. Does 
  not need to breathe, and survives underwater and in a vac-
  uum.
  S.D.C. and Hit Point Regeneration: 1D6+3 S.D.C. and 2 
  Hit Points are automatically restored every hour. Extra P.P.E. 
  may also restore S.D.C. and Hit Points at a rate of 1D6+2 
  S.D.C. and one Hit Point per extra P.P.E. point. See S.D.C. 
  and Hit Points for details.
  No Life Energy of Their Own: Zombies are cold, dark crea-
  tures without body heat or an aura. They cannot be seen by 
  infrared and thermal imaging optic systems. Rather, zombies 
  register the same as a piece of timber.
  Go Dormant: A stasis sleep that keeps zombies from de-
  caying. Walking dead hide when they go dormant and can be 
  waiting anywhere.
  People Slain by the Zombie Rise as One: Victims slain in a 
  zombie attack, their P.P.E. absorbed, rise as the walking dead 
  within 2D4+4 minutes after expiration.
  Skills of Note: Climb 35%/20% and Appraise Goods 25%.
  Attacks per Melee: Three, usually by biting and hitting with 
  fists.
  Damage (S.D.C./Hit Points):
  Bite: 2D6 damage (and a chance of infection if the wound 
  isn’t treated shortly after receiving it). P.S. damage bonus does 
  NOT apply to bite attacks.
  Head Butt: 2D4 damage + P.S. damage bonus (if any).
  Punch/Claw Attack: 1D6 damage + P.S. damage bonus (if 
  any).
  Power Punch: Not possible by Shoppers.
  Kick Attack: 2D4 damage + P.S. damage bonus (if any).
  Weapon: Rare, but sometimes a Shopper may use a melee 
  weapon or handheld object as a weapon to bludgeon/hit with.
  Ram with Shopping Cart: 1D4+3 damage + P.S. damage 
  bonus (if any).
  Note: Leap Kick, other kicks, body flip, and martial arts 
  attacks are NOT possible by Shoppers.
  Bonuses: +1 on initiative to snatch an object, +1 to strike; also 
  see Natural Abilities.
  Penalties: -3 on initiative when it comes to combat, and -7 on 
  Perception Rolls when it comes to hunting live prey, but +3 on 
  Perception Rolls to notice an object a human dropped.
  Vulnerabilities: Dumb, animalistic, easily tricked, slow moving, 
  can’t swim, poor climbers, head shots, decapitation and fire 
  kill, severe cold reduces speed. Fear of fire holds them at bay; 
  Horror Factor 16.
  Swimmer Zombie
  “Folks will tell you zombies don’t swim. I thought that too. I 
  was wrong.
  “There aren’t many, but there are some zombies that swim. 
  And swim pretty well. Well enough to drag you down underwater 
  to drown you or bite and chew you to pieces like a shark. They 
  can climb aboard boats and rafts, and maybe even make their 
  way onto tall ships. Further proof of what we all already knew, 
  no place is safe anymore. Be vigilant at all times. Wherever you 
  are.”
  – Brad Ashley, Leader of the Road Reapers
  Swimmers are zombies who stay to the water, rising out of 
  the murky depths to attack the living. Swimmers can be found 
  in shallow or deep water. They lurk in rivers, lakes and seas, as 
  well as ponds, city sewers, reservoirs, treatment plants, swim-
  ming pools, and bodies of water that are at least four feet (1.2 m) 
  deep. Around the coastline, Swimmers are most common near the 
  shore, along beaches, in and around docks and in shallow or deep 
  water. When they are found in the deep oceans, it is only because 
  they got washed out to sea by a storm or strong currents, or are 
  the risen dead from a ship or sunken vessel that was already out 
  to sea when its crew and passengers turned.
  Swimmers are waterlogged zombies with pale white or grey 
  complections, sunken eyes, blue or grey lips, and may be fully 
  clothed, wear some clothes, or be completely nude. Their flesh is 
  wrinkled and saggy from being in the water, and for those who 
  have been out at sea for weeks or months, they may have flesh 
  which seems to be hanging right off the bones. Recently dead 
  Swimmers may be bloated for several days until the gases inside 
  their bodies leak out. Others may be cloaked in seaweed, covered 
  in algae, or caked in oil, muck or mud. Worms and crustaceans 
  may live inside the zombies’ bodies, and some have bites taken 
  out of them, presumably from sharks and other ocean predators, 
  probably before they died.
  Swimmers are adept at fighting in the water, mainly because 
  they cannot themselves drown. They kill the living simply by 
  pulling them under the waves and holding them there until dead, 
  drowned. That is 1D4 minutes for the average human; 1D4+5 
  minutes for trained divers and naval specialists like Navy Seals. 
  Like Slouchers wandering the countryside without direction or 
  purpose, other than to prey upon the living, Swimmer zombies 
  float or swim aimlessly through the water. When a Swimmer hap-
  pens to reach shore or makes its way to a boat, it climbs out of the 
  water, looking for human prey. When it finds one, it either kills 
  him then and there on dry land, fighting tooth and claw, or, espe-
  cially when near water, it drags its victim, kicking and screaming 
  back into the water and drowns him. This makes Swimmers most 
  dangerous on water and along the water’s edge. When the zombie 
  has fed, it may look for more victims – zombies seem endlessly 
  hungry – or it may return to the water. For this zombie, the water 
  is its primary hunting ground and place to exist.
  
  115
  Groups of Swimmer zombies have been reported to circle 
  small boats, rafts and survivors in life preservers or clinging to 
  floating wreckage like sharks. Grabbing at the living and pulling 
  them under to drown or feed on them. Others may swim up, grab 
  hold of a leg or arm, and take bites out of it until kicked off or 
  pushed away. Of course, the Swimmer will keep coming back for 
  more until it is slain. Swimmers naturally gather in groups and 
  converge upon prey, just as they do on land, which can spell trou-
  ble for survivors lost at sea. Likewise, Swimmers are constantly 
  on the prowl, swimming along coastlines and hanging around in 
  the waters at docks and places where the living are known to visit. 
  At night, survivors near the docks or water may hear the Zombie 
  Moan from Swimmers gathering in the water below. The moan 
  attracting others in the water and on the land, as they wait for the 
  living to enter the water or until they, the Swimmer zombies, can 
  find their way to them onto dry land.
  Swimmer zombies can leave the water whenever they want to, 
  or feel the need to do so, usually in the pursuit of a human food 
  source. Most, however, return to the water within an hour or so, 
  and vacate perfectly sound water vessels after they have finished 
  off the last of the living onboard. Swimmer zombies out to sea are 
  not agile enough to scale netting or an anchor chain, so they are 
  unable to climb aboard most large, tall ships. However, fishing 
  boats, sailboats, pleasure cruisers/yachts, life rafts, and tenders 
  are a different story, and vulnerable to attacks from Swimmers. 
  Whatever unnatural force animates and enables all zombies to 
  stop or slow the decomposition of their bodies is also at work 
  among Swimmers. That said, zombies that prefer to stay in the 
  water decompose more rapidly, unless they are able to feed upon 
  human prey or large aquatic animals at least once a week.
  Zombie Swimmers feed not only on living people, they also 
  attack and kill aquatic animals. Crabs, lobsters, large fish, sharks, 
  stingrays, squids, octopus, tur-
  tles, sea birds, otters, seals, dol-
  phins – basically anything the 
  monsters can catch. Whales, 
  walrus and other large sea crea-
  tures are too big and powerful, 
  and though healthy dolphins 
  and porpoises are much too 
  fast to be caught, the animals’ 
  affinity toward humans some-
  times draws them within reach 
  of a floating Swimmer zombie. 
  Once the monster manages to 
  grab a fin, it hangs on, clawing 
  and biting at the dolphin until 
  the creature manages to shake 
  the zombie off or the zombie 
  manages to kill it.
  The monsters’ rotting bod-
  ies also make an attractive food 
  source for some fish, worms, and crustaceans, so even a floating 
  Swimmer may have fish picking at its skin or crabs living in-
  side its body. This is especially true of zombies that have become 
  particularly deteriorated. This ensures that the Swimmers have 
  “food” come to them, and are reasonably well-fed and strong, 
  snatching and eating fish that get too careless around them and 
  plucking crabs from their own bodies to feed upon. Note: The 
  bigger and more aggressive fish, sharks, and aquatic predators 
  and scavengers seem to instinctively know to stay away from 
  Swimmer Zombies in anything but the most fresh condition.
  Humans may fall victim to Swimmer zombies by mistaking 
  them to be a person lost at sea and in trouble. This is a com-
  mon mistake based on the fact that most people believe zombies 
  cannot swim; which is mostly true. Almost all zombies sink like 
  
  116
  rocks in the water. The only way they can move underwater is to 
  walk along the sea or lake floor. Fast-moving currents can carry 
  zombies away, but the monsters are not swimming, they are help-
  less victims until they hit a location in which they can climb out 
  of the water.
  Swimmer zombies are only fair swimmers. They are not par-
  ticularly agile or fast, they spend most of the time floating and 
  slowly swimming around on or near the surface of the water 
  and along the shoreline. They seldom swim more than 100 feet 
  (30.5 m) below the surface, but can survive depths all the way 
  to the ocean floor. Swimmer zombies do not have any sense of 
  direction or purpose, other than finding and feeding upon the 
  living, and mostly wait until the living, human or animal, come 
  to them. In shallow waters, Swimmers patiently wait at the bot-
  tom of rivers, lakes, and ponds or swim along the shore looking 
  for signs of life. Some may go dormant and let themselves sink 
  to the bottom or be carried away by the current. They snap to 
  attention when they hear sounds of boats or people, or sense the 
  presence of the living nearby. That is when they come up from 
  underneath a boat or swim up to shore to snatch and drag their 
  surprised victim under the water. Swimmers seem to know to 
  hold onto their victims, dragging them deeper into the water, 
  while biting them at the same time. There is no need to struggle 
  or fight with the living if the water kills them soon enough. Un-
  less there are other Swimmers or a mob of zombies on the lake 
  floor, the Swimmer gets to have the life energy released in death 
  all to itself.
  Swimmer Zombie
  Also Known As: The Drowning Zombie, Shark Zombie, and 
  Lake or Sea Zombie.
  Alignment: Considered Diabolic.
  Attributes: I.Q. 1D4, M.E. 1D6, M.A. 1D4, P.S. 2x Strength 
  when alive (typically 2D6+18), P.P. 1D6+4, P.E. 1D6+15, 
  P.B. 1D4, Spd 1D4+4 on land; 1D6+6 swimming in water.
  Hit Points: P.E. attribute number, but all Main Body S.D.C. must 
  be depleted first before Hit Points can be affected. Note: See 
  S.D.C. by Location and Hit Points for more details.
  S.D.C. by Location:
  * Hands (2) – 1D6+4 each
  * Arms (2) – 1D8+6 each
  * Feet (2) – 1D6+4 each
  * Legs (2) – 2D6+6 each
  * Lower Jaw – 1D6+3
  ** Neck – 1D6+10
  ** Head – 2D6+14
  *** Main Body – 3D6+20
  Armor Rating: 12; they tend to be softer from being in the water 
  so much.
  Horror Factor: 13
  P.P.E.: 1D4
  Natural Abilities:
  See Life Energy (P.P.E.): 9,000 feet (2,743.2 m) at night 
  or in darkness.
  Sense Life Energy (P.P.E.): 25 feet (7.6 m) to sense 1-6 
  people, 50 feet (15.2 m) to sense a group of 7-24 people, and 
  100 feet (30.5 m) to sense a group of 25 or more people. Nor-
  mal range to sense animals. One quarter that range, 6.2 feet 
  (1.9 m), when a zombie is dormant.
  Recognize Human or Sea Life by Scent (special): 63% on 
  land; 83% in the water. This also tells the zombie that humans 
  are nearby, or have been present recently.
  Track Humans or Sea Life by Scent (special): 8% chance 
  on land; 28% in the water, +10% if the victim is sweaty or 
  hasn’t bathed in three or more days, +10% to follow the scent 
  of blood, +5% if there is more than one victim present in the 
  same area, +5% to smell perfume, cologne, aftershave, or 
  strong natural pheromones. All bonuses are cumulative.
  Smell Fear in Humans and Sea Life (special): Makes zom-
  bies more aggressive: +1 on initiative and +1 to strike or dis-
  arm. If the level of fear is fever-pitched or five or more people 
  are terrified, the zombie is also +1 attack per melee round.
  Zombies Can See Without Eyes: The eyes glow with a red 
  light inside empty eye sockets.
  Keen Sense of Hearing: Can pinpoint the location of a 
  Zombie Moan after hearing it for only 30 seconds. Swimmers 
  still moan when underwater, and other Swimmer zombies can 
  tell the difference between a moan that is above or under the 
  water.
  Impervious to Most Everything: Only decapitation, de-
  stroying a zombie’s brain, and fire can kill a zombie. Does 
  not need to breathe, and survives underwater and in a vacuum.
  S.D.C. and Hit Point Regeneration: 1D6+3 S.D.C. and 2 
  Hit Points are automatically restored every hour. Extra P.P.E. 
  may also restore S.D.C. and Hit Points at a rate of 1D6+2 
  S.D.C. and one Hit Point per extra P.P.E. point. See S.D.C. 
  and Hit Points for details.
  No Life Energy of Their Own: Zombies are cold, dark crea-
  tures without body heat or an aura. They cannot be seen by 
  infrared and thermal imaging optic systems. Rather, zombies 
  register the same as a piece of timber.
  Go Dormant: A stasis sleep that keeps zombies from de-
  caying. Walking dead hide when they go dormant and can be 
  waiting anywhere. Drowned zombies will go dormant at the 
  bottom of deep, dark, bodies of water. They anchor themselves 
  to rocks, shipwrecks, or by burying their own feet in the muck.
  People Slain by the Zombie Rise as One: Victims slain in a 
  zombie attack, their P.P.E. absorbed, rise as the walking dead 
  within 2D4+4 minutes after expiration.
  Skills of Note: Climb 30%/15%, Swim 55%.
  Attacks per Melee: Three, usually by biting and tearing with 
  their bony fingers; one by holding someone underwater for a 
  full melee round (1D6 damage to Hit Points).
  Damage (S.D.C./Hit Points):
  Bite: 2D6 damage (and a chance of infection if the wound 
  isn’t treated shortly after receiving it). P.S. damage bonus does 
  NOT apply to bite attacks.
  Head Butt: 2D4 damage + P.S. damage bonus (if any).
  
  117
  Punch/Claw Attack: 1D6 damage + P.S. damage bonus (if 
  any).
  Power Punch: Not possible.
  Kick Attack: 2D4 damage + P.S. damage bonus (if any).
  Drown: 1D6 damage direct to Hit Points melee round (15 
  seconds).
  Weapon: Rare, but sometimes a Swimmer zombie may use 
  a melee weapon or handheld object as a weapon to slash, hit, 
  or stab with.
  Note: Leap Kick, other kicks, body flip, and martial arts 
  attacks are NOT possible by Swimmers.
  Bonuses: +2 initiative and +2 to strike when underwater or at-
  tacking from the water underwater/coming up from under-
  neath someone. No initiative bonus on dry land.
  Penalties: -7 on Perception Rolls.
  Vulnerabilities: Dumb, animalistic, easily tricked, slow moving 
  except when underwater, poor climbers, head shots, decapita-
  tion and fire kill, severe cold reduces speed. Fear of fire holds 
  them at bay; Horror Factor 16.
  Toxic Zombie
  “Sometimes there are dangers you can’t see or be entirely pre-
  pared for. One of them is Toxic Zombies. You know, the risen 
  dead who have wallowed around in a toxic spill or been irradi-
  ated by a nuclear power plant that’s gone into meltdown. They 
  carry poisons that can do more lasting damage than a scratch or a 
  bite. Stay clear of a zombie covered in slop or slime, or that has a 
  weird color to its skin and drools black goo. Odds are it is a Toxic 
  Zombie about to contaminate your life.”
  – Brad Ashley, Leader of the Road Reapers
  Toxics are zombies who have been exposed to and dowsed 
  in biological waste, chemicals or nuclear material that is poison-
  ous to a living person. Exposure to these Toxic zombies through 
  physical contact or being stuck in close proximity to them for 
  hours or days, is extremely hazardous to the health of humans. 
  Naturally, these zombies are not aware that their dead bodies 
  have become contaminated, lethal weapons carrying god only 
  knows what. Unaffected by such chemicals, poison, radiation or 
  disease-ridden sludge, the zombie behaves like any other Slouch-
  er, shambling along as it seeks living prey. It is their poison satu-
  rated bodies that give them that extra measure of lethality.
  There are different variations of Toxic Zombies when it comes 
  to their exact appearance and the poisons they carry. The only 
  real difference is how they ended up a Toxic Zombie and what 
  horrible mess they are carrying with them. Toxic zombies have 
  been known to be soaked in all kinds of putrid and deadly mate-
  rial: industrial waste, flammable and odorous chemicals, strange 
  virulent blisters and pustules, and invisible radioactive matter or 
  disease. When Toxic Zombies go dormant, their bodies continue 
  to emit the harmful materials, which can contaminate, warp, dis-
  color, and damage their surroundings.
  It depends on the material the Toxic Zombie is contaminated 
  with, but there is almost always some kind of indication to the 
  living (and player characters) that this zombie is toxic and more 
  dangerous to the living. One telltale sign of a Toxic Zombies is 
  its smell. Most Toxic Zombies have a strong chemical smell. 
  Another is they are never infested with bugs or worms. Another 
  sign is that other carrion eaters, including Cannibal zombies, dog 
  packs, rodents, and flies/magots, stay far away from them. The 
  flesh of a Toxic Zombie is so tainted, it kills anything that tries 
  to eat it. A fourth sign is the zombie’s skin may be an odd color 
  – black, or a sickly green, yellow, orange, etc. – and is likely to 
  have a strange appearance or texture: skin melted like a candle or 
  burned smooth, or covered in open blisters or boils, moist, slimy 
  skin and obvious hair loss. Lastly, in many cases, the skin and 
  clothing is covered and caked in some kind of oil, goop, slime, 
  sludge or crud.
  Toxics exhibit the same basic behavior and stats as a Sloucher. 
  It is their horrible deadly bodies that are the true killer. Not only 
  are they trying to kill and feed upon you, but just being near one 
  
  118
  can be lethal. Chances are, where there is one of these zombies, 
  there are more, as zombies tend to gather and travel in mobs. 
  Thus, if one of them slogs though chemical waste or nuclear 
  sludge, many others, if not all, are likely to have followed it 
  through the contamination. Power plants, water treatment facili-
  ties, factories, oil refineries, industrial zones, and military bases 
  are all locations the risen dead can become contaminated and 
  toxic. Sometimes they just wander through a pool of something 
  terrible and become so soaked with it, that it becomes a part of 
  them. The zombies cannot help but leak it from their mouths and 
  open wounds everywhere they go.
  Toxic Zombies do not deliberately spit or release deadly slime, 
  it just froths or drools from their mouth like a dog, contaminates 
  their bodies and blood, and covers their clothing. Anyone who 
  comes in contact with a Toxic Zombie’s drool, blood or flesh, 
  may become poisoned and sick. The toxin does additional dam-
  age when the zombie bites or claws someone, as well as when 
  people come in contact with the zombie’s skin and clothing from 
  a close quarters fight or grappling combat. Non-organic objects 
  are likely to be unharmed, but living animals and humans suffer 
  additional damage from the Toxic Zombie.
  Toxic Zombie Stats
  Alignment: Considered Diabolic.
  Attributes: I.Q. 1D4, M.E. 1D6, M.A. 1D4, P.S. 2x Strength 
  when alive (typically 2D6+18), P.P. 1D6+1, P.E. 1D6+15, 
  P.B. 1D6, Spd 1D4+6
  Hit Points: P.E. attribute number, but all Main Body S.D.C. must 
  be depleted first before Hit Points can be affected. Note: See 
  S.D.C. by Location and Hit Points for more details.
  S.D.C. by Location:
  * Hands (2) – 1D6+4 each
  * Arms (2) – 1D8+6 each
  * Feet (2) – 1D6+4 each
  * Legs (2) – 2D6+6 each
  * Lower Jaw – 1D6+3
  ** Neck – 1D6+10
  ** Head – 2D6+14
  *** Main Body – 3D6+30
  Armor Rating: 14
  Horror Factor: 14
  P.P.E.: 1D4
  Natural Abilities: Standard, as per the Sloucher zombie.
  See Life Energy (P.P.E.): 9,000 feet (2,743.2 m) at night 
  or in darkness.
  Sense Life Energy (P.P.E.): 25 feet (7.6 m) to sense 1-6 
  people, 50 feet (15.2 m) to sense a group of 7-24 people, and 
  100 feet (30.5 m) to sense a group of 25 or more people. Half 
  that range to sense animals. One quarter that range, 6.2 feet 
  (1.9 m), when a zombie is dormant.
  Recognize Human Scents: 83%. This also tells the zombie 
  that humans are nearby, or have been present recently.
  Track Humans by Scent: 18% chance, +10% if the human 
  is sweaty or hasn’t bathed in three or more days, +10% to fol-
  low the scent of blood, +5% if there is more than one human 
  present in the same area, +5% to smell perfume, cologne or 
  aftershave. All bonuses are cumulative.
  Smell Fear in Humans: Makes zombies more aggressive: 
  +1 on initiative and +1 to strike or disarm. If the level of fear 
  is fever-pitched or five or more people are terrified, the zombie 
  is also +1 attack per melee round.
  Zombies Can See Without Eyes: The eyes glow with a red 
  light inside empty eye sockets.
  Keen Sense of Hearing: Can pinpoint the location of a 
  Zombie Moan after hearing it for only 30 seconds.
  Impervious to Most Everything: Only decapitation, de-
  stroying a zombie’s brain, and fire can kill a zombie. Does 
  not need to breathe, and survives underwater and in a vacuum.
  S.D.C. and Hit Point Regeneration: 1D6+3 S.D.C. and 2 
  Hit Points are automatically restored every hour. Extra P.P.E. 
  may also restore S.D.C. and Hit Points at a rate of 1D6+2 
  S.D.C. and one Hit Point per extra P.P.E. point. See S.D.C. 
  and Hit Points for details.
  No Life Energy of Their Own: Zombies are cold, dark crea-
  tures without body heat or an aura. They cannot be seen by 
  infrared and thermal imaging optic systems. Rather, zombies 
  register the same as a piece of timber.
  Go Dormant: A stasis sleep that keeps zombies from de-
  caying. Walking dead hide when they go dormant and can be 
  waiting anywhere.
  People Slain by the Zombie Rise as One: Victims slain in a 
  zombie attack, their P.P.E. absorbed, rise as the walking dead 
  within 2D4+4 minutes after expiration.
  Skills of Note: Climb 35%/20%.
  Attacks per Melee: Three, usually by biting and hitting with fists. 
  Poisons its victims via breaking skin with a bite or scratch, 
  physical contact or close proximity without knowing it.
  Damage, Physical (S.D.C./Hit Points):
  Bite: 2D6 damage + toxic damage below and a greatly el-
  evated chance of infection if the wound isn’t treated shortly 
  after it is received. P.S. damage bonus does NOT apply to bite 
  attacks.
  Head Butt: 2D4+4 damage + P.S. damage bonus (if any).
  Punch/Claw Attack: 1D6+4 damage + P.S. damage bonus 
  (if any).
  Grab: 1D6 damage + P.S. damage bonus (if any).
  Bear Hug: 3D4 damage + P.S. damage bonus (if any).
  Power Punch: Not possible by Toxic Zombies.
  Kick Attack: 2D4+4 damage + P.S. damage bonus (if any).
  Weapon: Rare, but sometimes a Toxic may use a melee 
  weapon or handheld object as a weapon to bludgeon/hit with.
  Note: Leap Kick, other kicks, body flip, and martial arts at-
  tacks are NOT possible by Toxic Zombies.
  Damage, Toxic: The Lasting Effects of Poison: Victims who are 
  clawed or bitten by a Toxic Zombie, or subjected to a period 
  of exposure to one or more of them for 30 minutes or more, 
  suffer from lasting side effects, infection or illness. Roll on the 
  Save vs Disease/Poison Table below. This is the same table 
  
  119
  used by other toxic and diseased zombies like Dead Meat and 
  Sewer Crawler zombies described in the Dark Places source-
  book.
  Poison via a scratch/claw wound: 1D6 additional damage 
  and takes longer to completely heal.
  Poison via a bite attack: The contaminants in the monster’s 
  mouth are more dangerous, inflicting an additional 1D6+2 
  damage to the living who are bitten. A toxic bite also has a 
  greatly elevated chance of infection if the wound isn’t treated 
  shortly after it is received. See the tables below for details.
  Grappling with the zombie spreads the poison by touch: 
  Direct skin-to-skin contact or skin to contaminated clothing 
  contact does 1D4 damage to the living for every melee round 
  (15 seconds) he is in contact with the creature. Where contact 
  was made with the skin, a red itchy rash appears. If it becomes 
  infected (01-40% chance), the rash turns into an open sore. 
  Roll on the table found under Toxic Leakage, in the Disaster 
  section.
  Standing within 15 feet (4.6 m) of one or more Toxic Zom-
  bies for 30 minutes is enough to get the zombie’s poison in 
  your system. (Roll on the table found under Toxic Leakage, 
  in the Disaster section.) The exception being characters wear-
  ing sufficient protective gear such as a hazmat suit, gloves and 
  gas mask. Toxic Zombies emanate harmful chemicals or ma-
  terials, either from invisible radiation, in wispy smoke trails, 
  slime, goo, or chemicals (whether dry and crusty, or moist) 
  that have become part of its contaminated body and clothing.
  Toxic Zombies often smell like chemicals. The kind of foul 
  smell that gets into your head and sticks to your tongue. After 
  being around a Toxic Zombie for more than 15 minutes, ev-
  erything tastes and smells like it. The player character must 
  save vs lethal poison (14 or better) or lose 1D4 melee actions/
  attacks from a sudden bout of dizziness, coughing, nausea, 
  retching, and/or gasping for fresh air after exposure to the 
  zombie. Body armor is useless against this poisonous aura un-
  less it is a sealed environmental system with air filter or gas 
  mask or an independent oxygen supply.
  Bonuses: +2 to strike; also see Smell Fear in Humans.
  Penalties: -2 to initiative and -7 on Perception Rolls.
  Vulnerabilities: Dumb, animalistic, easily tricked, slow moving, 
  cannot swim, poor climbers, head shots, decapitation and fire 
  kill, severe cold reduces speed. Fear of fire holds them at bay; 
  Horror Factor 16. Note: Toxic Zombies are usually even more 
  combustible than regular zombies. Fire burns them hotter, de-
  stroying them at a faster rate, so Toxics take double damage 
  from fire.
  Save vs Illness/Disease/Poison Table
  When a character gets ill from close contact or a few minor 
  scratches, roll on the table found under Toxic Leakage, in the Di-
  saster section on page 51. The character must roll a 14 or higher 
  to save.
  A successful save means the character suffers the penalties 
  at half the severity listed under the symptoms for half the usual 
  period. There is no permanent damage and any wounds heal with 
  minimal scarring, unless stated otherwise. Note: P.E. attribute 
  bonuses apply to saving vs disease.
  Toxic Zombie Infection Table
  The following is the likelihood of infection occurring based 
  on how quickly and thoroughly a wound from a bite or deep claw 
  attack is cleaned and treated. Roll on the one that fits the situation 
  for the wounded character.
  01-15% Chance that infection occurs even when the wound is 
  treated promptly, thoroughly and properly, as well as kept clean 
  for that initial week.
  01-50% When the wound is initially treated, but care is not 
  continued or is poorly administered, or the wound is exposed to 
  unsanitary conditions afterward.
  01-70% When the wound is not cleaned well or is poorly 
  treated (no antiseptic or clean bandages) in the first place, or if the 
  bandages are changed but not as often as required, or bandages 
  are swapped out with torn pieces of cloth/rags rather than medical 
  bandages, or when changed under dirty conditions in the field.
  01-80% Chance for infection if the wound is not cleaned and 
  treated within the first hour of getting it, but is treated within 24 
  hours.
  01-90% Likelihood of infection if the wound is barely attend-
  ed to at all initially, or if cleaning and follow-up treatment after 
  the initial cleaning is not maintained daily.
  01-98% Infection is a near certainty when the wound is not 
  treated, or just bandaged and ignored.
  Infection Symptoms and Penalties Table
  Reprinted from the Dark Places™ sourcebook
  When a wound gets infected roll on the table below. Infec-
  tion may result from the bite or a deep claw attack from a Toxic 
  Zombie that draws blood, roll percentile dice for random deter-
  mination of the type and severity of the infection. Treating a 
  wound caused by a Toxic Zombie, Worm Meat or Sewer Crawler 
  Zombie quickly and thoroughly can avoid gruesome and life-
  threatening consequences. Thankfully, poisonous zombies are 
  quite uncommon, except at the location of toxic spills, chemical 
  contamination, sewers and other disaster areas.
  01-10% Mild Infection: The arm or area of the wound aches 
  and the wound has areas that look nasty and ooze pus. If not prop-
  erly treated in the next 48 hours it turns into a Severe Infection. 
  Proper treatment requires antibiotics, removal of the pus, thor-
  ough re-cleaning, new clean bandages and regular care and clean-
  ing as noted previously.
  11-30% Severe Infection: The wound is pus-filled and ter-
  rible looking, and the area around it is red, swollen, and hurts to 
  the touch. The victim has low fever that spikes several degrees 
  when the character exerts himself.
  Penalties: -1 on initiative, -2 on Perception Rolls, -1 on all 
  combat rolls, and -10% on the performance of any skill. Note: 
  Requires immediate and thorough treatment, and because it got 
  
  120
  so bad, it takes 1D6+7 additional days to get the infection under 
  control and the wound to start to heal properly. During that time, 
  all penalties remain in force. If left untreated or exposed to filth, 
  it worsens and turns into Severe Infection and Muscle Damage.
  31-45% Severe Infection and Muscle Damage: Same as Se-
  vere Infection, above, plus the wound has grown in size by 50% 
  and deeper, down into the muscle tissue. This results in a loss of 
  strength in that limb, and the entire limb aches, from fingers to 
  shoulder (or toes to hip).
  Penalties: -1 on initiative, -2 on Perception Rolls, -1 on all 
  combat rolls, and -10% on the performance of any skill, plus the 
  P.S. and P.P. (or P.S. and Spd if a foot or leg) of the infected limb 
  are reduced by half. If a hand or arm, adjust P.S., P.S. damage 
  bonuses and P.P. bonuses to strike, parry and dodge accordingly. 
  Furthermore, skills requiring aiming (reduce usual bonuses by 
  one quarter), or manual dexterity and/or hand or arm strength are 
  performed with a penalty of -20%; this includes most Electrical, 
  Mechanical, Medical, Physical, Rogue and Wilderness skills.
  If a foot or leg, adjust the P.S. and Spd accordingly – reduce 
  Spd by 25%, -2 to dodge, and skills that require leg strength, 
  surefootedness, or stealth, such as Climb, Prowl, Swimming and 
  Tailing, are -20%.
  Note: Requires immediate and thorough treatment, and be-
  cause it got so badly infected, it takes 2D4+10 additional days 
  to get the infection under control and the wound to start to heal 
  properly. During that time all penalties remain in force. If left 
  untreated or exposed to filth, it worsens and turns into Gangrene.
  46-60% Gangrene: The wound is ulcerated, parts of it look 
  as if it is rotting, it has grown to three times its original size, the 
  entire limb is red, swollen, feels hard and is painful to the touch. 
  The infection has spread into the blood and the character is fever-
  ish and feels weak.
  Penalties: -4 on initiative, -5 on Perception Rolls, reduce Spd 
  and all combat bonuses by half, including W.P. bonuses, and 
  -25% on the performance of any skill.
  If a hand or arm is gangrenous, the limb hangs limp and any 
  skills that require the use of that limb take great effort, twice 
  as long, and are performed with an additional penalty of -25% 
  (that’s a total skill penalty of -50%); this includes most Electri-
  cal, Mechanical, Medical, Physical, Rogue and Wilderness skills.
  If a foot or leg is gangrenous, the limb is numb, can bare-
  ly move, and the character walks with an obvious and painful 
  limp. Reduce Spd by 75%, -5 to dodge, and skills that require 
  leg strength, sure-footedness, or stealth, such as Climb, Prowl, 
  Swimming and Tailing, are -50%.
  Note: Requires immediate and thorough treatment, and be-
  cause it got so bad, it takes 3D4+12 additional days to get the 
  infection under control and the wound to start to heal properly. 
  During that time all penalties remain in force. Hospitalization and 
  bed rest during that time are strongly suggested! If the wound is 
  exposed to filth or is left untreated, it worsens in 1D4+1 days. 
  At that point, the limb must be amputated or the victim will die. 
  Amputation puts the character into a coma and the player must 
  roll to Save vs Coma and Death.
  61-80% Worm Rot: Same as Gangrene, above, with all the 
  same penalties, plus the wound is filled with maggots and other 
  insects that eat dead and dying flesh. The ulcerated parts of it look 
  as if it is rotting, the size of the wound spreads to four times its 
  original size, the entire limb turns a sickly greenish gray color, 
  and feels numb and cold to the touch. The infection has spread 
  into the blood and the character is feverish and feels weak.
  Penalties: -4 on initiative, -5 on Perception Rolls, reduce Spd 
  and all combat bonuses by half, including W.P. bonuses, reduce 
  P.B. and M.A. by 20%, and -35% on the performance of any skill.
  Same penalties for hand/arm and foot/leg infection as Gan-
  grene.
  Note: Requires immediate and thorough treatment, and be-
  cause it got so bad, it takes 3D6+12 additional days to get the 
  infection under control and the wound to start to heal properly. 
  During that time all penalties remain in force. Hospitalization and 
  bed rest during that time are strongly suggested! Even after the 
  wound heals it leaves ugly scarring; reduce P.B. by 10% when 
  the wound is visible. If the wound is exposed to filth or is left 
  untreated, it worsens in 1D4 days. At that point, the limb must be 
  amputated or the victim will die. Amputation puts the character 
  into a coma and the player must roll to Save vs Coma and Death 
  with a penalty of -10%.
  81-00% Zombie Rot: The wound closes and seems to heal, 
  but the flesh and muscle underneath the skin rots away to create a 
  pus-filled pocket four times larger than the wound’s original size. 
  Furthermore, the entire limb turns pale green and feels cold to the 
  touch, like that of a corpse. The character suffers from intermit-
  tent numbness and shooting pain in the infected limb, and from a 
  low, but constant fever.
  Penalties: -4 on initiative, -2 on Perception Rolls, reduce P.S., 
  P.E., and Spd attributes by 30%; adjust bonuses accordingly. 
  Also reduce S.D.C. by half, Hit Points by 20%, and -15% on the 
  performance of any skill. All penalties remain in effect until the 
  wound starts to heal. Left untreated it only gets worse and has 
  terrible consequences.
  Note: To heal requires the pus-filled mass to be lanced (cut 
  open) and then all the green pus squeezed out. This is incredibly 
  painful and inflicts 3D6+2 points of damage direct to Hit Points. 
  The wound must then be cleaned and treated as usual, with proper 
  follow-up care. Since it got so bad, it takes 2D4+10 additional 
  days to get the wound to heal properly. During that time all pen-
  alties remain in force, and Hit Points and S.D.C. lost to infection 
  do not heal until the infection is brought under control and the 
  wound starts to heal. Hospitalization and bed rest during that time 
  are strongly suggested! If the wound is exposed to filth or is left 
  untreated, it worsens in 1D4+1 days. At that point, the character 
  collapses into a coma and the player must roll to Save vs Coma 
  and Death. If the character survives, roll on the following table 
  for permanent side effects.
  01-10% Lucked out, no permanent damage.
  11-25% Emotional trauma, roll for one random Phobia and the 
  character is -1 to save vs Horror Factor and Insanity.
  26-40% Permanently reduce Spd attribute by 10%.
  
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  41-60% Permanently reduce P.B. attribute by 10%.
  61-75% Permanently reduce S.D.C. by 20%.
  76-90% Permanently reduce P.E. attribute by 10% and the 
  character is -2 to save vs infectious disease.
  91-00% Becomes a Half-Living! Provided the G.M. allows it. 
  If not, re-roll.
  Vandal Zombie
  A wandering horde of destructive zombies
  “The number of weird aberrations among zombies just keeps 
  growing. Vandals are one of the stranger ones. I don’t know, 
  maybe they are another type of Pattern Zombie that forms into 
  a street gang because in life, they once were members of a gang, 
  band or club. Don’t know if they have to have been street punks 
  either. My guess is that anyone who had a strong affiliation with a 
  particular organization may be wired to become a Vandal Pattern 
  Zombie. Maybe even groups like the police, military personnel 
  and school fraternities.
  “Whatever the reason, these zombies gather in a group that 
  sticks together, they don’t wander off – and are prone to acts of 
  violence and vandalism. If I thought this really was Hell on Earth, 
  and didn’t know zombies don’t have emotions, I would say their 
  violent outbursts were born in pain and rage. Vandal zombies 
  smash the crap out of cars, kick in fences, hammer and pound on 
  houses and buildings, and break whatever they come across. It is 
  one of the strangest displays I’ve ever seen.
  “What you need to remember most, is when you take on one 
  Vandal, you take on the entire gang of them. And they will chase 
  you down, surround you, and tear a house apart to get at you. I am 
  not kidding. And they don’t give up like Slouchers. They’ll wait 
  you out and make enough noise to drive you mad while doing it. 
  These monsters are very bad news.”
  – Brad Ashley, Leader of the Road Reapers
  Vandals are zombies who behave similar to roving street 
  gangs. They gather in tight groups of other Vandals, not the 
  loose, shambling groups of Slouchers that you see everywhere. 
  Moreover, they seem territorial, selecting an area that sees regular 
  visits from survivors, like relief centers, the areas around a hos-
  pital, police station, military bases, office buildings, apartment 
  buildings, downtown and urban areas. Vandal zombies patrol a 
  specific area as if they have claimed it to be their own. While 
  Vandals can be drawn away from their territory when hunting 
  or pursuing the living, they do not travel more than 2D6 blocks 
  from the streets and buildings they have adopted as their territory 
  or hunting ground.
  They have been nicknamed Vandals, because these zombies 
  go on senseless violence sprees where they break and smash 
  things. During such a spree of destruction, the Vandal zombies 
  smash out windows on buildings and vehicles, pound on the roofs 
  and hoods of cars, kick, stomp, throw, and hit garbage cans, mail-
  boxes, light posts, and telephone poles, as well as pick up debris 
  or rocks and either pound or scrape them along the side of walls, 
  fences and parked vehicles. Vandal zombies also break, stomp, 
  shatter and throw objects found in the streets or pulled out of 
  vehicles, stores, buildings, homes or dropped on the street. Any-
  thing from food stores to televisions, computers and cell phones 
  may be attacked during one of their destructive assaults. This is 
  not good for survivors of the apocalypse who scavenge to stay 
  alive.
  Such displays can last a few (1D6) minutes or go on for a 
  while (1D6x10 minutes). It usually starts when one Vandal zom-
  bie begins to smash or pound on things, and the others follow 
  suit. The ruckus and violence ends as abruptly as it starts, with 
  all of the vandals stopping within a melee round (15 seconds). 
  There is no group leader, so why they start or stop when one of 
  the zombies in their group does, is baffling. The Vandals’ noise 
  making often attract other zombies to the area to see what the 
  commotion is about. Which can turn a mostly deserted area into 
  Zombie Central with dozens (1D6x10) of additional zombies ar-
  riving at the source of the noise for every 10 minutes of calamity. 
  The newly arrived zombies get bored if they cannot see or sense 
  the living and slowly disperse, but they probably linger for 1D4 
  hours, longer if human life is within their sensing range. When all 
  the usual types of zombies give up and move away, the Vandal 
  zombies remain. They are much more aggressive and patient, and 
  may stay onsite 1D4 days if they think human prey is still present.
  The zombies stop vandalizing, making noise, and wrecking 
  things when prey is spotted. As soon as prey is visible they pur-
  sue and attack with focus and determination. If the prey manages 
  to elude them by going inside a building to hide, and the Vandal 
  zombies know it, they circle the structure like a hungry pack of 
  wolves and the vandalism begins again. If the monsters can get 
  inside, they roam the halls, enter rooms, tossing around furniture, 
  breaking and throw things, and dragging broken bottles, cans or 
  the legs of broken furniture across the floor or walls, making a 
  loud, ominous scratching and clunking sound. They may also tap 
  or pound on the walls and pipes.
  If the gang of Vandal zombies cannot get inside, they circle 
  the exterior of the building they believe contains their prey, again, 
  dragging sticks and junk across the wall, or tapping or pounding 
  on the walls, as they circle it. Some rush the door kicking it or 
  slamming into it with their bodies. In instances where trapped 
  prey is involved, the circling and noise may continue nonstop 
  until the Vandal zombies can no longer see or sense the living. 
  As long as the monsters can sense life, they continue the noise 
  assault without pause. This makes sleep impossible for humans, 
  and drives some people up the wall. Compelling them to make a 
  mad run to escape onto the street, where the Vandals and other 
  gathering zombies await. Indeed, the noise is so consistent and 
  unnerving that it can become maddening for some people, driv-
  ing them to try to escape the maddening noise and the increasing 
  number of zombies gathering outside.
  Such displays, even without the Zombie Moan, are known to 
  other aggressive and smart zombies, so the ruckus is likely to 
  attract Flesh Eaters, Fast Attack Zombies, Thinkers, Mock Zom-
  
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  bies, Armored Brutes, Impersonators and Kidnappers who also 
  begin to quietly search the area and/or building(s) around the one 
  surrounded by the Vandals.
  Holing up inside a building surrounded by circling Vandals, 
  with more Slouchers and other types of zombies joining the cir-
  cus outside, can lead to disaster, unless the hiding place is truly 
  secure and well hidden, or there is another method of escape. 
  And don’t forget, the smart zombies are more patient and may be 
  lurking nearby long after the Vandals, Slouchers and other dumb 
  zombies have left the scene.
  You never encounter one Vandal zombie. A typical pack 
  or gang of Vandal zombies has 4D6+12 members. The largest 
  Vandal gangs 1D6x10+30! An additional 3D6 (sometimes more) 
  zombies of other varieties may hang around or follow Vandals, 
  but they are not Vandals themselves. And as noted above, many 
  of those zombies are attracted to them because of the noise they 
  make. The dull-witted zombies come and go after awhile, or 
  leave when the noise stops, but the zombies who are smarter, or 
  instinctive hunters, may hang around on the outskirts of Vandal 
  territory, or visit from time to time because they know Vandals 
  select areas where prey seems plentiful and recognize Vandal 
  cues that indicate prey is near.
  The Vandal mob itself has no leadership or direction other 
  than the drive of each individual zombie to be a part of the group 
  and periodically smash things, break stuff, pound on things and 
  hunt as a group. They move together, they fight together, they 
  feed together. Their instinct simply tells them to be in a gang with 
  other Vandal zombies. Again, this is likely to be a glitch or aber-
  ration among zombies, or they may be another type of Pattern 
  Zombie. And like all the aberrant zombies in this sourcebook and 
  others, they are uncommon, compared to Slouchers, Crawlers, 
  and other common zombies.
  The Vandals’ greatest asset is their capacity to work together. 
  Vandals converge on barriers blocking their way, or a vehicle or 
  building if they know there are living people on the other side. 
  Banging, rocking it, and tearing at it until they finally take it apart 
  to reach their prey. When not on the hunt, they wander around, but 
  as a tight pack, randomly punching, pounding or kicking things, 
  until one of them keeps up the aggressive action and the rest join 
  in for a period of wanton aggression and destruction against in-
  animate objects. Oddly enough, they never attack or fight other 
  zombies, though they may push slow moving ones out of their 
  way, especially when on the hunt.
  Vandals are territorial, claiming and patrolling an area roughly 
  1D4 miles (1.6 to 6.4 km) in diameter. This territory could be ur-
  ban or rural, a strip of highway littered with vehicles, or a military 
  base. However, Vandals are almost always located in urban set-
  tings, particularly in a part of the city with tall buildings, down-
  town areas, and other locations that attract the living and keep 
  them coming back. As noted earlier, that includes neighborhoods 
  that have a hospital, police station, armory, relief center, stadium, 
  shopping malls, apartment buildings, tall office buildings, and 
  similar. Vandals do not intentionally mark their territory, but 
  seem to recognize places that attract and lure the living to them.
  Survivors familiar with Vandal zombies should be able to rec-
  ognize when they are in Vandal territory. Most, if not all of the 
  lower windows will be broken out – many upper windows too 
  if the zombies have gotten inside the building. Parked vehicles, 
  especially cars, are all banged up, scratched and smashed in, their 
  windows broken out, some overturned; fences are knocked down, 
  telephone poles gouged and splintered, and the sides of many 
  buildings, walls and posts covered in deep nicks and scratches 
  that run the length of the structure at arm’s height. And while 
  many places look this way since the dead rose, the violence is 
  extreme and some of the damage looks recent. An experienced 
  survivor can tell the difference between the initial chaos after the 
  dead rose, and new chaos. And living people, when they move 
  through an area, will take what valuables they find for themselves, 
  and maybe leave signs or paint to mark their passage. Vandals do 
  not steal or hoard, they just trash the place, smash and destroy.
  Vandals seem to be able to recognize things that are new, as 
  in new to that location and not banged up. Whenever they find 
  a new car, box, backpack, or a stash of food, or guns, or a safe 
  hiding place used by people, they smash and break those things, 
  making them useless. Many survivors or Road Reapers have left 
  their cars, packed with supplies, parked outside a building while 
  they went inside to scavenge or scope the place out, only to return 
  to find the vehicle dented, windows broken, and their possessions 
  strewn all over the street, many of them smashed, stomped and 
  broken. Worse, it means Vandal zombies are close by, waiting to 
  hear sounds of life.
  When a gang of Vandals are forced out of their territory, prob-
  ably via fire or other disaster, they seek a new territory. Some-
  times that’s a few blocks away, other times it is miles and miles 
  away. A gang of Vandals sometimes just pick up and leave for no 
  apparent reason, though it may have to do with the abundance of 
  prey and competition from other zombies.
  On the rare occasion that a pack of relocating Vandals hap-
  pens upon a Safe Haven or other type of survivor community, 
  havoc ensues. The community represents a grand opportunity 
  to attack the living and break a lot of new stuff. As noted ear-
  lier, Vandals are more organized and therefore more dangerous 
  than many zombies. They gang up on humans, attacking in tight 
  groups, kicking down doors and tearing down fences and barri-
  ers. Knowing they are in a community that is completely inhab-
  ited sends them attacking one home after another, and pound-
  ing on the walls all day and all night when survivors barricade 
  themselves inside. Unlike other zombies which might scatter 
  and wander off after 4D6 hours, Vandals wait people out for 
  days or weeks, especially if they can sense life. While waiting, 
  they tear at the weak spots and create new ones. They knock 
  down any external defenses they can manage to undermine, in-
  cluding fences, barbed wire, wooden walls, barricades, ladders 
  to turrets and guard towers, smash vehicles and wreck gardens 
  and houses as much as they can. They recognize technology 
  and electronic devices and things to vent their rage upon, and 
  will smash radios, cameras, keypads, lights, drones, knockover 
  and spill or puncture drums of fuel, propane, water, or food, and 
  
  123
  may trigger alarm systems. All of this may attract more zom-
  bies, raiders or other bad people.
  Vandals leave most other zombies alone, but they mess with 
  Shoppers and Pattern Zombies who have objects that could be 
  smashed, stomped or thrown. The Vandals attack the objects and 
  shopping carts or wagons, but that may get the Shopper or Pattern 
  Zombie pushing and fighting back to protect their stuff. Zombie 
  fights involve a lot of growling, barking, pushing, grappling, bit-
  ing and hitting. When one backs off, the other usually lets him 
  leave. Yes, even with his box, bag or cart of items.
  Vandal Zombie
  Alignment: Considered Diabolic.
  Attributes: I.Q. 1D4+2, M.E. 1D6, M.A. 1D4, P.S. 2x Strength 
  when alive (typically 2D6+18), P.P. 1D6+2, P.E. 1D6+15, 
  P.B. 2D4, Spd 1D4+6.
  Hit Points: P.E. attribute number, but all Main Body S.D.C. must 
  be depleted first before Hit Points can be affected. Note: See 
  S.D.C. by Location and Hit Points for more details.
  S.D.C. by Location:
  * Hands (2) – 1D6+4 each
  * Arms (2) – 1D8+6 each
  * Feet (2) – 1D6+4 each
  * Legs (2) – 2D6+6 each
  * Lower Jaw – 1D6+3
  ** Neck – 1D6+10
  ** Head – 2D6+14
  *** Main Body – 3D6+30
  Armor Rating: 14
  Horror Factor: 13 for just a 
  few, but 17 when in a mob of 
  forty or more.
  P.P.E.: 1D4
  Natural Abilities: Standard as 
  the Sloucher zombie.
  See Life Energy (P.P.E.): 
  9,000 feet (2,743.2 m) at night 
  or in darkness.
  Sense Life Energy (P.P.E.): 25 feet (7.6 m) to sense 1-6 
  people, 50 feet (15.2 m) to sense a group of 7-24 people, and 
  100 feet (30.5 m) to sense a group of 25 or more people. Half 
  that range to sense animals. One quarter that range, 6.2 feet 
  (1.9 m), when a zombie is dormant.
  Recognize Human Scents: 83%. This also tells the zombie 
  that humans are nearby, or have been present recently.
  Track Humans by Scent: 18% chance, +10% if the human 
  is sweaty or hasn’t bathed in three or more days, +10% to fol-
  low the scent of blood, +5% if there is more than one human 
  present in the same area, +5% to smell perfume, cologne or 
  aftershave. All bonuses are cumulative.
  Smell Fear in Humans: Makes zombies more aggressive; 
  Vandals even more so: +2 on initiative and +3 to strike or dis-
  arm. If the level of fear is fever-pitched or five or more people 
  are terrified, the zombie is also +1 attack per melee round.
  Zombies Can See Without Eyes: The eyes glow with a red 
  light inside empty eye sockets.
  Keen Sense of Hearing: Can pinpoint the location of a 
  Zombie Moan after hearing it for only 30 seconds.
  Impervious to Most Everything: Only decapitation, de-
  stroying a zombie’s brain, and fire can kill a zombie. Does 
  not need to breathe, and survives underwater and in a vacuum.
  S.D.C. and Hit Point Regeneration: 1D6+3 S.D.C. and 2 
  Hit Points are automatically restored every hour. Extra P.P.E. 
  may also restore S.D.C. and Hit Points at a rate of 1D6+2 
  
  124
  S.D.C. and one Hit Point per extra P.P.E. point. See S.D.C. 
  and Hit Points for details.
  No Life Energy of Their Own: Zombies are cold, dark crea-
  tures without body heat or an aura. They cannot be seen by 
  infrared and thermal imaging optic systems. Rather, zombies 
  register the same as a piece of timber.
  Go Dormant: A stasis sleep that keeps zombies from de-
  caying. Walking dead hide when they go dormant and can be 
  waiting anywhere.
  People Slain by the Zombie Rise as One: Victims slain in a 
  zombie attack, their P.P.E. absorbed, rise as the walking dead 
  within 2D4+4 minutes after expiration.
  Skills of Note: Climb 35%/20%.
  Attacks per Melee: Four, usually by biting and hitting with fists.
  Damage (S.D.C./Hit Points):
  Bite: 2D6 damage (and a chance of infection if the wound 
  isn’t treated shortly after receiving it). P.S. damage bonus does 
  NOT apply to bite attacks.
  Head Butt: 2D4 damage + P.S. damage bonus (if any).
  Punch/Claw Attack: 1D6 damage + P.S. damage bonus (if 
  any).
  Power Punch: Not possible by Vandals.
  Stomp Attack: 1D4 damage + half the usual P.S. damage 
  bonus (if any).
  Kick Attack: 2D4 damage + P.S. damage bonus (if any).
  Crush/Rip/Tear (special): Vandals are destructive and 
  kick, punch, and attack existing structures and tear at and 
  pull down barriers such as boarded up windows and doors, 
  barricades on the street, fences, wires and devices. These 
  are attacks on inanimate objects but each attack does 2D4 
  damage + P.S. damage bonus to barriers and inanimate ob-
  jects, double damage if they are using a club, rock or actual 
  melee weapon such as a club, hammer, axe, sword, shovel, 
  or crowbar. Vandals, like Seekers, know enough to pick up 
  and use available rocks, wooden boards or branches and 
  tools laying around to chop, stab or pry off objects, boards 
  and barriers.
  Weapon: Rare, most attack humans with flailing fists and 
  bite attacks. However, against objects, vehicles, windows, 
  walls and barriers, the zombies often use handheld objects 
  such as stones, wood, debris and actual tools and melee weap-
  ons. See Crush/Rip/Tear, above.
  Note: Leap Kick, other special kicks, body flip, and martial 
  arts attacks are NOT possible by Vandals.
  Bonuses: +3 to strike; also see Smell Fear in Humans.
  Penalties: -4 on Perception Rolls.
  Vulnerabilities: Dumb, animalistic, easily tricked, slow moving, 
  cannot swim, poor climbers, head shots, decapitation and fire 
  kill, severe cold reduces speed. Fear of fire holds them at bay; 
  fire has a Horror Factor 14 to Vandals.
  Survivors
  New Survivor O.C.C.s (Occupational Character Classes)
  By Taylor White and Kevin Siembieda
  Drone Master
  Federal Emergency Manager
  Free Spirit
  Naturalist
  One-Man-Army
  One-Percenter
  Zombie Prophet
  Note: These new Occupational Character Classes can be fun 
  to make available as player characters or for the Game Master to 
  use as NPCs (Non-Player Characters). Use them as you deem ap-
  propriate for your gaming group. Enjoy.
  Drone Master
  A post-Zombie Apocalypse O.C.C.
  Fighting zombies face-to-face in close combat is incredibly 
  dangerous, but it is the norm for survivors everywhere. The 
  Drone Master has an edge that he can extend to any group he is 
  associated with: robotic drones. Drones can be incredibly useful 
  in scouting ahead and observing zombies or keeping an eye on 
  Death Cultists and other groups. Most zombies do not even notice 
  small, flying drones, though that is not the case with the living. 
  Bad guys and oddballs will not appreciate being spied upon by 
  any means.
  The Drone Master has a comprehensive knowledge of drones, 
  their construction and the mechanics behind them. A knowledge 
  and interest in drones, robots and machines that often borders on 
  the obsession, but which gives him and his associates drones to 
  help them survive in the new world.
  (Time-Line Note: If your campaign is set in the original 2008 
  time period, drones and smart phones are new technology and 
  much less common and available than they are today. If set in our 
  current time period, tablets and smart phones are commonplace, 
  with drones becoming much more available on the commercial 
  market. Still, drones are not on every store shelf, and even store-
  bought drones are likely to require additional modifications and 
  jury-rigging for use as spy machines and weapons in the post-
  apocalyptic world of Dead Reign®.)
  The Drone Master constructs and operates small, simple, au-
  tomated robot systems. These drones can be ground or air units, 
  and most have sensor and optic systems, but some can be built 
  with simple weapons. The drone(s) is sent into the field to oper-
  ate in place of humans to scout or surveil an area, and can be sent 
  into locations too dangerous for flesh and blood people. Drones 
  
  125
  can spy on zombies or other humans, patrol specific routes and 
  locations, scout ahead, help defend fortified walls, stand guard, 
  and provide a bird’s eye view, or function as a weapon. Drones 
  can carry small packages of supplies, deliver messages, and dis-
  tract zombies with flashing lights, a siren, voices or music com-
  ing from it.
  On the other hand, most drones need an operator to direct and 
  fly them by remote control, as well as to monitor their video feed 
  and any other data transmissions. Drones are limited by a finite 
  power supply and weather. Flying drones experience difficulty in 
  heavy winds and strong storms. Reduce the drone’s own speed 
  and range, as well as its video and data transmission range by 
  half in rainstorms, heavy snowfalls, dust storms, and other haz-
  ardous conditions. Dust and sandstorms, blizzards, hurricanes, 
  tornadoes and ash from volcanic eruptions or from wildfires and 
  large urban fires are all likely to knock 
  the drone out of commission when dirt 
  or ash clogs its engine and causes it to 
  stall and conk out.
  Before the zombie apocalypse, 
  drones were used most by the military, 
  though some businesses were using 
  them in other capacities such as sur-
  veillance, security, construction, search 
  and rescue, photography, small pack-
  age delivery and police work. Drones 
  were also finding their way on the 
  commercial market mostly in the ca-
  pacity as adult hobby and recreational 
  use. At the time the Wave hit, 
  there were still questions over 
  the practicality of drones and 
  heavy controversy regarding 
  drones and privacy issues. 
  Now, in the world of Dead 
  Reign, drones are a rare but 
  welcomed addition to any sur-
  vivor camp or group of zombie 
  fighters.
  Airborne drones have a def-
  inite advantage over the zom-
  bies in the sense that they are 
  not noticed by them. Drones 
  moving across the ground may catch a zombie’s attention and 
  interest, but without a life signature, the walking dead generally 
  ignore them. Only smart zombies may follow a drone because it 
  realizes the machine represents trouble or that humans may soon 
  follow. Vandal zombies, which like to smash machines and de-
  vices, are the main threat to drones on the ground, as well as any 
  stationary camera or sensory equipment. Flying drones are swat-
  ted at and batted away only if they becomes an annoyance or an 
  obstacle to be climbed over, pushed aside, or attacked.
  The most common use of drones is for observation and 
  scouting. They can, however, be weaponized using conventional 
  
  126
  weapons (pistols, rifles, etc.) but drones are not really designed 
  for combat, have low S.D.C., and payloads are quite limited, es-
  pecially if the drone is small in size. Still, having an extra pair 
  of eyes and sensors, or a drone to scout ahead or keep an eye on 
  zombies or other enemies at two or more locations, can come in 
  extremely handy.
  Weaponized drones can be used as automated smart guns 
  that fire when activated by motion, sound, heat, or when a sen-
  sor or alarm is triggered, or remotely by someone watching via 
  video feed. A flying or ground mobile drone can also have weap-
  on systems that are fired via remote viewing by the operator or 
  by programs set to respond to certain triggers. A drone flyer can 
  hover or fly above a horde of undead and shoot at them or drop 
  explosives on top of them. However, most drones have difficulty 
  targeting the head to make a kill, so most attacks are likely to be 
  strafing runs that target the main body. Firing grenades, rockets 
  or bombs affects everything within its blast radius. Military ex-
  plosives, grenades, bombs and rockets are rare and difficult to 
  find. Dynamite and commercial explosives are also difficult to 
  find and acquire. Homemade bombs and Molotov cocktails, how-
  ever, are another matter.
  Drone Masters are able to make improvised explosives and 
  incendiary devices that can be dropped like bombs. The biggest 
  drawback, besides finding the right materials to make the bombs, 
  is the small payload of most drones. Even large drones are likely 
  to carry only 2-6 “bombs.” Presumably, the bigger the bomb, the 
  greater the damage, but the fewer that can be carried into the field.
  To use any type of explosive device, the drone must have a 
  delivery system. This could be incorporating the correspond-
  ing weapon into the drone, sometimes as simple as mounting 
  the weapon right onto the flying platform or ground drone and 
  connecting a mechanism to pull the trigger. If the weapon is a 
  simple gravity bomb, the drone must be able to launch or drop 
  the bomb(s). This could be a bomb bay door type arrangement 
  or a platform carried by the drone that holds the bomb(s) until it 
  is ready to release them, or a mechanical arm or claw that holds 
  the bomb(s) or a cluster of bombs. Hitting a moving target with a 
  gravity bomb is very difficult, especially if the target is fast mov-
  ing or a small, human-sized target (-3 to strike). However, attacks 
  on an area or specific building or a mob of slow moving zombies 
  is easy (+2 to strike). Likewise, big bombs will affect a larger 
  area, especially if the bombardment can be spread out rather than 
  all dropped at the same time on the same target or area.
  People are likely to see an attack coming from medium or 
  large-sized drones and take cover or attack, but zombies do not 
  realize anything until they fall under assault. Even then there is 
  not much zombies can do. Most try to move away or stand there 
  growling or howling and swatting at bullets or flying shrapnel 
  from an explosion. The smart ones and those zombies that fol-
  low them, may seek cover, go indoors and move to avoid a drone 
  attack.
  Of course, cultists and anyone who see a drone may attack it 
  for any number of reasons. Most people do not like the idea of 
  being observed or tailed by anyone, let alone a faceless machine 
  that could be operated by someone dangerous. They are likely to 
  attack any drone they encounter, or try to elude it. If they think 
  they are being surveilled by an enemy or a crazy person, they 
  definitely take action against the drone. Retro-Savages and other 
  survivors who have abandoned and rejected technology and the 
  old ways of doing things, or distrust technology, attack on sight. 
  Even among people not paranoid or distrustful of technology are 
  quick to attack any drones they see, even if it is some distance 
  away and may not have seen them. The automatic response of 
  most people to the unknown is to attack and kill it, or in the case 
  of a machine, like a drone, to destroy it. This is certainly true of 
  secretive cults and people up to no good. Only the most curious 
  and bold may consider trying to follow a drone. Others may dam-
  age or trap it off camera, without revealing themselves, and then 
  wait to see who comes looking for the device.
  The US government was well known for its use of drones, 
  so some survivors may draw the conclusion that a military or 
  government enclave is spying on them or lurking nearby. But in 
  this paranoid world, only the most naive and ignorant are going 
  to reveal themselves by jumping up and down, waving their arms 
  or holding up signs for help in the hope that the drone means res-
  cue. Unless a drone is cabled and has an incredibly short range, 
  people realized that the operator and owner of the drone could 
  be anyone, anywhere. A nearby rooftop to miles away inside a 
  government bunker or at a Safe Haven community.
  Drones are uncommon. The technology to build and repair 
  drones is specialized and uncommon, so is the knowledge and 
  skill to expertly operate them. That makes the Drone Master and 
  his drones extremely valuable resources. Drone Masters use a 
  lot of salvage and improvised designs and spare parts in their 
  creations. Sometimes leading to some clumsy and unattractive 
  bare bones designs. Armor is little more than metal sheets bolted, 
  soldered or duct taped to the casing. Weapon systems may be a 
  handgun or rifle mounted onto the drone or built into it. Drones 
  take a lot of man-hours to build, and the materials needed to make 
  them are limited resources that are difficult to track down. If a 
  drone goes down, its maker should have other drones ready to 
  take its place, but he is very likely to want to try to recover the 
  lost drone and salvage whatever he can. So should his teammates.
  As a result, Drone Master characters should expect to spend 
  a lot of time indoors, working on their simple robotic creations. 
  However, most Drone Warriors have a armchair warrior mental-
  ity and will want to be the one in the field operating “their baby.” 
  Which is not a bad idea, because nobody can remote pilot a drone 
  better than its maker. Flying and driving their creations is what 
  Drone Masters live to do! And because they have book and vid-
  eogame knowledge about combat and military operations, they 
  are confident they can handle whatever is out there. That means 
  their teammates need to be alert and ready to help out their nerdy, 
  mechanical whiz-kids, because they are likely to get in over their 
  heads and need to be protected or rescued.
  Many Drone Masters like to go out into the world to scrounge 
  for the materials and supplies they need to build new, bigger 
  and better drones. This too is a good idea, because they will see 
  
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  things, on the fly, that they can use or can use to improvise to 
  make up for parts and materials they are missing. They are kids 
  in a candy store whenever they find a well equipped and supplied 
  machine shop, hardware store, electronics store, factory or Re-
  search and Design facility.
  Character Note: Those of you who play a Drone Master 
  should keep in mind that this guy is a talented hobbyist or me-
  chanical engineer of some type, with an affinity for machines and 
  an obsession about drones, but he is a desk-jockey and/or couch 
  potato technician, NOT a jock or a soldier. Though good with his 
  hands and smart, he has no combat or military training.
  Most name their creations, with either technical-sounding 
  classifications (ZX-001 Flyer), or powerful, monstrous, and silly 
  names (Deathbringer, Dragon #5, Sweet Betty or Todd the Zom-
  bie Exterminator). Some Drone Masters get sentimental about 
  their drones, looking at them like a good friend, a member of the 
  family, or favorite pet, and may reuse a favorite name over and 
  over.
  O.C.C. Special Abilities:
  1. Drones to start with at Level One: 1D4+1 small drones, 
  1D4 medium, and one large are built and ready for action. See 
  how to build more and what features a drone can have, below.
  2. Drone Attacks per Melee: Equal to the actions/attacks per 
  melee round of its remote control operator. Two is standard if the 
  drone is automated and does not rely upon a controller to operate 
  it.
  3. Repair/Upgrade Drone Skill: The 60%+4% per level of 
  experience. A failed roll means the repairs either didn’t work or it 
  didn’t hold, or some other problem was discovered. This skill is 
  also used to upgrade the drone, but at -10%.
  4. Pilot/Control Drones Skill: The practiced skill in cali-
  brating and remote piloting drones of all kind, usually via radio 
  control/wireless transmission and guided by video and/or other 
  sensors built into the drone. Base Skill: 60% +4% per each ad-
  ditional level of experience; +10% bonus when piloting a drone 
  the character designed or built. A failed roll means the pilot has 
  momentarily lost control of the drone and it cannot fire. In bad 
  weather or when trying to take evasive action or perform a stunt, 
  the drone operator must make a successful piloting roll, often with 
  a penalty applied. A failed roll under that circumstance means the 
  evasive action or stunt has failed. A successful new roll brings it 
  back under control. Two consecutive failed rolls means the drone 
  is out of control and crashes. Contact is lost, but if it can be re-
  covered 1D6x10% of the drone is salvageable, including any re-
  corded video prior to the crash.
  5. Design and Make/Build a Drone from Scratch Skill: The 
  knowledge and ability to make, modify and repair robot drones. 
  Drone Masters make their creations using all kinds of body styl-
  ing, paint, decals, and spare parts. Some look very slick, others 
  may look sloppy and as if they are barely held together (which is 
  probably not the case). Time, circumstance, availability of mate-
  rials and the personality of the Drone Master dictates the final ap-
  pearance of the drone. Base Skill: 46% +4% per additional level 
  of experience to build a drone from scratch. +30% bonus when 
  building a drone from a kit, or making repairs to an already built 
  drone or a commercial/store-bought unit, or a type of drone he is 
  very familiar with.
  A failed roll means the robot does not function at all. Back to 
  the drawing board. It may need some tweaks (roll again after 1D4 
  days of going over the drone), or taken apart, the components 
  reexamined, rewired and rebuilt (roll again after 1D4+4 days of 
  work). Or used as parts in a different drone.
  Building Drones. Building drones is what the Drone Master 
  does, but it takes time, tools, the right materials and a place to 
  build them. If making drones is the majority of his responsibili-
  ties and time, he can build or repair damaged drones quickly, as 
  described below, based on size and components. If the character 
  is out in the field using his drones or adventuring, then his pro-
  ductivity is much less than what is discussed below.
  Size: It is up to the player and his Drone Master character how 
  large or small the drone is, but the small and medium sizes are 
  less demanding and faster to build. The character cannot break 
  the size boundaries listed below without a modern R&D facility 
  and/or machine shop, all the right materials and knowledgeable 
  helpers, such as engineers or other Drone Masters.
  Small ground or flying drone: Ranges from the size of a lunch-
  box to a microwave oven. It takes 2D4+1 days to build a familiar 
  design, or that + 2D6+5 additional days if it is a completely new 
  design. Note: In all instances, a “day’s work” means a full 8-10 
  hours of labor. Weapons and power supplies can add to the time 
  needed.
  Construction time includes the actual construction, tinkering, 
  tweaking, modification and field testing. It does NOT include the 
  time it took to acquire all the parts and find the tools and a place 
  to work. If the character goes out in the field a great deal, or is 
  running from zombies or bad guys most of the time, or has inad-
  equate tools and materials, the drone could take 50-200% longer 
  to build.
  As long as the character can find the parts and he has the time, 
  most Drone Masters have an additional 1D4+2 small drones in 
  various stages of completion. When tools, materials, time and 
  a workplace are available, most the Drone Masters spend time 
  working as much as possible to build a small arsenal of drones of 
  various sizes and purpose. Note: Half the time, above, to build an 
  existing store-bought, build-it yourself “kit.” Only 2D6 minutes 
  to have a pre-built drone out of the package and ready for action.
  Medium-size ground or flying drone: Size can range from 
  that of a carry-on suitcase to a trunk or an easy chair. It takes 
  1D4 weeks to build a familiar design, or that + 1D4+2 additional 
  weeks if it is a completely new design. Construction time in-
  cludes the actual construction, tinkering, tweaking, modification 
  and field testing. Without the time, right tools, parts, materials 
  and place to work, it could take 50-200% longer to build.
  Large ground or flying drone: Size can range from that of a 
  small desk to a sofa or compact car. It takes 2D4 weeks to build 
  a familiar design, or that time + 2D4+4 additional weeks if it is 
  
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  a completely new design. Construction time includes the actual 
  construction, tinkering, tweaking, modification and field testing. 
  Without the time, right tools, parts, materials and a place to work, 
  it could take 50-200% longer to build.
  Drone Construction Tables
  When a Drone Master creates a drone from scratch, use the 
  following tables. Roll the appropriate dice per each table or pick 
  one from each category. With G.M. approval, the character can 
  add more than two of the Sensor/Optics features.
  Maximum altitude for drones: Small: 1,200 feet (366 m). 
  Medium: 2,400 feet (732 m). Large: 5,000 feet (1524 m).
  Speed is dictated by, b) Method of Movement and Speed table, 
  below.
  a) Power Source: Roll 1D4 for random determination or pick 
  one.
  1. Gas engine: Can run for two continuous hours. The engine 
  has 20 S.D.C. and you can hear the engine when it is running.
  2. Solar power: Can run non-stop in the sun, 60 minutes on 
  an overcast day, or 30 minutes in darkness before needing a 
  recharge. Includes battery (7 S.D.C.) and solar panel array (10 
  S.D.C.). Engine runs quiet. Adds 10% to the days needed to build 
  the drone.
  3. Rechargable electric battery that uses a wall outlet or USB 
  port: The drone can run for three continuous hours before need-
  ing a recharge. Full recharge takes 1D4 hours plugged into either 
  a 3-prong or USB outlet. Includes battery (12 S.D.C.) and cable 
  (5 S.D.C.). Engine runs quiet. Adds 5% to the days needed to 
  build the drone.
  4. Disposable batteries: Can run for a total time of 2D6+18 
  hours before needing new batteries. Engine runs quiet.
  b) Method of Movement and Speed: Roll 1D6 for random 
  determination or pick one.
  1. Wheels: Inflated or solid rubber wheels (small, 4 S.D.C. 
  each, medium 8 S.D.C., large 11 S.D.C. each). Speed: Small: 5 
  mph (8 km). Medium: 20 mph (32 km). Large: 40 mph (64 km). 
  Reduce speed by half when driving off road on grass, gravel, or 
  over debris. Cannot climb stairs or maneuver over pieces of de-
  bris half as large as the drone. More than 5 wheels provides a 
  +10% bonus to Pilot Drone skill.
  2. Tracks/Treads: These are treads like those used on construc-
  tion vehicles and tanks, but miniaturized for drones. More rare 
  and valuable than wheels. Small Treads: 18 S.D.C. each. Me-
  dium: 30 S.D.C. Large: 50 S.D.C. each. Speed: Small Drone is 
  10 mph (16 km). 20 mph (32 km) for medium or large drones. 
  Cannot climb stairs, but can maneuver off-road on grass, gravel 
  and even climb over pieces of debris half as large as the drone. 
  +5% bonus to Pilot Drone skill. Treads add to the days needed to 
  build the drone by 10%.
  3. Helicopter-Style Flyer: Spinning blades atop a rotor. Blades 
  on a small drone (10 S.D.C.), medium (20 S.D.C.), large (40 
  S.D.C.). Speed: Small: 20 mph (32 km; maximum). Medium and 
  large: (50 mph/80 km). Note: Heavy armor reduces speed by 
  25%. Adds to the days needed to build the drone by 10%
  4. Airplane Propeller-Style Flyer: The drone looks like an air-
  craft with wings and propellers that carry it into the sky. Propel-
  lers of a small drone (10 S.D.C.), medium (25 S.D.C.) and large 
  (60 S.D.C.). Speed: Small: 40 mph (64 km). Medium and large: 
  150 mph (240 km). Note: Medium armor reduces speed by 10%; 
  heavy armor reduces speed by 30%. Building planes from scratch 
  is tricky business, so the Build Drone skill suffers a -10% penalty 
  when building one from scratch. Adds to the days needed to build 
  the drone by 10%
  5. Stationary Drone: The drone is on a tripod or mounted on a 
  wall, post, pole, piece of debris, or vehicle that isn’t working. The 
  tri-pod or mounting has 15 S.D.C.
  6. Walker: The Drone has 4-12 legs and literally walks or 
  scurries around. The legs of a small drone (5 S.D.C. each), me-
  dium (12 S.D.C. each), or large (20 S.D.C. each). Speed: Small: 
  3 mph (4.8 km). Medium: 5 mph (8 km), and large: 10 mph (16 
  km). Note: Heavy armor reduces speed by 10%. Ground move-
  ment is excellent even when walking over grass, rubble, debris 
  or dead bodies, and can climb stairs (half speed). This provides a 
  +10% bonus to the Pilot Drone skill. Adds to the days needed to 
  build the drone by 10%
  c) Controls: Roll 1D6 for random determination or pick one.
  1. Wired or None: The drone is attached to a cable. Range: 
  Length of the cable. Or, the drone has no controller at all. It is 
  turned on and turned off manually and may not go anywhere 
  (stationary) or travels straight ahead until it hits an obstacle. 
  Get one extra Sensor/Optics or Armor because of this limita-
  tion.
  2, 3 and 4. Radio Controlled: The drone is a wireless, remote 
  operated device piloted from a console or handheld controller by 
  the Drone Master or other designated operator. Range: 10 miles 
  (16 km); half in foul, stormy weather.
  5. Automated: The drone stays activated all of the time, and 
  acts totally independent of a human controller. Can still be shut 
  off and turned on by hand or remotely.
  6. Voice Controlled: The drone responds to voice commands 
  and codes. Advanced units may be programmed to recognize 
  and respond only to its creator or a designated operator! Voice 
  commands may be received by the drone via the spoken word or 
  transmitted via radio and other audio systems.
  d) Sensors/Optics: Sensors and optics are usually included to 
  enable the drone’s operator to see what the drone sees (forward 
  facing), and to provide additional optic capabilities and informa-
  tion, such as movement, temperature, etc. A drone’s weapon sys-
  tem (if any) may be activated to fire via a motion, heat, infrared, 
  audio or visual signal/sensor rather than by the operator. The in-
  formation is usually transmitted via radio signals.
  Roll 1D6 twice for random determination of sensors/optics or 
  pick two.
  
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  Any or all of these items can be built into a drone, but most 
  only have two or three. Each EXTRA (beyond two) requires an 
  extra 1D4 days to install and must first be located and acquired.
  1. Motion: The drone detects movements of items from the 
  size of a rat to a zombie, to bigger. Range: 100 feet (30.5 m). 
  The best drones detect motion all around it, not just in a forward 
  facing, 45 degree arc. The operator sees the motion as blips or 
  moving lights on a graphic display. Camera and motion are an 
  excellent combination.
  2. Heat: The drone and its operator “sees” heat signatures and 
  images via thermal optics or infrared optics and sensor systems. 
  A heat sensitive system only registers zombies 10% of the time 
  because since they are dead, they do not radiate heat. Their body 
  temp is room temperature, making them invisible to thermal 
  optics and sensor systems. However, thermal imaging systems 
  detect and display animals, people, fires, and warm engines and 
  most electronic devices and machinery. If it radiates heat and is 
  bigger than a mouse, it picks up the signature. Heat-based sen-
  sor systems are also likely measure air temperature. Range: 300 
  feet/91.5 km.
  3. Passive Nightvision: The drone and its operator “sees” via 
  passive nightvision optic system that amplifies starlight and other 
  ambient light sources. Tiny snippers, grabbers, shovels, saws, 
  thermometers are built-in to take samples of objects and sub-
  stances where it would be dangerous or inconvenient for a living 
  person.
  4. Video Camera with Audio System: The drone and its opera-
  tor “sees” and hears via a video-camera system with at least basic 
  zoom features equal to a cellphone. Video streams to the operator 
  live and can be recorded whenever he wants or automatically re-
  corded and saved (4 hours of memory in the drone itself).
  5. Audio Amplification System: A microphone and audio en-
  hancements that can pick up and amplify quiet sounds and re-
  cords what it picks up on tape, disk, or hard drive or send it to a 
  remote display. Audio systems can be used to make a weapon fire 
  in response to a loud noise or a specific sound, like a zombie’s 
  moan.
  6. Onboard Computer and Targeting: The drone has an on-
  board computer and programs that can help it travel on course, 
  locate and identify targets, and fire weapons via a computerized 
  targeting system (+1 to strike). The laser can also measure dis-
  tances the computer can record and record its path of travel and 
  link/use the various sensors. The data is stored on the computer 
  and sent back via radio or wireless capabilities. A computerized 
  drone offers a +10% piloting bonus because it self-corrects its 
  speed, trajectory and movement, and is +1 to dodge.
  e) Armor: Roll 2D4 for random determination or pick one.
  1 or 2. None: Light, flimsy building materials. A.R. 7, 2D6+6 
  S.D.C., but gets one more sensor.
  3. Vital Components: Only the power source, engine, or sen-
  sor is armored. A.R. 10 and 15 S.D.C. each.
  4. Plastic Body: A.R. 8, 30 S.D.C.
  5. Wood and Plastic Body: A.R. 9. 50 S.D.C.
  6. Wood Body: A.R. 10, 70 S.D.C.
  7. Light Metal Body: A.R. 12, 90 S.D.C.
  8. Strong Metal Body: A.R. 14, 120 S.D.C.
  Note: Reduce S.D.C. by 20% for small drones, increase by 
  50% for large drones.
  f) Weapons: Roll 1D6 for random determination or pick one.
  1. Flame-Thrower: 6D6+6 damage, range: 30 feet (9.1 m). 
  Only suitable for medium and large drones. Medium has enough 
  flame-thrower fuel for three blasts; large drone has enough for six 
  blasts. Add 1D6+4 days to the time necessary to build the drone.
  2. Mounted Gun, Light: In all cases, range and damage is as 
  per the type of gun and the size of the drone.
  Payload: Small Drone: 6-12 rounds of ammunition; a revolver 
  or pistol. Average range is 135 feet (41 m). Add 1D6+2 days to 
  build the drone.
  Medium Drone: 6-30 rounds of ammunition; a revolver, pis-
  tol or submachine-gun. Average range is 135 feet (41 m). Add 
  1D6+2 days to build the drone.
  Large Drone: 40-80 rounds of ammunition; a submachine-
  gun, rifle, hunting rifle, semi-automatic rifle, or shotgun. Range 
  varies with weapon type. Add 1D6+4 days to build the drone.
  3. Heavy Weapon/Military: Suitable only for medium and 
  large drones. A fully automatic assault rifle capable of firing 
  bursts, grenade launcher or light or medium machine-gun. 
  Such weapons are military-grade and are not very common, 
  especially grenade launchers and machine-guns. Range and 
  damage as per the weapon used, varies. Add two weeks to 
  build the drone.
  4. Launched Bomb/Rocket: Can launch or drop two small 
  rockets or bombs (6D6 damage each) on a medium drone, six 
  on a large drone. Two large rockets or bombs (1D6x10 damage 
  each) on a large drone. Blast radius is 4 feet (1.2 m). Firing range/
  distance to shoot accurately is 200 feet (61 m). -1 to strike for 
  each additional 50 feet (15.2 m). Add two weeks to build the 
  drone.
  5. Improvised Explosive Device (IED): If the robot is a sui-
  cide drone, meaning the bomb detonates either upon a kamikaze 
  strike/impact (flies or walks into the target) by the drone or blows 
  up upon reaching a specific location. In both cases, the drone is 
  blown to pieces; no salvage.
  If the drone can “drop” gravity bombs it needs cargo and car-
  rying capabilities. See g), below, for details.
  IEDs and Damage: Such an explosive is only possible if the 
  character has access to the right chemicals and materials to make 
  them. G.M. discretion.
  Small IED the size of a 16 ounce (0.47 liter) bottle of water 
  does 1D4x10 damage to a four foot (1.2 m) radius. It takes 1D4 
  days to build each small IED. A small drone can only carry one 
  or two of these, a medium drone four of them, a large drone, 6-8.
  Medium IED the size of a gallon (3.78 liters) of milk does 
  2D4x10 damage to a 12 foot (3.6 m) radius. Add and 1D4+2 
  days to build each meidum IED. A small drone: None. A medium 
  drone can carry one or two. A large drone 2-6.
  
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  Large IED the size of a microwave oven or carry-on suitcase 
  to a 30 gallon (113 liter) drum, inflicts 4D6x10 damage to a 25 
  foot (7.6 m) radius. Add 1D6+4 days to build each large IED. A 
  small drone: None. A medium drone can carry one but reduce 
  its speed and altitude by 50% and -20% penalty to pilot/control 
  drone skill. A large drone can carry one without penalty, or two 
  with its speed and altitude reduced by 50% and -30% penalty to 
  pilot/control drone skill.
  6. Power Tool: A chainsaw (3D6 damage), spinning blade 
  (2D6 damage), hammering/stabbing spike (2D6 damage and 
  treats A.R. as -2), or punching piston (2D4 damage plus possible 
  knockdown). Damage is as per each melee attack. Reduce speed 
  by 20% and add one week to the construction time needed to 
  build the drone.
  g) Cargo and Carrying Capability: This is the ability to 
  have a cargo load (light part, supplies, medicine, bombs, etc.) 
  carried and dropped off by the drone.
  Roll 1D6 for random determination or pick one.
  1. Net: The cargo/package(s) is held in a net suspended under 
  a flying drone, or pulled behind a ground drone. To deliver or 
  drop the cargo, one end of the net is released and the package(s) 
  tumbles out, or the recipient may remove the package(s) by hand.
  2 and 3. Platform and Cables: Cargo is placed on a flat plat-
  form suspended under a flying drone, or pulled behind a ground 
  drone, by cables. In the latter case, the “platform” may have 
  wheels and function like a hitched wagon. To deliver or drop the 
  cargo, the cables are released, or the recipient may remove the 
  package(s) by hand.
  4. Cargo Bay: There is either a compartment built into the 
  drone or attached to the belly of the drone. In either case, the bot-
  tom of the cargo bay opens to receive and drop cargo.
  5. Claw/Clamp: A large robotic claw holds the item being 
  transported or a larger container holding one or more objects in-
  side of it. The claw is suspended on a hydraulic cable that can 
  be lowered and raised. To release or drop the item/container, the 
  claw opens.
  6. Hardpoints: Cargo or cargo containers are attached to ex-
  terior clamps, like those used on warplanes, for transportation. 
  Cargo is released by each hardpoint one at a time, in volleys or 
  all at one time. The number of hardpoints depends on the size of 
  the drone. Small Drone: 2 small hardpoints. Medium Drone: 2 or 
  4 hardpoints. Large Drone: 4 or 6 hardpoints. Typically used on 
  flying drones for holding rockets or gravity bombs.
  Drone Master O.C.C.
  Also Known As: Robot Jockeys, Machine-Heads, and Toy Mak-
  ers.
  Alignment: Any, but lean towards Scrupulous (35%) and Un-
  principled (25%)
  Attribute Requirements: I.Q. 14 or higher and P.E. 10.
  O.C.C. Bonuses: +2 on Perception Rolls regarding robots, A.I., 
  and salvage suitable for making and repairing drones, +2 to 
  I.Q. and +1 to P.P. attributes, +2D6 to S.D.C.
  Common Skills: All; highly skilled.
  O.C.C. Skills of the Drone-Master:
  Basic Electronics (+20%)
  Computer Operation (+20%)
  Computer Programming (+15%)
  Demolitions (+6%; can make IEDs)
  Demolitions Disposal (-10%, he is not an expert)
  Jury-Rig (+10%)
  Mechanical Engineer (+10%)
  Research (+10%)
  Robot Electronics (+10%)
  Robot Mechanics (+10%)
  Salvage (+10%)
  Sensory Equipment (+10%)
  T.V./Video (+15%)
  Hand to Hand: None to start, unless selected as an Elective 
  Skill.
  Elective Skills: Select a total of six skills. Selections may be 
  made from any of the following skill categories: Communi-
  cations, Domestic, Electrical, Mechanical, Physical, and/or 
  Technical. These skills may reflect the character’s occupation 
  and life before the Zombie Apocalypse.
  Secondary Skills: Select two Secondary Skills from the Second-
  ary Skill List in the Skills section at levels 2, 5, 9 and 12. 
  These are additional areas of knowledge that do not get any 
  bonuses, other than a possible bonus for a high I.Q. All Sec-
  ondary Skills start at the base skill level.
  Standard Equipment: His personal laptop, large toolbox filled 
  with tools, soldering iron, drill, magnifying glass, flashlight, 
  penlight, roll of duct tape, safety goggles, 1D6 cans of differ-
  ent colored spray paint, 3D6 cell phones, 1D4 extra laptops 
  for parts, traveling clothes, utility clothes, pair of boots, pair 
  of working gloves, bandana or hair ties, breathing mask, sur-
  vival knife, box of 100 clean wipes, walki-talkie, sunglasses or 
  tinted goggles, two canteens, backpack, duffel bag, bedroll or 
  knapsack, food rations (1D4 weeks worth), and some personal 
  items
  Tools of the Trade: See #1 above under O.C.C. Special Abilities 
  for the starting number of drones. The character also has most 
  of the basic materials to make another 1D4+1 small drones 
  or one medium drone, spare batteries, and the tools necessary 
  to build, repair, and maintain drones. This includes common 
  tools like hammers and screwdrivers, as well as metal-work-
  ing and electrical tools. At the G.M.’s discretion, the character 
  might also have a workshop in a garage, basement, or large 
  vehicle.
  Weapons: A revolver or pistol of choice and 1D6x10 extra bul-
  lets, a large crowbar (2D6 damage), pocket knife (1D4 dam-
  age) and an assortment of small tools that could be used as 
  weapons (most inflict 1D4, 1D6 or 2D4 damage).
  Vehicle: None to start, unless the G.M. gives the character a van 
  or small truck with a drone workshop inside; G.M.’s discre-
  tion.
  
  131
  Pay: None, everything is barter and trade. Pay in the new, post-
  apocalyptic world is typically barter; an exchange of goods 
  and services. The character’s acquisition of trade goods (food, 
  fuel, medicine, guns and ammo, etc.) and materials for making 
  drones can be the catalyst for numerous adventures.
  Trade Goods: $3D4x1,000 worth of trade goods, mostly in spare 
  parts.
  Federal Emergency 
  Manager
  A post-Zombie Apocalypse O.C.C.
  The federal government of the United States disappeared 
  shortly after the Wave began. The President, his secretary, cabi-
  net, and other top officials were on television telling people not 
  to panic and to stay indoors one day, and the next they were no-
  where to be found. Communications with Washington D.C. and 
  all branches of government have been lost.
  The job of maintaining law and order fell into the laps of the 
  state governments. When they collapsed from lack of support, 
  brutal infighting, death via the pandemic that was the Wave, fol-
  lowed by assaults from the rising zombie hordes, it was every 
  man and woman for themselves.
  In only a few weeks after the Wave, there was no organization 
  left that anyone could see. Anarchy, brutality and panic reigned. 
  Civilization was brought to its knees and burned. (Even a year 
  later, no one will have seen anything out of the government.) As 
  far as anyone can tell, the government is MIA and probably gone 
  forever!
  Any surviving Federal Emergency Manager (or any political 
  figure in general: senator, congressman, local politician) would 
  like to make it known that anything could be further from the 
  truth. As they would tell it, the President and his cabinet are still 
  alive and working right now to put an end to the current crisis. 
  They would have you believe that the top leaders of this coun-
  try escaped the zombie menace and are sealed up tight where no 
  threat can get to them. There, they collect information on what 
  is happening in the U.S.A. and devise strategies to solve the big 
  problems first. They have multiple projects running to get rid of 
  the zombies and to get this country back to working order!
  The weird thing is, these characters seem to have both the cre-
  dentials and the training to back up their claims. Are they telling 
  the truth? Or is it all baloney? Are they just spouting the company 
  line or do they really believe what they say? And even if they 
  believe what they say, how do they know what is going on if they 
  are not in regular, direct contact with government agencies or of-
  ficers? Are they just another group of crazy people? Who knows?
  The Federal Emergency Managers (or politicians) swear by 
  their story that the government is still functioning and is working 
  on permanent solutions. To them, it is true in a sense. There are 
  tiny pockets of government officials doing the only thing they 
  have left to do: ensure the survival of the United States govern-
  ing system by edict of the Continuity Protocol. These little en-
  claves of the bureaucracy have managed to survive on the basis of 
  that edict. They are self-perpetuating machines, and the Federal 
  Emergency Manager is their best link to the outside world.
  The Federal Emergency Managers (or FEMA agent) always 
  have specific goals and responsiblities they are to follow when 
  away from the home office of their parent agency (or secret en-
  clave). Rarely are they sent out simply to wander and explore. 
  Even then, their purpose would be to scout an area and make a 
  count of zombies, survivors and potential resources.
  When the Manager is out in the world, they are expected to 
  carry themselves as agents of the federal government, and not as 
  degenerates or criminals. Professionalism is of the utmost impor-
  tance as they represent the government of the United States of 
  America (whether it still exists or not). This means their conduct 
  has to follow certain criteria as set forth by their training and 
  superiors. To keep in accordance with that conduct, agents are 
  expected to provide reports of their actions in the field. Of course, 
  there seems to be little point to record every detail these days, 
  and there is almost no way to corroborate much of what they hear 
  secondhand, but the paperwork still has to be done. There are still 
  regulations to consider and rules to be followed. Consequently, 
  every Federal Emergency Manager has a laptop, tablet, smart cell 
  phone, notepad, several pens and markers, possibly other record-
  ing devices and memory sticks with reports, observations, and 
  other data.
  Federal Emergency Manager Mandates:
  1. Preserve and advance the Continuity of the Federal Gov-
  ernment and the goals of their specific agency/enclave. This is 
  priority number One.
  2. Preserve the lives of civilians, without jeopardizing or com-
  promising the Continuity of the Federal Government.
  3. Reestablish contact with other surviving government enti-
  ties.
  4. Agents are to conduct themselves in a professional manner 
  at all times. That means being well groomed, calm, respectful and 
  responsive to the people.
  5. Use of force is only permitted where a violent response will 
  prevent the harm of the agent or individuals the agent is actively 
  protecting. The agent is free to use his best judgment as to the 
  use of force, but only after all possible diplomatic attempts have 
  failed.
  6. Regard the zombie presence as you would any other disas-
  ter. They are not people. You cannot help them.
  7. Civilian zombie fighter groups and rescue teams are to be 
  noted by head count, armaments, area of operations, and notable 
  figures. Recruit them if you can, avoid them if you cannot. Armed 
  civilians are lower priority than unarmed people. Tend to those 
  first who need it the most.
  The Federal Emergency Manager (FEMA) can be a godsend 
  to a struggling survivor camp. Although the character cannot just 
  make aid fall out of the sky for hungry, desperate survivors, they 
  
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  can assess the situation and offer advice and possible solutions. If 
  they need water or medicine, it is the Emergency Manager’s job 
  to figure out a way to get it to them. In this sense, the Emergency 
  Manager is an expert at logistics. Moreover, the character may 
  have data about federal, military and law enforcement facilities 
  and bases where resources like emergency supplies, medicine, 
  food and water, weapons (armories and military bases) should be 
  located. Of course, the Emergency Manager cannot know if the 
  location has been overwhelmed by zombies or already looted. 
  For the Federal Emergency Manager, providing this kind of as-
  sistance is part of the job. In addition to securing resources and 
  help for survivors, the FEMA agent’s job also includes arbitrat-
  ing disputes, negotiating deals, securing the cooperation of inter-
  ested parties, and developing plans and procedures to help people 
  cope and survive under emergency conditions. All of this is done 
  at arm’s length, because to keep a clear and impartial mind, it is 
  best not to put too much of your own emotions into it.
  While help from the government might be welcome by some 
  survivors, many more are doing just fine on their own and do 
  not want or need help from any so-called Federal Emergency 
  Manager, unless it involves direct military intervention or be-
  ing taken to a secured, zombie-free location. Some regarded the 
  government to be a failed state that they had plenty of problems 
  with before the Wave and the zombies. Raiders, Bandits, Psy-
  chos, Zombie-Killers, Survivalists, and many more are plenty 
  satisfied with their new lives in the post-apocalypse, and do not 
  want to see things go back to how they were. Taxes and reg-
  istration forms and petty laws and police brutality and elitist 
  partisan politics is all for the old world. And while the Federal 
  Emergency Manager (or any surviving politicians) can argue all 
  they want, that they do not represent any of that mess, they are 
  seen by many as a hanger-on to a dead way of life or the lapdog 
  of the Man. An old way of life that proposes slavery to the sys-
  tem over individual liberties. Because of that, FEMA characters 
  may find themselves under fire by many free-wheeling anar-
  chists and people sick of old politics. At the very least, FEMA 
  will be unwelcome among some groups.
  Some Federal Emergency Managers see themselves as 
  “above” the turmoil. Some treat the zombie-infested wasteland as 
  their own personal project, working to preserve a balance, exter-
  minating “enemies of the state” at will, or preparing for their own 
  eventual takeover of the government or local survivor groups in 
  anticipation of the government resurfacing. The vast majority, 
  however, are honest civil servants who still hold a place of stal-
  wart patriotism in their hearts. They act honestly out of hope for 
  the future and a refusal to give up the fight against the zombies. 
  Nor are they willing to believe or accept that the government is 
  gone. They believe it is only a matter of time before the govern-
  ment makes its move.
  Note: The existence of the Federal Emergency Manager in 
  your game depends on the status of the government as your group 
  wants it. If it is better to not use them because there is nothing at 
  all left of the government in your game, feel free not to include 
  them. They can also make useful NPCs to provide help, clues, in-
  formation and objectives like the location of weapons, medicine, 
  etc. or to battle against.
  O.C.C. Special Abilities:
  1. Crisis Mitigation: The character is at home in a crisis, able 
  to keep their cool and think on their feet. They don’t let fear or 
  doubt get to them. They are able to critically observe disastrous 
  situations and figure out the best solution. They also make for 
  good negotiators due to their unbiased and diplomatic nature. 
  Base Skill 30%, +5% per additional level of experience. A suc-
  cessful roll provides a minor, but meaningful answer on how to 
  stabilize an emergency, or prevent a disaster from hurting any-
  one, or defuse a tense standoff.
  2. An Official Badge and I.D. Card: These things, which 
  have the character’s name, picture, agency, and position, were 
  provided to show survivors. It is the real deal, as real as the gov-
  ernment can make them now. They don’t have anything high-
  tech like a bar code, but many of them do have official govern-
  ment watermarks and holograms. This card will get the character 
  the attention of any other federal agent they meet in the field, who 
  will be able to verify its authenticity at 85%. When in the office 
  or at the door of a functioning government bunker, the badge and 
  card designates their post, responsibilities, and level of access to 
  facilities and information.
  Against most regular survivors, except for the truly evil, cha-
  otic, hopeless, or insane, it confers a +15% bonus to any Trust/
  Intimidate or Charm/Impress roll when it is presented to them.
  Federal Emergency Manager O.C.C.
  Also Known As: Feds, Bureaucrats, and “Washington.”
  Alignment: Any, but typically good, well-intentioned and com-
  passionate. Field agents are screened before they are sent out 
  into the world, and the blatantly evil or selfish are not given 
  this kind of work.
  Attribute Requirements: I.Q. 10, M.A. 12, M.E. 10.
  O.C.C. Bonuses: +1 to P.E., +2 to M.E., +2 on all Perception 
  Rolls, +1 to dodge, +2 to roll with punch/fall/impact, +3 to 
  save vs Horror Factor, and +2 to save vs insanity.
  Occupation: The character was once a bureaucrat, an emergency 
  responder (military/police/medical), or a volunteer who was 
  promoted.
  Common Skills: All at +10%, highly skilled.
  O.C.C. Skills of the Federal Emergency Manager:
  One additional Language and Literacy of choice (+5%).
  Aerobic Athletics or Running (pick one).
  Barter (+5%)
  Find Contraband (+6%)
  History (American; +10%)
  I.D. Undercover Agent (+10%)
  Intelligence (+8%)
  Law (General) (+15%)
  Military Etiquette
  Public Speaking (+10%)
  
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  Radio: Basic (+5%)
  Research (+10%)
  Technical Writing (+5%)
  Wardrobe and Grooming (+14%)
  W.P. Handguns
  Hand to Hand: Basic, which can be changed to Expert at the 
  cost of one Elective Skill, or to Martial Arts at the cost of two 
  Elective Skills.
  Elective Skills: Select a total of seven skills. The only skill cat-
  egories available are Communications, Domestic, Horseman-
  ship, Science, Technical, Transportation and W.P. (Any, ex-
  cept Heavy Weapons).
  Secondary Skills: Select one Secondary Skill from the Second-
  ary Skill List in the Skills section at levels 1, 3, 7, 11 and 15. 
  These are additional areas of knowledge that do not get any 
  bonuses, other than a possible bonus for a high I.Q. All Sec-
  ondary Skills start at the base skill level.
  Standard Equipment: Traveling clothes, clean professional 
  clothes with plastic travel case, suit and ties, dress shoes, run-
  ning shoes, a pair of boots, a pair of gloves, baseball cap, rain 
  poncho (hooded), umbrella, survival knife (2D4 S.D.C.), one 
  heavy-duty flashlight, one pocket flashlight, some basic toilet-
  ries in a small bag, a box of wooden matches, 1D4 disposable 
  lighters, a roll of duct tape, a set of eating utensils, a pair of 
  binoculars, 1D4 walkie-talkies, two pairs of sunglasses, two 
  canteens, backpack, knapsack, food rations (2 weeks worth), 
  and some personal items.
  Tools of the Trade: One Point-Blank bulletproof vest (A.R. 11, 
  S.D.C. 70; worn under his shirt and jacket), a badge and I.D. 
  card, one hard hat, one hazmat suit, one pair of knee-high wa-
  terproof boots, one pocket signal mirror, one compass, 1D4 
  cans of neon orange spray paint, a supply of digital cameras 
  and recording gear, a cell phone, laptop computer, a notepad, 
  2D6 few pens, 1D6 thick markers, 1D4 mechanical pens, a 
  pamphlet written by the character’s superiors on what to say to 
  survivors and how to answer their questions, a guidebook on 
  wilderness survival, a guide on urban survival after a terrorist/
  nuclear attack, another small booklet on dealing with zombies 
  (possibly government issue or the Road Reapers’ guide), and 
  highway and local area maps.
  Weapons: One handgun plus one weapon for each W.P. (if any) 
  and a 100 rounds of ammunition for each, two smoke gre-
  nades, 1D6+1 road flares, and two signal flares.
  Vehicle: SUV, Jeep or Humvee!
  Pay: Presumably this is a paid civil servant accruing a paycheck 
  back at the office (if there really is one). However, odds are he 
  or she is on their own out in the world.
  Enclave/Agency Note: This loyal government agent may be on 
  the job, but there may not be an actual organization left to 
  provide him with actual support. In most cases, this character 
  is on his own trying to fulfill his job and follow his last or-
  ders as best he can. Like most survivors, he wants to believe 
  some portion of the government exists and, sooner or later, 
  will make their presence known. When they do, he will be 
  ready with the information they need to help survivors and 
  start to rebuild.
  On the other hand, maybe the character really does work 
  for an active, functioning (or semi-functioning) government 
  enclave! If so, he may be in irregular contact with the agency 
  and may be able to rely upon their help and limited resources. 
  For example, the enclave may be able to arrange transporta-
  tion for the Emergency Manager or survivors in need, or is 
  able to provide basic necessities like food, drinking water, 
  first aid kit, basic medicine, blankets, maps, a vehicle, and a 
  few weapons and ammo when their agent really needs them. 
  Such provisions will be left at a drop site or made known to 
  the FEMA agent where he can find them at a FEMA supply 
  depot or secret cache. There will be no contact with anyone 
  else from the enclave. The items needed (as available, if at all) 
  are simply waiting at the location given to the character. Like 
  everyone else, the government enclave has limited resources 
  and its own challenges to stay safe and alive.
  Game Masters, it is up to you to decide whether or not a 
  government enclave, whether it is large, medium or tiny, ex-
  ists and tries to help its Emergency Manager.
  Trade Goods: $1D4x1000 in tradable items. Everything is barter 
  and trade. Pay in the new, post-apocalyptic world is typically 
  barter; an exchange of goods and services for the goods and 
  services your character needs. The character’s acquisition of 
  trade goods (food, fuel, medicine, guns and ammo, etc.) can be 
  the catalyst for numerous adventures.
  Free Spirit
  A post-Zombie Apocalypse O.C.C.
  For the Free Spirit, it is as if they are in denial that the Zom-
  bie Apocalypse is going on. The Free Spirit does not seem to 
  be affected by the collapse of civilization and the zombies like 
  everyone else. They must still fight, scrounge, and find safety like 
  any other survivor, but none of it seems to have taken its toll on 
  the Free Spirits like it does many other people. The new daily 
  struggle is just the way its is now. They take it in stride and try 
  to stay positive and optomistic. Seem even behave as if little has 
  changed.
  Free Spirits are good at putting things in perspective, looking 
  at the big picture. They ignore smaller details and problems, in 
  favor of pondering what it all means in the grand scheme of life 
  and human existence. This can sometimes make them seem a bit 
  alien or insensitive to others around them. The relaxed and philo-
  sophical nature of a Free Spirit, combined with his positive out-
  look toward the world and the future of humanity, can sometimes 
  make such individuals seem foolish, unrealistic, flighty, and out 
  of touch, to downright crazy. Those unfamiliar with Free Spirits 
  may consider them useless to hardened or terrified survivors.
  Indeed, Free Spirits somehow manage to still see beauty in the 
  world. They stop to smell the roses and marvel at rainbows. They 
  
  134
  find time to sing, dance, tell stories and play with children. All 
  Free Spirits exhibit an uncommon level of compassion, kindness 
  and mercy in a desperate and terrifying environment, and choose 
  to be open-hearted. Many exhibit a childlike innocence about 
  them that can seem like a spark of brightness in a dark world to 
  some, and stupidity to others. This enables the Free Spirit to oper-
  ate without prevailing fear or obvious stress.
  It is not that the Free Spirit is a deluded madman or has slop 
  for brains, though many accuse them of both, it is just that such 
  individuals refuse to let any of it crush them. Instead, they try to 
  focus on the fundamental beauty of life, the goodness of people, 
  the things that bring joy where misery and ugliness reign. For the 
  Free Spirit, life is to be lived and enjoyed. Love and friendship 
  can conquer all, and there is no reason to sacrifice one’s own 
  humanity to survive in the hell all around them. It is a philosophy 
  and way of living that has allowed the Free Spirit to survive in 
  this world: by never acting rashly, by being smart and fearless, 
  and by choosing life and kindness over the prevailing death. This 
  outlook may seem foolish or selfish to many who are actively 
  fighting and trying to turn the tide against the living dead, cultists, 
  and evildoers. But so are the Free Spirits, in their own way.
  Many Free Spirits are artists, musicians, poets and storytell-
  ers. They travel around to discover what it truly means to live in 
  a post-apocalyptic, zombie hell-world. They look for moments 
  of beauty and kindness and remind people that such virtues still 
  exist in the world and must not be forgotten. They understand 
  horror, and seek truth, but their truth is that the human spirit can 
  rise above anything. That human beings will, in the end, triumph 
  over the dead and the wicked. Thus, Free Spirits often capture 
  the beauty and tenderness of a moment in a painting, drawings, 
  song or spoken word. They are able to touch the spirit of others 
  and rekindle their emotions and memories. Free Spirits are not 
  afraid of work and are happy to trade physical labor for food or 
  a place to sleep. But what means more to them than anything, is 
  helping others forget their fears and the world at large, even if it is 
  only for a moment. They are more suitable to work in which they 
  can tell their stories, share their artistry and engage in services to 
  watch children, teach, care for the sick, and entertaining others. 
  It may seem like a silly luxury to some, but these are moments 
  that can take you away from the unending nightmare of the post-
  apocalyptic world, and such moments should be treasured.
  Free Spirits come in many shapes, sizes and personalities. 
  Some are silly jokers who may or may not be able to take any-
  thing seriously. Some are playful, others break into song or sto-
  ries at the first opportunity, others are cool, detached from the 
  ugliness of the world, and still others focus on the needs of others 
  and ways to help in a pleasant manner. Some Free Spirits consid-
  er themselves to be, and refer to themselves as “enlightened,” but 
  most think of themselves as just caring and open-minded. Some 
  are pacifists who do not take up arms except under the most dire 
  of circumstances, others have no problems with fighting to de-
  fend oneself or to protect others, and recognize struggle and death 
  as the natural order of life. Zombies are, of course, unnatural, 
  and necessary to avoid and kill. Likewise, while a Free Spirit 
  may abhor and avoid violence whenever possible, they recognize 
  there are cruel and evil people in the world who must be dealt 
  with accordingly.
  O.C.C. Special Abilities:
  1. Calm Center: By talking to others and offering comfort 
  and aid, the Free Spirit is usually able to keep himself calm and 
  focused, and is able to calm down others and stop people from 
  panicking or doing anything too rash. This aura of calm assur-
  ance gives the people around the Free Spirit a +2 bonus to save 
  vs Horror Factor. The Free Spirit is also +10% to evoke trust and 
  confidence. See M.A. attribute for the character’s full impact on 
  people.
  2. Empathic Nature: Free Spirits are kind, compassionate 
  and excellent listeners who relate to most people and can under-
  stand where they are coming from and why they feel a particu-
  lar way. This empathy with others is what makes them tolerant, 
  compassionate and merciful. Sometimes too merciful and trust-
  ing. However, Free Spirits would rather err on the side of kind-
  ness, than give in to suspicion and paranoia. This character is 
  almost always willing to talk with people one-on-one, listen and 
  offer their observations and helpful advice. The Free Spirit also 
  learns more about each individual, their likes and dislikes, fears, 
  loves and hopes, all of which may make them more connected 
  and relatable.
  The empathy comes from the ability to identify with people 
  and understanding the human condition. Just getting people to 
  speak about their troubles, and reading between the lines help 
  the Free Spirit to read people and find out what a person is re-
  ally feeling. The character learns and recognizes people’s general 
  mood, stress level, needs and desires as well as things like their 
  background, taste in clothes, music, losses, hopes and dreams. 
  The Free Spirit can also get a general idea of the person’s skills, 
  abilities, emotional imbalance (if any), anger and capacity for vi-
  olence. All of this contributes to the O.C.C. bonuses noted below.
  Free Spirit O.C.C.
  Also Known As: Outsiders, Innocents, Blind Idiots.
  Alignment: Principled (5%), Scrupulous (40%), Unprincipled 
  (30%), Anarchist (20%), or other. Free Spirits have disdain 
  for rules and confinements, and their unselfish nature tends to 
  make them more good.
  Attribute Requirements: None.
  O.C.C. Bonuses: +1D6 to P.P.E., +2D6 to S.D.C., +1 to I.Q., 
  +1 to M.E. and +1D6+2 to M.A. attribute! +3 to Perception 
  Rolls regarding the feelings and needs of others as well as the 
  likelihood that someone is contemplating violence or consid-
  ering an immediate attack! +1 on initiative, +2 to dodge, +1 to 
  disarm, +1 to roll with impact, +2 to save vs Insanity, +1 save 
  vs Mind Control, and +1 to save vs Horror Factor at levels 1, 
  3, 5, 7, 9, and 12.
  Occupation: It doesn’t matter what the individual did before the 
  zombie apocalypse; he is a Free Spirit now.
  
  135
  Common Skills: All; not highly skilled.
  O.C.C. Skills of the Free Spirit:
  Art (+10%)
  Barter (+8%)
  Creative Writing (+5%)
  Domestic Skills: Three of choice (+10% each).
  Meditation (+15%)
  Paramedic (+10%)
  Performance (10%)
  Public Speaking (+10%)
  Philosophy (+15%)
  Physical Labor or Running; pick one.
  Swim or Climb (+10%); pick one.
  W.P. one of choice, Ancient or Modern.
  Hand to Hand: None to start. Basic can be traded for one Elec-
  tive Skill, or Expert for two.
  Elective Skills: Select a total of eight skills. They may be 
  selected from the following skill categories: Communica-
  tions, Domestic, Horsemanship, Medical, Physical, Sci-
  ence, Technical or Transportation. These skills may re-
  flect the character’s occupation and life before the Zombie 
  Apocalypse.
  Secondary Skills: Select two Secondary Skills from the Second-
  ary Skill List in the Skills section at levels 1, 4, 9, 14. These 
  are additional areas of knowledge that do not get any bonus-
  es, other than a possible bonus for a high I.Q. All Secondary 
  Skills start at the base skill level.
  Standard Equipment: Traveling clothes (casual), an extra 
  pair of blue jeans, running shoes, a pair of boots, wide-brim 
  hat or baseball cap, walking stick (2D4 S.D.C.), machete, 
  one heavy-duty flashlight, one pocket flashlight, a book of 
  matches, 1D4 disposable lighters, a set of eating utensils, 
  binoculars, sunglasses, a canteens, two backpacks, knapsack, 
  two blankets, food rations (2 weeks worth), and some per-
  sonal items.
  Tools of the Trade: May carry 2D4 favorite books of any type 
  (fiction, history, etc.), probably subjects that inspires the 
  character, plus an e-book reader and/or tablet that contains 
  1D4x100 other book titles. Also carries 2D4 candles (may be 
  regular or scented), a musical instrument, art supplies kept in 
  a tackle box, sketchbook, 1D4 notepads (probably small), 2D4 
  pencils, a mechanical pencil and some extra lead for it, some 
  chalk, drawing charcoal, and a can of spray paint. May also 
  have a musical instrument, fishing gear and other things that 
  may relate to Domestic skills and performance arts.
  Weapons: One weapon for each W.P. and 100 rounds of am-
  munition for each.
  Vehicle: None to start.
  Pay: None, everything is barter and trade. Pay in the new, post-
  apocalyptic world is typically barter; an exchange of goods 
  and services. The character’s acquisition of trade goods (food, 
  fuel, medicine, guns and ammo, etc.) can be the catalyst for 
  numerous adventures.
  Trade Goods: $2D6x100 in scrounged items for trade goods.
  Naturalist
  A post-Zombie Apocalypse O.C.C.
  When the lights went out in the cities for the last time, the 
  world of the living ground to a halt. Those who were accustomed 
  to life in an electricity-fueled, technological society suddenly 
  found themselves in a world of hurt and darkness. Most people 
  were completely unprepared for the loss of electricity and mod-
  ern convenience. The only lights came from isolated generators, 
  which only caused problems for their owners as the noise from 
  the generator and lights only brought the living dead upon them. 
  The only other headlights came from the burning of buildings, 
  fires, vehicles and the tiny pinpoints of flashlights and lanterns 
  used by survivors leaving their homes behind and heading out 
  into the unknown. Without T.V., no radio, no Internet, no phone 
  service, and surrounded by ever increasing numbers of the risen 
  dead, there was nothing keeping people tied to their homes or 
  neighborhoods. Nothing but fear and the struggle to grasp what 
  was happening.
  Modern man had grown accustomed to his machines and 
  electrical power to survive. Without it, most people were lost 
  and confused. They needed to develop new ways of staying 
  alive and fending for themselves. And while there is still plenty 
  to scavenge from the bones of the old world – for now – those 
  supplies are limited. Processed and packaged food, batteries, 
  gasoline and other resources all have an expiration date. In time, 
  there will be less to scavenge and countless zombies to deal 
  with.
  The Naturalist knows that way of life is unsustainable. Most 
  people are just delaying the inevitable. What will they do when 
  all the canned foods are gone? What will they do when the great 
  buildings of the cities crumble into dust and there is only the un-
  tamed wilderness and the billions of hungry zombies?
  The Naturalist understands nature and wilderness survival. 
  He or she can completely forego the trappings of modern living, 
  even going so far as to avoid cities and urban areas altogether. 
  The Naturalist knows everything he needs can be found in nature. 
  There is food, water, shelter, and safety in the woods, deserts, and 
  mountains away from the throngs of zombies found at all popula-
  tion centers. Far away from the remnants of civilization, people 
  have fewer walking dead and the violent parasites to worry about. 
  Life is harder living off the land, fishing, hunting, gathering fruit 
  and nuts, but it is about to get more difficult for everyone.
  For people familiar with life in the wild – professional hunters, 
  rangers, trappers, fishermen, naturalists, outdoorsmen, survival-
  ists, and people already living “off the grid” – moving into the 
  wild is the logical course of action. It also makes sense since out-
  door hobbyists, people who enjoyed camping and hiking, some 
  sportsmen and scientists, farmers, ranchers and rural people are 
  more accustomed to country life. It removes them from “Zom-
  bie Central” and gives them some room to breathe and a fighting 
  chance. Such individuals choose to live on the merit of their own 
  personal survival skills. City folk unacquainted with life in the 
  
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  wild, do not fare as well, but those who are fast learners or are 
  lucky and learn, become Naturalist survivors.
  It is not that those who flee into the wilderness have forsaken 
  technology or abandoned civilization, nor the survivors fighting 
  to make it in the cities. It is a simple choice based on the fact that 
  they believe their skill sets and understanding of the wild gives 
  them a better chance to survive, in the long term, in the wilder-
  ness. While some may become isolationists and never return to 
  the cities, other Naturalists make frequent runs into urban popula-
  tion centers. They do so to secure select medicine, tools, food and 
  creature comforts while they still can, as well as to rescue people 
  who don’t know how to escape the cities, and bring them to Safe 
  Haven communities or leave leave them to their own devices in a 
  safer, rural setting. For some survivors, if they can be set free of 
  the city, they have plans and ideas of where to go next.
  The wild mountain man, country bumpkin and crazy survival-
  ist are stereotypes that seldom apply to the Naturalist O.C.C., or 
  rural people in general. Most are well educated and skilled, they 
  just have a different lifestyle and outlook. For many, that starts 
  with a love of nature and animal husbandry. Many consider them-
  selves masters of the forest who are eager to share their skills 
  with anyone they come across. In the minds of many Naturalists, 
  they are educators on nature, wildlife and survival. Every person 
  they can teach is another person able to survive on their own. 
  They can also trade supplies such as animal hides, fur, and their 
  services as scouts, wilderness guides, trackers, and huntsmen. 
  Naturalists are skilled at living off the fat of the land; useful and 
  valuable to any group of survivors.
  O.C.C. Special Abilities:
  1. Empathy with Nature: The character has lived among the 
  floral and fauna long enough to understand and be able to read the 
  natural world around them on an intuitive level. This means they 
  get gut reactions about changes in the weather and environment. 
  Much of this is based on the reaction of wildlife and other obser-
  vations. The Naturalist can read the weather and environmental 
  changes to predict the direction of wildfires, changes in weather, 
  and incoming storms, including their likely strength and duration. 
  He can also identify campfires and make an educated guess how 
  recent it was since the fire burned, recognize traps and snares be-
  fore stepping into it, find high ground, recognize flood plains and 
  areas prone to landslides, flash floods and avalanches, as well as 
  signs of pollution, disease, and radiation in an area. Base Skill: 
  83% +1% per each additional level of experience. And when it 
  comes to storms, he has a 2D6x10 minute window before the 
  weather actually hits to take cover.
  The character can also detect the presence of intruders within 
  a 2,000 foot (610 m) radius; double if the intruder is city folk in 
  vehicles and making noise, or a large mob of zombies. The Natu-
  ralist can usually correctly guess if that intruder is a predatory 
  animal, human(s), zombie(s), vehicle, or unknown. Base Skill: 
  50% +2% per additional level of experience.
  2. Seclusion: When the Naturalist is acting on his own, away 
  from other people, he gets a +5% bonus to all Wilderness skills 
  and those above from Empathy with Nature. This means no tag-
  alongs, worrying about someone else, no radio contact, and no 
  pressure of a return time. The Naturalist going on a short trek 
  usually leaves the majority of his gear behind, taking only water 
  and food for two days, a couple of favorite weapons and a small 
  bag with a few basic supplies. Traveling light means he can move 
  fast, and when necessary, slow down and move silent. Longer 
  treks and hunting expeditions may require a large pack, knapsack 
  and other gear.
  3. Safe Spots: The character knows of 1D4 places in a familiar 
  wilderness where they can stash supplies or trade goods or catch 
  an undisturbed night’s sleep. These place are small, out of the 
  way, and difficult for zombies and humans to reach. They can be 
  little caves, mossy glens, high points in the rocks, alongside cliff 
  faces, a hut, and so on. Add one additional safe spot at levels 3, 
  5, 9, 12, and 15. As noted under #1, above, the Naturalist also 
  recognizes high ground, and knows to avoid places he recognizes 
  are not safe, such as flood plains, areas subject to mudslides, flash 
  floods, etc.
  Naturalist O.C.C.
  Also Known As: Rangers, Wilderness Scouts, Woodsmen, Off-
  the-Grid, Wild Men (or Women), and Tree Huggers.
  Alignment: Any, but lean toward good and selfish.
  Attribute Requirements: P.S. 10, P.E., 12, and P.P. 9.
  O.C.C. Bonuses: +1D4 to P.S. and P.E. attributes, +1D6 to Spd 
  attribute, +3 on Perception Rolls involving environmental 
  conditions, nature, wildlife and weather; +1 to dodge, +2 to 
  roll with impact, +2D6+12 S.D.C., and +2 to save vs Horror 
  Factor. Special: +1 melee attack/action for Naturalists who do 
  not have a Hand to Hand skill.
  Occupation: It does not matter what the character did before the 
  zombie apocalypse, he is a Naturalist now.
  Common Skills: All.
  O.C.C. Skills of the Naturalist:
  Animal Husbandry (+10%)
  Climb (+10%)
  Cook (+10%)
  Fishing (+15%)
  Detect Ambush (+5%)
  Horsemanship: General (+12%)
  Hunting
  I.D. Plants & Fruits (+20%)
  Land Navigation (+20%)
  Outdoorsmanship
  Prowl (+5%)
  Skin & Prepare Animal Hides (+10%)
  Swim (+5%)
  Track & Trap Animals (+20%)
  Tracking (people) (+10%)
  Wilderness Survival (+25%)
  W.P. Rifle or Shotgun, pick one.
  W.P. Staff or one Ancient W.P. of choice.
  
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  Hand to Hand: None to start. Basic can be traded for one Elec-
  tive Skill, or Expert for two.
  Elective Skills: Select a total of eight skills. They may be se-
  lected from the following skill categories: Domestic, Medi-
  cal (especially those skills related to animals), Physical, Sci-
  ence, Technical, Transportation, Wilderness and W.P. These 
  skills may reflect the character’s occupation and life before the 
  Zombie Apocalypse.
  Secondary Skills: Select two Secondary Skills from the Second-
  ary Skill List in the Skills section at levels 1, 4, 9, 14. These 
  are additional areas of knowledge that do not get any bonus-
  es, other than a possible bonus for a high I.Q. All Secondary 
  Skills start at the base skill level.
  Standard Equipment: Traveling clothes, running shoes, a pair 
  of boots, rain poncho (hooded), pair of gloves, winter gloves, 
  mittens, conventional poncho for warmth, survival knife (2D4 
  damage), hand axe (1D6 damage), one heavy-duty, hand-
  cranking flashlight, a box of wooden matches, 1D4 disposable 
  lighters, a tinderbox and fire-starting kit, two flares, two signal 
  flares, 20 foot (6.1 m) length of rope or cord, wide-brim hat 
  or baseball cap, signal pocket mirror, a roll of duct tape, a set 
  of eating utensils, binoculars, sunglasses, two canteens, back-
  pack, knapsack, sleeping roll, small tent, camouflage netting, 
  fishing pole and tackle box, food rations (2 weeks worth), and 
  some personal items.
  Tools of the Trade: 1D4 books on wilderness survival and D.I.Y. 
  off-the-grid living. An all-purpose utility tool with knife, saw, 
  screwdriver, etc., hunting gear, including camouflage cloth-
  ing, utility belts, face paint, ribbons and spray-paint to mark 
  territory, plus calls, scents, and salt blocks for hunting animals.
  Weapons: One weapon for each W.P. plus 2D4x100 rounds of 
  ammunition for each.
  Vehicle: None to start.
  Pay: None, everything is barter and trade. Pay in the new, post-
  apocalyptic world is typically barter; an exchange of goods 
  and services. The character’s acquisition of trade goods (food, 
  fuel, medicine, guns and ammo, etc.) can be the catalyst for 
  numerous adventures.
  Trade Goods: $2D6x1,000 in trade goods, which may include 
  medicine and items from “the world” to animal skins, meat, 
  wild fruit, mushrooms, animal snares and services as a scout, 
  wilderness guide, tracker, and huntsman.
  One-Man-Army
  A post-Zombie Apocalypse O.C.C.
  In the world of Dead Reign®, horror and death are every-
  where. Ravenous zombies wait behind every corner. Society has 
  crumbled into dust, and nightmares haunt the living while they 
  sleep and when they wake. Most survivors spend their days in 
  dread and fear, with moments of total panic and terror. Even when 
  they have time to themselves, most can only sit in the darkness 
  and ponder the meaninglessness of their continued existence. 
  Total extinction of the living sometimes seems an inescapable 
  conclusion. It is beyond difficult to face the daily horrors and 
  challenges of this hellish world.
  Then there are those who say that being scared is a choice, and 
  a nightmare is only in the mind of the sleeper.
  To these resilient survivors, and a growing number of peo-
  ple like them, it is time to accept this ugly, new reality and do 
  something about it. They are done hiding in fear and waiting for 
  the government or some savior to rise up to save them. They are 
  ready to take matters into their own hands. They are ready to take 
  a stand and do the work. Not just for themselves and their loved 
  ones, but for whoever needs their help. To stand strong against 
  all odds, for yourself and the people who cannot fight for them-
  selves. To fight evil in whatever form it takes, and to try to make 
  a difference.
  The One-Man-Army is not necessarily a trained soldier or 
  member of law enforcement. Most are ordinary people who have 
  lucked into a stash of weapons and ammunition, or traded other 
  goods to acquire some. Then they set about teaching themselves 
  how to use them. The character’s lack of formal combat training 
  has nothing to do with his sense of discipline or commitment to 
  do good. A One-Man-Army is someone who has had enough, and 
  is ready to give zombies and the bad guys hell. He is an “army of 
  one” because of his resolve to fight and do good, not because of 
  the weapons or combat training. A One-Man-Army does not care 
  who follows his lead. He only knows how he feels and what he 
  has to do to be able to live with himself. For most, that’s doing 
  what’s right and helping people in need.
  The fighter who is a One-Man-Army is not a gun-nut, surviv-
  alist or suicidal maniac. While this hero may take crazy risks to 
  save lives and help others, most know when to wait and retreat. 
  They try to avoid entering battles they know they cannot win and 
  can be painfully pragmatic about who they can really save or pro-
  tect. To do otherwise is foolish and only gets people killed. These 
  men and women are rugged individuals who know where they 
  stand, and the difference between right and wrong. They choose 
  to trust people and are fueled by high ideals and a powerful sense 
  of justice.
  Professional soldiers fight to end hostilities. This self-styled 
  hero shoots to obliterate, at least when it comes to zombies and 
  death cultists. As a result, the One-Man-Army’s combat style 
  may be loose, loud, crude and explosive. They can be wild and 
  reckless at times, especially when battling zombies, frequently 
  
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  getting right in their faces or blowing up a whole building of them 
  with minimal regard for collateral damage. But their courage and 
  commitment is beyond reproach. Most do not seek glory or a fol-
  lowing. The typical One-Man-Army does not see himself as a 
  leader or as a hero. Just someone who is doing what needs to be 
  done.
  O.C.C. Special Considerations:
  1. Bonus Gear: Extra equipment the character has found or 
  managed to acquire one way or another (traded for it, stole it from 
  bad guys, etc.). Choose one of the following.
  a) Armored Bunker: The One-Man-Army gets a secret bun-
  ker as his base of operations. This “bunker” can be any forti-
  fied location, such as panic room/safe room inside a house, ex-
  pensive apartment or business office, or an emergency shelter 
  (storm shelter or old fallout shelter), vault, a fortified home or 
  garage, or an unobvious room, storage room, or machine shop 
  inside a home, garage, machine shop, factory, industrial area, 
  or military or government building or base. Other armored 
  bunkers may include any simple, probably small, cinderblock 
  construction machine shop, armory or storage building. The 
  walls are thick concrete and rebar and steel. Other than pro-
  tection and a place to store supplies, it is a secret safe house 
  where the hero can catch a good night’s rest or recover from 
  injury. This place has few amenities other than shelves, a bat-
  tery operated lantern, a folding table, 1D4+2 folding chairs, 
  and 1D4+1 50 gallon (189 liter) drums for storing water or 
  fuel. Some have indoor plumbing and a connection to the 
  power grid or a generator, while others do not. Any items of 
  comfort will have to be brought in by the character later on. 
  The “bunker” may have defenses like a fenced in yard or pe-
  rimeter (high fence), razor wire, a heavy blast door, special 
  locks, concrete barriers or brick wall, and if power is avail-
  able, floodlights, cameras, alarm system, etc.
  b) Functional Machine Shop: The character has a garage or 
  small machine shop with factory quality machines and tools ca-
  pable of metal work, vehicle repairs and maybe even making me-
  lee weapons and/or ammunition. Not only does this supply the 
  One-Man-Army with all the tools and most of the basic gear he 
  needs, it also provides a +15% bonus to skills involving mechan-
  ics and sharpening, repairing and modifying weapons, vehicles 
  and mechanical devices, such as drones.
  c) Weaponized Deathmobile: The One-Man-Army has a car, 
  truck, or van with additional light or heavy armor and 1D4 weap-
  ons mounted on it. Also gets 1D6x10 gallons (37.8 to 227 liters) 
  of gasoline. See Dead Reign® Sourcebook 3: Endless Dead, 
  page 31, for Vehicles.
  d) Tricked Out Personal Weapons: Two revolvers or pistols, 
  one submachine-gun, one sniper rifle, one assault rifle with the 
  following accessories and modifications, below, plus 1D6x1000 
  rounds of ammunition for each! And a medium machine-gun 
  with 2D4x100 rounds of ammunition. The machine-gun does not 
  get the modifications and accessories below, but the other four 
  weapons do. All bonuses are cumulative.
  Re-filed weapon barrel: Reduces recoil and increases accu-
  racy. (+1 strike). Serial numbers have also been removed.
  Computerized Laser Sight and Distancer: Analyzes distance 
  to target, measures things like wind and gravitational drop-off, 
  and helps guide aiming. (+1 strike on an Aimed or Called Shot.)
  Advanced Targeting Sights: Includes telescopic passive night-
  vision (green) scope that can be swapped out with a standard tele-
  scopic sight or with an infrared/ultraviolet telescopic sight. (+1 
  strike on an Aimed Shot.)
  Flashlight: Attaches to the barrel of the weapon.
  Sound Suppression System: A detachable and attachable “si-
  lencer,” but reduce range by 20%. Not applicable to full auto fir-
  ing, or the submachine-gun or machine-gun.
  Flash Suppression System: Reduces and shields muzzle flash 
  so the enemy cannot see where the gunfire is coming from at 
  night or in dark locations. Reduce range by 20%. Not applicable 
  to full auto firing, or the submachine-gun or machine-gun.
  Magazine Expansion: The weapon’s payload is doubled; ap-
  plicable only to automatic weapons.
  Custom Paint Job: +10% to Intimidate or Impress when using 
  this weapon.
  Custom Shock-Resistant Carrying case: One for each special-
  ized weapon.
  e) Guns. Lots of Guns: The Game Master has ultimate discre-
  tion, but the One-Man-Army has at least 2D4 automatic pistols 
  and 1D4x100 rounds of ammunition for each; 2D4 hunting or 
  sniper rifles with telescopic sights and passive nightvision scopes 
  and 1D4x100 rounds of ammunition for each; 2D4 shotguns with 
  2D6x10 rounds of ammunition for each; 2D4 submachine-guns 
  and 1D4x100 rounds of ammunition for each; 3D6 fully auto-
  matic assault rifles and 2D4x100 rounds of ammunition for each; 
  plus one set of riot control armor and gear, a box of 1D4x10 road 
  flares, one Point-Blank vest, 2D6 rocket flares, 1D6 bayonet ri-
  fle attachments (or can be used like a large knife), 1D6 pairs of 
  protective goggles, 1D4 telescopic sights (sniper/hunting; +1 to 
  strike), two gun-cleaning kits, a tool kit and several gun manuals.
  f) Explosives: The Game Master has ultimate discretion, but 
  the One-Man-Army has at least the following: 1D4x10 smoke 
  grenades, 2D6x10 explosive hand grenades, 1D6x10 tear gas gre-
  nades, 1D6x10 sticks of dynamite or molotov cocktails, a rifle-
  held rotating grenade launcher with 5D6 grenades, and either one 
  shoulder-held rocket launcher and 2D6 rockets or a portable mili-
  tary flamethrower (8 shot payload with two additional tanks of 
  flammable chemicals for reloads).
  One-Man-Army O.C.C.
  Also Known As: Gunbuster, Zombiebuster, Hollywood Amateur 
  and Hero.
  Alignment: Any, but most are Principled (30%), Scrupulous 
  (35%), Unprincipled (15%), or Anarchist (10%).
  Attribute Requirements: P.S. 12, P.P. 10. and the courage.
  O.C.C. Bonuses: +1D6 to Hit Points, +3D6 S.D.C., +1D4 to P.S. 
  or +1D6 to Spd attribute (pick one), +2 on Perception Rolls 
  involving firearms, rescuing others, and escaping zombies, +1 
  
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  to strike with all modern weapons, +1 to roll with impact, and 
  +3 to save vs Horror Factor.
  Occupation: It does not matter what the character did before the 
  zombie apocalypse, he is a One-Man-Army now.
  Common Skills: All; highly skilled.
  O.C.C. Skills of the One-Man-Army:
  Automotive Mechanic or Basic Electronics (+5%).
  Barter (+4%)
  Basic Mechanics (+10%)
  Camouflage (+20%) or Tracking (People; +5%).
  Detect Ambush (+10%)
  Detect Concealment (+10%)
  Firefighting (+15%)
  First Aid (+10%)
  Land Navigation (+5%)
  Recognize Weapon Quality (+10%)
  Sniper
  Streetwise (+10%)
  Tailing (+15%)
  Transportation: Two of choice (+5%).
  W.P. Ancient: One of choice.
  W.P. Handguns
  W.P. Rifles
  W.P. Modern: Two of choice (any).
  Hand to Hand: Basic, which can be changed to Expert at the 
  cost of one Elective Skill, or to Martial Arts at the cost of two 
  Elective Skills.
  Elective Skills: Select a total of 1D6+4 from any of the skill cat-
  egories, except Military and Rogue. These skills may reflect 
  the character’s occupation and life before the Zombie Apoca-
  lypse.
  Secondary Skills: Select one Secondary Skill from the Second-
  ary Skill List in the Skills section at levels 2, 4, 7, 10 and 13. 
  These are additional areas of knowledge that do not get any 
  bonuses, other than a possible bonus for a high I.Q. All Sec-
  ondary Skills start at the base skill level.
  Standard Equipment: Traveling clothes, running shoes, a pair 
  of boots, rain poncho (hooded), survival knife (2D4 S.D.C.), 
  one heavy-duty flashlight, a box of wooden matches, 1D4 dis-
  posable lighters, a roll of duct tape, a set of eating utensils, 
  binoculars, sunglasses, a canteen, backpack, knapsack, food 
  rations (2 weeks worth), and some personal items.
  Tools of the Trade: Guns, ammo, and first aid kit! Also gets a 
  light suit of body armor such as a flak jacket or armored vest, 
  military fatigues or camo-fatigues, a black jumpsuit, knit cap, 
  gas mask, 1D4 armored helmets, ammo straps, military style 
  utility belt, backpack, satchel for carrying guns and ammo, 
  1D6 flares, first aid kit, extra bandages, and an extensive li-
  brary of books and manuals about guns, including their use 
  and care, cleaning, safety, and construction.
  Weapons: Two weapons for each W.P., plus 400 rounds for each 
  weapon. At the G.M.s discretion, the character may also have 
  1D4x100 rounds of specialty ammo of choice (hollow point, 
  armor-piercing, explosive, etc).
  Vehicle: None to start, unless the Weaponized Deathmobile is 
  chosen.
  Pay: None, everything is barter and trade. Pay in the new, post-
  apocalyptic world is typically barter; an exchange of goods 
  and services for the goods and services your character needs. 
  The character’s acquisition of trade goods (food, fuel, medi-
  cine, guns and ammo, etc.) can be the catalyst for numerous 
  adventures.
  Trade Goods: $1D6x10,000 in Trade goods; mostly military sur-
  plus, guns and survival gear.
  One-Percenter
  A post-Zombie Apocalypse NPC O.C.C.
  The One-Percenter was rich before the world came crashing 
  down around his ears. He or she might even have been famous or 
  powerful and influential in many circles.
  Money may be pretty meaningless after the Zombie Apoca-
  lypse, but money talked before it. While most of the world’s rich 
  and famous died with the rest of humanity, some had the fore-
  sight, the luck, and the money and bodyguards to help them es-
  cape before the worst of collapse of civilization. Many secluded 
  themselves when word of the Wave first struck, going to their 
  private estates and country homes away from the big cities. Some 
  may have even been prepared for calamity with homes and es-
  tates surrounded by tall stone walls, iron gates and security sys-
  tems already in place that made them fortresses. Many of these 
  cottages, estates and ranches (more like a second mansion) are 
  located in rural country, the mountains, a private island or other 
  secluded location. Most are surrounded by acres of private land 
  owned by the One-Percenter.
  Their cottage, other home (mansion), ranch, estate or com-
  pound in the country is certain to have its own generator, 50% 
  chance it is solar powered and off the grid, a private well, and 
  most have a panic room or plush storm cellar, wine cellar, even 
  a bunker, as well as a private fuel tank with 1D4x1000 gallons 
  (3,785 to 15,14 liters) of gasoline, a garage with recreational ve-
  hicles (1D4+1 snowmobiles, dirt bikes, 4x4s, and a large motor 
  or sail boat if off a lake, etc.), recreational/sporting items (fishing 
  gear, skis, snowboard, hang glider, etc.) and other amenities. 10% 
  chance of there being a helicopter pad or a private airfield and 
  hangar. All have a few to many acres of land, 80% are encircled 
  by a tall fence or brick wall and security system. 30% are like 
  private fortresses with a tall, outer stone wall, security system and 
  2D6 armed guards. Some, not all, have a work staff. The wealthi-
  est and most powerful may have a small army (2D6x10) of staff 
  and support personnel (assistants, cooks, maids, etc.), all work-
  ing day and night to keep the facility going before and after the 
  apocalypse. How many support personnel survive the apocalypse 
  is anyone’s guess.
  In the aftermath of the Zombie Apocalypse, any guards and 
  service people who continue to work for the One-Percenter do 
  
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  so because they know the character will protect and take care of 
  them in exchange for their continued service, and that they are in 
  a safer, better place compared to the rest of the world. They also 
  know whether or not their wealthy boss has connections and in-
  fluence with the government (and surviving enclaves, if any), that 
  could lead to government/military support and defense. They also 
  know the villa or estate is a remote, walled location that zombies 
  cannot easily get to. At least, not right away. Note: Such places 
  have the potential for becoming a Safe Haven community if the 
  One-Percenter is willing to open his cottage, ranch or compound 
  to other people.
  A One-Percenter player character may be at such a location 
  or trying to reach it. Or he may be out in the world using what 
  connections and formidable resources he still has available to him 
  to help and rescue others. Those resources may include a fleet 
  of cars or trucks, aircraft, boats, weapons, armed guards, police, 
  commercial and private property, business and political clout and 
  connections, etc. The stereotype “rich guy” is a snooty, demand-
  ing, spoiled, arrogant punk, who is used to getting his way. The 
  reality is most of these people worked hard to make their fortunes 
  and built it from the ground up. Most are smart, well-educated, 
  resourceful, think fast on their feet and capable leaders happy to 
  take charge of any situation or group of survivors. That latter part 
  can be good or bad. One-Percenters are not always good at being 
  team players unless they are leading the team, and there could be 
  clashes between them and other strong-willed individuals.
  Many One-Percenters located at their protected country estate 
  or compound tend to stay where they are. They have everything 
  they need and know they are safe. They have lived as one of 
  the elite and powerful for a long time, and now, they may or-
  ganize relief efforts using other recruited survivors to establish 
  safe houses, supply depots and Safe Haven communities. Some 
  are even hands on leaders in the streets rescuing people, battling 
  zombies and opposing Death Cults and villainy. Natural born 
  leaders and planners, they take action to save lives, build survivor 
  communities and assume the mantle of leadership. Some humani-
  tarians may sacrifice their own remaining and finite resources to 
  aid people struggling in a world in crisis. These One-Percenters 
  are resilient and determined; dead-set in their noble quest to res-
  cue humankind from the clutches of the zombies, even if it costs 
  them everything. They share great empathy for their less fortu-
  nate survivors and many may feel it is their duty to help them by 
  any means possible. Note: This type of noble individual is the 
  most likely to be a player character.
  As you might expect, some One-Percenters have trouble re-
  lating with the common man or average survivor. These elitists 
  may come off as detached, condescending or pretentious. They 
  simply have not known the living hell of the Zombie Apocalypse 
  and are arrogant about it. It has not yet changed them the way it 
  has most other people. They have not lost everything or everyone 
  they love. Or they are confident the government will step up and 
  save the day. When that happens, they will still be rich, and per-
  haps even more powerful than ever. As a result, these self-serving 
  aristocrats hoard their wealth, property and assets and are reluc-
  tant to help or try to leverage themselves into powerful positions 
  in the new world order.
  These One-Percenters remain active in the post-apocalyptic 
  world, working all the angles and milking the wasteland for ev-
  ery bit it is worth. They make deals with survivors, hoard gold, 
  money and gems, claim “strategic” real estate and manipulate 
  and use others to stay on top of the heap. Some may even form 
  their own cults or build a private army. They take note of the way 
  trade and barter is done among survivor groups and some One-
  Percenters have big plans to transform the wasteland to fit their 
  personal visions.
  Those who have backstabbed, seduced, or terrorized their way 
  to the top before, continue to manipulate and exploit anyone they 
  can. They set groups against each other, sell out former allies to 
  their enemies, and manipulate the people who are left behind. 
  The wasteland is their playground. This unscrupulous character 
  is rarely an out-an-out raider. Instead he moves people like chess 
  pieces or puppets to get what he wants. Without the old govern-
  ment and laws, there are no laws or rules for him to bend or break. 
  In fact, some may consider themselves “the law,” especially if 
  they have recruited a small army and there is no one to oppose 
  them. The One-Percenter who is a ruthless opportunist, schemes 
  endlessly and is willing to deal with anyone: Heroes, ordinary 
  survivors, bandits, raiders, murderers, cultists, and maniacs, pro-
  vided they offer something of value or can get him something he 
  wants. All that matters to this One-Percenter is that he comes out 
  on top. The idea is to get yourself out there and let people know 
  you have something to offer them in trade for their support. This 
  kind of thing can seem strange and alien to the average survivor 
  who is stuck with the simple concerns of getting through another 
  day. But for the ruthless and powerful wealthy, it all spells oppor-
  tunity for them. Note: This type of carpetbagger and borderline 
  psychopath is most likely to be an NPC (Non-Player Character) 
  villain or resource.
  One-Percenters are split sharply in their dealings with zom-
  bies. Most consider them an unpleasant reality that is best not 
  dwelt on too much. The risen dead are an obstacle, but not an 
  impossible one. To some, they are a resource waiting to be tapped 
  and tamed. To some, they are a problem to be solved; a statistical 
  math equation, a matter of numbers against the human mind. And 
  to others, they are a frightening fate worse than death; a state of 
  non-identity that is too nightmarish to comprehend. Individuals 
  of that last type may engage in massive, destructive campaigns of 
  extermination against the zombies, with little regard of collateral 
  damage and hardship for less fortunate survivors. Characters of 
  selfish and evil alignments could try to find a way to profit from 
  the zombies as a workforce or army, the worst may start their 
  own cult-like organization or ally themselves with the leader of a 
  charismatic Death Cult.
  Safely nestled away, most One-Percenters have never expe-
  rienced the sheer bloody horror of being face-to-face with zom-
  bies, let alone fighting them. Without that firsthand experience, 
  many do not truly understand how dangerous the monsters re-
  ally are, and underestimate the challenge before them. Unaware 
  
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  of how close they are, and that all it takes is one dead hand to 
  reach out at the right time to bring everything crashing down. 
  One unguarded door, one rampant sickness, one act of rebellion, 
  one mistimed calculation, and the One-Percenter is at the mercy 
  of the living dead.
  Game Note: Depending, the One-Percenter’s level of wealth 
  and power, such characters are probably best used by Game Mas-
  ters as NPCs: villains and leaders of Safe Havens or government 
  enclaves. Game Masters, if you feel uncomfortable with this 
  character as a player character or even as an NPC, do not use it.
  However, they can make an excellent non-player character 
  (NPC) as a visionary hero, leader, sponsor of a Safe Haven, lead-
  er of an enclave, a strange ally, a source of work and adventure 
  (hires the characters to find items, info, resources for him or to 
  eliminate rivals, etc.), or as a predatory villain, dictator, tyrant, 
  passive observer, or a ruthless and cruel mastermind manipulat-
  ing events from behind the scenes or from afar. Many of these 
  people have gone a little mad since the dead rose. Some may 
  be drunk on power, others overzealous chosen people, some car-
  ry the burden of deep and personal responsibility for the entire 
  world, or are insane because they have witnessed or suffered too 
  much horror and loss. Money and power does not protect you 
  from insanity. Watching the apocalypse from the outside and 
  contemplating their place in it can twist some hearts and minds to 
  create a different sort of monster.
  As a player character, the One-Percenter could be a guy with 
  resources (lots of guns, gear, vehicles, a helicopter or boat, that 
  secluded villa, etc.) or he could have lost EVERYTHING, or ev-
  erything that mattered most to him, such as his wife and family. 
  Now he is down and dirty in the street, using his leadership skills, 
  education and what little resources he may have left to fight cult-
  ists and bad guys, destroy zombies, save lives and keep himself 
  and his teammates alive one day at a time.
  O.C.C. Special Abilities:
  Whether the player character has lost everything or still has 
  a fortune in valuable assets is left to the discretion of the G.M. 
  However, all have the following special abilities.
  1. Expert Negotiator: More than just simple Barter, the One-
  Percenter is the master of the deal. He knows the ins and outs 
  of negotiation, profit and loss, and the long, detailed process of 
  diplomacy and equal trade. Proper negotiation focuses on the 
  building of relationships with useful and powerful people. This 
  provides huge bonuses to certain skills and attributes, below, and 
  gives the individual the ability to charm and impress, or intimi-
  date. Negotiation and business is usually conducted with peaceful 
  diplomacy, but depending on the desperateness of the situation 
  and the individual, some One-Percenters may use intimidation 
  tactics, blackmail, or force in a negotiation. Moreover, to some, 
  violence is just another tool in their drawer. They are not afraid 
  to bring guns, gangs, or zombies to unfairly alter business deals 
  in their favor.
  2. Commanding Presence: The wealthy character is able 
  to roll Trust/Intimidate and Charm/Impress against individu-
  als and entire crowds of people. He is used to giving speeches 
  to inspire groups of people to work together, work hard, work 
  diligently, and dare to dream or to have hope or confidence in 
  their efforts. As a leader, he may be used to motivating people 
  through words, reward or intimidation and force. The individual 
  may tell the truth, or just tell the people what they want to hear, 
  or just the stuff to motivate and not the bad things that might 
  make them hesitate, worry or abandon their post. Whatever the 
  message, it is all very convincing. See M.A. attribute number 
  and corresponding percentage to evoke trust, charm or intimi-
  dation.
  3. Reputation: The One-Percenter has a known reputation 
  especially among business people and politicians, but he could 
  also be famous and known to many ordinary people as well. His 
  reputation gives the One-Percenter clout and influence with most 
  Federal Emergency Managers, which may extend to some gov-
  ernment enclaves. Such agents and organization are much more 
  likely to deal with him and his people (the player group or Safe 
  Haven community) and offer at least some level of support. The 
  enclave may also be wiling to take the One-Percenter into their 
  protective custody, but that may not extend to his “associates.”
  One-Percenter O.C.C.
  Also Known As: Boss, Big Guy, the Rich and Famous, the Elite, 
  and Money-Bags.
  Alignment: Any.
  Attribute Requirements: I.Q. 13 and M.A. 13.
  O.C.C. Bonuses: +1D4 to I.Q. (highly educated and experi-
  enced), +1 to M.E., +1D4 to P.B. and +11 to M.A. attribute! +3 
  to Perception Rolls regarding trade, barter, business and rec-
  ognizing when someone is being insincere and untrustworthy 
  or guarded/holding back. +2D6 to S.D.C., +1 on initiative, +1 
  to pull punch, +1 to save vs Horror Factor and +15% to evoke 
  Trust/Intimidate and +10% to Charm/Impress regardless of 
  M.A. or P.B. score.
  Occupation: The character was probably a top-ranking mem-
  ber of a powerful corporate or government entity, who either 
  worked his way up the ladder or inherited his position and 
  wealth
  Common Skills: All, +10%; highly educated and skilled.
  O.C.C. Skills of the One-Percenter:
  Aerobic Athletics or Fencing; pick one.
  Appraise Goods (+30%)
  Barter (+40%)
  Boxing or Kick Boxing; pick one.
  Business & Finance (+25%)
  Gambling (Standard) (+10%)
  Language: Two of choice (+10%).
  Law (General) (+10%)
  Public Speaking (+10%)
  Philosophy (+5%)
  S.C.U.B.A. (+10%)
  Swimming (+5%)
  Technical Writing (+5%)
  
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  Transportation Skills: Three of choice, any (+12%), may in-
  clude one Horsemanship of choice (+10%).
  Wardrobe & Grooming (+20%)
  W.P. Ancient, one of choice.
  W.P. Modern, one of choice.
  Hand to Hand: None to start. The character can get Basic for 
  the cost of one Elective Skill or Expert at the cost of two Elec-
  tive Skills, or Martial Arts at the cost of three Elective Skills.
  Elective Skills: Select a total of 10 skills (higher education) from 
  any of the skill categories, except Military, Rogue and Wilder-
  ness. These skills reflect the character’s occupation and life 
  before the Zombie Apocalypse.
  Secondary Skills: Select two Secondary Skills from the Second-
  ary Skill List in the Skills section at levels 1, 4, 9, 14. These 
  are additional areas of knowledge that do not get any bonus-
  es, other than a possible bonus for a high I.Q. All Secondary 
  Skills start at the base skill level.
  Standard Equipment: The character was wealthy beyond mea-
  sure. G.M.s use your discretion, but even a One-Percenter 
  who has lost his fortune still has plenty of clothing and equip-
  ment, a couple of quality weapons (corresponding to skills), 
  1D4x10,000 rounds of ammunition for each, any car he wants, 
  a second vehicle that corresponds with Transportation skills 
  and more. He could conceivably have had anything he wanted 
  before the Zombie Apocalypse. When away from home, he 
  may travel light or tow caravans of armored or luxury vehicles.
  Tools of the Trade: Smartphone, satellite phone, laptop and tab-
  let for recordings and making notes, an extensive wardrobe, 
  1D4+2 designer suits including accessories and undergar-
  ments, Point-Blank vest, pens, notebooks, clipboards, and 
  briefcases to hold documents.
  Odds are the character still has 1D4+1 homes or business 
  properties, any of which may make a good Safe Haven if he 
  can get to it.
  Weapons: The character can have any of the basic weapons in 
  the Dead Reign® book, although acquiring huge amounts of 
  them prior to the apocalypse is really rare.
  Vehicle: One for each Transportation skill +1D4 others; any he 
  wants.
  Pay/Trade Goods: Has 2D6x100,000 in cold hard cash, 
  3D6x100,000 in gold, silver and jewelry, 5D6x100,000 in 
  bonds, and 2D6x10 million in stocks for those who may still 
  see value in such things.
  1D6x100,000 in post-apocalypse trade goods (food, water, 
  fuel, medicine, guns and ammo, generators, survival gear, ve-
  hicles, etc.).
  NPC One-Percenter Considerations
  1. NPC One-Percenters may still have vast wealth and 
  resources: Basically, the character never needs to worry about 
  basic supplies and money. Money does not mean much anymore 
  to most people, but the promise of it when “things get back to 
  normal” or the promise of financial reward to those who work 
  for him, may have an impact on some people and negotiations. 
  Gold, silver and gems still has value in some people’s minds. All 
  of their everyday survival concerns are bought and paid for, and 
  mostly done by employees, servants, armed guards and under-
  lings. The One-Percenter does not need to worry as much about 
  food, water, shelter, or even the living dead, provided he is smart 
  about things, and continues to gather (some hoard) supplies for 
  the future. In short, the wealthy individual and “his people” are in 
  a much better and comfortable position to survive.
  Assets: For game purposes, the character has 1D4+1 times the 
  money and assets listed under the Equipment, Tools of the Trade, 
  Weapons and Pay/Trade Goods stats, above.
  2. Powerful Backing: Choose one:
  a) Federal Government: The character was in the upper ech-
  elons of the government or had many associates and clients in 
  the government. He was probably a friend and associate of sev-
  eral Congressmen, Senators, State Governors, administrator of 
  a large and powerful bureaucratic department, members of the 
  President’s cabinet, or maybe even a friend and advisor to the 
  Vice President or the President! Likewise, he is likely to know a 
  handful of foreign heads of state. 10% chance the One-Percenter 
  was/is a member of Congress or the Senate! The character’s top 
  priority is probably establishing a power base and trying to re-
  establish law and order someplace and building survivor com-
  munities. 30% chance he is a member (or leader) of a secret en-
  clave with the agenda of Continuing the Operations of the United 
  States government. Whatever he and the enclave may interpret 
  that to be. See the section on Conspiracy Theories and Enclaves 
  at the beginning of this sourcebook.
  b) Giant of Industry: The character owned or was the Chief 
  Executive Officer of a multi-national company. Maybe he still 
  has several factories able to function and/or other business prop-
  erties that might be suitable as the foundation for building a Safe 
  Haven community around. Provides the facility can be taken 
  from the zombies or cultists. Maybe the company/factories can 
  manufacture something useful in the post-apocalypse. On the 
  other hand, in keeping with the “when things get back to normal” 
  concept, he may seek to secure his holdings and make sure they 
  have relevance (and bring him wealth and power) in the future.
  c) Dedicated Religious Leader: The One-Percenter is a reli-
  gious (or political) leader and most of his staff and support per-
  sonnel are made up of devout followers. His status only goes up 
  in the apocalypse. The character is the head of a huge, obscenely 
  wealthy church or other religious (or charitable or political) insti-
  tution. The main order of business is converting wasteland survi-
  vors to the True Way, and thus lifting them out of the living Hell 
  that is their daily lives. Conversion usually means obedience and 
  servitude in the character’s organization.
  For most, Death Cults and the zombies are an unholy abomi-
  nation that needs to be wiped out. Creating an instant rivalry be-
  tween other groups. In some cases, the leader may transition him-
  self and his organization to become a Death Cult, especially if it 
  can be leveraged to bring him many more worshipers and power.
  d) Public Figure/Celebrity Network: The One-Percenter was 
  big in the entertainment or art world. He might have been a fa-
  
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  mous politician, Hollywood actor, director, producer, musician/
  rock star, studio head, celebrity chef, national news anchor, fa-
  mous celebrity, artist, top art dealer, agent or representative to 
  the stars, an entertainment broker, an executive bigwig and so on. 
  Maybe the character is still an artist or entertainer, and the waste-
  land is their muse and their canvas. The character could also be 
  looking for ways to bring entertainment to a hopeless, blighted, 
  miserable nation of survivors in an effort to raise their spirits, 
  forget their troubles for a bit, and bring them hope. The celeb-
  rity could also have been a wealthy heir or heiress who, because 
  of their incredible affluence and need for attention, could have 
  used their money to buy their way onto the public stage. This 
  individual may struggle to find relevance in the post-apocalyptic 
  world or use their wealth and assets to build survivor communi-
  ties and help people. The deranged might still covet fame and 
  stop at nothing and exhaust every resource to maintain their ce-
  lebrity. Perhaps even if it means becoming a charismatic messiah 
  figure and/or leader of Death Cult.
  e) Science, Medical or Chemical: The One-Percenter was 
  the owner or CEO of a big pharmacy company, chemical com-
  pany, or science-based business – medicine, medical equipment, 
  bio-engineering, drugs, pesticides, computers, robotics, etc. The 
  character could have been one of the first people to examine vic-
  tims of the Wave or even some of the first zombies. If so, the 
  character may have some special insights to share with the rest 
  of the world or at least the player group. Perhaps there is a real 
  answer to the zombie problem. Or perhaps the character only has 
  bad news, or nothing to share just yet. Maybe he needs to study 
  and test more subjects, both living and undead. Or he may be as 
  in the dark as much as anyone else.
  In most cases, the One-Percenter owned or ran the firm, in-
  cluding the direction its research takes, the attention they pay 
  to conventional ethics, and what to do with their findings. Only 
  half are a scientist or researcher themselves, most handled the 
  business end of the company. However, such a One-Percenter 
  has knowledge and access to the drugs, chemicals, and products 
  made by this company. If pharmaceutical, medical or chemical 
  (the latter can be a lot of things), he could have access to trade 
  goods (and the ability to manufacture more?!) that are rare and 
  difficult to find in the post-apocalyptic world, but which could 
  give him considerable clout and power. If he can get to his facili-
  ties and procure coveted medicines and items.
  f) Shadowy Proprietor: This unknown, but powerful figure has 
  yet to reveal his identity to the people he has recruited to work for 
  him in the post-apocalyptic world. This One-Percenter only ap-
  pears on video screens, cloaked in darkness, or wearing a bizarre 
  mask or hood and costume. His voice may be clear or distorted by 
  filters or electronics. The shadowy figure is the leader and the guy 
  in charge of the day-to-day operations, but NEVER makes a per-
  sonal appearance, not even in hood or costume. He has managers 
  and a growing army of staff personnel dedicated to the whims of 
  this mystery person. All anyone knows is that he is rich and pow-
  erful. Rumors abound, and there is probably an air of distrust and 
  worry. However, it is the Shadowy Proprietor who has the true 
  vision for the future (even if he only gives it out in small doses), 
  and makes the big decisions. The proprietor may occasionally 
  find his orders conflicting with his personal ethics or better judg-
  ment. This is perfect role-playing opportunity; play it up.
  If the character is also the leader or a top member of a govern-
  ment enclave, he may be using the organization’s resources and 
  power to secretly establish one or more survivor communities, 
  and/or build and train an army of survivors to eventually take 
  back a portion of the nation, or a particular city, factory com-
  pound or other resource. If the One-Percenter is a madman, bad 
  guy or Death Cultist, this is the fellow who may try to use his 
  resources and work force to find a way to turn the risen dead into 
  weapons to conquer other groups, or put to use to rebuild civiliza-
  tion. Or he may have some other selfish, personal agenda.
  Zombie Prophet
  A post-Zombie Apocalypse O.C.C.
  The Zombie Prophet has learned that the living dead are after 
  the life energy (P.P.E.) of the living. To get at this energy, zom-
  bies have to kill their victims and devour the energy when it is 
  released from their dying bodies. Normally, this energy would go 
  off and dissipate, but when it is taken by the dead, some sort of 
  mysterious transfer is made into the victim’s corpse and it rises as 
  a new zombie. This and more is known to the so-called Zombie 
  Prophet who uses his knowledge of the risen dead to help survi-
  vors and determine the meaning of life.
  The Zombie Prophet learns about zombies by living and walk-
  ing among them. He can make himself invisible to the living dead 
  by somehow draining and disbursing all of his life energy, leaving 
  only the barest minimum he needs to stay alive. To the undead, 
  the character appears to be a lifeless creature like themselves, 
  and unworthy of their notice. This enables the Zombie Prophet 
  to walk among the zombies without fear of being harmed. The 
  character must still take caution not to harm or otherwise bother 
  the zombies, or he may attract their attention and be attacked. If 
  the Zombie Prophet initiates an attack against the risen dead, the 
  monsters fight back and recognize him to be a food source, begin 
  to moan and converge. For that reason, it is best to move through 
  large, dense zombie mobs as quickly as possible.
  To remain invisible to the living dead requires concentration 
  and something akin to a meditative trance to channel away the 
  Prophet’s life energy. The process mimics death and takes its toll 
  on the human body and mind. The Zombie Prophet feel weak and 
  sluggish. His skin takes on a pale coloration, his eyes look dull, 
  he moves slowly and he is not fully aware of his surroundings or 
  the passage of time. (Note: -3 on Perception Rolls, -2 on initia-
  tive, reduce Spd by half, -30% on skill performance and it takes 
  twice as long to do while in zombie mode). The Prophet uses 
  this fugue state to walk among the dead. Zombie dominated areas 
  mean nothing to him, as he can come and go freely without fear 
  of attack. A Zombie Prophet may wander with thick mobs of the 
  
  146
  monsters undetected, even during a convergence to capture and 
  feed upon the living without fear of detection. He does so to ob-
  serve and to study them. Zombie Prophets believe there must be 
  a reason and purpose for the dead to have risen. By temporarily 
  releasing his own life energy and becoming as much like them as 
  possible, the Prophet hopes to figure out what that may be.
  The Zombie Prophet’s life energy can returned at will, and au-
  tomatically returns the moment he breaks out of his zombie mode 
  trance state. This means he becomes recognizable as prey to any 
  zombies nearby within one or two melee rounds (15-30 seconds). 
  Zombie mode can be maintained indefinitely. However, pain, 
  being rendered unconscious, and loss of focus are likely to pull 
  the Zombie Prophet out of his meditative state and zombie-like 
  trance. For that reason, if he comes across zombies cornering and 
  attacking people, and if there is nothing he can do to rescue them, 
  the Zombie Prophet does not watch, he turns and walks away to 
  insure he remains in the medatative state. Concentration may also 
  be broken when speed is required or when performing a complex 
  task requires more attention. That said, Zombie Prophets become 
  accustomed to “zombie mode” and moving slowly and staying in 
  the trance even under stressful conditions.
  Zombie Prophets are not entirely sure how their ability works 
  or why it manifested in them. Some are shown how to meditate 
  and release their energy by other Zombie Prophets, but most dis-
  cover they have the ability on their own. Many regular folks have 
  tried to do it after watching the Zombie Prophet in action, only to 
  fall under attack or end up as food for the risen dead.
  Zombie Prophets believe they are called by a higher power 
  to become prophets, and that their ability taps some sort of mys-
  terious inner strength or psychic ability that gives them a weak 
  connection to the undead. And that enables them to walk among 
  them. The Zombie Prophet is not a spell caster, nor does he pos-
  sess any other supernatural abilities to speak of (see O.C.C. Abili-
  ties, below). It may be that Zombie Prophets exhibit a rare and 
  potent ability of intense focus and concentration, like being “in 
  the zone.” Or perhaps, like some monks, priests and mystics who 
  claim to be able to open their Third Eye and levitate, commune 
  with spirits or see visions, the Zombie Prophet may tap into some 
  psychic or spiritual ability they don’t understand. The end result 
  is they are letting go of cognitive thought and giving themselves 
  over to some deeper, transcendental state of mind. This hyper-
  reality they experience takes a toll, draining and exhausting them, 
  but it allows them to pass as non-living among the zombies.
  Their ability to pass as zombies and live among them comes 
  at some peril. We already discussed the need to maintain focus or 
  be recognized as the living, but Zombie Hunters and other survi-
  vors may mistake them for zombies. Even if the Prophet is acting 
  in a human manner, he could be mistaken as a Thinker or Mock 
  Zombie and attacked anyway. If in the middle of zombie mob, the 
  Zombie Prophet needs to convince human attackers that he is not 
  a Mock Zombie. He can try to move away when the monsters are 
  attacked, but must do so slowly, or lose concentration. He may 
  also be attacked by a Cannibal Muncher.
  Even when recognized as a living human, most people con-
  sider Zombie Prophets to be scary lunatics never to be trusted 
  and avoided. As a result, these Prophets are often shunned by the 
  living as soon as people realize what they are.
  Death Priests also have an interest in Zombie Prophets. First, 
  they see them as potential rivals to be hunted down and slain. 
  Indeed, some Zombie Prophets start their own gangs and Death 
  Cults, but that is uncommon. Second, Death Priests and cultists 
  envy the Prophet’s ability to walk among zombies and their deep 
  understanding and knowledge of the living dead. That motivates 
  some Death Priests to capture and interrogate Zombie Prophets, 
  or force them to work for the cult, often as slaves, as well as ex-
  periment upon them.
  Zombie Prophets can be found at locations where there are 
  vast numbers of zombies such as cities and other population cen-
  ters. Seldom in rural areas. They freely walk the streets of urban 
  
  147
  areas, finding all the salvage and safe hidey-holes they need to 
  survive without threat of being attacked by zombies.
  They are “prophets” not just because they can walk among 
  the dead as one of them, or for their other unique abilities, but 
  because they are spiritual people in search of answers and di-
  rection. Answers for themselves and for the fate of the human 
  race. These prophets believe there must be some reason for the 
  Zombie Apocalypse. That there is something good to come out 
  of it. Something to learn from. Some message about survival and 
  goodness and the human spirit, or our future. Though a handful 
  of Zombie Prophets become cult leaders and Death Priests, most 
  do not. They walk to the beat of a different drummer. They are 
  on a spiritual journey of knowledge and enlightenment. As such, 
  most are not violent or aggressive, and seek to help the living – 
  and the dead.
  Yeah, you read that correctly. Zombie Prophets do not see 
  zombies as wicked or evil. In large part because most are devoid 
  of emotions, feelings, desire and thought. They are simple crea-
  tures of instinct operating on a machine-like level. Yes, they kill 
  the living and feed on their blood, bones and life energy, but they 
  do not kill out of malice. Which to the Zombie Prophet is more 
  evidence that something else, something meaningful, is at work 
  here. And they mean to figure it out. Consequently, these proph-
  ets do not protect the dead, nor do they try to destroy them. They 
  study them and try to commune with them. That’s why they walk 
  among the zombie hordes in a barely alive state of being. Their 
  efforts to commune with and understand zombies makes them 
  the leading experts on the subject, and gives them some modest 
  influence over the dead.
  As you might guess, this unusual outlook on zombies is not a 
  popular one. It breeds disgust and disdain for Zombie Prophets 
  who find themselves hated and feared by most other survivors. 
  Even Death Priests do not understand or trust them. Most survi-
  vors regard Zombie Prophets as dangerous freaks and weirdos to 
  avoid or to kill. Others see them as another madman born in this 
  living hell, and also keep their distance.
  These sentiments are understandable. Zombie Prophets are 
  strange and many teeter on the brink of madness. But the biggest 
  factor in people’s distrust and hatred of them is the fact that they 
  refuse to take sides and condemn zombies as monsters. Many sur-
  vivors cannot understand how anyone cannot hate zombies and 
  want them all dead. It is natural to hate the creatures that have 
  taken so much away and hunt you still. Zombies are a plague and 
  a nightmare that has left people terrified and hateful. Anyone who 
  suggests zombies are not monsters and should not be slaughtered 
  en masse, is automatically perceived to be the enemy or a mad-
  man, or both. It is them or us. End of story. There is no room in 
  their hearts for debate about zombies or contrary ideas. Survivors 
  don’t want to discuss zombies with any sense of wonder or un-
  biasedness. Nor do they want to engage in philosophical debates 
  about them or spirituality, faith or any context other than, “how 
  do we destroy them and take back our world.” To suggest zom-
  bies may have a higher purpose is madness and only provokes an 
  angry and violent backlash.
  Most Zombie Prophets begin life in the Zombie Apocalypse as 
  introspective thinkers and theologians who tend to keep to them-
  selves and to their own thoughts in the first place. Zombie Proph-
  ets spend a lot of time away from people, wandering and studying 
  zombies up close and personal. Their zombie mode state of con-
  sciousness is hard on their minds and bodies. As a result, Zombie 
  Prophets tend to behave in a scattered, awkward manner, some-
  times drifting off on their own thoughts in mid-sentence or blurt-
  ing out an inappropriate observation or unnerving bit of informa-
  tion about zombies. Most speak their mind, ask a lot of questions, 
  and some talk in a herky-jerky manner with awkward pauses or 
  stutter when they get excited about something. Almost all seem 
  calm and speak in a slow deliberate manner, giving thought and 
  consideration to the weight of their words, but that stilted style 
  of speech only makes them seem suspicious, like they are hiding 
  something. The fact that they are so casual and unafraid around 
  zombies is enough to creep out most people. And because Zom-
  bie Prophets walk among the zombies and don’t want to stick out 
  as being alive, they tend to wear tattered and filthy clothing, do 
  not bathe often and may walk around half-dressed. None of this 
  is conducive to a favorable opinion of them by other survivors, 
  making it difficult for the Prophets to find camaraderie among 
  the living.
  It is a shame, because Zombie Prophets only want to help. 
  They have a lot to offer survivors and they are the foremost au-
  thorities on zombies of every variety. However, most survivors 
  see them as scary freaks with unnatural and frightening powers 
  and knowledge. As a result, many people avoid and reject Zom-
  bie Prophets. Some even spit on them, shove and beat them, and 
  harass and steal from them, rather than work with them or listen 
  to what they have to say.
  Despite this, most Zombie Prophets still try to help and protect 
  the living. They understand why people might fear and shun them, 
  and accept it as part of their journey to enlightenment. Most turn 
  the other cheek or fight back only to defend themselves. As a rule, 
  Zombie Prophets are tolerant and understanding of other people. 
  They try never to hurt another living creature and help anyone 
  in need. Zombie Prophets are known to lead people to safety, 
  guide them through zombie infested cities, find them a safe place 
  to hole up, and lead zombies away. A Zombie Prophet does not 
  hesitate to offer his service to scout a trail or to go into zombie 
  dominated areas in search of supplies and bring them back to the 
  living. There are some locations so overcome by zombies that no 
  one but a Zombie Prophet or a Half-Living has any chance of go-
  ing in and coming out alive. This can make the Zombie Prophet 
  an invaluable ally, yet so few are willing to give them a chance. 
  As a “prophet” they like to share their knowledge about zombies 
  and teach people about them and other subjects including sur-
  vival tips, philosophy and how to find beauty in the devastation.
  The lucky Zombie Prophets find acceptance among a survivor 
  group or Safe Haven community where they serve as scouts, ad-
  visors, teachers, spiritual leaders, rescuers and loyal teammate. 
  Sadly, living among the death and being hated and reject by so 
  many of the living turns all too many Zombie Prophets into kooks 
  
  148
  or hermits who avoid people and live among the dead. In some 
  rare cases, Zombie Prophets have become high-ranking members 
  in Death Cults, where they make false promises that whoever fol-
  lows them and keeps their devotion and obedience true, will be 
  able to walk freely among the dead as he does. Zombie Prophets 
  are more likely to be targeted by Death Cults, captured and en-
  slaved by Death Priest and forced, under torture, to reveal their 
  secrets or to serve the cult.
  O.C.C. Special Abilities:
  1. Invisible to Zombies/Zombie Mode: As described previ-
  ously, the Zombie Prophet can walk among the living dead as if 
  he were one of them. His life energy invisible to the zombies, so 
  they accept him as one of them.
  Duration: This state can be maintained indefinitely, but not 
  while asleep or when knocked unconscious, in pain, engaged in 
  combat, or when forced to perform a complicated skill. Thus, 
  to sleep or engage in a more challenging activity, the Zombie 
  Prophet must remove himself from the zombies or risk being at-
  tacked. Running, fighting or any heavy exertion or emotionally 
  charged situation that gets the adrenaline pumping and creates 
  strong emotions, breaks the Zombie Mode Trance.
  Penalties while in Zombie Mode: -3 on Perception Rolls, -2 on 
  initiative, -1 melee attack, reduce Spd by half, P.B. by 20%, and 
  -30% on skill performance, plus it takes twice as long to complete 
  a skill while in zombie mode. Zombie Prophets feel weak and 
  sluggish in zombie mode, slow to react because their thoughts 
  and awareness are foggy. Their skin turns a pale sickly pallor in 
  Zombie Mode, they looks tired with dark circles under their dull 
  eyes, and they move slowly. The character is also less aware of 
  his surroundings and easily loses track of the passage of time and 
  day of the week.
  2. Understand the Dead: The Zombie Prophets may kill 
  zombies in self-defense or save another person, but mostly they 
  are trying to study them, learn about them, and figure out what 
  zombies mean to humans and the future of humanity. As a re-
  sult, they, better than any zombie hunter, scientist or Death Priest, 
  know the behavior and capabilities of zombies – how they think, 
  where they hunt or hide, how they kill, and all the rest.
  This makes the character a zombie expert and valuable to 
  have around. However, Zombie Prophets have not figured out 
  if zombies are bad and if they should be captured, enslaved, or 
  destroyed. Most zombie Prophets do not protest or stop people 
  from killing the risen dead, and sometimes find it necessary to 
  kill them in self-defense, but they do not aggressively hunt or slay 
  them. Moreover, their mere suggestion that zombies might have a 
  higher purpose and, perhaps, should not be slaughtered in droves, 
  upsets a lot of people. This creates a certain level of disgust and 
  disdain for most survivors. The majority of whom are “creeped 
  out” by Zombie Prophets, don’t trust them and avoid them.
  Zombie Lore skill: Same as the Road Reaper skill: 30% +5% 
  per each additional level of experience; +50% for the Zombie 
  Prophet with and even greater depth of knowledge and under-
  standing.
  88% +1% per each additional level of experience to accurately 
  identify all types of zombies by looking at them, -10% when try-
  ing to determine the type of zombie by looking at evidence of 
  their actions based on forensic evidence (bite marks or weapon 
  used, the way their victim was killed, collateral damage, method 
  of entry, and eye witness reports.
  3. Influence the Dead: Though a Zombie Prophet cannot con-
  trol or command zombies, he can influence them in small, but 
  often profound ways.
  ! There is a 33% chance that any solitary zombie the Zombie 
  Prophet walks near (within four feet/1.2 m) follows him. Pre-
  sumably this is because he is actually alive, though it doesn’t 
  show, and something about him attracts them. Possibly a hint 
  of life. This can lead to him gathering a dispersed, small group 
  of them trailing behind (2D6+1 per level of experience, maxi-
  mum). Having zombies walking next to and behind him helps 
  to preserve his cover as a zombie, himself, and provides some 
  undead bodyguards against human threats. This is because 
  zombies walking along will automatically attack the living, 
  as usual.
  ! If Vandal zombies are present and the Zombie Prophet starts 
  to hit or smash things, there is a 01-66% chance it start them 
  smashing things or striking vehicles and buildings with ob-
  jects. If he continues to ape their actions and sudden shouts, 
  stops and drops the object he was using to strike objects, there 
  a 01-50% chance they all stop too. Ending their destruction 
  early.
  ! If no prey is sensed and the Zombie Prophet starts to moan 
  and walk in a particular direction there is a 66% chance that 
  2D4x10% of the zombies follow him.
  If a prey/life force is sensed and the Zombie Prophet tries 
  to lead them away, there is only a 33% chance that 1D4x10% 
  follow him away from the prey. But that could still be helpful. 
  Only smart zombies do not fall for this trick and stay on target. 
  This enables the Zombie Prophet to sometimes lead groups of 
  zombies away from an area or into pens, traps and ambushes 
  like the Piped Piper.
  ! Zombie loners and aggressive predators, such as Armored 
  Brutes, Impersonators, Kidnappers, and Seekers will let Zom-
  bie Prophets walk with them, just as other zombies do. How-
  ever, the fiends usually sneak off shortly before they go to kill, 
  kidnap or capture a living victim. That pleasure they save for 
  themselves, alone.
  ! If a Zombie Prophet steps in front of a human targeted by an 
  Armored Brute, Seeker, Kidnapper, Fast Attack, Flesh-Eat-
  ing Zombie, Thinker or Vandal, and faces that zombie and 
  growls as if to say this one is mine, it stops it in its tracks 
  for one melee round (15 seconds) while the zombie(s) pon-
  ders what it should do. There is only a 10% chance that 
  any of these aggressive zombies turn away. 20% chance 
  that one or more Slouchers or other dull-witted zombies 
  back off. Most move past the Zombie Prophet to get at their 
  prey. However, that melee round (15 seconds) may provide 
  time for the intended victim to flee or draw a weapon and 
  
  149
  prepare for combat, or to give an ally a chance to intervene/
  attack.
  If there is only one menacing zombie, the Zombie Prophet 
  can try to trip or push it down as it moves past him, an action 
  that should give the living victim a chance to run or attack 
  while the zombie is down. A tripping action or a shove does 
  not break the Prophet’s concentration or his invisibility to 
  zombies, but any other attack, even more pushing, surely will.
  In the alternative, the Zombie Prophet could attack the zom-
  bie as it passes him or after it passes him from behind. Such an 
  attack is at point-blank range and from behind, providing the 
  Prophet with bonuses (+4 to strike and double damage). Or he 
  could grab it from behind to try to hold it or grapple with it, 
  and so on. Any of which cancels the character’s invisibility to 
  the zombie he has engaged, and any others nearby, but helps 
  a living soul. Note: All zombies always fight back when they 
  are attacked, even if that attacker is a fellow zombie, or in 
  this case a Zombie Prophet. And remember, a Zombie Prophet 
  cannot maintain his zombie mode invisibility when he engages 
  in combat or actions requiring a lot of thought or energy. Thus, 
  the zombie he is attacking, and any zombies within sensing 
  range, see him as one of the living and a new target to kill and 
  feed upon. However, when not in the zombie mode trance, the 
  Prophet suffers none of its penalties and is back up to his full 
  speed, number of attacks and capabilities.
  ! Mock Zombies usually try to befriend Zombie Prophets and 
  never attack Prophets they know and like, even when the 
  Prophet’s life energy is showing. A friendly Mock Zombie 
  may offer his Prophet buddy food, water, information, a place 
  to hide or rest, etc. The monster may also be willing to kill 
  “bad people” for the Zombie Prophet. This eliminates bad 
  guys and feeds the Mock Zombie, which hopefully, keeps it 
  from killing innocent people. If there is a downside to this 
  “friendship” it is that the Mock Zombie is likely to be very 
  chatty and annoying, and the Zombie Prophet must play along 
  with the Mock Zombie’s belief that it is alive and not a zom-
  bie.
  ! Thinkers do not trust or follow Zombie Prophets. They may see 
  him as another walking dead, but there is something about him 
  they don’t like. They do not attack Zombie Prophets unless at-
  tacked by one first, but Thinkers steer clear of them.
  4. Sense the Living: When the Zombie Prophet is walking 
  with a large group of zombies (24 or more) and they see or sense 
  life, the Prophet also realizes it. As they get closer to the life 
  source, he, like the zombies all around him, can sense approxi-
  mately where that life source is, and whether it is human or an 
  animal. This is only possible when he is walking among a large 
  number of zombies, never by himself or in the company of just a 
  few zombies. The advantage this gives the Zombie Prophet is that 
  he may be able to warn the person(s) who may not know zombies 
  have targeted him and are coming his way.
  The Zombie Prophet can do this without giving himself away 
  or coming out of zombie mode by knocking things over that make 
  noise, like a garbage can or pipe, even rolling it to make more 
  noise, or setting off an alarm or picking an object up and throw-
  ing it at or through a window, and so on. With any luck, he may 
  set off a car alarm. If Vandals are present, there is a 66% chance 
  it starts them smashing things or striking vehicles and buildings 
  with objects. He can try shouting out a warning (“They’re com-
  ing.” “Run!” “Get out!”), but by the time he is close enough to be 
  heard the zombie swarm should already be moaning loud enough 
  to get the attention of any person nearby. Shouting out a few 
  times is not enough to make more than a few confused zombies 
  take notice.
  5. Shield the Living: The Zombie Prophets do not have the 
  power to stop zombies from attacking but they have found they 
  can shield people, especially children and people smaller than 
  them, as well as pets. They do so by covering the person or ani-
  mal with their own body. This requires the character to wrap him-
  self around that one person (or two small children) to cover as 
  much of them as possible. If they are mostly concealed by him, 
  the zombies do not notice the life force in his embrace, and walk 
  right on past them. The Zombie Prophet just accepts this as an-
  other one of his gifts, but this protection probably has something 
  to do with his zombie mode trance. It may be that he is able to ex-
  tend his own non-living aura around the living and/or somehow 
  disperses their life energy, making them invisible too.
  6. Insanity. Obsessed with finding meaning, purpose and 
  something good out of the Zombie Apocalypse. Obsessed with 
  determining the fate of humanity in the future. Obsessed with 
  finding enlightenment and purpose in the new world. The char-
  acter is also driven to help people and share his knowledge. Even 
  a Zombie Prophet is likely to step forward and help someone in 
  need. Many Prophets are willing to give away the shirt off their 
  back or last food ration to another person.
  Roll on the Phobia table at levels 2, 6, and 12.
  Some people might consider the fact that the Zombie Prophet 
  has sympathy for zombies and does not fight or kill them except 
  to defend himself or another from them, is insane.
  Zombie Prophet O.C.C.
  Also Known As: Zombie Freaks, Zombie Walkers, Deadheads 
  and Wackos.
  Alignment: Any, but tend towards good and selfish.
  Attribute Requirements: M.A. 10, M.E. 10, and P.E. 10.
  O.C.C. Bonuses: +6 on Perception Rolls regarding zombies 
  and their behavior, +2D6 P.P.E., +2D6 to Hit Points, +3D6 
  to S.D.C., +2 to save vs Horror Factor, but is not afraid of 
  zombies, so zombie Horror Factors do not apply to the Zombie 
  Prophet.
  Occupation: It does not matter what the character did before the 
  zombie apocalypse, he is a Zombie Prophet now, obsessed 
  with understanding zombies and the apocalypse, and what it 
  means for the future of humanity and human civilization.
  Common Skills: All, not highly skilled.
  O.C.C. Skills of the Zombie Prophet:
  Aerobic Athletics or Running, pick one.
  Domestic Skills: Two of choice (+10%).
  
  150
  Dowsing (+20%)
  Fasting (+20%)
  First Aid (+5%)
  Language: One of choice (+20%).
  Meditation (+20%)
  Performance (+5%)
  Land Navigation (+5%)
  Philosophy (+20%)
  Physical Labor or Forced March, pick one.
  Public Speaking (+10%)
  Prowl (+10%)
  Salvage (+20%)
  W.P. one of choice (any).
  Hand to Hand: None to start. The character can get Basic for 
  the cost of one Elective Skill, which can be changed to Expert 
  at the cost of two Elective Skills, or to Martial Arts at the cost 
  of three Elective Skills.
  Elective Skills: Select a total of seven skills. Selections may be 
  made from any of the following skill categories: Communica-
  tions, Domestic, Horsemanship, Physical, Technical, Trans-
  portation and Wilderness. These skill may reflect the charac-
  ter’s occupation and life before the Zombie Apocalypse.
  Secondary Skills: Select one Secondary Skill from the Second-
  ary Skill List in the Skill section at levels 2, 4, 8, 10 and 13. 
  These are additional areas of knowledge that do not get any 
  bonuses, other than a possible bonus for a high I.Q. All Sec-
  ondary Skills start at the base skill level.
  Standard Equipment: Some basic clothing, running shoes, san-
  dals, a pair of boots, survival knife or machete, one heavy-
  duty flashlight, a book of matches, 1D4 disposable lighters, a 
  set of eating utensils, sunglasses, a pair of goggles, a canteen, 
  backpack, knapsack, food rations (2 weeks worth), and some 
  personal items.
  Tools of the Trade: The character has one dress outfit/clothing 
  he uses for public speaking or preaching or teaching. This out-
  fit varies for each character. It can be religious garb or a clean 
  suit, or a set of clothes, or war paint, or cape or cloak, or per-
  haps the character wears only a sign of their faith and nothing 
  else. The Zombie Prophet may also have religious items or 
  fetishes, or accessories like a staff, necklaces, bracelet, arm-
  band, bones, feathers, a headdress, mask, or loudspeaker, or a 
  microphone and small battery-powered amplifier.
  Weapons: One weapon for each W.P. plus 200 rounds of am-
  munition for each.
  Vehicle: None to start.
  Pay: None, everything is barter and trade. Pay in the new, post-
  apocalyptic world is typically barter. An exchange of goods 
  and services for the goods and services your character needs. 
  The character’s acquisition of trade goods (food, fuel, medi-
  cine, guns and ammo, etc.) can be the catalyst for numerous 
  adventures. The Zombie Prophet many also share his servic-
  es as a scout, guide through zombie infested areas, teacher, 
  preacher, etc.
  Trade Goods: $2D6x1,000 in Trade Goods.
  Experience Point Tables
  Level 4: 8,201-16,400
  Level 5: 16,401-24,500
  Level 6: 24,501-34,600
  Level 7: 34,601-49,700
  Level 8: 49,701-69,800
  Level 9: 69,801-94,900
  Level 10: 94,901-129,000
  Level 11: 129,001-179,100
  Level 12: 179,101-229,200
  Level 13: 229,201-238,300
  Level 14: 238,301-329,400
  Level 15: 329,401-389,500
  Free Spirit
  Level 1: 0,000-1,875
  Level 2: 1,876-3,750
  Level 3: 3,751-7,250
  Level 4: 7,251-14,100
  Level 5: 14,101-21,200
  Level 6: 21,201-31,200
  Level 7: 31,201-41,200
  Level 8: 41,201-51,200
  Level 9: 51,201-71,200
  Level 10: 71,201-101,500
  Level 11: 101,501-136,500
  Level 12: 136,501-186,500
  Level 13: 186,501-236,500
  Level 14: 236,501-286,500
  Level 15: 286,501-326,500
  One-Man-Army
  Level 1: 0,000-2,100
  Level 2: 2,101-4,200
  Level 3: 4,201-8,400
  Level 4: 8,401-17,200
  Level 5: 17,201-25,400
  Level 6: 25,401-35,800
  Level 7: 35,801-51,000
  Level 8: 51,001-71,200
  Level 9: 71,201-96,400
  Level 10: 96,401-131,600
  Level 11: 131,601-181,800
  Level 12: 181,801-232,000
  Level 13: 232,001-282,200
  Level 14: 282,201-342,400
  Level 15: 342,401-402,600
  Drone Master & Naturalist
  Level 1: 0,000-1,900
  Level 2: 1,901-3,800
  Level 3: 3,801-7,300
  Level 4: 7,301-14,300
  Level 5: 14,301-21,000
  Level 6: 21,001-30,000
  Level 7: 30,001-40,000
  Level 8: 40,001-53,000
  Level 9: 53,001-73,000
  Level 10: 73,001-103,000
  Level 11: 103,001-138,000
  Level 12: 138,001-188,000
  Level 13: 188,001-238,000
  Level 14: 238,001-288,000
  Level 15: 288,001-328,000
  Federal Emergency Manager
  Level 1: 0,000-2,000
  Level 2: 2,001-4,000
  Level 3: 4,001-8,200
  One-Percenter
  & Zombie Prophet
  Level 1: 0,000-2,120
  Level 2: 2,121-4,240
  Level 3: 4,241-8,480
  Level 4: 8,481-16,960
  Level 5: 16,961-24,960
  Level 6: 24,961-34,960
  Level 7: 34,961-49,960
  Level 8: 49,961-69,960
  Level 9: 69,961-94,960
  Level 10: 94,961-129,960
  Level 11: 129,961-179,960
  Level 12: 179,961-229,960
  Level 13: 229,961-279,960
  Level 14: 279,961-329,960
  Level 15: 329,961-389,960
  
  151
  Life hidden among the dead
  course to their advantage. Not only do they know every nook 
  and cranny, street and back alley, they adjust and arrange the en-
  vironment so that they know they can hop over this fence, slide 
  under that wall, and scoot through a narrow opening to get inside 
  building X, climb down escape ladder Y, and keep on going! This 
  clever approach can support a community of independent survi-
  vors who scavenge the plentiful cities few others dare enter. Each 
  of their own family clans operating as separate units with their 
  own hideouts, safe houses, and secret routes scattered across the 
  shattered landscape.
  Home is designed not to look like a dwelling that is obviously 
  inhabited. Urban survivors have homes that appear to be aban-
  doned and worthless, maybe even a burned out or falling down 
  shell. And it is almost always located in the center of zombie oc-
  cupation, making it a difficult location for the living to gain access 
  to. The very zombies that are a threat, especially in city environ-
  ments, are a deterrent to would-be invaders looking for easy places 
  and people to victimize. Raiding a family’s home or hideout is not 
  going to reap the same volume of reward as hitting a Safe Haven 
  community, but if people are surviving, it means they have food, 
  weapons and valuables that lowlifes are willing to take from them. 
  Urban survivors know this, so they establish their dwellings in un-
  likely places and keep them looking dilapidated and not worth the 
  trouble to investigate. Nobody stops at the burned down house to 
  sift through the rubble, especially if a dozen or two zombies are 
  near it, with hundreds or thousands more in the area. They walk 
  right past it to get to the intact dwelling to plunder it. They never 
  stop to think that under the floor, in the basement, with secret tun-
  nel entrances and trapdoors, lives one or more families nestled in-
  side, safe and hidden from the living and the walking dead.
  Dwelling places should be left to look as if they are abandoned 
  and trashed – already ransacked with nothing to offer. The oc-
  cupants live in the basement or in a few back rooms. People do 
  not live like they did before the Zombie Apocalypse. This is not 
  your pretty little house with all the comforts of home. This is your 
  secret lair. Your hideout that, with any luck, can serve as your 
  hidden sanctuary for months, maybe even years. The occupants 
  never use lights upstairs where a glimmer might be seen through 
  the cracks of a boarded up window. If the place looks too boarded 
  up and secure, or too fortified, it may be targeted by bad guys or 
  strangers looking for a safe place to hole up. Any place that looks 
  safe or habitable attracts other survivors, as well as smart zom-
  bies leading a mob of Slouchers, all of which spells trouble. Such 
  things as obvious fortifications and glimpses of light suggest 
  people and resources are inside. A boarded up structure, perhaps 
  with other defenses around it, like a fence or vehicles to serve as 
  barriers or defensive positions, screams survivor “stronghold.” 
  Even if the building has been made to look as if it had already 
  been attacked and ransacked, a fortified structure may still invite 
  other survivors to take it over as their own.
  Urban Survivors
  In the movies and other works of fiction, survivors of the Zom-
  bie Apocalypse always seem to gather in large groups and try 
  to find and secure a stronghold where they are all safe from the 
  death all around them. It makes sense, and as noted elsewhere, 
  human beings are, by nature, social animals. We instinctively 
  seek the empathy and companionship of other people. However, 
  the larger the Safe Haven community, the more vulnerable it be-
  comes. Not just vulnerable to the zombies, but from attacks by 
  other people who want what they have, or who seek to subjugate 
  them under their rule.
  In a large community, the likelihood of error also increases. 
  There are more people to make a deadly mistake. Even a simple 
  blunder could lead to disaster. There is a greater risk of disease 
  that could sweep the community, in addition to all manner of lo-
  gistical issues like waste disposal, water purification, restrictions 
  on the use of water, food rations, rules and how to enforce them, 
  and all sorts of issues most of us living in modern cities before 
  the apocalypse never stop to think about. And a large community 
  is a target for thieves, raiders and rival groups.
  As a result, there are bands of survivors who have gone a dif-
  ferent route. Like the homesteaders and settlers in America’s 
  past, there are people who remain independent and fend for them-
  selves. These individuals, pairs and groups – usually family clans 
  and groups of friends – have found survival by living in small, 
  isolated groups to be preferable. A group or family clan of 2-12 
  people, working together to survive and protect each other, has 
  just as good odds of surviving as any large group, sometimes bet-
  ter. And they can even survive in the heart of the zombie infesta-
  tion, the big cities.
  Instead of fighting to clear out the dead, these individuals and 
  small groups live among them. They find a suitable place to live, 
  be it a house, basement or corner of a building, secure it and make 
  changes to insure their survival. All members of the group stay 
  together and live in the same building, often in the same room or 
  two. They find or build paths and passageways they can navigate 
  to avoid the dead, almost like rats in a maze. They may slowly 
  line up vehicles, and make fences and walls out of debris, as well 
  as blinds that block them from the view of the zombies. Some of 
  these paths may lead to a walls with a small opening (concealed or 
  not) which a nimble human can crawl through, but which a zom-
  bie may not notice, and would have trouble squeezing through. 
  Tricks as simple as a piece of plastic or fabric that flips up like a 
  dog-door can confuse and outwit most zombies. How? Because 
  the small opening is low to the ground and covered the flap, and 
  zombies are dumb as bricks!
  For these inner city survivors, navigating the urban environ-
  ment is often like running a gauntlet through a zombie obstacle 
  course, but it is doable. And the smart ones modify that obstacle 
  
  152
  People living in cities among the dead, always leave their 
  dwelling place looking as ordinary and unsuitable as possible. 
  And crawling with wandering zombies outside, and sometimes, 
  inside as well. Individual hallways and paths can be booby-
  trapped. There are likely to be concealed lookouts and/or warn-
  ing systems to alert the family to intruders. This gives them time 
  to flee and hide or make a hasty retreat. Most buildings used by 
  urban survivers as their home are wrecked and predominantly 
  empty except for the wandering zombies inside. Only their small 
  corner in the basement, cellar or backroom is “home.” Most also 
  have additional secret hiding places where family members can 
  momentarily find refuge, as well as tunnels and escape routes that 
  keep them safe and away from zombies and intruders alike. Liv-
  ing in the ruins of civilization among the zombies has taught them 
  to keep food, water, guns and gear scattered in multiple hidden, 
  secret compartments, holes, tunnels and neighboring locations 
  where a human invader cannot find all their supplies.
  Once they have managed to escape, exiting through tunnels 
  that lead inside another nearby house, garage, shed, or behind the 
  burned out house or big maple tree, they travel through backyards, 
  back alleys, and through empty buildings to escape intruders and 
  get to their emergency hideout or safe house. Most survivor trails 
  meander in a zig zag pattern to shake zombies and avoid being 
  followed. As they travel, city survivors look around, periodically 
  pausing behind cover to wait and watch to make certain they are 
  not being followed before moving on. A straight line to anyplace 
  is rare, because it is asking for trouble or death.
  Tunnels and holes. One of the earliest and simplest ways to 
  survive in a hostile environment has always been to go under-
  ground. This was true of the cavemen who lived in small caves 
  and natural, underground tunnel systems, and for people through-
  out history. The Vietcong foiled and escaped American aerial 
  bombardment and troops using vast networks of simple under-
  ground tunnels. They would also move troops and supplies from 
  one location to another, and pop up, seemingly out of nowhere, 
  to harass, attack or escape from their enemies. Similar simple 
  tunnels have been used throughout history to escape invaders and 
  to penetrate castle walls by digging under them. Tunnels have 
  been used to smuggle people, drugs and contraband, foiling and 
  outmaneuvering forces that were much smarter and more well-
  equipped than zombies, even the so-called “smart zombies.” Sur-
  vivor made tunnel systems can connect one house or building to 
  another, lead to an exit/entrance in a neighbor’s shed across the 
  street or several backyards away, or right into the basement of 
  another house.
  The tunnel concept also works beautifully inside apartment 
  buildings, offices and skyscrapers. A small, man-sized hole can 
  be made in the wall and hidden inside a closet, behind a couch 
  or a shelf, or under the bed with a trapdoor in the floor leading 
  down into the apartment below. A survivor group holed up inside 
  such a building could have a network of connected rooms, some 
  with zombies waiting inside, perhaps held by a fence or cage, 
  or netting, that the escaping residents open to release the zom-
  bies to greet anyone coming from behind them. They may have 
  a similar mechanism for releasing zombies into the hallways to 
  attack invaders (or at least slow them down), while they escape 
  to parts unknown. Probably through more tunnels. And zombies 
  that have been corralled or caged for any length of time are going 
  to be hungry and aggressive.
  The invaders could go around kicking down doors and fight-
  ing more and more zombies, but it is probably too dangerous. 
  Most raiders and thieves are not going to pursue when they do not 
  know where they are going, what waits around the next corner, or 
  where their intended victims have gone to. Add into the mix hav-
  ing to battle hungry zombies, and intruders are going to leave to 
  find much easier targets. The worst an intruder can do to squatters 
  living in a tall building and using secret doors and passageways, 
  is to burn the place down. From time to time, this does happen, 
  but most of the time it does not. Remember, the raiders are look-
  ing for valuable supplies such as clothing, medicine, food, wa-
  ter, etc., so if they burn the place down in frustration or anger, 
  they lose all the potential resources this building may contain. 
  And without anyone to fight the fire, they could unintentionally 
  burn down an entire neighborhood or industrial park, or half the 
  city. Most people, even the worst of the worst, realize this and 
  know better. They are not going to destroy places that hold the 
  very things they too need to survive. Better to come back, time 
  and again, than destroy it all. It is also easier to rob travelers and 
  small haven communities, than go stomping through buildings 
  and homes in the inner-city or downtown crawling with the risen 
  dead.
  This is how cagey urban survivors live. Hidden right under 
  the feet of the monsters or high above them in apartment build-
  ings and skyscrapers. And living better than many scavenging 
  survivors away from the cities. The urban dweller has a cornuco-
  pia of food, bottled water, clothes, and all manner of supples all 
  around him and literally down the street or right next-door. Since 
  they live in the city, rather than a rural community, they can leave 
  their domicile to scavenge or explore anytime they desire. Most 
  gather up massive stockpiles of whatever they need to survive 
  months ahead of time. The smartest and most organized estab-
  lish additional hideouts, safe houses and hidden supply caches all 
  over the city and neighboring suburbs. They have learned to have 
  backup supplies and contingency plans to insure their survival.
  Such a life requires a certain amount of audacity, confidence 
  and courage. Which is the definition of most people living in all 
  big cities, especially the inner city. These people were fighters 
  and survivors willing to defy the odds long before the Wave or the 
  zombies rose from the dead. The city dwellers who have stayed 
  feel much more at home and confident on their home turf. Know-
  ing the lay of the land is a huge advantage. Not only do they know 
  the streets and back alleys, but they know the locations of busi-
  nesses, warehouses, police stations, armories and other places to 
  find the goods and resources to insure their survival. Here in the 
  city crawling with zombies and so few living people left, there 
  are plenty of places to live and scavenge for food and supplies. 
  Living just requires a certain amount of secrecy and cunning. As 
  a result, some survivors are finding it safer to live in the cities as 
  
  153
  small groups and family clans, rather than take their chances in a 
  larger community out in the country.
  Family clans and small groups (3-12 individuals) live at lo-
  cations scattered across the city inside their own little hideaway. 
  Those living on the same street or a block or several blocks 
  away, may know each other or not. When such homesteader-
  style survivors find another family, they respect their privacy 
  and leave them alone until invited to be more friendly. Those 
  who make acquaintances may help each other out from time to 
  time, but for the most part, they keep to themselves, one iso-
  lated little home after another in the vast wilderness of the city’s 
  concrete jungle and canyons. If this were the time of the Old 
  West, it would be a matter of, “Yes, the Brown family may be 
  able to help you. They are down the road a piece,” or “over the 
  hill,” etc. Each post-apocalyptic homestead is likely to be sev-
  eral blocks apart if not miles away. If there are more than four 
  small groups living on the same block or in the same high-rise, 
  it is the beginnings of a survivor community, not homesteaders 
  and squatters.
  Neighbors. People who have a cordial, friendly or support-
  ive relationship with other family clans living six, ten or twenty 
  blocks away, are likely to venture out to trade with each other, ex-
  change information and check on one another every few weeks. 
  Survivors who are reclusive loners, madmen or anyone who 
  wants to be left alone for any reason, are usually left to fend for 
  themselves. Remember, the streets and buildings are filled with 
  wandering zombies, sometimes swarms of them, that number 
  into the thousands and tens of thousands. A city like New York, 
  Los Angeles, Mexico City, London, Singapore, etc., has millions 
  of zombies. All modern city wildernesses are far more danger-
  ous than the days of yore. Survivors of the Zombie Apocalypse 
  have more to worry about than wild animals, locusts, weather and 
  hostile indigenous tribes. Zombies outnumber the living 100,000 
  to one. Going out into the world is always dangerous. That is 
  where making secret rooms, cellars, and tunnels that lead out of 
  the primary home to one or several other locations, secret trails 
  and helping neighbors and even strangers, can be the difference 
  between life and death.
  Cults
  Cults can be any group of people, good or bad, and can be 
  found anywhere. A cult is any community dedicated to a system 
  of religious or esoteric beliefs and rituals, often with an obsessive 
  devotion to one deity and/or person, usually the leader of the cult. 
  Not all “cults” are evil nor run by madmen or Death worshipers.
  However, when people speak of cults in the Zombie Apoca-
  lypse, they usually mean Death Cults. And there is never any-
  thing good or redeeming about death cults. Death Priests worship 
  dark gods and prey upon the desperate. They can control the zom-
  bies to a limited degree and keep them at bay, so Death Cults are 
  most often found in urban areas where the dead are most numer-
  ous and the living are at their most desperate.
  In the world of the dead there are many preachers, cultists and 
  madmen who claim to have the answers to survival and why the 
  world has changed so dramatically, and such answers are wel-
  comed. It doesn’t matter if they are crazy or extreme as long as 
  they make a certain amount of sense and the Death Priest can 
  keep you safe. Of course, only their belief is the right one, mak-
  ing other cults and survivor groups rivals and enemies. Everyone 
  else is wrong or false prophets, and the lost and hopeless must be 
  made to see the truth. By force, if necessary.
  For many, the existence of the risen dead, the ensuing chaos 
  and carnage is a sign that Earth has become the newest plane of 
  Hell. Or at best, a purgatory for those who live. People, especially 
  people who have influence over the dead and who seem to have 
  some answers – if not “the” answers – offer hope to the hopeless 
  and sound attractive. Many people, especially those with small 
  children or elderly parents, turn to Death Cults as a way to pro-
  tect their families. Many think of them as a temporary haven. A 
  safe place to stay for a little while until they catch their breath 
  and figure things out for the long haul. But over time, they either 
  feel they owe the priests and the community a debt of gratitude, 
  so they stay, or come to accept the “truths” the cult members es-
  pouse. For others it is a simple matter of being pragmatic. They 
  may not believe most of what these nihilists say, but until some-
  one offers a better solution and a safer place to live, this is where 
  they stay. Such pragmatists realize that if they are to stay, they 
  must live by the rules of the cult and do what they can to support 
  the organization, even if they have strong differences. In most 
  cases, they have no choice but to accept the edicts and words of 
  the cult or be tossed out, forever exiled, or worse.
  While many cult leaders are ruthless and regularly sacrifice 
  their enemies to the zombies, a cult has many things to offer and 
  can be very alluring. First, it is a tight-knit community that watch-
  es out for each other. There is a strong family vibe, and the place 
  is truly safe from the walking dead. The zombies are fed and held 
  at bay. People can live and work openly without fear of attack. 
  Children get to run and play in the courtyard and go to school 
  (granted with a heavy slant to the teachings of the Death Cult). 
  If you let yourself believe it, life is almost normal. People within 
  the cult are protected, safe and happy. If the world now belongs 
  to the dead, the Death Cults seem to be the only ones with a rea-
  sonable, permanent solution: accept the living dead and the cult’s 
  teachings, and learn to live in harmony with the zombies. Their 
  way seems easier and makes more sense than trying to fight and 
  destroy billions of zombies. And all it costs is your loyalty, sup-
  port and maybe a piece of your soul.
  For those who feel they have no other choice, it is the only 
  way to survive, but that means there may be a potential ally in-
  side that a prisoner or slave (i.e. player character) might be able 
  to convince to help him, or others. That holds true of those who 
  have slowly been indoctrinated, but who might be convinced to 
  stand against their leaders or help in some small way. Zealots 
  and true believers are completely indoctrinated and can never be 
  turned against their spiritual saviors or made to accept another 
  way of life.
  
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  The Safekeepers
  One notable Cult in the Midwest
  These cultists believe that they and all humans are destined 
  to become zombies in order to serve a greater purpose for an un-
  known power. They accept this fate as inevitable and seek to has-
  ten the process by “freeing the living from their burden of life.” 
  These priests and their enlightened leader – an insane Zombie 
  Prophet – see the zombies as a new level of human enlightenment 
  and purity in which all worldly needs are removed and you live a 
  simple life as one of the living dead.
  Pattern Zombies, Shoppers, Screamers, Thinkers and Mock 
  Zombies are believed to be tortured souls who resist enlighten-
  ment and still cling to portions of their old lives. They are to be 
  pitied and avoided. Armored Brutes, Kidnappers, Impersonators, 
  Seekers and Vandals are the anointed harbingers and heralds, 
  who more actively hunt the living with fanfare to announce their 
  purpose of freeing all living. Slouchers, Crawlers and all the rest 
  are the foot soldiers who scourer the land in search of the living.
  The Death Priests in the cult are the lieutenants in the army 
  of the chosen who hasten the process of bringing death to all. 
  Their Supreme Leader, who has renamed herself Death’s Hand, 
  is an insane Zombie Prophet. Three of her four Generals, are fel-
  low Zombie Prophets whom she has won over to her beliefs. The 
  fourth general is a Half-Living who also believes.
  Their agenda is simple. First, they recruit survivors with the 
  promise of safety and community. Then they try to indoctri-
  nate them to their beliefs that death is inevitable and a blessing, 
  and that becoming a zombie is the gift of peace. They point out 
  that when the zombies are not attacking the living they slowly 
  and peacefully wander the land or slumber (dormancy) without 
  dreams. They have no anger, no fear, no dreams or desires to 
  haunt or torment them. They are truly at peace and enlightened. 
  It is a state of being we cannot escape and we should not fear – 
  everyone dies. It is a blessing we should welcome and embrace.
  The Safekeepers and their “enlightened” followers are here to 
  help the living find their way to the peaceful bliss they deserve. 
  As one of the enlightened, they feel it is their duty to help peo-
  ple accept their “reward” and become one of the walking dead. 
  Those who are brought to the Safekeepers and accept this belief 
  completely, volunteer to be sacrificed to the zombies during one 
  of the daily morning rituals. This feeds the zombie throngs that 
  protect the cult in exchange for a daily meal of life energy. After 
  the zombies kill the volunteer, the ritual ends with the Zombie 
  Prophets placing the slain on an altar, shining a spotlight on them 
  as the congregation sings while they wait for their lucky brethren 
  to rise as a zombie. When the dead rise, the cultists are exalted 
  and cheer. Some weep with joy.
  The strong are not so quickly sent on their journey of peace in 
  death. They are told they have another purpose before they can 
  get their reward. They are to join the Safekeepers army where 
  they serve as soldiers to bring blessed death to the ignorant and 
  misguided. It is the soldier’s duty to hasten the demise of the 
  living whenever they can. This includes tearing down the walls 
  of Safe Haven communities and letting the zombies in so that 
  those hiding behind walls can embrace their fate. For this, the 
  Safekeepers need an army. They also need an army to defend 
  themselves from those who fight their inevitable death and who 
  will oppose them out of fear and ignorance when they realize the 
  cult’s sacred purpose.
  Such soldiers and Newsbringers, as they call their recruiters, 
  are charged with helping the frightened and misguided to find 
  peace through enlightenment and self-sacrifice, or by the sword. 
  Soldiers and Newsbringers go into the world, usually as individu-
  als, pairs, or small groups, to spread the word about the Safekeep-
  ers. They tell survivors to come to the Safekeepers’ Refuge or 
  one of its smaller satellite Safe Havens to find peace and live safe.
  “If you want to be safe come with me,” is a common refrain. 
  The rest of the pitch goes something like this: “You will have no 
  reason to stay out here. No reason to fear death any longer. We 
  will keep you safe. Show you the way to enlightenment. No, we 
  do not pray to Brulyx or any dark god. We seek only enlighten-
  ment and lasting peace. Just come with me and see for yourself. 
  We have warm food and warm beds. A school for the children. 
  Medicine for the ill. You can keep your weapons and leave any 
  time you want to.”
  All of this is true, depending on how you look at it. The Safe-
  keepers are not your typical cult. They do not worship Brulyx or a 
  dark god. They are not cruel or mean. They are kind and welcom-
  ing. They believe they have found enlightenment and do not fear 
  death. And they want others to find enlightenment and peace (in 
  death) as well. Newcomers can, indeed, keep their weapons and 
  can leave anytime they want. That is true as well.
  Those who choose to leave, may leave at any time, but they 
  do not have forever to make that decision. Those who choose 
  to remain nestled inside what seems to be something of a calm 
  paradise, must then relinquish their weapons, agree to join the 
  group and submit to “training” (indoctrination). Tranining in-
  cludes philosophical discussions about life and death, how the 
  zombies are not evil and should not be destroyed, as well as sub-
  mit to a daily regimen of work, studies, prayers, meditation, and 
  rituals that are designed to indoctrinate them to the ways of the 
  Safekeepers.
  Most newcomers are given two or three weeks to make their 
  choice to stay or leave. Those who leave are escorted a certain 
  distance to make sure they are safe from the couple thousand 
  zombies that surround the Refuge, and are bid a fond farewell. 
  What they do not know is that a group of Safekeeper soldiers 
  or one of the Zombie Prophets waits to covertly follow them. 
  The Safekeepers’ leaders want to know where these nonbeliev-
  ers go and what they do, especially if they go to a rival group or 
  Safe Haven community. If the group that left the Refuge gets into 
  trouble along the way, or one of them wanders off, the soldiers 
  may pick him off, or they may lure the group into the clutches 
  of zombies or bad guys, so that they may still find their way to 
  peace in death.
  
  155
  Individuals who cause a problem within the cult go before a 
  tribunal that determines whether they should be given a second 
  chance at indoctrination and compliance, or become an unwill-
  ing human sacrifice for their crimes. Either result is considered a 
  blessing and a gift. The leader, Death’s Hand, has the authority 
  to override any ruling and issue her own verdict and any punish-
  ment she chooses. This may include exile and expulsion from the 
  Safekeepers back into the world (a rarity), or death by zombie or 
  other means, or worse.
  It should be noted that the daily ritual in which two or more 
  people willingly submit to being sacrificed to the zombies is a 
  joyous event. Each person about to give his or her life presents a 
  cheerful and rousing speech about why they are proud to let the 
  zombies free them in death so they can be reborn to peace and 
  tranquility as one of the risen dead. Of course, those ceremonies 
  are not open to newcomers nor are they discussed. They remain a 
  secret until the newcomer is ready. Until then, they only hear the 
  joyful songs, chants and cheers coming from the place of wor-
  ship. Only when the newcomer is ready, and proclaimed to be one 
  of the chosen enlightened, is he or she allowed to witness the joy-
  ous event. And only the chosen, when ready, get the privilege to 
  participate in all rituals. Readiness requires the Leader or one of 
  his anointed (General or Lieutenants) to believe an individual is 
  sufficiently enlightened and committed to their ways; read: brain-
  washed to accept their twisted view of life and death. Until then, 
  they help by performing menial tasks like cleaning, building and 
  preparing meals.
  Outside survivor groups that either cause the Safekeepers 
  problems or are growing in popularity, which makes them rivals 
  with a different and wrong message, are dealt with by the Safe-
  keepers’ soldiers. Again, this is usually done in a covert manner. 
  The soldiers may attack the group or community directly, but in 
  disguise as raiders or other brigands, or as members of a rival cult 
  or group. Or they may work to undermine their rivals by herding 
  zombies to their location, sabotaging their defenses, set build-
  ings and defenses on fires, spread lies and rumors to scare people 
  away from joining them or inciting them to attack them for things 
  they didn’t do. Likewise, when any soldier, recruiter or member 
  of the Safekeepers encounters an individual or small group they 
  think they can take, they may capture them for human sacrifice at 
  the Refuge. Or if there is a large group of zombies present, they 
  may sacrifice them then and there to the monsters. The sick are 
  also slain in their sleep or offered up in ritual sacrifice to appease 
  the zombie hordes.
  The leader of the Safekeepers: Is a 6th level Zombie Prophet 
  of Diabolic alignment. She calls herself Death’s Hand, but she 
  is also called the Enlightened One, Death’s Mistress, and Master. 
  Her real name is unknown to her followers and she never speaks 
  of it. Death’s Hand is insane and completely committed to the 
  beliefs, rituals and plan for human annihilation she has created. If 
  the Refuge should fall, but she lives, she will start over. So will 
  any surviving Safekeeper generals, lieutenants or Death Priests.
  She does not pretend to know all the answers to her twisted 
  theology. She admits she does not know if there is a deity behind 
  all of this, or whether that entity may have plans for the zombies 
  beyond freeing the living from their burden of life. She has ev-
  ery intention of sacrificing herself to the cause, but not until all 
  the living except for her and her chosen enlightened ones, have 
  helped lead humanity to its destiny: death as zombies. When that 
  day comes in the future, she will be glad to join them in their bliss 
  as the living dead.
  The Cultists, Soldiers and Newsbringers (recruiters): 
  These true believers see Death’s Hand as a benevolent seer. If 
  she serves any deity, it may very well be entropy rather than 
  a dark or demon god. They all accept her teachings as truth 
  and enlightenment, and are not afraid to die. Each and every 
  one of them is willing to do anything she or her generals ask 
  of them, and will happily lay down their own lives to save 
  her or promote their cause. Misguided, but not necessarily 
  evil, each character’s alignments can be anything, but most 
  are, in effect, Unprincipled, Anarchist or evil (any). Average 
  level of experience in the first year of the Zombie Apoca-
  lypse is first or second level for most, fourth level maximum. 
  Leaders, Death Priests (there are 10 of them at the Refuge), 
  squad leaders and managers are 1D4 level, sometimes a level 
  or two higher. Half of the cultists are Apocalyptic Soldiers, 
  the other half the Survivor O.C.C. (Ordinary People). New-
  comers can be any O.C.C., but probably Survivor O.C.C./
  Ordinary People who are not yet fully indoctrinated into be-
  ing Safekeepers.
  What’s in a Name: Death’s Hand calls her community the 
  Safekeepers because she wanted an inviting name that would 
  sound appealing and inviting to survivors and did not sound re-
  ligious or frightening; and because she sees herself and the army 
  she is building as the Safekeepers of humanity’s destiny and re-
  ward in death. She named her Safe Haven cult the Refuge for the 
  same reasons.
  I Am No More
  In the hell that follows the Zombie Apocalypse, madness and 
  the impossible abound, starting with the zombies themselves. Not 
  only have the dead risen, but there are weird aberrations. Some 
  are just strange, like the Shopper zombie and other Pattern Zom-
  bies. Others are more aggressive or sneaky, and all are murder-
  ous.
  Arguably, one of the strangest of them all is the Mock Zombie. 
  The “mock living” might have been a more appropriate name, as 
  these weird zombies retain a personality and partial memories of 
  their life. But that’s not the strangest part; most Mock Zombies 
  insist they are not zombies, and that they are alive. Only they are 
  not alive. They are the living dead. Zombies that don’t know they 
  are monsters.
  The vast majority of Mock Zombies insist they are alive and 
  that they want to help “other survivors.” So they seek the com-
  panionship of the living. They want to join a survivor group or 
  even a survivor community. And if given the chance, most of 
  
  156
  the time, Mock Zombies do things to help people and win their 
  confidence.
  There are two problems with this:
  One, they are zombies! And like mythological vampires, they 
  must feed upon the living. That means killing people on a regular 
  basis. The creature can deny it all he wants, but sooner or later he 
  must feed. Those who fight the urge and do not feed on the life 
  energy of humans, feel like they are starving, and will wither and 
  rot. They suffer physical and psychological pain, because when 
  a Mock Zombie rots, he looks more and more like the zombie he 
  insists he is not. The monster cannot stand to look like a walk-
  ing corpse, so it is psychological agony when he starts to look 
  like one. Feeding upon the living stops deterioration, and when 
  they feed often – one human every two or three days – it reverses 
  the decaying process, making the Mock Zombie look increas-
  ingly human. Killing more of them even more often can make 
  the Mock Zombie appear almost completely human, though he is 
  still cold to the touch and looks pale and sickly. Though a Mock 
  Zombie can survive by feeding on animals, somehow they are not 
  as enjoyable as feeding upon humans and do not seem to slow the 
  process of decay or regenerate their dead flesh as much as human 
  victims. So sooner or later, a Mock Zombie is likely to kill you 
  no matter how much he may have genuinely liked you or wanted 
  to be part of your group.
  Two, Mock Zombies are unhinged. They are homicidal mon-
  sters driven to kill human beings, in denial. Being dead, they pos-
  sess only bits and pieces of their human personality and mem-
  ories. Moreover, they tend to lack true empathy for the living 
  and do not think or feel emotions the same way as living hu-
  man beings do. And may accidentally hurt them. For example, a 
  Mock Zombie might forget that a toxic gas or chemical could kill 
  people. As a result, it might tell people that a room or area is safe 
  from zombies, which is true, but forgets or doesn’t realize that 
  the gas or radiation present is deadly to the living. Likewise, the 
  Mock Zombie could innocently serve humans contaminated food 
  or water trying to be hospitable.
  They are pretend people. Monster wearing human clothing. 
  And are always a danger to people.
  That said, careful interaction with a Mock Zombie can be an 
  asset and a resource. Most are desperate to be accepted by the 
  living, even if it is only peripherally, and are eager to please and 
  help. That means a Mock Zombie may be willing to do recon-
  naissance, scouting, join search and rescue operations, gather 
  and trade food, water and other goods with the living, as well 
  as fight Death Priests and death cultists. Death Priests have the 
  power to control and command zombies and often try to exert 
  their will over Mock Zombies. It is also part of the Mock Zom-
  bie’s pretense of being human. If it is human, it must hate Death 
  Priests and evil cultists, so it does. Interaction with a Mock Zom-
  bie should be kept brief and infrequent. The longer you hang out 
  with one, the greater the chance something is going to go wrong. 
  That includes being betrayed by a Mock Zombie.
  Ultimately, all Mock Zombies are out for themselves. When 
  push comes to shove, it is the living getting pushed. When things 
  get dangerous, or when combat begins or the odds look bad, your 
  friendly neighborhood Mock Zombie hides or slips away when 
  nobody is looking. If its human “compadres” happen to live, their 
  “friend” claims to have gotten separated or lost, or knocked out, 
  or trapped. He may apologize and feign being sorry or sad if a 
  “teammate” died, but it’s all pretend. The Mock Zombie is the 
  equivalent of a psychopath who lacks any real empathy or con-
  nection to his living friends. But again, if wrangled carefully, the 
  creature could be an asset.
  Mr. I Am No More
  “Folks need to know there is someone out there lookin’ out for 
  the little guy. Besides, some people need killing, and I’m happy 
  to oblige. One less dirt bag or killer is good for everyone.”
  – A quote attributed to Mr. I Am No More
  Some, like the notorious traveling stranger known as Mr. I 
  Am No More, can even be heroic and save lives. There are peo-
  ple who insist I Am No More is nothing more than a survivor’s 
  myth. A tall-tale to make people feel safe at night. Others swear 
  he is real. Some claim to have met him, and a few claim to have 
  been rescued by him.
  As the story goes, Mr. I Am No More is a heroic Half-Living 
  who wanders the highways and byways of the Midwest as far 
  north as the Dakotas, as far east as Michigan and Kentucky, and 
  as far south as Oklahoma and Arkansas. He travels mostly rural 
  roads and highways, but he can show up anywhere.
  According to the myth, he is a loner said to have lost everyone 
  and everything he cared about, including his own humanity when 
  he became a Half-Living. He has no love for zombies or raid-
  ers, nor Death Cultists. He finds a convertible, gets it running, 
  and drives wherever the mood strikes him. He lives off the land 
  and wherever he finds someone in trouble, he gives them a hand. 
  When he encounters cruelty, he puts an end to it. When someone 
  has been wronged by evildoers or Death Cultists, I Am No More 
  hunts down the perpetrators to deliver swift, deadly justice. It is 
  said he does not tolerate evil and shows the wicked, cruel and 
  murderous no mercy. His favorite weapons are a large wrench, a 
  .45 caliber pistol he keeps tucked in the small of his back, and a 
  sawed-off shotgun on the seat of his car.
  He calls himself I Am No More, because he is no longer the 
  man was. He is something different now, not a zombie, but less 
  than human. He is enraged about his condition and what has hap-
  pened to the world, and says that he is no longer fit to be around 
  people. So he drives. Drives and listens to music blaring. Mostly 
  rock and roll, punk, and alternative rock. He unleashes his anger 
  on the wicked and risen dead. He doesn’t look for glory or even a 
  thank you, seldom takes rewards unless it is fuel for his car, ammo 
  for his gun, or music to add to his collection, but does loot the bod-
  ies of those he kills. Fair trade for what they have done, and his 
  bringing an end to their wicked ways. He says he “ain’t fit to be 
  around decent good folk,” and never stays in any one place for very 
  
  157
  long. When he is around, he is polite to women and clergy, respects 
  the law and lawmen who don’t abuse their power, and, sorry, has 
  no use for children or dogs. Before long he is back, on the road.
  The rumors are true. Mostly. The only part that is wrong, is 
  that Mr. I Am No More is not a Half-Living, he is a Mock Zom-
  bie. A smart one that has figured out he gets himself into trouble 
  when he stays in one place for too long. He avoids children and 
  dogs because they are tempting prey. He avenges wrongs and 
  kills the wicked because nobody is going to miss them and it is 
  a great cover for killing the living as an act of justice or revenge.
  The name, I Am No More, is something of an ironic joke. To 
  him it means, “Everything is no more. No more civilization. No 
  more laws. No more justice. No more living people. Well, not 
  like there used to be. Just a lot of the dead. Oh, and no more him.” 
  Worst of all, he doesn’t remember who he was. All he knows for 
  sure is that he hates punks, thugs and ass-wipes, and loves sports 
  cars, especially convertibles, and rock.
  Another irony is that he has convinced himself he is a bonafide 
  hero. He has come to accept the “fact” that he is a Half-Living 
  (not true) and he can live with that. At least he’s not a stinkin’ 
  zombie. (But he is.) He enjoys the stories told about him and 
  strives to be that hero, targeting only the bad guys. Then again, 
  he has a broad idea of what constitutes “bad guys.” His method of 
  rescue is as brutal and deadly as the worst of the people he hunts. 
  When appropriate, he likes to introduce himself before he attacks. 
  A lot of people have heard about I Am No More, so if he intro-
  duces himself, it adds to the drama and makes for another good 
  story. Plus, his reputation frightens some of the bad guys which 
  throws off their attacks and gives him an edge. Most importantly, 
  it makes them think they are dealing with someone who can die, 
  not a zombie. As long as the bullets flying are not aimed at his 
  head, he can take getting shot at all day long. Which is why he 
  sometimes wears a motorcycle helmet when he knows he is going 
  up against some tough guys or a gang. Besides, one of his powers 
  as a “Half-Living” (not) is killing those men somehow repairs his 
  body and fixes those bullet holes as if they never happened. “And 
  getting shot hardly hurts at all. Other than havin’ an ugly mug, it 
  ain’t so bad being a Half-Living. Zombies leave you alone, too, 
  until you fight them.” – Mr. I Am No More
  Mr. I Am No More Stats
  A Mock Zombie hero, of sorts.
  Also Known As: The Highway Huntsman and the Wanders.
  Alignment: Many people considered him to be good. He is really 
  Aberrant evil, as he has his own twisted code and tries to target 
  and kill only “dirt bags and wicked people who need killin’.”
  Attributes: I.Q. 14, M.E. 9, M.A. 26, P.S. 30, P.P. 6, P.E. 18, 
  P.B. 7, Spd 10. Note: I Am No More is content with looking 
  like a Half-Living and shaves his hair for easy upkeep.
  
  158
  Hit Points: 26, but all Main Body S.D.C. must be depleted first 
  before Hit Points can be affected.
  S.D.C. by Location:
  * Hands (2) – 9 each
  * Arms (2) – 14 each
  * Feet (2) – 11 each
  * Legs (2) – 19 each
  * Lower Jaw – 9
  ** Neck – 15
  ** Head – 26
  *** Main Body – 46
  Armor Rating: 14
  Horror Factor: 13
  P.P.E.: 6
  Natural Abilities (Mock Zombie): Standard.
  See Life Energy (P.P.E.): 9,000 feet (2,743.2 m) at night 
  or in darkness.
  Sense Life Energy (P.P.E.): 25 feet (7.6 m) to sense 1-6 
  people, 50 feet (15.2 m) to sense a group of 7-24 people, and 
  100 feet (30.5 m) to sense a group of 25 or more people. Half 
  that range to sense animals. One quarter that range, 6.2 feet 
  (1.9 m), when the zombie is dormant.
  Recognize Human Scents: 83%. This also tells the zombie 
  that humans are nearby, or have been present recently.
  Track Humans by Scent: 18% chance, +10% if the human 
  is sweaty or hasn’t bathed in three or more days, +10% to fol-
  low the scent of blood, +5% if there is more than one human 
  present in the same area, +5% to smell perfume, cologne or 
  aftershave. All bonuses are accumulative.
  Smell Fear in Humans: Makes zombies more aggressive: 
  +1 on initiative and +1 to strike or disarm. If the level of fear 
  is fever-pitched or five or more people are terrified, the Mock 
  Zombie is also +1 attack per melee around.
  Zombies Can See Without Eyes: The eyes glow with a red 
  light inside empty eye sockets.
  Keen Sense of Hearing: Can pinpoint the location of a 
  Zombie Moan after hearing it for only 30 seconds.
  Impervious to Most Everything: Only decapitation, de-
  stroying a zombie’s brain, and fire can kill a zombie. Does 
  not need to breathe, and survives underwater and in a vacuum.
  S.D.C. and Hit Point Regeneration: 1D6+3 S.D.C. and 2 
  Hit Points are automatically restored every hour. Extra P.P.E. 
  may also restore S.D.C. and Hit Points at a rate of 1D6+2 
  S.D.C. and one Hit Point per extra P.P.E. point. See S.D.C. 
  and Hit Points for details.
  No Life Energy of Their Own: Zombies are cold, dark crea-
  tures without body heat or an aura. They cannot be seen by 
  infrared and thermal imaging optic systems. Rather, zombies 
  register the same as a piece of timber.
  Go Dormant: A stasis sleep that keeps zombies from de-
  caying. Walking dead hide when they go dormant and can be 
  waiting anywhere.
  People Slain by the Zombie Rise as One: Victims slain in a 
  zombie attack, their P.P.E. absorbed, rise as the walking dead 
  within 2D4+4 minutes after expiration.
  Skills of Note: Prowl 55%, Seduction 50%, Tailing 75%, W.P. 
  Blunt (5th level proficiency), W.P. Pistol (4th level profi-
  ciency), Hand to Hand: Basic (5th level proficiency), Boxing, 
  Automotive Mechanics 45%, Automobile 90%, Truck 55%, 
  Motorcycle & Snowmobile 45%, Combat Driving, Land Nav-
  igation 45%, Roadwise 45%, and Streetwise 45%.
  Attacks per Melee: Four with Boxing, +1 when people are 
  frightened.
  Damage (S.D.C./Hit Points):
  Bite: 2D6 damage (and a chance of infection if the wound 
  isn’t treated shortly after receiving it). P.S. damage bonus does 
  NOT apply to bite attacks.
  Head Butt: 2D4 damage + P.S. damage bonus (if any).
  Punch/Claw Attack: 1D6 damage + P.S. damage bonus (if 
  any).
  Power Punch: 2D6 damage + P.S. damage bonus (if any).
  Kick Attack: 2D4 damage + P.S. damage bonus (if any).
  Weapon: May use any.
  Note: Leap Kick, other kicks, body flip, and martial art at-
  tacks are NOT possible by Mock Zombies.
  Bonuses: +1 on initiative, +2 to strike, parry and dodge, high 
  M.A. to 88% to evoke trust/belief or intimidation; masterful 
  liars. Also see Track Humans by Scent and Smell Fear in Hu-
  mans.
  Penalties: -3 on Perception Rolls.
  Vulnerabilities: Insane denial of its true undead nature. This 
  character blames all of his Mock Zombie abilities, zombie 
  hunger and need to kill people and feed on their P.P.E. on be-
  ing a Half-Living. That’s this Mock Zombie’s story. He can’t 
  swim, is a poor climber, and head shots, decapitation and fire 
  kill, severe cold reduces speed. Fear of fire holds most zom-
  bies at bay, but since he believes he is a Half-Living, the Hor-
  ror Factor for fire is 12.
  Note: Although intelligent, Mock Zombies do not work with or 
  command other zombies. To do so would admit that it, itself, 
  is a zombie. Consequently, Mock Zombies tend to operate 
  alone and avoid other zombies. I Am No More hates Death 
  Cult Priests and mean, wicked people. He does not care much 
  for Retro-Savages either. The Mock Zombie has no qualms 
  about fighting and killing zombies, especially if it makes hu-
  mans accept him and he sometimes joins other “heroes” and 
  fighters, but seldom for more than a few days. He express-
  es open hatred for the walking dead, but they never attack a 
  Mock Zombie, recognizing it to be a zombie. Only another 
  Mock Zombie, Thinker, Death Priest or human may recognize 
  a Mock Zombie.
  
  159
  
  160
  
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  ®
  Hell Followed™
  A Dead Reign® Sourcebook – Do more than survive
  “This book begins to redefine the zombie genre. It broadens the field of possibilities and expands upon the modern zombie mythos. It is 
  full of twists and surprises I had never imagined.” – Alex Marciniszyn, Editor
  In the wake of the Zombie Apocalypse, survivors find themselves trapped in a living hell. As everyone struggles to survive against the risen 
  dead, some rise up to be heroes fighting for those in need and against all manner of evil – living and dead.
  Be more than a survivo
  Be more than a survivor. Accept the new world and do something about it.
  ● 11 New types of zombies, including the Armored Brute, Dead Mound Giant, Seeker and more.
  ● 7 New Apocalyptic Character Classes.
  ● Masked Lunatics – heroes or madmen?
  ● Cults, good and bad, plus other weirdness and dangers.
  ● 23 Disasters to complicate survival. Each described with damage stats, penalties and consequences. The most comprehensive information 
  of this type ever presented! Blizzard, Earthquake, Hurricane, Tornado, Toxic Spill, Wildfire, and more.
  ● 
  ● Government enclaves. Could the government or its military still exist? If so, where are they? What are they doing?
  ● 8 Government conspiracy theories. Each fuel for creating adventures and building different organizations.
  ● Tables for creating government enclaves and their purpose.
  ● Abandoned Emergency Relief Centers and the resources they may still have to offer survivors, if they can get to them. Random tables 
  and ideas for adventure.
  ● 160 pages that take your zombie campaign to the next level.
  Do more than survive™
  $20.95
  $20.95
  Cat. No. 236
  ISBN-10: 1-57457-237-7
  ISBN-13: 978-1-57457–237–7
  Dead Reign® – Core Rule Book
  Can you survive the Zombie Apocalypse? Find out by playing Dead Reign®. Be more than a 
  survivor. Be a hero.
  ● An array of zombies from the slow moving Slouchers and Crawler zombies, to Thinkers and Mock 
  Zombies (who retain part of their memories and personalities and insist they are not dead)!
  ● 7 different character classes, including the Half-Living.
  ● Or play Ordinary People with 42 occupations to select from.
  ● Or play Ordinary People with 42 occupations to select from.
  ● Fight zombies, scavenge for weapons and equipment. Start anew.
  ● Random Encounter tables, adventure ideas and more.
  ● 224 pages rule book, Cat. No. 230.
  Beyond the Supernatural™ RPG
  You are one of the few who know that psychic abilities, 
  magic, ghosts, demons and the supernatural are real. You use 
  that knowledge to help the innocent and battle evil.
  ● Horror role-playing set in our modern world.
  ● 14 Psychic Character Classes and Ordinary People.
  ● More than 100 psychic abilities.
  ● More than 100 psychic abilities.
  ● World background and creatures of darkness.
  ● A complete RPG, 256 pages, Cat. No. 700.
  Nightbane® RPG
  The world changed after Dark Day, and so did you. You are the 
  Nightbane and only you can stop the horror that is the Nightlords.
  ● Nightbane must turn into monsters to use their powers.
  ● Nightbane
  ● Nightbane Talents, Morphus Tables and magic.
  ● The Nightlords and their demonic minions.
  ● World information, conspiracy, adventure ideas & more.
  ● A complete role-playing game, 240 pages, Cat. No. 730.
  At stores
  everywhere
  Also from Palladium Books®
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dead Reign (palladium)/Dead Reign - Sourcebook 6 - Hell Followed {PAL236P}.pdf