DnD Zombie Campaign

[missmacabre]

Next week I will be taking part in a Dungeons and Dragonsesque campaign revolving around a zombie infestation. I will be playing at a teenage, female nerd who works in a movie store. Thus she has seen every zombie movie in existence and is the intelligent hero of the group (intelligence of 15 whooo). We don't get to know the severity of the outbreak or what type of zombie these will be.

I've seen a lot of zombie movies, so I feel I know my stuff but what I want to know is:

If you were in the middle of a zombie outbreak what are some facts that would come in handy? Just throw them out there. Please and Thankyouuu!

If it helps, my character has knowledge arcane aswell as improv weaponry.

[ChronoGrl]

Have you read the Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead by Max Brooks?

It's actually a really fun read and sounds like it's exactly what you're looking for.

We must begin by separating fact form fiction. The walking dead are neither a work of "black magic" nor any other supernatural force. Their origin stems from a virus known as Solanum, a Latin word used by Jan Vanderhaven, how first "discovered" the disease. Solanum works by traveling through the bloodstream, from the initial point of entry to the brain. Through means not yet fully understood, the virus uses the cells of the frontal lobe for replication, destroying them in the process. During this period, all bodily functions cease. By stopping the heart, the infected subject is rendered "dead." The brain, however, remains alive but dormant, while the virus mutates its cells into a completely new organ. The most critical train of this new organ is its independence form oxygen. By removing the need for this all-important resource, the undead brain can utilize, but is in no way dependent upon, the complex support mechanism of the human body. Once mutation is complete, this new organ reanimates the body into a form that bears little resemblance (physiologically speaking) to the original corpse. Some bodily functions remain constant, others operate in a modified capacity, and the remainder shut down completely. This new organism is a zombie, a member of the living dead.

1. Source
Unfortunately, extensive research has yet to find an isolated example of Solanum in nature. Water, air, and soil in all ecosystems, from all parts of the world, have turned up negative, as have their accompanying flora and fauna. At the time of this writing, the search continues.

2. Symptoms
The timetable below outlines the process of an infected human (give or take several hours, depending on the individual).

Hour 1. Pain and discoloration (brown-purple) of the infected area. Immediate clotting of the wound (provided the infection came from a wound).

Hour 5. Fever (99-103 degrees F), chills, slight dementia, vomiting, acute pain in the joints.

Hour 8. Numbing of extremities and infected area, increased fever (103-106 degrees F), increased dementia, loss of muscular coordination.

Hour 11. Paralysis in the lower body, overall numbness, slowed heart rate.

Hour 16. Coma.

Hour 20. Heart stoppage. Zero brain activity.

Hour 23. Reanimation.

...

Honestly, if you can get your hands on it, this is exactly what you're looking for. It's simply zombiegeektacular.

...

The "Zombie" Wikipedia entry is fairly interesting as well.

[Zero]

hot chicks always die first - so dress like a tomboy!

[missmacabre]

Originally Posted by ChronoGrl

Have you read the Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead by Max Brooks?

It's actually a really fun read and sounds like it's exactly what you're looking for.



...

Honestly, if you can get your hands on it, this is exactly what you're looking for. It's simply zombiegeektacular.

...

The "Zombie" Wikipedia entry is fairly interesting as well.

My friend who is DMing has that book so I'm gonna borrow it from him. Thanks :)

[missmacabre]

Originally Posted by Zero

hot chicks always die first - so dress like a tomboy!

I'm the nerd. Nuff said

[ManchestrMorgue]

Wow that sounds so cool.

I guess there are the obvious things like "turn undead" spells; slashing and bludgeoning weapons to remove or damage the head.

Sounds like a great game.

[missmacabre]

Originally Posted by ManchestrMorgue

Wow that sounds so cool.

I guess there are the obvious things like "turn undead" spells; slashing and bludgeoning weapons to remove or damage the head.

Sounds like a great game.

Yeah I guess there's an actual book with stats and monsters and such that is very similar to Evil Dead. The basic classes are fast hero, smart hero, tough hero and strong hero and your occupations can be nerd, prep, jock etc to make it like a teen slasher movie. We just decided to use whatever occupations we wanted. So we have an icecream truck driver, a little asian girl, a mechanic, an office worker and myself, the nerd.

I'm excited though because we have to stay in character and all the characters should be really interesting. Any ideas how to make a small asian girl less useless in a zombie infestation. I figure she can hide well, run fast enough and fit into small spaces...... possibly use her as bait?

[ChronoGrl]

Every time I have zombie nightmares, I find myself climbing trees... Because they can't get me in a tree. It's actually fairly horrific. I climb the tree to the topmost, slimmest branches and the zombies just mill around, scratching at the bark. Talk about a feeling of helplessness... Because even if I jumped... They would be there to catch me.

Your character will have to be spry. Definitely make sure that she can climb things... Oooooo. A parkour. I would LOVE to see a parkour zombie heroine. That would be hot.

Are these clasic lumbering zombies? Or the modern, running, rage-filled ones? Because I'm pretty sure that I would stand NO chance from a rage-filled zombie.

[Disease]

Obliteration... You need to dismember or disintergrate anything that is unstoppable... Zombie facts alway seem to vary... but those are two ways which will get rid of anything unless it is a demon or ghost perhaps.

[ManchestrMorgue]

Originally Posted by missmacabre

Any ideas how to make a small asian girl less useless in a zombie infestation. I figure she can hide well, run fast enough and fit into small spaces...... possibly use her as bait?

The obvious/stereotypical response would be to have her as a martial arts expert, adept with swords for beheading zombies, and magic to turn the undead. Sort of nerdy girl by day, mystic warrior by night.