Date: Sat, 10 Dec 1994 14:49:07 -0700 (MST) From: shawn d williamson Subject: Living Dead The Living Dead for the Storyteller system. By Shawn Williamson, 1994 swilliam@mesa5.mesa.colorado.edu (No copywrite. Do whatever you want with it.) (These rules are based, loosely, off the Return of the Living Dead movies.) History In the early 60's, military scientists were trying to create a chemical weed-killer to use on marijuanna plants. One of the scientists working on the project was a Sabott ghoul. This ghoul modified the weed-killer making it a deadly virus, and added some vampiric blood just to see what would happen. The substance created was called Trioxon. Only one batch of the modified trioxon was tested on a field in a remote community. The substance killed the local town people and animated their bodies. The Army moved in to contain the situation, but found that these Living Dead could not be killed. In the end they forced their bodies into 50 gallon drums for storage. Most of these Living Dead bodies are still in storage at a top secret facility. The commander of the project kept the incident a secret, even from the rest of the Army. Eventually, though, Army intellegence found out about it. They took control of the drums too late. Several of them had been lost in shipment. The drums that were used to containt the bodies were designed to hold waste nuclear material and labeled with a 1-800 number to notify a nuclear clean up team. This number is now connected directly to an Army Intelligence Living Dead Containment Team. The Types of Dead There are two types of Living Dead: The low- intelligent, instinct-driven Dead, and the high-intelligent Dead. The low-intelligent Dead are created when a Living Dead kills or bites a normal human, transfering the Trioxon virus. These dead have an intelligence of 1, but after feeding on human brains they can experience an "insight" where their intelligence jumps to 2 for a few minutes. This allows them to sceme for a way to attract more people (In the Return of the Living Dead II after killing a cop, one Dead grabbed the radio and said "send more cops") The high-intelligent type are created when a living human is exposed to Trioxon gas, the military substance that created the Living Dead problem. These Dead maintain their intelligence, but are subject to a Living Dead form of frenzy. Brains The Living Dead need human brains to satisfy their hunger. Military scientists believe it is the brain's electrical energy that attracts the Living Dead. Tremere researchers, however, believe it is a manifistation of the beast and that since vampiric blood was used in creating the Trioxon virus, it is blood they are really after. But for some reason, only blood within the brain gives them nourishment. All Living Dead have a "sense brain" ability that detects a living human even if their sensory organs are destroyed. Thus a blind Living Dead would be able to follow a human, but not know how to find the door to the house. Vampires appear as other Dead and will not be attacked. Rules If a human is bitten by a Living Dead, he will become infected with the Trioxon virus. He will die painfully in a number of hours equal to his stamina. He will reanimate as a low-intellegent Living Dead and will be hungry for human brains. Living dead cannot be killed, except by totally incinerating their bodies. When they are animated, the entire body becomes "alive." Chopping off their heads, or chopping off body parts will not stop them. Each part will remain "alive" but the intelligence of the Dead will reside in the brain. Destroying the brain does not diminish intelligence below 1. In fact, several are animated after their brains have been devoured by other Dead. (This fact has medical science wondering about the exact location of consciousness in humans.) Vampires gain no sustenance from Dead blood. Infact, it causes an aggrivated wound and infects them with the Trioxon virus. They are immune to the effects, but they can pass it to a human Herd. If the vampire passes the virus to a human, the human will become sick and die with in Stamina number of hours. The human will become a low-intelligent Living Dead. To rid himself of the virus, the vampire must bleed himself bone dry. He must remain without blood for several hours so the remaining virus dies off. Friends may help him avoid a starvation frenzy by staking him in the heart. They must be carefull about injury him too much, though, or he may go into torpor. Creation as a player character Only the high-intelligent type is worth creating as a character. Generate the stats and then increse stamina by 1 and add Potence 2. Raise Courage by 2. Lower Dexterity by 1. An intelligent Living Dead will have a Humanity rating as a Vampire. When humanity drops to 0 they become low- intelligent. The intelligent Dead needs one blood point per day to remain intelligent. (One brain provides one blood point). The blood must come from the blood left in the brain after the human is dead. Blood from other parts of the body will not do. Nor will vampire blood. If the Dead does not receive his blood point for the day he will become low- intelligent untill he gets it. The Dead may eat more in order to develop a blood pool. The pool may be no more than to 5. The Dead may use the extra blood points for healing damage (they never got the chance in the movies), or to hold them over for a few days. If the character has less than 2 bloodpoints he must roll self-control to avoid frenzy when feeding. This character must also be aware that whoever he kills to get his daily alotment of brain-blood will animate as a low- intelligent Dead. (Licking your fingers, then reaching in for more brains transfers the Trioxon virus to the corps) To prevent the corps from animating, the brain must be removed by instruments before being eaten. But if the character frenzies when eating he'll just "dig in" and ignore trying to prevent animation. Using the Living Dead A Living Dead Character may be fun for the short-term. But since he must kill to feed, his humanity will drop to 0 in a short time. Story Ideas Vampires will want the Living Dead stopped immediately. A Living Dead contamination that goes out of control can not only wipe out the local human population, but cause the destruction of the city as well. A Living Dead contamination has already caused one city to be nuked by the Army Intelligence Living Dead Contamination Containment Team (AILDCCT). Living Dead will have a hard time just trying to make friends with vampires. (Would you make friends with someone who spreads a deadly food poisoning bacteria at the grocery store where you shop?)