"How many kinds of zombies?" Topic

So essentially we have two kinds of zombies – fast and slow. Whatever fluff is said to "explain" them (I always prefer Voodoo myself) the genre really limits itself to these two types.

Am I missing something?

Most variations show up in gaming(video games mostly)more than other mediums. No More room In Hell is a zombie mintiatures rules set that I wrote this year and was just released by Iron Ivan Games. In that your basic zombie is the traditional slow moving Romero zombie, but I also included optional rules for the following variations:

Runners

"Dr. Tongue"- a zombie with a long mutated tongue that will lash out and ensnare a Survivor

Bloat- explodes when within a certain distance of survivors marking them with a fetid stench that attracts the other zombies on the table to that specific survivor.

The Brute- Giant musclebound monster that can smash down barricades and is very strong and hard to kill

Howler- will emit a shriek atracting more zombies onto the table each turn

Big Daddy- A smart zombie that can be armed with weapons and causes other zombies on the board to adapt and learn.

Mongo

I, Zombie adds Ragers and Smart Zombies to the ATZ mix but technically Ragers are fast moving and don't fit the traditional definition of zombie.

link

Reanimation in my game doesn't happen "in scenario" but can happen to bitten characters post scenario in the campaign play phase of the game.
Mongo

Mark,
Go play Left 4 Dead 2 online. That should give you a few new types of zombies/beasties.

* The Boomer is a bloated infected that can spit vision-impairing bile on the Survivors that attract hordes of infected, and explodes on death, spewing more bile in the immediate area.
* The Hunter is an agile foe that can jump and pounce on a Survivor, and then tear at his victim until he is knocked off or killed.
* The Smoker has a long tongue that he can use to ensnare a Survivor and then drag him back to himself, either attacking the Survivor directly, allowing the horde to attack the Survivor, or leaving the Survivor suspended over a cliff or roof edge; the Smoker only releases its victim if the tongue is shot or on death, at which point it dies in a burst of vision-clouding smoke for a brief period.
* The Tank is a gigantic muscular infected that has the ability to swipe at Survivors, knocking them off their feet and incapacitating them; it can also knock cars and other debris into the Survivors.
* The Witch is a passive female infected that stays in a spot, crying; Survivors can sneak by the Witch, but if they should disturb her with light or loud noises, she will become aggressive and attack the Survivor that alerted her, usually incapacitating the Survivor and attacking him until she or the Survivor is killed, except when playing on Expert difficulty, where she kills the Survivor instantly.
* The Charger, an infected with an enormously mutated right arm, can charge into the survivors and seize and separate one survivor from the others whilst pummeling them into the ground, rendering the player helpless until one of their teammates helps them.
* The Spitter can project balls of stomach acid that splatter across an area, quickly eroding the survivors' health as long as they remain within it; the longer a player loiters, the faster their health drops.
*The Jockey can jump onto the back of a survivor and steer them into other infected or environmental hazards, whilst clawing at the player's head.
* Zombies wearing outfits – Biohazard suits, body armour, etc…

Great game!

What the Hell kind of bug is that!?!?

2 for my rules, the fresh fast ones and the decayed or mangled slow ones.

Brian

Get the "All Flesh Must be Eaten" RPG

Lots of good ideas for different Zombies there.

Also remember Zombie movies are not about Zombies but the interaction of people during extreme circumstances.

People are more deadly then the Zombies.

BASILISK | BERSERKER | CRAWLER | HOWLER | HUNTER | MERCY | SPITTER

details can be seen here

link

How about old style zombies? Either drugged live people or the reanimated dead basically doing simple repetitive slave labour for either voodoo priests or necromancers. They might not necessarily be dangerous to the passerby but can be commanded to attack if their priest/necromancer desires.

Also the method of transmission alters gameplay quite a bit – the blood virus is a lot more dangerous than biting.

Certainly the zombie is going through a growth period of late. Something of an evolution.

What is the zombie? Deep down, it is a manifestation of the fear of death; immortality not matter how foul.

I am sure the staggering sick during the Black Death were seen as zombies…pure fear and potential of sickness.

But to the point "how many kinds of zombies"

IMO

supernatural types, drawn from the grave by magical means; necromancy

occult types, the people who believe in voodoo and are dosed with various drugs/herbs/etc…these people are not dead

science types, life is exchanged with zombie-hood via science (drugs/chemicals/viruses/etc.)

*****

The slow, fast, rager, lurker, etc. is all a matter of meeting the bar to scare the viewer.

Then you have the video game types, noted as above, which are obstacles and level bosses…different types, strengths, speeds, etc. based upon the level and storyline.

So at this point it is either one of three options, IMO:

classic voodoo/necromancer zombie, either drugged person or undead

classic Romero zombie, shambler from the grave desires fresh brains

non-classic zombie, slow-fast…minimal behavior-near full function…pretty much anything goes, including the video game versions…long tongue, wall creeper, big brute, fire breather, etc.

Gathrawn50 – I like your ideas.

Terrement – isn't he a zombie of sorts already? Or would mummy better fit the bill?

Maybe not what you're looking for, but I've often thought about a campaign where the "zombie virus" has stages.

Stage 1: "Crazies" The victim has gone completely mad. Filled with rage, but still intelligent. They'll try to kill anyone not infected. They may not be in control enough to be clever, but they can use weapons (including guns), climb, and predict what you're doing. Usually hunts alone.

Stage 2: "Ragers" The victim is further consumed with rage. They have little in the way of rational thought and rarely use weapons. Mostly just interested in tearing you apart. They can still climb. Often form packs for hunting.

Stage 3: "Zombies" At this stage, the victim has slowed to a shamble. Their body continues on pure primal will. Much of the body has shut down, so you usually have to take out the brain to stop them. Not truly dead, but pretty close. Only gather together when there's prey about.

Cyborg zombies, like the Hasslefree Miniatures Jotun and Striker? Necromechanical monsters which have fused to machine parts and weapons…..

An overlooked schlock classic – Larry Cohen's "The Stuff" – has a competely different type of zombie.

'The Stuff' itself is a powerfully addictive white paste sold as food by unscrupulous corporations.

The catch is… it's a living organism. When you eat it; it begins to digest you from the inside, leaving only an outer 'shell' of flesh to maintain its disguise!

So 'Stuff-zombies' or "Stuffies" are fearless of physical damage; because you're only damaging it's 'meat suit', which is easily torn or burst without harming the 'Stuff' within.

The slimy contents can pour out of it's host to crawl around, slithering under doors and clinging to ceilings.

It can do this slowly: going somewhere unobserved, lying down, and slithering out of the host, leaving the shell ready to be reoccupied.

Or it can burst out dramatically in seconds, splitting the 'meat-suit' apart in horrific fashion.

Presumably, the Stuff doesn't digest it's host's brain, because the victims are shown with enough mental function to fake their usual personality traits and are seen experiencing pain and distress when damaged.
(This leads to the rather unpleasant possibility that the Stuff inside you might compel you to advance into a hail of bullets or stick your hand in a fire while you are fully aware of the sensation but powerless to resist.)

The individual 'contents' of one victim can merge and combine with more of the Stuff to form huge writhing masses, which presumably have some sort of hive mind &/or common direction.

It's a forgotten curiosity… worth a watch for some interesting new ideas: YouTube link

In reference to the thread's title … Too many …

First of all, what do you call "zombies"? Only the original (Voodoo) ones, buried and crawling out of their graves (and generally slow physically and mentally), or the highly 'contagious' type -not really undead?- (generally fast but single-minded) / Hellsing / Resident Evil / [REC] /I'm a Legend type (call them 'ghouls' / 'zombies' / 'possessed' or 'vampires', it's actually all the same thing).

In an interesting TMP 'Weird FIW' thread TMP link , a learned poster indicated that "One does not become a zombie instantly" while in most movies the 'contamination' of the bitten victim is quite fast. I agree that 'true' zombies would be treated differently -including in minis preparations and gaming rules- than 'contaminated' persons.

Anyway, while any gaming requires 'a willing suspension of disbelief', I have the greatest difficulties with the so-called 'undeads' of any type. To be able to move and attack (otherwise, where would be the fun?) they need active muscles, thus a functional circulatory system and heart, lungs to re-oxygenate the blood, a digestive system and a liver to feed the muscles; a nervous system to command the muscles, a sensory system to spot and follow the preys, a central nervous system -decaying maybe, but still operational to coordinate the whole… The entire body is in rather bad state (specially for the 'slow moving / clumpsy' "undeads" of the Romero school) and probably wearing away -slight hope of a very long survival. So, sorry, their 'humanity' may be dead, but their body is still alive, NOT a *corpse*.

That's why for the 'contaminated' I favor the 'Matheson model': a highly contagious disease transmitted by the bite. Once bitten the victim turns to a 'ghoul' (Hellsing OVA), 'zombie' (?) (Resident Evil), 'possessed' ([REC]) or 'vampire' (I'm a legend), name this as you will according to your cultural background, but it's all the same: some unfortunate people who was at the wrong place at the wrong time, and turned into a rabid, cannibal maniac. The incubation period may vary with the importance of the bite and maybe the infectious strain, but is generally short enough for the 'transformation' to appear during an average game session.
For 'real' zombies I simply cannot think of 'animated corpses' but of victims of a death-simulating drugs combined with suggestion / mesmerism / brainwashing…

What are the consequences regarding the miniatures to use? Be warned, what follows is a very personal, unconventional opinion!
- First of all all commercial zombies / undead minis are unusable: all are depicted in a spectacular but so advanced state of decay, mutilation, evisceration… that they could not stagger more than a few steps before dying.
- Thus what we have to use is 'normal' minis for the period, and convert (slightly) and paint them adequately to reflect their peculiar 'state'.

We are to consider, chose and treat differently the 3 main types of such 'rabid cannibals':
a) – the 'true', unearthed zombies (generally bare-headed, I guess: people are rarely buried with their hat or cap, or at least I suspect so; and with hand or improvised weapons only, I doubt they would be able to use firearms),
b) – the 'ghouls' of long standing, and unfortunate passers-by 'ghoulified' during the game
c) – the members of *your* own band / troops contaminated during the game.

= Conversions of miniatures: only for the types a & b above: some scarifications of the body with a cutter or pin point, degradations of clothes with a nail clipper / wire cutter (both far more marked for the 'true zombies', with 'pustules' and more 'scars', than for the 'ghouls'?).

= Painting:
- For the types a & b (including the 'true zombies' above::
> the *eyes* are of major importance, ringed with black, with black bags circles under; 'true' zombies may have all-white eyes, 'ghouls' the 'mad rabbit's red eyes';
> 'true' zombies may have a waxy skin, 'ghouls' a more normal, even ruddy one;
> blood at the mouth for 'original' zombies and ghouls, blood at the throat (and possibly elsewhere) for the 'recently contaminated';
> ± dried blood on the wounds and scars; 'true' zombies' may benefit from an appropriately 'vomitory' Nurglesque painting, pus or bile pustules and spots…
> some 'dirt' (or 'dried blood'?) on the damaged parts of the clothes
- For the types c above:: If the minis are protected by a good varnish, drops of red waterpaint (easily washed out: child washable aquarelle / pastel / waterpaint) at the troat (and later mouth) would mark the transformation.

= 'Weathering': mainly for the 'true zombies' to give them a 'freshly unearthed' look; for the 'old time ghouls a 'dipping' the finished mini in 'clear oak' matt wood varnish give a grotty / shabby look that may suggest that the ghouls are unable to clean and repair their clothes. For the 'true zombies' on the other end, I had surprisingly satisfying results with such an unlikely mixture as home-made prune juice / roughly filtrated watery puree of dried prunes, intensively honeyned to 'cling' when dry: as always with dipping the 'ink' accumulated in the hollows and at the lower extremities of clothes and weapons, and its 'texture' due to the plant micro-particles gave a 'freshly unearthed' look that no purely liquid ink, paint or varnish would have provided.

No 'weathering' for the'ghoulified during the game' members of your own band / troop, they are 'fresh'! Qrops of (easy whashable) children pastel washable aquarelle *blood red*, first at the throat then around the mouth would be enough to mark their new 'nature' (and side changing).

The Stuff

: that movie with a living yoghurt, which jumps at your face like a facehugger in 'Aliens', then retracts in its cup like a snail or hermit crab in its shell?
If you can take the whole movie as a joke, it is really funny.

Flesh Golems such as Frankenstein's creature are of totally different 'making', but can still be 'rationalized': the novel was one of the earliest 'modern' Science-Fiction ones (while Dracula was 'Fantasy').
Animated Scarecrows, on the other hand, *require* a 'fantasy' explanation; the simplest may be that they are 'inhabited' and animated by a prisoner ghost / spirit, in the same way as the 'talos', the androids in Keyes' 'Age of Unreason', have an 'angel' embodied in them.