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Zombies, as Palladium makes them, really do not have that same horror that they should have. From the gruesome (albeit campy) mind of George A. Romero, came the cannibalistic zombie. This was an undead creature that truly both horrified and grossed out audiences back in the 70's. This is a type of movie that has died out in the 90's, but this is my atempt to bring back it back into Rifts.
Imagine if you will, your players looking at walking, decaying corspes, their flesh as tattered as their clothing. Imagine their further horror as you describe to them how these waling corpses are now chomping down on a fallen comrade, who, if lucky, will not rise again like the zombies now feasting in an orgy of blood and gore.
The Neo-Zombie
Out of all the horrors that stepped out a rift, none may be more insidous than the fragmented essence of one particular, nameless Alien Intelligence. This otherworldy being infected one, recently buried corpse and reanimated it. Soon, this corpse animated others, and a small army of zombies began to roam the lands near Kingsdale. They exhibit no emotion, no sense of reason, and they seem to attack and devour anything that moved. They are relentless in their pursuit to eat, mangling flesh and organs alike, to feed their insatiable hunger.
While seemingly surpressed at the moment, not all of these zombies have been quelled. Some have escaped and wander endlessly, feeding and infecting. Others have shown up on other parts of the world, like Australia, Russia, and Africa. What is actually known about them or whatever is behind this insidously gruesome force is unknown. It could be the horseman of Death pulling its strings, or another entity in league with it. All that is for certain for those that see these shambling corpses chase after them is that the bodies of the dead are rising, and are feeding on the living. They must be destroyed or they will multiply.
Thankfully, only SDC based humanoids are affected. Supernatural monsters and Creatures of Magic are unaffected by this transofrmation. However, it doesn't matter if one is an elf, dwarf, human, ogre, mutant dog, or ratling ... you will all be equally zombified!
Horror Factor: 12; see expanded table for more details on gore.
Alignment:Diabloic, if one were assess that they actually think.
MDC: 30, however their heads are more vulnerble, with only 12 MDC
Size: The same as they were in life. For humans, generally between five and six feet.
P.P.E.: 1D4x10
Attributes: ME, MA, and PE are neglible. IQ is a moronic 1D4. PS is 3D6+14 (supernatrual). PP and SPD is a paltry 1D6. PB is minus 1D4 per week that the corpse has been dead; this score can actually go into the negtive numbers; see gore chart for more deatils.
Disposition: Hungry and UGLY all the time.
Experience Level: Neglible
Magic Knowledge: None
Psionic Powers:None
Natural Abilities:Supernatrual Strength and MDC; they never tire or need to breathe, drink or sleep. They are invulnerable to magical and psionic mind attacks, including Control Undead. They, however, are affected by magic that disguises or conceals one from the undead, and other magical and psionic attacks that do mega-damage. They are also immune to Horror Factor, toxins, disease, pain, mind control, drugs, gases, and any and all S.D.C. attacks.
Sense Heat: The Zombies can feel higher tempuratures than that of the surrounding area and are instinctively attracted by it. They will immediately give chase to a heat source. They can be fooled by spoofers, and distractions (like leaving a car engine running), but not invisibilty spells or psionics.
They can only be killed by destroying their brains. Otherwise their bodies will rise again, despite being anhilated by M.D. weapons.
Their brains house the fragment of the entity, which soaks up the abundent PPE realeased when one of the zombies kill a living creature. This is also why they attack anything that moves. The PPE feeds the entity, which makes a duplicate fragment, then sends it out from the zombie to a nearby corpse (within 30 feet of the zombie). Thus, the corpses that they leave turn into zombies, as well as any of those they happen to come their way (i.e. passing a graveyard).
Vulnerablities: Shooting the head (as explained above). The zombies also have a fear of fire. Fire disrupts their only means of sense (seeking warm things), and drives them away. Small fires (less than 3 ft in area, but more than 1 foot in size) have a Horror Factor of 15 to them. Fire grater in size has a Horror Factor of 18, while a forest fire will drive away instantly.
Skills of Note: None.
Combat: no bonuses whatsoever; they don't dodge or parry either. They do attack in numbers, and know no fear.
Damage: see supernatrual strength chart in Rifts Conversion Book #1. They can also Crush/Tear for 1D6 MD, but do not Body Block/Tackle or Kick. Their bite does 1D6 MD as well.
