Zombies are staples of late night horror cinema. The walking dead have shambled across the countryside for the past several decades in their never ending quest for fresh victims. Theirs is an existence dominated by the driving urge to consume living cranial matter. Humanity has but one purpose for these rotting creatures: They’re what’s for dinner!

Much of the living world does not know that there a re several different types of zombies. The most common, of course, are the necromantic-spawned undead. There are those, however, who are created by chemical reactions or a rampaging, heretofore undiscovered disease. Such creatures could confound those who have fought their more mundane brethren as tried and true methods of defense may prove useless. Disease-born zombies could come from a variety of vectors. They may be given unlife from a new malady or the biological-warfare testing of a mutated virus that exploits a genetic Saw in the host body. Plague-carrying zombies could rapidly affect civilized areas as the uninfected might not have a natural defense against the virus they carry.

Those of chemical origin could be spawned by the chance mixing of common chemicals, nefarious drug pushers that sell tainted goods, or nanobots that break free of their parameters. Their rampages could spark bombardment with nuclear weapons in an attempt to eliminate such horrors once and for all. Of course, this might only intensify the problem if the fallout triggers further mutation. Disease- and chemical-spawned zombies can spring up virtually anywhere.

Heroes could find themselves fleeing a large city that’s overrun with the undead after toxic waste leaks into the water supply. Wild West locals might see the birth of these creatures when a snake oil salesman sells unstable chemicals to an embalmer, which causes the dead to rise. The carelessly dumped waste of secret government projects could also be the culprit. One may also be faced with a traumatic situation when forced to destroy the risen corpses of friends and loved ones.

Typical Chemical-Spawned Zombie

Reflexes 2D: brawling 2D, climbing 1D+2
Coordination 1D
Physique 5D: lifting 6D, stamina 6D
Knowledge 1D
Perception 1D
Presence 1D: intimidation 5D
Strength Damage: 3D
Move: 8
Fate Points: 0
Character Points: 0
Body Points: 25
Wound Levels: 3

Disadvantages: Achilles’ Heel (R3), nutritional requirements: living brain matter; Advantage Flaw: Infection (R3), victim becomes zombie 24 hours after the target is brought to Mortally Wounded or less than 10% of Body Points by zombie attacker; Hindrance: Movement (R1), base running. jumping, and swimming Move reduced by 2 meters; Reduced Attribute: Reflexes, Presence (R4 each), -1D each; Reduced Attribuce: Knowledge, Perception (R7 each), -2D each

Advantages: none

Special Abilities: Armor-Defeating Attack (R1), acidic couch negates +1D of armor when attacking non-sealed armor; Attack Resistance: Acid (R3), +3D to damage resistance rolls against related attacks; Fear (R5), +5 to intimidation totals against and combat defense difficulties by chose who fail a willpower attempt with a difficulty of 15; Hardiness(R2), +2 to damage resistance totals; Immortality (R1), ceases functioning when smashed to pieces or decapitated, with Additional Effect (R2), does not need to eat or drink; Skill Bonus: Mindless (R5). + 15 to willpower totals; Skill Bonus: Painless Wounds (R4), +12 to stamina total

Typical Plague-Carrying Zombie

Reflexes 2D: brawling 3D, climbing 2D+2
Coordination 1D
Physique 4D: infection 6D, lifting 5D, stamina 5D
Knowledge 1D
Perception 1D
Presence 1D: intimidation 6D
Strength Damage: 2D
Move:8
Fate Points: 0
Character Points: 0
Body Points: 22
Wound Levels: 3

Disadvantages: Achilles’ Heel (R3), nutritional requirements: living brain matter; Advantage Flaw: Infection (R3), victim becomes zombie 24 hours after the target is brought to Mortally Wounded or less than 10% of Body Points by zombie; Advantage Flaw: Stench (R3), +6 to stealth attempts; Hindrance: Movement (R1), base running. jumping, and swimming Move reduced by 2 meters; Reduced Attribute: Reflexes, Presence (R4 each), -1D each; Reduced Attribute: Coordination, Knowledge, Perception (R7 each), -2D each

Advantages: none

Special Abilities: Attribute Scramble (R4), instead of damaging a target on a successful attack the zombie may reduce their Physique by 2D with a successful scramble attack; Fear (R5), + 5 to intimidation totals against and combat defense difficulties by chose who fail a willpower attempt with a difficulty of 15; Hardiness (R4), +4 to damage resistance totals; Immortality (R1), cease functioning when smashed to pieces or decapitated, with Additional Effect (R2), does not need to eat or drink; Skill Bonus: Mindless (R5), +15 to willpower totals; Skill Bonus: Painless Wounds (R4), +12 to stamina total