Shamblers.

By far the more common and numerous of the hordes of unlucky infected, these mindless creatures get their name from their shambolic gait, moving at a top speed one could expect from someone with a broken ankle and haemorrhoids.
While individually they are not very threatening, they are far from intelligent and can easily be lured into traps, relentlessly following any kind of food which catches their feeble perception. They are roughly as strong as they were in life, but perhaps slightly more so due to their inherent lack of feeling.

They feel no pain or duress and they never tire. An excellent combination if a group of them seek to overcome an obstacle such as a constructed barricade, because in time such a fortification will creak and crack, giving way to the eventual onslaught of the hungry dead.
A Shambler’s attacks are poorly co-ordinated and not very accurate when it comes to strikes or lunges, but they do have an affinity for grappling and latching onto anything that comes close, pulling victims down under their own weight or the combined weight of it’s diseased brethren, slowing survivors down and making them easier prey for the rest of the horde.

Shambler stats: - Follows nWoD rules.

Shamblers have the following Aspects. These are detailed on pages 27 and 28 of the Antagonists Sourcebook.

Contagious - 3; Communicable through blood or saliva to living targets. (Due to the relevance of the storyline and background this Aspect always costs 1 Aspect point. For each and every Infected.)

Preservation - 3; No degradation. (Due to the relevance of the storyline and background this Aspect always costs 1 Aspect point. For each and every Infected.)

Special Attack - Entangle

Special Attack - Bite
.
.
Shamblers have the following Weaknesses, These are detailed on page 28 of the Antagonists Sourcebook.

Vulnerability - Damage to the brain.

Hunger.

Intensely Stupid.

The Runners.
Aptly named and differentiated from their cousins, Runners are thinner more gangly versions of the Shambler, often seen hunched over and moving like an ape whenever docile. They twitch and scratch at their pale flesh while making disturbing grunting and snarls as they go about their business.
However, when alerted to the presence of prey, the Runner leaps into action, sprinting desperately like a champion athlete and setting upon the target like a rabid animal, biting and clawing, rending flesh from bone in mere moments.

They are as intelligent as their Shambler cousins, which is not very bright thankfully. They have no knowledge of doors or ladders, and cannot climb or remember anything from their past life.
Runners are however incredibly dangerous to survivors who are not immune to the infection, as one bite from these creatures will be a death sentence, and their speed and ferocity increases the odds that a survivor will be wounded and infected.
But not all is doom and gloom. Runners are rare to encounter and only travel in small packs, usually away from the main congregations of Shamblers so that they can migrate more easily to find food sources and good hunting grounds.
Packs are never often larger than five or six, and teams of two are indeed far more likely encounters.


Dealing with Runners is a harsh affair, and many survivors have lost their lives to these horrible creatures, but fortunately they are far more fragile than their cousins, and high impact weapons can cripple them, slowing them down and making the Runner less of a threat.
Their only strength lies in speed, take away that and all you have is a Shambler. Shotguns are your friend in this situation, their spread of buckshot can carry enough force to push them backward and even annihilate a limb.
Just be sure to get the timing just right. Too far away and the blast has less effect.

Too close? Well. You don’t want to go down that road…

Let me stop you there for a second.

www.thezombiehunters.com

check out the types of zombie section, there's 7 there, irrc.

The Groaner.

Groaners are simply Shamblers, the only exception is that they tend to be a bit more vocal.
They have all the same attributes. Strengths, weaknesses as their undead brothers, but they tend to act like a makeshift alarm system.
As soon as prey has been sighted, their moaning becomes louder and more frantic as they shuffle forward to their potential meal.

The infected appear to have an instinctual response whenever they hear this moan, they converge upon it. As anytime they hear this loud moaning they know full well that there is food in the area, and will set in motion to get it at all costs.

>>5324376
TZH has lame ones.

Einstein.

The Einstein are Shamblers that remember something of their past lives, though not much.
They might remember how to turn a doorknob or understand that glass is more fragile on buildings, know that ladders can be climbed. And some even react to threats and traps, lying in wait for an ambush instead of walking heedlessly to their deaths.
Despite unable to feel pain or duress, some even flinch from fire or loud bangs, and can even display the odd emotive response. Though this has and will always be either fear, or anger. And the Brain will react accordingly to each.

Einstein’s are not common. There is likely one of them for every fifty Shamblers, but they should not be underestimated. Many careless survivors have left doors unlocked and unbarred because they thought the bastards are too dumb to open them, only to have one curious Einstein have a mind fart from his or her past and let in the whole damned horde.

The Biggies.

Biggies are Shamblers who have a little more weight on their bones. Whether they are overweight or were champion bodybuilders back in the days before the outbreaks doesn’t’t matter, their size and added mass makes them slightly more durable and stronger than your average Shambler.
These types of flesh eaters are pretty common to find among a Shambler horde, afterall depending on where you live you will always see someone who happens to be overweight or fairly well built, such is the diversity of mankind.

Be careful if engaging these monsters in close combat. Some might be stronger than you think and others might be tougher than you think, costing you time and energy that you might not have to spare…

The Bleeder

Somewhat different from most of the Shamblers, Bleeders appear to be affected by some form of blood related disorder.
Their eyes look like they have wept bloody tears, their nostrils share the same trait with dried congealed blood crusting atop the flesh where the blood has seeped out.
When in close proximity to a survivor, the Bleeder regurgitates close to a pint of it’s own blood upon the victim, splashing them with infected fluids that can easily infect an individual by coming into contact with a victim’s eyes, nostrils, mouth and gums or any open wound they might have.

Bleeders are extremely rare out in the open, but tend to be readily found near hospitals.
It could be guessed that they did have some form of disease in life that affected their blood, and now the new Infection has had an adverse effect upon it.

And that's what I have so far...

>>5324451
Pretty nice ideas, I like the einsteins.

>>5324460

Agreed. The part where the zombies aren't actually completely different from each other is kinda nice, but it does leave you a bit stuck when you run out of ideas like "This is a zombie but it groans too"

Maybe one that can direct Shamblers with pheromones or something?

This thread wasn't good the first time you posted it.

Whatever you do, remember that Zombie scenarios are always funner when you LIMIT THE RESOURCES. That is all.
Also, make Einsteins the average zombie, much scarier when you realize that windows will no longer be a obstacle between you and them, making the scav'ing in the shopping mart OH SO MUCH FUNNER.

Sounds like you're trying to copy a lot of stuff from the Zombie Hunters comic.

>>5324503

You mean Left 4 Dead?

Because I think you meant Left 4 Dead.

As far as the difference between old and new, I just split 'em into two groups:
- The Undead, classic standard zombie. Simple, usually uses numbers and EXTRA-guerrila tactics. Easy to kill, easy to escape, difficult to isolate.
- Feverheads, people riddled with some strange, usually animal or extra-terrestial virus. Not only still possessed of their bodily strengths (at the cost of all other reasonings), but magnified and supplemented with new abilities. Much worse than Undead.

>>5324490

At least here the mall doesn't have any windows on the first level. There's glass doors, but everywhere with glass doors also has a barrier you can drop down to block it off and locks to the floor.

>>5324514
Zombie Hunters was out before Left 4 Dead.

>>5324490
That's why you park trucks in front of the mall windows.

The Immortal.

Taking on the appearance of that when they died, the immortal are cursed, or perhaps blessed, to live for eternity. They have all the same brain functionality that they had prior to death and often continue to live out their existence in the same way they did prior to "death", gurgling laughter through hingeless jaws at sit-coms, or humming eerily as they tend their flower beds.

They don't by default desire Human flesh, but they do hold a tremendous amount of disdain for anyone or anything that doesn't share in their curse. Some do however see their immortality as an opportunity to explore what was once a faux pas in life and indulge in cannibalizing of human remains, or mutilation fetishism.

>>5324559
When they open those doors, there's gonna be a thousand zombies in here. These guys are gonna have their hands full

Ok, how about this:

The Mimic

One of the more insidious types of undead, the Mimic retains much of it's personality and mannerisms from it's time amongst the living. Only one major memory is absent from it's psyche - that of it's own death. The Mimic exists to infiltrate bastions of humanity in the most complete way possible by not knowing that it is undead to begin with. Like many other humans, it seeks out shelter and company for defense, all the while secreting a nearly unnoticable pheromone which constantly attracts other types of zombie - a settlement which has attracted a Mimic is in for a busy, and somewhat brief, future. If confronted, a Mimic will, somewhat mistakenly, fight to clear it's name.

Mimics still breathe as they did in life, but only through subconscious impulse - they don't need to breathe to continue existing, and in times of shock and surprise may stop breathing altogether (which is a bit of a giveaway!) In addition, the fact that they do not desire human flesh means that they will die of starvation in a few days, being unable to gain sustainance from anything but. This makes Mimics short lived, if dangerous problems.

>>5324562
Why hello thar!

Trollan aside, intelligent zombies area funny idea.

>>5324540

That's like saying FPSes existed before Halo. You dirty liar.

>>5324562
Dat some Shibito?

I was going to say Return of the Living Dead, but those continue to decompose, and get high off eating brains, like addicts snorting coke.

>>5324626
Shibito are a cool concept, too bad Siren is a shitty game.

The Abomination

Abominations are zombies infected with peculiar colonies of bacteria. Their flesh is almost completely covered with what appears to be sticky, disgusting slime. The bacteria slowly digest their rotting flesh and leave a trail of slime wherever they go, which makes abominations easy to detect. However, an abomination is compelled to seek out new flesh to replace it's decomposing body and with the bacteria's assistance it will merge zombie and human flesh alike into it's bubbling, misshapen carcass. It is entirely possible for abominations to combine hundreds of bodies into themselves, gaining tremendous mass and a shape that is traumatizing to behold. They are resistant to most forms of damage, including fire, however, the bacteria responsible for their existence die quickly in water.

>>5324607
If playing some sort of zombie campaign the GM could roll a secret dice for each player. On one roll the player is immune on another the player is a mimic.

>>5324724

I can dig it.

But what about the whole "dying from starvation" thing for that there mimic?

>>5324736
Make them last longer, however the mimic should get dizzy and disoriented from time to time, or something in that direction.

Okay, here's one:
The Fanatic

A peculiar thing happens to those who succumb to infection while in the midst of an adrenaline rush. Most, of course, become simple Shamblers... but those few who would otherwise become Einsteins instead retain a few clear, lucid memories seared into their limited consciousness by the high-intensity circumstances surrounding their deaths. This typically comprises whatever goals or objectives the fallen person had at the time of death - and nothing else.

Fanatics will continue to pursue that last, dying goal to the exclusion of all other things. As they have no other memories or consciousness, if they manage to accomplish that task they will simply repeat it over again... and over again... and over again... endlessly. Fanatics have been reported stockpiling entire hospitals' worth of medicine in a long-destroyed safehouse, starting massive infernos as they wander about making infinite campfires, or even flailing about killing everything - human and zombie alike - they see.

Fanatics are rare, and often pose no direct threat to survivors; their tunnel vision for their task almost completely overwhelms any feeding instinct unless one accidentally winds up in the way of their goal. The primary problem comes with the simple fact that they were once survivors focused on a typically-survival-oriented goal. Many survivor enclaves have fallen after a lost member of the group returns to complete its final task, bypassing all safeguards and barricades between it and its goal through remembrance of the "secret" ways past... and bringing the horde behind it.

Hollow Ones.

Hollow Ones are a bit different from your average zombie. This is because Hollow Ones have no brain function at all... or rather, they have no brain, nor any other organs. They are little more than skeletons covered in leathery/preserved flesh inhabited by billions of virus infected insects which live only to eat flesh and reproduce.

While most Hollow Ones are of little threat, commonly laying on floors, they may twitch, and spasm unnaturally and move towards the smell of living flesh. Furthermore rupturing the leathery hide of a Hollow One will release a wave of billions of insects on an often ill prepared survivor.

There are rumors that some Hollow Ones by unnatural means are able to walk upright. But this can be attributed to no more than a highly rare set of circumstances in which the insects by fluke move in such a manner that it keeps the body upright, if only for a very limited time.

Restraint is your best weapon when encountering these husks,

>>5324808
That one sounds a bit weird.

>>5324808

So, the bugs are what controls all of its actions?

Weird.

>>5324844

I'm currently imagining it as a human shaped bag full of flesh eating locusts.

>>5324788
A fanatic who died sniping at zombies on the street, and will continue firing his rifle at anything moving on the ground as long as he has ammo left.

AWESOME. Sniper zombie.

The Awkward

Died while on Viagra? Never fear, you are doomed to live for all eternity with a raging boner. There is nothing different about an Awkward from a Shambler, except for the Soldier that just won't lay down arms... Ever. Awkwards are almost always naked, due to the circumstances prior to their death, and are also usually old, hairy, white men with undersized genitalia.

To look upon one, is similar to seeing your father step nude out of the shower. Truly a terrible sight.

Experiments.

When humanity first learned of the virus it set forth its best minds to control it. In the beginning it looked as though it would work until a dooms day cult bombed the science facility and unleashed the experiments.

Experiments regenerate their wounds and learn form experiences. Their numbers are few but they will not always kill all non-infected they see, instead track the survivors from attacks to larger settlements.

Many think that one you kill an Experiment it stays dead, and that is why many of humanities last bastions have fallen to these horrid creatures.

It is rumored that they cannot regenerate after they have been struck by lightning.

>>5324857
Basically this.

>>5324881
This is why Tom Savini burns his zombies, and you should too.

>>5324875

>>5324892

So, off the back of that, im guessing that one or more locusts get into a fresh body via eyes/nose/dc 80 escape artist check and then start eating and breeding?

Survival of th Craftiest: And they seal up the way they got in to prevent others of their species from taking 'their' food supply. A fast generation cycle breeds for more efficient ways of doing this, i.e. hardening the host's skin, speed of sealing, being able to seal more than just the entry hole, etc.

>>5324936
But what kind of locust is this? Some sort of mutation from eating infected flesh?

>>5324949

Probably. I'll level with you, I'm just making it up as I go along.

For all I know, it's less locust, more malevolent flying cancer balls.

>>5324949
They don't need to be locusts. Any carrion critter works. They eat the dead flesh, become infected themselves, and go crazy. Insects have much simpler brains than we do, so they'd retain better motor function.

>>5324881
Another interesting Experiment concept.

"Living Flesh"

It is tissue which on a microbiotic level consumes all other organic matter around it. It has to continue consuming organic matter however, as the old tissue quickly becomes necrotic and decays. The living tissue is pink and flexible while the necrotic flesh is black and flaky. It moves extremely slowly, almost like a mold, covering every surface it can find, so long as there is anything organic for it to feed on. Making contact with the necrotic flesh is, usually, safe. However the living tissue is extremely dangerous to make contact with bare skin, as it is infectious by contact only.

Since it does move so slowly, you are generally safe in the vicinity of it, however problems occur when survivors stay for long periods of time in areas contaminated by the living tissue without being aware of it, and are covered by it in their sleep.

As a bonus side-effect though, it will consume zombies as well as survivors it is unable to differentiate between organic matter.

>>5324958
Locusts do have that whole 'End of the World' symbolism going for them, though. Thanks to the Book of Revelations and the Old Testement Plagues of Egypt. They're also associated with famine and to a less extent, disease.

>>5325006
Oh, and don't forget, since it eats anything organic, it will also eat what you eat... Don't forget to scrape the mold off your bread... you can never be too safe.

You need the crawlers still.

Crawlers are basically shamblers with the loss of their lower extremities. They are harder to spot in tall grass, behind low walls or underneath objects. They have all the same strengths and weaknesses as shamblers but are a bit slower.

Also, archived on suptg so keep the ideas flowing.

>>5325029
Well that's a bitch.

>>5325006
Came to think of the reed weed from war of the worlds.

For the sake of actually coming up with a subtype that hasn't been done before:

The Luddite: Luddites are, if isolated at their creation, only slighter physically stronger than a shambler, and tend to be less perceptive. The circumstances that create them are unclear. However, Luddites seem to gain an ability to sense the local magnetic field with great acuity, somewhat similar to a pidgeon. A combination of this and being drawn to reflective objects tends to lead them towards metal, particularly magnetic objects, which they then attach to themselves by various means, sometimes simply impaling themselves with them. The combination of their own movement simulating an EM field shift and their internal fluids oxidising the objects results in utter disruption of radio communications nearby, along with many other electrical systems as they draw closer.

As such Luddites only pose a problem to well established, organised survivors, however it is a grave one indeed, a doorlock may be the only thing between the horde and unprotected flesh. Likewise, an escape may be rendered impossible when the vehicle simply doesn't start.

The Gasser
To the untrained eye, these resemble the more corpulent form of Biggie. The untrained nose will soon realize the difference, however. Once in a while, a Biggie is created without any serious holes in its body. The diet of the average pre-zombie Biggie being what it is, combined with the effects of the zombie infection and decomposition, creates a buildup of methaneous gases which is capable of wide-spread nausia.

On the plus side, Gassers are fairly easy to detect, thanks to a combination of hideous odor and the flatulent sounds of their rotting bodies releasing the built-up pressures. However, it should also be noted that Gassers, producing mostly methane, are highly explosive in the presence of fire.

>>5325102
I like these ideas, now we have both fart zombies and boner zombies.

Freaks

Certain zombies upon reanimation resume what would be their 'daily lives.' Some zombies attempt to work factory equipment, mash their rotting fingers against keyboards, or stand where their old hot dog carts used to be groaning something along the lines of 'get em while their hot!' Occasionally though the process takes a different route and the only thing they remember is what they were doing when they died.

Namely screaming for help.

Augmented - Some groups of survivors have learned to use the Shamblers as weapons, leading them to other enclaves who refuse to surrender and forcing a siege. To help conquer other survivors, they began weaponising Shamblers - most commonly with metal plates bolted on to the skull, some with neck protection and others with Claymore mines wired up to an infrared detector shoved into their chests. A common tactic is to hollow out a Shambler's torso, fill with explosives and a remote detonator, wait until it's reached the defender's wall and then blast it open.

Not every group who've tried this managed to survive in the long run, so there are several Augmented roaming around, usually easy to spot but still dangerous up close.

>>5325164
I guess that would be freaky as hell with a dead person just standing in the middle of the street screaming for help.

I got a fancy idea, give players a sanity score of some sort. As they experrience more and more spooky things like a screaming zombie they risk ending up with problems with sleeping and concentrating and other such things.

>>5325164
OP here. You should dump this rubbish site and get some brains at doubleyoudoublyoudoublyue dot zombietalk dt com.

BRAAAAAINNNS

Picture Unrelated

Bottom Feeders as they are chronicled as, are a shambler sub-type easily noticed due to their appearance. Bottom Feeders are swollen and vary in colour from blue, to purple, to green. Bottom feeders are most recognizable due to spending a prolonged period of time submerged in water. This method of decomposition makes Bottom Feeders particularly deadly in close range as their flesh is slippery, making them hard to grasp or push. This same slippery goo which coats their body is also infectious if it makes contact with eyes, nasal passages, mouth, ear canal, or any open wounds or soars, so dealing with them at range is best. However it is to be done with caution, as their internal organs have in most cases liquefied, and may be under pressure.

>>5325214
Naht zhuuure heef bot

>>5325230
>Certain zombies upon reanimation resume what would be their 'daily lives.' Some zombies attempt to work factory equipment, mash their rotting fingers against keyboards, or stand where their old hot dog carts used to be groaning something along the lines of 'get em while their hot!' Occasionally though the process takes a different route and the only thing they remember is what they were doing when they died.

>anon- tal k spammer

>>5325032
>Crawlers are basically shamblers with the loss of their lower extremities. They are harder to spot in tall grass, behind low walls or underneath objects. They have all the same strengths and weaknesses as shamblers but are a bit slower.

Actually, I can think of one benefit a crawler would have over shamblers. Hours of clawing its torso along the pavement would have stripped all the flesh from its fingers, leaving only tendons and bony talons sharpened from constant dragging across concrete. Their grip would almost instantly pierce the skin.

For some reason I like the idea of a brain zombie surgeon who attempts to sew other zombies back together but often reattaches them in bizarre ways, making for horribly disjointed horrors that are chicken legged, or walk Exorcist style on all four limbs, or maybe have a few limbs too many, etc etc.

Holy hell. These are great ideas. I don't suppose anyone would mind if I cribbed them for the zombie factions in my post-apocalyptic survival-horror minis game?

Additional content, these are some of the zombie concepts from Project Survival:
--Rotter: Often in a poor state of decay, the rotter shambles around hungrily, much like a shambler. Its primary difference being the decaying nature of its flesh, and the highly toxic nature of its flesh. Much like the mouth of a komodo dragon, the flesh of a Rotter is host to a near-infinite panopoly of infectious bacteria. If a victim of the rotter survives, gangrene would be a welcome relief from the burning, dissolving, and outright toxic bacteria the zombie's fetid fists impart with each hammer-like blow.

--Infested (Maggots) Animated by insectile parasites of extra-dimensional origin, these zombies focus on building hives out of grisly body parts preserved in excreted resin.

--Writhers (Worms) Brought back to mobility by a hideous collection of intertwined worm-like aliens, these zombies shamble through the remains of their former lives, seeking to drain the blood and water from the living. They travel in packs and are surprisingly spry for stiffening corpses.

Dusters

Once again, similar to your average shambler, though slower and with less physical strength, then they are struck, fall over, etc. they are so brittle that they most always explode into a cloud of dust. This dust is infectious if breathed. However their bite is completely harmless, aside from normal infections that might happen as a result of a bite.

Hipsters. -- Hipsters are a type of Einstein that remember one thing only, and that is the buzz they got off drugs. Hipsters are generally the least dangerous of the zombies, if you thought shamblers were slow, wait until you see shamblers on marijuana.

>>5325343

Ok, now you're just getting silly.

TANKS

Before civilization truly collapsed under the zombie threat, civilian and military units were deployed in an attempt to keep order and drive back what were thought to be "rioters." The attempt failed miserably, and the repercussions are still seen on the streets today as the Tanks.

Tanks aren't a different breed of zombie from shamblers or, often, biggies. The problem is that they are zombified riot cops and military soldiers who "died with their boots on," and are thus in full kit. A zombie is hard enough to take down without adding in a bulletproof vest, helmet, and possibly riot shield still strapped to the body; many have died due to sheer overconfidence in the face of a "simple" shambler horde, only to find a small squad of Tanks in their midst. Between natural zombie damage resistance and artificial armor, it's almost wasteful to use firearms on a Tank. Then again, some see them as worth the effort in order to strip their deanimated corpses of their gear.

Are you having problems with zombies? That is because you are being submissive. You need to practice being in a calm dominant state. Then the zombies will respect you. If the Zombie tried to bite your brain you tell him TSCHH, and push him away. Practice this until we have a zombie in a calm submissive state.

I am the Zombie wheesperor.

>>5325395

IT'S A MIMIC! KILL IT WITH FIRE BEFORE IT BRINGS THE REST!

>>5325375
You know for a few short moments I honestly believed that someone had finally come up with an original interpretation for the use of "Tank" as a zombie subtype.

Man an APC piloted by zombies would be awesome.

>>5325409
And throw it in the fire.

>>5325426
How about zombies with artillery?

Back after a brief outing.

Some good ideas here, keep them coming.

>>5325426
Fanatic in an APC hellbent on getting survivers to safe zones. Ramming strongholds to get them out, and then he runs out of gas half way to the safe zone, and accidentally brings friends. Or hell he might even have mistaken zombies for survivers and drives into a safe zone with a load full of zombies.

>>5325426
APC blows up humans, zombies run out and eat the scattered flesh, rinse, repeat

>>5325262
That's a good idea actually. I never thought of that.

>>5325395
That actually gave me an idea:

WHISPERERS
Sometimes found at the head of a moving horde of zombies, or in the center of a dormant one, the Whisperer is a rare, mutated form of the undead whose infection has run rampant through its endocrine system. They appear as if infected with the bubonic plague - pussy boils stud a Whisperer's skin. Less apparent, but more important, is their smell - an acrid, sweaty scent.

The scent attracts other zombies, changing their behavior and activity patterns. They become more alert and active, truly hunting for food instead of passively wandering in search for it. The Whisperers thus often become the center of large, dangerous hordes - hence the source of their nickname, as they can lead large packs without any apparent action of their own (and indeed, Whisperers seem to be no more intelligent than an average Shambler is).

Some survivors try to take down Whisperers when they are found, as destruction of the Whisperer "core" of a large zombie mob generally leads to its dispersal. Such a tactic carries an extreme risk, however, as damage to the Whisperer's body bursts many of the swollen glands on its skin and releases a vast quantity of the "zombie stimulant" which gathered the horde around it in the first place. The destruction of a Whisperer can send zombies within a hundred yards of its location into a day-long feeding rage, converging on the point of its demise with vastly heightened speed and awareness. Foolish shooting at a Whisperer pounding on the doors of a safehouse has led to the annihilation of more than one survivor enclave.

Shroomer.

The shroomer is infected with a bizarre form of possibly mutated fungus, which quickly spreads and grows over it's body. A shroomer can be almost any type of zombie, all that matters is the infection with the fungus. Covered with thick, black, fuzzy mold, the shroomer acts as though it were a regular member of the horde, however, when agitated in close range, the mold begins releasing hundreds of spores, creating a thick black choking cloud, which is not only dangerous for survivors, but also has the effect of possibly turning the Shroomer's companions, as well. People killed by the Shroomers normally end up shroomers, as the spores released during combat settle on their corpse before they reanimate.

Tarmen/women

Tarmen range from shamblers to biggies. Biggie Tarmen being the more dangerous of the two. Tarmen are zombies that were semi-encased in tar. The hot tar, having melted away much of their skin, and re-hardened in its place is much resilient to physical harm than their old flesh was. They are also much more frightening in appearance as they may often lose enough layers of flesh to be given a more skeletal appearance.

Rumor has it though that Tarmen are susceptible to fluctuating extremities in temperature causing their "skin" to become brittle.

King of Zombies, do you have enough zombie types?

>>5325272

I wouldn't mind if you used any of my own creations, though credit where credit's due is always a nice thing to have when necessary.

I also quite like the Rotter. I might find a use for this in my own campaigns.


I was also pondering the idea of certain critters carrying the infection, much like rats can carry diseases but do not succumb to it themselves.
Just as an added threat above all the Zeds in the area.

Trappers

When the outbreak began, the initial shock of the dead rising from their graves may have caused a great deal of people to simply curl up in a ball in the closet or slowly
lose their minds trying to turn their homes into an impenetrable fortress.

When these individuals are overrun and infected they may still retain some of the 'useful' characteristics from their lives. Hiding, How to make Traps, and how to store their food in reserve. A trapper may catch a survivor in one of it's elaborate traps and not eat them on the spot. Instead he subdues them and drags them to a holding cell or a chamber to be kept as livestock until he hungers...

Because they do not want to spoil their meat early, trapper zombies are not especially infectious and because they relied on guns and traps in life, they aren't terribly strong

Raiders

Common humans who have decided that they will get what the want at any cost. Often bring hordes of shamblers chasing after them

>>5325600
You get the Z virus from toilet seats.

>>5325600
>I was also pondering the idea of certain critters carrying the infection, much like rats can carry diseases but do not succumb to it themselves.
>Just as an added threat above all the Zeds in the area.

You don't necessarily need to have animals carry the zombie virus to have dangerous animals. Anything outside of normal civilized context is potentially a threat. Cats carry mundane diseases and attack people if they're feral and starving, dogs will hunt human-sized prey in packs... hell, maybe the big cats got out of the zoo a few days in.

If you're going to have animals that are infection vectors, they should be common infection vectors for current diseases. The closest relatives would be the apes and monkeys, but they'd likely suffer from the disease being as they are TOO close. For a possible non-infected vector... pigs? Swine are omnivores, and go feral quickly. They're also quite smart.

>>5325198

You mean like Call of Cthulhu?

>>5325701
>The closest relatives would be the apes and monkeys, but they'd likely suffer from the disease being as they are TOO close.

Hoo boy, zombie gorilla. Runner macaques that can climb and leap like crazy. Rough stuff to survive.

>::pHilibusters::
>::Basic Background::
After the outbreak many laboratories, hazardous waste sites, processing plants, and the like were left abandoned. In some cases these facilities were never deactivated before this occurred. Employees who died and rose in these places, or sometimes just a zombie curiously meandering on by will be subject to what ever chemicals or radiation these facilities where storing, producing, or refining. These zombies are known as pHilibusters.
>::Basic Description::
Covered in chemical or radiation burns. Depending on the source of the burns the more dangerous they become. pHilibusters with burns caused by corrosive acids or bases are mostly only dangerous if contact with them is made. Transfer of the corrosive acid or base can cause anything from general discomfort, a rash, or similar chemical burns, which can also lead to non zombie related infection. The most deadly of the pHilibusters however are those who have come in contact with extreme amounts of radiation. In some cases just being closer than an acceptable distance to them for even short exposure periods may render a survivor sterile for a short time or predominantly.

>>5325774
I am imagining a guy running down the street screaming "SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT" as he is chased by a gang of zombie Chimps.

>>5325774
plague monkeys. Nice touch. Don't forget about raccoons. Smart enough to manipulate latches and doorknobs, drawn to humans who provide them with their food supply, and known to carry disease.

Circuits.

Not exactly a zombie type, but perhaps an offshoot of the "Living Flesh" disease. Similar to the "Living Flesh", this also consumes any organic biomatter; once it infects someone, it swiftly converts them to the strange reddish layers.

Unlike the Living Flesh, this layer appears to act as some kind of complex biocircuitry, allowing the Circuit to control whatever electronic thing it comes into contact with, be it vehicles, computers or power sources.

The organism is transmitted by contact, but also by an "infection beam" weapon carried on some of the larger creations. This beam transmits the infection on a carrier wave, and can jump from object to object across short distances, infecting entire groups of smaller vessels.

>>5325744

No like Bunnies and Burrows.

>>5325806
>Or permanently
Sorry, I'm tired.

>>5325831
Infection photon cannon!

>>5325830
>Don't forget about raccoons.

Good point. They're a HUGE disease vector. Conceivably they could transmit zombie disease without being affected by it (any more than they'd be affected by rabies, anyways).

That'd cause major problems for survivor groups as well, because established strongholds would accumulate waste which would attract the scavengers. You'd either have to have assigned "garbagemen" go out and dump the trash somewhere isolated - a risky proposition - or stay on the move to avoid incidental contact with raccoons which would introduce the infection into the zombie-proof area.

>>5325831
THE BEAST UP IN THIS MOTHERFUCKER

>>5325880
>>5325880

>>5325880
Did somebody say... The BEAST?

>>5325831

Eh, iffy. I guess it really depends on what you're going for, but the whole "infection beam" thing seems a little far-fetched (yes, I did just say that in a thread about zombies).

Also, it seems like it's a (sort of) off-shoot of that zombie guy what impales himself on magnets.

>>5325924

Pardon. Carry on, then.

>>5325960
For what ever reason an infection beam made me think of an alien impregnation beam.

Then I combined the two in my mind and got Twilight. D;

How bout zombie pilots/paratroopers?

>>5325980
Spaklers

Shamblers by the looks if it, untill they walk into the sun.

>>5326037
I was thinking more of the part where the baby breaks your spine and eats your womb.

But then, yes, I suppose that the end result would be sparkly zombies.

Back on topic...

Torches
A shambler or runner who is on fire but does not take damage from it. (I really don't have a good explanation as to why, maybe from the virus merging with test subjects in a lab.) Their skin is like napalm in the sense that it peels off them and sticks to anything it touches (e.g. if it grapples you you have flaming flesh stuck to you). Though they are easy to spot and smell they can still burn barricades and doors and light flammable liquids if they get too close.

>>5326218
You could vary that into a strain of the virus that emits gas from the feet while having a carbon bubble around the body, keeping the zombie safe from the fire/napalm while burning everything else. Although they would have a short life if they don't have much to consume for fuel.

>>5324322

Aww. Uriah Faber in a shitty Zombie movie.
3'rd time around will be the charm or he'll be
sure to drop to 135 lbs and go up against Tores.

>>5325960
It was a joke on the Beast faction of Homeworld: Cataclysm.

>The "Beast" is a strange bio-mechanical organism that infects and subverts ships and their crews into twisted zombie-like units that serve some dark, unknown purpose. The subverted ships bear noticeable marks of gore, presumably from the biomass of the crews that were converted into a twisted living control mechanism. The organism is transmitted by contact, but also by an "infection beam" weapon carried on some of the larger Beast ships. This beam transmits the infection on a carrier wave, and can jump from ship to ship across short distances, infecting entire groups of smaller vessels.

>The organism was discovered by the Somtaaw mining vessel "Kuun-lan", part of which was infected and used to form the core of a Beast mothership of sorts. Since then, the Beast has subverted various other Somtaaw, Kushan, Taiidan and Turanic Raider vessels and their crews, and has grown into a bizarre, shambling armada of undead ships straight out of a matinee B-grade horror movie.

Gnawer/Claw

This type of zombie is either a Shambler, Moaner or Runner, the difference lies in its tendencies to gnaw at its own limbs when it isn't busy chasing food. This results in a shorted and weakened grip, as its flesh and bone get gnawed away leaving its hands in tatters. However this may also result in claws, jagged bones sticking out of infected bleeding flesh.

A mere scratch can infect a survivor.

Some tell of old Gnawers that have gone at their limbs so long that they have become stumps, often with sharp bones sticking out at the end like knives.

>>5325774

Did someone say SUMATRAN RAT MONKEY?

>>5326471
SENGAIA! *chop*

>>5326297
Maybe the virus produces enough to last for a few hours but it has to get ignited first. And maybe if shot (while it's on fire) it explodes.

bmup for more awesome ideas

>>5324788

I can see a fanatic caught up in a fervor to protect his daughter from zombies and attacking anything that gets near her, survivors included.

SLEEPERS

Cold weather seems to affect the ability of the zombie disease to interact with a body's muscle systems, producing something akin to a "hibernation state" as the corpse no longer possesses the capacity for animation. While this has slowed the spread of zombies into northern climate ranges, it has also led to the threat of Sleepers - apparent corpses infected with zombie contagion, partially shut down due to the difficulties of movement until prey moves within range.

The stiffness of their joints and limitations of their activity in the cold means that Sleepers are even slower movers than Shamblers once "awake" - but survivors don't fear active Sleepers. They instead fear the dormant ones, as they lie motionless (sometimes even under a blanket of snow) until the ambient heat of a living body coming near triggers their senses to prey. At that point the Sleeper swings a limb towards the nearby survivors, attempting to grab an ankle or pant leg from which to pull them down and feed. This "surprise attack," while unsophisticated, is successful often enough that some more paranoid survivor groups have taken to shooting every corpse they find in the head before attempting disposal - to their minds, the waste of ammo is better than possible infection from accidentally coming in range of a Sleeper.

While warmer climes don't often see this sort of zombie "in the wild," a few notable rumors abound of a survivor enclave in search of food being wiped out by infection after accidentally disturbing a pile of Sleepers found in a restaurant's walk-in refrigerator.

Y'know, instead of having Mimics... you could just have the infection that produces zombies cause infected PEOPLE to start producing zombie attraction pheromones (like the entry on "Whisperers") significantly before the disease progresses to the point of actually killing them.

That way you get to live the paranoia if anyone gets injured - "He's INFECTED, you gotta KILL and BURN him before he brings the whole fucking WORLD to our door!" "It's a scratch, I got it on a broken window! No zombie touched me!" "WE DON'T KNOW THAT!"

Mumblers

Near the beginning of the infection's spread, the more bold (and supersticious) of folk would occasionally muster up the courage to stitch an infected's mouth tightly shut before they 'turned', so as to minimise the risk of biting that a newly created zombie posed. For some of these zombies, becoming a shambler simply meant that they could not feed, and so rotted and decayed like any other corpse within a few days. For those reborn with the Einstein Condition, however, a darker fate was in store...

All successful Mumblers have found a method of sustaining themselves other than their bound jaws - a feat of intelligence or luck that marks them out as very rare infected indeed. Whether this method has been to rub away the skin and outer flesh of the hands to allow access to living tissue through the capilliaries in the arms, or by opening a direct hole into their own stomachs, the outcome is always grisly, but ingenious nonetheless, to an extent.

>>5327081

The true threat posed by a Mumbler is that, like all Einsteins, it has vague memories of it's recent past - due to the nature of their final hours, all Mumblers seem to be possessed of a sadistic and vengeant nature. It is not uncommon for a Mumbler to stalk a survivor for days, allowing it's disconcerting mumbles to unnerve the victim, before knocking the hapless human out and dragging them off. On occasion, the victim will find itself immobilised and with it's mouth stitched shut in a cruel fit of irony - the Mumbler will then wait, or lead shamblers to the location. Since it can feed on bloody scraps and remains, it seems quite content to let the mob take the lion's share of the prey.

Thankfully, the Mumbler is one of the rarer breeds of undead, and shows little interest in the 'big picture,' preferring to focus itself on small acts of sadistic vengeance. One recorded incident of a trio of Mumblers slowly killing off the inhabitants of a safe zone does exist - the dying screams and pleas of it's unlucky inhabitants lasting for several days, always accompanied by the ceaseless mumbling...

>>5327081
>>5327084
OR it could just rip off its lips and eat that way.

Vampires (bear with me).

One of the more dangerous types of undead, vampires are the result of a radical mutation during infection. Vampires are at least twice the size of a normal human, and have significantly more muscle than other types of zombies. This extra muscle weight has, unfortunately for the vampire, has made it slow when moving.

The vampire is easily identified, due to their large size and enormous teeth. Most of the skin on its face has been removed due to the fact that it binds its mouth, making it difficult to eat. Before feeding, vampires tear the limbs off their prey to prevent them from running. After that, it eats its victims alive.

>>5327114

It could, but then it wouldn't be a mumbler, would it?

>>5327084
My only grief with that is mumblers are rarer than Einsteins but you say 3 were together. Even though it's just fluff it still bugs me. But great ideas none the less.

Hangmen

This zombie seems slightly larger and bulkier than normal, with a strange greenish tinge to it's skin and occasional smooth, differently textured bits of it's skin, like something growing underneath is poking free onto the surface. Most unnerving, however, is the mindless, almost bored bobbing motion with which it floats a few meters above the ground, seeming almost to dance a macabre jig as it floats towards you, legs kicking lifelessly like the last spasms of a hanged man.

It is unknown what causes shamblers and similar zombies to develop into hangmen; all that is known is that it either affects hordes en masse, or that hangmen congregate together to the exclusion of other zombies. The floating affect is the result of a sudden buildup of bouyant gas in the corpses which does not disperse or escape, the flesh for some reason becoming less porous to prevent the gas from escaping. While most may float at most a meter or so above the ground, bobbing lower or higher as they release gas from their bodies and slowly secrete more, when confronted with an obstacle too high for them to float over they tend to produce more gas over a period of several days, eventually reaching heights of several feet. Survivors have felt safe behind high walls only to find, days later, the first of the hanged men serenly floating over the tops of their walls in a wave of flesh.

I feel like a lot of these, especially some of the more exotic ones are best used as one offs. The tar zombies would be good but only once, the mix it up and provide a unique challenge, but after the first time they are just tougher zombies and little more.

The same goes for Einsteins and Freaks. Things like these must be used sparingly. Gimmick zombies should always be thrown in with a group of shamblers, never give the PC's a group of biggies or other unique types.

Try thinking about encounters in the way killing floor or L4D does it. The weaker types are there to support the unique undead. While all these ideas are good it should be mentioned that you shouldn't just start throwing them at PC's hoping for Oo's and Ah's at the new fascinating zombies they are gunning down.

If you want this to be scary the challenges need to be paced very well to avoid any complacency. It will really suck the first time a PC says, 'How many variants can there be?' Just something to keep in mind when you get down to the game.

SKULKERS

A variant of Fanatics and Trappers, Skulkers are the remnants of people who succumbed to zombie infection while attempting to flee for their lives. Their consciousness gone yet their instincts still intact, these zombies will inevitably continue their flight after death. Skulkers seek out-of-the-way hidden places - closets, attics, etc. - and cower there in seclusion, away from the rest of their kind. They respond to any massed group with panicked retreat, be it zombies or survivors which have discovered them.

The problem is, they are REALLY good at hiding. Their autonomic functions have ceased, so they don't breathe... don't fidget... hell, they don't even have a heartbeat. And eventually, when the zombie hunger grows strong enough to overcome their inherent fear, they'll go out from their hiding places and search for lone stragglers to feed from. When temporarily satiated, it will return to its bolt-hole... dragging the remains of its meal for later hunger pangs, and leaving nothing but a blood stain. A single Skulker in a good hiding place can take down several survivors in their own "safehouse" if they don't take pains to make sure it truly IS safe...

Just off the top of my head;

Shepards; Physically not much different from shamblers, if only a little faster and smarter, as well as a notably developed throat/vocal system. They seek humans as any other zombie, but are smart enough to realize their strengths. Using their voices Shepards will move about areas, stopping every so often to scream for awhile, imitating a human in distress, thereby attracting any nearby zombies. Once said zombies gather to the area, Shepards will move on another few hundred yards or so, and repeat, attracting the previous hoard they gathered, as well as any other current nearby zombies. After awhile they will have gathered significant numbers to their bidding, and herd them to wherever they choose. Of note they are capable of micro-managing their pack, such as shoving or guiding, but this is only used in tight quarters, or if their vocal system becomes damaged.

Their common screams are just to attract undead though, and due to enhanced lungs and vocal systems, are capable of weaponizing their voices. In application, attacking with screaming or shouting can disorient survivors or even knock them down or cause impact damage at close range. As well, in concentrated bursts they can damage structures like windows and thin doors. Physically though, as stated they are not very different from shamblers.

>>5327273

Their major weakness though is although they move with large numbers of zombies, they can't actively move said large numbers, having to bait and lure them with their voices. Should survivors kill a Shepard while it is running ahead or a ways away, then the hoard it attracted will merely disperse over time. Beware though, should you attack a Shepard on it's own and not kill it soon enough, then it will let out it's attracting scream, attracting it's pack upon your location. Even in death it still poses a threat in this sense.

Look for groups of Shepards amassing huge numbers to their cries, and coordinating attacks on survivor strongholds between them.

>>5327221
>If you want this to be scary the challenges need to be paced very well to avoid any complacency. It will really suck the first time a PC says, 'How many variants can there be?' Just something to keep in mind when you get down to the game.

A good way to avoid this? Don't mention that they're variants. Keep the names/titles of the zombie classes to yourself. The PCs should have to find out all the ins and outs of the fat ones, the fast ones, and the exploding ones all on their own - no manuals, no "you encounter a Fanatic with a machete guarding a sobbing little girl," nothing.

They should only know that the zombies aren't all alike, some of them act differently, and they don't know what all of them do. That'll breed the sort of paranoia that zombie games are all about.

>>5327278
>>5327273
good one

>>5324875
Ah, the rape-zombie

It doesn't want to eat your brain, it just wants to fuck you in the ass.

Nightmares.

When the virus started spreading, the first ones to get hit were those with a weak immune system. Namely, newborns, babies and little children. However, as these groups are still growing, the virus, instead of simply taking control over the targets nervous system, it becomes an integral part of the child's DNA. These infections are particularly diabolical, as the children show no symptomes, lulling their parents into thinking that "My kid is safe!". (Especially common with newborns, under a year old.) As they start to grow up, they become increasingly "weird", they start talking to themselves, twitching, and complaining about "the voices". This is the virus talking, lodged deep within the sub-conscious. The parents will now be forced to kill their child, as it is clear that it has been infected, and pose a great risk to any survivors in the group.

But, sometimes, the family is isolated from contact with survivors, be it because they escaped to some remote location, they are incredibly paranoid etc. That is when a Nightmare is created. When the child hits puberty, the virus really kicks into overdrive, and augments the bodys own hormone production, to increase muscle mass, faster reflexes, greater vision and hearing, as well as taking over the entire brain of the child, basically creating a zombie super soldier, with full cognitive thinking and ability to learn. (Depending of course, how well his parents raised him)

Jellies.

These zombies are strange, even by zombie standards. Their bones deteriorate and corrode until only marrow remains, giving them an unbelievable amount of flexibility. Because of this, Jellies are able to squeeze into the tiniest of spaces.

Jellies have been known to climb out of drain pipes, toilets, sinks, and other small entry points. This often leads to survivors leaving their safe houses to find another shelter, only to be swarmed by a hoard of other zombies.

Slammers; Riot police/SWAT team/Army reanimated. Threatening in that their head-to-toe body protection, and often shields make them much more resilient to damage, both shooting and melee. A tad smarter insofar as they can use their batons/door busters/shields/etc... as battering weapons, and in some cases remember simple techniques in how to use them effectively. Don't expect formations of them though, as stated they are little more than armored up shamblers.

On the other hand though given their nature, they are less inclined to simply kill and feed, as opposed to subduing or knocking down humans so the other zombies can "get in there and take a bite", so to speak. It is not uncommon for Slammers to push their way past other zombies (if they have a shield or something) to reach a target, and occasionally have been known to not only subdue but beat survivors to death with their weapons.

>>5327356

Nightmares still need to feed on human flesh, but their superhuman abilites makes them them quite formidable opponents. However, there are some key weaknesses; As their mental development is halted as soon as they hit puberty, they have (although very impressive for a zombie) the cognitive skills of a 12-13 year old. This makes it slightly easier to spot a Nightmare, as they have no clear visual characteristics, as a 12-year old "trapped" in an adult body. However, very very few Nightmares survive to adult-hood, but those who do, are fucking terrifying

Creepers; Utilizing some enhancement (strong claws, sticky slime, webs? I dunno, you choose) these zombies prefer high places, climbing along walls and ceilings, hiding in the rafters, etc... and wait for or stalk passing survivors. Once they find some prey, they wait until an opportune moment, then anchoring themselves to the ceiling or something, they fall down, sneak up and grab a person, then retreat back up to their high hiding places (using their anchored attachment) to devour their prey.

SPOILERS

The lifespan of a Shambler is by necessity short. The flesh the zombie pathogen controls is not preserved by its presence, and eventually decay sets in. The flesh putrefies and rots, softening to the point that eventually the muscles begin losing their ability to move the body possessing them and the zombie approaches the end of its "useful" lifespan.

Before that time comes, however, the Shambler has become a Spoiler. They move even slower than their lethargic cousins, due to the deterioration of their muscle systems, and defeating them in physical combat is almost elementary. The primary reason they are so hated is because they live up to their name. Almost any contact with a Spoiler leaves a slimy film of ichor and infectious decay on whatever it has touched. Physical impact against them will produce a spray of clotted blood and rotten flesh all around, coating melee weapons and exposing nearby survivors to the risk of infection.

Worst of all, they otherwise behave exactly like Shamblers - throwing their useless limbs against barricaded doors, clawing against windows, swiping at the living... All the while spreading their infectious filth across everything near them. Should a Spoiler make it into a survivor's safehouse, it almost invariably must be abandoned. The sheer mass of tainted, viral mass it can spread through its confines renders it essentially inhospitable to the living.

Incredible ideas in this thread. Fukken' saved.

>>5327540
30 ideas, woo!

>>5325622

UGH...it would be terrifying to get captured by one of these. Knocked out, dragged to a dank, blood-spattered cellar that smells of decay and exrement, thrown in a chain-link cell littered with pieces of dead people.

Left there for days, until it comes back to feed.

I'll give it a shot.

Criers
The criers are a rather unnerving type of zombie. The crier is a small child, girl or boy, who only remembers trying to run to their mother or father for protection before their death's occurred. The virus has taken a toll on the crier's mind and makes it think that any human is his or her mommy or daddy. This may seem harmless at first but despite it's intentions it is fairly dangerous to let criers see you.

The crier shrieks and weeps very loudly when running to a human. This will usually cause zombies in the vicinity to hear this and attack the survivors. The crier usually runs up to a survivor at their full speed and will either jump onto their chest or try to embrace their leg, thinking they will protect them from "the scary men". This wouldn't be a problem sometimes but the criers are often seen with glass, bone shards or shrapnel coating them on the outside. On rare occasions some have even been seen on fire and still running towards the nearest human they see. The crier hitting a survivor could seriously injure or even kill him/her.

The best way to deal with a crier is avoiding them completely or killing them. This can take a toll on the killer's sanity though, as they are killing what appear to be a poor child just wanting to be with their parents. They can be heard fairly quickly by it's fairly loud screams for "Mommy" or "Daddy".

>>5327607
Oof, sanity-damage zombies.

>>5325164

As an objective, survivors have to find a scientist who worked on the disease.

In finding him, he's a "Freak", but was working on the virus/disease when he died. Having long discovered a cure, said zombie scientist among other things, developed a much more potent version of the virus just begging to get out.

DARK RIDERS

very-rare variant, almost never seen with other zombies.

this subtype of either an Einstein or a Fanatic(none are sure which), was in life a skilled equestrian, and died protecting their horse(s) or died after escaping. they exist, it seems to care for their steed.

when they reanimate they know that the horse is faster and the key to survival(Einstein), and that they must protect it and keep it alive(fanatic). the few people who have witnessed dark riders claim that they 'care' for their mount and in essence they do. the mounts of a dark rider have been seen gathering grass, guarding, and in one recorded case foaling their steed.

a dark rider, knowing that to protect it's horse it must continue, will use its mount to capture its prey, often riding up from behind and falling off onto their victim.

while it is known that most types of zombie repel horses, along with many other mamals. the dark rider for some unknown reason does not. they in fact attract horses and other dark riders. in one instance a group of 5 'riders' had gathered a herd of some 200 horses together.

it is notable that the horses of dark riders, are notoriously well mannered, responsive beasts.

Cocoons

A truly horrid sight, a Cocoon is what's created when an expectant mother is infected. The mother acts as your basic Shambler but inside, the fetus mutates and grows into a grotesque monstrosity. (Will only happen early in the pregnancy, as an infected mother would simply rip out and eat their own offspring, if it is soon ready to be born. If the mother manages to survive tthroughout the pregnancy, her child will be born. This infant is nothing short of an abomination, with god-knows how many fingers, sharp teeth and an insatiable thirst for blood, as it has been fed nothing but raw flesh for months. The toll of childbirth usually kills the mother, and the child will then be left there to eventually starve.

Unless another zombie, most likely an Einstein stumbles upon the Cocoon, and some primal maternal/paternal instinct takes over, and the Einstein "adopts" this kid.

Or something, this idea just really seems like an extension the Nightmares I mentioned above.

Here's another "Sanity Destruction" type zombie:

FLAGELLANTS
Not all zombies lose self-awareness. Most, luckily for them, cease all higher brain functions when they join the ranks of the risen dead. Some, however, retain some flickers of self-identity and consciousness and realize what has happened to them. These poor souls become the Flagellants.

Flagellants want nothing more than to simply be destroyed, insane with the knowledge of who they were and what they have transformed into. Their own undead hardiness betrays them in this goal, however, and whatever self-tortures they put themselves through rarely seem to be enough to kill them. They peel their own flesh off their bodies, repeatedly bash their skulls against walls, but all their efforts only mutilate and twist them. Rarely do they achieve death on their own.

The primary threat of a Flagellant is simply to the mental well-being of survivors and the condition of their equipment as bloodied mangled corpses stumble towards them issuing pleading moans for destruction or hurl themselves in front of moving cars or into active machinery in attempts to end their own existence.

Of course, coming into contact with the blood and gore of a Flagellant still carries the risk of spreading the infection...

Scrapyarder; An overactive mitosis defect (or something) that causes a cancerous-like rate of growth of the body. Over time the zombie becomes less and less capable of movement, it's body more and more bloated and swelled. Most over time simply become too heavy or misshapen to move, and starve.

However a lucky (or smart) few that happen to be near locales with abundant reinforcing materials (logs, steel girders/bars, platic piping, etc...) such as a timber yard or construction yard, are potentially capable of incorporating said materials to aid in mobility as support, for the initial part only acting say as crutches or leg braces in theory. With the artificial assistance, once more can they resume mobility and feeding.

Yet as time progresses and the process continues, the zombie will continually need to incorporate more and stronger materials to accommodate it's increasingly mutated form. After time it will more or less be bristling with old girders, chunks of sharp metal and whatnot. If left unchecked they can reach massive size, incorporating actual vehicles and such to it's form.

Killing it at range is pretty much the only option, and even then such a thing would be close to impossible, and after skulking away could eventually reform. The one major weakness of a Scrapyarder though is that by nature it has to stay out in the open and is highly conspicuous.

That is, assuming that one that became trapped in a building didn't by some miracle continue to grow large enough to actually incorporate the building itself into it's body. Queue boss fight.

>>5328043

Couldnt help but think of this, at least at the initial stage of development.

"Have another human, Melvin. Have Two... you'r a Zombie now!"

Kinda makes me wanna run a game with this. Mostly so I can randomly pick a player to be a mimic(without the starving thing, just not good for the situation).

>youarethedemons.jpg

Not OP, but I might make some of these in AFMBE.

>>5328256

that would be nice

>>5328256


Actually, good plan. gives me an opportunity to get to know a new system too.

chilled.

not a zombie, but a human carrier of the virus, retaining their full mental faculties. They are infectious, and are most easily identified by constant tremors and shakes, as well as a lower-then-normal body temperature.

While they are not recognized as food by other zombies, the undead have a strange attraction to them, seemingly able to sense when a chilled is nearby and moving to gather around them.

This leaves the chilled with two choices - try to hide themselves within a human enclave and risk drawing the undead to them, or live alone in the wilderness with a crowd of undead standing around, quietly watching the chilled with unblinking eyes for days and weeks on end..

>>5328324
you are now imagining an army of these taking over an infested town

ghouls.

It's only natural that nature finds ways to balance herself out, even where zombies are involved. some of the undead, often those starved for long periods of time will finally begin to recognize other zombies as an alternative source of food. Of course, other zombies now see the ghoul as an enemy, too.

a shambler-turned ghoul is of little note, as they quickly die, simple overwhelmed as they shuffle into battle against a crowd of undead. But stronger types of undead live longer and have greater impact on the undead population.

If an Einstein or similar 'smart' zombie becomes a ghoul, they may remember that eating humans = bad, and will become the closest thing in the world to a 'friendly' zombie, staying near human hideouts to eat the undead that comes looking for them.

Crawlers:
This zombie is in the sub-arc of a Shambler. These horrid creatures before being infected (or while) were ripped in twain so that their lower body is no longer present. In most cases these beasts have had their bodies torn apart so badly that extremitie's bones are now fully exposed and jagged. Sense their bodies have been torn apart, they are often very difficult to detect, be it they're too small to notice over large objects, or mistaken for an already dead zombie. These creatures are a deadly force to deal with in the dark as their lower body mass makes them harder to find.

When i was a kid i remember seeing a movie where a man was having conversation with a zombie........

But anyway a talking zombie who remembers their old live might be a good sanity killer for some survivors. For example, a man's wife who became a zombie convening him to join her, or to lure him out to eat him

Blood-thirster
This zombie is a mixture of the sub-arc:Runner and Biggie. Often Larger in size and quicker than most regular Biggies these creatures tend to be mistaken for regular biggies when not disturbed. Due to their nature, much like runner they will gnaw off most of their extremitie's flesh exposing sharpened bone, and making them even more deadly when fighting in close-quarters. Although, due to their large size and lessened Muscle they are considerably more fragile than either your regular Biggies or Runners. This weakness, however does tend to make them much harder to hit then your regular biggie. Caution must be warned though, as Blood-thirsters tend to travel with packs of runners in smaller packs of their own. Some even have the same abilities as Groaners and have more commonly wearing body armour and helmets much like Tanks.

Also, I just saw this post
>>5325032
I didn't see you post this prior to my other post giving an explanation, so I guess I just added to them. :D

>>5328575
It's all good. There are a lot of good ideas in here. Keep em coming guys. I plan on using some of these then for a homebrew zombie apoc game.

I saw someone post something about raider, somewhat zombie related, but not really. If you want to add this to your list have at it.

Vagrant Raider
Survivors that have decided their own survival is their own priority. They often travel in light packs of six and almost always are armed with whatever they can arm themselves with. They tend to hunt on foot, but have been known to use domesticated animals as a means to travel, hunt, and steal, often sending packs of wild dogs into groups of enclaves. Some even use makeshift catapults to launch zombies over Fortress walls to send enclaves into a panic. These raiders often dawn tribal markings and wear makeshift armour to protect themselves.

Whirler.

Like the Jelly, the whirler has gelatinous bones in its arms, but have long, horn-like nails. As its name suggests, it attacks by spinning, using cetrifugal force to stretch its arms and attack any nearby victims.

Typhoid Mary

Basically an immune carrier of the virus, much like the chilled. However, they do not, in and of themselves attract the undead. No, they are much much worse.

The Typhoid Mary is driven by the virus to "infect" as many people as possible with the virus, in order to make some new friends.

Ressurection Man
The Ressurection man is literally that - a man (or woman) who has come back as a zombie. They retain all their memories of life, but must eat flesh of some kind or starve to death.
The Ressurection man functions with a degree of delay and palsey, giving him a moderate penalty to physical actions. Furthermore, they cannot talk, instead relying on groans and pantomime for communication.
Most zombies cannot tell a ressurection man apart from their own kind, but will retaliate if the ressurection man engages in hostilities.

Wampyr
An alternate option for the basic zombie, the wampyr is a blood-drinking corpse that rises at night to feast on the living. Headshots do not seem to phase them, but damaging the heart seems to take them out of comission.
It is rumored that wampyrs can re-develop human intelligence over a period of time, but none of the emotional qualities that we would associate with it.
Basically these "elder" wampyrs would become sociopathic manipulators of men and their lesser wampyr, forming blood cults to sate their hunger.
They have some minor hypnotic control over those they have recently fed on and will often wear trauma plates or an improvised facimilie over their hearts.
Wampyrs do not recognize Ressurection Men as kin, if both exist in the setting. This is not reccomended, unless ressurection men bear more resemblence to 'regular' zombies than the wampyr does.

Espers
Espers are zombies who had some sort of psychic gift, either latent or active, in life. The esper can sometimes "sense" the location and tactical information about the living, and somehow communicates this to the other zombies in it's band.
Espers can see ressurection men for what they truly are, but cannot communicate this to other zombies.

Banshee

This zombie is a mixture of Runners and Groaners. Much like their counter parts Banshee have a sustained vocal ability that they will use at every prey they encounter, often luring entire hordes of zombies from over 300 yards away. Also like runners they have eaten away most of their extremities flesh, exposing jagged like claws. Unlike a Runner the banshee poses the ability to think and use tactics. Banshees have been known to lie in wait for hours until prey happens by, awakening this shrilling demon from it perch. Banshees have also been reported to use higher altitudes as an advantage and often wait atop buildings, searching for unsuspecting prey to come into sight.

>>5328721
>>5327128
Going to attempt to fix these, as they're pretty much the same thing.

Stalker
This zombie is one of the more dangerous of the many sub-arcs. The host of the virus that turned them into the walking undead, died in a dark, damp area. Causing the virus to mutate slighting. Because of their dark surrounding the Stalker's eye have become permantly adjusted to the dark, causing them only to hunt in the night. Due to their misfortune of being reanimated in a damp area, their bodies have become preserved due to the build up acid releasing from the bodies and crystalizing around it's pours. Making it almost impervious to rot. Stalkers hunt in backs and move much like a shambler, but much more quickly. Due to their bodies being picked apart by the already undead, sharp bones are usually exposed on the body. Stalkers also have the ability to think and see in the dark. Often waiting in hiding under rubble only to spring out at victims. Due to their devious ability to conceal themselves in the dark and live extended lives compared to many other zombies. Stalker's teeth often become jagged after their almost never ending feeding frenzies. Often giving them the appearance of a demonic carnivore.

BABBLERS

Among the first to fall to the zombie epidemic were the homeless - exposed and often incapacitated by mental illness, they were easy prey for the walking dead. Still more people succumbed to madness in the living insanity of the apocalypse, followed soon by a fall to the zombie hordes as their lack of mental stability prevented them from securing themselves from the undead mob. Human minds are already twisted and broken by the transformations wrought by the zombie pandemic. Those who are insane BEFORE falling to the disease become strange beyond description.

The Babblers are the mad undead, so called because of the constant streams of unintelligible gibberish they mutter to themselves as they stumble slowly, randomly through the streets. Their behavior is best described as "chaotic," though in effect it serves them well - for some reason, probably due to their preexisting insanity, their feeding instincts are not quite as strong as in other zombie classifications. Instead, the Babblers will perform other strange behaviors when not actively seeking prey. Sometimes they will gather scavenged items and arrange them, either in a "nest" or as costuming. Sometimes they will turn on their own zombie brethren in screaming fury. Sometimes they will even *sing,* in wordless melody - a sound no sane survivor should ever hear.

The end result is often a high risk of misidentification at a distance. Survivors will see a man in scavenged garb sitting in a neatly-arranged hideaway, or screaming bloody murder while fending off a mob of Shamblers, and come to investigate or assist. By the time they hear the telltale nonsense of the Babblers, it is often too late - as the creature turns its attention upon them. Far too many curious or altruistic survivors have met their ends at the hands or teeth of a Babbler.

>>5328880
>the mad undead

FUCK YEAH! I'm stealing that.

>>5328857

Not really. One's a big mouthed bloated zombie,and the other's an alternate, totally optional, base species that attempts to re-integrate the vampire and zombie mythoi.

Man, this is still around? Awesome. This thread is crammed full of win.

Phalanx- a monstrosity created out of up to twenty individual zombies who have grown together at the torso into a single mass. Moves like a centipede with surprising coordination of its many legs. Unlike most zombies, headshots aren't as effective as shots to center mass.
Penitent- Their human mind is preserved, but they're without reliable control of their bodies below the neck, which act as a normal Runner's. It simultaneously tries to flay you alive while crying and trying to turn its face away, apologizing between gnashes of its teeth as the zombie instincts control it. Not much of a threat- physically, at least.
Twitchers- visually indistinguishable from a runner, for the most part, but slightly slower and a bit taller. Somewhat like a cockroach, this zombie's nervous system is not contained in its head, but spread out throughout its body. Shooting its head will knock it down, but every part of its body will continue to thrash and flail independently, at times almost seeming to sense survivors, until it's broken down into parts too small to move. Watch out for hands pulling themselves toward you by the fingers.
Spiker- this zombie has a hard, sharp harpoon of keratin and enamel connected to a tentacle-like mass of muscle tissue that will shoot out of its body with incredible force once, as far as a couple meters, and then dangle uselessly. not much of a threat normally, but it's almost impossible to tell from a Shambler until it's too late. (look for zombies with no teeth or fingernails at all- but then again, if you're close enough to tell you can usually prepare to be minus a head soon.)

>>5328935
They are in essence the same thing. They only vary in size. Granted, they can be bloated and such, but that could be said of almost any zombie already listed. Point being, I made a new one to add to the list.

>>5328991

Fair enough. More is More, after all.

>>5328988
>Unlike most zombies, headshots aren't as effective as shots to center mass.
FAKE EDIT: headshots make it lose coordination and reflexes, as well as greatly diminishing its sensorium, but it won't quit altogether until the last head is shot, and it's often at its most dangerous when running unpredictably in its death throes. Also some danger of zombies with heads intact splitting off.

Diver
This zombie died while near a body of water and was reanimated while submerged in the murky depths. Much like the Einstein and Stalker, this sub-ark has the ability to think and use tactics and see in the dark. They often lie in wait near bodies of water waiting for prey to come close enough to be dragged under the water to either drown or be eaten alive. These zombies are often easy to distinguish due to their bodily fluids often leaking out of their body leaving the water of most lakes and creeks riddled with dead animals and turning the water darker than usual and often murky. Due to the water their bodies are preserved longer than usual, causing them to stay "alive" much longer than that of a normal zombie. In some cases this Zombie has been known to lurk in ocean side beaches and under waterfront bridges.

>>5329091
You could say, they've been out too long in the midnight sea. Making the Survivors what will become of me if they happen to go near the water. The zombie's eyes like shiny diamonds, like the eyes of the cat in the black and blue. Oh, what will become of you?

SPLATS

More a typical result of the zombie mindset than a specific "subspecies" of zombiedom, Splats are Shamblers, Spoilers, or other unintelligent undead who have managed to rise or perhaps otherwise make their way into the higher floors of multi-structured buildings. When they see a survivor on the street below through a broken window or beyond a balcony, feeding instinct takes over and... well, Splat.

Physical damage is not the principal concern when dealing with the sudden appearance of the plummeting undead - though stories have been bandied about of survivors meeting truly untimely ends under the corpses of a fallen Biggie. Rather, infection is the thing to worry about. A semi-rotten sack of flesh and congealed blood hitting the pavement at high velocity will scatter gore for yards, and anyone in the "blast radius" of a Splat is at high risk for contracting the zombie plague. This is purely in addition to the simple shock of witnessing a dead body hitting asphalt at speed. Disgusting and dangerous, to be sure.

Handyman

During the initial infection, tools were suddenly in demand. Suddenly, hundreds of thousands of people were grabbing what few tools they could to either defend themselves or build barricades to keep out the undead. In some rare cases, some of these people return as Handymen, undead with knowledge on how to use certain tools.

Though still no smarter than an average Shambler, Handymen are adept at using whatever tools they have access to to their advantage, such as breaking down obstacles and in some cases, even using them as weapons. This makes Handymen rather dangerous, and many safehouses have fallen after their walls were breached by a resourceful Handyman.

this is starting to sound more and more like a house of the dead game, waiting for a zombie type called magician

>>5329091
>and under waterfront bridges.
bridge trolls?

>>5324419
>>5324788
why not make these a bit more common
that will allow for greater numbers of all these 'specialist' zombies

>>5329121
Well, if you want to get technical. It would sound more like Night of the Living Dead, considering the Movie Came out about twenty-eight years before any sort of Zombie Game was ever made.

>Their human mind is preserved, but they're without reliable control of their bodies below the neck, which act as a normal Runner's. It simultaneously tries to flay you alive while crying and trying to turn its face away

Man, and I was JUST playing System Shock 2...

SupTG's archives are down at the moment. save this thread if you want to keep it.

>>5329148

very true, very true indeed

>>5329124
You know it.

>>5329121
>this is starting to sound more and more like a house of the dead game, waiting for a zombie type called magician

I tried in mine to make all the zombies I suggested be basically "just zombies, only with different behavior patterns derived from different mental states." You're right, though - this is quickly going from classic zombiedom into the realms of Resident Evil and House of the Dead. Then again, I suppose anyone can pick and choose their own personal flavors of zombie from the dozens people have suggested. I prefer my zombies at least somewhat vanilla, myself.

>>5329195
Nobody likes my fungus covered zombie idea :(.

>>5329157
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/5324322/
What now? I've been making sure this thread is fully archived since this morning. It's just been too awesome not to. I do believe I'll be actually using a significant chunk of this thread to run a zombie survival campaign soon.

Hmm, I'm going to add a few for names for some Packs of Zombies, just for flavor.

Swarmers: Groups of six to ten Runners; Banshees.
Beserkers: Groups of five to twelve Bloodthirsters; Biggies.
Blood-Hunters: Groups of four to eleven Stalkers; Wampyr.
Nobles: four to eight Einsteins.
Plaguers: Groups of eight to twenty Bleeders, Abomination, Living Flesh scrapyarders.

>>5329157

Newfag here, how does I save thread?

>>5329157
I need the firefox extension for that, don't I?

>>5329210
It's not bad, it's just what else can you add to it?

>>5329277
To save a thread for personal use:
Go to top left, press file, save as:
Save the page where you want to. (note: On chrome, click the spanner button near the top right).

To ARCHIVE the thread for everyone to use, go to http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.htmland fill out the form at the top of the page.

>>5329210
It's not a bad idea. I'm not sure it fits into the classical magical zombie and disease zombie molds (no pun intended). It would have to be set up as its own separate thing, different from the rest of the zombie horde.

>>5329277

file > save as

This has been a good thread since the start, but time is for m to get some sleep. Thanks for all the zombies guys, has been much appreciated!

>>5329210
>Nobody likes my fungus covered zombie idea :(.

You're talking about the Shroomers, right? There's not much to differentiate it from the other "AoE zombification" concepts, I'm afraid. It's not bad, it just needs its own little touches to make it stand out. Fungal-infested zombies could well be awesome if they had their own special traits. Perhaps it's a fungus whose spores act as hallucinogens, perhaps? Just a thought.

>>5329310
No, it's classified as a regular zombie. Over time the Body begins to decompose because of bacteria. Mold is a type of this bacteria. As mold begins to grow it does sometimes form mushrooms and other types of fungi. It's actually one of the more plausible zombies inside this thread.

>>5329336

Now now, don't get snooty, we're giving C&C, not trolling you. I liked the idea, but I reckon I'd combine with the living flesh thing for maximum effect.

On the subject of implausible zombies... well, yes.

>>5329121

okeydokey.

Magician zombies

either a pre- or post-apocalypse attempt at controlling the undead, magicians are otherwise common zombies with electrodes rudely hammered into their skulls. With the fortifying effects of the virus, the brain is capable of enduring the rough treatment as electric shocks are used to direct the undead's behavior. They are, in essence, remote-controlled zombies.

the name comes from the weaponry implanted into the undead's body, and the sudden revelation of it, as if it appeared from thin air. Explosives, tazers built into the hands, drills and saw concealed beneath flimsy cloth, etc.

Magicians likely arose out of initial 'catch-and-release' strategies, where zombies would be captured, implanted with cameras and tracking devices, then freed to wander and gather information.

Nester
This Zombie Sub-arc is much like the Crawler. Instead of it's more traditional brethern though, it does not seek it's prey out, instead it often digs a hole into the ground and camouflages it's den and lies in wait for it's prey to happen by it's trap. Even noted to drag other zombies down into it's pit and feed on them. Feeding on the entirety of the victims flesh whole, leaving only bones. Often digging tunnel systems riddled with traps made from it's victims carcass or rather whats left of it. Often a solitary zombie, it has been known for nesters to create small colonies of other nesters usually run by a single ruler.

Queen
This Zombie is the ruler of a colony of Nester Often a mutated version of either a Banshee or an Einstein. These creatures often control the nesters much like a Queen bee would. There has been only one recorded encounter with a Queen. Although, the survivor who claimed to see this horror with his own eyes stated he saw The zombie render it's victim apart and even letting him live. He shortly died afterwords. Even more drastic the Survivors who inhabited were all but wiped out shortly after.

all of these ideals. Man you all kick ass, i need to hang out here more often

Mole.

I really shouldn't have to explain this one. It digs.

>>5329477
I'm personally proud of all the one I wrote me and my friend from highschool were thinking of actually writing an entire zombie Survival game. Sadly though we kind of dropped the idea a short while after. Although we have been working on writing a new RPG that is similar to Warhammer, but a bit easy to understand.

>>5329495
Way to steal my idea, douche.

>>5329514
Sorry. I didn't mean to.

you know the zombies won't be the biggest threat. it would be the ugly side of humans. ever if the humans win over the undead the conflicts between man will continue.

>>5329596
>you know the zombies won't be the biggest threat. it would be the ugly side of humans.

That's the core of all good zombie settings. The point of the zombies is simply to provide a potent external threat to people, combined with a subtle internal threat of infection. It feeds paranoia and self-interested survivalism, which inevitably tears apart whatever limited civilization manages to reform and allows everyone to fall one-by-one to the threat.

That's why I built my zombies essentially as ways to encourage people to waste resources, risk harm, and become paranoid. It's a survivor-conflict builder, and survivor-conflict is the most awesome part of the zombie genre.

Lusters

These are basically people who were zombified shortly after masturbating or sex, thus leaving them with an imbalance of hormones giving them the speed of a runner. They are overcome with Lust and travel on there own usually however have been seen following more attractive zombies of the opposite sex, but normally they grow less and less interested as they decompose. They are extremely good at hunting and can smell human waste from a vast distance away. Once they have seen a human they like they will follow indefinitely. They have been known to be very protective over chosen prey to the point of fighting other zombies who may pose a threat however there motive is still very much in getting to the prey themselves. If there genitalia are removed or rot away they become regular shamblers.

>>5329718

wat

>>5329718

Huh..........

I've had my own set of zombies sitting around for a fitting project for a while now. There'll probably be some overlap given there's not that much you can do with them. My infection was a retroviral dietary treatment intended to cure an obesity pandemic by greatly increasing the body's metabolic efficiency but greatly reducing its ability to store fat. Shit, naturally, goes south at a great rate of knots.

Locust: The locust is one of the very few creatures susceptible to full subversion by the Infection. The simplicity of their neural structure allows them to maintain full motor control. They pose no individual threat, as the specific strain of the infection they hold is not capable of transference. Regardless, they are amongst the most dangerous of all infected, if only for their sheer numbers. Their diet has expanded to nothing less than any organic or otherwise edible matter, and their improved metabolic efficiency allows them to live for considerably longer than usual, allowing for swarms numbering in the tens of billions to form.

They foretell their own coming, the drone being audible up to half an hour before they appear, and the vast mass being visible nearly to the horizon. Survivors must seek a completely sealed environment, for the sheer mass of locusts is such that they will eventually find any gap, no matter how infitesimal, in a room's defenses. Windows, as many have found to their short-lived aggrievement, provide no defense as the weight of locusts is such that the windows are shattered aside.

For those that hide well enough that the hours-long swarm event passes them by, it is a mixed blessing. A town will usually be utterly swept clean of not just the infected but the infection itself, all trace biological matter utterly consumed. Those that cheer soon find their perspective changed, as there will be little, if any, food surviving in the wake of a swarm, as the creatures have learned to eat their way through wrappers. Those that do not protect their food supplies serve as an object lesson, starving to death in perfect safety.

Tales tell of a swarm vast beyond imagining, numbered in the trillions, that can be heard a full day before it arrives. A swarm so vast it covers the horizon in its entirety, so loud that the ground itself shakes before their coming. The swarm is so vast that its passing takes days at a time, days of total darkness and unbearable noise. Stranger, though, are tales of creatures moving in the midst of the storm, strange humanoid shades seen striding through the heaving mass of the swarm. Tales tell of doors opened that were left shut before the swarm's arrival, of sealed aluminium walls peeled from their frames, of tech caches that would hold no possible interest for the locusts emptied when no human could have possibly been there. Some call them the masters of the locusts, others their slaves. Some hold that they are the men who created the infection, seeing the locusts as a means to save the world, or utterly destroy it. A few even claim that they are the evolution of the locust, a hive mind claimed by the infection, a claim as mad as it is terrifying, for if the swarm truly was intelligent, humanity is already extinct.

>>5329797
>>5329806
it is heartening to see you her Baron, do continue.

Gluttons
Another form of a Fanatic, although these have one goal similar to that of the rest of their brethren: Consume. They will consume anything that moves and they can chew through. This Zombie type is known to travel solitary, but have been known to attack is very small groups, but this is an extremely rare case. Their movement is totally based on movement. Even a moving branch will attract their attention. They're movement is generally very slow, but because of their diet being so uncontrollable, they often bloat to an extreme size, until bursting and releasing the volatile chemicals that have been building inside them. Often or not, the chemicals have become so acidic that it has been know for a single glutton that's big enough can melt away an entire floor of an office building.
They are often called, "bursters" due to their volatile nature.

>>5329157
Not true. I archived this thread.

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/5324322/

But back on topic, just wow. I leave for 2 hours and there is a whole ton of new zombies. I'm proud of you fuckers.

Host: The infected have, for the most part, a short lifepsan. They are overwhelmingly self-destructive, are the targets of a vastly more intelligent and better armed species, and there is scarcely enough living food for a population a hundredth their size. Those that survive the predations of the world usually die of hunger, as their body finally begins to cannibalise their brain.

Occasionally, though, through skill, luck, or sheer coincidence, an infected doesn't just survive, it thrives. Given enough food and protection, they will race past the evolutionary stages of the infection, and without the need to develop more immediate survivability mechanisms, the infection instead begins to revitalise the brain, awakening it to something akin to life.

The result are the hosts. Visibly, they are no different to other undead, save that they are rarely without the full suite of survivor's kit, and they demonstrate none of the instinctive stupidity of other infected. They can be talked to, they can be reasoned with, and they can make alliances. However, they can as easily break them. A host is either the greatest ally or the more deadly threat a group of survivors will ever face, and often both, as their presence tends to spark violent conflict amognst survivors. Exactly what they are is beyond our knowing, save that they seem to be a blend between the original personality and the virus, but they do have a potent drive for self-preservation.

Be careful that if you mean to kill one, you kill it outright. The infection guards its sapience jealously, and to gain the ire of a self-aware entity with complete mastery over its physical form is not exactly conducive to one's survival.

>>5329952
/tg/ gets shit done.

Imps
This Zombie follows the sub-arc of a Crier. The children of the infected often find themselves part of the menu once their parents have been eaten. Due to their small size they often have most of the flesh on their bodies removed. This causes them to be similar to the Runner. Although, much smaller in size and much harder to notice. These imps are often found in packs of twelve and generally feed on a single corpse for hours at a time, much like a Parana. The Imp has a tell tale sign of "territory," they often leave bones and bits of flesh hanging from pole or makeshift totems.. These are one of the only recorded zombie strains that actually sets up a home to hunt. Often never leaving 100 yards of it. The imp seems to possess some sort of memory to it's former life and often takes items from it's victims and takes them back to it's den. Many Explorers have found a few of the dens only to be attacked shortly after by packs of Imps. Caution should be held when in the area of an Imp territory. Many a would-be dispatcher squad has lost their lives to these monstrous creatures.

Skinnies: The second form of infected to appear, the skinnies are the result of starvation in the base infected, either pre- or post-mortem. The infection has stripped away nearly all of their flesh in its lust for self-preservation, leaving only a skeletal frame with minimal muscular tissue and withered internal organs. They are inordinately frail, and far more... mortal than their walker antecedents. This does not make them any less dangerous, quite the contrary. In its desperation the infection has become intensely more efficient at shepherding its nutrient resources, leaving these infected with a much longer lifespan, and with far less tissue to control the skinnies are preternaturally agile. Not only can they outrun all but professional athletes, but they can perform incredible feats of athelticism, up to leaping over eight-foot walls at their most developed point.

This is part of what makes them intimidating, but not all. Their dwindling food supplies make them less active, preferring to lay dormant until roused. Many a survivor has met an untimely end for stumbling into a skinnie's hiding place, and as many have been killed in sieges, skinnies appearing late enough in the stage that their prey is exhausted and simply incapable fo fighting off something so fast.

Crucial to survivors is complete self-control. The skinnie's efficiency makes it almost noninfectious, and a composed survivor can attempt to break its frail grip once it latches on.

Barbarian
The criminals of the world stay remain. Even in death, they kill without mercy. These zombies are much like the Blood-thirster and Biggies save from one difference. They often not only eat their victims, they wear them. Seemingly in their last few moments of life, they're body turned into an almost feral state of instinct. When they were reanimated, all the built up rage and aggression still lingered after their deaths. From the time they were incarcerated to the time they were murdered they had only one thought, revenge. This is still true even as they exist now. The Barbarian has been known to possess some sort of intelligence, creating makeshift armour, weapons, and clothing from their fallen prey. Brandishing Insignias, tribal marking and even modern letters. The Barbarian almost always travels solitary, but has been known to travel in a pack, even small ones. The Barbarian has but one tell tale of it's existence: It's bellowing roar. When a Barbarian locates prey it will immediately let loose a roar that is rumored to drive men mad. There are tales of Barbarians charging blindly at it's target ignoring all other entities. If a Barbarian can not reach it's prey immediately, they will often lash out at what's impeding it's path to it's fulfilled rage. It's been noted that a single Barbarian has thrashed wildly at a wall in attempt to reach it's pursuee hiding a roof persistent and without end, unless finally killed by a fellow survivor.

Well I'm pretty much out of ideas. I think 15 is a good number for you all. If I think of anything else I'll add as they come.

I fucking love /tg/

Soldaten: Named from their first known appearance in Germany, the soldaten are the result of military practise of drill until it is instinctual. They act as walkers, but traces remain of their pre-mortem life. They are most often found carrying out their final orders, be that maintenance, drill, or hunter-killer missions. Those without a combat mission in mind are relatively harmless, content to proceed futilely with their tasking until they starve to death unless interrupted. Those with, though, are quite deadly. They are fully armoured and as such are incredibly difficult to kill, and are capable of using their rifles, albeit poorly. They are no longer capable of differentiating between infected and survivors, and as such will aimlessly patrol the streets killing what they come across until they starve. This makes them as valuable an asset as they are a threat, as if left to their own devices they will control the lower-rank infected reasonably well, and they are highly valued for their equipment. Tales of large formations of soldaten are not uncommon, and in platoon-size or larger are a significant threat thanks to sheer mass of fire and their instinct for ferreting out hiding places.

Ubersoldaten: Special forces units have often joked that their willpower is enough to overcome death itself. Ironically, it transpired to be completely true. Given more powerful versions of what became the infection to reduce the need for rations on long missions, ubersoldaten have enormous lifespans, and more than the skills required to sustain themselves where food is present.

When on-base, ubersoldaten can most often be found maintaining their weapons, or obsessively engaging in PT. Many have mistaken them for regular soldaten and watched them for entertainment, only to discover that they are not significantly less athletic than they were before, and even have the presence of mind to take any weapon immediately at hand with them.

Most dangerous, though, are those on deployment. Equipped with the best weaponry and armour, loaded with enormous amounts of ammunition, and with only marginally degraded combat skills, a section of ubersoldaten are more than capable of destroying entire survivor compounds or clearing entire towns of infected. They must be killed immediately, since they will search for survivors far more thoroughly than soldaten, and even though this is a monumental task, any group that pulls it off will be rewarded with higher quality gear than can be found anywhere outside military bases or arms warehouses.

Rumours abound that survivors in uniform that carry sufficient authority can give the ubersoldaten orders and have them carry them out. The effectiveness of this is dubious, as they respond directly to authority and unless the 'commander' can maintain that authority at all times while in their presence they will immediately turn on them. Should one manage it, however, the ubersoldaten turn from a mortal threat to an invaluable resource.

Jesus... I'm surprised the thread lasted as long as it has, and got as large as it did. Spent pretty much the last thirty minutes reading through the newer entries from where I last left off.

Again some very good ideas, and some downright... odd... ideas on others.

Keep up the good work guys. And thanks for the archive link, I'll be holding onto that for good reference.

Very nice all around, but it seems like some of the designs are starting to overlap. Need to whip up a zombie flowchart or something to organize it all.

Shamblers - common zombies, includes those disfigured or missing parts.

Savants - semi-intelligent undead that retain knowledge and continue behavior practiced in life, by ingrained habits or stubborn will. Includes tool and weapon users, or those performing certain 'jobs' endlessly.

biohazards - Undead stricken with secondary infections or carrying/creating hazardous materials. Fungal blooms, radioactive, acid or chemical generation, etc.

deadhead - non-zombies that are immune to the virus but still act as carriers.

twisted - undead whose mortal frames have been heavily mutated after death, or who possess odd abilities.

masterminds - undead who retain full mental faculties after infection.

>>5330357

Mostly mine. Mine are in a very different style, though, with less inexplicable stuff and more trying to think about how I can justify things. They don't suit classic pseudonatural zombies so much, except perhaps the locusts.

>>5330409
A tripfag being vain, oh lords I've never seen this happen.

Hive mothers

Female zombies who are somehow able to give birth even after zombification. They do not require sex to become pregnant, and the time invovled is much shorter then normal. Not all of the babies survive, but just enough do to provide 'mother' with a loyal army.

Sirens

sirens' wounds heal rapidly, and many appear in the full blush of health. The name comes from a hypnotic quality in their voices, which subconsciously draws people to them. Sirens are just smart enough to sing from places that will result in injuries to any humans who approach, who are too distracted to realize the danger.

>>5330432
>tripfag
>>5330409
>distinct lack of a tripcode

>>5330439
Why do I recall the Siren from a tripfag from one of the WorldMap takeover quest we used to do?

>>5330357

check the top of the page dude

.>>5330449
No man, fuck that. Asshat comes in and posts like six things and gives overly long descriptions that hardly make sense. Claims that their the closest thing to real as possible.
Fuck the fagot.

>>5330357
looked like a dick in the tumbnail, sorely disapointed

>>5330467

Your arguments would be more convincing if you weren't blatantly making shit up.

>>5330496

There is only one futa nun I can think of...

>>5330432
lay off the Baron.

>>5330326
do continue

>>5330357
you missed the 'Augmented' category, runners, the awkward(so I count them there), the augmented, tanks, etc.

>>5329718
dude, that's a bit creepy

>>5330467
>overly long descriptions that hardly make sense
>that hardly make sense

English motherfucker, DO YOU SPEAK IT!?!
I can make perfect sense of what he is saying even with the ADD I can pay attention to this. its that entertaining.

how about a zombie that will entangle victims in there intestines not so much to feed but just to make more like it?

>>5330522
...yeah I have some bad news for you...

>>5330522

No, No, none of that shit, stay on topic please

>>5330540

I wish I could say the same about the people pissing and moaning at each other over their zombie ideas being the best.

Just post them and be done with it.

>>5330506
Oh really?

>>5329797
It's almost impossible for an insect such as this to contract any sort of a brain effecting virus, mainly because the fact that the virus eats the brain, slowly. This is where the decay comes from an insects brain is far too small for a virus to survive on for maybe a fucking week. In other words, can't happen.

>>5329955
This can't happen mainly because of the fact that a virus eats flesh. This causes the body to decompose, and rot. Also, once bodily functions stop blood can not pump through the body so it becomes completely stagnant if left in the body. And the body itself turns pail due to the lack of oxygen.

>>5330059
This is also, fucking impossible. The body moves around on muscles. Even in a fantasy theme such as thing, without enough muscles the body can not use the limb, almost AT ALL. Meaning: Rot + muscle = Limb. Like your dick.

>>5330176
>>5330326
Oh these parts I just fucking love. The body lasts only about twelve years, before it is completely decomposes into either A) Mush or B) Dust. The armor alone, would become so worn that it would provide almost no protection, especially when Oxygen and water, especially salt water are added to the mixture.

Get the fuck out.

>>5330562
No, if the tripfag is going to claim that he is one of the only valid things on here, he better fucking have the nuts to back it up. Would've been fine with the prick if he just kept posting zombie genres.

>>5330584
This is a thread about animated corpses that kill and eat humans, then pass on whatever animates them to the dead body.

Realism is banned here.

>>5330599

regardless, whatever backtalk thrown around only incites a response. You've said your piece, so be done with it, and now we can get back to the topic at hand.

>>5330612
Problem with it is, Zombies do hold a bit of Realism to them. They are after all based on people that live in our time era. And if you've ever read about certain Insects that invade other animals. Zombies do not seem to far off by any means.

This might be a little more fitting.

Smileys: There are those performers in it for the money, and those that are there to entertain. Even when you live your life to make people smile, you aren't immune to the infection, but you needn't let a little thing like death and revivification stop you.

The smileys are, at the same time, amongst the least dangerous and the most disturbing infected. Emaciated men and women wearing tattered clown clothes or suits from popular children's shows, the smileys will do nothing but smile. They find someone, and stand in their vision, smiling broadly and gleefully, seemingly waiting for a smile in return. Needless to say, smiles are rarely going to be returned to a childhood-raping nightmare. Regardless, even when attacked they will not retaliate, and will just keep smiling in varying degrees of bewilderment at the violent response.

They are far from harmless, though. They are still infectious, and in their need to fulfil whichever base urge drives them will breach seemingly impossible levels of shelter in pursuing their target, leaving the doors open for others to follow. They have a near-houndini-like ability to escape from any sort of confinement, and given that they pose little threat if you do not flee, many survivors simply leave them alone.

Occasionally, the smiley's target will simply disappear, and instead of pursuing it it will move on to a new target. Whether the disappearances are related and if so what triggers them are unknown, but the possibility is more than most need to dispose of these singularly unsettling creatures.

>>5330687
Yeah, but one of the core things about zombies is that one way or another they seem to ignore a lot of rules that biologically a human body must follow. They can move on significantly less muscle mass and seem to rot much more slowly, if at all. Yeah, realistically a body will be a skeleton in something like a week or two, but that doesn't make for good horror, since the dangerous part is largely over within three days.

>>5330599

You're the only imbecile here who ever even mentioned validity. All I've done is point out that the zombies I had proposed were less suitable for supernatural-type zombie games and more fitting for pseudoscience-type games, because, holy shit, different flavours of a genre ACTUALLY REQUIRE DIFFERENT FLUFF.

Now that we've hit this stellar revelation maybe you can pack up whatever ridiculous baggage you brought with you that led you to track down a single sentence, turn it into something completely different, pretend that that's what it was all along ,and generally try to brew up an incontinent shitstorm, and leave. I'm not playing your idiotic game, I'm here to talk zombies.

>>5325375
Pulling off this tank idea. A whole elite military squad gets attacks and infected by a group of zombies. They come back somewhat like Einsteins. They still know how to use their weapons. They can't reload but they can still fire. So if you are its first target watch out because they can shoot back.

And don't forget to go to http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html and vote up so it stays. This thread had a ton of win in it aside from the idiot starting shit.

>>5330745
No, you're here to be a fagot.
There's a difference between calling something Psuedosupernatural, I'm not mad about that. It's the " Mostly Mine" part after someone mentions Great ideas. I can understand that you're making up ideas that go along with the genre, it's the fact that you're claiming that you're ideas are superior that another persons.
The only reason you're not going to argue with me is because I called you on your bullshit and you're upset you have nothing to retaliate with you fucking jackass.

I'm not attempting to win any sort of argument I'm calling you out on being a jackass, attempting to take credit for something you've hardly posted in.

You want credit? Don't be a fucktard about it.

>>5330821

I prefer mine reloading, but slowly and painfully, lik it takes them ten seconds to get the magazine out, they try to put in in their drop pouch but miss it, spend thirty seconds getting a magazine from their basic pouch because they can't work the clip-on bit properly, take four or five goes to hit the magazine recess with the magazine, then look at the rifle for a while before remembering how to cock it. Or, better, one of them falling behind the others because it keeps doing the stoppage IA but has no idea what to do next.

This is what I like about zombies. You can make them better horror material by both making them less human and more human.

>>5330821
The idiot your referring to posted more ideas than most of the people lurking on here. Granted I'm being a jackass now, but I've contributed a bit more than the tripfag has done.

>>5330849

Mostly mine was in reference to the overlap you illiterate fool. I saw no need to greentext because I assumed everyone here was a reasonable adult without a burning need to find something to leap upon and attack regardless of whether or not it existed. It had to be said because a good number of my zombies were close enough to others that you couldn't have the two in the same setting.

How many people have large bodies of water in their settings? Deep water is already creepy enough, adding the undead to it should make it even better. The challenge for me there has been coming up with something more interesting than standard scary-water-thing with the zombie template.

I in no way wish to imply that my idea is even good and cause >>5330849 any more butthurt

but can I get a critique on my only real contribution to this amazing thread?
>>5327669
I didn't even get a shitsux and that disturbs me

>>5330862
I actually like that better. I just threw that up there so I can go to bed. But it adds a nice touch then they will always be able to fight back (as long as there is ammo) then they can resort to close quarters combat. I was also thinking they kept in a formation of some sort.

>>5330902

And I posted quite a bit too. Just because I don't use a name or tripcode doesn't mean I wasn't a part of this. Shut your whore mouth and go to bed.

>>5330962
Then that's your fault you fucking jackass. It's a fucking forum, all text. When you're talking about something it tends to help if you add complete sentences, not fragments. When you have an uncompleted sentence tied with a complete sentence the point tends to be over looked, even with the link to a previous point you seemed like you were taking credit for the whole fucking thread being as epic as it is.

You want an apology for your inability to complete a sentence?

Sorry you failed fourth grade, jackass.

>>5330962
I like your ideas, bud, but arguing with this guy is just proving him right, you're being kind of a self congratulatory prick.

>>5330976

Hardly anyone got responses here. Are the horses undead or what?

>>5328988
no replies ;_;

>>5330976
I think it's pretty good. The mix between Einstein and fanatic and an "animal tamer" like skill on top of that makes them pretty deadly and I would say very rare.

>>5330976
Shitsux: Shitstorm ensues.

>>5330998
Never mention the fact that anon had any sort of vanity in this thread. I referring to the tripfag inability to use a proper fucking sentence is coming across as a glory-stealing asshat.

At this point though, I'm coming off as more of the jackass. Let the thread continue, as long as the tripfag keeps his fingers to himself and doesn't use the word, "Mine." I'll back off.

>>5331020
yes but this is the best place(yes I mean this) I've found for constructive criticism on my poor attempts on creative writing

I meant to imply that only the riders were undead
the horses are still alive and kicking. It just sprung to mind that way.

I saw the archive where you discussed world building. that was quite an interesting explanation.

>>5331009
Agreed, I'll back off for now.

>>5331025
you got a couple.

including someones Idea that the fringes of the phalanx could split off into separate independant zeds

>>5331110
no, that was me, also.
and it was the only reply.
daaaaaaaaaang.

>>5331008

You genuinely don't understand the notion that an unlabeled response belongs to the most recent proposition or question? I bet you threw shitfits in school when you got vegetables for lunch because you answered a fifteen minute old question about what you hated to eat.

Would anybody find the idea of zombies with nonstandard food sources interesting? Shake things up a little, and have a zombie that only goes for sugary food, or something. They'd still be dangerous, just in a different way. A food-gathering Fanatic would be annoying as fuck when he breaks into your safehouse and takes everything you need to live.

>>5331121
I personally liked the penitent, makes me think of multiple personality syndrome

the phalanx could be a result a failed shoot-house tactic (lure targets into area pack together and proceed to open fire) the trappers packed to tightly and ended up with one brick-O-zombies

>>5331125
Well, I'm not saying that. You're the one in the misunderstanding here. I was angry about the fact that what I took as you attempting to claim superiority in this thread tying together.

You want this argument to end, I do as well. Zombies are more important than "Which of us can be the bigger prick."

Aside from my douchebagry.
Your ideas are not that bad, granted some of them are a bit far fetched, but still.

Aside from that.
>>5330710
Adds a bit to the Babbler, but even creepier. Not bad.
>>5329806
Again, if it wasn't bugs. Wouldn't care so much. Maybe a mammal even a reptile would sound a bit better.
>>5331038
I like it is as well.

>>5327669
>the mounts of a dark rider have been seen gathering grass, guarding, and in one recorded case foaling their steed.

damn, I just noticed the mistake should read

>dark riders have been seen gathering grass, guarding, and in one recorded case foaling their steeds.

excuse me, I'm a neatfreak.

broad categories of undead, which types derive from which types, and what they all do.

>>5331210

Why are bugs not creepy? Maybe it would be fucked up if you had a literal ocean of half-decomposed cats that cruised through a city and ate everything they could find, but locust swarms evoke a more primal sort of fear. Maybe it's because I was inside a locust swarm once. Surprisingly, it's not nearly as solid as they look, but there's still a shitload of them. Best advice for anyone caught in that situation is COVER EVERY ORIFICE YOU DO NOT WANT LOCUSTS IN.

Another reason I wanted locusts is for a more mystery-type zombie game, where the zombies ae just one of several threats, because the idea of something inside the swarm is appealing. It's also good for mystery-obsessed players, because they have to work hard to figure out how to actually survive the swarm to get close to the thing.

Actually, the ridiculous cat swarm might be alright if there's a standard-looking homeless man in the centre, uninfected, who seems to have some degree of control. Especially if the cats bring him food as they search the place. At the very least it's more original than locusts.

>>5331336
Well yeah they do have set a primal fear into people, especially with crops. But the same could be said of many other things: Crows, Vultures, Eagles, Lions, tigers, bears, etc.
It seems right, but other things work as well. Flies for example. Dispense a type of acid onto their food to digest and lay eggs in already rotting flesh, even in still living. Having maggots grow inside your body, then eat it from the inside out is a bit more creepy.

Not saying Locusts aren't terrible, but there are other choices. Locusts just seem to be a bit over used when it comes to apocalyptic disaster.

Just saying.

>>5331008
>Namefag says his ideas don't mesh with previous ones
>Retard makes massive deal about it, then blames namefag for speaking above his understanding when the truth finally penetrates his tiny brain

>>5331470
Tripfag troll attempting to restart drama.
Go drink bleach.
Die come back a zombie.
Stay on topic, stay on topic.

>>5331504
>Tripfag spends too long reading thread, looks like fool
>Still thinks >>5331008 is an idiot

What about waterborne versions of the Fanatics? Wearing a lifejacket and intent on swimming to safety, only stopping when they find a boat or something and can climb aboard. Like, if the survivors are escaping by sea, and a Spoiler burst on a cruise ship anchored a distance away and within the time period the swimmers would require to reanimate and swim from there to the survivors.

Oh, and bungie jumping undead would be a surprise.

>>5331567
Well there poses a problem with that. Zombies with life jackets not half bad.

Bungee jumping zombies on the other hand would pretty much be suicide zombies as they'd almost die completely on impact every time, making them really just a novelty zombie, much like the "Hipster."

>>5331567
Still needs to go drink bleach.

>>5331645
Hey, now I'm contributing, not trolling. Relax.

I was thinking that the bungie zombies had been infected while about to jump, fallen off, died while dangling and then reanimated. Since the bungie is specifically designed not to let them hit the ground (this is the sentence that says how little I know about bungie jumping), they'd just hang there, and if they're one of the more intelligent ones, they could pull their way back up the cord until they reached the bridge, and then wait there until something living comes along. I just like the idea of a zombie dropping down, grabbing some poor luckless survivor and then rebounding away, taking bites out of him while they both bounce up and down above the other's heads. Of course, this would only work if 1. it didn't miss, and 2. it wasn't so decomposed that it broke in half when the cord tightened.

THIS THREAD CANNOT DIE

How about some awesome set-up encounters?

Inside an abandoned hospital in a northern climate area, the players must search for medicine that hasn't expired. However, they have to watch out for the corpses on the ground, as some have already proved to be Sleepers. In addition, there is the usual threat of Bloods and Shamblers, although something is keeping the majority of them away from the hospital...

>>5331824
Looks like the thread is going to die soon but I thought I'd toss this one on the fire.

"Icarus"

In Greek legend Icarus flew too close to the sun and was burned. The Icarus zombie isn't actually a zombie, rather they are a normal person with a particularly deadly growth. By some means, cordyceps, normally harmless to humans, have been effected by the virus and have mutated into a strain deadly to humans. These cordyceps invade the brain of their host and slowly make them paranoid and schizophrenic. When the cordyceps reach the pinnacle of their development they make their host feel uncontrollably cold. The host then often tries to do what ever they can to get as high and close to the sun as possible in the hopes it will warm them. Once a host finds the highest point available, the parasite then severs a human's nervous system, paralyzing them. The host must then be witness to the particularly terrible and painful act of the Cordycep bursting through their skull and showering toxic spores on the entire area, infecting anyone who breaths or comes in contact with them.

ba-dum-ba-bump

Dead thread is dead.