N18 Plague zombies

[GraaEminense]

We're planning to introduce the zombie plague into the campaign in the near future and we're discussing house rules to do so. I have a couple of ideas, and would like input. Are these rules too harsh? Too easy? Do they slow down the game too much?

Plague Zombies:

Plague Zombies have the following stats: M2d6 WS5+ S3 T3 W1 A1 I5+

• Zombies never test against WP/CL/INT/LD.
• Zombies are not Pinned when hit by shooting.
• Zombies never suffer Flesh Wounds, a Flesh Wound result counts as Down.
• Zombies automatically recovers from Down to Pinned in the Recovery Phase.
• Zombies will always choose Coup de Grace over Consolidate if they win a fight.

Deployment: In a Plague Zombie game, after both gangs have deployed, each player rolls 1d6. Use the highest number, and take turns placing that many zombies anywhere on the table outside 12” of a fighter. As the campaign progresses, the number of zombies may increase.

Sentries: In a game with sentries, there are no zombies at the start of the game. At the end of the turn when the alarm is raised and after reinforcements have been placed, roll for number of zombies as normal and take turns placing them as reinforcements. They can not be placed within 12” of a fighter.

Movement: After finishing an activation, choose any zombie that has not been activated this turn. If in base contact with a fighter, it will attack. If not, move the zombie 2d6” or, if it’s Pinned, stand it up and move 1d6”. If it moves into base contact, it counts as charging.

Any unactivated zombie moves 2d6” in a random direction in the beginning of the End Phase.

After shooting with a non-silenced weapon, roll 2d6 and add the weapon’s Strength (use the highest S if multiple weapons were used). Any zombie within this radius moves 1d3” towards the shooter.

The Plague: Plague Zombies carry the Zombie Plague (surprise!). Any fighter taken Out Of Action by a zombie rolls 1d6 before rolling for injuries:

1-2: The Plague! The fighter joins the battle as a Plague Zombie.

3-4: Just a scratch? Roll for injuries as normal. If the fighter survives, make a toughness test after the battle. If it’s failed, the fighter dies and attacks a random fighter or hanger-on in the gang! Roll a single attack from a Plague Zombie against the target, before the unfortunate zombie is gunned down.

5-6: It’s nothing! Roll for injuries as normal.

Any weapons or equipment carried by a fighter that turns into a Plague Zombie is lost, as no one will touch it.

 

[Loriel]

For Injury:
I would discard flesh wounds and serious injury (the old down) is out of action instead. Eventhough I understand idea that plague zombies simply keeps going until they are hacked to pieces, especially if you plan to have multiple zombies on board they would be rather nuisance. If you would go for more bulky / single zombie approach I think it would make sense use that rules. For 4+ zombies around they need to be "minion" level fighters.

For the plague:
It is harsh, but if add rule that serious injury takes them out, I wouldn't think it is over the top. still ws5

• I would make extra rule for blazing which technically would allow zombie to continue activating as normal, only taking damagge from the fire -> not option to pin down to put it out.
• I would add rule that states that zombies don't count towards bottle and if there is only zombies left on side battle ends. etc. in other words player couldn't just keep playing with only zombies around.
• don't know sure, but perhaps add rule that zombies cannot assist in recovery / rallies etc. and perhaps they cannot assist in close combat, but they would interference

to be honest I don't really understand how that unactivated zombie work that you have written? do you mean that everytime I would active fighter, after that i will active zombie and if i don't have enough regular fighters they start to scatter? In otherwords they would work somekind of "commanding precense for the zombie". If so I would state range to make such command.

Howevery, I wouldn't rule the zombie activation as such but I would prolly personally make it so that after every activation is done the zombies activate in the order of their owners choosing. If you would like to have this random scatter behavior, perhaps better way would be that they make somekind of animosity check at the start of activation to determine how they work. (wouldn't personally make such rule though)


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heh, I just realised that you probably meant them as "hive perils" not as scavvy gang memebrs Well that is whole diffrenet thing. That scattering rule is rather ok there as it would not overly punish smaller games gangs, if there is lot of zombies around. BUT i would in this case make some kind of animosity there. Which has chace zombie doing nothing, scattering or going for berserk rampage. OR make the zombies marker style that they activate when someone is nearby perhaps good old 2d6 roll inches, and at the end of turn they could scatteer around d6.

 

[Thorgor]

I like the rules you came up with. Maybe a few things I would add or do differently:

• use sentry-like rules to determine which zombie activates (take a regular card deck, assign one card to each zombie and shuffle them to create a zombie deck. After each player-controlled fighter activation, shuffle the zombie deck and draw a card. The corresponding zombie activates).
  
  
• when activated and Pinned, zombies automatically make a Stand up action (facing a randomized direction) but don't move.
• when activated and Seriously injured, zombies do nothing (do not activate another zombie in their stead, the zombies effectively lose a turn)
• when activated and Active, zombies do a Coup de grâce action if possible. Otherwise, randomize their facing and then, if they can see one or more fighter within 12", they move 2d6" towards the closest one* (counts as a Charge). If they can't see any fighter but there is one or more fighter within 6", they can smell/hear them and move 1d6" towards the closest one* (counts as a Charge). Otherwise, they wander 1D3" straight ahead (counts as a Move).
• when activated and Engaged, zombies automatically turn to face (and get -1 to hit) if they have no Engaged fighter in their FoV so that they have as many Engaged fighters in their FoV as possible. Then, they make a Fight action.
  
  
• Zombies always choose to Fight (or Coup de grâce) on a Charge (and whenever else they can), and always choose to make Reaction attacks at every opportunity
• If a zombie ever ends up Engaged to multiple fighters and with more than 1 attack die (when charging for instance), randomize the target for each attack die
• If a zombie can Coup de grâce multiple fighters, choose one of them at random
  
  
• Zombies automatically pass Cool, Willpower and Leadership tests, but automatically fail Intelligence tests.

* if several fighters are tied for closest (or it's not clear which one is the closest), determine at random which one looks the tastiest (the zombie then moves towards the tastiest-looking fighter)

Also, a question: do zombies grant XP when taken Out of action? I think they do (and should), but I could use a clarification.

 

[Jacob Dryearth]

QDTW3_04

• Jacob Dryearth
• Feb 6, 2019

I'm using them in my current campaign which you can check out in the campaigns section. I felt the need to increase their lethality, as everyone has armor, and multiple wounds and more destructive weapons. I may have tuned them too high though, as nobody is using them!