| From: | Jeremy DeVore jmortir@*****.net |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Shadowrun Of The Living Dead [Kinda Long] |
| Date: | Mon, 22 Feb 1999 00:43:56 -0600 |
>me..By the way..If I'm your GM..Be ware [EGMG]
:)
>> The fall of Earthly civilization is the true story, and how the
>>characters deal with it is my goal.
>All in all I like the idea..and could really sink my teeth into it..but
>in my opinion..making it a global crisis is too much..You might as well
>play a different game if you want to kill all the people in SR
>[Might as well play something post holocaust]..So my biggest piece
>of advice is..tone it down..Make it a new problem that can more or
>less remain localized..For instance I would not make it communicable
>to a living host..Only to dead ones..And to follow is how I would
>explain some of your concepts as well as some advice:
My ideas on timeline and how mankind would deal with the Infection is going
to get out of hand for a Reply so expect a post from me a little later
discussing what I have planned for it.
>>3.) Astral Infection: This is a concept that has become something of a
>>pet project of mine (there are just so many possibilities).
>I agree Astral space does need to have a lot more inhabitants.
I haven't any ideas for new Astral creatures but the Astral Infection will
corrupt many inhabitants and the such. Just the repercussions of this will
keep me busy for a while.
>>...... When the probe disappeared something happened to
>>it (this is purposely left vague because it lends to the horror of
>>it all),
>I don't like vague..After all the players don't need to know..only the >GM
does..
See I am trying to be a bit vague to myself. I want to be able to close all
the loop holes and everything when the storyline is over is over. I just
want to give myself room to have the explanation grow out of the happenings
of the Campaign itself (I love to have the players input).
>>4.) The Living Dead: The Infected Astral interacts with the brain
>>matter of he recently deceased
>Once inside the dead body they begin channeling energies from the >astral
plane into the brain this causes the body to animate in a most >primitive
manner..This also activates some very basic cogitative >functions..Not
really being able to think above the level of a really >stupid dog...but
simple reactions and sentence structure becomes >possible giving rise to
statements like "Brains..Brains..They are so >sweet.. Hungry.. Brains..
"ect... This function becomes increasingly >difficult as the corpse
decomposes and runs out of rotting nutrients >giving rise to sentences like
"Guuuurhh.... FFrrrgggg... Gaaakk.. >RRRRRRRR"
Very interesting to see another take on how it could be done. But I have too
much of the other stuff I am going to reveal in the future riding on the
Infected Astral, to change it now. One of the key concepts I have had since
the initial idea to do this has been the Infected Astral.
>> (I will explain how and why this happens and why it doesn't happen to
>>the living later) reanimating the body.
>Only a relatively recently dead body can be animated due to a more or
>less viable nervous system..this is also why they do the dead guy
>shuffle...deteriorated nervous system.. The creatures seek the void >left
when that which makes a living person alive leaves..The creatures >are drawn
to the astral presence of the dead body and seek to fill the >void left by
the death..The longer a person has been dead the more >faded the astral
presence and the less appealing a host for the astral >entities.. Until
finally the body is no longer suitable as a host...
The brain is key to the Living Dead. Without it they are nothing more than a
corpse (though in the Day of the Dead script Romero hints at the heart being
a vital are too, but that idea never took off). The Infected Astral infuses
itself to all the inanimate matter it comes into contact with. The brain in
the corpse, when it becomes Infected, creates a link to the Astral which
turns it into a form of Focus (that's the closest approximation I can come
up with) and that is what sustains the Living Dead. The need to feast on the
living is a combination of animal instincts (Dr Frankenstein explains a
little of this in the Day of the Dead (that's in the version that was
actually filmed and released)) that are stimulated by it's new condition.
>And then you can consider what happens when the Astral Critters
>invade a cybered body..Or perhaps one that was able to cast magic in
>life..In this case I would only allow it to cast raw power with a
>more or less random chance of striking anything..as well as taking
>physical damage -every- time it did so..basically the raw power
>flowing from its hands burn its hands to ashes a little at a
>time..until it only has stumps...And I would allow this to occur
>rather rapidly..
I can't wait to see what you think of the stuff I have already thought of.
Mages got problems and advantages and Essence makes a BIG difference in the
Infected Areas.
>>5.) Breakdown: As time goes on and the Living Dead begin to
>>outnumber the living......
>As others have said I think it would ultimately turn into a 'How many
>Zombies can you kill slaughterfest' and that sort of thing gets old
>fairly quick..But it could be a nice break form your everyday run
>though..Give your players a chance for some mindless violence once in a
>while..
That is something that I am seeking to avoid. I mean to have different parts
of the world or community fall to the Living Dead without the characters
necessarily being involved. Sets the apocalyptic atmosphere well. And the
different complications that will come about with Infected Astral (such as
Infected Spirits, Infected Dual Natured beings, and all sorts of things). My
imagination has decided to leave me an open door for more creation.
>I suppose that should be enough... :)
>--------------------------------GRANITE
> "Rock Steady"
>==============================================
I wonder if I should start pumping out the posts I have brainstormed in on
the other list. I don't want to flood the list and people ignore them. So I
am going to take it slow, and ease into this. Maybe an old post when ever I
post here or something.
Later
J
http://www.prysm.net/~jmortir/AWINS
ICQ# 27381095
"Tis a nobler thing I... Aw screw it! Bye..."
