DTMK's review of Dead Reign RPG

[Sureshot]

strayng a little off topic here. I have always been able to at least try one game with every PB rpg published with my gaming group. None of them wanted to try CE. For some it felt too much like regular Rifts. Others disliked that some important elements such as magic and psionis were left out of the game. Primary reason across the board was and still is that no matter what you do in CE nothing stops what happens to Rifts Earth. So why bother playing it. I don't blame them either. I could not find the motivation to run the game either. It was a mistake imo tying CE to the Rifts timeline. Espcially when you can't stop the coming of the Rifts. Even as a post apocalyptic game you have regular Rifts to play with and with better support.

On another note if finances permit I plan to by DR either tommorow or nest week.

[Nightbreed]

straying a little off topic here. I have always been able to at least try one game with every PB rpg published with my gaming group. None of them wanted to try CE. For some it felt too much like regular Rifts. Others disliked that some important elements such as magic and psionics were left out of the game. Primary reason across the board was and still is that no matter what you do in CE nothing stops what happens to Rifts Earth. So why bother playing it. I don't blame them either. I could not find the motivation to run the game either. It was a mistake imo tying CE to the Rifts time line. Especially when you can't stop the coming of the Rifts. Even as a post apocalyptic game you have regular Rifts to play with and with better support.

On another note if finances permit I plan to by DR either tomorrow or nest week.

So your group doesn't like the challenge of surviving the times? Me and my friends never play for that "make a difference" stuff. (we're just bastards at heart one and all ) To me that's the essence of Dead Reign IMHO not finding out who's behind it (unless as a GM you make the info available to them) In Chaos Earth, the idea is trying to survive and combat what evil is in front of you. Why go for something no one can control? And no, it never really gets old. But then, that's just me.

[Sureshot]

So your group doesn't like the challenge of surviving the times? Me and my friends never play for that "make a difference" stuff. (we're just bastards at heart one and all ) To me that's the essence of Dead Reign IMHO not finding out who's behind it (unless as a GM you make the info available to them) In Chaos Earth, the idea is trying to survive and combat what evil is in front of you. Why go for something no one can control? And no, it never really gets old. But then, that's just me.

With Dead Reign I think it different because we don't know what is in store for the future. With CE is imo somewhat harder to ignore. You know what will eventually happen. So why bother fighting if humanity loses for the most part. But I see your point.

[Vidynn]

Well, I concider it "waisted" as well. The rifter is for fans, not for things "we didn't want to put in the main book for X reasons". We have a place already for things like that, it's called the "cutting room floor". Another way to look at it, is that with the cutting room floor, everyone who bought the book has access to it, where as a rifter is only for those who buy it.

In the end, I don't see it as a big deal, but he did make a good point. The rifer is a fanzine, and should be kept as that. And those who buy books, should get the full books, even if it means having to put some of it up for free. In the end, I don't know if anything "official" should be in a rifter.

for me as a PB-fan who rarely buys the RIFTER, "official" stuff is actually a very good reason to get one, so I tend to disagree, even though I kinda see your point with the RIFTER being / should be a fanzine.

also, the cutting room floor is "dead", I dunno when they added the last bit...it's been a while.

all in all, I dont see the space wasted, the original authors ARE fans, so its still fan-stuff and Im glad that PB realized (better late than never) that many DR-fans want to see the material!

[dark brandon]

for me as a PB-fan who rarely buys the RIFTER, "official" stuff is actually a very good reason to get one, so I tend to disagree, even though I kinda see your point with the RIFTER being / should be a fanzine.

also, the cutting room floor is "dead", I dunno when they added the last bit...it's been a while.

Don't get me wrong, this isn't about the RIFTER per se. It's more about using the things as they were set up for.

[Greyaxe]

So much so i played a zombie in a straight to dvd movie without being paid just cause i got to be a zombie lol.

What was the name of the movie and what # zombie were you?

[Nightbreed]

First, I have to give props to DTMK for posting his review not knowing how people would respond to it.
Second, I have been a die hard Zombie fan for man, many years. So much so i played a zombie in a straight to dvd movie without being paid just cause i got to be a zombie lol.

Now as for every one saying that Dead Reign is just another Zombie game. AFMBE was the first Zombie Survival Horror game i ever played. It included so much magic and zombie powers and god given gifts that I was so happy to see there were no real magic or psionic systems in Dead reign.
Even if there had been I would have picked it up. Not because i think PB or Kevin or any of the people associated with this company I met were cool. But, Because I LOVE ZOMBIES!!!!
This game is very awesome! It also has the potential to grow. If they release more material that involves magic and psionics I will acquire it cause my payers will most likely want to see it in the game.
As i stated in another post on a different thread, The players at the shop i game at love this game. It sold out with very little hype from anyone. All we knew about it was what we saw in the demo at Gallowscon 2008.
I loved having to rely on what we had at hand and not resorting to magic or psionics to save us. I truly feared for my characters life in the demo.
We had to seriously do a running battle to get away once we failed our objective that day. It was so great to for once see a game where someone couldnt just obliterate the horde of zombies with mass explosives or magic.
I remember at one point during the demo looking back at another character who was playing a professor type. Almost the near entire main combat before we fled he was standing as far from the fight holding a dog. His response when questioned was, " I am protecting the dog".
I looked him dead in the face and said, " Hey chuckles, while your doing nothing, why don't you make us a coconut radio and call for help!"
The group loved it. This game really brings out the role playing aspect of survival horror.
I am not downing anyones views or complaints of the game.
Just stating my like for it and why.
I hope many people enjoy it.
I will be running this game soon. The demand is so high that I will be running 2 groups of 8 people every week! thats how popular this game is here.
Well, thats all i got.
Game on everyone!

Never played AFMBE, so i don't have any opinion on it. I've been involved in ALOT of FUBAR situations where what you say about one person screwing things up, has happened. But that's just the way things go, just gotta deal with it. Any Horror i've played or ran has been Palladium based or improvised from Palladium's games.

All in all i understand what you're trying to say, just that you can't please everyone. That being said, the rule about the 17-20 for a head shot doesn't concern me. Best thing about being a GM and about Palladium is that you can mix and match to what you want in your game or just improvise (i did that to the magic system, i junked it and remade it to my satisfaction). Point is if you don't agree with something then change it. (If you're the GM of course ) BTW love the comment you made to "the professor" in the trial game.

So much so i played a zombie in a straight to dvd movie without being paid just cause i got to be a zombie lol.

What was the name of the movie and what # zombie were you?

I second that question!

[kevarin]

iv seen people upset about no large scale combat rules
just wondering why would you need them you would be trying
like hell to not get in a large scale battle with the zombies
and anything larger than a hand grenade or home made bomb
would slow you down and make you easier to kill

anything more than rules for spraying an area with gun fire
and blast radius for explosives seems overkill to me
and something that wouldn't get used all that much

[Nightbreed]

iv seen people upset about no large scale combat rules
just wondering why would you need them you would be trying
like hell to not get in a large scale battle with the zombies
and anything larger than a hand grenade or home made bomb
would slow you down and make you easier to kill

anything more than rules for spraying an area with gun fire
and blast radius for explosives seems overkill to me
and something that wouldn't get used all that much

I have to agree with this.
I could not see any goal being worth taking on hundreds of Zombies or even just a hundred Zombies.
Indeed if you cannot silence the moan in the first 30 seconds to a minute, I would be heading for the hills before they converge and close off all escape. lol
But you also have groups that have players that want their kill count. So those players are always going to try for large scale combat.
But to each their own I guess.
Game on. Peace!

More like a suicidal death wish. LOL But i agree, to each their own.

[DtMK]

No reason?
No.
Reason.

You've GOT to be kidding! Yes, I know it's a difficult idea, but not impossible. Yes, I'm still trying to figure out how to do that myself, but on some occasions, the few or one have to step up and rise to the occasion!

No reasons? Are you kidding me?
1. An oil refinery with the last bit of useable fuel for your vehicle.
2. A nuclear power plant runs the risk of going critical, and you ARE in the danger zone!
3. The last bit of food or medicine in the town is right out there!
4. A Death Cultist screaming, "I've been betrayed! Save me and I'll tell you how to stop them!"
5. A dog who has helped save your life, and who looks like your childhood pet is unable to get to you and your safe zone.
6. There's a celebrity you've always wanted to meet out there, and they haven't been turned yet!
7. A scientist has been working on a possible cure, and is hunkered down, radioing to anyone that can hear, "I can SAVE these people! HELP ME!!!"
8. A child in the party you've been watching over has gotten separated in the crowd. The child is screaming in fear, unable to move while the horde approaches.

But no, there's no reason to stand up and need to fight off the multiple zombies. They're just NPC's. No need for hope, we'll die and just make new characters. That's how everybody else thinks in the real world anyway.

PLEASE. I'm aware that it's survival horror, but the foundation for survival is not just an instinctive desire to keep living, but HOPE. More than just hoarding ammo, more than just finding food and a place to hunker down. It's finding other people alive, taking out the bad guys or monsters at the door, and having hope that there's SOME way to survive and have a normal life again. If not for yourselves, then to ensure survival for members of humanity that have aspirations! Dreams of curing diseases like this one, reaching to the stars, knowing that your hopes that will make you fulfilled, not only alive and healthy for one more day will one day be realized. And sometimes, you've got to stand up and face that. Yes, the odds are against you. But will your struggles and stories live on thanks to the people that you saved witnessing your selflessness and warrior code? Will it be an Alamo, a story showing that one man is worth a hundred zombies, or just nameless NPC corpses #'s 5-13 to be discovered by a raiding party once the zombies have shambled off, 7-13 being no older than 6 years old?

No reason. RIIIIIIIIIGHT.

[Nightbreed]

No reason?
No.
Reason.

You've GOT to be kidding! Yes, I know it's a difficult idea, but not impossible. Yes, I'm still trying to figure out how to do that myself, but on some occasions, the few or one have to step up and rise to the occasion!

No reasons? Are you kidding me?
1. An oil refinery with the last bit of useable fuel for your vehicle.
2. A nuclear power plant runs the risk of going critical, and you ARE in the danger zone!
3. The last bit of food or medicine in the town is right out there!
4. A Death Cultist screaming, "I've been betrayed! Save me and I'll tell you how to stop them!"
5. A dog who has helped save your life, and who looks like your childhood pet is unable to get to you and your safe zone.
6. There's a celebrity you've always wanted to meet out there, and they haven't been turned yet!
7. A scientist has been working on a possible cure, and is hunkered down, radioing to anyone that can hear, "I can SAVE these people! HELP ME!!!"
8. A child in the party you've been watching over has gotten separated in the crowd. The child is screaming in fear, unable to move while the horde approaches.

But no, there's no reason to stand up and need to fight off the multiple zombies. They're just NPC's. No need for hope, we'll die and just make new characters. That's how everybody else thinks in the real world anyway.

PLEASE. I'm aware that it's survival horror, but the foundation for survival is not just an instinctive desire to keep living, but HOPE. More than just hoarding ammo, more than just finding food and a place to hunker down. It's finding other people alive, taking out the bad guys or monsters at the door, and having hope that there's SOME way to survive and have a normal life again. If not for yourselves, then to ensure survival for members of humanity that have aspirations! Dreams of curing diseases like this one, reaching to the stars, knowing that your hopes that will make you fulfilled, not only alive and healthy for one more day will one day be realized. And sometimes, you've got to stand up and face that. Yes, the odds are against you. But will your struggles and stories live on thanks to the people that you saved witnessing your selflessness and warrior code? Will it be an Alamo, a story showing that one man is worth a hundred zombies, or just nameless NPC corpses #'s 5-13 to be discovered by a raiding party once the zombies have shambled off, 7-13 being no older than 6 years old?

No reason. RIIIIIIIIIGHT.

You make good points, but you have to understand, not everyone has a "righteous" or "hero" mentality. Just using me and my friends as an example i can show you about your proposed scenarios (which do indeed make things interesting. )

1. An oil refinery with the last bit of useable fuel for your vehicle.
Depending on risk factor and our supplies/eqipment might be doable. Though if it were really crowded, we would just keep on trucking, though if we were low on gas..... as i said, it depends.

2. A nuclear power plant runs the risk of going critical, and you ARE in the danger zone!
ONLY way we'd try that if A)there was someone who could shut the thing down, B)There weren't too many zombies in the way and C)we really couldn't escape the blast area, otherwise we're outta here!

3. The last bit of food or medicine in the town is right out there!
See the answer to #1. We better be VERY low on supplies and desperate. LOL

4. A Death Cultist screaming, "I've been betrayed! Save me and I'll tell you how to stop them!"
This we we could do, though we'd "save" the guy get the info, then kill him. Unless we decide to just kill him outright because we don't feel like dealing with cultists right now. LOL

5. A dog who has helped save your life, and who looks like your childhood pet is unable to get to you and your safe zone.
Sorry man, i'll cherish the memories, he's zombie chow. Unless there's a food shortage with the party that is.

6. There's a celebrity you've always wanted to meet out there, and they haven't been turned yet!
There is NO ONE i want to meet THAT bad to risk getting turned! Who in their right mind would do this?

7. A scientist has been working on a possible cure, and is hunkered down, radioing to anyone that can hear, "I can SAVE these people! HELP ME!!!"
We'd think that he's BSing and wouldn't even try. If one of us thought about it, it would be shot down by the rest of the party. Sadly a scientist would be useful in this game as it depends on what the cause of zombification is in that GM's game. Most interesting scenario of the lot IMO.

8. A child in the party you've been watching over has gotten separated in the crowd. The child is screaming in fear, unable to move while the horde approaches.
I have one friend who's policy is to leave the following people to die: Old people who are too slow, Pregnant women, people who love their pets too much, and screaming kids. More than likely that poor kid is toast. If i go after the poor kid, i WILL be left behind. Same goes for anyone else who wants to give that rescue a go and these are my FRIENDS i am talking about here!

Seriously, not trying to rip your ideas DtMK, (some of them are actually good) just want to show you that not all of us are of the hero type quality (i reserve that for the video game RPGs )

[DtMK]

Hehehe I understand that, and I know not everyone has the hero mentality. But if you're in a zombie apocalypse, doesn't that make your characters the heroes?

[dark brandon]

Hehehe I understand that, and I know not everyone has the hero mentality. But if you're in a zombie apocalypse, doesn't that make your characters the heroes?

I believe it makes them suvivors. Mainly because heros dont' live that long in zombie apocalypses

[Nightbreed]

Hehehe I understand that, and I know not everyone has the hero mentality. But if you're in a zombie apocalypse, doesn't that make your characters the heroes?

I believe it makes them suvivors. Mainly because heros dont' live that long in zombie apocalypses

Damn it, beaten to the punch! But yeah, it makes everyone a survivor and some people will do whatever it takes to keep it that way. You're a hero if you go out of your way to rescue people and try to make a difference in attempting to fight the evil of the cults and zombies.

[Brian Manning]

I think all of those ideas are very good reasons that the characters will have to deal with the hordes, DtMK. But since the zombies are much tougher, you really need to have some awesome tactics if the numbers are too ridiculous. Things like the classic reaper tactic of diversions.

The one that really stands out to me is rescuing the child. I know they've got a lot more PPE, so they're going to be a huge beacon, so you can possibly use that to your advantage and quickly pick a point of the horde you can possibly move through quickly (football rushing style), then use teamwork to cut a swath through the horde (you don't have time for head shots, so it's more like pick a direction and throw bullets there). Main body all the way. If you had some helpful party members that can either draw the zombies away as well, or help you by putting down zombies in the back of the swarm, so you can break through easier that would rock too.

If you're talking a really large tightly packed swarm, then even weaker zombies would have no problem finishing off groups of "heroes".

[DtMK]

Yeah, you've all got good points. But still, I think it's this kind of mindset that made people anticipate the large combat rules. And for the record, I'd like to thank everyone who chimed in on my review post. 4 pages and going strong!

[DtMK]

I agree that you have good points about reasons. Sadly alot of the players i get are not that heroic as was stated earlier. They would leave their mom to the zombies if it meant they lived another day.
I am about to start 2 weekly games. My overall campaign idea is that eventually they are going to come across a defensible area that could be built into a safe haven community.
I am hoping they rise to it instead of their usual style of play in these kinds of games.
I am looking forward to seeing what happens when something they need is in the middle of a hoard of Zombies.
I honestly hope you are proven right. it would make me feel better about the kinds of players we have out here.
Game on!
Peace

Look, people will play things differently depending on mood, temperament or setting. One of the things I commented on was how differences between DR in Rifter #40 and the final book was that not only was the definitive answer removed, but so too was the player's options for hope. Magic and Psionics went from rare to nonexistent. Answers as to what caused this, as well as a hope for a way to stop it and make things go back to a normal life were also reduced. Give your players options for hope, and not just a hopeless scenario where digging latrine pits and scavenging for food while they're not just killing zombies, and let them make up their own minds.

[kevarin]

sorry DTMK poor choice of words very limited need might have been a better way to say that
was tired when i posted that last post


how big a zombie horde are you thinking about taking on with how many people on
your side ? trying to get a feel for how big a fight you are talking about

[ronekiln]

I've not seen the game yet nor the Rifter sneak peek, but I can empathize with the main critique. If that Rifter article portrayed the game as something different and it was the main advertisement for the game then there's good reason to voice disapointment and frustration. I've not heard claims that it's a horrible game or garbage, just voicing that it's not the product that was advertised. This isn't really anything new for Palladium, nor is it new to feel they're not selling complete products. If that isn't voiced, they can't take steps to fix it (as it sounds like they're trying to do here, and fair credit is being given to them for it).

I nearly bought AFMBE when I first saw it in the store years ago and then thought "wait a minute, generic zombie games are extremely simple, all I'm really buying is a new rules set when I could just use the Palladium system I love." Really, there's not much to the basic zombie genre. To really make a book worth buying it needs something new and helpful.

A system for dealing with large numbers of zombies would be a great new addition to the Palladium system for this scenario. When you think about it, the typical slow, shambling zombie isn't much of a threat to someone with a decent club and the psychological capability and willingness to cave in skulls. A decently healthy adult out in the open and mobile should be able to carve through dozens if not hundreds of zombies before exhaustion set in with nothing more than a decent bludgeon. How many roleplayers are going to play a horribly out of shape person or one psychologically incapable of slaughtering zombies? Yes there'd be lots of those people out there IRL, but not likely to be one of our heros. A mass combat system is exactly what needs to be included for dealing with that. It sounds like the alternative of making zombies very tough to take out was opted for instead, which can be fine, but gives a very different feel and style to the combat.

The next step to be new is a very specific, unique background on all this. A lot of people apparently focused on the proposed AI. Doesn't really grab at me too much but if that's what's advertised in the Rifter it's what I'd expect in the main book. Smashing hordes of slow shambling zombies can get real boring real quick if you're trying to do a drawn out campaign. We need more structure to make a good engaging campaign in a zombie world. There's lots of ways to offer that structure, and I'm sure there's nothing wrong with the aproach Kevin took, but if it's not what was advertised, people will get upset.

Personally, after reading everything in the board here (not just this review) I don't see much use in buying DR. I can buy WWZ and watch a few zombie flicks for inspiration and use the basic Palladium rules that exist mostly unchanged in every Palladium book I already own.

Now a book with mass combat rules (like how 7th Seas deals with "brute squads") for dealing with the hordes of slow shamblers and massive sections giving plot hooks and ideas to keep the long term survival fun to play out, along with tips for handling "time passes" in order to just focus on the crazier parts (think how time passes in Red Dawn and the movie only focuses on the few short terrifying moments of combat every few weeks while all the time hiding scared in the mountains just passes) and I'd be hooked.

Sounds like this just doesn't quite get there though.

[DtMK]

Actually I've started incorporating some of the newer zombie types into my game, the Mock Zombies can be fun to encounter. Haven't used many of the others yet, but then again, the heroes are about to face a hellish sect of demons in my current campaign.

The game is good, and it probably would have rated a 'Hoody hoo!' had it been INTENDED, and ADVERTISED that way. It can work as its own game, the quick-roll character type generator is actually very well streamlined. And I look forward to Rifter #45 to fill in the gaps I and others were anticipating.

[DtMK]

I see a lot of people are chiming in on what they like about both Rifters as well as the DRRPG. I'm honestly glad people like something from either version, and I think everyone knows where I stand by now. And with the Dead Reign Worldbook: Civilization Gone coming out this year, it shows that there's plenty of demand for this genre. I'm a bit on the fence about when I'll get that book, it'll depend on what I hear.

Oh, and if you haven't picked up Rifter #45 yet, GET IT! The world overview, the stats on Gregius, the timeline, additional demons and background/stats on Brulyx is absolutely worth it! I was curious to hear what people might think now that bot sets of books have been out for a while, has anyone's opinions changed? Are you going more strictly with one version over another, or incorporating parts of both into yours? I'm still running a game I started about a year ago that has gone well beyond the original span of the game. It's not just a zombie apocalypse game, but a Megaversal tie-in to the Minion Wars, and the Rifter #45's info on Brulyx has Brulyx as the linchpin to the entire outcome! If Brulyx is free and joins the forces of Hades, then the deevils of Dyval and the Megaverse will be overrun, and the powers used to free whatever is empowering Brulyx could release anything from The Dark to one of the Old Ones!

See, this is part of what I like about the original material in Rifters #40 and 45. It ties into the rest of the Megaverse, and offers great potentials of crossover. DRRPG is good, but it just seems to make itself as something good as a stand-alone world, with the only real compatibility notes offered with the Zombies spilling onto Rifts Earth. DRRPG is good, but in my humble opinion offers less hope for interest in long term campaigns or crossovers. If anyone has made crossovers in a successful way, feel free to chime in here or make your own thread. I just wanted to offer this little note to see what some newcomers think.

[DtMK]

Wait...is he actually gonna be there and running it? Hell, now I wanna go!!!

[Nightbreed]

Sadly whether he runs it or not, i can't go.....

[DtMK]

Well, unless I win the lottery in the next few weeks, I can't make it to the open house. But I hope you have fun! Remember your fan!!!

[Nightbreed]

Well, unless I win the lottery in the next few weeks, I can't make it to the open house. But I hope you have fun! Remember your fan!!!

Ditto.

[DtMK]

Man, a lot's happened since I wrote this review. I need to get the two new DR sourcebooks eventually, but being jobless at the moment takes away from spending willy nilly. Maybe I'll splurge on myself and order a Xmas surprise package. So how about it folks? Any new thoughts or opinions on Dead Reign?

[Joseph Kerr]

Well for Christmas I bought Dead Reign for my little nephew. I've tried getting him in interested in some games before, but he really doesn't take the initiative to get into the different settings.

That being said, he devoured this book. He is a Zombie fanatic and I was hoping this would be a good gateway game to get his interest swelling for the other settings. I think this was a success to be honest.

The only thing that bugged me about the game was that I did not care for all the repeated information. We could have shaved off 10-20 pages in information. The Zombie Abilities didn't seem to change much, why couldn't there have been a section before the Zombie descriptions that was titled "Abilities Common To All Zombies"? Mention it once, not a page wasted for each Zombie repeating these 12 or so abilities.

That was my biggest beef.

Other than that, I'm definitely going to buy him the next two source books.

[RoadWarriorFWaNK]

I bought Dead Reign and Civilization Gone at this year's Open House. Party for research, partly just because i wanted to read it.
I really like the survival tips in the book; they include some things that I had always considered if I found myself in a survival-type situation (such as living in skyscrapers), and some things i had never thought of (scrounging in office parks).
The OCCs and zombies themselves are kind of meh. I can see that there was some attempt at originality there, but none of these guys really "wow" me. Still, they serve their purpose. The one exception is the zombie that keeps doing simple actions over and over again, stuck in a fixed routine. To me, those are the creepiest zombies of all. If I were going to play Dead Reign, i would probably try to convince the GM to let me pick a Systems Failure OCC instead.
I like that there is no given explanation for the zombies. I like keeping things mysterious. Plus I am just so elated that the zombies arent the result of some stupid "super-soldier" or "biological weapon" ******** that was soooo incredibly popular in the movies there for a while. If I were running, I would either come up with a reason so incredibly ridiculous (martians did it!!) or leave it as some cosmic accident that the PCs are never going to understand.
I like reading Dead Reign, but i am not likely to run it. I have run and played in way too many "zombie apocalypse" games in many different systems over the years, and they all inevitably end up being the same thing. Dead Reign doesn't seem to be different enough to warrant my putting together a full campaign, though if my friends begged me enough, i would run a mini-campaign where they find the Martian Base in Times Square or we go around looting Wal-Marts or something.

All in all, I think Dead Reign is a good read, but i don't consider it a must-have item.
Civilization Gone is good too. I LOVE random tables, and they are all over the place here. I also love the trash zombie because the mental images i get of it are just nasty, and that's awesome.
I haven't read Dark Places yet, but I plan on getting it, probably at the next Open House.

In other news, I have been working on a zombie-themed book for Chaos Earth, and I needed Dead Reign so as to make sure that the books are separate enough in content to be not just another lame conversion. My book will be very different from Dead Reign; i'm happy to report.

[DtMK]

I'd also recommend checking out the Rifters with CL's work. I think they might supply some additional perspectives for something a little different. And are you saying you're working on a book covering the Zombie Wars in Chaos Earth? That's a helluva scoop!

[RoadWarriorFWaNK]

I'd also recommend checking out the Rifters with CL's work. I think they might supply some additional perspectives for something a little different. And are you saying you're working on a book covering the Zombie Wars in Chaos Earth? That's a helluva scoop!

I'm not working on anything under that title, no. Kevin's plans for my book may be part of something larger, or "Zombie Wars" may just be his name for my project.
But yes, i am doing a zombie book for Chaos Earth.
I'll talk more about it when i get closer to being finished with it. I'm only about 60-70% done and i think it's too early to really start hyping it. I haven't even had a chance to start properly hyping Triax 2 yet!

[DtMK]

Well still, it's a helluva news flash. That's going to make a LOT of people happy, and I hope you find some great material to inspire you in your work. Other Palladium sources for zombies and undead would be Nightbane for the lesser Create Zombie spell, the Strigoi from Shadows of Light who create their own kinds of infected zombies, and even Heroes Unlimited for options to make undead characters with special abilities. But personally? Check out Rifters 40 and 45, I think a lot of people here would LOVE to see a tie-in to Brulyx's forces on this! I know I would!

[RoadWarriorFWaNK]

Well still, it's a helluva news flash. That's going to make a LOT of people happy, and I hope you find some great material to inspire you in your work. Other Palladium sources for zombies and undead would be Nightbane for the lesser Create Zombie spell, the Strigoi from Shadows of Light who create their own kinds of infected zombies, and even Heroes Unlimited for options to make undead characters with special abilities. But personally? Check out Rifters 40 and 45, I think a lot of people here would LOVE to see a tie-in to Brulyx's forces on this! I know I would!

Actually, it's going to be all-new all-original material.

[DtMK]

Well, borrowed from existing material or all new, it's still a great incentive for zombie lovers to pick it up. Please keep us informed!

[DtMK]

Well, isn't that the point of an apocalypse?

[RoadWarriorFWaNK]

Can't wait to see it! I'll have to revive my "Zombie Wars" Chaos Earth campaign (I ran one for about 8 months)...I DO have to warn you though...if you make me re-start the Zombie Wars Campaign, my players are likely to take out a Contract on you, so be prepared (My GODS I was an evil GM to them in that Campaign)

yeah, you will probably have to get that campaign going again. And if they take it out on me then I am in big trouble.

[DtMK]

Oh come on, any game that makes the players damn the black heart of the insidious mastermind behind the conceived onslaught, doesn't that mean you've done your job?

[Nightbreed]

Oh come on, any game that makes the players damn the black heart of the insidious mastermind behind the conceived onslaught, doesn't that mean you've done your job?

Yes and no. If they die due to severe bad luck (rolling 1 thru 4 5+ times in a row) doesn't necessarily make you a real mean GM. It's all situational IMHO.

[RoadWarriorFWaNK]

Oh come on, any game that makes the players damn the black heart of the insidious mastermind behind the conceived onslaught, doesn't that mean you've done your job?

Yes and no. If they die due to severe bad luck (rolling 1 thru 4 5+ times in a row) doesn't necessarily make you a real mean GM. It's all situational IMHO.

if they die, make sure you keep their characters sheets for when they come back FROM THE DEAD. OOOOOOOHHHHHHWEEEEEEEOOOOOOOO

[Nightbreed]

Oh come on, any game that makes the players damn the black heart of the insidious mastermind behind the conceived onslaught, doesn't that mean you've done your job?

Yes and no. If they die due to severe bad luck (rolling 1 thru 4 5+ times in a row) doesn't necessarily make you a real mean GM. It's all situational IMHO.

if they die, make sure you keep their characters sheets for when they come back FROM THE DEAD. OOOOOOOHHHHHHWEEEEEEEOOOOOOOO

[DtMK]

Seems like love of the book is going strong. Good to see, considering the dire straits Palladium Books was in a few years ago.

[Nightbreed]

Seems like love of the book is going strong. Good to see, considering the dire straits Palladium Books was in a few years ago.

Hey, it will always be popular, people love zombie apocalypses.

But it is great to see Palladium back on it's feet so to speak.

[DtMK]

I'd still like to see what would happen if a DR zombie encountered other undead or similar monsters from other books. It'd be interesting to see the reactions and pecking order.

[Suicycho]

One of my biggest complaints is that other than a few different abilities, all the zombies are the same, yet each zombie type gets a complete write up, reprinting the exact same material about basic zombie stats, abilities etc. Sooooooo much space is wasted reprinting the same info over
It like the entire core DR book is 1/4 original material & the rest is reprinted redundancy.

it seems most books put out by palladium the past 5 years have been like that. Mostly reprinted material. That's a major reason why I don't purchase palladium books anymore. I flip through them, note all the reprinted material, chuckle to myself & put the book back on the shelf.