[Zombie Apocalypse] [Z.A. Ruleset] I Once Believed . . .

[LazzerusThanatos]

Alright! Sorry it took me so long to get back to this. Life can be a pain, especially around Christmas.

So! Where we last left off was me saying I'd talk about gifts and mutations. They're...more or less what's on the tin. Zombies can be grotesquely mutated to have special properties beyond the average zombie. They are a human base, and we are one of the most adaptable creatures on the planet. However, these mutations can still rarely pop up in non-zombie people. Same thing kind of applies to gifts. When meeting a survivor, roll either an almost impossible or a very unlikely chance that they have a gift (it's very unlikely if they're a type of npc that realistically wouldn't have made it far without some sort of benefit, such as middle school kids, heavier-set people, the mentally insane. Anyone else is an Almost Impossible roll to see.)

When you think or know that you've run into a mutated zombie, there are two things to remember:
Getting a 'Yes, but...' confirmation on a mutated zombie means that while the zombie is mutated, something is either hindering it, or it can be avoided completely with a stealth roll. I highly recommend this from situation to situation. Mutations can have some horrifying stacking effects with some of the base Opposition zombies (Such as Infection+ Highly Contagious Zombie. Not dealing with that ever.)
Getting a 'Yes, and...' roll to confirm a mutated zombie means that it may have other normal zombies with it, another mutated zombie, or that the only way to continue forward is to pass it. A lot of situational things can happen concerning 'Yes, and...' rolls.

Now, let's actually get onto the Mutations, and what they do:

Acid-Claws - This mutation causes the claw attacks of the mutated to deal another damage roll at -5, or to deal 3d10% equipment damage to any armor or weapon used to block them. Try blocking them with a gun, and your gun will probably break. +1 Damage bonus

Anemic - This mutation causes the mutated to be constantly bleeding from any wounds. Tracking it down is easy, but it makes the area around it an environmental 'wet floor' kind of hazard. Don't slip up.

Armed - This 'mutation' lets the mutated carry around some sort of weapon that it can use. Melee or ranged, it will attack with it. At least you can loot it if you don't die.

Clever - This mutation causes the mutated to have slightly more developed mental capabilities. They can use door knobs and handles, open windows without breaking them, turn on and off light switches, etc. They will do everything they can to gain as many advantages as possible before attacking.

Disproportionate - Think Chargers from Left 4 Dead 2. One large arm, charge-happy, and will slam you into the scenery relentlessly. +1 Damage, and +5 to rushing down survivors.

Echo-Location - Think Clickers from The Last of Us. Use noise to distract it, and make your footsteps light. Sneaking is your best friend here, especially since this modifies their damage and damage resistance to +1.

Elongated Tongue - Think Smokers from Left 4 Dead 2. Ranged attack with long, tough tongues that constrict and try to suffocate the target, or pull them back into masses of zombies. Can make grapple checks from range with a +5 bonus to maintaining.

Evolutionism - This mutation is truly horrifying. Any zombie with this mutation will gain a new mutation upon eating a survivor, without giving up an old one. The longer these ones go on, the more mutations they'll gain. Should you leave one of these behind, remember to mark down where you saw it, because when you come back and if you see it again, roll a 50/50 chance to see if it got its hands on a survivor while you were away.

Frigid - These zombies are ice cold. They move terribly slow, but they seem to drain heat around them. You'll sooner die of hypothermia before their claws or bites while encountering them. Don't be within about 5 feet unless you loved that field trip to Antarctica. +2 Damage resistance

Gremlin - Think Jockeys from Left 4 Dead 2. They'll jump on your head and attempt to steer you into trouble while clawing at your eyes. -1 damage resistance

Infection - These zombies are a bit more viral than your run of the mill zombies. They will infect zombification when inflicting Moderate wounds or greater.

Infection Plus - These zombies are a lot more viral than your run of the mill zombies. They will infect zombification when inflicting Minor wounds or greater.
     Note!: If you get unlucky enough (like a friend and I did) to run into an Infection+ Virulent Zombie, I'm sorry. They zombification on even hitting, and if they deal a critical wound to a target, that target has an 'Unlikely' chance of dying on the spot and mutating. Outright killing will boost this to a 50/50 chance. May RNGeesus have mercy.

Lonely - Think of the Witch from Left 4 Dead 2. Loudly sobbing, easy to know where they are, and will not react to you if you stay 15 feet away. Shoot them or train a light on them, and it'll act as though you're within 15 feet. After 3 rounds of being within 15 feet, being shot, or having a light shone on them, they'll rush and attempt to kill the nearest survivor. They enjoy +3 damage and +2 damage resistance.

Parkour - Think Hunter from Left 4 Dead 2. They're highly maneuverable, and can leap from elevated areas to slam you to the ground before ripping into your spleen. They enjoy +8 on Jump checks, and deal an extra +2 damage for each round they're in the air before landing on a survivor.

Possum - These mutated appear dead at first, like doubletapped zombies. Might be missing the head, impaled, a burnt husk, etc, but they're not fully dead. Upon any creature getting within range, they will strike.

Projectile Spit - Think Spitter from Left 4 Dead 2. They project stomach acid that will deal damage every round it's on you at -5 if it hit somewhere unarmored, or deal 3d10% equipment damage to what it does hit. Note, this can reduce the integrity of concrete and buildings, albeit slowly.

Projectile Vomit - Think Boomers from Left 4 Dead 2. They're not too quick, but they have a habit of dropping out of nowhere and vomiting on as many people as possible within 10 feet. This attracts any nearby zombies to frenzy towards the target. Those vomited on have -1 damage resistance against frenzying zombies.

Regeneration - This mutation will cause cells of the zombie's body to regrow. It will regenerate 1 degree of its worst wound modifier each round.

Regeneration Plus - This mutation rapidly regenerates cells of the body. These zombies regenerate 2 degrees of their worst wound modifier every round.

Regeneration Double Plus - This mutation is a truly horrifying rate of regeneration, and these zombies regenerate 3 degrees of their worst wound modifier every round.

Roll 2 Mutations - As it says on the tin, roll two mutations, apply both that aren't extra mutation rolls.

Roll 3 Mutations - As it says on the tin, roll three mutations, apply all three that aren't extra mutation rolls.

Roll Gift - Roll a Gift instead of a mutation and apply it to the zombie instead.

Screamer - These mutated will run away from survivors upon sight and continually scream at the top of their lungs to attract other zombies. They tend to prefer hiding in buildings or any place that they can make their scream echo, as to make locating them more difficult.

Screeching - These mutated will act somewhat like screamers, but instead of running away, will attack survivors while screeching at such an intensity that it would make one's ears bleed. While screeching, any survivors within 60 feet will suffer -3 penalties to all actions unless they have ear protection.

Silent - These mutated move almost without making a sound. Awareness checks to notice them are made at a -5 penalty.

Spine-crawler - These mutated are missing the lower half of their body, instead having an elongated and sharpened spinal cord. They will attempt to grapple onto the back of a survivor, much like a Gremlin, and then attempt to use it's spinal cord as a sort of scorpion tail. It makes called shots towards the head with it's tail at no penalty.

Sprinting - These mutated are unusually fast, and get +10 to rush actions against survivors.

Steroid-enhanced - Think of the Tank from Left 4 Dead 2. Large and bulky, strong, and very thick-skinned. They have a +2 to damage with melee attacks, +3 to damage resistance, and can make a ranged attack by taking two rounds that deals an extra +4 damage.

Thick-Skinned - These mutated are just more plain durable. They gain a +2 damage resistance.

Undying - These mutated just don't seem to stay down, and will get back up after some time passes. After 8d6 hours, they will stand up again, and go about their business as normal.

Volatile - These mutated will violently explode in a shower of acid and bone shrapnel, dealing damage at -2 to everyone within 20 feet of it

And now there you have the mutations explained. In the custom list, this is what you'll wanna put as you base:

Acid-Claws
Anemic
Anemic
Armed
Armed
Clever
Disproportionate
Echo-Location
Elongated Tongue
Elongated Tongue
Evolutionism
Frigid
Gremlin
Infection
Infection
Infection Plus
Lonely
Parkour
Parkour
Parkour
Possum
Possum
Projectile Spit
Projectile Vomit
Projectile Vomit
Regeneration
Regeneration
Regeneration
Regeneration Double Plus
Regeneration Plus
Roll 2 Mutations
Roll 3 Mutations
Roll Gift
Screamer
Screeching
Silent
Silent
Spine-crawler
Sprinting
Sprinting
Steroid-enhanced
Thick-Skinned
Undying
Volatile

Feel free to add your own mutations, and let us know here to I can see how well they measure up to put them on the list permanently!

Now for gifts. Gifts are those little things about people that are special that we may or may not be able to place. Telekinesis, unusually good leadership, pyromancy, it all falls under gifts. Again, feel free to add your own gifts, and let us know here to we can add them too, but this is what we currently have:

Charismatic Leader
Displacement
Electrokinesis
Empathic Control
Gifted Learner
Golden Luck
Heirloom
Immunity
Immunity
Jack of All Trades
Piety
Psionics
Pyrokinesis
Quickness Mental
Quickness Physical
Resistance
Resistance
Resistance
Roll Mutation
Savant of Skill
Sense Projection Sight
Sense Projection Sound
Silver Tongue
Telekinesis

Charismatic Leader - People seem to gravitate towards you to make decisions. Social rolls are made at a +5 bonus if you are to make a decision that other people are able to support or oppose. People will always turn to you to be the final arbiter of a decision, no matter whom suggests a course of action.

Displacement - You have a weird ability to short-distance teleport yourself. You gain the Displacement Skill at level 1 (0/20), and you can make a roll to attempt to displace yourself 10d5 feet in any direction.

Electrokinesis - You have a shocking ability to manipulate electricity in an area around you. Energy sockets seem to work, light bulbs will glow, and radios receive better signals. You can also use it aggressively. You gain the Electrokinesis Skill at level 1 (0/20) and can make rolls to manipulate electricity .

Empathic Control - You have an ability to force emotions onto people. You're able to make someone feel how you feel about something, even if they normally wouldn't. You gain the Empathic Control Skill at level 1 (0/20), and can attempt to force emotions upon people.

Gifted Learner - You've always been a better academic than most, and shine in the gaining of skills. When leaning skills using books, you roll 2d10s instead.

Golden Luck - Lady Luck was your mother, and you were her favorite child. 3 negative rolls a week that could affect you are made at a -10 penalty.

Heirloom - You have an item that has existed for a while, and as a matter of fact, it is more than what it seems...

Immunity - You are immune to the zombie virus.

Jack of All Trades - You get a +2 bonus to any skill you roll, but your skill cap is instead level 4 (80/80) and nothing can go higher than this.

Piety - Your faith in a god has finally paid off. You ignore damage resistance with melee weapons as long as you coat them in holy water at the beginning of each fight.

Psionics - You have mental abilities that can affect the minds of others. Altering perceptions, words, colors. I can't really put rules to this one seeing as how much you CAN do with it. You gain the Psionics Skill at level 1 (0/20).

Pyrokinesis - You have the ability to generate and control fire with your mind. You gain the Pyrokenisis Skill at level 1 (0/20).

Quickness Mental - Your brain processes information more rapidly than others might. Reading books only takes 20 minutes, crafting something takes 25% less time, and skills having to deal with critical thinking gain a +5 bonus if they're above level 2

Quickness Physical - Your body acts almost on it's own; must be preservation instinct. You're swifter, and your body will move in response to something faster than most people. Avoiding hazards is made at a +5 bonus, enemies get a -2 to hit you with melee attacks, and any natural twenties you roll while making a physical check give you an additional action for the turn.

Resistance - You are resistant to the zombie virus. Contraction takes 1 degree higher wound to infect, and you half any percent you get from the virus before adding it to your disease percentage.

Roll Mutation - You instead have some sort of mutation from the virus that got inside you without making you a zombie. You are immune to the virus, and have a random mutation.

Savant of [Skill] - When this is gotten, choose a skill to link it to. That skill can be raised to level 6. Level 6 skills have an xp cap of (120/120) and give another feat after they have been maxed.

Sense Projection Sight - You can use clairvoyance. Gain the Clairvoyance Skill at level 1 (0/20). When you use clairvoyance, you can displace your sense of sight up to 100 feet away.

Sense Projection Sound - You can use claudience. Gain the Claudience Skill at level 1 (0/20). When you use claudience, you can displace your sense of hearing up to 300 feet away.

Silver Tongue - You have an esoteric way of using words and syllables that's almost hypnotizing. Diplomacy and Deception rolls are made at a +8 bonus.

Telekinesis - Much like psionics, its hard to put rules to this. Gain the Telekinesis Skill at level 1 (0/20).

And there we have that! Next time, I make a character, and then I'll post to the actual play to see where they go!
Until next time!