I'm pausing a bit from work on Ferals (I recently updated the PDF on MediaFire), to prepare for another of my rpgs in the same series.
This game is called "Gothire", and is a game where the characters gets traits from creatures in horror movies and -stories, for uncertain reasons.

Some use the powers to act a bit like superheroes, some examines the alternate meaning of "Underworld", and some decides to further the agenda of a Divine Patron.
The Divine Patrons varies from mythic Divinities such as Thor or Bast, to some of the Sephira, such as Kether and Malkuth.
It also includes some entirely(?) made-up Deities.

Now, the question is, what kind of Zombie should the game include, or should be most common, and what powers would be derived from it?

For those who do not know the difference:
Voodoo Zombies are drugged humans that may be controlled, perhaps by a spirit.
while
Decaying Zombies is uncontrollable, decaying flesheaters.

Both could have supernatural stamina and/or regeneration, so that is already considered.

Just add both and call one kind Juju Zombies and the other kind Zuvembies, or whatever.
Or roll both into one type, like in the Hammer classic Plague of the Zombies (which features undead zombies controlled by voodoo magic).

Quote from: Skyrock;797448Just add both and call one kind Juju Zombies and the other kind Zuvembies, or whatever.
Or roll both into one type, like in the Hammer classic Plague of the Zombies (which features undead zombies controlled by voodoo magic).

Hm, I have to admit, my knowledge about Voodoo Zombies or Zuvembvies or whatever are their original actual name (I know it is neither although zuvembvie is closer) is quite limited, so if someone that knows more would contribute, i'd be pleased.

However, I do think they aren't that easily combinable with the decayer zombies of recent pophorror, with the spiritual connections and all that that they may have.

Although, as a monster, they perhaps should be treated as one in this game, as different zombies has different combinations of traits?

The decaying zombie that eats brains isn't too far from the D&D ghoul, so you could just call them ghouls and keep them alongside voodoo zombies that way.

IIRC the folklore of the voodoo zombie is sometimes that they're still dead (albeit, not rotting) and if they eat e.g. meat or salt, they remember they're dead. Potentially if you let those have sentience they're more interesting as a PC option (people whose souls have been stolen) than the decaying option, but the rotting zombie makes a better monster/adversary.

Quote from: Catelf;797473However, I do think they aren't that easily combinable with the decayer zombies of recent pophorror, with the spiritual connections and all that that they may have.

And that right there is exactly why should simply purge decaying zombies from your game and only have the Voodoo ones. Rotting zombies in pop culture have become appalingly overused years ago, and any strike against the damn trend is a worthy one.

QuoteThe decaying zombie that eats brains isn't too far from the D&D ghoul, so you could just call them ghouls and keep them alongside voodoo zombies that way.

Of course, ghouls in turn were inspired by the ghul of Arabian folklore, a type of graveyard-dwelling jinn, so if the OP wants to have real-world culture allusions in the game, that's another thing to work with.

Quote from: Catelf;797473Hm, I have to admit, my knowledge about Voodoo Zombies or Zuvembvies or whatever are their original actual name (I know it is neither although zuvembvie is closer) is quite limited, so if someone that knows more would contribute, i'd be pleased.

The Serpent and the Rainbow would be your go-to source here (the book, not the film), a psuedo? (you decide) scientific exploration of the zombie phenomenon in Haiti, where people are fed a powder made in part from poison derived from a type of fish, causing them to enter a type of coma indistinguishible from death for several days. So they die get buried, and then the voodoo priest goes and digs them up and declares they are now his slaves. And people actually apparently lived like this. Apparently the poison may cause brain damage or impair speech. There is an actual anti-zombie law in Haiti.

For more on the folklore side of things, GURPs: Voodoo and GURPs: Undead are obvious recommendations. In Haitian traditions there is also an ethereal or astral Zombie.

Generally speaking, the zombie is considered by folklorists to be a metaphor for the history of Haiti's original population of slaves, and a mythological way of dealing with (absorbing into the communal explanation for reality) the experiences of slavery.

in the original NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD the creatures are referred to as ghouls and never zombies.  It would be weird to call them zombies since at the time a zombie would be someone controlled by voodoo magic.

Quote from: TristramEvans;797506The Serpent and the Rainbow would be your go-to source here (the book, not the film), a psuedo? (you decide) scientific exploration of the zombie phenomenon in Haiti, where people are fed a powder made in part from poison derived from a type of fish, causing them to enter a type of coma indistinguishible from death for several days. So they die get buried, and then the voodoo priest goes and digs them up and declares they are now his slaves. And people actually apparently lived like this. Apparently the poison may cause brain damage or impair speech. There is an actual anti-zombie law in Haiti.

For more on the folklore side of things, GURPs: Voodoo and GURPs: Undead are obvious recommendations. In Haitian traditions there is also an ethereal or astral Zombie.

Generally speaking, the zombie is considered by folklorists to be a metaphor for the history of Haiti's original population of slaves, and a mythological way of dealing with (absorbing into the communal explanation for reality) the experiences of slavery.

Quite fascinating. I remember years ago that the emergence of zombie/undead movies was linked to a paranoia about communism, probably still is in film criticism circles. Night of the living dead from 1968 comes to mind.

What do commentators suggest the recent fascination with zombies is linked to? Can these contemporary accounts be used to inform gaming decisions (design or play for example)?

Pick one or mix and match.

[1] Zombies as decaying dead reanimated through necromancy. Basic D&D inspired by Ray Harryhausen dead. Works as well on skeletons and the zombies flesh may decay eventually turning them into skeletons.

[2] Zombies as mutated, diseased humans who die and rise as flesh eating (often brain eating) fiends that propagate by infection. The zombies may be slow and stupid (as in the original Romero Night of the Living Dead or Shaun of the Dead) or fast and viscious (as in Resident Evil).

[3] Zombies as creatures raised from the dead by Voodoo priests. These zombies have their mouths sewn shut to lessen the chance that they can be destroyed by eating salt (or something).

[4] Zombies as people drugged by Voodoo priests and made to think they have died and been reanimated by magic.

[5] Zombies revenants that rise from the grave because they were buried improperly. Your basic Norse draugr.

Quote from: BarefootGaijin;797512What do commentators suggest the recent fascination with zombies is linked to? Can these contemporary accounts be used to inform gaming decisions (design or play for example)?

Maybe an open niche in horror after a certain proportion of the population gave up on vampires as too sparkly...
That's just an off-the-cuff suggestion mind you. OTOH, I guess the problem with it is that vampires were always a sort of erotic thing, whereas zombies are a sort of survivalist horror: zombie apocalypse could also be coming into vogue to fill an apocalypse niche (28 days later, etc.) now that nuclear apocalypse seems further away.

Quote from: BarefootGaijin;797512Quite fascinating. I remember years ago that the emergence of zombie/undead movies was linked to a paranoia about communism, probably still is in film criticism circles. Night of the living dead from 1968 comes to mind.

What do commentators suggest the recent fascination with zombies is linked to? Can these contemporary accounts be used to inform gaming decisions (design or play for example)?

Ive wondered that myself. My best guess so far...

A group of human-in-appearance -but-not ("The Other") that is eminently hostile towards us by nature, it is impossible to communicate with, shows no sign of empathy, and has a total disregard for personal safety or their "lives" in the accomplishment of our destruction? Sounds like a mythologized terrorist to me.

So, the "pop-zombie" is actually a ghoul ....
And the zombies is drugged humans.
...and then there is the science-based "zombies" that mutates (Resident Evil).

Hm, as the Players may be able to mix "Monster Traits" for their characters anyway, it may be just as well to just give them and the GM general info about the zombie variants, and let them choose.

Quote from: Catelf;797610So, the "pop-zombie" is actually a ghoul ....
And the zombies is drugged humans.
...and then there is the science-based "zombies" that mutates (Resident Evil).

Hm, as the Players may be able to mix "Monster Traits" for their characters anyway, it may be just as well to just give them and the GM general info about the zombie variants, and let them choose.

instead of players being Zombies, why not just let them channel Laos and invoke Baron Samedi yo create their own mini-army of Zombies to do their bidding?

Quote from: BarefootGaijin;797512Quite fascinating. I remember years ago that the emergence of zombie/undead movies was linked to a paranoia about communism, probably still is in film criticism circles. Night of the living dead from 1968 comes to mind.

What do commentators suggest the recent fascination with zombies is linked to? Can these contemporary accounts be used to inform gaming decisions (design or play for example)?

Today, zombies is more an excuse to bash people's heads in.
It is very much about dumbing down and let loose the brutality .....
The idea is to do it against the zombies, but in true "personal horror"-style, the real threat is the zombie-bashers that thinks they are defending themselves, when they may actually be the attackers.
So, their real fight for survival is to keep caring for others than themselves.

Quote from: TristramEvans;797612instead of players being Zombies, why not just let them channel Laos and invoke Baron Samedi yo create their own mini-army of Zombies to do their bidding?

That is a possibility, as Voodoo myth is one of the myths whose divinities(and similar) i'll include some of in the rpg, both for their Voodoo connection, and their Christian connection.

However, the basic Player Character premise is to physically be "part monster", and being zombie-like but still sentient is a too good idea to not have available to Player Characters.