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Laeknir
Seeker
68 Posts |
 Posted - 21 Feb 2013 : 18:30:05
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A full-on Zombie Apocalypse in the Realms, affecting every nation, every race, every part of the world.
Would you do it? Have you already done it?
How would it play out?
Is the Abolethic Soverignty responsible?
Isolated pockets of paranoid survivors - where would they be, how would they survive?
Concerned by the future loss of souls (i.e. very few breeders left after the initial death toll), how would the gods, demons, and devils respond? A bizarre alliance of good and evil in order to stop it? What would Sharrans or Cyricists do?
How would Thay (post-4E), various independent vampires, and Larloch respond? Would they team with living survivors to stop the apocalypse? Are their future interests threatened or enhanced?
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Edited by - Laeknir on 21 Feb 2013 18:35:38
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The Masked Mage
Great Reader
USA
2420 Posts |
Posted - 21 Feb 2013 : 18:43:06
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Artemas Entreri
Great Reader
USA
3131 Posts |
Posted - 21 Feb 2013 : 19:15:41
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| Zombie Apocalypses sort of lose their shock effect in a world with Necromancers and other powerful magical beings..not to mention clerics who can simply turn them or obliterate them with holy power. |
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Edited by - Artemas Entreri on 21 Feb 2013 19:16:38 |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7969 Posts |
Posted - 21 Feb 2013 : 19:36:18
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It's been tried in Thay anyhow, with little interest or success.
Zombies also have little appeal in a world populated by liches, vampires, and other exotic undead. They aren't even very exciting when made from mean monsters like beholders, giants, and dragons.
They might be better suited to horror-genre D&D, in one of the Ravenloft domains. Even then, it's less about the sheer magnitude of the horde than about the malign intelligence behind it. |
[/Ayrik] |
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Bladewind
Master of Realmslore
Netherlands
1280 Posts |
Posted - 21 Feb 2013 : 19:48:01
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Still, the scenario could still stand if you come up with a few reasons why they zombie infestation can spread so fast.
Libris Mortis is an invaluable resource for a campaign such as this. An example solution to 'turn undead spamming' clerics it mentions is the saturation of negative energy in an area. Once an area reaches a certain undead density turn undead functions with a severe penalty, as each indiviual undead animus has a link to the negative energy plane that weakens the planar barriers to that plane. Undead resist turning when oversaturated in negative energy.
You can even play with this, saying the whole of Faerun somehow got trapped in a planar conjunction with the plane of negative energy (as a result of or even as the cause of the Zombie Apocalyps). Every living thing not near a source of positive energy would wither an die, with the possibility of spontaneously raising as an undead creature. The gods would need to expend tons of divine energy to realign Abeir-Toril, perhaps halving the power of their divine servants in the process.
A new strand of zombies could also be so tenacious and infectious that its spread across the land is too fast to properly respond to. Containment would prove the only solution for survival, making all inhabitants in surviving citystates struggle for food, shelter and succor. |
My campaign sketches
Druidic Groves
Creature Feature: Giant Spiders |
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The Masked Mage
Great Reader
USA
2420 Posts |
Posted - 21 Feb 2013 : 19:51:10
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| I have to ask, why would you want this in the Realms? What makes the realms great is all the variety of life everywhere you go. In one swoop it would be wiped out. You can put your zombie apocalypse on any world. Just have your characters stumble through the wrong portal and bam zombies galore. |
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Euranna
Learned Scribe
USA
219 Posts |
Posted - 21 Feb 2013 : 19:51:12
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| It would be hard for the zombie apocalypse in a world that has powerful clerics that can obliterate masses of undead. Possibly a small scale event, but large scale would take all the divine casters to be removed from the story. |
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Laeknir
Seeker
68 Posts |
Posted - 21 Feb 2013 : 20:15:07
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One thing I might consider - if I did this - would be to underscore how it affects 99% of all living sentient beings, including current undead.
For instance, what if this curse, virus, (or whatever) not only turns living races into mindless undead, but it also destroys the individual will/minds of undead entities?
I think a lot of the terror, and the urgency of the story, has a lot to do not only with losing one's life but also one's mind. In modern media, way too many vampires, mummies, liches, and so forth are all portrayed as essentially regular people with special powers. As Ayrik said, a lot of the terror and revulsion has been totally eliminated. We have sexy vampires (modern reinterpretations of Dracula), sparkly pretty vampires (that teen romance novel thing), The Mummy trilogy (comedy, but the mummy as a character is compelling).
How do we truly make it terrifying? I agree that for it to go truly large scale, the virus/curse/magic would have to almost immediately kill off the existing powerful clerics. That by itself could send the population into a panic.
And I really, really like Bladewind's ideas, particularly about the Negative Energy Plane somehow crashing into or merging into reality.
As to "why do this to Faerun?" Why not? Sometimes it's interesting, even just as a thought experiment, to play with a real, honest-to-goodness apocalyptic scenario. Many unique aspects of Faerun/Toril might lead to the reversal of the curse/virus, suggest a way out, or be used to play it up (like the convergence with a negative energy plane).
Several years ago, I played in a Realms-based campaign that used the undead deity Kyuss and the "Age of Worms" scenario from Dragon (back when it was still in print). It was semi-apocalyptic, and super fun.
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Edited by - Laeknir on 21 Feb 2013 20:20:38 |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 21 Feb 2013 : 20:26:51
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Certainly not, for many reasons.
1. It's an over-used trope.
2. I don't like zombies (or horror in general).
3. As already pointed out, there are many powers in the Realms that would counter or negate the threat. Deities, dragons, humanoids and monsters that might not care to have zombies stumbling about in their territory...
4. The Realms isn't populated enough. A zombie apocalypse in the Dales isn't going to be a threat to Cormyr any time soon. That zombie horde would have days, if not weeks, of stumbling around before it threatened the next civilized area.
5. The Realms isn't the place for a zombie apocalypse. Even if I liked zombies and if the divine angle could be countered, the Realms is high fantasy, not apocalyptic horror. |
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Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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Edited by - Wooly Rupert on 21 Feb 2013 20:37:30 |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 21 Feb 2013 : 20:42:36
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I thought that IS Thay 4.0? 
I keep picturing Szass Tam trying to get some work done, and in the background you hear hundreds... THOUSANDS.... of voices saying, "Braiiiinssss!" He finally gives up, throws open the window and screams, "will you guys SHUT UP ALREADY!"
A hell of his own making... I like it.  |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 21 Feb 2013 20:43:13 |
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Laeknir
Seeker
68 Posts |
Posted - 21 Feb 2013 : 20:51:48
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I saw a pretty good argument once that the Borg from Star Trek are a high-tech version of the Zombiepocalypse (the Borg have no individual will, they consume everything in their path, they destroy everything, they're incredibly hard to kill, they once were your trusted friends, etc.). So yes, it's a trope and it's true that nothing is original anymore. But the way it's done can lend a fresh quality to the scenario.
As to the Realms not being populated enough, that doesn't matter really. The moment you find a city like Waterdeep that's 99% infected, then realize all the surrounding villages are decimated, that's enough. The moment you try to magically contact your friends in Impultur, Mulhorand, and Maztica, and find out the plague is there too, that's the kicker. Zombies don't have to travel in a big pack all the way from Kara-Tur to Cormyr in order to be effective as a plot point (why would they, anyway?).
And it can affect monsters and humanoids just as easily as humans. A known family of friendly silver dragons, suddenly all infected and turned into mindless killer undead, would be terrifying. A friendly halfling village, all infected except for one terrified hin girl who might have been bitten, that's scary stuff.
Many of the world's powerful would try to counter it, sure. If they understood it, and if they had the ability to stop it, certainly they'd try. But a primary plot point of any Zombiepocalypse is that no one can (well, until the secret is learned).
But yeah, if you don't like zombies generally, then it's probably not for you.
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Edited by - Laeknir on 21 Feb 2013 20:59:43 |
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Bladewind
Master of Realmslore
Netherlands
1280 Posts |
Posted - 21 Feb 2013 : 22:02:35
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| If you think the realms are highly resistant to this scenario you could play it on Threnody perhaps. This is the world in realmspace where Kiriansalee comes from, and where the zombie apocalyps is a result of her ascension. A portal to or from the Realms could place the adventurers in the middle of a dark deadworld, or could be a (albeit local) source of hordes of undead. |
My campaign sketches
Druidic Groves
Creature Feature: Giant Spiders |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 21 Feb 2013 : 22:45:43
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quote:
Originally posted by Laeknir
As to the Realms not being populated enough, that doesn't matter really. The moment you find a city like Waterdeep that's 99% infected, then realize all the surrounding villages are decimated, that's enough. The moment you try to magically contact your friends in Impultur, Mulhorand, and Maztica, and find out the plague is there too, that's the kicker. Zombies don't have to travel in a big pack all the way from Kara-Tur to Cormyr in order to be effective as a plot point (why would they, anyway?).
What would cause zombies to simultaneously pop up in such widely separated geographic areas? Most zombie apocalypse scenarios start in one place and spread, not simulataneously happen everywhere. And if it is everywhere, why were the PCs not affected?
quote:
Originally posted by Laeknir
And it can affect monsters and humanoids just as easily as humans. A known family of friendly silver dragons, suddenly all infected and turned into mindless killer undead, would be terrifying. A friendly halfling village, all infected except for one terrified hin girl who might have been bitten, that's scary stuff.
I'm not talking about them being affected by it. I'm talking about them fighting back. Why would your theoretical family of dragons stay on the ground, where they could be affected, instead of taking to the air, lobbing spells and breath weapons and then leaving if necessary? A band of orcs could take down a similar or smaller group of zombies, and there are way too many orcs in the Realms...
quote:
Originally posted by Laeknir
Many of the world's powerful would try to counter it, sure. If they understood it, and if they had the ability to stop it, certainly they'd try. But a primary plot point of any Zombiepocalypse is that no one can (well, until the secret is learned).
What do you need to understand to use a turning attempt? What do you need to understand to throw a vial of holy water? |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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Laeknir
Seeker
68 Posts |
Posted - 22 Feb 2013 : 00:06:56
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
What would cause zombies to simultaneously pop up in such widely separated geographic areas? Most zombie apocalypse scenarios start in one place and spread, not simulataneously happen everywhere. And if it is everywhere, why were the PCs not affected?
I don't know yet. It's a theoretical work in progress. 
For the moment, let's work with the planar convergence, where for some as-yet-unknown reason the Negative Energy Plane is starting to converge with Toril's reality. Perhaps there is plane-wide contamination of negative energy, and even Far Realm energy is somehow combined with that.
As to why the PCs haven't been infected (yet), I'm not sure. Perhaps they have been exposed to something unique during their prior adventures that has inoculated them against it. Or perhaps there is another reason, as yet unknown.
Let's say that it's not just some regular virus that moves in a typical outward vector but also has magical or cosmic properties that are tied to the negative energy plane or the Far Realms, and multiple vectors have "leaked" into the world at millions of different locations simultaneously. Part of the problem for the PCs is that they need to stop the multiplanar convergence. Epic, right?
quote:
I'm not talking about them being affected by it. I'm talking about them fighting back. Why would your theoretical family of dragons stay on the ground, where they could be affected, instead of taking to the air, lobbing spells and breath weapons and then leaving if necessary? A band of orcs could take down a similar or smaller group of zombies, and there are way too many orcs in the Realms...
Dragons cannot stay in the air forever. At some point they must land to feed. And in the initial stages, when your dragon mate, offspring, and friends are starting to get sick, it's not a simple matter of just lobbing spells and breath weapons. Do you attack your loved ones because they're sick? By the time it's too late and they've crossed into this magical undeath, then sure: start lobbing spells and breath weapons. If you're set upon by an undead mob, then sure, lob those spells and breath weapons. But until then, they'd also be searching for a cause and a cure.
quote:
What do you need to understand to use a turning attempt? What do you need to understand to throw a vial of holy water?
Turning doesn't always destroy an undead, it may only buy a little time. Holy water may be effective, but it takes time to prepare it and you'd need it in constant quantities. In the meantime, I'd assume people are trying to determine and understand the cause - and trying to find a cure.
Also, as was suggested earlier, perhaps the pervasive negative energy is interfering with Turning, or even many spells?
What if holy water isn't as effective as it "should" be, perhaps due to the part-magical (perhaps Far Realm magic?) nature of the plague? What if it has a transmission vector that spreads because of the damaged Weave in 4E, and is more likely to infect those who use magic (both divine and arcane)?
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Edited by - Laeknir on 22 Feb 2013 00:12:12 |
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Laeknir
Seeker
68 Posts |
Posted - 22 Feb 2013 : 00:17:11
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quote:
Originally posted by Bladewind
If you think the realms are highly resistant to this scenario you could play it on Threnody perhaps. This is the world in realmspace where Kiriansalee comes from, and where the zombie apocalyps is a result of her ascension. A portal to or from the Realms could place the adventurers in the middle of a dark deadworld, or could be a (albeit local) source of hordes of undead.
Ooh, I like! What if the PCs need to visit this other world of Kiaransalee's so they can determine what happened there - as a key to understanding or reversing it on Toril (before everyone dies)?
And it might even be something that Kiaransalee is "helping" to cause, as a sort of revenge for the drow causing her name to be forgotten in Toril. Is she working with Shar to cause the bleedover of the negative energy plane?
Perhaps she's aiding the Aboleth. If Kiaransalee cannot have even a portion of Toril as a goddess, she will help them (or others) destroy and conquer it.
Muahahaha!!! 
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silverwolfer
Senior Scribe
789 Posts |
Posted - 22 Feb 2013 : 00:53:13
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I don't think a true undead zombie archtype is the answer you need here.
I would go with maybe a magical diesese that spreads around, and makes folks mindless and answer to some sort of evil power. |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 22 Feb 2013 : 01:04:58
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quote:
Originally posted by Laeknir
A full-on Zombie Apocalypse in the Realms, affecting every nation, every race, every part of the world.
Who or what was the cause?
quote:
Would you do it? Have you already done it?
For the first, that's hard to say. I don't really emphasise demi-human zombies in my Realms. That's simply because neither myself or my players have any interest in partaking of this nonsense zombie-apocalypse hype that, like the creatures themselves, refuses to die. But I do kind of have zombie-dragons, which were the product of Faluzure [Null], and the outcome of a side-quest I ran for a special "Rage of Dragons" campaign back in 2009. They're about the only really zombie-types I allow in my Realms. And even then, I've not done much with them since that adventure.
Which, in effect, answers your second question I suppose.
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How would it play out?
That's easy enough for me. Null doesn't have any interest in expanding on his work with my zombie-dragons.
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Is the Abolethic Soverignty responsible?
In my Realms, the Sovereignty has enough trouble dealing with a Far Realm Aboleth Dominion who see the Sovereignty as "troubled upstarts that must be brought back into line."
quote:
Isolated pockets of paranoid survivors - where would they be, how would they survive?
I could see something like this following up the vampire infestation of Merrydale/Daggerdale.
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Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 22 Feb 2013 : 04:38:23
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quote:
Originally posted by Laeknir
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
I'm not talking about them being affected by it. I'm talking about them fighting back. Why would your theoretical family of dragons stay on the ground, where they could be affected, instead of taking to the air, lobbing spells and breath weapons and then leaving if necessary? A band of orcs could take down a similar or smaller group of zombies, and there are way too many orcs in the Realms...
Dragons cannot stay in the air forever. At some point they must land to feed. And in the initial stages, when your dragon mate, offspring, and friends are starting to get sick, it's not a simple matter of just lobbing spells and breath weapons. Do you attack your loved ones because they're sick? By the time it's too late and they've crossed into this magical undeath, then sure: start lobbing spells and breath weapons. If you're set upon by an undead mob, then sure, lob those spells and breath weapons. But until then, they'd also be searching for a cause and a cure.
Agreed, dragons need to land eventually... But unless you're planning on covering every square inch of the Realms with zombies, there are going to be a lot of non-zombie-filled spaces. As I said before, with the population density of the Realms and the distance between population centers, it'd not be difficult to find huge tracts of land that have zero undead in them.
And again, how are dragons, which can easily fly away after killing hundreds of humanoid opponents, going to be turned? A zombie could gnaw on a dragon's tail for a week and wind up with nothing but a pissed off dragon and a shattered jaw.
quote:
Originally posted by Laeknir
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
What do you need to understand to use a turning attempt? What do you need to understand to throw a vial of holy water?
Turning doesn't always destroy an undead, it may only buy a little time. Holy water may be effective, but it takes time to prepare it and you'd need it in constant quantities. In the meantime, I'd assume people are trying to determine and understand the cause - and trying to find a cure.
When have people in the Realms ever been concerned with curing undeath? Maybe an individual here and there, but if undead start spreading everywhere, people are shifting to fight or flight mode. Most people would hit that mode as soon as the first corpse got up, anyway.
quote:
Originally posted by Laeknir
Also, as was suggested earlier, perhaps the pervasive negative energy is interfering with Turning, or even many spells?
So deities like Lathander, Kelemvor, Chauntea, and anyone else who hates undead are just sitting back and watching all this happen? They're not aiding their followers in any way? Even a lot of evil deities would be helping out -- zombies don't make good worshippers, and people fighting for survival are often not concerned with those things evil deities get off on.
quote:
Originally posted by Laeknir
What if holy water isn't as effective as it "should" be, perhaps due to the part-magical (perhaps Far Realm magic?) nature of the plague? What if it has a transmission vector that spreads because of the damaged Weave in 4E, and is more likely to infect those who use magic (both divine and arcane)?
Sorry, but if we have to reach for the "it's Maaagic!" explanation to make something work, then it doesn't come across as a strong idea. |
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Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
Edited by - Wooly Rupert on 22 Feb 2013 04:40:14 |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7969 Posts |
Posted - 22 Feb 2013 : 10:58:46
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quote:
Wooly Rupert
Agreed, dragons need to land eventually... But unless you're planning on covering every square inch of the Realms with zombies, there are going to be a lot of non-zombie-filled spaces. As I said before, with the population density of the Realms and the distance between population centers, it'd not be difficult to find huge tracts of land that have zero undead in them.
There's just not that many dead things in the Realms. The sheer mass of the zombies would represent a significant fraction of Toril's crustal mass. Even the Wall of the Faithless isn't megascalar, hardly large enough to encompass a smallish city at best, and although the Faithless represent only a small fraction of all dead Realms inhabitants they must've really accumulated after so many millennia.
Most dragons can also easily access the most forbidding mountaintops, deserts, glaciers ... and oh yes, underwater environments, even the pelagic depths. And extradimensional and ethereal and magical retreats.
Of course the undead could always come from elsewhere. But I personally find the notion of a world-wide zombie plague a bit ridiculous in itself and especially in the Realms. Just my opinion. |
[/Ayrik] |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 22 Feb 2013 : 13:26:58
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First, I don't think I would ever even consider running a 'World War Z' scenario. A little over a year ago I wouldn't have even considered running a localized event... but Walking Dead has changed my thinking. I could just drop my players into Thay - or a city near where they currently are (I could easily just make one up for this and plunk it down) - if I wanted to try this out.
On the other hand, if you want to do a global event, its actually fairly easy, and you don't really need to worry about all the logical arguments against it (and why anyone is arguing against someone doing what they want is beyond me in the first place).
I was thinking of a 'plane of undead', but someone mentioned Threnody, and that world - or one just like it - works for us. Toril is loaded with portals; in fact, its the most basic premise the setting itself is built upon (The Forgotten Realms). What if a world/plane like Threnody suddenly became coterminous with Toril? Picture what happened with Abeir, but with a 'dead world' instead.
Throw all your facts out the window - you just created a planet-wide apocalypse that spreads so quickly from hundreds of epicenters that mounting any sort of defense against it would be nearly impossible. In fact, a contagion-event works against cooperation - no-one can trust (the health of) anyone else.
What would be interesting is you'd wind up with a situation similar to that of the now-tropey Vamp vs Zombie scenario - you'd have creatures that are naturally immune to zombism fighting together to stop the plague from spreading further, for no other reason then that it would be endangering all of their own food sources. I can picture Vampires, lycanthropes, illithids, dragons - even trolls - all working together to protect humans/demi-humans/humanoids from being wiped out (along with every other normal animal - zombies aren't all that discerning). |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 22 Feb 2013 13:33:02 |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 22 Feb 2013 : 14:55:51
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quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
(and why anyone is arguing against someone doing what they want is beyond me in the first place).
Because we were asked if we would do it, and how it would play out. People said why they wouldn't do it, and then the OP decided to argue about why our reasons against weren't valid or could be dismissed. |
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Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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Laeknir
Seeker
68 Posts |
Posted - 22 Feb 2013 : 15:04:52
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Okay, fine. Both moderators hate the concept, so kill the thread.
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 22 Feb 2013 : 15:25:23
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Nevermind.  |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 22 Feb 2013 15:33:19 |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 22 Feb 2013 : 15:36:57
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quote:
Originally posted by Laeknir
Okay, fine. Both moderators hate the concept, so kill the thread.
I don't hate the concept. And, in fact, I asked questions about your premise, and even offered some limited glimpses into how I've run something similar in my campaign. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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Laeknir
Seeker
68 Posts |
Posted - 22 Feb 2013 : 15:45:14
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quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
quote:
Originally posted by Laeknir
Okay, fine. Both moderators hate the concept, so kill the thread.
I don't hate the concept. And, in fact, I asked questions about your premise, and even offered some limited glimpses into how I've run something similar in my campaign.
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
That's simply because neither myself or my players have any interest in partaking of this nonsense zombie-apocalypse hype that,
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 22 Feb 2013 : 15:54:43
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quote:
Originally posted by Laeknir
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
quote:
Originally posted by Laeknir
Okay, fine. Both moderators hate the concept, so kill the thread.
I don't hate the concept. And, in fact, I asked questions about your premise, and even offered some limited glimpses into how I've run something similar in my campaign.
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
That's simply because neither myself or my players have any interest in partaking of this nonsense zombie-apocalypse hype that,
Then you misinterpreted my reply. I simply meant to indicate that the concept really doesn't work for me. I don't see how that translates into my hating the concept.
I don't hate zombie apocalypses, as my earlier replies have shown. I've ran campaigns with heavily-centric zombie-themes before. I just don't see myself running something like this based on the currents of zombie-craze sweeping the world. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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Laeknir
Seeker
68 Posts |
Posted - 22 Feb 2013 : 16:14:48
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quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
Then you misinterpreted my reply. I simply meant to indicate that the concept really doesn't work for me. I don't see how that translates into my hating the concept.
I don't hate zombie apocalypses, as my earlier replies have shown. I've ran campaigns with heavily-centric zombie-themes before. I just don't see myself running something like this based on the currents of zombie-craze sweeping the world.
Have I misinterpreted Wooly's disrespectful tone and constant attempts to argue against it? Even when I reply nicely to Wooly and suggest possibilities against his "you can't" questions, he wants to drive it in the ground. Forgive me for thinking that this was a board for discussion, and that we are talking about a setting based totally in fantasy where anything can happen.
It's one thing to say, "not for me" or "doesn't really work for me" but it's entirely different to judge it as "nonsense hype" or attack it until it's driven into the ground.
But whatever. I've lost any enthusiasm for this. Move along. Thread has been killed.
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Edited by - Laeknir on 22 Feb 2013 16:17:34 |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 22 Feb 2013 : 16:27:09
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It's disrespectful to point out problems with logic?
If you want to do a zombie apocalypse, that's your call. But don't ask people if they would do it and then argue with them when they say they wouldn't.
And if you want to sell a concept -- any concept -- as plausible, then it's got to stand up against logical arguments. |
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Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7969 Posts |
Posted - 22 Feb 2013 : 16:38:36
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| Never watched this Walking Dead show which apparently inspires so much zombie love. Why is the zombie hoard an appealing notion, why would it apply to the Realms, why wouldn't it belong in Ravenloft? |
[/Ayrik] |
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Farrel
Learned Scribe
United Kingdom
239 Posts |
Posted - 22 Feb 2013 : 17:44:41
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I used a watered down version of an undead horde (Zombies and Skeletons) following Kendra The Mad in my Mistledale campaign, the player absolutely loved it.
It has led to further undead encounters through the campaign, which we have both enjoyed immensely.
It wasn't an apocalypse as such, but I did have some of the undead carry an infectious bite so that they were far scarier.
I watched the 1st season of the Walking Dead and really enjoyed it, the 2nd series was a bit of a let down so I stopped following it.
It's your realms and I'd say to go with whatever you fancy!
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Edited by - Farrel on 22 Feb 2013 17:46:54 |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11695 Posts |
Posted - 22 Feb 2013 : 19:21:12
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I've watched Walking Dead. I love the show. I'd never do a "the entirety of faerun is faced with a zombie apocalypse" scenario, for the same reason I'm not interested in dragonlance. It would turn the world into a simple plot and my players would get bored. Now, that being said, I could see doing something like this in a regional campaign with lower level characters. The big thing there becomes the players can't teleport around, etc.... It would have to be some place where the surrounding countries wouldn't swoop in to aid the country (so, for instance, Thay... maybe Unther... Vaasa... the moonsea area... Dambrath...). I also wouldn't have mindless zombies.... ghouls more match what you see in the zombie apocalypse scenarios. Another option would be a horde of blightspawned (who change people into blightspawned and then eventually die and become juju zombies).
However, I can't stress enough, I'd only do this on a local scale for a short term effect. It'd get boring fast. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Zombie Apocalypse in the Realms
