Shadowrun

Shadowrun Play => Gamemasters' Lounge => Topic started by: Adamo1618 on <12-04-14/1139:09>

Title: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: Adamo1618 on <12-04-14/1139:09>
Hey! New GM here. I'm trying to create a military campaign where I want a cyberzombie to go rampage on a small society (a town or similar), and forcing the players to witness it powerlessly. (Is that a word?) Then I want the zombie to become the main antagonist, and the players to eventually kill him late in the campaign. For the zombie I use the rules provided in 4E - Augmentation. How do you pull this off?

I want them to be outclassed by him early, but discovering a method later on that allows them to kill him. The solution can possibly come from a certain research facility where the zombie was being experimented on. Can you think of a way, except something like filling him with APDS or any "simple" solution?
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: Rift_0f_Bladz on <12-04-14/1210:24>
One of the easiest ways is hacking the monster via a decker, who could just shut it down or overload it 'ware. Remember too cyberzombies are not free think critters, but controlled by someone else. So, while the zombie maybe the first "antagonist" the real threat is the rigger running it (who may have more).
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: 8-bit on <12-04-14/1220:01>
One of the easiest ways is hacking the monster via a decker, who could just shut it down or overload it 'ware. Remember too cyberzombies are not free think critters, but controlled by someone else. So, while the zombie maybe the first "antagonist" the real threat is the rigger running it (who may have more).

Where are you getting that a cyberzombie is run by a rigger? Looking through Augmentation, I see 0 evidence that this is the case. They are most certainly free thinking beings (kind of a stretch to call metahuman at this point), usually insane, depressed, and psychotic due to the amount of 'ware and the fact of being a cyberzombie. And cyberzombies can run most, if not all, of their stuff offline.



I think you should realize that Cyberzombies are basically considered one-man Weapons of Mass Destruction. And they have access to the best 'ware on the planet.

One of the ways to defeat one is to turn off their Invoked Memory Stimulator. Those who have them off usually forget to take care of their body and die through sheer apathy. You can also stop their supply of drugs that they need; if they stop getting them, they develop fatal cancers or worse from all the work they've had done on them. If you want to tie this into a run, you could probably sabotage a facility that gives him the necessary chemical cocktails so that he breaks down and dies.

Other than that, the only real method are lucky and liberal applying of bullets, or maybe just nuke the damn thing and hope it dies (not even guaranteed there).
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: Rift_0f_Bladz on <12-04-14/1430:35>
Mostly from fluff and the shadowrun games (especially Returns) Cyberzombies where generally near brain dead or had the original mind so repressed they need a rigger or someone to control them.
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: DigitalZombie on <12-04-14/1433:03>
heh alternatively you could have the cyberzombie kill the whole party, that usually creates some animosity between the players and the antagonist:)

No no, I dont mean kill off their usual characters, but at the next session give each player a mercenary character (at about 70-80% of awesomeness compared to their own character), have them all equipped with sim rigs and have the cyberzombie brutally kill them all. Then the following session (or later the same game night) have the real characers view through the simsense to try and gauge some weaknesses.

Being extra mean you should make some short background stories to each red-shirt mercenary, stuff like: this will be his last mission before returning home to his wife and toddler, or getting enough money to pay for his kid brothers surgery etc.

... or send the runners out to find some real have emotional heartbreaking stuff from the cyberzombies past and load that into its memory stimulator, making him/it go nuts or break down or whatever.
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: farfromnice on <12-04-14/1517:07>
I was thinking to run a game with basically the same idea

something like : a High Technology Drone is, at first, tough to be stolen. The players are brought in to find it and discover that the drone is self aware not a real AI but it have the potential to be. The problem is it's in a killing spree, much like the first Rambo, and fight everything who looks like a corp as the players advanced in the game they finds that "the killing spree" is only a cover up by the employer corp to retrieve his drone. Now, normally, the players talk with the AI, who by the way don't think like normal MetaHuman, and now it want revenge over is parent corp for the set up ! The players could help it but in the process will kill a lot of innocent people OR they could side with the corp and make the AI prisoner again

They could reasoned with it but, like I said, it don't think like you and me, and probably see every try to temper it off will be seen with suspicion

if you don't want the AI. I see your Cyborg with a sever PTSD who trigger is killing spree. The players, at some point, will want to help it but he will see every attempt to do so with paranoia and fear, it could trigger another crisis. The Corp at this point will see the players at liability and will track them down for "erasing" purpose. Maybe they will bomb the hell out of the players who will be save by the Cyborg in a full crisis who think is in long end EuroWar or somenthing

or they could kill him and be friend with the corp :P
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: farfromnice on <12-04-14/1527:25>
you could bring a third party like Knight Errant who is not happy to see that some corp is losing is material on there turf, they could help the players "apprehend" the "culprit" with equipment of their own

certainly the Cyborg want to be free and will respond badly to an arrest
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: Namikaze on <12-04-14/1620:36>
First off, determine if the character is a cyberzombie or not.  If they're a cyberzombie, then they have full autonomy.  The biodrone idea that is being passed off as a "cyberzombie" isn't accurate.
Second, determine how you're converting the rules from 4th edition.  Since there aren't any rules for 5th edition yet, we don't really know how the character interfaces with things.  This is especially true for a biodrone type of character.

If your players need to a kill one of these death machines, the best thing to do is hit it with stun damage.  Generally speaking, most cyberzombies don't have the Willpower to really have a large stun damage pool, and with all their armor and such they're likely not going to do any physical damage anyway.  Stunbolts and other spell-based damage are especially effective.  Also, you might consider having the team's mage sever the connection that is keeping the cyberzombie alive.  My memory of the details of cyberzombies in 4th edition isn't great, but if I remember correctly there was some sort of spark that was being used to keep these poor sods kicking long after their body was dead.  This is what your team wants to attack - whether it's an implanted memory that might be altered by a hacker, or a mana-based spell or enchantment that the mage can destroy.
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: 8-bit on <12-04-14/1625:32>
I don't know about the spark part, but damaging a Cyberzombie with a spell would actually be pretty difficult, if I recall.

They get their maximum natural attribute raised by their negative essence (rounded normally). While it does require Karma to raise them, a Human Cyberzombie with -2 Essence could end up with all 8s in it's stats. They also always stand at the heart of a Rating 4 Background count that affects all incoming spells.

Then again, I've never seen a Cyberzombie in a game, so I don't know what the typical one would be, if that term can even apply to them.
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: Adamo1618 on <12-04-14/1630:31>
One of the ways to defeat one is to turn off their Invoked Memory Stimulator. Those who have them off usually forget to take care of their body and die through sheer apathy. You can also stop their supply of drugs that they need; if they stop getting them, they develop fatal cancers or worse from all the work they've had done on them. If you want to tie this into a run, you could probably sabotage a facility that gives him the necessary chemical cocktails so that he breaks down and dies.

Other than that, the only real method are lucky and liberal applying of bullets, or maybe just nuke the damn thing and hope it dies (not even guaranteed there).

I like that idea. I doubt it would be Wireless (and if so, probably set to Silent) so hacking it can be very tricky and requires a direct connection. I'd also like that kind of anticlimactic ending. Maybe I'm an evil Gamemaster. Sabotaging medication might work but isn't very trustworthy since they most likely have backup chemicals and stuff.

On a sidenote, is there any was to lower an individual's Magic rating? And does Elemental damage count as Normal Weapons for the purpose of the Immunity to Natural Weapons Power? How about Toxins?
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: Herr Brackhaus on <12-04-14/1755:31>
Alternatives to lead poisoning approach:

1. The Terminator Way
The runners somehow discover that even a cyberzombie can be melted down, and so they begin a bait-and-switch series of adventures that take them through the town to the old smelting plant conveniently located nearby in order to dispose of the villain once and for all.

2. The Malcolm Reynolds Way. Shiny!
This method could involve adventure in true space cowboy fashion, with the team infiltrating the research lab where the cyberzombie was created and finding out the horrible truth behind it all. The team then has to evade the corporate masters behind everything as they race to eliminate the team, while the cyberzombie, like the Operative in Serenity, becomes one of the first of his kind to overcome psychosis.

This one is definitely more of a horror/thriller story driven method than my other suggestion, and it plays fast and loose with established canon.

3. The Macguffin Method
At some point during a protracted fight with the cyberzombie, a weakness is conveniently revealed. Perhaps the creature reacts to a particular external stimulus, like music, in an unpredicted way, or perhaps it turns out that it has a debilitating allergy to some unusual metal or chemical. Bonus points if the zombie is allergic to something a team member is allergic to as well.

The team then has to either gather a unique ingredient and figure out how to weaponize it in order to weaken the cyberzombie enough to kill it, or reproduce an event or situation in order to distract the monster just long enough for the rest of the team to drop the proverbial hammer.
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: Namikaze on <12-04-14/1916:51>
I don't know about the spark part, but damaging a Cyberzombie with a spell would actually be pretty difficult, if I recall.

They get their maximum natural attribute raised by their negative essence (rounded normally). While it does require Karma to raise them, a Human Cyberzombie with -2 Essence could end up with all 8s in it's stats. They also always stand at the heart of a Rating 4 Background count that affects all incoming spells.

Then again, I've never seen a Cyberzombie in a game, so I don't know what the typical one would be, if that term can even apply to them.

I can't recall the specific rules, but I thought there was a way to sever them astrally from the their life force.  Still, I had forgotten about the Invoked Memory Stimulators - that was what I was talking about for the technological solution.  I suspect your memory on this is better than mine, I've never wanted to use a cyberzombie nor have I ever had anyone try to create one.  The background count thing is new to me, I think.  I'll have to go back and read the rules.  But it makes sense - these things are just wrong.

1. The Terminator Way
The runners somehow discover that even a cyberzombie can be melted down, and so they begin a bait-and-switch series of adventures that take them through the town to the old smelting plant conveniently located nearby in order to dispose of the villain once and for all.

This is a great solution to any big bad guy.  :)

2. The Malcolm Reynolds Way. Shiny!
This method could involve adventure in true space cowboy fashion, with the team infiltrating the research lab where the cyberzombie was created and finding out the horrible truth behind it all. The team then has to evade the corporate masters behind everything as they race to eliminate the team, while the cyberzombie, like the Operative in Serenity, becomes one of the first of his kind to overcome psychosis.

This one is definitely more of a horror/thriller story driven method than my other suggestion, and it plays fast and loose with established canon.

This would be interesting - I think a lot of work has to be done by the GM to make this work in a game setting, but if the GM wants to put that kind of effort into it then the players would get a nice reward.  The story potential here is awesome.  And established canon is only worth what a GM wants it to be worth, so I say go for it.

3. The Macguffin Method
At some point during a protracted fight with the cyberzombie, a weakness is conveniently revealed. Perhaps the creature reacts to a particular external stimulus, like music, in an unpredicted way, or perhaps it turns out that it has a debilitating allergy to some unusual metal or chemical. Bonus points if the zombie is allergic to something a team member is allergic to as well.

The team then has to either gather a unique ingredient and figure out how to weaponize it in order to weaken the cyberzombie enough to kill it, or reproduce an event or situation in order to distract the monster just long enough for the rest of the team to drop the proverbial hammer.

I like this method the best, as it's a great combination of the other two methods you suggested.  It has some storyline elements that are intriguing, and it gives the players an "I Win" button they can (maybe) press in time to save their hides.
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: Shaidar on <12-04-14/2247:27>
While Cyberzombies were originally freethinking individual Metahumans, they require a very expensive and tightly controlled process for their creation, and more importantly, ongoing maintenance/support.  They are usually tightly controlled, reusable self-guided weapons, which tend to view the world as if they were playing a round of Doom.

You might want to give some thought to which cat/corp the Cyberzombie/paw belongs
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: McGuffin on <12-05-14/1203:03>
A Cyberzombie is the ultimate badass opponent. If your Cyberzombie gets defeated by simply pulling some switch it would take away from the drama and excitement. In my humble opinion, if the runners don't think back to that fight and shiver in fear of the enormous personal costs it involved - even though they won - something went wrong. There shouldn't be a situation where they cheer and kill it, walking away while high-fiving.

I really like the approach that the runners need to do some research, breaking into a lab or something to gather intel about this particular Cyberzombie.
It implies that the creature is not defeatable otherwise (and it shouldn't with all the best hardware money can buy, driven by expert combat and tactical training. Keep in mind its not stupid and highly mobile. A Cyberzombie could just retreat to come back later), and it needs the help of all runners not just one, which is always funnier for the players.

Assuming the runners actually have a hacker available (should be a player), one solution might be to find a way to activate his wireless transponder (let's call it antenna).
Before that he is not reachable via wireless attempts to hack. Call it a precaution of the original maker in cases of autonomous action, to prevent this bazillion-nuyen investment to get bricked by some punk-ass hacker.
Only from a specific console at a specific location (whatever secret lab or facility you might find worthy for this endfight) his antenna can be activated.

This scenario leads to,
a) The runners need to lure the Cyberzombie to the location (which could be hard if you rule that it knows about its 'antenna dilemma') and close to the short-range transponder.
b) They need to play with it while the hacker attempts to hack the protected console, to deactivate it.

It would involve all runners to participate, create a great deal of suspense and the dramatic sacrifice option where runners really take hits to keep it where it needs to be.
And it gives you a lot of things to twitch to create the exact atmosphere you want. Too easy so far? Make something on the console break because its so old - hacker needs to repair it fast. Or let the Cyberzombie see through their trap and try to retreat - until a runner comes out of cover and taunts it. The runner is no in a duel to the death which he can only hope to win by surviving long enough. You get the idea.

Hope that helps. Would be nice if you let us know how it all played out, when it's done.
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: Adamo1618 on <12-05-14/1413:39>
Thanks a lot guys! I'm gonna give them several ways to pull it off, and different endings based on which one they choose.

Hope that helps. Would be nice if you let us know how it all played out, when it's done.

I really want to, but it might take a while (about a month I guess). But I'll post here once it happens ^^
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: PiXeL01 on <12-05-14/2126:17>
Put it in heavy military armor so they can't just blow it away ^^
That plus all the armor on its cyberbody should make it impossible even to dent.
Make it highly intelligent and maybe ex-special forces.
I think spells & chrome has a story about a group trying to hunt down a Seal suffering from cyberpsychosis. The Seal is bringing the fight to him so maybe you can grow inspiration from that to keep him alive until that moment.
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: cantrip on <12-18-14/1430:52>
If you really want to mess with their heads, have them hired for a series of runs from Corp 'XYZ' with the requirement that they work with a special operative. Special Operative is of course the Cyber Zombie.

Give your team specific tasks that require their specialized skills, contacts or experience and the Cyberzombie has it's own objectives (perhaps the Corp is conducting field tests with expendable team members .... shhhhh! Don't tell your players! ;)).

Here is the twist, the Cyberzombie becomes attached to the team (or perhaps a member of the team that shows interest, compassion, comradery etc.) -- perhaps it get lost in the details and begins to think it is human/metahuman again, perhaps a system glitch that identifies them as an asset to protect for the corp at all costs, or just fragging pychosis - it's a cyberzombie!

Next twist - it begins to track, stalk follow them after breaking out of it's facility/fragging it's controller or what have you --- perhaps this would be more fun if you are in an isolated location, like an island where you can't just runaway.  :)

Instead of wanting to kill them, it wants to protect them - this could play out okay for a bit, but is always going to go south eventually. If it is focused on one character it may start disposing of threats (you know, contacts, other runners, that pesky KE officer that's been helping the team out on occasion) so think "Fatal Attraction" with a Cyberzombie. Yikes!

Another spin would be that at some point it begins to feel that the team is controlling it and since it got rid of it's last controllers, begins to take them out one by one --- or the whole team. Don't kill them, but have them disappear until they all wake up at the abandoned soy-meat packing plant. They have to escape and bring an end to the madness once and for all!  ;D

Okay, a little melodramatic, but you get the idea - I don't really see cyberzombie focused games as being light-hearted. Although one based on Cyborg (http://teentitans.wikia.com/wiki/Cyborg) would be a blast!  8)

I just would want have one scene where a player walks into their apartment after a hard day of running, turns on the light and there is the cyberzombie sitting in their favorite chair, silent, unmoving, just - looking at them. MWAHAHAHA! Ahem - I've been reading Girl Genius too much recently; though that would make it a steampunk cyberzombie....hmmmm....off to the drawing board.
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: MijRai on <12-18-14/1530:58>
Cantrip...  I love the way you think. 
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: DigitalZombie on <12-18-14/1640:09>
+1 interwebz karma for that idea :)

just image the looks on the party face when he discovers a blood soaked cyberzombie in hi living room holding  the mangled head of a puny ganger that said some mean words to the character the day before.

CZ: Dont worry friend... he wont be bothering you no more, noone bothers my friend , right? (smiles while his cybereyes looks rather unfocused and bewildered), no one must hurt any of MY FRIENDS!! *crushes head* I.. I did good right?.. right??
party face: *gulp* ye..yeah s...sure eeh , whoops I forgot something somewhere else far away from here *backs away*
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: Kincaid on <12-18-14/1656:31>
I ran a plot that was very similar ages ago, although the NPC had the mental/emotional capacity of a 12-year old (and the physical capacity of Captain America meets Universal Soldier), so he fell into a distinctly unhealthy parent/child relationship with the runners.  Good times.
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: Redman on <12-19-14/0630:46>
To show of though the CyberZombie is I would give immunity to normal weapons like spirits have when converting it to SR5
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: cantrip on <12-19-14/1345:04>
 ;D

Thanks guys!

Yeah, my players love me. ;)
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: The Wyrm Ouroboros on <12-20-14/0129:56>
Ick.

People seem to forget that cyberzombies are - or, you know, were - people first.  Moreover, anyone who earned or was selected for such a high level of implantation was likely to already be a highly competent, high-functioning individual in one capacity or another.  Any psychological issues they may suffer after implantation are either going to be the standard ones (getting lost in the details, that sort of thing) or especially come from whatever psychological keys or issues they had prior to this heavy implanting.  Captain America is going to be even more gung-ho 'America, Right Or Wrong!' and might take to slapping around deadbeats who decry the government; Slade the Sniper Assassin is going to become even more obsessive/compulsive about the things he does.

Personality tics become amplified; minor issues become major.  But really, cramming 9 points of cyberware into Sherlock Holmes isn't going to turn the magnificent bastard infantile, or any other such issue; it's just going to make him more of a bastard.
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: Kincaid on <12-20-14/0942:15>
I'm sure we all regret trying to tell interesting stories at our tables.
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: The Wyrm Ouroboros on <12-20-14/1049:29>
Mmm-hmmm.  Please don't try to passive-aggressive me; it's irritating.

Interesting stories are good; interesting stories are great.  But behind an interesting story should be another interesting story - and, psychologically, a relatively reasonable (or at least internally consistent!!) one.  The players don't need to know what the story is, but if you're the GM, you should IMO have a pretty darn firm grasp of why your heavily-recurring NPC does stuff, if only to remain consistent.  Your juvenile parent/child-attachment-to-the-PCs cyberzombie sounds great - and if you're the GM and you plan (or planned) to have this guy coming back again and again and hanging around with your PCs, you should have (or develop) the character's backstory and psychology at least as well as any other you use.  Maybe this gung-ho Captain America / Dethlok guy originally went into the Marines to live up to his parent's expectations, and that drive to 'make Mom proud / live up to Dad's legacy / get Uncle Bud's approval' was behind every major decision, was the central force behind his drive to succeed.  Knowing that enables you to better pilot the parent/child relationship with the PCs - and who knows, maybe results in tension when Dethlok has some adolescent 'why don't you ever say I did good?!?' existential angst.  Having that sort of 'rage against the machine' while being able to tear holes in titanium plate armor makes players walk around on eggshells ... and could make for an even more interesting story.
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: DigitalZombie on <12-20-14/1431:06>
@Wyrm
Many had some good ideas here, your contribution can be just as good without belittling theirs.

There are many "right" ways for a GM to play a cyberzombie wrong, but there are also wrong ways to play him right.
And OP should go with what fits his and his gaming groups style - thats the right one.
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: MannyAc58 on <12-28-14/2249:55>
two things
1. MijRai -"Would you want to go into a place where the resident had a drum-fed shotgun and can see in the dark?" The answer is no, I wouldn't. BUT I wouldn't mind BEIng the resident.

2. Playing in 4th edition now. Literally had it out with a cyberzombie today.
Lots of shooting, Spirits using physical attacks. Direct magical attacks totally useless. Took a long while but finally put it down. Our Runner group (5 experienced runner) was down to the last few rounds and had maybe 10-12 health left between us...loads of fun
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: ScytheKnight on <12-30-14/1636:28>
Another possible alternate to the Mcguffin is rather than a 'convenient' weakness, have the team do some runs to call in some *big* favors to borrow some really big guns and 'dangerous as all heck' munitions... Ares Thunderstrucks, Ares Archon Heavy MP Lasers, Thermite loaded Rockets/Grenades, reinforced capsule rounds filled with the most messed up powerful acids 2075 can think up.... if the team doesn't have the skills to use this kind of firepower perhaps they might be using themselves to bait the Cyberzombie into a giant cluster**** of them.

Another possible idea is the reinforced pit filled with explosives, find some way of sealing it and that's gonna be some truly vicious damage there.

Lead it into a transformer station and destabilize the equipment... that amount of electricity should play all kinds of havok with its 'ware.
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: psycho835 on <12-30-14/1717:52>
Instead of wanting to kill them, it wants to protect them - this could play out okay for a bit, but is always going to go south eventually. If it is focused on one character it may start disposing of threats (you know, contacts, other runners, that pesky KE officer that's been helping the team out on occasion) so think "Fatal Attraction" with a Cyberzombie. Yikes!

Another spin would be that at some point it begins to feel that the team is controlling it and since it got rid of it's last controllers, begins to take them out one by one --- or the whole team. Don't kill them, but have them disappear until they all wake up at the abandoned soy-meat packing plant. They have to escape and bring an end to the madness once and for all!  ;D

You, sir, possess a sick and twisted mind.

I salute you. 8)


And back to killing cyberzombies - there aren't any rules for this (that I know of), but the way I see it, a cyberzombie's brain chemistry is probably extremely unstable and vulnerable to tampering - drench it in laes and DMSO solution. Whether or not it passes out, it should reduce it to a vegetable. Or, it might just make it go berserk on your hoop. Of course, if that was a viable option, the cyberzombie would be probably outfited with a chem resistant suit of armor with full body coverage and possibly hardened, so you would need some serious firepower to breach THAT first.
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: ScytheKnight on <12-30-14/1821:42>
In regards for making it more than just a savage brute rampaging aimlessly, build on the fact that this person was likely a Professional Rating 9-10 combatant *before* being turned into a Cyberzombie... They've almost certainly seen a lot of conflicts, set him up in one of those areas and have them mentally trapped in that conflict, between Cyberpsychosis and possibly malfunctioning 'ware they're unable to comprehend that the conflict is over, for an extra kick have what's left of their humanity wanting to stop fighting but haywire programming is forcing them to continue.

Makes it as much about putting a warrior to rest as stopping some random killing spree, especially if the Cyberzombie manages to communicate this to the players, but the programming means that he must fight back to full potential... this brings in the possibility of trying to reach the remaining humanity to try and get them to stop themselves so the players can put them to rest.
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: MijRai on <12-30-14/1925:45>
So, ultra-ware Rambo. 
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: Spooky on <12-31-14/2147:04>
Yup, exactly.
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: Adamo1618 on <01-05-15/1359:13>
I came to the conclusion to end the campaign prematurely. It wasn't an easy decision and was the result of my short temper, as well as conflicts within the group and a generally disrespectful behaviour towards me as the GM. I may post a topic explaining this later on and ask the forum how to avoid it or something similar. (Stay tuned and find out!)

Anyway, the cyberzombie was supposed to be "processed" from a former friend of the players, one they had witnessed go down like a hero as he saved them. He'd have been tortured and brainwashed almost beyond recognition, but once the players discovered his original identity killing him would also feel horrible, despite him being their nemesis.

<Mass Effect 3 spoilers>
Imagine Jack if not saved from Grissom Academy, converted and turned into a Phantom. That's the tone I wanted to create.
<End of spoilers>

Anywho, feel free to use the concept in a campaign and please inform me about how it worked. Also, does anyone know how to format text for Spoiler alert, so that you have to click in order to see it?
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: $/@mm-0! on <01-06-15/0332:02>
 ;D

I like your thinking on this, I was pondering doing something similar. I have one group who just finished up the Mercurial adventure they saved Maria but let Hernandez die. Maria tried to talk the group into going save him but they ended up stun batoning her unconscious, I was toying with the idea of Aztechnolgy and Perianwyr making a cyber zombie out of Hernendez to send after them but im not sure if thats a little much I might just make him into a meat puppet controlled by a rigger  8)
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: psycho835 on <01-06-15/0602:06>
Sounds a bit OOC for Peri, but otherwise - it sounds like a nice gutpunch. 8)
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: Vibral on <01-16-15/1327:57>
;D

I like your thinking on this, I was pondering doing something similar. I have one group who just finished up the Mercurial adventure they saved Maria but let Hernandez die. Maria tried to talk the group into going save him but they ended up stun batoning her unconscious, I was toying with the idea of Aztechnolgy and Perianwyr making a cyber zombie out of Hernendez to send after them but im not sure if thats a little much I might just make him into a meat puppet controlled by a rigger  8)

Actually I for one welcome the thought of Hernandez being brought back as a Cyber Zombie since we did also level the building. Think that would be an awesome consequence to our actions in that building... It was basically just salsa chunks left in there.
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: $/@mm-0! on <01-16-15/2007:01>
 ;D We shall see I have a few idea's floating around I just forgot you were on here =p
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: Vibral on <01-18-15/1846:12>
;D We shall see I have a few idea's floating around I just forgot you were on here =p

No worries I won't meta anything. Just doing research for what I'm currently writing as well.
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: Lighthouse on <02-23-15/1753:51>
FAB III eats magic. The team has to break into a facility to get some and throw a grenade of it at the zombie. FAB III eats magic and a spell is the only thing keeping the cyberzombie alive.
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: MijRai on <02-24-15/0235:02>
FAB III eats magic. The team has to break into a facility to get some and throw a grenade of it at the zombie. FAB III eats magic and a spell is the only thing keeping the cyberzombie alive.

If the FAB can survive that long in the Mana Ebb that surrounds cyber-zombies. 
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: ScytheKnight on <02-24-15/0419:21>
Tip said Cyberzombie into a vat of the stuff on the other hand...
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: Rift_0f_Bladz on <02-24-15/0939:48>
Equals one dead zombie.
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: Lighthouse on <02-24-15/1153:18>
I am so cherrypicking the best ideas from this thread   ;D
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: Lighthouse on <02-24-15/1157:25>
Since I am stealing that recommendations on how to build a cyberzombie? Is it magic that is keeping them alive? Can this be disenchanted like a focus?
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: Herr Brackhaus on <02-24-15/1214:58>
Lighthouse
Check Augmentation from 4th Edition.
Title: Re: Killing a cyberzombie [5th Ed.]
Post by: MijRai on <02-24-15/1303:42>
Augmentation has the processes and rules, as the Herr said.  It shouldn't take much to adjust it for 5th Edition.