Written by: Taylor White & Kevin Siembieda
Release Date: November 2015
GENERAL
Released over ten years after the last Chaos Earth book (Chaos Earth: Rise of Magic), Resurrection provides a new and macabre force of post-apocalyptic monsters: zombies. Let’s begin by saying these are nothing like the zombies you are used to, and nothing like the zombies from Dead Reign. The author is obviously a fan of the horror genre, and it is reflected in this fantastic addition to the Chaos Earth range. The presentation really supports the vibe, with a chilling and deadly force that threatens to engulf NEMA forces of North America; this could just as easily be planted in any other region of Chaos Earth, which is a bonus.
In terms of expansions for Chaos Earth, this is a spectacular entry, but one that holds a lot of secrets I want to withhold from the casual reader/Player. A lot of information is GM Eyes only, so I’m purposefully vague in some aspects of the review. Please bear this in mind, as I don’t want to spoil the surprises; they are definitely worth the time and investment, trust me!
SECTIONS
Introduction by the Author. Taylor gives is a short intro to their love of horror and how this influenced the ideas for this book.
Afraid to Die. A short story and another excerpt from the journal of Lt. General Lindsey Sawyer that provides a great descriptive of the setting. A slow reveal of the threat and looming horror makes the scenario a great, immersive opportunity. It is now March of 2099. The setting is Milwaukee and Madison. Things have gone to hell.
Invasion Overview. A GM Eyes Only section. Why this is placed so far forward into the book is a question, unless the entire remainder of the book is GM Eyes Only. Approximately 20 pages of detailed information I would have STRONGLY suggested being shoved into the back section of the book.
The Zombie Invasion. The zombies are there due to a rather unique mechanism; not an infection, not a virus. Explains the steps to the invasion in a manner that really should be GM Eyes Only, as the horror of the setting is based on the Player Characters and their allies discovering the source of the issue and dealing with the Chaos Zombies.
Zombie Overview. Details how to play the Chaos Zombies and how they interact with their environment, combat with any PCs/NPCs, and facts/fiction the GM can lace into the adventure. The details herein are incredibly helpful for any GM. Honestly, this is one of the more explicit and helpful series of GM notes I’ve encountered.
Chaos Zombies. Here we get to the basics of the zombie motif. Like any zombie you can think of, we’re talking about reanimated humans, raised from the dead. I won’t go into the details of the ‘how’ or ‘why,’ but the motivations of the zombies are two-fold: kill all living humanoids; and, collect electronics and M.D.C. scraps. These relentless hunter-killers aggressively react when they spot NEMA or other humanoids; their default setting is scavenging for M.D.C. tech and materiel. Provides some interesting, yet optional Physical Quirk and Emotional Quirk tables. These make for some interesting options to change each encounter into something new. An incredibly immersive tool for the GM. I found the “weeper” zombie options to be really refreshing.
Scrap Zombies. Created to fill specific roles within the zombie hordes. For the most part, a Player would be capable of discerning this from a Patrol Briefing or Intelligence Bulletin prior to being thrown into the breach.
Amped Zombie. Juicers existed before the Apocalypse arrived. Ever wonder what happens to a Juicer affected by the Chaos Zombie influence? I won’t spoil the surprise.
Boogeyman. An interesting twist on the zombie archetype. While most Chaos Zombies are indiscriminate in their approach, I’ll simply state that these ones are not. Anything more will spoil the surprise!
Brain Melter. Crazies and Mind-Over-Matter technology existed before the Apocalypse as well. What happens to a Crazy when they die? You become a Brain Melter.
Garbageman. Stalking the battlefield, they collect parts; hence the moniker. They sometimes command Chaos Zombies to help. Given the amount of damaged infrastructure and the like lying around, I imagine these guys are working non-stop. Provides a neat little Salvage Table that can affect an encounter (positive or negative).
Headbanger. Gruesome juggernauts, they have a specific focus when encountering and combatting forces of ‘the living.’ I’ll leave it at that.
Living Dead Girl. These cleverly designed versions hint at a much larger, greater force at work. They serve a very specific, very macabre purpose.
Reaper. Since we’ve reanimated Juicers and Crazies, it only made sense to think of what would occur to a cyborg that succumbed. That’s not necessarily the case with this one, and the nuanced answer to what I’m implying is, …really interesting.
Scorcher. Basically, a Chaos Zombie with a few tweaks and modifications. They are fit for purpose and hold a devious surprise in how they execute their function.
Soldier Boy. The most common of the Scrap Zombies, they get upgrades the classic Chaos Zombie does not. They relentlessly advance, with close combat or ranged weapons at the ready. Unlike the ‘living counterparts’ from NEMA, these do not fight with any sense of tactical acumen. The tables to produce them allow for a flexible and varied group for the PCs to encounter, which adds to the tension.
Stitcher. If one could imagine a zombie ‘medic,’ this would be your guy. A really interesting concept in both what they do, and how they go about it.
Toxic Vomitous. A rather “braid-dead obvious” (pun intended) kind of Scrap Zombie. From the name, one can imagine exactly what they are built for, but there is a twist.
Walking Nightmare. These loathsome behemoths get their name from the way they track down victims and fight. As one could imagine, likely the most aggressive of the bunch. Includes an incredibly well-done table for creating and modifying your Walking Nightmares; no two are the same.
Random Encounters. I’m always a sucker for well thought out and nicely presented tables for a GM to leverage. This scratches both of those itches. For a GM looking to present the threat of the Chaos Zombies to their Players, a series of entries provides a GREAT baseline for adventure design, or use as a randomized threat. Includes a series of Fortunate Discoveries as well. We are firing on all cylinders with this book!
The Zombie Plague. It’s winter of 2099, and Rifts Earth is still vacillating between one reality and another; there never seems to be any semblance of peace, only constant conflict and war. Magic has erupted, psionics are more common, and childhood fantasies are very much a reality. We get a preliminary response to this particular threat by NEMA, which gives the GM some very detailed background on how to use this book for adventure design, something I was ECSTATIC to see. Bravo, and well done!
Game Master’s Eyes Only. I’ll reiterate my statements from earlier. There is a LOT from this book that should remain GM Eyes Only. This section gives very well defined information on the source of the zombie infestation. Again, it’s not unique, but I really enjoyed the manner they executed this one. I won’t even name some of the sections as that can give away some pretty clutch details that Players should be discovering. The Players really should be allowed the opportunity to play through the campaign, make the key discoveries and perhaps execute the plan to finally deal with the infestation; there are several options discussed herein, including the ultimate failure of NEMA. I like the fact they included some notes for conversion into Rifts and/or Dead Reign.
Diseases and Monsters. A number of options are presented, including Apocalypse Parasites and Wasting Diseases, a number of ghost and entities reprinted from other sources (e.g. Gargoyles). Despite being reprints, they provide some good information for a GM to throw something other than zombies at the Players.
IMPRESSIONS
Current Assessment (10/10). I'll be honest, I was not sure how I would react to YET ANOTHER book on zombies in the apocalypse. After reading through, I can assure even the ardent doubters that this is a fantastic, high-quality book and one that I would strongly recommend for any Chaos Earth GM, or one looking to exploit it for any Rifts game. The Chaos Zombies, how they are created and interact with the world and the Players, is not entirely unique in the zombie genre, but not the normal cliche, very well thought out and presented. The different zombie types are simple but very impactful. I’d love to be able to go over the details of the source(s) of the Chaos and Scrap Zombies, but feel opening this to the wide world steals the GM from delivering an incredibly immersive experience. I can say from experience, having played some games of Dead Reign without reading any details on the setting, the anxiety and the impact of decisions was palpable. I don’t want to rob a GM or Players of that possibility here.
The Zombie Plague and GM Eyes Only sections provide a GM the means of passing on information to the PCs; they can be given some level of intelligence briefing prior to deploying against this threat, or perhaps they are the reconnaissance forces that uncover the Chaos Zombies? There is a lot of information there, much of it elaborates on the atmosphere in-game for the Players to really chew on as they explore/fight/run from this new threat. The artwork throughout is something to speak to as well. Chuck Walton does some real yeoman’s work throughout, with some incredibly detailed and evocative pieces. The full-page pieces for the Brain Melter (p 54), Garbageman (p 62) and Living Dead Girl (p 69) are truly marvellous pieces filled with detail.
In all honesty, this is a book a step ahead of many others. There’s a lot more in there I would have placed as GM’s Eyes Only, but when did this ever stop Players from reading? I mean, there is some meta-gaming involved in understanding the mystery and specifics of the various zombies that can be played around, but it really robs the group of the experience – exploring a foe with little to no data, trying to figure out not only how to defeat them horde, but what is causing them. It’s a new take on zombies for Palladium Books, and a very good read. For anyone looking to play Chaos Earth, this book is a must, while most Rifts groups would probably have a blast inserting this in their current campaigns. It’s a new threat, with powers and nuanced characteristics. Go buy this book.
Return to All Posts
Please LIKE and SUBSCRIBE!
Does it address zombies in a MDC environment? Are zombies themselves MDC? Is it a "closed" campaign a la Rifts Africa or Mechanoids in the sense it has a possible resolution for the infection? Thank you!