I just realized that, while Shadowrun has the Corpse Cadavre and the Shedim, both as kinds of spirit-possessed undead, there's no "plague-baring" Romero-style. I think this is a missed opportunity.

So here's my idea: a newly discovered strain of the HMHVV virus, which turns infected survivors into mindless, shambling, flesh-hungry undead. We can even call them "Romeros" just for the lampshading.

And with further strain mutations, we can even have variant zombies, like fast zombies, acid-spitting zombies, etc.

Here's a sample concept:
Romero Zombie (Human)
B A R S C I L W EDG ESS M Init IP*
8 2 1 8 1 2 1 7 3 5 1 4 1

Movement: 1/5
Skills: Perception 4, Unarmed Combat 3
Powers: Enhanced Senses (Hearing, Smell), Infection
Weaknesses: Uneducated, Dietary Requirement (Metahuman Flesh)
Notes: the statistics given are for a standard human zombie; apply metatype attribute modifiers as appropriate.

*I can't format the attributes like I want, darnit.

Ghouls are HMHVV infected humans who eat flesh and can become mindless ravenous zombies. They pretty much fill the role you describe here, with no modification at all.

EDIT: It is even in the HMHVV link that you posted. Didn't you read your own link?

Sorry, I guess I'm just too used to thinking of "Ghouls" and "Zombies" as being different kinds of Undead. I blame D&D.

For formatting things, use the code tag.
Like so

no need for hmhvv, when the boys and girls in lab coats can play around with this:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/20...-cats-rats.html

given that SR labs have given rise to such craziness as ebola+, a parasite that turns people into zombies should not be that far off

Problem with ghouls i have found is all that fluff making them essentially sentient metahumans.
Its a double edged sword, also can be such a buzzkiller.

Regardless, its a shame they can't have limited itnw unless you target their head.


also, quick edit: i think we find Romero zombies in the form of corporate wageslaves

=p

I have toyed with the "28 Days Later" idea, since I think it is entirely plausible that a corp-engineered virus could escape that causes blind rage in the subject. Much like the film, the runners are hired hired by EarthFirsters to free the poor animals being experimented on, and hilarity ensues... Muhahahahahahaha!!! It would need off-the-charts Power for the Disease Test.
It would be dead easy to do within Shadowrun. I can't decide whether to allow Cure Disease to work or not... On the one hand, makes it scary, but on the other, PCs might need the "tap-back" it provides to keep from killing a campaign.
This could be a world-ender, however, so maybe Cure Disease should work...

could be it either needs a custom antidote. or custom cure "zombie" spell

Ooo... I like that! The MacGuffin Antidote! A party member is infected, now they have to break back into the facility they originally caused the whole mess with, just to get the antidote!
The thing is, even given an available and numerous antidote, it would be VERY difficult to contain such a nasty virulent plague. Once it hits the SINless, it is practically impossible to contain.
Frightening! You could do a "Left 4 Dead" campaign after the initial infection... Toxic shamans latching onto the new virus and incorporating all sorts of new nastiness into it... Yikers!

yeah, the antidote would SO have to be in the corporate compound where the disease originated-

lol, the Doc(Dreadlord) went right where i was thinking just moment before.

how about mixing it with dmso and spraying the barrens from tankers and aircrafts?

hell, there is a funny one, a virus or parasite that makes the person dual natured, and drop in a whole lot of shedims

Cool idea. But do shedims need dual natured targets?

seems i posted to fast, as a bit of checking shows that shedim can only posess dead bodies, or those of projecting mages.

Though being dual natured would open them up to an attack from Shedim in astral form..
i don't recall shedim being very good at astral combat though-
I haven't really looked over the 4e rules on them much though.

How about an Aztech experiment where they are trying to fuse low-level shedim into select corpses? The attempt is to break the will of the shedim so they can be used as incredibly resilient cannon fodder. After all, corpses are relatively easy to come by. Aztech could be trying to develop a field procedure so that losses could be turned into assets. Kinda like Universal Soldier. Except something is going wrong. The experiment to break the shedim works, but has a side affect of turning them into Romeros. Things don't hit the fan until a team of runners, after some data, accidentally cause a containment breach. The Romeros get loose and start killing everybody. The facility goes into lockdown. Of course all the fresh bodies, combined with the specialized ward the mages set up to lure in minor shedim means that the Romero population soars. Of course Aztech wants that project data and with the computers in the facility isolated, for obvious reasons, they need to send someone in. Enter the shadowrunners.