Battle of the Living Dead

Start-Up and the Bones Basics

Two or more teams of equal strength are decided upon. The dividing method can be anything: random number assignment, factionalism, unit/race war, etc. This establishes the Living Teams. Then, all players face away from the herald, and then like a Traitor Battle, the herald secretly selects a Necromancer. The Necromancer should be a good player that won't die too quickly, but not a player that will be high profile target. As people die, they count to ten and are risen as the Zombie Legion of the Necromancer. The first person dead becomes the Lich. The purpose of the game is, for the Living, to find out who the Necromancer and destroy him. Kill the Necromancer, the Living then fight it out for supremacy. For the Dead, the point is to consume more living to swell their ranks, eventually leaving the Necromancer as the only Living left that way.

The Living

While distinctly aware that all dead become Zombies, the Living should keep it in mind that the eventual purpose is to remain alive and kill all Undead and living enemies. Momentary truces are possible when the Zombie Legion threatens, but the Living should keep their victory at the forefront of their minds.

Game Purpose: Eliminate the Necromancer and all other Living Factions.

The Necromancer and the Zombie Legion

The Necromancer is a member of the Living who has put a curse on the land. All those who fall will rise again under his command. The problem is, he needs to keep his identity secret from the rest of the Living, who would gladly kill him to be rid of the pesky undead. IF THE NECROMANCER DIES, ALL UNDEAD RETURN TO DEATH! Once the Zombie Legion is big enough, the Necromancer can claim his/her rightful place as their King; the trick is staying alive that long!

The Zombies are the shambling corpses of the former living. They must drag one foot, moan pitifully, and fight rather awkwardly. They cannot be killed by limb loss, thusly, a Zombie that has had all arms and legs hacked off is still "alive", albeit useless. A direct kill shot (torso or arrow to the head) will take them down... but they come back to life as Zombies in 10 seconds!

• Zombies CANNOT use missile weapons

Game Purpose: Keep the Necromancer alive and convert the rest of the Living to the Undeath. Incapacitate the Lich.

The Lich and the Bones Crew

The Lich is a hyper-intelligent, magically motivated undead. Who will be the Lich is decided by the first player killed in the game. THE LICH IS INVINCIBLE AS LONG AS THE NECROMANCER IS ALIVE! He can lose limbs, making his incapacitation possible, but he cannot die so long as the Necromancer draws breath. If he can touch a corpse BEFORE it is reanimated, he regenerates his limbs, but cannot turn that Zombie into a Skeleton until it dies again.

Any Zombie the Lich touches becomes a Skeleton: a more skilled but more fragile counterpart to the Zombie. The Skeleton MUST obey the Lich at all costs, if it doesn't it dies. The Skeleton can move normally, speak clearly, fight using tactics, and engage in combat normally. The hitch is: if a Skeleton lose but one limb, it is beaten and is reanimated after 10 seconds as a Zombie yet again.

• Skeletons CANNOT use missile weapons

Game Purpose: Keep the Necromancer alive (hopefully incapacitated), Slay the Living, Turn Zombies into Skeletons.

Tension in the Undeath

The two Undead Factions (BC for Bones Crew and Lich, ZL for Zombie Legion and Necromancer) hate each other with hell-fired passion. The BC see the Necromancer as oppressive and megalomanic, while the Necromancer sees the BC as a threat to his power. The Zombies could care less... they have no cognitive function after all. Although the Lich acknowledges the Necromancer as the source of his after-life, he seeks to undermine him at every turn. The Lich may even go so far as to HELP THE LIVING against the ZL!

Resolution

The game is over when one of the following happens:

1. The Necromancer is killed (thereby killing all Undead, including the Lich) and only one Living Team still stands [LIVING WIN]

2. The Living are all dead, there are no Skeletons, and the Lich has no way to make more minions [NECROMANCER WIN]

3. The Living are all dead, there are no Zombies, and the Necromancer is incapacitated [LICH WIN]