Taking urban deads mechanic for table top - how to adapt it?

[Callan S.]

So in urban dead, when you die you just go to the other side and someone might rescue you back again.

Do you think this could be adapted to a table top roleplaying game?

If so, how would you implement it?

[Jackolantern]

Back when I was really into table-top gaming, I tried several times to develop mechanics for various PvP systems. It was difficult, mostly due to the requirement of a DM/Storyteller. When everyone is on the same team, you can just call out what you want to do, or ask the DM for more info. When everyone is split into teams, it becomes quiet, serious note passing to the DM. It really killed the atmosphere and the fun in my experience.

If you can get over problems like that in how the game would flow, I would think it would be easy from there.

[Callan S.]

Well, with what I was thinking nothing was against all or nothing - either the whole team is turned, or none of them. Or if part of them are turned, the others can contain them and work relatively quickly upon turning them back. Actually that would be funny if only one PC remained unturned and there's a dice roll of the others breaking free and overwhelming him, heh!

But I get what you mean entirely, Jack. I was mostly thinking the enemy is NPC, unless you turn to them, then the side you were previously on (also NPC's) become the enemy until you turn again.

[Jackolantern]

Oh I get you. So you are interested in an actual story mechanic to turn back and forth? It was always a bit silly in Urban Dead how the zombies would politely queue-up at a scientist to turn back into humans. It would seem like humans would have to snare them, and wrestle them into submission to administer the medicine to turn them back to humans lol.

[Callan S.]

Yeah, it's definately a big genre break so as to ensure there is no perma death.

Some sort of middle status - 'highly infected' might suggest a middle ground where they aren't utterly aggressive and still have some faculties.

[Callan S.]

I'm actually thinking of doing this for a Rifts Australia game. Possibly some mystic charms that when you get hit for huge damage, you survive it because of the magic, but the magic is chaotic and makes you go mad (somewhat like Krieg from the borderlands FPS game) and become a 'road ganger' which are the main psycho enemies in the Australia region (ala the Mad Max movie), until someone gives some curative magic or curative meds - some sort of cure which you need to find the components for it, ala the revive syringe in UD.

[Jackolantern]

Sounds very interesting