Will dogs be available? That's the one thing that always gets me about games such as this... the human canine relationship can't be understated in terms of our (humans) survival, yet survival games often overlook them.

Will dogs be available? That's the one thing that always gets me about games such as this... the human canine relationship can't be understated in terms of our (humans) survival, yet survival games often overlook them.

Do Zombie eat dogs? Why, or why not?

Discuss.

All depends... seems the more current version of zombies do not discriminate (walking dead), but in the past animals were excluded from the mix.

I think the animal inclusion leads to a greater sense of hopelessness, as food would be much harder to come by, but game play wise I'm not gonna have some rott tearing up my zombies, so I would include them on the menu, especially if I'm including them as part of a "party".

Horror wise, I think animals being left off the menu is scarier because it shows an intelligence at play, it also suggests that said zombies are strictly after you.

That only encompasses the zombie ordeal though... machines, old ones, space-bugs certainly won't care

That said, a dog may not attack an undead preferring instead to run from the unnatural. I'd still keep mine around for all the other things they add to the table like early warning, hunting, companionship, and they will attack other humans.

Myself, I would love for the book to come with animals stats, undead wise, or just rules for making an undead animal.

Depends on the setting/type of zombies. Some zombies will attack all living creatures and devour them, others exist only to infect the human race.

Question is tough: could a dog get ill or become infected by biting a zombie?

What if the zombie plague is a mutated rabies strain? It could even be teh way the apocalypse starts. Rover gets infected with zombie rabies and bites patient zero...

I hope the game comes with stats for animals! I want to recreate those feral cats from the end of World war Z (the book, not the movie)

I wonder if Rise of the Dogs will be added to the list of settings, should this initial lineup prove successful.

I too yearn to consider dogs within the campaign. Not, however, because I feel they should be part of our survival. Rather, I feel a dog bravely defending his master and then dying for him is way more soul-crushing. And with what I am planing to do to my PCs, any extra soul-crushing in my pursuit of their lives adds to the terror factor of this RPG. The whole purpose of playing yourself, is to experience it as viscerally as possible. What better way than to have liabilities – I mean pets – as part of the party.

As to the "Shall they too rise?" question, I vote no. Again: more soul-crushing. Seeing a loved-one, even a dog, rise up gives you a morbid hope – knowing that they will survive in some way. Watching them lie there, knowing that they died for you as you run to safety? Way more gripping.

I have posted this in another topic but we had dog in our game… It was one of the best scenes.

One of the best things to come out of our last session was a dog (Staffordshire terrier) dragging along a dead body that was still clinging to its leash, stupid rigor mortis... One of the players actually had a dogtreat in his pocket so I allowed him an extra die to roll on his charisma to call the dog over. He passed and took hold of the dog's leash only to have the dead owner come to live right there and then. The rest of the party attacked the zombie only for the dog to turn on them... The player holding onto the leash was rollign dex checks over the next rounds trying to keep the dog from attacking his friends. The loud barking attracted another group of walkers nearby...

I don't see why you couldn't add pets as friendly NPC's or follower types. There are rules for zombie dogs in the book so just reverse engineer the rules to be alive and more or less tough depending on the breed. Maybe give pets smaller stress tracks depending on the size and such.

Don't forget that dogs left masterless go feral. Feral dogs have no fear of humans and can pose a significant threat...

Not to mention putting you players in the situation of having to kill "man's best friend".

Possible non-feral Dog Stats off the top...

DEX 4 VIT 2 LOG 1 WIL 2 CHA 2 EMP 2

+Quadruped Maneuverability, Keen Instincts, Loyal

- Small Size, Dog Brain, All Bark...

Feral might have "Hungry" or "Predator" Features or something?

I imagine dogs turning on their owners might be part of the Wrath of the Gods scenario where Mother Nature turns against all humanity.

"Why are you growling fifi there's nothing to be afraid of....... AAAAARGGGGH MY FACE, someone get this bloody poodle off my face!".

Planet of the Corgi.

I imagine dogs turning on their owners might be part of the Wrath of the Gods scenario where Mother Nature turns against all humanity.

"Why are you growling fifi there's nothing to be afraid of....... AAAAARGGGGH MY FACE, someone get this bloody poodle off my face!".

I dont know about your dog, but mine would be loyal till the very end. Maybe abused dogs would go feral in wrath of the gods. But i think that loyal dogs should be the only thing that doesnt turn against humanity

I imagine dogs turning on their owners might be part of the Wrath of the Gods scenario where Mother Nature turns against all humanity.

"Why are you growling fifi there's nothing to be afraid of....... AAAAARGGGGH MY FACE, someone get this bloody poodle off my face!".

I dont know about your dog, but mine would be loyal till the very end. Maybe abused dogs would go feral in wrath of the gods. But i think that loyal dogs should be the only thing that doesnt turn against humanity

Maybe, I guess that comes down to what the GM decides......

After all it may enhance the horror of the game to have a life or death struggle with the one creature on Earth you thought you could trust and knowing it's either you or them.