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Rise of the Necromancer

by K. K. Gordon

This variant is playable for 6-12 players. Because of the large player group, it is recommended to use the Zombies!!! core rules, and an expansion,"Mallwalkers" or "Zombie Corps(e)".

Also, with a full 12 players it may help if players opt to split their group into two "parties". These are not teams and are still free to act to one another's detriment, but distinct parties may help to simplify game progression.

SETUP:

Each player takes one (1) pawn.
1. Each player takes three (3) Bullet tokens and three (3) Life tokens.
2. Each player takes three (3) Event Cards.

GAME PLAY

Until the helicopter pad appears, gameplay proceeds along the standard lines of the original Zombies!!! we all know and love. But when the helicopter appears, the Necromancers reveal themselves.

NECROMANCERS:

Whatever two players (one in a 6-player game) have the least number of Zombies killed are the Necromancers. If the group has split into parties, the single player with the fewest kills from each party is selected. (Obviously they were only pretending to fight zombies so they wouldn't give themselves away...) If a tie for lowest kills would result in extra Necromancers, two of the lowest-kill players may be selected by random means.

The goal of the Necromancer is to return to Town Square and roll a natural 6. Whichever Necromancer does so first successfully completes a spell that brings about a darkness of pre-Biblical proportions. That Necromancer is the unholy master of a ruined world. The losing Necromancer can, at best, expect to spend the rest of his life shining the winner's shoes.

NECROMANCER RULES:

1. The Necromancers set their Bullet and Life tokens aside; they will no longer need them.
2. Necromancers disregard all Event Cards; they are now considered to have three Event Cards playable as one (1) "We're Screwed" and two (2) "Zombie Master" cards. A Necromancer may play one card per turn but does not draw any more.
3. Each Necromancer places each of the zombies in his kill-pile onto any legal space in play.
4. Necromancers get +1 to all Movement rolls.
5. Necromancers no longer make combat rolls against zombies.
6. Necromancers now move Zombies at the end of every turn instead of the player finishing his turn. Two Necromancers take turns moving their hordes; alternately, if two Necromancers come from two parties, they may move zombies in place of whichever players were in their respective parties.
7. A Necromancer at Town Square rolls one die per turn. If he rolls a natural 6, he wins; otherwise, he places a number of zombies equal to his result on any legal space in the game.

EVERYONE ELSE:

1. A non-Necromancer player may destroy the Necromancer in combat. A score of 6 on the combat roll is needed; Bullets and Life work per usual.
2. If a Necromancer shares his space with a zombie (why not?; they're friends), an attacking player must defeat the zombie first.
3. Necromancers cannot instigate combat with players.

PLAYER WINNING CONDITIONS:

1. The first player to have 25 zombies in his collection before the Helicopter pad appears, wins. (In a twelve-player game, this means 25 Zombies in four-and-a-half turns. Anyone who can pull this off deserves bragging rights.)
2. The first player to reach the Helicopter Pad has won the traditional victory.
3. The first player to destroy a Necromancer is considered to have won.

NECROMANCER WINNING CONDITIONS:

1. The first Necromancer to roll a natural 6 on the Town Square tile, wins.
2. A Necromancer is considered to have won if all the players in his party are dead.