How to Play a Zombie
11 months ago
– Tue, May 20, 2025 at 02:21:25 PM
One of the most exciting parts of the Return of The Living Dead TTPRG is that gives you the ability to play as the Living Dead. In this post, I am going to show you how it's done.
The Living Dead Origin
You were dead, perhaps even at peace. You may have slumbered for decades beneath the earth as a rotting corpse. Or you could have died as the result of recent Trioxin exposure and only just shed the mortal coil. Completely conscious and aware, you have fleeting memories of your final moments before you returned from the grave. Regardless, you’re back and hungry for the brains of the living. Though you may still recognize your former friends, and even aid them in their survival against other zombies, the burning hunger that grips you is a constant threat to any living being around you.
Reanimated Cadaver. As a dead body, you respond differently than a living being to the various conditions and damage types. You cannot be Paralyzed, Sickened, Stunned or rendered Unconscious. You also cannot gain levels in Exhaustion or Intoxication. At the Game Master’s discretion, certain poisons have no effect on you.
Sense Brains. You can take the Search action as a bonus action to sense the presence of live human brains. The base DC for this is 10 and increases by +5 for every 10 feet that lies between you and the target. Undead Fortitude. If you take damage that reduces you to 0 hit points you still keep functioning normally, but you become Overexposed.
Vigor Mortis. Zombies are typically stronger than the living, a zombie’s bite for example, can crush through a human’s skull. You have advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws, and you can use your teeth as an especially potent weapon. You always have access to the Bite weapon listed below. You are proficient in this weapon. Note that while this is thematically similar to an unarmed strike, it does not count as an unarmed strike for the purpose of talents, feats, etc. You can still make unarmed strikes as normal using other parts of your body.
Flammable. Whenever you take any fire damage, you are Burning and emit Trioxin Fumes.
The Pain of Being Dead. Zombies are in constant pain due to their rotting bodies. This is represented by a special condition: The Pain of Being Dead. While suffering under the effects of the Pain of Being Dead, you have disadvantages on certain ability scores, saving throws, and other negative effects.
The Finish Line is RIGHT THERE!
11 months ago
– Mon, May 12, 2025 at 12:40:27 PM
Hey Evil Backers,
Happy May! We’re excited to bring you the latest updates for the Legendary Bundle and all the great things we’ve been working on. Let’s dive right in:
Physical Fulfillment Update
All four Legendary Bundle books are officially at the printer! While we haven’t received proofs just yet, we’re optimistic that everything is moving along smoothly. Once the books are printed, they’ll join the rest of the manufactured items—dice, boxes, and the Gypsy Danger miniature—on their way to the U.S. We’re getting closer to shipping everything out to you!
If you believe you’re missing any items from your digital fulfillment, please reach out to us at [email protected] with your full name, Kickstarter email, DrivethruRPG email, and details about the missing content. If you need to update your shipping address, please email us as well.
Have you joined Sidekick yet?
Hopefully you have had a chance to experience the Sidekick app. If not, then what are you waiting for? Here are 5 good reasons why you should claim your free account.
- Free supplements
- New content every month
- Online character builder
- Early look at the Library
- Upcoming releases include Everyday Hauntings, Dinosaur Park, Western Heroes
This month, we’re releasing our Ghostbusters-like content pack, Everyday Hauntings and Last Night at the Asylum. Play a paranormal investigator looking for signs of the supernatural, or play a Winston banishing evil from the earth. Either way, this new release offers a brand new storytelling world for our subscribers!
Return of the Living Dead – Coming Soon!
We’re thrilled to announce our next Kickstarter: Return of the Living Dead is launching on May 27th, 2025! We’ve teamed up with some amazing partners to bring you a project packed with undead thrills, punk rock vibes, and killer extras. Keep an eye out for more details!
Thanks again for your incredible support, Evil Backers! We’re getting closer to the finish line, and we can’t wait to deliver everything you’ve been waiting for. As always, if you have any questions, reach out to [email protected].
See you next month!
—Team Evil Genius 🖤
Printing is Happening, PDFs are released, and So Much MORE!
12 months ago
– Mon, Apr 07, 2025 at 12:23:28 PM
Hey Evil Backers,
Happy April! Many of you may have received an early present on April 1st, and I promise—it was NOT an April Fool’s Day joke! Let’s dive in and check out all the exciting stuff that’s been going on:
Digital Fulfillment
All of the PDFs for the Kickstarter - Kong: Isle of the Damned, Kong: Creature Codex, Pacific Rim: Dominion of Iron, and Pacific Rim: Jaeger Codex - have officially been sent to all of you! This is not a drill (or an elaborate prank)!
We use DrivethruRPG.com for all digital fulfillment. If your Kickstarter email doesn’t match your DrivethruRPG account email, you might not have received your files. Please set up a DrivethruRPG account with the correct email and shoot us a message at [email protected] with your registered email—we’ll get you sorted ASAP.
Here’s a quick breakdown:
-
Pacific Rim: Dominion of Iron was sent out in February 2025
-
Kong Skull Island: Creature Codex was sent out in February 2025
-
Pacific Rim: Jaeger Codex was sent out on April 1st, 2025
-
Kong Skull Island: Isle of the Damned was sent out on April 1st, 2025
If you purchased Season One Cinematic Adventures (Kong: Skull Island or Pacific Rim) or the Everyday Heroes Core Rulebook, those were previously emailed as well.
The Jaeger STL files have been emailed to backers who purchased them as add-ons. These files include:
- Saber Athena
- Knifehead
- Guardian Bravo
- November Ajax
- Bracer Phoenix
And don’t forget: Gypsy Danger is a physical mini! It’ll ship out with the rest of your physical order once printing wraps up.
If you believe you're missing anything we have sent out so far, reach out to us at [email protected] with your full name, Kickstarter email address, DrivethruRPG email, and details about the issue.
Physical Fulfillment
We’re thrilled to announce that all four books are at the printer! The files are being printed and bound right now, and we anticipate this phase wrapping up by the end of April.
Once printing is complete, the books will begin their journey to the U.S.—a trip that typically takes 4 to 6 weeks. So if everything goes according to plan (we’re crossing every finger and toe), we should be shipping to you by the end of May or early June!
This project has had its share of ups, downs, pauses, and pivots—but we’re nearly there. The finish line is in sight, and we couldn’t be more excited to bring this baby home!
Address Reminders (And Psychic Limitations)
As we prep for physical shipping, please, PLEASE double-check the following:
- Have you filled out your backer survey?
- Do you owe any outstanding pledge amounts?
- Is your shipping address current?
If your address has changed, you must email Haley Pillion at [email protected]. Remember: we’re evil, not psychic—and there’s a huge difference. If you don’t reach out with changes, we can’t guarantee you’ll receive your goodies.
Pacific Rim Deleted Scenes
Did someone say they wanted more content? Well, we’ve got you covered!
The Cinematic Adventure Path—Pacific Rim: Dominion of Iron—takes place during the early days of the PPDC, as it works to recruit nations across the Pacific. The two additional Deleted Scenes—Rising Tides and Eyes of the Storm—were originally part of the main book but had to be cut when the word count got wildly out of hand.
We couldn’t bear to let this content go to waste, so we’re giving it to you as a bonus! These scenes will be delivered as standalone PDFs as they are ready—we don’t have a release timeline just yet since we're focused on finalizing and shipping the physical books. But rest assured: you won’t be missing out on any of the action-packed work we’ve done.
Sidekick is coming along nicely! We’ve officially launched a digital character sheet, which is currently in its basic form—but updates are on the way. We’re actively developing more functionality, and your feedback is key to that process. Think of this as a beta—test it out, see what works (and what doesn’t), and let us know how we can improve! We have a very active channel on our Discord server specifically for Sidekick questions and issues. You can join the conversation here!
Some additional Sidekick notes:
- Patreon backers who made the switch to Sidekick: if your email matched between platforms, your Sidekick tickets have already been awarded. Check your inbox—or spam folder—for an email confirming your ticket count.
- Still on Patreon? You’re still eligible to claim Sidekick tickets! Just create a free or paid Sidekick account, and you’re good to go.
- Concerned about PDFs? We’ve heard you. The dev team is actively working to make content downloadable as PDFs for offline use.
Have questions about the switch or about your ticket balance? Hit up Haley Pillion at [email protected]. She’s got your back.
Friday Freebies!
Last week, we decided to give away Cinematic Adventures on Sidekick. And not just any Cinematic Adventures, but the ones that are no longer available via our webstore! Next week we’re giving away The Crow Sourcebook to all new or existing paid subscribers on Sidekick. Just sign up for your membership before Friday, April 11th.
If you're a Hero Subscriber by April 11th, you'll receive The Crow Cinematic Adventure for free! And it doesn’t stop there—the longer you’re subscribed, the more of our Season One Cinematic Adventures and bonus content we’ll be bringing your way. Next week, we are releasing “The Crow: Prayers of the Past.” What better way to celebrate Everyday Heroes and our amazing community than by bringing back the games you already know and love?
Return of the Living Dead – Coming Soon!
We’re hyped to announce our next Cinematic Adventure: Return of the Living Dead is coming to Kickstarter in just a couple months!
For the uninitiated: this cult classic is packed with punk rock, government conspiracies, and zombies that don’t die. When a military experiment goes sideways, a mysterious gas leaks and reanimates the dead… but these zombies aren’t your run-of-the-mill shamblers. They’re fast, smart, and very hungry.
Nick Lowe and Chris “Goober” Ramsley have been hard at work putting this gruesome new book together, and we’re thrilled to kick off our second season of Cinematic Adventures with a bang (and some brains)!
We have been thinking long and hard about what can make this project an extra special one, especially since it is the 40th anniversary of Return of the Living Dead this year. So we are collaborating with many partners to bring you awesome extras: check out these sweet dice by Fanroll that will be included in the project!
Stay Tuned!
This project is so close to the finish line, and we couldn’t have done it without your support. You’ve stuck with us through it all, and we are deeply grateful to have you as part of this amazing community.
See you next month!
—Team Evil Genius 🖤
March Update: Close to the finish line!
about 1 year ago
– Fri, Mar 07, 2025 at 04:11:57 PM
Hey Evil Backers,
This year seems to be flying by—at least for me! I hope you’ve all been staying safe and healthy as we continue making progress. Let’s dive right in with the latest updates.
Fulfillment
The PDFs of Kong: Creature Codex and Pacific Rim: Dominion of Iron were sent out to all backers a couple of weeks ago. We are thrilled to hear that many of you are loving the content! These two books are also currently at the printer, which is exciting news. It is definitely looking like shipping should begin in May. Keep your fingers crossed!
Regarding the other two books:
- The Jaeger Codex is ready for a final proofread, and the cover is nearly complete.
-
Kong: Isle of the Damned has finished proofreading, and the final corrections are being made tonight. Its cover is also nearing completion.
A huge thank-you to the amazing Everyday Heroes fans who volunteer to proofread our products! After months of looking at the same text, it’s easy to miss typos or stat inaccuracies, so your help is invaluable—you’re the real MVPs!
With these two books nearly ready for printing, we anticipate sending out the PDFs by the end of March! We’re hoping for an even earlier release, but we want to ensure we set realistic and achievable goals.
Art
As mentioned earlier, we’re patiently waiting for the last two covers to be completed, but I can’t leave you hanging with just that, so take a look at the Jaeger Engineer by Nic Lim.
Gypsy Danger Mini
While we wait on those covers to finalize, we’d love to share the stunning Gypsy Danger mini and its new packaging, which was available to first-day backers and as an add-on to pledges. Take a peek below!
Pacific Rim Deleted Scenes
Did someone say they wanted more content? Well we have just that! The Cinematic Adventure Path, Pacific Rim: Dominion of Iron, from which the Deleted Scenes were cut, takes place during the initial growth of the PPDC. The primary adventures portray a series of episodes in which the PPDC attempts to convince additional countries that border the Pacific to join the new organization.
The two fantastic Deleted Scenes that we include in this product, “Rising Tides” and “Eyes of the Storm,” can be inserted anywhere after “Field Training” and before “Stronger Together” in the Dominion of Iron adventure. Alternatively, they could make for great individual adventures in your own Pacific Rim narrative arcs. In other words, you can use the Deleted Scenes to make Dominion of Iron even more of your own story, or to add some unexpected robustness to your own Pacific Rim adventures!
Digital Releases
We use DrivethruRPG.com for all digital fulfillment. If your Kickstarter email doesn’t match your DrivethruRPG account email, you may not have received your PDFs. Please set up an account on DrivethruRPG with the correct email and then email us at [email protected] with your registered email so we can send your items promptly.
Here’s a quick breakdown:
-
Pacific Rim: Dominion of Iron and Kong: Creature Codex PDFs were sent to backers via DrivethruRPG in February 2025.
- If you purchased Season One Cinematic Adventures as add-ons (Kong: Skull Island and Pacific Rim), the PDFs were already emailed to you via DrivethruRPG. Take note: These are not the same as the newly completed books (Kong: Isle of the Damned, Kong: Creature Codex, Pacific Rim: Dominion of Iron, and Pacific Rim: Jaeger Codex). Please verify the titles of the books you ordered before reaching out about missing items.
- The Jaeger STL files have been sent via email to backers who purchased them as add-ons. These STLs include: Saber Athena, KnifeHead, Guardian Bravo, November Ajax, and Bracer Phoenix.
-
Gypsy Danger is a physical mini and will be shipped with the rest of your physical order once the books and other items have finished printing.
If you believe you’re missing any of these digital items, email us at [email protected] with your full name, Kickstarter email address, and details about the issue.
Address Updates & Staying Informed
If your address changes for an extended period, please let us know, as you won’t be able to update it yourself. We want to ensure your order reaches you. Addresses are currently locked, but if you email [email protected] with your name and new address, we’ll make the necessary updates.
GAMA Was a Blast!
We had an amazing time at GAMA 2025 in late February! For those unfamiliar, GAMA (The Game Manufacturers Association) hosts an annual tradeshow for creatives and retailers to preview upcoming games. Attendees can playtest new releases, attend presentations, and engage in industry discussions. We’ve been lucky to attend for the past three years, and it’s always a fantastic experience.
At GAMA, we reconnected with our retail partners, explored potential new features for Sidekick, and showcased printed proofs of the Legendary Bundle books—everyone loved them!
We’re confident you’ll have just as much fun with these books and the exciting new products we have planned for this year and 2026. Intergalactic Heroes and Return of the Living Dead are expected to launch crowdfunding campaigns in the coming months, so stay tuned!
Sidekick Has Launched
We've been working on a companion app to support your Everyday Heroes games. Think D&D Beyond for Everyday Heroes. Here are more details.
I'm excited to officially announce that Sidekick has launched - our new content subscription platform. We're launching the platform with over 60 products in our catalog ranging from Sourcebooks to one-shot adventures. Our dedicated character creator will be in the hands of subscribers soon too! With third party publishing on the horizon as well, we have something for everyone to enjoy.
Access to the Everyday Heroes Core Rulebook, The Vault, and even the Open Beta rules for Intergalactic Heroes.
Purchase the Cinematic Sourcebook for Kong: Skull Island or Pacific Rim. Or gain access to other Cinematic Sourcebooks via special prizes and contests.
Take advantage of several Bonus Features that add new hero options and rules to enhance your game. Become a first content specialist or supernatural detective. Enjoy new releases every month. Next up, Superspies.
Access dozens of 4-hour adventures complete with pre-generated heroes that explore the 4-corners of the Everyday Heroes universe. Fight vampires in a waterpark or stop bad guys from hijacking a train. Enjoy new releases every month. See upcoming releases here.
Are you currently running or interested in running EGO Adventures? All of them are available here and ready for purchase.
Sign in or sign up to activate the Everyday Hero tier. Under this tier, enjoy 10 free products including our Quickstart Rules. Enjoy the following benefits:
Or Subscribe For More Benefits
For just $5 per month or $48 per year, Subscribe to the Hero Tier and claim the Everyday Heroes Core Rulebook and The Vault for free! Earn tickets every month to claim other premium products. Enjoy the following benefits:
This project is so close to the finish line, and we couldn’t have done it without your support. Thank you for being part of this amazing community!
See you next month!
Releasing two PDFs products and Every Hero Needs a Sidekick
about 1 year ago
– Tue, Jan 28, 2025 at 02:57:59 PM
Hello Evil Fans,
I have two exciting things to announce so let's get started.
Kong: Skull Island Creature Codex to be Released in the next few days
That's right. We're putting the finishing touches on the PDF version of the creature codex and will be ready to release as early as this weekend. And I will be the first to say how beautiful this book is.
We still have a few accessibility features to add to the PDF, but we wanted to get these in your hands ASAP. We promise to make an accessibility update shortly after.
Pacific Rim: Dominion of Iron will be released as well
We are now actively working the next two and will get them to you in PDF format on as soon as possible.
And, of course, both of these projects are at the printer.
Sidekick Has Launched
We've been working on a companion app to support your Everyday Heroes games. Think D&D Beyond for Everyday Heroes. Here are more details.
Hello Evil Fans,
I'm excited to officially announce the launch of Sidekick - our content subscription platform. We're launching the platform with over 60 products in our catalog ranging from Sourcebooks to one-shot adventures.
Take advantage of several Bonus Features that add new hero options and rules to enhance your game. Become a first content specialist or supernatural detective. Enjoy new releases every month. Next up, Superspies.
Access dozens of 4-hour adventures complete with pre-generated heroes that explore the 4-corners of the Everyday Heroes universe. Fight vampires in a waterpark or stop bad guys from hijacking a train. Enjoy new releases every month. See upcoming releases here.
Are you currently running or interested in running EGO Adventures? All of them are available here and ready for purchase.
Sign in or sign up to activate the Everyday Hero tier. Under this tier, enjoy 10 free products including our Quickstart Rules. Enjoy the following benefits:
Or Subscribe For More Benefits
For just $5 per month or $48 per year, Subscribe to the Hero Tier and claim the Everyday Heroes Core Rulebook and The Vault for free! Earn tickets every month to claim other premium products. Enjoy the following benefits:
