What a week! Work was a bit hard, and I kept meaning to watch a certain movie again so that I might comment on it, but I never got around to it. So, despite that many have not yet taken the last test, I present you, with spoiler warning for those that have not taken the test yet:

ZOMBIE 105

I was surprised by the initial test results, as everyone seems to have no problem identifying, and properly dealing with, realistic zombies, they have considerably more difficulty with the magical zombies. I'm surprised as I gave enough clues for each, but here are the answers:

First, these are worth 10 points a piece:

1. Surreal zombie: Father's sword (half points for blessed spear)

The fact that it has no head and can still pinpoint you and attack should be enough to let you know that it's a surreal zombie. Weapons with personal significance are best, as mentioned, but a blessed melee weapon that can impale them in place is also an okay choice, worth half credit. Bottom line: nothing can logically survive without a head and still be a threat. (interesting mastermind theory, Frank, five extra bonus points)

2. Classic zombie: Revolver (half points for rifle)

Half eaten and shambling, you can almost hear it say 'brainssssss'. Revolver is the best choice not because it's better than the rifle, but because the rifle is better used elsewhere.

3. Historical zombie: Holy symbol (half points for blessed spear or father's sword)

This one confused some people, but as mentioned these zombies act more like zealots than zombies and are the most likely to be curable. What most of you forgot is "they should not be killed"! You could run them through with a spear, but how is your sanity going to hold up when they turn back to normal before they die? How is it going to hold up when you find out that none of their deaths were necessary? Magic is definitely the way to go, but only the holy symbol might hold them back without harming them.

4. Highly contageous zombie: Rifle (half points for grenade)

Most importantly, you must keep these zombies away. IT's obvious that the victim was not physically harmed by other zombies and turned very quickly (as he's still in his suit). Rifle is the best, as it can be reused, but the grenade also could possibly work...against a small group of them. It's highly contageous though...

5. Gothic zombie: Blessed spear (half points for holy symbol)

This is another one that confused you. They can still talk, are covered in blood and appear to have a state of manic glee. For those that didn't guess, it's a vampire. It isn't a major, powerful vampire, but one of the weaker spawn that are often created by more powerful, elder vampires, so they classify as zombies. For this one, the blessed wooden spear (or stake) would do best. Although the holy symbol might keep it away, how will your sanity hold up if it kills another innocent person in front of you? (oh and for the record, Frank, I didn't say they called your name directly, only that they called to you, but that's still a good point, so +5 bonus points)

6. Experimental weapon zombie: Grenade (half points for rifle or revolver)

Now this zombie's description could also label it as a surreal zombie, but you have to assume the zombie without a head is the surreal, which leaves experimental. These zombies are physically powerful, so you need to do a lot of damage or run as fast as you can. A careful throw of the grenade, followed by a sprint in the opposite direction is your best bet, but otherwise, you should go with powerful firearms.

Now, give yourself 5 extra bonus points if you got all the magical zombies correct (historical, surreal, gothic) and 5 bonus points if you got all the realistic zombies correct (classic, contageous, experimental).

The remaining points are gotten by your condition, after fighting all six of these zombies in order, from 1 to 6. This is where your description of how you fight them becomes important. You have three health points and three sanity points. If you lose all three health, you're dead. If you lose all three sanity, you're insane. How healthy and sane you are also affects how well you fight.

1. If you used your father's sword and cut him to pieces, or you attempted to stake him to the ground, lose no health or sanity. All other answers, lose a point of health (guns and explosives are mostly ineffective), and if you tried the holy symbol, lose a point of sanity as well, as seeing the holy symbol fail might shake your faith (surreal zombies traditionally have to be fought ourselves).

2. If you shot it in the head, lose no health. All other answers they probably got a bite in. If you used the grenade, assume it blew their legs off, but they still kept crawling, since the grenade at their feet probably didn't hurt their brain enough. They then surprise you and get a bite.

3. If you disabled it without killing it, lose no health or sanity. If you used the grenade, it smacks it back towards you with the scythe, lose a point of health (but the expolosion kills it too, and quickly enough that you don't see it die). All other answers it turns human right before dying, and screams "Why?!!!" at you. Lose a point of sanity. (5 points for Frank for inventiveness)

4. If you killed it from a far distance, lose no health or sanity. If you used a grenade without taking cover, lose a sanity, as bits of him reach near you and may or may not have infected you. If you killed it relatively up close, lose a point of sanity, as you can't be sure if you're infected or not. If you're already lost a point of health and you fought it very close (spear or sword) then you're infected, therefore dead. No additional penalty for the holy symbol or revolver, besides the sanity loss.

5. If you killed it with the spear through the heart, or banished it back to the netherworld with the holy symbol, lose no health or sanity. If you used the holy symbol to merely keep it back, lose a sanity as it muches on another innocent person. If you used any other weapon, lose a health.

6. If you used the grenade, or shot for the point of the zombie that looked the most weak, lose no health or sanity. If you're down to one sanity and use a gun, you don't aim well and take a point of damage before killing it. If you used any other weapon, or just shot anywhere (even the head, if you didn't verify that it appeared to be a weak spot) lose a health.

If you have 3 health left, you get 20 points. If you have 2 left, you get 15 points. If you have 1 left, you get 10 points. You get these points even if you're insane, as years of therapy might cure you.

If you have 3 sanity left, you get 20 points. If you have 2 left, you get 15 points. If you have 1 left, you get 10 points. You get these points even if you're dead, as you died in a state of peace.

If you only had 1 health and 1 sanity left, lose 5 points.

To show how it's scored, Frank scored:

First part:
1. 0 (+5 bonus)
2. 10
3. 5 (+5 bonus)
4. 10
5. 0 (+5 bonus)
6. 10 (+5 realistic perfect)

Second part:
1. lose 1 health and 1 sanity
2. -
3. lose 1 sanity
4. -
5. lose 1 health
6. -

1 health and 1 sanity, barely alive and barely sane: 15 points

Total score: 70 points, just made it thanks to bonus points, easily told the difference between realistic and magical zombies, but didn't deal with the magical ones appropriately. PASSED

Today's lesson....SURPRISE MIDTERM!

That's right, now it's time for the midterm. Answer the following questions with open, detailed answers, but not longer than a few sentences a piece. Let's see you what you've learned:


For argument's sake, let's say you live in a city, are currently living alone in an apartment on the second floor of the building that you just moved into, and don't know your neighbors.

1. You just saw on the news that zombies, half eaten, muttering 'brainsss...' have overrun the city, and at that very moment you lose power and water, what is the first thing you do?

2. One of the fellow people in the building is doing something very stupid, or trying to be leader when you know you could do better. What do you do?

3. There are two of each of the items listed in the previous personality test in the building. Which three to you take? What do you do if someone else wants the same thing you want?

4. Surprise! Everyone on the first floor is a zombie, and they're coming up the stairs. There is a fire escape, but they're coming up fast. What do you do?

5. You had to leave the building, as unfortunately its not secure, and one of your negihtbors did something very cowardly or selfish back there at the zombie attack. What do you do/say? What if the leader didn't do a good job? What do you do/say?

6. What if a neighbor killed another neighbor, what would you do? What if one of them was appearing to turn into a zombie?

7. Whoops! Someone just killed an innocent person by mistake. What do you do? What if they didn't seem sorry, or seem unstable?

8. You've piled into one or more cars, and need somewhere to go. The places nearby: the mall (one of your neighbors is the manager of one of the stores), the hospital (one of your neighbors is a nurse), the museum (one of your neightbors is a security guard and has the key), another apartment building where a friend of yours lives (you don't know if they're there), or the airport (one of your neighbors is a pilot). What do you do if others don't agree?

9. What the...? Wherever you went, there's three strange things there! There's a floating, chuckling being that looks exactly like the teacher you hated in the 3rd grade! There's a wailing, bleeding figure wandering randomly in your direction! There's a slug the size of a car moviing remarkably quickly towards you, blocking the exit. What do you do?!

10. The head zombie, wreathed in black flame, wearing a crown of femurs and holding a staff high, offers you a choice: kill your friends and join him, or prepare to die in the most excruciatingly painful death imaginable. What do you do? How do you fight, whatever you choose to fight?

Good luck everyone!

Class dismissed