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The practice of creating zombified servants is an old one in vodoun, though most powerful Samedi can perform feats of reanimation that put the finest houngan to shame. The Stiff can raise a recently dead person as an undead servant. The zombie can’t think critically or move faster than a quick walk, but it is tough, strong, and unquestioningly loyal.

System: The first application of this power allows the Samedi to feed some of her blood to a recently dead corpse (maximum time since death equal to the Samedi’s Stamina in weeks) in order to animate it. Three blood points must be spent to bring the corpse back to a semblance of life. A reanimated corpse has the same Physical Attributes as it did in life. It is capable of limited reasoning (reduce all Mental Attributes by one), but free thought is beyond it and the only person it can clearly understand is its master or an individual who its master has directed it to obey. Reanimated corpses possess two levels of Fortitude and three extra health levels. They suffer no dice pool penalties from wounds until they lose their last health level, at which point they collapse and cannot be reanimated again.

A reanimated corpse crumbles to dust at the third sunrise after its creation. Its “lifespan” can be extended by feeding it more blood at creation — one blood point per extra night.

This power can also be used on a mortal. The Samedi creates a ghoul in the normal fashion, by feeding the subject one blood point. The player then rolls Manipulation + Medicine (difficulty equal to the mortal’s permanent Willpower). Three or more successes are required to turn the mortal into a zombie. If this roll succeeds, the mortal loses all free will, becoming completely subjugated to the Samedi’s command. The mortal may try to break free once per night by rolling his Willpower (difficulty equal to the Samedi’s Manipulation + Leadership). If the mortal frees himself, he is still considered a ghoul but regains his free will and normal Mental and Social Attributes (see below). A mortal who botches his Willpower roll or who becomes blood-bound to the Samedi may never again attempt to break free.

A mortal under the influence of Putrescent Servitude becomes pale and corpselike. He loses one point from all Social and Mental Attributes (to a minimum value of one). He gains three extra health levels and takes no dice pool penalties from injuries until he reaches Incapacitated, at which point he collapses. One more lethal wound will kill him once he reaches this point. The mortal also gains one level of Potence, as a normal ghoul would, and has the potential to learn other Disciplines if the Samedi feels inclined to teach him.

A ghoul zombie who goes a month without vampiric blood loses all benefits of being a ghoul, as would normally occur. He also loses all effects of this power and regains his free will, though he may still be blood-bound to his master.