I was tempted to rate this one three stars since it's current overal rating seems a little too high... then I realized I was being petty over some personal gripes and taste issues.

This is an interesting little book. It's a great**** resource if you haven't done much in the way of RPGing and want to set up a schlocky B-movie zombie scenario. For anything else though it's a bit more middle of the road.

First, be aware this contains a slightly paired down and modified d20 modern system with all the rules you'd need to play. It's got some interesting ideas and is pretty thematic for the zombie B-move side of things but be aware this is still a pretty fair proportion of the page count. I still think this is a fairly priced book, there's enough here besides the reprinted side of the rules to be worthwhile but don't just look at page count vs. price and think 'whoa, that's a good deal'.

Then we get to everything else which causes my love/hate feelings about the book. See, if you're doing a B-movie scenario here this book is great, it's thematic, apropriate, pretty consistant in it's way. If you're not going the B-movie route, you want a more 'serious' zombie apocalypse, a more balanced game, or zombies as part of something else in your game and this book will make you want to bang your head against a wall. Classes tend to be over the top, unbalanced, and (IMO) adverse to multi classing for the most part. Now if you want your guys to be over the top powerhouses this is great, it could be really interesting! There's no way in hell I'd allow these classes anywhere near most d20 modern games. Feats for the most part (excepting the standard ones) follow the same pattern. (Unless you want your players to have total magic immunity in two feats, yeah, that's what I thought). The artwork is... let's call it appropriate for evoking B-movie shlock and exploitation and leave it at that, it could be a plus for you, it could be a minus.

On the other hand, toward the end there's a nice vareity of zombies to throw at your players and some good advice about GMing for the zombie scenarios that I'll give a good thumbs up for. And the zombie feats and infection mechanics are more good ideas and mechanics that can easily be adapted to other settings of which I heartily approve.

All in all: 3 stars if you're looking for a general horror or zombie related sourcebook, 5 stars if you're looking for a b-movie schock zombie campaign book.

This is a complete game system used for Zombie Apoc settings. Works very similar to any D20 type game system. The rules are easy if you have any experience in D&D. There is an addition to this as well called Against The dead Kicking and Screaming. I have only used the core rules and it works out nicely. I didn't notice any pages that are not complete. Is a good download.

Love this game. In the process of running a campaign with friends, and we have people asking us to join on a regular basis. If you like killing zombies, this game is for you. A great deal at fifteen bucks!

Group had a blast with familiar rules, and awesome zombie design by GM! I would recommend this for anyone who is a fan of D20 modern, and it has a lot of replay-ability, and campaign usage.

Against the Dead ("ATD") is a fantastic d20 system rendition of the zombie survival scenarios we all fantasize about on a regular basis. The rules feature tweaks indicating that Sergio Vandal and his apprentices at Vorpal Press have a deep understanding of the d20 system and its strengths and flaws. In addition, the flavor of the classes, feats, and zombie creation mechanics is the perfect blend of macabre humor, ultra-violence, post-apocalyptic adventure. Finally, the book is presented well, and features more than enough eye-popping art to keep one's imagination running wild while reading. Going further would be to repeat much of what has been said below by other reviewers, but suffice it to say-- ATD is awesome. A total steal for $14.99.

Against the Dead is a fantastic treatment of the zombie apocalypse genre for the d20 system D20 system that features a modular setting, bold comic-book style artwork, and a great variety of options for any gaming group hoping to get the opportunity to waste some undead.

The system is a slight adjustment of the D20 Modern rules that adds a few setting-appropriate mechanics such as scavenging rules and Ration Points (which simulate the difficulty of acquiring food after the collapse of civilization). Fans of the d20 system should have no trouble at all adapting to AtD.

My favorite element of this RPG is the modular setting. There are three stages of zombie outbreak in AtD - Emergence (when zombies first appear), Ascendance (when zombies become commonplace and most of the living are fighting them) and Apocalypse (when zombies are the majority and the living are threatened with extinction). Each of these stages is presented with different character classes, feats, and starting gear for characters, representing the drastically changing world that the undead are forcing upon the living.

No central theme for the zombie outbreak is presented in AtD - the GM can decide, or leave it a mystery. There are many varieties of undead included to help that decision: the standard Romero-style zombie, plague zombies, technological zombies (radioactive, military experiment), arcane zombies (judgment, spellbound, elder evil). The zombie creation section allows the GM to fine-tune his undead hordes to taste.

To top off an already great product, there is a section of tips on creating mood and keeping the story scary and exciting. This is a well-organized, beautifully illustrated, and content rich RPG. If you're looking for a zombie-themed D20 game, consider this one first.

Sergio tweaks d20 Modern to make it a more useable system, utilizing stages in order to allow a campaign to grow organically. In Emergence, players are challenged by the most basic problems, putting even the most learned Zombie movie player to the task of merely surviving. In Ascendance, players become more proactive in the world, eventually becoming world-movers, shakers, and/or destroyers in the Apocalypse stage.

While the art gives it a vibrant and vivid feel, the game can either go in the comic, tactical, or dark direction. The game's genius is in the system's flexibility, but maintaining a core of rules that keeps the mechanics streamlined and balanced.

Against the Dead

This was my first scanned product, I'm 100% satisfied with all aspects of the book. I' ve waited many years for a product where the author has such a grounding of D/20 rules.The game lets combat really flow in a quick. gritty but still realistic manner. This game fulfils all the promises that many other games fail to deliver.The artwork has some wonderful comical moments and I think that anyone seeing just how many different zombies can be produced from this product will be well blessed. I have compared this game with other much dearer products that I have purchased and find that others have many charts, components etc., that are not required for a zombie game, whereas every item in this one is pure zombie. The only fault I can find is that I would like to see it in print where it deserves to be.

This book is: a D20 Players Handbook, a D20 Gamemaster Handbook, an Adventure Handbook, a Monster Manual, and a fantastic Plot filled with awesome illustrations. This book is not: for kids, for people who don't like D20, for people who don't like zombies, for zombies.

Marty Whitmore is one amazing illustrator, and one insane lover of zombies. Anyone who was looking for a really fun, simple, easy to use setting and rule-set for a Zombie Apocalypse game, you need look no further... this is THE definitive D20 game for Zombies... Sergio Vandel has taken a basic formula for zombie killing and taken it "there" and "beyond".

My favorite parts of the system are: 1.) The Mad Professor Class. (imagine Dr. Evil mixed with MacGyver) 2.) The Zombie Maker - because you can never have enough variety of zombies in a zombie apocalypse setting. 3.) The Chainsaw weapon and it's various Skills and abilities (Fleshy Lumberjack, Chainsaw Arms, more.).

My only regrets: 1.) A few more Chainsaw skills! 2.) I think Sex should be a bigger part of the game... (it's already not for kids). 3.) A print version... because the awesomeness is just better when printed out!

Thanks for the hours of fun and greatness that is Against the Dead!

I love the graphics in this book. It's very professional, comprehensive, and clearly laid out. I've hardly role played and I would be excited to give this one a go. I'm not intimidated by the rules, they're very comprehensive easy to understand. It looks like a lot of fun and like you could take the story in many directions.

Ok, I'll make this short, because my previous review was eaten by Continue sharks.

Best modern-setting based zombie game I've ever seen, my only real gripe being that the Rider Against the Four art is at low resolution while the rest is at full-glorious-awesome-resolution. Also, some of the chicks are [very] scantily clad, not sure if that's a penalty or bonus, but I'm pretty puritanical, so I felt I'd mention it at least.

All I can say other than that is that this game is worth getting if you are going to run a zombie campaign or collection of zombie short-sessions, though $15 is a lot for a game that you'll only use once for a little while. That said, if you're a fan of d20 stuff at all, and a fan of zombies, you will use this more than once.