Zombie Attributes
1. Physical Abilities
Too often, the undead have been said to posses superhuman powers: unusual strength, lightning speed, telepathy, etc. Stories range from zombies flying through the air to their scaling vertical surfaces like spiders. While these traits might make for fascinating drama, the individual ghoul is far from a magical, omnipotent demon. Never forget that the body of the undead is, for all practical purpose, human. What changes do occur are in a way this new, reanimated body is used by the now-infected brain. There is no way a zombie could fly unless the human it used to be could fly. The same goes for projecting force fields, teleportation, moving through solid objects, transforming into a wolf, breathing fire, or a variety of other mystical talents attributed to the walking dead. Imagine the human body as a tool kit. The somnamubulist brain has those tools, and only those tools, at its disposal. It cannot create new ones out of thin air. But it can, as you will see, use these tools in unconventional combinations, or push their durability beyond normal human limits.
A. Sight
The eyes of a zombie are no different than those of a normal human. While still capable (given their rate of decomposition) or transmitting visual signals to the brain, how the brain interprets these signals is another matter. Studies are inconclusive regarding the undead's visual abilities. they can spot prey at distances comparable to a human, but wether or not they can distinguish a human from one of their own is still up for debate. One theory suggests that the movements made by humans, which are quicker and smoother than those of the undead, is what causes them to stand out to the zombie eye. It has been suggested that zombies posses night vision, a fact that explains their skill at nocturnal hunting. This theory has been dunked by the fact that all zombies are expert night feeders, even those without eyes.
B. Sound
There is no question that zombies have exellent hearing. Not only can they setect sound--they can determine its direction. The basic range appears to be the same as that for humans. Experiments with extreme high and low frequencies have yeilded negative results.
--More to come--
