Rad Hunter
Something went wrong inside this one. The Infection that drives all undead is locked in a war with the radiation saturating the host's tissue, and neither side is winning. The result is a walking contradiction: dead flesh that regenerates and decays simultaneously, burning from within with an energy that will not dissipate. Rad Hunters glow. You can see them coming from a distance, which should be reassuring. It is not.
Rad Hunters belong to the Lurking Threats class, counting as both Aberrant and Zombie. They share the elevated intelligence and predatory instincts of their kin, but where a standard Hunter relies on stealth and shadow, the Rad Hunter has traded concealment for something arguably worse: inevitability. The glow eliminates surprise, but it also eliminates the comfortable illusion that you have time to prepare. The burning figure on the horizon is walking toward you, and everything it touches corrodes. Armor cracks. Shields splinter. Weapons degrade in your hands as radiation eats through metal and leather alike.
The real danger is not the approach; it is the engagement and its aftermath. A Rad Hunter's strikes carry radiation damage that bypasses conventional toughness. Its mere proximity inflicts Rad Rot, a wasting disease that compounds over time. Higher-ranked specimens can unleash Radioactive Leak, flooding an area with toxic energy, or trigger a Radioactive Meltdown that destroys every brew and alchemical preparation nearby. And then there is the Dead Switch: when a Rad Hunter finally goes down, its body detonates in a burst of radioactive force that punishes anyone who made the mistake of finishing it off at close range.
Engagement protocol for Rad Hunters requires distance, disposable equipment, and a clear escape route for the killing blow. Maintain range whenever possible. Accept that gear in proximity to this thing is already compromised. And when you put it down, clear the area before it detonates. Double Tap remains the only permanent solution, but delivering it safely requires planning that most survivors do not have the luxury of time to complete.
Rad Hunters belong to the Lurking Threats class, counting as both Aberrant and Zombie. They share the elevated intelligence and predatory instincts of their kin, but where a standard Hunter relies on stealth and shadow, the Rad Hunter has traded concealment for something arguably worse: inevitability. The glow eliminates surprise, but it also eliminates the comfortable illusion that you have time to prepare. The burning figure on the horizon is walking toward you, and everything it touches corrodes. Armor cracks. Shields splinter. Weapons degrade in your hands as radiation eats through metal and leather alike.
The real danger is not the approach; it is the engagement and its aftermath. A Rad Hunter's strikes carry radiation damage that bypasses conventional toughness. Its mere proximity inflicts Rad Rot, a wasting disease that compounds over time. Higher-ranked specimens can unleash Radioactive Leak, flooding an area with toxic energy, or trigger a Radioactive Meltdown that destroys every brew and alchemical preparation nearby. And then there is the Dead Switch: when a Rad Hunter finally goes down, its body detonates in a burst of radioactive force that punishes anyone who made the mistake of finishing it off at close range.
Engagement protocol for Rad Hunters requires distance, disposable equipment, and a clear escape route for the killing blow. Maintain range whenever possible. Accept that gear in proximity to this thing is already compromised. And when you put it down, clear the area before it detonates. Double Tap remains the only permanent solution, but delivering it safely requires planning that most survivors do not have the luxury of time to complete.
Basic Information
Anatomy
The skin looks melted. Not burned, not scarred: melted, as if the flesh tried to slide off the bone and was caught halfway. Cracks run through the surface in jagged patterns, and between them, the glow pulses. Reds and oranges bleed into phosphorescent green across the face, chest, and arms, as though something radioactive is trying to claw its way out from the inside. Charred, blackened tissue surrounds the brightest areas, creating a patchwork of dead tissue and living fire.
The clothing tells the same story. Whatever this thing wore in life has been incinerated by the heat its body produces: charred, melted, and fused to the skin in places, torn away in others. The overall impression is of a body that should have been consumed by its own energy long ago but refuses to stop moving. In low light, the glow is visible from a considerable distance. In total darkness, a Rad Hunter is a beacon that announces its presence to everything within line of sight.
The clothing tells the same story. Whatever this thing wore in life has been incinerated by the heat its body produces: charred, melted, and fused to the skin in places, torn away in others. The overall impression is of a body that should have been consumed by its own energy long ago but refuses to stop moving. In low light, the glow is visible from a considerable distance. In total darkness, a Rad Hunter is a beacon that announces its presence to everything within line of sight.
Biological Traits
The Rad Hunter is a multi-vector threat. Its Brawling Strikes deal radiation damage rather than standard physical trauma, making conventional armor less effective. Break Shield, Break Armor, and Break Weapon allow it to systematically strip a survivor's defenses, and Pyrokinetics gives it a ranged fire attack for targets trying to maintain distance. Inflict Disease Rad Rot ensures that even a brief encounter has lasting consequences.
Higher-ranked Rad Hunters escalate into area denial. Radioactive Leak floods the surrounding area with radiation damage, and Radioactive Meltdown destroys alchemical preparations in a wide radius. Ranged Damage Reduction makes them difficult to put down from a safe distance, and more advanced specimens gain Melee Damage Reduction as well. The Dead Switch Detonation is the signature threat: a massive burst of radiation damage triggered by the creature's death, punishing anyone who delivered the killing blow at close range. Tactically, the recommended approach is to strip its health from range, clear the blast area, and have your Double Tap ready. Engage with equipment you can afford to lose.
Higher-ranked Rad Hunters escalate into area denial. Radioactive Leak floods the surrounding area with radiation damage, and Radioactive Meltdown destroys alchemical preparations in a wide radius. Ranged Damage Reduction makes them difficult to put down from a safe distance, and more advanced specimens gain Melee Damage Reduction as well. The Dead Switch Detonation is the signature threat: a massive burst of radiation damage triggered by the creature's death, punishing anyone who delivered the killing blow at close range. Tactically, the recommended approach is to strip its health from range, clear the blast area, and have your Double Tap ready. Engage with equipment you can afford to lose.
Behaviour
Rad Hunters share the three-phase behavioral pattern common to all Lurking Threats, but the execution differs. The Unaware phase is less convincing here; a glowing corpse does not blend into a crowd of ordinary undead the way a standard Hunter does. The Stalking phase becomes less about concealment and more about approach: a predatory, calculated advance that forces survivors to watch the inevitable closing of distance. The Attacking phase is brutal and irradiated, with strikes that corrode equipment and poison flesh on contact.
Like all Lurking Threats, Rad Hunters use Rise Again as an escape mechanism rather than a means to continue fighting. When overwhelmed, they drop, rise, and flee toward other undead concentrations. The difference is that fleeing does not eliminate the threat; the radiation lingers, and any equipment damaged during the encounter stays damaged. Chasing a Rad Hunter carries the additional risk that its Dead Switch Detonation could trigger at any point, releasing a burst of radioactive energy across the surrounding area. Pursuit requires weighing whether the kill is worth what the detonation will cost.
Like all Lurking Threats, Rad Hunters use Rise Again as an escape mechanism rather than a means to continue fighting. When overwhelmed, they drop, rise, and flee toward other undead concentrations. The difference is that fleeing does not eliminate the threat; the radiation lingers, and any equipment damaged during the encounter stays damaged. Chasing a Rad Hunter carries the additional risk that its Dead Switch Detonation could trigger at any point, releasing a burst of radioactive energy across the surrounding area. Pursuit requires weighing whether the kill is worth what the detonation will cost.
The glow on the horizon is not a campfire.
Threat Class
Lurking Threats
Counts As
Aberrant and Zombie
Body Range
30-75 across ranks
Key Threat
Radiation damage and equipment destruction
Average Physique
Melted, cracked, radiating internal heat
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Red, orange, and phosphorescent green over charred tissue
