Would werewolves, kaiju and/or zombies be classified as biological weapons?

[RTepp]

Hey guys, I’m just curious about something, hoping somebody can answer this:

Suppose that werewolves, kaiju, and/or zombies existed. Suppose also that the military implemented these creatures in warfare by letting them run amok. Would this fall under the classification of biological warfare? Does it differ for each of them?

[aNewLeaf]

Are we talking about chemical zombies? Or supernatural zombies?

[Jragon]

From wikipedia on Biological warfare:

Biological warfare (BW)—also known as germ warfare—is the use of biological toxins or infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi with intent to kill or incapacitate humans, animals or plants as an act of war. Biological weapons (often termed “bio-weapons”, “biological threat agents”, or “bio-agents”) are living organisms or replicating entities (viruses, which are not universally considered “alive”) that reproduce or replicate within their host victims. Entomological (insect) warfare is also considered a type of biological weapon.

Depending on your werewolf and zombie rules (i.e. if they’re virulent and make others into werewolves/zombies) they could be biological weapons, but more for the magical illness than the creatures themselves. Not much different than deliberately spreading rabies. Kaiju seems more akin to dropping a super-soldier or a massive tank, unless your kaiju makes people sick I guess.

[Kamino_Neko]

Assuming they’re not voodoo style, zombies almost certainly would - even if they’re [del]proper[/del]Romero-style, and thus zombie-ism isn’t a plague in itself, they’re still corpses who are rotting, which were used as biological weapons in ages past, even without being self-propelled.

Kaiju would not, any more than any other animals used in warfare would be.

Werewolves…by standard rules, where being bitten by a werewolf (and surviving) turns you into one, and when you turn you are a ravening, bloodthirsty monster, who’ll tear apart anyone whose path you cross, definitely. If it’s a version where the victim retains their full faculties, but becomes more aggressive - probably, but it’s possible it wouldn’t be considered a disease, thus not classed as a biological weapon (or whatever new equivalent classification is devised to account for supernatural curses). If it takes anything more involved than the wolf simply injuring someone to pass on the curse or if it doesn’t affect the victim mentally, then probably not.

[RTepp]

@Jragon

Depending on your werewolf and zombie rules (i.e. if they’re virulent and make others into werewolves/zombies) they could be biological weapons, but more for the magical illness than the creatures themselves. Not much different than deliberately spreading rabies. Kaiju seems more akin to dropping a super-soldier or a massive tank, unless your kaiju makes people sick I guess.

Thanks a ton for the clarification. Is there a word for warfare via releasing dangerous and violent beasts into an area?

[Colibri]

Since there’s no factual answer to this, let’s move it to IMHO.

Colibri
General Questions Moderator

[RTepp]

@Colibri

Since there’s no factual answer to this, let’s move it to IMHO.

Colibri
General Questions Moderator

Sorry about that. I figured that since I was talking about the definition of a biological weapon, something concrete and factual, it would still be a factual question even if it were asked about fictional creatures. The mistake is duly noted.

[Jragon]

@RTepp

Thanks a ton for the clarification. Is there a word for warfare via releasing dangerous and violent beasts into an area?

You might call it biological warfare. It’s hard to say. There is some precedence for releasing bugs (entomological warfare) being called “biological warfare” so it may qualify. On the other hand, releasing vicious dogs on the enemy is a time-honored tactic and doesn’t seem to really have a special name. I think this is one of those scenarios where there’s not really a use case that’s sufficiently parallel for us to be able to point to a clear term.

[The_Other_Waldo_Pepper]

@Kamino_Neko

Werewolves…by standard rules, where being bitten by a werewolf (and surviving) turns you into one, and when you turn you are a ravening, bloodthirsty monster, who’ll tear apart anyone whose path you cross, definitely. If it’s a version where the victim retains their full faculties, but becomes more aggressive - probably, but it’s possible it wouldn’t be considered a disease, thus not classed as a biological weapon (or whatever new equivalent classification is devised to account for supernatural curses).

But if you get yourself some AD&D-style Myconids to march on the enemy like walking toadstools…