Zombie Survival Game To be Played At James's
Zombie Survival - The Home Game
Last time we did Zombie survival role play during the camping trip it was a lot of fun. However, we played ‘ourselves’ as characters and didn’t take any real risks so we survived too damn well. I’d like to play this again, but this time, to make it a bit harder, I’m going to design all the characters. I’m also going to try my hand as a GM. To set the scene, the infection is already well underway and the city has fallen to the undead. You are one of a group of survivors who have taken temporary sanctuary in a church. The small radio has just announced that you have 12 hours to escape the city before it is bombed back to its base elements. Let the panic begin.
This setting will differ a bit from traditional zombie games. It will be very quick and dirty with the rules, though reasonably fair. As such, it won’t be completely true to reality but have some of the finer aspects of a video game. Here is a simple explanation of the less then readily apparent rules:
- A zombie bite/infection is not a guarantied fatality for you, as there is a serum that can cure you, though it is obviously not readily available. However, its important to note that the serum does nothing for complete zombies and does not protect you from being infected again.
- There are numerous safe houses located throughout the city where one can get a dose of serum and be completely healed. They are marked with a read cross near the secure entrance which you can find by searching for. The first person to suggest taking all their supply of serum or asking why the people in the safe house are staying instead of fleeing (the government promised them emergency air lift if they stayed and helped people escape) will find the ground opening up and swallowing them.
- Most items can be found searching in likely spots, but that takes time. Time in which the city’s destruction (and your subsequent demise) looms closer and time in which a silently shambling corpse can sneak up on you.
- There are no armor bonus’s or consideration given in this game. If you want to take the time to construct some body armor I will take into consideration how much its going to slow you down, but I’m pretty sure my zombie friends will still smell out your exposed flesh.
That about does it off the top of my head. Any further questions feel free to ask. I’m new to all this and would appreciate other peoples input. Without further ado, here are the characters, go ahead and suggest the character you’d like in a screened comment.
Biker : 6' 4"s of mostly muscle, ex marine, sharpshooter, first aide training. He is the only survivor of his motorcycle gang that was in the city when the outbreak occurred. This tall guy is as tough as they come and has been known to crack a few living heads wide open, he won’t flinch doing it to the undead. He has the most hit points of anyone, gets a bonus for any melee combat and is also the only character who starts off with two weapons.
-Starting equipment - 45cal. pistol (8rds), small crowbar (melee), (1) Condom (50Hp)
Hillbilly : Tall and gangly, he was visiting some kin in the big ol’ city when dem zombie fella’s came a’calling. He survived by being able to sense the zombies before they got to his area. Whether a result of generations of inbreeding or the mechanizations of those damn alien’s that abducted and probed you five years ago, this talent for sensing the undead gives you a decided advantage in keeping shy of those darned flesh eaters.
-Starting equipment - Double barreled shot gun (4rds), flask of moonshine, bag of homemade beef jerky. (30HP)
Young Asian/Ninja : Small and light, this young wanna be trained for years in the ancient ways of stealth and silent assassination. Want proof? Just look how he skillfully escaped the penthouse apartment while his family was being eaten alive by the invading undead. With such training comes large bonuses for any attempts to sneak by or to take out a zombie without attracting unwanted attention.
-Starting equipment - Wakizashi (short oriental sword), Throwing stars (4), Yo-Yo. (21Hp)
Cheerleader : Blond and bubbly, and still wearing her uniform, she was the envy of many of her classmates. I’m sure she kinda still is considering she survived while the rest of them enlisted in the undead army. Though to be fair, her survival was more a product of her self sacrificing boyfriend throwing her unconscious body in a car and peeling wheels (he died to a bite a bit later). Be that as it may her survival boosted her confidence to the stratosphere, and she is not one to cringe and shy away from mixing it up with the undead. Her years of gymnastics as well as years of avoiding dates who tried to get a cheap feel have given her amazing agility which means large bonuses to avoiding attacks.
-Starting Equipment - (2) Sharpened stakes, (2) pom-poms, (1) Make-up case (25Hp)
Retired Air Force Officer : This distinguished pilot has been awarded for heroism above and beyond the call of duty. Though an older gentleman now, he is still in fairly decent shape and has stayed alive with a mixture of good common sense and knowing his own limitations. In more jovial times to his old Air Force buddies, he has been known to brag that he knows how to fly anything that was designed to go in the air. Which would obviously make an escape a hell of a lot safer.
-Starting Equipment - (1) Heavy headed cane, (1) Compass, (1) Pocket watch (25Hp)
Priest : This holy man has made frequent use of the rectory gym putting him in excellent physical shape. This days spent in silent prayer and inner contemplation has kept his mind strong as well and you’ll never have to worry about him freezing in terror or running when there is a task that simply must be done. He believes that the Zombies are a test by God and that only strengthens his resolves to help those around him and contort himself in a manner consistent with his beliefs. Simple faith inside, it is as if God is on your side while the priest is with you, as everyone will receive a bonus for saving throws while the priest continues to draw breath. It in his small church that all the characters find themselves taking sanctuary in the beginning.
-Starting Equipment - (1) Large Cross, Keys to the church van, (5) Candles. (35Hp)
Auto Mechanic : What could possibly be more useful then someone who could fix anything you come across and could reasonably use? Well probably a squad of Marines to do the fighting for you and a couple APCs to drive you out, but this is pretty damn useful too! This older gentleman isn’t exactly in his prime anymore and he’s smoked for years which makes him a bit short of breath. However, he has an intimate knowledge of machines and how to repair them, and knows how to hot-wire most vehicles. He was on the police departments bomb squad for a few years in his youth before blowing off his left hand so he has a limited amount of knowledge on how to make homemade explosives. The hook which has replaced his hand, while hampering his repairs, can be a melee weapon in a pinch.
-Starting Equipment - (1) Large adjustable wrench, (1) Multi tool/Gerber, (1) Zippo lighter. (20Hp)
The Reporter : This fiery female has kept her body in tip top shape in order to grace the evening broadcasts. Although she is dressed in a skirt and heels she doesn’t let that daunt her from standing toe to toe with a shambling zombie. Her true calling, and worth, is information and she is very well informed. She knows the location of every safe house in the city and can sometimes remember what roads have been blocked off from earlier briefs she received.
-Starting Equipment - (1) Small Digital Camcorder, (1) Digital Recorder, (1) Pair of large scissors. (21Hp)
Doctor : Yet another character of obvious usefulness. Sadly, this handsome young man is a doctor of psychology rather then the body. Of course, he does posses some limited medical knowledge and, more importantly, comes equipped with one dose of the zombie infection cure. The good doctor is also very charismatic with a face that instantly instills trust. As such, he enjoys a nice bonus when dealing with whatever live people you might encounter in your efforts to escape the doomed city.
- Starting Equipment - (1) Dose of Serum, (1) Scalpel, (1) Role of bandages. (35Hp)
Mob Hitman : Lean and deadly, this professional killer has lived this far because he cares about his survival to the exclusion of everything else. Don’t let that turn you off to this dark character though! He knows that he stands little chance of surviving on his own and will fight hard with all his skill to protect those who give him a better chance at making it out alive. He also knows the location of weapon caches he’s hidden around the city to help him in his various ‘jobs’. Frankly, when you have so many things out to kill you, who better to have on your side then a professional killer.
-Starting equipment - (1) 9mm handgun with silencer, (16rds), (1) Tulip. (40Hp)
These characters look pretty basic don’t they. Well in that case you haven’t kept in mind that ‘I’ designed them. Every single one of them has a...well lets call it a twist, that will only be revealed to the person who chooses that character. I’ll give you an example character that I rejected because I couldn’t come up with any strong ‘good’ attributes for him.
Surfer Dude : This clean cut, well tanned, beach bum lives to party. He is in great physical shape and doesn’t startle easy. His affinity for water would come in handy if you were anywhere near a beech, but since this is in the middle of a city I think I’ll just scrape this low life.
~And now the Twist ~
* Surfer Dude Secret : The reason he doesn’t startle easy is because the guy is stoned out of his mind. He thinks the whole zombie thing is just a really, really, really bad acid trip! Couple that with the constant pot he is smoking and he won’t be accepting reality for quite awhile. He is much more likely to take extreme risks while laughing about it...or maybe just taunting a zombie for the hell of it, who knows. Have fun!
As you can clearly see, survival with that character will become a bit more of a challenge with after you learn his twist. Don’t worry though, I’m sure your teammates are as dedicated to ensuring your survival as you are of theirs! None of the twists will be given till your character is assigned and you are not allowed to share your twist with any of your teammates unless they specifically ask about your behavior (and it’s in character to tell them). I believe this should make for a very interesting game. Look forward to playing with you!