DEAD EARTH
October 4th, 2008. Nobody on the planet had time to react. Rumour is it started somewhere in Asia or Eastern Europe, but there's no guarantee of truth to rumours these days. Once people were exposed, they all were stricken by an eerily precise 24 hour sleep. The people that truly woke up were the only survivors left on Earth, then there were the people that technically woke up...
THE ZOMBIE
Not undead, just barely alive. Zombies in Dead Earth are humans with an incredibly slow metabolic rate. They lack much notion of an intellect, but retain some survival instincts. They require rudimentary food every few weeks and water every few days, though quality is not usually an issue for them. They are subject to critical hits, have a Constitution score, but otherwise follow most of the suggestions of the Zombie Template provided in d20 Modern.
Human Zombie: CR 1/2; Medium-size undead; HD 2d12 + 2 (Con) + 3 (Toughness); hp 18; Init –2; Spd 20 ft.; Defense 10, touch 8, flat-footed 10 (–2 Dex, +2 natural); BAB +0; Grap +2; Atk +2 melee (1d6+3, slam); Full Atk +2 melee (1d6+3, slam); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; SQ move or attack action only; AL none or handler; SV Fort +0, Ref –2, Will +3; AP 0; Rep +0; Str 14, Dex 6, Con —, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 1.
HOUSE RULES
1. Fast Hero is gimped. 4 + Int modifier skill points. Their Defense Bonus is made to be a little more even compared to other classes (i.e. no +3 at 1st level).
2. Personal Firearms Proficiency, the character must choose a "class" of weapon (small arm, longarm, machine gun, etc) and one specific weapon. The specific weapon is the weapon the character is fully trained to use, and he no longer has a penalty when using this weapon. The feat can now be taken multiple times, and each time it's taken, other weapons that fall into a similar "class" as the specific weapons chosen take half penalty to their attack rolls. Ex: Jim takes PFP (Glock 17), which is a handgun. He takes no penalty to attack with the Glock 17, and if he picked up a Desert Eagle, he'd only take a -2 penalty. By this logic, if Jim took PFP in two different handguns, he'd be proficient in all handguns.
3. Hunger rules are a little more harsh; characters need to eat at least 1lb of nutritious food every day to remain healthy. Penalties apply as usual.
4. The players are playing...themselves! A slightly modified version of d20 Hard Reality is used. (Link here.
5. We're playtesting some basic Called Shot rules, as follows:
Head: -6 to attack roll, damage doubled.
Torso: Normal rules.
Arms: -4 to attack roll, target takes -2 Dex penalty, can't use the arm for anything strenuous, 50% chance to drop anything in that hand. 1/4 damage.
Hands: -8 to attack roll, target takes -1 Dex penalty, can't use that hand for anything. 1/8 damage.
Legs: -4 to attack roll, target makes Balance check (DC 15+damage) or falls prone, -10 Speed penalty. 1/2 damage.
Feet: -8 attack roll, target makes Balance check (DC 20+damage) or falls prone, -20 Speed penalty. 1/8 damage.
CAMPAIGN-SPECIFIC CLASSES
There are currently three new advanced classes I'm offering to my players in this campaign.
Zombie Hunter
Specialist of tracking, trapping, and killing zombies. Full class information to follow.
Zombie Handler
Only the truly grotesque have the heart to claim the living dead as their own minions. Full class information to follow.
Zombie Survivalist - New!
There are those outdoor types that can get along in the wild and know how to start a fire and generally do well in the apocalypse, but these guys take it two steps further. Whether urban or rural, these survivalists can whip up sturdy zombie-proof barricades in no time flat, last longer without food or water, avoid zombies with utmost efficiency, and eventually help others get along as well.
WHAT I NEED HELP WITH
EDIT: Okay, so I've rethought my initial traps idea because it was too broad to be contained in a class, and ends up ruining too much flavour and creativity for my liking.
MISC
Other than that, I'll probably use this thread as a fun record of how my particular campaign goes. Mine is set in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. 1.15 million zombies, 1200 survivors. Campaign objectives are short term survival, long term survival, and finding the "truth" behind the outbreak. (Apologies if the thread is a bit brief in some areas, the boards messed up and I lost an even longer post)
Next up, I'll try to get the PCs we generated up, and the AdCs.
Campaign Start
David: 2 Smart/1 Fast
Alex: 2 Smart/1 Dedicated
Caroline: 2 Smart/1 Strong
Brian: 2 Smart/1 Charismatic
Matthew: 2 Smart/1 Fast
Session One - Outbreak
David: 2 Smart/2 Fast *ding*
Alex: 2 Smart/1 Dedicated
Brian: 2 Smart/1 Charismatic
Matthew: 2 Smart/1 Fast/1 Dedicated *ding*
Justin: 2 Smart *new survivor*
Brendan: 2 Smart/1 Fast *new survivor*
Caroline: 2 Smart/1 Strong, KIA, then devoured.
“One flick of my wrist and these bastards are going down for good.” Jim “The Machete” Harvey
The Zombie Hunter is a specialist at seeking out and destroying the living dead. As a survivor of the apocalypse, he’s learned to find zombies wherever they wander, use whatever objects he can find as weapons, and dispatch them with fluid ease. He’s a true master in face-to-face combat with zombies, but he also knows how to avoid them and trap them, when necessary.
Requirements
Base Attack Bonus: +3.
Feats: Track feat
Skills: Hide 5 ranks, Move Silently 5 ranks, Search 3 ranks, Survival 3 ranks.
Class Information
The following information pertains to the Zombie Hunter advanced class.
Hit Die: The Zombie Hunter gains 1d8 hit points per level. The character’s Constitution modifier applies.
Action Points: The Zombie Hunter gains a number of action points equal to 6 + one-half his character level, rounded down, every time he attains a new level in this class.
Class Skills
The Zombie Hunter’s class skills are as follows.
Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (chemical, electronic, mechanical, structural), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (current events, popular culture, streetwise, tactics) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Read/Write Language (none), Search (Int), Speak Language (none), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex).
Skill Points at Each Level: 3 + Int modifier.
12:30AM, October 4th, 2008
Six friends sat in a basement, celebrating the fact that midterms suck or their jobs suck by consuming copuous amounts of beer and liquor. Caroline was hosting her usual game of poker. Justin was passed out on the couch, with Alex and Brian just about ready to join him. David looked at his cards and pushed his chips into the center, merging them with the night's prize: $40 cash.
Brian laughed and revealed his four of a kind. The game was over, Brian reached for his winnings, and that was the last thing they all remembered before passing into a peaceful sleep.
1:00AM, October 5th, 2008
David wakes up to three confused friends, and another revealing himself in the bathroom. It doesn't take long for one of them to check their cell phones and realize more than 24 hours has gone by, and that it's still dark outside. Caroline heads upstairs to figure out what's going on, while the others check the TV and laptops. Nothing but snow, wireless connection is gone.
There's a bloodcurtling scream from upstairs; Caroline's scream. Brian and Justin run upstairs, followed shortly by David. Brian and Justin arrive just in time to see Caroline's rabid grandmother take a chunk out of her shoulder. The guys take screaming and cursing, while David quickly surveys the situation and heads downstairs to Caroline's bedroom. He retrieves her concealable vest, pepper spray, and tonfa that she received as an airport security guard. Others are scared and confused, but he knows exactly what the hell is going on! He's trained for this, he's studied for this. He was born for this.
Justin and Brian try to get Caroline's relatives, her mother, father, sister, and grandmother, off, but only manage to get bit or mauled themselves. David returns and suggests everyone retreat into the garage. He pepper sprays the grandmother, which has little effect, and narrowly avoids losing his jugular. He escapes just in time to catch Caroline getting tackled and ripped to shreds out of the corner of his eye. Seconds after they lock themselves in the garage, their friends' death cry sounds.
Panic ensues. God damn zombies. They barricade the house door with a heavy nearby tool cabinet, and survey the view into the driveway. There's 6 cars, but none of them have their keys since they were drinking and pooled them all upstairs, and there's at least 15 zombies wandering around out there. After a few minutes, David convinces everyone the best plan of action is just to avoid the zombies in the driveway and run to his uncle's house, a known hunter, who lives about a kilometer down the road.
Brian and Alex take up shovels, Matt takes a baseball bat, and Justin grabs a hedge trimmer and plugs it into an extension cord. The group makes a run for it, but these zombies aren't quite as immobile as the movies or books. Two charge and make a vicious attack on the slower members, Alex and Justin. They both defend themselves, smacking one in the face with a shovel, while Justin digs a deep gash into the second with the hedge trimmer. The zombies, apparently, don't seem to care much about their injuries. They both drop their weapons out of fear and just sprint.
When the group notices the road is filled with zombies shambling about, they break into a nearby house, manage to find car keys, and steal the SUV in the driveway. They drive to Dave's uncle's house, hitting several zombies along the way, and hop out. On their way inside, Dave spots his zombified uncle, milling about in the driveway. They head inside and search the top floor, then head downstairs and encounter his zombified aunt. The gun cabinet is downstairs, they ain't retreating. Matt and Justin take up the task of barricading the front door with a heavy couch, while Brian, Alex, and Dave make an offensive on the zombie. Each of them sustains injuries, but the zombies eventually falls with a well-faced tonfa to the back of the skull. They're very resilient, the friends note between one another. Brian is suffering from shock and complaining about feeling cold.
Dave finds the gun cabinet and, with no key in sight, he and Alex bust it open with heavy objects they find around the basement. One shotgun, six hunting rifles, and enough ammunition to get them through the night. Though none of them have much firearms experience.
1:45AM
They leave his uncle's house, carrying the guns and as much food as they could fit into various carrying cases and backpacks. They hop into the SUV, ignoring the half dozen zombies slowly shambling towards them, and drive off. Justin requests they go to his house, which is about 2km away.
2:00AM
The going is slow, since lots of stalled cars and zombies litter the roads, but they make it to Justin's road. Halfway down, nearly at his house, Matt hears a gunshot further ahead. They pass Justin's house and investigate, hearing more gunshots and some barrel flashes. There stands a crazed, old italian man, chugging wine he made himself and blasting shotgun slugs into the half dozen zombies that have surrounded him. Another half dozen lay dead (like, real dead) near his feet.
The group try to get the man's attention, but he's wasted and busy shooting. They join him, attracting the attention of two of the zombies. The SUV takes some damage, along with Dave, but over the next 3 minutes they manage to kill all of the zombies. The old man stumbles over, grumbling death threats and reloading his shotgun. He doesn't seem terribly responsive to the cries of the group. They aren't in the mood for taking chances, and drop the only survivor they've seen so far with three rifle rounds.
The old man wasn't entirely useless, he had brought out most of his wine and gun collection to battle with the zombies to the bitter end. The team retrieves two more shotguns and three more rifles, along with almost 100 rounds of ammunition all told. Matt manages to find a first aid kit in the old man's house, with intention of employing it on his wounded friends. They make their way back up the street to Justin's house. The only two zombies that take notice, sadly, are his own father and sister. A grim night.
2:30AM
The group hits the road, sporting Justin's Celtic broadsword, but hurting, both physically and mentally. They notice a great fire has engulfed the roadside Kentucky Fried Chicken, and hundreds of zombies are shambling towards it. Are the damned attracted to fire?
With no time for proper care, they head to their friends' house out in the rural areas of Ottawa. Less than halfway there, a zombie sees the oncoming headlights of the SUV and charges towards it. Dave, the driver, has no time to react and they make a head-on collection. The zombie nearly explodes, but the SUV is now in bad shape. They move quickly to a nearby gas station, kill the zombified attendent, and transfer cars, making sure to fill up the gas tank.
They hit the road again, and reach Brendan's house with no trouble. It's rural, with a long driveway and few neighbours. Good place to hole up temporarily. They make their way up the elevated patio and peer in the back door. Pool of blood. David smashes the glass, and heads inside with Justin and Matt, guns at the ready. Within the darkness of the home, Brendan's zombified parents are shambling about. After the opening rounds are fired, the zombies charged. David nearly lost his neck, Justin retreated in fear, while Matt managed to drop one of the zombies and retreat back to the patio. From the patio, the five of them were able to drop the second.
The refridgerator was moved to block any entrance up on the patio, though the stairs would be difficult for zombies to navigate anyway. They cleared the house, room by room, but found no more zombies. No luck finding the gun Brendan owned, and he was nowhere to be found. Alex spots movement in the grass outside. Matt treats the injured, and Dave finds a cache of 40% liquors. Ah, the Irish.
4:00AM
Matt uses the first aid kit to treat all of his injured friends, and before everyone spots movement in the grass out front. Brendan shambles slowly over to the front door, and the slams against it. The group prepares to free their zombified friend, but find out he's just injured and hammered beyond all reason. "My sister bit me!!" he exclaims, before losing consciousness. Matt treats him, while Dave suggests his hands and feet be bound. Zombie bites beget more zombies, right?
5:45AM
Dawn. The corpses of the two zombies killed during their entrance were thrown off the patio into the backyard, and now ten zombies have arrivied from the forest beyond. Three zombies are shambling slowly down the driveway. Attracted to their own, or did the heroes make too much noise?
Alex and Matt take turns making molotov cocktails and with sentry duty, while others try to get some sleep. It doesn't last, as the new visitors rouse the entire house. They can't get in, but they need to be disposed of. Dave and Matt watch as the newcomers devour their own dead, and get ideas. They grab some raw meat from the second fridge downstairs and toss it as far as they can back into the forest, attracting five of the ten zombies. Eureka!
Three molotov cocktails later, and the friends watch as the zombies systematically devoured and set fire to one another. Both an attractant and a repellant, it seemed.
7:00PM
Each member has managed to get a full eight hours rest even through sentry duty, and Matt uses up the last of his first aid kit supplies patching everyone up again. Seven more zombies make their way down the driveway, but the elevated front windows make for an excellent sniping position.
A tally of the supplies is taken:
1. Lots of guns, about 80 rounds of ammunition total.
2. Two first aid kits.
3. 8 days of good food and water.
Matt remarks that they're going to need more food, and better medical supplies. Their next stop just might be a hospital...but how infested with zombies would those be?
*****************
End of session one. Total experience gained: 1665.
I a found this to be....
Ah, screw it. It's awesome. Only way to say it. As a fan of the genre, and a specialist in Zombie d20 Modern campaigns, this has interested me quite a bit.
If you need anything, any help, ideas, anything, lemme know.
Zombie Handler (about 50% written)
Zombie Survivalist (still concept stage, ideas for reqs/skills/abilities would be great)
Quantifying rules on how Zombies sense the PCs and are attracted to various sources. I was using straight Spot/Listen/Scent checks in the first session, but based on my results I think I can just draw up tables on zombie spawning as a function of Size of Survivor Party, Population Density, Attractants, and have one die roll spawn XdY zombies as an encounter.
I welcome any and all suggestions, really. Despite having read plenty about Zombie campaigns, this is my first. Thanks for the comments.
And I'm hoping to have our second session on Thursday.
1.Body Cast zombie - just glares and snarls and wriggles. The Traction Cast zombie has more range of motion - it's hanging by one ankle with a dislocated hip. Neither version can attack effectively, but both can bite if a PC gets careless.
2.Iron Lung zombie - might not be noticed until an unlucky PC goes scrounging for spare parts. No attack unless a PC puts hand in ILZ’s mouth.
3.Brain Surgery zombie - sure, the scalp is flayed and the brain exposed for easy access, but why not toss a glimmer of hope to the poor PCs now and again? -10 Maximum HP.
4.Eye Surgery zombie - is smashing up the goodies the PCs would like to get their grubby lil' mits on... -4 on all attacks.
5.IV Drip zombie - dragging an IV bag rack by the rubber tubes still connected to its arms. -2 to first 1D6 attacks – after that time the IV tubes will have been ripped loose, freeing the zombie from the IV bag rack.
6.Heart/Lung Machine zombie - kinda like the Body Cast zombie, but with the gooey parts exposed. Maybe it can get up and drag the cart along with it. Maybe it looses the machine and heart/lungs and has a big ol' gapin' hole in its chest. No attack if restrained (see 2, above). -5 on attacks if mobile for first 1D3 attacks until heart and lungs rip away, freeing the zombie from the machine anchor.
7.Geezer Zombies - dragging their canes and walkers with 'em, Medic Alert bracelets paging long dead technicians ("Help! I've died and I'm getting up!"). Speed 10. Dex -2.
8.Burn Victim zombie - gooey all over. -4 on all attacks due to sensory impairment and physical damage. Fear check is appropriate
9.Car Crash zombie - Gains additional attack damage (raise to base 1D6) to reflect shards of glass, metal, and broken bones protruding from zombie’s skin.
10. Arrow-in-the-head zombie - it's not just for Steve Martin anymore. Maybe the arrow missed the brain or something. May have difficulty moving through doorways as the arrow is a “clothyard shaft” nearly 4’ in length.
11. Light-bulb-up-butt Fetish zombie - kinda walks funny. No attack modifiers, and no overt signs of unusual trauma except for protractors protruding from, well…you figure it out.
12. Candidate-for-stomach-stapling zombie - might not be able to move under its own power. Morbidly obese zombie. Speed 10. Dex -2. -4 to attack rolls, but if the zombie succeeds, it is immensely strong and can easily pin a PC to a wall or floor beneath it’s bulk.
13. Prosthetic limb zombie - has its own hook for snaring careless PCs. Zombie can gain a Piercing attack from its damaged mechanical forearm. If the zombie is missing a leg instead, it must crawl as it is unable to balance on its artificial leg. In this case, Speed 10, penalty to attack rolls from prone position.
14. Wheelchair zombie - just spins in a circle until it falls out and drags itself toward the Cast Members using only its arms. See above.
15. Morgue zombie - keeps tripping up on the toe tag. No effects unless autopsy scars are unduly disturbing to one or more PCs.
16. More Geezer zombies - lost their false teeth, so they have to gum the PCs to death. No effective attack, but can still get in the way as well as grab PCs.
17. Intern zombie - still carrying/towing a fully charged crash cart with those zapper pads for heart attacks... The paddles cause 4D6 damage to the first PC struck in a grappling attack. More than 15 points of damage indicates that the PC has been knocked unconscious for 1D6 minutes. If the GM is truly evil, the paddles could simply induce a heart attack in the first target successfully touched. Effects of said heart attack are up to the GM but should be disabling to the PC for at least a couple of days.
18. Neck brace zombie - can't turn head to fully utilize bite attack. -2 to all attack rolls.
19. Gurney zombie - kinda like the Body Cast zombie, but strapped down instead of incased in plaster. Just snarls and snaps and struggles and glares and stuff.
20. Colostomy zombie - bag full of bits of half-chewed interns, maybe whole fingers and pieces of scalp are visible through the bag.
21. Endoscope zombie - has a tube either in the mouth or the other, ah, opening. First case can't bite. Second case can barely walk because it's dragging the camera along behind it.
22. Respirator zombie - can't bite because of the plastic tube still in its mouth and throat.
23. Face lift zombie - half finished. Looks like Phyllis Diller on a REALLY bad day.
24. Lipo-suction zombie - tube still embedded in stomach.
25. Augmentation zombie - inserts are starting to fall out of upper torso.
26. Medical isotope zombie - got into the barium and cesium and now it’s glowing in the dark and emitting high levels of gamma radiation. Causes radiation poisoning (ala d20 future).
27. C-section-gone-awry zombie - best left to the imagination. Horrific
28. Interrupted Surgery zombie - chest/abdomen still open with parts handing out, hemostats and all.
29. Mercury zombie - died and kept chewing on the thermometer. Mouth full of ground glass and mercury. Potentially toxic bite. Bite attack causes normal damage, but PC may suffer additional effects as time passes at the discretion of the GM to reflect mercury poisoning (i.e. Dex and Con loss).
30. Police Injury zombie - battered and bloodied and still in handcuffs. Maybe handcuffed to the gurney it’s dragging along, or to the half-eaten decapitated officer it’s dragging behind it. -4 to attacks in either case due to the heavy weight to which the zombie is attached.
I like your campaign I can't seem to run a good one myself. I know this may silly question but do your players bring their copies of the zombie survival guide to the sessions?
Only one of my players owns the ZSG, and he's probably the most "knowledgeable" of the group. But no, the guide isn't really up for use during session, unless they could do something like actually find the book in the game play. I was not surprised the group was able to survive, mostly due to our character David's efforts (the ZSG owner and largest enthusiast), but there were still struggles for everyone.
So what do you guys think of the Zombie Hunter AdC? In terms of both aesthetic fluff and game balance? A point of reference would be nice, since I'm modelling the Zombie Handler off the Hunter. Survivalist, well I'm not really sure where I'm going with that, haven't even jotted many notes down for it.
The only question I have is about the "Play Dead" feature. Does it imply that anyone can attempt to disguise themselves and that the Hunter is better at it, or is it an exclusive to them? It reminds me somewhat of The Walking Dead comic series. The protagonists, knowing the zombies were attracted to smell, would rub bits of dead flesh and such on their skin and clothes to disguise their scent.
Also, I have an encounter planned that, if done correctly, should make your hospital-going PCs terrified. Those are the patients above. What about the staff? The zombified staff chases the PCs, eventually causing them to be stuck in a darkened hallway. In the hallway (and make sure the PCs know this) are a bunch of zombies otherwise slowed down via gurneys or machines or something. But, not all of them may be that secured! So, they're between a rock and a hard place: the more mobile staff closing in on them, or the slower ones down the hall.
Who says slow zombies aren't terrifying? ;)
The administrator will be a decent encounter on his own, shrieking about the plague and how he's been treating the sick. But he'll let loose his trap on the PCs, setting a fire and splattering blood all over the main floors and halls, as well as unlocking all the doors. Essentially this lets loose every free zombie in the building, plus zombies outside on the grounds, as they are attracted to fire and blood.
No major escapes, and before long dozens of zombies are crowding every means of escape. They can fight their way out, or find another way...Your encounter suggestion would work nicely inserted around this point (hallway from the sick ward with tons of slow, weak, deformed zombies, and hallway from lobby/staff rooms with tons of regular zombies in scrubs).
About the Hunter:
This ability might be subject to some changes depending on how I quantify zombie's hunting/spawning. But essentially, there's three ways a zombie can detect a survivor: sight, hearing, smell. So the Hunter can Hide/Move Silently to avoid zombies, in which case he gets a +4 bonus to those checks with Play Dead. Against Scent, the zombie's most deadly sense, I've been doing a flat check for the zombie to smell out the PC (10-20 depending on distance). Though they haven't really figured it out, the PCs could just make a Disguise check without the Hunter class and raise the DC for zombies trying to smell them out. Play Dead for the Hunter is just an additional bonus to that.
This is an important ability to work out though, because the Zombie Handler is going to have an Improved version. Think there's a better way to handle it?
One thought I had was that Play Dead gives Hunters/Handlers the ability to avoid zombies altogether, but they can only move at 1/2 speed. I thought this might be overpowered and downplay the use of Hide/Move Silently, however. But I am open to ideas!
http://www.brokentype.com/monster/
http://www.brokentype.com/nation/
http://www.brokentype.com/planet/
if you are looking for a model for the hunter you could use the shadow hunter from urban arcana as a reference for your hunter.
.22LR will be the currency of the wasteland.
Session two ran successfully, though we didn't get to the hospital bit yet. I'll try to update the thread soon, and session three ought to happen this week.
As far as the Hunter goes, the first page I flipped to in my book collection was the page with Shadow Slayer, it was the initial model for the class. But parts of the SS make no sense for the ZH. And besides, Fast Healing is broken.
Extra tracking ability...Well your idea sounds more like a survival ability. Which might be good for the Hunter and Survivalist. Kind of the opposite to Play Dead, which is more defensive. Becomes better at detecting zombies...hmmm...I must think it over.
Well crap. Here I was hoping someone had adapted DeadEarthto d20. What a let down.
For you, maybe.
Bad news: The hard drive I had been writing all the DE stuff on crashed, and is lost forever. Luckily I backed up everything except for my almost-completed Zombie Handler, unluckily Zombie Handler is gone and will have to get a total re-write.