D&D: Zombie Apocalypse.
Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2014 12:15 am
So, I had this idea for a single session D&D interlude, maybe as a small break for your D&D group from their normal campaign, and I wanted to run it by you guys to gauge interest and get some advice.
Everybody starts new with a "lite" character sheet. You roll for stats, but you have to put them in order to which you or the group sees you as. I might make strength and intelligence as my high stats, but dexterity and charisma will be pretty low. So on. Not worrying about classes, races, skills, etc. The character sheet would be you, so they'd take your name, height, weight, age, etc. (It won't be terrible if some people want to smudge these details)
The campaign would begin at the table your group is at, ready to continue their D&D campaign, but now, as the DM, but now, Zombies strike. Maybe the one person in the house who refuses to try out D&D ran in with a bite mark, screaming how some crazy guy outside bit him/her. The person dies and turn. Maybe play yourself as an NPC in the group, or start with the DM turning. Actually, I like that idea. Show up with ketchup soaked gauze on your arm and explain how the bum on the corner rushed you and bit your arm. Then pass out and die. Not really die, you need to DM the game. Just pretend to die, then shift into your roll as the DM.
The group has to organically decide what to do, how to handle the situation, what to grab from the house, etc. Everybody starts unequipped, but they grab the baseball bat that's in the closet for a d6 club. Any tasks can be rolled for by a d20, with bonuses from the respective attribute, chosen by the DM. Maybe a skill bonus for someone who explains how they have a real world skill. Like, Arctic, you'd get a skill bonus for getting the jeep back up and running.
It might be a good idea to have a computer or tablet for the DM to have the best representation of the surrounding environment. If there's an gun store near by, it'd be good to know. Maybe let the players use their phones early on to start out, but once it progresses a little, the cell phone towers go out and they can no longer get a signal (and this is where they have to turn in their phones). If one of them remembers where that gun store is, or a hardware store, etc, they can work their way there. And maybe if their characters loses, say, a right arm because someone judicially decided to chop it off to avoid infection, they can now only roll with their left. Ideas.
The party can choose bunk up in your house or set out for greener pastures, team up with other survivors or set up an isolated camp in the woods, but in the end, they need to see how long they can survive a zombie apocalypse. And this game, it's okay to kill off the entire party in one session.
So, what do you guys think? Is this something you'd want to try? What sort of pitfalls do you see?
I'm wanting to try this out with my group to see how it goes. It sounds like a really exciting way to play out a zombie scenario is a very visceral way.
I also have this other stranded on an island variant, you know, like with those pics that give 3 options of equipment to choose what to be stranded on a deserted island with; I don't know if that sounds more appealing. No volleyballs. Or maybe yes, but it has to be a psychopathic volleyball.
Everybody starts new with a "lite" character sheet. You roll for stats, but you have to put them in order to which you or the group sees you as. I might make strength and intelligence as my high stats, but dexterity and charisma will be pretty low. So on. Not worrying about classes, races, skills, etc. The character sheet would be you, so they'd take your name, height, weight, age, etc. (It won't be terrible if some people want to smudge these details)
The campaign would begin at the table your group is at, ready to continue their D&D campaign, but now, as the DM, but now, Zombies strike. Maybe the one person in the house who refuses to try out D&D ran in with a bite mark, screaming how some crazy guy outside bit him/her. The person dies and turn. Maybe play yourself as an NPC in the group, or start with the DM turning. Actually, I like that idea. Show up with ketchup soaked gauze on your arm and explain how the bum on the corner rushed you and bit your arm. Then pass out and die. Not really die, you need to DM the game. Just pretend to die, then shift into your roll as the DM.
The group has to organically decide what to do, how to handle the situation, what to grab from the house, etc. Everybody starts unequipped, but they grab the baseball bat that's in the closet for a d6 club. Any tasks can be rolled for by a d20, with bonuses from the respective attribute, chosen by the DM. Maybe a skill bonus for someone who explains how they have a real world skill. Like, Arctic, you'd get a skill bonus for getting the jeep back up and running.
It might be a good idea to have a computer or tablet for the DM to have the best representation of the surrounding environment. If there's an gun store near by, it'd be good to know. Maybe let the players use their phones early on to start out, but once it progresses a little, the cell phone towers go out and they can no longer get a signal (and this is where they have to turn in their phones). If one of them remembers where that gun store is, or a hardware store, etc, they can work their way there. And maybe if their characters loses, say, a right arm because someone judicially decided to chop it off to avoid infection, they can now only roll with their left. Ideas.
The party can choose bunk up in your house or set out for greener pastures, team up with other survivors or set up an isolated camp in the woods, but in the end, they need to see how long they can survive a zombie apocalypse. And this game, it's okay to kill off the entire party in one session.
So, what do you guys think? Is this something you'd want to try? What sort of pitfalls do you see?
I'm wanting to try this out with my group to see how it goes. It sounds like a really exciting way to play out a zombie scenario is a very visceral way.
I also have this other stranded on an island variant, you know, like with those pics that give 3 options of equipment to choose what to be stranded on a deserted island with; I don't know if that sounds more appealing. No volleyballs. Or maybe yes, but it has to be a psychopathic volleyball.