Night of the Living Dead Hero Plot Ideas

[AmadanNaBriona]

Re: Night of the Living Dead Hero Plot Ideas

 

Scavenger Hunt-

have the players come across something they consider vitally important... a generator or helicopter both seem to be good options. Then give them a whole lot of hoops they have to jump through to actually get the item into a useable state.

For instance...

They find a small local airport. There is a helicopter on the pad. They have to get into the airport without attracting too much zombie attention, clear the area of zombies and claim the copter. Except... its not gassed up, and the power to the underground pumps is out. This is gonna take some kind of siphon, another source for high octane fuel, or a heavy 3 phase generator and some tech skills to get it going.

Oh, and does anyone know who has the keys? Is there a set in the airport offices, or in a zombies pocket somewhere? If its a privately owned bird, the owner might have the keys, but his address is probably in the office paperwork. Maybe it can be hotwired?

 

And can anyone fly this thing?

[ThothAmon]

Re: Night of the Living Dead Hero Plot Ideas

 

Stolen from Zelazny:

 

The Cure

 

PCs stumble across an operation medical facility that is under seige by hordes of zombies. Significant amounts of gunfire and HE attract their attention. The defenders are putting up serious resistance. Arriving at the last possible moment the PCs are able to find only one living person, Doctor Smith.

 

The good Doc has been bitten and is sitting waiting with a bottle of JD and a shotgun poised to self-administer the coup-de-grace. She tells the PCs that the lab has been developing a serum for a plague that has infected a populated enclave some days away. The zombies have wrecked the only air transport on the ground-level helipad (a chopper) and everyone is gone. The PCs must deliver the serum and save the people and they have to do it before the serum degrades. There's an area map handy and a portable GPS system in the chopper. There are a few salvageable road vehicles and some fuel.

 

The Doc gives them her ID (dog tags), the keys to the intact storage area where the serum is kept and tells them that they will be heroes when they deliver the ready-packaged serum - they will have all the food, booze, fuel, ammo and women they can handle. She takes a final swig, hands the bottle to a PC, tells everyone to back off and then eats both barrels from the shotgun

 

How far to the enclave? Is the GPS still functioning? Can the PCs beat the clock and deliver the serum by going overland? What will they meet on the way? And how will they be welcomed at their destination?

[Remjin]

Re: Night of the Living Dead Hero Plot Ideas

 

More I shall bring, then... how about...

 

scenario 4: the gang of bastiches... group or survivors that are dominating the looting and safe spots, victimizing other survivors, epitomizing the worst of the human element of the setting. Basically, a good excuse for the PCs to beset a more intelligent foe and brings moralistic conflict into the game to offset the survival part.

 

scenario 5: mmmm.... beer.... a luxury item of some sort that a pc finds extremely desirable for whatever broken reason becomes a threat to the group as he vies for his prize through excessive risk.

 

scenario 6: I hate goths. A cult of death worshippers, fascinated, take to capturing, worshipping, and even sacrificing to the zombies.

 

scenario 7: Lord of the Shamblers (or "Thriller"), the zombies in a specific area seem to be following some kind of direction. They have a leader. Maybe they even dance in formation =)

[Publius]

Re: Night of the Living Dead Hero Plot Ideas

 

I just picked up the book World War Z by Max Brooks. He's the same guy who wrote the Zombie Survival Guide. I've only read the intro to the new book so far but it looks like something that would be useful as an idea for a campaign game. Basically it recounts the history of a 10-year long war that humanity fought against the zombies when they rose up and came perilously close to wiping out mankind.

I got this book last night and started reading it last night. Which may have been a mistake as I dreamt of Zombies... Nevertheless it is a great book. Some of the Amazon reviews noted how disjointed the writing was, but really that is simply the nature of the beast. Read it as you would watch a documentary and it really makes perfect sense. Apparently it has also been picked up by Brad Pitt's Plan B production company and may someday lurch its way onto the screen.

 

The author, Max Brooks, is the son of Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft. He has also done bit voice parts for Justice league ("Howie" in the episode Secret Origins) and Batman Beyond ("Howard" in several episodes, but I can't really recall the character off the top of my head).

[Robyn]

Re: Night of the Living Dead Hero Plot Ideas

 

scenario 7: Lord of the Shamblers (or "Thriller")' date=' the zombies in a specific area seem to be following some kind of direction. They have a leader. Maybe they even dance in formation =)[/quote']

 

After suffering their crushing defeat at the hands of the residents of Pig Sty Alley, the members of The Axe Gang followed their leader into death. Much to everyone's surprise, most of all their own, they then returned to life as zombies . . .

[Deucex]

Re: Night of the Living Dead Hero Plot Ideas

 

After playing San Andreas, I realised that it would be great to mod into a zombie game. Reading this thread I remembered that thought and thought, Tell your players you are doing a "Gangsta" game ala GTA:SA and then throw the change of theme unannounced. I always thought the best way to do Zombie Apocalypse was to sneak it in. The players will start out as a close knit group and have access to weapons etc. but they are stuck in the worst part of town in the middle of a huge city of Rotters.

 

One of the major differences between Solanum zombies and typical romero-esque zombies is that the infection can be spread not just from a bite but from any fluid to fluid contact (similar to 28 days later but with a much longer incubation period). So be extra careful when blowing them up!

 

How would you model the threat of fluid to fluid transmission using HERO?

 

A friend years back played a Necromancer in a Fantasy Hero game and came up with zombie rot. 1 pip major transform, max body 16, damage shield effects on other than grab, cumulative, continuous, sticky, 0 end, as i remember. You could then add area of effect radius.

 

It allowed for players to be immune by buying 1 point of power defense. (let them figure that one out on their own.) It also makes it so the players can survive the disease if they are exceptionally healthy. They would also be protected if they have a biohazard suit or make their own if they are smart enough.

[Robyn]

Re: Night of the Living Dead Hero Plot Ideas

 

1 pip major transform, max body 16, damage shield effects on other than grab, cumulative, continuous, sticky, 0 end, as i remember. You could then add area of effect radius.

 

It allowed for players to be immune by buying 1 point of power defense. (let them figure that one out on their own.) It also makes it so the players can survive the disease if they are exceptionally healthy.

 

I don't think "9 Body" is exceptionally healthy. Using the guidelines in the book, it's actually below normal.

 

Transform must achieve twice the target's starting Body to take effect. Add in another doubling (for 32) and the power should work as advertised.

[Deucex]

Re: Night of the Living Dead Hero Plot Ideas

 

I don't think "9 Body" is exceptionally healthy. Using the guidelines in the book' date=' it's actually [i']below[/i] normal.

 

Transform must achieve twice the target's starting Body to take effect. Add in another doubling (for 32) and the power should work as advertised.

 

that's cool, i wasnt really paying attention to the specifics. you get my point though. The other nice thing about it is you can slide it down the time scale to make it take a while. since it's also persistant the infected character is always in danger of getting injured and turning. "Bob fell down the stairs... Bob, are you alright?... NAAAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!!!" by the way guys check out http://www.urbandead.com/ been playing it for about a year now. free zombie apocalypse web game. good fun.

[Publius]

Re: Night of the Living Dead Hero Plot Ideas

 

Actually, for a World War Z type game, I'd just make the infection work as advertised: Get bit, turn. Screw the points, heck with the transform mechanics. Sometimes it is best to simply sideline all of that stuff. Make rolls based on Con or something to see how long you can stave off the infection, but you are going down my friend.

[Vondy]

Re: Night of the Living Dead Hero Plot Ideas

 

I'd like to run or play in a game like this' date=' but the problem is what to do about players who dislike the genre. As unlikely as it seems not everybody likes zombies which really is a shame. [/quote']

 

:Raises Hand:

 

I occassionally like zombie movies, but don't see any appeal in a zombie game. Maybe as a one shot sort of deal, but definately not as an ongoing campaign.

[AmadanNaBriona]

Re: Night of the Living Dead Hero Plot Ideas

 

:Raises Hand:

 

I occassionally like zombie movies, but don't see any appeal in a zombie game. Maybe as a one shot sort of deal, but definately not as an ongoing campaign.

 

It could be fun, but everyone would have to be onboard with the idea, yeah.

 

The ZSG has given me a bunch of ideas that could work with an ongoing campaign, but for the most part 'd probably do a Zombie game as either a Con-style one shot or a mini-campaign of probably 6-9 sessions if I was gonna run the genre. A full open ended campaign would probably be a bit much unless it grew out of a short campagin that continued by popular demand.

[Deucex]

Re: Night of the Living Dead Hero Plot Ideas

 

Actually' date=' for a World War Z type game, I'd just make the infection work as advertised: Get bit, turn. Screw the points, heck with the transform mechanics. Sometimes it is best to simply sideline all of that stuff. Make rolls based on Con or something to see how long you can stave off the infection, but you are going down my friend.[/quote']

 

I have found that that usually doesn't work with Heroes players, there's usually one math junky in the bunch that starts pissin and moanin when you say "that's just the way it is." If you have a good mechanic to back it up they usually settle down. Besides, the mechanic offers the promise of a points based way out. As far as playability, the zombie menace is like a nuke/bio war for any other apocalypse game. think of it as a nuke strike that isn't instantanious. The zombification "blast" will have a ground zero and spread, those in fallout shelters will survive and have to cope. Eventually the hoard will fall apart (literally) and it becomes a bit more Road Warrior like. Of course, when the players get bored fighting the warrior of the waistland, the iatola of rock'n'rolla, throw in a zombie menace to get them back to their roots.

[Publius]

Re: Night of the Living Dead Hero Plot Ideas

 

Well, as I mentioned that would be for a "World War Z" type game (from the book of the same name), where folks come into it knowing that bite=infection and that there is basically no hope once you are bit. At that point, transform be darned, PCs knew what you were getting into and/or would have been informed of such at the beginning. Sounds like you have something different in mind with an entirely different vector. No problems with that.

[Remjin]

Re: Night of the Living Dead Hero Plot Ideas

 

After suffering their crushing defeat at the hands of the residents of Pig Sty Alley' date=' the members of The Axe Gang followed their leader into death. Much to everyone's surprise, most of all their own, they then [i']returned[/i] to life as zombies . . .

 

The last part was mostly a joke... but if you imagine that zombies "evolve" and eventually an alpha zombie would arise to take leadership of certain groups and such, it could be interesting... or go the more mystical/psychic route... or whatever. In any case, the idea falls into "organized zombies" which is certainly frightening. =)

[ken julian]

Re: Night of the Living Dead Hero Plot Ideas

 

you never feel bad about killing a zombie

[Publius]

Re: Night of the Living Dead Hero Plot Ideas

 

...unless it used to be your mom, or your best friend, girlfriend, wanker who is dating your girlfriend's sister (well, maybe not him).

 

"I don't think I have it in me to shoot my mom, my flatmate, my stepdad and my girlfriend all at the same night."

[Deucex]

Re: Night of the Living Dead Hero Plot Ideas

 

Dead is dead, put a cap in d'ere head

 

(so you do you spell the gangsta' form of there?"

[AmadanNaBriona]

Re: Night of the Living Dead Hero Plot Ideas

 

Dead is dead, put a cap in d'ere head

 

(so you do you spell the gangsta' form of there?"

 

Beats me. I don't speak Gangsta', Ebonics, or Jive (OK, well, a little jive...but..)

 

I can however do a bang up job with Redneck and Scot

[Deucex]

Re: Night of the Living Dead Hero Plot Ideas

 

Nnnnaaaaarrrrrgggghhhhh!!!!!! Halloween Zombie Attack!!!!!!!! Nnnnaaaaarrrrgggggghhhhh!!!!!