Z-Dayz

Well that escalated quickly… Something’s been going around and you don’t want it. The vast majority of humanity has caught the Z-bug. Whatever its cause or origin, most everyone now is a raging Zombie.

You’ve holed-up as long as you can, supplies are running low and you either die of hunger or risk being food for someone else. But life on the road ain’t easy (Just ask Pancho and Lefty), choose your Lifestyle and your Personal Defense Variant. Other than that you have 50′ of Paracord, from setting up shelter to using as tripwire this shit is ESSENTIAL!

—-z—-

Creating a PC (Player Character)

AC: 10
HP: 10 + 1d6

Distribute: 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15
Against: Strength; Dexterity; Constitution; Intelligence; Wisdom; Charisma

Choose: Lifestyle and PD

Name:
Describe: Sex, distinguishing features, clothes (simple: i.e. t-shirt and jeans)

Pick a skill…

Skillz (level 1)

  • Carpentry: can make simple things out of wood such as temporary structures. Add hammer and saw to inventory. Board those windows!
  • Climbing: can easily climb 5.9-5.10 (trees with few branches, most two-three story buildings). Far as anyone can tell, Zeds can’t climb. (Ability Check: Dex)
  • Electrician: can’t do much about the power plants being offline but if you find some solar panels, windmills or generator you might have some luck powering up your phone (Ability Check: Int)
  • Foraging: Can distinguish most edible plants (finds 200 calories a day)
  • Headhunter: Unemployed? We are hiring. +1 for Critical Hit
  • Metalsmith: with the right tools, can hone a blade, adding +2 to damage
  • Mechanics: as long as it’s not an EV or out of gas, can get most stalled cars going (Ability Check: Int)
  • Medic: “Show me where it hurts.” Treated gain +2 hp. +5 to charisma after applying treatment. Add First-aid kit to inventory, with 5 treatments. 
  • Musician: “Do you know any Tom Waits?” adds +5 to charisma after performing. Add instrument to inventory.
  • Trapping and Fishing: more successful than others at catching food (1 in 4 vs 1 in 10 for trapping 300 calories as day). Add 100′ of fishing-line and 5 hooks to inventory.

Ability Score Modifiers

  • Str: melee attacks, break free of Z grab (roll against Z strength) [A]
  • Dex: mods AC for Z grab , adds to move speed:  [A]
  • Con: adds to HP, mod x -100 for less daily calories needed [A]
  • Int: mods chance of finding useful items, per enclosed areas or 30’ radius outside [I]
  • Wis: mods perception of dangers in  environments (Z-dar) [I]
  • Cha: persuade NPCs, detect manipulation [I]

[A] = Automatic [I] = Must invoke per use 

  • 1 = -5
  • 2-3 = -4
  • 4-5 = -3
  • 6-7 = -2
  • 8-9 = -1
  • 10-11 = 0
  • 12-13 = +1
  • 14-15 = +2
  • 16-17 = +3
  • 18-19 = +4
  • 20 = +5

—-z—-

LifeStylez:

Humanity’s done shit the bed… you going to sleep soundly in it or are you planning to sleep with one eye open?

Hobo Dreams (bed roll) : move +5′

  • bed roll and poncho (+1 hp per hour of sleep)
  • razor blades
  • Military keychain Can Opener
  • box of matches and one magnifying glass
  • 1qt canteen, 1 tin mug
  • can carry 1-2 days rations

Goldilocks (hiking pack) : move baseline (30′ open spaces)

  • sleeping bag, pad and bivy (+2 hp per hour of sleep)
  • pocket knife 4″ (Str mod +1 when used as weapon)
  • multi-tool
  • bic lighter
  • 4qt canteen and mess kit
  • can carry 2-3 days rations

Pack Mule (2/3 assault pack) : move -5′

  • sleeping bag, pad and pop-up tent (+3 hp per hour of sleep)
  • flashlight
  • buck knife 6″ (Str mod +2 when used as weapon)
  • multitool
  • zippo and fuel
  • 4qt canteen (x2) and mess kit with pocket stove and I can of butane
  • can carry 3-4 days rations

Personal Defense Variants:

Best be wise, Zeds don’t play nice.

Sticking is when your blade lodges in there good. Takes one turn to dislodge. Oh Shit!
Critical Hit (CH) is a head shot and double damage. Nice! Should insta kill most Zeds?

HackySack

  • One-handed edged blades (ie. machete)
    • d6 with 10% sticking or Critical Hit [1-2 or 19-20 on d20]

bAXEter (choose from)

  • Axe
    • d8 with 25% sticking or CH [1-5 or 15-20 d20]
  • Hatchet
    • d6 with 10% sticking 25% CH [1  or 15-20 on d20]
    • can be thrown
  • Tomahawk x 2
    • d4 with 10% sticking 10% CH [1  or 20 on d20]
    • double strike
    • can be thrown

Dutchie (blunt)

  • Blunt weapon (bat, crowbar, etc…)
    • d4 with 5% CH (20 on d20)
    • double strike

—-z—-

Basic Rulz

  • Survive!!!
  • PCs must drink 4 cups (1qt) of water a day. Otherwise lose 1hp a day, cannot gain hp that day)
  • PCs must eat 1,000 a day. Otherwise lose 1hp a day, cannot gain hp that day. Open fires can attract zombies

Moving (baseline)

  • 30’ Open spaces, unobstructed roads
  • 20’ City-scapes, woodlands, obstructed roads
  • 15’ Confined spaces, thick forest, heavily obstructed roads
  • 5’ thicket, swamps, heavy snow

Sample Food and Calories

  • Running clear water has 5% chance of causing illness (river, fast stream)
  • Standing clear water has 25% chance of causing illness (lake, pond)
  • Eating mammals has been linked to the Z (some are carriers others get F’ed)
  • Chicken breast 280 (150 raw with 50% chance of getting ill)
  • Chicken thigh 109 (55 raw with 50% chance of getting ill)
  • Chicken wing 42 (20 raw with 50% chance of getting ill)
  • Chicken drumstick 76 (30 raw with 50% chance of getting ill)
  • Serving of fish 280 (150 raw with 25% chance of getting ill)
  • Bread 90 per slice (loaf = 12 slices)
  • chocolate bar 200
  • Can of Beans 100
  • Steamed rice 210 per bowl

Ability Difficulty against d20 (add appropriate modifier)

  • For easy best 5
  • For medium best 10
  • For hard best 15
  • For very hard roll 20

—-z—-

Typical Zed

AC: 8
HP:  10 (about)

Str: 10 ; Dex 5; Con 16; Int 5; Wis 5; Cha 1

  • Zombies move at 20′-25′ per turn
  • Zs Attack (Why so grabby!)
    • Grabs for initial attack
    • Roll 1d6 for Point of Contact
      • 1: Article
      • 2. Left Leg
      • 3. Right Leg
      • 4.  Non-Dominant Arm
      • 5. Dominant Arm
      • 6. Bear Hug
    • Once one has you, next one has 25% chance of grabbing (15-20 d20 or 4 on d4)
    • After grabbing these fucks get to biting (d4 on next turn) oh and if bit you’re pretty fucked too!

Playing as  a Zed: you mostly go by whim of the DM. When attacking you must chose a PC by random assigning equal probability to “ moment of clarity”.

Moment of clarity: When a PC playing as a ZED is briefly able to assess the situation and attack a  PC of their choice.  A Zed that survives its first PC encounter unlocks “clarity.”

Clarity: if you can’t beat them, join. “I think, therefore I am?” Nothing motives like hunger and you are starving. Zeds can survive 14 days from one bite of living flesh. But humans are  short supply these days, best get to hunting.  

Zeds hunting can go into two states:

  • Slow Roam, olfactory sensation highly tuned and can smell living flesh from about two miles away.
  • Sulking, auditory sensation highly tuned when sitting in stasis can pinpoint exact source of the faintest sound from  100 yards.  

Alpha Zed

Holy Shit! Turns out most Zeds are just cattle for the slaughter, grazing on carnage. The new top-predator is Metal! Even Zeds run from these fucks! Turns out, a percentage of Zeds mutate… it’s the circle of life, Simba! Let’s hope they don’t hunt in packs!

AC: 10
HP:  20 (about)

Str: 15 ; Dex 10; Con 16; Int 10; Wis 5; Cha 1 (Nobody likes these guys!)

  • Alphas move at 35′ per turn (Say what? That’s faster than some PC’s )
  • Evolved to have hardened claws and fangs
    • Triple-strike: Claw, claw, bite (d4, d4, d6)

Infected?

  • Rumor has it you have about 30 minutes to cut off the infected appendage (If a leg, -10 to move with crutches if you can find some, otherwise you’re dead weight… oh and your pretty much defenseless and skill-less if dominant arm)
  • Tourniquets are said to slow an infection if one can be applied within first ten minutes. (After two hours, roll one d4 every hour, a one results in loss of limb). May buy you some time, but not much.  
  • It’s also been said if you can immerse yourself in ice cold water for 12 hours straight you might have a shot, but good luck finding ice for an ice bath.
  • Destroying the brain also seems to work for stopping the infection but some might call that drastic
  • Supposedly there’s a vaccine/antidote… supposedly
  • Well, if you can’t beat ’em… if you turn, might as well go all in. Kill and eat 5 Zombies and mutate. It’s good to be king… now, about those PCs that left you to die…

TailZ of..

Character Sheet
Name:
Lifestyle:
Skill:
Description: 

Hp:
Ac: 10 (baseline)
Move: 

Personal Defense:
Weapon:
Items:

Strength:
Dexterity:
Constitution:
Intelligence: 
Wisdom:
Charisma: