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View Full Version : (3.5) A Return to Deth Muncher's Zombiegeddon Mini-Campaign



Deth Muncher
2010-08-18, 04:49 PM
Hi guys. I've had two (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=147859&highlight=Zombie) threads (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=151881&page=2&highlight=Zombie) about making a Zombie One-Shot game, and now that time is upon us - I'm actually going to run it. I'm still in the process of finalizing all of everything and drawing out all the maps, but I've come across a minor snag - the group of guys I'm going to run this with are going to break this campaign. I know they are. And so I'm bumping up the intensity level, because...well, let me just go ahead and tell you the party and relevant info now.
Relevant things:


-Starting level 3.
-Only available classes are Core Melee classes, and only non-magic variants of Pally/Ranger. Probably only Martial Rogue as well.
-Magic for the party will initially be null, save for maybe one magic item each if they can afford it. However, certain abandoned houses will have stuff like healing potions (probably no wands, since they could be used as weapons), and there might be a few higher level NPC casters around just in case.
-Ultimate goal is to cleanse town of infection, which will be caused from a strange plague carried from the port part of town. PCs can also escape from the town, assuming they can find materials/plans on shipbuilding/a survivor who knows what to do.
-There will be the Boomstick Artifact buried somewhere beneath the town, either in a very hard to find trapped door in a cellar or in the original grotto idea.
-Secondary goal of the PCs will be to protect any townsfolk they see. This will be an alternative way to gain XP, since just fighting Zeds could get annoying rather quickly. This will include saving townsfolk from Zeds, getting a group from one place to another, or finding/sharing food. As well, for each day that a townsfolk stays alive thanks to the actions of PCs, they'll get 100XP each per townsfolk. I'm thinking of there being a total of, like 20 townsfolk scattered through the city for the PCs to find, so if all goes well and they all stay alive, They'll each net 2000XP a day. I don't plan on that happening much. :P Also, the food and ferrying related XP grants only go to PCs who do them - i.e. if Bob the Ranger scouts around and finds a food storage basement, he gets the N XP, not the others.

Party Composition:
-Mindflayer Barbarian. The guy really wanted to play a Mindflayer, so I let him. However, I stripped it down so all he has is his stat boosts and the mouth tentacle attacks. No Monstrous HD, no Psionics, no Skills, nothing. He's also only got one level in Barbarian, so he's a mite squishy for a barbarian.
-Fighter - This PC is often a waffler on what he wants to make, but he seems to be set on a Greatclub Specializing Fighter.
-Rogue or Monk - Like it says, he's either making a Rogue or a Monk. This guy in particular is the one who's like "Okay, so you said Core, but can I play a Warshaper Changeling without meeting the BAB requirements?" :smallannoyed: Yeah. So I have to watch him carefully.

But basically, everyone except for the Mindflayer (ironically enough) is basically a Combat-Bot, whereas he actually has social skills. We'll see how this goes. :smallsigh:

The Logistics of Zombies
I'm going to be running three different kinds of zombies in this campaign: Zombies animated with the Infectious Zombie spell from City of Stormreach p144, Karrnathi Zombies as described in the Eberron Campaign Setting p. 292, and the Strahd Zombies in Expedition to Castle Ravenloft p.16. I'm going to be adjusting the campaign on the fly in play, so I'm going to have stats for all of these and any variants I might want (different pre-zombie race, different equipment, etc) written down before we start, and effectively play the AI from Left 4 Dead - if the zombies are raping (http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj99/lliwlovesatreyu/20081121.jpg&imgrefurl=http://forums.gametrailers.com/thread/funny-left-4-dead-comics/556073&h=790&w=625&sz=151&tbnid=CiNlnBB2Fu9oJM:&tbnh=143&tbnw=113&prev=/images%3Fq%3DCtrl-Alt-Del%2BLeft%2B4%2BDead&usg=__s6kHj_ir-jMg7LbPerEUqCOCoV0=&sa=X&ei=RlNsTOqxJ4G88gbfw7ilCw&ved=0CCcQ9QEwBQ) the PCs too badly, I'll ease up, and vice versa. I easily expect the PCs to be able to take on things above their level, though I am worried about their lack of healing - with no Paladin or Monk, they'll have no way to heal.
The Plot Overview (spoilered, because this may well become a campaign journal)
PCs reach the City of Portsburgh, a thriving port metropolis. Said thriving metropolis is covered in fog and is entirely devoid of life...or so it seems. PCs will encounter zombies, and eventually the residents of the town, who they will either help to survive because, well, that's the point, or they'll slaughter like the jerks I know my PCs to be and there'll just be more zombies to fight. The ultimate resolution will be for the PCs to stumble across writings of an artifact below the city, which they'll go, retrieve it, (still have to write up the traps for the dungeon for that, but I'll get to it before we need it I'm sure), and hunt out the source of the plague, which will be in an Alcatraz-like prison offshore - or they take a boat and leave the townspeople to die, which knowing these guys...:smallsigh: If they go to Pseudo-Alcatraz, they'll have to fight through floors and floors of zombies until they reach the bottom basement, which will have the Uberzombies (not sure how I'll do that, but I'll figure it out) and the evil artifact that's creating them (probably some evil black orb or something). The endboss will likely be some sort of level appropriate demon, with their summon other demons ability replaced with Summon MOAR Zombies. I think the endboss will be a fight against an Evolved Wraith, as presented in Libris Mortis page 99, with the change that anyone who dies will be raised as a Zombie of some sort. Or, possibly, some Deathlocks, but replacing most of their spells with SUMMONING MOAR ZOMBAHS.

Now, all that's left is to design the basic buildings, the unique buildings, and the encounters.

EDIT: This is totally not going to be a one shot, but probably a 3-4 session game. Also, Uberzombies could be the ones presented here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=66239).

Lord Loss
2010-08-18, 04:53 PM
I will be following this. Following this intently.

Also, I suggest you use some creatures from LM as ''Minibosses'', if the mini-campaign is long enough to allow them. Also, you may want to look into slaymates. My Players have grown to fear these freaky little buggers. One last suggestion:

Reflavored Manes. Nothing sais ''them zombies 'r out ta get meh like a bugger blowing up all over you...

Cieyrin
2010-08-18, 07:15 PM
There are zombie variants in the back of LM, as well, that you may want to look into.

Good times should be had, methinks. I look forward to reading this, provided it goes off as planned.

Deth Muncher
2010-08-18, 10:04 PM
Hm...I'mma go look those up. Will respond when I have perused.

EDIT: Eh, the Fast Zombie variant looks like something I might use, or I might just get rid of the "Single Action" rule for the zombies altogether. Other than that, it's kinda whatever.

Lord Loss
2010-08-19, 05:59 AM
So slaymates are a no-no (also, manes are inf FCI if you were interested)?

Deth Muncher
2010-08-19, 11:31 PM
So slaymates are a no-no (also, manes are inf FCI if you were interested)?

Yeah, no-go there. Basically, the bigger zombies will just be made from bigger things. Like ogres.

EDIT:

An update to the party roster: The guy who was playing the fighter correctly presumed that he should take a Merchant Profession skill, and specialized in ship things. This is WITHOUT my telling him anything about ships. He's also got enough oil to make a bunch of improvised hand grenades. Bwahahaha. Also, the usual-power gamer is rolling a Human Pally.

Deth Muncher
2010-08-20, 07:13 PM
I don't promise this will be a good narrative, but there are some fairly funny parts in it entirely contrary to the mood. Also, apologies for Wall of Text, but this session did go on for about 5 hours. In order to keep this being a multiple update thing, I'm going to update once a day until I run out of stuff, then update again once we do more.

Session 1: Day1

Zoidberg (illithid barbarian) and Fergus (paladin of Pelor), co-creators of Illithids Incorporated (a local ship supply company) made their way to Portsburgh with their hired help, Sink (Rogue/Ranger/Monk). Upon nearing the town, however, they encounter a thick fog. Upon reaching the town, they find the front door to the town (the large wooden door thing I can't remember the name of) closed. They called out, but with no response. Eventually, they found out the door was just closed, not locked, and they were able to heft it open. Zoidberg attached a length of rope to a goat and sent it off to the fog. It reached the end of the rope and seemed unharmed, so he let go and sent it off on its way. After a quick look around the entry to the town - which appeared to be a deserted vendor area, complete with stalls of rotten and mostly rotten vegetables - they decided to enter one of six buildings surrounding the marketplace. For reference, the buildings were as such:

[] []
[] Stalls go here []
[X] []
They went to the one with the X.
It was, upon inspection, a hotel. There was no tavern, however. Zoidberg went upstiars to look around, Fergus kept watch, and Sink kinda just sat there for a bit, until...
Zoidberg: Okay, I go upstairs, what do I see?
DM: You see six doors, three on each side. Three of the doors are ajar.
Z: Okay, I go into the first one on my right.
DM: The door is closed.
Z: Okay, I chop it open with my ax.
DM: -facepalm- And yell "HEEEERE'S JOHNNY!"?
Z: Yes.
DM: Sigh. Okay. It's open. Spot check. (Z gets some appropriate result) Okay, this room seems like no one has been in it. There's a chocolate on the pillow.
Z: Score! I eat it.
DM: Okay, five rooms to go.
Z: Okay, I go to the next one.
DM: Door's open.
Z: I walk in.
DM: It seems like someone had been in here, but there are no signs of struggle, merely that they left in a hurry.
Z: I search the room for loot.
DM: >_< -rolls- You find ten gold.
Z: Score! Okay, I go to the next one.
DM: Okay. It's closed. Ax it again?
Z: Yep.
DM: Okay. There are three chocolates on the bed.
Z: YES! I eat them.
DM: However, as you bend over to eat them... -rolls- Something grabs for you, but fails horribly.
Z: I swing at it with my ax. -rolls-
DM: Miss.
Fergus: Do I hear any of this?
Sink: Or me?
DM: Roll it. (Fergus and Sink roll, and only Sink rolls well enough.) Sink, you hear what sounds like a scuffle.
F: Okay. You go upstairs, I'll watch the door. I haven't seen anything yet, right?
DM: Nope. Okay, so Zoidberg, you get a good look at the thing that attacked you. Looks to be a human corpse, male, and it looks partially rotted.
Z: Okay. I attack with my ax and tentacles. (Rolls enough to drop it.)
DM: Okay, it's down.
Z: Okay, I decapitate it. (Rolls)
DM: Fine, it's dead.
Z: I eat the brain.
DM: You...may not want to...actually, y'know what? Okay. Make a Survival check. (Z rolls, adequately.) You realize that the corpse looked a little sick, and eating the brain may not be the best idea.
Z: -sigh- Fine...Okay, I keep searching the rooms.
DM: Okay, next room is also open. (Z rolls spot.) You see some bloodspatter, and a corpse hidden behind the bed.
Z: I decapitate it, just to be sure. And check its pockets.
DM: It's decapitated, and it has...nothing. Actually, a bit of string.
Z: Sweet! I tie it around one of my tentacles!
DM: >_<
Z: I go to the next room and hack open the door.
DM: Hm...roll. (Z rolls a 4.) Okay. you leave a small gash in the door, and you can see a zombie on the other side of it. He sees you too, and breaks through the door. He can't attack you yet, though, since he's got the door all up on him.
Z: Okay, I full attack it. That's ax and four tentacles.
DM: Okay. You hit with the ax and three tentacles, but one of your tentacles rolled a 1, so the string broke.
Z: Damn!
DM: It's down though.
Z: Fine. I check the room for stuff.
DM: How long do you take to search it?
Z: Eh, I dunno, 10? And then loot the corpse.
DM: Okay. You find nothing, but as you reach down to loot the corpse it gets back up to attack you*...and whiffs.
Z: Okay, I -rolls- kill it, and -rolls- decapitate it. Just needed to make sure if I actually had to do that.
DM: Yup, you do.

At this point, Sink had just decided to head upstairs, and Zoidberg explained what had happened. They both went back downstairs to confer with Fergus.

Z: (Explains to Fergus)
F: Well, we have this building secure, so why don't we just make this our base of operations? Zoidberg and I have a bunch of supplies, so we can just move everything inside and set up camp.

It bears mentioning now that both Zoidberg and Fergus had gone out of their way to stock up on as much mundane gear as possible. They each had huge carts led by a horse each. Fergus had mostly supplies, like rope, oil, wood, nails, sails, etc. Zoidberg had livestock - pretty much just goats. As they were unloading their goods...

DM: It's getting later in the day, and the everpresent fog is making it darker than it actually is. Roll spot.
Everyone: Fail.
DM: Okay. Spot again?
Z: (Passes)
DM: Okay Zoidberg, you notice three humanoid shapes. They're out of your range to see them clearly, but you can make out the shapes.
Z: (Passes it along.)
F: Okay, I'm coming out to help.
S: Okay, I'll head upstairs and snipe.

Zoidberg and Fergus head towards the zombies and massacre them.

F: Well, that's done. We'll finish up unloading our stuff, barricade the door and head to sleep. We'll take shifts.
DM: Alright. We'll see how this goes.

And so the party began to sleep, unaware of the much larger dangers the night held...

DragonOfUndeath
2010-08-20, 07:35 PM
sounds awesome. mind if i steal it next time i DM?

Deth Muncher
2010-08-22, 01:03 AM
sounds awesome. mind if i steal it next time i DM?

Since I'm basically stealing from WOTC and not really inventing anything of my own? Sure, why not. :P

Extralong update later.