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the humanity
2011-12-02, 10:45 PM
This system is for my own recreational use, but I thought maybe a few opinions couldn't hurt. My goal, in essence, was the following:
A zombie survival roleplaying tabletop game that utilizes the knowledge the PC's had from when they were alive to augment the party, that has high gameplay intensity and simple rules (in order to make the game easy to learn by my less nerdy friends)

The basic zombie these guys would be fighting would be exactly like ones in the Walking Dead- slow, smelly, grabby, and uses biting for transferring the Zombie Virus. If you note, the rules tell characters exactly how the zombie attack works. This allows the only zombies that would need any rules to be usable to be freak zombies, like the massive fat guy on Left 4 Dead.

As a note, I tried to liven up the rules a bit. if you don't like a dumb joke here and there, I apologize in advance.

Finally, the system is currently called Die Again, or maybe Z10. These names, as you may know, are not very interesting, barely an improvement on "Zombie D10" any suggestions in this area would be great.

DIE AGAIN/ Z10
Making a character:
Roll 3d4, remove the lowest dice and rerolling ones. Write down the added number.
Repeat this 5 more times.
Arrange as desired for the following stats: Strength, Dexterity, Health, Vision, Will, and Intelligence. you may move up to 5 points around to where you would like.
Add up your morale, aim, melee, hide, and all three endures.
choose a survivor style. you can be a juggernaut, a scavenger, or a salvager. Choose your bonus Training.
Choose 3 Trainings. Trainings don’t stack, so take different ones. you should have 4 different Trainings.
Name your character, and tell us all about him before the disaster. his/her 4 trainings should make sense. He/She should live in, or be visiting in, the appropriate city as mentioned by the ZM, or Zombie Master.



Survivor Style- Your survival style is how you operate once the attack happens. whether a hero or a sneak, everyone has one thing in common- their life is in danger, and they have to survive by using what they know to repel the living dead.
Juggernaut- A Juggernaut is a warrior, a zombie slayer- the hero in a zombie movie- the guy who walks into a stack of zombies and with a shotgun and a baseball bat shatters the whole horde to the astonishment of his companions. A juggernaut is a great character for someone who wants to be the hero in defensive situations and rack up as many notches on their baseball bat as possible. To a Juggernaut, all damage dealt to a zombie is lethal, he gets a +4 bonus on a morale checks to escape zombies, and he has 1 free weapon training.
Salvager- A Salvager is neither the quick resource collector nor efficient in battle, but in the long run, few can achieve the incredible feats a Salvager can by rebuilding- through memory alone! a Salvager is the most intricate character to use, and if you want a subtle character capable of explosive (sometimes literally) success, the Salvager is the one for you. A Salvager gets+1d10 on all repair/create checks and breaking checks, can make intricate devices, and she receives 1 free support training.

Scavenger- Scavengers are survivors to the extreme- faster and more hardy than others, a Scavenger is the scout, the thief, the guy who picks off a horde one at a time. He is an excellent choice for someone who likes to get the objective and have the unusual character. A Scavenger has +20 feet movement on a run, gets +1d10 on any endure checks, and he gets 1 free miscellaneous training.

Stats (all are between 1-8)
Strength- lifting ability, melee ability and endurance
Dexterity- dodging ability, stealth, and 50% of aim
Health- ability to avoid disease
Vision- spotting, 50% of aim
Will- ability to overcome mental anguish
Intelligence- general knowledge and ability to learn

Secondary Stats
Morale- 2(Will)+Health
Melee- 2(Strength)+Will+ Weapon
Aim- 2(Vision)+Dexterity+ Weapon
Hide- Dex+2(Int)
Break- 2(Str)+Dex
Endure Temp- 2(Health)+ Str
Endure Hunger- Health+ 2(Str)
Endure Pain- Health+ 2(Will)

Ranged Weapons (Bonus, Speed, Range)
Bonus- weapon bonus added to Aim
Speed- number of shots per round
Range- Distance fired in feet
Shotgun (2, 1, 25) Special- all adjacent or unkilled targets may not move on their next turn.
Semi automatic Handgun/Revolver (2, 3, 50) Special- small, can be used akimbo
Hunting Rifle (3, 3, 120) Special- with scope has stats (5, 2, 180)
Crossbow (3, 1, 120) Special- makes no noise, reusable (10% chance of breaking)
Bow (2, 2, 80) Special- makes no noise, reusable (10% chance of breaking)
Tomahawk/Bowie Knife (2, 1, 30) Special- small, makes no noise, reusable
Grenade (1, 1, 25) Special- small, destroys everything in 10 ft radius

Melee Weapons (Bonus, Speed)
Improvised weapon (1, 1)
Fists (1,2) Special- if you fail to hit a zombie, that zombie gets a free attack against you. with brass knuckles has stats (4,2)
Machete* (4, 2)
Meat Cleaver (2,2) Special- small, if you have cooking training meat cleavers have the stats (4,2)
Hatchet*/Tomahawk* (2, 2) Special- small
Axe* (5, 1)
Baseball Bat (3, 2)
Knife (1, 3) Special- small
Katana (5, 2)
Bowie Knife (2, 2) Special- small
Chainsaw* (10, 2) Special- loud, requires gasoline
Shovel* (4, 1)
Crowbar* (3, 2)

How Combat works:
The Living are always first if they know the situation is about to go down. If they are caught off guard, the ZM rolls a 1d10. if it’s 6 or more, zombies go first. If it’s five or less, the living are able to recover before anyone loses an ear. The living then each roll a die and add 1/2 their dexterity rounded up. highest number first, and in the case of a tie, the tied players may choose who is first. When it reaches your turn, you get 2 actions.
Wait- what is an action? One action is walking or swimming 30 ft, climbing 10 feet, making a single attack with each held weapon, closing a door, breaking something, or some off the wall thing your ZM deems a single action trick.
But what if I wanted to do something badass that took both actions? making the maximum number of attacks with a weapon, Running 70 feet, closing and locking a door, getting away from a grappling zombie, reloading a ranged weapon, or any really loopy hallucinogenic induced crap your ZM calls a full round trick.

How Attacking works:
roll 1d10 + melee or aim (depending on the weapon) against the enemy zombies toughness. if you succeed by more than 3, you smote the bastard. If you just succeeded, roll a 1d10 and consult the following chart:
1-2- head
3-4- right arm
5-6- left arm
7-8- right leg
9-10- left leg
you just knocked that part off. lovely. if you got the head, the body stops moving. If you lop off the same part twice just reroll.

Bonus! Killing People: all people have toughness of 2d10+ their dexterity. If you are trying to kill another person it only takes one hit, but on a natural one you cripple them if it still hits them (consult the zombie part lopping off chart). You may try to cripple them, but rolling a natural 10 means they die anyway. What does this mean?
It is really, really easy to kill somebody. Almost more so than real life. If you swing a machete, something is going to die. So avoid killing people- They might have vengeful friends.

How Getting bit works:
the ZM rolls 1d10 for each zombie going after you, and may add 10 if you are surprised. This is his call, and he may add 53 if he thinks you are talking back, it is in the rules, so do not question it. you roll 2d10 plus your dexterity. if you have the higher number, then you escaped with only a missing clump of hair. if you failed by 5 or more without double 10s, you are currently being bitten and in 1d10 hours, will be moaning and biting under the ZM’s control. If you failed by 4 or less (or failed with double 10s), you need to anxiously await your turn. on your turn, make a morale check (dc. 15+number of zombies. Juggernauts get a +4 bonus on this check) to avoid just screaming like a little girl until they end you. if you succeed, you may reattempt an escape, #Zomd10 vs. 2d10+Dex. If you roll double 10’s or have the higher number, you escape with your skin unbit. if you fail by 4 or less, you escape with a number of bites equal to the number you failed by, and in 1d10 hours, will be zombified. if you fail by 5 or more, you are killed, and being devoured. Bon Apetit.

How Creation/Repair works:
When you are creating or repairing something, there are conditions for your success.
to succeed, you need to make 10 for primitive devices/fixes (like fire/oil change) 20 for simple devices (like a folding knife/changing a brake), 30 for moderately complex devices (like gunpowder/putting in a new engine), and 50 for intricate devices (like a lawn mower engine/oil change on a skateboard underneath the car while it’s moving down a mountainside. not suggested for folks with weak spines.)
non Salvagers cannot create intricate devices, but they can repair them. I know, your hulking behemoth should totally be able to make a time bomb out aluminum foil, piss, and his Rolex. Medical is even worse. Because it’s the business of doing every repair perfect in the human body, non salvagers can’t even achieve moderately complex repairs.

What you roll is 1d10+ Intelligence. 2d10 for salvagers (they get all the fun). You may then add the following if you have:
Training related the job +10
Plans or Blueprints for the job +15
The Perfect Tools for it +10
Assistance +1d10 per person, limited by ZM

Once you have achieved a creation or repair, you may achieve it again by rolling a d10 (you automatically succeed, you roll it to see if you broke anything). For every one rolled, you break a tool, and I don’t mean Carl. It is always assumed you use the best tool for the job you have available, unless otherwise specified. The time it takes is determined by the ZM, and if you argue with him, he is bound by the rules to have wild dogs eat your creation before it is complete.

How Hiding works:
you must try to sneak around zombies at some point. This, of course, means acting like a zombie, or remaining out of their line of sight. For each zombie you need to pass, roll 1d10+hide. if you roll a natural ten or get 30+, you may go within ten feet of the zombie without being seen, which is utterly awesome. If you roll a 25, you may go within 20 feet of the zombie, which is still impressive. If you roll 20, you may go within 30 feet of the zombie, which somebody at the table is going to deem weak, but is a lot harder than you’d think. if you roll a 15, you can go within 40 feet, which means you are taking the long way around. if you rolled a 14 or less you failed miserably and should begin running. A natural 1 means the wind changed just right and your scent was blown right into that zombies face, or you stepped on a stick that broke very loudly. Also time to run.

How Breaking works:
Let’s say you want to break an item. you roll 1d10+break (2d10+break for Salvagers). you may add 10 if you are wielding a melee weapon marked by an asterisk. breaking is a single action trick to attempt.
examples of breaking difficulty:
Curtains: 10
Wooden Door: 30
Iron Door: 50
You may not hide from zombies while breaking anything in this manner. the number you roll on the dice does not affect anything other than the total. a natural ten with a break of 12 will not break a wooden door, but a natural 1 with a break of 12 will tear a curtain anyways.
If you use explosives, they will replace your break with one of the following numbers:
TNT- 20 per pound
Nitroglycerin- 25 per pound
Grain Dust- 5 per pound
Pressurized Gas- 5 per square foot
Gunpowder- 15 per pound
Grenade- 20 per grenade


How Endure works:
when you risk yourself in some way, you want to try to survive. sometimes it’s not as clear cut as kill or be killed. When you need to jump off the roof of a 2 story building, sleep in a cave during a blizzard, or walk for the third day without food, roll 1d10(2d10 for scavengers)+your correlating Endure (the 3 are pain, hunger, and temperature. I’ll give you 3 guesses what each one works for.) The ZM is going to give you a number. that number should be fair, for example, surviving a really cold icy day is going to be 25 for an unjacketed person, but only 15 for someone with the right snow gear. If you make that number, you are safe, but no doubt uncomfortable from cold or scrapes or hunger. If you fail, an accurate injury for the amount failed by (for example failing a roll by 1 for jumping off of a roof could give you a decent sized gash on your arm that only needs a bandage, but a failure by 10 could give you a shattered wrist)

Times you make endure rolls:
not eating for 1 days
not drinking for a day
temperatures of 50 below or over 90
jumping off a roof
walking for over 8 hours
running for half an hour
eating bad food
drinking dirty water

Training
Everyone starts with 3 Trainings and a bonus training. These must make sense according to their previous life. For example, a 16 year old pizza boy from Compton does not have Medical training. He may reasonably have knife training, and maybe even some autoshop training from working with his father.
List of Training
WEAPON (provides a +2 on attacks with said weapon)
Handgun
Rifle
Shotgun
Crossbow
Bow
Longblade (Machete, Katana)
Knives (Knife, Bowie Knife)
Axes (Axe, Tomahawk, Hatchet, Meat Cleaver)
Blunt (Crowbar, Baseball Bat)
Boxing (Fist)
SUPPORT (Provides a +10 on related repair/create checks)
Medical
Mechanical
Autoshop
Cooking
Weaponsmithing
Woodworking
Masonry
Plumbing
Chemist
Botany
MISCELLANEOUS
Mapping (General knowledge of most of his pre-zombie area and highways without maps)
Survival (Can survive harsh conditions much better than other people +2 on all Endure checks)
Thieving (Knowledge of how to steal and sneak better than most +2 Hide)
Climbing (Knowledge of how to quickly freehand climb surfaces +10 Climb speed)
Swimming (Knowledge of how to swim unusually quickly (10 extra feet))
Entertainment (Knowledge of how to entertain others to boost their morale +2 for one hour after they pay attention to a five minute performance)
Improviser (Can grab an improvised melee weapon as part of a move action, and use it almost as effectively as the most similar weapon, taking a -1 attack penalty instead of the usual weapon stats of (1,1))
Martial Artist (You are trained in fighting and can escape or avoid a zombie’s weak grabs. Your fists do not risk provoking an attack.)
Oracle (when you sleep, you will sometimes get a glance of what is to come. Roll a 1d10 every night to see a possible foreshadowing (10 you get a glimpse).)
Pyro (as a full round trick you may start a fire in any area where you would only need a 10 create to make fire without making a roll)

example character:
Glenn (Asian guy in Walking Dead)
Strength 5
Dexterity 8
Health 4
Vision 7
Will 4
Intelligence 6

Morale: 12
Melee: 14
Aim: 22
Hide: 24*
Break: 18
Endure Temp: 13
Endure Hunger: 14
Endure Pain: 12

Survival Style: Scavenger
Trainings:
Bonus: Mapping- Glenn has a great memory of Atlanta’s streets from working as a pizza boy.
Improviser- Glenn is a constant improviser, used when protecting himself from when he used to hotwire cars for money.
Blunt- Glenn is especially good with blunt weapons, due to his tendency to have hotwired cars near pipes and 2x4s.
Thieving- Though his specialty is stealing cars, he can take a wallet or perform a break in pretty effectively.
Backstory:
Glenn was a 22 year old pizza boy going to college who was unable to pay his college debt. He took to stealing cars to pay it off.

Howler Dagger
2011-12-03, 11:12 AM
roll 1d10 + melee or aim (depending on the weapon) against the enemy zombies toughness. if you succeed by more than 3, you smote the bastard. If you just succeeded, roll a 1d10 and consult the following chart:
1-2- head
3-4- right arm
5-6- left arm
7-8- right leg
9-10- left leg
you just knocked that part off. lovely. if you got the head, the body stops moving.
If you attack twice and get the same body part, do you get to re-roll?

the humanity
2011-12-03, 01:17 PM
If you attack twice and get the same body part, do you get to re-roll?

oh. good eye!

Yes.

Howler Dagger
2011-12-03, 01:37 PM
I would be up for a PbP play test, if you wish. Where does it say how many iteems you start with? Also, are there any rules for point buy based sat generation? Because many players prefer it over randmon selection. Or at least an array, like the elite array, because players who roll high would have an advantage over others.

the humanity
2011-12-03, 01:53 PM
well the items you start with depends on the character you play, and the ZM's decision- a police officer would reasonably have an armored car and a few quality weapons, while a grocery clerk would have whatever food he/she managed to grab on the way out. I have not made a system for that yet, but I'm sure one could be made so it comes out relatively even- but somewhat random. If you had any ideas for it, feel free. same for point buy, seems simplest to just divide 35 points into 6 stats for now.

I'm not opposed to the concept of a PbP game, but I may not have the time. If you want to provoke some more interest.

Siosilvar
2011-12-03, 02:28 PM
Same for point buy, seems simplest to just divide 35 points into 6 stats for now.

If you want to produce characters with the same ability scores as rolled, point buy should be 40 points among 6 stats with a minimum of 4.

3d4v1r1 (http://anydice.com/program/c6d/3d4v1r1) has an average value of 6.67.

the humanity
2011-12-04, 04:42 PM
I suppose 40 would work as well.

did I achieve "a zombie survival roleplaying tabletop game that utilizes the knowledge the PC's had from when they were alive to augment the party, that has high gameplay intensity and simple rules?"

Also... cars. is that a weapon and a movement bonus or is that a separate thing? How should I do it?