Zombie Apocolpyse... and then what?

[Toy Killer]

So I have a setting in mind for a quick little campaign that will allow me to DM quickly with little prep time (at least comparatively to other styles). an Evil Cult of Evilness has metaphorically put a stopper holy energy from reaching the Realm. Holy spells and spells with the good descriptor are becoming weaker and weaker and the world is quickly devolving into Silent Hill status with no positive energy to balance out the negative energy.

This is a survival game, I want the threat of death to be very real (it's not intended to play for very long). I know I want the world to start with zombies walking across the world and then escalate with each rising day. The ultimate goal is to 'release' the stopper before the Thirteenth Dusk, or the effect will be permanent and will seal out the light and make the realm a new layer of hell.

I know my main story line (discovering the vessel of the aforementioned stopper), but I want to throw out other bones in the process to keep things interesting and fun. things like a town with an orchard whose fruit is infected with parasitic eggs that hatch into full grown Strynges and such. I just fishing for any ideas for the Orcus style hell on Earth style festivities.

[SowZ]

So I have a setting in mind for a quick little campaign that will allow me to DM quickly with little prep time (at least comparatively to other styles). an Evil Cult of Evilness has metaphorically put a stopper holy energy from reaching the Realm. Holy spells and spells with the good descriptor are becoming weaker and weaker and the world is quickly devolving into Silent Hill status with no positive energy to balance out the negative energy.

This is a survival game, I want the threat of death to be very real (it's not intended to play for very long). I know I want the world to start with zombies walking across the world and then escalate with each rising day. The ultimate goal is to 'release' the stopper before the Thirteenth Dusk, or the effect will be permanent and will seal out the light and make the realm a new layer of hell.

I know my main story line (discovering the vessel of the aforementioned stopper), but I want to throw out other bones in the process to keep things interesting and fun. things like a town with an orchard whose fruit is infected with parasitic eggs that hatch into full grown Strynges and such. I just fishing for any ideas for the Orcus style hell on Earth style festivities.

Ways to induce horror-
-Keep the game low level. Level 1 to 5, max.
-Restrict to NPC classes, at least for the first level. These are normal people thrust in a horrible situation. Not exceptional individuals.
-Low point buy. 22 PB, maybe. Or the elite array.
-Keep track of HP yourself. Let people know all their stats, but use keywords like, 'hurt' for three fourths health. 'wounded' for half health. 'severely wounded' for quarter health. This allows you to explain wounds in matters that sound painful and in decent detail and people won't think of it in terms of '4 HP.' On that note...
-Wound penalties. Nothing too major. When at one third HP, -1 or -2 to all d20 rolls. But enough to make the injuries seem like they impact things. A fractured arm, a slashed up leg.
-Be scarce in supplies and make them use them. Wounds won't heal unless medical kits/herbs are used on them. Water and food matter especially if the party decides to hold up in a building for a while. Scavenging is important.
-Other survivors are a massive threat! They are crazed and unpredictable. Sometimes trust them sometimes don't, hard to say what is best.

[Techwarrior]

While SowZ presents some good points, allow me to give some different pointers...

1. Keep your NPC enemies much more powerful than you normally would have them. I aim at the party level +2 for CR normally. In a horror game, I go for party level + 3-5.
2. Make sure the players have multiple threats, just zombies gets boring. Zombies, horrible horrible insects, and a Demon invasion gets pretty hectic pretty quick.
3. As stated, start low level. Level 1 if possible.
4. Read This (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=116836) for ideas/pointers.
5. Play in a room lit by candles. In the middle of the night. Set the atmosphere you're aiming for.
6. Don't skimp on prep, I know that you might think that a horror campaign can have little story, but its the ones that do have a real story that are the most horrific.

[Twilightwyrm]

Hmmm...it depends then whether you are going for just general zombie apocalypse stuff, or some truly Silent Hill-esque horror. There are some other general ideas however:

-A town priest who has become increasingly mad with grief, as his lessened powers have rendered him incapable of saving many townsfolk from the newly emerging horrors. This can turn to a homicidal nihilism, or an outright rejection of his previous faith, and devotion to the new dark powers that haunt the world. He should be depicted as suitably insane as well.
-The failing of positive magics have lead some people to turn against the priesthood of some towns, blaming them for being unable to protect their flock. This can either result in a crackdown (from more authoritarian churches), or a backlash/general witch hunt from the local population, possibly against the former priests.
-The crops for a village have been infected with bits of negative energy, causing discomfort in the general populace, and sickness, hallucinations and insanity in some of the villagers that consume the tainted food. The DC should be low enough that most people will be fine, but high enough that the more sickly (or unfortunate) members of the village start suffering the effects. The characters could be responsible for guarding the relief caravans of untainted food sent to the village, dealing with the resulting panic from the villagers.
-A village's livestock have been randomly, and spontaneously been turning vicious, (given the fiendish template) and attacking the villagers who get too close. This can be an interesting opportunity to either have the PCs search for the source of the "infection/taint", or can go down "Barnyard Massacre" style, with the PCs fighting off waves of evil livestock rather than zombies. For fun, throw in a few awakened plants with the template (including at least one awakened tomato/food of choice that uses a surprise "Smite Good" when someone tries to eat it). Admittedly, this might become more hilarious than truly horrifying, but it can actually be fairly horrifying when properly executed, or used for a bit of levity in the campaign.
-One or more captured serial killers, or cutthroat thief gangs that have been executed for their crimes return as wights, ghouls or (at higher levels) Morhgs, who then go on a killing spree through the poorer communities of a city, or even start infecting members of the criminal underworld. Getting ambushed by thugs in an ally gets an added level of danger when they also might be interested in biting your face off.
-This might be a good setting for use of the "Taint" system. Make it so that most food and water is fine, but in the more "advanced" areas of decay, even trying to find food and water risks becoming tainted (preferably with a Fort save to avoid. Taint is rather difficult to remove without plentiful access to healing magic). Think it it like the radiation in Fallout.

[Toy Killer]

1. Keep your NPC enemies much more powerful than you normally would have them. I aim at the party level +2 for CR normally. In a horror game, I go for party level + 3-5.

Fair point, I'm playing E6, 3.5 So higher then average CR is expected, with a handful of homebrew (like the aforementioned syringes that will be fluffed undead).


2. Make sure the players have multiple threats, just zombies gets boring. Zombies, horrible horrible insects, and a Demon invasion gets pretty hectic pretty quick.

I went for the Silent hill theme pretty intentionally. Last thing I wanted was 'another pack of zombies' except as a possible chandler to keep the party from sticking to the same area. Between cultists, religious zealots and diseased villagers with an odd assortment of Demonic undead the players will have to be quick on their toes. Even a rival pack of survivors could be interesting towards the end.


3. As stated, start low level. Level 1 if possible.

eh, Level 6, I don't want to be keeping track of Exp. they'll just be getting a free feat per secession they survive.


5. Play in a room lit by candles. In the middle of the night. Set the atmosphere you're aiming for.

Agreed, I will be playing at night (most of my players work during the daylight hours) and I plan on having a looped track of bugs chirping to turn off at a moments notice to add to the tension.


6. Don't skimp on prep, I know that you might think that a horror campaign can have little story, but its the ones that do have a real story that are the most horrific.

Now, I agree, to an extent. In horror, yes, but sandbox survival I have to keep the reigns loose. I want encounters, encounters that add to the core story and build the feeling of a full world beyond the story they're in. I want a town that has been drowned by a damn breaking, only for the players to realize it was done intentionally by the rulers of the area to stop the spread of a dangerous plague, or a diminutive wight with no clothes found shoveling the corpse of a previously pregnant woman. These are details that, while definately story inducing, don't need to lead anywhere; They are stand alone events that the heroes had no means to prevent and show the true depths of desperate people.


Ways to induce horror-
-Restrict to NPC classes, at least for the first level. These are normal people thrust in a horrible situation. Not exceptional individuals.
-Low point buy. 22 PB, maybe. Or the elite array.

I would keep them NPC classes, but I feel if they aren't advancing normally, forcing people to play with undercurrent classes is needlessly limiting without a suitable award. maybe for each level of an NPC class, a free general feat but then it just seems gratuitous to the NPC classes. Low point buy I could go with though.


-Keep track of HP yourself. Let people know all their stats, but use keywords like, 'hurt' for three fourths health. 'wounded' for half health. 'severely wounded' for quarter health. This allows you to explain wounds in matters that sound painful and in decent detail and people won't think of it in terms of '4 HP.' On that note...
-Wound penalties. Nothing too major. When at one third HP, -1 or -2 to all d20 rolls. But enough to make the injuries seem like they impact things. A fractured arm, a slashed up leg.

Consider this idea thoroughly stolen...


-Be scarce in supplies and make them use them. Wounds won't heal unless medical kits/herbs are used on them. Water and food matter especially if the party decides to hold up in a building for a while. Scavenging is important.
-Other survivors are a massive threat! They are crazed and unpredictable. Sometimes trust them sometimes don't, hard to say what is best.

I agree, and I will be using a 'corruption' system similar to taint (makes you susceptible to unholy diseases and the like). I was thinking that players that try to heal naturally will likely to aquire more corruption as I'm fluffing that Nature is the result of Holy and Unholy balancing out (Hence why Druids have to be neutral in one space or another) and trying to heal 'naturally' without that balance in place will make it easy to get corrupted easier.



-A town priest who has become increasingly mad with grief, as his lessened powers have rendered him incapable of saving many townsfolk from the newly emerging horrors. This can turn to a homicidal nihilism, or an outright rejection of his previous faith, and devotion to the new dark powers that haunt the world. He should be depicted as suitably insane as well.

This is more along the lines of what I was fishing for!


-The failing of positive magics have lead some people to turn against the priesthood of some towns, blaming them for being unable to protect their flock. This can either result in a crackdown (from more authoritarian churches), or a backlash/general witch hunt from the local population, possibly against the former priests.

I want one of the big questions to be where the cult sprung from, as searching every temple of every deity to be a difficult thing of it's own and if the cult was turned members of a church of weejas, it would be easier to find the 'stopper' and end it.


-The crops for a village have been infected with bits of negative energy, causing discomfort in the general populace, and sickness, hallucinations and insanity in some of the villagers that consume the tainted food. The DC should be low enough that most people will be fine, but high enough that the more sickly (or unfortunate) members of the village start suffering the effects. The characters could be responsible for guarding the relief caravans of untainted food sent to the village, dealing with the resulting panic from the villagers.

Agreed, but I don't want food in general to be bad, each local will have their own flavors of evil... kind of like...


-A village's livestock have been randomly, and spontaneously been turning vicious, (given the fiendish template) and attacking the villagers who get too close. This can be an interesting opportunity to either have the PCs search for the source of the "infection/taint", or can go down "Barnyard Massacre" style, with the PCs fighting off waves of evil livestock rather than zombies. For fun, throw in a few awakened plants with the template (including at least one awakened tomato/food of choice that uses a surprise "Smite Good" when someone tries to eat it). Admittedly, this might become more hilarious than truly horrifying, but it can actually be fairly horrifying when properly executed, or used for a bit of levity in the campaign.

Yes, This.



-One or more captured serial killers, or cutthroat thief gangs that have been executed for their crimes return as wights, ghouls or (at higher levels) Morhgs, who then go on a killing spree through the poorer communities of a city, or even start infecting members of the criminal underworld. Getting ambushed by thugs in an ally gets an added level of danger when they also might be interested in biting your face off.

I like this for it's obviousness and grace. It works perfectly within the confines of the concept and an experienced zombie assassin is much more terrifying then a horde of 300 shambling dumb zombies...



-This might be a good setting for use of the "Taint" system. Make it so that most food and water is fine, but in the more "advanced" areas of decay, even trying to find food and water risks becoming tainted (preferably with a Fort save to avoid. Taint is rather difficult to remove without plentiful access to healing magic). Think it it like the radiation in Fallout.

Discussed earlier. Already agreed on this much, although it will have a slightly different view. obviously evil acts will add to it without save, tainted food and wounds from evil forces will add unless healed carefully.


Thank you all for the help! And speedy replies! I'm still looking for more off shoot encounter ideas though, please :D

[SowZ]

Fair point, I'm playing E6, 3.5 So higher then average CR is expected, with a handful of homebrew (like the aforementioned syringes that will be fluffed undead).



I went for the Silent hill theme pretty intentionally. Last thing I wanted was 'another pack of zombies' except as a possible chandler to keep the party from sticking to the same area. Between cultists, religious zealots and diseased villagers with an odd assortment of Demonic undead the players will have to be quick on their toes. Even a rival pack of survivors could be interesting towards the end.



eh, Level 6, I don't want to be keeping track of Exp. they'll just be getting a free feat per secession they survive.



Agreed, I will be playing at night (most of my players work during the daylight hours) and I plan on having a looped track of bugs chirping to turn off at a moments notice to add to the tension.



Now, I agree, to an extent. In horror, yes, but sandbox survival I have to keep the reigns loose. I want encounters, encounters that add to the core story and build the feeling of a full world beyond the story they're in. I want a town that has been drowned by a damn breaking, only for the players to realize it was done intentionally by the rulers of the area to stop the spread of a dangerous plague, or a diminutive wight with no clothes found shoveling the corpse of a previously pregnant woman. These are details that, while definately story inducing, don't need to lead anywhere; They are stand alone events that the heroes had no means to prevent and show the true depths of desperate people.



I would keep them NPC classes, but I feel if they aren't advancing normally, forcing people to play with undercurrent classes is needlessly limiting without a suitable award. maybe for each level of an NPC class, a free general feat but then it just seems gratuitous to the NPC classes. Low point buy I could go with though.



Consider this idea thoroughly stolen...



I agree, and I will be using a 'corruption' system similar to taint (makes you susceptible to unholy diseases and the like). I was thinking that players that try to heal naturally will likely to aquire more corruption as I'm fluffing that Nature is the result of Holy and Unholy balancing out (Hence why Druids have to be neutral in one space or another) and trying to heal 'naturally' without that balance in place will make it easy to get corrupted easier.



This is more along the lines of what I was fishing for!



I want one of the big questions to be where the cult sprung from, as searching every temple of every deity to be a difficult thing of it's own and if the cult was turned members of a church of weejas, it would be easier to find the 'stopper' and end it.



Agreed, but I don't want food in general to be bad, each local will have their own flavors of evil... kind of like...



Yes, This.




I like this for it's obviousness and grace. It works perfectly within the confines of the concept and an experienced zombie assassin is much more terrifying then a horde of 300 shambling dumb zombies...




Discussed earlier. Already agreed on this much, although it will have a slightly different view. obviously evil acts will add to it without save, tainted food and wounds from evil forces will add unless healed carefully.


Thank you all for the help! And speedy replies! I'm still looking for more off shoot encounter ideas though, please :D

You don't need to keep track of XP for leveling. I certainly don't. I just level them up ad-hoc or use this session per level thing. (Take one session to get to level two, two more to get to three, three more to get to dour, etc. etc. I would double these numbers for a horror game, though.)

I really think horror works better starting at level one and maxing at level five. Level six can be one of the very best in the world at something. They are super-heroes. Your character's will be exceptional and other survivors will be less of a threat. A player looks at a +10 attack bonus, 40 damage a turn, 52 HP, and they feel cool and strong. Your PCs should feel in above their heads and somewhat helpless. At low levels, the PCs rely on plot relevant things, gaining allies, and super clever strategies to take care of strong threats. At level six, one of the only ways to make 'hacking it to pieces' a less friendly choice is to make the encounter so strong that it can screw with your plot a lot. But it is your call. There's my two cents.

A horror tidbit. The players get trapped in a church/big mausoleum, etc. etc. with maybe twelve other survivors. One of them starts to go crazy and is clearly possessed. There is a battle. The PCs and survivors are probably able to kill it. Give it Health Regen so it has to be coup-de-graced on the ground and have an NPC do the killing. Then, after a little while, the guy who killed him is possessed. A demon that jumps from his current host to whoever killed him.

People will refuse to fight the thing, but maybe discovering how to escape the church will be practically impossible with the demon around. (Maybe they have to move hours worth of debris or something.) So they have to kill it, but no one wants to do the killing blow. If an NPC makes the fateful strike, who knows, the PCs may kill him before he turns. But then they may be afraid killing him prematurely still passes the demon on. Psychological trauma, tough decisions, and a time limit. (Eventually, only the party will be left if it takes too long.)

[Toy Killer]

Well, I want the characters to feel like they 'belong' to a D&D world. IE, I want them to feel like they were on their way to clear out a kobald hovel and suddenly they were dropped into something they have no ability to defeat (or so they think). Level 6 is hard(er) to optimize and give the players the ability to feel like they are what they want to be (clerics have turn worth a damn, fighters actually have two attacks, wizards and spell casters can actually use third level spells) instead of working towards what they want. further more, even under optimized classes, like monks (particularly) are still pretty even keeled compared to higher levels (Still, I probably won't see one around, but it's nice to know the players have an option).

I'm even planning on starting the campaign off by describing the world briefly and then bursting into combat without describing what they're fighting (A desperate, dying owlbear) to give them that mood that they are under constant peril, this isn't the D&D they used to know, and they won't know what's going on until after the fact is over.

---

Some encounter Ideas I already have in mind:

- Barnyard Massacre (I find the idea of something as homely and familiar as live stock bursting into violence beautiful btw)

- A stoic, abandoned sorcerer in a jailhouse, casting his spells from a tower. Feeling the people that imprisoned him for being different have gotten their just rewards and continuing suffering to anyone in range.

- A manor with a lone survivor, a young beautiful musical savant, and her shadow 'friends'.

- A orchard farm, where the fruit is infested with eggs of syrnges. The PCs thinking they found a haven in the midst of chaos, finding the bodies of people ripped apart from the inside, until seeing a survivor begging the party to leave as she starts coughing up rodent sized mosquitoes.

- a spidery demon that keeps everyone preserved in a warped, twisted mockery of their lives as he found them before he stole them. (Web wights?)

- a huge hulking behemoth zombie, grafted with demonic armor, serving as a beacon to uncontrolled zombies and spreading an intoxicating miasma.

- One word... Circus.

[Slipperychicken]

For survivors:

-Soldiers and some royalty have holed up in a keep/castle/tower (zombies are very bad at getting into castles). They have food and other supplies to last many years, and might trade with the PCs, but probably won't let them in, depending on the nature of the Zombies (if they're infectious, hell no). Maybe they'll just shoot at the PCs at first, thinking they're zombies. If the PCs interact with them, they'll offer a reward if the PCs clear the zombies from an isolated part of the fortifications (tunnels, a tower).

-An large ragtag band of dirty/lightly-wounded/angry survivors shake down the PCs, preferably at a lower level, or whenever you feel like they're getting cocky, deserve it, or have too many resources. There should be a large enough number so they feel like they can take the PCs without trouble (3:1 or 2:1 seems appropriate). It's clear these are ordinary people without real training who managed to get some mismatched weapons and armor by looting armories and shops. They might justify their actions with scarcity (Look, dog-breath, we got kids to feed! It's you or them!). They offer to let the PCs live in exchange for a "tax", in which the PCs empty their pockets and the survivors take at least half the food, most of the ammunition, and any other seemingly-useful or shiny objects. If the PCs refuse this tax, the survivors should be at least a challenging fight. They do have 3d10 innocents waiting in a fortified building somewhere, and will call a retreat if it's clear they're outmatched (i.e. the PCs are one-shotting them and barely taking a scratch).