[Altering the System] - Zombie Apocalypse

[Gwazi Magnum]

Basically what changes, rules etc would you use if you want to play a D&D 3.5 Zombie Campaign?
Please no "D&D doesn't work for it, find something else". The point of this thread is to exercise creative muscles see how good a system we can do by basing ourselves off of 3.5.
If this thread takes off well I might make others in the future for other settings.

Alterations I'm thinking to start with*:

1. Wizard, Druid, Cleric, Sorcerer & Paladin are banned.
2. At 5th level monks trade disease immunity for a bonus feat.
3. Bards and Rangers gain no spells, but gain a bonus feat whenever a spell level would have been gained.
4. Bards Bardic Music is only usable with Perform (Oratory), and takes the form of giving out orders instead of playing music.
5. Rogue's trade sneak attacks for bonus feats.
6. Using the E6 system.
7. Armor to DR, Vitality Points & Sanity Point variants from Unearthed Arcana are used.

*This list is just looking at the core classes.
Feel free to put in suggestions for the other classes.

[PraxisVetli]

Basically what changes, rules etc would you use if you want to play a D&D 3.5 Zombie Campaign?
Please no "D&D doesn't work for it, find something else". The point of this thread is to exercise creative muscles see how good a system we can do by basing ourselves off of 3.5.
If this thread takes off well I might make others in the future for other settings.

Alterations I'm thinking to start with*:

1. Wizard, Druid, Cleric, Sorcerer & Paladin are banned.
2. At 5th level monks trade disease immunity for a bonus feat.
3. Bards and Rangers gain no spells, but gain a bonus feat whenever a spell level would have been gained.
4. Bards Bardic Music is only usable with Perform (Oratory), and takes the form of giving out orders instead of playing music.
5. Rogue's trade sneak attacks for bonus feats.
6. Using the E6 system.
7. Armor to DR, Vitality Points & Sanity Point variants from Unearthed Arcana are used.

*This list is just looking at the core classes.
Feel free to put in suggestions for the other classes.
That seems like a lot.
But before I dive into this, we gotta establish one thing.
What kind of zombies? Shambling Walkind Dead, or the vicious World War Z kind? Are they intelligent at all? Is it viral, and if so, how contagious? Can you get it from a bite? Do they projectile vomit the virus/pathogen?
Maybe it's a radiation thing?
Can it transfer species?
Gotta know what's goin on.
Oh! Also, is it just zambies? Are the ghasts and wights?

[(Un)Inspired]

Why make any changes at all? Look at SilverClawShift's campaign journal. An excellent zombie apocalypse campaign can be don't without banning a bunch of stuff.

[Allianis]

If we're going Resident Evil-type zombie apocalypse, then you wouldn't need to make a whole lot of changes, because the zombies would scale. In this event, just get rid of turning and you should be good to go.

If we're talking shambling dead-types here, instead of nerfing the classes I would just severely limit the number of classes available. Ie, paladins, clerics, wizards, and druids are out. Rogues still have a place and don't need to give up their sneak attack. Don't forget that in a zombie apocalypse, you still have to deal with the opportunistic and equally dangerous other living people.

[Gwazi Magnum]

What kind of zombies? Shambling Walkind Dead, or the vicious World War Z kind? Are they intelligent at all? Is it viral, and if so, how contagious? Can you get it from a bite? Do they projectile vomit the virus/pathogen?
Maybe it's a radiation thing?
Can it transfer species?
Gotta know what's goin on.
Oh! Also, is it just zambies? Are the ghasts and wights?

Shambling Walking Dead mainly.
Though some other kinds may be a thing as rarer types.
But they'd have to be unique and not "Lol, they're people but faster and stronger".

For the most part unintelligent.
But the rarer types may have more intelligence.

Disease is viral and contracted via Bite.

Ghast and wights are close enough to typical undead that they'd still apply.


If we're talking shambling dead-types here, instead of nerfing the classes I would just severely limit the number of classes available. Ie, paladins, clerics, wizards, and druids are out. Rogues still have a place and don't need to give up their sneak attack. Don't forget that in a zombie apocalypse, you still have to deal with the opportunistic and equally dangerous other living people.

Good point with the Rogue.

Though part of the reason for removing the spells is to avoid "I just cure disease" or "I summon water and food" scenarios.
It also requires work to be more involved and dirty rather than just finding the right spell.
Basically it helps with a darker/bleaker world.

[Pluto!]

Cut numerical advancement and HD increases. Being a big damn hero isn't part of the genre. Hiding from zombies until they eat you is.

Invent a functional chase mechanic so that "running from stuff" is actually supported by the game.

Overhaul combat to involve called shots/wound locations and injury statuses other than "alive and fully functional" or "dead."

Make Armor less of a thing. Natively scaling defenses would be a start.

Tweak the skill selection and remove nonproficiency penalties to reflect the genre.

I also like action points and actively rolled defenses because they feel more active from the player's side of the table. But they also add swinginess, so I'd change the core mechanic to involve more and smaller dice.