Okay, the zombie game is dead and gone -- no pun intended, so I'm going to use this blog as a general dumping ground (and occasional sounding board) for all my Modern-era games.
My next roleplaying campaign concept is set in the Victorian Era [1837-1901]. I'm looking at a Shadow Stalkers campaign based out of London, England (at least at first) in 1872. Plenty of weird things going on that year without a lot of documentation.
S.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Monday, November 19, 2007
"When Hell is full, the dead will walk the Earth."
No one really knew how it started. There were rumors, of course -- somebody who knew a guy who knew a guy who heard that it was a government experiment. Perhaps a cousin heard from a reliable source that someone at NASA spotted a meteor passing too close to Earth. There was no real way of knowing, and during those first few days of lethal chaos, it was a moot point anyway.
The living know only one thing: things were totally fucked.
There was literally nothing you could say about the crisis that would not be an exaggeration. It was an apocalypse. It was the end of the world. The dead walked the Earth. All of these were true and more.
Most people heard the news broadcasts too late to do them any good. By the time most of the population understood that they were in the middle of an emergency, there was very little they could do to help themselves. Soon after, TV and radio stations started shutting down. If even one of those things got loose in a building, it was almost inevitable that the whole building was terminal.
One bite meant death. The smallest scratch meant your life was over.
And a painful death it was. From what the emergency crews were able to piece together, a bite started a process that was unalterable and led to an inevitable, final conclusion. It took about 24 hours (give or take) and then that corpse reanimated. Faster in some cases, but it wasn't a huge difference either way. The wound wouldn't bleed properly. The bite would fester and start decaying. Then joint pain. Then fever. Then nausea. Then vomiting blood. Then organ failure. And then death. And then...
Soon, the dwindling survivors realized that it wasn't just the bites that caused the dead to walk. Any person who passed away -- be it from gunshot wound or car accident, old age or cancer -- they all returned as the undead.
Survivors started pooling their resources. Taking action often meant destroying those who were, up to a few minutes ago, their own loved ones and friends. It changed a lot of people very quickly.
Marcus Manning was a survivalist living in the mountains outside of Los Angeles. He would usually resupply at smaller towns on the edge of the the metropolitan sprawl, but on that fateful day, he'd come to a specialty surplus store to pick up supplies that the owner, a friend, had ordered special for him.
Marcus Manning: Tough Hero 4/Survivalist 3: CR 7; Medium-size human male; HD 4d12+3 plus 3d8+3; hp 53; Mas 16; Init +2; Spd 30 ft.; Def 19 (+5 class, +2 Dex, +2 armor), touch 17, flat-footed 17; BAB +5; Grap +6; Atk +7 melee (1d6+1, nonlethal unarmed); Full Atk +7 melee (1d6+1, nonlethal unarmed), or +6 melee (1d4+1, knife), or +7 ranged (1d8+1, compound bow); SQ Naturalist (forest); AL Self; SV Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +6; AP 10; Str 12, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 10. Ht. 5’ 10” ft., Wt. 180 lbs.
Occupation: Adventurer.
Skills: Balance +2, Climb +10, Computer Use +1, Concentration +3, Craft (…) +4, Drive +2, Escape Artist +2, Forgery +1, Gamble +2, Hide +6, Intimidate +0, Investigate +1, Jump +1, Knowledge (…) +1, Listen +6, Move Silently +6, Navigate +4, Profession (guide) +2, Research +1, Ride +2, Search +4, Sense Motive +2, Speak English, Speak Spanish, Spot +10, Survival +9, Swim +3, Treat Injury +9.
Feats: Alertness, Archaic Weapons Proficiency, Athletic, Brawl, Far Shot, Heroic Surge, Medical Expert, Track, Simple Weapons Proficiency.
Talents (Tough Hero): Robust, stamina.
Possessions: Casual clothes, hunting clothes, compound bow, arrows (18) with quiver, food and water, various personal gear.
Mickey Rios was a grease monkey working as a mechanic after getting out of the service. He had just finished a two-week transmission retro-fit on a custom job and had been looking forward to a few days off.
Mickey Rios: Smart Hero 4/Techie 3: CR 7; Medium-size human male; HD 4d6+2 plus 3d6+2; hp 52; Mas 14; Init +3; Spd 30 ft.; Def 17 (+3 class, +1 leather jacket, +3 Dex), touch 16, flat-footed 14; BAB +3; Grap +4; Atk +4 melee (1d3+1, unarmed); Full Atk +4 melee (1d3+1, unarmed), or +6 melee (2d6/20, Glock 19), or +5 ranged (2d8/20, AR-15 carbine), or +5 ranged (2d8/20, Mossberg 590), or +5 ranged (2d4/20, Ruger 10/22 rifle); SQ Jury-rig +2, extreme machine; SV Fort +4, Ref +7, Will +7; AP 10; Str 12, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 10. Ht. 5’ 9” ft., Wt. 160 lbs.
Occupation: Blue Collar.
Skills: Climb +3, Computer Use +9, Craft (electronic) +9, Craft (mechanical) +18, Craft (structural) +5, Demolitions +5, Disable Device +10, Drive +15, Hide +5, Jump +2, Knowledge (current events) +5, Knowledge (history) +5, Knowledge (streetwise) +7, Listen +4, Move Silently +5, Navigate +8, Profession (mechanic) +8, Read/Write English, Read/Write Spanish, Repair +19, Search +10, Speak English, Speak Spanish, Spot +10, Survival +5, Treat Injury +5.
Feats: Archaic Weapons Proficiency, Builder, Combat Expertise, Gearhead, Personal Firearms Proficiency, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Vehicle Expert, Simple Weapons Proficiency.
Talents (Smart Hero): Savant (Repair), savant (Craft [mechanical]).
Drawbacks: Bodily Marked [2], Criminal Record [3].
Possessions: Casual clothes, work clothes, backpack, canteen, cell phone, leather jacket, duffel bag, first aid kit, flashlight, basic mechanical toolkit, basic electrical toolkit, rain poncho, road atlas, sleeping bag, multi-tool, lock pick set, car opening kit, Ruger 10/22 rifle, 10/22 magazines (3), 1000 rounds of .22 ammunition, AR-15 carbine, AR magazines (6), 400 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition, Mossberg 590 shotgun, 100 rounds of 12g ammunition, Glock 19 pistol, Glock magazines (5), 200 rounds of 9mm ammunition, various personal gear.
Vincent Villano was a private investigator between jobs. He kept the police-band scanner on, but the chatter he started to hear didn't make any sense and certainly didn't fit any of the usual patterns.
Vincent Villano: Strong Hero 3/Martial Artist 4: CR 7; Medium-size human male; HD 3d8+2 plus 4d8+2; hp 46; Mas 14; Init +3; Spd 30 ft.; Def 19 (+5 class, +1 jacket, +3 Dex), touch 18, flat-footed 16; BAB +7/+2; Grap +9; Atk +9 melee (1d4+4/19-20, unarmed); Full Atk +9/+4 melee (1d4+4/19-20, unarmed), or +11/+6 melee (2d6/20, masterwork Colt Python .357), or +10 ranged (2d8/20, Mossberg 590), or +9 melee (1d6+2/20, bokken), or +9 melee (1d4+2/19-20, knife); SQ living weapon, flying kick 1d8; SV Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +3; AP 10; Str 15, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 10. Ht. 6’ 2” ft., Wt. 185 lbs.
Occupation: Investigative.
Skills: Balance +3, Climb +4, Craft (structural) +4, Escape Artist +7, Hide +3, Investigate +4, Jump +4, Knowledge (tactics) +1, Knowledge (theology & philosophy) +1, Move Silently +3, Perform (dance) +0, Profession (investigator) +1, Repair +4, Ride +3, Search +4, Spot +3, Survival +1, Swim +2.
Feats: Combat Martial Arts, Improved Combat Martial Arts, Combat Reflexes, Defensive Martial Arts, Personal Firearms Proficiency, Simple Weapons Proficiency.
Talents (Strong Hero): Melee smash, improved melee smash.
Possessions: Casual clothes, Colt Python .357 revolver, Mossberg 590 shotgun, various personal gear.
Anthony Peterson had fought hard to escape the gang culture he was raised in. Born black and raised in poverty in Los Angeles usually meant limited options. But he had worked hard and managed to graduate near the top of his class at the Fireman's Academy. Now he served in the prestigious Engine #2 near downtown L.A.
They didn't know each other a week ago. They happened to be among the people near the gas station when an out of control car ran the red light and smashed into a gas pump. They were, however, among the only ones who didn't panic. All had helped the situation, and when they later saw each other in the hospital at UCLA, they recognized each other, and new that survival meant helping each other once again.
***
The four survivors figured that the hospital would be a safe place to hole up and get supplies. In retrospect, not the best idea ever. But they couldn't possibly know. Meeting Dr. Sanchez was a huge relief, and after their initial intense confrontation, the EMT known as Tsignotchka was also a great asset to the party. Ex-military as well, the tall Aleutian had a short-wave radio that the party used to hear a message from the military. A message saying that the citizens were to make their way to a military quarantine area outside of Los Angeles.
Working together, the group managed to block off the entire 4th floor -- but not without a few losses. Two nurses were bitten in the ensuing chaos and several terminal patients had to be put down.
Marcus adapted well to the situation -- a few members of the group were worried that he was adapting too well. Never one to be casual about the loss of human life, Mickey and Tony were concerned about Marcus' nonchalant nature towards killing people. Of course, they weren't people at all, they were the walking dead... But that was little comfort and the tension has been growing.
The group was fortunate in their addition of Mickey Rios. The man worked as a simple mechanic, but he had one trait left over from his days in the Army that made him invaluable to the unique situation they found themselves in -- he was armed to the teeth. Mickey had kept up his gun collection after being honorably discharged, and his weapons were largely responsible for the team's survival.
Fighting the undead meant learning a lot about yourself. You are thrust into a situation of life or death with total strangers. When your very lives are at stake, you instantly figure out who you can and cannot trust. Trust is a rare commodity these days. Supplies are dwindling, food is scarce, and if you are without a close circle of fellow survivors, it is very difficult to get a good night's sleep. The lack of sleep makes some people lose their minds. The cranky, bitter effects of sleep deprivation put everyone's nerves on edge. Decisions seem more important, situations get rapidly out of control. For some survivors, other humans could be just as dangerous as the undead, if not more so...
The group decided that staying in the hospital was foolish to the point of being suicidal. Something had to be done and action needed to be taken. So they put their heads together and decided that the Marine depot near San Diego would be their best bet.
The living know only one thing: things were totally fucked.
There was literally nothing you could say about the crisis that would not be an exaggeration. It was an apocalypse. It was the end of the world. The dead walked the Earth. All of these were true and more.
Most people heard the news broadcasts too late to do them any good. By the time most of the population understood that they were in the middle of an emergency, there was very little they could do to help themselves. Soon after, TV and radio stations started shutting down. If even one of those things got loose in a building, it was almost inevitable that the whole building was terminal.
One bite meant death. The smallest scratch meant your life was over.
And a painful death it was. From what the emergency crews were able to piece together, a bite started a process that was unalterable and led to an inevitable, final conclusion. It took about 24 hours (give or take) and then that corpse reanimated. Faster in some cases, but it wasn't a huge difference either way. The wound wouldn't bleed properly. The bite would fester and start decaying. Then joint pain. Then fever. Then nausea. Then vomiting blood. Then organ failure. And then death. And then...
Soon, the dwindling survivors realized that it wasn't just the bites that caused the dead to walk. Any person who passed away -- be it from gunshot wound or car accident, old age or cancer -- they all returned as the undead.
Survivors started pooling their resources. Taking action often meant destroying those who were, up to a few minutes ago, their own loved ones and friends. It changed a lot of people very quickly.
Marcus Manning was a survivalist living in the mountains outside of Los Angeles. He would usually resupply at smaller towns on the edge of the the metropolitan sprawl, but on that fateful day, he'd come to a specialty surplus store to pick up supplies that the owner, a friend, had ordered special for him.
Marcus Manning: Tough Hero 4/Survivalist 3: CR 7; Medium-size human male; HD 4d12+3 plus 3d8+3; hp 53; Mas 16; Init +2; Spd 30 ft.; Def 19 (+5 class, +2 Dex, +2 armor), touch 17, flat-footed 17; BAB +5; Grap +6; Atk +7 melee (1d6+1, nonlethal unarmed); Full Atk +7 melee (1d6+1, nonlethal unarmed), or +6 melee (1d4+1, knife), or +7 ranged (1d8+1, compound bow); SQ Naturalist (forest); AL Self; SV Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +6; AP 10; Str 12, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 10. Ht. 5’ 10” ft., Wt. 180 lbs.
Occupation: Adventurer.
Skills: Balance +2, Climb +10, Computer Use +1, Concentration +3, Craft (…) +4, Drive +2, Escape Artist +2, Forgery +1, Gamble +2, Hide +6, Intimidate +0, Investigate +1, Jump +1, Knowledge (…) +1, Listen +6, Move Silently +6, Navigate +4, Profession (guide) +2, Research +1, Ride +2, Search +4, Sense Motive +2, Speak English, Speak Spanish, Spot +10, Survival +9, Swim +3, Treat Injury +9.
Feats: Alertness, Archaic Weapons Proficiency, Athletic, Brawl, Far Shot, Heroic Surge, Medical Expert, Track, Simple Weapons Proficiency.
Talents (Tough Hero): Robust, stamina.
Possessions: Casual clothes, hunting clothes, compound bow, arrows (18) with quiver, food and water, various personal gear.
Mickey Rios was a grease monkey working as a mechanic after getting out of the service. He had just finished a two-week transmission retro-fit on a custom job and had been looking forward to a few days off.
Mickey Rios: Smart Hero 4/Techie 3: CR 7; Medium-size human male; HD 4d6+2 plus 3d6+2; hp 52; Mas 14; Init +3; Spd 30 ft.; Def 17 (+3 class, +1 leather jacket, +3 Dex), touch 16, flat-footed 14; BAB +3; Grap +4; Atk +4 melee (1d3+1, unarmed); Full Atk +4 melee (1d3+1, unarmed), or +6 melee (2d6/20, Glock 19), or +5 ranged (2d8/20, AR-15 carbine), or +5 ranged (2d8/20, Mossberg 590), or +5 ranged (2d4/20, Ruger 10/22 rifle); SQ Jury-rig +2, extreme machine; SV Fort +4, Ref +7, Will +7; AP 10; Str 12, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 10. Ht. 5’ 9” ft., Wt. 160 lbs.
Occupation: Blue Collar.
Skills: Climb +3, Computer Use +9, Craft (electronic) +9, Craft (mechanical) +18, Craft (structural) +5, Demolitions +5, Disable Device +10, Drive +15, Hide +5, Jump +2, Knowledge (current events) +5, Knowledge (history) +5, Knowledge (streetwise) +7, Listen +4, Move Silently +5, Navigate +8, Profession (mechanic) +8, Read/Write English, Read/Write Spanish, Repair +19, Search +10, Speak English, Speak Spanish, Spot +10, Survival +5, Treat Injury +5.
Feats: Archaic Weapons Proficiency, Builder, Combat Expertise, Gearhead, Personal Firearms Proficiency, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Vehicle Expert, Simple Weapons Proficiency.
Talents (Smart Hero): Savant (Repair), savant (Craft [mechanical]).
Drawbacks: Bodily Marked [2], Criminal Record [3].
Possessions: Casual clothes, work clothes, backpack, canteen, cell phone, leather jacket, duffel bag, first aid kit, flashlight, basic mechanical toolkit, basic electrical toolkit, rain poncho, road atlas, sleeping bag, multi-tool, lock pick set, car opening kit, Ruger 10/22 rifle, 10/22 magazines (3), 1000 rounds of .22 ammunition, AR-15 carbine, AR magazines (6), 400 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition, Mossberg 590 shotgun, 100 rounds of 12g ammunition, Glock 19 pistol, Glock magazines (5), 200 rounds of 9mm ammunition, various personal gear.
Vincent Villano was a private investigator between jobs. He kept the police-band scanner on, but the chatter he started to hear didn't make any sense and certainly didn't fit any of the usual patterns.
Vincent Villano: Strong Hero 3/Martial Artist 4: CR 7; Medium-size human male; HD 3d8+2 plus 4d8+2; hp 46; Mas 14; Init +3; Spd 30 ft.; Def 19 (+5 class, +1 jacket, +3 Dex), touch 18, flat-footed 16; BAB +7/+2; Grap +9; Atk +9 melee (1d4+4/19-20, unarmed); Full Atk +9/+4 melee (1d4+4/19-20, unarmed), or +11/+6 melee (2d6/20, masterwork Colt Python .357), or +10 ranged (2d8/20, Mossberg 590), or +9 melee (1d6+2/20, bokken), or +9 melee (1d4+2/19-20, knife); SQ living weapon, flying kick 1d8; SV Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +3; AP 10; Str 15, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 10. Ht. 6’ 2” ft., Wt. 185 lbs.
Occupation: Investigative.
Skills: Balance +3, Climb +4, Craft (structural) +4, Escape Artist +7, Hide +3, Investigate +4, Jump +4, Knowledge (tactics) +1, Knowledge (theology & philosophy) +1, Move Silently +3, Perform (dance) +0, Profession (investigator) +1, Repair +4, Ride +3, Search +4, Spot +3, Survival +1, Swim +2.
Feats: Combat Martial Arts, Improved Combat Martial Arts, Combat Reflexes, Defensive Martial Arts, Personal Firearms Proficiency, Simple Weapons Proficiency.
Talents (Strong Hero): Melee smash, improved melee smash.
Possessions: Casual clothes, Colt Python .357 revolver, Mossberg 590 shotgun, various personal gear.
Anthony Peterson had fought hard to escape the gang culture he was raised in. Born black and raised in poverty in Los Angeles usually meant limited options. But he had worked hard and managed to graduate near the top of his class at the Fireman's Academy. Now he served in the prestigious Engine #2 near downtown L.A.
They didn't know each other a week ago. They happened to be among the people near the gas station when an out of control car ran the red light and smashed into a gas pump. They were, however, among the only ones who didn't panic. All had helped the situation, and when they later saw each other in the hospital at UCLA, they recognized each other, and new that survival meant helping each other once again.
***
The four survivors figured that the hospital would be a safe place to hole up and get supplies. In retrospect, not the best idea ever. But they couldn't possibly know. Meeting Dr. Sanchez was a huge relief, and after their initial intense confrontation, the EMT known as Tsignotchka was also a great asset to the party. Ex-military as well, the tall Aleutian had a short-wave radio that the party used to hear a message from the military. A message saying that the citizens were to make their way to a military quarantine area outside of Los Angeles.
Working together, the group managed to block off the entire 4th floor -- but not without a few losses. Two nurses were bitten in the ensuing chaos and several terminal patients had to be put down.
Marcus adapted well to the situation -- a few members of the group were worried that he was adapting too well. Never one to be casual about the loss of human life, Mickey and Tony were concerned about Marcus' nonchalant nature towards killing people. Of course, they weren't people at all, they were the walking dead... But that was little comfort and the tension has been growing.
The group was fortunate in their addition of Mickey Rios. The man worked as a simple mechanic, but he had one trait left over from his days in the Army that made him invaluable to the unique situation they found themselves in -- he was armed to the teeth. Mickey had kept up his gun collection after being honorably discharged, and his weapons were largely responsible for the team's survival.
Fighting the undead meant learning a lot about yourself. You are thrust into a situation of life or death with total strangers. When your very lives are at stake, you instantly figure out who you can and cannot trust. Trust is a rare commodity these days. Supplies are dwindling, food is scarce, and if you are without a close circle of fellow survivors, it is very difficult to get a good night's sleep. The lack of sleep makes some people lose their minds. The cranky, bitter effects of sleep deprivation put everyone's nerves on edge. Decisions seem more important, situations get rapidly out of control. For some survivors, other humans could be just as dangerous as the undead, if not more so...
The group decided that staying in the hospital was foolish to the point of being suicidal. Something had to be done and action needed to be taken. So they put their heads together and decided that the Marine depot near San Diego would be their best bet.
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