The Role Playing Public Radio Forums
General Category => RPGs => : Snake-Eyes October 18, 2011, 03:13:51 PM
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I've been throwing around an idea for a CoC campagin. Basicly it's Walking Dead. All the players stat their characters as themselves. For example I got one player that does HVAC, so it would make sense if his mechanical repair was higher than the base. If they acutally own a gun they can start with one. Basicly whatever knowledge or items you have in the real world, your character gets. I would use real world weather conditions for whatever area they're in. You can only carry so much on you. You'll need to worry about food, water, ammo, etc. Not fully sure how to start it off, I don't want them to just wake up and everything is already fucked up, like in Walking Dead. So, anyone got any thoughts of what to add, a good starting point, maybe a better system to use instead of CoC? I'm open to any suggestions.
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I've played in a game just like that. It used D20 Modern instead of CoC, but it went pretty well.
A good start off point would probably be a 'prologue'. Instead of 'you wake up, everything's gone to hell', why not give each character a brief chance to introduce themselves in a short scenario (like a 'flashback, ala Fear Itself/Esoterrorists)?
For example, the HVAC guy could have been called out to do some repairs, maybe do a bit of BS with a buddy or the client for some characterization work, and overhear, via TV or radio, some hints that not everything is going as well as it should be. A news report on a 'possible new outbreak of flu virus?' might work.
As far as systems, I think it really all depends on how you want the zombies to feel, power-wise.
If you go with D20 Modern, they'll be the traditional shambling slow zombies that are only a threat in huge numbers. The PCs will be able to tank a 'hit' (which would really be more like 'it almost bites you, but you get your plank of wood/gun in the way just in time than 'you get bit but don't give a shit 'cuz you got so many hitpoints) or two, so aside from being swarmed, the bigger danger will be from other humans. This would feel appropriate for The Walking Dead.
If you go with Call of Cthulhu, characters will be a bit less capable in combat, and more fragile. It would, however, allow their individual skills to shine a bit better, as the CoC rules are more versatile for that kind of thing.
GUMSHOE/Fear Itself/The Esoterrorists wouldn't be a bad choice either. The Esoterrorist rules would give you a kind of middle between D20 Modern and CoC. The characters are still capable, but they're not going to be cleaving through a horde of zombies with a sledgehammer, and with the 'spend a point to do something awesome with your skills' mechanic, it'd also allow the individual skills of the players to shine.
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I did that with AFMBE - be careful about stats and skills though. I had a player that was a theology major give himself the maximum possible skill in firearms - the equivalent to being an Olympic level shooter.
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CoC will serve you well. Luck Rolls for everyone all the time!
I'm with Moondog on the character preludes. Bascially just take four or five minutes with each person and have then to a quick roleplay of their last normal day before everything broke. It helps set up what how they where before the end and helps to determine what equipment/items they might have on hand going into the game.
Also, I recommend giving everybody a firearm or ranged weapon of some kind, especially if they aren't trained in it. Guns make people feel confident and safe, especially player characters. Having them at the beginning will make them miss them all the more when you take them away.
It also enforces the law of any zombie game: people are the real threat. A zombie isn't going to shot you in the back because you've been humming pop songs quietly for the last three days. Giving PCs guns makes them a threat and a resource to the other PCs.
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CoC works great for zombie games, I usually just apply the zombie traits (firearms do 1 damage[unless they do a called shot to the head]) to animals. It's easy to conjure up zombies fast or slow.
And since its CoC I include ghouls, either as the cause or somehow related to the outbreak, the next evolution (like Lickers from RE). If they die do they have to p[lay themselves again?
Putting a hard limit on skills or doing using the alternate rules (one skill at 75%, two at 65% and so on [it's in the corebook somewhere]) works to limit players and avoids the dumps of remaining points. You can also increase health and outlaw dodge as a skill to put pints into. I'm with Tad on the crazy luck rolls.
Another thing you could do is give them sort of motivations or have them come up with them, that pertain to the apocalypse. If you want to fill in the survivor/horror stereotypes let them know that's what you're doing.
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So much CoC love up in hurr. I feel aloooone.
foreveralone
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I would have to second Ross's suggestion. All Flesh Must Be Eaten would feel more appropriate for this I think (since in many ways it was designed for this sort of things)...
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So much CoC love up in hurr. I feel aloooone.
foreveralone
I can think of more systems but was trying to suggest for what Snake-Eyes had mentioned already.
I guess World of Darkness would work as well. Dirty World, would be a more "Dramatic" zombie game. There are more but I don't want to be silly.
@Moondog, don't worry you aren't alone. Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean. No man is and island! We are here for you Moondog. Semper fi :D
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I did that with AFMBE - be careful about stats and skills though. I had a player that was a theology major give himself the maximum possible skill in firearms - the equivalent to being an Olympic level shooter.
Come on, it's not that Jordan was statted higher than the pregenerator zombie special forces teams in the back of the book...
I'm in perfect agreement with Ross on this one. If you use CoC rules, make sure you have your players start with low percentages in a number of skills rather than allowing themselves to have a few skills be high and a number of skills have zeroes. I would consider capping a player's main skills at 40% -- yes, 40%. But you'll have the guy/girl that goes, "But I'm a compsci major so I should have higher than a 40% in computers...blah blah blah." Look at that person and ask them if they've written any major security software (find appropriate analogs for other players).
For firearms, don't let a player have more than 25% in any skill and I would even consider lowering it beyond that except for maybe shotguns (if any of your friends hunt). There are reasons that Marines spend hour after hour and round after countless round learning how to fire their personal gun. And most Marines still barely rate 70% in the CoC rules system.
If you're going to be grimdark, be grimdark.
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Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I thought about using AFMBE but I don't know the system very well yet and most of my players have never done anything expect D&D and CoC. Moondog I like your idea for the mini prologues. Also I know my players would try to pad their stats so i'm ready to veto their stats. My only issue with using CoC is that for the stats like STR and INT for example, how to do you gauge that when the book doesn't give you much to go on.
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Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I thought about using AFMBE but I don't know the system very well yet and most of my players have never done anything expect D&D and CoC. Moondog I like your idea for the mini prologues. Also I know my players would try to pad their stats so i'm ready to veto their stats. My only issue with using CoC is that for the stats like STR and INT for example, how to do you gauge that when the book doesn't give you much to go on.
If they know D&D 3.0 or 3.5, they'll know D20 Modern. ;)
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Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I thought about using AFMBE but I don't know the system very well yet and most of my players have never done anything expect D&D and CoC. Moondog I like your idea for the mini prologues. Also I know my players would try to pad their stats so i'm ready to veto their stats. My only issue with using CoC is that for the stats like STR and INT for example, how to do you gauge that when the book doesn't give you much to go on.
If they know D&D 3.0 or 3.5, they'll know D20 Modern. ;)
Very true. I know a friend played essentially this same idea in d20 Modern and it worked well he said. I think the main reason this is fun is the character exploration, not so much the rules. As long as you feel comfortable enough GMing to really be able to improvise in your local area, I think any system you choose will work...
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Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I thought about using AFMBE but I don't know the system very well yet and most of my players have never done anything expect D&D and CoC. Moondog I like your idea for the mini prologues. Also I know my players would try to pad their stats so i'm ready to veto their stats. My only issue with using CoC is that for the stats like STR and INT for example, how to do you gauge that when the book doesn't give you much to go on.
If they know D&D 3.0 or 3.5, they'll know D20 Modern. ;)
Very true. I know a friend played essentially this same idea in d20 Modern and it worked well he said. I think the main reason this is fun is the character exploration, not so much the rules. As long as you feel comfortable enough GMing to really be able to improvise in your local area, I think any system you choose will work...
This is very accurate.
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My group of friends did something similar to this, but instead we all statted our characters by commitee. Ex: I think I have high POW because i'm patient and level headed. Then the group would all discuss. Came to a bit of everyone voting themselves with low APP which means we all apparently have low self image.
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My group of friends did something similar to this, but instead we all statted our characters by commitee. Ex: I think I have high POW because i'm patient and level headed. Then the group would all discuss. Came to a bit of everyone voting themselves with low APP which means we all apparently have low self image.
Yeah, I have a plan to do something like that. We normally do character generation together anyways, because they want to bounce ideas off me anyways.
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So, I thought of a cool idea to totally mess with my players. We're about to finish the Night Floors (tonight is part 4). So, once they finish that, we're going to hop into the walking dead story. How i'm going to mess with them is that when they all die. We'll automaticly switch back to DG, where they wake up back on the night floors. I'm thinking that would be a D20 san loss.
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That sounds like it could be fun. I think as long as you are careful to not just arbitrarily kill them at some point...
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Yeah I wouldn't just kill them off because I got bored or something. Only issue I got now is what happens if someone dies before the rest of the group.
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If that happens, they suffer an additional 1d10 san loss for having died, but this is of course not revealed until the party is dead and make their d20 rolls. Replace them but each premature death incurs a 1d10 extra loss. :D
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Oh man that's just mean. I like it ;D
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Hey Ross. I need your zombie knowledge. Got any suggestions of what kind of zombie I should have in my game. I'm unsure if I want the classic slow moving ones or something more of the recent stlye that can ran, climb, etc. I was thinking of doing something like depending on condition of the zomibe would determine on what it can do.
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Hey Ross. I need your zombie knowledge. Got any suggestions of what kind of zombie I should have in my game. I'm unsure if I want the classic slow moving ones or something more of the recent stlye that can ran, climb, etc. I was thinking of doing something like depending on condition of the zomibe would determine on what it can do.
If you want to be a real monster, throw intelligent zombies at them ala Return of the Living Dead. They're still feral but can talk and use logic to solve problems. You could also mix it up by having mostly common zombies but a few smart ones every once in a while that can either control the dumb ones or have some other kind of ability - super strength or speed for example. Each smart zombie could be a miniboss.
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Much like yourself I am a monster so I may just do that. I'm also surprised that you didn't just tell me to buy your book ;D
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Much like yourself I am a monster so I may just do that. I'm also surprised that you didn't just tell me to buy your book ;D
WHY HAVEN'T YOU ALREADY BOUGHT MY BOOK
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Fine i'll tell my wife to carry some in the shop. So there :P
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Fine i'll tell my wife to carry some in the shop. So there :P
what shop
Who does she use for distribution?
Right now, ZOTW is only distributed by myself and Partners. They have some in stock or you can email zombie.studies@gmail.com to buy wholesale from me.
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The shop is Illusive comics and games (add shameless plug here). The comics is done though Diamond (like there's a choice). I think Baker and Taylor is her normal book distribution. If she likes what she see's (and how could she not) then she'll want to know more. Like pricing and what not.
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Sorry to say I got not so good news for you Ross. :(
She likes what she see's from your website but she is unsure about carrying it in the shop. Seems that zombie stuff has been slowing down for us lately and our customers are hesitant to buy a book from to unknown publisher. Her suggestion is to get picked up by a publisher, she used to publish comics and knows a lot of people who publish, so she knows what she's talking about.
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Well, it's already published. It needs better distribution and marketing, that's the challenge.
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Sorry to say I got not so good news for you Ross. :(
She likes what she see's from your website but she is unsure about carrying it in the shop. Seems that zombie stuff has been slowing down for us lately and our customers are hesitant to buy a book from to unknown publisher. Her suggestion is to get picked up by a publisher, she used to publish comics and knows a lot of people who publish, so she knows what she's talking about.
People actually check who wrote and published things before they read them?!? I've never heard of such a thing!
No honestly the closest i've ever come to doing that is buying an ongoing book series...
Although I agree with the Zombie stuff starting to slow down, we are hitting a vampire streak since Twilight's new movie is coming out soon, although I still maintain that movie is about mystical blood faeries.
Remember kids:
If it broods, drinks blood and bursts into flame in sunlight it's a vampire.
If it lives in the forest comes into town to seduce normal people and sparkles in direct sunlight it is a fey creature.
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Zombies aren't slowing down. The Walking Dead is a massive hit and World War Z will hit theaters next year. On the video game front, Call of Duty games feature zombies, plus Resident Evil and L4D. Maybe after WWZ I could see that but not now.
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Zombies aren't slowing down. The Walking Dead is a massive hit and World War Z will hit theaters next year. On the video game front, Call of Duty games feature zombies, plus Resident Evil and L4D. Maybe after WWZ I could see that but not now.
The only thing I would add to this is that vampires are only seeing a transient popularity because of the recent economic crises that have rocked the globe. The vampire genre since the late 19C has been associated with movements and crises of capital. Zombies seem to be transcending that ideological fixation. Unlike the vampire, I see the zombie as an empty signifier, but one that seems to be associated with issues of legal personhood and bioethics and not necessarily capital movements (altho that certainly comes in to it).
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http://www.cracked.com/article_19402_6-mind-blowing-ways-zombies-vampires-explain-america.html
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We have a lot of customers that only follow a certain creator or artist and jump from one comic series to another. I'm not say that the whole zombie craze is slowing down. Walking Dead sells great at the shop. Just a lot of zombie stuff thats been coming out is hit or miss. Also Ross I asked a buddy of mine that used to be high up at Image's marketing department if he thinks if your book would be something they would be interested to pick up or any other indie company. I'm just waiting to hear back from him, but he's is a bit busy with with own comic that seems to of just been banned in Germany.