Post Apocalypse Travel From England to France then to Spain

[Dan R.Stevenson]

I am coming up with ideas for a post apocalypse adventure that takes place in Europe. The Apocalyptic event is sort of like the rage plague from 28 days later but the victims retain some limited intelligence.

The characters are British survivors who have made contact with French survivors and are planning a link up. The reason for the link up is a predicted harsh extended winter that the experts say will be the worst winter to hit Europe ever. This winter is predicted to slam England, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Northern Italy. Only Spain and Portugal will escape the harsh winter.

To make matters worst the infected are in competition for the same food in the shops as the uninfected and the food supply is quickly running out. This is forcing the French and British to either move to the country and start farming or starve. The exteneded winter will shorten the growing season making it difficult next to impossible to get the crops in.

What I need help with is with side adventures on the way to Spain. I am not really familiar with Europe other than England. France, Holland, Belgium, Germany, Spain and Portugal are almost completly alien to me. How would you think other Euro nations would handle the end of society? Such as how whats left of their militaries would react to foreign refugees and military moving through their countries.

 

[painandgreed]

Seems to me that the obvious way to travel would be by boat. Find a decent sea worthy boat and the coast hop all the way down to Spain. Unless teh zombies drive motorboats, raiding marinas along the way (I assume this is modern) to syphon off gas should be pretty good and fishing for food.

That at least would put travel into a realativly safe zone and make teh dangerous parts when they have to go ashore to find food, fuel, survivors, medical supplies, etc. So...

Adventure 1: Getting to a marina and finding a suitable boat and supplies and leaving.

Adventure 2: Going ashore in France to link up with other survivors.

Adventure 3: From the coast, along the way to Spain, they see signs of other, isolated survivors and go ashore to investigate.

Adventure 4: Going ashore to get supplies is always a good time to ambush them or kidnap/separate one of them forcing a rescue. This can either be due to zombies or from other survivors who are not as peacable as the PCs.

Adventure 5: Going ashore in Spain to link up with survivors and settle down.

 

[Dan R.Stevenson]

Seems to me that the obvious way to travel would be by boat. Find a decent sea worthy boat and the coast hop all the way down to Spain. Unless teh zombies drive motorboats, raiding marinas along the way (I assume this is modern) to syphon off gas should be pretty good and fishing for food.

That at least would put travel into a realativly safe zone and make teh dangerous parts when they have to go ashore to find food, fuel, survivors, medical supplies, etc. So...

Adventure 1: Getting to a marina and finding a suitable boat and supplies and leaving.

Adventure 2: Going ashore in France to link up with other survivors.

Adventure 3: From the coast, along the way to Spain, they see signs of other, isolated survivors and go ashore to investigate.

Adventure 4: Going ashore to get supplies is always a good time to ambush them or kidnap/separate one of them forcing a rescue. This can either be due to zombies or from other survivors who are not as peacable as the PCs.

Adventure 5: Going ashore in Spain to link up with survivors and settle down.

That would work if it was a handful of survivors. But in the adventure has at least 200 survivors in both France and England. Each group of survivors only have 25+ of professional military and police to serve as security. But, I would put the option of an advance team that would travel to Spain via boat to do reconnaissance before the main group makes the trek across Europe.

 

[Turanil]

If I could have more details on this adventure, it would be easier for me to answer about France. For example I read about "the survivor", then "the infected", then "the military". I am not sure to understand what's the state of the European population in this story: dead and turned zombies for everybody (millions of people) except a few hundreds? Civil war where everybody has gone mad and attack everybody else at random? What?

In any case, I think that in a true chaos, a few PCs could go anywhere unnoticed. I am not even sure there would be armed forces guarding the Eurotunnel on the French side. By boat this would be even easier.

 

[Dan R.Stevenson]

A plague that causes homicidal rage has started in United Kingdom. It spread fast infecting 98% of the population. It quickly spread to France then to the rest of Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Small pockets of uninfected survivors have managed to make it thanks to the protection of military and police forces that have managed to find a secure defendable location. The combined survivors of both the French and English survivors total 260 civilians, 30 Police officers, and 65 Soldiers.

When ever an uninfected person comes in contact with an infected person the infected will attack the uninfected. Anyone travelling outside of their defensive posistions would need to be armed and accompanied by other armed individuals. The infected people are everywhere constantly foraging for food in the shops and abandoned homes. Once a pack of crazies engage in combat their screams and howls attract more crazies. A couple minutes of combat with a few of the infected will soon turn into combat with hundreds of the infected.

The French have closed the Euro tunnel blocking off both ends of the tunnel. When the British made contact with the French and a link up was suggested the French military began clearing the tunnel for the exodus out of England.

 

[Dan R.Stevenson]

Any suggestions on defendable locations in the UK and in France? These areas would have to be walled and near abundant water. They would also need areas that could be used to warehouse food, ammunition, fuel, and water. The number of survivors is around 170 people including military forces.

 

[Andor]

Trying to get throu the chunnel would be a potential nightmare. A fine RPing adventure mind you, but if the PCs have the sense god gave a fruitbat they'll head to dover and snag one of the cross channel ferries. They can hold twice as many people as they have. There is no shortage of ships in England that can hold that many people. And even if you somehow eliminate all the ships they'd be better off rowing across the channel than taking the chunnel. Remember Dunkirk? You can bet the english PCs do. Other sources of adequately large ferries in G.B. would include Portsmith, Liverpool, Edinburgh. Heck one of the tour barges that trot up and down the Thames in London would do to cross the channel although I wouldn't fancy trying to go down the coast to Spain on one.

 

[Andor]

Any suggestions on defendable locations in the UK and in France? These areas would have to be walled and near abundant water. They would also need areas that could be used to warehouse food, ammunition, fuel, and water. The number of survivors is around 170 people including military forces.

Heh. If you want to allow the channel crossing, but not coast skipping down to Spain, go for the full on teledrama. The english find themsleves holed up in the tower of london, fighting their way down to the docks to snag a tour barge, then clinging to plastic seats on an open barge as the chill spray of the channel freezes them during the crossing.

 

[Turanil]

So there is but a handful of survivors with weapons. However, what happened to the infected? Are there still milions of infected people running around, or just a few thousands? Then, what are their behavior? Like mad animals? If so, I guess the PCs can easily cross the country without too much hindrance. The remaining survivors won't block or patrol anything beyond their own fortress (probably some old castle in the backcountry). So with good maps and clever thinking the PCs could go almost unnoticed, and reach Spain easily. My suggestion is that there should be much more small pockets of survivors here and there. In some backcountry place peasants see few people, and could well be entranched still uninfected.

 

[The Grackle]

You shouldn't decide how the PCs make it to Spain, just keep in mind lots of the possible routes they might take and some modular encounters you can throw in their way. Half the fun of survivor horror is the complete lawlessness/ openess/ anything-can-happen-ness of it.

If they take a boat, google map is your friend. Outside the US, it's not always great for road maps, but it will work for coastlines.

Personally, I'd try to find a cruise ship.
And I wouldn't stop in Spain. Maybe Sicily or Cyprus. I'll bet Cyprus is nice.