Year of the Zombie
I have bene running a Year of the Zombie game campaign for several months now.
The game started as a one shot, using the Independence Day Massacre as a start. The players approached the game with the usual d20, been there, done that attitude, and were nearly decimated.
After that they insisted that the game turn into a campaign, which has now taken on a survivor/rebuilding theme, as the players are nursing a group of 396 survivors at a massive hydroelectric dam near where we play.
I joke with them that the game has become Farmer the RPG, as they spent 2 hours last game talking about crops and feeding these people through the winter.
I added an element of conspiracy that is scattered through YoTZ, complete with some hidden bunkers, and the MAD computer systems clicking over to automatic and launching nukes. I haven't brought the total war aspect into the game yet, but the players will run into russian or chinese troops shortly, more as a another team of organized survivors, or raiders, etc...
Game really has brought out the team work in the players, mostly because it is so deadly. I have 3 players who have been in it from the start, and use the survivors as a base to draw new PCs, and players who are sporadic. At any rate, they warn the new players to take it easy, and not play D&D with guns, but they hardly ever listen. The experienced group runs into a group of zombies hanging around an old hanger, they use silence weapons, and long range to take them out. The new player takes an old S-10 pickup, and backs it into a group of 6 zombies!!! So, he is working on a new character the game this week, a martial artist master. To quote on the other players - "Martial artist...cool. Leave your gear here this time, so we can at least remember you by your stuff."
Anyway, rambling aside, the players are working more like a team then any other game I have done, mostly due to the dangerous setting of YoTZ. I have had moments where the PCs have gone...Frack, that is disturbing. Also my game has gotten to the point where zombies are bad, but there at least predictable. When the lights go out, and the toliet paper runs out, that is when people get insane, and I have been pushing that in the game.
Lots of information out there about Rwanda, Somalia, and the like to pick elements out, thrown in some zombies, and you have a good game. I don't think you could go wrong picking up Year of the Zombie.
I have bene running a Year of the Zombie game campaign for several months now.
The game started as a one shot, using the Independence Day Massacre as a start. The players approached the game with the usual d20, been there, done that attitude, and were nearly decimated.
After that they insisted that the game turn into a campaign, which has now taken on a survivor/rebuilding theme, as the players are nursing a group of 396 survivors at a massive hydroelectric dam near where we play.
I joke with them that the game has become Farmer the RPG, as they spent 2 hours last game talking about crops and feeding these people through the winter.
I added an element of conspiracy that is scattered through YoTZ, complete with some hidden bunkers, and the MAD computer systems clicking over to automatic and launching nukes. I haven't brought the total war aspect into the game yet, but the players will run into russian or chinese troops shortly, more as a another team of organized survivors, or raiders, etc...
Game really has brought out the team work in the players, mostly because it is so deadly. I have 3 players who have been in it from the start, and use the survivors as a base to draw new PCs, and players who are sporadic. At any rate, they warn the new players to take it easy, and not play D&D with guns, but they hardly ever listen. The experienced group runs into a group of zombies hanging around an old hanger, they use silence weapons, and long range to take them out. The new player takes an old S-10 pickup, and backs it into a group of 6 zombies!!! So, he is working on a new character the game this week, a martial artist master. To quote on the other players - "Martial artist...cool. Leave your gear here this time, so we can at least remember you by your stuff."
Anyway, rambling aside, the players are working more like a team then any other game I have done, mostly due to the dangerous setting of YoTZ. I have had moments where the PCs have gone...Frack, that is disturbing. Also my game has gotten to the point where zombies are bad, but there at least predictable. When the lights go out, and the toliet paper runs out, that is when people get insane, and I have been pushing that in the game.
Lots of information out there about Rwanda, Somalia, and the like to pick elements out, thrown in some zombies, and you have a good game. I don't think you could go wrong picking up Year of the Zombie.
