D&D 5E 7 Days to D&D

[TheSword]

So I’ve become slightly obsessed with the computer game 7 Days to Die, which was sold to me as Minecraft for adults… and boy does it deliver.

There are a couple of key ingredients. My question is, could these be applied to a D&D campaign to evoke the same feelings.

• The world is post apocalyptic - a zombie plague has destroyed civilization and there are very few survivors
• Zombies in the daytime take on a variety of forms and behave in different ways. Most are relatively slow but can do a fair bit of damage when they get up close. Most can be dispatched at range. Occasionally a struck a zombie turns feral, or begins feral and can sprint and attack faster.
• At night, all Zombies turn feral and sprint. It’s very easy to be ganged up on at night. They can also get a feral sense which means they always know where players are.
• There a traders that reward completion of quests with improved resources. They also barter for resources and tools.
• The whole world can be interacted with for resources. Players can learn skills to be better at adapting these skills and can learn recipes for new tools.
• You can build with various materials of increasing toughness but the game used redimentary physics. Unsupported structures collapse damaging anything or anyone on them as they do. Zombies can and will attack supports if they can’t get to the player.
• Here is the killer… in the evening of every 7th day when the sun goes down, the moon turns blood red and waves of dozens of feral zombies spawn in and attack the player… if they can’t reach the player they will keep attacking whatever is in its way until it brings the object and the player down. The more weeks that pass the bigger this horde gets with tougher enemies too.

Essentially the game is to collect enough resources in the 7 days to defend yourself on the blood moon.

My question is… could this be the structure of a D&D campaign…

… discuss!

 

[Vaalingrade]

The game is so much more fun when you turn off the zombies and play it as Minecraft for adults.

That said, I think the issue for it being a D&D game is that 7 Days is very base building focused, which D&D has been deathly allergic to since 2001. I don't see anything capturing 7 Days energy without having a robust building and defense system.

Similarly, there's the time passing aspect. You'd need some way to put a time value on all actions, from exploration and looting to materials creation.

 

[TheSword]

I think you would abstract several elements. I agree that D&D‘s crafting system is a joke. But I think I could definitely put in place some quick and dirty crafting rules for things like arrows, weapons etc. possibly give characters a bonus to crafting things related to their skill proficiencies.

Again I think time could be abstracted into chunks, clearly communicated in advance. We already kind of do that with doomsday clocks in adventures.. in fact it’s the ultimate doomsday clock.

I’m not sure about the specifics of building. To me the game is more about exploring points of interest and gain experience ready for the horde.

 

[Vaalingrade]

See, I'm the base guy in my group. They go find stuff and bring it back to me to make into a fortress. From my perspective that's going to be a difficult play style to make fun with D&D rules. I'm not sure there's any tabletop rules I know of that would make it fun because it's a weirdly tactile source of satisfaction. Maybe with a VTT.

 

[GuyBoy]

Well, if you do end up running this, I'll probably be one of the players! so I'll get my retaliation in first:
I like the idea, but not so keen on base-building, though if you have ready made "base" or bases; pockets of civilisation holding out, possibly with the need to cross the infected and perilous lands between, I think it would be great.
I have a book called Lost Citadel by Green Ronin which plays this premise a bit and could be a good starting point for you. I'll bring it along next Friday and give to you.

 

[TheSword]

Well, if you do end up running this, I'll probably be one of the players! so I'll get my retaliation in first:
I like the idea, but not so keen on base-building, though if you have ready made "base" or bases; pockets of civilisation holding out, possibly with the need to cross the infected and perilous lands between, I think it would be great.
I have a book called Lost Citadel by Green Ronin which plays this premise a bit and could be a good starting point for you. I'll bring it along next Friday and give to you.

To be honest I was thinking it would be up Pete’s alley. Maybe for his spring campaign. A short and sweet couple of sessions thing.

 

[Clint_L]

The challenge that I see is that you describe 7 Days as basically a resource management action game. As a video game concept, it is great, with the built in ticking clocking constantly ramping up the tension. I don't think it would work very well with D&D. D&D combat is very slow paced and tactical, and there are tons of spells and abilities that make resource management relatively simple.

Basically, it seems too one note and action oriented for a D&D campaign. As a one-off game, or super short campaign (4 games, max), I would use Dread to really keep the tension building.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

In D&D it sounds like the dread domain of Falkovnia in the 5th Ed of Ravenloft setting.

About survival in D&D I imagine something like Dark Sun. Maybe the PCs are Athasian survivors who have built a camp near Kalidnay, but there is a planar rift toward the "Endless Night"(Shadowfell).

 

[AnotherGuy]

Won't work with 5e. Not unless you gut the system. Primarily for reasons Clint cited above.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

One D&D is supposed to have Base building rules.
You could eventually use those, in addition to various new ''downtime'' rules to gather stuff and craft stuff.
I think the DMG also has various rules on structures hp/AC and calculating damage for hazards and such.

Or

You could literally just steal the base ''sanctuary'' building + defending rules of Tiny Wasteland. Its a rule lite d6 system that should be quite cheap on Drivethru. Just skip the character creation part, take the base building part and have your party do sidequest to gather resources. The Reaping part of the game could be used in conjunction with a nice mass battles against hordes of undead and other slimy monsters. (I'd go Bloodmoon-style Eldritch weirdness, but its your choice).

EDIT: just be sure to use weapon or item breakage/use rules. Magic items dont recharge. Even Lingering wounds could be a nice addition. Slow Natural Healing or Gritty Rest can be used: any long rest spell you use when scavenging wont be back in time for the Red Moon!