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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Wik" data-source="post: 4961391" data-attributes="member: 40177">A few ideas.First, yeah, I'd make it "get out, or bust".  That's the way to go, because it keeps things moving.  Second, if a guy dies, he becomes a zombie.... or, as I like to say it, "Co-DM!".  Let him turn on his former comrades.Third, pacing is fine.  Just so long as you're aware of it, you're good to go.  If the players are all having fun, roll with it.  Fourth, it's a great idea.I'd keep the XP incentive for making it out alive, but lose the XP incentive for the whole group getting out.  Make the XP reward equal to an individual quest reward.  To keep things more "zombie movie esque", give each NPC a backstory, and a goal in that backstory that if they accomplish, they get an additional reward (provided they make it out alive).  Make those rewards run counter to the group goals.  Ie, "You hate NPC 2, because he is you 'baby daddy', and doesn't pay child support.  Teach him a lesson by letting him get turned into a zombie"  or "Geez.  You've been bitten.  You're already feeling sick.  Hide this from the other characters - maybe there's a cure in that temple?"This way, the PCs can try to get out of town (which is fairly easy), but forces within the group will try to push towards their own goals (ie, both NPCs detailed above might want to go to the temple... the first because there are a lot of zombies, and she wants to use the commotion to make sure NPC #2 dies, while the second is hoping for a cure).This is, of course, core to how zombie movies work - the zombies are never really the problem... humans themselves cause the problems (seriously.  If you watch any zombie movie, only about half the people are ever killed by zombies... the rest are killed by human stupidity/greed/passions).  Finally, I'd make each NPC along the lines of a companion character, with hit points, an at-will, a power of some sort, and so on.  Here's the thing - PCs with 10 hit points might try to do stuff that a minion would never do... while 10 HP isn't anything (and you can make sure all the rolls behind your screen always go at least 10 HP), but it at least provides the illusion of a safety net, allowing PCs to do more than just "I run away", which is kind of boring against slow zombies.Introduce mini-quests along the way.  Other survivors boarded up - should the NPCs try a rescue?  Or do they watch as the zombies break in and tear them to shreds?  ("Good idea we ran, instead of holing up!").  And try to set up encounters so that players can come up with "clever" solutions that you "never would have thought of".Seriously.  I once put a decaying temple with a collapsing roof, held up by columns... and then acted surprised as hell when one of the players decided to knock out the columns (even though I knew he would).  He felt clever and was rewarded for his efforts.  Do that with your zombies, just don't be obvious.  The tiefling finds a bunch of liqour bottles in the bar - could he use them as molotovs?  ("Gee, I guess so..." you say, smiling to yourself as you look at your notes on exploding booze bottles).  Another tip would be to prepare for a TPK.  Players could even enjoy it - I'd suggest allowing players to describe their own death (with a potential small XP reward if they do a good job?).  They'll love it, because they have no attachment to the character.  And if the real PCs get to meet that zombified NPC later, so much the better.And, finally, I assume the REAL PCs will be entering the town?  If so, make sure your NPCs hit all the important settings for the adventure on their way out.  Foreshadow events so that the PCs get to see things later on.  Use your vignette to introduce as many plot elements as possible.Hope some of my ideas help.  Sounds like a great adventure.</blockquote>

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