Zompocalypse Now

8/18/2019 Zompocalypse Now

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Zompocalypse Now

The Quick and the Dead

Introduction-Setting-Narrative Game: T Show

-!inematic

"hat# no stats$-%uman only game-%ow much stronger is not interesting

&spects-'(plain# e(amples: good ) *ad-'(plain use: invoking+tagging# permission# narrative truth# e(amples-&ll aspects as trou*le# compels

!har-gen-%igh# e(plain+e(ample-Trou*le# e(plain+e(ample ,also# e(ample o *onus i.e. criminal/-Two urther aspects# e(plain+e(ample0elational aspects not necessarily needed# e(plain setting urther '(amples o good aspects

&ctions-!reate-1vercome

-&ttack-Deend-&ll# e(amples ,i.e. create# aim$/ 2 "+T+3 conse4uences.-G5: diiculties and setting them-Side*ar: don6t make them roll i it6s not interesting to ail.-Side*ar: ail orward

!hallenges-'(amples i.e. chasing

!onlicts

-'(amples i.e. com*at ,com*at e(ample/-!om*at: initiative 7 narrative+cinematic a la 8world# e(ample-Stress ,how much$/-!onse4uences ,also# as aspects/# e(ample-Taken out+Giving in-Side*ar: Stress+conse4uences not 9ust physical ,com*at/-,5ay*e all e(amples here 7 one e(ample com*at$/

'4uipment-'4uipment as aspects# as permission-Speciics: weapons

-Improvised weapons as permission *ut not a*le to *e invoked-Dedicated weapons as aspects# i.e. permission and invoke-'(amples

-&mmunition as separate *oosts# i.e. individual# invoke-a*le# consuma*le# may use multiple o same


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-otential trou*le rom e4uipment aspects# e.g. *ulk ,narrative+cinematic/-Side*ar: comple( e4uipment as characters e.g. vehicles-;uel+ood+water as *oosts# su*ordinate to narrative+cinematic ,not *ookkeeping game/-5edicine as *oost+permission < not 9ust usea*le on own w+o skill

Zom*ies-'(plain# *ehaviour# walking dead archetype-&spects-Stress+!onse4uences ,1ne large stress *o(# representing headshot$/-!om*at: no unarmed generally # e(ample ) e(ceptions

%umans-'(plain# *ehaviour -&spects-Stress+!onse4uences-5ooks$-'(amples o N!6s$

'nvironment-'nvironment as character i.e. active or passive overcome+deend against it$-Su*ordinate to narrative+cinematic ,not *ookkeeping game/-Thirst-!old-%eat-;ires-Disease

!ampaigns-!haracter development

-Narrative+cinematic development: not *etter# *ut changing-Setting advice

-Game style ,e.g. mad ma(# T"D# => days/-!ountries-Geography and in game eects i.e. weather -Guns are good

-Drives+motivations e.g. ,ush vs pull# pressure ?Inc. running out@ vs. inspiration+hope/-Shelter -Saety Inspiration+&spiration-Aandits Bnder pressure-%ordes+swarms Bnder pressure

-%unger+thirst+medicine needed Things are running out-The irst winter is coming Bnder pressure-oices on the radio Inspiration+aspiration

-Idea o time-rames-Areakout-&termath-0egrouping-0e*uilding


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Concepts:

Narrative: The Story is the Thing & story# *eing told colla*oratively *y the players# is the ocus o the game. They are there to servethe story and drive it orward. It is not a game a*out winning or losing# *ut instead telling agripping# compelling tale that transcends individual players. I a character dies *ut it makes thestory more e(citing or emotive# so much the *etter.

Cinematic: Fast Paced and Exhilarating The pace o the game should not slow down when action is encountered. I anything it shouldspeed up. &s such# the system should not get in the way: it should serve the goal o cinematicgaming. Scenes should *e played not as a tactical scenario to win# *ut cinematically ,like a TshowC/ to serve the story. They should *e e(citingC

We’re only human… &n important thing to note is that all characters are compara*le in a*ility# 9ust as all people are.Sure# some people e(cel at some things. That6s what aspects are orC 1therwise people are

*roadly similar in their a*ilities: most people are run at roughly the same speed or instance.

What no stats!" In a ilm or T show it6s not very interesting ho# much *etter one character is than another. It6snever a eature o good# e(citing narrative. & sheet ull o statistics and skills to look up alwaysslows down the action. &s such# this system uses only aspects: the narrative impact o thosedeines the a*ilities o a character. ;or instance# they are either ST01NG or they are not: it doesn6thelp the story to know 9ust ho# strong.

Fail $or#ard:%alting the action or stalling the narrative 9ust *ecause the players ailed a roll is not interesting. It

does nothing to make the story *eing told *etter. &s a G5# only call or a roll i you can envisagesomething e%ually interesting as a conse4uence o ailure. Trying to *reak open the *ack door asom*ies pound on the ront one and ailed your roll$ 5ay*e you have opened it# *ut all that*anging has *rought some round the *ack o the houseE

Characters:

Four &SPECTS is all it ta'es:Think o a ilm or a T show. "hat do you know a*out those characters$ It could pro*a*ly *esummed up in our &S'!TS pretty well. &gain# the goal o the game is to crat an e(citing tale *y

playing a character within it# not to min-ma( a set o skills and a*ilities. ;our really good & S'!TSwill lesh out your character enough that that everyone understands who they are.

Character &SPECTS are al#ays active:I one o your aspects could *e invoked in a situation then it will al#ays provide a passive 2F*onus in that situation. Sure# you can invoke that aspect or a urther 2=C The important thing tonote is that i your character is ST01NG# then they6ll al#ays *e *etter at strength-*ased tasks thansomeone who isn6t# even i they don6t have any ;&T' points.

Aspects:

Narrative truth:It6s as simple as this: i an &S'!T says something# then it6s trueC our character was a D 1!T10$1 course he knows how to treat that *roken leg. "here an & S'!T esta*lishes truth there6susually no need to roll or situations it covers# unless things a pretty hairyC &gain# think


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cinematically. 'veryone e(pects the 5'DI! to patch-up his guys without *reaking a sweat# until the*ullets start lyingEZombies:

S(&)*+,N- +./C(E/S:Zom*ies are not ast. They are not agile# or nim*le. They don6t clim* and they don6t swim. They 9ust keep shuling orwards... The inevita*ility o their advance is terriying precisely 0ecause youhave time to realise it. They walk slower than most people# and only speed up slightly when theyare chasing ood.

T (E1 2N3W N3 P&,N :They can6t *e stopped like a person can. ou can remove an arm and they won6t even notice.They don6t eel a thing. In act# the only way to stop them is to stop their *rain. &nything else 9ustwon6t cut it.

1 3. C&N /.N …Sure you can hide rom the om*ies# *ut we all know its temporary right$ It6s only a matter o time*eore one shows up# and where there6s one others will ollow. In act# they seem to retain their

human senses ater they turn. I they hear a noise or smell a meal# they won6t stop comingE

, T *,T )E " Zom*ies are driven *y one thing alone: the need to eedC Bnortunately# it is also the *ite thattransmits the virus. The incura*le virusE

,n game terms: &s you have pro*a*ly guessed# these are a om*ies our &S'!TS. "hat do eect do they have$"ell# as an e(ample IT AIT 5'C will give a 2F to attacking rolls and could *e invoked or more. 1r compelled to draw a group o them to some *ait... 1n the other hand# 1B !&N 0BNE would give a2F i the om*ies were rolling to see i they hear the players ransacking a store or ood. There are

two in-game eects related to these aspects that need to *e deined in more detail.- !haracters may never attack a om*ie without a weapon. That6s right. They don6t eelpain# and how are they going to get the *rain$ Not to mention Hight *ite6E Sure# sometimescharacters might grapple# throw or eye gouge them *ut let the narrative guide this# andmake sure it is deinitely the e(ception and not the rule.- Zom*ies each have a single# our point# stress *o(. I a hit ails to ill this *o( completelythen any damage done is disregarded. This is to simulate the need or a Hhead-shot6 to stopthem# and the diiculty in achieving oneE

Equipment:

-ear as &SPECTS:In good om*ie iction# what the survivors are carrying and using is a signiicant part o the story.%owever# keeping track o it all is 9ust not that un or e(citing. It can really grind play to a halt.That6s why we represent gear with &S'!TS# remem*ering that they can *e invoked andcompelled. ou ound a GBN$ Great newsC "hat# there6s no &55BNITI1N or it$ Bsing that!%&INS&" to decapitate a om*ie$ &wesomeC Shame that !%&INS&" is so noisy thoughE

,mprovised and small #eapons:5ost weapons ound and used in om*ie shows were never meant to *e weapons. itchenknives# ire e(tinguishers# claw hammers or even lumps o ru**le. These are o*viously never

going to *e as eective as purpose *uilt weapons. &s such# improvised weapons only esta*lish permission to attack a om*ie. They may not *e invoked or a 2= *onus against them. The sameis true or smaller# purpose *uilt# weapons such as knives# truncheons and *rass knuckles.


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)elee #eapons:3arger weapons that were designed to *e used as such can *e invoked against om*ies. So toocan large# two handed# improvised weapons like a ;I0' &J' or a S3'DG'%&55'0. Don6t orget#they can *e compelled against youC Nice 9o* smashing that om*ies head in with your S3'DG'%&55'0# shame it6s so unwieldy and over*alanced youE &wesome# you stuck your I!' &J' right in its eyeC 1h crap# it6s stuckC

/anged #eapons: &gain# smaller or less powerul weapons such as a IST13 or a A1" esta*lish permission to attackat range *ut may not *e invoked or a 2= *onus. This is to dierentiate their eect rom larger#more powerul# weapons such as a S%1TGBN or a 0I;3' which may *e invoked or this *onus.There are three urther dierences that re4uire e(planation:

- &55BNITI1N is re4uired to use a ranged weapon. The counting o individual rounds is notnarratively interesting# and slows down play. It is enough that a player has the &55BNITI1N*oost or their weapon in order to use it. 0emem*er though# at any point the G5 mightcompel the weapon# placing the 1BT 1; &551 aspect on itE

- & player can have multiple &55BNITI1N *oosts or a weapon. 1n any roll an &55BNITI1N*oost can *e invoked or a urther 2= representing rapid# sustained or panicked iring. Thiscan even *e done i the weapon has only one &55BNITI1N *oost let. I &55BNITI1N isinvoked in this way though# it is consumed in the same manner as any other *oost.- 5ost weapons can only invoke one &55BNITI1N *oost per attack. To represent their a*ility to chew through ammo and ill the air with lead though# any ully automatic weaponmay invoke as many &55BNITI1N *oosts as the player wishes. 1nce it6s gone# it6s goneE

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Zompocalypse Now