Playground of the Damned: The Enemy

Today's "Playground of the Damned" post is about the enemy: zombies! There are four basic kinds of zombies that are going to show up in this adventure: kid zombies (former classmates of the PCs), adult zombies (former teachers and neighbors), bloated zombies (who swelled up from decay and give the characters opportunities to make fat jokes at Hugo's expense), and legless zombies (to ramp up the tension).

Let's take a look!


Zombie, Kid
These walking dead are typical groaning fiends looking for fresh meat... just a little smaller and weaker.

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d4, Strength d4, Vigor d6
Skills: Fighting d4, Intimidation d6, Notice d4
Pace: 4; Parry: 4; Toughness: 6

Special Abilities:
•Bite/Slam: Str.
•Fear: The first time a character sees a kid zombie, he has to roll a Guts check. They’re scary.
•Fearless: Zombies are immune to Fear and Intimidation.
•Infection: If a zombie’s attack inflicts a Wound on a victim, that target must attempt a Vigor roll. On a successful roll, the attack that did the damage was a slam; on a failure, the target has been bitten and is now infected. An infected character makes a Vigor roll every hour; a failure inflicts a level of Fatigue that does not go away, and failing at Incapacitated causes the victim to rise again as a zombie.
•Size –1: These zombies are the kids’ ex-classmates, so they’re a little smaller than normal zombies.
•Undead: +2 Toughness; +2 to recover from being Shaken; immune to poison and disease; no additional damage from called shots (except for called shots to the head).
•Weakness (Head): Called shots to a zombie’s head are +2 damage.


Zombie, Adult
These walking dead are typical groaning fiends looking for fresh meat. They were adults before they got infected, so they’re bigger and stronger than kid zombies.

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d4, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Notice d4, Shooting d6
Pace: 4; Parry: 5; Toughness: 7

Special Abilities:
•Bite/Slam: Str.
•Fear: The first time a character sees a normal zombie, he has to roll a Guts check. They’re scary.
•Fearless: Zombies are immune to Fear and Intimidation.
•Infection: If a zombie’s attack inflicts a Wound on a victim, that target must attempt a Vigor roll. On a successful roll, the attack that did the damage was a slam; on a failure, the target has been bitten and is now infected. An infected character makes a Vigor roll every hour; a failure inflicts a level of Fatigue that does not go away, and failing at Incapacitated causes the victim to rise again as a zombie.
•Undead: +2 Toughness; +2 to recover from being Shaken; immune to poison and disease; no additional damage from called shots (except for called shots to the head).
•Weakness (Head): Called shots to a zombie’s head are +2 damage.


Zombie, Bloated
These walking dead swelled up from the gases inside them and from eating too much (of what, it’s better not to imagine). Now, they’re enormously bloated and can belch out nauseating fumes.

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d4, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Notice d4
Pace: 4; Parry: 5; Toughness: 8

Special Abilities:
•Bite/Slam: Str.
•Fear –1: The first time a character sees a bloated zombie, he has to roll a Guts check at –1. They’re really scary and kind of gross.
•Fearless: Zombies are immune to Fear and Intimidation.
•Gasbag: Once per encounter, a bloated zombie can belch a foul cloud of rot and decay. This cloud fills a Medium Burst Template centered on the zombie. Anyone within the cloud must attempt a Vigor roll or gain a level of Fatigue. This Fatigue vanishes after an hour of rest breathing clean air.
•Infection: If a zombie’s attack inflicts a Wound on a victim, that target must attempt a Vigor roll. On a successful roll, the attack that did the damage was a slam; on a failure, the target has been bitten and is now infected. An infected character makes a Vigor roll every hour; a failure inflicts a level of Fatigue that does not go away, and failing at Incapacitated causes the victim to rise again as a zombie.
•Slow: Bloated zombies waddle more than even other zombies. They have a d4 running die.
•Size +1: Bloated zombies are big and fat, making them somewhat tougher than the run of the mill.
•Undead: +2 Toughness; +2 to recover from being Shaken; immune to poison and disease; no additional damage from called shots (except for called shots to the head).
•Weakness (Head): Called shots to a zombie’s head are +2 damage.


Zombie, Legless
These aren’t so much walking dead as crawling dead. Being low to the ground makes them sneaky, though.

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d4, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Notice d4, Stealth d6
Pace: 2; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6

Special Abilities:
•Bite/Slam: Str.
•Fear: The first time a character sees a legless zombie, he has to roll a Guts check. If he doesn’t see it until it attacks him, he rolls at –2. They’re really freaking scary when they do that.
•Fearless: Zombies are immune to Fear and Intimidation.
•Infection: If a zombie’s attack inflicts a Wound on a victim, that target must attempt a Vigor roll. On a successful roll, the attack that did the damage was a slam; on a failure, the target has been bitten and is now infected. An infected character makes a Vigor roll every hour; a failure inflicts a level of Fatigue that does not go away, and failing at Incapacitated causes the victim to rise again as a zombie.
•Size –1: Since it’s missing half of its body, a legless zombie is a little less tough than a normal one.
•Slow: Legless zombies can crawl pretty quickly, but they can’t really run. They roll a d4 running die.
•Sneak Attack: Legless zombies start every combat the same way--crawling silently up to their intended target and biting him on the leg. If a legless zombie succeeds in his Stealth roll, he gets the drop on his victim.
•Undead: +2 Toughness; +2 to recover from being Shaken; immune to poison and disease; no additional damage from called shots (except for called shots to the head).
•Weakness (Head): Called shots to a zombie’s head are +2 damage.


Coming soon: an actual adventure!

Playground of the Damned: Characters, part 6

Even though you can only see five kids in the picture that inspired this adventure, I always try to make six characters for convention games. I'm not sure why; it just seems like a nice solid number. If it makes you feel any better, you can pretend that today's character--Hugo Hays, the fat kid--gets eaten before that scene happens. ^_^


Hugo Hays, fat kid

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d4, Vigor d6
Skills: Climbing d4, Fighting d4, Guts d4, Notice d6, Persuasion d4, Stealth d6, Taunt d4, Throwing d4
Pace: 5; Parry: 4; Toughness: 6

Edges:
•Danger Sense: You have a bad feeling about all this... but more than that, you get a bad feeling just before anything really bad happens to you. Right before you would be surprised by something dangerous, you can make a Notice roll at –2. If you succeed, you start the first round of combat on hold instead of surprised; if you succeed in going first (which normally requires an Agility roll to interrupt your opponent), you can spend your action warning everyone else about the impending danger, causing them to not be surprised either.
•Luck: You’re even luckier than the other kids--which is good if you want to save your own fat hide. You get a bonus benny.

Hindrances:
•Fat: You’re a porker, all right. Your mom says that you have big bones, but everyone else just thinks you’re fat. On the plus side, you have +1 Toughness. On the downside, your Pace is only 5 and your running die is a d4. If there’s running to do, you’re probably getting left behind.
•Greedy: What’s yours is yours--and maybe some other stuff too. You always demand your “fair share,” and though the consequences for not getting it are pretty much limited to pouting, you can be a real brat about it.
•Young: You are only 10 years old. While you have lower attributes and less skills than an adult, you are also somewhat luckier and start with one extra benny.

Gear:
•Pocket Knife: Str+d4 damage. You’re really not supposed to have one at school, but it’s yours, and you certainly weren’t going to let anyone take it away from you.
•Food: You’ve got a bunch of candy bars in your pocket and some beef jerky hidden in your coat. It’s enough to keep you fed for a day or so... or maybe you’ll just eat it all when no one’s looking. Sharing it doesn’t even really occur to you.
•Pocket cash: $50. You’ve been stealing from your mom’s purse.

Playground of the Damned: Characters, Part 5

Today's somewhat belated entry is Steve Hicks, the poor kid, and his buddy Rufus.


Steve Hicks, poor kid

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d4, Vigor d8
Skills: Climbing d6, Fighting d6, Guts d6, Notice d6, Survival d4, Tracking d4
Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6

Edges:
•Beast Friend: You’re good with animals, possibly because your family has a lot of dogs. Animals won’t willingly attack you, and if you can get off school grounds, your dog is waiting for you nearby. Rufus will be a big help in tough spots.
•Nerves of Steel: You’ve been spanked more than the other kids, so you’re good at not minding so much when it hurts. You ignore 1 point of Wound penalties.

Hindrances:
•Loyal: Being poor has taught you the value of staying true to your friends and sticking up for them. You’d die (well, maybe get hurt a lot) before betraying your classmates, and you never leave someone behind if there’s any chance of survival at all.
•Poverty: Your family is poor and you don’t have much in the way of possessions because of it. You start play with less equipment than the other kids and no pocket cash.
•Young: You are only 10 years old. While you have lower attributes and less skills than an adult, you are also somewhat luckier and start with one extra benny.

Gear:
•Pocket lint and not much else.
•Rufus: If you can get off school grounds, Rufus is always waiting for you just around the corner. He’s a big, dumb mutt, but he’s loyal and he’s willing to fight for you.


Rufus, the dog
If the kids manage to get off school grounds, Rufus is waiting to join up with Steve. Rufus is intensely loyal to Steve and obeys his commands without question, even to the point of dying for his master. He’s not perfect, though, and he might spook if thrown into too many bad situations—-afterwards, he’ll come crawling back... if anyone’s alive, that is.
Unlike his master, Rufus is an extra, not a Wild Card, so he does not get the benefit of the Wild Die and has only 1 Wound.

Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6 (A), Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Skills: Fighting d6, Guts d6, Notice d10
Pace: 8; Parry: 5; Toughness: 4

Special Abilities:
•Bite: Str+d4 damage.
•Fleet Footed: Rufus rolls a d10 when running instead of a d6.
•Go for the Throat: Dogs instinctively go for an opponent’s soft spots. With a raise on his attack roll, Rufus hits his target’s most weakly-armored location (in addition to dealing +d6 damage).
•Size –1: Dogs are smaller than kids, even a big dog like Rufus.

Playground of the Damned: Characters, Part 4

Today is a historic day, the inauguration of Barack Obama. I wanted to say something pithy and clever, but instead I'll just note the occasion and keep up my regular posting. This installment is about the prettiest girl in class, Ruthie Marcus.


Ruthie Marcus, prettiest girl in class

Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d4, Vigor d6
Skills: Knowledge (Pop Culture) d4, Notice d6, Persuasion d6, Shooting d6, Stealth d6, Taunt d4
Pace: 6; Parry: 2; Toughness: 6 (1 from armor)

Edges:
•Attractive: You’re the prettiest girl in class, and if you live through this nightmare, you might grow up to be downright beautiful. You have +2 Charisma (which affects Persuasion and Streetwise rolls).
•Marksman: If you don’t move during a round in which you make a Shooting roll, you add +2 to the attack roll.

Hindrances:
•Big Mouth: You tend to shoot your mouth off at just the wrong time, to just the wrong person. When there’s an opportunity to spill your guts about anything, you take it. You also tend to tell people (even your friends) just what you think of them.
•Gutless: You’re a big old fraidy-cat. You suffer a –2 penalty on Guts rolls.
•Young: You are only 10 years old. While you have lower attributes and less skills than an adult, you are also somewhat luckier and start with one extra benny.

Gear:
•Slingshot: 2d4 damage, Range 3/6/12. You carry this around in your purse, since you’re a little ashamed of having it… but you’re a crack shot. You have plenty of rocks for it too.
•Heavy Pink Jacket: +1 Armor.
•Purse: Every real girl has a purse.
•Makeup Kit: Mirror, powder, lipstick—check.
•Pocket cash: $30.

Playground of the Damned: Characters, Part 3

Today's installment is the class jock, Billy Shaw.


Billy Shaw, class jock

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d4, Strength d8, Vigor d6
Skills: Climbing d6, Fighting d6, Guts d4, Intimidation d6, Streetwise d4, Swimming d6
Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 7 (2 from armor)

Edges:
•Brawny: You’re big for your age. You can carry your Str × 8 pounds before becoming encumbered (rather than Str × 5).
•First Strike: Once per turn, you get a free attack against any opponent that moves adjacent to you.

Hindrances:
•Clueless: You don’t pay much attention in class—-you’d rather daydream about soccer or your favorite TV show. You suffer a –2 penalty on Common Knowledge rolls.
•Stubborn: You always try to get your way, and you never admit you’re wrong. Even when it’s painfully obvious you’ve screwed up, you try to justify it with half-truths and rationalizations.
•Young: You are only 10 years old. While you have lower attributes and less skills than an adult, you are also somewhat luckier and start with one extra benny.

Gear:
•Broomstick: Str+d6 damage, 2 hands, +1 Reach. You can attack things that are farther away than normal with this long-handled broomstick.
•Soccer Pads: +2 Armor. You were getting ready for practice when things started getting weird.
•Matches: You keep them just in case you need to set something on fire... though you'd rather not have people know you have them.
•Pocket cash: $15.

Playground of the Damned: Characters, part 2

Up today is the class geek, Tara Smith!

***

Tara Smith, class geek

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, Strength d4, Vigor d4
Skills: Guts d4, Healing d6, Investigation d6, Knowledge (Science) d6, Notice d4, Throwing d6
Pace: 6; Parry: 2; Toughness: 4

Edges:
•Know-It-All: You read a lot, you pay attention in class, and you’re just naturally bright. You have a +2 bonus on Common Knowledge rolls.
•MacGuyver: You’re good at improvising tools when the situation calls for it. You never suffer penalties for lacking proper tools, and with a few minutes preparation and some materials, you can rig up lots of useful stuff (GM’s discretion-—think potato alarm clocks and crystal radios).

Hindrances:
•Bad Eyes: You wear glasses—-without them, you don’t see so good. Without your glasses, you suffer a –2 penalty made to attack or Notice something more than 5” (10 yards) distant.
•Weak Willed: You’re smart, sure, but you really want to be liked, and that sometimes makes you do dumb things. You suffer a –2 penalty on Tests of Will.
•Young: You are only 10 years old. While you have lower attributes and less skills than an adult, you are also somewhat luckier and start with one extra benny.

Gear:
•Brick: Str+d4, Range 2/4/8. You picked it up outside the door… just in case. There are also plenty more laying around, as well as heavy rocks.
•Glasses: These thick coke-bottle lenses prevent you from suffering the effects of your Bad Eyes Hindrance. They’re kind of fragile though, and every time you get Shaken or Wounded, you have to make an Agility roll or lose them. If you fumble the roll, they break.
•Pocket cash: $30.

Playground of the Damned: Characters, part 1

First up for "Playground of the Damned" is the class misfit and party leader, Jimmy Corbett. He's a smart-alec with a heart of gold, and largely responsible for keeping the group together in the midst of the chaos.

As a note for rules sticklers: Since the kid characters are intended to be used for a convention game, they don't follow the rules precisely. Some of them have Edges that they don't quite qualify for, and at least one of them has two Major Hindrances, but all the point values add up and the kids are fairly balanced. Plus, they need all the help they can get. XD

Jimmy Corbett, class misfit

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d4, Vigor d4
Skills: Climbing d4, Fighting d6, Guts d6, Intimidation d4, Notice d6, Taunt d6
Pace: 6; Parry: 5 (6 with trashcan lid); Toughness: 6 (2 from armor); Charisma: –2

Edges:
•Big Damn Hero: Once per session, when you spend a benny to reroll a die, you can add the result of your reroll to your previous roll. You must declare that you are using this ability when you spend the benny.
•Strong Willed: You have a tough head and don’t bow to pressure easily. Also, your smart mouth makes it easy to push people’s buttons. You gain a +2 bonus to Intimidation and Taunt rolls, as well as any roll made to resist a Test of Will.

Hindrances:
•Heroic: Inside your breast beats the heart of a true hero. Even though the other kids don’t like you very much, you’ve rallied them together to get them the hell out of dodge. You’ll never say no to a person in need, no matter how much you may resent it.
•Misfit: People don’t really know how to relate to you—you’re smart but lazy, you mouth off to adults, and you play mean jokes on your classmates. Truthfully, you just want to be liked, but you don’t know how. You suffer a –2 penalty to Charisma (which applies on Persuasion and Streetwise rolls).
•Young: You are only 10 years old. While you have lower attributes and less skills than an adult, you are also somewhat luckier and start with one extra benny.

Gear:
•Baseball Bat: Str+d4 damage. This was in your locker, but you managed to grab it before leaving the building. You had a hunch that it might come in handy.
•Trashcan Lid: +1 Parry, +2 Armor against incoming ranged attacks. This was on the steel trash bin right outside the school doors. You grabbed it up on another one of those hunches.
•Heavy Coat: +1 Armor.
•Pocket cash: $20.

Playground of the Damned: Intro

I came across a neat wallpaper the other day that inspired me to want to run a short Savage Worlds zombies game where all of the player characters were grade-school children.

http://i39.tinypic.com/241w9l0.jpg

With that in mind, I've written up the quick intro for a short adventure I call "Playground of the Damned."


Adventure Background

At first, the adults tried to act like nothing was going on. They smiled and laughed like normal, but you could tell that something was wrong. Then one day you came to school, and most of the class was out sick, and so were almost all of the teachers. Your homeroom teacher was nervous and kept checking the radio while you and your few remaining classmates talked and played. You could overhear something about “infection” and “safe zones” and “evacuation points,” but you weren’t really paying attention until the town siren started going off.

Finally, the principal came in and told all of you to go to the emergency areas of the school and wait for the army to come. You’re worried about your parents, but the adults said that they would be all right. When you went to the emergency hallway, Mr. Owens the janitor was there, but he looked sick—and then he jumped on the principal and started biting him! Panic set in, and now you and four of your classmates are outside the school building, separated from everyone else. You’ve managed to pick up a few things you can use as weapons (or snuck some into class) and the class geek says he knows where the nearest safe zone is. With a little luck, maybe you can make it to safety.

But first, you have to make your way across school grounds filled with groaning, flesh-eating versions of your former classmates and through twenty blocks of urban wasteland. Get to it!

***

I'll be posting up the PCs for PotD over the next couple of days. Up first, Jimmy Corbett, the class misfit!