Z-Day PBP

Game Master Dramatis Personae

Mike O'Neill wrote:

Sgt. Curtin wrote:

"And that's not even taking Ciudad Juarez into consideration.."

"That's Mexico, right?"

Patrick inhales deeply and blows the grey smoke up into the pipes snaking their way above the tunnel's ceiling

"Yeah. About 1.5 million folks there last I knew. Virtual anarchy with the drug cartels running the show. One of the biggest crossover points for illegals and drug smugglers from all over Mexico and points south. Entire suburbs called colonia made out of wood pallets, tin cans and bailing wire. Once Z-Day hit, I imagine the rots overwhelmed the place in two days, tops."

"Yeah, man. A friend of mine was down near there a few months back. Said that there was a small outbreak of Zs, town called No-something. Nogares, maybe, or Nogales. Place was a f~%%ing bloodbath until the fires hit. Wiped 'em all out."

Mike shifts away from the cigarette smoke slightly uncomfortably.

"The weird part was that there was some motherf$!~er in the middle of it all directing the f#~%ing things. Some scary shit, that."

“Sh!t ‘ay? I don’t know if it’s slightly comforting or fnckin’ scary that some poor bastards have it worse than us ...”

“Sh!t ‘ay? I don’t know if it’s slightly comforting or fnckin’ scary that some poor bastards have it worse than us ...”

"Scary. Yeah, scary."

"Deal me in guys. Need to keep my mind off them Zs. I don wanna end up as sushi."

Oh, I had a zombie apocalypse dream last night after posting in this thread (haven’t had one for a while). I could only remember a fragment of it when I woke up; There were a group of survivors in the front carriage of a train that was moving at moderate speed through a war-torn looking city (I was an observer, not actually in the scene). Some of them were trying to force the doors open and arguing about whether or not they should jump out of the train to get away from the shambling horde of zombies that were slowly moving up towards them from near the rear of the train. One of the survivors looked like a non-cartoon version of Kevin from Ben 10 Alien Force (you will probably know the character if you have a son), he was not trying to force the doors but kept looking uneasily around the carriage. There were a couple of other people slumped in seats around the carriage, either dead or sleeping or something, but apparently not undead. One of the sleeping people looked like Malcolm McDowell.

The train began to slow as it approached a station, then there was a lurch as it hit a buffer at the end of the platform. Everyone stumbled or fell over but no one was seriously hurt. The zombies further up the train all fell over each other and were having a hard time getting up. The train doors opened, and most of the survivors rushed out onto the platform, and after a brief discussion (in which time some of the zombies had begun to shuffle out of the open doors further down the train onto the platform) they took off as a group to the right, towards some stairs down at the end of the platform. Kevin followed them off the train, but didn’t go with them, he sort of lurked behind a column instead, out of the immediate sight of the zombies.

On the train, some of the zombies continued towards the sleeping or dead passengers near the front. As they neared him, Malcolm McDowell smiled, opened his eyes and stood up, and the nearest zombies shuffled away from him, leaving him free to exit the train through the open doors. As he stepped out onto the platform, his form sort of flickered, and for a moment he had dark skin, smooth, inhuman facial features, and a second pair of short, malformed, tentacle-like arms spouting from his biceps – then he was himself again. He looked around and then began walking left down the length of the platform, on the other side of a row of columns, signs, benches and walls from where the zombies were shuffling up towards where the survivors had fled. Kevin watched him go.

A dozen metres down the platform, a guy who looked like Jack Davenport stumbled towards Malcolm from where he had been hiding behind a tall pile of luggage on the platform. “Oh god, please help me,” he begged Malcolm. Unseen by him, a ghoul had climbed silently up on top of the pile of luggage from the other side, and was crouched atop it in classic ‘ghoul crouching down and gnawing on a bone’ pose, licking its chops. Malcolm glanced up at the ghoul and shook his head slightly, and the ghoul ducked its head and climbed back down the other side of the luggage pile, out of sight. Malcolm smiled at Jack. “Of course,” he said. “Come with me,” and he continued striding down the platform. Kevin, who had seen the exchange, snuck quietly after them.

Seems like everyone but me is having zombie apocalypse dreams lately. Mine seem to be confined to my weird paranoias made manifest and amplified by NyQuil.

"Everyone just keeps getting all quiet..."

"Everyone just keeps getting all quiet..."

Patrick inhales the last bit of his smoke and flicks the coal into the darkness of the hallway

"Well bro, we're stuck here for now."

I had a zombie dream recently (I usually have them when I am under some sort of stress) where I was trying to carve my way through a wall of them at my house with a shotgun. Pretty graphic

I had a zombie dream recently (I usually have them when I am under some sort of stress) where I was trying to carve my way through a wall of them at my house with a shotgun. Pretty graphic

Sounds like it would be difficult.

dot

Sam stands in a small office, paper strewn everywhere, a morgue office... a skeleton hangs in the corner. Leading from this office farther into the morgue is another set of double swinging doors that lead into the coolers and a laboratory... Sam is peering through the windows.

Cord holds open the double doors leading into the small outer office.

The rest of you are in the large basement tunnel/hallway leading into the pavilion where Aunt Terri should be either hiding in 475 or devouring the brains and livers of the dead, and where Cord's ex works... or rather worked. Worried by explosive brain splatters on the ceiling and the mysterious spent rounds on the floor, you all look nervously past Cord, his hands stretched out to hold the doors open.

And that's when the lab doors in front of Sam explode open like the skin on an alien eggsack... and just at that singular moment in time a flood of thoughts begins, first hanging on that inevitable whispered question: "what the f&%$ am I doing in a morgue during a zombie invasion?"... and then breaking as all dams must, the past days flood through your minds....

You're in a wide underground hallway that passes between the buildings of the Vancouver General Hospital complex, on your way to the Jim Patteson Pavilion, the main building, where you'll check room 475 for Sarge's Aunt Terri and the floor above that, where Cord's ex worked in the palliative care unit.

You are now looking past Cord (who is holding open a set of swinging double doors and looking rather like Hercules under the pillars of Atlas). Past him into the outer office of the Vancouver General Morgue, where dead bodies are stored and no sensible zombie warrior would ever dare tread. On the other side of Cord is Sam. Sam, inside the outer office, was about to open another inner pair of double doors that no doubt lead into the morgue proper, and at that moment they burst open. You could shoot under Cord's arms.... once we have perception rolls and init.

Perception rolls and then I'll write up your intro posts and take init. In the meantime I am writing flashbacks to jog your memories about where you've been and what you've done. I have 50 pages of notes and I'm writing the flashbacks now.

Reflex Save: 8

Sam's eyes go wide as the door bursts open in front of her and although she has no idea what the hell just happened she attempts to bring the Beowulf to bear.

Reframe done. I've started writing the flashbacks. Second time. F++#.

Sam in the morgue office, opening the inner double doors into the autopsy room. The rest of you, standing in the underground hallway, peering past Cord as he holds open the outer double doors (from hallway to morgue office):

Z-Day OST: Destroyer

Beowulf is barely high enough to kneecap a toddler by the time the door bats Sam like a giant pinball flipper--eyes follow, flashlights jerk--her armaments clatter and her slide terminates in a wet thump opposite the inner morgue doors, just inside the office and a few feet to the right from where Cord holds the outer doors open for the rest of you idiots. Within reach.

Eyes flick from Sam back to the jittering cluster of flashlight halos spotlighting the inner doors. Driven full wide, shattered doorstops tumble wide. Strips of shatterproof glass fall away from the door and tinkle to the floor.

In another life you might have panicked, your hearts might have hammered, you might even have shit yourselves, but all you get are pathetic trickles or urine. Yes, you've overdrawn from the adrenaline bank today.

Anabolic steroids' wildest dream come flesh is paradoxically crouching and towering in the inner morgue doorway. Bruise mottled, purple veined skin is taught, in places tiger stripes tears in the skin open like David Banner's shirt mid transformation, the jagged rends display bloodied cords and striations of the most massive musculature ever seen.

Zombie hulk roars--the THX dolby intro cowers in a pool of it's own urine and feces--Sam is deep in 5HIT.

Samantha

I'll allow the remaining PCs (Patrick, Johnnie, Mike) to fire past Cord, under his arms.

"Watch out!!!"

Attack Roll 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9 Johnnie fires at the abomination.

Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8

“Oh bloody hell …” whispers Judd, his throat dry as he takes in the scene through his nightvision glasses. Then: “Cord! Grab Sam!” even as he brings the Glock up and fires.

Attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19 Damage: 2d6 + 1 ⇒ (6, 3) + 1 = 10

He’s scrambling backwards as he fires.

Hollee crap! I'll post something up tomorrow, gotta fly, didn't know this was back up *OHHHHHHH YEAH*

Hmm scary thought ...Zombie Macho Man .."

And Dave can shoot... duh... BTW, I think those headshots were costing -4, right?

A Glock 9mm round disappears into its chest. The good news is that it doesn't bounce off. The bad news is that zombie Hulk doesn't even wince.

Hollee crap! I'll post something up tomorrow, gotta fly, didn't know this was back up *OHHHHHHH YEAH*

Hmm scary thought ...Zombie Macho Man .."

No worries, I'm gonna DMNPC Cord, but he'll have to move last cuz the doors will swing shut when he grabs Sam.

And Sam in conscious, flash, she just needs to shake off the flashbulds from the impact of the door on her face and spit the teeth out, then she can actually move herself.

Oh yeah ... it’s been too long, completely forgot about head shots. -4 was what we were doing. I’ll assume that Dave is too freaked out to think of it, the shot he took was reactionary.

Yah, thanks for reminding me you are wearing the soldier's nightvision.

Initiative: 8

Everyone can take their actions this round except Sam and zombie Hulk, who have taken their actions. Next round I will queue up inits.

“I told you going into the morgue was a bad fncking idea!” Dave yells to no one in particular as his bullet is swallowed up in zombie hulk’s bulk.

<Looking over Dave's shoulder.>

"Jesus H Christ, guys. THIS IS TOTALLY NOT COOL!"

"Watch out!!!"

Attack Roll 9 Johnnie fires at the abomination.

Oops forgot this one, Rad.

Johnnie's hands jerk as a piece of spittle and human meat hits his leg. His shot craters the panels in the suspended ceiling, generating a surreal snowfall of white cardboard flakes down over zombie Hulk. He thinks of Christmas.

"That's understating the situation!"

“That’s what I love about you Anna.”

Despite the exhaustion of adrenaline there’s sort of a subdued fight, flight or f#** reaction playing itself through Dave’s body, and in a detached sort of way he regrets that he never got to bang Anna. Even if she is his friend’s ex. Even if she is kind of a b+!!# sometimes. Smoking hot though. And now he’s going to die ...

Sam tries to sit up, but failing that, she shakes her head to clear away all the flashing lights going off behind her eyes. All this does is send a wave of pain arcing through her skull as she turns and vomits up a mix of bile and blood. As her vison comes into focus, she notices the two white knobs sitting in her body fluid, before her gaze is drawn to the towering monstrosity standing above her and roaring it's fury to everything in a 10 block radius.
Slowly, her feet begin to backpedal on the slippery floor as she fumbles with the massive Beowulf slung at an odd angle beside her, thankful that she at least had the foresight to have the shoulder strap on for once.

On a brighter note than Sam's impending demise... Fnck Yeah! We're Back Baby!!! :D

On a brighter note than Sam's impending demise... Fnck Yeah! We're Back Baby!!! :D

Sorry for all the BS. China pwned me pretty hard there those last two years.

Sam. Notch in the ear. Two front teeth missing. Probably no dentists left either. Pity.

I'll wait for Patrick then maybe take Shiny and Cord's actions cuz AllDMs is lifebound and Shiny is the wind.

Slowly, her feet begin to backpedal on the slippery floor as she fumbles with the massive Beowulf slung at an odd angle beside her, thankful that she at least had the foresight to have the shoulder strap on for once.

Zombie Hulk's glazed eyes snap from Cord and the gunfire back to Sam...

Patrick instinctively brings his MP5 up as the door explodes open, hitting Sam. A ghost of a voice screaming MOVE ! MOVE! and the phantom smells of frying meat and hard desert-dweller BO dance across his mind as time slows.

His gun rises, oh so slowly, as Samantha slides in slomo on the filthy concrete floor. The flashlights' jerky beams dance over the steroidal monstrosity awaiting them in the morgue. The thing roars and Patrick's time sense returns to full speed. He prays to a god he fears has taken his ball and gone home. His finger finally twitches against the trigger...

OK time for some MP5 Point Blank-Double Tap-Headshot Love

1d20 + 5 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 4 ⇒ (17) + 5 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 4 = 183d6 ⇒ (4, 3, 4) = 11

Mike's nerves are fried. As Red Hulk bursts through the door, he raises his (already-drawn) pistols and fires, a slightly detached look on his face. In the face of impending death, the only thought that crosses his mind is that he's not sure he can remember the name of that woman back at Karl's place.

Aw, come on. You can get it...

*BANG*

Nina? Tina? No, that wasn't it...

*BANG* *BANG* RAAAAaaaaWWWRRRR!

All I know is I'll be damned if she didn't look like Olivia Wilde.

Glock 20 10mm semi-automatic: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18; damage: 2d6 ⇒ (4, 3) = 7
H&K USP .45 semi-automatic: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9; damage: 2d6 ⇒ (5, 2) = 7
(-2 each for dual-wielding, +1 each for being within 30 feet)

And wow... first major posting in this thread since I switched to Firefox. Two years ago. We're at a milestone, folks.

His finger finally twitches against the trigger...

1d20 + 5 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 4 ⇒ (17) + 5 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 4 = 18

3d6 ⇒ (4, 3, 4) = 11

This time Zombie Hulk winces.... A lot.

Curtain's round collapses a cheekbone and flips back Zombie Hulk's head. Zombie Hulk staggers.

...All I know is I'll be damned if she didn't look like Olivia Wilde.

Glock 20 10mm semi-automatic: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18; damage: 2d6 ⇒ (4, 3) = 7
H&K USP .45 semi-automatic: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9; damage: 2d6 ⇒ (5, 2) = 7
(-2 each for dual-wielding, +1 each for being within 30 feet)

More red flowers bloom across Zombie Hulk's torso. But sadly, Zombie Hulk does not seem to notice these.

Zombie Hulk takes a few seconds to focus his eyes again after Curtain's MP5 left hook.

Now Zombie Hulk Angry.

*RAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRRRRR*

<Bullets whistling all around him, deaf again. As the firing subsides and the shock of what he's looking at subsides a fatalistic indifference washes over Cord and his hero instincts, honed by years of firehouse drills, really kick in.>

"DON'T SHOOT ME!"

5 foot step to get to her, still holding the door. Grab her by her straps standard action. Drag her into the hallway.

<Cord drags Sam through and behind the tightly packed row of shooters.>

Wassabi sets off, barking and snarling wildy.

Johnnie init: 6+6=12
Sam init: 6+3=9 (still prone and behind the shooters)
Dave init: 6+3=9
Mike init: 6+3=9
Sgt init: 6+2=8
Cord init: 6+2=8 (behind the shooters)
Anna init: 6+2=8 (behind the shooters)
Zombie Hulk init: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (2) - 2 = 0

That could've been bad. Players go. You guys are all packed together looking through the doors so I'm going to take you as flat footed, until you move and spread out, sound reasonable?

So any order. Do as you will.

I don't think a map is going to be necessary (and I have a huge storyboard to start today). There are 25 feet between you guys and Z-Hulk; so from that number we can run everything off the distance needed for Z-Hulk to get you guys into HTH.

As I recall the doors to the morgue are at the T intersection in the underground pedway. The hallways lead off in three directions:

1. The direction you came from after entering through the sewers and utility system.
2. A hallway leading west in the direction of the research and teaching buildings.
3. A hallway leading north to the Jim Patteson pavilion, which is where you are headed to find Aunt Terri in room 475.

Dave fell back as he fired, so he’s probably behind the general line of shooters, though I don’t know how far he got – maybe he’s only 5 feet back from the others?

“Fall back!” Dave calls, the muzzle flares flashing brightly in his nightvision glasses. “Towards the – fnckin’ that way!” he points wildly towards the north.

He backpedals rapidly back out into the corridor and skids around into the north heading corridor, hoping to get out of a direct line of charge with zombie-hulk, tangling himself up in the strap of the sniper rifle at his shoulder as he tries to unsling it as he goes. “Sh!t!” He flings the Glock away behind him as he tries to sort out the sniper rifle.

Move out into the corridor and north – note Dave’s increased speed of 35 feet. If he can ready the sniper rifle as part of the move action he’ll do that and take a double move down the corridor. Otherwise it will be a single move and unsling his sniper rifle with his second action. He throws his pistol wildly away to the north as a free action – hopefully he’ll have a chance to pick it back up.
Obviously this action might change depending on what Johnnie does, or if he sees anything in the corridor.

Obviously this action might change depending on what Johnnie does, or if he sees anything in the corridor.

You see nothing, but the din of reverberating gunfire and Wassabi barking is almost deafening. So nothing may not last for long.

Just FYI - I still need to level up & convert skills.

Johnnie chambers a round, steadies himself, takes aim at Z-Hulk's head and squeezes the trigger.

Head Shot Attack vs. Z-Hulk 1d20 ⇒ 18

What's the damage for shotgun?

Edit: damage 2d8 ⇒ (3, 1) = 4

"Stay dead!!!"

What's the damage for shotgun?

Benelli M3 Super 90

I bumped the loot list for you Rad.

I bumped the loot list for you Rad.

Thanks man :-)

Head Shot Attack vs. Z-Hulk 18 + attack bonus?

damage 4

"Stay dead!!!"

The shotgun blast flays flesh and bone off the right side of Z-Hulk's skull--it staggers and drops to it's knee, steadying itself with a hand, but it doesn't fall.

I believe you can take a move action after firing.... MSRD allows attack action then move action. I'd say either that or maybe blindfold yourself and put a cigarette in your mouth.

"Oh Jesus! Why won't you die?!"

Johnnie backs away from Z-hulk. To say that he's scared is an understatement.

Depends if loading the shotgun takes a move action ... probably not (assuming it already had some shells loaded)? The modifier to hit is probably going to be about +0 – Rad hasn’t levelled up, but it looks like he’ll have about +4 to hit, offset by the -4 for headshot.

Walking around with rounds chambered and safeties off, no doubt, with whatever weapons you guys hand carry anyway.

"Oh Jesus! Why won't you die?!"

Johnnie backs away from Z-hulk.

It's one functioning eye follows Johnnie as he disappears down the hallway.... Sarge and Mike still in the doorway. Sam prone behind them. Anna and Cord getting ready to run like hell.

Patrick stands his ground, hoping to slow the abberation long enough for them to fly the scene

Trying same thing again.

1d20 + 5 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 4 ⇒ (13) + 5 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 4 = 143d6 ⇒ (3, 2, 3) = 8

After firing Patrick yells, "MOVE!!"

He starts running off

Did we go up a level? I have to get that fixed :/

Attack 14
Damage 8

After firing Patrick yells, "MOVE!!"

He starts running off

Did we go up a level? I have to get that fixed :/

Another hunk of skull and some pink giblets splatter upward as Sarge's round rips into the top of its head, putting Z-Hulk down on both hands and knees; yet it's still conscious.

Mike and Sam to go.

All I know is I'll be damned if she didn't look like Olivia Wilde.

Come on...

Did we go up a level? I have to get that fixed :/

Well, we went down a level, and then we went up a level.

Leveled up, and dropping an action point on Mike's attack.

Glock 20 10mm semi-automatic: 1d20 + 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (9) + (6) + 3 = 18; damage: 2d6 ⇒ (1, 6) = 7
H&K USP .45 semi-automatic: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7; damage: 2d6 ⇒ (5, 4) = 9
(-2 each for dual-wielding, +1 each for being within 30 feet)

"DING DONG, MOTHERF&~!ER! DING DONG!"

I think I feel a song coming on.