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I'm working on an encounter table for a scenario that I'm running involving a town that is suddenly overrun by zombies. The PC is trying to make their way across town and must roll for encounters every block. I'm trying to create the feel of having to run through a zombie horror film for this particular segment.
I'm looking for feedback on what I have so far. Are the zombie encounters too frequent or too infrequent? Should there be more variety? Any suggestions are appreciated.
HORROR MOVIE MECHANICS FOR PATHFINDER RPG:
Establish % of encounter per block. Example = 50%.
Perception to recognize zombies:
Hidden Injury DC 25 Fresh Turn DC 16 Fresh Turn w/fresh kill DC 13 Walking Corpse DC 10
ROLL d20
1 – Crowd of 2-10 zombies fall out of nearest building into street – grappling with half number of victims. PC may move past in 1 rd or begin initiative in 2 rds.
2 – Torch wielding mob (1d4) attacks PC – thinking he is undead. Diplomacy DC 12 to convince he is living.
3 – Group of 2-12 victims run past carrying children, scared, crying (25% chance one is wounded with zombie bite/infection)
4 – Passage is blocked by wall of zombies (1-10x10). DC 15 perception for zombies to spot PC.
5 – Encounter human holding a friend that is turning into a zombie in 1d4 rounds.
6 – (1-6) City Watch Guards battle undead (x2).
7 – Young child holding dead mother’s hand.
8 – Dog carrying zombie hand.
9 –( 1-4) villagers fleeing (X2) zombies.
10 – Lone city watch defending young couple from (2-12) zombies.
11- City Guard (2-12) rushes past with torches. Warns PC to stay off streets .
12 – Lone zombie torso dragging past on two hands, guts dragging behind.
13 – Lone clergyman runs past – disrobing and throwing clothes in the street proclaiming “end times are here!”
14 – Shop owner boarding up windows or loading merchandise on wagon to leave town.
15 – (2d12) Running zombies attack.
16 – Corpse filled street with 2d12 bodies. Roll % of undead. Roll Perception DC to spot.
17 – Wailing and moaning from nearby building/bush/wagon/alley/shadows. 1d4 zombies emerge in 1d4 rounds.
18 – Fresh turn zombie eating fresh kill guts.
19 – Mob (2-12 commoners lvl 1) with pitchforks and torches attacks PC thinking he is undead. Diplomacy DC 15 to convince the mob that he is not infected.
20 – Zombie apocalypse all out attack from 1d10 x10 zombies.
For a zombie feel give them a variant ghoul fever with higher DC and onset and frequency in hours instead of days.
At first glance the table looks ok.
Thanks for the suggestion!
1.
I would add that the threat from zombies simply attacking is less frightening (to me) than the threat of being grappled, pinned, etc. by zombies.
Instead of just attacking the PC's, maybe some zombies pin them, drag them to the ground, 3-4 zombies hold them down and try to eat them alive, etc.
It adds to the horror, the panic, and the desperation of being mobbed by a group of zombies. The tank PC (if you have one) will have a hard time keeping the zombies off of his squishy comrades and the casters will have to be very careful not to get overwhelmed themselves. You are less likely to fireball a mob of zombies if on or two of your allies are beneath the pile of rabid, rotting flesh.
2.
I like zombies that can see and hear distractions, so I personally would add that sound and light would potentially attract more zombies.
3.
There is nothing wrong with making the PCs have to flee an area/outrun zombies. They may have to fight a few at a time to survive. Situations where they are better off retreating or escaping even a little ways away to find a more strategic position might be interesting and add to the feelings of desperation/horror.
4.
Be descriptive - don't say "You see 2zombies in the street ahead." Instead, describe the zombies, who they might have once been, etc. Is there flesh stuck in their teeth? What wounds do they display? If someone a block away is being eaten alive, describe their screams and pleas for help! This should help enhance the scene.
Thanks for the great feedback!
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This sounds like a lot of fun to run, great idea.
For me, the terror of zombies comes from their inevitability. To that end I suggest a rolling horde hot on the PC's tail, maybe: 1d6 (zombies) - 1d4 (killed by NPC's) + 1d6/per round PC's fight or make noise - # killed by PC's + # of civilians not helped by the PC's = Advancing horde. let the PC's catch glimpses of the wall of zombies advancing from behind (at 1 move/round delayed 1d6 rounds), slow but inevitable, and making fighting/helping/hiding/backtracking have a running timer.
Also, dead end ally's forcing backtracks, temporary barriers to smash climb or detour past, shortcuts through ruined buildings (with grasping hands that can hold but not damage), barriers of fire (to leap over, go around, extinguish, or tank through), hiding spots of crates and carriages (+10 stealth to move past zombies), choking smoke from numerous fires that blurs vision and forces PC's to hold breaths, piles of bodies to acrobatics through (or hide among for +20 stealth vs zombies at a penalty of +10DC to diplomacy the living), a "safe area" that the watch (or a wealthy merchants manor filled with guards) has set up that can allow the PC's a moment to breathe and heal (good stories have highs AND lows to increase tensions), and of course completely empty and silent alleys filled with low fog. Maybe even have some enterprising burglars or thugs holding a bottleneck (20% chance they already have a victim present), these intelligent enemies can trip, steal from or try to kill the PC's making lots of noise and delaying them (as well as providing loot if they are running low on supplies). Frightened animals (mad with fear, or noisy at the PC's thus attracting zombies). Civilians seeing PC's and asking for help with trapped family/turned or turning family/lost pets/property. Maybe a church filled with people, and a mob of zombies bashing their way in (do they stop to help or hope the doors hold?). if you really want to be mean have a section with a ruined well/broken bridge/open sewer that forces a swim check, where zombies might be waiting at the bottom, or not.
A d100 table with 30% "rest" options, 30% neutral options, and 40% zombie options might let you fit more events in, including non-events.
dot for own use.
Zombies!!! features tiles that you can lay out in whatever order you desire to map out the town or city they're in. IIRC they're gridded to a usable-enough scale, although I'd have to dig mine out and see if the scale is reasonably interpreted at 5' or a larger scale.
I'd second adding herds that force chases and climbing to rooftops and defend the fort scenarios.
You're missing looters. And opportunities to take a risk to loot water and food.