survive gmhb
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Karl Brooks SURVIVAL Games
SURVIVE Gamemasters Handbook
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Introduction
Welcome to your personal zombie apocalypsethe one you create, and have others attempt to survive.
This handbook is designed to give you ideas on how to create challenging gaming sessions, add in usable
vehicles, surviving military units, and even give you three new character archetypes, just to add somespice. There are also tables designed to allow you to create different scenarios, challenges, and
objectives, to make the tabletop and role-playing experience complete.
First, read the archetypes in the main game book, become familiar with them, and start to make your
game so that ANY of the characters could survive, but would have to think and work for it. Next, get a
cheap map, mark it (described later), and get folks together to play.
The beginning of a game should have the players bringing their own models, or choose ones you have
ready for them (and the zombie counterpart, of course), and YOU checking their character sheets, to
ensure they arent trying to get away with anything. Have the terrain set up, have your zombie horde
ready, and let them all decide, as a group, where theyre going to start from.
Once this is accomplished, let the game take its natural course and the dice will show who is a survivor,
and who is simply meat. Much thought should be put into narrative style games, making sure to
challenge the players, make them think, and let them enjoy the carnage and the end of the world.
Character Archetypes
The three new character archetypes are Soldier, Trauma Doctor, and CDC Technician. Only Soldier has
sub groups, and each one has several new skills available, which will be listed later. These new
archetypes will add a new dimension to the gaming experience, and will also lend to more enjoyment
and possibly a harder campaign due to the characters being available and more intelligent than the
normal classes.
Trauma Doctor
To begin with, the Trauma Doctor is a highly trained medical professional. The doctors are among the
first responders to the HBAR-V outbreak. They were also among the only non-military personnel to be
offered the vaccine, supposed to stop the spread of the virus. Many of the trauma doctors and nurses
were already basically immune, due to their repeated exposure to various diseases. All Trauma Doctors
will have the following skills and points values: 55 points available. Iron Stomach: 10, Disaffection: 7,
Reading:7, Writing:3, Endurance:8, Emergency Surgery: 9, and Triage: 7. A new skill, Cold and Hard, is
available to the Trauma Doctor, and it can be taken at NO points cost if the character has the Stoicism
skills as well.
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CDC Technician
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) is a government agency responsible for combating disease
outbreaks, and finding cures and vaccines to prevent them. The technicians within this agency were
among the only people, in the beginning, to see what was happening to the population of the world.
Most of the technicians within the CDC were overcome by the hordes being created by HBAR-V, while
being immune themselves. This character should be used in conjunction with at least one Soldier. 60
points available. Skills are as follows; Reading, Writing, and Math at 9, Social Interaction:2,
Firearms:Handguns:7, Firearms: Long guns:7. Also available are Bio-warfare and Triage at no cost if
Skewed Viewpoint or Unreal Attitude are taken as well, otherwise they have standard points cost.
Soldier
The soldier is any member of the armed forces, called to duty to combat the waves of violence,
cannibalism, and eventual zombie hordes that engulfed the country. Most soldiers fell within the first
days, while attempting to help injured civilians, not realizing until too late the dangers. Four Sub-types
within this archetype are available, and a specialty job is available for each one, at a points cost
commensurate to the skill. All soldiers have the Read, Write, and Firearms: Long guns skills at level 7
each. The sub-types are as follows:
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Tank Crewmember- 60 points. This can be a member of a tank or APC. They have the Driving:
Military skill, and Big Guns skill at no cost. Specialty job available is Tank Commander-Captain,
available for 10 points.
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Aviation Specialist- 65 points. This is a pilot, normally of a helicopter. They have the Pilot andDriving: Military skills, and the Specialty job available is Indian Rider for 15 points. This sub-type
requires an intelligence of 8 or more to be taken.
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Combat Infantry- 50 points. This is your average grunt. Three Specialty jobs are available;
Machine gunner for 5 points, Squad Leader for 10 points, and Corpsman for 15 points. Machine
gunners have the Ranged: Firearm IV skill, as well as Unreal attitude at no cost. Squad Leaders
have the Dark Insight, Driving: Military, and Loud and Proud skills at no cost. Corpsmen have
Iron Stomach, Emergency Surgery, Walking Pharmacy, Triage, and Cold and Hard skills at no
extra cost.
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Special Operations-35 points. These are the Rangers, Airborne, SEALs, Special Forces, Force
Recon, and ParaJumpers. They are hardened warriors, and all have the Ranged: Firearms IV skill,
as well as Move Silent, No Trace, Hide, and Scavenge skills at level 8 each. Specialty jobs are
Sniper,10 points, Demolitions Expert,15 points, Heavy Weapons Expert, 15 points, and
Commander, 20 points. Any additional COMBAT skills, up to 5 extra, may be taken at no extra
cost for this sub-type only. Unit and branch affiliation are MANDATORY for this sub-type.
Snipers have Melee: Knife III at level 6; Demolitions Experts have Explosives: III at level 10, and
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RC Vehicles as an additional skill; Heavy Weapons Experts have Skewed Viewpoint at level 8;
Commanders have Loud and Proud at level 9.
*NOTE* the low points availability for this class limits the number of intra-personal skills
available to them, due to their dedication to the arts of war.
Skills
Most of the skills used by the new archetypes are the same as in the main game book, though several
new skills are available to be learned by characters, and some cost more than normal skills should. This
reflects the inherent need for training in specific fields, and the necessity to almost have muscle
memory to perform others. The new skills are as follows, including points cost, and whether they are
Knowledge, Physical, or Combat, or a combination of two or more.
Skill Name Points Cost Category Learnable By
Triage 11 K,P Medical, Police, Ex-
Soldier
Cold and Hard 15 K,P All
Bio-Warfare 21 K,P,C Medical, Soldier, Ex-
Soldier, Rural People
Big Guns 14 K,P,C All
Pilot 20 K,P Intelligence above 8
Loud and Proud 18 K,P Soldier, Ex-Soldier,
Police, Gang Member
R/C Vehicles 8 K,P Soldier, Nerd, Outcast,Parent
The reasons for the limitations for some of these being able to be learned is that they are not common
skills outside certain circles, and therefore would not be understood easily enough for common folk to
grasp them. Definitions are as follows:
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Triage- This is the process of deciding who is able to be saved, and who is unable to be helped,
when dealing with wounded. In alternate situations, it is the process of deciding which target is
to be destroyed first, due to threat level.
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Cold and Hard. This is the ability to make hard decisions, and do something about them when
necessary
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Bio-Warfare- This is the ability to recognize, use, and defend against bio-weapons, both natural
and man-made. This includes the employment of PPE and storage.
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Big Guns- This is the use of tank and APC main guns, and anti-tank weaponry, such as TOW and
Dragon missiles, and Stinger missiles as well.
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Pilot- This is the ability to pilot small aircraft and helicopters with enough proficiency to not
crash. (NOTE: The Indian Rider special job is different than regular helicopter pilots, due to the
AH-64 Apache requiring even more skills than normal)
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Loud and Proud- This is the ability to successfully lead others, and inspire them to do things they
normally would not do.
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R/C Vehicles- This is the ability to use radio controlled cars, planed, and helicopters to scout or
plant explosives.
City Maps
Many cities in the world are nothing but burned-out shells of their former selves since HBAR-V struck on
a global scale. Large city centers, densely populated areas, and most roadways are infested with re-
animated life forms (RALFs). Therefore, travel and survival will be restricted to back roads, and living and
foraging restricted to suburbs or rural areas. Only military and heavily armed people would dare to
travel to inner cities, and even then, only in the most dire of situations.
Most maps will show the obvious areas of infestation, just by looking at where the city center is. Going
off of this assumption, avoiding city centers is probably the most realistic chance for survival. However,
concentrations of highly religious groups, or high incidents of the elderly will also pose a hazard.
Highly religious groups will call the flock to churches, temples, synagogues, and mosques, in an effort
to protect the population and their friends and family. However, concentrating several hundred people
in a small place simply concentrates the food supply, and a horde may grow in as little as 2 hours, should
so much as one congregation member be infected.
Likewise, retirement communities, large trailer parks, and community centers for the elderly are equallyas likely to have HBAR-V infected, and will grow into a shambling horde in a very short time. These are
only slightly less dangerous than the standard hordes, due to the inherent lack of mobility prior to
death.
All of this being said, there ARE reasons to venture into dangerous areas. Police departments, National
Guard posts, and regular military bases will have arms, ammunition, and provisions, as well as more
suitable vehicles. Also, once religious centers are empty (or cleared), most contain stores of food and
water in the case of emergency. All of these locations are relatively easy to defend, once cleared of the
RALF threat, though this will be known to other survivors as well, so fortification against the living would
be immediately necessary.
Grocery stores, malls, and other such locations will be unsafe for long periods of time, due to their
centralized location in populated areas. Grocery stores, however, are VERY easily defended by small
groups of people, due to minimal entrance points and massive amounts of food. Also, large grocery
stores have back-up generators, so freezer and cooler sections are very likely to be working. If the area
was evacuated in the first days of the outbreak, most of the food will be present (fresh foods will be
rotted, and most meats will be spoiled).
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Some areas will still be heavily populated, the survivors well-armed and organized, and possibly willing
to trade for foodstuffs. IF these groups are located, some care should be taken, however, as many will
be take your gear types, drawing in small survivor groups, killing them, and keeping their belongings.
Rural groups will be less likely to accept new members, but once done, they will be less likely to let
productive members go.
With this knowledge, we move to the maps, spreading around the country, marking the worst of areas,
as well as the safest. The map of the Phoenix Metro Area, below, is a prime example. Areas marked in
black are supremely hazardous, and should be avoided at all costs. Red areas should not be traversed on
foot or in small vehicles, or in small groups. Yellow areas can be traversed by small groups, on foot, but
with extreme caution. Green areas are relatively safe, and have scattered populations of HBAR-V free
people, or are military reservations. Either way, survivors need to remain armed, due to sporadic
incursions of RALFs. Blue regions are safe zones, with well-armed, regular guards, and a semblance of
order. Un-colored areas should be considered reasonably dangerous, but until they have been explored,
no one will know for certain.
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Now, this is a representation of a city map of Phoenix, Arizona, and shows the different types of areas
that may be seen and encountered in a typical gaming session. Most any city map, found in thrift stores,
gas stations, bookstores, etc. will do for a map, so long as you stick to the general guidelines of color,
and you can make your own city, wherever you are, either a black zone or a blue zone, or any
combination in between. Remember, New York City, Portland Oregon, Los Angeles, California, Orlando,Florida, and Chicago Illinois are completely decimated, Denver Colorado is all black and red, excepting
outlying areas, and most major cities are rife with the undead.
Remember also, when using street maps, to mark churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples as black
zones, as well as private hospitals and city centers. This will make for an interesting game in that you will
have to skirt these areas, or maybe even pass through them, to obtain objectives.
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Military posts pose a unique issue within the game. They are usually green zones, have ample food,
water, ammunition, and armed men to defend them. Do you walk or drive up, and request trade for
what you need, or do you try to sneak in and just take it? Can anyone in the group drive an APC or
Deuce-and-a-half truck? Can you successfully operate the machine guns if you somehow get them?
These are the things you have to think about, and they will apply to police departments as well, at least
those not overrun by the undead, or burned out due to civil unrest.
Grocery stores, department stores, large mall complexes, and bulk stores are another issue to be faced
by players. Did Wal-Mart stock up on ammo? Did Costco or Sams Club get their last truck of canned
goods and gas? Did (insert a local grocery chain store name here) have enough gas for their back-up
generator to keep the coolers going? Why are those seven idiots going to the mall?
These things are to be thought about by the GM, and added in to the game session as objectives,
bonuses, or even negative factors to enhance play, not hinder it. All members of the gaming group
should have fun, even if they become a zombie. Have them role play the part, moaning and hissing, and
then have them use scatter dice to see who is attacked first. This should be done in the best Romero
fashion, running at, tackling, then gnawing upon the perspective target.
When the group finds a functional vehicle, give them a chance to get it, although with some effort. A roll
of 4 or better on a d6 should mean the vehicle is locked, and they have to try to get in WITHOUT
breaking glass, or damaging the vehicle. On percentile dice, 50% or better will be locked, and if they roll
70% or more, then the vehicle has an alarm as well! A roll of a 6 on a d6 is representative of the same
effect, and will ALWAYS draw a zombie horde to the group.
In the event ALL player characters are overwhelmed, and have no way out, remember to throw them a
bone, and have some sort of out for them. Even if this means having a sniper take out some of the
undead in one area, so they have a chance to run for it. (If they are stupid enough to stay and fight, letthe dice decide what happens.)
As the GM, you are responsible for providing at least one map to the group, so they can see where they
are going to be attempting to survive. These maps should be marked to show the different areas, and,
using scatter dice, determine where the group is going to come from. Remember to have them come
from a SUBURB of a major city, not from the city center itself, unless the game warrants absolute horror
and desperation as the reason for their banding together.
In some cases, having two groups of survivors attempting to reach the same goal will provide for
exciting, sometimes very tense game play. Make the objective something that they would not want to
share, at least not easily, and have JUST enough obstacles in the way that it may thin both sides out if
they dont work as teams. If both reach the objective at the same time, have them role play the
encounter, making sure to take into account personalities and Social Interaction skill scores. If one group
reaches the objective first, use percentile dice to determine whether to role play or use combat rules
outright. DO NOT remind them that loud noises draw hordes of zombies, and react to this accordingly.
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Vehicles
Vehicles are a means to an end, for the most part, not objectives in and of themselves. If the group is
trying to travel through a major city, however, the search for an appropriate vehicle (or group of
vehicles) CAN be an objective. How many members are in the group? How much stuff do they want totake with them? How many members know how to drive? These questions should all factor into
whether or not they can even find sufficient transportation. Vehicles types are broken into several
different categories;
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SizeThis is how big the specific vehicle is. They range from sub-compact to armored vehicle.
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Drivetrain- This is whether the vehicle is standard transmission, automatic transmission, or even
lateral drive.
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Capacity- This is how many PASSENGERS the vehicle can hold, not including the driver. This does
not take into account comfort.
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Fuel Type- This means gasoline, diesel, hybrid, or multi-fuel.-
Durability- This is how much damage the vehicle can withstand from hitting and being hit by the
undead. It also is how well the vehicle will perform off-road and in heavy rubble.
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Drivability- This relates to the skill level of the character, as well as terrain types.
Each of these categories will have a different combination of values associated with them, and will affect
how well the specific vehicle will do under specific situations. Some vehicles will not be covered, due to
the impracticality of use in a survival situation. Construction vehicles will be almost everywhere, and will
probably be able to be used, but only those who have the Driving: Military skill will be able to operate
them well, and MUST have the Driving: Off-road skill in order to operate them at all.
Durability is a point value, and should be determined by percentile dice, size, and type of vehicle. If you
have specific models out, have a card prepared for each one listing all of these items, as well as whether
or not it has an alarm, keys (not necessary with military vehicles), and fuel amount. For gameplay, make
sure the vehicle isnt OUT of fuel, but make the players sweat a bit if theyve had it easy to the point of
obtaining the vehicle. Also, if they have to find fuel, make sure they have choices as to how to obtain it,
what kind, etc. Vehicles will be broken into groups, or even in some cases, identified by name (as in the
case of some military vehicles).
Size and Type
Vehicle size is an important factor in its durability versus the undead. Small vehicles are generally more
fuel efficient and agile, but can be easily overturned or blocked by large groups of RALFs. Large vehicles
are by far more resilient, but pose the problem of lower fuel mileage, and in some cases, the inability to
be properly operated. Each size of vehicle is able to be used, if the proper driving skills are available, and
are as follows:
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Small- This group includes all sub-compact and compact cars. These require the Driving: Basic
skill, and will hold AT MOST 3 passengers and their gear. MOST of these vehicles are automatic
transmission; however, if standard transmission, Driving: Advanced skill is needed.
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Medium- This group is the most common, encompassing mid-sized and luxury cars. These
require Driving: Basic skill to operate, and will hold at MOST 4 passengers and their gear.
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Pick Up- This group is divided into four distinct groups; 2WD, 4WD, standard, and Extended cab.
There is a 60% chance of the vehicle being standard transmission, so the entire group requires
the Driving: Advanced skill. All pickups are assumed to have a cap or tonneau cover on the back,
thus providing better cover and protection. Standard cab pickups may carry 3 passengers, but
up to 10 peoples gear, or one heavy weapon. Extended cab pickups may carry up to 6
passengers, and have the same carrying capacity as standard cab. 4WD pickups require Driving:
Off-road skill to be employed to their full potential.
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Small SUV- This group is broken into two categories, 4WD and 2WD, but they are all light
vehicles capable of carrying no more than 4 passengers and their gear. Driving: Off-road skill is
required to operate 4WD to its full potential.
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Medium SUV- This group includes the ubiquitous Jeep vehicles, as well as other similarly sized
vehicles. This group is also broken into 2WD and 4WD, and is capable of carrying 5 passengers
and their gear. Driving: Off-road skill is required to operate 4WD to its full potential.
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Large SUV- This group includes Suburbans and the like, and is likewise broken into 2WD and
4WD. Driving: Advanced is required, due to the size, and if 4WD Driving: Off-road is required to
operate. Each vehicle in this group can carry 8 passengers and their gear.
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Busses- This group includes short (handicapped) and full sized busses. City busses are not
included, due to their inherent location (cities). A short bus can carry 15 passengers and their
gear, and full sized can carry 25 passengers and their gear. The Driving: Advanced skill is
required to operate either type, due to size.
Vehicle Type Identification Picture
Small Car
Medium Car
Standard Cab Pick Up
Crew Cab Pick Up
Small SUV
Medium SUV
Large SUV
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Bus
This is the extent of the civilian vehicle sizes and types readily available in the suburbs around the United
States. If you have multiple models of one type or another, make the players decide on which one they
will take, and make it a challenge. Take into account availability of fuel, frequency of alarm systems, and
the age of the character!
Military Vehicles
Military vehicles are very common in the post-HBAR-V landscape. The military was attempting to control
the spread of infected individuals, and the U.S. military is a mechanized force. Vehicles were used as
road blocks, command posts, and toward the end, fire points. When the roadblocks were being overrun,
the vehicles were abandoned where they were. Now, there are thousands of military vehicles scattered
throughout the country, and most are still functional. The use of these vehicles is determined by skill,
and ALL military vehicles require the Driving: Military skill to operate. To operate the guns, however,
requires time to read the onboard manual for each main gun, or in the case of machine guns, the
Ranged: Firearm IV skill. Time required learning the operation of each gun is as follows:
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M242 Bradley/LAV Main Gun- 1d12 ROUNDS of uninterrupted reading to learn basic operation,
and 1d12 more to learn the finer points, such as clearing jams, changing ammo feed, etc.
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M107 125mm Abrams Main Gun- 1d8 rounds to learn to load and fire, 1d6 rounds to learn to
properly index and aim, and 1d8 rounds to learn how to operate the computer.
If this time is not taken by the character, they only have a 5% chance of properly using the weapon, and
most likely will not be able to fire it with any accuracy.
Military vehicles are separated into 3 different groups, and each group has sub-groups as well. These
groups are:
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Military Personnel Vehicles- These range from the ubiquitous K-cars, older Jeeps, pickup trucks,
and includes the newer MRAP and LMTV, as well as the 2.5 ton truck.
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HMMWV Variants- This includes the myriad different Humvee vehicles used by the military.
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Tracked Vehicles- This group includes APCs (including the Marine LAV), Tanks, and the wheeled
HEMTT Fuel vehicles
Each of these groups has many vehicles in it, and as such, will require SOME military knowledge to
identify the best type to attempt to procure and use for the given situation.
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Military Vehicle Size and Type
As stated before, military vehicles encompass a wide range of sizes and types of fuel, Drivetrain, and
locomotion. Some vehicles are multi-fuel, being able to use CNG, diesel, and gasoline. Some are even
able to be run on av-gas or jet fuel, though this wears the engine down at a greatly accelerated rate.
Most vehicles are automatic transmission, and have regular steering and brake/gas pedals, so as to
facilitate driving by almost anyonein theory. Small vehicles, such as staff cars, pickups, and the older
Jeep vehicles, require only Driving: Advanced to operate, and some of these may even have to be hot-
wired due to lack of keys. The remainder of the military vehicles will require the Driving: Military skill to
operate successfully and none of these will require keys (having keys in combat vehicles would ensure
that army would never make it to battle!)
The following is a full listing of the different types, sizes, locomotion, and fuel types for military vehicles.
Vehicle Type Vehicle Size Locomotion Fuel Type Picture
Staff Car Mid-sized Sedan Wheeled Gasoline
Jeep Grand
Cherokee
Mid-sized SUV Wheeled Gasoline
M1953 Jeep Small SUV Wheeled Gasoline
Pickup Truck Mid-sized SUV Wheeled Gasoline or
Diesel
MRAP Large WAPC Wheeled Multi-Fuel
LMTV Large Transporter Wheeled Multi-Fuel
2.5 Ton Truck Large Transporter Wheeled Diesel
HMMWV
Standard
WAPC Wheeled Diesel
HMMWV
Medical
Ambulance Wheeled Diesel
HMMWV UA
Scout
ASV Wheeled Diesel
HMMWV UA
FISTV
Fwd. Support
Vehicle
Wheeled Diesel
HMMWV UA
Medical
Combat
Ambulance
Wheeled Diesel
HMMWV UA
Support
UAWAPC Wheeled Diesel
M113A3 APC APC Tracked Multi-Fuel
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Marine LAV WAPC Wheeled Multi-Fuel
M2/3 Bradley IFV APC Tracked Multi-Fuel
HEMTT Fuel
Truck
Fuel Transport Wheeled Multi-Fuel
M60A6 MBT Tank Tracked Diesel
M1A1 Abrams
MBT
Tank Tracked Av-Gas
M1A3 Abrams
MBT
Tank Tracked Multi-Fuel
Some of these vehicles will also have TOW missiles on them, though the tubes will probably be empty. Ifthey are not, then the characters should NOT be warned about the consequences of firing an anti-tank
rocket with hordes of zombies around.
Weapons
There are several new weapons available, due to the different skills and archetypes with which to use
them. These weapons, in some cases, are quite loud, and in others almost silent. They are as follows,
though NO points/smokes cost is associated to them, as they MUST be found or taken off of the dead.
Weapon Type Caliber Damage Max. Range Image
M21 SA Sniper
Rifle, Suppressed,
20 rd. Mag.
7.62x51mm 3d8+2 30/50
M242 Select Fire
Bushmaster Chain
Cannon, Mounted
25mm 8d8+4/8d10 50/72
M107 Single Shot
Main Battle
Cannon, Mounted
125mm 8d10+5/10d10+5/
10d20(5blast
radius)
96
M240 Belt Fed
Machine Gun
7.62x51mm 2d8+2/3d8+3 30
M249 Belt Fed
Machine Gun
5.56x45mm 2d6+2/2d8+1 22
M134 Belt Fed
Rotary Cannon,
Mounted
7.62x51mm 6d10+4 30
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USAS-12 Select
Fire Shotgun,
20rd. Mag.
12 ga. 6d8+2 14
AA-12 Select Fire
Shotgun, 20rd.
Mag.
12 ga. 6d8+2 14
Mk19 Belt Fed
Grenade Launcher
40mm 5d10(3blast radius),
8d10(5blast radius),
Smoke (15 radius
for 5 rd.) Damage is
per round fired.
25
M79 Single shot
Grenade Launcher
40mm 5d10(3blast radius),
8d10(5blastradius),
Smoke (15 radius
for 5 rd.)
25
These weapons and the ammunition associated with them can ONLY be found among military personnel
in any kind of numbers. Some of the weapons have multiple damage scores, and require blast radius to
be figured in to their damage. These numbers reflect either a) different rates of fire, or b) different types
of ammunition. When different rates of fire are the cause, there is also a separate range (except for the
M21, then it reflects open sights or scope being used for targeting), used to reflect the destruction of
targets nearer to point of fire. Blast radii affect ALL models within them, so it is best to avoid firing
explosive devices near to friendly models.
Smoke follows a slightly different method of blast. Measure 15 in all directions from the center, and
take into account buildings within that radius. Subtract the number of inches from each building, then
add this number the clear areas (See chart below).
This illustrates how smoke will flow around buildings on a street or even in a field with rock
outcroppings. Buildings would be assumed to be filled with smoke, if the center of the blast is inside a
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building. As the undead still use sight and smell to find their victims, smoke is an effective way to
remove oneself from a dangerous situation, so long as the character does not run INTO the smoke.
Sample ScenariosThese scenarios are merely starting points for full games, or can be used as objectives during games, to
halt stagnation. Some of them will add a small amount of humor, while others will require more role-
playing and be more involved character wise.
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Find and use the modified MALP- A MALP is a wheeled or tracked probe used by police and
military forces to disable bombs or provide remote surveillance. In this case, the group is tasked
with finding a modified MALP to set det-packs around the perimeter of a heavily infested area,
so they can move through, get supplies, etc.
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Find the gunsmith with the silencers- Somewhere, another group has found a way to getsilencers for all of their solid-projectile weapons. They give vacuous directions, and the area
they point to on the map is in a red zone, very near to a black zone. The characters are tasked
with finding and retrieving this person, or at least bartering to obtain silencers for themselves.
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10th
Man Protocol- (This scenario should be employed if the characters are playing a pre-2014
game, or after traveling from a city) the people around you do not know what is happening out
therebut you and your friends do. Convince the rest of them to prepare for the worst, before
it is too late.
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Avoid Conscription- A military unit is rounding up all of the local survivors for a push into a major
city center. However, this is the worst possible thing they could do, as ALL of the residents there
are RALFS, and anything short of a nuclear strike would fail to clear the area. Hide from, fightoff, or even take command of the unit trying for that last bit of glory before its too late.
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Fresh Foods- A lone survivor joins the group for a short time and has an abundance of fresh
fruits, vegetables, and smokeables to trade for ammo and other things. Get the information
out of them as to where that large of a safe hydroponics operation is.
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Mall Destruction- 7 or 8 survivors have taken up residence at the local shopping malland
drawn almost every RALF in a 5 mile radius to them. Try to contact them, or simply use them as
the bait in a big trap for the RALFs outside the mall or let them in and blow the wholeplace.
This is a SMALL sample of the possible scenarios able to be used, and sometimes they are not even the
best choices to use. When deciding on a game and scenario to use, look at the group composition, thensee how they would be challenged, but not killed outright. Make them think, and have them work for
their points and gear.
Experience Points
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Experience points are issued, not for killing zombies, or using your guns, or talking to this or that person.
They are awarded for successfully destroying a horde, single-handedly, to save the group; for
successfully shooting that zombie, at max range, through smoke, in the head; for conning the stubborn
colonel out of two machine guns and enough ammo to feed them for a month, then getting him to
train the group in how to use them properly. The simple use of skills is expected, so characters and
groups need to go above and beyond. Ramboing, in the right circumstances is ok, but doing it all of the
time is dangerous. Likewise, hiding and sneaking is good when necessary, but nothing will be
accomplished if done all of the time.
Some skills will offer points to the character employing them properly, such as Gang Signs, or Emergency
Surgery. If someone has No Trace, and uses it to get food for the group, points would be issued. When
10 points are gained, the character may pick 1 skill from the Knowledge or Physical lists to attempt to
learn. At 15 points, they can attempt to learn a new combat skill. Therefore, to learn a skill that requires
all three, 35 points must be spent, or 18 ROUNDS of gameplay. If they wish to increase a skill already
known, use the points cost in the main rule book as a guide, with the points cost there being necessary
for increasing by 1 point, no matter what their dice value is.
The following chart is a guideline for awarding experience, though ultimately the choice is up to the GM.
Act Points Value Act Points Value
Properly portraying
character
1 Learning new
impossible skill
7
Properly interacting
within group
1 Creating uncontrolled
laughter
5
Leading group
successfully
2 Random, intelligent
idea
2
Attempted heroic act 2 Random, useful, stupid
idea
4
Successful heroic act 5 Random humorous
outburst
3
Successfully using
difficult skill
3 Causing total
speechlessness
5
Successfully usingimpossible skill
5
Saving 1 other player 2
Saving 3 other players 4
Saving group and
surviving
12
Saving group, but dying 3
Properly role-playing 7
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zombie
Learning new simple
skill
1
Learning new difficult
skill
3
Learning new hard skill 5
These are just the most common sources of reasons for experience points. The remainder can be given
for anything the GM decides is worthy, and whatever value they see fit. To determine simple, difficult,
hard, and impossible skills, simply look at their points costs, and set your own limit for each category.
Points are then able to be used to add skills, or increase current skill scores. Added skills are ONLY able
to be increased if another player has that skill , and then the skill can only be increased to 2/3 of the
teachers skill, rounded down. All added skills are added at points cost, and only at skill 2.
When the first attack came, we didnt realize they were all, well, already dead. We pumped about10,000 rounds outta the 249 before the barrel warped, then we went to our M4s. They just kept coming.
And there were younger kids with them I mean like 13 or 14 years old. We werent taught to kill kids,
especially not Americans. When they hit 2nd
Platoon, well, they started eating them. Thats when I hit the
claymores around our position. 500 people just cut to hamburger, just like that. I saw a girl I had dated
just a few weeks before drag her body towards me. I put a bullet in her head, and moved to the next
position. We lost all of 2nd, 3
rd, and 5
thPlatoons, and couldnt get back to our own vehicles. I hope the
folks at Langley are happy. I meet any of them, alive or undead, Im gonna shoot them in the head. SFC
Paulo Rodriguez, 4th
Platoon, 117th
MP brigade, Charlie Company.This recording was found in an
abandoned townhouse in Las Vegas, NM. The area was cleared by roving survivors. SFC Rodriguez was
not found.
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