Naw... I've already got my Navy SEAL concept worked out. He's a veteran SEAL that happens to be the son of Superman and Storm. I wanted to do bionic arms, but the GM had to draw the line somewhere... right?

Was he a cook on a US battleship?

Naw... I've already got my Navy SEAL concept worked out. He's a veteran SEAL that happens to be the son of Superman and Storm. I wanted to do bionic arms, but the GM had to draw the line somewhere... right?

I mean, it should be discussed as a group just how real you want the characters to be.

Naw... I've already got my Navy SEAL concept worked out. He's a veteran SEAL that happens to be the son of Superman and Storm. I wanted to do bionic arms, but the GM had to draw the line somewhere... right?

Was he a cook on a US battleship?

Never fear! Zombie FBI agents will open a case against him, making vague but unproven allegations of mob connections, and his career will be forced to transition to direct to DVD releases!

In all seriousness though, if someone feels uncomfortable playing as themselves, let them play someone else. I'd probably ask them to pick someone normal though, to try and nix any power-gaming attempts; say a pizza delivery guy, or something similar so that it fits in with the group sitting down for gaming night when Z-Day starts.

Good Morning,

I do not like this idea. There are several reasons.

1. I do not want any of my untrained friends or acquantainces bringing their firearms, machetes, and spiked baseball bats over for a RPG session.

2. I play with people who are usually out of shape and one is in a wheel chair. If I played myself with them my first act would be to ditch them. I am the only one trained proffesionally with firearms and survival. I also am the only one in shape.

3. People get offended when we argue that they are not that strong, fast, good with people, etc. I know they have a game mechanic to fix that. But let's be real, many gamers would have much less points to make a starting character of themselves than the book sugests. Many would have more experience points based on what they achieved in life. My regular group, not be offensive, are not smart, strong, fast and lack any and all survival skills.

To solve this, I told them we will be creating fictional characters. Done...

What do you think?

To solve this, I told them we will be creating fictional characters. Done...

What do you think?

I would suggest having them come up with a basic career if you go this route (pizza delivery, cop, clerk, etc.), unless you want to see what happens when a team of Delta/Special forces/Navy Seals/whatever encounters the zombie apocalypse. Then again, that could be fun too; Dog Soldiers meets zombies!

Yes, Sakara. That is actually one of my goals. I want them to be regular people with their own set of skills. I was planning on having them grab cards from a hat. Inside the hat I have a basic idea with a specialty skill. I got this idea from Last NIght On Earth.

Homeles Guy: Scavenging

Pastor: Talking to People

Locksmith: Picking locks, doors

Mechanic: Fixing Cars

Paramedic: Fixing People

Each has a unique set of starting items and specialty skills.

The first chapter will be the intro of how this happened. The 2nd chapter will be 6 months later so we can add a good number of experience points to each character. I have pretty much banned special ops and military. Though I do have an older retired Vietnam vet. I just don't want any death dealers at the beginning. I want to emphasize the human stress and survival horror feel over the one-man army against hordes of undead, aliens, monsters, etc.

What do you think?

Interesting. You might want to have at least twice as many 'careers' as there are players though; I would have them draw in turn, and then draw a second in reverse order. That way they get two options for characters, and thus have a sense of choice.

Gotcha, those are just examples. There will be at least three times as many "arch types" as I have heard them referred to before.

I would appreciate any other examples such as: sheriff, town drunk, petty thug, pick-pocket, handy-man, outdoors-man, farmer, biker gang guy, psychologist, stripper, etc.

I can get plenty of examples from Elder Sign and the like.

So my group is pretty set on playing themselves. Needless to say I won't run it. I can't have a bunch of untrained civilians borrowing machettes and firearms from friends to bring over to my place or my buddy's place to play a game. One gamer took it hard that we all agreed that he is essentially below average in all the stats. And yes...many gamers, the true actual people are. I wish FFG never tried a play as yourself mechanic in the rule book. I hate to explain to my friends that they are out of shape and have no survival and usable skills during an apocalypse. I think I already mentioned the guy in wheelchair. Yup, he would be dead in the first five minutes of the game.

My goal now is to let this simmer down and sell them on my "archtypes characters" in a few weeks.

Why not just run it and have a party wipe? Explicitly state however that there will be no weapons brought to the play area because you know they're just trying to cheat their way to power.

So my group is pretty set on playing themselves. Needless to say I won't run it. I can't have a bunch of untrained civilians borrowing machettes and firearms from friends to bring over to my place or my buddy's place to play a game. One gamer took it hard that we all agreed that he is essentially below average in all the stats. And yes...many gamers, the true actual people are. I wish FFG never tried a play as yourself mechanic in the rule book. I hate to explain to my friends that they are out of shape and have no survival and usable skills during an apocalypse. I think I already mentioned the guy in wheelchair. Yup, he would be dead in the first five minutes of the game.

My goal now is to let this simmer down and sell them on my "archtypes characters" in a few weeks.

Well as the GM you can make things harder or easier for them. If you live somewhere remotely (like Kotzebue), have it play out like NotLD with them trying to survuve a single night and day against a few zombies before help arives. Or if you don't live somewhere remotely have the army choose a spot a few blocks away to make their stand and try to halt the encroaching tide of zombies.

Why not just run it and have a party wipe? Explicitly state however that there will be no weapons brought to the play area because you know they're just trying to cheat their way to power.

Gm: "Euh Steve? Why did you bring a baseball bat to our game night?"

Steve: "I got baseball practice later."

Gm: "I didn't know you played baseb-Mike! Is that a chainsaw in your backpack?"

Mike: "Oh sorry, I picked the wrong bag out of my car, Be right back!"

Gm: "Tom, it's cool man, we're gonna order pizza, no need to bring 40 packs of MRE rations."

Bruce * walks in dressed in chainmail, a steel helmet and carrying a sword*

Gm: "Errr bruce, you do know it's table top and not a LARP game tonight?"

Bruce: "It helps me get in character."

Gm: "Euh Steve? Why did you bring a baseball bat to our game night?"

Steve: "I got baseball practice later."

Gm: "I didn't know you played baseb-Mike! Is that a chainsaw in your backpack?"

Mike: "Oh sorry, I picked the wrong bag out of my car, Be right back!"

Gm: "Tom, it's cool man, we're gonna order pizza, no need to bring 40 packs of MRE rations."

Bruce * walks in dressed in chainmail, a steel helmet and carrying a sword*

Gm: "Errr bruce, you do know it's table top and not a LARP game tonight?"

Bruce: "It helps me get in character."

I've known gaming groups where people would actually try this kind of stuff.

In some ways the basic scenario (play yourself during a regular gaming session) might be better as a "surprise" dropped on the players. But it would have to be done with the right group that doesn't object to surprises (and a lot do object).

So my group is pretty set on playing themselves. Needless to say I won't run it. I can't have a bunch of untrained civilians borrowing machettes and firearms from friends to bring over to my place or my buddy's place to play a game. One gamer took it hard that we all agreed that he is essentially below average in all the stats. And yes...many gamers, the true actual people are. I wish FFG never tried a play as yourself mechanic in the rule book. I hate to explain to my friends that they are out of shape and have no survival and usable skills during an apocalypse. I think I already mentioned the guy in wheelchair. Yup, he would be dead in the first five minutes of the game.

My goal now is to let this simmer down and sell them on my "archtypes characters" in a few weeks.

Remember it is an abstract game, they are only playing versions of themselves (powered up it would seem in your games) using a point system to buff them up and then if stats get voted down, which sounds like you are intent on doing they gain advantages to offset them.

Instead of being so judgmental of your players if that's the way they want to play why not go with the spirit of the game and give it a go. Otherwise maybe let someone else GM it if the rest want to have a go with that style?

Mind you I do agree with the no bringing random weapons and equipment to the session. I would have a "you bring a stupid weapon and I will take it off you and use it on you" rule......

Imagine if every RPG would work like that...

Only playable class is human.

You would be basically playing a tabletop RPG in full LARP outfit in order to have your gear.

Nobody would play a barbarian fighter because most gamers don't have the physique, training, stamina, nor the pectoral-muscles-to-pull-off-the-"Conan"-look.

Nobody would be playing a mage either, because ho would they work? Maybe if you're on drugs...

No playing a psionic unless you actually have ESP.

Playing a decker in shadowrun/cyberpunk might actually still work. Depends on how computer savvy you are.

Having to take an archery course to reclass as a ranger.

Hunter the vigil could still be playable. But as a GM i'd ban "WoD: Slasher".

Arguing with your GM over TL lightbulbs counting as lightsabers in a SW RPG.

So my intention is to insist that everyone starts the game as themselves. Then once they die off they are allowed to create a "character". I also only plan on having people play the game who will enjoy playing as themselves.

Yeah, I'd never insist that, personally speaking you're game you run it as you please. I keep at least mentioning it to the group that I play with and while they are interested in the game we feel that it's a bit much to play as ourselves. That and one of the players is married and has a kid and the majority of the people at the table really don't want to deal with that added mess.

That and one of the players is married and has a kid and the majority of the people at the table really don't want to deal with that added mess.

You are raising an interesting point here about the emotional maturity that the game may require, for the players, but especially for the GM.

When I heard of this game, my first thought was what happens to me, my family and my players' family (as we would be playing at my home). Family could become a trait for the character, e.g. "1 month old baby to take care", which at times could either provide a disadvantage (food is low, who gets the food? the nursing mom?) or a boon (adrenaline from the urge to protect the family).

At some point of time however, it is likely there will be death. Should family members be able to die, or are they immune (since they are only traits). Emotionally, this can have a real life impact. It's a game, yes, but when it touches your family, you always have emotions.

To solve the issue, I am thinking to run it as a scenario were instead of starting at my home, we are imagining to be driving to one of our friend's house, when disaster strikes, or we are at a con, etc etc... i.e. away from our families. What happens to our families will remain unknown. Maybe they escaped, maybe they are safe somewhere. Even if the characters make it back to their home, their families will be gone somewhere else. Hope to find them may be a powerful motivation within the game universe.

Finally, what if we want to run this game within our own family? How would you do it?

Our GM said he's gonna set it when we are all at a games/anime convention at least half a country away from where we live.

That solves a ton of problems right there. (family, stockpiling weapons etc.)

Zombies might be the hardest one to play with family because with zombies they WILL kill people. With the aliens, gods and machines the GM could decide to reveal that the players loved ones were only abducted and put into stasis pods on the mother ship, spirited away, held in machine run prison complex. With zombies it's "You get bit, that's it!"

To solve the issue, I am thinking to run it as a scenario were instead of starting at my home, we are imagining to be driving to one of our friend's house, when disaster strikes, or we are at a con, etc etc... i.e. away from our families. What happens to our families will remain unknown. Maybe they escaped, maybe they are safe somewhere. Even if the characters make it back to their home, their families will be gone somewhere else. Hope to find them may be a powerful motivation within the game universe.

Finally, what if we want to run this game within our own family? How would you do it?

The issue that our group would run into is that the guy is a big family man, which isn't a bad thing by any means, and it'd take up the entire focus of the game. I don't want to make it a long string of "Your princesses are in another castle" and I don't really feel like him seeing them as zombies or something. I mean no one likes acknowledging that children are either chow or turned into zombies (except for Clementine). Yes it's a powerful motivation, but it becomes all consuming, and how does the group decide who's family is more important to find first?

I feel like it'll be easier if they make a character, and if they want family that's ok, but at least it'll be less of a personal string to pluck.

I don't run rpgs with family, but if I did I'd not have them play as themselves.

Our group has discussed about whether or not we would use our family in the game. We all kinda agreed that the game would just be those at the table. They will play as themselves but without the family portion, I want them to worry about their groups survival and I agree with ThenDoctor that I don't think anyone really wants to imagine that their child, spouse, or whatever is a zombie or you have to make the decision to kill them or watch them turn. Yes that is powerful motivation and would be a reason to go on but I wouldn't want to be put in that situation and I don't want to put players in that situation.

Even if your players were halfway across the country and you did use family there would always be that goal to get to them and find out what happened to them and you could just make that the overarching plot (to find/return to their family) but what happens in the end and they find their family? You could say thats a great ending point for those characters but what if they want to keep going and something happens to them...

After a few games of playing as "ourselves" My group and I are going to be trying out playing as the others in the group should be fun.

This might be more of a question for the Gm:

How will mankind win the zombie war?

WILL mankind win the zombie war, or is it truly a zombie apocalypse?

1) humans will all gonna die

2) at the end everybody will blame Obama, so, what's the difference?

Zombies can be a good solution against ISIS

Our Gm has recently seen zombie holocaust so our characters might be in for a trip to the rainforrest. I can see it now:

The expedition is after a missing doctor,

The cannibals are after the expedition members,

And the zombies are after everybody!

Also the look on a cannibal's face when the guy he's eating reanimates and starts eating him !