Scavenging

By caul, in Zombie Apocalypse

So I was just wondering how you all handle this? My current thought is to keep it simple and just have the player (or group if they want to work together) make a Logic test to find what they are looking for, rather than use a bunch of random tables. So for example:

Tom and Jerry are in a convenience store looking for bottled water. They are working together, and Tom has the higher Logic (4), they both have flashlights, and Tom is Observant (+) so he is going to roll 4 positive dice. The store has been well picked over though, so there are 2 negative dice. If he succeeds, they find bottled water. If they succeed with multiple dice, they find even more water, or something else beneficial. If they succeed with doubles on remaining positive dice, they find something even more beneficial, like a gun. If any negative dice remain, Tom takes Mental stress in the form of frustration.

If you are looking for something that doesn't make sense in the environment you are in, the GM can increase the number of negative dice applied, or simply say there is nothing of the kind present.

Thoughts?

That is essentially how Ill be running it as well, however, I found a link to a table that could be easily adapted for scrounging in the post apocalypse that Ill be using as well:

http://texaszombie.com/scrounging1.pdf

Hope it helps!

<SNIP>

If you are looking for something that doesn't make sense in the environment you are in, the GM can increase the number of negative dice applied, or simply say there is nothing of the kind present.

Thoughts?

That looks like a pretty good way to handle it in this system. Something you may want to add is an increasing difficulty as time goes on.

That is essentially how Ill be running it as well, however, I found a link to a table that could be easily adapted for scrounging in the post apocalypse that Ill be using as well:

http://texaszombie.com/scrounging1.pdf

Hope it helps!

Wouldn't the modifiers to find at the end of the document have to be reversed (if I am reading them correctly) as the longer the event has been going on the lower the target number?

But I do like the table. I might use that.

I think the best way to do this is just decide what the players find that matches the environment they are searching. The tables might bog down the rules.

The advantage of this setting is that it is your city, so you should have a fairly good idea of what is available. On the first day stores and restaurants will be full of food, but as the days pass it should be harder and harder to find food, so just give them less and less. Then you make it more exciting as they struggle to find food without becoming bandits.

I think the best way to do this is just decide what the players find that matches the environment they are searching. The tables might bog down the rules.

The advantage of this setting is that it is your city, so you should have a fairly good idea of what is available. On the first day stores and restaurants will be full of food, but as the days pass it should be harder and harder to find food, so just give them less and less. Then you make it more exciting as they struggle to find food without becoming bandits.

That might not be the case for example a convince store pretty much looted down to the kitchen sink but you check anyway. Well a roll on the table and guess what no water or food, but trapped under a door you notice a dead body with a M4 or whatever. Now you have to roll play them getting that M4, is the dead body truly dead, does the struggle to get the gun cause a window to shatter or hit the nose on a dead clown which causes it to honk and alert nearby zombies to your presence. The table can actually help with narrative.

Edited by rg56538

That's what I had in mind.

When I play RPGs, my DM Binder (or since its the Zombie Apocalypse, the ZM Binder) is filled not with rules and tables that are strictly adhered to, but instead I use it for on the fly inspiration. I keep a thin binder filled with interesting hooks, descriptions, quick NPCs & Locations, etc.

Above is a great example of that.

To me, the Narrative is paramount to the rules, and the Lite rule set of EotW makes improvisation on the fly incredibly easy.

That's what I had in mind.

When I play RPGs, my DM Binder (or since its the Zombie Apocalypse, the ZM Binder) is filled not with rules and tables that are strictly adhered to, but instead I use it for on the fly inspiration. I keep a thin binder filled with interesting hooks, descriptions, quick NPCs & Locations, etc.

Above is a great example of that.

To me, the Narrative is paramount to the rules, and the Lite rule set of EotW makes improvisation on the fly incredibly easy.

Yeah I have a folder with locations some quick made NPC's (cops etc..) and tricks to get the PCs to do what I want them to do.

Could I ask for sample of this treasure trove of extra stuff? This is the first time I have ever GMed so I am flying by the seat of my pants...

  • I have the timeline printed out (I only have the PDF).
  • I have a outline of my goals for the grp with probabilities (If they go route A this happens, route B this happens, wait wtf why are they doing route C that doesn't make any sense!!!?!)
  • I have a page full of narrative motivations for on the fly situations (supplies etc...) also has potential groups they might run into.
  • I have some pre-generated NPC's
  • I have some tables for generating NPC's with features on the fly
  • Random Equipment/weapons/supplies Table for looting
  • All the table examples from the book for the PC's to use.
  • And finally I printed out all the NPC's from each scenario

I am sure I will be adding more as a I go as I think of it and as people post things on here. Frankly the community on here has been wonderful, I just wish it's a bit bigger.

edit: grammar/spelling

Edited by rg56538

I think this thread has more interesting, well organized ideas than any other on this forum