Terrain

 As much as I am able to, I'll use / make some type of physical tabletop terrain so that I can play on the tabletop using miniatures.

I have been slowly making some generic terrain, buying in a couple of pieces that I wasn't sure how to make, and slowly I have been able to gather enough to run a reasonable variety of scenario types. I have some basic houses, trees, hills, rivers, roads, bridges, fences, walls etc. I'm light on shops and the kind of box stores that are common in the USA - that's my next goal for terrain building / buying. I do have some decent cardboard terrain from Battlescape so if I need to run a city block scenario I have enough to do that.

I could have started this campaign properly years ago if I didn't get tempted by the photos and AARs I've seen and read elsewhere. But I am too partial to the vision in my head of how this campaign might look, and how I might photograph it all and showcase it here.

Mechanics

Just so that you know, I'll sometimes be using screenshots from the All Things Zombie module for Vassal, to illustrate the adventures of Tad and his chums. That and any other artwork, photographs and graphics that I can make fair use of.

The main advantage of using the ATZ Vassal module for this game is that I don't have to set up a play area and find room for a scale miniatures skirmish. I don't have to worry about my other half complaining that I've left a game set up and it's a mess, or worry about my young son playing Godzilla among the plastic world. Or worry about my dogs laying on the buildings or chewing up the figures.

Eventually, I'd like to make some new maps for the ATZ Vassal module, although that will be a learning curve for me to tackle. I figure that it will be worth it however, as with gorgeous maps to play on I'll be back time and time again to find out what happens next in my survival saga...

Meet Tad Doyle...

Our hero in these early tales is a straightforward sorta guy by the name of Tad Doyle. Using the ATZ rules he's our Star with a Rep of 5, and he has the Attribute Crack Shot. This will allow him to roll an extra 1d6 when firing and pick the best result. Tad did a fair bit of hunting and survivalist stuff before the Great Panic, and boy are those skills coming in useful now! He retains his favourite hunting Rifle from those good old days, but his hunting clothes only keep him warm and don't afford any armour protection.

Tad has a couple of friends who are sticking with him. (Page 10 of the ATZ rules says that your Star character starts the campaign with 3 Grunt sidekicks.) So grabbing my deck of cards and some dice, I set about rolling up Tad's friends.

First up is Lucy. Rolling even and drawing a Joker, Lucy has 3 Rep but no weapon. Her attribute is variable, so we choose Medic for her. Obviously Lucy was some kind of nurse before the Great Panic, and has so far shunned weapons. Lucy just has her normal clothes, which were fashionable three years ago but which are decidedly ragged and worn now.

Second up for the gang is Miguel. Rolling odd and drawing 4 of Spades, we find he has 4 Rep, a pistol, and he's Hard as Nails. Miguel is second-generation Columbian immigrant, and his father was once forced to flee Columbia to escape from FARC.

Third and last, we have Johnny. Rolling even and drawing 8 of Hearts, we find Johnny armed with a Bad Assed Pistol, but with a tendency to be a Dumbass. Half the time Johnny is useful to have around, but when he daydreams he really can switch off at the wrong moments.

Johnny has the hots for Lucy, and hasn't yet figured out that she doesn't want to know. Lucy has a thing for Miguel, but he doesn't want any woman fussing over him as he thinks it makes him look weak.

When we first meet up with our chums here, they are clean out of food and supplies, and if they don't get a lucky break soon, Tad will run out of ammo and their hunting will revert back to snares. The month is January, and the year is O+2, two years after the Outbreak, and the Great Panic is in full swing. Mankind has been reduced to just isolated pockets of survivors, as great swathes of the undead roam the towns and cities in search of live food. Tad, Lucy, Miguel and Johnny are somewhere upstate of New York City, which has seen the worst of the zombie plague. Not daring to head south to the city itself, the group have decided to head into the nearest small town (classed as 'Outskirts' on p.29 ATZ) on a looting raid to stock up on supplies.

There are 14 buildings and 5 vehicles in this suburb. As the characters approach the outskirts of the town, they can see the Mall building rise above the rest of the town, but have no idea where they are as all the road signs have been torn down. Total buildings rolled: House (3), Mall (1 only), Apartments (4), Restaurant (1), Retail Store (3), Warehouse (1), Retail 'Box' Store (1). Total vehicles rolled: Pickup Truck (2), Sedan (2), SUV (1).

Solo Zombie Nation?

Solo Zombie Nation is the collection of records kept by survivors of the Great Panic.

Rulesystems being used are All Things Zombie, Mythic, and some nice bits from All Flesh Must Be Eaten. Judicious use has also been made of Zombie World comics and several great zombie novels.