Welcome To Lazarus

Instead of a "BANG", humanity is passing away with the shuffling of dead feet, and hungry moans. Desperate men and women fight against the rising tide for the newly risen dead.Sometimes, though, the undead are not he most dangerous things out there. Civilization has failed the test; the only thing left is survival.

Lazarus is just one of many places where humanity holds on by a thread, and life and death come as easily as a roll of the dice.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Drive-By Of The Dead - ATZ Campaign Day 3

Prologue:
The Westside Crips and the Southside Bloods had been enemies for as long as anyone could remember; different sets, different blood.  Things had been escalating for weeks.  Now with what went down at the hospital there was no turning back.  Tito and Tiny were there, but had disappeared.  They weren't in jail, and the police weren't releasing any names.  Their homies knew that they were dead.  When it all went down, and witnesses saw 2 Crips running from the scene.  The SBs were able to find out who they were.  Better yet, they knew where they were and one of them was wounded. They were holed up someplace in "the Greens", the WC's home turf.  Once home to nice working class apartments, the area was now run down, and  dangerous.  Not so dangerous that the SBs didn't think they couldn't exact a pound of flesh for Tito and Tiny, though.

It was late at night, as the Southside Bloods approached "the Greens".  Their lights turned off, their cars eased down the street.  Guns were loaded and cocked, as drugs and alcohol were passed around to fortify nerves.   Those SOBs Ghost and Beebo were who they were after, but any Westside Crip would do.  Anybody they found would pay the price.  Oh yeah, it was payback time.

Special Rules:
  • Ghost and Beebo will be found hanging out together on any doubles rolled on an occupant check,
  • The Southside Bloods arrive from a random street.
  • Zombie numbers are still low, so rural zombie generation (6 on 1D6) will be used.
  • Zombie Tito, Tiny (from Day 2) will be the first 2 zombies the Bloods directly encounter.  They must take a Zed No Zed test upon seeing them.
  • It's still early in the plague, so there are still no STARs, and the Humans only have a Rep3
Setup:
Lazarus Greens is located in Westside.  The map represents the neighborhood around "the Commons"; the open spaces around the center of the projects.  PEFs are located in Sector 1 (Fish shop Rep1), Sector 2 (Burger King Rep2), Sector 5 (Food-O-Rama, rep 2).  The Southside Bloods enter from road 3.  There are 3 in a car and 2 in a truck.
The Southside Bloods

Turn 1 (Zombies\PEFs 4, Bloods 3)
Zombie\PEF Move: No PEFs may move

Bloods Move: Bloods entered from road 3 and saw what looked like gangers inside the Burger King.  They stopped and 2 Bloods got out of the car to check it out.  They walked towards the Burger King, guns hidden.  They saw 3 Crips (all armed w/ hidden pistols) sitting by the window.  They pulled out their guns and opened fire (double barrel and pistol), through the window.  Shotgun fired and knocked one down, killing him.  He then realized he forgot to bring ammo with him (Double 1s on To Hit).  Pistol fired and missed.
Shotgun and Pistol move towards the Burger King
Turn 2 (Zombies\PEFs 4, Bloods 1, Crips Inactive)
Zombie Placement: 8 rolls, 1 zombie appears on road 4 by the Burger King.

Zombie\PEF Turn: The newly arrived Zombie moved towards the car.

Bloods Move: Shotgun saw what appeared to be a bloodied Tito stumbling around the corner of the Burger King.  Pistol saw Tito, too, and called his name (Pass 0 Zed No Zed).  The zombie closed, then lunged at Pistol biting him.  Pistol stumbled away, blood gouting from his neck (OOF Result).  Shotgun stood there in shock.  The other 3 Bloods exited their vehicles.  The car driver was attacked by the Zombie Tito (Pass 0 Zed No Zed).  They became locked in melee.  The truck driver was in shock, and didn't move.  AK-47, exited the truck’s passenger door, knowing that something was desperately wrong (Pass 2 Zed No Zed).  He charged forward and attacked Zombie Tito from behind with butt of weapon.  He bashed it twice, killing it.

Pistol stumbles away, bleeding, as Zombie Tito attacks the driver of the car.
 Turn 3 (All Inactive)

Turn 4 (Bloods 3, Zombies\PEFs 1, Crips Inactive)
Zombie Placement: No zombies were drawn to the area by the noise.

Bloods Move: The Bloods grabbed Pistol and threw him in the car, as the surviving Crips remained under cover.  The Bloods vehicles took off down the street.

Zombies\PEF Move: Food-O-Rama PEF moved along side walk heading towards the Bloods.  Fish Shop PEF ended up cutting across “the Commons”.
Turn 4 Movement
The dead Crip in the Burger King reanimated.  After passing a Zed No Zed test and being involved in a brief struggle, the Crips killed the zombie with a pistol.

Turn 5 (Zombies\PEF 4, Bloods 3, Crips Inactive)
Zombie Placement: No new zombies are drawn to the area.

Zombie\PEF Move: No Zombies or PEFs were able to activate, or move.

Bloods Move:  The Bloods sped down the deserted street, with the truck in the lead.  They took the corner and sped by a group of old men walking down the side walk (PEF resolution of D).  The old men shook their fists and yelling for them to slow down.

Turn 6 (Zombies\PEFs 4, Crips 2, Bloods Inactive)
Zombie Placement:  A zombie stumbled out of the darkness by the gas station, moaning as the tail lights of the cars sped away.  Another zombie arose from behind a trash bin next to the Inferno strip club.  Finally, 3 zombies lurched around the corner by the Food-O-Rama, apparently following the old men.
A zombie watches as the Bloods speed down the street.
 Zombie Move: The zombie by the gas station moved after the Bloods.  The zombie by the trash can charged out into the street and reached the Pickup truck, as it slowed down to make the corner.  The driver recognized Tiny in the gloom.  As Zombie Tiny charged forward the driver yelled for him to get into the bed of the truck (Pass 0 on Zed, No Zed).  AK47 screamed "NO!" (Pass 1 Zed No Zed). 

Zombie Tiny reached through the open window of the still moving truck.  As the truck drug him along, Zombie Tiny scratched and clawed at the driver.  Suddenly, blood sprayed across the inside of the truck, as the driver was mortally wounded (OD Melee result).  AK-47 grabbed at the wheel trying to control the truck (Roll 1D6 on Loss of Control).  The truck careened across the sidewalk, glanced off a building, hit a parked vehicle, and flipped (Pass 0). AK-47 was dazed, but unhurt, as he tried to untangle himself inside the cab.  The zombie was thrown clear and knocked down (GMs discretion).


Zombies attack the over turned truck.
Crips Move:  The two surviving Crips ran towards the Green, from Burger King, to get help.  They entered the nearest project building and searched for other gang members (zombie result = Crip ganger on What’s Inside).  None were found in the first building.  The old men went running into the night, terrified.

Turn 7 (All Inactive)
Zombie Placement: 2 more zombies turned the corner across from the Food-o-Rama

The driver of the car slammed on the breaks and brought the car to a stop.  They could hear AK-47 screaming in terror.  His screams turned from terror to ones of pain and anguish.  Suddenly, the screaming stopped.  The air was quite, the only sound was the idling engine of the car, and the quite hissing of steam escaping the broken radiator fo the nearby crash.  All they could see was hunched over figures around the overturned truck (the zombies began to feast  for 1 turn).


Turn 8 (All Inactive)
Zombie Placement: No new zombies are drawn to the area.
The driver of the truck reanimated, but the was stuck in truck (GMs discretion; I didn't want to mess w/ any more figures.  Things were going badly enough for the unfortunate Southside Bloods as it was.).

Turn 9 (Zombies 2, Crips 2, Bloods Inactive)
Zombie Placement: No new zombies are drawn to the area.

Zombie Move: AK-47 arose as a zombie, as the other zombies moved towards the idling car.  Of the group that attacked the truck, only one could reach the car, even if it is unable to attack, yet.  Blood and drool fell on the hood, as it hungrily eyed the passengers.  Transfixed, they didn't see the gas station zombie come up the rear driver’s side.  It reached through the window attacking the driver in a surprise attack (+2D6 Melee).  Quickly, the driver was knocked OOF.
The driver of the car is attacked.
Crips Move:  The two Crips moved to the next building, in search of reinforcements.  They triggered the 1 Rep PEF, but it turned out to be kids playing (again PEF Resolution result of D).  They reached the building and found 4 gangers hanging out on the stoop.  They  quickly dispersed to grab their pistols.
Finding help.
 Turn 10 (Zombies 4, Bloods 2, Crips Inactive)

Zombie Move:  The Zombies swarmed the Blood’s car.  As the Zombies charged, Shotgun bolted from the passenger door, leaving Pistol and the driver to the Zombies (Pass 0 Being Charged).  Two zombies followed Shotgun to the back door of the nearest project building.  They pounded on the door as he pushed to keep it closed.  The rest of the zombies began to feast on the car's unfortunate occupants for 4 turns.
The feast begins.
 Bloods Move:  Shotgun decided it's time to get out of dodge.  He bolted through the building as fast as he could, and headed up he street they had originally come down.

Turn 11 (Crips 3, Bloods 1, Zombies Inactive )

Crips Move:  As the Crips gathered forces; they saw a person bolt from the front door of a nearby building.  Some one yelled, "There's a Blood, get him!"  The 6 took off after the running figure.  The quickly caught up with the running figure.  Five of them surrounded the hapless Shotgun, cursing.  One of the Crips pulled out his pistol and fired it point blank into Shotgun's chest (2+ Melee Successes).  Shotgun fell to the ground dead.
Shotgun's Demise
 Turn 12 (Zombies 4, Crips Inactive)

Zombie Move: No new zombies were drawn by the single gunshot, and the zombies continued to feast by the car.

Turn 13 (Zombies 1, Crips Inactive)

Zombie Move:  Shotgun began to reanimate while the Crips stared in confusion.  As the zombie rose, 3 of the Crips bolted into the nearest building.  Zombie Shotgun lunged at one of the remaining gangers, and a vicious struggle ensued. The ganger finally killed the zombie, while the feast continued by the car.

Turn 14 (Crips 3, Zombies 1)

Crip Move:  The three Crips that retired hunkered down inside the building.  The others decided to check out what was happening down the street.  They moved cautiously (normal move) and stopped far enough from the car that they felt safe.  They could see the crowd tearing at and eat the occupants of the car!  In shock, one of the gangers ducked behind the building (Pass 1 See The Fest and Santiy).  The other two ran back to the building their friends went into.  Pounding on the door they screamed to be let in.  Once inside, they both cowered in fear (Pass 0 See The Feast and Sanity).
Ducking Back
Turn 15 (Zombies 2, Crips 1)

Zombie Move:  The zombies finished feasting on the car's occupants

Crips Move:  The Crip left out side entered the building he was next to, and locked the door.  Pulling out his cell phone and he dialed 9-11.

Aftermath:   
The Westside Crips barricaded themselves inside the project buildings.  The 9-11 call was logged, but a patrol car was long in arriving.  The gangers, and other occupants of the Greens watched through pulled blinds as the killers wandered around the outside.  Conversations were whispered, but no one was calling them zombies, yet.  Most wandered off into the darkness.  By the time a patrol car did show up, after day-break, the remaining one or two killers had been dispatched.  No one would talk, as the police gathered evidence and information.  Officer Bakkus surveyed the scene, noting the killers and the victims.  His head swam, as the word Zombies, as crazy as it sounded, rolled around his brain.





GM's Notes - OK, this one did not turn out REMOTELY like I had hoped for, or envisioned.  I was hoping for a showdown between Ghost, Beebo and the SBs, and I envisioned getting another Blood character I could use again.  Still, it was a fun game.   

One thing I needed to reconsider was having the humans as Rep 3, as it puts them at a considerable disadvantage.  With that, the Zombies are even more deadly.  After thought, I am leaving humans at Rep 3 until day 9.  I figure that people are a bit slow on the uptake that the end is nigh.  From days 10 to 19, reoccurring characters will go up to Rep 4; I have 3 at the moment, even if they haven't been directly involved every scenario.  On day 20, any surviving reoccurring characters will be eligible to become STARs, based on their past performances; only cool people need apply. 

I wanted to use this game to get the mechanics of how PEFs and Vehicles work.  I got experience in spades on both accounts.  Finally, from the time I rolled the first dice, to the time I finished was about 6 hours.  That includes, taking notes, photos, editing them and ripping out this BatRep.  That's not including  time tinkering with the BatRep for a few days.  Not a bad way to to spend a lazy Saturday.

11 comments:

  1. Good batrep, enjoyable but as you said unpredictable. The joy of zombie gaming and ATZ.

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  2. Very nice!
    I understand that you are reconsidering using only REP3 guys ;-)

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  3. Well done on a good report mate!

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  4. Fantastic Batrep and wonderfull terrain and minis. Awesome. I like your use of real-world phtos to start and finish too, nice touch.

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  5. Well worth the effort. Loved the scenery.

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  6. Hey,

    Awesome batrep/story...keep it coming!

    I do have an ATZ rule question...how did the gangers that were shot become zombies? Was that at your discretion...I've probably just missed a rule in the ATZ book...

    Thanks!

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  7. That is a great question. I decided that the "virus" is very virulent, at this stage. Dead figures reanimate 1 turn after being killed, or 1 turn after zombies finish feasting on them. On Day 6, the first milestone in the ATZ Campaign time line (Pg 53, ATZ:BDTZ), I'll knock it up to 2 turns, and so forth on every time line milestone.

    The same logic is behind rolling for attracting zombies. Right now, urban areas roll on the rural table, and zombies aren't even found in the suburbs and countryside. On Day 6, there are more zombies, so urban areas roll on the suburban table, and so forth.

    By Day 26, I'll be using all the rules as written.

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  8. http://lordsiwoc.blogspot.com/2011/05/award.html

    Nominated you for an award mate

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  9. And you've been nominated again...

    http://thequickandthezed.blogspot.com/2011/05/quick-and-zed-gets-double-tapped.html

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  10. Guys, I am honored that you think I am worthy of an award. I am new to the blog world, so I must be honest, I have no idea what you are talking about; I am still honored, though :-)

    Now, I am off to see what this award (nomination) business is all about!

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  11. Excellent work, I really like your batreps and, even if I'm not a great fan of 15mm miniatures, I must admit that seeing your games I'm starting to like them.
    As Zombie Ad already said, I really like the "Prologue" and "Aftermath" part with real pictures, it's a really nice touch... :)

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