Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Post-Apocalyptic Tales => Topic started by: nozza_uk on 13 December 2024, 03:37:07 PM
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Last night, we played our first game of "Zombie RV". While the rules are designed with a US setting in mind, we opted for a UK theme set during the "Winter of Discontent". This gave me the perfect excuse to reuse my Doctor Who 70s UNIT-era scenery and miniatures. Despite being a simple (and budget-friendly) rule-set, it delivered an equally enjoyable and tense gaming experience.
The back story to our campaign is here - https://nozzawargaming.blogspot.com/2024/11/the-winter-of-discontent-very-british.html (https://nozzawargaming.blogspot.com/2024/11/the-winter-of-discontent-very-british.html)
Details of our starter gang are available here - https://nozzawargaming.blogspot.com/2024/12/our-gang-for-zombierv-uk.html (https://nozzawargaming.blogspot.com/2024/12/our-gang-for-zombierv-uk.html)
(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2rWmnvQp0bOX5qvta9ltokYnpBm_82VIAWGrxYQ0AmELKm_jlVOiQJwhByAmaWm-jnxUpMxdXhYD429VVeNrtyRGldqX-2oSjosKainPwWobWG6_uex2C3rl3LG5n8Ws62KFMgx0vRDOWzt1U8rYYFeBjqZrFgD83ux2vajirtfIz8tbm5nO-Sg3OFOM/w640-h360/20241030_102227.jpg)
Although gun laws in 1970s/80s Britain were less strict than they are today, firearms were still scarce. As a result, the starting gang only had access to two guns and had to rely heavily on melee weapons.
You can see how they got on with this ARR - https://nozzawargaming.blogspot.com/2024/12/dead-set-britain.html (https://nozzawargaming.blogspot.com/2024/12/dead-set-britain.html)
(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBmcsQ8vdkQNZDcOHtvRsCePLcVMN4wjK2PTU3OZ_C-YuSzJswzWcFvmcqrNqePXrd03NNGgVyomDopjOIFWrYONm1ag5tRqIdj-dysZJNKQBMhbsaQLiNFF_DxUvMQFvKlOBbM8OnGA4JRmeTtzs-_LCkrFhhHvXxO9DFRK06id7as5d0IwAtKjTn0fo=w640-h480)
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I read the report on your site -- great first game out! Hope you had fun with the rules. And yes, we found the same thing. If a survivor is surrounded and knocked down...well, the end is near! I also found that by putting ladders on a table the players come up with interesting and creative things to do, too... lol
Congrats, and hope to see further adventures of the crew, soon...
Mike Demana
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The rules are fun and if the dice don't go your way, it becomes a tough game.
The gang will be back - not sure whether it's before or after Christmas.
I've got some ideas for random events and I might dig out my old ATZ encounter cards to spice up some games.
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Bummer about Captain Slow. Is there a mechanism to recruit new crewmembers?
Good report, by the way...
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I always let me players design a new survivor to replace losses, but he or she is armed only with a melee weapon. That’s why I sketched out some campaign rules so they could improve or get new skills.
Mike Demana
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Is there a mechanism to recruit new crewmembers?
Yes, there is.
If your survivor team is less than 4 strong (excluding dogs), fill the vacancies with “liabilities” (see below).
• Liabilities are survivors with no special ability. Roll 1d6 for each, on a 4+ they have a melee weapon, and on a 6+ they also have a pistol.
• Any liabilities who survived this scenario can now choose a special ability.
Jezza's mate Tiff will be turning up. ;)
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There aren't too many UK themed zombie apocalypse shows - 'Shaun of the Dead' being one and the elusive tv series 'Zomboat!' being another - the latter would fit the idea of ZombieRV perfectly, as long as you changed the RV to a narrowboat. The idea of escaping the Zombie Apocalypse on a slow-moving boat had a lot of potential with the series being darkly humorous and quite good - sadly cancelled after 1 series and I've been unable to find it on dvd since.
D'oh - forgot about the only non-comedy UK zombie films, '28 days later', '28 weeks later' and the proposed reboot '28 years later'.
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There aren't too many UK themed zombie apocalypse shows
There is the Charlie Brooker series Dead Set (and that includes an escape by narrow boat).
There is also the current Generation Z.
You can also add Cockneys versus Zombies
Shaun is of course a RomZomCom film.
[Edit] there is also The Girl with all the gifts, which is effectively Zombies- with a slight I Am Legend twist]
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There's Anna and the Apocalypse if you want some songs with your zombies. Surprisingly enjoyable, but I hadn't realised it was a musical, so it took me by surprise when they started singing lol
It's also set at Christmas, so nice and topical
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There's Anna and the Apocalypse if you want some songs with your zombies. Surprisingly enjoyable, but I hadn't realised it was a musical, so it took me by surprise when they started singing lol
It's also set at Christmas, so nice and topical
Good catch.
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Excellent report and a fun game.
We also set our Zombie games in UK seu in Dedburgh (a seach here should find more of them)
https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=109038.0 (https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=109038.0)
https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=124969.0 (https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=124969.0)
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Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
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Last night, we kicked off our first game of 2025 and dove into the second session of our ongoing campaign. This time, we tackled the "A Day on the Farm" scenario from the "Zombie RV" rulebook. It was a wild mix of tension, strategy, and unexpected chaos—everything you’d hope for in a zombie-infested farmstead!
See how the gang got on https://nozzawargaming.blogspot.com/2025/01/a-day-on-farm.html (https://nozzawargaming.blogspot.com/2025/01/a-day-on-farm.html)
(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh66EEwef0XXO4i-j6yVk8OBhZ6ztImM442tlI6j3B40kxa3jRg-zAO-OnbF15w0xm5exHbbIC8Bubr8nK8iuSwYr43DRvB9vZurR92EG3UEwz5J-h2hR1PReDVdDSaeXqaGQFRp-JzXWYsIyV3z5t6ghtlB-5sqrls-1g28UHBuWmpJs-Okc29JrLvgfA=w640-h480)
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From bad to worse! An unlucky gang of survivors indeed. Looking forward to the next episode.
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Fun read! I haven't played that scenario, yet. With six players (3 vehicles) per game, I am having to devise my own. lol
Super bad luck once entering the barn! I would rule that if you roll a Natural "1" you were out of ammo/jammed, so actually fired no shot (making no noise). Seems like adding insult to injury otherwise. In the campaign system I am developing, you would have a reason to go for the other objectives. Plus, the penalty for a survivor not making it back to the vehicle is simply a "failed" scenario, giving you fewer Experience Points. If the survivor runs off the "wrong" board edge, he is assumed to meet up at a rally point later (aren't I nice? Haha!)...?
Sorry for essentially just repeating my comments I made on your blog... lol
Mike Demana
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Many thanks for your comments on the blog. To echo my reply there, if I were to play this scenario again, I’d randomize the tyre’s location to encourage more exploration. We treated a natural roll of “1” as the shooter wildly firing, missing, and running out of ammo, but I can see how your rule works too. I don’t want to be too harsh on the gang, so The Stig will return after sitting out the next game - if Glenn can fall into a zombie herd and then in the next shot, be magically rolling towards a dumpster, Stig can survive. ;)
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From bad to worse! An unlucky gang of survivors indeed. Looking forward to the next episode.
Thank you.
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I’ve created a list of random encounters to add an extra layer of intrigue to games of ZombieRV. With a little tweaking, these encounters can easily be adapted for other zombie-themed games.
To use them, roll 2d6 at the start of each turn. The first die determines the section, while the second die selects the specific entry within that section.
https://nozzawargaming.blogspot.com/2025/01/random-encounters-for-zombierv-and.html (https://nozzawargaming.blogspot.com/2025/01/random-encounters-for-zombierv-and.html)
Give them a try and let me know what you think.
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Those are great - I like them! I like how some are helpful and some are deadly. They certainly add character. My favorite is the dog… :D
Mike Demana
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Holy crap...
If your crew didn't have bad luck, they'd have no luck at all. :o
Perhaps, in lieu of assuming Stig's demise, create another scenario to try to rescue him. Perhaps between the 2 scenarios, someone could come along to aid in that endeavor, if the rules (in the book or your own) allow it...
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Adding the Random Encounters .doc for anyone who wants to use them in their games.
Hopefully it uploads and downloads successfully.
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Got them -- thanks! :)
Mike Demana
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I’m about to have a go at this game in a UK setting. I’m thinking of dating it at 2020 when the zombie apocalypse hits worldwide. I take what you say about gun availability in the UK but I’m going to allow the survivors the standard allocation that the rules specify. They’ll be travelling round in a Range Rover. The geographical location will be the fictional county of Borsetshire where I locate my VBCW campaign.
Thanks for making the Encounters table available - that looks to add some real fun elements. Initially, I’ll play a couple of the scenarios provided in the rules without unofficial add-ons (yours or Mike Denama’s) to get a feel for them.
Looking forward to getting started.
Doug
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I’m about to have a go at this game in a UK setting. I’m thinking of dating it at 2020 when the zombie apocalypse hits worldwide. I take what you say about gun availability in the UK but I’m going to allow the survivors the standard allocation that the rules specify. They’ll be travelling round in a Range Rover. The geographical location will be the fictional county of Borsetshire where I locate my VBCW campaign.
Looking forward to hearing about your adventures. Hopefully your crew will have better luck than mine.
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Looking forward to hearing about your adventures. Hopefully your crew will have better luck than mine.
I’m planning on a solo campaign but there’s also a two-hander via Google Meet planned for tomorrow with Mad Lord Snapcase. That should be fun :)
Doug
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Good luck! If Snapcase is involved, I expect an AAR up to that level. lol Or at least a suitably atmospheric rambling post! :D
I am on vacation now, so apologize if you reach out and I don’t reply promptly.
Mike Demana
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Good luck! If Snapcase is involved, I expect an AAR up to that level. lol Or at least a suitably atmospheric rambling post! :D
I am on vacation now, so apologize if you reach out and I don’t reply promptly.
Mike Demana
Played our first game yesterday and m’lud’s report has appeared (at least the start of it). I won’t steal his thunder but I will say that the game works very well played over a video link and can get surprisingly tactical, as well as exciting.
Doug
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Last night, we played our third game of ZombieRV, tackling the "A Cabin in the Woods" scenario from the rulebook.
How do Jezza, Hamster, and a few newcomers handle it this time?
https://nozzawargaming.blogspot.com/2025/02/a-cabin-in-woods.html (https://nozzawargaming.blogspot.com/2025/02/a-cabin-in-woods.html)
(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZtHY0dLTr4riYuaoutLIXyO43gbTJH4cGZTZuuetjFWdgZCegArfXNEG6_AJlChCxIP8n1Fmg-NU_Pa-Bv-_OD2G48KDoN5Kv02-qhQGEYN1K_u8RAtbfSWzHsd60Rvpx8qSpEvME8rgenhTVz6ss6-S6t2kcNfTzASZEungv-b4lnan-2xFqtQefQik=w640-h480) (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj0mST788P-J-Upaw51DCmfBJ2i4wnutfWjXTecGa6MBt9PLuOwvzqVeJHZoOj2yOBuP5vsHRPu3Rs7igNurwIHpdjtvZDP1GQXadULiTbKBtgG8TTSEgpXobD6AjpvKuO3bGqD8tCi24hIskr-WsExQ1AGs0X0ZPrPamVZXliaSJrnsWTuEgq7mJwWV8E=w640-h480)
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That went pretty well - you didn’t have any real scares by the look of it; good job done👍.
I realise after reading your account that we missed two things yesterday. One was the die roll before activation so see if a character gets an extra action and the other was reducing a wounded character to one action.
How many players did you have?
Doug
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That went pretty well - you didn’t have any real scares by the look of it; good job done👍.
Well the 'fast' zombies gave us a few squeaky bum time moments when they spawned, but the dice were unbelievable that night. More than made up for the two previous games.
How many players did you have?
Two, running two characters each.
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Well now. It was good to see Lady Luck favor your crew for once. Nice report.
And I now see where your phrase "Bob's your uncle" comes from... :D
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That forgetting to roll for an extra action is easy to do. That's why, on my QRS I created, I have that as step number one. I give the players a bump by having them do it all at the same time before moving anyone. Thus, they know for planning who has an extra action. May not be strictly by the rules, but we don't forget to roll for it anymore... lol
Great AAR! I'm enjoying your games and they inspire me to run more of mine for the players, too. :)
Mike Demana
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We played another game of ZombieRV this week, diving into the 'Trailer Trash' scenario from the core rules - though, as always, we gave it our own UK twist. This time, I experimented with a more narrative-driven approach to the After Action Report, taking inspiration from Doug ex-em4. It was a fun change of pace, adding a bit more story and character to the chaos.
If you're curious about how it all went down, you can check out the full AAR over on my blog! https://nozzawargaming.blogspot.com/2025/03/caravan-rubbish.html (https://nozzawargaming.blogspot.com/2025/03/caravan-rubbish.html)
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Well, the big question is how is Del going to handle this? He’s going to need some tough love.
Apart from the unfortunate fate of Raquel, that seemed a pretty successful mission. You didn’t seem to be struck by the curse of the out-of-ammo shotgun which is a given in my games and the bow certainly came in handy - I’ve been wanting one of those since my campaign started.
The re-roll is a vital part of the game to my eyes. No longer do I groan when the loot table tells me we’ve found "Supplies" (for the uninitiated, a character can expend “Supplies" to cause a re-roll of the last die roll). My supplies tend to get used up in re-rolling the frequent out-of-ammo results.
Good to see another team in action against the zombie curse - an enjoyable write-up of a lively (maybe unlively :D) encounter.
Keep ‘em coming.
Doug
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Yeah, I suspect Del Boy ain't gonna like that reality. Will it drive him to depression, or enrage him to the point of mindless revenge? Or something in between? I guess we will all find out soon enough...
Nice report, in any event. And I like the narrative style of it. ;)
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A very exciting and imaginative read this encounter :D. Very entertaining and the action on the table top was coming alive in the most gruesome fashion lol! As a fellow narrative style gamer, I really appreciated your effort to "go the extra mile" and I am very much looking forward to see how things progress in the Winter of Discontent.
Regards,
Legionnaire.
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Great battle report! Your survivors are an adept bunch, they went through those zombies like nobody's business. I can tell your rolls were good by the story. Looking forward to more stories soon... :-*
Mike Demana
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A huge thank you to everyone for the positive comments - I really appreciate them!
I did leave out a few details when writing the AAR, so I wanted to add a bit more context. While the game may have sounded like smooth sailing, we actually started with nine re-rolls in the bank and ended with none. The very last re-roll was spent in a tense moment to save Sabine from an untimely fate at the hands of zombie Raquel. It was a close call!
On top of that, Hamster found himself in a familiar predicament - running out of ammo for his pistol for the fourth consecutive game. Fortunately, he was able to swap to the shotgun, which kept him in the fight. At this point, it’s almost becoming a tradition for him to empty his pistol at the worst possible time!
One major factor that worked in our favour was the setup of the zombie spawning points. With only a single spawn location on the table - and positioned in the middle of the bog - zombie movement was significantly slowed. This meant that while they still had the advantage in numbers, they couldn’t capitalise on it as effectively. Comparing this to our previous games, we've really struggled when dealing with multiple spawn points, so this was a welcome change of pace.
All in all, it was an intense and enjoyable game with plenty of close calls. Looking forward to the next one!
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It's always intense with hand-to-hand combat. Your guys did well to survive.
I suggest you vary the zombie total by dicing to see how many are in locked locations. Having three each time is somewhat unrealistic. Obviously, the bigger the enclosure the more likely more zombies are in it.
Definitely a lively, enjoyable game
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An unexpected gaming opportunity popped up this week, so we seized the chance for another round of 'ZombieRV'.
How did Del react to the news about Raquel? Find out in the AAR, where we introduced some new mechanics from the 'A Place to Chillax' campaign!
https://nozzawargaming.blogspot.com/2025/03/the-petrol-hunt.html (https://nozzawargaming.blogspot.com/2025/03/the-petrol-hunt.html)
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What a fabulous report, glad they're all well.
Love that Mini.
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Both gangs had some amazing escapes! Great report, and I thought there was no way that the last two members of Del's gang were going to make it off the table. :o
I haven't introduced inter-gang warfare, yet. Ostensibly, they're all on the same side. For now... :D
Mike Demana
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If you haven't already, I'd recommend getting hold of the 'A Place to Chillax' campaign pdf. Adds a rival gang (The Rottzies) in scenario 3 with basic some mechanics on how the gang members will behave. Of course, not every situation is catered for, but the good thing about ZombieRV is that it is very easy to come up with house rules.
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Ramping up the danger this time! Not only the zombies are out for blood but also some other survivors with a grievance! Excellent way of keeping things interesting ;). I've been umming and aahing about introducing that element in my own CRZ campaign, but ultimately decided against it for a couple of reasons.
Excellent exciting stuff sir!
Thanks for sharing.
Regards,
Legionnaire.
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As soon as I saw the Mini, I was hooked. I need one of them. ;)
A great idea to set the game in a churchyard - it gives the spawning zombies mechanic a lot more credence.
The two gang set-up makes an interesting variation and a different game balance. I?d like to try that.
On top of all that, a very good, enjoyable narrative - congratulations. And Jezza - you are one lucky human being. Don?t expect that every time you go forth against the undead?.! :)
I?m going to read that account again now, there?s a lot to enjoy there.
Doug
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On top of all that, a very good, enjoyable narrative - congratulations.
Thanks, Doug! I really appreciate the compliment - it was your influence that pushed me to step up my game in writing reports.