Idea for Zona Alfa - Primeval

[Skipper]

I really like the idea of Zona Alfa and have been slowing working towards a game of it, but I want to bounce an idea off of everyone.

I really enjoyed the idea of Primeval (the TV show) and was thinking that what if "The Event" tore the barriers in space and time and allowed different eras to coincide within the "Zone".   (Leading Arnold on a hunt with a completely different, but real life Predator.)

The stalkers could take on a different role.  No longer are they the scavengers,  but maybe they lead hunting parties of the Rich and famous into the zone on big game hunts.

This would allow the hunting party to interact with beasts from the:

 - Cenozoic (Sabretooths and Cave Bears, Murder Birds)
 - Jurassic and Triassic (Time for a Dino Hunt)
 - Other Dimensions or Future (Monsters, Mutants, and Aliens ..... oh my)

Most creatures would be likely to stay in the area of the "Tear" as our world would be unfamiliar, but a few could wander around aimlessly or with purpose.  This would allow specific areas or sub-zones for the hunters to target specific prey, Each subzone could have its own threat level.

You could run Monster (Hunt) of the Week style episodes (Scenarios) where you could use pretty much anything you want terrain wise and model wise.  OK,  maybe this is just another "Lost World" idea brought into the present, but imagine the possibilities.

Imagine that really veteran teams might actually explore some of the worlds beyond the dimensional rifts to really get in deep.

I've been prepping 10-20mm dinosaurs and animals of all types to get this started. Now I just need to finish my real work projects to find time to continue fleshing out the idea and model counts.  I'm planning on t his being 15/18 mm and using all those  cheap Dollar Tree toys and Wizkid DnD models that I picked up on clearance and yard sales years ago.

Skipper
"No challenge is too small or too large"














 

[dadlamassu]

Intriguing.  I have been working on a similar set up for my own Zone Alfa games.  I have already worked out (but not play tested) most of the characters from the original series with a few additions.  If you are interested PM me as I'm happy to share what I have done to improve them. 

Still to find suitable 28mm figures though.

[Ultravanillasmurf]

Just finishing series five.

A good idea. Tell us more.

[dadlamassu]

I'm working on a rather expanded UK version of Primeval

Prof Nick Cutter (VETERAN 3) – leader of the field team.  An evolutionary zoologist at the Central Metropolitan University, and the husband of Helen Cutter. 
Skills: Leader, hard

Connor Temple (ROOKIE 1 or HARDENED 2 not decided) – the genius of the operation responsible for inventing new Anomaly detection and artefact extraction  technology and learning more about the phenomenon.
Detector (from faction) (+2 to will test searching anomaly), tool kit (from faction)  (+2 to mech skill test and -1 to action cost)
Skills: Scrounger (may search POI twice each is action) and Wrench (Scenario extra skill) (+2 on science/mechanical skill tests)

Abby Maitland (HARDENED 2) – Abigail "Abby" Sarah Maitland was a gutsy zoologist and a member of the Anomaly Research Centre, notable for her love for and skill with animals and the creatures. Abby is the elder sister of Jack Maitland and romantically involved with Connor Temple
Skills: Bone doctor

Hilary Becker (ex-army) (VETERAN 3) a chief Security Officer at the Anomaly Research Centre. He was recruited by James Lester to protect the field team. He is known for being more inclined to shoot first, and ask questions later.
Military Body Armour (6), Assault rifle, pistol, hand grenade(?), red dot, med-kit, gasmask
Skills: Unload, hustle.
 
Stephen James Hart (ROOKIE 1) is Nick Cutter's lab technician and right-hand man and was one of his and Helen Cutter's college students. Stephen had a strong friendship with Nick but also had romantic feelings towards Nick's wife.
Skills: undecided

Danny Quinn (former Detective Constable) (HARDENED 2) now in security team. 
Skills: Steady Hands, Hard

Sarah Page. (ROOKIE 1) Doctor Sarah Page is a former-Egyptologist who was drawn into the Anomaly Research Centre after becoming involved in an Anomaly incursion at the British Museum.
Skills: undecided

And

Helen Cutter (VETERAN 3) is the main antagonist of Primeval. She is the ex-wife of Nick Cutter, the main protagonist. She also had an affair with Stephen Hart, Nick's best friend.
Skills: Scrounger (may search POI twice each is action) others to be decided

[Ultravanillasmurf]

Great ideas, Connor is definitely a rookie (just ask Abbi when he was first given a tranq gun...). Admittedly he definitely leveled up over the course of the show.

[Ultravanillasmurf]

By the way, for those in the UK, Primeval seasons 1-5 are available on Now.

[zemjw]

I had a troubled relationship with the show - I enjoyed the concept, just not all the x-files conspiracy nonsense they insited on adding

There was a Canadian version (with Connor crossing over for the pilot, if memory serves), but it only lasted one season (and even that started to feel a bit too generous).

Having said that, a "pure" game could be a lot of fun. I'm not sure if it's still available, but there is/was a set of rules called Dinoproof that concerned modern folks hunting dinosaurs. I'm not suggesting using it instead of Zona Alpha, but it could give you ideas for the relative strengths etc of the dinosaurs. It was discussed nearly six ( ) years ago in this thread - https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=109163.0

[dadlamassu]

Great ideas, Connor is definitely a rookie (just ask Abbi when he was first given a tranq gun...). Admittedly he definitely leveled up over the course of the show.

I did think of him as a Rookie to start with but to reflect his role I think he needs to get to Hardened fairly quickly or have a very short career.

[mikedemana]

I haven't seen the show, but it sounds like a great setup for a campaign. As I always tell my friends, all movies are improved by adding dinosaurs chasing humans... 

Mike Demana

[nozza_uk]

There really should have been a crossover between Primeval and Dr Who, still that's something we could create as a game.

[mattblackgod]

That is a great idea. As I recall from the (long winded) Stalker film, the stalkers acted as guides for the rich, famous and desperate to find the centre of the zone to make an appeal wish granter.  Stalkers could still be employed as guides to find the anomalies for the Critter hunters.

[Ultravanillasmurf]

If you set it somewhere a bit more open than London (or Dublin* doubling for London), you could have teams looking for salvage from the future or samples from the past (or guiding tourists). That would explain why teams were fighting against each other.


* - I did wonder if the prominent chimneys that appear in a couple of episodes are the same ones in the beginning of the film Reign of Fire (the one with the classic line about the mountains of Norfolk).

Campaign wise, identifying the time at the other end of an anomaly could lead to using them for tactical movement,

By the way, was anyone reminded of "The Magician's Nephew" when Helen escaped though one anomaly to somewhere with a large number of anomalies?

[dadlamassu]

I am setting my games in the north of England - Scottish Borders area.  Following the Event at the Heysham nuclear power plant and the Delta Zone surrounding it and downwind - link to Zona Alfa.  The anomalies of the Delta (Devil) Zone mix the Zona Alfa types with the time travel types of Primeval.
The crews are also a mix of the two genres with stalkers and scavengers looking to recover the “alien” and altered artefacts as well creatures (mutants, dinosaurs etc) for profit as well as scientific research teams looking for much the same for research and public safety teams to contain incursions.

I can see some transfer from my Doctor Who collection into this, too.

[nozza_uk]

I'd be very interested in what figures you end up using for the Primeval cast.

[dadlamassu]

I'd be very interested in what figures you end up using for the Primeval cast.

I'm looking at the series with Douglas Henshall so finding figures may be an issue as most post apoc figures are armed to the teeth. Or do I allow them weapons so they might survive better in the "Devil Zone"?

Suggestions welcome