ATZ (B Team-1): Going out for a bite!

Introduction

I've been running an ATZ campaign since the day I started this blog (as if you didn't know!) and the characters in the main story arcs have become very experienced and powerful.  I will continue with the A-Listers (John the photographer, Bomber, Darcy, Lizzie &c) in due course, but recently I've felt a bit of a mental block when trying to create scenarios that are sufficiently challenging for them.

In the meantime, I thought it would be interesting to rewind to the first days of the Z-apocalypse and see how a new group manage!  Who knows, maybe I'll do it better this time around?

Who are the B-Team?

The "B-Team"

The "B-Team" (as they call themselves) are a group of tradesmen and labourers who work together on large building sites.  They often hang out together outside of working hours as well.  It's not clear at this stage whether any of the men have long-suffering wives or girlfriends, but if so then these take second place to time with the lads!

So, who do we have?

• Ernie (leader), REP3 civilian, golf club
• Bob, REP3 civilian, Dumbass, hammer
• Sam, REP4 civilian, Dumbass, spade
• Bert, REP3 civilian, Slow to react, broom

Wow, 2 dumbasses (is that a word?) and a slow to react!  These guys really aren't academically or physically gifted.  On the positive side, they do all carry the tools of their trade and therefore each counts as having an improvised melee weapon.

Ernie was voted leader because he's not a dumbass, even though Sam has a higher REP.

Going out for a bite

"'Ere, Bert" called Bob, looking at a clock on the side of a building nearby "It's lunchtime.  My call today, so let's go for a burger".
"Aw, not that McDooms place, please!  That stuff gives me gas." replied his mate.
"Don't eat so much then!" interjected a third man, Ernie.  "Come on, let's go.  I've got to take my putter to the shop afterwards, so no hanging about!"

Mission 1 is simple: the B-team have to visit McDooms and find some food (and survive!).  Zombies?  There was some rumour in the news last night about sporadic "civil disturbances", but who watches the news?  Football and beer are so much more interesting.

The Game

The team took a short cut through the car park of a housing complex, heading towards the main road.  They were so intent on their discussions of the relative merits of sports teams and types of fast food that they failed to notice the crowd of dishevelled people staggering about amongst the cottages.  Fortunately for the B-Team, they weren't spotted either.

As they approached the road, the men became aware of a crashed pizza delivery car ahead of them (a fortuitous "Slippery Road" event occurred just at the point where there was a previously-placed car that had mounted the pavement/sidewalk).

"Looks like someone was a bit careless!" exclaimed Ernie.
"Well, where are they, then?  There's no-one in the car." said Bob.
Quickly, Sam responded "Um, perhaps they went into Safe Haven to call for help.  I'd better check".  He vanished into the store.
Bert turned to Ernie and whispered "It's that new girl they've got in there - Sam fancies her something rotten.  She's all right, but not really that great".

None of them noticed the 3 figures shambling towards them along the street.

As Bob and Bert waited for Sam to return, Ernie felt hands clutching at him from behind.
"What the h*ll!" he called out as he turned round to confront his unknown assailant.  2 staggering figures in torn clothing were trying to bite him, or so it seemed.  Ernie reacted angrily "It's a bit early in the day to be drunk, isn't it?  Back off or I'll batter you!"

Just as Sam came out of the store exclaiming "There's no-one there!", Ernie took a wild swing at the pair of louts who were still intent on mischief.  With a dull thud, his golf club hit the first attacker on the head, dropping him on the spot.  The follow-through knocked down the other shambler.
"Oh, shit!  I think I've killed him!" was all that Ernie managed to get out before his second attacker staggered to his feet again and renewed the assault.  At the same time, a 3rd lout in a dirty prison uniform charged at Sam.

A brief melee occurred, punctuated by confused calls of "What the h*ll?", "Little help here!", "Oh, god - his arm's hanging off!" and the like.  However, very swiftly both Sam and Ernie knocked their opponents down and then whacked them a few times to make them stay down.

"Oh, man!  We need to get out of here, now!" Ernie was on the edge of hysteria.  "Did you see their eyes and faces?  There was something wrong there - these weren't human!"
Surprisingly, Bob was completely composed.  "Zombies!" he exclaimed, sounding almost excited.  "I've seen them on telly!"  He continued "Look, no-one saw us, so I say we just carry on and get our lunch.  Come on."

He was wrong about not being spotted, though...

Bert, Ernie and Sam had already turned to go and were walking hurriedly towards the burger bar when Bob sensed a figure stumbling towards him from the side.  He gasped in horror as he realised that the woman was missing half of her face, but despite this she was clutching and clawing at him.  With a shove, he knocked the creature down before turning and running after his friends.

The inside of my burger bar model isn't very detailed.

Once inside McDooms, the lads quickly realised that the burger bar was deserted.  Indeed, the place looked as if it had already been ransacked.  They searched and searched, but there was no food.  Sam and Ernie found an unopened box of McDooms Unhappy Meal toys and in that were 2 of the ultra-rare "Lone Ranger" action figures.  Apart from that, Ernie found a large cooking knife, but nothing else useful.

Another event card was drawn and a sense of desolation and foreboding came over the group.  This wasn't helped by a rustling sound from just outside the burger bar door.
Suddenly, Sam exclaimed "Come on.  Let's get out of here" and he strode out into the street.

3 hard-faced men stood outside the restaurant (Vince-REP 5, Earl-REP5, Roller-REP3).  They hadn't noticed another 2 zombies who were creeping up behind them.

"Er, look out - behind you!" called Sam.

Roller stood and watched impassively while Earl and Vince turned to face the shambling monsters.  These tough guys quickly removed the threat, with Earl's wrench being especially decisive.  However, while they were doing that, "nurse" zombie finally caught up with the B-team and attacked Sam from behind.

Sam was initially taken aback by the cold, clammy hand on his shoulder.  He spun round rapidly and started beating the creature with his spade, not halting until she stopped moving.  When he looked round again, the strangers had gone.

When Bert, Ernie and Bob finally came out of McDooms, Sam was investigating the abandoned vehicles in the car park.  He figured that it wouldn't really be stealing if they could just borrow one to get home safely, but all of them were locked.  Seeing more zombies approach, Ernie called out "Sod this for a game of soldiers.  I'm off!"  He took off, running back towards their starting positions.

All 4 of the B-team fled.  They dodged the 2 slow-moving zombies near McDooms easily enough.

By this time they were all fairly spooked and it was no great surprise when Bert gave a scream.  "There's another one of them!" he shouted, pointing at an unlit window.  It was just a figment of his overworked imagination, though - there was nothing there (the noise did attract another zombie, though.  It just wasn't where Bert - or anyone else - could see it).

At the speed they were running, it didn't take long for the 4 men to reach the relative safety of the edge of the board.  Bert had paused briefly to speak to another group of 3 men, though they also seemed to know more than the B-team about what was happening.  In any case, they weren't interested in doing more than exchanging a few words.

They paused for a few moments, catching their breath in the doorway of a large building.
"What was that all about?" said Ernie.
"F*cked if I know!" replied Bob, a little too hastily.
"Oh, man!  Their eyes!  And those cold, clammy hands!  I can still smell them too" wailed Bert.
"Shut up!  Shut up, the lot of you!  We've got to think." was Sam's contribution.

Conclusion

Technically, this was a failed mission.  No-one found any food at the burger bar, or anywhere else for that matter.  All passed their REP demotion rolls, apart from Bert (who is now a REP2 gibbering wreck).  But at least they are all alive and are now aware of the zombie threat.  And who knows, they might be able to eBay those ultra-rare McDooms toys...

[Update: part 2 of this campaign is here.]