Casting Shadows

This week’s seed is for Outbreak Undead, and is put together primarily for fast, light, and easy immersion at first, but has plenty of slightly off meat for the more emotional range once characters get established. I am not really that into zombie or zombie apocalypse style settings and systems, but I find Outbreak Undead to be both engaging and capable. This seed developed recently in a conversation about White Wolf games and starting a new Chronicle.

The seed
It is the 80’s in California and the characters are all students in the Kobra Kai Karate Dojo. The players may generate themselves and add in a reason to be studying under their merciless karate teacher. During the week, for reasons unknown, the dead begin to rise in their shambling way to prey on the living. Those so taken rise as well. The Regional Karate Competition is next week, so the students are training too hard, too often to even notice.

Planting the seed
This seed can be run as a one-off, but there is no reason to end it if the majority of the PCs live and fun is being had. A few moments can be spent learning how there is no fear, no pain, and no mercy in the dojo, and then the zombies arrive.

The Details

 No one in the dojo is a rocket scientist or all the tuned in to the events of the world. Emotional stunting and colossal lack of empathy characterize the typical student. Rumours and reasons for why the dead have risen to feed on the living, and why the animal kingdom is following suit (or leading the way?) are simply unknown to them. This is just more difficult shit coming their way on another typical day in the dojo. There is no fear in there and everyone they meet  is the enemy, so they just grin and bear it.

Situation:

The group is training in a dojo. They have large supplies of fake wood weapons, thick towels, first aid gear, uniforms, old trophies, fake celebrity photos, mats, bottled water, and energy bars. They have good showers, poor toilets, a decent basement, and a fairly defensible front entrance.

There is a restaurant across the street. Supplies of preserved food in proximity of the dojo are somewhat limited, but there is a reasonable amount of fresh ingredients and spoiling frozen food available.

What is going on

The dead are walking around eating  the living. They don’t have any fear or mercy either and they definitely treat everyone on the street as the enemy.

Enjoy~

Related articles

• Saturday Seed ~ 105 (Call of Cthulhu) (runeslinger.wordpress.com)
• Zombie Apocalypse: Bangor, Maine Prepares For Hordes Of Undead Minions (innerstandingisness.wordpress.com)