The Walking Dead Table-top Game
Basics of the Game
Welcome to a world where all you knew and loved is dead, .. or undead. The country has mysteriously been hit with a chaotic epidemic where infected victims transfer the zombie disease through biting those of the surviving human population. the government is crumbling under the stress of the outbreak leaving the public to fight for their lives. you are playing as one of these survivors. the scenario will be set by the game master and you can begin making characters. your objective is to stay alive and protect those you love. the longer you survive, the more information you hope to uncover about this disease and the closer you become to finding a cure.
Character Creation
The process for creating characters is simple, just fallow the steps below using your best judgement weather making an avatar of yourself or a custom character.
Below is a character sheet template you can print off to speed up the creation process.
Below is a character sheet template you can print off to speed up the creation process.
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1- Abilities
All characters have 8 abilities:
Strength (your lifting capabilities, damage added to melee attacks, climbing, swimming...)
Dexterity (your accuracy with ranged attacks, coordination, flexibility, tumbling, sneaking...)
Speed (your running speed)
Endurance (your ability to stay conscious, resist hunger, stay healthy, work hard for periods of time...)
Charisma (your social abilities, diplomacy, bluffing, intimidation, seduction, performance...)
Knowledge (your book smarts, trained skills, information, memory...)
Wisdom (your street smarts, reading peoples emotions and intentions, resisting fear, social understanding...)
Awareness (your perceptiveness, sight, hearing, searching...)
You must grade yourself from 1 to 10 on each of these abilities. 1 being as low as you could be, almost utterly useless in that field. 5 being average for a 25 year old man. and 10 being a top contender of that ability, you are one of the best in the world in that field with a 10.
You only have 50 points to spread between the 8 abilities so use them wisely and honestly. Its fine if you don't use all 50 points. any left over will be doubled then added to your skill point total later.
-Examples of characters with ability level 10 in their primes
Strength of Arnold Schwarzenegger
Dexterity of Jet Li
Speed of Usain Bolt
Endurance of Bear Grylls
Charisma of Adolf Hitler
Knowledge of Sheldon Cooper
Wisdom of Mr Miyagi
Awareness of Sherlock Holmes
2- Skills
All character can chose up to 20 different skills in which they would rank above the human average
skills can be ranked from 0 to 10. 0 being you have the capabilities of someone untrained in that skill. 10 being you are within the top 100,000 people in the world in that field.
You have a set number of skill points to spread between all your skills. this number is determined below:
1- all start with 20 points
2- add 1 point for every point you have in the knowledge ability
3- add 1 point for every 5 years of your life
4- add 2 points for an associates degree or equivalent
5- add 2 points for a bachelors degree or equivalent
6- add any left over ability points not used from earlier doubled
All skills have a modifier that comes from the ability the skill derives from. this modifier is added to the check amount for that skill. for example:
you want to shoot a zombie with a handgun. you must roll a firearms check. you have have 3 points in your firearm skill. you also have 8 points in your dexterity ability. you add those numbers together to get the check number which will always be a number between 1 and 20. in this case it is 11. that mans you need to roll between 1 and 11 on a 20 sided die to complete the task. you roll a 4. you shot the zombie.
It helps to have the math done ahead and the check numbers written down for each skill you have. You can still roll and attempt things you don't have the skill for, you just dont add a skill bonus but you do add the modifying ability.
3- Resistances
Resistances keep you alive when unseen forces challenge your body or mind. They can be ranked from 1 to 10 and have abilities that modify them like skills do.
You have 20 points to split between your resistances (max of 8 in any 1) and they are:
- Disease / Poison (Endurance modified)
- Hunger / Thirst (Endurance)
- Fatigue / Sleep (Endurance)
- Fear / Paranoia (Wisdom)
- Temptation / Depression (Wisdom)
- Compassion / Empathy (Wisdom)
Example of using resistances: Your trusty Canine companion Sparky just got but by a walker. you kill the walker and rush to Sparky's side. He is acting strange and begins foaming at the mouth and his eyes turn grey. (roll a Compassion resistance. Compassion / empathy resistance is a 2 and your wisdom is a 6. this means you need to roll an 8 or lower to succeed. you roll a 17) you drop to your knees in disbelief that your only true friend in this lonely world has become the enemy. you drop your gun and call his name and get out a bag of his treats. he approaches snarling with shoulders low and ears back. you hold out the treat and he leaps onto you tearing at your skin with his fangs. (roll a resist disease. your resist disease / poison is 7 and your endurance is a 5. you must roll a 12 or below to succeed. you roll a 10) you come to your senses and break free from the dog and your friends show up to put it down. you have bites on your face and arms but it doesn't look like the infection has set in.
4- Health and Morale
Health is equal to your endurance rank. all the damage you take is temporarily subtracted from this number. if it reaches 0 you fall unconscious. if it reaches negative 10 you are dead. if you are hit and put at a number between -1 and -9 you loose 1 more point at the end of every round until you reach -10 and die or your allies heal you and bring you back to 1 health. the time when your health constantly drops symbolizes you bleeding out.
A full nights sleep heals you by 1 health but nothing can heal you over your maximum health. The use of medical supplies can also raise your current health.
Certain diseases can lower your health constantly as well as hunger and thirst. you loose 1 health / day if you don't have water and food is 1 point every other day. that is if you fail your hunger / thirst resistance check
Morale is the measure of how positive your outlook on the impending situation is. it starts at 5 and can be raised up to 10 or dropped down to 1. any significant event can raise or lower your morale. whenever your morale is raised, you heal 1 heath. if your morale is a 3 or lower you receive a -2 penalty on all resistances for being more vulnerable. if your morale is ever a 1 you take -4 to resistances and -2 to all actions due to severe depression. if your morale is a 10 you get +2 on all resistances. morale can be lowered by something like you finding out your daughter just became a zombie, or raised by something like having a meal that reminds you of the good old days or hearing your favorite song.
5- Starting Items
You begin in whatever scenario the GM chooses so you may start with none or have the entire range of your own home or workplace to scrounge for items. In most cases it is good to use the "Grab 5" system. you have 1 minute to think and write down 5 items in each of these categories you would grab from your house if you just entered a zombie apocalypse.
5 Cook (anything made to be swallowed)
5 Carry (anything you can fit into a back pack or your body)
5 Clothes (anything you can wear)
6- Depth Aspects
To spice up the game and make it as realistic as possible you can add depth aspects. some options are:
- Weak spots (bad knee, weak wrist...)
- Physical penalties (medications needed to prevent adverse effects, glasses and contacts...)
- Psychological penalties (fear of the dark, separation anxiety..)
All characters have 8 abilities:
Strength (your lifting capabilities, damage added to melee attacks, climbing, swimming...)
Dexterity (your accuracy with ranged attacks, coordination, flexibility, tumbling, sneaking...)
Speed (your running speed)
Endurance (your ability to stay conscious, resist hunger, stay healthy, work hard for periods of time...)
Charisma (your social abilities, diplomacy, bluffing, intimidation, seduction, performance...)
Knowledge (your book smarts, trained skills, information, memory...)
Wisdom (your street smarts, reading peoples emotions and intentions, resisting fear, social understanding...)
Awareness (your perceptiveness, sight, hearing, searching...)
You must grade yourself from 1 to 10 on each of these abilities. 1 being as low as you could be, almost utterly useless in that field. 5 being average for a 25 year old man. and 10 being a top contender of that ability, you are one of the best in the world in that field with a 10.
You only have 50 points to spread between the 8 abilities so use them wisely and honestly. Its fine if you don't use all 50 points. any left over will be doubled then added to your skill point total later.
-Examples of characters with ability level 10 in their primes
Strength of Arnold Schwarzenegger
Dexterity of Jet Li
Speed of Usain Bolt
Endurance of Bear Grylls
Charisma of Adolf Hitler
Knowledge of Sheldon Cooper
Wisdom of Mr Miyagi
Awareness of Sherlock Holmes
2- Skills
All character can chose up to 20 different skills in which they would rank above the human average
skills can be ranked from 0 to 10. 0 being you have the capabilities of someone untrained in that skill. 10 being you are within the top 100,000 people in the world in that field.
You have a set number of skill points to spread between all your skills. this number is determined below:
1- all start with 20 points
2- add 1 point for every point you have in the knowledge ability
3- add 1 point for every 5 years of your life
4- add 2 points for an associates degree or equivalent
5- add 2 points for a bachelors degree or equivalent
6- add any left over ability points not used from earlier doubled
All skills have a modifier that comes from the ability the skill derives from. this modifier is added to the check amount for that skill. for example:
you want to shoot a zombie with a handgun. you must roll a firearms check. you have have 3 points in your firearm skill. you also have 8 points in your dexterity ability. you add those numbers together to get the check number which will always be a number between 1 and 20. in this case it is 11. that mans you need to roll between 1 and 11 on a 20 sided die to complete the task. you roll a 4. you shot the zombie.
It helps to have the math done ahead and the check numbers written down for each skill you have. You can still roll and attempt things you don't have the skill for, you just dont add a skill bonus but you do add the modifying ability.
3- Resistances
Resistances keep you alive when unseen forces challenge your body or mind. They can be ranked from 1 to 10 and have abilities that modify them like skills do.
You have 20 points to split between your resistances (max of 8 in any 1) and they are:
- Disease / Poison (Endurance modified)
- Hunger / Thirst (Endurance)
- Fatigue / Sleep (Endurance)
- Fear / Paranoia (Wisdom)
- Temptation / Depression (Wisdom)
- Compassion / Empathy (Wisdom)
Example of using resistances: Your trusty Canine companion Sparky just got but by a walker. you kill the walker and rush to Sparky's side. He is acting strange and begins foaming at the mouth and his eyes turn grey. (roll a Compassion resistance. Compassion / empathy resistance is a 2 and your wisdom is a 6. this means you need to roll an 8 or lower to succeed. you roll a 17) you drop to your knees in disbelief that your only true friend in this lonely world has become the enemy. you drop your gun and call his name and get out a bag of his treats. he approaches snarling with shoulders low and ears back. you hold out the treat and he leaps onto you tearing at your skin with his fangs. (roll a resist disease. your resist disease / poison is 7 and your endurance is a 5. you must roll a 12 or below to succeed. you roll a 10) you come to your senses and break free from the dog and your friends show up to put it down. you have bites on your face and arms but it doesn't look like the infection has set in.
4- Health and Morale
Health is equal to your endurance rank. all the damage you take is temporarily subtracted from this number. if it reaches 0 you fall unconscious. if it reaches negative 10 you are dead. if you are hit and put at a number between -1 and -9 you loose 1 more point at the end of every round until you reach -10 and die or your allies heal you and bring you back to 1 health. the time when your health constantly drops symbolizes you bleeding out.
A full nights sleep heals you by 1 health but nothing can heal you over your maximum health. The use of medical supplies can also raise your current health.
Certain diseases can lower your health constantly as well as hunger and thirst. you loose 1 health / day if you don't have water and food is 1 point every other day. that is if you fail your hunger / thirst resistance check
Morale is the measure of how positive your outlook on the impending situation is. it starts at 5 and can be raised up to 10 or dropped down to 1. any significant event can raise or lower your morale. whenever your morale is raised, you heal 1 heath. if your morale is a 3 or lower you receive a -2 penalty on all resistances for being more vulnerable. if your morale is ever a 1 you take -4 to resistances and -2 to all actions due to severe depression. if your morale is a 10 you get +2 on all resistances. morale can be lowered by something like you finding out your daughter just became a zombie, or raised by something like having a meal that reminds you of the good old days or hearing your favorite song.
5- Starting Items
You begin in whatever scenario the GM chooses so you may start with none or have the entire range of your own home or workplace to scrounge for items. In most cases it is good to use the "Grab 5" system. you have 1 minute to think and write down 5 items in each of these categories you would grab from your house if you just entered a zombie apocalypse.
5 Cook (anything made to be swallowed)
5 Carry (anything you can fit into a back pack or your body)
5 Clothes (anything you can wear)
6- Depth Aspects
To spice up the game and make it as realistic as possible you can add depth aspects. some options are:
- Weak spots (bad knee, weak wrist...)
- Physical penalties (medications needed to prevent adverse effects, glasses and contacts...)
- Psychological penalties (fear of the dark, separation anxiety..)
Actions and Combat
Initiative
Once combat begins all players roll initiative to decide the order in which they can act. you do this by rolling a d20 and adding your speed. the player with the highest score can act first and all others follow in order, including the enemies. a player with a high initiative can opt to hold and let others go before him then complete his action whenever he wants in that turn but that player will be at a -2 initiative roll for the next round
Actions
Each round every player has 2 actions. usually the first is used as an attack action then the second is a defense action. But you can always take 2 attack actions or 2 defense actions. You can also use move actions. as a move action you can move up to 5 times your speed in feet. taking both your actions to move or full sprint allows you to move up to 4 times that number in feet.
Attacking is the only way to deal damage to a target. you do this by using a combat skill and passing . if the target still has an action he can attempt to defend by rolling either a dexterity, strength or endurance based skill depending on the type of attack and defense . if he rolls better than you the attack does not harm him. when attacking you can choose to attack twice by taking a -2 penalty to each attack or attack 3 times by taking -4 to each. multiple attacks can only be taken if you spend the entire round attacking. you can also use a round to ready yourself for a single attack next round and get +5 on it.
When defending against a melee target you make a skill check against each attack to target you that round. each time you make a defense check you take a stacking -2 penalty on the check. you can also spend a full round defending , this negates the -2 stacking penalty beyond the first -2. a defending skill can be a melee skill, tumble, athletics, or trained fighting skills.
Damage dealt depends on the weapon you use and your strength for melee attacks
STR 1-3 = -1DMG STR 4-6 = +0DMG STR 7-9 = +1DMG STR 10 = +2DMG
1 damage = punch, kick, choke, tackle...
2 damage = knife, club, handgun...
3 damage = rifle, sword, 2 handed club...
4 damage = shotgun, grenade, sniper rifle...
5 damage = chainsaw, heavy artillery, C4...
an attack to the head deals x2 dmg
Once combat begins all players roll initiative to decide the order in which they can act. you do this by rolling a d20 and adding your speed. the player with the highest score can act first and all others follow in order, including the enemies. a player with a high initiative can opt to hold and let others go before him then complete his action whenever he wants in that turn but that player will be at a -2 initiative roll for the next round
Actions
Each round every player has 2 actions. usually the first is used as an attack action then the second is a defense action. But you can always take 2 attack actions or 2 defense actions. You can also use move actions. as a move action you can move up to 5 times your speed in feet. taking both your actions to move or full sprint allows you to move up to 4 times that number in feet.
Attacking is the only way to deal damage to a target. you do this by using a combat skill and passing . if the target still has an action he can attempt to defend by rolling either a dexterity, strength or endurance based skill depending on the type of attack and defense . if he rolls better than you the attack does not harm him. when attacking you can choose to attack twice by taking a -2 penalty to each attack or attack 3 times by taking -4 to each. multiple attacks can only be taken if you spend the entire round attacking. you can also use a round to ready yourself for a single attack next round and get +5 on it.
When defending against a melee target you make a skill check against each attack to target you that round. each time you make a defense check you take a stacking -2 penalty on the check. you can also spend a full round defending , this negates the -2 stacking penalty beyond the first -2. a defending skill can be a melee skill, tumble, athletics, or trained fighting skills.
Damage dealt depends on the weapon you use and your strength for melee attacks
STR 1-3 = -1DMG STR 4-6 = +0DMG STR 7-9 = +1DMG STR 10 = +2DMG
1 damage = punch, kick, choke, tackle...
2 damage = knife, club, handgun...
3 damage = rifle, sword, 2 handed club...
4 damage = shotgun, grenade, sniper rifle...
5 damage = chainsaw, heavy artillery, C4...
an attack to the head deals x2 dmg
Zombies
Walker
Health- 3
Movement- 30ft
Attack (scratch)- Str 5 + Melee 3 = 8
Damage- 1
Attack (bite)- Str 5 + Melee 3 (-2 difficulty) = 6
Dmg- 2 + disease 10
Walker
Health- 3
Movement- 30ft
Attack (scratch)- Str 5 + Melee 3 = 8
Damage- 1
Attack (bite)- Str 5 + Melee 3 (-2 difficulty) = 6
Dmg- 2 + disease 10