Zombiehack

An Apocalypse World hack to play social drama in a zombie-infested world. Borrows heavily from Monsterhearts.

Themes

people are in constant danger, lacking resources, without society's support. How far are the willing to go to give themselves or their group better survival odds?
- why and how are alliances an enmities formed?
- who can you trust? do you allow strangers into your group?
- do you give power and resources to someone who you'd rather not, if they are able to protect you?
- how do you use or misuse your power over others?
are comfortable things and small luxuries worth taking some risks? Is life without anything nice even worth living?

Central mechanics

Strings

when you use a string you have on a pc, choose 1:
- +1 to you after rolling,
- -1 to them after rolling,
- offer them xp to do what you want,
- force them to hold steady to do something,
- add +1 harm against them, give them a condition
when you use a string you have on a npc, choose 1:
- +1 to you after rolling,
- +3 to manipulate NPC after roll,
- cause them to freeze/hesitate/falter,
- add +1 harm,
- give them a condition

Conditions

Taking advantage gives +1 / when affects your actions, causes a -1
Removed by taking appropriate action in the fiction, and some moves
Group condition affects everyone in the group (often lack of resources, but could be something else)
- At the beginning of the session, the group leader decides who will get extra screwed by each group condition that you have. MC gets a free hard move on them.

Resources

Ex group conditions
Four levels: surplus, normal, lacking, none
- surplus: only modeled in the fiction, can e.g. be traded off
- lacking: as if everyone had the condition "lacking X"
- none: as lacking, and gives the GM new moves
Values are changed by fiction and some moves

Harm

Simplified AW:
- 0: non-dedicated hand-to-hand,
- 1: dedicated guy with fists or a small handheld weapon,
- 2: gunshots, katana,
- 3: bad gunshots, explosions
No armor, no gun ranges, tags, etc
PCs take 4 harm to die, but can be saved once per session by becoming darkest self or losing all strings on everybody; if so, they get the condition "drained" and go to 1 harm
- except zombie bites, see the move above
Healing:
- 1 per session when resting,
- 1 per session when in good care

Fray pool

Ex darkest self
A countdown clock, leading to a dramatic character mental breakdown
- Smaller effects listed on the middle
- After the breakdown is over (it could last for quite a while), new effects can be written or a new clock selected altogether. The clock is set to 6.
Given by some moves (including a GM move)
Healed 1 per session until at 9
Described in each playbook

Stats

Everyone has two stats at +1 and two at -1 initially. Each can be improved once.
Hot
Cold
Rough
Quick

Basic moves

Charm a PC (hot)
- on a hit they emotionally buy your argument at least somewhat, but don't need to change their behavior
- 10+: get a string on them
- 7-9: they choose 1: they agree, they promise something they think you want, they give you a string on them
Manipulate a NPC (hot)
- hit: they agree but need something
- 10+: you can give it later, if you wish
- 7-9: they want it first
Read a person (hot)
- 10+: hold 2, 7-9: hold 1
- During the interaction, use hold to ask questions: are you telling the truth, what are your real feelings/intentions, what do you wish I'd do, how could I get you to x
- TODO: a negative consequence for 7-9? combining with strings?
Insult or dominate (cold):
- 10+: choose one: give them a condition, they lose a string on you (if none, gain a string on them), increase their fray
- 7-9: choose one: you each give a condition to each other, you each lose a string on one another, increase both of your frays
Stay focused (cold):
- hit: choose one: ask MC a question, remove a condition, carry 1 forward in the scene
- 10+: all good
- 7-9: you hesitate or stall, MC chooses 1: you are exposed to immediate harm, you leave something behind, you attract unwanted attention, you lose your way, you expose someone else to danger, increase your fray
Go aggro (rough):
- 10+: they take damage or cave and do what you want
- 7-9: they choose 1: get out of your way, take a condition, you get a string on them, they give or do something they think you want
Seize by force (rough):
- 10+: choose 3, 7-9: choose 1: gain definite hold on it, you suffer little harm, you inflict great harm, increase their fray
Escape (quick):
- hit: you get away
- 10+ choose 1, 7-9 choose 2: you get lost or separated, you leave something important behind, you end up somewhere dangerous, the scariest person there gets a string on you, increase your fray
Scavenge (quick):
- hit: find what you're looking for: if it's a generic resource, choose a person who is unaffected by the lack of it for the session
- 10+ choose 2, 7-9 choose 1: you find it quickly, you find it without trouble, it's valuable (+1 level for the group)
Help or interfere with a pc (num of strings on them -1)
- 10+: they get a +1/-2
- 7-9: MC tells what danger you're exposing yourself to; if you accept it, they get a +1/-2

Peripheral moves

When you harm a PC, they get a string on you
Harm move as in AW for non-zombies
If a zombie deals harm to you, roll +harm:
- 10+: you are bitten unless you choose 2: use a level of group resources, offer someone a string on you for helping you, use all strings you have on someone else (at least 1) to betray them

and make them take the hit, get a permanent -1, increase your fray by 3 (if less is available, that's ok)

- 7-9: choose 1 above
- make them take the hit = they make this move as if the original harm had come to them and cannot choose the betray option
Leader roll for the beginning of a session
- Players select a leading PC. If one is can not be selected, fail automatically.
- The selected leader chooses which to roll
- Lead with passion:
  - Roll +hot. On 10+, hold 2, 7-9 hold 1.
  - Use your hold to
    - get 1 level of a resource and you get a condition, or
    - remove a condition from someone
  - On a fail, GM selects a resource, the group lose a level of it.
- Lead with greed:
  - Roll +cold. On 10+, hold 2, 7-9 hold 1.
  - Use your hold to
    - lose 1 level of a resource, be protected from that lack for the session and remove all your conditions, or
    - get a string on somebody.
  - On a fail, GM selects a resource, the group lose a level of it.

PLAYBOOK SKETCHES

each playbook has a +1 on the two mentioned stats, -1 on the two others

THE HERO

chosen/hardholder (the weight of responsibility, power corrupts)
stats: hot, rough
moves:
- <name>: when you make a hard choice for the group, roll +hot
  - 10+: choose 1: take a string against someone who benefited, or they lose a string against you
    - 7-9: as in 10+, but also: someone who lost something gains a string against you; or become darkest self
- final showdown (MH): spend 4 strings on an npc to kill them; they can spend theirs for 1 harm each
- take the blow (MH): when you take the blow instead of someone else, roll +rough
  - 10+: take the hit instead at -1 harm
  - 7-9: take the hit instead
- when you make the group sacrifice comfort or such to take precautions against a zombie attack, everybody gets a +1 forward for the next invasion scene
sex move (MH chosen): heal all wounds and cure all conditions. if they disgust you, give them a string. if you disgust yourself, give them a string.
darkest self (MH chosen): nobody is strong like you. you need to chase down the biggest threat imaginable alone, now. cured when awakened beaten or someone comes to rescue

THE BADASS

werewolf/gunlugger (dominating by violence, leads the security group)
stats: cold, rough
moves:
- dominance: when you harm a pc, take a string on them
- veteran: count zombie groups as one size smaller when you are involved in a fight with them
- bloodcrazed: when you inflict harm, inflict +1 harm
- cold nerves: you always stay focused if you wish
- scary: choose both results when threatening and you can't be threatened
sex move: I own you. get +1 when defending your last partner until you suspect they've been with someone else; then become your darkest self - on them
darkest self: choose someone. make them suffer. cured when they die or have totally humiliated/dominated them

THE GHOST

ghost (trauma/loss/sadness)
stats: cold, quick
moves:
- (automatic)unresolved trauma: whenever you project blame and trauma for a loss to someone, roll +cold.
  - 10+: give 2 people the blamed condition.
  - 7-9: give up to 2 people the blamed condition, but for each choose 1: gain delusional, can't speak in this scene, you suffer one harm, they gain a string on you
- creep (MH ghost): when you secretly witness someone's intimate moments, gain a string on them
- vengeful (MH ghost): when you go aggro on someone with blamed, roll with cold and deal +1 harm.
- forgiveness (MH ghost): when you forgive someone with blamed, mark experience
- listener (MH ghost): when others dump their emotions on you, roll with cold.
  - 10+: they lose all their conditions, and choose 1: mark xp, carry +1 fwd, gain string on them
  - 7+: they choose: they lose all their conditions, the gain a string on you
sex move: ask a question from each other, player-to-player or char-to-char, answer honestly
darkest self: you hate everyone. leave the group and hide alone. cured if they find you and talk nice.

THE HUNGRY

ghoul (staying human)
stats: cold, rough
moves:
- (automatic)the hunger: for chaos, power, fear, violence. when pursued, get +1. when ignoring opportunity, roll to stay focused
- freak: get another hunger
- satiety: when you satiate a hunger, choose 1: heal 1 harm, remove a condition, mark xp, carry 1 fwd
- actor: when you manipulate, roll with cold
- I don't care: strings can't be used to give you -1 or to harm you
sex move: add hunger: have sex with this person. if you had it already, mark xp. once per person.
darkest self: kill and destroy anything to fill a hunger. cured when restrained or stopped for long enough.

THE VICTIM

mortal (has a lover, being mistreated)
stats: cold, quick

THE QUEEN

queen (manipulating people; has a clique)
stats: hot, quick

THE PREACHER

keeping the group together, trying to be the good guy but not always beign able to? has a group of followers
stats: hot, rough

THE PARENT

having to care about somebody else
stats: hot, quick

THE MANIPULATOR

vampire
stats: hot, cold

THE HAMSTER

business/collecting supplies/things before people

THE NERD

insecure, less/unaffected by strings? how to keep interesting?

Other thoughts

a few useful combat/healing/etc skills could be added as moves here and there (for roles that are otherwise annoying?)
fray pool to trigger darkest self?

Daemoun zombiehack

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