for those behind the scenes conversations.

Hey everybody! Hows it's going? Nice to be here. Your ex con gang banger with a bad attitude here!

Pretty good! I'll be your strong and silent type, builder by nature.

ok, so a few things to know. there is not a standardized character sheet. The sheet is open for you to put your info into. I don't keep up with the sheets, so if you use or gain gear you have to keep track of it. I will check the sheets to be sure that everyone is remembering to keep track of necessities, XP, and the like. And to be sure everyone is being honest.

next, this game will be a little more realistic than most. in that I mean we will keep an eye on things like dehydration, exposure to the elements, illness, and so on. Keep an eye on how much you are carrying. if it seems like a lot, it probably is.

as an example, Miss Talbot has 100 arrows. now, there will never be a quiver that will fit that many arrows, so they are probably set up in like five quivers of 20. That will run around twenty five pounds alone. A decent bow will run around five pounds. so, before she put on panties, got a drink of water, and put a comb in her hair she is carrying a chunk of weight around.

sorry to pick on you, Miss Talbot. It isn't personal just an example of how easy it is to lose sight of a load out. the average rifleman in the US infantry routinely lugs around between 70 and 80 lbs of gear all the time. living on your feet and out of a rucksack is tough on the knees and back. I know, i did it for far too long.

just saying to be mindful of you loads, because the reality of survival is that the comfort of your living conditions makes the difference. sleeping on the ground under debris shelter everyday using pine limbs for bedding and hot rocks for overnight heat has nothing on a hammock, a sleeping bag, and a warm cup of coco to sleep to every night. but, these comforts have to share space in your life with things like ammunition, basic medicines, water (lots and lots of water), utensils, soap, spare clothing, flashlight (not fleshlight by the way), compass, and a hundred other things that are useful if not necessary under certain conditions.

it's nothing that will break the game, but it is a point of detail we will keep in mind. so for those of you considering a decked out m4 with 1000 rounds and an Aimpoint just remember that you are talking about a forty plus pound load out of weapon, ammo, mags, sights, cleaning kit, sling, light, etc.

bedsides, this will be more like the early seasons of the walking dead, not the those later seasons where the writers kind of went sideways and made all those leaps of logic.

Good logic. Though I do understand wanting so many arrows. I'm an archery and go through a fair number of fiberglass arrows a year. My wood ones only need a bit of love periodically, but damn are they expensive.

yeah, i did the whole horn bow and wooden arrow thing for a bit. the chinese guy who made my horn boy was awesome, and it showed in the price, and the arrows! damn, now that was expensive. never, ever again. a hard shooting bow ruins a good wooden arrow the first time it strikes anything with fair resistance. they warp like it's magic.

but, it was fun. I was fool enough to spend the money. and well, I at least did learn a lot.

In reply to GM (msg # 4):

Yeah, I took a few horror movie survival quizzes, and turns out, I'd do fairly well, but it would be a single fatal mistake that would get me killed.

Anyway, Ivy, your nerd, here.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:37, Sun 19 Jan 2020.

Ok, I'll give until Wednesday for any late comers. I will take six players for this for now.

I will get a map together, I will use Google maps as the source so you can track everything on your own.

The area is pretty thick in undead 'migrating' out of the Chattanooga area. The group located in Ringgold is 23 strong, but is made up of children and adults ranging from age 3 to age 71. They grow vegetables in rooftop beds, traps squirrels and dogs, raise meat rabbits, harvest rain water and have access to a stream. They have two generators and a limited supply of gas from a local station. They are low on everything except veggies, water, clothing, books, chores, and the Holy spirit.

Their leader is Reverend Tom Long.

You all have been in town a day or so seeking a place to hide as horde of undead passed.

Are you known to each other?
How are traveling? On foot, on bicycles, horses, ATVs, all in a small truck?
Do you have a plan?

I most likely hot wired a car which unfortunately ran out of gas just as the Horde hit town. So I had to pause in my my fuel stealing and hide while I could...
This message was last edited by the player at 16:38, Mon 20 Jan 2020.

Hey Ivy!

I'm down to have met any of you along the road to where we are. Alexander has been hoofing it or using cars since the Mexican border, and is happy to travel with others. If not he most likely was walking spotted the horde, and sped up into town to hide. Looking for someplace safe with roof access, like a storage facility or garage.

As for his plan, he's headed for the settlement planning on stopping there. Maybe permanently. He's big, strong, and know how to build structures so he is going to use that to get in.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:10, Mon 20 Jan 2020.

Ivy probably would've found an abandoned vehicle with decent gas mileage, but it ran out of gas somewhere along the Kentucky-Tennessee border, so she walked the rest of the way, and was stopping in Ringgold for rest.

As for whether or not we know each other... what do you guys think? Should have brief run-ins with each other? Know each other by reputation? Be completely unaware of each other's existences?

In reply to Ivy Talbot (msg # 12):

If we do know each other, why are we not travelling with each other? Did soemthing happen? Did soemthing NOT happen-say, we saw each other from a distance and went separate ways due to the risk?

In reply to Rodrigo Rod Duma (msg # 13):

Yeah, if we're not travelling together, either knowing each other by reputation, or not knowing about each other at all would make more sense.

I'm down to be traveling with you guys. From the looks of things we all have complimentary skills. And a small group has better odds then a bunch of individuals.

From the looks of it both of you were planning on using a car that ran put of gas. You could have been going for the same one, saw each other, and teamed up. And if it ran put of gas, I could have met you two on the road.

I'm fine ether way. I will leave it up to Ivy to decide if we start together or apart.

Just warning you guys that Ivy's combativeness is only 3, so she won't be very useful in a fight. Okay, Ivy was travelling south from Michigan. What direction was Rod coming from?

In reply to Ivy Talbot (msg # 17):

From Miami all the way through Georgia.

Damn. I'm coming from Texas, but swilung through Louisiana at one point.

Huh, in that case, Ivy probably wouldn't meet either of them until they reached Ringgold.

If we really want to have met beforehand, I don't mind changing my route. Alexander was going for Maine when he realized he needed to re think things. Being in Kentucky and hearing about this place he could have changed course, and then be heading there from the North.

In reply to Alexander Brooks (msg # 21):

If you want, then maybe Alexander and Ivy could've met on the way there.

Sounds like a plan to me. Mainly because Getting the party together is a part of the adventure that I normally try to avoid, as it takes forever. I have my players create connections to each other to fast track that in my games.

So do you want to have run into him, or vice versa? Or do we want the dice to decide? :D

In reply to Alexander Brooks (msg # 23):

Well, I figured Rod could have gotten on a plane which made it to the Georgia airport, and then he got a car to make it the rest of the way.

Was just added to the queue.

Roberta is headed North to Boston, but may only know folks based on their mutual pause in Charlotte.

You know she came in alone on foot from the South with a stated destination of Boston.

You guys rock, good communication, figure it out and I will throw in a truck

If you came from the South, Rod might have given you a ride. He too is headed north, mostly because he knows the cold will slow those things down.

Okay, so if my understanding is correct, Rod and Roberta meet in Georgia, Alexander and Ivy meet somewhere along the Kentucky-Tennessee border, and the party gets together in Ringgold?

In reply to Ivy Talbot (msg # 28):

Yep, sounds about right.

Sounds like a plan. Aince we both have protein bars, met while scavenging in a convenience store and traveled together?

The way I see it if Ivy and I came from the north we saw this horde coming out of Chattanooga. We made out way down to Ringgold before the gas in the car we were using ran out.

While looking for a place to hide, we run into Roberta and Rodrigo. We warn them, and Rodrigo gets into a secure location by picking the lock. Maybe a mechanics shop since they have few windows and so we can explain where the truck came from.

Plus it builds a bit of good will as one group warned the other, and one got the other to safety.

I may have been thinking about this at work.

Sounds like a decent way to get the group together.

Good enough.

Sweet!

Ok, first group decision:

Choice A
 A 1982 square body Chevy 4x4 pick-up owned by a former survival/prepper instructor.
  It is lifted, V8, dual gas tanks (one full/one empty), CB radio, dual winches, dual    batteries, 4 speed, has a storage box with ten gallons of water, a case of 12 MREs, several blankets, a tent, 10 boxes (20 rounds each) of .30-06 rifle cartridges, a cleaning kit for a rifle (no rifle was present however), several changes of clothes for a man (size negotiable), twenty six books on survival and primitive living topics, and a well stocked first aid kit.

Choice B
 A 2018 Subaru Outback that was found idling not far from the site of a what appeared to be where the owner had been slain and butchered by human cannibals (yep, such insanity still exists despite the undead).
 The former owner was obviously a surgeon; the vehicle was stocked with spare clothing for a woman (size negotiable), a tent, a large tarp, ten gallons of water in various containers, a suitcase holding twenty seven cans of vegetables, soup, meat, and fruits, ten jars of honey, five pounds of coffee and an old style camp fire percolator, a small foam mattress, surgical tools, basic MD's bag, a collection of drugs such as pain killers, sedatives, vitamins, steroids, antibiotics, and local anesthetics, suture kits, bandages, blood volume expanders, and surgical lights with batteries (Dr.'s headlamps), and there is a .38 special revolver in a holster clipped to the sun visor with a box holding 41 cartridges on the dashboard.

Choice C
 A former Alabama State Patrol Prisoner Transfer Van, 1999 Ford Econoline Model with a Law Enforce Transfer Package.
  It has a V*, large gas tank (half full) CB and Police band radios, and the interior has a chain link divider between the passenger area and the front seats, wire mesh covers the windows all around the van's body, the back doors can be dead bolted from the inside to prevent someone from opening them from outside the van, there are 4-point harnesses for nine passengers (three row seating, 3 asses per row), a lockable box between the seats that contains a Glock 21 .45 ACP pistol with two spare magezines (3 total, 15 shots each), a SIG P228 9mm pistol (only has the one magazine of 15 shots), a .22 lr (long rifle, its a caliber designation from the 1850s) Colt Single Action Revolver (a cowboy style handgun), and there are ten boxes of 50 cartridges for the 9mm, 7 boxes of 50 cartridges for the .22 lr, and three boxes of 50 cartridges for the .45 ACP.

Each vehicle will have been found recently, after the group all met up, and will be what you are traveling in as you reach Ringgold looking for a place to wait the migrating horde of undead that seems to number in the thousands of undead cannibals shambling southward from Chattanooga.

Just so you know. I have turned off the accepting players flag. We have a five member cast. if that shrinks i will seek more people.

In reply to GM (msg # 33):

I vote for B.

updated two maps. the first shows the overall area. the red star is the groups location in the church with the survivors of the area. the red lines show the flow of the undead (basic direction is from left to right, a.k.a. north to south) this map is approx. a mile on each side.

the second map shows the immediate area of the church. the church is designated by a red x. there are several blue stars on homes nearby, these are occupied by other survivors living in the area. the yellow lightning flash is a storage point for things like fuel, there generator, and tools, and a centralized point to store 'group' weapons and their only vehicle - an older model rental van like you would use to move your household goods in (like a U-Haul truck). this map is also left to right is north to south and covers approx two hundred yards to a side.

I like B as well, though A is a close second.

I'll vote B.

Unanimous B.

I check the character list recently and noticed a new fifth player. We'll have to think about how Ashton joins the posse or if (with Ashton's creator, of course).

Hello again, my apologies for the delay! Anywho nice to meet you all! Where are you guys currently so I may assist with thinking up a story for Ashton to jump in?

In reply to Ashton Barker (msg # 40):

Roberta and I are driving in from the south, myself from Florida-via the Georgia airport.

Hmm.. my character's college was in california so trying to think of a reason post-outbreak he'd travel across the country. As I try to think up a reason, I'm open to suggestions as I am having a lil trouble at the moment. He's very logic-oriented; so I'm trying to logically justify such a dangerous idea as solo cross-county travel.

In reply to Ashton Barker (msg # 42):

You could have been part of a military evac, and then an outbreak occurred on the aircraft. You parachuted out, only to land in town.

Edit-The Boeing C-40 Clipper has a range of 5,600 KM-easily being able to get to ether coast.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:17, Thu 23 Jan 2020.

As a reminder, it's been months since the turmoil began in February.  It's now July so we've all been out here for a while.  We may have traveled with others before, split up, lost them, or perhaps even eaten them.

Good experiences or bad, this probably won't be our first rodeo dealing with new people.  And we're all coming in with our own baggage as well.

As to ideas for Ashton's cross country trip, the Train to Busan* could have gotten him most of the way east as he tried to get back to reach family of some kind or girlfriend.

* Train to Busan, now available streaming free on the Roku Tubi channel.

In reply to Roberta Johnson (msg # 44):

Train to Busan is an awesome movie! Everyone must see it!

You heard me, go see it!

NOW!!!

:P

hehehe

The train is probably a better idea; since his reason for surviving the outbreak was he did not go with the initial military attempt at sheltering survivors as their makeshift encampment was pretty quickly overrun. And though he isn't entirely sure how his mother would be (they weren't close) and is too awkward for a girlfriend, he'd certainly travel for lack of supplies as his area was never too densely populated so there isn't too much around.
Either gamble a treck across the country in hopes of a better shot of survival with more resources albeit higher population density (aka more zombs); or settle for certain death as he runs out of supplies. Not a fun decision but a logically simple one.

And I should definitely look into seeing if that movie is on netflix or hulu that's all I got sadly, well except disney+ but it doesn't sound like a disney movie

He may have volunteered to help out in fashion. Maybe joined a group headed east to stop this thing before it got completely out of control. He may have made far enough to the eastern states to walk the rest of the way. CDC headquarters is in Atlanta. Maybe something along those lines.

Good idea, maybe grudgingly heading there to see if his mom is working on the problem, and if so, see if they're developing a cure; or at least a vaccination.

Just so I'm tracking, about where would you guys think it reasonable for me to drop in? Sometime after leaving the naive religious community?

Ashton, you should probably drop in now.  Either you jumped in the car to get here with us at the last second or you could appear before or just after we arrived at the farm.

We all just need to know each other's names at this point, not necessarily having traveled together.

That works well. Thanks guys, good communication, everyone just earned their first XP.

Woo! Which reminds me, I need to copy paste everything to my sheet.

Also, where are our characters staying in this settlement?

The church or on the ground anywhere

Just one point for now, or an amount of XP?

My apologies for my delay, I'm normally especially active on weekends but had a little tidbit take up half my day. Good afternoon, people!

From a metagaming point of view, I assume that if the GM would like us to go in a certain direction, we as characters won't need to go out of our way in order to comply.

Which means we can talk as much as we want about splitting the party and actually try to go our separate ways because it's logical for our characters, but if it's not meant to be, we'll find ourselves together once again soon enough.

Thanks GM.

And no worries Ashton.

I don't have a problem with characters being portrayed in the manner you in vision them so long as the end result isn't disruptive, we all our differences and uniqueness. I will guide the game, present challenges and something of a storyline that suits the group. I try to avoid being heavy handed, it ruins the experience for all of us.

Oh, there will be one last player joining soon. That will make six, a gm's dozen. Great job guys. I will flesh out the town more soon, give a better idea of what is in the area too.

Howdy!

Troy was born in the local area but was working in Ocoee TN as a river guide when the outbreak began and worked his way back to Ringgold afterward.

I'll jump in once I've got my character's equipment done.

Awesome, welcome Troy!

Welcome Troy.

In reply to Ivy Talbot (msg # 54):

Yes, sorry, just 1 xp, for good communications and teamwork in getting your group organized.

Added a bit to setting, a few notables is all, and moved the day along a little bit. looks like a summer rainstorm headed in for the night. it may even cover up some of the stink from the migrating undead for a little while.

Hey folks sorry I have not been posting. Had a work situation come up that is requiring me to stay on people constantly, and it's been taking all my attention.

I will have something posted this weekend.

thanks for keeping in touch, we look forward to your post

Just for clarification, there is a green truck that is not ours driving toward us and our Subaru parked and presumably locked in a currently undefined location.  I assume Rod has the only set of keys.

In reply to Roberta Johnson (msg # 67):

Did the GM give us the medical car to the 1st group? That is Roberta, Ivy, Alex, and myself?

He gave you guys the choice and you chose the 2018 Subaru Outback (unanimously I think).

Rod does have a point.  Although it was unanimous with the roster at the time, it wasn't officially presented.

I had assumed we had it, but perhaps not.

Rereading this it says you guys found the Subaru prior to the game beginning and were all together in the vehicle when you arrived at Ringgold.

Alright folks, much as I want to play this work situation is not going away anytime soon.

I am unfortunately going to have to bow out of the game. Sorry to everyone, but hey at least you get my stuff?

Thanks for informing us, sorry to lose you, good luck with work, keep in touch if you'd like to rejoin later, I will leave you in the cast if you like

And yes, you guys have the Outback as described at your disposal.

Troy came a long a hot minute behind the original group and with his concept I ok'ed like 99% of his gear, though it wasn't extensive, so that once all you found your way together through devious GM chicanery the group would be well outfitted to begin the game.

Just to be clear to all, the posts are meant to imply that the horde of zombies is just too much for the town's prepared defenses to cope with. the immediate threats are coming down from the north along a road that leads to the church and from the east in the area of several homes heading towards the church as well.

It was a combination of fear, panic, and rash actions that has led to having the location of safety accidentally given away to the encroaching hordes of migrating zombies.

My apologies for my sudden absence, had some stuff pop up with no delay nor warning, done getting everything back in stability though so I should be back now with no upcoming extended absences to worry about.

No sweat,  thanks for sticking with it

everyone roll perception modifier + 3d4, please, to notice something about the young woman who was speaking from the ATV. thanks, your beloved and forever devious GM.

Roberta Johnson rolled 11 using 3d4+1.  Carver girl Perception Check.

00:38, Today: Troy Roberts rolled 10 using 3d4+1.  Perception.

good rolls, i will give the others a chance to roll before I post again, feel free to plan and scheme among yourselves, i will post later tonight after i've had times to foil your plans, i mean ascertain the effects of your rolls.

In reply to GM (msg # 79):


10:37, Today: Rodrigo Rod Duma rolled 12 using 3d4.

Second perception roll if needed. My first was a 6, but it might have involved noticing something else.

12:06, Today: Ivy Talbot rolled 8 using 3d4+1 ((1,4,2)).

12:39, Today: Ashton Barker rolled 10 using 3d4+2.

For the next round of perception checks, could we have them done by the GM?

It's hard to dismiss information when you roll a 12 on your perception.

It's easy to dismiss information when you roll a 3 on your perception.

Kind of makes solving the mystery a little easier when your clues are in black and white.

Same dilemma with posting private information to each player.  They know they've just seen a clue because they've been singled out to have spotted it.

Is it really so glaringly obvious that the Anti-Swift put these wheels in motion?

Then again, I'm a big believer in copious amounts of disinformation.  Perhaps the GM is as well...

"Screw this!" Dominic shouted in frustration.  "Why does every bush look suspicious!"

Me and the wife are making a break for it this weekend. I will be out of contact until Monday morning.

Have fun at the child auction, i heard the prices are great this year, maybe you could use the money to buy a new car.

sorry to disappear, work had to intervene, what a dirty word

At this point we have only the Subaru which fits 5.

There is the green truck somewhere that was driving in this direction.

Yep, and a police car nearby, there are a couple of camper/trucks around the edge of the lot that people have been living in, a handful of ATVs and motorcycles, and armored car that, in theory, was to be used to make a path for other vehicles to escape a horde of undead.

Ashton has some busy real life type stuff going on and may have to drop out, if so I will keep on the cast for a couple of weeks in case he can make it back, if not we will lament his loss, divide his look, and cook him into chili. Man, you got to love a good post apoc game.

Sorry to multi-post, i don't know if Ivy missed or ignored the key toss post. if so, I will gladly offer a redo there, these play by post games can get confusing.

As for the maps, you have a choice of six;
county assayer's road map showing all roads and land plots
Georogia state map
map of tri-state area (NW Georgia, NE Alabame, Central Tennessee)
US geological survey map showing topography of the county denoting water and mineral sources
a road atlas of the 48 continental states with a few large city maps

the Jeep Cherokee is parked behind the church, about fifty yards to run around the building, but only about thirty yards away

no one in the crowd moved after the shot, people seemed to be stumped, shocked, and generally facing the kind of mental paralysis caused by too much unfathomable bewilderment. Her death was too much, no one else really saw what you guys were seeing in the situation and it seems somehow random and horrific.

There's actually a reason for this. In all of the mass panic and confusion, Ivy's mental energy is being used prevent her from getting caught up in the hysteria, so she isn't up to her usual level of sharpness.

Just to be clear, Troy shot Mindy. He has no intention of trying to save her (and wouldn't be able to if he did).

He is now attempting to bullshit the people she was collaborating with, who are clearly responsible for the horror that is befalling the town, into telling him where they are.

He may well go try to kill them if it works.

Continuing to escape is probably the best course of action.

Troy will catch up with you guys as soon as possible.

In reply to Troy Roberts (msg # 92):

Gotcha, editing my post.

I'm fine with Ivy's actions.  I reply against what's been posted, intentional or accidental.  It is a confusing time and I think it's hilarious that Roberta threw the keys and Ivy didn't even see them.  As it wasn't specified which side Roberta had shoved TJ into the car's backseat, I had him end up behind the passenger seat to be shoved by Ivy getting in.  That passenger seat up front must be toxic if everyone's avoiding it.

However, it would be nice if we remembered where folks are.  I'm pretty sure the Subaru isn't parked close enough to hear what Troy is saying.  We may not even be able to tell what's going on at the picnic site at all.  Hopefully those at the Subaru can't see what just happened, because it looks as though Troy just shot a teenage girl in the head for no reason without even giving her a chance.  He couldn't have overpowered her?

Also, as a side note.  The danger level of this game has just been set.  One shot, well rolled, and you're dead.  No hit points, no dodging, you're just dead.

yeah, i'm not real worried about actual position on map, it runs more like a scene in my head, i assume you all as close to one another as you need to be. if there is ever a time when distance apart is an issue i'll make a clear note of it in a post. thanks for communicating so well, the posts rock.

My point is that if Roberta saw Troy shoot an unsuspecting girl in the head, it's murder no matter what his excuse.  She'll go off on her own before she works with a man like that.

Since TJ seems to have seen it from inside the Subaru, she'll have seen it too now.

I understand, the proximity is easily close enough to see and hear what is going on nearby. Thanks for clarifying your point.

I suppose we're waiting on Troy to react?

At this point the car is separated from the stationary group, so I suppose that group isn't waiting on anyone.

Sorry, I have asked the GM question and I need to get the answer before I can post my reaction.

Excellent!

I'm always phobic that everyone's sitting at their screens waiting on someone else that doesn't know they're being waited upon.

my bad, i had to work this weekend and didn't keep up well enough.

What is the division of the PCs at this point? Is it Roberta, Ivy, and TJ all in the medical cruiser driving away, leaving Troy behind?

We are definitely leaving Troy behind.

I believe Troy had a plan that I may have just shot in the foot. Regardless, it will not hinder the game. Right now, he is tied up in his attempt to help save the town and can easily reconnect with the rest of you later if need be. No worries, good drama and dialogues.

This little scene should be resolved soon, as in this week, at this rate. I will assign some experience then. If I should forget just remind me. I'll, of course, argue and say I didn't post that and will refuse to offer any experience but you can always reach me with the truth at paypal under the buyingXPfromtheGM, Inc.

In reply to GM (msg # 104):

*Starts mailing in bribes...er, I mean 'plot assistance'.*

Lol

I should post one set of threads in a Youtube post for the cool shit my group is doing in the game and another set in a Youtube post for the funny-as-hell shit we say about it.

Be sure to give us links to these videos.

Added another map, it shows TJ's proposed escape route. this will take the crew in Outback in a round about route to get ahead of the leading edge of the migrating horde and put them on highway 41. this highway is the old highway that runs southeast and will take the group towards the city of Dalton, Ga. It actually runs much further south and leads north into the Midwest up to the Canadian Border. It's an old interstate from the early days of interstate commerce, often referred to as the Old Dixie Highway by older folks.

There are two places where he and his family used to scavenge, a feed and seed store and a mom and pop's gas station/store. These places are marked on the map.

On the main map, TJ's route back to highway 41 is about half a mile ahead of the big red lines denoting the advancing horde of undead. just off the lower right edge of the main map.

Does our Subaru have a roof rack?  50/50 chance?

Even yes, odd no, roll a d4

Roberta Johnson rolled 2 using 1d4.  Subaru roof rack with evens.

We have a roof rack!  For better or for worse.

In reply to Roberta Johnson (msg # 112):

Nice job...Roof Rack Roberta!

hehehe

:P

It is a good sized storage area. Could be a lot stuff like backpacks, suitcases, or bodies.

I will be disappointed if Troy doesn't head for the war museum.

Sorry for the confusion Rod, the pump is a simple hand cranked compression pump. TJ's family had been unlocking the access point to the fill the underground tank, it was simply padlocked, and dropping about thirty feet of hose down into the tank and pumping gas out into whatever they could use to carry it in. The ground wire is to prevent static build up, gas has a low vapor pressure and turns to vapor quickly on a hot day and that can lead to a static spark induced explosion. Gas vapor burn fast enough to count a high explosive of high magnitude (more powerful than TNT actually).

The station is nothing more than a mom-n-pops store with pumps out front. It does not appear to be in danger of a horde for the moment if you guys would like to search it I can put together a list of stuff to be found inside and around it.

Troy, the feel you get is that whomever got the people rolling in the thirty to forty minutes you were away found a way to move people quickly. That would lead your over active imagination in two directions; they all fled post rikki-tic due east into the foothills or those kids with whomever was helping them showed up and forced everyone to go someplace nearby large enough to house around seventy people and a handful of vehicles. Like on of those carpet warehouses to the southeast side of the highway.

The WW2 museum is about two miles away along old highway 2a, and could be on the way. If you guys wanted to go by and check it out. Don't forget about the security system.

I was just trying to avoid metagaming Troy in the direction of the Subaru.

Crew Subaru has no reason to link back up with the cold blooded killer.

no problem, never felt you were doing such a thing. thanks trying to be tactful.

I have gamed with the player running Troy in the past. I doubt he felt any metagaming on his shoulder.

I forgot to bring this up earlier.
Ivy will need to make a percection check, you know the whole pesky rolling dice thing. Rob will need to make an ingenuity roll for some insights inside the store.
Troy could use with a perception roll to spot some clues.
And Troy and Roberta both need to make a serendipity to roll to remember some useful tid-bits from the previous hour.

Thanks guys.

Unless those serendipitous tidbits weren't in IC, I'll skip the reminder.

Lol...fear not Bert, no effort will be expended by Troy to either find or avoid team chicken shit. If we happen to meet up again he'll be happy to see y'all are still alive.

I like the role play and will accept the team name!  Though I don't think Rod will appreciate it.

In reply to Roberta Johnson (msg # 121):

Crew Subaru? Man, I knew we should have picked a cooler car!

That being said...

"Subaru is loved by all, even the unbiased experts. With awards and accolades from Kelley Blue Book, ALG, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), among others, it's clear that the Subaru brand is well-respected in the industry. As we mentioned above, Subaru is Kelley Blue Book's "2016 Best Overall Brand," "Most Trusted Brand" and "Best Resale Value." Further, all 2016 Subaru models received a 2016 IIHS Top Safety Pick+ rating from IIHS when equipped with the EyeSight system. Additionally, Subaru was named the 2017 Top Mainstream Brand for Residual Value according to ALG."

https://www.balisesubaru.com/c...-vs-other-brands.htm
This message was last edited by the player at 20:03, Thu 05 Mar 2020.

...and also won J.D. Power & Associates "Best Car for a Zombie Appocalypse" in 2016, aand 2017.


(Ok I made that up)

that rocks, evidently AMC didn't work out a deal with Subaru. There weren't any Outbacks in the Walking Dead that I recall. But, the homemade motorcycle was cool as hell.

10 Best Vehicles For Surviving The Zombie Apocalypse

https://www.caranddriver.com/f...alypse-2019/?slide=1

1. the one I have now
2. the one I have now
3. the one I have now
4. the one I have now
5. the one I have now
6. the one I have now
7. the one I have now
8. the one I have now
9. the one I have now
10. the one I have now

Kind of works like the top 10 guns for a zombie apocalypse, the one you have is the best, it always beats anything you don't have

Added a new cast member. Another Katniss Everdeen type. I will include her in a post in a bit so she can work her way into the world, and most likely the group.

Ugh! Katniss was not exactly what I was going for but I can see the similarity. As Katniss is the 'young female archer' stereotype then so be it!

But aside from her vocational similarity to the protagonist of everyones favourite battle royale movie, (not really, mine is the actually original Korean movie 'Battle Royale') Samindi is much too shy and wary to have a starring role.

Looking forward to joining the rest of you shortly, assuming Samindi doesn't flee at the first sight of people!

I thought Battle Royale was Japanese movie. Go figure, I should have paid more attention. Not a big fan of the Hunger Games myself. It was a neat concept but the author, whose name escapes me at the moment, should have asked for some help or done more research on some of her details.

I don't see the connection to battle royale either. Indian people are known for their passivity and civility. I couldn't imagine a student of Indian descent being a socially unacceptable student and being condemned to hunt and kill others bad kids, or be killed by them.

Anyway................

Welcome aboard.

Howdy.

You are correct, GM, after actually looking into it the movie is Japanese. Don't know why I always thought it was Korean, even after watching it a handful of times.

I'll get an IC post up shortly once I browse through the IC thread and work some things out. Crew Subaru? :P

Wait, is the Nova with Crew Subaru?

No, just close enough for Ivy to hear the rumbling of it's V8 engine I believe.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:11, Fri 06 Mar 2020.

We really need to get out of here before that murderer with the rifle shows up.

I have two rifles now...

Are they called 'Des' and 'Troy'?

That is hilarious! Made me lol in a room full of quiet people.

https://youtu.be/SHbS9tYFpcQ

Thor: Ragnarok is possibly my favourite superhero movie.

sorry, worked all weekend, even got volunteered by the company for a little overtime at the end of a 12 hour shift, I felt that was very nice of them to be looking out for those poor people who couldn't be bothered with showing up for work like everyone else.

Just in case there's any confusion, Sami and the broken window are at the Feed n Seed while Crew Subaru is at the gas station with the woman in scrubs.  These buildings are NOT close together on the map.

In reply to Roberta Johnson (msg # 140):

That's what I noticed initially, but I think it was changed for my convenience in GM's msg#130 to be about 100 yards. Definitely within eyesight for Sami to get an idea of the make of car, number of people, general ages and what was happening at the gas station.

I assumed Sami would be seen if she ran out onto the street. I may be wrong, but that's how I read it.

These buildings are about 100 yards apart. But, I get it. She is working to unite herself with the group at the gas station. Unless anyone has a real problem with it I am going to let you guys just move forward from where we are. That is team Subaru is at the Gas-n-GO while directly up the highway one hundred yards away Sami in basically standing out in front of the Feed-n-Seed.

Need everyone to make Presence rolls again. The scent of the dead is growing ever stronger on the wind near team Subaru.

Troy can I get a Presence and Ingenuity rolls please.

Thanks guys.

Perception?

Edited those two rolls into my last post.

Yes, perception, I was reading something one for whatever reason presence stuck in my head, thanks.

Not sure if Rod missed this in msg#125.  The woman did speak.

"I mean no harm. Truly. Please don't do this." The woman said, louder than she had intended to. "Bertha, my name is Bertha. I'm not stealing."

In reply to Roberta Johnson (msg # 146):

Yes I did miss that. Thanks.

Ivy, the woman with the bow is currently running toward the gas station.

I'm sure everyone just heard that explosion as well, though a quarter or more away.

Yes, thank you, my bad, the explosion came from the same general direction and roughly the same distance as the car. I will clear that up in a post.

The Subaru is running on about 3/4 of a tank of gas at the moment, I believe it holds right around 22 gallons. So, give or take there is right around 15 1/2 gallons of gas in the tank. With steady driving that is around 300 miles or so range easily.

The funnel is in the green duffel bag in the back of the Subaru, it's piled in with TJ's socks, underwear, t-shirts, Playboy magazines (he reads the articles about football, really), and twenty or so baseballs used to distract the undead.

Gonna wait for Sami to post. I have kind of a big post to drop and I want to give everyone time to chime in on the scene with anything pertinent to their character or comment on what they want to do. Feel free to post more in response to each other. I can work with it. Or more often if you need to.

It's a good group, with a good dynamic, so I know we can manage it.

Just to be clear, the weapon laying in the grass beside the Bertha's car was dropped by the person in the camo that fled into the drive in ice cream shop. Sorry if that was misleading.

And I am assuming Sami has walked up to within about thirty yards of team Subaru. Easy enough to see intentions, talk with loud voices, and convenient range for a bow or a pistol in the event of a shoot'em up.

Better get to it then!

Roberta has no way of knowing who's machine gun that was.  Bertha is the only one who can clarify that without metagaming.

In reply to Roberta Johnson (msg # 153):

Actually Sami would have seen "him" drop it.

both good points. thanks, makes it easy when everyone pays attention. i'll keep that in mind.

i just went over old notes, it seems we all forgot to remind the GM to award any xp. so 1 point all the way around. remember it takes 1,100 points to raise a stat by 1.

just kidding, it takes points equal to the level you are raising the stat to.

just as a reminder. it's summer in Georgia, about 95 degrees out this fine day in the apocalypse. With the stress, activity, and the heat it will take about a gallon and a half per person to avoid the beginning stages of dehydration. A gallon to operate normally, but tomorrow will be a little achier and dehydration will be setting in. Especially if the level of stress and activity in the heat remains high.

Water not only helps cool you of and keeps you hydrated, but it has an accepted psychological effect to provide comfort to fights anxiety, stress, fear, etc.

I'm not sure there's room in the luggage space of the Subaru for someone to sit.  Especially if we're going to load in extra fuel and water.

Bertha should be bringing her car around to get filled up so Sami may get the idea the woman will remain in that vehicle.

Well, Sami's made room and is there. So if you want to sort it out in character go for it.

Edit: May have seemed rude, just preferring that what can be sorted out in character should be sorted out in character, not through OOC. Having Roberta quickly tell Sami to move because they're packing gas/water makes more sense than telling me.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:24, Thu 19 Mar 2020.

Ok, so Troy got shot at, rolled a partial success basically. Lost come equipment, but wasn't hurt. Bad luck and good luck on his part. He still has his backpack and lever action, plus the silenced bolt action with a fully loaded magazine.

Roberta brought up a point of making sure the people in the back of the Subaru can open the rear hatch from inside the car in a PM. I really don't know if it is possible, but I am fine with as far as the game is concerned. I just can't that as being a detail that is game breaking so yes the rear hatch can be opened from inside if needed.

Any questions? Good roleplay by the way.

Yeah, I'm going to be leaving the game. Appreciate the posting rate and there are a couple great roleplayers here. It had potential but with Roberta's player second guessing everyones posts and spending more time typing in PMs and OOC than in character it's going to drive me crazy going forward.

I like a bit of narrative freeform instead of being hyper-realistic and at the end of the day what do such minute details matter if they get in the way of a good story. Nobody was metagaming or godmoding, just don't see the need for the policing.

Sorry GM, love your setting and how you've set things up. Sad to go now things are getting started. Best of luck continuing the game.

In reply to GM (msg # 158):

Can I ask when you make a post to clearly state which groups are you talking to? It gets a little confusing for me as I can mix up Troy's info with ours if I read it too quickly.

Thanks.

:)
This message was last edited by the player at 00:19, Tue 24 Mar 2020.

You're welcome to come join Team Killer (shortened from roberta's nickname for Troy) rather than leave the game if you'd like.

In reply to Rodrigo Rod Duma (msg # 160):

sorry pal, i'll do it a little differently. thanks for the heads up.

Updated a new map. The red shows the areas of known high concentration of undead. Go there and there will be no way avoid at least some form of contact with the undead in your travels. The migrations appears to be moving south and east and the last reports were of increasing undead activity everywhere as more and more people die.

Not sure what everyone grabbed, and Ivy wouldn't know what everyone else on Team Subaru had unless she saw them make use of it. What kind of roll should I make?

it's not a big deal. everyone has been preoccupied for a bit. the covid 19 thing has the whole world on edge it seems. so a forgotten post or two isn't a concern.

pick up when you're ready to post, it also seems that we may have had a player or two jump ship. it's a troubling time for many right now.

I think we're waiting on spotting route 2.

I am still here.

:)

my bad, i have been working too much. we had a lot of people laying out using the covid virus as an excuse. but now i have more time, we got laid off until april 22.

Hate to hear that.

it's all good actually, part of the CARES package Trump signed in will actualy get me paid more on unemployment that would usually be offered.

Glad to hear it.

Updated the maps. One shows the situation around Troy. The other shows where Team Subaru is and where they spotted the danger with the Crows.

Alexi your gear list looks fine, maybe a little light, but never fear, at this point in the campaign there is going to be ampler opportunity to gear up

GM, are you waiting on anything from Team Subaru to move forward?

I think we're waiting on a determination as to whether Ivy can successfully navigate Rod towards Tunnel Hill.

sorry, go sidetracked with RL and lost track. of course she can, it is only about ten to twelve miles of roads, thanks and sorry for your hold up.

In reply to GM (msg # 175):

No problem, real life comes 1st.

Any chance we can get our own thread. I keep getting our story mixed up with Troy's. It would just temporary until we all meet again.

Alright, noted!

I just didn't want to take too much gear, and since my background indicates I've been wandering a bit, I figured I wouldn't be fully equipped or anything ;)

i have heard your wishes and i will see what i can do. thanks.

alright separated the threads, Alexi you are in the new thread with troy for the moment.

Howdy new guy!

In reply to GM (msg # 179):

Thanks very much!

:)

Hey back! Thanks for the warm welcome! Game seems like it has a solid foundation, just excited to see it get off its feet and rolling full steam! Anything I can do to help, please let me know!

Well, you can use to strike out on your own, join Troy, or join Team Subaru.

Excellent work Rod!  The first step has been taken to never seeing that murderous savage again!  Drive faster!

Haha, my character isn't much of a solo badass, so joining up would be great. Just no idea which team to leap on with yet!

In reply to Roberta Johnson (msg # 184):

Vroom!

:)

Of course, maybe someday Troy can explain why he shot that woman in cold blood while she was not looking.

Granted it would be helpful if a horde was not baring down on us while that happens...

I mean, Troy IS using the image of the GOT barbarian that killed for fun... ;)

Ironically I didn't even think of Kal Drogo (or even Conan who he's also played) when I picked that pic. It just happened that Jason Momoa looks exactly like I wanted Troy to look in it.

The difference in the two storylines is mainly that team Subaru (or as Troy says Team Chickenshit) made a break for it to escape the incoming zombie horde while Troy (aka Murderous Savage(tm)) stayed behind to try and save as many of the townspeople as he could.

This has led to the Subaru group meeting some NPCs and Troy getting stuck in a running fight that has only just ended.

I don't know if you've read the whole game or not so I won't go into to detail so as not to cut off the opportunity for you to learn things in game.

I will say that I wouldn't mind having another PC with me but it won't hurt my feelings if you go with the other group (especially once you find out he intends to avenge the killing of the town at some point. assuming of course that he hasn't already cut the head off that particular snake).

I'm all down for a revenge plot! I may not be TERRIBLY effective at killing, but I'm damned good at preventing killing, so that might go well with a murderous savage (tm) haha!

I need to annotate all the threads, story arcs and OOC banter, to create a cast, concept, and story arcs for a series for Netflix or Stars. Maybe HBO.

Haha, perfect!

uploaded new game maps

Following on the tail end of Ivy looking at the sky an considering their options to camp for the night please have Ivy make and Ingenuity check.

it was her thoughts that are the clue. good job.

You guys have traveled about 15 miles straight line distance, but covered a little over 20 miles of roads to do so. Still, the tank of the Subaru is still nearly full. It wasn't drive it like you stole it mode or anything.

Just an update so Rod can answer Roberta's question, plus you guys would have some idea of the rough distance you have traveled.

In reply to GM (msg # 194):

Did we bring extra gas with us from the last station or just top off the tank?

yes, there is around 15 gallons in plastic buckets, the kind with removable/resealable lids. plus around the same in plastic buckets of water. white food grade buckets for water, red industrial grade buckets for gas. plus food and some basic meds from the woman, Bertha, in trade for gas. several cases of MREs as I recall.

In reply to GM (msg # 196):

Hmmm, not sure we need the extra gas then. Although Rod might just want more to be on the extra cautious side.

a safe place to sleep may be useful

In reply to GM (msg # 198):

Yes, but in the middle of the town of 'DONT OPEN, DEAD INSIDE' may not be the best place to rest...

storm is coming in too, put a tent on a flat roof top

May I make a standing order to allow the GM to roll for me at any given time?

I have a history with luck. Rolling 1,000 d20s 10 separate times, I averaged on my BEST set of d20s a 6.6. I just rolled 3d6 straight down the line for stats last week, and rolled 5, 6, 7, 7, 8, 15... literally FAR worse than a commoner. I rolled for HP 2 weeks ago, and the GM scrapped my character entirely because he said "something that tainted shouldn't be played", lol.

I would much rather trust ANYBODY else's luck than mine.

Edit: Oh yea, with my highly trained sense earlier, modified I even managed to only roll a 6 TOTAL for my spot check. Things aren't going to improve, trust me, I've had this luck my whole life lol.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:13, Mon 11 May 2020.

i'll see what i can do

Good banter team subaru, the whitfield tire and service center looks to have been built inside a small refurbished warehouse. high ceiling, a lot of open space inside with a few areas with car lifts and tools, a small show room/office area with tires on display, and a lot of glass up front, but it does seem clear of undead from the road.

Updated my post.

Forgot to add the "+1" to my roll because of my perception. Also, not sure how much XP I should have right now.

In reply to Ivy Talbot (msg # 205):

I think the GM handed out 1 xp...maybe?
This message was last edited by the player at 18:11, Tue 19 May 2020.

This message was deleted by the player at 18:11, Tue 19 May 2020.

yes, sorry, my bad. as matter of fact everyone has probably earned two xp by now, sorry folks.

*Cough* Of course I have! I've done so much! :P

good job, to both groups

sorry, got divorced this week, real life sucks at times

In reply to GM (msg # 211):

It sure does these days.

Sorry to hear that.

Terrible news (or good?) Sorry to hear about it.

Leaving on family vacation today. Gone until at least the 25th.

cool, have fun, i will NPC you until after your wedding to that big burly biker guy. Did you want to wear the dress, or was it for him?

Spending the summer in Washington, could you NPC my character until I get back?

not a problem, have a good summer.

I'm back. Super drag ass atm. Will return to full power tomorrow.

nothing like needing a vacation from your vacation.

OK guys 3 things.
1. a new player will be joining soon, not sure exactly where they will land yet but I told them to go ahead jump in the OOC
2. need for Team Subaru to make perception rolls please, seems like a god place to stumble into some good ol' fashioned horror movie trouble
3. Troy and Alexi need to have a knife fight to see who gets to cook breakfast, oh no sorry, wrong game, need you guys to ingenuity rolls so i can slap game master antics on you

thanks guys

In reply to GM (msg # 219):

Sup y'all I'm new so I look forward to hopefully surviving with you

Welcome to the Zombie Zoo

Awesome, welcome!

And you and I are BASICALLY the same person, just different specialties, haha! So maybe we can have some fun bsing together ;)

In reply to Alexei Sidorov (msg # 223):

Look forward to it. Lets kick some biter bootay.

Holy heck, 10 miles per hour is casual for you?! Nevermind, hahaha, you'll dust me :P

...alright, I'm still in. Let's do it!

the bike is a homemade moped with a little, high compression, 2 hp motor on it. i grew up in small town, a teen through the 1980s and such things along with homebuilt go-karts, rebuilt ATV and dirt bikes was all the rage.

Oh I was just teasing her. We're just bantering for fun, sorry if I made it seem serious GM ;)

Where are we at for Team Subaru?  Roberta is patching up potential zombieman, Rod locked the house back up and headed back to the barn, ignoring the cabbage smell from the outbuilding, and Ivy is backing up Roberta with TJ following Rod.

In reply to Roberta Johnson (msg # 228):

I totally forgot about the smell...got distracted by the house.

:P

In reply to Roberta Johnson (msg # 228):

good job Roberta.

I'm ready to fast forward to morning.

it seems we are on the same track. i was about to push the scene forward once the current 'human interaction' was completed. i figure it was about time the orcs showed anyway.

pk, steering Florence, Alexi, and Troy into the same thread now. It will pick up with the thread 'Knee deep in it....' now, so all three of you can post there and hopefully you will all be united soon. thanks for the patience.

Back, anywhere I can insert myself?

Question for knee deep in it, do people think I'm at the gas station?

Ivy, just catch up on the thread and carry on.  We're having a picnic and Ivy has the map.

Welcome back Ivy!

Welcome back!

I had posted that I was moving toward your signal. The gas station, and the person Alexei saw, seems to be on the way there.

In reply to Ivy Talbot (msg # 234):

jump in where team subaru is. any questions just hit me up. and if i played you a little off of how you would have played sorry, feel free to just pick up with them now. glad you are back.

Actually, you played Ivy better.

thanks, team subaru is on its way northward, albeit a bit westward at the moment. but they will soon be making their way towards the eastern seaboard.

Cause I was under the bridge where they were haha.

In reply to Florence Whitley (msg # 243):

Really? Where we supposed to pick you up?

Or are you...trolling...us?

*rimshot*

Permission to roll pun damage?

2d69 pun damage

Have to give a thumbs up for the use of, "speedbump on the road to apocalypse."

thanks, that was more Ivy the Horror movie aficionado. but, that it struck a cord with you is awesome as well. trying to put you guys on the road to the east coast, if we need to take a few leaps of time and story that works for me, just moving the story along so you guys get into a story arc suited to your group.

I did get a post in.

Mind if I roll again to kill the remaining zombies?

sorry to be late, I will post in to update the scene, then you are free to do as you like. thanks for asking, you guys are great to work with.

I think we're waiting on Ivy's head count as she seems to believe there are more out there she missed.  Rod was looking for bites, and Roberta was looking around in place for missing rifles.

great job guys, in both groups.

I should have done this long ago. Everyone gains some xp, and I will try to not forget to do it again.

Ivy, Roberta, Rod, and Troy gain 4 xp since I haven't thought to do this since the beginning.

Alexi is up for 2 xp.

Florence is up for 1 xp.

Sorry it is coming so late guys. I will give everyone time to post in before I advance the scene you are in.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:08, Tue 25 Aug 2020.

In reply to GM (msg # 253):

Woo! Xp!

I have a enough to raise a stat to six. Can I get a specialization when I do that?

yes, as long it has the word void in it.

nah, kidding.

yes you can pick up a specialty, one for every level of bonus gained.

In reply to GM (msg # 255):

So if I have a stat of 8(+2) I can have two specialities?

Greetings to the lot of you.  I hope you all don't die before I get a chance to meet you in game.

just waiting for everyone to have chance to post in before moving the scenes forward.

jason bishop has joined the cast. he will be involved shortly. he is a former marine, a fan of Heartbreak Ridge, and a priest of Hastur. So, he should fit right in.

Howdy!

Is either group in need of some assistance?  Trying to decide on where to start.

People who like Subaru's go in one group.

People who like killing people go in the other group.

Yeah, the original group split was actually the only time I've ever seen an RPoL game group split like that and the whole game kept going. I think it says a lot about the players despite differences in play styles. I have really enjoyed this game. Thanks to to you guys it has worked out well.

Edited for accuracy

Sounds like there might be some resentment out there.

a minor dispute between republicans and democrats.

I am pretty sure if someone you just met asked you to go with them, and then they proceeded to shoot someone to death in cold blood for no obvious reason right in front of you? Well, its a predictable outcome.

Its not cowardice to think someone who kills so easily might not be safe to be around. Especially when the situation is so dire. Cowardice is when you knuckle under to such an authority figure.

It takes a lot more bravery to get away from such a person and risk the dangers out there without a heavily armed killer offering you 'protection'.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:14, Mon 31 Aug 2020.

Point taken. Everyone has their own world view. There own beliefs. And there own reasons for doing anything. That said, turn down the flames of discontent and let it go. Please, thanks, and focus on having fun.

We're role playing resentment.  If it seems like flames, we're just that good.

Well this being the OOC thread it's more Roberta's player and myself poking fun at each other (which we have done pretty much the whole game without any anger that I am aware of) rather than role playing but yeah no resentment exists outside the game (or in it as our characters have barely interacted with one another).

The name calling stems from our last interaction. Last they saw Troy he was shooting someone in circumstances they had no way of understanding. Last he saw them they were fleeing south as fast as they could go due to motivations he could not be aware of.

Thus I am a "murderer" and they are "cowards". An argument can be made that both are true but in my opinion neither is. My actual feeling is they were smart and Troy was desperate.


The real, honest to your chosen higher power, truth is that the group in the Subaru broke out of the starting location as fast as possible to get clear of the zombie horde while Troy (the only other PC at that time) stayed behind to try and turn the horde away in an effort to save the town (it did not work).

Since then Two PCs have joined Troy and both groups have been involved in non-stop stories leading them in more or less opposite directions and there was never a logical reason for them to meet again.


I'm personally thrilled to see Jason join either group (I read all the posts anyway and enjoy their story almost as much as the one I am in).

Yeah, yeah, I get it.

sorry, read to much into. got another game running that i had to drop someone out of because of his ability to create discontent.

have fun insulting each other.

also, i need someone in team coward to dial 1-888-cth-uhlu and someone in team murder to read five words from a mirror in the men's room of the waffle house, they are backwards so you need to reverse them first, just rutsah correctly five times while looking in the mirror.

thanks

HAHA, don't ask a native Russian (like my wife) what they think about those two terms, in terms of Americans. You'll get an ear-ful haha.

As a player, I just enjoy the banter in the OOC, and the banter in game. Its ALL banter. Frankly I don't care if somebody drops rude curse-words in the OOC: if they can offend you truly, you need thicker skin, because being offended by a glowing computer screen's typed words is just silly. I think we're ALL adults here, and everybody is chill as hell here. (I do find it hilarious that this USED to be the "standard" belief, but nowadays "words are violent", hahaha)

Lol choosing a zombie group over another is like rooting for opposite teams at the world series but ignoring the stadium is on fire.

excellent observation, fire, yes fire is a GM's friend, maybe a fire to dry everyone out after all that rain.

Team Subaru needs to memorize this old saw from the area they are in;

"If you ain't from Soddy, you ain't nobody!"

that's funny

Alexi's player is no longer with us, life got in the way, he asked to keep Alexi in the game as he would like to try to return to him in the future. I may or may not NPC him for a bit. I am undecided.

Losing Ivy Talbot as well, same thing, too much going in RL. They are college student resuming courses and having trouble keeping up the game as a result. I will work out both departures in game posts soon.

Eaten by zombies while taking a @#$%... there are few ways worse than that to go.

A game reaching 1000 posts is a good sign that it is going to stick around.

If most all of our rolls are going to start with 3d4, is it possible to default the dice roller to start with that combo?

sorry forgot that little detail, i'll see what i can do.

uploaded map for team subaru, it shows their escape route to highway near Soddy Daisy, the major undead movements in the region, and the location of camp hope.

the group with troy and florence are in north Dalton (Rocky Face on the map if you zoom in), just below tunnel hill (where team subaru turned west)

Jason, Roberta, and Rod aren't required to have some sort of interaction. They just all happen to be in the same place at the same time. You're welcome to do your on thing.

Wow, I have been gaming for a very long time, and that was one of the most unfriendly welcomes to a new player I have ever seen.

I may have omitted the fact that Team Cold-blooded Murder is WAY nicer Than Team Chickenshit Subaru from my earlier comments. :)

The role play didn't lend itself to joining forces.

There's also the height requirement for joining the team.  No one on the team can be taller than Rod.

nice come back

But isn't Roberta taller than Rod? She pretty tall.

Absolutely agree, role play did not lend towards working together, mostly because there wasn't really any role play.  Jason stepped out, showed he wasn't holding a weapon, showed his face, and gave his name.  Rodrigo hung back and Roberta made absolutely zero attempt at any discussion, completely blowing off the guy who just came from the direction they are planning on going.  The same guy who actually knows the military and how to use all of those things you are hauling around.  So "Yes" the role play did very much lend to not working together.

it's been a minute since I last gave out xp, I have enjoyed the game thus far, even the rivalry between two teams over their play styles. I have to admit, never seen players who could disagree and stand to stay in the game with each, even on separate threads. kind of gives me the warm and fuzzies.

everyone earns 1 xp, if that allows you to raise a stat feel free.

That brings me to enough xps to raise my Perception. Not enough to raise my bonus but a step closer.

We have a new player, Corporal Sam Clifford. He is in the process of finishing touches and will be in the game soon.

Well welcome to the game Sam!

Welcome to the game Corporal.  Now for the most important question, Army, Air Force or Marine Corps?

In reply to Jason Bishop (msg # 294):

G’day!
I’m still working on the bio and I’m extremely sorry in advance for how long it is becoming, but I’ve gone with army.

Aussie army still counts! That's 2 to 1 Army over Marines.

(Troy was a vehicle operator who never saw actual combat in the service)

Nah.... we will call it 1 to 1 Army Vs Marine Corps.  It takes at least 2 army grunts to equal a marine.

damn, better open a window before the bullshit stinks the place up.

Hahaha! Oh crisis

lol

If you're a patch on Gunny Highway that's probably accurate.

just to further Jason's problems, the GM was in the Army. A long time ago. In a galaxy not very far away.

God loves the infantry.

Hey Boss, we're moving on without any results from Troy's last actions and die rolls.

It's okay, I'll forgive all of you for making that decision.  Not everyone is capable of being a marine, some people have to go into the army.

yeah, i was reading about the new modualr offensive grenades soon to be adopted into the marine corpse's arsenal, you can literally connect them together like leggos. figures, that's about the usual marine IQ, or was it lincoln logs?

Improvise, Adapt Overcome.  Sounds like an adaptable weapon system, something the marines would benefit from.  Army... not so much, you have to be able to count above two.

On a very real note, the Marines have always been part of the Department of the Navy, so the Marines have always had to do with less than the other branches of the service.  It is one of the many reasons that the Marines have become so adaptable.

Marine spec ops falls under SOCOM with everyone else considered 'elite' from the other branches. SOCOM has its own ludicrously large budget. When this occurred the Navy didn't reduce the Marine Corpse budget (issued via the department of the Navy) accordingly leaving more money in the budget for standard Marine TO&E. That is why the Marine Corpse did its 'force com expansion plan' of the mid 90s and bought the newer gear so common now.

Now, with the new reorganization on the horizon the fear is that there will be real reduction in budget, capability, and manpower.

as for the modular grenades, they were developed by NAMMO in Finland I believe, a people with a history of using hand grenades on a tough tanks (T-34 and KV-1). This was accomplished in a similar manner to the new modular grenade system. Go figure.

But, speaking for Army grunts the world over, I bet if used six strings of those grenades as long as and Abrams track footprint stacks two strings wide by three strings deep you could lift the side of an Abrams at least a few feet.

The new guy, George, has great taste in Rifles. Troy has the same lever gun (Marlin Dark) in .30-30.

agreed, i'm all about some 'cowboy' guns.

my favorite lever gun calibers (that are also pistol calibers) are .44 magnum, .44-40, .38-40, and .38 special/.357 magnum. In straight rifle calibers I'm all about .30-30, .45-70, .35 Remington, and .30-06 in a Model 95 Winchester.

Iirc the Marlin Dark (and several other modern lever guns) in .44mag can also cycle .44sp effectively.

All hail fat, slow bullets!

great job guys.

Roberta, just a quick note since I think I may have you confused on where you are. Soddy Daisy is in Tennessee about twelve miles north of Chattanooga. Chattanooga is about thirty miles north of Dalton.

When team Subaru diverted northeast from Tunnel Hill, Georgia they where around five miles from Dalton. So to be clear do you want to head back south? Or did I just get you turned around?

Either is fine with me. I just want to be sure I haven't misled you.

I know they should be headed to Dayton, but she keeps thinking of Dalton as where TJ went.  Once they get on the road, she'll be heading for Dayton even though she'll keep calling it Dalton.

cool, i understand now, thanks for clearing that up. Dayton isn't too far away, you could be there with a leisurely drive in half an hour. well, as long as the undead and the GM don't conspire against you.

Outstanding.

George is all about matching calibers, considering the world is dying.

Hey George, are you ready to go? Sorry we haven't had a lot input with you just yet. When you are ready just shout and I will set up a thread for you to dive into.

Ready to go

Just have to put some generic gear on my sheet

Jason has dropped. He claimed that he had real issues with the system, I couldn't tell if he meant that it was that there weren't many rolls or that the system resolved rolls using four sided dice. Either way he had chosen to drop.

"To Each His Their Own"

I actually think this sort of open, very flexible, system is perfect for RPOL.

All the best parts of freeform without the inherent problems of not having effective conflict resolution.

In reply to GM (msg # 317):

That’s a shame. After all that prep.

A super interesting character as well.

Uploaded new maps for each group to go with the newest posts.

I’m sorry if ive gone out of turn or something. I just figured since it was just discussion going on that no one would have any vital move skipped if I answered too soon.

no sweat. it's all good.

uploaded a map showing the best route north from Greysville, Tn for team subaru

Good! Use your aggressive feelings, Roberta. Let the hate flow through you. :)

Unusual request

I am wondering if anyone would be interested in playing in a Battletech game?

If interested PM me please, as I have questions and information for ya.

I'm hugely interested in Battletech and Mechwarrior. In fact I've been involved in several spectacular failures here on RPOL trying to run games.

soory flo, i didn't use enough time to explain that scene better. you had a flat tire, not bad but a bit a problem right then. sam sort of panicked, fell back on his training, and went a little psycho. he will be ok when he has time to calm down.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvaEJzoaYZk

nice, it's been a minute since those days, senior year 88-89

Happy New Years all!

thanks, you too

Good shot Rod!

In a twist of total irony, I am going hunting Thursday with a friend. In Dalton Georgia.............

go figure. good luck.

Wow, that's where I live. Wave when you drive by. :)

Small world.

I live in Central Florida

Well watch yourself while your here. We're a COVID19 hotspot and working hard to live up to that title.

I will be out of contact until Tuesday.

Great job guys, all around. everyone gets 1 xp.

Note Troy is a Light Side Hillbilly and has no association with these Dark Side Hillbillies that are harassing Team Subaru.

Sorry, I vanished for a bit.

sorry, got sidetracked by RL, i will get us caught up now.

nice job everyone. i will let the others post in before advancing the scenes they are in.

Just remember, Rod and Bert, that Troy has a Trademark on the title "Murderous Savage".

Now that Team Subaru is slaughtering people left and right you'll need to come up with a new title. Maybe "Genocidal Gentry" or "Truck Slayers" or "Oh F*** I Hope We Didn't Just Blow Up Ivy"...

In reply to Troy Roberts (msg # 345):

That title is truly and forever yours...and yours alone. I would not dream of removing that crown from your forehead.

It's made of bone I bet.

:P

And why the hell would you take a useful hostage to disarm booby traps? I mean, they may be dumb enough to ignore a clear sign, but not say 'I know! Lets throw the hostage we just got at it and see what happens!' level dumb.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:36, Fri 19 Feb 2021.

I do hope you are right. Even though the player has left the game I like to think the character is going to survive.

I got the impression though that the guy talking was surprised by the explosion. Makes me think he was talking to you when one of his idjit henchmen set off your boobytrap. I think they reckoned not with Rod's Kaboom Skills.

Still, good on you for vaporizing some number of parasites

I do like how things happen in the background whether it's good for us or not.  It maintains a level of urgency missing in other games that have set piece battles where no matter how long your rest or prepare, the bad guys will wait for you to be ready.

thanks, and by the way, Rod has already went to suppoetyourGM.com and made a 'donation' to improve my standard of living. i hate to say it, but if it comes down to it Rod has already paid to have the zombies eat you first.

I think you may have misinterpreted what Rod was asking for.  I'm sure he meant for the OTHER groups to be eaten before ours.

He did say something about expendable Aussies, but he did ask that you be spared until after your upcoming marriage to Troy.

I’d love to, though in the middle of a divorce, and that’s sucking all my money atm.

Hahaha! Fair enough then!

In reply to George Simmons (msg # 352):

yeah, did the divorce thing last year, started it in June 2019 and finished it in August 2020, and it only cost me two vehicles, one house, four step kids, our combined retirement, a vacation home, most of what i had in the bank to pay a stupidly expensive law firm to keep me from losing more, and my sanity.

i deleted George's post on the thread for Roberta and Rod and pasted it into the thread with Sam, Troy, and George. it appeared to have been posted there my mistake.

to bridge the gap i left there in the thread with the group in dalton; everyone is back at the police services center. Troy, Sam, and George (PCs), Hank (the Mexican who did the cooking) and Carol (the woman who guided the others there), Florence (the absent PC) and Alexi (PC who had to leave for college), and a group of survivors consisting of Jake Dodd and twenty others survivors ranging from kids to elderly.

Everyone at the police service would have had time to find a place to settle down, get fed, armed, and a little rest. While the others were walking up George would have time to meet and eat with Hank. George's Jeep (i don't remember the model) is beaten but not broken. It still operates perfectly, just needs some dents hammered out and a new coat of paint.

Troy's arm is in rough shape, and will be for a week or so until the initial wound begins to close up and heal well. He will need daily bandages, antibiotics, and will have to avoid using it for about two weeks. After that he will be able to use it, causing a -1 when he does for a further two weeks. after a month he will be somewhat normal. there is only a hole in the meat, no broken bones, no severed arteries, no damaged ligaments or tendons. the armor mostly did its job, but he did get shot with a .30-06.

George is battered about and suffered some significant bruising. He has a few sprains and his back was wrenched about in that blast. He will need a week to really get over the impact that blast tossed on him.

There are four wounded among the survivors you guys brought back, it will be some time before they will fully heal, 5 to 7 weeks. The food and water situation in the Police Services Center, here to now be known as the PSC, will keep this group going for about three weeks without resupply. So, if you plan on staying you will need to beging bringing in resources. The fuel will keep the two generators running for about another week. There are two police vehicles, a squad car and a K9 unit SUV minus the dog, in the back lot. There is a Honda CRV, a Ford Fiesta, and a 1970 Chevelle, A GMC Yukon, and a short Bluebird bus (painted cop colors for transporting officers and prisoners alike) in the lot out front.

In Soddy Daisy Roberta, Rod, and Ivy (player is out, back to college). Ivy has come to believe that the safe way is to head south by southwest to the Gulf Shores region of southern Alabama. She overheard the radio conversations of several different groups in the regions to the east and northeast while in captivity to the gang that Rod's trap blew to the moon. The band kids treat this like any other of the half dozen times they have ran for the hills and hid out while a horde passed through; ATVs and camping gear.

The Subaru is in great shape. It is crowded with all the medical supplies, extra rations, bottled water, ammo cans, weapons, and camp gear stuffed into it after the last few stops you guys made and kept adding to the stuff inside the car. You can strap a lot of it to the roof rack safely (or do that with gear you find in the future). The gas tank is still over half full. And the car still has good AC/Heat, radio (no stations other than two automated broadcast from Atlanta and Memphis), and the seats are comfortable enough to sleep in daily. The food and water in the car will last the trio about two weeks if well rationed. The fuel will take you about another 200 to 250 miles.

There are several sources of undead sightings, some sounded conflicting, in the middle Tennessee region near Soddy Daisy. Two you are 99% sure are real; a massive horde estimated to be over 50,000 and miles in depth and breadth is moving westward from the area of Knoxville/Merryville with its leading groups of undead as close as Cleveland and Dayton now. That puts the undead north and northwest within twenty miles. About a day the speed of undead over 24 hours. Three other reports place undead moving north out off Chattanooga, south out of Chattanooga (you ran into them in Georgia), headed south from Bristol (border with Virginia.) The other reports from Ivy said that Kentucky was overrun with undead in the lowlands and embattled towns in the mountains, Illinois was under the control of the state National Guard units, and that a radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio was broadcasting to stay away from cities because many of them had been nuked in an effort to try and stop the undead.

To head north right now, Roberta and Rod would have to run west for a while into the farmlands of west Tennessee and then head north and work their way east. Otherwise they have to face a lot of undead. Ivy will head southwest to southern Alabama unless you two convince her to go with you. She was a medical student before all this began, but was only two years through med school.

Please drop any questions, complaints, needs, wants, etc. here for discussion.

Good job of late all around. everyone earns 1 XP for the great role playing.

Yah! XP!

Are we supposed to be keeping count of the earned XP coz I’ve already lost track...

In reply to Sam Clifford (msg # 357):

that's funny, i think it is 3 so far since you joined, i will try go back and double check

Had some friends run into a similar situation (minus any zombies) on I-75 on the way back from Blade Show in Cobb County (just north of Atlanta).

If that car stops it will be completely engulfed in flames in seconds.

The only reason there weren't any serious injuries in the rl situation is both my buddies that were involved are 300+lbs and were able to snatch grown people out through the windows.

In reply to Troy Roberts (msg # 359):

Well, I am driving up alongside of it...but I don't think they can hop off and jump into the Subaru moving at those speeds.

new player inbound playing Zoe. hello Zoe and welcome aboard.

G’day Zoe!

Howdy Zoe!

Due to real life issues I am dropping from the game.

Well shit.

Hi everyone!

Looks like I just missed the hot zone, meet you at the Police Centre!

Bye George, sorry I never knew you.

Getting a divorce, so mind isn't in it, hasn't been for a few weeks.

Understood. I like the character but I likely wouldn't continue to play under those circumstances.

Maybe El Jeffe can keep George on the back burner in case you change your mind in the future.

I would like that and ty for the kind words.

It was nice knowing you mate. Best of luck with everything, hope all ends well.

I understand completely on the divorce, mine began in June of 2019 and lasted until September of 2020 and left me with less than I started the marriage with. My sympathies for your family and I hope your frustrations are few and over quickly. I will take care of George for a while. I hope you make it back to us. Good luck and God bless.

Nooooooooooooooo! Not the Subaru!

It's like Glenn all over again...

it's a Subaru, not a Hyundai

So, I am going to try to tie up a few loose ends with the group in Dalton, Ga. The player who normally plays George Simmons is out of the game for a while to deal with his divorce. So I will post for him just long enough to get the character out of circulation and into a position in game to allow the player to rejoin later if he decides to.

I would like move the group in Dalton forward three to five days. Each player in the Dalton Group is welcome to post the things that their character would be interested in doing during this time. George will planning and preparing to take the other NPCs back to his mountain cabin so they can 'colonize' the area. So, to that end they are going to be packing up everything they can from the Police Services Center. They will need at least half a dozen vehicles to do this. So, they will be searching out usable vehicles and fuel as well.

The PC's can stay or go with them. Or split up and do both. It is up to you. None of you have to go with George or stay in Dalton, nor do you all have to stay together. I can separate threads when and where needed. That said, take a moment to think about what your characters would want to do and discuss it here in the OOC thread.

As for Team Subaru, well, that line from Game of Thrones comes to mind when the Red Woman was talking about her Fire God- the night is dark and full of terrors.

I'm good with the time jump.

If I recall correctly from George's posts (and his thread) the other folks are intended to have the scientist (his pregnant daughter) back at George's compound so that is where the briefcase needs to go as well.

All good with me.

In reply to Troy Roberts (msg # 375):

Precisely

Greetings all!  New here, look forward to meeting you all!

Howdy!

Welcome Kayla!

In reply to Zheng Li (msg # 380):

Hey I’m new here too!!!!

Wow, another one. Welcome Zack. Busy times.

Nobody cares rookie.  *ROLLS EYES* Now seriously go get me some coffee.....

G’day newbies!

zack and kayla will be starting in the new thread. if it isn't enough info or too off-base let me know. it's been a little while since i sacrificed PCs, we can always start with the new characters if they're unhappy.

just kidding, let me know if something doesn't work.

I am assuming Alexei should be Ivy?