For purposes of our keeping score, we're estimating that Pleasantdale's territorial region covers roughly the same amount of land/sea territory as Topeka, Kansas in 1950 - this gives us a recognizable baseline to work with, setting our base population number at “about 75,000” for purposes of keeping score.
| District | Base Pop | Current Pop | Percent | Zombanimals | Zombie Townsfolk | Zommunists | ZI Joes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural District | 5,000 | 5,000 | 100% | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| Historic District | 5,000 | 5,000 | 100% | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| Victorian District | 10,000 | 5,000 | 100% | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| Redview Road | 5,000 | 5,000 | 100% | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| Grant Boulevard | 5,000 | 5,000 | 100% | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| Pleasantdale Valley | 20,000 | 5,000 | 100% | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| Pleasantdale Ridge | 20,000 | 5,000 | 100% | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| Harbor District | 5,000 | 5,000 | 100% | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| The Secret District | 3,000 | 3,000 | N/A | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| Total | 78,000 | 78,000 | 100% | ? | ? | ? | ? |
For zombie townsfolk, the numbers in the brackets denote [Dumb/Normal/Smart] zombies. Dumb zombies don't use tools and can't lead other zombies; normal zombies can use tools (including melee or occasionally ranged weapons) and cooperate, but seldom provide leadership over other zombies; and smart zombies can actually lead other zombies and have long-term memories, not unlike your average gang leader compared to their gang members.
This encompasses places the players have no knowledge of or that need tracking that aren't really 'locations' on the map, or that get more detail here than elsewhere.
Surveillance Base 435 was originally a reconnaissance base meant to house a squad of soldiers and a team of scientists who studied the town's broadcast traffic and passed interesting data on to a relay station further south. In particular, the Russians were investigating the rumor that the United States had established an emergency wartime command center, complete with a nuclear power plant, refinery, manufacturing facility, and other places that would make it an ideal self-contained military complex. Technically, they weren't entirely wrong - the town is indeed a project - one they've now become a part of.
The Surveillance Base is now entirely populated by Zommunists; those who survived the initial assault and the fighting upon their return have fled, some becoming roaming zombies later, others just desperate to avoid everything. They obey a regimented rank structure, and all retain the ability to use their firearms; they also have a fairly good supply of ammunition, so a straight firefight is not terribly wise. There are also ten Zommunist technicians that can still operate the base's alarm and surveillance systems; however, their original mission of 'Destroy America by relaying its information' has been replaced by 'Destroy America by converting its populace into zombies and feasting on the flesh of the dead.' Those turned directly by the Zommunists become Zommunist Sympathizers and are eventually brought back to the base to increase its numbers; they are the first line of defense against attack, and fight with melee weapons.
Zommunist Sympathizer: 0 (for now)
Zommunist Soldier: 40
Zommunist Technician: 15
Zommunist Lieutenant: 5
Zommunist Commander: 1
Quebec 21 is the testing facility that was monitoring the Pleasantdale Project, and was also conducting experiments on supersoldiers using the atomic reactor in its basement. Unfortunately, they discovered an unfortunate side effect of supersoldier blood getting into the wounds of their enemies - zombie infection. Not good, especially when it turned out that both their own dead and the enemies' were getting up hungry.
The base originally had 60 regular grunts, each in six man squads led by a sergeant, and each five squads led by a lieutenant, who then reported to the captain. In addition, there was a lieutenant in direct charge of the AGI Program's oversight, who was responsible for the ten supersoldiers. There was also a team of twenty-five technicians on staff to keep things running - including the recon gear and support equipment.
Unfortunately, the supersoldiers are likely to zomb out within a few weeks at best, as are most of the base personnel. Unlike the Russians, the US troops were well-supplied and well-armed, and all of them are equally familiar with their weaponry. Worse, they've all spent time with the nuclear reactor, making them stronger, tougher, and nastier than their Zommunist counterparts - and the supersoldiers are the cream of the crop.
ZI Joe Grunts: 48
ZI Joe Sergeants: 8
ZI Joe Lieutenants: 3
ZI Joe Captain: 1
ZI Joe Supersoldiers: 10
While the woods are mostly just a large map area of 'place that isn't townlike', it's also a place to note the general area where people in the middle of nowhere (read: zombie bait!) live, as well as zombified animals and other migratory herds of undead monstrosities. If someone wants to go zombie hunting, let 'em! Just remember that zombies are awful quiet compared to the sound of a gunshot, and they might be all around you…
Zombanimals: 50 and rising
In light of the Quebec 21 incident, the Pleasantdale Experiment has been considered launched - a biological weapon is loose and now it's time to observe the effects on a civilian environment. As such, Mobile Monitoring Station November has been set up to remotely observe and monitor the situation. Essentially, MMS November is a special forces deployment team that has taken position in the general vicinity of the north ridge of town, setting up a campground, helipad, artillery embankment, and other fortifications in position to target the town. They also maintain secured broadcasts to coordinate with other military forces in the area to properly quarantine the town, arranging for snipers to pick off the tires of those attempting to drive past the highway blockades or triggering detonations at 'warning points' to take stubborn drivers out of commission, neutralizing those who stray too far from town if they spot them, and sinking ships attempting to leave the harbor with the cooperation of a US submarine crew.
In short, the MMS November is one of three stations responsible for stopping things from getting out of hand - it is the one that is 'most visible'. (The others, in all likelihood, are stationed at the south and northwest of town, respectively; they are focused much more on concealment and more will be noted about them if an aggressive search for them occurs.)
As things progress over time or at certain population decline points, town functions begin to become impaired. (Of course, the party's actions may change this significantly.) This chart assumes that the party takes no positive or negative action that would modify the results listed.
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| T-Minus Two Weeks | The initial incident occurs at Surveillance Base 435. While the base itself is taken, the surviving Communists fall back to their pre-arranged safehouse to coordinate and re-deploy. Several 'deceased' soldiers are left behind; Communists captured or killed during the struggle are brought back to the Army deployment base (Quebec 21), including several infected Communists, for intelligence recovery. PC Alerts: A series of loud banging noises and a bright flash occurs northwest of town in the very late evening - likely in the middle of a 'teenagers doing teenage things' post, but it's loud enough to wake sleeping people, even though they may not see what woke them. The paper report the next day will include an editorial from a concerned parent insisting that the police department look into hooliganism and reporting a small forest fire caused by several biking ruffians setting off fireworks. |
| T-Minus One Week | Situations turn sour at both Quebec 21 and Surveillance Base 435. On Q-21's front, several Communists killed in close combat with the Americans have been revived - much to the surprise and contamination of the medical team. This has caused Quebec 21 to become compromised as a functioning outpost, and a lockdown situation ensues. The situation worsens as many of the American soldiers sent to quell the threat, who have received treatments, rise again as ZI Joes and end up making things that much worse. Meanwhile, at Surveillance Base 435, the surviving Communist soldiers and scientists have carefully returned to recover what they can and relocate to a new outpost. Unfortunately, the soldiers killed in the initial struggle are still there … and they're hungry. In the ensuing fight, a number of Communists get infected and either killed and zombified immediately, or later as the disease slowly kills them. |
| T-Minus Six Days | Animals bitten by zombified individuals, as well as those making the mistake of feasting on the dead and undead around the base area, begin turning. This, too, begins spreading from the affected region. PC Alerts: If someone is carefully exploring the region where the 'fireworks' went off, there is a chance they may encounter one of the zombified animals. |
| T-Minus Five Days | One of the Communists from Surveillance Base 435 that was bit in close combat with one of the zombified soldiers fled and has been hiding out in the woods, progressively getting worse. He eventually perishes, comes back, and starts seeking out something fresh… finding his way to Pleasantdale Pastures. PC Rumors: One of the local rumors involves one of the missing people who may have skipped town to get away from his wife for a few days. If this is investigated closely, this gives a headstart on noting that this person actually went missing while on the job in the fields of Pleasantdale Pastures and just never checked in at the end of the day. |
| T-Minus Four Days | A zombified raccoon turns up and is taken down by a local hunter, who notes with some surprise that it took eight shots to bring the animal down, and that after the first shot, the animal actually bared its teeth and aggressively charged directly at him. PC Alerts: If this is an NPC hunter, there is a very good chance that this hunter may turn if left alone; if investigated, PCs may find out that he has a nasty bite wound that was treated by his local doctor with 'a needle the size of my johnson' full of antibiotics, and the wound seems to be settling. Or he may still have the dead raccoon in a box. Or he may have sent it to the taxidermist, whether it stays dead or not… Information gained here may not be all in one day, of course. |
| T-Minus Three Days | A judgment call is made by the scientist in charge of the Pleasantdale Experiment in light of developments at Quebec 21. Given that the most likely population vector for any surviving zombies is Pleasantdale - most other population zones are too far away - they recommend forming a silent observational cordon one hundred miles out from the town and seeing whether the outburst results in contamination of Pleasantdale - and if so, on what scale. |
| T-Minus Two Days | Four employees from Pleasantdale Pastures who live in the outskirts area have succumbed to the Communist zombie, who has remained somewhat intelligent and managed to stalk them down and pick them off one by one. He gradually amasses a small horde that is more or less obedient to his command, although none of them turns out to be particularly bright. PC Rumors: A complaint from a Sunshine Dairy delivery truck driver comes in about keeping your dogs leashed. If investigated, the dog is a zombie, owned by one of these missing zombified workers. The truck driver escaped injury, but will the PCs be so lucky? |
| T-Minus One Day | A bit of brain rot, and the Zommunist with aspirations of glory decides to lead his troops towards town. On their way, however, they practice by arranging an attack on a gas station at the edge of town; the Zommunist puts his gun to use this time to take down the most resistant people quickly, and he and his followers feast. This also creates a horrifying story that won't make the news until someone actually stops at the station and checks to see why it's still closed… PC Alerts: A story appears in the news that announces that the on-road leading to the Interstate north to New York City is temporarily closed due to a bridge collapse. Mayor Tuttleford has vowed to get the bridge back into working order as soon as possible and is reportedly working with the NJDOT to make this happen, but for now, those heading northwards need to take a one-hour-long detour along the southern Interstate to reach their destination. |
| Zero Hour | The Zommunist and his horde - now five strong, including the four farmworkers and a customer from the gas station - decide to launch an attack on the Founder's Hall Festival, bolstered by confidence and a desire to amass more followers. |
| T-Plus Four Hours | Those infected by the attack on Founder's Hall are likely to be showing signs of the infection, and may seek medical attention. People with family doctors will likely start making appointments, which may result in an overload if many were injured. Anyone who was actually shot will receive immediate hospital treatment including antibiotics - which gives them a reroll at +1 to shake off the effects of the virus, assuming they survive to reach the hospital. Those who seek out family practitioners are unlikely to be seen before the virus reaches secondary stages, which means at best an antibiotic and tetanus shot (and a reroll with no bonus). Note that most 'average townies' get a base Con of 2 to resist zombification. |
| T-Plus 24 Hours | Those initially infected by the attack on Founder's Hall are likely either very sick and slowly recovering, or in Phase 2 or Phase 3 of the Z-Virus. A few deaths may be reported. |
| T-Plus 48 Hours | Past this point, people are either recovering from their brush with the Z-Virus, or dead (and rising). Depending on what district they rise in, things may get very interesting very quickly. |
| Population | Event |
|---|---|
| 90% | The town is beginning to show significant signs of damage from the zombie harassment. Telephone and broadcast contact with the outside world abruptly ceases. People are starting to panic; convincing NPCs to do something useful that might put them at risk is at a -1 to Influence rolls unless they are Reckless. Service outages begin to happen as nobody comes in to fix things or resupply depleted fuel and parts. |
| 80% | The external connection to the power and gas grids is cut off; by now, the fact that no fuel trucks have shown up should be severely compromising local vehicles. Unless the PCs figure out a way to get things back online or have a generator in their base of operations, they're going to be hiding from zombies in the cold and dark. |
| 70% | The Zommunists begin to come out of the woodwork in force, and are beginning to organize targeted strikes on the town. This is a distinct problem, not least because it means more zombies! |
| 60% | The Mayor, press, and other local powers, if not already brought to this conclusion, start to realize that things are really, really messed up. What happens next depends highly on the PC's actions, but is likely to involve martial law and preparations borrowed from Commie fighting that may or may not work on actual zombies. |
| 50% | Any district that reaches this point has a reasonable chance of any particular business being closed at GM's whim due to zombies (owner got eaten, fled, barricaded himself in and refuses to let anyone in, etc). Also, if the districts that contain major services hit this point, these services are likely to fail without serious intervention on behalf of the party (no water is a bad thing, as is no lights). |
| 40% | Most people are truly alarmed at this point, and are at -2 to Influence to do anything but protect themselves; they will however be eager to take advice from authority figures, especially if it is proven valid. If the authority figures are why the population is in such decline, though, they may be violently resistant to suggestions at this point. |
| 30% | Civilization is breaking down heavily at this point, with people alternating between barricading themselves in under the hope that they'll be rescued eventually, or making a break for it. The media is becoming highly cynical, if it still functions, and whatever functions still operate do so more out of routine than out of any real gain (postmen driving through zombie mobs to deliver mail, for instance). |
| 20% | If no real sense of order in the face of the crisis has been established by now, there may be severe struggling amongst citizens for basic resources and supplies, and the zombie threat may be secondary to the threat of humanity itself. Worse, if the ZI Joe threat hasn't been discovered yet, it may force itself out of the woodwork at this point. |
| 10% | The area has become a ghost town, with few people still alive and carrying on activities. Most survivors are at -4 to Influence at this point for anything that doesn't help them, and civilized society may have broken down utterly. |
| 0% | Congratulations - this area is basically depopulated. While there may be the occasional survivor here and there, this place is mostly populated by the undead. Enjoy your sleep. |