BEYOND ZOMBIES

Roleplaying Game

Core Rulebook

BTD Press © 2017

2nd Edition Revision - 2019
 Beyond Zombies
Core Rulebook

©2017 BTD PRESS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

©2019 BTD PRESS - 2nd Edition

Illustrations by Federica Di Tizio

Book Design and Written by Dale Easterling

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Some rules mechanics are inspired by Star Wars Galaxies developed by Raph Koster, John Donham, and Cinco Barnes of Sony Online Entertainment, and Apocalypse World
developed by D. Vincent Baker.

BEYOND ZOMBIES and its respective logos are trademarks of BTD Press in the U.S.A. and other countries. This material is protected under copyright laws of the United States of
America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of this material or network contained therein is prohibited without the express written permission of BTD Press. This product is a
work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places, or events is purely coincidental. Printed in the USA.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION Page 5
Zombies! … … Page 5
What Is an RPG? Page 5
How to Use This Book Page 5
What You Will Need Page 6
Setting Page 6
Sample Game Session Page 7
The Role of the Narrator Page 10
A Living Story Page 10
Beyond Zombies Page 10
Secrets and Intrigue Page 11
End Game Page 11
CHAPTER 1: CHARACTER CREATION Page 12
Creation Outline Page 13
Group Dynamics Page 14
D20 and Dice Rolling Page 14
NPC vs Player Characters Page 16
Blessings, Curses, Boons, and Losses Page 16
Health and Will Points Page 17
Character History & Backgrounds Page 17
Flaws Page 20
Gaining Skill Points Page 21
CHAPTER 2: SKILLS Page 22
Skill Trees Page 23
Athletics Page 24
Charisma Page 26
Combat Page 28
Driving Page 30
Medicine Page 32
Resilience Page 34
Resources Page 36
Tactics Page 38
Technology Page 40
CHAPTER 3: EQUIPMENT Page 42
Currency Page 43
Armor Page 43
Weapons Page 44
Cover Page 47
Gadgets Page 47
Shelter Page 49
Vehicles Page 51
CHAPTER 4: COMBAT Page 52
Combat Sequence Page 53
Combat Actions Page 54
Attacking and Evading Page 54
Player vs Player Page 55
Exhaustion Page 55
Movement Page 55
Concealment and Cover Page 56
Prone Page 56
CHAPTER 5: UNDEAD Page 58
Origins and Behavior Page 59
Undead Statistics Page 60
Shufflffllers Page 60
Runners Page 60
Mutants Page 61
Animals Page 61
CHAPTER 6: CHARACTER CODEX Page 62
Nonplayer Characters Page 63
Pregenerated Characters Page 66
APPENDIXES Page 82
Character Sheet Page 83
Skill Chart Page 86
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4
 INTRODUCTION
ZOMBIES!
Lights flicker on a deserted street. A stray cat hisses as it runs
for cover underneath a windowless, wrecked car. You see the
safehouse ahead, the neon bar sign glowing red in the darkness.
Your heart races, gripping your pistol in sweaty hands. One
bullet left. If you run, you can make it. Maybe. You kick
through the door and sprint down the street as fast as you can.
That’s when you hear it. Moans. Shuffling. Growling. Two
figures behind you become four. Then ten. Then fifty. They gain
on you from behind. Soon more appear to your sides down
darkened alleys. The zombies are coming. Just as you reach
for the safe-house door, three of the snarling undead crash out
of the wooden frame. They have taken the bar too, and now
nowhere is safe.
You back up, pointing your gun feebly as the zombie hoard
surrounds you. Trembling, you raise the pistol to your head.
A gunshot goes off - but it is not yours. Sniper fire rains down,
and a moment later an armored truck barrels through the
street, and as the side door slides open three soldiers pour out.
They lay out suppressive fire, cutting down the zombie hoard.
As the commander checks you for injuries, the calvary rushes
you to safety. Watching the undead fade into the distance, you
nearly collapse with relief as you are saved by the living.
What is an RPG?
Beyond Zombies is a tabletop roleplaying game (RPG),
which is a social game of imagination and creativity. You help
tell a story though the actions and dialogue of a character that
you create. The world is yours to explore through their eyes.
Unlike a computer game, the only limit to what you can do
is what you can imagine – and get away with, depending on
your Narrator. You decide what your character says and does.
You also interact with other players, who help build the story
themselves. Whereas in most games you are independent and
often competing against other players, in an RPG they are
your friends and allies. In order to survive, you must work
together as a team. The Narrator keeps track of the rules,
stories and secrets – but it is the players who drive the game.
Together the Narrator and players share laughs, screams and
pouts to create a rich story and a great time.
How to use this Book
Beyond Zombies Rulebook is a set of basic rules and
regulations for playing the game. Once the Narrator and
players are familiar with the game mechanics and system,
they can play rather independently of this book – using it
only for reference. Beyond Zombies was designed with
simplicity and easiness of use in mind, without needing a
library of supplements and errata like some other RPGs.
In this book you will find rules for creating characters,
mechanics for engaging in combat and resolving situations,
and guidelines for creating and engaging in a rich story.
INTRODUCTION 5
 WHAT YOU WILL NEED
Like the list of rules, the list of requirements to play this
game is minimal. To make the most out of your gameplay
experience, it is recommended that you have the following on
hand:
Beyond Zombies RULEBOOK: Having the rulebook
on hand, especially one you don’t need to share with
others, will help you find rules or mechanics quickly
and keep the game running smoothly.
DICE (1D20): All dice rolls in this game use a single,
twenty-sided die known as a d20.
CHARACTER SHEET: Your character sheet lists all of
the traits and skills your character possesses. To know
what you SHOULD do, it’s wise to keep on hand what
you CAN do.
PENCIL & PAPER: Besides your character sheet,
it’s a good idea to keep track of important nonplayer
characters (NPC’s), items, story points and other
information on paper in case they are needed.
MINIATURE: Because combat uses a 1.5” x 1.5” square
grid map, it’s suggested that you acquire a miniature
figure to represent your character. This can be a figure
from any appropriate game system, or toy, as long as
the base is no larger than the squares. To represent
the hordes of zombies, a Narrator could also use
nondescript army men.
OTHER PLAYERS: Fighting zombies solo is neither
fun nor advised. Bring back up.
6 INTRODUCTION
SETTING
While the specific locations, time period and goals of a
campaign are widely open to imagination, there are three
primary setting types for Beyond Zombies.
OUTBREAK: It was an ordinary day in the city. Suddenly
the news reports on a breaking story of a disease epidemic
spreading faster than imagined. The infected show disturbing
behavior and symptoms. The disease itself is resistant to any
form of cure. Soon people in your town begin to disappear,
either relocating or just vanishing without a trace. As you
stock up on provisions you realize the infected are indeed
zombies. Some of them are friends or loved ones, even those
who have been dead for years. Can you make it to safety
before the outbreak claims you, too?
APOCALYPSE: New York was the first to go. Then Los
Angeles, Paris, London, Hong Kong and every other major
city in the world. You and a handful of others have been
searching for survivors since the Outbreak, years ago. Now
you are outnumbered thousands to one. But through old
radio communication you receive a distress call from another
city. There are more survivors. Even more unbelievable,
they claim to have a cure. Can you and your pack of zombie
hunters reach them in time?
LAST HOPE: No one remembers how the Outbreak
occurred. Few even know for certain when it happened.
Decades ago, the zombie plague destroyed everything.
Billions have died. Massive cities lie in ruins. Technology
has been knocked back half a century. Now only pockets of
survivors remain, but the undead threat seems to be past.
Now is the time to rebuild. As you dig your way out of your
bunkers and underground cities, the elders warn you about
zombies like they were boogiemen from years gone by. Soon,
however, the scent of blood revives the dormant monsters.
Which is a worse fate – waiting to die of starvation, or risking
the safety of your aging colony in search of new life?
SAMPLE GAME SESSION
The following is a sample of what you can expect from a
typical roleplaying game session. Feel free to skip ahead to
understand the game mechanics before reading this scene.
The stage is set. You and your friends have looked over
the game rules, created your characters, and now sit down
to play your first game session. Your Narrator has a solid
understanding of the system and game setting, and has
prepared her adventure. With dice and character sheets in
hand, you are ready to play!
Sitting around the table, surrounded by snacks and plastic
miniatures, the players listen for the introduction. Christina
is the Narrator. Dean sits beside her, playing former soldier
Samuel Swift Cloud. Next to him is Sabrina, practicing her
techno jargon to inject a little authenticity into her hacker
character, Proxy. Across the table, young Maggie nervously
makes notes on her first character - the equally young Kenzi,
a spoiled governor’s daughter. Rounding out the party is Dan,
calmly prepared to step into the holy shoes of priest Thomas
Bonhomme.
Christina has selected a handful of miniatures she bought
last Halloween from the local crafts store to use for the party,
as well as a bag of beige army men as stand-ins for future
foes. The figures will not only help visualize and connect
with the characters physically, but also speed along various
situations during play. She places the player figures on a blank
grid map in the center of the table, and leaves the others
hidden from view on the floor.
As Narrator, Christina doesn’t have a specific character for
herself. Instead she will stand in for the various nonplayer
characters the party will come across..
Narrator: It is a dark and stormy night - outside of Seattle,
so that doesn’t seem unusual. For weeks the news has been
bombarded with reports of military bases around the world
being overrun by unknown enemies. For such a major concern,
the details have been suspiciously slim. Still, to the world at
large these are isolated events in far away lands, nothing that
needs to be of concern. That’s about to change.
The four of you have pulled up to the Quick Mart along
the highway for various reasons. Gas. Food. Restroom break.
Rushing in to escape the rain, you all enter the convenience
store. Why don’t you describe your characters?
Dean (Samuel): You all see a man wearing plain clothing
and a heavy jacket, but he holds himself like a fighter. He is a
young man, Native American with short hair. He glances at
everyone and heads straight for the water bottles, stocking up
like they’re going out of style.
Sabrina (Proxy): Weird. Ok, so in the back by the pizza
and energy drinks is a very pretty Hispanic teen. She has a strip
of her hair dyed blue and she’s listening to techno music on
headsets connected to her phone.
Maggie (Kenzi): My character isn’t actually in the store.
She’s in the back of a limo out in the parking lot. Kenzi has
shoulder length red hair and has like a business suit on, but
with a skirt. She’s only 12, but she looks like she’s very mature
for her age. Her bodyguard is going into the store because I
asked for red M&Ms - and red ones only!
Dan (Thomas): Thomas is out filling up gas into a green
Hummer. He came with Samuel. He’s a younger Asian man
wearing all black clothes, but the white collar on his shirt
indicates he’s a priest of some kind. He seems to be looking
around all the time, rather suspicious or jumpy.
Narrator: Great. Most of you have seen each other, or at
least noticed one other player’s character, but haven’t been
formally introduced yet. Before that can happens, can each of
you make a Perception roll for me?
Each player rolls a d20. By default, they’re all aiming to
roll a 10 or higher to be successful. Dan tells the Narrator that
since his character is paranoid of being followed, he’s going to
use an Alertness skill he has to declare a Boon on his roll. So
for him, he needs to roll a 5 or better.
Dean (Samuel): Sam got a 9. So close!
Sabrina (Proxy): Twenty! Like a boss.
Maggie (Kenzi): I rolled a 17.
Dan (Thomas): Thomas rolled a 6, and he thanks God for
that Boon!
Recalling what each rolls should mean already by the
description of Perception rolls, Christina nods and goes
around the table explaining the results.
Narrator: Samuel is a little too distracted in his haste to
notice anything amiss, but four armed men charge into the
store. They look dirty and terrified, frantically shouting to the
cashier “Unlock the gas pumps! Hundred dollars each! We’re
taking the food too.” Thomas, you see people enter the store and
feel uneasy, but can’t see anything they’re doing. Kenzi, you not
only notice them enter but see the beat-up old blue pickup they
arrived in.
INTRODUCTION 7
 Kenzi, you have actually seen these men before. They are
college students that never quite fit in at your tech college. They
were the kind of country-raised, conspiracy-theorist, doomsday
preppers that everyone made fun of. You notice that they
aren’t concerned about money - they’re looking for provisions
and survival gear only. What are you all going to do? You’re
not in combat, but you can roll for Initiative just to keep your
actions straight. Samuel, you’re too distracted. You can join in
if combat starts.
Dean (Samuel): Alright.
The other three players roll a d20 to determine their
initiative order, rerolling any ties. Christina rolls a 10 for the
robbers.
Sabrina (Proxy): I rolled a 2. We’ll just say Proxy always
tried to avoid those guys and is hanging back.
Maggie (Kenzi): I got a 14.
Dan (Thomas): 17.
Narrator: Alright Thomas, you go first.
Dan (Thomas): Well, Thomas doesn’t really know what’s
going on so he’s going to finish getting gas. I’ll head inside once
finished, I guess.
Maggie (Kenzi): You said I can see the truck? Then I’m
going to use my contacts. Kenzi is going to call about their
license plate to see where they live.
Narrator: Smart thinking! Kenzi uses the limo phone, and
they’ll dig up an address for you.
Sabrina (Proxy): Well I don’t want anyone to get hurt and
since Proxy knows them, she’s going to try talking to them.
She’ll walk up with her hands raised and say “What are you
doing? This is extreme, even for you guys. What’s going on?”
8 INTRODUCTION
Narrator: Sure. Make a Coax roll for me.
Sabrina (Proxy): Proxy is a smooth talker, so I’m going
to use my Boon for the roll. And...I got an 11.
Narrator: Excellent. Thanks to your Boon the men
actually listen to you. Billy, who seems to be leading the
group, keeps his pistol on the cashier but speaks to you.
“We told y’all! We told y’all about the zombie ‘pocalypse
but you didn’t believe us. Well look who’s laughing now.”
Before he can explain further one of the other men, Jake,
shouts as he looks out the window. “Runners!” The men
grab what they can and make a mad dash for the exit.
Samuel, you can go ahead and roll to enter Initiative.
Dean (Samuel): Thanks. I got a 19.
Narrator: You can go ahead and act first them.
Dan (Thomas): I’d head outside. Do I see anything?
Narrator: Yes. Down the highway, from the direction
of the city, you see a group of figures sprinting in your
direction. They seem human at first - marathon runners,
perhaps - but as they get closer you see they run far faster
than any athlete. The way they lurch and snarl definitely
sends up red flags for you. There’s Thomas and a little girl
on a cell phone.
Dean (Samuel): Iroquois senses tingling. Got it. If
it doesn’t look like I’ll have time to run the water to the
truck, I’ll drop it and yell to Thomas “Get the car started!”
Then I’ll move toward the girl and try to get her to safety.
Christina draws the area around the convenience store
on the map, which uses squares roughly representing
about 5 feet. From where Samuel is standing, at the
entrance to the store, he is 7 squares away from Kenzi’s
limo. Samuel can only move 5 squares in a round.
 Narrator: You can see the girl talking on a phone inside the
vehicle, but she’s a little too far for you to reach right now.
Dean (Samuel): Alright, I’ll run as close as I can and I’ll
shout for the girl to run inside.
Narrator: Kenzi, do you go?
Maggie (Kenzi): No way! I don’t know who that crazy man
is. He could be a terrorist.
Narrator: Very well. Samuel? Coax roll.
Dean (Samuel): I don’t have anything to help me out here,
so I got a 7. That’s a miss.
Maggie (Kenzi): “Daddy said never talk to strangers!”
Narrator: She’s not moving. Thomas, you’re next in the
initiative order.
Dan (Thomas): I’ll go ahead and start the car. Can I drive
it yet?
Narrator: Sure. We’ll treat your Hummer as a truck for
mechanical purposes. You can get in since you’re right next to
it, and move wherever you can.
Dan (Thomas): Thomas would pull up beside Sam.
Narrator: Done. Kenzi?
Maggie (Kenzi): I’m rolling up the window and locking the
door.
Dean (Samuel): Dang it, Kenzi!
Maggie (Kenzi): Stranger danger!
Narrator: Proxy?
Sabrina (Proxy): So those guys are gone now? Can I see
anything on the store’s monitors?
Narrator: Actually, yes. You can see the runners - very fast
moving zombies. They’re coming your way. The cashier ran into
the back room to report the robbery.
Sabrina (Proxy): Proxy isn’t armed or anything, so I’m
going to run behind the counter and look for something.
Narrator: Sure. We’ll say you found a crowbar.
Sabrina (Proxy): Sweet!
Narrator: Samuel, back to you. New round.
Dean (Samuel): I’m going to try to break the window and
grab the stubborn little girl.
Narrator: We’ll say that’s a Stunt roll. Go for it.
Dean (Samuel): I rolled a 17!
Maggie (Kenzi): Uh oh.
Narrator: Samuel rushes over and draws his pistol,
smashing the window with the handle. The little girl inside
screams as the man pulls her flailing body out of the vehicle.
Right about that time the bodyguard happens to exit. He draws
a gun of his own, yelling “Put her down!”
Dean (Samuel): Well, I’ve already acted this round so
I can’t do anything else.
Dan (Thomas): My turn. Since it looks like chaos
broke out, Thomas is going to try to keep the peace. Coax
roll?
Dan’s character has an ability that “Blesses” his Coax
rolls. So he rolls a d20 twice and chooses the higher of
the two results. In this case he rolls a 4 and a 17.
Narrator: Because your roll was Blessed, Thomas
jumps out of the vehicle with hands raised and everyone
seems to calm down.
Dan (Thomas): “I apologize for the show of violence
from my colleague here, but there appears to be an army
of undead this way. I suggest we head inside and we can
settle our differences there.”
Narrator: Kenzi, it’s your turn. Your bodyguard
acts at the same time you do. Since Thomas’ roll was
successful, you are more willing to go with him this time.
Maggie (Kenzi): Alright, fine. I want to go with the
bodyguard though.
Dean (Samuel): Yeah, I’ll let her run to him.
Narrator: Samuel releases Kenzi, who abruptly elbows
him in the stomach before running to her guard. To move
things along, I’ll say everyone can safely make it inside
the convenience store before the zombies arrive. We’ll
keep the Initiative the way it is, and I’ll roll to add the
zombies into the order. Get ready for your first zombie
fight!
The rest of the scene continues, beginning with
the arrival of the zombies. Christina describes the
archetypal horde descending on the surrounded
building. Fortunately the fledgling party comes
together, using their skills ranging from combat to
engineering to emerge victorious. Once the dust
settles the group becomes keenly aware than a zombie
outbreak has occurred. They band together for survival
and head off in search of answers.
INTRODUCTION 9
 THE ROLE OF THE NARRATOR
Behind the excitement of the players and their characters
is the Narrator. As Narrator, if that is your role, you are the
storyteller and game master, the referee and scribe, creator
of worlds dark and terrible, secret puppeteer of the pious,
master of militaries, and hidden guardian of the innocent.
Your primary role as Narrator, as the title would suggest,
is creating and presenting missions and adventures in
which the other players can play their heroes. This generally
requires a good amount of preparation time to develop and
rehearse your stories. It is one thing to know the locations
and important names your players will encounter - which is
a great start. It is quite another to have that assembled world
at a moment’s recall, able to improvise on the spot when
your players’ actions through a wrench into your carefully
laid plans. T his will come with time and practice. Don’t be
intimidated, especially as you build an in game history with
your friends, this will become easier. Players may be the stars,
but you are the director.
Often times it falls on the Narrator to teach newcomers
how to play the game. Rather than treat it as a burden,
however, consider it a two-fold opportunity. On the one
hand, you get to introduce a beginner into the exciting
and challenging world of tabletop gaming. Through their
enthusiasm may be tinged with uncertainty or nervousness,
you can start them on a long and unpredictable path. One the
other, you get to explore your own imagination and expand
the boundaries of your creativity. Players who are guided by
a good Narrator are more likely to stick around for the long
haul, and therefore become more enjoyable and interactive
for you as a Narrator.
A LIVING STORY
Though your job as Narrator is to describe the story and
act out the parts of the non-player characters the party will
encounter, it is important not to become a steel-fisted tyrant.
The players are just as integral to shaping the story as you
are. Though you should strive to keep them on track, it is
a valuable skill to be able to adapt and adjust the campaign
story around their decisions. Embrace the odd decisions or
random choices, the player who builds a mechanically-inept
character so they can have more fun in their choices, the
group which needs a slight push to keep them motivated.
10 INTRODUCTION
Part and parcel with player choices are repercussions,
including the game-world results of player decisions. If a
party returns to a city they decided wasn’t worth protecting,
have that city become overrun by zombies. Let them see
familiar places and how they change, the lives of familiar
non-player characters affected or even ended, or important
resources now compromised. Often it is dire consequences
that have a more lasting impact on player psyche than forced
decisions.
As important as change and flexibility are to narrating,
consistency is also a good baseline for players to follow.
When the heroes go back to a survivalist camp for supplies,
they should encounter some of the same characters they had
met before. They may soon learn the camp leader’s name –
and the leader will remember them as well. Even in a world
of darkness and decay, having a reliable set of faces or place
they can feel safe can be invaluable to player morale.
A skillful Narrator will make the players feel challenged
and present a real threat of death to the characters while still
allowing players to feel their characters are effective.
BEYOND ZOMBIES
One the most fundamental elements about Beyond Zombies
is that it’s not just about the undead. From the skills to the
equipment to the narrative itself, the game is designed with
the human element in mind. In any catastrophic or post-
apocalyptic scenario, it is the human dynamic that makes
the story interesting. Living non-player characters, whether
friend or foe, make lasting impacts and relatable faces. Below
are a few examples of individuals and groups that can help or
hinder your players, as well as flesh out a world just waiting
to be explored.
• Civilians: Ordinary people thrust into extraordinary
circumstances, civilians will often need to be protected
or rescued by brave heroes.
• Criminals: Even before the apocalypse there were those
who preyed on others. From escaped inmates to wanted
felons, they can be an unpredictable and numerous lot.
• Government: Both entrusted and untrusted by the
people at large, the seemingly omnipotent government
provides a vast network of information – or make that
info disappear.
 • Military: Whether a government military force or an
independent militia, these trained soldiers make deadly
combatants.
• Police: Trying to serve and protect while the world
falls apart can either forge valiant heroes or frantic
antagonists.
• Survivors: Desperate for food and water, even the most
good-hearted civilian can take drastic action to protect
themselves and their loved ones.
SECRETS AND INTRIGUE
The world of Beyond Zombies and the myriad of people
in it are bound together in an intricate web of deception
and intrigue. Things are rarely point and shoot. Seemingly
obvious villains could simply be despairing leaders of ragged
survivors. Kind-hearted friends could turn on the players
when the situation looks dismal. By the time the first undead
rises and walks among us, the strings of secrecy begin to tie
together. A plot might be as benign as a mayor’s reelection
campaign or as overt as a government hit to eliminate
witnesses. A hero may owe a favor or report to superiors
and in turn hand over control, or wield that control over
others. Because of this underlying current, a Beyond Zombies
campaign can quickly move from small to planetary scale,
depending on how involved and wide-you want to make
the campaign. Even a small town can have a corrupt mayor,
secret-stealing Sheriff, gossip-spreading shop owner, or
paranoid group of recluses.
In a Beyond Zombies campaign, deception and lies
are vital. As the heroes progress through encounters and
missions, each conclusion brings with it a number of
additional questions to be answered, providing motivation
for even more ventures. Heroes peel back the veneer that
surrounds the forces of society, revealing hidden secrets,
old rivalries, and insidious plots that threaten to shift power
in massive and dangerous ways. In turn, the heroes’ goals
should influence the world around them. Over time, the
heroes might begin to question the truth of the facade
presented before them. Allies might turn out to be opponents
and vice versa. The motives of even the most altruistic group
or individual can become misguided, while the actions of the
enemy might, in fact, hold a noble purpose.
Beyond the stereotypical arenas of politics and scientific
research, Beyond Zombies also focuses heavily on the
action of spies. Agents infiltrate military organizations to
steal classified records. Moles hide within the halls of power
to relay information back to their controllers. Turncoats
and saboteurs wreak havoc in factories and laboratories,
uncovering or sabotaging research that could have caused
the zombie outbreak in the first place. Each character
involved in a Beyond Zombies campaign has his or her own
motivations, adding additional layers of complication and
conflict to a scenario and making a great adventure.
END GAME
Even before you begin your campaign, it is very important
to have an end game in mind. If you start of strong but start
to improvise, you could find yourself painted into a corner.
You should start your campaign with a solid description of
the setting, the world, and the stakes. While definitely players
have a hand in shaping the direction of the campaign it is up
to you, the Narrator, to ensure there is a definitive beginning
and ending to your grand adventure.
There are no coincidences in a well-planned campaign.
Every NPC encounter, every mission, every seemingly
random discovery, should all fit into the purpose of the
campaign. This is where the end game becomes so important.
Slight hints dropped throughout the game, or bits of evidence
discovered, should tie into the underlying story and lead to a
specific finale. Just how the players get there, however, can be
delightfully unpredictable.
The CORE Rule
The most important thing to
emphasize for any Beyond
campaign is the Core Rule:
Every player character has a
purpose . There are no background
characters in a party.
INTRODUCTION 11
 Chapter 1: Character Creation

12
CREATION OUTLINE
It is recommended you read Chapters 1-4 before utilizing
this character creation outline. Make a copy of the character
sheet from the rear Appendix of this book, or print one from
online, to use as a record for your character and reference
through this outline.

1. BASIC STATISTICS
Starting player characters have the following basic statistics,
unless and until built upon by Skills, Backgrounds, and other
benefits:

Health Points 20
Will Points 20
Speed 5 Squares
Carrying Capacity 8
Food Requirement 2 Units per Day

2. CHOOSE A BACKGROUND
Every character has a history, and yours determines
their starting skills and proficiencies. Choose one of 13
Backgrounds: Celebrity, Civilian, Doctor, Government Agent,
Farmer, Infiltrator, Inmate, Leader, Nomad, Priest, Soldier,
Survivor, or Technician.
Backgrounds grant a package of three predetermined
Skills, except for the Civilian background - which grants any
two of your choice.

3. CONSIDER FLAWS
Though optional, Flaws provide not only provide a character
with very human quirks and flair, but provide a player with
additional Skill Points. Choose up to two of the following
Flaws: Bad Luck, Beacon, Child, Death Wish, Easily
Distracted, Frail, Glass Jaw, Glutton, Infected, Loved One,
Not a People Person, Pacifist, Phobia, Tech Challenged,
Under Contract, Visually Impaired, and Weak Constitution.

4. SELECT ADDITIONAL SKILLS

Choose any 1 additional Level 1 Skill. If you chose Flaws, use
1 Skill Point per Flaw gained to select any Skill or Skills you
can afford. See Chapter 2: Skills for Skill descriptions.

CHAPTER 1: CHARACTER CREATION 13

 5. ASSIGN BOONS
Depending on the Skills you acquired, you may have Boons
available that can be applied to any of the basic Rolls: Attack,
Coax, Evade, Perception, Resist Contagion, Resist Fear, Stunt
(Athletics), Stunt (Driving), or Tech Mastery.
To mark your Boons, fill in the empty circles on your
character sheet in the Boons section - to a maximum of 10
per skill.
6. CHOOSE STARTING EQUIPMENT
Your carrying capacity determines your starting equipment,
because currency becomes irrelevant in a crisis. Choose your
weapons, armor, or gear.
Starting characters possess items based on a weight score,
and be default can carry a max combined score of 8.
14 CHAPTER 1: CHARACTER CREATION
GROUP DYNAMICS
Before going into detail on the mechanics of character
creation, you should first develop a theme and overall sense
of self. What do (or did) you do for a living? What has your
life been like? Have you lost any loved ones? What are your
strengths and skills? What do you hope to accomplish in
life? These personal questions will help mold the concept of
your character, and you can put pencil to paper as a means to
bring them to life. Trying to build a personality and history
around a pre-written character can potentially make them
shallow or mechanical.
Beyond your own abilities and history, the next important
consideration is how you fit into a group. Are you the
mechanic who keeps the weapons and gear in working
condition? Are you the medic who treats the injured while
searching for a zombiism cure? Are you the soldier who
protects fellow survivors with brute strength and a keen shot?
Knowing your place in a group will not only put the finishing
touches on your character, but can allow you to fall into a
niche during combat or stressful situation. Knowing your role
could mean the difference between life and death.
D20 AND Dice ROLLS
As with other roleplaying games, Beyond Zombies carries an
element of uncertainty in the actions of the characters. There
is a risk of failure, and hope of success, in the more vital
choices a player and their character may make. Jumping over
a deadly chasm, shooting at an enemy, or trying to hack into
a secure mainframe all require skill to accomplish. However,
there is little need or reward in requiring rolls for every
trivial reason. Characters with the appropriate skill set and
background are presumed to be talented in certain fields. A
doctor knows medical procedures and doesn’t need to roll to
remember them. A former football player can not only tackle
someone easily enough, but can recite past football scores.
A licensed electrician should have no fear of electrocuting
herself on the job.
There are 8 core situations that necessitate the roll of a
d20 – Attacking, Coaxing, Evading, Resisting Contagion,
Resisting Fear, using Stealth, performing a Stunt, and
showing Tech Mastery. Specifics of each use are listed below.
 If your total for the roll is 9 or lower on the die, then
whatever action you were attempting fails. A result of 10-14
is considered a minor success. A result that is 5 more than
a minor success (15-19 by default) is considered a major
success.
A result of 20 is always considered a critical success.
Certain Skills (detailed in Chapter 2: Skills) can raise or
lower the target number required for a success, as well as give
unique options for each roll.
If you roll a 1, conversely, it is considered a critical failure.
On a critical failure, something catastrophic happens. If
a critical failure is not detailed under a particular Roll,
the Narrator can and should come up with the tragic
happenstance instead.
Unless otherwise specified, there are no rerolls or
additional attempts at a failed roll. Failure is failure, and there
are no second chances. Depending on the situation, however,
a Narrator may make exceptions.
ATTACK: Whenever you want to attack a target, regardless
of the weapon, you roll a d20. On a minor success, you
deal normal damage. On a major success, you deal double
damage. On a critical success, you can choose to either deal
four times normal damage or only twice normal damage
with an additional effect (such as knocking your foe down or
disarming them) as approved by your Narrator. On a critical
miss, you either fall prone (melee), your weapon becomes
inoperable until fixed (ranged), or some other detrimental
effect as determined by your Narrator.
COAX: Roll a d20 to persuade a target into doing something
it wouldn’t normally do, such as risk danger to run toward
you or forget its target to attack you instead. On a minor
success, your target approves of the action but may take its
time in reacting. On a major success, the target immediately
stops what it is doing to follow your command. On a critical
failure, the target either runs away from you or is enraged
into further attacking its prior target.
Unless specifically stated, Coax rolls have no effect on
the undead. General Coax rolls also do not affect Player
Characters, though special uses of Coax Rolls granted by
acquired Skills can (such as the Charisma Skill tree).
EVADE: Whenever you are subject to an attack or an area
effect – such as falling debris or an explosion, roll a d20
to evade it. On a minor success, you take half damage,
rounded up (though effects such as poison or Contagion,
apply as normal). On a major success, the attack misses
you completely. On a critical success, you can move up to
your base movement speed as part of your reaction. On a
critical failure, you take double damage and secondary effects
automatically apply.
Anything targeting a Player with an attack does not need
to make an Attack Skill roll. It is trumped and replaced by the
Evade maneuver only. See the next section of Player vs Player
interactions in this regard.
PERCEPTION: Whenever you are attempting to notice
something specific – such as the presence of enemies or
the truthfulness of someone’s words - roll a d20 to notice
it. On a minor success, you detect the presence of danger
or falsehood, but not the specifics. On a major success, you
know general information – such as the location and number
of nearby enemies, or the difference between truths and lies
in the same statement. On a critical success, you know subtle
details – such as the names of enemies nearby or the reason
for a target’s attempted deception.
RESIST CONTAGION: Any time you come into contact with the
bodily fluids of the Undead – whether second-hand through
touching blood on the ground, or first-hand through being
bitten – roll a d20. On a minor success, you fall ill but recover
with a night’s rest. On a major success, you recover within
an hour. On a critical success, you suffer no ill effects at all.
On a miss, you are infected and will become a zombie within
hours. On a critical miss, you become a zombie within 1
round.
The Narrator is encouraged to make this roll for the Player
in secret. This builds the fear and suspense over wondering
whether or not they are infected before they can be treated.
On a miss, the resulting number is how many hours it takes
for the Contagion to claim its victim.
RESIST FEAR: Most enemies – especially undead – possess a
Fear Factor (see Chapter 5). This is the potential Will Point
damage they can inflict on players by their mere presence.
To resist being frightened by this trait, roll a d20. On a minor
CHAPTER 1: CHARACTER CREATION 15
 success, take only half of the Fear Factor damage (rounded
down). On a major success, you suffer no damage at all. On
a critical success, you not only take no damage but heal lost
Will Points equal to the Fear Factor damage. You cannot heal
more than your maximum Will Points by this method. On a
critical miss, you take twice the Fear Factor damage and are
considered Frightened of the target or targets until calmed.
SNEAK: Roll a d20 when you are trying to avoid detection. On
a minor success, you are hidden as long as you don’t move.
On a major success, you can move normally without being
detected. On a critical success, you can not only move but
perform a single Action (including attack) without being
detected. On a miss, the surrounding enemies notice you
and will likely come to investigate. On a critical miss, you are
spotted and the enemies immediately give chase.
Once hidden, you remain hidden unless you do something
to reveal your presence – such as attack, make a noise or
move across light. You can also make a Sneak roll to represent
how easily you make it across long distances, such as a city,
without running into a zombie encounter. In this situation, a
minor success indicates nearly a day of stealthy travel. On a
major or critical success, the distance is cleared within mere
hours or less.
STUNT: Sometimes desperate times call for desperate
measures. Roll a d20 any time you want to accomplish a
physical stunt that is beyond your normal means. This could
include a civilian jumping across a gap between buildings, a
driver swerving to avoid a bystander who fell into the road,
or disarming a bomb with mere seconds to go. Unlike other
uses of a d20, Stunts are almost entirely narrative. A minor
success could include accomplishing the task but with some
detriment – such as landing the jump across rooftops but
painfully twisting your ankle. A major success would have no
detriments. A critical success should include an appropriately
epic addition – such as not only disarming the bomb on your
vehicle at the last moment, but attaching it to your enemy’s
as he speeds away. A critical failure would also entail an
appropriately catastrophic result – such as not only failing the
driving stunt, but launching yourself through the windshield
in the process.
16 CHAPTER 1: CHARACTER CREATION
TECH MASTERY: Roll a d20 whenever you want to wrest control
of a computer system or mechanical device without the
knowledge of the owner. On a minor success, the opponent
notices someone is tampering with the tech but may take
some time to locate you. On a major success, the opponent
could take quite a while or simply think it’s a glitch in the
system. On a critical success, the opponent has no idea that
the tech is compromised. On a critical failure, the tech shuts
down or immediately alerts the opponent to your presence
and location.
You also roll an opposed Tech Mastery roll when an
opponent attempts to regain control of the compromised
Tech. The higher of the two rolls maintains control, and the
loser cannot try again for at least 24 hours.
NPCs vs player characters
As a general rule, monsters and NPC’s do not roll dice to
attack or affect players, nor do they roll to defend themselves
from players. Only players make die rolls to verify success
or failure at an action. When attacking, intimidating, or in
any other way exerting their will onto others they roll and
determine their success. Conversely, the players roll to avoid
getting hit or affected by such targets.
When one player character chooses to attack or affect
another player character for whatever reason, both the
aggressor and the defender roll. The player with the higher
roll is the victor, and the result of the d20 roll is determined
appropriately as normal. See Page 53 in Chapter 4 for more
information on Player vs Player combat.
BLESSINGS, CURSES, Boons, AND LOSSES
There are four ways in which d20 rolls can be altered for
favorable or negative conditions. Blessings and Curses can be
either temporary or permanent. When a roll is Blessed, roll
two d20 dice instead of the usual 1, and pick the die with the
higher result. If a roll is Cursed, you must choose the lower of
the two rolls. Numerous skills grant or remove Blessings and
Curses, and remembering to utilize these abilities can mean
the difference between life and death, success and failure.
Boons and Losses work a little differently. A Boon on a
roll lowers the minimum target number for a minor success
from 10 on a d20 down to 5. This effectively doubles the
target range of a major success. A Loss, conversely, raises
the minimum to 15 – effectively eliminating the chance of
a major success. A player with a Loss on their roll can only
make due with a minor success or hope for a lucky critical
success. Boons typically have a limited amount of daily uses,
determined by skills.
Blessings and Curses cancel each other out, as do Boons
and Losses. For example, if a person with the Not a People
Person flaw (Coax rolls are Cursed) has the Pacifism skill trait
(Coax rolls are Blessed if not attacking) then when not in
combat their Coax rolls are standard, and are neither Blessed
nor Cursed.
HEALTH AND WILL POINTS
Besides Skills, the other important traits to know are your
Health Points and Will Points. Health Points represent
your vitality, whereas Will Points denote bravery and
determination.
Health is simple enough to visualize. If you take damage,
you lose Health Points. If you are reduced to 1 Health Point
you are considered Incapacitated. You fall unconscious,
cannot take any actions, and any beneficial effects you were
receiving end. If you are reduced to 0 Health Points you
are considered Dying. You have 3 rounds to be healed or
stabilized or you bleed to death at the end of your turn. These
rounds can be extended by a number of rounds equal to the
number of Resilience skill levels you possess (maximum 10).
Will is a bit more conceptual than Health. The mere
presence of zombies and the unholy carnage they wreak can
traumatize the feeble soul. Some types of zombies, enemies
and even NPC’s can target the Will instead of the body. If you
are reduced to 1 Will Point you are considered Shocked. You
are conscious but cannot take any actions besides a single
move action per round. If you are reduced to 0 Will Points
you are considered Petrified. You cower, fall prone or are
otherwise rendered immobile. You cannot take any actions or
make any movement.
Presuming you are not suffering recurring damage, Health
Points heal naturally at a rate of 1 per hour and Will Points at
a rate of 1 per minute.
CHARACTER HISTORY & Backgrounds
Everyone has a past. Some are thrust into roles of leadership
or heroism by extraordinary circumstances. Some have
clawed their way up to positions of authority by years of
perseverance. Still others were menial citizens, absently
marching to and from office cubicles every day until the
world suddenly went to Hell. Your character’s background
says more about you than simply what you did for a living.
It represents your basic skill set, your core abilities and
strengths as a person. Your background can either set you
apart from others or make you feel a stronger connection
to similar strangers. Perhaps you were a soldier, having to
defend yourself against an undead horde as your comrades
fell around you. You could have been a medical student
working on a virus that got rapidly out of control. You might
have been a doomsday prepper, one of the few who saw the
end of the world before it happened.
Your background also shapes your personality to an
extent, raising the question of whether your skills and life
direction have changed or if you still adhere to your past
ways. Are you proud of what you did for a living? Do you
aspire to do something else with your life? What do your
skills bring to a group? What have they done to keep you
alive so far?
BACKSTORY: You should come up with a character
profile and backstory before choosing a Background.
This way your Background reflects who you are, instead
of the other way around. Even seemingly trivial details
provide great roleplaying opportunities and elements of
personality. Where were you born? What was, or is, your
family like? What do you value most? What do you fear?
Above all, what is the goal you hope to accomplish?
EXPOSURE: At some point, everyone has encountered
zombies. Did they emerge from nowhere, throwing your
predictable life into utter chaos? Were they already a
part of the world, monsters in the dark that your parents
warned you of as a child? Did zombies claim someone
you loved? Have you ever been face-to-face with one, or
have you only heard of their horrors second-hand?
CHAPTER 1: CHARACTER CREATION 17
 DARK SECRET: Everybody has secrets. Having a secret
that your character hopes never to reveal to others
provides you with an anchor in your mind, holding
true to one element that is integral to your character’s
personality and behavior. Perhaps you had to kill a
loved-one-turned-zombie, fostering both a grudge and
hesitation to do the same again. You could have had
a hand in spreading or even causing the contagion,
prompting a desire to redeem yourself. Maybe you killed
other survivors over resources, realizing you are not far
from the psyche of a zombie yourself.
There are 13 Backgrounds to choose from. Each has a set of
Level 1 Skills granted by default on choosing them. Once
selected, these Skills cannot be changed. In addition to these
bonus Skills, you also receive 1 skill of your choice. By adding
a Flaw to your character (see the section later in this chapter)
you may also choose one additional skill.
CELEBRITY: You come from a place of wealth and prestige,
when suddenly you found your fame suited you little and you
couldn’t eat your money. While you may not necessarily have
been rich, you certainly commanded a following of fans and
admirers. Perhaps you were an actor or singer, accustomed to
being waited on and driven from place to place. Perhaps you
owned a gentleman’s club, an establishment you converted
into a hazard shelter. You could even have been a politician,
using your connections and deep pockets to buy the
compliance of others.
BONUS SKILLS: Charisma (Peace), Resilience (Recovery),
Resources (Contacts)
CIVILIAN: Like billions of others, you come from the
common stock of society. You could have been a teacher. A
clerk. A cashier. A student. A sewer worker. A bus driver.
Your skills may not seem as specialized as other professionals,
but you have a versatility of your own. No two civilians are
alike, and you are no less determined to survive.
BONUS SKILLS: Any Two
18 CHAPTER 1: CHARACTER CREATION
DOCTOR: Your many years of medical and scientific training
have placed you into the academic elite. Unfortunately this
has created a love-hate relationship among the populace. As
a medic, your skills are valued in any group. As a scientist,
the blame for the zombie disease outbreak falls squarely on
your robed shoulders. Perhaps you were a surgeon who came
too close for comfort to the reanimated bodies of the undead.
Maybe you had a private practice, complete with a chemical
lab of your own. You could have been a medical student,
forced to apply your training much sooner than you had
anticipated
BONUS SKILLS: Charisma (Peace), Medicine (First Aid),
Medicine (Prevention)
GOVERNMENT AGENT: CIA. FBI. Homeland Security. The police
department. Your training and position placed you at the
forefront of the zombie threat, and also afford you a degree of
authority even with the degradation of society. You are used
to having a badge, either using it as a shield or a license. Were
you privy to government secrets and files? Did you uphold
your position with honor, or use it to sate your thirst for
power? Do you have connections with the government, and if
so how are you still beholden to them?
BONUS SKILLS: Charisma (Intimidation), Combat
(Pistols), Tactics (Maneuvers)
FARMER: While others pushed pencils and cursed getting
stuck in traffic, you got your hands dirty providing food to
the people. Your blood and sweat have provided a life and
income for yourself and your family. You were likely among
the last to hear of the zombie outbreak, or the least likely to
encounter them later on. Still the horde was inevitable, and
now your green thumb could mean the only hope for survival
when food is in short supply.
BONUS SKILLS: Athletics (Stamina), Resources (Farming),
Resources (Hunting)
INFILTRATOR: It’s not so much the dead that concerns you.
It’s the living. Even with monsters prowling the darkness,
there are human threats and obstacles to overcome. You may
need to get into a food bunker protected by angry shut-ins
with shotguns. You may find yourself imprisoned by a sheriff
with nothing better to do. Perhaps the greatest threat to the
people is the local military base. In these cases, you will need
an infiltrator, someone trained in stealth and espionage. After
all, someone needs to protect the people from themselves.
BONUS SKILLS: Combat (Rifles), Tactics (Stealth),
Technology (Surveillance)
INMATE: At some point in your life, or most of it, you ran
afoul of the law. Your time in prison hardened your mind
and toughened your body. It takes a lot to shake you, and you
couldn’t care less how concerned or uncomfortable others
are in your presence. Now that you’re out, you’re determined
never to go back – even if it means silencing those who might
turn you in.
BONUS SKILLS: Athletics (Strength), Resilience
(Toughness), Tactics (Willpower)
LEADER: In any stressful situation, you find that others flock
to your banner. You have a way with words that comforts
others and a knack for social organization. Perhaps you
were an office manager of a large company. Maybe you were
a college teacher, known for turning at-risk students into
promising graduates with sheer persistence. Whatever your
history, people are your resource – and survival.
BONUS SKILLS: Charisma (Leadership), Resources
(Contacts), Tactics (Maneuvers)
NOMAD: If Zombies are running to the left, you’re running to
the right. Let others lock themselves into their own coffins
if they want, but the undead are coming – and you won’t be
there when they do. You’ve been on the move for as long as
you can remember, either because you love the open road or
because it’s the only safety you know.
BONUS SKILLS: Athletics (Speed), Driving (Light), Tactics
(Awareness)
PRIEST: When the dead walk and the End Times have come,
it is to be expected that many flock to the promise of divine
deliverance. You were raised to fear the day that darkness
spreads over the Earth, and that day has finally come. You
could have been a Catholic priest with aspirations of rising
the ranks of your Church. Perhaps you were a voodoo
practitioner, someone ideally suited to combat the Zombie
curse. Regardless of denomination, your faith gives you
strength and others salvation.
BONUS SKILLS: Charisma (Peace), Charisma (Religion),
Tactics (Willpower)
SOLDIER: You were born a fighter. Whether you were drafted
or voluntarily enlisted, the military fostered that instinct and
built you into a war machine. You could be a rookie recruit,
your basic training cut short be an invasion for which no one
had prepared you. You might be an aged veteran, picking up
weapons that have collected dust for decades. Perhaps you
aren’t even a member of the armed forces, instead a self-
taught roughneck with an itchy trigger finger. One thing is
certain, you know how to fight.
BONUS SKILLS: Combat (Any Three)
SURVIVOR: They all laughed at you. The crazy, gun-toting,
paranoid whack-job living along out in the woods. Well,
who’s laughing now? You tried to warn them, and they
ignored you. Now you fight against the doomsday you’ve
been prepping for all these years. Through wit and rugged
ingenuity, you managed to create a haven of your own.
BONUS SKILLS: Combat (Rifles), Resilience (Toughness),
Resources (Armory)
TECHNICIAN: Mechanics. Engineers. Electricians. Those who
were adept with the technology of the modern era have found
their skills both rarely used and desperately needed in the
post-apocalypse. Vehicles still need to drive. Weapons and
gear need to be repaired. Holes in shelters need to be patched
up. When the world starts breaking down around you, it’s up
to you to keep it running.
BONUS SKILLS: Technology (Craft), Technology (Modify),
Technology (Repair)
CHAPTER 1: CHARACTER CREATION 19
 FLAWS
Nobody is perfect. Greed, frailty, cowardice and all kinds of
inadequacies are part of what defines humanity. It is in these
flaws that you can flesh out a more realistic and interesting
character. Flaws do more than just hinder your character,
they shape their personality and abilities. When you think
of your strengths, try to think of an equal and opposite
weakness that corresponds with those strengths. Maybe your
by-the-book Government Agent is still employed, unable to
wipe their nose without first clearing it through the proper
channels. Perhaps your timid Priest only joined the church
because out of fear of the undead, fleeing at the first sign
of trouble. Your lonely Survivor could have a loved one
who sent for help. Your Technician could be confined to a
wheelchair, dispensing advice more often than getting your
hands dirty yourself.
At character creation, you can choose up to 2 Flaws. For
each Flaw you select, you receive 1 extra Skill Point to put
where you wish. You can only select Flaws for Skill Points at
creation, though your Narrator may bestow or remove them
later, depending on your character portrayal.
BAD LUCK: Things just never seem to go right for you. Any
time you roll a critical success, roll again. You must take the
result of the second roll, even if it is worse.
BEACON: Some group – be it undead or living – always seems
to know where you are, and will not stop hunting you.
Any time you are in a location for an extended period, the
Narrator secretly rolls a d20. On a minor success the enemy
force will come knocking within hours. On a major success,
they arrive in minutes. On a critical success, they arrive
immediately.
CHILD: You are far too young to see the horrors you’ve seen.
Your movement speed is 1 square less than others, and any
melee damage you deal is halved (rounded down).
DEATH WISH: You’re tired of running. You would rather
die with a weapon in your hand than a gash in your back.
You cannot willingly disengage from combat, and must
be successfully Coaxed by someone else to flee from an
encounter.
20 CHAPTER 1: CHARACTER CREATION
EASILY DISTRACTED: Focus and attention aren’t your forte.
Whenever you fail a Perception roll, you spot something
else that intrigues you. You try to investigate at your earliest
convenience. If it was a critical failure, you drop everything
you’re doing to go check out the phantom interest.
FRAIL: You’re skin and bones, elderly, or in some other way
physically challenged. You cannot take any more than two
Athletics or Resilience skills in any individual branch.
GLASS JAW: You have what some may call a delicate frame,
or an allergy to pain. You fall unconscious and become
Incapacitated at 5 Health Points, instead of the usual 1.
GLUTTON: You need to eat. You love to eat. Your appetite is
seemingly unquenchable. You require 4 Food Units per day
for optimal health, instead of the usual 2.
INFECTED: You have been bitten by a zombie or somehow
exposed to Contagion, an exposure that has left you tainted.
Any time you see blood from a living person, roll a d20 or
have the Narrator roll. On a miss you try to consume the
blood as soon as you can, but discretely as possible. On a
critical failure, you launch into a frenzy and attack the bleeder
immediately. On any success, you suppress you urges for a
number of minutes equal to the roll result.
LOVED ONE: Somewhere out there is a friend, family member,
or loved one that constantly occupies your mind. You cannot
willingly leave a loved one behind, or go to any location other
than where they likely are, and must be successfully Coaxed
by someone else to take a different course of action.
NOT A PEOPLE PERSON: Your bedside manners and social
graces suck. Your Coax rolls are Cursed.
PACIFIST: Violence is never the answer, even if it’s snarling in
your face. You cannot take Combat skills.
PAIN INTOLERANCE: You hate getting hit, especially in the face.
Any time you take Health Point damage, you also take Will
Point damage equal to half the damage (rounded down). If
you reach 1 Will Point before you reach 1 Health Point, you
surrender or flee if at all possible.
PHOBIA: You are terrified of a particular location, situation, or
thing. When you encounter your Phobia, you must make a
Resist Fear roll with an automatic Loss. On a miss, you freeze
in place and cannot move or act until Coaxed by someone
else to do so. On a critical miss you flee at top speed until
safely far away.
TECH CHALLENGED: Some would-be gardeners are said to
have a “black thumb.” You have the tech equivalent of that
affliction. Electronics don’t like you, and you don’t like them.
You cannot purchase any Technology skills, and your Tech
Mastery rolls are Cursed.
UNDER CONTRACT: You belong to an organization or group
with strict rules and miles of red tape. You cannot perform
any major decisions, travel, or eliminate any living enemies
without their permission. You cannot openly disobey orders,
and must be successfully Coaxed by someone else to do so.
VISUALLY IMPAIRED: Whether you have one good eye or two
terrible ones, your eyesight is not the best. Your Perception
rolls are Cursed. If your eyesight is corrected by glasses, it
removes the Curse. Without glasses, however, the Curse
returns and Perception checks also have an automatic Loss.
WEAK CONSTITUTION: You can’t stand the sight of blood,
especially your own. Any time you perceive blood, entrails,
or anything else comparatively nauseating within 6 squares,
make a Resist Contagion roll. On a miss, you vomit – losing
half of any Food Units you consumed that day. On a critical
miss, you lose all Food Units.
GAINING SKILL POINTS
Generally speaking, characters gain experience and skill
simply by living our their lives and going on missions.
Character advancement is unnecessary in a short adventure,
wherein premade characters can be satisfactory, but during
a lengthy campaign players may wish to improve their
characters’ Skills beyond the basics. Advancement is not
a requirement, but it can reflect the characters’ earned
knowledge through conflicts with the environment, other
characters, or even with themselves.
The Narrator is encouraged to award all characters one
bonus Skill Point roughly every other role-playing session.
The Narrator may also reward exceptionally talented or active
players with an extra Skill Point. Each player can assign
these Points to Skills immediately or accumulate them for
future use. Each Skill level purchased costs the number of
experience points equal to the level you are purchasing.
For example: Purchasing level 1 of Combat (Pistols) costs
1 Skill Point. Level 2 costs 2 Skill Points. Obtaining all 5 levels
of the Pistols skill branch would cost a total of 15 Points.
Players are encouraged to assign Skill Points to Skills their
characters have used often. The Narrator can accept the idea,
reject it, or require the character to perform certain game
activities in order to support the acquisition of a new Skill. At
the Narrator’s discretion, characters can also use bonus Skill
Points to remove Flaws that are no longer appropriate to their
character concept.
If characters gain or lose equipment, during adventures
or due to changing Skills, the Narrator can make them wait
a session or so to reacquire it or force them to make do with
inferior equipment unless circumstances allow a replacement.
CHAPTER 1: CHARACTER CREATION 21