Escape from the Burbs

This scenario would continue on from where the last one, "Return to the Burbs" left off. Once more it starred Vampifan in the role of Scott Briand and his small band.
The table was as previously except I rotated it ninety degrees, removing the two houses and adding a bit of rough ground  to the right of the Alldie Superdupermarket, This was to have Scott's band in the centre of the table.

The yellow circle shows the starting position of Scott's band of civilians and the red circles are the starting positions of the seven initial zombies, whilst the purple arrows, on the right-hand side, point to the three PEFs (possible enemy forces). The yellow line shows the route the first responders will use. (they did have the option of going anywhere, but this is the closest they could get to the casualty, who wouldn't be moved until they arrived).
Once more spawn points were arranged clockwise around the table.
After the debacle in the Supermarket, Jack the Manager lay bleeding on the floor (if he didn't get help soon, he would die and would turn into a zombie eventually. Having already called the police and emergency services Dawn, the shop assistant set about looking for the first aid kit, she would need three turns to get and apply first aid, before the manager threw a '6' and died.
The first turn of course saw the arrival of the emergency service, lights flashing but no sirens.
 It also saw the first event of the game


One of the zombies' number would be an obese zombie and with the zombies standing idly by contemplating man's inhumanity to zombies, attention was drawn to the manager who promptly snuffed it ! Like most zombie related things, I'd blame it on Vampifan and  in this instance I'd be truly justified as this would be a taster of his dice throwing to come throughout the game, with some weird and wonderful results such as the first spawn point (number 5) to be immediately depleted.

As the emergency vehicles turned the first corner the zombies stood and wondered about the meaning of death (they failed to activate again) and yet another spawn point (number 1) was depleted.
Thankfully there was no event but at this rate I thought we could be finished by lunchtime.
As the zombies didn't activate they couldn't generate any new zombies from the noise of the vehicles either as these would have had to be active to enter the table (if that makes sense)


 
Whilst the emergency services were wending their way along their route,

two zombies were finally attracted enough by the pretty lights and engine noises to wander up to the vehicles and swipe at thin air as they passed by.
Elsewhere, the PEFs in the forest were having similar motivational issues and for the third turn in a row remained motionless.
 





This wasn't the case for Scott and his homies as they were were already being instructed to  head for the exits, leaving the dead manager in their wake.
 Yet another spawn point (number 3) was depleted, but a single zombie was generated by the vehicle noise.

A few more zombies were generated as the emergency vehicles kept on trucking, one zombie even managing to attempt an attack; of course he was brushed aside and knocked down.

Scott led his group outside to the three approaching PEFs, one of which raised the ER of the area to a '4' whilst both the others turned out to be pairs of unarmed civilians.
The responders just kept going brushing aside resistance
(The white counters are for the noise created)

"Resistance is Futile"

The noise from the vehicles was finally creating  zombies from nearby spawn points (irrespective of the spawn point's status) and even as the emergency vehicles rounded the final corner Scott was explaining how cool and fun it would be if these total strangers joined his band of merry men. To which irresistible offer they couldn't refuse, such was the patter from the velvet tongued Scott.
 A lone zombie took this cue as an invite to join Scott's group too, his moaning of course urged others to follow.

A mere six turns into the game and yet another event was rolled in favour of Scott's band's survival, as noise would no longer be generate zombies providing a '6' was thrown !
The police pulled up to the supermarket and stopped whilst the ambulance slowed  to a similar position and would stop the following turn.












Scott took this opportunity to surround himself with his new found friends maybe thinking of some form of Alamo reenactment or more likely intentionally creating a very useful meat-shield.
The zombies created by the two vehicles' approach were slowly gathering in numbers and heading towards the newly created 'Alamo'.

 I was getting used to Vampifan's perverse dice throwing by now and wasn't surprised by yet another event (events requires a '6' on a d6 to occur each turn). Luckily this event had no immediate consequence but someone in the party would be determined to have some form of disease at the end of the encounter!
Obviously we couldn't have too much excitement in a single turn so Scott's group waited to exchange pleasantries with the newly arrived guests and the zombies obviously exhausted by their exertions of staggering, being knocked aside, getting up and general moaning, once more came to a dead halt (pun intended).

The ambulance had come to a halt and the crew then too the opportunity to leave their vehicle in order to greet Scott and his mob. The cops finished their donuts and exited their vehicles also in no apparent hurry.
As everyone stood around for a cozy chat the  zombies finally remembered what they were meant to do and headed toward the meat (even so, spawn point '6' was depleted - of course).
 The manager also made a not too welcome appearance at the supermarket's employees door in the rear of the party.

As the manager emerged Scott decided to take some decisive action and hurled himself at the zombie manager, quickly becoming embroiled in an unexpected even fight, Mattias however came swiftly to his aid and between the two of the them they knocked the zombie manager to the floor.

The ambulance crew decided they weren't going to hang around, having seen how this scenario had unfolded once before and headed straight back to their ambulance.

The cops however split, one covered the approaching zombies whilst the other walked over to stomp the prone manager to his second (but final) death of the day.

There must have been something in the air for even as the zombies were in position to strike they once more decided to stand around instead, so one cop raced to the back of their crusier to blow away any zombies there whilst the other ran for the drivers seat.

Scott's group made for Dawn's silver car whilst the newcomers were instructed to get in the cops' cruiser, at this stage though, only one of their number managed to do so.

Unable to make an immediate getaway, Dawn waited  until the emergency vehicles had backed up and started  the vehicle as the last civilian jumped into the back seat alongside Scott (the three others had all managed to get into the cruiser with the two cops.
 The passenger in the ambulance fended off the attempts of a single zombie whilst Brendan in the back of Dawn's vehicle did similar, both fights ending in an equal contest, if they'd care to hang about for the next round.

They of course didn't wish to hang around, but would rather not be in the situation of having to fight off the approaching mini-horde of zombies whilst they sat.
 Of course, right on cue another event came to aid them. One of the zombies had been a civilian all along. Realising there was no room for him in any nearby vehicle a dice roll decided that he would do something positive to aid the part's escape so he ran in the opposite direction, away from Dawn's silver car hoping to lure most of them away after him.

Gus luring away zombies

 The cops made good their driving skills and reversed down the road, allowing Dawn out , but even so there were fights around her car.
Mattias was knocked down into the well of the front passenger seat whilst Dawn managed to hold her own in the fight with her antagonist.

 A few more zombies were still attracted by the noise of the vehicles but were unable to add much to the fight .

It seemed that this affair was just about all over.












It turned out that it was all over, for Gus anyway, as on the very next turn the zombies got the drop on him and of course shredded him into neat strips of jerky.

The zombie attack also took Dawn's carload by surprise and as she fought off her zombie opponent Mattias  managed to kill the zombie intent on making him lunch out out of him  before Dawn found first gear and headed off.

The emergency crews were either reluctant to leave or just couldn't find first gear as they fought off the encroaching zombies. Although a passenger in the rear left seat of the cruiser was knocked down before they once more managed to get underway he quickly recovered unharmed.









With the last spawn point depleted,the remaining four turns of the game were played through swiftly and as all the vehicles got to a speed (2) or more the zombies wouldn't be able to catch them.

Dawn's erratic driving however was going to cause a problem as she cut in front of the cops forcing them to come to a stop.
(Please note the lack of a comment inserted here about women drivers )

Once they were all underway again though there would also be no more zombies generated by the noise of the vehicles and it would be smooth ride home as barring any events that prevented them as the zombies would be unable to have any affect.

Vampifan of course was having none of this and he threw for events like a man possessed, some one found an implement suitable as an improvised weapon in the back of dawn's car,
quickly followed by some natural disasters (another two events !).











Even as the three vehclies headed toward the winning post so to speak.










The two events caused the weather to cloud over and worsen whilst all characters wondered how they had survived  the events of the day and what they would have for tea no doubt.

Of course just as they rounded the final corner with the ambulance in the distance and inches away from the game ending, Vampifan managed his piece-de-resistance and threw yet another event !

"Right there" -Vampifan

 


Luckily (?) it didn't have any real effect on the game as a bolt of lightening struck the closest building to the players (a 1 in 6 chance) buy it did make for a dramatic ending, the sort of thing a cheap budget movie would have so all in all it was probably very fitting.





The game had taken four hours (as did this write-up) and was very entertaining from my point of view and thanks have to go to Vampifan for his company at fairly short notice.















That's it then for this week, next week I'll be posting about the in-roads I've made on my latest card model catastrophe and as always your comments are both welcomed and appreciated.