A ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE HACK OF PATHFINDER SECOND EDITION

HOPEFINDER NARRATOR’S GUIDE

A MINOTAUR GAMES SUPPLEMENT BY JASON BULMAHN

OCTOBER 2032
 A ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE HACK OF PATHFINDER SECOND EDITION

HOPEFINDER NARRATOR’S GUIDE

Table of Contents
Fiction Page 2 2.0 - Creatures Page 17
1.0 - Narrator Rules Page 4 Animals Page 17
1.1 - Adjudicating the Game Page 6 Humans Page 19
Table: Starting Challenges Page 8 Zombies Page 23
1.2 - Designing a Story Page 11 Zombie Animals Page 31
Table: Rewards per Session Page 15 3.0 - Seattle Gazetteer Page 34
1.3 - Converting Rules Page 16 4.0 - Sample Adventure Page 46

Designed by Jason Bulmahn

Edited by K Tessa Newton
Art by Gary Dupuis, Earl Geier, Kiril Tchangov, and
Maciej Zaborski (The Forge Studios)
Special Thanks to Dan, Rango, Ognar, the Basement Goblin,
and all of my amazing supporters on Kickstarter and Patreon.
Some images © Kiril Tchangov, used with permission.
Some artwork © 2014 Earl Geier, used with permission. All rights reserved.

Hopefinder and the Hopefinder Narrator’s Guide (ORC Edition) © 2024 Minotaur Games

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 Harper was still in bed when the alarm sounded. The bell pealing across the pre-dawn
streets of Free Ballard meant only one thing: a zombie had made its way inside the walls.
She jumped out of bed and threw on a leather jacket and an old pair of boots before
running to the door to grab her rifle. She felt every valuable second she spent looking for
her bright orange safety helmet before remembering that she lent it to Kyle for a supply
run. Most folks were stingy with their gear, but Kyle was her best friend. She couldn’t let
him go without a helmet.
She didn't bother closing the door to her loft before bounding down the stairs, two
at a time, and made it down to Ballard Ave. in less than two minutes. It was a drill that
everyone in the Free Ballard settlement was forced to run once per week. Despite the
time lost looking for her helmet, Harper was still one of the first people to reach the
street.
Her eyes immediately went to the north gate—if that was breached, they were all
screwed—but the pile of welded cars and sheet metal was still standing strong. Turning
to the south, the source of the alarm was obvious. Jimmy was bolting toward her with a
runner right behind him. The kid was quick, but the dead thing was quicker, and in a
dozen steps it was on him, snarling and snapping. The two of them went down in a heap,
Jimmy pinned under the agile zombie.
“Get this fucking thing off me!” he screamed as he desperately tried to keep the
death sentence of its rancid bite away from him.
Harper’s rifle found her shoulder in an instant. She let out a breath that steamed in
the early morning air and gently squeezed the trigger. A crack rang out, and the runner’s
head snapped back. It slumped over as Jimmy quickly moved to wriggle out from under
it. By now, there were dozens of other people on the street. After another couple of
shots to make sure the thing was dead, folks swarmed Jimmy to make sure he was okay.
Couldn’t blame people for being protective of one of the few kids born after the
Fall. “Did it bite you?”
“Where’d it come from?”
“That’s the third one this week!”
Folks had more questions than answers. Harper took a squat next to the corpse. It
was more recently infected than most they saw these days; by the look of the patchwork
clothing it wore, it had clearly turned in the past two or three years. As her eyes traveled
down, she noticed its feet. They were covered in thistles.
Big Swede had arrived and was getting Jimmy on his feet to take him to the hospital
and have him checked out. The usually gregarious man was all business right now. If
Jimmy had been bitten, there would be some tough decisions ahead.
He gave a nod to Harper.
“Nice shot.”
 Fiction
Harper nodded in return and went back to her loft to grab her full kit. Those thistles
had stuck in her mind; she had a theory, but she didn’t want to go check it out
unprepared. Ten minutes later, she was back on the street, just as the disposal crew was
loading up the runner's corpse for incineration. She hated that job. It took days to get
the stink out of her clothes. She turned south and started walking towards the old
dump.
In the early days, most folks in Free Ballard wouldn’t leave the compound at all, not
even to dump trash, so they used an empty lot on the south side just inside the wall. It
only lasted a few years before a more permanent solution was found and the old lot was
left to rot. Even from a distance, Harper could clearly see the thistles that grew there.
She ducked under the fence and crouched low behind an old refrigerator. If this was
the site of the breach, there could be dozens of zombies wandering around, so a bit of
caution couldn’t hurt. She checked her rifle one last time before moving on.
Towards the center of the lot, between two rusting dumpsters, she found a pair of
crawlers wrestling over what looked like the remains of a rabbit. They were easy to
avoid, but just to be safe, she put them down before moving on.
Climbing atop a nearby ruined car, she scanned the rest of the dump, paying
particular attention to the east wall that led outside. Fortunately, the sun had come up,
making it easy to spot the breach: a piece of sheet metal had come loose, and there was
a clear hole in the perimeter. Harper shook her head and made her way to the hole to
put up a temporary patch. She’d be having words with the wall crew about this.
Harper was nailing in the last bits of scrap wood for her temporary patch when she
heard a small shift in the junk behind her and caught the unmistakable smell of rot.
Cursing under her breath, she knew that she had missed one.
She dropped the hammer, spun around, drew her pistol, and fired twice in quick
succession. The first went wide, but the second landed right in the center of the
shambling zombie’s forehead, just below the brim of its orange safety helmet.

Later that night, Harper had a drink at the Smoke Stop. Her beers were on the house, and
the room was packed. Everyone was happy now that the breach had been taken care of.
Big Swede sat next to her, enjoying a pint. “Jimmy’s fine, by the way. Just got a few
scrapes from the fall. He sends his regards.”
“Just doing my part,” Harper replied between sips.
“Hey, where’s Kyle?” Big Swede asked, scanning the
bar. “I’ve never known him to miss a party.”
Harper took another sip to hide the change in
her expression.
“Kyle never came back.”
1.0 – Narrator Rules
As the NARRATOR, your role in Hopefinder is pivotal to ensure that the story
everyone is working to create is both thought-provoking and headed toward a
satisfying conclusion.
The players should have agency in this story, working to uncover the fate of
their Survivors, while also never quite feeling like they’re in complete control.
The world of Hopefinder is far from safe, and while the stories set in this world
are often grim, their purpose is to shine a light on the perseverance and
resilience of the human spirit. The point of this game is to show that it’s in our
very nature to carry on despite overwhelming adversity, and that we’re made
stronger for the journey.
Your primary function is to narrate the story, voicing all the characters not
controlled by the players, describing scenes, laying out problems to overcome,
and adjudicating the rules. In most regards, this is much like the role of GM in
Pathfinder. One key way it differs is that in Hopefinder, the players can call for
scenes where they narrate a part of their character’s history; in these scenes,
your job is to go along with their tale, helping to bring it to life through the
other minor characters that populate the scene. These FLASHBACKS are pivotal
to the characters’ growth and the development of their story, and you should
handle them with care. See the guidelines on page 9 for how to work with a
player to narrate a Flashback.

Tone
One of Hopefinder’s biggest changes to the Pathfinder game is the shift in tone
from heroic fantasy to grim horror. The player characters have plenty of tools
to help them succeed, but the foes they face are overwhelming and
everywhere. They can’t hope to fully beat the zombies, but they can keep the
lights on for one more day. That small victory, and the personal stakes that go
along with it, is where the players can “win”. They succeed by telling a good
story about their desperate Survivors, how they overcame their problems, their
differences, and their past to keep things moving for a little while longer.
To make this work, as Narrator, you must walk a narrow path. The weight of
the setting and the events that have unfolded, the insurmountable nature of
the challenge they face, must feel omnipresent to the players. At the same time,
they must be allowed to see cracks in that facade where their hope for a better
future might shine through. In their own small way, the Survivors should succeed
—maybe not all of them will make it, but if the struggle was worth it, they’ll still
walk away with a story to remember.

Themes and Consent

As the Narrator, you have a very important role to play in controlling the themes
of the story and coordinating with the players to ensure that the table is a fun
and safe space for everyone to enjoy. Before starting a campaign, it’s important
that you sit down with the players and talk about the themes of a zombie
game,
PAGE 4
1.0 Narrator Rules
the content they might experience, and what you hope to accomplish during the
story. This isn’t about giving away your plot or spoiling any surprises. Think of it
instead as a trailer: a chance for the players to get a preview of the story, to
make sure it’s one that they’re interested in seeing through.
The Hopefinder Survivor’s Guide covers a wide variety of content types,
putting them into three categories: In, Hidden, and Out. All of the participants
are invited to review these lists and to make whatever modifications necessary
to ensure a fun time for all. Once that is done, it is your responsibility as
narrator to work within these categories. In content can freely be used as a part
of your story, whereas Hidden content can be a facet of the world and tale, but
not the focus. Out content should be kept out of the game entirely.
The default content lists are repeated below so that you, as Narrator, can
consider these content challenges yourself.

IN CONTENT: Blood, Cannibalism (zombies eating human flesh), Death

(animal, human), Disease, Gore, Mass Destruction, Mental Illness,
Murder, Profanity, Societal Collapse, Substance Use (alcohol, drugs),
Zombies

HIDDEN CONTENT: Abuse (emotional, mental, physical), Child Endangerment,

Nudity, Pregnancy, Self-Harm, Sexual Encounters

OUT CONTENT: Ableism, Animal Cruelty, Cannibalism (humans eating human

flesh), Child Abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Incest, Kidnapping, Sexism,
Sexual Assault, Sizeism, Slavery, Torture, Transphobia

During play, you might find that a topic that makes your players
uncomfortable has made its way into the discourse. Don’t hesitate to stop
play and remove or retcon such content out of your story. Doing so might
break the flow for a moment, but this is far better than allowing Out content to
create a negative (or even harmful) play space for the group.

Using this Book

This book contains rules for running a Hopefinder game, advice on how to write
a campaign set in this world, an extensive catalog of foes, a gazetteer of Seattle,
and a sample adventure. It doesn’t contain all the rules for creating a Survivor
or running a combat; the rules for dings, bruises, barter, and surprise are
something that the Survivors and Narrator both need to understand. Those
rules, and more, are contained in the Hopefinder Survivor’s Guide, and the
Narrator should be familiar with everything contained in that book.
If a rule isn’t contained in either book, it’s likely unchanged from Pathfinder.
As Narrator, you can pull from a wide variety of Pathfinder books to add to your
game, but take care. Not everything from a fantastical world makes for a good
fit here, and some of it might actively detract from the tone and themes of
Hopefinder. Adding a +1 flaming chainsaw might sound fun, but it could just as
easily play against the game’s more serious undertones.
PAGE 5
1.1 –
Adjudicating the Game
While most of a Narrator's responsibilities are the same as for a GM in Pathfinder,
there are a handful of additional rules to keep in mind while running
Hopefinder. These rules specifically deal with mechanical aspects of the game,
like the Z Plague, Hope, and the rules of survival, as well as story aspects of the
game, like Flashbacks.

The Plague
The Z Plague is a constant threat to Survivors in the world of Hopefinder.
Whenever
they fight a zombie, the Survivors have a chance to be infected (usually from a
critical hit on a jaws Strike). The Z Plague works like most afflictions in
Pathfinder, except that once someone reaches Stage 2, there’s no known way
to cure it. See the rules on page 39 of the Hopefinder Survivor’s Guide for
complete details.
The rules for how the plague works aren’t a secret to the Survivors. They’ve
lived in a world with this disease for 10 years now, and its course and effects
are well known. Who has been infected, however, is still very much a secret.
Whenever anyone risks a possible infection, the Narrator should roll a secret
Fortitude save for that Survivor and not immediately reveal the results. The
next time the Survivors rest, the Narrator should give each player a slip of paper
indicating whether they are infected. The players CANNOT reveal this slip of
paper to the other players, but they can reveal the truth in character if they
want. The same secrecy applies to ongoing saving throws made against the
plague and any duration rolls made during Stage 2. The Narrator should roll
these saving throws in secret and only reveal the results to the affected player
after their next
rest, telling them to lose 1 Hope, if applicable.
While the players should feel certain about the health of their Survivor,
they should never feel 100% certain about the other characters. This paranoia
shouldn’t be overwhelming, but the nature of this disease is generally hidden
until it is too late. Characters that get suspicious can attempt Perception checks
to notice something is amiss with an infected companion.

Using Cards (Optional): You can also use a deck of cards to indicate
everyone’s condition, giving each player a card at the start of each day
based on their status. A heart represents that they’re healthy. A diamond
means that they risked infection in the past day, but they feel fine. A
spade means that they are infected and lose 1 Hope. A club means that
they are infected but have managed to stave it off for the time being, and
they don’t lose 1 Hope.

Rising From the Dead

When an infected character dies, their chance of returning as a zombie depends
on several factors. When a character dies while in Stage 1 of the Z Plague, the
Narrator should make a flat check with a DC = 5 – the Hope they had at time
of death (assume 1 for most characters). On a failure, the character rises as a
zombie in 1d20 hours. Characters that die in Stage 2 are more likely to rise; the
PAGE 6
 1.1 Adjudicating the Game
flat check DC = 10 + the value of the character’s stupefied condition. On a failure,
the character rises as a zombie in 1d8 hours. Finally, a character in Stage 3 of
the Z Plague automatically rises as a zombie after 1d10 minutes.
The type of zombie the character becomes is entirely up to the Narrator,
but most rise as shamblers (page 29). However, experienced Survivors can turn
into an armored zombie (page 23).

Awarding Hope
Hope is an important currency that the Survivors use to influence their dice
rolls and help them overcome daunting challenges. Throughout the game, the
Survivors should find themselves spending and gaining Hope with some
frequency. As Narrator, it’s your job to ensure that the Survivors are rewarded
with Hope whenever they find inspiration or pull off something truly daring.
Triumphs in this world are fleeting, and when they happen, they should be
rewarded.
Hope represents a Survivor’s belief in a better tomorrow, their willingness
to work with others, and a spark of joy. The Z Plague feeds on this until there’s
nothing left to do but succumb to undeath.
Spending Hope generally means that a Survivor has been pushed to their
breaking point, their desperation demanding that they pull from their deepest
reserves to keep pressing on. It’s an extra effort that leaves the Survivor feeling
drained and out of options; if they rely on it too often, they might even find
themselves without Hope, which is a very dangerous place to be.
The Narrator shouldn’t reward Hope for a success that was only possible
due to the Survivors spending Hope. Instead, Hope should be a reward when a
plan goes off flawlessly, when the group gets through a
dangerous fight without any injuries, or when they
complete an important goal that will help a
lot of people back in the settlement. Hope
can also be a reward for a quiet moment
of roleplaying, the Survivors looking to each
other for support and
care and bolstering
each other’s spirits
against the tide
of darkness that
seems to envelop
their every waking moment.
PAGE 7
Survival
Hopefinder is about survival, and as such, it has rules that wouldn’t normally be
part
of a heroic fantasy game. Food and water are limited, damage to gear is an
ongoing concern, and the threat of contagion is ever-present. As the Narrator,
it’s your job to work these challenges into the narrative. They shouldn’t be
insurmountable, but neither should they ever feel like something that the
Survivors can overlook entirely. The systems for dings, bruises, and starvation
are critical to the survival narrative; the Survivors are always struggling with
them in some way, making calculated choices when trading for more supplies or
when deciding what to bring back to camp. Do they trade for more food, more
bullets, or more meds? When patching their gear, do they focus on their armor
or their weapons? These choices should matter to the characters, and that starts
with the Narrator making sure that nothing is too plentiful in this ruined world.

Starting Challenges
Characters should start each session short on supplies, lightly wounded, bruised,
or facing other challenges. They can spend resources and supplies to
immediately negate these challenges if they so choose, pooling resources if the
players agree. If a session happens directly after a previous session, with no
significant in-game time to rest in between, you can forgo this system, as the
Survivors will likely be carrying over challenges from the previous session.
To determine the Survivors’ starting challenges for a session, ask each
player to roll a d20 and consult the following table.

Table: Starting Challenges

d20 Challenge
1 Bad Shape: The Survivor starts off not having eaten or hydrated for 1
day. They are stupefied 1 and have 1d6 bruises and 1d6 dings to
their equipment.
2-5 Rough Morning: The Survivor starts with 1d4 bruises and 1d4 dings to
their equipment.
6-9 Dehydrated: The Survivor drank too much last night or hasn’t
had Hydration in 1 day. They are stupefied 1.
10-13 Worn: The Survivor needs to do some maintenance and starts with
1d6 dings to their equipment.
14-17 Hungry: The Survivor hasn’t eaten in 2 days and starts with 1d4
bruises. 18-19 Not Too Bad: The Survivor is mostly doing okay. They start
with 1
bruise and 1 ding to their equipment.
20 All Good: The Survivor starts off with no challenges.
PAGE 8
1.1 Adjudicating the Game
Adjudicating Flashbacks
Throughout the game, the Survivors will have Flashbacks to their life before the
Fall and the events that took place during the early days of the Z Plague. These
are pivotal not only to their stories, but to their growth as a character as well,
as each Flashback unlocks new abilities for the Survivor to use during play. Your
role in these stories is to serve as a companion to the narration that the player
wants to reveal to the group. The setup and general scene of these Flashbacks is
entirely decided by the player. The Narrator is there to serve as the other
characters in the scene, but the overall direction of the tale is for the player to
control.
Taking a back seat in the narrative like this may be challenging at first. Each
of the players has filled out surveys that go over the general stories of each
Flashback; while the Narrator is expected to improvise and react to the player’s
actions, they should take care not to change the overall thrust of the story.
An example: the player was a fast-food worker in their “Before” Flashback,
and the scene is all about how they were fired the day before the plague
started. You could take on the role of manager, berating the character for not
living up to the duties of the job, or perhaps you would be an angry customer,
complaining to the boss about poor service. All the while, the player is
portraying a younger version of their Survivor, one who was just figuring things
out at a crummy job, without a care in the world for what the future might
hold. In this example, the Narrator has a broad latitude to help the player
envision how they were fired from their job, but as this is a Flashback about
time before the Fall, you shouldn’t inject the usual zombies or other chaos into
the story. When the scene is done, the player’s narrative choices during
character creation should still hold true.
Flashbacks should NOT include checks or dice rolls of any kind. The player
decides whether they succeed at tasks or fail spectacularly. Players can
exaggerate these tales if they want, telling larger-than-life stories that few
others are likely to believe. These are the stories the Survivors tell others about
themselves; they don’t have to be true, or even plausible.
Try to limit the density of Flashbacks to 1 per meaningful scene in the
adventure. If two players try to have their Flashback at the same moment, have
them each roll a d20 to see who gets to go first. Flashbacks also shouldn’t last
more than 5 to 10 minutes each; they’re meant to be momentary (if poignant)
asides, not lengthy diversions.

Reward Waiting (OPTIONAL): With each new session, the Narrator might find
that the players are in a rush to make their Flashback happen as soon as
possible, to unlock their new abilities. In this case, consider rewarding
those who wait longer in the session to have their Flashback. In this
optional rule, the Survivor who goes first gets no benefit other than the
usual new abilities unlocked with the Flashback. The last Survivor to have
their Flashback is rewarded with 1 HOPE in addition to the unlocks. All
others in between heal 1d4 damage or bruises (players’ choice) at the end
of their Flashback in addition to the unlocks.
PAGE 9
Heroic Endings
It’s quite possible (or even likely) that some or all of the Survivors don’t make
it through to the end of the story. The apocalypse is a dangerous place, and it’s
easy for a Survivor to die due to injury or the Z Plague. The Narrator should do
everything in their power to ensure that these deaths have meaning, whether
as a sacrifice to help the others continue on or as a surprising twist that
complicates the narrative. Whether a cautionary tale or a blaze of glory, the
death of a Survivor should feel important.
Whenever a Survivor perishes, another takes their place, with the affected
player creating a NEW SURVIVOR for the next session. Survivors created in the
middle of a story start at the same level as everyone else, but in addition, they
start with extra equipment, adding double their level to their starting barter
value. Their first Flashback should be the “Before” Flashback, as normal, but
afterwards, in addition to the unlocked abilities, they gain an advanced feat for
every level. For example, if a new Survivor joined when the rest of the group
was level 3, they would also be level 3, starting with 6 extra barter worth of
gear and gaining 3 advanced feats after their first Flashback.
Should everyone die in the same session, as Narrator you have two options.
The first is to conclude the story, talking about the brave efforts of the Survivors
who worked for a better future, even if they didn’t live to see it. In most stories,
it’s easy to describe how the players’ actions helped someone else finish a task
that, without them, never would have succeeded. The second choice is to ask the
players to create a new crew of Survivors determined to finish what the first
group started. Hopefully they don’t run into the zombie versions of their former
characters…

Ending The Campaign

At the end of the campaign, any remaining Survivors should be given a chance
to narrate what ultimately happens to them. This is their story to tell, but as
Narrator, you should instruct them to give a simple, 5 to 10–minute version of
the tale and to select one key MEMENTO from their life to be their emblem,
the mark by which they are known.
Once everyone has closed their stories, your final duty as Narrator is to talk
about how the efforts of the players and their Survivors made a difference.
Emphasize what they accomplished and describe how it made life a little easier
for those who came after. They didn’t solve the Z Plague or wipe out all the
zombies, but their actions were important, and it’s your job to highlight
these accomplishments. Once done, place this booklet in the center of
the table for someone else to pick up and tell their own story of finding
hope.
PAGE 10
1.2 Designing a Story
1.2 – Designing a Story
Hopefinder isn’t designed to be played as an epic, multi-year saga. Life in the
apocalypse is nasty, violent, and often short; as a result, the campaigns told
within this setting should work toward a satisfying conclusion in a shorter
timeframe. The ideal length for an entire Hopefinder campaign is 5 sessions,
with each session being several hours long, encompassing one major plot point
in the tale.

Stories About Hope

The stories in Hopefinder are about survival and building toward a better future.
The overarching plot should bend in this direction, and by the end of the story,
it should feel as if maybe things have gotten just a bit better. This isn’t a game
about “solving” the plague or ending the apocalypse—it’s smaller than that,
but in many ways, it’s just as important. Finding fuel to keep the generators
running, providing food for another week, or clearing out the zombies from a
nearby arcade are all vital in keeping the flame of human existence lit. Making
the mundane feel momentous is what Hopefinder is all about.

Campaigns
Campaigns in Hopefinder should work toward one central goal that’s too big to
achieve in a single session—although it might not seem that way at first! This
goal should be one that clearly works to improve the standard of living for the
Survivors or the settlement they call home. Try to avoid plainly self-serving
objectives as the main goal of a campaign, though these can certainly serve as
smaller plots for individual sessions. For example, venturing out of the safety of
the settlement to raid a food warehouse in search of vitamin C to solve a scurvy
epidemic is a good goal for a campaign, whereas going out to loot an
electronics store to get some good items to barter is better suited as part of a
larger story, not the central focus. The first contributes to the betterment of all
survivors, whereas the second is more about personal gain.
Here are a bunch of story ideas that would make for a great campaign. Feel
free to use these ideas or take inspiration from them for your own game.

• The settlement’s only generator is dying, and the Survivors are tasked with
finding a new one or fixing the old one.
• The last group of traders brought a legend with them, about a nearby
island supposedly free from zombies. The Survivors have to find out if it’s
true.
• With the canned food supply running low, the Survivors are sent to raid a
farm supply store, far away from the city, for a good stash of seeds.
• A nearby gang of raiders has taken some people to fight in their zombie
arena, and the Survivors must go set them free.
• A strange radio signal is coming from a nearby industrial park. It’s new,
which means there might still be people there to rescue.
• A ferry boat has long been anchored out in the sound. It might make for a
great refuge, if the Survivors can clear it and bring it to shore.
PAGE 11
• As always, medicine is in short supply. The old hospitals are some of the
most dangerous places to visit, but the Survivors must go for the good of
all.
• The settlement's doctor is close to understanding more about the Z Plague,
but he needs a better sample of the original contagion. The Survivors must
prepare for a visit to The Hive (see page 43).
• A group of settlers went missing on a simple gathering expedition, and the
Survivors are sent to find them and bring them home.
• A scout spotted a military camp that looks like it hasn’t been looted. The
only problem: it’s on the edge of the irradiated zone, south of downtown.

Session Plots
Each campaign should have several session plots that form the major beats of
the overall story. These plots are the basis for each individual session and can
better incorporate the smaller, more personal stories that work to advance the
larger campaign. Each of these plots can be arranged around an individual
scene or location, or they can be a series of several smaller scenes linked
together through a single narrative purpose.
For example, a session might take place in an abandoned warehouse
grocery store, with the Survivors trying to find canned chicken to trade to a
nearby information broker. The entire session would be about raiding the
warehouse and navigating the dangers that lie within. Alternatively, the session
might center on a journey to a nearby settlement, starting off with a scene at a
garage to fix an old station wagon, followed by a scene at a gas station, then a
scene at a bridge choked with cars, and finally a desperate race to reach the
settlement before nightfall. This second example uses multiple scenes, all
organized around a single goal.
Before starting your campaign, you should arrange the story into a series of
session plots that each tell a part of the larger picture. You don’t need to have
all the details worked out ahead of time, but having an outline of how each
session contribute to the campaign’s overall story enables you to foreshadow
and drop hints about future twists and complications.
For example, if the campaign revolved around fixing or replacing the
settlement’s dying generator, the session plots might proceed like this:

• With the generator only days from dying, the Survivors are sent to an old
firehouse in hopes of retrieving their old portable generator. The firehouse
is dangerous, but they do manage to get an old, working generator by the
end of the session. The only problem is that it isn’t powerful enough to
sustain the settlement. Fortunately, attached to the recovered generator is
a calling card in case it needs repairs that points to a tool shop to the north.
• In the second session, the Survivors travel to the tool shop on the north
edge of town to find the parts needed to fix the generator, traversing a
clogged underpass along the way. They can’t make it back by sunset, so
once they raid the small tool shop, they have to barricade themselves in for
the night, dealing with wandering zombies before heading back home.
During the night, they see bright lights further north.
PAGE 12
 1.2 Designing a Story
• In the third session, the Survivors are given a car and sent to go explore the
bright lights they saw at the tool shop. After a trap encounter with raiders on
the freeway, they make it to an old baseball field where the power still works.
After investigating, they learn that the field is connected to a nearby
hydroelectric dam. In the process of exploring the dam, they learn that its
power can’t reach the settlement; the substation is broken—and in the
middle of raider territory.
• In the fourth session, the Survivors are sent to sneak into the raider camp
and get the substation working again. This is a stealth mission past multiple
raider groups and some of their “pet” zombies. Getting into the substation
isn’t that hard, but at the end of the session, they learn that the raiders are
using its power to fence in a zombie horde. They can divert the power, but
chaos will surely ensue. The session ends as they make the decision.
• In the fifth session, the PCs race back home with either a horde of zombies
or a mass of angry raiders on their tail. They must then prepare the
settlement for the coming onslaught and help defend the walls from the
attackers. In the aftermath, they can finally restore power, having either
dealt with the raiders or fought off the zombie horde. In either case, things
are stable once again for the settlement, and new opportunities present
themselves for the future.

Pacing and Story Beats

Pacing the flow of time in your campaign is a key tool for increasing or decreasing
the pressure on the Survivors and their resources. If no in-game time passes
between sessions, the Survivors will be slowly ground down, taking more and
more bruises and dings that they lack the time and resources to heal.
Alternatively, if you give the Survivors too much time to rest and repair, they
might not feel much survival pressure at all. Take the campaign example above.
Giving the Survivors a break between the second and third session is fine;
they’ve earned a bit more time with the generator and can likely take a day or
two to recuperate. From that point on, though, there’s no time to rest. The story
doesn’t stop until the end, and the Survivors are likely to feel exhausted by the
conclusion of the campaign. Note that this is often something you can control
during the campaign, using time off as needed to ensure that the Survivors feel
the pressure at the right moments.
Finally, consider the narrative “beats” of your campaign. Is the scene
positive or negative? Upon its conclusion, are the Survivors getting ahead or
being set back? Are they struggling with adversity or finding success? Avoid too
much repetition in these narrative beats to keep the story interesting. Survivors
should face setbacks and challenges that force them to reassess their approach
just as often as they get to celebrate a plan coming together perfectly. This is
also a good time to consider the overall arc of these beats and how they work
together to create an overall feel for the campaign.
The session beats example above is a traditional arc of beats. It starts with a
success as the party discovers a generator, but leads into a challenge when the
generator they find isn’t good enough. Again, they have success in finding the
parts they need, but now a new opportunity presents itself: there are signs of
massive power nearby. The third session opens with a hopeful note but ends
with
PAGE 13
a decidedly grim situation, as the ample nearby power is blocked by a
significant threat in the form of the raiders. In the fourth session, the Survivors
hit bottom. They must make a terrible choice to either deny the settlement
power or to unleash a massive horde of zombies in the area. Both have upsides,
but they’re equally uncertain. In the final session, the Survivors live with their
choices and help the settlement thrive by overcoming the threat that they
unleashed. Everything is better than it was, even if the costs were steep.
There are many ways that you can assemble these beats into an engaging
narrative. Here are a few simple frameworks to consider when putting your plot
points together.

Roller Coaster
The story starts off with a modest success that leads to a bigger challenge.
This then goes wrong in several ways, leading to a crisis. Resolving this
challenge leads to a well-earned success. This story structure is good for
a wide variety of campaigns but is best for those with a single, clear goal.

Rocky Road
Every step forward on the path of this story comes with a setback, and each
new step is an attempt to correct past mistakes. The climax will require
one major push to see it through to the end. This story structure is great
for when the Survivors are trying to assemble a thing or build to some
great plan.

Journey to the Depths

Nothing is going right in the beginning of this campaign. Despite the
Survivors’ best efforts, things continuously deteriorate or go wrong in
some meaningful way. Without the Survivors, everyone would be
doomed, but they just manage to hold on and find a way through right at
the end. This is a good story structure for campaigns involving flight from
a problem or the collapse of a major system or settlement. Finding a new
home at the end is a massive reward that makes up for all the hardship.

Combat Encounters
You can design combat encounters in Hopefinder much the same way as in
Pathfinder. One thing to keep in mind is that large encounters with less
powerful zombies and other threats are more thematic and satisfying in
Hopefinder than a series of single, powerful foes. Zombies frequently come in
large waves, slowly advancing on the Survivors and giving them ample
opportunities to use ranged weapons, traps, and barricades to prevent the
zombies from getting too close. Since zombie attacks carry the risk of infection,
the Survivors are likely to try to keep their distance at all costs.
Part of your narrative planning should be focused on giving the Survivors a
wide variety of combats. They should be given plenty of opportunities to
ambush zombies and, on occasion, maybe even raiders. They should likewise be
surprised regularly by zombies hiding in an area, just waiting silently for their
next meal.
PAGE 14
 1.2 Designing a
Zombie Story
Tactics
For the most part, zombies aren’t tactically minded: they move to the nearest foe
and attack. If they set up a flank, it should be by coincidence, not an intentional
plan. What they lack in tactics they make up for in numbers and relentlessness.
It’s important to keep these tactical considerations in mind, because when the
Survivors do encounter a zombie capable of some tactical thought, it should
be a surprise, and they should take note that something has changed. This is
especially true if an overmind is in the area (see page 27).

Rewards
Survivors should gain a level after the conclusion of each major plot in a
campaign,
typically at the end of each session. Other than this advancement, the other
primary means of rewarding the characters is through new gear and story
options. New gear, meds, food, and ammunition should be among the things the
Survivors find during their adventures, both to replace old gear and to give them
enough barter to get the items they want from traders in the nearby settlement.
The following table gives you an idea of how much gear to give out in each
session, including a total barter value and a maximum value for any one item.
Note that for simplicity, the total barter value refers to the value of all the items
together, not what they would be worth if combined in a trade. You can exceed
these limits if you want, but be careful—giving out too much might make it too
easy for the characters to survive and overcome threats. Survivors aren’t
expected to carry everything of value back with them, and in most cases the
rules for encumbrance will prevent them from carrying back anything other than
the most valuable items.

Table: Rewards Per Session

Total Maximum
Level Barter Item Value
1 10 per Survivor 5
2 12 per Survivor 8
3 15 per Survivor 12
4 20 per Survivor 16
5 25 per Survivor 20
PAGE 15
1.3 –
Converting Rules
Many of the feats and creatures in Pathfinder work almost entirely as written
in Hopefinder. Whether or not a feat or other options are allowed is entirely up
to the Narrator to decide, but the group should talk about how to handle these
options at the start of play so that everyone has the same expectation.

Feats
Feats are the most common rules element that Survivors try to acquire. Part
of their leveling process gives them skill feats, which are taken directly from
Pathfinder. Use the following guidelines when determining if a feat is
appropriate for Hopefinder.

No Magic: Magic doesn’t exist in the world of Hopefinder, so feats that grant
magic abilities don’t exist. This includes elements born out of a connection
to the magical world, such as those that grant a familiar.
Level: The level requirements of a feat aren’t as important. When it comes to
skill feats, most level requirements can be ignored entirely, relying on the
other requirements instead. The levels for class feats should still be used,
but at only 1/2 the listed level. This means that a 4th-level Rogue feat can
be taken by a level 2 Survivor in Hopefinder.
Class: Feats that belong to a Pathfinder class can be taken without taking the
multiclassing feat, but the Narrator might assign them a trait, marking them
as a specific type of advanced feat (see page 51 of the Hopefinder Survivor’s
Guide). Otherwise, class feats can be taken via the “open feats” selection as
part of leveling up. Narrators may wish to note that some class features can
be taken as feats in this way. For example, the Narrator might declare that
the Ranger’s Hunt Prey ability can be taken with an open feat or any
advanced feat pick, treating the ability as if it had the Cunning trait.
Prerequisites: While level and class prerequisites are frequently ignored, others
generally apply, especially those that require a specific level of proficiency in
a skill. If that skill doesn’t exist in Hopefinder, then neither do its skill feats.

Creatures
Adapting a creature to Hopefinder requires very little work, but the choice of
creature here is important. Creatures that rely on magical abilities aren’t a good
choice, as such abilities don’t work in a world without magic. Most fantastical
creatures also make for a poor choice unless you’re making drastic changes to
the story of the world. Various types of low-level undead (zombies especially)
and animals are all great pickups for use in game.
Note that creatures in Hopefinder aren’t quite as powerful as they are in
Pathfinder, and you should adjust either their statistics or overall level
accordingly. As a simple rule, most creatures can be treated as one level higher
than they are in Pathfinder, making them an appropriate threat for the less-
powerful Survivors in Hopefinder.
PAGE 16
2.0 – Creatures 2.0 Creatures
The world has fallen into ruin. While zombies pose the greatest danger by
far, animals and other humans can prove to be equally deadly in the right
circumstances. The following pages contain all the stats and abilities for a
variety of dangerous animals, desperate humans, and hungry dead. The animals
and zombie animals here are generally among the more dangerous ones found
in the Pacific Northwest, to match the starting setting. Other regions
undoubtedly have other threats.
Note that the statistics of Pathfinder creatures that appear here might differ
from those in the base game.

Animals
While many mammals are susceptible to the Z Plague, there are just as many
living specimens that have taken the Fall of human civilization as an opportunity
to re-establish old hunting grounds, prowling through the ruins of abandoned
towns in search of an easy meal. The following represent only some of the
more dangerous animals that Survivors might encounter.

Bear, Black Creature 2

Medium, Animal
Perception +7; low-light vision, scent (imprecise) 30 feet
Skills Athletics +8, Survival +5
Str +2, Dex +2, Con +2, Int –4, Wis +1, Cha –2
AC 16; Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +5
HP 30; Armor Resistance slashing 2
Speed 35 feet
Melee [one-action] jaws +8, Damage 1d8+2 piercing
Melee [one-action] claw +6, Damage 1d6+2 slashing
plus Grab
Maul The black bear gains a +1
circumstance bonus to damage
rolls against creatures it has
grabbed.

Bear, Brown Creature 4

Large, Animal
Perception +9; low-light vision, scent
(imprecise) 30 feet
Skills Athletics +12, Survival +7
Str +4, Dex +1, Con +4, Int –4, Wis +1, Cha –2
AC 19; Fort +12, Ref +7, Will +7
HP 50; Armor Resistance slashing 5
Speed 35 feet
Melee [one-action] jaws +10, Damage 2d6+4 piercing
Melee [one-action] claw +12, Damage 1d10+4 slashing plus Grab
PAGE 17
Demolish The brown bear is particularly effective at tearing down barricades.
The brown bear deals twice as many dings when it Batters an object.
Maul The brown bear gains a +2 circumstance bonus to damage rolls against
creatures it has grabbed.
Rush [two-actions] (attack, move) The brown bear Strides with a +10-foot circumstance
bonus to its Speed and makes a Strike at the end of this movement.

Cougar Creature 3
Medium, Animal
Perception +9; low-light vision, scent (imprecise) 30 feet
Skills Acrobatics +7, Athletics +8, Stealth +7
Str +3, Dex +2, Con +2, Int –4, Wis +2, Cha –1
AC 17; Fort +7, Ref +9, Will +7
HP 40
Speed 30 feet
Melee [one-action] jaws +8, Damage 1d8+3 piercing plus Grab
Melee [one-action] claw +10, Damage 1d6+3 slashing
Drag Whenever the cougar Steps while grappling a creature, the grappled
creature moves with it.
Pounce [one-action] (attack, move) The cougar Strides and makes a Strike at the end of this
movement. If the cougar began this action hidden, it remains hidden
until after the Strike resolves.
Sneak Attack The cougar deals 1d6 extra precision damage to off-guard creatures.

Dog, Wild Creature 0

Small, Animal
Perception +5; low-light vision, scent (imprecise) 30 feet
Skills Acrobatics +5, Athletics +4, Stealth +5, Survival +3
Str +1, Dex +3, Con +2, Int –4, Wis +1, Cha –1
AC 15; Fort +4, Ref +7, Will +3
HP 15
Speed 30 feet
Melee [one-action] jaws +5, Damage 1d4+1 piercing plus Grab
Shred [one-action] (attack) The dog rips and shreds a creature it has grabbed, dealing 1d4
piercing damage. If the damage fails to penetrate the target’s armor
resistance, its armor takes a ding (instead of dealing it a bruise).

Wolf, Timber Creature 1

Medium, Animal
Perception +7; low-light vision, scent (imprecise) 30 feet
Skills Acrobatics +6, Athletics +5, Stealth +6, Survival +5
Str +2, Dex +3, Con +1, Int –4, Wis +2, Cha –2
AC 16; Fort +4, Ref +8, Will +5
HP 20
Speed 35 feet
PAGE 18
 2.0 Creatures
Melee [one-action] jaws +6, Damage 1d6+2 piercing
plus Knockdown
Pack Coordination The wolf is treated
as flanking a creature if both
it and an ally with this ability
are adjacent to the creature.
They don’t have to be on
opposite sides.

Humans
While most know to be wary of the
dead, other humans can be even more
dangerous, using guns and armor just
like the Survivors. While not everyone
they find wandering the wastelands is going to attack them, the following stats
represent some of the most common aggressors they might encounter.
Most humans have gear that is still of some use, but much of it has dings
or other damage. Useful items should be counted against the rewards of the
adventure; anything else is at least broken during the fight, and some of it may
be destroyed, granting a handful of parts at most.

Big Boss Creature 5

Medium, Human
Perception +12
Skills Athletics +11, Deception +13, Diplomacy +13, Intimidation +11,
Performance +11, Society +8
Str +4, Dex +2, Con +4, Int +1, Wis +3, Cha +4
Gear heavy machinegun (60 rounds), police body armor, sledgehammer
AC 23; Fort +13, Ref +9, Will +12
HP 49; Armor Resistance all 7 (helmet)
Speed 25 feet
Melee [one-action] sledgehammer +13, Damage 2d6+4 bludgeoning
Ranged [one-action] heavy machinegun +11 (burst, clip 30, deadly, range 30 feet), Damage
2d8 piercing
Demand Results [one-action] The big boss calls out to their allies, demanding that they
do better. All allies within 60 feet gain a +1 status bonus to attack and
damage rolls until the start of the big boss’ next turn.
Devastating Smash [two-actions] (attack) The big boss attempts a melee Strike that,
on a hit, deals one extra die of damage (3d6+4 damage with the
sledgehammer, for example). This attack deals 2 dings to the target’s
armor if it surpasses its resistance and inflicts 2 bruises if it doesn’t.
Spray [two-actions] (attack) The big boss sprays heavy machinegun fire in a 30-foot cone,
dealing 2d8 piercing damage to all targets in the area (DC 21 basic
Reflex save). This attack uses 15 bullets.

PAGE 19
Katana Fanatic Creature 4
Medium, Human
Perception +10
Skills Acrobatics +10, Computers +6, Crafting +6, Stealth +10, Thievery +8
Str +4, Dex +2, Con +3, Int +0, Wis +2, Cha –1
Gear bandages (2), climbing kit, compound bow (10 arrows),
katana, ration bar (2), sports protection
AC 21; Fort +9, Ref +10, Will +8
HP 39; Armor Resistance all 5 (helmet)
Speed 25 feet
Melee [one-action] katana +12 (deadly), Damage 1d10+4
slashing
Ranged [one-action] compound bow +10 (range 60 feet),
Damage 1d8+4 piercing
Fluid Draw [one-action] (attack) The katana fanatic draws a melee
weapon and uses it to make a melee Strike.
Overhead Cut [two-actions] (attack) The katana fanatic makes a
melee Strike that deals one extra die of damage
(2d10+4 damage with the katana, for example).
Sneak Attack The katana fanatic deals 1d6 extra precision
damage to off-guard creatures.

Pyro Creature 2
Medium, Human
Perception +5
Skills Acrobatics +7, Crafting +7, Deception +6, Intimidation +6
Str +1, Dex +3, Con +2, Int +1, Wis –1, Cha +2
Gear beer, branch, crude pistol (10 bullets), lab gear, lighter, Molotov
cocktail (3)
AC 16; Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +3; +4 item bonus to saving throws against acid, fire,
infection, poison, and smoke
HP 22; Armor Resistance all 2
Immolate If the pyro takes a critical hit from a bludgeoning weapon, several of
the bottles of flammable liquid strapped to their body burst. If they’re
wielding a burning branch or if they take fire damage, these liquids
ignite and the pyro takes 2d6 persistent fire damage and all of their
melee attacks deal an additional 1d6 fire damage.
Speed 25 feet
Melee [one-action] branch +5, Damage 1d6+1 bludgeoning
Ranged [one-action] crude pistol +7 (clip 1, deadly, range 10 feet), Damage 1d6 piercing
Ranged [one-action] Molotov cocktail +7, Damage 2d6 fire plus 1d6 fire splash
Burning Branch [one-action] Using a lighter, the pyro lights a branch on fire. For the next
two rounds, attacks with the burning branch deal an additional 1d4
fire damage on hit. While lit, the branch takes 1 ding at the end of the
pyro’s turn.
PAGE 20
 2.0 Creatures
Raider Creature 0
Medium, Human
Perception +3
Skills Athletics +4, Intimidation +2, Stealth +3, Thievery +3
Str +2, Dex +1, Con +2, Int +0, Wis +1, Cha +0
Gear crude pistol (10 bullets), crude spear, expired canned goods, workwear
AC 13; Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +3
HP 14; Armor Resistance 2 B/P/S
Speed 25 feet
Melee [one-action] crude spear +4, Damage 1d6+2 piercing
Ranged [one-action] crude pistol +5 (clip 1, deadly, range 10 feet), Damage 1d6 piercing
Menace The raider gets a +1 circumstance bonus to Intimidation checks to
Demoralize for each other visible raider or road warrior in the area
(maximum +4).
Reckless Charge [one-action] (attack, move) The raider Strides and makes a melee Strike
at the end of this movement. The raider is then off-guard until the
start of their next turn.

Road Warrior Creature 3

Medium, Human
Perception +8
Skills Athletics +10, Driving +9, Intimidation +6,
Machinery +6
Str +3, Dex +2, Con +2, Int +0, Wis +1, Cha +1
Gear baseball bat, biker gear,
crowbar, liquor,
pump shotgun (10
bullets), ration bar
AC 18; Fort +9, Ref +9, Will +6
HP 28; Armor Resistance 3 B/P/S (helmet)
Speed 20 feet
Melee [one-action] baseball bat +8, Damage 1d8+3
bludgeoning
Ranged [one-action] pump shotgun +10 (clip 5, deadly, range
30 feet), Damage 2d6 piercing
Drive-By The road warrior doesn’t take any penalties from
making ranged Strikes from a moving vehicle.
Menace The road warrior gets a +1 circumstance bonus to
Intimidation checks to Demoralize
for each other visible raider or road
warrior in the area (maximum +4).
Swipe [two-actions] (attack) The road warrior makes
two Strikes with a bludgeoning or slashing
melee weapon against two different adjacent foes. Both attacks count
toward their multiple attack penalty, but not until the attacks resolve.
PAGE 21
Starved Creature 1
Medium, Human
Perception +4
Skills Athletics +5, Intimidation +4, Stealth +5, Survival +4
Str +2, Dex +2, Con +1, Int +0, Wis +1, Cha +1
Gear bottle (2), golf club, workwear
AC 15; Fort +4, Ref +7, Will +4
HP 18; Armor Resistance 2 B/P/S
Speed 25 feet
Melee [one-action] golf club +5, Damage 1d6+2 bludgeoning
Ranged [one-action] bottle +5 (range 20 feet), Damage 1d4 slashing
Hangry [one-action] The starved flies into a hungry rage that lasts for 1 minute. While
raging, the starved’s AC is 13, but they gain a +2 status bonus to melee
damage. If the starved finds food while raging, they eat the food as
soon as possible.

Wanderer Creature –1
Medium, Human
Perception +2
Skills Athletics +3, Crafting +3, Diplomacy +3, Survival +2
Str +1, Dex +1, Con +1, Int +1, Wis +0, Cha +1
Gear crude bow (10 arrows), expired canned goods (2), kitchen knife, lighter,
winter clothes
AC 12; Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +2
HP 9; Armor Resistance 2 B/P/S
Speed 25 feet
Melee [one-action] kitchen knife +3, Damage 1d4+1
slashing
Ranged [one-action] crude bow +3 (range 30 feet),
Damage 1d6 piercing
Scavenge [one-action] The wanderer scrounges through
the area within their reach, finding
any item worth 0 barter, such as an
improvised shield, a brick, a bottle, or
a shiv (wanderer's choice).

PAGE 22
 2.0 Creatures
Zombies
The Z Plague can have a variety of effects on the dead, as the parasites that
inhabit
the body rewire the nervous system to keep it functioning after death. In most
cases, the dead return as runners and, as their body decays, turn into shamblers
and then finally crawlers. Some, however, take a different path, becoming the
corpulent bloated, lean sneakers, taut leapers, or something even worse. Very
rarely, a zombie will go through a strange transformation into a mutant, their
parasites replacing living tissue with newly grown organs and appendages.
Given enough time, these mutants become either massive, death-dealing hulks
or the sinister intelligences known only as overminds, their entire heads
replaced with massive, clicking parasites.

Zombie Immunities: As dead things, zombies are immune to a number of

things that affect the living. Unless otherwise noted, zombies are immune
to disease, mental effects, poison, and anything that would render them
unconscious. Zombies don’t take bruises, nor do they need to eat or drink
(although some gain abilities if they’ve recently consumed living flesh).
Zombies are destroyed immediately upon being reduced to 0 Hit Points.
Z Plague: Every zombie can transmit the Z Plague, usually through a critical
hit. The exact details of the Z Plague are described on page 39 of the
Hopefinder Survivor's Guide, but the DC and the method of transmission
for each zombie is described in its statistics.

Armored Creature 2
Medium, Human, Zombie
Perception +6; darkvision
Skills Athletics +7
Str +3, Dex +2, Con +2, Int –4, Wis +0, Cha –2
Gear light patchwork, a random item with a barter value of 1 or 2
AC 17; Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +4
HP 20; Armor Resistance all 3; Immunities zombie immunities
Block [reaction] Trigger An adjacent creature hits the armored with a melee Strike;
Effect The armored’s resistance against the attack is doubled. Its
resistance is then permanently reduced by 1.
Speed 15 feet
Melee [one-action] jaws +7, Damage 1d4+3 piercing
Melee [one-action] fist +7, Damage 1d6+3 bludgeoning
Double-Fisted Smash [two-actions] (attack) The armored makes a terrifying overhead
smash attack with both hands. The armored makes a fist Strike that
deals one extra die of damage (2d6+3), and the target must succeed at
a DC 17 Reflex save or else fall prone. This counts as two attacks for
the armored’s multiple attack penalty.
Z Plague DC 16; The armored transmits the Z Plague only through a critical hit
with its jaws Strike.
PAGE 23
Bloated Creature 1
Medium, Human, Zombie
Perception +3; darkvision
Skills Athletics +7
Str +2, Dex +0, Con +3, Int –4, Wis +0, Cha –2
Slow A bloated only takes 2 actions each round and can’t take reactions.
AC 13; Fort +9, Ref +3, Will +3
HP 30; Immunities zombie immunities; Weaknesses slashing 5
Death Burst When the bloated dies, its body bursts open, spraying all adjacent
creatures and dealing 1d6 acid damage (DC 16 basic Reflex save). If its
death also causes a Gore Spray, the target of the spray is immune to
this effect. Zombies are immune to this damage.
Gore Spray [reaction] Trigger An adjacent creature critically hits the bloated with a
Strike that deals slashing damage; Effect The bloated sprays viscera
at
the attacker, dealing 2d6 acid damage (DC 16 basic Reflex save).
Speed 20 feet
Melee [one-action] fist +5, Damage 1d6+2 bludgeoning
Z Plague DC 16; The bloated transmits the Z Plague to those
who critically fail their saving throws against its death burst
and Gore Spray abilities.

Crawler Creature –1
Small, Human, Zombie
Perception +2; darkvision
Skills Athletics +4
Str +1, Dex –1, Con +2, Int –4, Wis +0, Cha –2
Slow A crawler only takes 2 actions each round and
can’t take reactions.
AC 11; Fort +6, Ref +1, Will +2
HP 12; Immunities zombie immunities
Low Profile The crawler gains a +4 circumstance bonus to AC
against ranged attacks made from more than 10 feet away.
Speed crawl 10 feet
Melee [one-action] fist +3, Damage 1d4+1 bludgeoning plus Grab
Ankle Bite [one-action] (attack) Requirements The crawler has a creature grabbed
or restrained; Effect The crawler attempts to bite the grabbed or
restrained creature with an attack modifier of +5 and dealing 1d4+1
piercing damage.
Creepy Crawler A crawler doesn’t trigger reactions from crawling on the
ground. It automatically fails all saving throws against traps set on the
ground.
Z Plague DC 14; The crawler transmits the Z Plague only through a critical hit
with its Ankle Bite ability.
PAGE 24
 2.0 Creatures
Hulk Creature 5
Huge, Human, Zombie
Perception +8; darkvision
Skills Athletics +18
Str +7, Dex +1, Con +5, Int –2, Wis +1, Cha +0
AC 20; Fort +14, Ref +8, Will +10
HP 64; Armor Resistance all 5; Immunities zombie immunities
Speed 25 feet
Melee [one-action] fist +14, Damage 2d10+7 bludgeoning plus Grab
Consume [two-actions] (attack) Requirements The hulk has a creature grabbed or
restrained; Effect The hulk attempts to eat a grabbed or restrained
target, making an Athletics check against the target’s Fortitude DC. On
a success, the creature takes 2d6+7 piercing damage, is exposed to
the Z Plague, and is transferred to the Hulk’s mouth. The hulk can then
attempt to Swallow the target Whole.
Obliterate The hulk can tear through nearly anything in its path, dealing four
times as many dings when it Batters an object.
Swallow Whole [one-action] (attack) Medium, 3d6 acid plus Z Plague, Rupture 20
Throw [one-action] (attack) Requirements The hulk has a creature grabbed or restrained;
Effect The hulk attempts an Athletics check against the target’s
Fortitude DC. If successful, the target is thrown 20 feet, landing prone
and taking 3d6 bludgeoning damage (30 feet on a critical success). If
the target hits an object, it takes 1d6 additional bludgeoning damage
for every 5 feet it didn’t travel. A DC 24 basic Reflex save can reduce
this damage.
Z Plague DC 22; The hulk transmits the Z Plague through its Consume and
Swallow Whole abilities.
Zombie Vomit [one-action] Creatures that die inside a hulk become zombies 1 round later,
which the hulk can then vomit into an adjacent square. These new
zombies are usually armoreds or runners and start their first turn
prone.

Infested Creature 3
Medium, Human, Zombie
Perception +7; darkvision
Skills Acrobatics +8, Athletics +9, Stealth +10
Str +2, Dex +3, Con +3, Int –4, Wis +0, Cha –2
AC 18; Fort +10, Ref +10, Will +5
HP 36; Immunities zombie immunities
Speed 25 feet
Melee [one-action] jaws +7, Damage 1d6+2 piercing plus Z Plague
Melee [one-action] fist +9, Damage 1d4+2 piercing plus Grab
Horrid Kiss [two-actions] (attack) Requirements The infested has a creature grabbed or
restrained; Effect The infested tries to force its parasites into the
target creature’s mouth. The infested attempts an Athletics check
against the target’s Reflex DC; on a success, the target is exposed to the
Z Plague and it attempts its initial save against the disease at a –2
circumstance penalty.
PAGE 25
Spew Parasites [two-actions] (attack) The infested unleashes a wave of parasites and
stomach acid in a 15-foot cone. Living creatures in this area take 3d6
acid damage (DC 18 basic Reflex save); those that fail this save are also
exposed to the Z Plague. The infested can’t Spew Parasites again for
1d4 rounds.
Z Plague DC 20; The infested transmits the Z Plague through its jaws Strike and
its Horrid Kiss and Spew Parasites abilities.

Leaper Creature 2
Medium, Human, Zombie
Perception +6; darkvision
Skills Acrobatics +10, Stealth +8
Str +2, Dex +4, Con +2, Int –4, Wis +0, Cha –2
AC 18; Fort +6, Ref +10, Will +4
HP 24; Immunities zombie immunities
Hop [reaction] Trigger An adjacent creature targets the leaper with a melee Strike; Effect
The leaper gains a +2 circumstance bonus to AC against the triggering
attack. If the attack misses, the leaper can Step.
Speed 25 feet, climb 20 feet
Melee [one-action] jaws +6, Damage 1d6+2 piercing
Leap [one-action] (move) The leaper attempts an Acrobatics check to High Jump or Long
Jump. It doesn’t need to move 10 feet before attempting these jumps,
and all DCs are reduced by 10.
Spring Attack If the leaper’s previous action was to Leap and its next action is a
jaws Strike, that attack gains a +2 circumstance bonus to the attack roll
and damage roll.
Z Plague DC 16; The leaper transmits the Z Plague only through a critical hit with
its jaws Strike.
PAGE 26
 2.0 Creatures
Mutant Creature 4
Large, Human, Zombie
Perception +9; darkvision
Skills Athletics +15, Intimidation +8
Str +5, Dex +1, Con +4, Int –2, Wis +1, Cha +0
AC 19; Fort +12, Ref +7, Will +7
HP 48; Immunities zombie immunities
Speed 25 feet
Melee [one-action] tentacle +11 (reach), Damage 2d6+5 bludgeoning plus Grab
Ranged [one-action] polyp +9 (range 20 feet), Damage 1d8+5 acid
Destroy The mutant can rip apart barricades and obstacles. The mutant deals
three times as many dings when it Batters an object.
Gnaw [one-action] (attack) Requirements The mutant has a creature grabbed or restrained;
Effect The mutant attempts to bite the grabbed or restrained creature
with an attack modifier of +11, dealing 1d8+5 piercing damage.
Overrun [two-actions] (attack, move) The mutant charges through obstacles and foes,
Striding up to twice its Speed in a straight line. It must attempt an
Athletics check against each obstacle (using its Break DC) or creature
(using its Fortitude DC) in its path; on a success, the obstacle is broken
or the creature is pushed aside (or knocked prone if no space outside
the line is available). On a failure, the mutant stops just before that
obstacle or creature. Creatures pushed aside or knocked prone by this
attack take 1d6+5 bludgeoning damage (DC 20 basic Reflex save).
Swing Around [two-actions] (attack) The mutant swings its tentacle in a wide arc, hitting all
targets within 10 feet. The mutant makes a tentacle Strike against each
target individually. This only counts as one attack for its multiple attack
penalty. The mutant can’t Grab any target using this ability.
Z Plague DC 20; The mutant transmits the Z Plague only through a critical hit
with its Gnaw ability.

Overmind Creature 6
Medium, Human, Zombie
Perception +16; darkvision, sense infected (imprecise) 60 feet
Skills Acrobatics +16, Deception +14, Diplomacy +14, Intimidation +16,
Stealth +16
Str +4, Dex +6, Con +4, Int +2, Wis +4, Cha +6
Sense Infected The overmind knows whether any creatures within 60 feet are
infected with the Z Plague. It can detect these creatures as an
imprecise sense if it can’t see them.
AC 24; Fort +12, Ref +16, Will +14
HP 80; Armor Resistance all 8; Immunities zombie
Clouded Mind (aura, olfactory) 10 feet. A living creature that enters the
emanation must attempt a DC 24 Will save. On a failure, the creature is
stupefied 1, and on a critical failure, the creature is confused for 1
minute but can attempt another save at the end of each of its turns to
end the effect.
PAGE 27
Speed 30 feet
Melee [one-action] mandibles +14, Damage 2d6+8 piercing plus Z Plague
Ranged [one-action] egg +16 (range 20 feet), Damage 2d4+4 piercing plus Z Plague
Acidic Spray [two-actions] (attack) The overmind unleashes a 30-foot line of acidic
parasites. Living creatures in this area take 6d6 acid damage (DC 22
basic Reflex save). Those that fail this save are also exposed to the Z
Plague. The overmind can’t use Acidic Spray again for 1d4 rounds.
Command the Dead The overmind can command any undead within 60 feet,
causing them to act with tactics and intelligence they typically lack.
Commanded undead will avoid obstacles, move to flank enemies,
and focus on vulnerable foes. The undead still act on their turn with
their normal number of actions. The overmind can spend an action to
specifically direct an undead in this radius to act in any way that the
overmind desires.
Override [one-action] (mental) The overmind reaches out to the parasite infecting a living
creature within 60 feet, attempting to take control. The target must
attempt a DC 24 Will save; on a success, it’s immune to this ability for
24 hours. On a failure, the target is slowed 1 for 1 round. On a critical
failure, it must take a simple action dictated by the overmind (as per
the spell command) and must also make another save against the Z
Plague as the parasites within it become empowered.
Z Plague DC 24; The overmind transmits the Z Plague through its mandibles and
egg Strikes and its Acidic Spray ability.

Rad Zombie Creature 4

Medium, Human, Zombie
Perception +8; darkvision
Skills Athletics +15, Intimidation +8
Str +3, Dex +3, Con +4, Int –4, Wis +0, Cha –1
AC 19; Fort +12, Ref +7, Will +7
HP 48; Immunities zombie immunities
Cherenkov Glow The rad zombie glows with a blue light. It automatically fails all
Stealth checks to Hide in dim light or darkness, but in such
environments it is concealed from attacks made from more than 20
feet away.
Radioactive (aura, poison) 10 feet. A living creature that starts its turn in the
emanation takes 2d6 poison damage (DC 20 basic Fortitude save); a
creature that critically fails this save also gains radiation sickness.
Speed 25 feet
Melee [one-action] jaws +9, Damage 1d8+3 piercing plus 1d6 poison and radiation sickness
Melee [one-action] fist +11, Damage 1d6+3 bludgeoning plus 1d6 poison and radiation
sickness
Radiation Sickness In addition to those that critically fail against the rad
zombie’s radioactive aura, a living creature damaged by the zombie’s
melee Strikes also gains radiation sickness unless it succeeds at a DC
20 Fortitude save. At the start of each day, a creature with radiation
PAGE 28
 2.0 Creatures
sickness takes 1d4 poison damage that can’t be resisted or healed, then
must attempt a DC 20 Fortitude save. On a success, the sickness ends;
iodine supplements give a +4 item bonus to this save.
Z Plague DC 20; The rad zombie transmits the Z Plague only through a critical hit
with its jaws Strike.

Runner Creature 1
Medium, Human, Zombie
Perception +5; darkvision
Skills Acrobatics +5, Athletics +5
Str +2, Dex +2, Con +2, Int –4, Wis +0, Cha –2
AC 15; Fort +7, Ref +5, Will +3
HP 20; Immunities zombie immunities
Speed 30 feet
Melee [one-action] jaws +7, Damage 1d4+2 piercing
Melee [one-action] fist +5, Damage 1d6+2 bludgeoning
Body Slam [two-actions] (attack, move) The runner Strides up to twice
its Speed, ending in a space adjacent to another
creature. It slams into the creature, making an
Athletics check against the target’s Fortitude DC.
Critical Success The target is knocked prone.
Success The runner and its target fall prone.
Failure No effect.
Critical Failure The runner falls prone.
Z Plague DC 15; The runner transmits the Z Plague
only through a critical hit with its jaws
Strike.

Shambler Creature 0
Medium, Human, Zombie
Perception +2; darkvision
Skills Athletics +5
Str +2, Dex +0, Con +2, Int –4, Wis +0, Cha –2
Slow A shambler only takes 2 actions each round and
can’t take reactions.
AC 12; Fort +6, Ref +2, Will +2
HP 20; Immunities zombie immunities
Speed 20 feet
Melee [one-action] fist +4, Damage 1d4+2 bludgeoning
plus Grab
Gnaw [one-action] (attack) Requirements The shambler has
a creature grabbed or restrained; Effect
The shambler attempts to bite the grabbed or
restrained creature with an attack modifier of
+6, dealing 1d4+2 piercing damage.
PAGE 29
Groan Shamblers emit small moans and growls as they move, giving them a –4
circumstance penalty to Stealth checks.
Z Plague DC 14; The shambler transmits the Z Plague only through a critical hit
with its Gnaw ability.

Sneaker Creature 1
Medium, Human, Zombie
Perception +5; darkvision
Skills Acrobatics +6, Stealth +8
Str +1, Dex +3, Con +2, Int –4, Wis +0, Cha –2
AC 16; Fort +5, Ref +8, Will +3
HP 18; Immunities zombie immunities
Speed 20 feet
Melee [one-action] jaws +6, Damage 1d4+1 piercing
Melee [one-action] fist +4, Damage 1d6+1 bludgeoning
Ambush Sneakers often lie in wait, hiding until prey comes to within 20 feet
before springing forth to attack. Sneakers deal an additional 1d4
precision damage on Strikes made during the first round of combat
against foes that are surprised.
Z Plague DC 15; The sneaker transmits the Z Plague only through a critical hit
with its jaws Strike.

Soldier Creature 3
Medium, Human, Zombie
Perception +7; darkvision
Skills Athletics +11
Str +4, Dex +2, Con +3, Int –4, Wis +0, Cha –2
Gear bulletproof vest, military helmet, semiauto pistol (1d20 bullets) or a
combat knife, a random item with a barter value of 4 or less
AC 18; Fort +10, Ref +9, Will +5
HP 30; Armor Resistance 5 B/P/S; Immunities zombie immunities
Speed 25 feet
Melee [one-action] jaws +9, Damage 1d6+4 piercing
Melee [one-action] fist +11, Damage 1d4+4 bludgeoning plus Grab
Demolish The soldier is particularly effective at tearing down barricades. The
soldier deals twice as many dings when it Batters an object.
Pry Open [one-action] (attack) Requirements The soldier has a creature grabbed or
restrained; Effect Using its immense strength, the soldier pries open
the target’s armor to bite its flesh. The soldier attempts a jaws Strike
with a –2 circumstance penalty against the creature it has grabbed or
restrained; on a hit, the Strike ignores the target’s armor resistance
and exposes the target to the Z Plague.
Z Plague DC 18; The soldier transmits the Z Plague through a critical hit with its
jaws Strike and through its Pry Open ability.

PAGE 30
 2.0 Creatures
Zombie
Animals
The Z Plague only affects a subset of mammals; for many, it’s fatal, but it does
cause a few to come back as zombies. Pigs, as the initial source of the plague,
were the most common zombie animals in the early days, but zombie dogs,
wolves, and rats are now a frequent danger. However, none are as dangerous as
zombie bears.
Big Ben Creature 6
Large, Animal (bear), Zombie
Perception +12; darkvision
Skills Athletics +20, Intimidation +12
Str +8, Dex +1, Con +6, Int –4, Wis +2, Cha –2
AC 19; Fort +18, Ref +9, Will +12
HP 120; Armor Resistance slashing 5; Immunities zombie immunities
Speed 20 feet
Melee [one-action] jaws +18, Damage 2d6+8 piercing
Melee [one-action] claw +20, Damage 2d8+8 slashing plus Grab
Destroy Big Ben can rip apart barricades and obstacles. The zombie bear deals
three times as many dings when it Batters an object.
Maul Big Ben gains a +4 circumstance bonus to damage rolls against creatures it
has grabbed.
Rush [two-actions] (attack, move) Big Ben Strides with a +10-foot circumstance bonus to
its Speed, then Strikes.
Terrifying Growl [one-action] (mental, fear) Big Ben unleashes a horrible noise, attempting
an Intimidation check to Demoralize all living creatures within 60 feet.
It rolls once and applies that result to all targets. After resolving this
check, all targets are immune to Terrifying Growl for 24 hours.
Z Plague DC 24; Big Ben transmits the Z Plague only through a critical hit with its
jaws Strike.

Brood Mother Creature 3

Large, Animal (pig), Zombie
Perception +7; darkvision
Skills Athletics +9, Survival +5
Str +4, Dex +2, Con +4, Int –4, Wis +0, Cha –2
AC 17; Fort +11, Ref +7, Will +5
HP 40; Immunities zombie immunities
Ferocity [reaction]
Speed 20 feet
Melee [one-action] tusk +9, Damage 2d6+4 piercing
Rage [one-action] Requirements A dead hog was slain within 60 feet since the brood
mother's last turn; Effect The brood mother goes into a rage for 1
minute, gaining a +2 status bonus to attack and damage rolls and a –2
status penalty to its AC.
Z Plague DC 19; The brood mother transmits the Z Plague only through a critical
hit with its tusk Strike.
PAGE 31
Dead Hog Creature 1
Medium, Animal (pig), Zombie
Perception +5; darkvision
Skills Athletics +5, Survival +3
Str +2, Dex +2, Con +3, Int –4, Wis +0, Cha –1
AC 15; Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +3
HP 20; Immunities zombie immunities
Speed 25 feet
Melee [one-action] tusk +5, Damage 1d6+2 piercing
Hog Charge [two-actions] (attack, move) The dead hog Strides twice and then makes a tusk
Strike. As long as it moved at least 20 feet, it gains a +2 circumstance
bonus to its attack roll.
Z Plague DC 16; A dead hog transmits the Z Plague only through a critical hit with
its tusk Strike.

Howling Hound Creature 0

Small, Animal (dog), Zombie
Perception +4; darkvision
Skills Acrobatics +4, Athletics +4, Stealth +4, Survival +2
Str +2, Dex +2, Con +2, Int –4, Wis +0, Cha –2
AC 14; Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +2
HP 15; Immunities zombie immunities
Speed 30 feet
Melee [one-action] jaws +4, Damage 1d4+2 piercing plus Grab
Howl [one-action] (auditory, mental, fear) All living creatures within 30 feet must attempt a
DC 14 Will save; on a failure, a creature is frightened 1 (frightened 2 on
a critical failure). Other howling hounds in the area can Howl as a
reaction to enlarge the area. Targets are then immune to Howl for 24
hours.
Z Plague DC 14; A howling hound transmits the Z Plague only through a critical
hit with its jaws Strike.

Rat King Creature 1

Medium, Animal (rat), Zombie
Perception +6; darkvision
Skills Acrobatics +7, Athletics +5, Stealth +9
Str +2, Dex +4, Con +2, Int –4, Wis +1, Cha +0
AC 17; Fort +5, Ref +9, Will +4
HP 16; Immunities zombie immunities
Unusual Size The rat king's unsettling size is because it’s infested with small-
er Z-rats, carried within. The round after a rat king dies, 1d4 Z-rats
emerge from its body.
Speed 30 feet, climb 10 feet
Melee [one-action] jaws +7, Damage 1d8+2 piercing
Z Plague DC 15; A rat king transmits the Z Plague only through a critical hit with
its jaws Strike.
PAGE 32
 2.0 Creatures
Warg Creature 2
Medium, Animal (wolf), Zombie
Perception +8; darkvision
Skills Acrobatics +7, Athletics +7, Stealth +9, Survival +6
Str +3, Dex +3, Con +3, Int –4, Wis +2, Cha –2
AC 17; Fort +7, Ref +9, Will +6
HP 26; Immunities zombie immunities
Speed 35 feet
Melee [one-action] jaws +7, Damage 1d6+3 piercing plus Knockdown
Pack Coordination The warg is treated as flanking a creature if both it and an
ally with this ability are adjacent to the creature. They don’t have to be
on opposite sides.
Silent Stalker The warg is silent when it moves and doesn’t need to attempt a
Stealth check to remain undetected if no creature can see it.
Sneak Attack The warg deals 1d6 extra precision damage to off-guard creatures.
Z Plague DC 17; A warg transmits the Z Plague only through a critical hit with its
jaws Strike.

Z-Rat (Zat) Creature –1

Small, Animal (rat), Zombie
Perception +2; darkvision
Skills Acrobatics +5, Stealth +5
Str +0, Dex +3, Con +1, Int –4, Wis +0, Cha –2
AC 15; Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +2
HP 6; Immunities zombie immunities
Speed 30 feet, climb 10 feet
Melee [one-action] jaws +5, Damage 1d6
piercing
Z Plague DC 13; A Z-rat
transmits the Z Plague
only through a critical hit
with its jaws Strike.

PAGE 33
3.0 – Seattle
The Emerald City has seen better days. With a population of just under 3,000,
much of the city is now occupied by the dead, and some of it is so irradiated
that it won’t be inhabitable again for several thousand years. It’s a ruined
metropolis filled with every sort of danger—but from the ash springs new hope.
Somewhere in this vast urban wasteland is a sample of the original Z-parasite,
and finding it is the key to humanity’s salvation.

History
The Z Plague arrived in Seattle on October 5th, 2022, when an infected farmhand
from the Midwest landed at SeaTac airport on a trip to visit friends and family.
Over the next two days he would visit the Market and take in a football game,
all the while contagious with the Z Plague. In 48 hours, he would spread the
contagion to hundreds of people around the area. The first bloom hit the
Market two days later and, in the chaos and violence, police erected a barrier
around it to try to regain some semblance of control. Meanwhile, across Lake
Washington, in a small home in Kirkland, the farmhand died and turned on
everyone in his immediate family. This would be the start of a horde that would
go on to menace the outlying suburbs of Kirkland and Bellevue.
As the situation worsened, the national guard was called in and the
governor declared a state of emergency. Setting up camp just south of
downtown, the guard cleared out several nearby warehouses and used them to
triage the infected. This mistake would soon become a massive horde of its
own that overran the guard and caused citywide panic. Business, community,
and government leaders all began drawing up desperate plans to ensure the
survival of their people and interests.
With few options available, the national guard began corralling the dead in
a site just south of downtown. Over the coming days, they lured the dead into
large sports stadiums, using living bait to draw them onto the fields where they
could be contained. Wealthy business leaders fled the city, while some enacted
emergency procedures to lock themselves and their key staff in fortified
bunkers. Outlying communities took action to prevent the massive hordes
in Seattle from reaching them, blowing up one massive floating bridge across
the lake and heavily barricading the other.
On October 18th, the military undertook a desperate gambit, firing a
strategic nuclear cruise missile on the assembled dead at the stadiums. In an
instant, one of the two stadiums was destroyed, and the other took massive
damage.
Worse still, it didn’t work. While many of the dead were incinerated in the
blast, the radiation seemed to have little effect on those nearby. They
continued to march on the living, now emitting deadly radiation.
The following month was one of complete panic in Seattle and the
surrounding communities. Many tried to fortify their neighborhoods, but the
parasite was insidious and found its way into most settlements. Within 6
months, almost everyone in Seattle was dead, and the undead population
exceeded 1 million.
PAGE 34
 3.0 Seattle

PAGE 35
A year later, the living population fell below 10,000. With the rest of the world
suffering the same fate, the people of the Pacific Northwest were on their own,
cut off from help or rescue.
In the years since, the number of fortified settlements has dwindled to just
a few hardened holdouts. While the number of undead isn’t anywhere what it
once was, they’re still an ever-present threat to those who venture outside
their walled communities. To make matters worse, several nomadic raider
gangs have sprung up in the area, demanding tribute from settlements and
enacting terrible retribution on those who don’t pay.
The year is 2032. The past decade has been filled with nightmares, but
things are more stable than they’ve been in quite some time. The dead still
wander the streets and, although the hordes aren’t as large, they’re no less
dangerous to those caught unprepared. Three large settlements remain, with
a handful of smaller enclaves in the area doing whatever necessary to keep on
living. Of those, the Free Ballard enclave is a bastion of safety and hope in this
dark world, working hard to secure the surrounding neighborhoods and claw
back these lands from the dead.

Gazetteer
What follows is a description of notable settlements, residents, threats, and
points of interest located in and around the greater Seattle area. This is by
no means an exhaustive list, and Narrators are encouraged to add their own
locations to the map, along with whatever they need to tell an engaging story.

Settlements
The following locations are safe zones where Survivors can rest, get medical
attention, find food, and do some trading. Some are less friendly to outsiders
than others, but most are willing to open their gates to someone in search of
aid.

Free Ballard
The largest fortified settlement in the greater Seattle area, Free Ballard is
home to over 700 people living in apartments and houses in the old Ballard
neighborhood northwest of downtown. The settlement encompasses the
entire area between Salmon Bay to the south and Market Street to the north,
stretching as far east as 15th Avenue. There are ongoing efforts to reclaim
the areas north of Market, and the settlers here have recently reopened the
old Majestic Movie Theater (although the current stock of films is limited to
whatever the theater was showing in 2022).
Anyone not showing signs of infection is allowed to enter the Free Ballard
settlement, but those who cause trouble or commit crimes can find themselves
banished for weeks, months, or even permanently (as determined by the
Settlement Committee). Those who stay in the good graces of the community
and prove themselves an asset to the settlement can apply for citizenship.
Citizens are assigned odd jobs to ensure that everything runs smoothly in the
community and are paid 2 food and 2 hydration each day.
PAGE 36
 3.0 Seattle
Listed below are several important people who can be found in the Free
Ballard community. Everyone in the community knows these people and turn to
them for news and gossip.

Big Swede: This big, gregarious man can be seen all around Free Ballard,
working to ensure that businesses have what they need and everyone is being
treated fairly. Big Swede was once a fisherman with the boats that would sail to
Alaska to trawl for crabs, but these days he serves as the “constable” for Free
Ballard. While usually easy-going and quick to crack a joke, he’s quick to anger
if anyone threatens the community—and even quicker with that massive hand
cannon on his hip.
Dan (the Man) Thorn: Everybody knows Dan. A source of endless rumors
and stories from the “before time”, Dan can point you in the direction of
anything in the neighborhood that you might be looking for, including things
outside Free Ballard’s walls. Dan can be found most afternoons at the Smoke
Stop, enjoying whatever Keri is serving that day.
Harper Ladipo: Few are as skilled with a gun as Harper, and Big Swede relies
on her to work the walls and travel beyond the settlement on important tasks
or when someone goes missing. She’s seen a lot since the Fall, and although
some find her to be rather stoic, she warms up around close friends and allies.
The high demand for her talents means that she frequently delegates important
jobs to those she can trust.
James Bolgar: Jimmy was the first child born to Free
Ballard after the Fall, but the nine-year-old is already
pulling his weight around the community. Jimmy does
a fair bit of lookout work and can frequently be seen
crawling across roofs with an old pair of binoculars. He
dreams of going out beyond the walls of the settlement
and having adventures. The people of Free Ballard are
overprotective of Jimmy and would go to every length to
ensure his safety.
Ma Ballard: Having lived on this street since
before the Fall, Ma Ballard was pivotal in securing the
neighborhood in the early days, blocking off streets
with trucks and vans and overturning them
to make more effective barriers. When the
first survivors took a vote on who should lead
them, Ma won all but one vote (and even
today, people speculate on who voted for Big
Swede). Ma is tough as nails and always on the
line when a horde comes wandering too
close to the community, but her age is starting
to catch up with her. There’s talk in the Smoke
Stop that she’s looking for someone to take
over as the leader of this place.
PAGE 37
 While there are dozens of small businesses and craftspeople living in Free
Ballard, the following are some of the most critical to the community.

Ballard Locks: Located on Salmon Bay, this lock used to allow boats to cross
from Lake Washington out to Puget Sound, but it hasn’t worked in over 5 years.
The salmon ladder, however, has proved to be a vital source of fresh meat for
the people of Free Ballard. It’s overseen by Ma Ballard, who makes sure that
the people don’t exhaust this critical source of food.
Botanical Farm: The parkland north of the locks was once a botanical
garden, but it has been converted into a walled-off farm for the Free Ballard
settlement. Ma Ballard oversees the work here as well, but the farm is
technically owned by the community itself. This farm marks the furthest west
area that the settlement controls. Visitors can come here to trade for fresh
vegetables.
Dave’s Garage: If you need a working vehicle or are looking to trade in some
parts, Dave’s Garage is the only place to go. Dave has been here since before
the Fall and is the settlement’s automotive expert. He often has supply runs and
other odd jobs for those willing to make trips outside.
Erik’s Esoterica: Located in a basement shop below Ballard Avenue, Erik’s
Esoterica is the place to go if you’re looking for something strange and unusual
(and not related strictly to survival). An avid collector of books and old comics,
Erik is the settlement’s go-to source of knowledge from before the Fall, and
he’s willing to offer premium barter for odd things to add to his collection.
Some whisper that he’s looking to the occult to solve the zombie crisis, but Erik
flatly denies this as baseless gossip. He’s never found without his trio of pugs
that roam the shop in search of snacks.
HH Mart: This old bar was converted into a general store shortly after Free
Ballard was founded. Although other traders have deeper inventories of specific
objects, HH Mart is the place to go to for a fair deal on tools, simple weapons,
and light armor. They often have food and water for trade as well (above and
beyond the standard ration allotted to most citizens of Free Ballard). The shop
has almost everything with a barter value of 2 or less, although supplies may be
limited. There’s a 50% chance the Mart has any individual item with a barter of
5 or less, and a 20% of having an item with a barter value of 8 or less.
King of Cards: What was once an old game store is now the place to trade
for weapons and armor in the Free Ballard community. Run by Iron Eli, this
shop has most weapons and armors with a barter value of 4 or less. In “the
back”, Eli also carries a handful of items with a barter value of up to 8 (2d4 items
of the Narrator's choice). He also has a large supply of ammunition, but he
doesn’t have any Z-rounds for sale (these are kept for community defense). Eli
will accept most things in trade, but he’s particularly interested in finding a good
snowboard. He dreams of one day returning to the nearby mountains to catch
some “fresh powder”.
The Majestic: Recently reclaimed from the ruins, this old theater has
become a highlight for the people of Free Ballard. The only movies they have
are the three that were showing when the world fell (a superhero movie, a
terrible rom-com, and a period thriller), and folks are already talking about
sending out
PAGE 38
 3.0 Seattle
an expedition to find more films from places around town. Henry Anderson is the
tinkerer who managed to get the projectors working again, and he’s looking for
parts to make sure he can keep it up and running.
The People’s House: This old German bar features a massive window in the
back that overlooks the nearby Salmon Bay. It’s used as a community center for
Free Ballard, and it’s here that folk meet to discuss important matters and to
have trials for those accused of breaking the rules. Ma Ballard runs these
meetings on most days, but Big Swede sits as judge for all trials. Stealing and
fighting carry the penalty of hard labor, but murder and dereliction of duty can
lead to banishment.
Polymed Hospital: Although it was overrun during the Fall, Ma Ballard made
a priority out of clearing this place and getting it up and running. Stories around
the Smoke Stop claim that Ma Ballard personally cleared out the morgue, by
herself and with little more than a machete. In the 7 years since, the Polymed
Hospital, under the authority of Dr. Willa Ross, has become a critical part of the
Free Ballard community. Ross is a skilled surgeon, but she constantly faces a
shortage of critical supplies and frequently hires runners to go out into the ruins
to find what she needs. Survivors can also trade here for basic medical supplies
(first aid kits, bandages, aspirin, and cold packs are almost always available).
Smoke Stop: Although there are a number of places to get a drink in Free
Ballard, the Smoke Stop is well known as the hub for community gossip and
news from the outside world. Wandering traders often set up shop here in a
booth in back, bringing news and stories from other settlements. Weapons
aren’t allowed in the Smoke Stop, but lockers in front enable guests to store
their armaments safely. Keri, who runs the place, is pretty forgiving of folks who
have a bit too much to drink or end up in a small scuffle, but if blood is spilled,
the offenders get shown the door quick. Keri has an old double-barrel shotgun
above the bar, and she’s not afraid to use it.

Golem Collective
In Redmond, a small group of people managed to survive the Fall by locking
themselves inside the warehouse of a small game company. When the food ran
out, they moved to a nearby wholesale warehouse, taking the company’s giant
purple golem mascot with them. Over the years, they’ve grown to a population
of over 300, reclaiming much of the neighborhood and an entire nearby
apartment complex. The Collective functions as a pure democracy, with every
member of their union given a vote on important issues. They elect a "Voice" to
speak for the community in negotiations or when visitors arrive. The current
Voice is Caiden Hillax, who was the last new employee hired by the game
company before the Fall. Caiden invites all visitors to stay for up to a week, but
after that, they must either join or depart. Everyone in the Collective is expected
to do their part, from foraging for food and supplies to fending off zombies.
People of the Golem Collective are renowned storytellers, and they gather
on most nights to play story games. They eagerly trade for new games and
other forms of entertainment. Dice are a valuable commodity and can easily be
traded as if they had a barter value of 4 (or even 5, for a more exotic set).
PAGE 39
Haunted Bellevue (Ruin)
When Seattle descended into chaos, the nearby suburb of Bellevue went into
lockdown. The town council acted quickly to seal off the downtown core and
built checkpoints to let those showing no signs of infection inside. What started
as an emergency measure ended up being one of the largest fortified
communities on the west coast. Two years after the Fall, Bellevue boasted a
population of almost 20,000.
All that came undone just one year later, when the Z Plague finally found its
way inside their walls. Some claim it was sabotage, while others say it was part
of some sadistic plan to thin out the population; whatever the cause, the entire
place collapsed in a matter of days. Many of those now spread across the
greater Seattle area came from this nightmare, and for most, it was like the
early days of the Fall all over again. Power failed, the dead started stalking the
living, and order broke down as everyone tried to escape.
Now, the place is a haunted ruin, filled with the dead. Legends claim that
the Bellevue council had a sizable stockpile of military gear and equipment and
that much of it is still locked away in the basement of the town hall. According
to the stories, though, the place is surrounded by dead soldiers still wearing
their body armor, making them incredibly hard to kill.

Mercer Island Commune

Sitting in the middle of Lake Washington, the people of Mercer Island quickly
realized that they could secure their island simply by destroying or barricading
the bridges that connected it to Seattle and Bellevue. In the early days of the
Fall, they used mining explosives to scuttle the I-90 floating bridge and then
erected a massive barricade on the bridge leading to Bellevue to the east. Since
the dead don’t swim, it was a simple enough matter to secure the rest of the
island by fortifying the beaches where they might wash up.
The Commune was one of the safer, more prosperous communities in the
first years after the Fall. Though they were once welcoming to visitors, now no
one is allowed inside, and no one ever leaves. Today, their enduring legacy to
the outside world are the remains of the bridge they sunk and the massive
"Keep Out, No Visitors" signs at the barricade.
Four years ago, a respected member of the island council by the name of
Mark Hallman started to preach to folks that contact with the outside world
and a return to their wicked ways is what caused the Z Plague. He promised
safety and immunity to the contagion by following his teachings. Calling it “The
Path to Purity”, Mark and his faithful have come to dominate the daily lives of
everyone in the Mercer Island Commune. They believe that through clean living
and avoiding contact with the outside world, those on the Path can avoid even
the smallest chance of illness or contagion. Those who fail to live up to Mark’s
standards are banished without supplies or much chance of survival.
In truth, Mark is slowly becoming unhinged, and he believes that he is
immune to the Z Plague. He plans to prove as much to his faithful one day soon
by intentionally infecting himself and his chosen with the disease.
PAGE 40
 3.0 Seattle
Museum
of Flight
Located in a flight museum south of downtown, this small community has several
engineers and pilots who are hoping to one day get back to the skies. They’ve
cleared a nearby runway to test smaller craft, with the hope of re-establishing
contact with faraway cities. Led by Flight Chief Julia Dray, they’re welcoming
of outsiders and even have gone so far as to send invitations to the other
settlements, asking them to pay them a visit (“Bring the kids!”). Julia hopes
that, through better communication, she might be able to acquire some of the
parts and supplies that her team needs to get one of their large passenger
airliners up and running. Despite her overtures, however, the museum has
received very few visitors; most aren’t willing to go anywhere near the
irradiated zone to the north, and the journey around that danger is long and
perilous.

The Spheres
Located on the former campus of a giant internet company, these three
glass-enclosed spheres are one of the enduring mysteries from the time of the
Fall. When everything came apart, the chief executive and board of the
company sealed themselves and a few trusted staff inside three massive glass
domes. Filled with flora from around the world, the domes quickly became
overgrown on the inside; in the years since, no one has entered or exited these
glass bubbles. Several attempts have been made to breach their bulletproof
glass, but these have seemingly done little more than agitate whatever still lives
inside. Most just give the place a wide berth. One door into the Spheres still
functions, but it will only open with the right key card. As of yet, no one has
been able to find it.

University Square (Ruin)

When the plague hit, students at the University of Washington were quick to
secure the campus on the northeast side of the city, including the immensely
valuable research labs. It was here that Dr. Avanti Kepler did some of the first
research on the Z Plague after fleeing the Zynocol Research Lab with the only
remaining original specimens. This work would create the first inoculation
against the plague (Z-Noc) and lead to the creation of the Z-round, an
ammunition capable of killing the undead with ease. Her work would have
continued, too, had catastrophe not struck within the walls of the university.
Four years ago, a horde of the dead broke into the campus from below, through
a light rail tunnel thought to be thoroughly blocked. In just a matter of hours,
there were thousands of zombies within the walls of the University Square
community. Hundreds died, and Dr. Kepler, along with the coveted Z-parasite
samples, disappeared during the panic.
All that remains of the University Square community is about 100 former
students and teachers, living in a natural history museum and nearby
apartment complex on the north side of campus. Led by Professor Edwin, the
group is hoping to find a way to retake the labs and continue Dr. Kepler’s work.
That day seems far off, however, as the campus is still overrun with the dead.
Those looking for work or in need of knowledge can find both at the University
Square.
PAGE 41
Points of Interest
There are several locations around the greater Seattle area that make for
interesting adventure sites. The following points of interest are well known by
those who live in the area, and each includes a few adventure hooks for you to
use in your campaign.

Arena Raiders
People avoid the area around the Space Needle, and for good reason: it’s home
to a vicious gang of raiders known to take captives. Hiding out in the remnants
of an old basketball stadium and nearby science museum, some say that these
raiders force their captives to fight zombies in “The Pit”, a caged fighting area
on the old arena floor. According to the stories, you can earn your freedom
by decapitating a zombie and throwing its head through one of the remaining
hoops at either end of the Pit. As of yet, however, no one has ever survived to
corroborate that story.
Hooks: Rescue a survivor from the Pit. Sneak into the science museum to
steal some rare equipment for the hospital. Climb to the top of the Space
Needle to scout out the area.

Dead Lenin
A 10-foot-tall bronze statue of Lenin stands in the middle of the Fremont
neighborhood just north of downtown (east of Free Ballard). For reasons
unknown, the zombies in the area tend to stand around the statue, staring up
at the metal visage. Stranger still, someone leaves carcasses out for them.
Hooks: Discover who is feeding the dead.

Downtown Core
The central core of downtown Seattle is a ruin. A few of the buildings suffered
serious damage during the Fall, either from fires or the nuclear blast that went
off just to the south. To make matters worse, a powerful earthquake 6 years
ago collapsed several skyscrapers. Now, the area is incredibly treacherous; the
only ways to get into the heart of downtown are to crawl through teetering
buildings or risk the nightmare that is the Tunnels.
Hooks: Venture inside to find important documents from the time of the
Fall. Find the military checkpoint that was in this area and raid it for weapons
and armor. Locate the scavenger who lives in the ruins and convince him to
help navigate the twisting Tunnels.

The Evergreen Ferry

The Puget Sound was once one of the busiest bodies of water in the world, with
container ships and ferries crossing it dozens of times each day. Now, it’s quiet,
but one of the ferries remains afloat, anchored in the middle of the Sound.
With cars still rusting on the deck, most folks assume that the boat is infested
with zombies, but no one has made the trip out to confirm one way or the
other. Ma Ballard has drawn up plans to retrieve the ferry and try to get it
up and PAGE 42
 3.0 Seattle
running again, as it would make a valuable asset for Free Ballard. Such a mode of
transport could move entire communities to a new location if the need arose or
serve as an emergency shelter if the community was overrun.
Hooks: Board the ferry and see what needs to be done to fix it. Loot one of
the delivery trucks on board to see what it contains.

The Market (a.k.a. The Hive)

The Market was once a prime tourist destination for people visiting the city,
comprising dozens of small shops spread across 10 floors that stretch from the
waterfront all the way up to street level in downtown Seattle. When the Z
Plague came to town, this bustling shopping center was its first stop, infecting
dozens of workers and locals in the very first days of the plague, along with
many tourists who would go on to spread it around the world. When those
same workers fell sick, some died in the market, rising to attack their former
customers. A police cordon soon turned into a barricade, which was soon
reinforced with solid walls. Today, locals call it the Hive, and it’s filled with some
of the oldest and strangest undead. Some even think that there’s some sinister
intelligence at work in this place, directing the actions of lesser zombies and
making coordinated attacks on anyone who draws too near.
Hooks: Rescue a pair of survivors who were dragged inside the market by a
trio of zombies. Find a nearby perch that allows for easy surveillance of what’s
going on inside the Market. Plant a bomb in the heart of the Market.

Macrosoft Campus
Before the Fall, Macrosoft was one of the most powerful software companies in
the world. Its corporate headquarters in Redmond is a massive, sprawling
campus with dozens of buildings. According to legend, company engineers tried
to fend off the dead here, but they were quickly overrun by the first large
horde. While the dead have mostly moved on from this place, some say that
there are still engineers and senior executives hiding out somewhere on campus
in a massive underground bunker, completely unaware of what has happened
over the past 10 years.
Hooks: Break into an engineering building to retrieve computer parts.
Locate the rumored bunker and see if anyone is alive inside. Locate the massive
data center on site to retrieve some critical files.

Northtown Gang
A large gang of raiders live in the ruins of an old shopping mall on the north
side of town. Calling themselves the Northtown Gang, they roam the streets
and demand tribute from anyone they find. They often clash with the people of
Free Ballard, but they’ve never grown so bold as to attack the community
outright. For now, at least, the numbers favor Free Ballard, but should the
raiders ever find reinforcements or locate more powerful weapons, they might
become a serious threat to the growing settlement.
Hooks: Take the fight to the gang. Destroy the gang's new weapon before
they can find the ammunition to use it.
PAGE 43
Queen of the Deep
The port of Seattle was home to several cruise ships that sailed up and down
the west coast, but only one was in port when the plague hit: the Queen of the
Deep. Those aboard did their best to fight off the dead, but when the cook got
infected, he spread it to the rest of the crew. The ensuing battle led to a fire
that severely damaged the vessel, which began to list to one side. Today, the
rusting hulk lays fully on its port side, half submerged and leaking sludge into
the waters of Puget Sound. No one has ever bothered looting the wreck, and
most think it’s too dangerous to even try.
Hooks: Release the life boats from the vessel and bring them back to the
harbor. Find a way to stop the ship from polluting the nearby waters.

Sorcerers of the Shore

One of the many game companies that called Seattle home, this place was
abandoned in the early days of the plague. However, rumors persist that a
strange cult now lurks in the old cubicles and meeting rooms of the burned-out
office building. They claim to be waiting for the “6th Sign”, which they believe
will usher in a new era for the whole world.
Hooks: Investigate the cult and its growing influence over the area. Enter
the old headquarters and steal a prototype game to trade to the Golem
Collective.

Southtown Mall
When the plague hit, several hundred people took refuge in the Southtown
Mall, and the building was secured with roll-down gates and concrete barriers.
Unfortunately, these protections were their undoing, as the plague was already
inside with them. To this day, the Southtown Mall is one of the few places in
the region that hasn’t been looted in the past 10 years, due to the hundreds of
zombies locked inside.
Hooks: Loot the mall and survive.

Stadium Ruins
As the undead hordes roamed the streets of Seattle, the military came up with a
desperate plan to try neutralizing the dead with nuclear weapons. Over several
days, the national guard lured the dead down to the area around the football
and baseball stadiums, using live soldiers in cages as bait.
The tactical nuke had a small yield, but the devastation
it caused was immense. The baseball stadium is
now nothing more than a crater, and the nearby
football stadium entirely collapsed on one
PAGE 44
 3.0 Seattle
side. While the blast did kill the zombies within its radius, those that weren’t
destroyed seemed to suffer no ill effects from the radiation. To this day, this
place is off-limits, emitting deadly radiation and crawling with undead that have
absorbed so much deadly fallout that they glow an eerie blue.
Hooks: Find a source of iodine to treat someone who got too close to the
crater. Using hazmat suits, recover the body of a scout who died to the
irradiated zombies in the area.

Radiation Sickness Living creatures that spend more than 10 minutes in the
Stadium Ruins must attempt a 20 Fortitude save (DC 25 in the crater).
Those that fail gain radiation sickness. At the start of each day, those with
radiation sickness take 1d4 poison damage that can’t be resisted or
healed, then attempt a DC 20 Fortitude save. Those that succeed end the
sickness. Iodine supplements give a +4 item bonus to this save.

The Tunnels
Much of downtown Seattle is built upon a series of old tunnels, chambers, and
entire streets that were paved over a century ago. What was once a quirky
tourist attraction has now become a terrifying maze of corridors and tunnels
crawling with the dead. The only reason to venture into this lightless hell is to
gain access to the Downtown Core, a maze of twisted and collapsed buildings
that likely hides plenty of valuable and rare resources.
Hooks: Chart a path through the Tunnels to the core. Find the source of a
signal that is coming from the tunnels.

The Zoo
During the Fall, one of the workers at the local zoo decided that, rather than let
the
animals starve, the right thing to do was to let them all loose. While many of
those animals fled or died during the Fall, a few stayed behind, lurking in the
nearby woods and preying upon anyone who got too close. Today, the place is
home to a massive and terrifying zombie bear that the locals call Big Ben (see
page 31).
Hooks: Put down Big Ben. Find a rare animal to bring back to the community.

Zynocol Laboratory
While their primary laboratory was located outside Madison, WI, Zynocol had
a research laboratory located on the shores of Lake Washington. When the
corporate leaders realized what they had unleashed, they quickly ordered their
labs to destroy all samples and data related to the Z-parasite. Fortunately, Dr.
Avanti Kepler disobeyed that order, stole her samples, and took them to the
University of Washington for further study. Two days later, a fire was
intentionally set in the lab to cover up any remaining evidence. Some believe
that there may be secret facilities located underground, with secrets about the
plague. Today, it looks just like any other ruin, but the corporate sign out front
is still visible, spray-painted with the phrase “We Killed the World”.
Hooks: Break into the laboratory and look for information about the plague.
PAGE 45
4.0 – Sample Adventure: Fire Station #13
This sample adventure can be used as the start of a campaign or dropped into
an existing story. The Narrator should feel free to change the overall goal of
the adventure to suit their needs (instead of finding the generator, perhaps
the Survivors are sent to find hazmat suits or medical supplies). This adventure
assumes the Survivors are level 1, but it can be modified to any level by simply
adding more zombies or swapping them out for more powerful variants.

Setup
The adventure begins in the Free Ballard community, located on the north side
of Seattle (see page 36 for more information). The power has been flickering as
of late, and word around the settlement is that the main generator is on its last
legs. Big Swede comes to find the Survivors to give them an important job: go
find a portable generator to have on hand should the main one fail. A generator
that size wouldn't serve the whole community, but it would keep power on at
the hospital and a few other critical places. He suggests they go talk to Dan to
see if he knows where they might locate a generator.
Dan can be found at the Smoke Stop, having one of Keri’s signature drinks
made from fermented apples. He orders a round for the table when the
Survivors sit with him. After some idle chatter about local problems (Narrators
should drop seeds for future adventures here), Dan is more than happy to
answer their generator question. He thinks they might be able to find one up
north, inside an abandoned fire station, and gives them directions to Fire
Station #13.
Journey to 13
On their way out of Free Ballard, the Survivors find Harper walking the walls. She
tells them that it’s been pretty quiet to the north as of late, but that they
should definitely try and make it back by nightfall. Shamblers prowl at night,
and they could easily get overrun. The journey to Fire Station #13 can proceed
without incident, but the Narrator should feel free to add a trivial encounter
here to get folks familiar with the game.

Fire Station #13

This part of the adventure is relatively free-form. The Survivors are free to explore
the station any way they want, approaching from different sides or with varying
levels of caution. They have no idea what’s waiting for them inside, and
prowling around the exterior doesn’t provide much insight. Notable locations in
the station are described in simple details on the following pages, but the
Narrator should feel free to embellish and add personal details to bring the place
to life. If a location isn’t mentioned, it’s filled with rotten junk and debris of little
value. If a location appears multiple times on the map, its creatures and loot are
divided between them.
During the Fall, a small handful of folks used this fire station as a safe house,
but when the zombies came, they made a last, desperate stand against the
horde. There were no survivors.
PAGE 46
 4.0 Sample Adventure

Outside the Station

Fire Station #13 sits in the middle of what was once a residential neighborhood,
and the surrounding area is filled with single-family homes. The station sits at
the end of the block, with houses to the east. When the Survivors approach the
area, read the following aloud.

Even from a distance, it’s clear that Fire Station #13 saw heavy fighting
during the Fall. Emergency vehicles are parked on the lawn as a makeshift
barricade, and the withered corpses of long-dead zombies pockmark the
surrounding area. What windows you can see are heavily barricaded, and
you see no signs of movement within.

The Survivors can gain entry through a number of places. The most obvious
is the vestibule, the doors to which were smashed during the Fall. The door to
the training room (page 51) is barricaded, but the door from the patio (page
50) to the dining room is open. If the Survivors circle to the back, they can easily
enter through the bay doors on the north side (page 48), one of which is open.
They can also enter through any window by destroying its barricade (DC 20,
Break 6). An ambulance and firetruck are parked in front of the building (to the
west), but both of these rusting hulks were thoroughly looted years ago.
They were placed here to serve as barriers to the bunk rooms (page 48) on the
other side.
If anyone thinks to scramble over the fire truck (DC 10 Athletics check), they can
find a first aid kit in a locker on the far side.
PAGE 47
Apparatus Bay
Old, rusted vehicles and dumpsters converted into mobile barricades litter this
large garage that was once used to store the fire station’s vehicles. One of the
north bay doors is open, leading outside. The doors leading into the building
have both been battered open.
The rusty dumpsters provide cover and can be moved around with a DC 13
Athletics check. Doing so makes a lot of noise, though, drawing zombies from
nearby rooms (see gear storage, below).
Creatures: 3 crawlers (page 24) hiding behind the ambulance
Loot: Aspirin (bottle; in the ambulance), flashlight (in a car), rusty fire axe
(buried into the back of one of the crawlers; 2 dings)

Bunk
When a number of folks from the nearby community took shelter here, they
slept in these bunk rooms. They’re filled with small personal effects, like torn up
teddy bears, old family photos, and suitcases filled with clothes. There are also
signs of violent struggle everywhere.
Creatures: 3 shamblers (page 29)
Loot: Backpacks (4), beer, canteen, canned food (2), clothes (5 basic and 5
winter), hiking boots, kitchen knife, tool belt

Chief's Office
The door from the fire chief's office to the apparatus bay is heavily barricaded
(DC 22, Break 10), and the door leading into the building is locked (DC 20).
When everything came undone, the chief locked himself in here to wait out the
end. Unfortunately, he was already infected.
Creatures: Bloated (page 24)
Loot: Chief's Key, fire axe, firefighter gear, revolver (4 rounds)

Electrical Room
This room isn’t labeled electrical and appears to look like any other storage room
(though it’s identified on the building map in the police office; page 49). The
sturdy metal door leading into this room is locked and can only be opened with
the Chief's Key. Inside this drab, windowless room are all of the fuse boxes for
the fire station, and the backup generator! If the generator is turned on, the
building gets power, the lights turn on, and the door to the hazmat room (page
49) can be opened.
Loot: Generator hooked up to the building's power supply. Can be carefully
removed with a successful DC 15 Machinery check (otherwise, it takes 1d6
dings).

Gear Storage
This area was used to store firefighter gear between calls. Rows of lockers line
both sides of these rooms, and while most of them have been looted, there are
still a few odds and ends here to grab.
Creatures: 2 shamblers (page 29) that enter the apparatus bay to
investigate if the Survivors make too much noise.
PAGE 48
 4.0 Sample Adventure
Loot: Battery radio (no batteries), firefighter gear (2 sets, one with 4 dings,
one with 2 dings), hand axe, screwdriver

Hazmat Storage
This room is labeled “Hazmat Storage”, but its sturdy metal door is locked and
can only be opened with the Key Card found in the Lt. office (see below) once
the power has been restored. The door can also be opened by using the
computer in the IT room (again, if power is restored).
Loot: Bandages (4), cold packs (2), hazmat suit, headlight

IT Room
A desk with an old, dusty computer sits in the middle of this room next to an
open
wall panel that houses all of the fire station’s data and phone lines. This is one
of the few rooms that appears untouched by the fighting that took place here.
The computer still works. If power is restored to the building, it can be used
to open the door to hazmat storage (DC 15 Operate Computers check).
Loot: Desktop computer (Bulk 4, Barter 6)

Kitchen
The kitchen and neighboring day room are where firefighters spent their time
when not out on a call or asleep in the bunks. During the Fall, this was the only
kitchen they had, and food was running out.
Creatures: 4 Z-rats (page 33)
Loot: Canned food (4 total, 3 expired), lighter, skillet, soft drink. A vending
machine here has 4 additional soft drinks that can be looted with a successful
DC 15 Machinery check (DC 10 if the power is on).

Laundry
This large room is filled with laundry machines and piles of old clothes.
Creatures: 2 sneakers (page 30) hidden in a pile of clothes
Loot: Clothes (8 basic and 4 winter),
tool belt

Lt. Office
These offices were used by
the fire station’s lieutenants.
They’re nicer than the nearby
bunk rooms, with their own
private bathroom and bunk. The
westernmost office was the site
of a terrible fight, and a badly
mangled corpse lays on the
floor in a long-dried puddle
of blood. The lieutenant might have
won that fight, hacking the zombie
to
PAGE 49
death with an axe, but he caught the infection himself and now hides in the
other office.
Creatures: armored (page 23) but in firefighter gear (resistance 4 all)
Loot: fire axe (1 ding), firefighter gear, key card, liquor (3), vitamins (bottle)

Lobby
The lobby was the site of a terrible firefight during the Fall, and it’s clear that the
holdouts used Molotov cocktails and guns to put down the dead. This entire
area is badly burned, and blacked bones litter the ground on both sides of the
ruined barricade on the east side of the room.
Creatures: 2 crawlers (page 24)

Locker Room
Barricades erected in front of both doors to the locker room in an attempt
to protect the bunk rooms beyond clearly didn’t hold. The north barricade is
completely shattered and surrounded by old, dried bloodstains. Inside the locker
room, withered old zombie corpses mix with the remains of those who made
their last stand here. Some clearly took their own lives rather than face the
dead. Loot: Baseball bat, double barrel shotgun (1 shell), improvised shields
(2),
raincoat, workwear

Mechanical
This room contains the heating and air conditioning units for the fire station.
Loot: Machinery kit

Patio
The firefighters used to host cookouts here in the summer, but now it’s just the
site of two rusted grills. One of the propane tanks still has enough gas in it to
make a crude bomb (treat as a frag grenade that requires a DC 15 Crafting
check and 1 electronic part to set up).
Creatures: 2 wild dogs (page 18) easily scared away by firing a gun

Police Office
This the former office of the station’s police officer. The desk has been tipped
on its side to function as a barricade, and the officer’s body has been torn apart
behind it. The room is a mess of papers and old, dried blood. On the wall is a
map of the fire station that labels all of the rooms, including the electrical room.
Creatures: crawler (page 24) that was the officer. Its body is partially pinned
under the desk and must spend an action to get free.
Loot: pump shotgun (4 rounds), riot shield

Storage
Located all around the building are a number of storage rooms. These mostly
contain ruined cardboard boxes filled with moldy pamphlets, binders filled with
training materials, and replacement parts for the fire engines.
PAGE 50
 4.0 Sample Adventure
Loot: Each room contains 1d4 parts (cloth, tool, or electronic), and there’s a
50% chance to find 1d4 useful items with a barter value of 3 or less.

Toilet
These rooms are scattered throughout the building, containing a toilet and a sink.
Creatures: Shambler (page 29)
Loot: In each toilet, there’s a 25% chance to find a bandage or a dose of
aspirin.

Training Room
The door leading into this room is barricaded (DC 15, Break 4). It was once used
by the firefighters to keep up on their training. When two of them became
infected, they locked their former comrades in here rather than face what they
were about to become.
Creatures: 2 runners (page 29)
Loot: Pocket knife, workwear (2)

Water Room
The door leading into this room is locked, but it can be opened with the Chief's
Key.
Inside are the water mains for the department and a storage tank that still
contains murky water. The water needs to be boiled or purified to be made
drinkable.
Loot: Water (5 gallons)

Conclusion
Once they find the generator, the Survivors are free to make their way to back to
the settlement where they are celebrated that evening with a round of drinks at
the Smoke Stop and a hearty thanks from all of the people in the community.
Creating Content for Hopefinder
You can create your own content for the Hopefinder game. The world is a big place, and the Z Plague affected each city and country
quite differently. Tell the world about what happened where you live and set adventures in your region! The rules for this game
are covered under the ORC License. In addition, the terms the Fall, Z Plague, Zynocol, and Zynocol Amebic Encephalitis are NOT
Reserved Material. You may reference the events and timeline set forth in this book and the Survivor's Guide. Please include the
following in the credits of your product, using the same font and size as the other copyright statements.
Based on the Hopefinder Roleplaying Game © 2024 Minotaur Games. Some concepts and terms used with permission. All rights reserved.

ORC NOTICE
This product is licensed under the ORC License located at the Library of Congress at TX 9-307-067 and available online at various
locations including paizo.com/orclicense, azoralaw.com/orclicense, and others. All warranties are disclaimed as set forth therein.
Attribution: This work is based on the following Licensed Material:
Pathfinder Player Core © 2023 Paizo Inc., Designed by Logan Bonner, Jason Bulmahn, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, and Mark
Seifter. Authors: Alexander Augunas, Kate Baker, Logan Bonner, Jason Bulmahn, Carlos Cabrera, Calder CaDavid, James Case,
Eleanor Ferron, Steven Hammond, Joan Hong, Vanessa Hoskins, James Jacobs, Jenny Jarzabski, Erik Keith, Dustin Knight, Lyz
Liddell, Luis Loza, Patchen Mortimer, Dennis Muldoon, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Mikhail Rekun, David N. Ross, Michael Sayre,
Mark Seifter, Kendra Leigh Speedling, Mark Thompson, Clark Valentine, Andrew White, Landon Winkler, and Linda Zayas-Palmer
Pathfinder GM Core © 2023 Paizo Inc., Designed by Logan Bonner and Mark Seifter. Authors: Amirali Attar Olyaee, Logan Bonner,
Creighton Broadhurst, Jason Bulmahn, James Case, Jesse Decker, Eleanor Ferron, Fabby Garza Marroquín, Jaym Gates, Matthew
Goetz, James Jacobs, Brian R. James, Jenny Jarzabski, Dustin Knight, Jason LeMaitre, Lyz Liddell, Luis Loza, Ron Lundeen,
Stephen Radney-MacFarland, David N. Ross, Michael Sayre, Mark Seifter, Owen K.C. Stephens, Amber Stewart, Clark Valentine,
Landon Winkler, and Linda Zayas-Palmer
If you use our Licensed Material in your own published work, please credit us in your product as follows:
Hopefinder Narrator's Guide © 2024 Minotaur Games, Designed by Jason Bulmahn
Reserved Material: Reserved Material elements in this product include all elements designated as Reserved Material under the ORC
License. To avoid confusion, such items include: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper nouns (characters, organizations,
locations, etc., as well as all adjectives, names, titles, and descriptive terms derived from proper nouns, except those noted above in
"Creating Content for Hopefinder"), artworks, characters, dialogue, locations, organizations, plots, storylines, and trade dress.
Expressly Designated Licensed Material: This product contains no Expressly Designated Licensed Material.

PAGE 51
What Happened in Your TownY

PAGE 52
 TELL YOUR OWN STORIES
The World came to an end during the Fall, but there are still
many stories waiting to be told in the zombie infest ruins.
This guide contains everything you need to weave your
own stories set 10 years after the end of human civilization.
Inside you will find:

Rules and Advice for the Narrator, including story ideas and tips for
telling an engaging tale of horror and hope.
Over 30 Adversaries, from violent Raiders to the ravenous Undead.
A Gazetteer of the ruins of Seattle and a Sample Adventure
set in an Old Fire Station.

Hopefinder is a Modern Zombie Apocalypse Hack of Pathfinder

Second Edition. This is NOT a complete game. You need to own
and understand Pathfinder Second Edition to play.

MGHF–1001-ORC © 2024 Minotaur Games