I've recently joined a really great group of local gamers. We do board games, tabletop RPGs, whatever. And it's because of this group I was introduced to a fun little game called Zombies!!! (//%22http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2471%22)
It's a real blast, and I've played it a few times now. But last night, I got to thinking about how similar it is to Left 4 Dead. Not exactly the same, but similar. One major difference is that Zombies!!! is very much a griefing simulator; there are only 2 seats on the chopper, and there's plenty of ways to screw people over.
Part of the major appeal for Left 4 Dead is that it really pushed the co-op thing on you from the start and never let up. One person on their own rarely accomplishes anything. So, with that in mind I decided to see if I could replicate the gameplay of Left 4 Dead in a board game. This is, at the moment, a work in progress, but I'm very happy with what I've come up with so far. Keep in mind, this is intended to be played on a table at least 48" x 48", about the average size for a small tabletop war game like Warhammer of Flames of War. I'm also missing a few things, such as unique events (I'd like each side to draw a hand of three cards with various one-time bonuses or penalties on them that can be used at any time, like Zombies!!!) and the Witch (which really needs a unique way of coming onto the board to be adequately scary.)
Anyhow, without further ado, here is my tabletop adaptation of Left 4 Dead!
QuoteGoal: Create Left 4 Dead version of Zombies!!!
For up to 4 Survivor players and 1 Infected player.
The 4 Survivors start in the safe room. The Infected player starts with 4 bunches of 5 zombies that can be placed anywhere on the board, at least 8 spaces away from the safe room. At the start of each Infected turn, the Infected player adds 1 zombie to any bunch currently on the board.
Roll 1 dice each for Survivors and Infected. Highest roll chooses who goes first.
Each Survivor moves up to 6 inches. If they move no more than 2 inches, they cannot be spotted by wandering zombies. Moving within 1 inch of a zombie automatically makes that Survivor spotted, despite this benefit. A Survivor may also roll a 4 or higher on a d6 to move an extra 3 inches, but that means they cannot shoot their gun on that turn. If a 1 is rolled for this extra distance, then the Survivor cannot roll for extra distance on their next turn.
At any time during a Survivor's movement, they may attack. This means they can attack before they move, while moving, or after moving.
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All survivors start off with 1 pistol, 1 special gun of their choice (assault rifle, shotgun, or hunting rifle), 1 health pack, 3 gun clips (and 1 full clip loaded), and 10 health. A Survivor cannot have more than 1 health pack, 3 spare gun clips, or 10 health.
Survivors can shoot with pistols up to 6 inches away. On a 5 or 6, they kill a zombie. 10 bullet clip. Pistols have an unlimited number of clips.
Assault rifles can shoot 8 inches away and roll up to 3 dice. Need a 5 or 6 to hit. 30 bullet clip. If the Survivor chooses to only attack with 1 dice, the roll to hit gets +1. Assault rifles can also choose to fire an extra three shots, but any rolls of 1 to hit on that turn take away an extra bullet. If this takes more bullets than are left in the gun, it jams. The Survivor may not shoot until the end of its next turn.
Shotguns can shoot 4 inches away. Need a 3 or higher to hit. Double damage against special infected. 10 shell clip, reload one shell per round but can shoot on the same round. If two zombies are within one inch of each other and both within range of the Shotgun, the Survivor may choose to shoot at both of them at a -1 penalty to hit. This also works with three zombies at -2 to hit. Choosing to attack multiple zombies in this way does not require extra bullets.
Hunting rifles can shoot 12 inches away. Need a 4 or higher to hit. 5 bullet clip. On a hit roll of 6, the shot deals 2 damage to the zombie and has a chance to hit any zombie directly behind it, up to 1 inch away, as long as it is also within range of the Hunting rifle. This is resolved as another attack with the same roll to hit as the first attack.
A survivor may choose to take more careful aim with the gun. If a survivor moves no more than 2 inches and does not attack in its turn (though it is allowed to defend against zombies occupying its space), it is considered to be aiming. On the Survivor's next turn, all guns get double their range. Hunting rifles get +1 to hit when aiming.
A survivor may also use a quick aim. They benefit from the double range and can fire in the same turn (but can still only move 2 inches), but they suffer -1 to all hits. Hunting rifles do not get the additional +1 when using quick aim; they must roll 5 or 6 to hit.
If a Survivor and Zombie are touching, the Survivor gets a point blank bonus of +1 to hit.
While a Survivor is in a safe room, they may freely switch their special gun and refill their ammo to the maximum (3 clips and 1 loaded).
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When a zombie is touching a Survivor, it gets one melee attack. On a roll of 5 or 6, the zombie deals 1 damage to the survivor. Any survivor that is hit by a zombie moves at half speed and does not benefit from the 2 inch movement stealth bonus for their next turn.
After a zombie attacks a Survivor, that Survivor can choose to shoot back. Roll the attack as normal, with the +1 bonus for point blank range
A survivor may also use a melee attack on a zombie they are touching. If a survivor chooses to use a melee attack when a zombie moves into them, the Survivor's melee is resolved first. Move the zombie away from the survivor 1 inch, and they cannot move or attack on their next turn. If there is no room behind the zombie, push back the zombies behind it to make room. On a roll of 6 they take one damage. Special zombies automatically take one damage when they are hit by melee.
If a survivor uses melee once in their turn, they cannot shoot next turn except at zombies occupying their space. If they use melee twice in their turn, they can choose not to shoot at all or not to move at all next turn.. However, they may continue to move on the turn they use melee if they have movement distance left over.
For every 10 zombies killed by a Survivor, that Survivor gets 1 full clip of ammo for their gun.
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At the end of each Survivor turn, each Survivor rolls a dice for special items. On a 5-6, a special item is found. Special items can be traded between Survivors that are within 1 inch of each other at any time during the Survivor turn. Survivors can only carry 1 special item at a time, with the exception of a second pistol.
1 is a health pack. Whoever carries the health pack can choose not to move or shoot for a single turn, even in defense. If they do so, they can restore a survivor to 8 health, even themselves. If the survivor is already at 8 health or higher, then they are restored to a full 10 health. If they heal another survivor, that survivor cannot move either, but they may shoot.
2 is a bottle of pills. Whoever carries the bottle of pills can use it to gain 4 health immediately. At the start of each Survivor turn, remove 1 of these 4 temporary health.
3 is a second pistol. This allows a Survivor to fire pistols twice in one turn. The second pistol comes with its own full clip. If the player already has a second pistol, this becomes 2 extra clips for their gun.
4 is a molotov cocktail. Whoever carries the molotov cocktail can throw it up to 6 inches away. The area hit and two inches around it in all directions are lit on fire for the next 3 rounds. Any regular zombies in the fire area die automatically. Any survivors or special zombies take 1 damage. Tanks take 2 damage at the start of every Infected turn until they die.
5 is a pipebomb. Whoever carries the pipebomb can throw it up to 10 inches away. All regular zombies within 12 inches of the pipebomb move 6 inches towards it immediately, and on the next Infected turn as well. On the next survivor turn, the pipebomb explodes. All creatures within 4 inches of the pipebomb take 2 damage.
6 is a propane tank. This can be left on any area that the Survivor carrying it moves through. While there, it serves no purpose. However, a Survivor can choose to shoot it. If shot, it counts as an automatic hit. The propane tank then explodes, dealing 2 damage to everything within 4 inches. If a Tank zombie is hit by this explosion, then it loses its next turn; it cannot move or attack.
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Zombies bunch in groups of five. They can wander 2 inches every turn, as long as they are all within 1 inch of another zombie of the same bunch.
As soon as survivors come within 6 spaces, Infected rolls the number of spaces away to see if they are spotted. If they are spotted, Infected must move all zombies of that group 6 inches towards the first spotted Survivor each turn. If more than one Survivor is spotted at the same time, the Infected player may choose which Survivor the group moves toward.
At the end of the Infected turn, roll a d6 to add to the special zombie pool. 1 or 2 is a Hunter, 3 is a Smoker, 4 is a Boomer, 5 is a new bunch of five regular zombies that can be placed anywhere on the map as long as all zombies lovethesuit are more than 6 spaces away from any Survivor. On a 6, roll again for special events. 1-4 is a horde. 5-6 is a Tank. If a Tank is rolled on a 5 or 6, discard the rolled number; only two Tanks may be rolled in each map. These special events are placed down immediately.
All special zombies have 2 health, except the Tank and the Boomer. At any time, once per Infected turn, the Infected player may bring any single special zombie out of the special zombie pool. There can only be one of any special zombie type on the map at any time, except for Hunters, which can have up to two.
A special zombie can be placed anywhere on the map at least 12 inches away from any Survivor. Special zombies do not wander; their movement and actions are chosen entirely by the Infected player. All special zombies can do a melee attack if they are touching; the roll for all special zombie attacks is 4 or higher.
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A Hunter has a movement speed of 10. Their melee attacks also do 2 damage. They have a special pounce attack which allows them to roll a d6 to get extra movement distance equal to the number rolled. This must be rolled after the target Survivor is picked by the Infected player. On a 6, the Hunter cannot attack this turn. If the hunter lands touching a Survivor, the Survivor has two options: He can use melee as normal, but must roll a 4 or higher for it to be successful; He can also choose to fire his gun. The +1 to hit bonus for attacking zombies at point blank is negated, and replaced with a -1 penalty to hit. For example, if a Hunter pounces a Survivor, the Survivor can bring their Pistol to bear. They must roll a 6 to hit the Hunter. If this counter hit succeeds, the Hunter is placed 1 inch away from the Survivor, in the direction it was pouncing from. If the hunter is successful, the Survivor is considered pinned. The Survivor cannot move or shoot, and takes 2 damage for each turn that the Hunter is alive and in his space.
A Smoker has a movement speed of 6. Their special attack uses their long tongue to grab a Survivor up to 12 inches away. If a Survivor is hit with the tongue, they get one chance to break free; if the Smoker is within range of their gun, they can shoot with a -1 penalty to hit. A successful hit from the gun means the tongue is broken off, but the Smoker is undamaged. If the Smoker grabs the Survivor and the tongue is still intact, it drags the Survivor towards it 8 inches in the most direct path, including through other Survivors and zombies. If the distance is not sufficient to bring the Survivor into contact with the Smoker on the first turn, then at the start of the next Infected turn the Survivor is dragged the rest of the distance. The Smoker deals 1 damage every turn it is in contact with the Survivor, who may not move or attack while it is grabbed. Any other survivor can use a melee attack to free the grabbed survivor from the tongue, but this does no damage. A melee attack on the Smoker also breaks the tongue.
A Boomer has a movement speed of 6. Their special attack uses projectile vomit to cover Survivors in a stinky substance that blinds them and attracts zombie hordes. The range of this attack is 1 inch, but it can be used on all Survivors in range at the same time. The Boomer does not have to roll a dice; the vomit is considered an automatic hit. So, if a Boomer moves between three Survivors, it can barf on all three of them if they are within 1 inch. The first penalty of this vomit is -1 to hit for the next 2 Survivor turns while they wipe the noxious vomit out of their face. The second affect calls for a zombie horde to be brought in at the start of the next Infected turn. For each additional Survivor after the first that is covered in vomit, add 5 zombies to the horde. A Boomer is susceptible to gunfire; any gunfire will kill it immediately, although it actually has 3 health for use against melee. If a Boomer dies from gunfire or melee it explodes, which is an automatic hit of the vomit attack on all Survivors in range.
When a zombie horde is brought into the game, it follows special rules. First, it must enter the map from at least 16 spaces away from any Survivors, instead of 12. If there are not enough room to put all the zombies on the board for any reason, then bring zombies in on subsequent Infected turns. Second, the size is much larger. Begin with 5 zombies (adding any for special Boomer vomit conditions). The Infected player rolls a d6: On a 4 or higher, add 5 zombies. Then, roll again. This time, on a 5 or higher, add 5 more zombies. Roll one final time, and on a 6 you may add 5 final zombies. This means that if all 4 Survivors are hit by vomit at once, and the Infected player rolls 3 6s for the horde, up to 40 zombies can enter play at once! Finally, the zombie horde does not subscribe to spotting rules. The Infected player may move them towards any Survivor they wish, but they must always end their move closer to the Survivors than they started.
A Tank is brought on immediately as a special event, although it is technically a special zombie. Its movement speed is 8, it deals 3 damage per hit, and it starts with 20 health. It must start at least 16 spaces away from any Survivors, like a horde. However, it may not move on its first turn. Due to its immense size, it can use its melee attack on any creature within 1 inch of it, in addition to those touching it. The roll to hit a creature within 1 inch is 4 or higher, while an adjacent creature only needs a 3 or higher to be hit. It may also pick up and hurl a big chunk of earth; this also deals 3 damage, but requires a 5 or 6 to hit and has a range of 6. If a Survivor is hit by the Tank's melee attack, they fly back 4 inches away from the Infected.
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If a Survivor is brought to 0 health or below, they are considered dying. They are brought back to 0 health if they were lower, and at the end of each Survivor turn, any Survivors that are dying take 1 damage. If a Survivor's health gets down to -5, they are dead. Another Survivor may help a dying Survivor back to their feet, however. To do this, they must be in contact, and the helping Survivor cannot use any attacks, even to defend, until their next turn. If they have already attacked in a turn, they may not help a dying Survivor.
Zombies can also attack a dying Survivor, doing normal damage in addition to the damage from dying each turn. They may not, however, attack a Survivor that is being helped. In this case, they can attack the helper instead.
A dying Survivor that is helped is brought back on its next turn at 3 health. Each Survivor can be brought back twice, but the third time is final; as soon as the Survivor hits 0 health or less, they are dead. One exception to this is the use of a health pack; if a Survivor is healed by a health pack, the number of times they can be sent to the dying state is reset.
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The Survivor's goal is to reach safety. This can be done by reaching the safe room on the other side of the map, or by calling for a rescue. The safe house door may be closed by any Survivor, and is indestructable, even by a Tank. As soon as all living Survivors are inside the safe room and the door is closed, the game is over. The game is also over if all Survivors are killed.
Survivors can shoot through windows, but not doors. Zombies can break through doors and windows. Doors take 3 damage, but windows only take 1 damage. A Tank cannot fit through a window.
There are two types of Survivor-instigated events. The first is a gauntlet event; this can be triggered by opening an alarmed door, starting a noisy elevator, or any number of other ways. After being triggered on the Survivor turn, zombie hordes will appear for 5 turns afterwards. Unlike regular zombie hordes, they appear on the next Infected turn, as opposed to happening immediately. Also, when rolling to increase the size of the horde, only one success is allowed. That is, after a roll of 4 or higher to add 5 zombies to the horde, the Infected player does not continue to roll for that particular horde. Boomer vomit also does not summon its own horde during these turns, but each Survivor that is hit adds 5 zombies to the next scheduled horde as normal. During an event, Survivors can be affected by Boomer vomit multiple times, but not within two turns of each other.
The second is a rescue event. The Survivors call for a rescue, and are given 3 free turns to prepare for the incoming zombie hordes. They get rolls for special items as normal, but the Infected player doesn't get turns between these three preparation turns. Finally, after the third turn, the horde comes as per the gauntlet event. This time, it lasts an unlimited number of turns, but at the start of the eighth Survivor turn, the rescue vehicle arrives. Once all living Survivors are in the rescue vehicle, the game is over. On the fourth and eighth Infected turn, the Infected player gets a Tank with 10 health that does not count towards the regular limit for Tanks. However, there can never be more than one Tank on the map at the same time. As with the gauntlet event, Survivors can be affected by Boomer vomit multiple times, but not within two turns of each other.
~lovethesuit
My only concern is with the bleeding rules; -5 doesn't seem much, as you'll lose 1 instantly, and all that requires is 4 zombie attacks which sound quite likely to happen in the next 1 or 2 turns!
Although, it might be that reaching bleeding is a lot harder in this than it is in actual L4D and balance is restored.
This looks fantastic!
I intend to playtest it with my group if I can get some people interested, but that's something to watch out for. I brought it up from -3, but maybe a little more could do the trick. I don't want to make it impossible for the Infected player to accomplish something.
SPACE HULK
Yeah there's a guy painting some models for that.
why not just play left for dead online and shoot shit, steam name derflaro
I will playtest with you. Also, check the new sig.
You could try playing or adapting this too.
http://www.flyingfrog.net/lastnightonearth/
You always have 4 survivors, and you really do need to cooperate. The Infected player and survivor players both get event cards, and there's multiple scenarios.