Some of you might know that I'm designing a game called Big Brother Zombie; for the majority that don't know of it, it's a game set in the Big Brother house where failling a Task sets a Zombie running free on the house!
I'm posting stuff on Ideonauta, but I'm also re-posting stuff on Game Design here on rpg.net, because rpg.net draws a bigger crowd than my blog.
Right now, I need ideas for Tasks. Tasks are what you would normally see on the well known Big Brother live show, but with a Saw twist:
-Get the key inside the zombie's chest to open the safe containing the chainsaw
-Walk through a room full of zombies to get the ammunition for the pistol
-Re-inforce the doors while a pack of zombies roams the house
You get the idea.
Can you fine gents throw me some more ideas for Tasks? Thanks!
I think you could highlight the ridiculousness by combining typical Big Brother style challenges with ZOMBIES.
"Everyone has to find the items in their scavenger hunt list within a certain unspecified time OR ELSE A ZOMBIE IS RELEASED." --> Everyone roaming around the environment looking for stuff, and not even certain when there might be a zombie in there with them.
"Drinking contest! Down a certain number of shots over a set period OR ELSE A ZOMBIE IS RELEASED." --> Drunk people plus zombie. Comedy gold.
"Film marathon! Everyone must stay awake for umpty dozen hours watching zombie movies OR ELSE A ZOMBIE IS RELEASED." --> Insomniacs freaking out with a zombie on the loose. Or possibly even more comedically, without a zombie on the loose, but they think there is.
I think you could highlight the ridiculousness by combining typical Big Brother style challenges with ZOMBIES.
"Everyone has to find the items in their scavenger hunt list within a certain unspecified time OR ELSE A ZOMBIE IS RELEASED." --> Everyone roaming around the environment looking for stuff, and not even certain when there might be a zombie in there with them.
A timed scavenger hunt for a shotgun and ammo. The moment the clock runs out a zombie is released.
A dance-off challenge to keep the lights on. The last person still dancing gets the low-light goggles and a zombie is released.
C.
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I've moved the Actual Play links to my control panel.
I assume that you've watched the Channel 4 Series "Dead Set"
In that show the first time the contestants see a zombie they assume that it's actually a trick Big Brother is playing on them. So subvert this idea and once the PCs are into full on zombie whacking mode big Brother releases an actor made up to look like a zombie thats been drugged and watches them cheerfully whack the new "zombie" only for Big Brother to tell them that it was an actor and that Big Brother had told the actor the combination to the safe that's got the 9mm in it.
Definitely the idea that "Devina" (I don't know the US equivalent) turns to a zombie is worth doing.
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Believe The Truth. Enjoy The Lies
"After failing the challenge last night we abducted Kathy in her sleep. Without the other house guests being aware we've heavily sedated Kathy and put her in zombie make-up. Now, let's watch their reactions!"
"For our next contest we've set up a game of Russian Roulette. Each contestant will be given an injection. All but one of the injections are perfectly harmless placebos; one injection has the plague however. Before contestants get their injections, they will vote to see which one is has Immunity on this challenge!"
"We've cut off food supplies to the contestants for seven days as part of an ongoing endurance challenge. As you may recall, Oliver failed the challenge yesterday and is now 'batting for the other team'. We've let Oliver loose in the house, still wet and fairly fresh. Let's see how long before the contestants realize what the brand new Weber Summit Gas Grill and delicious KC Masterpiece barbeque sauce is for!"
"It's down to the nitty-gritty here folks. A mad dash to the airport in a new Dodge Ram pickup truck for our contestants. But the zombies are hungry, and there are thousands of them every step of the way. And even though the Dodge Ram is built Dodge tough, are the survivors tough enough for it?"
I'm morbidly attracted to this idea. I'd like to know more about the details.
I assume the zombies are not infectious in the traditional sense. Because otherwise that could end the game right quick. Or is that the idea? Are there always more contestants?
I also assume that the zombies are slightly less deadly than Dawn OTD but slightly moreso than Shaun OTD. Obviously, they should be scary enough that players don't just wait at the zombie door with a bat and a grin, but not so much that everybody gets eaten after the first failed challenge. Unless that's the point.
Where do the zombies come from? Is there a plague affecting the entire world, with only a small jaded population of humans left to torture each other (like Land OTD)? Or is normal human society just creating isolated zombies for kicks?
And some ideas for challenges:
Players have to wrestle toothless, handless zombies and dig out the tokens that have been buried in their guts (they swallowed them at irregular intervals when human, and were then zombified). Five tokens in the coinslot unlocks the plexiglass booth, which provides Immunity from the dozen zombies about to be released into the room. Note that the person who deposits the fifth token wins, not the person who deposits the most tokens.
Basketall, in which the players have to behead a toothless zombie and toss its head through a hoop. A new zombie is released when a point is scored or the head is smashed. Sometimes they're not toothless.
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Running: The Cleveland University Mysterious & Paranormal Society (CL.U.M.P.S) (Horror Rules)
I've posted but not translated the final BBZ post, which covers Trust, Popularity and Infection. There several answers are provided, but I can post some of them here:
The game deals with the Big Brother Zombie house only, not with the outside world. I think that a tv show that uses undead humans to kill other humans on live television must be a product of a very demented society. I don't have any plans on developing this any further, but I think you can use it for any zombie apocalypse game that you fancy.
A zombie bite is not 100% infectious, and no one really knows the odds for this to happen, only that sometimes victims of a bite don't turn, and it is actually possible to avoid infection by severing the limb - I think I got this from the comic The Walking Dead, but I'm not sure.
Oh, and zombies are as deadly as Big Brother (you know, the GM) wishes them to be. They can be shambling monsters or ravaging undead beasts, or a combination of both, to better surprise players.
Thank you guys for your interest. Soon I'm going to post the translation for the last post (bad pun), then compile everything into a pdf and start asking for playtesters. Also, I'm hoping a good friend will edit the thing into a coherent readible text.
I assume that you've watched the Channel 4 Series "Dead Set"
I have. When I got the idea for BBZ I googled the internet looking for similar games, and instead found Dead Set. While the ideas are similar (Big Brother and Zombies), they are different enough to be considered, well, completely different.
Dead Set is basically your typical zombie flick. I found it akin to Dawn of the Dead, even with the siege atmosphere going on and everything.
BBZ is a contest where zombies are regularly set free in the house, by Big Brother himself.
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