Rest and Relaxation

Sunlight poured through the upstairs windows, giving the house an open feel.  Dawn carried a bucket of water up the stairs towards the master bathroom.  Passing a bedroom, she saw Tina was sitting in a comfortable chair, listening to a CD player and reading a book.  "Pay attention, we don't want someone sneaking up on us."  Dawn said as she went past.
"Enjoy your bath!"  Tina said cheerfully.  "Don't worry, it's been quiet and we are perfectly safe."
Dawn paused and stepped into the room.  "We are not perfectly safe.  We never will be perfectly safe."  Dawn set down the bucket, gesturing to her pistol.  "That's why I have this on me, and why you have your pistol."  Looking at Tina intently, she was adamant.  "Where is your pistol?"
With a sigh and eye roll, Tina picked up her pistol from the floor next to her.  "Right here.  Geeze, calm down, I'll be careful."
"Careful will keep us alive."  Dawn replied, coldly.  Picking up her bucket, Dawn continued on her way.
Dawn poured another bucket of hot water into the tub.  She felt the half full bathtub of water, and decided it was still hot enough.  It had been days since she and Tina had barricaded the house and felt safe enough to relax.  Keeping her pistol within easy reach, Dawn finally took the chance to get cleaned up.  She couldn't even remember her last bath.

Dawn and Tina are taking the time to loot the house they have taken over, as well as resting for a bit to prepare for the next leg of their trip.  One of my campaign rules is scare looting, meaning to find something useful I have to draw twice from the deck and match the items to find something.  However, as Dawn and Tina are spending more time searching they will get straight draws for each room.  I have also decided that they will each find a luxury item and there is one unit of food still in the house.  It being in a rural area, the house still has gas for the appliances, so they can cook and heat water.  There is a hand pump nearby so they can get water as there isn't any electricity to run the pumps.  Not a bad place to hold up for a bit.

Searching the house and attached garage generates plenty of loot.

Thrilling card draws!

So the final tally is 3 luxury items, 3 food units, 1 unit of fuel, 1 meds and a crossbow.  Not too bad.  At the end of their downtime, I decide they will move the SUV to the garage so they can pack the SUV and be ready to leave.  I run a short scenario - they will run to the SUV, change the wheel, drive home and kill any zombies that spawn.  Should be short and easy...

Dawn dropped her bag by the kitchen table, keeping her machete and pistol.  "Let's do this quick.  We'll change to the spare and get the SUV back here in the garage."  Dawn checked her pistol again, making sure she had the right ammo.  "It's been quiet for a few days, we'll roll out tomorrow when the truck is ready."
Tina was a bit distracted with a music player she set on the table.  "Yeah, we'll be fine."  She casually checked her pistol halfheartedly.  "I still say we should just stay here."
As they walked into the garage Dawn sighed and continued the argument they had been having for more than a week.  "I'm going to get back to my friends.  It may seem safe now, but if there is a big camp of the dead nearby, I don't want to stay."
"We don't know what we'll find going east."  Tina argued back.  "We should stay with something we know."
"Let's get the truck and we'll sort this out."  Dawn said and pulled open the garage door, rolling it up noisily in the morning light.

It's morning of day 55, this is a short scenario.  There are no PEFs, zero zombies and the ER is 1.  It is a rural area, zombies will appear on a 6 from noise.  The mission will be a success if the flat tire is changed and the SUV gets back to the garage.  All spawned zombies must be killed or farther away than 12" from the house before the scenario can end.

To change the flat tire, the pair need to get a total of 10 successes in savvy (technical) rolls.  Dawn will roll an extra die for being logical, and will roll 5d.  Tina will roll 2d (she has a better people skill than savvy).  It should take a minimum of 2 turns to get the wheel changed, and each turn of work will result in 6d of noise.

They run to the SUV with no problems.  It's a nice stroll in the country morning air...

First turn of work

On the first turn, Dawn scores one success and Tina gets one as well.  Ooof, this could be a problem.  One zombie spawns from the sound.

A lone zombie hears the noise

On the next turn, the survivors don't activate and the zombie shambles closer.

Closer...

Tina looked up from the jack Dawn was struggling to get in place.  "I think that goes in a notch under the truck."  She offered.  A scrape of gravel caught her attention and she turned just in time to see a zombie stumble onto the road.  In a panic she drew her pistol...

Tina gets a shot off as the zombie charges!

The next turn the zombies win initiative, Tina passes her brown pants test, ties the zombie in the charge test and shoots once, killing the zed.  Dawn continues to work on the flat tire, getting three successes.  No zombies appear, so both women work on the truck the next turn.  Dawn gets three more success and Tina adds two more, for a total of ten, the tire is changed.  A zombie spawns in the road towards home.

Another lone zed

"Get in and get moving towards home.  I'll follow along and handle the zombie."  Dawn said as she stood up, drawing her pistol and machete.  "Back it into the garage and we'll clear up whatever zombies come by."
Tina holstered her pistol and tossed the jack and tire iron into the back of the SUV.  "No problem, see you at home!"

Dawn shoots twice and kills the zombie

Tina gets the SUV started

One zombie spawns in the road ahead.  On the next turn, the survivors go first, and Dawn fast moves to charge the zombie as Tina drives forward.

Another lone zombie

Dawn charges the zombie as Tina moves slowly ahead

Two more zombies appear

The next turn has a special event.  Unexpected...

One of the zombies is a human survivor...

Dawn is caught off guard

"Ugggh.  Damn it all!" yelled the filthy man as he pulled his bedroll from the tree it was stuck on.  "Hey, I'm not a dead head!  You need some help?"  he asked.

Dawn was startled, she was getting ready to shoot when the 'zombie' spoke up.  "Ummm, no.  I think we're good."  She said, hesitating.

"Well, you got any place to stay?  I've been alone for awhile, I would really appreciate a place to stay."  He said, holding out his hands.  "I'm sure I smell pretty bad, but if I can get cleaned up, I can be helpful.  Name's Jack."

Dawn considered the survivor for a moment, and relaxed.  "Sure, head in with the SUV through the garage.  Once we have that parked and the dead gone, we'll talk."

Dawn passes 0d for the random event check and can't shoot.  When the meet and greet goes down, she gets three successes to Jack's two.  Dawn recruits another survivor!  He comes armed with an SMG and a unit of food.  Very unexpected for the scenario, but a welcomed addition to the group!

Dawn shoots the zombie as it approaches

The next couple of turns go by without much action.  Tina gets the SUV parked and Dawn shoots a couple of zeds.  Eventually the area is quiet again.

Shoots one

Waits for the last in melee

All Clear

Tina hopped out of the SUV, watching the stranger as he covered Dawn with his SMG.  She felt a bit uneasy having someone she knew nothing about hanging around, but he seemed friendly.  Dawn finished off the last zombie with her machete, and the group walked into the garage.

"That was impressive!"  Jack said as Dawn cleaned off her blade.  "Wherever you're heading, count me in!"

Tina waved her hand in front of her face.  "You're not going to be anywhere near me until you get a bath!"  She looked at Dawn and continued, "Plus we need to discuss where we are going."

Jack looked between the two women, and held up his hands.  "No argument from me.  If I can get a bath, show me where."  Dawn pulled the garage door shut and latched it closed.  "Say, do either of you have green eyes?  I've had some trouble with green-eyed women..."  Jack said as they entered the house.

A successful mission, plus an added survivor.  We meet Jack, Rep 4, armed with an SMG and a knife.  He has the Greedy attribute, but he did come with a unit of food.  I spent a bit of time making his figure this past weekend:

It's all in the reflexes!

I was inspired by Jack Burton, from Big Trouble in Little China.  He is a straight build from Wargames Factory Survivors: Men boxed set.  I would have liked a different head, but none of them felt perfect for me, so I just went with one.  His shirt turned out pretty well, it's just some colors and lines (I didn't try to paint the actual design) overall, I'm happy with how he turned out.