A nightmarish Dead Reign campaign based in...

[SittingBull]

Tokyo.

Thoughts?

[dargo83]

nuke them all

[SittingBull]

That would be a game of stealth for sure.

[Shawn Merrow]

There is an anime called High School of the Dead set in Tokyo and yeah they had problems.

[Josh Hilden]

High population density and limited resources ... it's a meat grinder waiting to happen.

Sounds fun!

[SittingBull]

That's what I thought Josh.

[Shawn Merrow]

There is an anime called High School of the Dead set in Tokyo and yeah they had problems.

If you have Netflix they have the series available.

[SittingBull]

Again, dial-up puts a stop to that idea but thank you.

[Oberoth]

I'm in agreement with Josh. Tokyo is just to populated. No character of mine in his right mind would go there. There would need to be a really good reason to get him there.

[SittingBull]

What a good reason to 'get out'?

[Arnie100]

I'm in agreement with Josh. Tokyo is just to populated. No character of mine in his right mind would go there. There would need to be a really good reason to get him there.

Imagine being stuck in Hong Kong...

[flatline]

High population density and limited resources ... it's a meat grinder waiting to happen.

Sounds fun!

Wouldn't Tokyo provide all the resources of a large city?

--flatline

[Josh Hilden]

High population density and limited resources ... it's a meat grinder waiting to happen.

Sounds fun!

Wouldn't Tokyo provide all the resources of a large city?

--flatline

Limited in relation to population density and distance from resupply sources. It wouldn't be long before easily accessible commodities were depleted.

[flatline]

High population density and limited resources ... it's a meat grinder waiting to happen.

Sounds fun!

Wouldn't Tokyo provide all the resources of a large city?

--flatline

Limited in relation to population density and distance from resupply sources. It wouldn't be long before easily accessible commodities were depleted.

You could probably survive for a year just on contents of the vending machines in a single skyscraper. Everything from food to clothes to tools.

Would zombies inside a skyscraper mostly find their way to the ground floor or would they spread themselves throughout the building?

--flatline

[Josh Hilden]

True, but you are also dealing with other survivors who have the same idea. If you are just playing a game where you hold up you would probably be safer than if you are roaming the city.

IMO

The way I write zombies they tend to just roam around in a limited area unless something grabs their attention. I also think they would more or less be trapped on the floors they died on unless someone props a fire door open or then follow a person, animal, noise, whatever into the staircase.

[flatline]

True, but you are also dealing with other survivors who have the same idea. If you are just playing a game where you hold up you would probably be safer than if you are roaming the city.

IMO

Oh, I'm not suggesting just hiding in a building forever, but establishing a safe place or a network of safe places seems like it would be a pretty high priority for any player group...if only to have a place to keep your stuff.

The way I write zombies they tend to just roam around in a limited area unless something grabs their attention. I also think they would more or less be trapped on the floors they died on unless someone props a fire door open or then follow a person, animal, noise, whatever into the staircase.

I think the players could totally work with that. Get into a building some how (through the sewers into a sub-basement perhaps?), secure a stairwell and then go floor to floor using the stairwell doors as choke points. As long as you can control which doors are open, you never have to worry about zombies from another floor causing a problem for you while you deal with the zombies on the current floor.

If you're lucky, your stairwell might give roof access. Nothing like fresh air

--flatline

[SittingBull]

Flatline has the right idea on building clearing, that is for sure.

[flatline]

Flatline has the right idea on building clearing, that is for sure.

My wife works in a handful of different hospitals. Don't think I haven't explored each one with exactly this type of thing in mind.

Once you clear a single floor, you can then attempt to clear all the connected stairwells. If you successfully do this, then it doesn't matter if a particular stairwell is compromised since you can simply close it off from your secured floor and switch to another stairwell. Once you've cleared another floor, you can attempt to take back the compromised stairwell from the other floor. If there are enough zombies that they can be at both doors, then you have to wait until you've cleared a 3rd floor...or hope that you can draw them away from one of the doors somehow. If they're already at the door, then since the doors open into the stairwell, I'm not sure how you could safely retake the stairwell without firearms. When thinking about this, I don't normally allow myself the luxury of firearms (typically limit myself to something like a machete or fire axe).

Oh, and if you're (re)securing a stairwell, it's much easier if you're above the zombies than below since you need to make sure you can retreat to a door AND CLOSE IT before the zombies can get to it. No strategy works if the numbers are overwhelming, so you have to insure that you can get away when things go bad. Hospitals are nice since they have firedoors not just at the stairwells, but often in hallways, too. Just make sure that it locks behind you.

The biggest problem with Dead Reign zombies (vs more typical zombies) is that they can sense you through the walls up to 25 feet, which means that if you spend a lot of time going up or down the stairs, zombies on uncleared floors might start congregating at the doors which makes floor clearing much more dangerous since if they're at the door, you can't close it since they're probably stronger than you. I don't have a good solution for that yet short of breaking the window and hoping you can kill them through it without opening the door at all...some doors have windows too close to the latch to make that a generically safe strategy (and it's hard to kill zombies with a fire axe through the broken window...).

I don't know enough about elevator shafts to really ponder how these might be used. It seems like once you open the door onto the floor, you have no way of keeping zombies out of the shaft, which might compromise any floors you've secured below the current floor (and maybe above, too, if the zombies figure out how to climb and open the doors themselves).

Clearly I've spent too much time thinking about this.

--flatline

[gaby]

Well to make things more fair,cut it down to 10 feet.
So people still have a chance against the Zombies.

[dargo83]

one of the creative was some of my PCs found for clearing a building with elevators was that they would use noise to attract the dead heads to one end of the hallway then the others would prop open the elevator doors then they would climb in and to the opostie wall and when they were secured they would turn on a boombox on max and draw all of the zeds on that floor and when the zeds would run to get the PC they would fall and and then they would shoot and burn them and then they would wash rinse and repeat.

[SittingBull]

one of the creative was some of my PCs found for clearing a building with elevators was that they would use noise to attract the dead heads to one end of the hallway then the others would prop open the elevator doors then they would climb in and to the opostie wall and when they were secured they would turn on a boombox on max and draw all of the zeds on that floor and when the zeds would run to get the PC they would fall and and then they would shoot and burn them and then they would wash rinse and repeat.

Nice and creative.

[SittingBull]

Flatline has the right idea on building clearing, that is for sure.

My wife works in a handful of different hospitals. Don't think I haven't explored each one with exactly this type of thing in mind.

Once you clear a single floor, you can then attempt to clear all the connected stairwells. If you successfully do this, then it doesn't matter if a particular stairwell is compromised since you can simply close it off from your secured floor and switch to another stairwell. Once you've cleared another floor, you can attempt to take back the compromised stairwell from the other floor. If there are enough zombies that they can be at both doors, then you have to wait until you've cleared a 3rd floor...or hope that you can draw them away from one of the doors somehow. If they're already at the door, then since the doors open into the stairwell, I'm not sure how you could safely retake the stairwell without firearms. When thinking about this, I don't normally allow myself the luxury of firearms (typically limit myself to something like a machete or fire axe).

Oh, and if you're (re)securing a stairwell, it's much easier if you're above the zombies than below since you need to make sure you can retreat to a door AND CLOSE IT before the zombies can get to it. No strategy works if the numbers are overwhelming, so you have to insure that you can get away when things go bad. Hospitals are nice since they have firedoors not just at the stairwells, but often in hallways, too. Just make sure that it locks behind you.

The biggest problem with Dead Reign zombies (vs more typical zombies) is that they can sense you through the walls up to 25 feet, which means that if you spend a lot of time going up or down the stairs, zombies on uncleared floors might start congregating at the doors which makes floor clearing much more dangerous since if they're at the door, you can't close it since they're probably stronger than you. I don't have a good solution for that yet short of breaking the window and hoping you can kill them through it without opening the door at all...some doors have windows too close to the latch to make that a generically safe strategy (and it's hard to kill zombies with a fire axe through the broken window...).

I don't know enough about elevator shafts to really ponder how these might be used. It seems like once you open the door onto the floor, you have no way of keeping zombies out of the shaft, which might compromise any floors you've secured below the current floor (and maybe above, too, if the zombies figure out how to climb and open the doors themselves).

Clearly I've spent too much time thinking about this.

--flatline

Flatline. The 'sense 25' ability could be used against them. It wont take a genius to eventually realize they have a sensing range. The first floor would be the hardest but once its done. Move SLOWLY from the far end of the floor to stairwell (having the zombies follow you one or two floors above). Then, either hall ass to loose them fast, or go down a flight or two (once you have floors cleared), go across to another stair well and go up. You will be able to approach from behind the mob piled (mostly) at the stair doorway. Work them down while falling back (and keeping an eye behind you if solo). If need be repeat the process till the floor is clear.

You could also use this strategy with the elevators I imagine. Key elevator and be ready for passengers already on board. Once the elevator is cleared, get in and open the top hatch (having a spear on you.) Push up with the spear, and be ready to start spearing when the doors open and they enter. Eventually the car will be full of bodies, hopefully after you have killed them, and would have to empty it. Just would have to be careful to not overload the car.

As you can see I am primed for a DR game if I can find one.

Lastly. The WORST part of clearing a building like this, would be the removal of bodies. I would prefer taking out zombies over body clean up any day.

[flatline]

Flatline has the right idea on building clearing, that is for sure.

My wife works in a handful of different hospitals. Don't think I haven't explored each one with exactly this type of thing in mind.

Once you clear a single floor, you can then attempt to clear all the connected stairwells. If you successfully do this, then it doesn't matter if a particular stairwell is compromised since you can simply close it off from your secured floor and switch to another stairwell. Once you've cleared another floor, you can attempt to take back the compromised stairwell from the other floor. If there are enough zombies that they can be at both doors, then you have to wait until you've cleared a 3rd floor...or hope that you can draw them away from one of the doors somehow. If they're already at the door, then since the doors open into the stairwell, I'm not sure how you could safely retake the stairwell without firearms. When thinking about this, I don't normally allow myself the luxury of firearms (typically limit myself to something like a machete or fire axe).

Oh, and if you're (re)securing a stairwell, it's much easier if you're above the zombies than below since you need to make sure you can retreat to a door AND CLOSE IT before the zombies can get to it. No strategy works if the numbers are overwhelming, so you have to insure that you can get away when things go bad. Hospitals are nice since they have firedoors not just at the stairwells, but often in hallways, too. Just make sure that it locks behind you.

The biggest problem with Dead Reign zombies (vs more typical zombies) is that they can sense you through the walls up to 25 feet, which means that if you spend a lot of time going up or down the stairs, zombies on uncleared floors might start congregating at the doors which makes floor clearing much more dangerous since if they're at the door, you can't close it since they're probably stronger than you. I don't have a good solution for that yet short of breaking the window and hoping you can kill them through it without opening the door at all...some doors have windows too close to the latch to make that a generically safe strategy (and it's hard to kill zombies with a fire axe through the broken window...).

I don't know enough about elevator shafts to really ponder how these might be used. It seems like once you open the door onto the floor, you have no way of keeping zombies out of the shaft, which might compromise any floors you've secured below the current floor (and maybe above, too, if the zombies figure out how to climb and open the doors themselves).

Clearly I've spent too much time thinking about this.

--flatline

Flatline. The 'sense 25' ability could be used against them. It wont take a genius to eventually realize they have a sensing range. The first floor would be the hardest but once its done. Move SLOWLY from the far end of the floor to stairwell (having the zombies follow you one or two floors above). Then, either hall ass to loose them fast, or go down a flight or two (once you have floors cleared), go across to another stair well and go up. You will be able to approach from behind the mob piled (mostly) at the stair doorway. Work them down while falling back (and keeping an eye behind you if solo). If need be repeat the process till the floor is clear.

You could also use this strategy with the elevators I imagine. Key elevator and be ready for passengers already on board. Once the elevator is cleared, get in and open the top hatch (having a spear on you.) Push up with the spear, and be ready to start spearing when the doors open and they enter. Eventually the car will be full of bodies, hopefully after you have killed them, and would have to empty it. Just would have to be careful to not overload the car.

As you can see I am primed for a DR game if I can find one.

Lastly. The WORST part of clearing a building like this, would be the removal of bodies. I would prefer taking out zombies over body clean up any day.

That is all totally awesome! I guess I'm like Khan and my thinking is limited to two dimensions...

--flatline

[SittingBull]

I am normally the mentally restricted thinker but when it comes to gaming, and gaming situations, I tend to shine. ^^ Their main sense can be used against them.

I now see that DR zombies 'hidden strength/sense' can also be used against them.

However! Once the players come about the range of their sensing ability, I could easily see some paranoid/slow moving players.

[Oberoth]

I would find a helicopter and start from the top.

[ArmySGT.]

Most nations have laws that prevent a stairwell door from being locked. If said door must be locked then in the event of a fire alarm, or power outage the doors are released.

Doors to stair wells commonly open into the stairwell, again fire code.

Now people fleeing, or any number of reasons, and doors are propped open.

The stairwells are full of Zombies, and when the noise (moans, gun fire, and the noise of melee) then more are going to shuffle out of their cubicles and into the stair wells.

If you start at the top....... You have no where to retreat. If you start at the bottom, the zombies are throwing themselves down the stairs to get you. Overwhelmed in moments.

Then no power, no lights.

[ArmySGT.]

one of the creative was some of my PCs found for clearing a building with elevators was that they would use noise to attract the dead heads to one end of the hallway then the others would prop open the elevator doors then they would climb in and to the opostie wall and when they were secured they would turn on a boombox on max and draw all of the zeds on that floor and when the zeds would run to get the PC they would fall and and then they would shoot and burn them and then they would wash rinse and repeat.

You don't want to start a fire in a elevator shaft. It acts as a chimney carrying heat, smoke, and flames to floors above.

[flatline]

Most nations have laws that prevent a stairwell door from being locked. If said door must be locked then in the event of a fire alarm, or power outage the doors are released.

It is true that stairwell doors are supposed to remain unlocked if they are intended as exits, but most are lockable if you have the appropriate do-dad. If you are properly equipped (or sufficiently resourceful), most are brace-able or chainable.

Doors to stair wells commonly open into the stairwell, again fire code.

Now people fleeing, or any number of reasons, and doors are propped open.

The stairwells are full of Zombies, and when the noise (moans, gun fire, and the noise of melee) then more are going to shuffle out of their cubicles and into the stair wells.

If you start at the top....... You have no where to retreat. If you start at the bottom, the zombies are throwing themselves down the stairs to get you. Overwhelmed in moments.

Then no power, no lights.

All of this is true. Clearing buildings is dangerous business, but I can't think of a way to clear a tall building that doesn't require securing at least one stairwell.

--flatline

[SittingBull]

If you were a bit crazy you could clear floor by floor with a window washing platform perhaps?

[SittingBull]

One might even be able to use the window washing platforms as a means of actively clearing a floor in a pinch (if its a LARGE window like in a caferteria). Break out the glass, attract zombies, go up out of the their reach, and watch zombies walk out trying to reach up to you; gravity does the rest. Least gets them out of the building/off of that floor.

[ArmySGT.]

Most nations have laws that prevent a stairwell door from being locked. If said door must be locked then in the event of a fire alarm, or power outage the doors are released.

It is true that stairwell doors are supposed to remain unlocked if they are intended as exits, but most are lockable if you have the appropriate do-dad. If you are properly equipped (or sufficiently resourceful), most are brace-able or chainable.

Doors to stair wells commonly open into the stairwell, again fire code.

Now people fleeing, or any number of reasons, and doors are propped open.

The stairwells are full of Zombies, and when the noise (moans, gun fire, and the noise of melee) then more are going to shuffle out of their cubicles and into the stair wells.

If you start at the top....... You have no where to retreat. If you start at the bottom, the zombies are throwing themselves down the stairs to get you. Overwhelmed in moments.

Then no power, no lights.

All of this is true. Clearing buildings is dangerous business, but I can't think of a way to clear a tall building that doesn't require securing at least one stairwell.

--flatline

My point is that the stairwells are already full of Zombies, and as you try to clear even one stairwell, every zombie that can hear or is drawn by PPE is going to shuffle your way.

If your on the ground floor by PPE alone your drawing Zombies from the first, second, and third floors. The doors are unsecured already. fighting your way up through these zombies to secure a door brings you up to detection range of more on levels 4, 5, 6, and so on.

One starts moaning and that is going to echo up, up, up drawing Zombies from levels up above.

The doors are open already, and you have to continue to kill an ever increasing horde just to reach the doors on level one. Then once there to put down a chock or find something you can chain one of these doors closed being as most are single doors presents another problem.

[SittingBull]

I wouldn't think the 30 feet sensing range would cover 2 floors, 1 floor yes.

If things unfolded that way then the building would eventually clear itself if you could keep the zombies outside 'active'.

[ArmySGT.]

I wouldn't think the 30 feet sensing range would cover 2 floors, 1 floor yes.

Detection range 25 feet. 10 foot = 1 floor.

[ArmySGT.]

Tokyo.

Thoughts?

[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_Tokyo_Area
[/url]

Disregard those numbers (those that saw it). Flawed equation. I will factor Zombie population and density later.


Stay in a building and starve to death, or go onto the streets and be torn apart. Even if you found a dead policeman with a gun (I don't think Japanese police carry guns) or a Japanese Self Defense Force soldier with a rifle and a full basic load...... 45 rounds pistol, 210 rounds rifle.

I don't like those odds.

[ArmySGT.]

I wouldn't think the 30 feet sensing range would cover 2 floors, 1 floor yes.

If things unfolded that way then the building would eventually clear itself if you could keep the zombies outside 'active'.

You have to find a way to play "Pied Piper of Hamlin" and force a full blown convergence. Drawing Zombies out of a building as one moans and another moans, and it grows exponentially.

Except your drawing them out of the building on the left, right, and across the street, probably down the street too.

If your seen on the street, one starts moaning and that is the dinner bell, folks.

[Icefalcon]

I would find a helicopter and start from the top.

My players tried this. They failed on the top floor of the hospital and lost one character and almost lost four others.

[SittingBull]

I wouldn't think the 30 feet sensing range would cover 2 floors, 1 floor yes.

If things unfolded that way then the building would eventually clear itself if you could keep the zombies outside 'active'.

You have to find a way to play "Pied Piper of Hamlin" and force a full blown convergence. Drawing Zombies out of a building as one moans and another moans, and it grows exponentially.

Except your drawing them out of the building on the left, right, and across the street, probably down the street too.

If your seen on the street, one starts moaning and that is the dinner bell, folks.

With their sensing range and chaining together, you could technically empty a large building (mostly) be making trips under it in the sewers. I know its not safe but its better than street level.

[Icefalcon]

If you really want to clear a building, then the way to go is full body armor plus riot shield (or a homemade version of both). Leather for body armor would be preferable. Nails and teeth are not going through boiled steer leather. Get a reach weapon (like a spear, preferably a boar spear), hunker down behind the shield (some buddies equipped the same way is helpful) and stab away. If alone, a narrow area (like stairs) are helpful to channel the dead heads into a manageable number at one time. Keep multiple escape routes open to yourself and do not be afraid to run and come back later after they have settled down a bit. Fire inside of a building is not advisable, you chance burning the building down around you.

If you really want to capture a building, try one of those mega-super-hardware stores. They have enough square footage inside to keep you out of the 25 foot sensing range. You have plenty of supplies to fortify vulnerable parts of the store (like big windows, glass doors, etc.) and make and repair other things as well. You have a docking area that can be converted to garage for "Mad Maxing" your vehicles and pulling semis up to. You keep a semi gassed up and on hand for supply runs. You have plenty of storage space for supplies. You also have plenty of room for buddies. The concrete floors would allow you to make controlled fires to stay warm in winter. Plenty of grills for barbeque, stoves for cooking, generators to run your electric and all kinds of goodies. Outside, you usually have lawn tractors and other useful equipment. Not to mention, with all those building supplies inside you can build yourself a wall around the parking lot (maybe use the fork lift to move cars into a stack as a wall temporarily). If you really want to, add a cage around the cab of your forklift and use it for supply close supply runs or distraction for your buddies leaving/arriving with a the semi. But then, this is just one of my many ideas.

[Icefalcon]

I wouldn't think the 30 feet sensing range would cover 2 floors, 1 floor yes.

If things unfolded that way then the building would eventually clear itself if you could keep the zombies outside 'active'.

You have to find a way to play "Pied Piper of Hamlin" and force a full blown convergence. Drawing Zombies out of a building as one moans and another moans, and it grows exponentially.

Except your drawing them out of the building on the left, right, and across the street, probably down the street too.

If your seen on the street, one starts moaning and that is the dinner bell, folks.

With their sensing range and chaining together, you could technically empty a large building (mostly) be making trips under it in the sewers. I know its not safe but its better than street level.

Clear the outlying area around your building first. Maybe weld some razor wire between the tines of a forklift and mow them down.

[grainit]

Places like warehouses, outlets or what ever just lining dead cars into a perimeter around the building two or three rows chained together bumper to bumper would stop any would be people from driving into your walls and make it very difficult for zombies to just walk up to your door.

This is mostly is to stop the party crashers that want to drive into your hideout through a wall.

[ArmySGT.]

I wouldn't think the 30 feet sensing range would cover 2 floors, 1 floor yes.

If things unfolded that way then the building would eventually clear itself if you could keep the zombies outside 'active'.

You have to find a way to play "Pied Piper of Hamlin" and force a full blown convergence. Drawing Zombies out of a building as one moans and another moans, and it grows exponentially.

Except your drawing them out of the building on the left, right, and across the street, probably down the street too.

If your seen on the street, one starts moaning and that is the dinner bell, folks.

With their sensing range and chaining together, you could technically empty a large building (mostly) be making trips under it in the sewers. I know its not safe but its better than street level.

How many miles of infested sewers did your people walk through to get to that part of the city? Reality sewer lines are 4 foot diameter pipe, storm drains are 6-8 foot pipe, the really massive storm drains in major cities are really reservoirs that catch the immediate large volume of rain water and channel it safely.

As your trying to clear a building in an urban setting your drawing the attention of zombies from that building, on the street, and all the adjacent buildings. That is just the mindless shufflers, all it takes is one thinker to notice you, or a death cultist. ..............

Cities are a death trap for survivors, stay out. At the first hint of a convergence drop it all and run. Stick to the country side and small towns. Just the periphery of cities like the suburbs. One moan draws 10, ten start moaning draws one hundred, and more, and more.

[ArmySGT.]

If you really want to clear a building, then the way to go is full body armor plus riot shield (or a homemade version of both). Leather for body armor would be preferable. Nails and teeth are not going through boiled steer leather. Get a reach weapon (like a spear, preferably a boar spear), hunker down behind the shield (some buddies equipped the same way is helpful) and stab away. If alone, a narrow area (like stairs) are helpful to channel the dead heads into a manageable number at one time. Keep multiple escape routes open to yourself and do not be afraid to run and come back later after they have settled down a bit. Fire inside of a building is not advisable, you chance burning the building down around you.

andddddd your dead.

They will grab your spear. They are dead and don't fear being cut or stabbed. You will stab them with the spear and they will advance toward you as the spear shaft drives deeper. The shield is a perfect of two, three, or four to grab you and pull you into the undead mob. Your torn limb from limb. While your keeping the ones from above you at bay behind your shield wall, the zombie moans, the screams and yells of your buddies, and the sounds of combat has drawn in more behind you.

Your in a city, there is no clear lines of retreat.

If you really want to capture a building, try one of those mega-super-hardware stores. They have enough square footage inside to keep you out of the 25 foot sensing range. You have plenty of supplies to fortify vulnerable parts of the store (like big windows, glass doors, etc.) and make and repair other things as well. You have a docking area that can be converted to garage for "Mad Maxing" your vehicles and pulling semis up to. You keep a semi gassed up and on hand for supply runs. You have plenty of storage space for supplies. You also have plenty of room for buddies. The concrete floors would allow you to make controlled fires to stay warm in winter. Plenty of grills for barbeque, stoves for cooking, generators to run your electric and all kinds of goodies. Outside, you usually have lawn tractors and other useful equipment. Not to mention, with all those building supplies inside you can build yourself a wall around the parking lot (maybe use the fork lift to move cars into a stack as a wall temporarily). If you really want to, add a cage around the cab of your forklift and use it for supply close supply runs or distraction for your buddies leaving/arriving with a the semi. But then, this is just one of my many ideas.

The big box orange hardware store, and the big box blue hardware store indeed have a lot of supplies........ If people didn't accidentally torch it, if the place wasn't emptied in the opening days of the zombies rising, if things weren't breaking down and supplies were not delivered, if the big building wasn't used to contain hundreds of infected people.

Most of the time these will be gutted, looted, and burnt like all stores will be when people think there will not be any consequences to looting and rioting.

[SittingBull]

Convergence?

DR zombies grab weapons on purpose? I could see it done accidentally.

[Icefalcon]

If you really want to clear a building, then the way to go is full body armor plus riot shield (or a homemade version of both). Leather for body armor would be preferable. Nails and teeth are not going through boiled steer leather. Get a reach weapon (like a spear, preferably a boar spear), hunker down behind the shield (some buddies equipped the same way is helpful) and stab away. If alone, a narrow area (like stairs) are helpful to channel the dead heads into a manageable number at one time. Keep multiple escape routes open to yourself and do not be afraid to run and come back later after they have settled down a bit. Fire inside of a building is not advisable, you chance burning the building down around you.

andddddd your dead.

They will grab your spear. They are dead and don't fear being cut or stabbed. You will stab them with the spear and they will advance toward you as the spear shaft drives deeper. The shield is a perfect of two, three, or four to grab you and pull you into the undead mob. Your torn limb from limb. While your keeping the ones from above you at bay behind your shield wall, the zombie moans, the screams and yells of your buddies, and the sounds of combat has drawn in more behind you.

Your in a city, there is no clear lines of retreat.

I might agree about them using the shield to pull you in. Walking down the spear though? Not likely if you have a boar spear. Those things have cross bars to prevent that very thing from a charging boar. They are very effective. The can grab at it all they like, the 14 inches or more of blade will slice right through fingers. Torn limb from limb while wearing armor? I seriously doubt that. It takes a lot more force than a zombie can mount to actually tear a limb away from the body. The armor will allow time to pull that backup weapon (kukri or maybe a type of short sword) and go to. Also, if they get past the spear, don't be afraid to abandon it for the blade. Once they actually get close enough to grab it, start cutting hands off.

Most zombies are stone dumb. There is always a way of ensuring a retreat. It might not be an easy path but it is possible with the right amount of planning. As for the zombies outside, you take them out first. Clear a nice wide radius around the building you want and then go to. It will a good long while for zombies to reach you from elsewhere outside of that radius or another building.

If you really want to capture a building, try one of those mega-super-hardware stores. They have enough square footage inside to keep you out of the 25 foot sensing range. You have plenty of supplies to fortify vulnerable parts of the store (like big windows, glass doors, etc.) and make and repair other things as well. You have a docking area that can be converted to garage for "Mad Maxing" your vehicles and pulling semis up to. You keep a semi gassed up and on hand for supply runs. You have plenty of storage space for supplies. You also have plenty of room for buddies. The concrete floors would allow you to make controlled fires to stay warm in winter. Plenty of grills for barbeque, stoves for cooking, generators to run your electric and all kinds of goodies. Outside, you usually have lawn tractors and other useful equipment. Not to mention, with all those building supplies inside you can build yourself a wall around the parking lot (maybe use the fork lift to move cars into a stack as a wall temporarily). If you really want to, add a cage around the cab of your forklift and use it for supply close supply runs or distraction for your buddies leaving/arriving with a the semi. But then, this is just one of my many ideas.

The big box orange hardware store, and the big box blue hardware store indeed have a lot of supplies........ If people didn't accidentally torch it, if the place wasn't emptied in the opening days of the zombies rising, if things weren't breaking down and supplies were not delivered, if the big building wasn't used to contain hundreds of infected people.

Most of the time these will be gutted, looted, and burnt like all stores will be when people think there will not be any consequences to looting and rioting.

At the start of this most people are going to be thinking of food and weapons. They are not going to think of the hardware stores until weeks after the zombies start rising. If it is the first stop as soon as you realize there are zombies, taking one becomes much more probable. Torching one is not going to be easy. First, the sprinkler system will definitely still work without power, at least the first time. After, there is no pressure to refill the lines. Second, concrete does NOT burn very easy. Considering the majority of these stores are build from that and metal they will not go up quickly or easily. Hardware store, or stores of any kind for that matter, would not willingly become dead storage houses. Even the main Dead Reign books says that it was churches, hospitals, government buildings, military bases and police stations that most of the bodies were dumped in. Considering there are more churches in the the United States than any other building except stores and homes, I don't really think with all of those other options (not to mention straight up warehouses being better) that a business would allow the storage of the dead.

The store being short on things due to lack of supply trucks might be the most plausible of options you provided. Even then, the store would still have quite a few things on the shelves. It is not like they are going to be completely bare in the opening days. There would still be enough to get you by.

[Icefalcon]

Convergence?

DR zombies grab weapons on purpose? I could see it done accidentally.

It doesn't say they grab them on purpose. There are those that will randomly pick up an item and will carry it around for a while before they drop it. I seriously doubt that they will do so regularly.

[Icefalcon]

Oh, and to further defend the shield further, I DID say that you find a narrow spot where they can only come at you two or three at a time.

Another note on retreating. If you are stabbing once then backing up then repeating, not as much of a chance for you to be hemmed in.

[DevastationBob]

I like the idea of luring the zombies to the upper floors of a skyscraper that has been prepped or set with charges so that the floor is slanted at a steep angle, the zombies go in and then just fall from the upper floor. The bait can rappel down, or be pulled up. Repeat.

[ArmySGT.]

Convergence?

DR zombies grab weapons on purpose? I could see it done accidentally.

Convergence is from the DR books. It is when the Zombies sense prey or hear the moans of a zombie that has and move in. One becomes ten, ten becomes a thousand, all trying to get at that prey.

Zombies grab at anything on the prey to pull it in to bite. They don't feel pain or fear injury. The blade cuts into the flesh but, is stopped by the bones, and the blade is torn from the warriors grasp.

[ArmySGT.]

Oh, and to further defend the shield further, I DID say that you find a narrow spot where they can only come at you two or three at a time.

Another note on retreating. If you are stabbing once then backing up then repeating, not as much of a chance for you to be hemmed in.

It is not two, three, or ten. It is 500. They don't get tired, don't need sleep. They want to eat your flesh and won't be distracted by anything else.

After a few turns your player will start suffering fatigue. When they get to tired to fight. They die.

[Icefalcon]

Convergence?

DR zombies grab weapons on purpose? I could see it done accidentally.

Convergence is from the DR books. It is when the Zombies sense prey or hear the moans of a zombie that has and move in. One becomes ten, ten becomes a thousand, all trying to get at that prey.

Zombies grab at anything on the prey to pull it in to bite. They don't feel pain or fear injury. The blade cuts into the flesh but, is stopped by the bones, and the blade is torn from the warriors grasp.

It is extremely easy to cut fingers off. If a zombie can't grasp and item, they can't take that item.