Gentlemen Prefer Zombies - An Introduction

8/13/2019 Gentlemen Prefer Zombies - An Introduction

1/11

rew "Drew" Wood (order #5443398)


2/11

2

Once again the undead menace has surfaced on the streetsof Londons East End. And once again the gentlemenmembers of Oakes, the discreet and exclusive London clubare ready to confront that menace. Thought to have beenfounded over two hundred and twenty years ago, the clubhas given a home to gentlemen explorers, adventurersand hunters and has proven a valuable resource to the everexpanding British Empire. However, not all adventuresare found abroad, not all hunters travel to exotic climesto find a worthy prey. For some years now, a deadlynew quarry has appeared much closer to home. In fact agentleman has only to travel a mile down Commercial Rdto find as much sport as he could wish for - fore it is inLondons slums, its warehouses and docks that this vilevermin now spread.

Most assume that this undead plague started in disgustingand overcrowded slums, amongst the unclean dregs ofsociety - the poor, the unemployed and the incapable.Some wonder whether the sickness has been brought fromthe East, carried in the holds of ships from distant lands.Others have looked at the constant delving under thestreets of London, the sewers and the train tunnels - theconstructions of a progressive city - but what ancient soilthey dig through? What terrible history does this troubledearth hold? Has some dreadful danger been released bythe constant delving?

Many theories are discussed but whatever the cause -the members of Oakes know what they must do. As theevening draws in and the street lamps begin to glow - it istime to confront this foe. Outside in the street a carriageawaits, servants are stowing the hunters weapons andequipment. An evening of danger and sport awaits - this isthe time that the gentleman of Oakes truly come alive!

IntroductionGentlemen Prefer Zombies is a game of sporting upper-class gentlemen and beastly zombies set in Victorian

London towards the end of the nineteenth century. In manyways this world is the Victorian world described in mosthistory books. There are no steam-powered flying aircraftcarriers but - hidden away in dark and squalid corners is agrowing plague of shambling living corpses desperate tosatisfy their monstrous appetites.

Each game or scenario is a hunting expedition that takesour gentlemen hunters away from their usual genteelsurroundings to the grim and seedy hunting grounds ofEast London. Here the hunters provide dual service. Firstthey rid the area of a most dangerous threat and allow thecitizens to go about their business. Secondly they provide

much needed invigoration to their jaded luxurious lives.The gentlemen hunters are therefore undertaking a nobletask but with a distinct air of competition and rivalry.

What You Need to Play the GameFor players wishing to partake in a little bit of Victorianzombie hunter they will need a selection of Victorianfigures of which there is excellent availability in themarket, especially in 28mm which is what these rules aregeared for. If players can accumulate a good selection ofGentlemen miniatures as well as a colourful mixture ofother Victorian characters such as policemen, servants,tradesmen, children, soldiers, criminals, beggars etc - thiswill all add extra flavour to the games. Then of coursethere are the zombies. In my own collection I have anumber of specifically Victorian zombies but have alsoa number of more generic types (dressed in non-descriptrags) that are pressed into service when high volumes ofrotting meat are required.

In addition to the miniatures, players will need a playingarea of modest size, four feet by four feet is usually ample(but obviously this can be expanded if time and spaceallow). Terrain is important in this game and it can bequite varied. The action usually revolves around buildingsof some sort, these can range from derelict slums, poorquality housing, jumbled and chaotic warehouses rightup to Victorian mansions. However, sometimes thehunt will stray into more open ground, large municipal

parks, marshes and graveyards can all be found withinthe confines of the city. And of course the river Thames

plays its part - its treacherous muddy banks, it bustlingdockyards - all have been the scenes of numerous zombiehunts. So plenty of terrain features are needed if playerswish to explore all aspects of Londons hunting grounds!

Other game paraphernalia will be the usual selection oftape measures or rulers (inches are used in this game) anddice. Gentlemen Prefer Zombies uses d6 but not bucketsof them. Each player only needs 2d6 - enough to generatetheir action rolls and thats it.

How Many PlayersIdeally Gentlemen Prefer Zombies needs three or more

players. One player will be the umpire and two or more players will be the zombie hunters. It is better if thereare at least two Gentlemen players because this allowsfor some sporting rivalry between the two hunters. It is

possible to play the game with quite a few participants. Ihave run games with up to eight hunters and the action hasnot become slowed or bogged down - although there wasa risk of running out of zombies! It is however

Gentlemen Prefer Zombies



3/11

3

recommended that players control only one Gentlemanhunter each. It is possible for players to control morethan this but there is a risk that the individuality of eachcharacter will become somewhat diluted.

Creating a Character The players first task (if they are one of the hunters) will

be to create a Gentleman character. This is not a lengthy process but is quite amusing and will hopefully help the players get into the role of whichever upper-class twitthey are playing. Players will be able to create a namefor their character, determine whether the gentleman hasa title or not and then dice for their particular attributes.A range of typical Victorian weaponry will be availableto the hunters (sorry no electric death-rays) as well as aconsiderable array of servants to provide ancillary support.These will include loyal butlers to reload a chaps weapon,domestic servants that provide refreshments and grubbystreet children that are excellent at luring zombies ontothe guns.

Playing a Character The most successful games of Gentlemen Prefer Zombies that I have participated in are not necessarily those withthe best scenarios or the most effective umpire, it is gameswhere the players really get into character. And when Isay successful I do of course mean funny! It is very

hard to take a game seriously when you have characterswith names like Bunny Skeffindon Earl of Spankwhittleroaming the streets of London - even if they are armed withan elephant gun! This really is a game where the playersmake the difference and the points should definitely go tothe players that can maintain the silliest posh accent.

The UmpireThe Umpire is the player whocontrols all of the zombies, allof the non-player characters

- basically everything apartfrom the hunters. The umpirewill need to be very familiarwith the rules and will haveto execute whichever scenariothey are using in the game(although not all games requirea scenario). The umpire willof course have the final sayin any rules disputes and willimprovise rules when the gamestrays into areas not alreadycovered by existing rules.

The HuntZombie hunts can be straightforward affairs involving agroup of hunters, a bunch of zombies and a lot of gunfire.If the hunters survive the expedition, the Gentleman thatscored the most and best kills will be the winner. These arefun and entertaining games and require little preparation

by the umpire, players just need to gather round the gamingtable with whichever miniatures are required, set out theterrain and get going.

However, if the umpire has a little more time, a scenariocan be prepared before hand. This can provide the playerswith some background material for the hunt, perhaps somerumours surrounding the events of the undead incursion,some helpful and not so helpful non-player characters anda seriously powerful boss zombie that must be taken out

if the hunt is to be successful. All of this clearly takesmore time but will lead to more involving and interestinggames.

In the Picture Below In this exciting excerpt from a recent hunting expedition,the honourable Ramsey Ainsworth-Swithin is about tointroduce his heavy calibre six shot single action revolverto the face of the nearest zombie. The redoubtable Ramseyisnt sure whether he has got five shots left or four, eitherway he will probably resort to his cane to finish the last

couple of zombies off.

The miniatures shown here and in the other pictures arefrom the authors collection of West Wind Miniatures -Empire of the Dead range - and jolly good they are too,

just what you need to create a Victorian zombie hunt!




4/11

4

A Cast of CharactersIf the umpire has created a scenario for the game, thisis likely to include several non-player characters whowill contribute to the action. This might be a helpful

policeman (or not so helpful policeman), a street vendor,a dock worker, barman or any other of a host of Victoriancharacters that could be available. These characters helpto drive the scenario and will test the players skills atinteracting with such persons and how well players canassess and act upon such information. The inclusion ofthese characters should hopefully reign-in some of themore gung-ho hunters and discourage them from blazingaway at anything that moves.

RumoursRumours are an excellent tool that the umpire can use todeliver information and misinformation to the players.Rumours can create false leads, send the players off inthe wrong direction, mask the truth, create tensions andexacerbate rivalries between the players. Rumours areusually delivered before the game and during it too. Non-

player characters can be used to deliver rumours mid-game that might provide clues that might aide or hinderthe hunt.

Un-Gentlemanly Behaviour Most of the time, the Gentlemen that are involved in thehunt will act in a cooperative and friendly manner.

Yes there is a sense of sporting rivalry, but the prey areextremely dangerous and so hunters will have to work asa team if they are to survive.

Unfortunately some scenarios can create a divisionamongst the hunters especially if conflicting objectivesare to be achieved. This can lead to dark deeds, robbery,assault, murder and other distinctly un-gentlemanly

behaviour - which is all good fun and can add an extralevel of uncertainty and intensity to the average zombiehunt.

In The IntroductionIn the rest of this introductory booklet I have includedsome sections of the Gentlemen Prefer Zombies rules so

that players can get some detailed knowledge of the game.I have included the Gentlemans name and backgroundgenerator, the rules for servants and a look at how damageis handled. These are not the rules in their entirety butthey should give players a good idea about how the gameworks. I hope you enjoy the rest of this introduction.

In The Picture BelowIn the picture below we can see Godfrey Everard-Fossgoing to work on the undead. With the first shot thezombie has had his arm blown off, with the second shotthe zombie has dropped its guts. Come on Godfrey oldchap - steady that aim!




5/11

TitlePlayers can use this section to create the names and titles oftheir Gentlemen characters. 2d6 will be rolled on the tables

below to determine their title. If the score rolled is nine ormore, the Lord of... table should also be consulted.

Die Roll Title Die Roll Title

2 Colonel 8 Sir

3 Lt Colonel 9 Baron

4 Major 10 Viscount

5 Captain 11 Earl

6 Lieutenant 12 Duke

7 Mr - Prince

First NameOnce players have established their characters title, theymust now select a name. Players can choose one of thetables below and let the dice decide - and multiple middlenames always add that extra aura of class!

Choose your own NamePlayers can choose their characters own names if theythink that they can come up with something sillier thanthose listed here. However, players cannot choose togive their character a title or military rank unless this issanctioned by the umpire player.

Add to the ListThe umpire and other players should also feel free to addto the names and make new lists for players to use. Imsure that there must be numerous upper-crust names thathave not been included. If the name sounds posh - thenadd it too the list.

It is a good idea to keep the list of first names longerthan the list of surnames. This means that there is less of

a chance of first name repetition and more of a chanceof surname repetition. In our games we have often hadcharacters with the same surname which suggests a familylink. This can provide an extra layer of tension especiallyif one of the characters is titled and one isnt. Could one

5

The Gentlemans Name

Die Roll First Name1 Ramsey

2 Rodney

3 Rufus4 Rupert5 Sebastian6 Spenser

Die Roll First Name1 Tarquin

2 Theobald

3 Tristan4 Vincent

5 Wilfred6 William

Die Roll First Name1 Binky

2 Squiffy

3 Ducky4 Bunny5 Stinky6 Wiffy

Die Roll First Name1 Albert

2 Algernon

3 Albion4 Alexander 5 Archibald6 Aubrey

Die Roll First Name1 Baldwin

2 Benedict

3 Cecil4 Clarence

5 Crispin6 Cuthbert

Die Roll First Name1 Donald

2 Edmond

3 Ernest4 Forbes5 Gerald6 Gilbert

Die Roll First Name1 Godfrey

2 Hadley

3 Hector 4 Horace5 Ivor 6 Jasper

Die Roll First Name1 Kendall

2 Konrad

3 Lancelot4 Lionel

5 Melville6 Montgomery

Die Roll First Name1 Neville

2 Norris

3 Oswald4 Percival5 Philbert6 Quentin



6/11

of the characters be the younger brother who will onlygain the family title on the death of the older brother? Thiscan of course lead to some interesting dilemmas!

SurnameOnce players have a suitably gentlemanly first name fortheir character - they must now choose a surname.

Players can choose their own upper class name or leave itto chance by using the tables on the following page. Thename can either be a single name or a double-barrelledname. It is up to the player to choose. Double-barrellednames (i.e. Bagley-Morgan or Foss-Wibbert) have farmore potential for pretension and silliness and are thereforehighly recommended!

6

The Gentlemans Name

Die Roll Surname1 Ainsworth

2 Ashby

3 Bagley4 Bathhurst5 Botolph6 Chickering

Die Roll Surname1 Crumley

2 Dunstan

3 Everard4 Foss5 Gifford6 Goodrich

Die Roll Surname1 Heaton

2 Huntington

3 Kennit4 Lamport5 Lawley6 Morgan

Die Roll Surname1 Newsome

2 Newbury

3 Osborne4 Plimpton5 Randal6 Reese

Die Roll Surname1 Rollins

2 Rowley

3 Sheldon4 Skeffindon5 Swithin6 Tremaine

Die Roll Surname1 Thistle

2 Vaughn

3 Waldgrave4 Wibbert5 Wickham6 Young

Die Roll Lord of...1 Twiddlefield

2 Lillyford

3 Brockelswad

4 Grettiwick 5 Splashing6 Norithorpe

Die Roll Lord of...1 Burket

2 Clitherith

3 Plumhaven4 Demellons5 Chitburn

6 Spankwhittle

LordIf the Gentleman is titled i.e. they are a baron, viscout,earl or duke, players will need to find out what theircharacter is lord of - for example Baron Bathhurst ofSpankwhittle.

Again, players should feel free to add as many bogus andludicrous titles to these lists as they can think of. Hunterscan in theory include members of the royal family (duke/

prince) but only with the permission of the umpire.

Die Roll Lord of...1 Oggletworp

2 Fannyham

3 Spiggleton

4 Flarpbury5 Crapeville6 Gropeley

Die Roll Lord of...1 Griddlewallop

2 North Dicker

3 Uglywick 4 Vegiswet5 Trickling

6 Swellbury

Die Roll Lord of...1 Fuddleburn

2 Miggleslump

3 Throbhall

4 Gristleslip5 Mukwickley6 Handiwabble

Die Roll Lord of...1 Muchitching

2 Wartnoodle

3 Ballydally4 Fingygrease5 Crotchwhistle

6 Rhotgusset



7/11

Military Rank If the Gentleman has a military rank, players might liketo determine which regiment they serve in. Players canchoose a unit or simply pick a table below by rolling 1d6.Players will note that the gentleman is likely to be servingin one of the guards regiments - almost a prerequisite forOakes membership.

Gentlemen hunters of more advanced years can stillhave military ranks but might have retired fromactive military service so players need not worry if theminiature representing their character has a more elderlyappearance.

The Gentlemans Name

Die Roll Horse Regiments

1 Any Line regt

2 Royal Horse Guards (the Blues)

3 Royal Dragoons

4 Royal Scots Greys

5 Queens Dragoon Guards

6 Life Guards

Die Roll Honours

2 Commander of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath

3 Commander of the Most Honourable Order of the Sink 4 Gentleman is not the right sort of chap to receive an Honour

5 - 7 The gentleman has not yet received an honour

8 Gentleman may receive an honour - test again next game

9 Companion of the Wooden Cross

10 Companion of the Grand Cross

11 Grand Scout of the Hunt

12 Order of the Garter (gentleman must be a lord, if not - roll again and ignore this result if it comes up again)

Die Roll Foot Regiments

1 Any Line regt

2 Any Line regt

3 Kings Royal Rifles

4 Coldstream Guards

5 Scots Guards

6 Grenadier GuardsHonoursMost Gentleman strive to be honourable chaps and someeven get rewarded for it. The final stage when creating theGentlemans name is to test to see whether any additionalhonours have been acquired by the Gentleman. If an eightor more is rolled when testing for the characters Title or

a score of five or less was rolled, the player gets a chanceon the Honours table. Do these honours have an practicaluse? No not really, they enhance the prestige of theGentleman - but do not make him a better shot.

Ancestry

This section is optional and has no real bearing on thegame but can provide a gentleman with extra reasons tofeel superior. Ancestry shows how far back the charactercan trace their name through history and when the family

rose to prominence (i.e. gained wealth or hereditarytitles). If characters share the same surname but differentAncestry, the families are obviously unrelated and thefamily from the lower orders will be shunned.

Die Roll Ancestry Description

1 - 2 Very new money Sudden accumulation of wealth through industry, trade or marrying an American heiress

3 Civil War winner Backed the eventual winning side in the Civil War (Charles II)

4 New money Elizabethan wool producer/pig farmer made good

5 Reformation Bonanza Supporters of Henry VIII and beneficiaries of cheap monastic land sell-off

6 Norman Norman invaders who settled in England in 1066 or soon after

7



8/11

Servants

8

Hunting expeditions can require a fair amount of equipmentand additional manpower to ensure that they are a success.For this reason, hunting parties will include a number ofservants. These are insignificant creatures in themselves

but they do provide a valuable service. Servants arerepresented by a single servant figure. This single figurerepresents all of the underlings that have come along onthe hunt. There are number of different servant types thatare available.

Butler Butlers can be an invaluable addition to a hunt and providean essential and yet discreet service to the Gentleman.Although this servant does not use any weaponry,they carry back-up weapons for their masters. When aGentleman figure is within one inch of the servant figure,

the player can call for the butler and the butler will reloadthe Gentlemans weapon. This means that the Gentlemandoes not have to trouble himself with the tiresome processof reloading.

DomesticThese are domestic servants that will provide refreshmentsto the hunters, including sustaining food or reviving drinksor other comforts from home (smelling salts, pomander,tobacco etc). When a Gentleman is within one inch of theservant figure, 1d6 is rolled on the Gentlemans Relieftable below. A Gentleman cannot spend more than twoconsecutive turns getting relief from a domestic. Twoturns is amply time to take refreshment and then get backto the hunt (otherwise comments about being tied to theapron strings are likely).

Die Roll Gentlemans Relief 1 One inch move bonus (per action on movement) next time the Gentleman moves which lasts one turn.2 Shooting Factor bonus next time the Gentleman shoots (i.e. factor four becomes three), lasts for one turn.3 Combat Factor bonus next time the Gentleman fights (i.e. factor five becomes four), lasts for one turn.4 Gain an extra attack in close combat the next time the Gentleman enters close combat, lasts for one turn.5 Gain one Stiff Upper Lip point (to be used at any time).6 Regain one lost life point.

Flusher

It is not unusual for zombies to lurk in cramped and dark places - places that do not offer the most ideal of huntingconditions. For that reason, hunting parties often includeflushers - young and nimble children who can be sentinto these dark places to lure the zombies onto the guns.

If a zombie entry point has been found and the servantfigure is within six inches of the entry point. A Gentlemancan order a flusher into the hole. The Gentleman figuremust be within one inch of the servant figure to do this. Theumpire will then roll 1d6 and refer to the table below.

Die Roll Flusher Results1 Is killed or lost forever.2 Does not come out, roll again next turn.3 Screams and runs out.4 Returns and could not see anything.5 Returns and reveals that there are 2d6

zombies in the cavity (whether this is true ornot is another matter). The umpire will knowexactly what is in the entry point.

6 Flusher returns and describes exactly what is

in the entry point.

Mud Lark

Mud Larks make their living savaging along the citiesriverbanks for lost or discarded items that they can sell.They have an excellent knowledge of their environmentand are familiar with tide times and know which areasof treacherous mud to avoid. Mud larks are essential forhunting expeditions along the cities rivers.

When hunters are moving across such terrain and theyencounter movement difficulties (lose direction, getstuck in the mud etc) - the mud lark can be employed. AGentleman figure must be within one inch of the servantfigure to do this. 1d6 is rolled and the table below is

referred to.

Die Roll Mud Lark Results1 Mud Lark drowns.2 Difficulty continues, roll again next turn.

3 - 4 Difficulty overcome at start of next turn.6 Difficulty overcome immediately.

Plugger The undead vermin often gain access from theirsubterranean world into the land of the living throughsmall holes. It is these grim apertures that the hunt needs



9/11

9

to deal with. For this reason, pluggers often accompanyGentlemen on their expeditions. These useful fellows areadept at filling, closing and generally blocking-off suchopenings.

If a zombie entry point has been found and the servantfigure is within six inches of the entry point. A Gentlemancan order a plugger to fill the hole. The Gentleman figuremust be within one inch of the servant figure to do this. Theumpire will then roll 1d6 and refer to the table below.

Die Roll Plugger Results1 Plugger runs off never to return.

2 - 3 Begins work, roll again next turn.4 Hole will be closed at the start of next turn.

5 - 6 Hole closed immediately

Players should note that if the work is not carried outimmediately, there is every chance that the noise created

by the work will attract the attention of the undead. Theumpire might consider that larger holes will require twoor more turns of successful plugging to block them. Tosher Toshers are scavengers who ply their trade in the sewersof London, looking for bones, rope, coal, nails etc.Experienced toshers have an excellent knowledge ofthese subterranean passageways, areas where zombiesfrequently lurk.

When hunters are moving through sewers and othersuch underground terrain and they encounter movementdifficulties (lose direction, get stuck in a hole etc) - thetosher can be employed. A Gentleman figure must bewithin one inch of the servant figure to do this. 1d6 isrolled and the table below is referred to.

Die Roll Tosher Results1 Mud Lark runs off never to return.

2 Difficulty continues, roll again next turn.3 - 4 Difficulty overcome at start of next turn.

6 Difficulty overcome immediately.

Using ServantsGentlemen are so used to giving commands to servantsthat it doesnt take any actions to do this. If a Gentlemanfigure is within one inch of the servant figure, a servantcan be activated. These actions are described above. Theservant figure can be activated no more than twice perturn. A gentleman cannot command a servant more than

once per turn.

Servant MovementThe servant figure can move up to eight inches per turn.Only one such move can be made per turn. The Master ofthe Hunt will control the movement of the servant figure.The movement will occur during the Gentlemans phaseof the turn and can happen at any point during that part ofthe turn. The servant figure cannot be moved into contactwith a zombie figure.

Risk to ServantsIf a zombie figure (or figures) move into contact with theservant figure, there is a risk to the expeditions servants.The umpire does not have to test to hit the servant (aswould be required in combat against a Gentleman), theumpire simply rolls 1d6 and refers to the table below.

Die Roll Risk to Serants1 Servants are destroyed, place three new

zombies within one inch of the servants. Theservant figure is removed.

2 The servants are getting mauled, two newzombies are created. Place new zombiewithin one inch of the servants. The attackcontinues next turn.

3 The servants are getting chewed, one newzombie is created. Place new zombie withinone inch of the servants.

4 The servants fend off the zombies this turn,test again next turn. The attack continuesnext turn.

5 The servants evade contact and move up toeight inches away from the attackers.

6 Servants fight back, one zombie isdestroyed.

Note, the number of new zombies created that turn cannotexceed the number of zombies in contact and fightingwith the servant. If a Gentleman contacts a zombie thatis in contact with a servant, the zombie will automaticallyturn to face the Gentleman (and will not count as attackingthe servants).

If the servants do not break contact with the zombieattackers, the combat will continue next turn (tested forin the zombies phase). Servants cannot provide a serviceto their masters when in combat. If the servant figureis destroyed, all servants are lost and cannot participatefurther in the hunting expedition. Players should not worryhowever, plenty more servants can be found for the next

hunting trip.

Servants



10/11

Damage to ZombiesTo determine the results of the hit from either shooting orclose combat, the umpire turns over the wound card onthe top of the deck to reveal the location and severity ofthe hit.

Head The Wound Card below reveal the different damageeffects that can occur. The top line indicates a head hit.The damage is explained below.

Second Line : push-back result, figure is moved back oneinch. If a figure is in the way, the pushed-back figure ismoved behind the blocking figure (or figures). The blood-mark on this line reveals that the second line is wherethe damage has been inflicted. Note, if the weapon has

a damage bonus, the blood-mark would be shifted to alower line (thus causing more damage).

Third Line : two push-backs (total of two inches) and awound. A head wound for the zombie is a risk. The umpirerolls 1d6, if the score is the same as the number of head-wound results (or less) - the zombie is destroyed.

Fourth Line : two push-backs, one knock-down (the footsymbol) and a wound.

Fifth Line : three wounds (the umpire must roll more thanthree or the zombie is destroyed).

Sixth Line : zombie is destroyed and is removed from play (and hopefully quickly rotated back into action!). Ifdamage is from a shotgun or heavy calibre weapon - headexplodes!

Chest The Wound Card below indicates that a chest hit has beeninflicted on the zombie.

Third Line : one push-back (one inch) and a wound. Achest wound for the zombie can be a risk. The umpire rolls1d6, if the score is the same as the number of chest-wounds(or more) - the zombie is safe. If the score is lower - thezombie is destroyed. On this line, the zombie is safe.

Fourth Line : two wounds, the zombie will be destroyedif the umpire rolls a one. If this occurs, this results in afatal neck hit to the zombie.

Fifth Line : three wounds, the zombie will be destroyed ifthe umpire rolls a one or two. The blood-mark on this lineindicates that this is the damage inflicted by this card.

Sixth Line : a catastrophic neck hit destroys the zombie(head blown off if shotgun or heavy calibre weapon).

Guts The Wound Card below indicates that a hit in the guts ison-the-cards.

Second Line : the blood-mark indicates that the secondline is the location for the damage. Fortunately for thezombie - this represents no damage.

Third Line : one push-back (one inch) and a wound. A gut-wound for the zombie means that the zombie may drop

its guts. The umpire rolls 1d6, if the score is the same(or less than) the number of gut-wounds - the zombie hasdropped its guts. A guts marker is placed next to thezombie but apart from this the zombie still functions.

Fourth Line : one push-back, one knock-down (the footsymbol) and two wounds. The zombie figure is knockedover and the umpire tests to see whether the zombie dropsits guts.

Fifth Line : knock-down and three wounds, the zombiefigure is knocked over and the umpire tests to see whetherthe zombie drops its guts. A score of four or more ensuresgut retention.

10

Shooting Damage to Zombies



11/11

11

There were several ideas behind this game. First I wanteda very visceral gaming experience, I wanted bits of zombieflying all over the place - arms and legs flying through theair - and guts all over the floor. Rather than rely on ourimaginations, I have recommended that players create theirown counters using severed zombie limbs and copiousquantities of blood and zombie goo. These markers areintegral to the rules as they represent non-lethal damage tothe undead and will greatly impair their performance. Sovisually the game should look bloody and grim - which isof course just what you want for a zombie game.

My next consideration was for fast and slick game play.I didnt want players worrying too much about checkingwith the rules, the action needs to be fast and exciting.Without going into too much detail, all players have to

do is roll 2d6 for anything they want to do in the game be that moving, shooting, reloading, fighting, talking etc.The number needed for success starts off low for the firstaction but increases with every successful action taken(so things get progressively harder). A failed action rollmeans the end of that characters activation for that turn.The process is then repeated in the next turn. When theaction roll is made by the player, no more dice are needed.This means that actions can be taken quickly, althoughthe thought process behind each action might take a bitlonger!

One of my favourite aspects of the rules is the waythat damage is worked out. When a player makes asuccessful action roll to hit with shooting or in closecombat, the umpire player turns over the top damagecard from the damage card deck - this will denote theactual location of the hit (head, guts, arm etc), it willdenote the severity of the damage and the effects onthe target. Using this card system means that playersdo not have to make additional die rolls to check forhit location or damage severity. This has proved to bea very fast and satisfying way of resolving damage.

Of course, the type of weapon used will modify theeffects on the damage cards and of course - headshots tend to be very troubling for the undead!

I had several reasons for choosing the Victorian erafor my zombie game. It is of course a popular periodat the moment and there are quite a few good qualityminiature manufacturers out there at the moment

providing an excellent choice for gamers - includingactual Victorian zombies!

I also liked the weapon technology of the Victorian

era. There are the beginnings of good quality reliablefirearms including revolvers and lever action weapons.

There are still single shot weapons such as percussionrifles but there is also some early magazine weapons. Soits an interesting time of weapons transition - weapons arereasonably effective but not too effective.

What also interested me about the Victoran era was thesocial and geographical aspect of the period. VictorianLondon was going through a period of great change. Therewas incredible wealth and intense poverty living side byside. There was real fear among the upper classes of thegreat mass of under-privileged humanity that surroundedthem - fear of the diseases they might spread and fear ofrevolution that might break out. And of course London isa great locale for the game with all its variety of settingsfrom mansions to sewers, from dockyards to municipal

parks and along the muddy banks of the Thames. Wherever

the scenario is set - the zombies are out there and theyneed hunting down!

In conclusion, I would say that Gentlemen Prefer Zombiesis a game that is fast, easy to play, scary (it can be quitehard to survive in!) but is also a lot of fun. The way that theGentlemen characters are designed gives players plenty ofscope to get into their backgrounds and act and sound likehideous caricatures of the upper classes - and this oftenresults in some absolutely hilarious games!

GPZ Game Design

Lord Plimpton of Muchitching and Rose

Gentlemen Prefer Zombies - An Introduction

Documents

Transcript of Gentlemen Prefer Zombies - An Introduction