First time Zombie Master in need of help!

[suzu56]

Already I am planning on running a one shot of All Flesh Must Be Eaten. My problem if I dont know what to start with the plot? I'm looking for some help at a good game with lots of action and anything else I can throw at them. Please help this first time ZM!

[Jerthanis]

Well, do you know what the characters are going to be like? All the best zombie media has a tight focus on the characters and what they want.

Classic Zombie stories involve the characters holing up in a fortified area, getting cabin fever and holding off the hordes.

More modern stories tend towards the idea of moving through a dangerous area with a safe zone as a goal.

Either broad strokes story structure can serve you, but Classic helps to have a tighter focus on characters with conflicting natures and goals, since the drama helps to come from amongst them, with the threat as the larger context for these relationships to play out. The idea of moving through territory helps to have the characters have more reason to care for and support each other, since the threat will be more immediate. Hunkering down in a fortified area makes for better horror, but can be harder to introduce manageable threats. Movement is better for action, but could feel less like a zombie game and more generic action game feel.

[DontEatRawHagis]

Agreed.

I would debate if you want to keep them on the move or in one place. In one place you could do a Dead Rising style game.

I was going to do a game inspired by Resident Evil when Zombie Apocalypse was on the table of games to play.

Suggestion, keep the zombies interesting to fight if your players get into a lot of combat. Left 4 Dead and Resident Evil, both know that you should not just have zombies. Different strains and Biological Organic Weapons(BOWs) can really break up the monotony.

[PJ Garrison]

You may also want to consider the type of zombie you'll be using.

Zombies tend to fall into the magic zombie and science zombie main types (and the living and unded subtypes)

Magic zombies can be Voodoo slaves, undead minions to an evil wizard, or the monstrous side effect of some cosmic horror.

Science zombies are usually made by exposure to a virus, vaccine, or chemical weapon and may or may not be intentionally created.

Furthermore, the zombies may be living creatures or undead creatures.

Living zombies will usually be faster and smarter, but they will still require food, water, and shelter to survive. They will also bleed out, or suffer mortal wounds, even if they don't feel pain.

Undead zombies are generally slower and stupider but they do not need to eat or drink, and can take a lot of physical punishment, dying only if decapitated or if the brain is damaged (sometimes not even then!).

It's is possible to have different mixes as well. For example:

The classic Voodoo zombie is a living/magic zombie.

Raccon City zombies are undead/science zombies.

28 Days later has living/science zombies.

Michael Jackson's "Thriller" has undead/magic zombies.

[Shawn T]

Agreed.

I would debate if you want to keep them on the move or in one place. In one place you could do a Dead Rising style game.

I was going to do a game inspired by Resident Evil when Zombie Apocalypse was on the table of games to play.

Suggestion, keep the zombies interesting to fight if your players get into a lot of combat. Left 4 Dead and Resident Evil, both know that you should not just have zombies. Different strains and Biological Organic Weapons(BOWs) can really break up the monotony.

Yes if your world is just Zombies your cast members are going to be bored try some mutations like what I'm doing in my campaign.