HotD Amahara
A single or mildly multi-shot story about a group of high school students (not) surviving in an unfolding zombie apocalypse. We will be using an adapted version of the Dread system that normally uses Jenga blocks as the main mechanic.
The setting is April 2005, Kazematsu, Meiru Prefecture.
Minimum players: 4
Mechanics
Whenever you attempt something that your character is very likely to succeed at, the action succeeds. If the task is impossible, then it fails. However, if the action may or may not succeed or refers to something that may or may not exist or be a fact, a roll is made. The roll is always a percentage die - ie a 2d10 on the standard bot ranging from 00-99 (the 10's are 0's). To start with, a single number is secretly designated as a taboo number - if this is rolled, whoever rolled it is fucked. There are also destabilizing numbers - these numbers will not collapse the tower by itself but will add more taboo numbers to the list when rolled. As things unfold, more and more numbers will be designated taboo, making rolls more and more dangerous, just like pulling and stacking blocks with a Jenga tower. The amount of taboo numbers is reflected by the state of the imaginary tower shown in the topic. Obviously, things get more dangerous as the game progresses until, inevitably, someone knocks it over and dies.
Aside from performing actions that are not certain to succeed, rolls can also be made by a character for an ambient or general advantage - to be extra aware in a situation for example. In many cases, a roll can be replaced by simply taking time and calming down to do the action, but neither time nor mental calm are in great supply during a zombie apocalypse. Anytime the GM accepts the roll as possible, it will always have some reasonably significant positive effect even if there is otherwise no explicit task attributed to it. If the roll is elicited from attempting some action, that action succeeds. Some difficult or complex actions may require multiple rolls. A player can change their mind at any time about what a roll represents. In some cases, the benefit may be lasting. For example, if it is established that a character finds a katana with a roll, she will retain that katana as gear. If she is also skilled in wielding it, she will likely be able to dispatch many zombies without rolls.
Note that "responsibility" for knocking over the tower lies with the person who rolled the taboo number, even if they themselves contributed very little to making the tower risky. Of great importance is that when requested to make a roll, a player can elect NOT to roll. This will keep the tower in the state it is but also will mean their action fails and some negative (possibly lasting) complication may result (an NPC dies, their arm breaks, etc.) but the result will not be so bad that the player is likely to die.
In addition, there is one other option. A player may intentionally "knock down" the tower. This will reset the tower dice while giving an epic heroic success before the character suffers his/her horrible fate.
Characters
Characters will be made via questionaires. Each of these will consist of 13 questions, many/most of which are intentionally leading and thereby biasing each slot towards a certain tendency. Questions should be answered preferably in a short paragraph or lengthy sentence (aside from the last one obviously) that explores the background of the character you want to make or describes some present advantage or disadvantage in terms of gear or trait. Always consider as if there were an 'and why?' or 'how?' appended to each question where applicable. You can answer however you like (subject to approval) and you should wind up with a character that fits the guideline of the slot (which are intentionally flexible) but is also unique. Any questions regarding the other members of the party should be left blank until the other characters are in. Pick a slot whose questions interest you. First come first serve.
Character 1
What is the only thing you'll ever be afraid of again?
Who was in your family and how did they die?
Which is the one subject you'd rather have done well in last year and why?
Which of your past physical injuries did you find the most inconvenient at the time?
When the whole world seems against you, what one thing keeps you going?
What part-time job did you take to pay for your dorm room and expenses?
What did your grandma always say that you still keep at heart?
What part of your physical appearance are you dissatisfied with?
Who do you want to see you as just a girl?
Who in the group has made you reconsider impulsive actions?
After your first barricade went up, you killed someone because they had turned. Who was it?
In the process, you confirmed that only brain damage stops a zombie. What did you use as a weapon?
What is your name?
Character 2
You contemplated suicide once but only once in your life. What gave you the will to carry on?
Why did you choose the middle rung West Kazematsu High instead of the elite academy closer to home?
What or who do you miss the most from your hometown?
Where did the money you are currently using come from?
What friend(s) have you made since moving in?
What aspect of yourself do you find the most embarassing?
Why do you dress differently from those around you?
What aspect of people in general are you most afraid of?
What after-school club did you join just to keep it from being disbanded due to lack of members?
What hobby are you pursuing on the side this year?
When Character 1 was forced to kill in front of you but despite being splashed by the results, you found yourself perfectly calm. Are you surprised by this? Do you relish this aspect as a strength or are you afraid of what it will do to you in the days to come?
Now that zombies are a thing, what skill or knowledge do you lack now that you really wish you'd picked up when you had the chance?
What is your name?
Character 3
Why did you recently decide to return to school?
What were you devoting your time to while avoiding class?
Are you discomforted by social isolation or do you enjoy being apart?
Although you haven't confessed, who are you attracted to and why?
What relative are you currently living with?
What have you wanted but not had the money for?
Why is your bag so heavy?
When the escape route was cut off by zombies, what location in the school did you resort to as your first refuge?
You now depend on your allies to survive because you lack what vital zombie apocalypse skill?
Who in the group do you think will accept you for who you are and who do you think will not?
What did you do or learn as a child that is likely to come in handy now?
What quality in a person earns your respect or admiration even if they aren't special in any other way?
What is your name?
Character 4
Do you take the train to school or have the butler drive you?
Why was your childhood maid dismissed?
What do you keep in your shoe locker to avoid taking home?
Why were you passed over as de facto successor to the family in favour of your younger sibling and who do you blame?
What have you come to realize that does not need to be bought with money?
What is the one subject where your marks aren't excellent?
What skill do you have that no one expects?
What additional responsibility and/or privileges do you feel arise from your background?
What is your filth threshold? How do you respond when things aren't clean enough?
What part of yourself do you find the ugliest?
Who in the group do you admire even though you won't admit it?
What was the last wikipedia edit you made?
What is your name?
Character 5
How did you manage to pass the entrance exam for West Kazematsu?
What strength do you and your sister have in common?
What ability does one of you lack that puts him/her at greater risk in the present situation?
Can you understand what qualities your sister sees in the member of your group that she is attracted to?
What dark secret do you keep from your sister?
What vice or weakness do you share with your mother that you detest?
Your mother rarely talks about the war. What has she shared with you on those occasions?
Who acted as a father figure for the two of you and what important lesson did you learn as a result?"
What was the last memorable time that you hunted for bargains and managed to get what you wanted much cheaper than normal?
Which school club was pursuing you to join them and why?
What do you have in your pocket that you shouldn't have had in class?"
What important thing do you feel separates those who are "human" from both the dead and those who are merely alive?
What is your name?
Character 6
Why do you hate window seats?
What poor decisions did your father make as a cadet officer of the former Civil Defence Corps during the invasion of Amahara and what would you have done differently?
In what way is your mother's work unethical?
Why have you avoided being the class representative or any position on the student council?
What is your preferred tactic to dissuade unwanted romantic attention?
You were the first person in the school to sense something was wrong. How did you notice?
Physical fitness will be paramount in a zombie apocalypse. How do you plan on making up for that weakness?
Which member of the group do you feel has the most useful ability. Whose weakness do you think will be the biggest liability?
How has standing up for what you believe in gotten you in trouble in the past?
What childhood fantasy were you most disappointed to learn was untrue?
You know that those expecting to wait out the zombies are doing so in vain. What do you know or realize that they don't?
It's obvious to you that a group has a much better chance of surviving than any individual alone but in order to function in a crisis, what does it or its members need?
What is your name?
Character 7
When and why did you abandon your family's martial art for your current one? How do your parents feel about your decision?
Your family used to be a military one but your grandfather used his influence to put his children, including your father, on civilian lives. What have you learned from him?
What quality did you take from your mother?
After all this time, what flaw within yourself do you feel that the dojo has merely suppressed rather than rectified?
What injury did you sustain in your most recent series of matches that still lingers?
Do the fighting arts define you, or do you reject that and divide your efforts to make time for another hobby besides?
What do you see as the greatest barrier you'll have to surpass?
What aspect of the zombie apocalypse especially terrifies you?
Before the disaster, your last encounter with one of the other group members did not end well. What was that all about?
What aspect of your physical appearance do you spend the most effort maintaining?
Why do you attract so much romantic attention from the gender you're not interested in?
Who is the person that seems immune to the above and why does he/she mean a lot to you?
What is your name?
Character 8
When you flipped the table with your mother and the rest of your family, who did you expect would take over the shrine instead?
What is the real reason you rejected all the potential marriage matches on the first meeting?
What unpleasant thought goes through your mind when you are alone?
Your entire family is devout. When and how did you become disillusioned?
Since entering high school, in what art have you discovered the most talent and by what master do you feel most inspired?
What is your hairstyle and how do you feel it reflects your characteristics?
You're known to do amazing things on a budget and with the limited cooking utensils in the dorm common areas. What is your favourite emergency meal?
The two sides of your dorm room are like night and day. Are you on the neat, spartan side or the nightmarishly messy side?
Your last exams were a mess. How did you convince your homeroom advisor to let you continue your extracurricular activities?
Who dumped who over what in your most recent breakup?
Where does your income come from?
Who do you have in mind that you expect is more likely to rescue your group than the other way around?
What is your name?