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 Zombies Attack!
The characters’ world is turned upside-down when a lich necromancer, Ythrail,
is confronted by a band of heroes. The conflict far transcends the abilities of any Suggested Level: 0
of the characters, however—their only goal is to survive and escape the hellscape
of ravenous undead created by Ythrail.
In order to facilitate level zero play, pre-made characters are provided in Appendix A, and printable char-
acter sheets for those characters are available online at lunchbreakheroes.com.

Background Running this

The lich necromancer, Ythrail, has been hunted
adventurers for many years. After endless trials and
Adventure
tribulations, they tracked down Ythrail to one of This adventure is divided into three chapters:
his lairs and flushed him out. However, they failed Chapter I: Zombies Rise! The characters are
to end him there and then, and a frantic chase thrown into a zombie apocalypse as Ythrail turns
across the land ensued. The adventurers finally nearly all of Harcourt’s citizenry into Ythrail’s
cornered Ythrail in the skies above the quiet town zombies. The characters are miraculously saved
of Harcourt, where our adventure begins. by a band of heroes, but before they can properly
Ythrail is in possession of a powerful artifact come to terms with these events, one goal pushes
that allows him to kill large numbers of people and to the fore: survival.
instantly resurrect the corpses as mindless undead! Chapter II: Zombies Attack! This section
It also animates any nearby corpses, such as those presents the meat of the adventure, with multiple
buried in Harcourt’s cemeteries. Ythrail has not challenges for the characters to overcome and,
figured out how to control the undead created ultimately, flee the city and escape the hordes of
by the artifact, but he is more than willing to use shambling undead.
them as a distraction.
The zombies created by Ythrail’s artifact can Chapter III: Zombies Die! In the finale of the
themselves spawn further zombies, but not adventure, the characters must break through
instantly. Living beings need to be bitten three one final obstacle on their way out: a solid wall of
times by one of these zombies before they start to zombies at the gates! This final feat consists of a
turn, which takes place over the course of a day hell-ride in an experimental gnomish vehicle that
(see the “Zombies Consequences” sidebar). requires them to think on their feet, and to possess
no small amount of luck.

3
 Chapter I When you are ready to begin, the everyday idyll
is interrupted rather harshly. Read or paraphrase
the following:
Zombies Rise!
A sudden crack and a jolt of green lightning
The adventure begins on a sunny afternoon in announce the arrival of a skeletal figure, floating
the town of Harcourt. The townsfolk are out and above the roofs of your hometown. The figure is
about, generally minding their own business and holding a sickly-green orb, illuminating a face
going about their day. that is little more than parchment-thin skin drawn
Ask each of your players to briefly describe across a skull.
what their characters is doing on such a fine day. Before you can wonder what is going on, a
The players can decide freely if they want to be in paladin, resplendent in golden armor and riding
a group, or separately doing their own thing. Let a griffon, tackles the skeletal figure out of the
them interact with the townsfolk for a short time.
sky, crashing directly into your midst among the
The only important thing is that they all end up in
the same area at the start of the adventure. bustling street!
The skeletal figure raises his arm, a bony finger
outstretched. CRACK! A burst of green lightning
shoots down the street, and drops any of the
panicking civilians where they stand!
Just before the lightning reaches you, a winged
Zombie Consequences warrior lands on the ground in front of you,
Level zero characters do not have many hit points, sparkling with protective energy. The lightning
and few defenses. Use this system of consequences shatters on her armor, dispersing it into the
whenever a player character falls victim to a zombie. surrounding crowd, but diverting from you.
Bite. Any time a character is hit by a zombie attack, The adventurers and their skeletal foe
or fails a narratively impactful saving throw in a immediately race off into the sky. As you look
situation where zombies are present, the player gains a around, assessing the situation, you are relieved
Bite and they are to color in one of the circles on their to find the bodies of the fallen stir. However, they
character sheet. still spill guts from torn-open bellies, ripped off
Zombification. Once a player has accumulated
arms and legs litter the streets, and their faces stare
three bites, their character become Zombified. They
slack and lifeless. As they begin to shamble toward
retain their personality and agency for the time being,
but they are at death’s door. A zombified character is you, you realize with a certainty that these are
no longer attacked by other zombies unless the zombi- mindless, undead zombies!
fied character attacks first.
Turning. When the adventure ends, all zombified
characters succumb to their condition as their person-
ality fades away and they become mindless killing
machines, joining the ranks of the other zombies.
Their stat blocks are replaced by that of a zombie, and
they turn on any nearby allies who are still living.

Zombies Attack!
4
 Scene 1: To Safety
Chapter II The characters must first find a safe space to
regroup. If they had not already acted as a group
Zombies Attack! until now, they are drawn together by circum-
In this section of the adventure, the players stance. Point them out to each other as the only
sequentially go through four scenes listed below. other survivors in sight. Have them roll for initia-
The characters learn in Scene 1 that the city is tive at this point, which lasts until they pass the
rapidly being overrun with zombies, and that the first challenge, “Safe House”.
most promising way out seems to be a mechanical
vehicle in the town’s gnomish workshop. This is Challenges
the Apparatus of Dimspark (see Appendix B). The Use the following challenges during this encounter
characters must obtain this contraption in Scene 4 to keep the party on their toes:
and use it to escape the city in Chapter III.
Every scene is composed of challenges, which Safe House. To spot a safe location, one of the
are designed to expose the characters to zombies characters must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom
until solved, and present opportunities to gain (Perception) check. For every two points the
resources or allies. Solving each challenge quickly check is exceeded, the zombies require one addi-
is the key to success, and to reduce the chance of tional success to break into the safe house during
getting bitten. the “Zombie Break-In” challenge in Scene 2.
Story Events. Every pre-made character (see Pushing Through. To reach the safe location,
Appendix A) comes with a table of story events. every character must succeed on a DC 13 Strength
At the start of each scene, have every player roll a (Athletics) check to push through the hordes of
d20. On a roll of 10 or higher, have them roll a d4, zombies.
and work the resulting story event into the scene Let Us In! No matter what, the safe location is
as best as you can. already occupied. One character must succeed on
DC 15 Charisma (Perception or Intimidation)
check to gain entry. They can also force their way
in with a successful Strength (Athletics) check
of 15 or higher, but this reduces—by one—the
number of successes the zombies need during the
“Zombie Break-In” challenge in Scene 2.

Playing up the Zombie Threat

Unless specified, the zombies attacking the characters are an endless tide. No matter how many they defeat, there are
more. Play up this factor and make it clear that the only chance of survival is to keep running. During combat sequences,
use one zombie to attack one character at the end of each of their turns, unless otherwise specified.
Whenever the characters move in the open or unprotected, assault them with a group of 1d4 zombies. They must
feel that their only chance of survival is to keep moving, and they must feel harassed constantly. If it looks like they are
getting bogged down in planning in a location they feel safe in, throw some zombies at them: out of the walls, from the
sewers, from anywhere!

Zombies Attack!
5
 Scene 2: Time to Escape. There are two ways out: down into the
tunnels of the sewage system, or up onto the roofs
Breathe of the city. The hatches are small, and only one
character or NPC can pass through per round.
The characters have a moment to regroup, discuss Anyone still inside when the zombies break in
what to do with fellow survivors, and plan their must defend themselves against the zombies’
next move, but only a brief moment. During attacks until it is their turn. The players decide
this scene, one of the other survivors, the gnome who escapes in which order, but when the last
Zimbra, tries to convince everyone that she knows player character escapes, any NPCs left behind
a way out: a machine developed by renowned become zombie fodder.
gnome inventor Dimspark the Unlikely, her
mentor. It’s stored in the gnomish workshop here
in town. Scene 3a: Into the
When you are ready to move on, or the players
get too cozy, begin the “Zombie Break-In” chal- Tunnels!
lenge. The tunnels under Harcourt are pitch-dark.
Anyone without darkvision or a light source
Challenges is blinded. In addition, the tunnels hold other
hazards, as seen in the “Where Are We” challenge.
Use the following challenges during this encounter Challenges in the tunnels can be run theater-
to keep the party on their toes: of-the-mind, or by using the map included with
Making Friends. There are 2d4 + 4 other survi- this adventure. The map is available as one large
vors, and their attitudes range from scared to piece, or a segmented version can be used with
hostile. They are too angry and confused for any each segment corresponding to a particular Tunnel
coordinated efforts. To change this, one character Encounter.
must succeed on a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) If they manage to survive, characters will
check. On a success, 1d4 + 2 survivors follow eventually find their way to a door that leads to
them for the rest of the adventure. One of them is Dimspark’s workshop.
Zimbra, who gets eliminated last. Whenever one
of the player characters would take a bite from Challenges
a zombie, one of the following survivors takes it
instead, eliminating them instantly. Use the following challenges during this encounter
to keep the party on their toes:
Zombie Break-In. The hordes of undead begin to
claw their way into the safe house. Roll for initia- Where Are We? The characters must find a way
tive. Every round, on initiative count 20 (winning to the gnomish laboratory, where the potentially
all ties), the zombies continue their assault. life-saving apparatus of Dimspark is located.
The characters must succeed on a DC 17 group This requires a total of three successful DC 13
Strength (Athletics) check to prevent them from Wisdom (Survival) checks, which are made by
forcing their way in. The zombies break in after whichever character is taking the lead in exploring
three successes (or more, as determined during the the tunnels. This check is made at disadvantage if
“Safe House” challenge in Scene 1). the character cannot see in the dark. On a failed
If the characters come up with smart solutions check, roll once on the Tunnel Encounters table.
to delay the zombies, allow them to compensate
for a failed group check, possibly after another
individual Skill Check.

Zombies Attack!
6
 d6 Tunnel Encounters Scene 3b: to the
1
The party encounters a group of 1d4 other
survivors, who join them if they succeed on DC Roofs
14 Charisma (Persuasion) check. If the characters escape onto the roof, they can
2 1d4 frightened swarms of rats attack. get a great overview of the situation in town. In
The party encounters 1d4 -1 of Ythrail’s zombies
short: there are zombies everywhere. Dropping
3
(minimum of 1).
down into the streets is, effectively, suicide. On
the bright side: the gnomish workshop is clearly
The tunnel is submerged up to hip-height in visible in the distance, roughly six rooftops away.
sloshing sewage. Bypassing the sewage requires If the characters are spotted by the zombies
a DC 15 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check cling to below, the zombies begin to clamber and climb
4
the walls. Anyone who falls in must succeed over each other, forming corpse piles in order to
on a DC 14 Constitution Saving Throw or be climb onto the rooftops.
poisoned until the end of the scene.
A cowardly wererat named Hero tries to scare
the characters away from his territory, but backs
Challenges
down if challenged. Hero knows the way to the Use the following challenges during this encounter
5 to keep the party on their toes:
gnomish workshop but is extremely suspicious.
He leads them there upon a successful DC 17 Quiet, Now. The characters must succeed on a
Charisma (Persuasion or Intimidation) check. group DC 15 Dexterity (Stealth) check upon
The party encounters a pocket of flammable reaching the roof, or the zombies notice them and
gases. If they carry an open flame, it ignites and begin to climb up toward them. They must repeat
6 every character must make a DC 13 Dexterity the check whenever they do anything that makes
Saving Throw or take 2d6 fire damage, or half as noise, like stopping to discuss.
much on a success. Flighty Birds. One rooftop is host to a roost of
pigeons who will take flight if they are spooked by
Sealed Door. The characters locate a door sealed the characters, alerting the zombies below. Calm-
with a Glyph of Warding. The trap can be disarmed ing the birds requires a DC 13 Wisdom (Animal
with a DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check, or Handling) check. Failure will cause the birds to
a DC 20 Dexterity check with thieves’ tools. If take flight immediately.
the door is not disarmed successfully, it triggers a Jump! Jumping from one roof to another requires
magical glyph that stores a Confusion spell (DC 17 a DC 13 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acro-
Wisdom Saving Throw to resist). batics) check. On a failed check, the character slips
If anyone is affected by the spell, roll for initia- and dangles above the hungry zombies, exposing
tive to game out the effects; additionally, a horde themselves to one zombie attack. If the check fails
of 1d4 - 1 of Ythrail’s zombies (minimum of 1) is by 5 or more, they fall into the horde of zombies,
attracted by the commotion. The door opens after where they are exposed to three zombie attacks per
the trap is disarmed or triggered, and the charac- round. Fallen characters can climb or be pulled up
ters can access the laboratory with a quick dash again with a DC 13 Strength (Athletics) check
across the street. If detected by the zombies, characters can repeat
their group Stealth check to lose the zombies after
successfully jumping across two rooftops.

Zombies Attack!
7
 Scene 4: To the
Workshop Chapter III
Once the characters arrive in the workshop, the Zombies Die!
apparatus of Dimspark could not be more obvious.
The humongous abomination of steel and gears Armed and armored with the Apparatus of
dominates the center of the room, resembling a Dimspark, it is time for the characters to escape
misshapen crab. Its eight legs and two menacing the zombie-infested hellscape that their beloved
pincers stand still, for the time being. town of Harcourt has turned into.
The apparatus has enough room inside for the
characters and whatever survivors are still with
them. The survivors are too harried to help activate
Escape
or operate the apparatus of Dimspark, however, There is no time to figure out how the machine
leaving that task up to the characters. operates. Everything is labeled in code, and all the
levers rotate around the passenger compartment in
an incomprehensible pattern of gears and chains.
Challenges The only way to operate the apparatus is by trial
Use the following challenges during this encounter and error. Characters must grab whatever levers
to keep the party on their toes: they can as they pass by on their chaotic rotation
Apparatus, Activate! To get the apparatus of inside the machine.
Dimspark to start up, the characters must succeed The characters must move the machine towards
on a DC 19 Intelligence (Arcana) or a Dexterity the wall of zombies at the city gates and breach it.
(Sleight of Hand) check. If the characters still This sequence is organized as a chase: every round,
have Zimbra from Scene 2 with them, all checks the characters can act as the game master reveals
to activate the apparatus of Dimspark are made new complications.
with advantage. They can repeat the check as often To win the race towards the city gates, the char-
as they like, but the noise they make alerts a large acters have to beat the race under the following
horde of zombies after the second failure. conditions:
Hold the Line. When the characters manage to • The race ends after six rounds when the
start the apparatus of Dimspark, or they attract apparatus runs out of energy, as indicated
zombies with failed checks in the “Apparatus, by a fuel gauge inside. Reveal this fuel gauge
Activate!” challenge, the clattering of the machine and track its progress openly!
alerts a horde of zombies. The zombies burst • The players must move the apparatus
through the laboratory’s windows and doors. forward a total of three times to arrive at the
The rear hatch of the apparatus only closes gates in time and win the race. The race ends
once it is fully activated, which takes three rounds. once this win condition is achieved.
During these rounds, characters must hold back • At the start of each race round, roll on the
the horde of zombies. The good news is that the Escape Complications table to determine
hatch is so narrow that only three zombies can any race complications.
attack them at a time.
• The effects of operating the various levers
are listed in Appendix B, and their conse-
quences for the race and impact on race
complications are listed in the table below.

Zombies Attack!
8
The Wall of Zombies. Characters can breach
the wall automatically if either the claws of the Operating the Apparatus
apparatus are out (Lever 4), or if the apparatus is In secret each round, players turn a d8 to the
set to “swim up” (Lever 9). Otherwise, the char- number of the lever they wish to operate, and then
acters must fight off one final assault of zombies point up or down with a thumb to indicate direc-
breaching the apparatus through its rear hatch: tion. Once everyone has made their choices, reveal
1d4 + 2 of Ythrail’s zombies enter, breaking the the numbers. Players can also declare before the
hatch mechanism, and the characters must defend reveal that they don’t intend to operate any lever,
against them for three rounds before the apparatus and instead declare one other action.
finally breaches the wall with its momentum. If more than one character operates the same
lever, opposite results cancel out.

d10 Escape Complication

Grasping Zombies. 1d4 zombies make attacks by reaching into the apparatus. Only works if the window
1
shutters are open (Lever 2).
Zombie Pile-On. A group of zombies piles onto the apparatus and prevents it from moving at all this round,
2 unless the characters inside succeed on a DC 13 Strength (Athletics) check to jostle the apparatus from side
to side to throw them off.
Engine Failure. The apparatus stalls. It will fix itself on the next round, but all lever actions of this round have
3
no effect unless one character succeeds on an DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check to fix it.
4 Reversed Mechanism. All lever effects are reversed this round: up is down, and down is up.
5 Smart Zombie. One zombie has managed to open the rear hatch from the outside.
Blocked Road. An obstacle, such as a market stall or a pile of bodies, blocks the way. The characters must
execute a turn (Lever 7) to get around it, and can only see the obstacle if the window shutters are open (Lever
6
2). If they do not evade, the apparatus cannot make any forward progress this turn, but will climb over the
obstacle the next turn.
The Road Less Traveled. A small avenue appears in the ever-shifting tide of zombies. Going for it does not
require much adjustment (no action of Lever 7), but spotting it requires open window shutters (Lever 2) and
7
a successful DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check from one character. If the apparatus is moving forward on
this turn, it gains two counts of forward movement instead of just one.
The Horror! A zombie has wriggled through an open window hatch (or else pried one open), but has not
quite made it. The severed torso falls in, guts trailing, but the lower body stays behind. Not only does this
8
count as one full zombie inside, but the grisly sight forces every character to succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom
Saving Throw or lose their lever action this round.
Zombie Smash. A tide of zombies smashes into the apparatus from the side and turns it over. It can only
9 be righted by rocking it with a successful DC 17 Strength (Athletics) check, or by using Lever 1 (either can
happen on the same round, but all other lever actions are wasted).
Overheating. The apparatus overheats. Each passenger must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution Saving Throw
10
or gain disadvantage on their next Skill Check.

Zombies Attack!
9
 Conclusion
If the characters have made it this far, their adventure may culminate in one of two possibilities: escaping
the town (success), or succumbing to the zombie horde (failure). The following sections detail the events
and consequences of each scenario.

Success Failure
In the event that characters navigate the apparatus Losing the race and succumbing to the zombie
to the city gate, the game master may narrate their horde is a distinct possibility. In this case, the game
daring escape. master may narrate the explosion of the apparatus
Read or paraphrase the following: as it is torn apart by zombies. However, this event
is not without its silver lining, as the explosion
The machine has grinds its way through the creates a means of escape for other survivors.
undead bodies and toward the outer wall of the Read or paraphrase the following:
town. Suddenly, the clamoring of bodies crashing
and groping against the bulkhead stops as the last The machine stalls. The scratching and moaning
of the zombies tumble off. You gather speed once of the zombies outside grows ever louder, as you
more, and with a resounding CRASH! you are out, realize: this is it, this is where it ends. As you
leaving behind the town that has become a grave. fight for your lives, in desperation, the zombies
must have torn into something essential — a
Eventually, the apparatus runs out of fuel and the huge explosion rocks the machine, and you are
characters find themselves stranded on the side blasted clear. As you tumble through the air,
of the road or in the wilderness with uncertain towards certain death, the last thing you glimpse
futures ahead of them. is the enormous conflagration that rips through
the hordes of undead below — and the few other
Zombification survivors who are running for the breach created
Any characters who have reached the stage of by it! You may not have made it out — but they
Zombified (see “Zombie Consequences” sidebar) took out most of the zombies, and cleared the way
by being bitten three or more times will eventually for other survivors!
succumb to their condition.
Read or paraphrase the following:

As you catch your breath, you realize that some

of your number appear more sickly than ever
before. You rapidly see the light of consciousness
dim in their eyes. You realize that this is your last
chance to say goodbye, or to give them the swift
release of death before they turn against you as
mindless undead.

Zombies Attack!
10
 Adventure Stat Blocks
Swarm of Rats Ythrail’s Zombie
Medium swarm of Tiny beasts, Unaligned Medium Undead, Unaligned

HP AC PB PP CR HP AC PB PP CR
24 10 +2 10 1/4 22 8 +2 8 1/4
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
9 11 9 2 10 3 13 6 16 3 6 5
-1 +0 -1 -4 +0 -4 +1 -2 +3 -4 -2 -3

Condition Immunities: Charmed, Frightened,

Condition Immunities: Poisoned, Sleep
Grappled, Paralyzed, Petrified, Prone, Restrained,
Damage Immunities: Poison, Necrotic
Stunned
Languages: Understands the language it knew in life
Damage Resistances: Bludgeoning, Piercing, Slash-
but can’t speak
ing
Senses: Darkvision 60 ft.
Senses: Darkvision 30 ft.

Features Features
Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces the zombie to
Keen Smell. The swarm has advantage on Wisdom
0 hit points, it must make a Constitution saving
(Perception) checks that rely on smell.
throw with a DC of 10 + the damage taken, unless
Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature’s the damage is radiant or from a critical hit. On a
space and vice versa, and the swarm can move success, the zombie drops to 1 hit point instead.
through any opening large enough for a Tiny rat.
The swarm can’t regain hit points or gain temporary
Actions
hit points. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 1 Bite.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 0 ft., one
target in the swarm’s space. Hit: 7 (2d6) piercing
damage, or 3 (1d6) piercing damage if the swarm
has half of its hit points or fewer.

Zombies Attack!
11
 Survivors
Each of the five survivors below plays with classic “zombie apocalypse survivor” tropes. Each are unique in
their own way and bring skills to the table that may help the group survive the zombie onslaught. Print-
able character sheets are available online at lunchbreakheroes.com.

Camorra
The Jock Camorra (The Jock)
Medium Humanoid
A life spent training and competing has left
Camorra with the toned physique necessary to Hit Points AC Prof. Bonus Pass. Perc.
tackle danger head-on, at least for a while. Her 11 10 +2 10
friends are sure to value her muscles, if not her
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
ideas.
14 11 12 8 10 9
Perfect for... Players who want to knock things +2 +0 +1 -1 +0 -1
out of the park, who want to feel powerful even at
level zero, and who are firmly in camp “brawn over Languages: Common
brains.” Saving Throws: Strength +4
Skill Bonuses: Acrobatics + 2, Athletics +4
Speed: 30 ft.
d4 Story Events
My Stick! Camorra spots her walloping stick, Features
1 which got lost in the initial confusion. This Crushing Blow. Camorra scores a critical hit on a 17-
unlocks her Walloping Stick attack action. 20 result of a d20 Attack roll. Any critical hit scored
Coach! Camorra spots her former coach among by Camorra instantly kills a zombie.
the undead. If she cries out to him and succeeds
on a DC 12 Charisma (Persuasion) check, a last Actions
2
spark of his personality responds and he brawls Improvised Weapon. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to
all other zombies out of the way. The zombies hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 2) blud-
cannot act for one round. geoning damage
Power Juice. Camorra spots a Potion of Hill
Walloping Stick (conditional). Melee Weapon At-
Giant Strength. Drinking this potion increases
3 tack: +4 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d12
one character’s Strength score to 21 for the
+ 2) bludgeoning damage.
duration of the scene.
Adrenaline Surge. Camorra’s adrenaline kicks Bulwark. Camorra blocks a passage as wide as 10 feet
into overdrive and she makes a DC 13 Strength with her body until the start of her next turn. No
4 Saving Throw. On a success, she swats away all zombies can move past her, but they all have advan-
nearby zombies during this scene and cannot be tage on attacks against Camorra.
bitten.

Zombies Attack!
12
 Donovan
Donovan (The Unlucky)
The Unlucky Medium Humanoid

An unlucky but lovable fool whose bad luck seems Hit Points AC Prof. Bonus Pass. Perc.
to have a mind of its own, Donovan may surprise 7 12 +2 11
everyone by helping things turn out for the best.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Perfect for... Players who enjoy joking, and who
lean into disaster when the dice are not in their 10 14 9 8 12 11
favor. +0 +2 -1 -1 +1 +0

Languages: Common, Undercommon

d4 Story Events Saving Throws: Dexterity +4
Skill Bonuses: Sleight of Hand +4, Stealth +4
Accidental Burglary. Donovan accidentally
Speed: 30 ft.
breaks through a floorboard. He is restrained
until freed with DC 13 Strength (Athletics) Features
1
check, but comes away with a potion in his
hand that can be used to remove one Bite from Failing Forward. If Donovan fails an ability check or
a character. a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead. He
automatically takes a Bite at the next possible op-
Butt of the Joke. Zombies in this scene are
portunity after doing so.
very interested in attacking Donovan. All
2 their attacks are made at disadvantage, and he Actions
can only be attacked by a maximum of three
Improvised Weapon. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to
zombies per round.
hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d6) bludgeoning
Bad-Luck Magnet. Donovan cannot succeed damage.
on any Skill Check during this scene. However,
3 every time he does meet the threshold of an Reactions
Skill Check, the next time another character Better You Than Me! (2/Day). When an attack
fails a check, they succeed instead. would hit Donovan, he can redirect the attack to-
Unlucky by Association. Donovan’s bad luck is ward an ally who is within 5 feet of himself.
rubbing off. During this scene, zombies are not
4 able to bite or damage Donovan. Every success-
ful zombie attacks against Donovan, instead,
causes a zombie to bite Donovan’s nearest ally.

Zombies Attack!
13
 Jenniver
Jenniver (The Tinkerer)
The Tinkerer Medium Humanoid

The world is full of useful things that are just wait- Hit Points AC Prof. Bonus Pass. Perc.
ing to be put together by someone with the proper 9 10 +2 13
tools and intelligence. With enough time and raw
materials, Jenniver is able to make nearly anything STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
from scratch. The problem is, zombies don’t allow 8 11 10 14 12 9
for much downtime! -1 +0 +0 +2 +1 -1
Perfect for... Players who like smart and Languages: Common, Halfling
composed characters, who want to come up with Saving Throws: Intelligence +4
off-the-wall solutions using their immediate Skill Bonuses: Arcana +4, Perception +3, Nature +4
surroundings, and who are firmly in camp “brains
over brawn”. Features
Rational Thought (2/Day). When Jenniver is pres-
d4 Story Events ent during any group ability check, she can add her
Gadgetry. Jenniver spots an unlikely combi- Intelligence bonus to the result of all participating
nation of scrap. With a DC 13 Intelligence characters (including herself ). She can do so after
(Arcana) check, she can assembling a small she knows the results rolled, but before the outcome
1 is declared.
explosive device. This device can be used to
eliminate any one zombie or to stun an entire Actions
group of zombies for one round.
Improvised Weapon. Melee Weapon Attack: +1 to
What a Smell! Jenniver notices a particularly
hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d6 - 1) bludgeon-
unwashed zombie, and can concoct a scented
ing damage.
balm from its corpse that allows the entire
2
group to be ignored by all zombies for one Bonus Actions
minute if she succeeds on a DC 13 Intelligence
Think Before You Act! Jenniver can take the Help ac-
(Arcana) check.
tion as a bonus action.
Gnomish Notes. Jenniver spots a torn gnomish
journal. She cannot read it, but the diagrams
are instructive. If she succeeds on a DC 11
3
Intelligence (Investigation) check , she has
advantage on all checks to activate the Appara-
tus of Dimspark.
Trash Shield. Jenniver straps together loose
boards and other trash into a makeshift shield.
4
It won’t hold together for long, but for the rest
of the scene no zombie can reach Jenniver.

Zombies Attack!
14
 Parro
Parro (The Popular Guy)
The Popular Guy Medium Humanoid

Parro is one of the lucky individuals who seems Hit Points AC Prof. Bonus Pass. Perc.
to have everything in life handed to him. Good 7 11 +2 9
looks, money, friendship—he seems to have it all
with little effort on his part. A zombie apocalypse STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
is just the thing to see what Parro is really made of. 11 12 9 10 8 14
Perfect for... Players who like to be the “face” of +0 +1 -1 +0 -1 +2
the party, who enjoy solving problems by talking Languages: Common
rather than smashing or thinking, and who love Saving Throws: Charisma +4
playing the entitled—but strangely compassionate Skill Bonuses: Performance +4, Persuasion +4
and lovable—jerk.
Actions
d4 Story Events Improvised Weapon. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to
Zombie Love. A zombie in this crowd was one of hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d6) bludgeoning
Parro’s former love interests. The zombie fawns damage.
over Parro, defends him against other zombies, Bonus Actions
1
and is indifferent towards other survivors as
long as Parro is present, but turns feral at the All Eyes on Me (2/Day). Parro can draw all attention
end of the scene. to himself, giving him advantage on all Charisma
checks for 1 minute. Alternatively, the strength of
Mirror, Mirror. Parro comes across a broken
his personality is so overwhelming that he can even
mirror. If he succeeds on a DC 15 Charisma
mesmerize the undead, stunning a group of zombies
(Performance) check to touch up his appear-
for 1 round.
2 ance, his confidence increases and radiates
outward: he and every ally within 30 feet gains a Reactions
+2 bonus to all Saving Throws for the rest of the
Too Pretty to Die (1/Day). When Parro would take a
game, as long as Parro is alive.
Bite from a zombie, it does not count.
Magnetic Personality. During this scene, an old
3 friend of Parro’s who survived the initial blast
joins the party.
Lucky Day. Parro’s natural luck comes into play,
4 and no zombie attack can hit Parro for the rest
of the scene.

Zombies Attack!
15
 Yurdle
Yurdle (The Doomsayer)
The Doomsayer Medium Humanoid

Every apocalypse has its prophets, and most of Hit Points AC Prof. Bonus Pass. Perc.
them are stunned when they’re proven right— 9 10 +2 14
Yurdle is no exception. Shunned even by other
doomsayers for not only his unconventional STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
appearance, but also his wretched body odor, 9 11 10 13 14 8
Yurdle’s knowledge of the outlandish and strange -1 +0 +0 +1 +2 -1
has suddenly become exceedingly valuable.
Languages: Common, Elvish Orc
Perfect for... Players who love playing a quirky Saving Throws: Wisdom +4
and unconventional character and who like to Skill Bonuses: Insight +4, Perception +4,
shout, “We’re all DOOMED!” Religion +3

d4 Story Events Actions

Premonition. Provide Yurdle with a true and Improvised Weapon. Melee Weapon Attack: +1 to
1 useful—but brief—glimpse at what is going to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d6) bludgeoning
happen in the next minutes in the adventure. damage
What Just Happened? Yurdle’s latent magical Bonus Actions
ability manifests as he inadvertently casts a
2 Doom! Yurdle can pronounce doom upon the actions
spell that turns all undead within 30 feet for
of any creature he can see within 30 feet of himself.
two rounds.
The affected creature gains disadvantage on its next
Whispers. Yurdle can almost understand some attack, ability check, or saving throw.
meaning in the moaning of the zombies here.
With a DC 13 Charisma (Persuasion) check, Reactions
3 Yurdle can communicate simple concepts I Have Seen The Truth! (2/Day). Yurdle can reverse
with the zombies and bargain with them. The the result of any saving throw, ability check, or at-
zombies’ main ambition is to eat brains, but tack roll made by any creature he can see within 30
they are quite gullible. feet of himself. Success becomes failure, and failure
Fitting Right In. Yurdle’s foul stench causes the becomes success.
zombies to mistake them for one of their own,
resulting in no zombies attacking him for the
4
duration of the scene. However, any character
within five feet of Yurdle gains disadvantage on
all Attacks and Saving Throws.

Zombies Attack!
16
 The Apparatus of Dimspark
The Apparatus of Dimspark is the characters’ way out of the zombie-infested city, obtained in Scene 4 of
Chapter II, and used in Chapter III to break through the wall of zombies.
Eight levers are set in grooves around the passenger compartment, and move around on gears and
chains constantly. Each lever is in a neutral position, able to move up or down. When the levers are used,
effects occur within or to the apparatus. A creature inside the apparatus can use an action to move one
lever up or down. After each use, a lever goes back to its neutral position. Each lever functions as explained
below, which can only be determined by trial and error.

Lever 1. Makes the legs of the apparatus extend forward movements necessary to win the race, or
(lever up) or retract (lever down). On a round the backwards (lever down), which adds one addi-
legs are extended, the apparatus avoids any phys- tional movement to the number of movements
ical obstacle by walking over it. On a round the necessary to win the race.
legs are retracted, the apparatus cannot move at all Lever 6. This lever turns the apparatus left (lever
(Lever 6 and Lever 7). Either position rights the up) or right (lever down) by 90 degrees. After
apparatus if it has been turned sideways or upside- turning the apparatus, it has to be turned back by
down. 90 degrees in the opposite direction before any of
Lever 2. Opens the window shutters (lever up) of its forward progress (Lever 5) counts.
the apparatus, or closes them (lever down). The Lever 7. This lever moves the apparatus up (lever
shutters must be open for the characters to see up) or down (lever down) in liquid. It also makes
what is going on outside. This does not impact the apparatus rise on the tide of zombies, which
movement, but all Perception checks relating to can allow the characters to surf across the city
anything on the outside are made at disadvantage walls rather than breaking through the gate. The
when all shutters are closed. While the shutters are lever has to be up on the turn the characters win
open, the characters can make attacks or cast spells the race for this to occur. While the lever is up, the
towards the outside. number of zombies who can enter the apparatus
Lever 3. This lever extends the claws of the appara- with an open rear hatch (see Lever 8) is halved
tus and makes them flail around (both positions). (rounded down).
The apparatus shreds its way through any zombies Lever 8. This lever opens the rear hatch of the
ahead of the vehicle without slowing down on a apparatus (lever up), or closes it (lever down).
round where this lever has been used. For every turn the hatch is open during the race
Lever 4. This lever activates the experimental (including the turn it is opened), 1d4 zombies
close-range defense systems of the apparatus enter the apparatus (a maximum of 4 zombies fit
(both positions). A concussive blast prevents any into the compartment at a time).
zombies from interfering with the apparatus from
the outside for one round, but any creatures on the
inside also must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution
Saving Throw or become stunned until the end of
their next turn.
Lever 5. This lever moves the apparatus forward
(lever up), which counts as one of the three

Zombies Attack!
17
Name: STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Camorra (The Jock) 14 11 12 8 10 9
+2 +0 +1 -1 +0 -1

Hit Points Saving Throws: STR+4 Personality:

__/11 A life spent training and competing
(2d8 + 1) Skills: Acrobatics +2, Athletics +4 has left Camorra with the toned
AC Spd physique necessary to tackle
10 30 ft. Senses: Passive Perception 10 danger head-on, at least for a while.
Her friends are sure to value her
Bites Languages: Common muscles, if not her ideas.

Proficiency Bonus: +2

Inventory Features
Crushing Blow. Camorra scores a critical hit on a 17-20
result of a d20 roll. Any critical hit scored by Camorra
instantly kills a zombie.

Actions
Improvised Weapon. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit,
reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 2) bludgeoning
damage.
Walloping Stick. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach
10 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d12 + 2) bludgeoning damage.
Bulwark. Camorra blocks a passage as wide as 10 feet
entirely with her body until the start of her next turn.
No zombies can move past her, but they all have
advantage on attacks against Camorra.
Name: STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Donovan (The Unlucky) 10 14 9 8 12 11
+0 +2 -1 -1 +1 +0

Hit Points Saving Throws: DEX +4 Personality:

__/7 Every horror story needs someone
(2d8 - 2) Skills: Sleight of Hand +4, Stealth+4 who can screw up by the numbers
AC Spd and still, inexplicably, survive. The
12 30 ft. Senses: Passive Perception 11 unlucky and lovable fool whose
bad luck seems to have a mind of
Bites Languages: Common, Undercommon its own, and which may help things
turn out for the best.
Proficiency Bonus: +2

Inventory Features
Failing Forward. If Donovan fails an ability check or
a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead. He
automatically takes a Bite at the next possible opportu-
nity after doing so.

Actions
Improvised Weapon. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to
hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d6) bludgeoning
damage.

Reactions
Better You Than Me! (2/Day). When an attack would
hit Donovan, he can redirect the attack toward an ally
who is within 5 feet of himself.
Name: STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Jenniver (The Tinkerer) 8 11 10 14 12 9
-1 +0 +0 +2 +1 -1

Hit Points Saving Throws: INT+4 Personality:

__/9 The world is full of things that are
(2d8 ) Skills: Arcana +4, Perception +3, Nature +4 just waiting to be put together by
AC Spd someone with the proper tools and
10 30 ft. Senses: Passive Perception 13 intelligence. With enough time and
materials, Jenniver is able to make
Bites Languages: Common, Halfling nearly anything from scratch. Too
bad zombies don’t allow downtime!
Proficiency Bonus: +2

Inventory Features
Rational Thought (2/Day). When Jenniver is present
during any group ability check, she can add her Intelli-
gence bonus to the result of all participating characters
(including herself). She can do so after she knows the
results rolled, but before the outcome is declared.

Actions
Improvised Weapon. Melee Weapon Attack: +1 to hit,
reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d6 - 1) bludgeoning
damage.

Bonus Actions
Think Before You Act! Jenniver can take the Help
action as a bonus action.
Name: STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Parro (The Popular Guy) 11 12 9 10 8 14
+0 +1 -1 +0 -1 +2

Hit Points Saving Throws: CHA +4 Personality:

__/7 Some people never have to work
(2d8 - 2) Skills: Performance +4, Persuasion +4 for anything and still somehow
AC Spd get whatever they want: money,
11 30 ft. Senses: Passive Perception 9 fame, you name it! How someone
like that reacts under pressure
Bites Languages: Common shows what they’re really made
of: a compassionate leader, or just
Proficiency Bonus: +2 an entitled jerk?

Inventory Actions
Improvised Weapon. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to
hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d6) bludgeoning
damage.

Bonus Actions
All Eyes on Me (2/Day). Parro can draw all attention to
himself, giving him advantage on all Charisma checks
for 1 minute. Alternatively, the strength of his personal-
ity is so overwhelming that he can even mesmerize the
undead, stunning a group of zombies for 1 round.

Reactions
Too Pretty to Die (1/Day). When Parro would take a Bite from a
zombie, it does not count.
Name: STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Yurdle (The Doomsayer) 9 11 10 13 14 8
-1 +0 +0 +1 +2 -1

Hit Points Saving Throws: WIS+4 Personality:

__/9 Every apocalypse has its prophets,
(2d8) Skills: Insight +4, Perception +4, Religion +3 and most of them are stunned
AC Spd when they’re proven right—Yurdle
10 30 ft. Senses: Passive Perception 14 is no exception. Shunned by other
doomsayers for his appearance
Bites Languages: Common, Elvish, Orc and body odor, Yurdle’s knowledge
of the outlandish and strange has
Proficiency Bonus: +2 become exceedingly valuable.

Inventory Actions
Improvised Weapon. Melee Weapon Attack: +1 to
hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d6) bludgeoning
damage.

Bonus Actions
Doom! Yurdle can pronounce doom upon the actions of
any creature he can see within 30 feet of himself. The
affected creature gains disadvantage on its next attack,
ability check, or saving throw.

Reactions
I Have Seen The Truth! (2/Day). Yurdle can reverse
the result of any saving throw, ability check, or attack
roll made by any creature he can see within 30 feet of
himself. Success becomes failure, and failure becomes
success.
Name: STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

Hit Points Saving Throws: Personality:

__/__
Skills:
AC Spd
Senses:

Bites Languages:

Proficiency Bonus:

Inventory Features

Actions

Bonus Actions

Reactions
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