UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE: A PZ SCENARIO

[Bullet_Magnate]

(Here's something I've been tinkering with as a way to inject a little more narrative into the current PZ build.  Hope someone out there enjoys it!  NOTE that some may find portions of the below sad and/or disturbing, but that's PZ for you.  NOTE ALSO that the attached images show parts of the PZ map -- heads up for those who'd consider them spoilers.)

 

PURPOSE:  To provide a simple, playable solo story / goal in PZ at its current level of development. 

 

OBJECT:  Find your child – a college freshman who was taking summer classes at Louisville State University (LSU) when the Knox Event occurred. 

 

BACKGROUND:  

 

     • Your own prior experience with the game determines your level of familiarity with Knox County. (For example, if you are a new player, you’ve never been there; if you’ve played a lot,  then you're a local who moved away recently).  
     • You lost contact with your child a day or two before the game starts; they stopped answering their phone. 
     • The last thing you said to them was, “Don’t worry — if things get really bad, I’ll come and get you.” 
     • Your child does not own a vehicle, but rather walks or relies on friends / public transportation to get around. 
     • When you last spoke, your child was sheltering in place in their dorm room --  (Room 321 of the LSU North Dormitory, shown on attached image).
     • At the time, you were located a long (but driveable) distance away. Fearing the worst, you drove through the night, and somehow managed to slip through the military cordon and into Knox County (specifically, Rosewood). 
     • In the process, however, your vehicle ended up in a ditch and you had to abandon it (off-map to the west), and you lost everything you had with you except the clothes on your back.
     • On the way in, you encountered (and eluded) enough zombified locals that you know how bad things really are (i.e., there’s no need to pretend / RP that your character hasn’t figured  out yet that they’re in a full-blown Zombie Apocalypse).
     • You found an unlocked house in Rosewood, slipped inside, and collapsed in exhaustion on the floor.  The game begins the next morning, shortly after you awakened in that house.

 

STARTING THE GAME: 

 

From the main PZ menu, select Solo.  Select Apocalypse; hit Next.  Select Rosewood; hit Next.  Select Random, repeating until you get a character build with 0 points to spend.  Hit next.  Note the first name and sex of the current character shown; this is your CHILD’s first name and sex (none of the other info, appearance, etc, applies).  Hit Random.  This one is YOU.  Hit Play. 

 

VICTORY CONDITIONS: 

 

   1.  Winning.  You win the scenario if (1) you manage to investigate your child’s dorm room at LSU by midnight, October 8, 1993; and (2) you carry out any necessary follow-on actions, depending on what you find there (see Investigating the Dorm Room, below).  

 

   2.  Losing.  You lose if you are killed (obviously) OR if you do not investigate the dorm room in time (at which point your character abandons hope of ever finding their child).  There is no time limit on any follow-on goals that result from investigating the room.  

 

INVESTIGATING THE DORM ROOM:

 

The outcome of the scenario depends on what is found in the room.  Go through the following list in order, taking the first outcome that fits the contents of the room. 

 

   1.  Matching Zombie. If there is a zombie that is the same sex as your child, this is what has become of them.  (If there is more than one matching zombie, it is the one that looks the most like your character).  New Goal:  Put them to rest.  Once that is done, bury them.  Once that is done, Escape Knox County (as in “Fate Unknown,” below).  If you do so, you win the scenario. 

 

   2.  Matching Corpse. If there is a corpse that is the same sex as your child, these are their remains. (If there is more than one matching corpse, it is the one closest to the door).  New Goal:  Bury them.  Once that is accomplished, Escape Knox County (as in “Fate Unknown,” below).  If you do so, you win the scenario. 

 

   3.  Message Left Behind.  If any container in the room holds BOTH a writeable Literature item AND a writing instrument (pen or pencil), your child has left you a note saying that they are fleeing Knox County; so at least there is a glimmer of hope.  New Goal:  Follow your child.  First, determine the direction they went by randomly selecting either A, B, or C on the diagram below.  You must reach the edge of the map at the indicated point in a vehicle that is in at least 50% overall condition, AND has at least half a tank of gas.  If you do so, you win the scenario. 

 

   4.  Fate Unknown.  If none of the above are found in the room, then there is no trace of your child, and their fate remains forever unknown to you.  New Goal:  Escape Knox County.  Do so by reaching the map edge at point B, in a vehicle that is in at least 50% overall condition, AND has at least half a tank of gas.  If you do so, you win the scenario. 

 

Note that "winning the scenario" really just means you accomplished your short-term goal to an extent, but ultimately end up dying a tragic death somewhere else at a later time.  This is PZ, after all ...