Campaign advancement rules?

[flightmek25]

(12-05-2010 06:07 PM)Brando Wrote:  I've been considering a similar system, but perhaps a bit more involved. We're afraid that the game might become too one-sided in later games if the heroes level up too much. I do like the ability to "burn" an experience point!

OP heroes is part of my fear as well, though the scenarios can always be adjusted to provide a balance. For instance, using an extra seven zombies in the pool and the auto-respawn rule from "Growing Hunger."Also, I think it is important to have a "goal" in mind like gavindowning has said below. If there are a total of 6 scenarios in the campaign, any hero can only level-up twice at most. Although that hero will be more powerful than originally intended, I think the level-up table can be modified to effectively eliminate really substantial imbalance. What do you think of the granted powers from the table? Are they sort of what you had in mind for your own campaign rules?

I think it's important to not over-complicate things either. At some point, with the addition of rules, it may make more sense to play d20 Modern or a similar RPG with a zombie theme than rewrite LNoE. I have tried to keep things simple enough to avoid this problem.

(12-05-2010 06:32 PM)gavindowning Wrote:  I'd recommend with something like this, you have a set goal in mind -- a planned campaign/storyline. "On the first night, they decide to hole up together and Defend the Manor House for a while. Then, when they realize they can't continue doing so indefinitely, they need to Save the Townsfolk, then Escape in the Truck. But down at the military base, they discover that they Have To Go Back in order to find the cure and end this plague!" Or something along those lines.

This is what I figured would be the best way to use the advancement rules while sticking as closely as possible to the original intentions of the game. The "Zombie-Lord" (GM) - see? coming up with more ideas already - should have a clear idea of how things will go. Your plan as outlined above is a perfect example of a realistic and positive flow to a story. Such a concept (w/ only a few games in the campaign) will certainly limit any one hero gaining too much XP and becoming the Tallahassee (Woody Harelson's character in Zombieland) of your gaming sessions.

Another thing to consider is the fact that these rules plunge the game into a realm dangerously close to a RPG. In a RPG, there is little desire for the GM to win, as the campaign will end and the players will be pissed, but LNoE has a strict policy of trying your damnedest to kill the opponents. To eliminate any unfairness in selecting the next scenario, it should be preordained or possibly even rolled for randomly before each session. Or - as Brando pointed out above - the power of the heroes might grow insane and a good counterweight to this may be the GMs ability to adjust the difficulty of the scenarios as he/she sees fit.