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I will bring up the dead to eat the living.
And the dead will outnumber the living.
Goddess Ishtar, Epic of Gilgamesh
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***

Avery Ahearn stared into the fire, “I still remember that last drink. I just left it there. It was the back end of
my two for one but my girlfriend was worried about how much I was drinking. So I decided to make a point to
myself. I just got up and walked away. I left it there. I hate to say this, but I think about the fate of that drink and
I can barely remember Jennifer’s face.”
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Gemma just laughed. Already it was a rare sound and its rarity gave it an extra bit of magic in the firelight.
“Don’t feel bad slugger. Whoever this Jennifer is, she’d pick the drink over you, too.”
***
Before we begin, some basic terms. The world has undergone a change not seen since the birth of the Common
Era over two millennia ago. You are a survivor in the world after zombies. This is often abbreviated AZ. You
remember a time before, a time of cell phones, petty concerns, and abundant food. Those days are gone, and are
sometimes referred to as BZ, or before the zombies.

Materials needed for play: To play AZ you’ll need: a copy of these rules, two ten-sided dice, a pencil and
paper.

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 world-class talent such as a famous scientist or
Chapter 1: Survivors professional athlete. Attributes of 100 represent
world-changing talents - individuals with these
One creak of a board. That was all it took. Avery had attribute scores are remembered long after their
a hand across his wooden axe handle and Gemma had lifetimes.
her hand under the jacket piled casually at her side.
Avery knew what was under there. He’d seen Gemma
use that Browning Hi-Power more times than he cared Combat Ability (CA)
to count in the last 24 hours. A survivor’s combat ability takes many things into
account - prior training (either as a member of the
Avery spoke, his voice sounding unnaturally loud in military or law enforcement), practical experience

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the quiet house. “Hey! I know we’re trespassing but fighting for survival on the road, or just sheer
you’ve seen what it’s like on the street out there. We ferocity in the heat of battle. The best fighters
really didn’t have a choice.” have a combination of these traits and strike their
enemies without mercy or hesitation.

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The woman that came around the corner was very Determines: Base weapon skill (see Chapter 3:
unusual looking, with a deep tan to her skin and rich, Survival Skills for more information).
dark hair prematurely streaked with gray. Unlike
Gemma, she made no attempt to hide the pistol in Health (HT)
the hand that hung at her side with casual ease. She Health is important - you never know how much
wasn’t hiding the weapon but she wasn’t pointing it at rest you’re going to get before the zombies force
anyone either. you back on the road, or how long your latest
hideout is going to last. The world also remains

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She seemed to take the pair in quickly. A single flick
of her eyes over each of them seemed like all it took.
“This isn’t my house either. But I smelled the fire and
my daughter is cold. Calista.”
full of diseases, both the “normal” varieties that
existed in the BZ (i.e. the flu) and the outbreak
that has transformed so much of humanity into the
undead.
Determines: Base Hit Points (along with
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Around the corner shuffled a 13 year old girl, with Strength), abbreviated HP.
a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She was Also determines base Endurance, abbreviated
shivering. The sight of the girl caused Gemma to jerk EN.
her hand from under the blanket as though the pistol Also determines a survivor’s natural healing rate.
hidden there was suddenly electrified. Avery pointed Consult Natural Healing under Hit Point Damage
toward the fire with his axe handle. in Chapter 5: Combat for more information.
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“No reason not to share.” Insight (IN)

Insight into the world around you and yourself.
The girl moved quickly toward the fire, placing her This not only helps you avoid being surprised but
hands as close to it as possible, still shivering. The also allows you to better cope with the seemingly
older woman did not move, still watching the two inexplicable horrors around you.
adults. Finally, she joined her daughter, glancing one Determines: Base Mental Toughness (along with
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more time at the pair before holstering her pistol. Leadership), abbreviated MT.
Also determines how hard a survivor is to surprise.
“My name is Petra.” Consult the Stealth skill in Chapter 3: Skills
and Surprise in Chapter 5: Combat for more
information.
Survival Attributes
AZ survivors are defined by 8 primary and
5 derived attributes. The primary attributes
Intellect (IT)
If humanity has one true edge over the hordes, it
are Combat Ability, Health, Insight, Intellect,
is their greater intellect. This is the key to retaking
Leadership, Luck, Quickness, and Strength.
the Earth, or at least making it safer.
The derived attributes are: Hit Points, Mental
Determines: Survivors with a high Intellect
Toughness, Endurance, Action Points, and Unity.
(61-80) gain a +10 bonus on all Learning
The average attribute score is 40, with 80 being
checks, Survivors with a very high Intellect of
a 1 in 1000 talent. Attributes over 90 represent a
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 (81+) gain a +25 bonus on all Learning checks. them.
Consult Chapter 2: Survivor Advancement for Determines: Base Action Points, abbreviated AP.
information on Learning checks.
Strength (ST)
Leadership (LD) When all else fails, bashing something over the
The ability to sway others to your point of view head with brute strength is often a great way to get
and keep a group together through adversity. In the rid of an attacking zombie. Even better, hand to
face of zombies that now outnumber the human hand weapons generate less noise than firearms.
race, the ability of humans to work together in a Many AZ survivors have learned to use strength
manner superior to the pack tactics of the undead and a big axe to their advantage.

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is perhaps their biggest advantage. Groups without Determines: Base Hit Points (along with Health),
a leader usually fall apart. abbreviated HP.
Determines: Base Mental Toughness (along with Also grants a damage bonus with many Close
Insight), abbreviated MT. Quarters Combat attacks. Consult Chapter 5:

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Base Unity (see below for more information about Combat for more information.
Unity). Also determines a survivor’s Carrying Capacity.
A survivor can carry one pound (.45 kilograms)
Luck (LK) per point of Strength for an hour at the standard
Some people are just blessed. In the BZ era, Endurance cost (4d10 Endurance). A survivor can
these people might have been born with a silver carry twice the weight for twice the Endurance
spoon in their mouth, or married the daughter of cost (8d10 Endurance per hour). More than
a seemingly poor businessman 4 months before twice the weight, but not more than three times
the weight, can be carried at half speed for 8d10

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his company went public, making him fabulously
wealthy. In the here and now, where the dead dig
out of their graves, the lucky always seem to find
a car with a full tank of gas or pull off a seemingly
impossible headshot in the heat of battle.
Endurance per hour. A survivor cannot carry
more than three times their carrying capacity for
significant distances.
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Determines: There are no derived attributes or Derived Attributes
skills based on Luck. Still, the GM will often make As the name suggests, these attributes are derived
Luck checks to determine whether or not things go by the values of the core eight Survival Attributes
a survivor’s way (see the Survival Gear and Game detailed above.
Master sections below for more information).
Survivors also add 1/10th of their Luck to all Hit points (HP): Health (HT) plus Strength (ST)
A measure of how your survivor will hold up
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weapon Malfunction and vehicle Breakdown

chances, meaning lucky survivors suffer these under the strain of survival. Hit points cover
circumstances less often. everything from starvation to bullet wounds to
Call on Luck: Once per game session, a survivor zombie bites; all the indignities visited on the
may attempt to call on Luck to aid them in some human body by the end of days.
endeavor. Maybe the situation is dire and you need Injuries: As a survivor suffers damage (and loses
a lucky headshot right now. To call on Luck, a Hit Points), they may also suffer injuries. The
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survivor must make a Luck check (roll less than chance of an injury is based on the comparison of
their Luck attribute on % dice). a successful attack roll and the target’s hit points.
Depending on whether you are calling on Luck If the attack is a hit and is above the target’s hit
with regards to a trained or untrained skill, this points, the attack inflicts an injury.
ability works differently. If you are calling on For example, if a target with 60 current Hit Points
Luck to assist a skill you are trained in, you gain a were struck by an attack roll of 61 or higher, the
+25 bonus to that skill. If you are calling on Luck attack would inflict an injury. The specific injury
to assist an untrained skill, treat the skill as trained. suffered depends on the hit location of the attack.
Possible injuries include: bleeding, infection and
trauma. Consult Chapter 5: Combat for more
Quickness (QK) information.
The best defense is often staying ahead of the
zombies. Though they outnumber humanity, they
are slower, which allows the fleet of foot to evade
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 Mental Toughness (MT): Insight (IN) plus Unity: Highest Leadership modified by the size of
Leadership (LD) the group
A measure of how your survivor’s mind is coping Unity might seem a bit tricky but in practice, using
with the horrors and hard choices that confront it will be a breeze. Once all the survivors have
him or her on a daily basis. Mental Toughness generated their Survival Attributes, following the
covers everything from your car breaking down Survivor Creation process through Step 7 (detailed
to putting a loved one turned zombie out of their below), the players will compare their survivors
misery; anything that makes your day go from bad in order to determine the one with the highest
to hell. Leadership score.
Breakdowns: When Mental Toughness drops This becomes the base Unity for the group,

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below 100, the survivor might suffer a breakdown. modified by the size of the group. Before Unity
A survivor with a Mental Toughness below 100 is can be determined, every player must have
eligible for a breakdown. Any time a survivor loses completed survivor generation through step 7 of
MT, roll percentile dice. If the result is above the the process detailed above. Now take the highest

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survivor’s current Mental Toughness, the survivor Leadership attribute of the group, then subtract
has suffered a breakdown. Consult Chapter 6: from that as follows: 2-3 members of group -2d10;
Mental Toughness for more information. 4-5 members of group -3d10; 6-10 members of
group -4d10; 11 or more -5d10.
The final result is the group’s starting Unity.
Endurance (EN): Health x2 Note that the survivor with the highest Leadership
Endurance determines how long a survivor can score is not necessarily recognized as the lord
push themselves to their very limits. Sprinting, and master of the rest of the group. All survivors
making heavy melee attacks, marching at are free to do as they wish. However, charismatic

Endurance.
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your maximum speed for hours on end, and
going without food or sleep are all functions of

Some typical uses and costs for Endurance are:

individuals make it easier for a group to hold
together. It is quite possible, for example, that
the “leader” of the group is not in charge at all
but functions as the de facto moral compass of a
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make a heavy melee attack (-1d10), Sprint in group.
combat (-1d10), and march carrying a full load
(see Carrying Capacity under Strength above) for
an hour (-4d10 Endurance). Survivors also suffer Survivor Creation
Endurance loss from excessive heat, lack of sleep,
use of medicines, and other sources. Petra sat against the wall. Calista was curled up next
Recovering Endurance: Survivors recover to her, her head on the older woman’s lap. In the night,
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Endurance every hour they rest. One hour of after the fire had begun to wane, the pistol had come
uninterrupted rest restores 1d10 Endurance plus back out of its holster. She kept her eyes half closed,
one-tenth the Survivor’s Health attribute, rounded maintaining the illusion that she was asleep, but in
down. fact her eyes were fixed on the large man; Avery, he
had said his name was.
Action Points (AP): Quickness divided by 10, He was trying to move quietly but he was enormous,
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rounded down his knees creaking and popping with every movement.
Action Points are everything your survivor can do He was about as quiet as a truck. Still, the other
in a single round of combat. Are you fast enough woman he had been sharing the fire with seemed not to
to snap off three quick shots and dash over that notice that he was moving around. When he parted the
wall 20 feet away? Your Action Points will let you curtain, Petra half expected him to open the window
know. and slip outside. If not for Calista, she certainly
In the Combat chapter, the most common actions wouldn’t have been bunking with strangers. Still, he
are listed with how many Action Points they seemed to have no inclination to leave. He was just
require. For actions not listed on the table, your examining the street outside as the sun came up.
Game Master will make the final determination
on how many AP are required, using the existing Petra still wasn’t quite sure what to make of the man.
actions as a guide. He was huge but had a quiet, almost deferential
way about him. His blue shirt, with the gold-stitched

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 letters LBR TDY had been a mystery to her. The girl, Ordinary Attribute (+5 points).
Gemma, wore a matching shirt. Labor Today, they
had explained to her last night. Apparently some kind Step 5: Determine Weak Attributes
of temp agency. He did heavy labor, while Gemma The final three Survival Attributes are Weak
apparently did office work. How the pair had survived Attributes. You just aren’t good at these things.
even the first few hours was a mystery to Petra. Roll 2d10 three times and subtract the result from
each of your Weak Attributes in turn, decreasing
Everyone has a story and survivor creation is where them from -2 to -20. The average decrease to a
you begin to tell yours. Here you begin to shape the Weak Attribute will be 11 points.
survivor you will play as you attempt to survive the When using Survivor Improvement to improve

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AZ. Weak Attributes, add +2 to the roll. Consult
Chapter 2: Survivor Advancement for more
Step 1: Choose a Background information.
Below you will find a selection of Backgrounds. Optional: Take the Average

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This represents your BZ life and forms the Players may opt to take the average decrease for a
backbone of your survivor, including your Weak Attribute (-11 points).
Survivor Attributes.
Step 6: Roll a Random Trait
Step 2: Determine Primary Attribute After determining Background and Survival
Depending on what type of survivor they want, Attributes, players can then roll a random Trait if
players pick a Survival Attribute to be their they wish. Alternately, a survivor can select a Trait
Primary Attribute. This is the attribute you feel based on their Background. Most survivors only

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will most help you survive in the AZ. Once you
have picked a Background, roll 3d10 and add the
result to your Primary Attribute, increasing it from
+3 to +30. The average increase to your Primary
Attribute will be 16 points.
receive one trait, but survivors who choose the
Eccentric background can roll up to three traits,
owing to their unusual nature.
Optional: Just an average guy or gal
Players may skip this step if desired and proceed
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Optional: Take the Average without rolling a Trait.
Players may opt to take the average increase for a
Primary Attribute (+16 points). Step 7: Calculate Derived Attributes
Once the values of all the Survival Attributes
Step 3: Determine Secondary Attribute are determined (including any modifications
Now pick a Survival Attribute to be your for Traits), it’s time to calculate your Derived
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Secondary Attribute. This is the attribute you feel Attributes. As the name says, the value of these
will be the second most important for your long Attributes is based on your other attributes, rather
term survival. Roll 2d10 and add the result to your than something with an independent value. The
Secondary Attribute, increasing it from +2 to +20. Derived Attributes in AZ are: Hit Points, Mental
The average increase to your Secondary Attribute Toughness, Action Points, Endurance, and Unity.
will be 11 points. Hit Points: To determine your hit points, add your
Optional: Take the Average Health and Strength attributes together.
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Players may opt to take the average increase for a Mental Toughness: To determine your Mental
Secondary Attribute (+11 points). Toughness, add your Insight and your Leadership
together.
Action Points: To determine your Action Points,
Step 4: Determine Ordinary Attributes divide your Quickness by 10 and round down.
Now choose three Survival Attributes - these Endurance: To determine your Endurance,
are your Ordinary Attributes. You have some multiply your Health by 2.
competence in these abilities, but not a lot. Roll Unity: Before Unity can be determined, every
1d10 three times and add the result to each of your player must have completed survivor generation
Ordinary Attributes in turn, increasing them from through step 6 of the process detailed above. Now
+1 to +10. The average increase to your Ordinary take the highest Leadership attribute of the group,
Attributes will be 5 points. then subtract from that as follows: 2-3 members of
Optional: Take the Average group -1d10; 4-5 members of group -2d10; 6-10
Players may opt to take the average increase for an
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 members of group -3d10; 11 or more -4d10. Optional: Random Background
The final result is the group’s starting Unity. Some players will prefer to leave their fate to the
Karma (Optional): All survivors start with a winds of chance. For those players, a random table is
40 Karma, modified by traits and disadvantages. presented to roll their Background randomly. The table
See Karma in Chapter 6 for more information on below can also be used as a handy reference to the
Karma. base Survival Attributes granted by each background.
01-08: Military (CA 50, HT 45, IN 30, IT 30, LD
Step 8: Pick a Disadvantage (Optional) 40, LK 40, QK 45, ST 40)
Some players might want a little something extra 09-13: Military, Officer (CA 50, HT 40, IN 30, IT
to round out their survivor before play begins. 30, LD 50, LK 40, QK 40, ST 40)

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Or maybe they just want an extra wrinkle to their 14-18: Politician (CA 20, HT 40, IN 45, IT 45, LD
survivor’s backstory. Disadvantages provide a 60, LK 40, QK 40, ST 30)
slight bonus at the start of the game, in return for 19-23: Law Enforcement (CA 50, HT 40, IN 30,
occasional complications during play. IT 30, LD 50, LK 40, QK 40, ST 40)

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See the Disadvantages section below for more 24-28: Medical (CA 30, HT 40, IN 55, IT 55, LD
information. 40, LK 40, QK 40, ST 20)
29-33: Paramedic (CA 20, HT 40, IN 50, IT 45,
Step 9: Select Starting Skills LD 40, LK 40, QK 45, ST 40)
All survivors begin play with at least two skills. 34-38: Outdoorsman (CA 50, HT 40, IN 50, IT 30,
One determined by their Background and one LD 30, LK 40, QK 40, ST 40)
chosen by the player. Make sure you pick your 39-43: Service Industry (CA 30, HT 40, IN 50, IT
skills before play begins. 40, LD 40, LK 40, QK 50, ST 30)
44-48: Student (CA 30, HT 40, IN 40, IT 50, LD

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Step 10: Select Starting Equipment
All survivors begin play with one of the following,
chosen by the player: 1 melee weapon, 1 archery
40, LK 40, QK 40, ST 40)
49-58: White Collar (CA 30, HT 40, IN 50, IT 50,
LD 50, LK 40, QK 30, ST 30)
59-68: Blue Collar (CA 40, HT 55, IN 30, IT 30,
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weapon with 10 arrows, one pistol with 20 rounds LD 30, LK 40, QK 40, ST 55)
of ammunition, or one suit of light body armor. 69-72: Criminal (CA 50, HT 40, IN 40, IT 30, LD
How the survivor came by this piece of equipment 40, LK 30, QK 50, ST 40)
doesn’t matter, but players can come up with a 73-76: Average Joe/Jane (CA 30, HT 40, IN 40, IT
story about the item if they wish to pad out their 40, LD 40, LK 60, QK 40, ST 30)
survivor’s backstory. 77-81: Academic (CA 20, HT 40, IN 60, IT 60, LD
Optional: Equipment Condition 40, LK 40, QK 40, ST 20)
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It is generally assumed the equipment gained 82-86: Athlete (CA 40, HT 60, IN 30, IT 30, LD
during survivor generation is in perfect condition. 30, LK 30, QK 50, ST 50)
If the game master wants the game to be more 87-91: Eccentric (CA 40, HT 40, IN 40, IT 40, LD
of a challenge, starting equipment can have its 30, LK 50, QK 40, ST 40)
condition randomly generation. 92-96: Blank Slate (CA 40, HT 40, IN 40, IT 40,
LD 40, LK 40, QK 40, ST 40)
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97-100: Survivalist (CA 50, HT 40, IN 50, IT 30,

Backgrounds LD 30, LK 40, QK 40, ST 40)
Backgrounds represent your survivor’s life and
skills gained before the end of the world. It isn’t
necessarily what you were doing to pay your Background Descriptions
bills, but it is the defining element of your life
before. For example, you might have been an This section gives a little more information about each
underemployed fry cook at a fast food restaurant background. Backgrounds assume that the apocalypse
who worked your shift, grabbed some “herbal life is recent, the survivors had little or no warning about
supplements” and then spent the rest of your time the Outbreak and that they have been on the road for a
shouting into a headset while playing a first person time, surviving on their own before joining forces with
shooter. But if what really mattered was that, the other survivors.
before that, you had served overseas in a brushfire Base Survival Attributes: These are your starting
war, your background might very well be Military. Survival Attributes, before selecting your Primary,
Secondary, Ordinary, and Weak Attributes.
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