D&D Plants vs Zombies style – part 1

The first D&D game of the year 2010, and I’m the Dungeon Master. *pause for dramatic effect*

Anyway, I took the advice of @ChattyDM, decided to try my hand at the DM role and asked my then DM if I could run a one-shot adventure session (we were in the middle of his campaign, having just returned from the mountains with the whirlwinds.). He said go ahead (probably a little too quickly, it seemed…).

I had this idea of merging the game Plants vs Zombies (non-affiliate link) into a D&D setting. This was taken from my initial email to my DM:

The theme will be Plants vs Zombies.
Location is somewhere between Byeshk Mountains and Eldeen Reaches.
I don’t have a specific place in mind, other than I need mountains and plant life.
So you can pick a location if you want to weave it into your campaign story.

I was thinking of the rest of the group to use their existing level 5 characters so they don’t have to roll up another one. I sent out an email to the others, informing them of my temporary DM status. My current DM also suggested giving them the option to create new characters if they want. Turns out, they like coming up with new characters… who knew…

Gearing up for my first ever role as a DM, I started my preparations. I’ve already read a bit on the finer points of being a DM, and learned from watching my 3 other DMs when we played. I don’t know what kind of rules you follow, but here are my 3 Golden Rules of Being Dungeon Master (even though I have zero experience as a D&D 4e DM):

Golden Rule Number 1

Make your players feel awesome. (that’s a tech reference link, but I’m a programmer. So there.)

Golden Rule Number 2

It’s about your players. Make them feel awesome.

Golden Rule Number 3

And as I like to say, “Make people feel awesome!”

Since those 3 golden rules are quite difficult to quantify, and hence difficult to follow, I have come up with 3 principles.

• Say “Yes” (taking a leaf from improvisational theatre)
• Cheat outrageously, especially if enforcing golden rule number 2
• Lie shamelessly, especially if enforcing golden rule number 3

I planned out my encounters with fervour. Then found that, being the storyteller that I am, I wove my story tighter than I wanted into the encounters. Oh dear, what if they get bored hearing me rambling too much on the story? I tightened my script (yes, I wrote a story script). It was a good thing I had Monster Builder from Wizards of the Coast, or I’m doomed. It made it easier to just select the zombie monsters.

I also thought my zombies were overpowered. Because I planned to have wave after wave of zombies appearing. And in my emails to the group, I warned them about it.

This is my first time being a DM. I might accidentally kill PCs…
Working very hard to balance the encounters with the extra elements I have in mind.
Thank goodness there’s Monster Builder from WotC…

I’ll be throwing zombies at you like there’s no tomorrow, which is different from the 3, 4 or 5 enemies per encounter we’ve played so far.
When I said zombies, I mean zombies. If there’s a reality show called “Survival Zombies”, this is it.

I was so naive. These were D&D veterans. What the heck was I worrying about?

I also bought myself some props:

And here’s a closer look:

What are they for? You’ll find out soon enough….

Anyway, since all of them decided to play a new character, I didn’t have to worry about killing them and ruining my current DM’s campaign. But they’re veterans. And they can probably come up with some houserule to revive the characters. Anyway, I decided to do a spinoff…

[narrative of the story is slightly edited for dramatic effect]

Looking for help

“Oh it’s lucky that you’re here, Lady Sharyn. Please help me and my druid brothers. There are zombies everywhere!”

At that moment, the airship of the dragonmarked could be seen flying over Tanglevine, and landed near its entrance. “You may ask them if you wish,” Sharyn pointed at the airship. As the adventurers disembarked from the airship, I went up to them.

“Kind sirs, my brothers are being attacked by zombies. I need your help!”

The warforged looked at me for an instant, and turned and walked away. The goliath strode off without a word, followed by a half orc. Another adventurer passed me by, dressed in robes with divine symbols. I couldn’t see his face, because it was blocked by a maul (what’s an invoker doing with a maul?).

“Please, help me!”

A kalashtar climbed down the ladder, gave me an odd look, and stared at me in a… weird way. A halfling jumped down from the ladder, landed precisely into a crouch, and bolted after the others. The kalashtar tore his eyes away from me, and loped after the halfling.

“I’m sorry, Fillian.” Sharyn touched my shoulders. “I have matters to attend to. Please excuse me.”

Dejected, I turned towards the entrance of the village, where the motley crew of adventurers I gathered awaited me. The immensely built warden known as He-Man stood impassively looking at the leaving adventurers who ignored me. He was the first to offer help.

Beside him was a half orc, his lower canine teeth glinting as dangerously as the 2 scimitars he carried. He hadn’t said anything since we left the tavern. He just stood up and came over to me when I asked for help.

Standing next to him was someone dressed in what I would call a tunic and dark rugged-looking pants (“T-shirt and jeans”, said the player. Ohhhkkaayyy… remember, say yes.). He was looking into his orb, and he’s not carrying any weapons that I could see, so I’d guess he used magic, most probably a wizard.

Next to the wizard stood the most hideous looking person I’ve ever seen. Well, I couldn’t see past his hideous looking mask anyway. He’s wearing dark plate from what I could tell. A paladin? But what’s a paladin doing with such “dark” equipment? (His name is Skeletor. Oh great, He-Man and Skeletor! These people really make me laugh… *smile*)

My thoughts of deciphering the black knight were interrupted by the “vwunging” of the kalashtar beside him. The kalashtar was looking around continually, and moving his hands through the air and creating a low-humming sound as he did. I think he’s playing…

The last adventurer was actually referred by another tavern patron. “B.A. Murdock. Ya can’t go wrong with ‘im. Besh shniper in thee wholl Ell-deen Reechez.” I should have paid attention to his ale breath, but I was desperate. Murdock stood slightly apart from the others, fiddling with his crossbow.

I sighed. “They’ll have to do,” I whispered.

Then Murdock dropped his crossbow, and an “Uh!!”, and a crossbow bolt shot into the air when the crossbow hit the ground. Fortunately, no one was injured.

“They’ll have to do,” I shook my head…

Up next in part 2: “My nipples explode in delight!”
Don’t ask… just, don’t ask…