Tuesday 5 September 2017

Campbell's Farm part three



After a swift 'meet & great' with Nate and Zac, Brad wanted to make sure the farm buildings were clear as quickly as possible, so they could then concentrate on the perimeter. The outbuilding was the nearest, so as Brad glanced back to check that Hannah and Travis were doing OK, the three of them headed straight to the top of the yard.
Nate said it looked clear as he peered through a window, and Brad noticed the door was ajar - was this where the zombie in the yard had appeared from when they'd approached the farm earlier?


Leaving speculation about the zombie aside, and needing to be 100% sure the building was clear, the door was ripped open as Brad and Zac burst in ready for the worst.......
...... only to find it empty! (But they couldn't help but spot the chainsaw on a shelf among some other useful looking tools)
Nerves settled, the guys moved around to inspect the barn - no windows for Nate to peer in, but he did try squinting through the crack in the doors before they were opened but all he said was "It's dark in there"
Opening the door allowed enough light into the barn for them to see the zombie approaching from the very back of the building and the guys followed Brad's lead as he charged forwards swinging his rifle like a club!
As soon as Brad's blow had knocked the zombie off its feet, Nate and Zac quickly finished it off with their heavy boots. A quick look around the barn revealed nothing obvious equipment-wise, but there was plenty of rope, twine and farming implements  that might come in useful.

Travis gave them a 'thumbs up' to show that all was clear in the surrounding area as they crossed the yard towards the final building to check - the farmhouse itself.
Once again, Nate's strategy of looking before leaping was thwarted - this time by drawn curtains, so the only option was to carefully open the door and step inside...
.... Zac had just set foot into the kitchen when he was startled by a zombie lurching towards him with her claw-like hands outstretched, grasping for his throat!
Panicked, he screamed and let rip with his BAP! Brad, without thinking of the noise (but on reflection, did it matter now?!) raised the rifle and fired through the doorway.
Visibly shaken, Zac leaned heavily on the kitchen table, feeling like his legs had turned to jelly. Hannah had rushed over to the house when she heard the scream, and was relieved when Brad told her everyone was OK and that she should go back and look out for any unwanted visitors attracted by the noise while he and Nate searched through the house.
Though there was nothing significant to be found, a few general household items  looked like they'd come in useful, and more importantly there was running water and gas in the cylinders out back so Nate set about brewing up some coffee.

With the buildings clear and perimeter secure, the farm looked like it was going to provide them with the 'safe' place they'd hoped the rail depot would be. Somewhere they could take stock and plan their next moves (and as Hannah was keen to point out, "take a bath!").


Things seem to have gone well for the group, and I'm now going to drop into "standard campaign mode" as per the ATZ:FFO rule book.
Thanks for reading and I hope you've enjoyed the story enough so far to come back and see how they get on in future installments!


8 comments:

  1. Very good mate. As I've said continually, I love the setting of this encounter! Great look to the buildings and details like the furnishings really enhance the look and feel of the story

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    1. Thanks again Andy - the group are all "cosied up" at last, but pretty soon food and other supplies will become an issue they'll have to deal with.

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  2. Super post, Wargame Addict. This read like a nice little episode from "The Walking Dead", with a bit of action and some nice character development. Love the final picture at the end too :-)

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    1. Much appreciated Simon. This is my first ATZ campaign and so far it's been a joy to run - my only regret is that I didn't discover it earlier!

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  3. I really enjoyed this, Greg. Your campaign is such a joy to read. Long may it continue!

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    1. I am merely a Padawan learning from my masters :-)

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  4. I kike your comment about dropping onto the standard campaign mode, but just remember no plans survives first contact with the enemy!
    I thotoughly enjoyed this encounter and it's a great base for the group.

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    1. Failing to plan is planning to fail - or, as I remember one of our instructors constantly saying "Remember the 7 P's. Proper Planning and Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance!".
      Yep, you're right - I was aiming at dropping the 'day by day' campaign management at the end of week one, but now the group has found a home, it'll be interesting to see if they can look after it AND go foraging etc, so maybe I'll just keep things going as they have been for a while longer ;-)

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