MOVEMENT AND RANGE

Hexes as a Measurement of Distance
The world of Zombiepocalypse is imagined to be overlayed with a grid of invisible hexagons, called hexes. Each hex is six feet across. Hexes are used to measure the speed a character or monster can move per round, and to determine the range from one another.

Up to three characters – either Monsters, Player Characters, or a combination of the two – can occupy a single Hex at any one time.  If a fourth character attempts to enter a Hex already occupied by three others, he will be unable to do so (he can attempt to Shove a character out of a Hex using a Grapple Attack but will only be able to enter the emptied Hex the following round). A character can pass through a Hex that has two or less characters in it without penalty.  He cannot move through a Hex that has three characters in it.

Any character in a hex can attack any other character in the same hex or any adjacent Hex using a melee attack. A single Player Character (or Monster, for that matter) can be surrounded by up to 20 enemies (2 in the same Hex he is standing in, and 3 each in the six surround Hexes).

Range

The range measurement is mostly used in combat to determine the difficulty of hitting a target. The further away a target is, the harder it becomes to hit. Creatures in Melee or Short Range are fairly easy to hit; any attempt to attack creatures in Medium or Long (or further) range results in a penalty applied to the “To Hit” roll.

Melee range is 1 hex. Any creature can engage another creature in a the same Hex or in an adjacent Hex in melee combat.

Short range is 1-6 hexes. Any ranged combat within this range suffers no "To Hit" penalty

Medium range is 7-12 hexes. Any ranged combat within this range suffers a -1 penalty to the "To Hit" roll.

Long range is 13-18 hexes. Any ranged combat within this range suffers a -2 penalty to the "To Hit" roll

Any attempt to hit a target beyond 19 hexes suffers a -3 penalty to the "To Hit" roll. The GM may rule that some targets are just too far for there to be any chance to hit, regardless of the to-hit roll. Some weapons may offer bonuses to offset the "To Hit" penalties from range.

Some weapons can only attack targets within a certain range, or suffer an extra penalty.

Weapon Ranges

Weapon Type	Range
Fists	Melee
Clubs	Melee
Axe	Melee
Sword	Melee
Chainsaw	Melee
Thrown Bricks/Stones/Bottles	1-2 hex only
Throwing Knife/Darts	1-4 hex only
Bow / Slingshot	Short & Medium Only
Crossbow	Normal
Pistol	Normal
Rifle	Normal
Automatic Rifle / SMG	Normal
Sniper Rifle	No range penalties. Cannot be used in melee range
Shotgun	-1 “to hit” beyond 6 hex
Machine Gun	Normal
Grenade Launcher	3-12 Hex Only
Rocket Launcher	-1 “to hit” beyond 12 hex
Molotov Cocktail	1-4 hex only
Grenade	1-6 hex only only
Shield Bash	Melee

Movement

Character – both Player and Monsters – Movement speed is counted in Hexes. As a general rule, the Living (including the Player Characters) move faster than the Undead, although there are exceptions.

The Living can move up to 6 Hex per Round. They can move fewer Hex if they chose, but cannot move any faster; 6 Hex is the maximum speed they can reach without a vehicle.  Injuries can affect that speed; each Injury a Player Character has slows them down by 1 Hex, to a maximum Penalty of -3. The GM may rule that some obstructions may also slow down the Player; for instance, moving through a Hex with a low fence (and jumping over that fence) may cost the Player Character two Hex rather than the usual one.

The Undead have a usual speed of 3 Hex per round, although certain Zombies (such as Runners) may be able to move faster, while others (such as Grabbers) are slower. Like the Living, Injuries and obstructions also affect the speed at which the Undead move.

All Living characters can move 1 hex “for free” during combat and still make an attack or perform an action that round without penalty, so long as the movement is towards the target. Characters using ranged weapons may also move up to 1 Hex if it is necessary to get a clear line of sight to their targets. Characters cannot move 1 hex and attack another target. This free hex cannot be used in addition to normal movement.

Attack of Opportunity (Optional Rule)

If a character or monster is in melee range with one or more opponents and it moves away from its attackers, the opponents are allowed one free attack against him. This happens regardless whether or not the opponent has already attacked that round. Each attacker only gets one Attack of Opportunity per round, regardless of how many monsters or characters are disengaging from combat, although multiple Attacks of Opportunities can be made against the same character or monster if there are multiple opponents nearby. Only melee attacks are allowed against the moving character. Staggered characters or Downed monsters cannot use an Attack of Opportunity. Moving past an opponent does not trigger an Attack of Opportunity. Attacks of Opportunity roll “To Hit” and “Damage” as per the usual rules detailed in the Combat section above.

Climbing

A Character or Monster can attempt to Climb walls, fences, ropes or steep hills. Climbing is a simple Skill Check, modified by Difficulty penalties (or bonuses) depending on the conditions. A roll of 4, 5 or 6 indicates success.

Generally, zombies cannot climb over anything more than chest height (except for creeper zombies, which pretty much can climb everywhere), and even then they tend to just flop over the obstacle rather than climb.

Things that don't need a Skill Check to climb over (unless in exceptional circumstances, such as injured, or carrying a heavy load): low fences, ladders, hills up to 45 degrees, jungle gyms. Any attempt to scale these will, under normal circumstances, succeed automatically.

An unmodified Skill Check is required to determine the success when climbing rough walls, ropes, chain link fences, or very steep (75 degree) natural hills

A -1 penalty is applied when trying to scale brick or cinder block walls, rough cliffs with lots of outcroppings, or poles; and a -2 penalty for smooth walls or cliffs with few outcroppings.

A skill check is necessary for every 20' climbed. Failure causes the character to fall. The character can make a Skill check to see if he catches himself before he hits the ground if higher than 20'. Characters can climb 1 hex(6') per round. If he fails to catch himself, he falls the full amount and rolls for Falling Damage. The GM may rule additional penalties apply if character is carrying bulky or excessive amounts of equipment, or if in darkness or wet. Penalties from Injuries apply as usual. Attempting any actions while climbing requires an additional climbing Skill Check (to see if the character falls off in the attempt) with a -2 penalty.

Creeper Zombies get a +2 bonus to any climb rolls, move 2 hex (12') per round while climbing and suffer no penalty for attacking or performing actions while climbing.

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Notice 1 

ZOMBIEPOCALYPSE is still in development. Although playable, the system is not complete. Not all the rules have been written and those that have been are subject to change at any time. And editing for clarity and readability is low priority. Despite being made available to the public on this website, ZOMBIEPOCALYPSE is still considered to be in beta form. You have been warned.

Notice 2

The Roleplaying Game System currently known as ZOMBIEPOCALYPSE is being made available to the public for free for their enjoyment and use. However, the author maintains all rights towards its distribution and development. You are free to view or download the rules and make use of them in any game sessions for the personal use of you and your friends. You are not free to redistribute the rules in any way, nor are you allowed to make any derivative works from it.

In English, this means you are free to download this game and play it amongst friends. You are not allowed to give the rules away to anyone else (redirect them to this website instead), nor can you take these rules and create a derivative work from them.

For more complete licensing information, please see our License page.

(c) 2013 Spalls Hurgenson