Longsword. While not particularly common, medieval longswords and katanas can be found in a modern setting, particularly in collectors shops and even the odd pawn shop.
#### Firearms
In addition to the melee and ranged weapons found in the *Player’s Handbook,* ZACs 5e uses the modern firearms list from the *Dungeon Master’s Guide* (page 268).
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##### Survival Gear
The following items are those commonly found and used by survivors in ZACS 5e. Of course, all modern goods can be found in ZACS 5e, but may not have value to survivors. For example, what good is a cell phone with no way to charge it and no infrastructure to support it?
| Item | Weight |
|:---:|:-----------:|
|Backpack| 3 lb.
|Binoculars| 2 lb.
|Blanket| 2 lb.
|Bolt cutter| 5 lb.
|Book| 1 lb.
|Car opening kit| 1 lb.
|Chain (10 feet)| 10 lb.
|Climbing gear| 10 lb.
|Clothes, common| 3 lb.
|Clothes, fine| 6 lb.
|Clothes, traveler’s| 4 lb.
|Clothes, uniform| 4 lb.
|Coat, heavy| 3 lb.
|Coat, light| 2 lb.
|Compass| 0.5 lb.
|Crowbar| 5 lb.
|Duct tape| 1 lb.
|Fire extinguisher| 3 lb.
|Fishing pole| 4 lb.
|Flares (5)| 1 lb.
|Flashlight| 1 lb.
|Gas mask| 5 lb.
| Item | Weight |
|:---:|:-----------:|
|Gasoline (1 gal)| 5 lb.
|Handcuffs, steel| 1 lb.
|Handcuffs, zip-tie| (25) 0.5 lb.
|Holster, concealed| 0.5 lb.
|Holster, hip| 1 lb.
|Instrument, stringed| 7 lb.
|Lantern, hooded| 2 lb.
|Medical kit| 3 lb.
|Multipurpose tool| 0.5 lb.
|Portable stove| 1 lb.
|Rations (1 day)| 2 lb.
|Road atlas| 1 lb.
|Rope (150 ft.)| 12 lb.
|Scope| 0.5 lb.
|Sleeping bag| 4 lb.
|Tent, 2-person| 4 lb.
|Tent, 4-person| 7 lb.
|Tent, 8-person| 10 lb.
|Walkie-Talkie| 1 lb.
#### Tools
In addition to the Player’s Handbook tools normally offered to characters, there are also toolsets for modern jobs such as auto mechanics, electrician’s, and plumbers tools. Most weigh 6 lb or more.
\columnbreak
#### Vehicles
Many vehicles are available to characters in a modern setting. These are the most common vehicles found in ZACS 5e.
|Item | Speed | Crew | Pass. | Cargo | AC | HP | Dmg. Thres |
|:---:|:-----:|:----:|:------:|:-----:|:--:|:--:|:----------:|
|Armored Truck| 45 mph| 2| 0| 3600 lb.| 19| 200| 20
|Boat, cabin cruiser| 20 mph| 1| 3| 2000 lb.| 15| 50| 10
|Boat, runabout| 15 mph| 1| 5| 2100 lb.| 15| 50| 10
|City bus| 40 mph| 1| 39| 0 lb.| 16| 100| 10
|Dirt bike| 30 mph| 1| 1| 0 lb.| 13| 20| 5
|Full-size SUV| 45 mph| 1| 8| 500 lb.| 16| 100| 10
|Helicopter, civilian| 80 mph| 1| 4| 250 lb.| 15| 50| 5
|Helicopter, military| 120 mph| 2| 14| 9000 lb.| 16| 200| 5
|Mid-size sedan| 50 mph| 1| 4| 300 lb.| 16| 50| 5
|Mid-size SUV| 50 mph| 1| 4| 300 lb.| 16| 50| 5
|Motorcycle, racing| 150 mph| 1| 0| 0 lb.| 13| 30| 5
|Motorcycle, street| 50 mph| 1| 1| 0 lb.| 16| 45| 5
|Moving Truck| 45 mph| 1| 2| 33000 lb.| 16| 100| 15
|Pickup truck| 50 mph| 1| 2| 1700 lb.| 16| 50| 5
|Prop plane| 80 mph| 1| 3| 120 lb.| 15| 50| 5
|Sea-doo| 25 mph| 1| 1| 60 lb.| 13| 30| 5
|Sports car| 120 mph| 1| 1| 250 lb.| 14| 50| 5
|Tank, tracked| 20 mph| 4| 0| 425 lb.| 19| 300| 20
\pagebreak
# PART 4
###### Special Locations and Side Quests
___
___
> ###### Sometimes, characters may set out to check out specific areas of interest. An area of interest could be a grocery store overrun with the dead but still filled with rations. Or it could be a military base that’s potentially loaded with weapons. The location may even be the base of operations for a rival band of survivors.
> ###### You can create side quests centered around these special locations to break up the monotony of the typical random encounter or scavenging mission.
> ###### One of the characters could have a sick child who desperately needs medicine only found at a local hospital.
> ###### The characters’ only way of travel may be a narrow bridge over a river that’s jammed with abandoned vehicles.
>###### It’s possible that the survivors may even find themselves locked in a jail cell by an insane former police officer and now the dead are drawing near.
>###### Use any of the following maps as locations for your ZACS 5e campaign:
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___
___
> ### Many of these locations come from the d20 Modern Sourcebook, Critical Locations. Other great places to find maps include Shadowrun sourcebooks which also have modern day maps.
\pagebreak
# PART 5
##### Challenges
____
> ZACS 5e’s challenges are a little different than those found in the Monster Manual. For example, zombies in “Romero-style” horror don’t usually use slam attacks but rely on grappling and biting to deal damage. Furthermore, any bite from a zombie is usually fatal, as they carry a disease that kills its victims.
>
>
> Some NPCs are also different. Bandits wear leather jackets and carry pistols and machetes. Soldiers are armed with automatic rifles.
>
> Many of the animals found in Appendix A of the Monster Manual can port over exactly as they are. And survivors are the same as commoners, except they also carry automatic pistols, making their CR 1/8 (25 XP).
>
> Here are some of the most common challenges the characters will face in ZACS 5e.
\columnbreak
___
> ## Zombie
>*Medium undead, neutral*
> ___
> - **Armor Class** 8
> - **Hit Points** 7 (1d8 + 3)
> - **Speed** 20ft.
>___
>|STR|DEX|CON|INT|WIS|CHA|
>|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|
>| 13 (+1)|6 (-2)| 16 (+3)| 3 (-4)| 6 (-2)| 5 (-3)
>___
> - **Saving Throws** Wis +0
> - **Damage Immunities** poison
> - **Condition Immunities** charmed, frightened, poisoned
> - **Senses** darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 8
> - **Languages** -
> - **Challenge** 1/8 (25 XP)
> ___
>
> ### Actions
> ***Slam.*** *Melee Weapon Attack:* +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) bludgeoning damage, and if the target is a creature it is grappled (escape DC 11).
>
> ***Bite.*** *Melee Weapon Attack:* +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature the zombie is grappling. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage and the target must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or contract the zombie rot disease. The diseased target can’t regain hit points, and its hit point maximum decreases by 7 (2d6) for every 24 hours that elapse. If the disease reduces the target’s hit point maximum to 0, the target dies and returns to life as a zombie in 1d4 hours.
>
> ***Undead Fortitude.*** Zombies do not require air, food, drink, or sleep. If damage reduces the zombie to 0 hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or from a critical hit. On a success, the zombie drops to 1 hit point instead.
\pagebreak
___
> ## Bandit Leader
>*Medium humanoid (human), any non-lawful*
> ___
> - **Armor Class** 12 (leather jacket)
> - **Hit Points** 22 (4d8 + 4)
> - **Speed** 30ft.
>___
>|STR|DEX|CON|INT|WIS|CHA|
>|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|
>| 14 (+2)| 13 (+1)| 12 (+1)| 11 (+0)| 12 (+1)| 12 (+1)
>___
> - **Saving Throws** Str +4, Dex +3, Wis +3
> - **Skills** Athletics +4, Deception +3
> - **Senses** passive Perception 11
> - **Languages** any one language (usually English)
> - **Challenge** 1/2 (100 XP)
> ___
>
> ### Actions
> ***Multiattack.*** The leader makes two melee attacks.
>
> ***Club.*** *Melee Weapon Attack:* +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) bludgeoning damage.
>
> ***Shotgun.*** *Ranged Weapon Attack:* +3 to hit, range 30/90 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d8 + 1) piercing damage.
\columnbreak
___
> ## Bandit
>*Medium humanoid (human), neutral evil*
> ___
> - **Armor Class** 12 (leather jacket)
> - **Hit Points** 11 (2d8 + 2)
> - **Speed** 30ft.
>___
>|STR|DEX|CON|INT|WIS|CHA|
>|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|
>| 11 (+0)| 12 (+1)| 12 (+1)| 10 (+0) | 10 (+0)| 10 (+1)
>___
> - **Senses** passive Perception 10
> - **Languages** any one language (usually English)
> - **Challenge** 1/4 (50 XP)
> ___
>
> ### Actions
> ***Machete.*** *Melee Weapon Attack:* +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) slashing damage.
>
> ***Automatic Pistol.*** *Ranged Weapon Attack:* +3 to hit, range 50/150 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (2d6 + 1) piercing damage.
>
\pagebreak
___
> ## Soldier
>*Medium humanoid (human), any lawful*
> ___
> - **Armor Class** 14 (tactical vest, light)
> - **Hit Points** 44 (8d8 + 8)
> - **Speed** 30ft.
>___
>|STR|DEX|CON|INT|WIS|CHA|
>|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|
>|13 (+1)| 14 (+2)| 13 (+1)| 10 (+0)| 10 (+0)| 10 (+0)
>___
> - **Skills** Athletics +3, Survival +2
> - **Senses** passive Perception 10
> - **Languages** any one language (usually English)
> - **Challenge** 2 (450 XP)
> ___
>
> ### Actions
> ***Multiattack.*** The soldier makes two melee attacks.
>
> ***Knife.*** *Melee Weapon Attack:* +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage.
>
> ***Automatic Rifle.*** *Ranged Weapon Attack:* +4 to hit, range 80/240 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d8 + 2) piercing damage.
>
> ***Burst Fire.*** The soldier targets a point that it can see within 80 feet of it. Each creature in a 10-foot-cube area centered on that point must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 11 (2d8 + 2) piercing damage. This action uses 10 pieces of its automatic rifle’s ammunition.
___
> ## Soldier Leader
>*Medium humanoid (human), any lawful*
> ___
> - **Armor Class** 14 (tactical vest, light)
> - **Hit Points** 66 (12d8 + 12)
> - **Speed** 30ft.
>___
>|STR|DEX|CON|INT|WIS|CHA|
>|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|
>|13 (+1)| 14 (+2)| 13 (+1)| 12 (+1)| 13 (+1)| 12 (+1)
>___
> - **Saving Throws** Str +3, Dex +4, Con +3
> - **Skills** Athletics +3, Intimidation +2, Survival +3
> - **Senses** passive Perception 11
> - **Languages** any one language (usually English)
> - **Challenge** 3 (700 XP)
> ___
>
> ### Actions
> ***Multiattack.*** The leader makes two melee attacks or two ranged attacks.
>
> ***Knife.*** *Melee Weapon Attack:* +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage.
>
> ***Automatic Rifle.*** *Ranged Weapon Attack:* +4 to hit, range 80/240 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d8 + 2) piercing damage.
>
> ***Burst Fire.*** The leader targets a point that it can see within 80 feet of it. Each creature in a 10-foot-cube area centered on that point must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 11 (2d8 + 2) piercing damage. This action uses 10 pieces of its automatic rifle’s ammunition.
>
> ***Leadership (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest).*** For 1 minute, the leader can utter a special command or warning whenever a nonhostile creature that it can see within 30 feet of it makes an attack roll or a saving throw. The creature can add a d4 to its roll provided it can hear and understand the leader. A creature can benefit from only one Leadership die at a time. This effect ends if the leader is incapacitated.