GM Quick Reference - Zombie Survival

👤 Survivor Names (d100)

Modern names for survivors, scavengers, and NPCs in the apocalypse

1-25

Marcus "Doc" Williams
Sarah Chen
Jackson "Jax" Rodriguez
Emma Blackwell
Tyler "Ty" Morrison
Maya Santos
Cole Harper
Nina Volkov
Deacon Price
Riley Walsh
Hunter Stone
Zara Martinez
Garrett "Ghost" Mills
Ivy Carter
Axel Cross
Phoenix Rivera
Maddox "Mad" Greene
Luna Park
Dash Cooper
Sage Reeves
Striker Kane
Raven Woods
Flint Hayes
Sky Bennett
Blade Turner

26-50

Iris Sullivan
Tank Morgan
Echo Ramirez
Brick Jackson
Willow Cruz
Diesel Knight
Autumn Lee
Razor Kim
Hope Daniels
Gunner Webb
Storm Patel
Forge Hamilton
Haven Torres
Blaze Myers
River Foster
Wraith Coleman
Mercy Gray
Jagger Ross
Faith Burton
Scar Peterson
Dawn Nguyen
Crash Ward
Eden Brooks
Thorn Wallace
Dove Garcia

51-75

Steel Barnes
Jade Mitchell
Hawk Rivera
Ember Flynn
Viper Santos
Winter Hayes
Rogue Chen
Star Patterson
Fang Lopez
Melody Price
Riot Crawford
Amber Reid
Nomad Blake
Crystal Moore
Spike Turner
Sunny Martinez
Wolf Henderson
Ruby Scott
Trigger Davis
Rose Campbell
Bandit Lee
Pearl Young
Ranger Thompson
Violet Carter
Grunt Wilson

76-100

Grace Taylor
Rebel White
Daisy Harris
Cannon Anderson
Angel Thomas
Bolt Jackson
Faith Martin
Smoke Garcia
Lily Walker
Stitch Robinson
Poppy Miller
Cage Clark
Joy Rodriguez
Flash Lewis
Blossom King
Chunk Wright
Serenity Allen
Reaper Hill
Harmony Scott
Nitro Adams
Peace Baker
Grinder Nelson
Destiny Carter
Bruiser Hall
Liberty Green

🗣️ Settlement Rumors (2d10)

What survivors whisper about at safe houses and trade posts

2d10	Rumor
2	"Herd came through last night. Moved past the settlement without stopping. Like they were running FROM something."
3	"Supply depot at the old Walmart is clean. Too clean. Someone's been there. Recently. Took specific things, left others."
4	"Radio broadcast on the emergency channel. Voice says there's a cure. Gives coordinates. Nobody who's gone to check has come back."
5	"The infected are getting smarter. Saw one use a tool yesterday. Broke a window with a rock. On purpose."
6	"Smoke signals from the city. Someone's alive in there. Been signaling for three days. We're not going. You going?"
7	"New group showed up at the border. Clean clothes, good equipment, plenty of ammo. Won't say where they're from. Or what they want."
8	"The dead stopped coming from the north. All of them. Two weeks now. Whatever stopped them might be coming this way."
9	"Found a survivor who says the outbreak was intentional. Says he worked for the company that made it. Says there's more."
10	"Military convoy passed through without stopping. Heading west. Fast. Left behind supplies. Left behind people who needed help."
11	"Someone's been marking routes with spray paint. Arrows, symbols, warnings. Following them leads to supplies. Or ambushes. Sometimes both."
12	"Water tower on the east road is still good. Clear, clean, no smell. Been that way six months. People keep coming back. Settlement's starting to form around it."
13	"Trader came through with antibiotics. Wouldn't say where he got them. Wouldn't sell to anyone who asked too many questions. Left before dark."
14	"Someone set the overpass on fire last night. Both ends. Cut off the main route east. Nobody's admitting to it. Could be the infected are the least of our problems."
15	"Found a bunker door west of the highway. Sealed from the inside. Someone's alive in there. They won't open it. They don't sound scared. They sound like they're waiting for something."
16	"Kids from the east camp say they've seen a figure on the roof of the old hospital every night for two weeks. Doesn't move. Doesn't react to light. Just watching."
17	"There's a group collecting the dead. Not burning them. Not burying them. Taking them somewhere. Armed. Organized. Nobody's followed them yet. Nobody wants to."
18	"Someone hacked the emergency broadcast system and ran a 30-minute message. Instructions. A list of names. The names are survivors — from every settlement in the region. All of them."
19	"Infected in sector four aren't attacking each other anymore. Seen them move around each other. Stop. Change direction. Like they're communicating. Or being directed."
20	"There's a man at the crossroads camp who knows your name. Knows details about you. Before the outbreak. Says he's been looking for you specifically. Won't say why. Says it's good news."

🔍 Scavenging Finds (2d10)

Items found while looting buildings, cars, and corpses

2d10	Item Found
2	First aid kit, partially used. Morphine missing. Syringe caps on the floor. Fresh blood on the bandages.
3	Working radio. Batteries at 23%. Tuned to frequency that shouldn't exist. Someone's broadcasting. In real time.
4	Duffel bag full of pre-outbreak money. Completely useless. Unless someone's collecting. Or unless society comes back.
5	Polaroid camera with film. Four shots left. Last photo shows a family. Happy. Normal. Dated three days after outbreak began.
6	Vehicle repair manual for a car you've seen. Perfect condition. Someone's been using it. Left it behind. Wonder why they left.
7	Antibiotics, full bottle. Prescription for someone you know. Someone who died. Months ago. Prescription was filled yesterday.
8	Map with safe routes marked. Recent markings. Shows settlements, supply caches, danger zones. Some info you recognize. Some you don't.
9	Dog tags from soldier. Blood type AB-. Same as yours. Name is similar. First initial same. Birthday off by one day.
10	Unopened can of soup. Expiration date three years from now. That can't be right. Can it?
11	Journal belonging to previous occupant. Last entry: "If you're reading this, check the basement. I left something for you."
12	Child's backpack. Inside: three granola bars, a stuffed rabbit, and a hand-drawn map to somewhere called "safe place." Recent crayon markings. The kid might still be close.
13	Bolt-action rifle, fully loaded, wiped clean of fingerprints, leaning against the door like it was left deliberately. No case, no owner, no explanation.
14	Printed list of names and addresses. Handwritten additions in different ink. Several crossed out. One circled. Your address. Your name. Crossed out a week ago.
15	Sealed case of MREs. Stencilled with a military unit designation that doesn't exist. Nutrition labels list contents that aren't there. They taste fine. Probably fine.
16	Laptop with charge remaining. Password protected. One file accessible from login screen: a video addressed to whoever finds this. The sender is looking directly at the camera. Calm. Very calm.
17	Full pharmacy bag, sealed. Correct prescription label for one of the party members. Dated today. Pickup confirmed at a store fourteen miles from here. Nobody went there today.
18	Hand-stitched quilt folded neatly on a bare mattress. Clean. Recent. Still warm. Room otherwise stripped bare. Whoever was here left everything except this. Left it for a reason.
19	Spiral notebook filled with observations of the party. Movements, habits, decisions. Detailed. Accurate. Final entry written within the last hour. No author. No motive noted. Just watching.
20	Room sealed from the inside. No windows, no exits, no sign of forced entry. The person inside has been dead six months at least. The door was locked from inside. The key is still in the lock. From inside.

🎭 Survivor Personality Quirks (2d10)

Quick traits to make other survivors memorable

2d10	Personality Quirk
2	Obsessively maintains pre-outbreak routine. Brushes teeth twice daily, makes bed, acts like world didn't end. Coping mechanism or denial?
3	Collects momento from each person who dies. Photographs, jewelry, personal items. Has dozens. Remembers all their stories.
4	Refuses to use real name. Changes names weekly. This week they're "Falcon." Next week, who knows? Won't explain why.
5	Counts everything. Steps, bullets, heartbeats. Compulsive. Gets anxious if interrupted mid-count. Starts over. Every time.
6	Talks to the infected like they're still human. Apologizes before killing them. "Sorry, ma'am. Sorry, sir. Rest now."
7	Never sleeps at night. Only during day. Won't explain. Just says "safer this way." Always on watch when darkness falls.
8	Obsessed with finding their family. Shows everyone photos. Asks everyone if they've seen them. They've been dead for years. Everyone knows. Not them.
9	Jokes constantly. Inappropriate humor at worst times. Laughs at death. Laughs at danger. Not coping well but won't show fear.
10	Documents everything. Photos, notes, recordings. "For the future," they say. "People need to know what happened."
11	Won't waste anything. Saves every bullet casing, scrap of fabric, crumb of food. Survived early days by hoarding. Can't stop.
12	Reads constantly. Books, labels, instruction manuals, anything. "Knowledge is the only thing they can't take from you." Carrying twelve pounds of paperbacks they won't leave behind.
13	Has a strict code of rules. Written down. Laminated. Won't break them even when it's obviously the wrong call. "The rules are why I'm still alive." Maybe. Or just lucky so far.
14	Insists on cooking proper meals. Seasoning, presentation, everything. "If we stop eating like people, we stop being people." Takes twice as long. Worth it to them. Mostly worth it to everyone.
15	Former first responder. Calm in a crisis, falls apart after. Holds it together while everyone else panics, then goes very quiet for a day. Has seen too many things already.
16	Keeps a running tally of people saved versus people lost. Won't share the numbers. Sometimes mouths them silently when they think no one is watching. The ratio is clearly not good.
17	Genuinely believes the outbreak was divine judgment. Not bitter about it. Calm, certain, helpful. Waiting patiently for the next phase of the plan. Won't say whose plan.
18	Former corporate lawyer. Applies contract logic to every group decision. Proposes formal agreements for resource sharing, sleeping arrangements, everything. Somehow this actually works.
19	Hasn't spoken in months. Communicates entirely through written notes and hand signals. Not mute — chose this. The reason, when eventually explained, is heartbreaking and completely understandable.
20	Claims to have been bitten six separate times. Shows the scars. Shows the dates carved into their forearm. Either immune, lying, or something else entirely. Still breathing. Still walking. Still human. So far.

⚠️ Survival Complications (2d10)

When scavenging is going too smoothly, roll for obstacles

2d10	Complication
2	Horde Migration: Massive horde moving through area. Hundreds. Maybe thousands. Either hide for days or risk running through them.
3	Rival Scavengers: Another group wants same supplies. Better armed. More desperate. Or both. Negotiate, fight, or flee.
4	Trapped Survivor: Someone's trapped, alive, screaming. Attracts infected. Saving them risks everyone. Leaving them haunts you. Choose.
5	Structure Collapse: Building unstable. Loot inside but floors are weak, walls cracking. Go in and risk it or walk away from supplies you need?
6	Infection Risk: Someone got bit. They swear it's just a scratch. Could be truth. Could be denial. Could be lying. What now?
7	Territory Dispute: You're in someone else's territory. They're armed, organized, and mad. Didn't know this area was claimed. They don't care.
8	Equipment Failure: Critical equipment fails. Vehicle, weapon, radio, medical gear. At worst possible time. Fix it fast or adapt without it.
9	Weather Disaster: Storm, flood, extreme heat, or cold. Need shelter now. Usual safe places are compromised. Infected don't care about weather.
10	Child Survivor: Found a kid. Alone, scared, slowing you down. Can't fight, needs protection, might not survive anyway. Take them or leave them?
11	Supply Sabotage: Food is poisoned/tampered with. Medicine is fake. Ammo is bad. Someone's setting traps disguised as supplies. Who? Why?
12	Noise Incident: Something loud — a crash, a gunshot, a vehicle alarm — draws infected from a three-block radius. They're converging now. Move or barricade, and move fast.
13	Group Fracture: Stress has reached a breaking point. Two group members refuse to work together. The argument is old, the timing is terrible, and everyone has to pick a side or manage the fallout.
14	Quarantine Zone: The planned route passes through an area another group has sealed off. They're not explaining why. They're armed. The detour adds eight hours. Something happened in there.
15	Injured NPC: A non-combatant with useful skills — medic, mechanic, radio operator — is badly hurt and needs care the party may not have. Saving them costs time and supplies. Losing them costs more.
16	Compromised Safe House: The fallback location has been found and occupied — by infected, by rivals, or by someone who knew it was yours and got there first. No backup plan agreed on. Start negotiating one.
17	Fuel Crisis: The vehicle is nearly empty and the only available fuel belongs to another group who wants something the party has. Trading it means traveling lighter. Refusing means walking.
18	Unusual Infected: One of the infected in the area is behaving differently — not attacking, following the group at a distance, reacting to speech. Not all the others are the same way. Just this one.
19	Forced Alliance: A group the party has reason to distrust is in the same danger they are. Short-term cooperation is the only way either survives the next twelve hours. Long-term is still a problem.
20	The Thing in the Building: The structure is clear of infected. Something else is in there. Not dead. Not human. Evidence suggests it's been living here for weeks. Supplies are still inside. So is it.

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