I think a good way to start the forum game would be something like this:
HistoryDay -30: Plague source is released.
Day -27: First animal infections.
Day -25: First infections in humans.
Day -15: Plague shows up on the news as Bubonic Plague II: Electric Boogaloo. Animal attacks become common. People disappear.
Day -12: Hospitals are on triage all week. They close today because there are no longer any healthy staff. They begin to burn the bodies. Packs of feral humans are attacking lone people at night.
Day -8: Plague is spreading quickly. Airports stop commercial flights. Packs of feral humans begin attacking openly at night.
Day -7: Countries begin to quarantine. Highway roadblocks are erected, but are manned only by demoralized National Guard who quickly abandon their posts to look after their families.
Day -6: Your city is experiencing brownouts. Power typically fluctuates on and off, full power or none, throughout the day. Just before it goes out, the lights flicker. But sometimes the lights flicker and come right back on.
Day -5: Zombies are now shambling around during the night at random, often having nothing to attack. They hang out in the shadows during the day but seem to have no strong aversion to sunlight. Cell reception goes down.
Day -4: Healthy humans in your city, though it's under quarantine, are being evacuated to a government safe zone. On all radio stations the military broadcasts a notice to come to the old Army Garrison downtown. They note January 1 as "zero day" when they will make their final airlift.
It's currently December 28th at midnight. The weather has been cold and very dry. On the night of the 27th, high winds off the coast brought a heavy snowfall, and by the morning of the 28th there will be six inches of snow on the ground.
Your character decided to hole up in his house or apartment, for reasons you decide, up until you hear the message. You cannot start together, but you can know each other if you like. There can have been no plans made between characters in advance.
Turns take place every day. You can post one turn of action per day, though conversation is free.
Healing is problematic; there are no magical medkits. Characters with medical skill can set bones and such, but during the gameplay period wounds typically won't heal enough to make a difference. If you are stabbed in the leg and it hinders your movement, you'll pretty much be stuck like that for a few days at least.
For your character, post the following:
Name:
Age:
Short Physical Description:
Job:
Up to three positive descriptors:
An equal number of negative descriptors:
Possessions:
DescriptorsPositive descriptors include:
Agile
Dextrous
Strong
Tough
Skilled (Choose one)
Good Sense (Choose one of the five)
Charismatic
Healthy
Smart
Negative descriptors include:
Clumsy
Weak
Inept (Choose one skill)
Weak Sense (Choose one of the five)
Obnoxious
Sickly
Dumb
SkillsSkill suggestions include:
Firearms
Melee combat
Athletics (running, jumping, swimming, climbing)
Driving
Mechanics
Electrician
Computers
Lockpicking
EquipmentYour possessions include things you've already looted from nearby in the days before play begins. You can have whatever would be in a regular apartment or house - guns not included. In addition, you can pick two of the following:
a pistol and 20 bullets,
a shotgun and 10 shells,
a motorcycle or quad bike and a full tank of gas,
two cans of gas
If you use up both choices on one thing, you get one of the following instead:
pistol with 50 bullets
shotgun with 30 shells
car, truck, or van with a full tank of gas
five cans of gas
(One gas can fills a motorcycle, two fills a car, truck, or van).