On a whim I dumped 5 blog post with these rules I had been working on into Googles AI to see what it would do. I'm posting this now but have not read them all the way through at this point.
Now I need to go back through the "chat log" and see what it said about each post and see where that takes me.
ZOMBIE MAYHEM: THE BLOODY PIT OF HORRORS
Core Rulebook & Reference Document — Sandbox Mod Overlay
SECTION 1: MASTER TURN SEQUENCE & RULES
The game turn is split into two halves: the Player Turn Sequence and the Zombie Turn Sequence. Players must work cooperatively to resolve ambiguous positioning or ties on the fly to keep the cinematic action moving.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ GAME TURN │
├───────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────┤
│ 1. PLAYER TURN │ 2. ZOMBIE TURN │
├───────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│ • Command Phase │ • Command Phase │
│ • Movement Phase │ • Movement Phase │
│ • Psychic Phase │ • Charge Phase │
│ • Shooting Phase │ • Close Combat Phase │
│ • Charge Phase │ • Consolidation Phase │
│ • Close Combat Phase │ │
└───────────────────────────┴────────────────────────────┘🎖️ I. Player Turn Protocols
1. Command Phase
Perform scenario upkeep rolls, check mission event charts, and update the Tally of the Slain (the shared or individual running kill count).
2. Movement Phase
Units declare one of three actions:
- Standard Move: Move up to a flat 6".
- Advance: Trade precision for distance. Move 6" + 1D6".
- Charge: Attempt to close into melee early. Roll 2D6" to reach physical base-to-base contact with an undead target.
3. Psychic Phase
Placeholder. Reserved for homebrew psychic or supernatural campaign abilities.
4. Shooting Phase
All player models resolve ranged attacks here. Note: Models that successfully charged during the Movement Phase resolve their close combat attacks during this phase using their charge bonuses.
- Ranged Accuracy Baseline:
- Stationary: Did not move in the movement phase → Automatic Hit (No roll required).
- Standard Move: Moved up to 6" → Hits on a 2+.
- Advanced: Chose the Advance option → Hits on a 3+.
- Attempted Charge: Chose the Charge option → Hits on a 5+.
- Environmental Cover Modifiers:
- Light Cover: -1 penalty to hit rolls against Zombies. Stationary shooters must roll a 2+ to hit instead of auto-hitting.
- Hard Cover: -1 penalty to hit rolls, and Zombies improve their Armor Save by +1 (e.g., a 5+ save becomes a 4+ save).
- Point-Blank Melee Shooting:
Models physically locked in close combat may fire their ranged weapons directly into the Zombies engaging them:- Standard Close-Quarter Engagement → Hits on a 4+ (Ranged attacks only).
- Outnumbered more than 3-to-1 → Hits on a 5+ (Ranged attacks only).
5. Charge Phase
Models not currently locked in close combat may attempt to charge any Zombie units within 2D6". The distance rolled must reach physical base contact with an enemy base.
6. Close Combat Phase
- Striking Order: Determined by individual model Initiative (I), highest attribute strikes first.
- To-Hit Roll: Player models hit on a 3+ in close combat unless modified by specific weapon or character bonuses.
- Consolidation: If a player model finishes the phase no longer locked in close combat, or stands outside of 2" from an undead base, they may move 3" in any direction.
🧟 II. Zombie Turn Protocols
1. Command Phase
Roll a D6 on the active Mission Sheet's Zombie Threat Event Chart to determine random spawns, environment shifts, or horde speed surges.
2. Movement & Automated Rushing
Zombies move erratically. Roll 2D6 and pick the highest single die; the Zombie may move up to that many inches.
- Targeting Priority: Zombies must always move toward the closest visible player model or the nearest objective zone at fastest possible speed.
- The Objective Override: If a Zombie is closer to an Objective Zone than a player, it moves toward that zone. Exception: If that zone already contains more Zombies than total player units on the board, they ignore the objective and hunt the players instead.
- Pack Mentality: Zombies within 2" of another zombie move in the same direction, unless breaking away to target a player model results in a closer path.
- The Movement Charge: Zombies can attempt to charge during the Movement Phase instead of taking a standard move. If successful, they fight in the following phase—effectively allowing them to fight twice during their turn since they have no shooting phase.
- The Undead Advance: In place of shooting, zombies may advance an additional 1D6".
3. Charge Phase
Zombies within strike range roll 2D6 for distance, moving into physical base contact with player units.
4. Close Combat Phase
The horde strikes back, resolving attacks strictly at their native Initiative step.
5. End Combat (Horde Consolidation)
Zombies no longer locked in combat consolidate up to 3" toward the nearest visible player model. If no players are visible, they consolidate toward the nearest friendly Zombie to pack the horde tighter. Zombies will remain stationary if they are already standing on an active objective zone.
💥 III. Special Environment & Weapon Rules
- Environmental Explosions: A player can spend 5 points from their personal Tally of the Slain to detonate a nearby flammable or explosive object. Chaining another explosive within 2" costs another 5 points. Any Zombies vaporized by the blast are credited directly back into that player's kill tally.
- Small Blast Weapons: Roll to hit using standard ranged protocols. If a hit is scored, any secondary Zombie model sitting within 1" of the initial target is automatically hit by the splash radius.
SECTION 2: WEAPONS & WOUNDS SYSTEM
To determine if an attack successfully breaks through a target's physical resilience, compare the Strength (S) of the weapon against the Toughness (T) of the target on the table below.
🎲 The Master To-Wound Chart
Roll 1D6 and compare results:
| Weapon Strength vs. Target Toughness | Required D6 Roll to Wound |
|---|---|
| Strength is DOUBLE or more than Toughness | 2+ |
| Strength is GREATER than Toughness | 3+ |
| Strength is EQUAL to Toughness | 4+ |
| Strength is LESS than Toughness | 5+ |
| Strength is HALF or less than Toughness | 6+ |
SECTION 3: THE DATA CARDS
🧟 THE AUTOMATED HORDE
==========================================================================
UNIT DATA CARD: STANDARD ZOMBIE (Single Model Unit)
==========================================================================
WS BS S T W I A Ld Save
2 - 3 3 1 2 1 4 5+
==========================================================================
WEAPONS:
• Rotted Grasp (Melee): Strength User (3), AP -, Damage 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
SPECIAL RULES:
• Mob Rule: Very dangerous in large groups. If an undead mob contains
10 or more models, they gain +1 Strength and +1 Initiative.
• Endless Hunger: Immune to morale damage and fallback checks.
==========================================================================
==========================================================================
UNIT DATA CARD: NURGLE POXWALKER (Tougher Zombie Variant)
==========================================================================
WS BS S T W I A Ld Save
2 - 3 4 1 1 1 5 6+
==========================================================================
WEAPONS:
• Improvised Bludgeon (Melee): Strength User (3), AP -, Damage 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
SPECIAL RULES:
• Disgustingly Resilient: Each time this model suffers a wound, roll a
D6. On a 5+, the wound is shrugged off and ignored.
• Diseased Slime: Any hit roll of an unmodified 6 in close combat
automatically wounds the target, bypassing the To-Wound chart.
==========================================================================
==========================================================================
UNIT DATA CARD: BIO-MUTANT APEX BOSS (End Boss Creature)
==========================================================================
WS BS S T W I A Ld Save
5 2 6 5 5 4 4 10 4+
==========================================================================
WEAPONS:
• Scything Talons (Melee): Strength User (6), AP -2, Damage D3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
SPECIAL RULES:
• Unstoppable Behemoth: Automatically passes all movement tests.
Its charge distance is a flat 8" instead of rolling 2D6.
• Terror: Player models must pass a Leadership (Ld) test on 2D6
before charging or being charged by the Apex. If failed, the player
model hits on 6s only in the ensuing combat phase.
==========================================================================
🎖️ THE SURVIVOR FORCES
==========================================================================
UNIT DATA CARD: MOVIE MARINE (Single Hero Character)
==========================================================================
WS BS S T W I A Ld Save
5 5 4 4 3 4 3 9 3+
==========================================================================
WEAPONS:
• God-Wyn Pattern Bolter (Rapid Fire): Range 24", S4, AP -1, Damage 1
• Astartes Combat Blade (Melee): Strength User (4), AP -, Damage 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
SPECIAL RULES:
• Cinematic Hero: May shoot and charge in the same turn. Gains +1
Attack on the turn it successfully executes a charge.
• Power Armor: The 3+ save cannot be reduced worse than a 5+ by AP.
==========================================================================
==========================================================================
UNIT DATA CARD: IMPERIAL GUARD VETERAN SQUAD (5-Model Unit)
==========================================================================
WS BS S T W I A Ld Save
3 3 3 3 1 3 1 7 5+
==========================================================================
WEAPONS (Per Model):
• Lasgun (Rapid Fire): Range 24", S3, AP -, Damage 1
• Frag Grenades (Small Blast): Range 8", S3, AP -, Small Blast
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
SPECIAL RULES:
• Combined Fire: If 3 or more Veterans shoot at the same Zombie pack,
they may re-roll To-Wound rolls of 1.
• Scrappy Survivalists: Add +1 to their armor save when tracking behind
light or hard environmental cover.
==========================================================================
