Interest Check: Zombiepocalypse d20

[The Great Triangle]

I'm interested in running a game about a zombie apocolypse using a custom version of the d20 system.  The game will be one of adventure and survival, but with a certain amount of hope for humanity.  The game will be set in the continental United States.  The main inspirations are Romero's zombie movies, Zombieland, and Left 4 Dead.


Game Details:  As near as anyone can figure, about four weeks ago, a particularly dangerous disease arose in Panama.  The disease circled the globe, driving its victims mad and leaving them covered in viral, pustulant sores, turning them into psychotic cannibals.  The airborne disease proved completely unstoppable, and nearly every country in the world was infected before world health authorities realized the enormity of the crisis.  However, a small proportion of the population, likely less than one in twenty, are immune to the zombie plague, and now must run for their lives, hoping to scrounge for food and ammunition.

The zombies seem to hang out around grocery stores and convenience stores a lot, as if anticipating that's where people will go.  For now, emergency broadcast systems and power plants are working, but not in all areas.  The internet still functions, and rumors fly about in every corner, as people try to adapt to the terror of a world with 90% fewer people in it.  In the final weeks that civil society functioned, all firearms were legalized, and massive collections of weaponry were distributed to the population.  The survivors have to keep moving; if they stay in one place to long, the zombies will rise up in a collossal mass and drag them out of where they're hiding.  The highways are much safer, and getting gas out of a gas station is really pretty easy if the convenience store is clear

[The Great Triangle]

Character Creation Information: 

(this presumes some amount of knowledge about d20)

This game uses a 24 point buy ability system. 

All of your abilities (strength, dexterity, constitution, intelligence, wisdom, and charisma) start at 8, and are raised by spending from your budget of 24 points.  No ability score may be lowered below 3 or raised above 20 at this time.

Ability Score: 3  4  5  6  7  8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Point Cost:  -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1  2   3   4   5   6   8   10 12 15 18 21

After spending points to determine your ability scores, increase one of them by +2.  Then, increase one of your ability scores by +1.  The ability score you increase by 2 can be the same as the one you increase by 1.

You begin with 16 + 4 x constitution modifier hit points.  At each level, you gain 4 + constitution modifier hit points.

Your base attack bonus begins at +3, while you receive a base defense bonus of +2.

You gain a +4 base bonus to will saves, a +1 base bonus to reflex saves, and a +1 base bonus to fortitude saves.

You have a stat called sanity.  Its starting value is five times your wisdom score. 

You begin with 3 skill ranks in every skill covered by your two career themes, plus (4 + int modifier) x6 skill points.  Your class skills are determined by your two skill foci.

Career Themes:   (select two, you get 3 ranks in each skill covered under the themes)

Academia: Appriase, Heal, Knowledge, Research, Speak Language
Agility: Balance, Escape Artist, Tumble
Athletics: Climb, Jump, Swim
Criminal: Disable Device, Forgery, Open Lock, Sleight of Hand
Military: Demolitions, Pilot, Repair, Use Rope
Nature: Handle Animal, Navigate, Ride, Survival
Perception: Listen, Search, Sense Motive, Spot
Stealth: Hide, Move Silently
Technology: Computer Use, Drive, Repair
Theatrics: Bluff, Disguise, Perform, Sleight of Hand

Skill Foci:   (at each level, select two; they determine your class skills)

Might: Balance, Climb, Demolitions, Escape Artist, Jump, Navigate, Pilot, Repair, Swim, Tumble, Use Rope

Intellect: Appraise, Computer Use, Craft, Drive, Heal, Knowledge, Listen, Pilot, Repair, Research, Search, Sense Motive, Speak Language, Spot

Spirit: Bluff, Diplomacy, Disguise, Gather Information, Handle Animal, Heal, Intimidate, Listen, Navigate, Perform, Profession, Ride, Search, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Spot, Survival

Stealth: Balance, Demolitions, Disable Device, Escape Artist, Forgery, Hide, Move Silently, Open Lock, Sleight of Hand, Tumble, Use Rope


Begin with 4 starting feats.  You may select any of the feats presented below, or any feat from the core SRD with the following exceptions: Armor Proficiency (light, medium, or heavy), Augment Summoning, Combat Casting, Eschew Materials, Extra Turning, Improved Counterspell, Improved Familiar, Improved Turning, Deflect Arrows, Snatch Arrows, Leadership, Magical Aptitude, Martial Weapon Proficiency, Natural Spell, Shield Proficiency, Simple Weapon Proficiency, Spell Focus, Spell Mastery, Spell Penetration.

[The Great Triangle]

The following feats from the SRD outside the core are allowed:

Blindsight, Cloak Dance, Deadly Precision, Fleet of Foot, Hold the Line, Inquisitor, Jack of All Trades(no prerequsites), Knock-Down, Mental Leap, Mental Resistance, Mind over Body, Narrow Mind, Open Minded, Power Critical, Psionic Body, Psionic Charge, Psionic Dodge, Psionic Fist, Psionic Hole, Psionic Meditation, Psionic Shot, Psionic Weapon, Rapid Metabolism, Reckless Offense, Sharp-Shooting, Sidestep Charge, Speed of Thought, Stand Still, Superior Expertise, Unavoidable Strike, Up the Walls, Wild Talent, Wounding Attack


The following feats are also in the game:

Armor Proficiency: requires Con 13, eliminates penalties for wearing armor

Autofire Proficiency: Requires Firearms Proficiency, Reduced penalties for burst fire and strafe maneuvers.

Canny Defense: Requires Wis 13, stackable  Each time you take this feat, you may apply up to 2 points of your intelligence modifier as a bonus to your dexterity modifier to AC.

Crippling Attack: Requires Int 17, Sneak Attack  If you hit an opponent with a snaek attack, you may substitute 1d6 points of extra damage for 2 points of ability damage to a physical ability score.  This substitution may be done as many times as you like.  (provided you still have damage to substitute)  The victim of this attack may reduce the ability damage by half by making a fortitude save with a DC of 12 + your intelligence modifier. 

Damage Reduction 1/-: Requires Con 15, stackable  You gain damage reduction 1/-  Each time you take this feat, your damage reduction increases by 1.

Death Attack: Requires Int 15, Sneak Attack  If you hit an opponent with a sneak attack after studying it for at least 3 rounds, the opponent must make a fortitude save of DC 14 + your intelligence modifier or die.  3 rounds of study are required between each death attack. 

Defensive Roll: requires cha 13, if you take damage sufficient to reduce your hit points or constitution to 0, you may make a reflex saving throw (DC = damage dealt) to halve the damage.  Evasion does not apply to this saving throw.

Double Tap: Requires Firearms Proficiency, Reduced penalties for double tap maneuver

Dowsing (Psionic): Requires Cha 15, Psychic Sensitive  You can make a Dc 15 will saving throw as a free action at a cost of 1 sanity.  If successful, you can detect a desired object or stimulus within 50 feet.  If you detect something, you take 1 point of wisdom damage.

Drive By Attack: While driving a vehicle, you may attack from the vehicle at any point during your movement, taking the normal penalties for doing so

Evasion: requires dex 13, if you succeed a reflex saving throw to take half damage, you take no damage.

Extra Sane: Requires Cha 15  You gain an extra 10 points of sanity.

Firearms Proficiency: No penalties when attacking with firearms

Headshot!: You gain a +3 bonus to your attack rolls when making called shots

Hide in Plain Sight: Requires Wis 17  You don't require cover or a distraction to hide yourself, though you suffer a -10 penalty on hide checks when these conditions are not present.

Improved Evasion: requires dex 15, if you fail a reflex saving throw to take half damage, you take half damage.

Improved Uncanny Dodge: requires uncanny dodge, you cannot be flanked or sneak attacked.

Mind Probe: Requires Cha 19, Psychic Sensitive, Mind Reading   You can make a will saving throw of variable difficulty to gain secrets from the mind of a subject.  This costs 1d4 sanity and 1 wisdom damage per successful attempt, and 1 sanity per unsuccessful attempt.

Mind Reading: Requires Cha 17, Psychic Sensitive: You can make a will saving throw of variable difficulty to learn the surface thoughts of a subject.  This costs 1d3 sanity and 1 wisdom damage per successful attempt, and 1 sanity per unsuccessful attempt.

Opportunist: Requires dex 17, If an ally of yours hits an enemy with a melee attack, you may take an attack of opportunity against that opponent.

Psychic Sensitive: Requires Cha 15, Wild Talent  You occasionally sense danger before it happns.

Psychometry: Requires Cha 15, Psychic Sensitive  You can make a DC 15 will save, taking 1d4 points of sanity damage and 1 point of wisdom damage, to get a sense of the past of an item you handle

Psychic Trance: Requires Cha 15, Wild Talent  You can go into a trance that doubles your healing rate and makes you appear dead.  You can remain in trance up to between 1 week and 3 months, depending on local conditions.

Psychokinesis: Requires Cha 19, Wild Talent  You can exert up to 5 pounds of force from up to 30 feet away with the power of your mind.  This costs 1d4 sanity points and 1 point of wisdom damage per use of the power.  If you use it for more than 1 minute at a time, each additional minute costs 1 sanity and 1 wisdom damage.  By taking more sanity and wisdom damage and making a will saving throw of variable difficulty, you can attempt more impressive feats of psychokinesis.

Remote Viewing: Requires Cha 17, Psychic Sensitive, Psychic Trance  While in a psychic trance, you can spend 1d4 sanity and 1 wisdom damage to make a will save of variable difficulty to view faraway locations.

Run for your Life!: Requires con 15, run, stackable  You may take an extra move action as a swift action twice per day

Second Sight: Requires Cha 15, Psychic Sensitive  You can intuitively sense the presence of the infected, and other, stranger beings.

Skirmish +1d6: Requires Int 13, stackable  When you move at least 10 feet before attacking, you deal an additional 1d6 points of damage.

Skirmish +1 AC: Requires Int 13, stackable  When you move at least 10 feet before attacking, you gain a +1 insight bonus to AC.

Sneak Attack +1d6: Requires Wis 13, stackable  When you strike a flanked or flat footed opponent, you deal an extra 1d6 points of damage.

Sudden Strike +1d10: Requires Int 13, stackable  When you strike a flat footed opponent, you deal an extra 1d10 points of damage.

Team Player: Requires Cha 15  When you use the aid another action, you add either +5 to a d20 roll or +3 AC.

Telepathy: Requires Cha 17, Psychic Sensitive  By spending 1d4 sanity and 1 point of wisdom damage, you can attempt to send a message of up to 10 words by making a will save of variable difficulty.

Uncanny Dodge: requires dex 15, you retain your dexterity bonus to defense when flat footed.

Vehicular Shootinf: You reduce the penalty for firing from a moving vehicle to -2 (from -4) or to -4 (from -8) if the vehicle is at highway or all out speed.

Way With Animals: Requires cha 13  You can use the diplomacy skill on animals.

[Geradine]

although i would be interested in this, i have almost no recent experience in modern d20. would you be able to give me some references to get myself reaquainted, that would be most appreciated.