--- title: Zombicide 2E House Rules tags: zombicide # ⚀⚁⚂⚃⚄⚅ --- # Zombicide 2nd Edition House Rules Difficulty modifier legend: 🔵 -- makes the game a lot easier 🟢 -- makes the game a bit easier 🟡 -- changes the game, but does not exactly make it easier or harder in general (it may do that for specific cases though) 🟠 -- makes the game a bit harder 🔴 -- makes the game a lot harder ## 🔵 Flex Actions * Characters can use their actions at any time. For example, one character can use 1 of their actions, then a second character can use their actions, then the first character can finish their actions. * Ignore the First Player token. ## 🔵 Silence :::info Works great with the **Noisy** rule. ::: * If there are no Noise tokens on the map when spawning zombies at the end of the turn, one of the spawns at random (roll a 🎲 to decide which one) is ignored. ## 🔵/🟢 Crouching :::warning 🔵 when combined with the **Flex Actions** rule, 🟢 otherwise. ::: New character actions: * **Crouch**: A character starts crouching. This can be represented by placing a character on its side. Crouching characters ignore ranged attack friendly fire (Molotovs are not ignored). A character cannot move or attack when crouching. * **Stand Up**: A character stops crouching. ### Variant: 🟢 Crouched Move * New action: **Crouched Move**: Spend 2 actions to move 1 space when crouched. ### Variant: 🟢 Firmly Planted * Characters can use ranged attacks while crouching. * A crouching character gets -1 accuracy requirements on ranged attacks. ## 🔵/🟢 Dual-wield Double Damage * Dual-wielding may double the damage if you choose the same target for two of the successful hits. ## 🟢 Aim * New action: **Aim**: Your next ranged attack gains the effect of the Sniper skill (choose target, ignore friendly fire). ## 🟢 Damagable Abominations * Abominations can now be damaged by 2+ damage weapons, but they have 6/7/8/9 health (depending on current Danger Level). * Keep track of Abomination health by tracking Wounds they received instead. * When the current Danger Level changes, the Abominations on the field also use the new health values (as you track the wounds, not the health). * Molotovs can still instantly kill Abominations. ## 🟢 Dropping Items * Items discarded when reorganizing the inventory can now be picked up at the same space they were dropped at by any character, at the cost of 1 action. ## 🟢 Headshot * Rolling a ⚅ on an attack results in a headshot, dealing +1 damage. This allows 1-damage weapons to sometimes kill 2-health zombies (Fatties). * Abominations cannot be headshot in this way. * This rule is not active when the Dark Rooms / Night Time rule is active for this attack. ## 🟢 Regenerative Food * New action: **Eat Food**: Spend 3 actions and discard a Food item to heal 1 Wound. ## 🟢 Special Zombie AP * Special zombies grant 3 AP when killed, instead of 1. * If an effect states that they reduce AP by 1, they reduce it by 3 instead. ## 🟢/🟡 All-out * In short: just like the All-out mechanic from the Washington: ZC and Fort Hendrix expansions, but for all weapons. * Whenever you declare an attack, you may choose to go all-out. You may roll up to double 🎲. First roll for normal hits. Then, even if there are no more targets to hit, roll the declared number of additional 🎲. Those rolls also work as normal hits, including the friendly fire rule. * After the attack, if any of the additional 🎲 rolls were a ⚀, the weapon is discarded. * If the attack was a dual-wield, you can choose which weapon to discard. * You may reorganize your inventory for free after discarding. * If there were at least 2 ⚀ additional rolls, both weapons are discarded. ## 🟢/🟡 Car Crash * New car action: **Crash**: Similar to the Fast Move car action. Can only be used to end on a tile with a door. Crashing a car into a door forces it open as if it was broken down with a Fire Axe or a similar equipment. * The car cannot be driven until the next turn. * Crashing a car produces 3 Noise. ## 🟢/🟡 Knocking on Doors * Setup changes: Draw a Zombie spawn card face-down for each dark room on the map that is in a closed building and place it there. * When a building is opened for the first time, flip the cards placed above and spawn the zombies accordingly, then discard the cards. * New action: **Knock**: A character may knock on a door when standing next to one from the outside. This causes the face-down cards to move 1 space closer to the interior room containing that door. ## 🟡 Bang * The Noise mechanic is replaced with a Bang mechanic. * Characters no longer count as Noise. * At all points only one space at a time may have Noise tokens. * If a space is to gain X Noise, if it's the same amount of Noise another space already has or more, place X Noise on this space, including Noise already there. Remove all Noise from other spaces. * After the turn ends, remove all Noise tokens from the map. * Updated Zombie targeting: 1. The closest space with Survivors in the Line of Sight (prioritizing stacked Survivors). 2. A space with Noise. 3. The closest space with Survivors (prioritizing stacked Survivors). ### Variant: 🟡 Directional Zombies * Zombies without any other stimuli now wander in the same direction they did on the previous turns, unless they cannot (hitting a wall / map edge). * When hitting a wall, they switch direction to a random available direction. * This means players can choose to make a completely stealthy turn. * Updated Zombie targeting: 1. The closest space with Survivors in the Line of Sight (prioritizing stacked Survivors). 2. A space with Noise. 3. The space in the direction the Zombie is currently looking at. ## 🟡 Noisier Weapons * Molotovs now produce 2 Noise. * RPGs now produce 3 Noise. ## 🟡 Split Edge Zombie Spawns * Whenever zombies are being spawned at the end of a turn on their respective Zombie Spawn tokens which are on an edge of the map, split those zombie spawns onto adjacent zones which are also on an edge. ## 🟡/🟠 Breaking Down Doors * Zombies can conditionally choose to path through a closed door, as if it was open. * Zombies only do so if there are either 8 zombies on the same space, 12 zombies at a 0-1 space range, or 16 zombies at a 0-2 space range. * When zombies try to move through a closed door, they can do so if there are already 8 of zombies on a space with the door. Otherwise, they stay in place. * Special objective doors cannot be broken down this way. ### Variant: 🟠 AP-based counting * Instead of counting the number of zombies, count the sum of AP they grant when killed. * This means Abominations count as 5 zombies. * Works great with additional rules like **Special Zombie AP**. ### Variant: 🟠 Powerful Abominations * Abominations count as infinite zombies. * This means they can always break down a door by themselves. * This also means zombies will try to follow an Abomination near doors. ## 🟠 Limited Ammo * When acquiring a ranged weapon, roll a 🎲. This is how many bullets you get with this weapon. * Bullets are not tied to their weapons -- they are stored on the character itself instead. Bullets gained with one weapon can be used with another weapon. * Bullets can be Traded away. ### Variant: 🟢 Plenty of Bullets * Picking up Plenty of Bullets / Plenty of Shells via Searching also grants ammo in the same way. ### Variant: 🟢/🟡 Ammo Objectives * If picking up an Objective Crate would result in gaining 5 AP, you may instead choose to roll a 🎲 to get ammo of a specific type of your choice. ## 🟠 Noisy :::info Works great with the **Silence** rule. ::: * If there are 10+ Noise tokens on the map when spawning zombies at the end of the turn, one of the spawns at random (roll a 🎲 to decide which one) is doubled. ## 🟠 Noisy Searching * Searching rooms causes Noise. ## 🟠 Realistic Searching * A room can only be Searched once. Two characters cannot Search the same room. * Mark either searched or unsearched rooms (depending on your preference) with tokens to show this. ### Variant: 🔵/🟢 Multiple Searches :::warning 🔵 when combined with the **Unwanted Items** variant, 🟢 otherwise. ::: * Characters can now Search multiple times per turn, but they still cannot Search already searched rooms. ### Variant: 🟢 Unwanted Items * You can instantly discard the item you got through Searching to not mark the room as searched. ## 🟠 Weapon Durability * After an attack action, roll a 🎲. On ⚀, discard the weapon. ## 🟠/🔴 Initial Zombie Wave * Before placing the characters on the map as part of mission setup, spawn zombies on each of the Zombie Spawn tokens, as if a turn just ended. * An Abomination cannot spawn this way. If it was to spawn, discard the card and draw the next one. * Ignore any Extra Activation cards -- discard them instead and draw another one. # Mix-ups ## 🟡/🟠 Breaking Down Doors + Knocking on Doors * After Knocking on a door, if there are 4/3/2/1 (depending on the current Danger Level) Zombie spawn cards on the other side of the door, the door is instantly broken down. Zombies are spawned accordingly. * Additionally, if the door was not broken down just yet and the current Danger Level is above Blue, roll a 🎲. If a ⚀ rolled, the door is broken down anyway. Zombies are spawned accordingly. # Integrations Rules and elements taken from expansions or other Zombicide games. ## 🟡/🟠 Special Zombies after Leveling Up * After a turn ends, for each player that leveled up this turn (moved from one Adrenaline Level to a higher one), choose a Zombie Spawn token (roll a 🎲 to decide which one). When spawning zombies on this token, replace one of the zombies with a Special zombie of the same type. * Special zombies should also be chosen at random, in any way appropriate. If they are already on the board, choose another one. Ideas: * Idea #1: * Fatties and Runners: you can roll a 🎲, then choose the n-th one. * Walkers: roll 4🎲-3, then choose the n-th one. * Idea #2: Make custom decks for all 3 types of zombies. * To limit the amount of rules to remember at once, there can only be 2 Special zombies of each type at once on the board. If you were to spawn more, just spawn standard zombies instead. ### Variant: 🟡 Card Skipping * If a 3rd Special zombie of the same type were to spawn, discard this zombie spawn card and choose another one. * If there are already 6 Special zombies on the board (2 of each type), just spawn standard zombies instead. ## 🔴 Mold * See the [Zombicide: Invader manual](https://www.zombicide.com/dl/rulebook-zombicide-invader.pdf), pages 20-21. * Apply this rule to Abominations. ## 🔴 Night Time * See the [Zombicide: Washington: ZC manual](https://www.zombicide.com/dl/rulebook-zombicide-Washington-ZC.pdf), pages 8-10. ## 🔴 Shooter Walkers * See the [Zombicide: Fort Hendrix manual](https://www.zombicide.com/dl/rulebook-zombicide-Fort-Hendrix.pdf), pages 11-13.