HvZ: Curtain Call
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General Rules
- DBAJ, which stands for Don't Be A Jerk. The first and foremost rule of SCAD HvZ is to be excellent to each other, if anything isn't explicitly covered in the rules, or seems kind of scummy, don't do it. Being a jerk too much can get you banned on its own. Acts of DBAJ can include, but are not limited to: bigotry and hate speech/actions of any kind, looking for loopholes in the rules to justify poor behavior, ignoring valid hits or stun timers, purposefully or repeatedly damaging HvZ props, targeted harassment, and many more. Refer to the expanded rules document for further clarification.
- No unsavory contact! Also known as the "no biting, no licking" rule, any unwarranted contact between players is not allowed, particularly involving a player's mouth.
- Due to SCAD's safety rules, only currently enrolled students, recently graduated alumni (up to 2 years), and coordinator-approved guests can play. We will require you bring your SCAD ID to registration; all non-SCAD guests must be accompanied by a SCAD student or alumnus at all times.
- Opening Night takes place on March 24th at 7 PM, at the Turner House Courtyard. Anyone who wishes to play must attend as we will go over all rules and changes to this year’s game. Players will also be required to sign waivers stating that they acknowledge all rules and agree to follow them. Once the waivers are signed, and all modded blasters have been checked (see the Human rules section for more information), players will receive their bandana and kill card. You will only be issued one kill card.
- If you miss Opening Night, late sign ups will be available. Check our social media to see where late sign ups will be located. After that time, sign ups will be closed and no new players will be allowed to join.
- All players must wear their official HvZ bandanas at all times. Humans are identified by bandanas on their biceps, and zombies on their heads. Bandanas must be worn above all clothing and gear, including any class props. Removing your bandana while in play is a bannable offense, except to replace it with a class bandana while playing a class.
- Humans must also carry their kill card on them at all times. If a human is tagged, they must hand over their kill card to the zombie who tagged them. The zombie must then go to the website and input the kill code to turn the human.
- Moderators are identified by a white bandanna around their neck and white capes. They're there to help out with any questions or concerns you have about the game. They also have final call on any rulings, so their word is law.
- Humans may use Nerf and Nerf style blasters as weapons. If you wish to paint or modify your blaster, see the rules under the Human specific rules.
- Darts (or any other type of Nerf style dart such as discs, Mega darts, Rival rounds, BOOMco darts, etc.) must be fired from a blaster or blowgun. Throwing them will not stun a zombie.
- Humans can also use balled up socks, which can be made from a single sock with up to two feet of tape to bind it. Socks can be thrown to stun zombies, but they must leave the player's hand in order to count.
- Spider socks are another option, which are socks attached to up to two feet of string. They must be thrown, and recalled to the player's hand before they can be used again (i.e., you can't use it as a flail) If a zombie catches the string with both hands, the human is killed, but if the zombie catches the sock with both hands, the human is killed but the zombie is still stunned.
- ANY PART of a player is stunnable. Humans can be tagged on all body parts, gear and blasters, Zombies can be stunned after being shot or socked ANYWHERE on their person or clothes as well.
- Shots to the head and face do count, but aiming for the face intentionally is always DBAJ. Do not aim for faces.
- THERE. IS. NO. MELEE. Melee Weapons are not allowed and using a melee weapon is a bannable offense (the sole exception to this are zombie classes such as the Ghoul or Revenant).
- Face masks are allowed again this year; however, any and all masks that are worn during the game must be approved by a mod. If at any point in the game a MOD, SCAD Official, or SCAD Security asks you to remove it, you must comply.
- Gameplay goes from 5 AM to 11:59 PM each day. From 12 AM to 4:59 AM, all zones are considered to be out of play.
- There are three zones of play. Infected zones are where the game takes place, and play occurs as normal. Safe zones are the boundaries between in play and out of play zones. Humans may shoot zombies both in safe and infected zones and zombies cannot make tags in safe zones. However, if a zombie has both feet in an infected zone, they can reach into a safe zone and tag a human. Out of play zones are exactly as they sound, and no play may occur in these zones. Maps with the location of all infected and safe zones are available in the “Maps” tab at the top of this website.
- Unless specified otherwise by the mission, mission objectives may never be taken out of an infected zone into a safe or out of play zone.
- If players are debating a kill or a rule, all parties involved are considered to be in play until a call for a mod is made. While talking to a mod about clarifications, they will be considered out of play. However, if players are arguing amongst themselves and are shot or tagged, they are considered in play and the stun/tag is legal.
- While outside of the dorm areas, be it in class, in town or moving between places, we require that all blasters be holstered or hidden in a bag.
- SCAD HvZ is a very physical game. If you are prone to anxiety or panic attacks around large groups or because of loud noises, please understand that this game contains lots of both. Signing the waivers means that you understand the risks and accept the responsibility should anything occur.
- Undead or not, safety is still a concern, so no jumping from trees or balconies and no vaulting bike racks. Doing it at all will result in a DBAJ claim against you, but landing on another player or climbing on buildings can be grounds for an immediate ban.
- No vehicles can be used for play. This includes cars, bikes, skateboards, scooters, heelies, etc. If a player must enter a play zone in a vehicle, they are considered out of play until after they leave the vehicle. Once they exit the vehicle, they must count 30 seconds out loud before they are back in play. If the player shoots, or stops counting, they are considered to have forgone the timer and are back in play.
- If a car comes through a play zone that players are engaged in, players are asked to announce "Car!" All players must move out of the way and hold still until a mod declares the game to have resumed. No tags or stuns that are made while an announced car is passing will be counted.
- Players cannot interact with non players. This means using them for cover, as scouts, to collect darts, etc. If there is an issue with a non player or players interacting with non players, alert a mod if it's a gameplay issue or a mod and an RA if it's a person issue.
- Players are not allowed to hide behind or under parked or moving cars. Movement between parked cars is allowed, as long as you are not stopping between them.
- Any classes that have been unlocked will be handed out by mods on a first come, first serve basis each mission.
- All classes must be returned to a moderator at the end of each mission. Players are not allowed to take classes home with them.
- While not an official rule, we do ask that all players attempt to keep the noise down while inside hallways (especially buildings like Turner House and Montgomery House) and in general between 9 PM and 11:59 PM. These are the quiet hours of residence areas, and players should be courteous towards non-participants by keeping their volume down.
- Stalking players or waiting outside a player’s dorm room for long periods of time can be considered DBAJ. You may not use non-players as scouts as stated previously in this situation.
- Elevators can be used for gameplay; these areas are considered safe zones. Zombies and humans alike are NOT allowed to stalk or camp in or near these areas. Players are required to get off at the floor they selected when entering the elevator. If a non-player enters the elevator, players are required to get off immediately regardless of what floor they are on. Abuse of this rule is considered DBAJ and is a bannable offence.
Human Rules
- Modified blasters are allowed to be used in game. However, there are several requirements they must meet in order to be game legal:
- Blasters must be unnaturally colored (No black, metallic, wood grains, etc.).
- The trigger and barrel must remain their original colors. Mods will have orange duct tape available to tape over the barrel of any blaster that might need it.
- If the internals are modified, a mod must be alerted during sign ups, and shot with the blaster. If the blaster is determined to be too powerful/above 120 FPS, it will not be allowed.
- Real weapons or weapon parts are not allowed. If you use a part that doesn't enhance the firing or performance, you can show a mod and they will have final say over it.
- Mods have final say over the legality of any and all blasters. If a blaster is approved, mods will hand out a card that states the blaster's approval and who approved it. Players must keep this on them in the event that there is an issue regarding the blaster.
- Any player with modded blasters that has been approved by a mod will be issued a permit card which will include the player's name, the modded blaster(s) and a stamp of approval. The player must keep this card on them at all times just like a kill card.
- Dart bombs are not allowed in SCAD HvZ.
- If a dart (or any type of nerf ammunition) ricochets off of anything and hits a zombie, it will not count. The dart must go directly from blaster to target.
- When a human is tagged, they must wait five minutes before they are allowed to spawn back in as a zombie. Use this time to drop off your gear and say goodbye to your other human friends.
- While humans can reset zombie stun timers by shooting or socking stunned zombies, abuse of the system can result in the reset rule being revoked or DBAJ warnings against repeated offenders.
Zombie Rules
- Zombie stun timers begin at 8 minutes on Day 1, and increase by 2 minutes each day. (10 minutes Day 2, 12 minutes Day 3, 14 minutes Day 5, 16 minutes Day 5) If you are stunned, move your bandana from your head to your neck until the stun timer expires.
- Stunned Zombies cannot interact with the game. Interacting with the game includes, but is not limited to, reporting to other zombies, dead shielding, hiding mission items, etc.
- If a zombie is stunned while using a class, unless the class's description says otherwise, they are not allowed to remove the class or pass it on to another player while stunned.
- If a human shoots a stunned zombie, the zombie's stun timer is reset to the next five minute increment, up to the original timer. For example, if you are down to 4 minutes, you are reset to 5, but if you are down to 6, you round up to 10 and so on.
- Zombies must be at least three car lengths away (or about 15 feet) from the nearest human before they are allowed to spawn back in.
- In order for a tag to count, it must be a two hand tag anywhere on the human or their gear. The zombies must also have both feet planted on the ground. Jump tags and tackles do not count.
Original Zombie
The original zombie is the first infected and is tasked with spreading the infection to the masses. If you are interested in becoming the OZ, you must meet two criteria:
You must be in good standing with the club and you cannot be a member of any committee.
To join the pool of potential OZs, fill in the appropriate checkbox on your profile before Opening Night.
After Opening Night, the Coordinators will select an OZ from the pool at random, and alert them of their newfound deadness by midnight. While they are Zombies, they follow a slightly different set of rules before they are revealed:
- The OZ has the ability to hide among the humans. The OZ can choose to wear their bandana on their arm and carry a blaster. They are able to make tags as a normal zombie, but must inform anyone they tag that they are, in fact, the OZ.
- The OZ is able to make 6 kills before they are forced to reveal themselves to everyone. As soon as they make their 6th kill, they must move their bandana to their head and follow the normal zombie rules.
- Even while concealed, the OZ can be stunned like any normal zombie, but they do not have to announce it or change their bandana. The OZ has the same stun timer as any other zombie.
- If the OZ has still not been revealed by 2 pm on Day 2, the humans will unlock a secondary objective mission to force the reveal. If they take a photo of the OZ and send it in to the moderators at humvzom@clubs.scad.edu, the OZ will be revealed regardless of how many tags they have left. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS OBJECTIVE WILL NOT BE ACTIVE AT ALL DURING DAY 1.
Moderators "MODS"
- First and foremost, mods have final say.
- A moderator’s decision must be respected and followed through. Even if the decision isn’t in your favor, the moderator’s decision is final
- If rules are being disobeyed, then the mods can suspend players from missions.
- Disobeying a mod is seen as DBAJ and consequences can be ejection from missions, or, if a repeat offender, ejection from the game.
- If a player is ejected from the game, they must relinquish their kill card and bandanna to a moderator.
- If a Moderator calls “Car”, gameplay is paused until another moderator deems it safe to continue play or when the car leaves the gameplay area.
- Moderators are allowed to stop gameplay or missions in case of an emergency.
- If there is a dispute between a human and a zombie on who got shot or tagged first, the moderator has final say on the issue.
- Moderators may ban players from missions if there is probable cause. But only the Mod Coordinator may ban players for life.
- Lastly, Moderators are there to ensure everyone is having fun and being safe.
The Mod Committee are there to enforce the SCAD HVZ Rules and Regulations as well as the SCAD Residence Life and Housing Rules. These are some of the powers a moderator has:
Classes
- Classes are a staple to SCAD HvZ. They are unlocked via mission completion and can grant players special abilities and immunities. While many of these may be familiar to veteran players, many classes have received slight tweaks and changes for the 2020 game.
- Unless stated otherwise, active players may trade off classes between other active players at will, but stunned players must wait for their stun timer to expire before they can hand off a class. One such exception is a human who was killed with a class must pass the class off to another human or the nearest moderator.
- All classes for HvZ 2020 are listed below.
Cannoneer
- The Cannoneer is a new human class to SCAD HvZ 2020. The Cannoneer is signified by its rope sash and three sandbag-esque, dodgeball-like projectiles.
- A player that wields the Cannoneer may throw or roll these projectiles at zombies.
- After leaving the Cannoneer's hand, if a projectile makes contact with a zombie in any fashion, that zombie is stunned.
- Cannoneer projectiles count as socks for the purpose of overcoming class defenses, such as the Juggernaut's.
- Any human can retrieve a Cannoneer projectile; however, they may only be used by someone with the class actively equipped. Classless or differently classed humans attempting to use the projectiles is not allowed.
- The Cannoneer cannot interact with mission objectives.
Charlatan
- The Charlatan is a new human class to SCAD HvZ 2020. The Charlatan is signified by its theatre seat pauldron and cupholder, in which a Charlatan "charge" resides.
- If the Charlatan is tagged, the player wielding it may calmly give the charge over to the zombie who tagged them in place of their killcard, essentially granting the player an extra life. The player then has 5 seconds of invulnerability to run away, which must be counted out loud.
- If they shoot their blaster or try to interact with gameplay, the 5 second timer is considered to be forgone and the player is in play.
- The Charlatan can still be stunned by Paralyzer socks.
- When a zombie receives the charge after tagging the Charlatan, the charge must be handed over to a mod.
- The Charlatan cannot interact with mission objectives.
Engineer
- The Engineer is a returning human class. The Engineer is signified by its black pool-noodle loop.
- The Engineer may lay their loop on the ground, providing a safe zone for themselves and nearby human players, provided they stay inside the boundaries of the loop. Zombies cannot enter/tag over the loop.
- Facing outwards from the loop is a small, removable sock. If a zombie player removes the sock, the loop is deactivated, and all human players inside are immediately vulnerable to tags as normal.
- If the loop is picked up by the Engineer, there is a cooldown time of 5 minutes before it can be placed again. If deactivated by a zombie, a moderator must return the removed sock to the Engineer in order for the loop to be used again.
- The Engineer cannot interact with mission objectives, and no objectives are to ever be brought inside an active Engineer loop.
Recon
- The Recon is a new human class to SCAD HvZ 2020. The Recon is signified by its large yellow tabard.
- When the Recon is equipped, a player may place both hands on their head to enter "reconnaissance mode," gaining invulnerability for as long as they have their hands on their head. In Recon mode, no blasters or socks may be used, but the player may move and scout around while invulnerable.
- While in Recon mode, the Recon is safe from almost all zombie tags. The only exception to this rule is the Infestor; the Infestor's tags overcome the Recon's immunity in all circumstances. Paralyzer socks can also still stun the Recon.
- Once the player drops their hands from their head/otherwise loses immunity, the Recon has a 15 minute cooldown timer before it can be used again.
- The Recon cannot interact with mission objectives.
Survivalist
- The Survivalist is a returning human class. The Survivalist is signified by its matching usher vest and hat.
- While wearing the Survivalist, the player is completely immune to all tags from zombie classes; however, they are vulnerable to any tags from normal, non-classed zombie players. Paralyzer socks can still stun the Survivalist, regardless of this rule.
- The Survivalist cannot interact with mission objectives.
Warden
- The Warden is a returning human class (formerly known as the Safeguard). The Warden is signified by its red velvet cape and golden bracelet.
- A human player with the Warden may place their bracelet-ed hand on the shoulder of another human player. This grants immunity to that player, so long as the Warden's hand rests firmly on their shoulder.
- If the Warden is tagged, the player they are protecting is immediately vulnerable to tags as normal. If the Warden removes their hand for any reason, at any time, they must wait 5 minutes before providing immunity to another player.
- The Warden cannot interact with mission objectives.
Berserker
- The Berserker is a returning zombie class. The Berserker is signified by its violin-like arm bracer.
- A zombie player with the Berserker will always have a 3 minute stun timer instead of the normal stun timer of the day.
- The Berserker cannot interact with mission objectives.
Ghoul
- The Ghoul is a returning zombie class. The Ghoul is signified by its tragedy-comedy mask shield and marble arm.
- A zombie player using the Ghoul is able to make one-handed tags with their extended arm, and block all human projectiles (darts, mega darts, socks, etc) with their shield.
- The Ghoul's arm is subject to the extension rule (if a dart or sock hits the arm, it counts as making contact with the player).
- The Ghoul cannot interact with mission objectives.
Infestor
- The Infestor (after a short hiatus) is a returning zombie class. The Infestor is signified by its ticket booth carrying case and small ticket tokens.
- When a player wielding the Infestor makes a successful tag against a human, they give the newly turned human one of their small tokens. This turns the human into an "infested" zombie; the infested zombie retains its human appearance and bandana placement for 5 minutes, and can make one tag before revealing themselves as a zombie. If the infested zombie is shot by a human before this timer runs out/before they get a tag, they are revealed regardless.
- The Infestor is the only zombie with the ability to make tags against the Recon while they are invulnerable.
- The Infestor cannot interact with mission objectives.
Juggernaut
- The Juggernaut is a returning zombie class. The Juggernaut is signified by its spectral ghost light cowl.
- A zombie player wearing the Juggernaut has immunity to all human projectiles classified as darts, including discs, mega darts, rival rounds, etc.
- The Juggernaut is only vulnerable to socks and demolisher missiles. This includes the Cannoneer's projectiles.
- The Juggernaut cannot interact with mission objectives.
Meatshield
- The Meatshield is a returning zombie class. The Meatshield is signified by its large marquee shield.
- A zombie player wielding the Meatshield can block all human projectiles from the front. However, they are still vulnerable from behind.
- The Meatshield cannot make tags, but can interact with mission objectives.
Paralyzer
- The Paralyzer is a returning zombie class. The Paralyzer is signified by its hawking tray and tomato-like sock projectiles.
- Paralyzer projectiles can be thrown at humans. If they make contact, that human is stunned for five seconds, which must be counted out loud. They cannot move or shoot, and must drop any objectives they have.
- Unless otherwise stated, Paralyzer projectiles bypass resistances from human classes, such as the Survivalist and Recon.
- The Paralyzer can still make tags as normal, but cannot interact with mission objectives.
Revenant
- The Revenant is a returning zombie class (formerly known as the Psycho). The Revenant is signified by its two chandelier-esque swords.
- A zombie player wielding the Revenant can make one-handed tags with either sword, similar to the Ghoul.
- This class is unique in that the swords are hidden in the area of the mission, and must be found by zombie players during gameplay. Both swords must be found and presented to a moderator before the class can be used.
- Revenant swords may only be used in pairs; if only one is found, it cannot be used by itself.
- If a human player attempts to pick up a hidden Revenant sword, they are immediately killed.
- The Revenant is also unique in that it can be passed between two stunned zombie players. When this happens, both zombies may take 2 minutes off their stun timer.
- The Revenant cannot interact with mission objectives.
Swatter
- The Swatter is a new zombie class for SCAD HvZ 2020. The Swatter is signified by its two piano mitts.
- When wearing the Swatter, a player can deflect all human projectiles with the mitts. These mitts may also be used to make tags as normal.
- The Swatter cannot interact with mission objectives.
Spy
- The Spy is a returning zombie class. The Revenant is signified by its bloodstained tragedy-comedy mask necklace.
- The Spy is unique in that it is only given out once at the start of the game. The OZ can choose one of their six tags to become the Spy; the OZ informs a coordinator or mod of their Spy choice immediately.
- The person receiving the Spy necklace is a zombie in disguise; they appear, act, and wield/shoot blasters and socks as a human, while secretly feeding information to the zombie horde/leading humans into traps. Their necklace is meant to be concealed, and can be revealed to other zombies who attempt to tag the Spy.
- If a human suspects that someone is the Spy, they must take a picture of the suspect and send it to a moderator, along with the suspect's name. Once the Spy is confirmed, the Spy must reveal themselves. If this does not transpire, the Spy may reveal themselves at any time. Once revealed, the Spy becomes a regular zombie.
- The Spy can shoot blasters/throw socks while disguised, and cannot be stunned; however, they cannot make tags and cannot interact with mission objectives.
- If you have any additional questions or need any clarification, please contact us at humvzom@clubs.scad.edu, message us on the Facebook page, or come find a MOD!