Reality - Back to Sourcelarp

Combat - Escort (just like Solo, only worse)

Strength in Numbers - Except Sometimes, Not

This is for that lamentably frequent situation our devoted readers find themselves in - being the sole combat-capable protector of one or more helpless sheep. Maybe it's your mom, or your wife, or, god help you, a kid. But somehow they've lasted this long and you're damned if you'll let anything or anyone hurt them.

You're right about the damned part. The painful truth is, in their current state, they are going to get both/all of you killed sooner or later. So priority numero three (after food and safety) is getting them trained the fuck up. Once you have more than one good-guy in the fight, the whole game changes (see Combat - Team WIN).

In the Mean Time

Getting them in fighting trim will take work, so until then you've got to work around it. First choice is, default to solo. No, I don't mean abandon them - though that still might be best for you - rather, as often as possible leave them in a *secure* safe room while you go out and do what needs doing. Tell them the longest time it'll take you to get back, and what to do if that doesn't happen (you're on your own with that conversation).

Second choice - Bait. Be fast and dodgy and quiet - odds are they will trigger on your wailing sheep sooner rather than later. This gives you a very, very brief (since your sheep are helpless) opportunity to disable the Infected from behind. Make the most of it with leg hits (particularly helpful when using a gun, as the downward angle will reduce the chances of a miss or a thru-and-thru hitting your sheep) - the goal here is to get everyone away alive, not conquer all who oppose you.

Third choice - Human Target. Be a noisy violent whirlwind of death - keep the Infected focused on you. This is a lot more likely to just get you killed, or one of your pursuers will trigger on a sheep before you notice, which is why it's third choice, but hey - you're the one who has to be a hero.