Shades of Eternity
Legend
and just because you always need a map...
Post Apocalypse Settings
- Thread starter RenleyRenfield
- Start date
MGibster
Legend
The Walking Dead television series had zombies in it, so I don't know if the presence of fantastical elements makes something immune from being misery porn. I think we all need to agree there's going to be at least some misery it a post-apocalyptic setting, right?
What RPGs have a rather detailed and developed post apocalyptic setting based on our real world or a similar version to our world?
And that the setting had at least 1930's or new technology....
Looking for a full setting book(s) with things like cities, NPCs, local history, lore, maybe even metaplots...
And... not Fallout
I bought Apocalypse World already as well
Ideas?
Atomic Shadows came out pretty recently; it's a Shadowdark hack for post-apoc games... but it doesn't have an established setting beyond something like our real world.
Reynard
aka Ian Eller
I mean, no? Like, there’s no "misery" in Thundarr or Fallout, at least not the kind we are talking about here. Of course there’s Bad Stuff, but that's not the same thing.
While I mentioned Apocalypse in an earlier post, for a pre-built setting with a Gamma World vibe, I would go with Darwin's World Nuclear Edition. It provides locations, factions, and plenty of adventure hooks. Drop a lot of the Twisted Earth stuff and you could probably due a successful Mad Max/Road Warrior as well.
Mutant Year Zero also has a good reputation for a Gamma World or Twisted Earth setting if you use the Four books
The other two recommendations that I would make for the forementioned types of Post Apocalypse, are Atomic Highway (for a non-Savage Worlds system) and Apocalypse are out. However, neither has a complete setting with maps, pre-established factions and locations, adventure hooks, etc. Both require some setting building despite giving the tools and, if I recall correctly, Atomic Highway requires the Irradiated Freaks supplement for a more Gamma World/Twisted Earth vibe.
Other Post Apocalypse genres
My choice for a zombie apocalypse would be War of the Dead/World of the Dead for Savage World. The Walking Dead would be a second option based on Free League's reputation.
Military post nuclear: I have heard good things about Twilight 2000 (Free League version)
For biblical post apocalypse, I might use Armageddon: End of Times from Eden Studios since the work is done which takes place in the now (probably, adapting it to Eden's other system Cinematic Unisystem).
As for other types of post apocalypse such as the TV shows Jericho, Jeremiah, alien invasion (e.g. Fallen Skies), vampire Apocalypse, and biblical post apocalypse (if I did not use Armageddon), I would go with Apocalypse or Cortex Plus and do the world building.
Mutant Year Zero also has a good reputation for a Gamma World or Twisted Earth setting if you use the Four books
The other two recommendations that I would make for the forementioned types of Post Apocalypse, are Atomic Highway (for a non-Savage Worlds system) and Apocalypse are out. However, neither has a complete setting with maps, pre-established factions and locations, adventure hooks, etc. Both require some setting building despite giving the tools and, if I recall correctly, Atomic Highway requires the Irradiated Freaks supplement for a more Gamma World/Twisted Earth vibe.
Other Post Apocalypse genres
My choice for a zombie apocalypse would be War of the Dead/World of the Dead for Savage World. The Walking Dead would be a second option based on Free League's reputation.
Military post nuclear: I have heard good things about Twilight 2000 (Free League version)
For biblical post apocalypse, I might use Armageddon: End of Times from Eden Studios since the work is done which takes place in the now (probably, adapting it to Eden's other system Cinematic Unisystem).
As for other types of post apocalypse such as the TV shows Jericho, Jeremiah, alien invasion (e.g. Fallen Skies), vampire Apocalypse, and biblical post apocalypse (if I did not use Armageddon), I would go with Apocalypse or Cortex Plus and do the world building.
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Thomas Shey
Legend
Depends how far back the apocalypse was. A lot of SF and fantasy settings have an apocalypse in their background, but its far enough back things have recovered reasonably well and its not tragic anymore; its just a reset and need for people to to rebuild and learn what's happened beyond their horizon.
My rule of thumb on that is that unless the apocalypse has permanently damaged the world (and badly at that), by about a hundred years down its mostly just history and setup.
Shades of Eternity
Legend
Yes, the post-apocalypse becomes really interesting when it becomes post-post-apocalypse.
There is a reason Fallout: New Vegas is considered the best of the games. It has been rebuilt, and now the future of the world is in question as to where it heads.
It also gives you the best of both worlds: keep what you like and change anything you don't. You can still have your survival wasteland, but it's one of many, like in Judge Dredd.
Throw in magic, and you literally have the best of both: fantasy and post-apocalyptic, and can mix the two as you see fit.
There is a reason why Rifts was such a popular brand, despite its many problems: you had a ton of options.
There is a reason Fallout: New Vegas is considered the best of the games. It has been rebuilt, and now the future of the world is in question as to where it heads.
It also gives you the best of both worlds: keep what you like and change anything you don't. You can still have your survival wasteland, but it's one of many, like in Judge Dredd.
Throw in magic, and you literally have the best of both: fantasy and post-apocalyptic, and can mix the two as you see fit.
There is a reason why Rifts was such a popular brand, despite its many problems: you had a ton of options.
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MGibster
Legend
Yeah. I remember asking the question somewhere about how far in the past can the apocalypse be before you're no longer post apocalyptic? In the Fallout games, the apocalypse was more than 200 years ago. At some point you're no longer dealing with the apocalypse you're just dealing with life as it is. When you get to the point where you have functioning states, New California Republic I'm looking at you, you're not really post apocalyptic any more.
RenleyRenfield
Adventurer
You know, this kinda seems like it would be fun to have a community wiki of "enter your town as a wasteland post apoc" thing. Where we enter in as a base setting that fits Mad Max (since its no magic, no mutants, and its real world), and that could be a springboard for folks who later would want to add in their fantasy or far far later post apoc or other such.
And maybe a "make your own wasteland gang" fun
And maybe a "make your own wasteland gang" fun
Thomas Shey
Legend
Well, I still think its post-apocalyptic--one of the classics of the genre, Hiero's Journey was probably at least that far down, and Daybreak 2250/Starman's Son was a pretty fair bit down too--but you do need to make the distinction between "during the apocalypse", "soon after the apocalypse", and "far after the apocalypse". I think there's some distinct feels to even the latter of the these if you're familiar with the pre-apocalypse setting and you can still see echoes of it--but they're different kinds of campaigns/settings.
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