Post Apocalyptic RPGS?

[LostSoul]

I want buildings partially swallowed by vegetation. I want scrounging for bullets and food. I want people making new dwellings and gear out of the remnants of past ages. I want PCs motivated by a desire for survival and self gain rather than any hope of saving the world. I want a game that is part western, part sci-fi, part horror, and part gritty modern action flick, all rolled into one.

That sounds like D&D to me.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

That sounds like D&D to me.

Well, if the bullets are for slings, yeah!

 

[amerigoV]

Atomic Overmind Press The Day After Ragnarok: A Savage Setting is another one. Its for Savage Worlds and Hero. This is set at the end of WWII (so if you are a Savage Worlds fan, you can do Weird War II campaign that leads right into DAR).

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Starting my Fallout game back up in a few weeks - using the Spycraft 2.0 system. The Campaign Qualities make it easy to tailor the system to my needs.

Supplements used will be limited - Big Score and Fragile Minds being the big ones. (An alternate economic system and a touch of Cthulhu.)

Some World Works terrain for Vaults.

The Auld Grump

 

[Nagol]

Thanks for the replies. The reason I bring it up is because I have a hankering for some post-apoc gaming, and wanted to scrounge for ideas.

We start up DARK SUN week after next, so that should at least curb my desire to get out the real Apocalyptic stuff, but part of me wants to do some gaming that's a bit more "classic post-apoc" than what Dark Sun has to offer.

I want buildings partially swallowed by vegetation. I want scrounging for bullets and food. I want people making new dwellings and gear out of the remnants of past ages. I want PCs motivated by a desire for survival and self gain rather than any hope of saving the world. I want a game that is part western, part sci-fi, part horror, and part gritty modern action flick, all rolled into one.

And I can't think of too many RPGs on the market that really fit that. Which surprises me - considering all of the movies that are found within this genre, you'd think there would be something that approaches this beyond the relatively small spinoff d20 Apocalypse. I suppose there must be a GURPS book out there that covers it, though.

Savage Worlds: Apocalypse would be awesome. If any of you guys are looking for a writing project, there's gold in them dere hills.

Well, there's Deadlands Reloaded: it uses Savage Worlds' system.

 

[DMH]

2 supplements you should read are GURPS Y2K and the Apocalypse boxset from Mayfair (usually Noble Knight has a copy or two for cheap). Y2K is about all kinds of cataclysms and realistic results of the fall of civilization (it could be handy if the apocalypse ever really did happen). The boxset is skewed towards fantasy but has some of the best advice for PA gaming ever.

 

[Wednesday Boy]

Probably my favorite post-apocalyptic setting is the fantasy post-apocalyptic setting Midnight. (The setting is very generally "What if Sauron won?") I've only gotten to play it for one session so I can't speak to how it plays but it uses the 3.x D&D rules, so I expect that's a fair judge.

I think one reason Midnight doesn't dominate is because as written it's a very desolate setting. The writers say plainly that the PCs can't over throw the Sauron character and everything good is being destroyed--sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly but it's a losing battle. The PCs can still be heroic and fight the good fight but I think never being able to win is a turn off to many.

 

[Andor]

That sounds like D&D to me.

Actually 4e kind of is a post-apocolypse setting.

It's as world of fallen empires with sparse points of light in a sea of darkness and ruins.

That's post-apocalypse in a nut shell.

 

[JediSoth]

If you're in the mood for something Mad Max-ey and want it to be easily re-skinned for something more Fallout-y, I'd check out Atomic Highway by Radioactive Ape Games (distributed by Cubicle 7). The V6 system they used can be mapped to Fallout's SPECIAL system; the only thing it lacks is a Perks system (and that can be added in with just a bit of work, if you like).

 

[P1NBACK]

I've gotta second Apocalypse World as well. Just check out the playbooks. They're dripping with flavor and incredibly interesting in play. One of my favorite games of all time (and in my opinion, one of the best roleplaying games ever!).

And, if you pick this up, shoot me a PM, because I can throw you some Limited Edition playbooks.