Post Apoc Setting

[Super Squirrel]

Hero Games, as you know, is going to be releasing Post Apoc Hero around Gen Con of next year. I'm curious how interested people are in having a setting for the genre available to them.

I ask, because I have a campaign setting I've been working on for quite some time now. The setting, at this point in time, is very extensively built. I have three "survival" cities that are unique in their own way. I have mutations including how they happen and how to calculate the effects. I have evil post-apoc monsters that make zombies look like a walk in the park. I have several other pleasant surprises on top of that.

At this point, I have close to 40 pages of notes on this information. It would take me quite a bit of effort to type up all of the notes and get them to a presentable state. But, as I have felt lately, I'd rather know that people are interested in a post-apoc setting before I even begin on that.

[AmadanNaBriona]

Hero Games, as you know, is going to be releasing Post Apoc Hero around Gen Con of next year. I'm curious how interested people are in having a setting for the genre available to them.

I ask, because I have a campaign setting I've been working on for quite some time now. The setting, at this point in time, is very extensively built. I have three "survival" cities that are unique in their own way. I have mutations including how they happen and how to calculate the effects. I have evil post-apoc monsters that make zombies look like a walk in the park. I have several other pleasant surprises on top of that.

At this point, I have close to 40 pages of notes on this information. It would take me quite a bit of effort to type up all of the notes and get them to a presentable state. But, as I have felt lately, I'd rather know that people are interested in a post-apoc setting before I even begin on that.

I for one would love to see some of your ideas.
Post Apoc is a hard genre to pidgeonhole into a single setting, because there are SOOOOO many possible routes to take. For instance... I'm not very fond of the whole Gamma World/Thundarr the Barbarian style "Mutants everywhere, who look like bipedal animals and shoot frickin laser beams from their heads" pulp Post Apoc, and much prefer the more realistic/semi-hard SF aproaches.
Even with that said, I stand by my original statement... I'd love to see some of your ideas.

[Major Tom]

Post-apocalypse is one RPG genre that I'd love to do, either as a GM or as a
player, but have never had the opportunity to do. I'd particularly like to see
an idea for a "We're trying to rebuild the world after it's gone to Hell" camp-
aign (something along the lines of the Morrow Project or Apocalypse
RPG settings, or movies like Island City).

That said, I'd definitely be interested in seeing any ideas for any sort of PA
campaign on the boards.


Major Tom :thumbup:

[patrick]

I'm not very fond of the whole Gamma World/Thundarr the Barbarian style "Mutants everywhere, who look like bipedal animals and shoot frickin laser beams from their heads" pulp Post Apoc, and much prefer the more realistic/semi-hard SF aproaches.


But are they ill tempered mutants...:D

I'm a less is more as post-apoc is concerned kind’a guy. Think Mad Max.

I ran a post-apoc game once where the players started off as Green Berets and Romanian partisans in a Nato-Soviet WWIII. About three game sessions into it one of the characters is on watch in the middle of the night. I tell the player that as he's looking up at the stars it looks like many of them are moving, and separating into multiple stars.

The player was no idiot, and realized what's going on was a nuclear exchange. He asks how many shooting stars does he see, and I tell him oh between ten and twenty. From his vantage point in the Carpathians he rightly assumed that whole world had gone to hell.

From there it was all about survival. From fallout, to finding food, to fighting over food. It was very brutal. I remember one player jokingly ask "Won't the radiation make us into superheroes like in the comics?" to which I responded, "If by superheroes you mean Toothless-Hairless Man and Cancer Boy, than yes."

That said I like to see your ideas Super Squirrel. Post Apoc can be great completely strait or over the top.

[Matt Frisbee]

As a Gamma World, Aftermath!, Morrow Project and Twilight:2000 junkie, allow me to add an unqualified YES to wanting to see your notes for a post-apoc campaign. :) But at your own pace, of course.

Matt "Nuke-'em-'till-they-glow" Frisbee

[MPT]

Whilst my own Post Apoc game is coming to an end, I too would be interested as you can never have too many ideas.

If I do not use it a Post Apoc campaign, it can always be a planet visitable in Champions.

[Teflon Billy]

Put me as someone who is less interested in realistic Post Apoc games and more interested in "Magic Returns" kind of Post Apoc game.

Whether it is a literal Shadowrun Ghost Dance style magical resurgence or a return of the Old Gods, or whatever. I'd like to see an interesting setting that has a mix of genres both modern with fantastic, coupled with the societal upheaval and left over remnants of a better time that comes with Post Apoc.

TB

[Super Squirrel]

When I designed this idea, I tried to include as many Post Apoc staples as possible. Magic was not one of them. However, that said, I can easily create a section on other surviving cities beyond the big three and have one of them as rumored to have magic users. The rumor would be up to the GM if it was legit or not.

It is just throwing in a magic system on top of everything else I've added would turn it super campy.

[AmadanNaBriona]

When I designed this idea, I tried to include as many Post Apoc staples as possible. Magic was not one of them. However, that said, I can easily create a section on other surviving cities beyond the big three and have one of them as rumored to have magic users. The rumor would be up to the GM if it was legit or not.

It is just throwing in a magic system on top of everything else I've added would turn it super campy.

Yeah, Patrick had a point with his "less is more" approach to Post Apoc. It only takes one catastopic event to trigger a cascade that fundemantally alters the setting from the baseline. Too many different aspects and it starts to muddy up your setting.

[ThothAmon]

I'd like to see your jewels :)

Regards the magic angles, the 'Deadlands' genre pretty much qualifies as post-apoc and is worth a look.

As ever YMMV.

[Old Man]

To be blunt, I'd be more interested in seeing the setting book than the genre book. I can easily look at the setting and figure out the stats, but going the other way is much harder.

[Super Squirrel]

Okay then, I have a good idea what people want so I'll create a sort of action plan.

I'm going to work on this as if it were a book. I'll work on one Chapter a time as I throw it all together. The first Chapter is the history. It will first focus on one event that most people know. Then it breaks down into three parts. The history known through three separate cities in the world.

Now, I know I'm being a bit of a tease as I've told hardly anyone anything about this idea. So I'll be nice and give you all a hint. Two hints actually.

First Hint: Cancer will most definitely be able to figure out the second hint.
Second Hint: R7/2012-K3

Rep to someone that can decipher the second hint.

[AmadanNaBriona]

Okay then, I have a good idea what people want so I'll create a sort of action plan.

I'm going to work on this as if it were a book. I'll work on one Chapter a time as I throw it all together. The first Chapter is the history. It will first focus on one event that most people know. Then it breaks down into three parts. The history known through three separate cities in the world.

Now, I know I'm being a bit of a tease as I've told hardly anyone anything about this idea. So I'll be nice and give you all a hint. Two hints actually.

First Hint: Cancer will most definitely be able to figure out the second hint.
Second Hint: R7/2012-K3

Rep to someone that can decipher the second hint.

Looks like an asteriod designation, but, no I can't decipher it.

[Super Squirrel]

Close enough. It is the designation of a comet. So as a reward, I'll share the first part of the history tonight. This is unedited Super Squirrel goodness. It will probably be the only part I'll post without posting as PDF.

R5/2012-K3
The comet R5/2012-K3 was discovered on May 23, 2012 by Professor Michael Renshaw. The comet's discover was significant for its projected path would place the comet as a near miss of Earth in the year 2015. The science community was thrilled. The comet would be so close to Earth that a close and detailed study of the comet would be inexpensive compared to previous studies. The irony of the situation wouldn't be known until early 2015 when the comet's orbit shifted dramatically. A collision was inevitable.

While scientists debated how a shift in orbit could have occurred, world governments discussed how to address the impending catastrophe. It was the American Government that brought a solution to the table. Based on previous comet data, scientists were able to conceive a way for four simultaneous nuclear strikes upon the comet to obliterate the comet to nothing more than safe chunks of debris.

The world watched as the comet approached. On June 3, 2015 at precisely 4:32 PM EST, the world watched as the four nuclear warheads detonated. For three solid minutes, the world cheered together in celebration. But then, it became clear all was not successful. The outer layer of the comet had been successfully destroyed. But what the world had not expected was an inner ring of strange crystal mass. The crystal too had shattered, but underneath the crystal remained a core of pure iron. Four nuclear strikes had saved life on Earth. But what the world was spared from was yet to be known.

Most world communication was lost within hours of the strike. The core of the comet had been sent into a slow, degrading orbit. The shattered pieces of crystal, iron, and ice fell chaotically taking with it most of the satellites orbiting the planet. While the United States had saved the world, the bulk of the debris struck within minutes. Radio reports indicate the country destroyed and in complete disarray. Within days reports came of erratic behaviors of certain survivors. Had the rest of world been listening in, within a week they would hear nothing but silence.

Chunks of the comet's outer layer struck nearly every major city in the world. The damage of the rain ranged from minimal to severe. Some cities, such Paris received little damage. Northern London was hit by a large piece of debris but not of such magnitude the city was rendered inoperable. Bonn, Germany was reportedly struck by the largest remaining chunk of crystal. While survivors did make it out of the city, the bulk of the city was leveled by the impact.

On June 7, 2015 the iron core of R5/2012-K3 began a rapid descent to Earth. It struck the Mediterranean, half way between Sicily and Greece. The impact left a crater so large that the sea could not breach the ridge. Most of the coastlines were hit by a tidal wave of such magnitude that entire cities vanished.

By June 9, 2015, the last of the remains of comet R5/2012-K3 had fallen to Earth. At this time, radio reports from the United States spoke of only the erratic behaviors of certain survivors. Any questions to what those behaviors were were answered by June 14, 2015. The comet had been contaminated with an unknown type of radiation, not from the crystal, but from the outer shell. The radiation's full effect was unknown but it was clear that it caused mental and physical mutations on humans.

By June 23, 2015 the only radio communications were conducted from secret locations or by those at sea where the radiation could not reach. The world was dark, alone, and afraid.

[Super Squirrel]

Please don't hate me for the grammatical mistakes in there. I've already noticed three or four myself. I should have posted this in the morning.

[patrick]

Very nice. Sound like most of the hurt is on the northern hemisphere. How does Australia fair?

[AmadanNaBriona]

Groovy.
Shoulda guessed comet anyway, but I'm accustomed to seeing comets named. One of the most successful post apoc campaigns I played in and co-GM'ed (using the old Aftermath system) was a post comet strike game, a homage to Hot Fudge Tuesdae from Lucifers Hammmer. The mutenagenic effect being from the comet works for me... I'm usually totally cool with fantastical elements as long as they're wrapped in an adequate layer of rubber science. Having a distinct extra planetary "meta source" for weirdness works, because it gives you a free hand without disrupting suspension of disbelief.

Have you attacked an atlas yet? That was the single most fun part of preparing for our old game, as I recall. :eg:

So I'm guessing your "worse than Zombies" menace are related to the strange comet radiation....:thumbup:

[Super Squirrel]

Groovy.
Shoulda guessed comet anyway, but I'm accustomed to seeing comets named. One of the most successful post apoc campaigns I played in and co-GM'ed (using the old Aftermath system) was a post comet strike game, a homage to Hot Fudge Tuesdae from Lucifers Hammmer. The mutenagenic effect being from the comet works for me... I'm usually totally cool with fantastical elements as long as they're wrapped in an adequate layer of rubber science. Having a distinct extra planetary "meta source" for weirdness works, because it gives you a free hand without disrupting suspension of disbelief.I have it all worked out with rubber science in a pretty plausable way too. I know why the comet shifted orbit. I know what causes the mutations. I know what the crystal is and does also. It will be more fun writing this once I get past the history. :)


Have you attacked an atlas yet? That was the single most fun part of preparing for our old game, as I recall. :eg: Not yet. I've got the UK and Ireland figured out as well as the United States, Germany, and another place in Europe called Salus (don't bother looking on a map). Most of the design focuses around Salus.


So I'm guessing your "worse than Zombies" menace are related to the strange comet radiation....:thumbup:Close but the full scope of what "it" is makes this setting fun. I'll be trying to pump out information as quickly as I can.

[bigdamnhero]

Oh yeah, I want to read more! :D Is this something you hope to publish?

[Super Squirrel]

I doubt Steve Long and Darren would be interested in it and I'm not in a place I could buy art to license it on my own. But that is not a no. I just don't know. For now, I'm getting history to you all. :)

[ThothAmon]

Rep for you super-furry ;)

[Gwarh]

I'm a big PostApoc setting fan myself. And my Fav HERO page on the subject is WASTELAND HERO. Lots of good resources and material here for PostApoc gamming using the ole HERO system.

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Park/3440//rpgs.html

[Super Squirrel]

I haven't forgotten about this. I've been spending my free time working on two projects that are a bit more pressing. Once I have finished up a project I'm helping Dan with, I'll be back to writing this all up.

[zornwil]

I'm always interested to read for ideas but I'm not looking to embrace any particular other post-apoc settings.

[TheQuestionMan]

So many Post Apocalypse Settings possess elements of Science Fictions and Fantasy its hard to pin it down. Here are a few suggestions.

[Compilation] "to Star HERO Conversions & Adaptations"
http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24969&highlight=Gamma+Hero

Gamma Hero, Wasteland Hero, and Fading Suns Hero are some of the best. The Morrow Project, Living Steel, and Traveller's "The Long Dark" Era are worth a look too.

Category:Science fiction role-playing games
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Science_fiction_role-playing_games

Category:Post-apocalyptic fiction
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Post-apocalyptic_fiction



Cheers

QM

[Savinien]

Savage "Keith Curtis" Earth

[TheQuestionMan]

MetaCyber (by Killer Shrike)
http://www.killershrike.com/metacyber/MetaCyber.shtml

The Savage Earth (by Keith Curtis)
http://www.savageearth.net/

The World of the Eight Sages (by Lethosos or Iron Dragon Studios)
http://irondragon.blogspot.com/2005/05/eight-sages-pre-build-1.html

KAZEI 5 (by Susano)
http://surbrook.devermore.net/worldbooks/kazei5/kazei5.html

Post-Apoclyptic HERO
http://herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8470



Cheers

QM

[bigdamnhero]

[bump] How's the writing coming, SS? :whistle: ;)

[Super Squirrel]

Not forgotten.

There is a lack of time in the day unfortunately.

[TheRavenIs]

The furry one does it again. I liked it. So when do we get more?

[bigdamnhero]

Not forgotten.

There is a lack of time in the day unfortunately.
:D Understood. Just wanted to let you know we (or at least me) hadn't forgotten either.

[Super Squirrel]

The furry one does it again. I liked it. So when do we get more?
I'll try and work on some more information during April. Maybe I can at least get some of the city information written up.

[Captain Obvious]

I'm not very fond of the whole Gamma World/Thundarr the Barbarian style "Mutants everywhere, who look like bipedal animals and shoot frickin laser beams from their heads" pulp Post Apoc, and much prefer the more realistic/semi-hard SF aproaches.

The ruins of Hudson City have no mutants, I've heard.

:sneaky:

[bigdamnhero]

I'll try and work on some more information during April. Maybe I can at least get some of the city information written up.
Sounds good, thanks.

What reminded me of it is I want to write up (and hopefully post) a con/demo adventure or two, so I have something ready to plug PAH when it hits the stands. I had planned on putting together my own setting, but frankly yours sounds more interesting (at least so far). :D

[yosimitsu]

I am relatively new to the HERO system, but rather decided to make a campaign of my own. I too made a post-apocalypse campaign that takes much of its atmosphere from FALLOUT.
I decided to put some magic as well as an opposing force to the high technology that is being pursued after by so many.

[snake]

Hi Guys.

Good to see the love of PA gaming is alive and well here too. Being a long time PA fan (original Gamma World, no less), I'm looking forward to Post Apoc Hero.

I recently discovered a whole community of other gamers who love general PA on the http://www.aftermathrpg.com/ site. There's loads of useful links and info there.

I'll post a link on their website to this thread.

PA games are quite scarce at the moment and I think we PA gamers need to get together and show gaming companies that there is a market for good new material.

Thanks for listening
Snake

[Super Squirrel]

I've seen that sight before. It isn't that bad.

For those waiting eagerly for more information, I'm trying to once a week update either my Via project or my Post Apoc project. Next up is an update for this post apoc project. I'll hopefully get into the gears of the city itself as well as give a general detail of the Caste system.

[TheQuestionMan]

Bump


Damn

QM

[Super Squirrel]

Here... have some more of the Post Apoc. :)

The Aftermath

The History of the City of Salus

The Journey East
Servicemen aboard the USS Reagan were in the Atlantic Ocean the days preceding Caeli striking Earth. Their orders from the Pentagon were to remain at sea and await further orders. Seventeen days after Caeli had struck, operation of the United States of America was relocated to the USS Reagan. By this time, the USS Reagan had been joined by USS Clinton, USS George Washington, and over a half dozen destroyers, two battleships, and a lone submarine. Joining the massive military fleet were countless civilian ships.

The United States was gone. For seventeen days, the Pentagon had tried to regain control of it. The devastation of Caeli Radiation was too overwhelming. Those exposed to small doses were fine but the longer one was exposed, the more inhuman they became. If there was a square mile of America left untouched by the radiation, the Pentagon could not determine where. The Pentagon, too, was exposed and when they locked themselves in quarantine, they made one last, awful discovery. Humans who were exposed to Caeli Radiation for too long began to slowly generate the radiation from their very cells.

The chain of command within the United States had broken down. The President and Vice President were missing and presumed dead. All members of the cabinet had been confirmed exposed to the Caeli radiation. Recognizing the inevitable, Admiral Jack Bennington was promoted to Commander and Chief. He was given his final orders to to establish sovereignty anywhere they could find that was safe from the radiation using any force necessary. Unfortunately, it became apparent that there were no such lands free from radiation.

As his first executive duty, Jack ordered every man and woman of science to report to the USS Reagan. With all scientists aboard one ship he held counsel to discuss the fate of the survivors. Through the discussion, it was proposed that the impact site of the core of R5/2012-K3 should be investigated. It was stated that if it were the outer rim that was contaminated, the inner core might be safe. While the crater of the impact might not be habitable, with careful leadership and work, a city might be constructed within the crater.

Early Complications
Constructing a city was filled with complications. Rainfall had filled the crater with fresh water. Mysteriously, the rain water was free of any radiation. As the construction would need to commence from the bottom of the massive crater, the water would first need to be pumped from the barrier walls. Two of the military ships were grounded on opposite ends of the crater. Powered by the reactors of the two destroyers, giant pumps were constructed to force out the water to workable levels. Engineers immediately focused on constructing containment walls in the center of the crater to allow for the construction of an artificial island.

Salus island was initially constructed with a 25 kilometer radius flood walls and a 1 kilometer radius plateau for using the iron core of R5/2012-K3 and the hulls of the two dismantled destroyers. Over time, the plateau has been extended in 1 kilometer arcs from scrap iron and steel. Though to this day, the has not fully reached the flood walls on all sides, nearly 240 degrees of the city has reached them. After the initial plateau and flood walls were finished, the pumps, from the natural crater were moved to the flood walls allowing the fresh water rains to slowly fill the rest of the crater.

An artificial barricade at the center of a crater would not be enough to support the hundreds of thousands of survivors. For such a large population, to support itself, it would require a power source capable of supporting such a vast number in a small space. The survivors had an adequate supply of nuclear fusion available. However, the military fleet's power sources had two significant limitations. To disable a ship for a source of energy would greatly reduce the defensive capability. Also, the nuclear facility of a military ship was not built for longterm support of a massive population. It could provide a temporary fix during construction and help with the electrical burden of the city, but it would ultimately fail to provide all of the resources necessary for a fully operation city.

In the end, both power supplies for the completely dismantled vessels were transferred to the lower levels of the artificial city to provide a primary and auxiliary power supply. The long term plans were placed on hold as more immediate concerns begin to surface. The already slow construction of the city nearly came to a stop. Food supplies were beginning to run desperately low on the military ships and civilian ships were already fighting over fresh water and the limited supply of fresh fish. Workers, who had been volunteers from the beginning, were losing moral.

A New Government
Jack Bennington called for a council of experts. With himself, his appointed head of defense, and a representative for each of the major sciences, he held a discussion to determine the direction of the survivors. On the first day of dialog, there was no progress. Each representative fought over which task took priority. After the sun had set, Jack walked the Deck of the USS Reagan and pondered deeply the situation. Come morning, everything would change.

Jack presented an alternative no other had considered before. The survivors not only needed food, but they needed purpose. Many sat idle on their boots dreaming of better days. Jack found a solution to that and other problems at once. As he saw, immediate survival would require three objectives. The city of would need to be built. The problems of the government of the city would need to be resolved, enforced, and respected. As the city lacked a true industry, the city would need to embark into the outside world for many needed supplies.

Jack proposed that no science was more or less important than the next. Furthermore, without organized and controlled labor, the city would never be finished or would fail to operate after completion. To resolve this, Jack foresaw only a single solution. A democratic state would need to be dissolved. Decisions to run the city could not be left in the hands of people who wished only to see their own survival. Because science was a necessity in survival, each science would be given a council vote. In addition to this, the military which would be key for both law enforcement and defense would need to be able to present a vote. Finally for the people to feel represented, their would also need to be a representative of the labor force.

The proposal was not accepted overnight. The majority of the population would not work and follow such a system for food and survival alone. People would need to have both entertainment and something to inspire after. Finally, the decision was settled on to make the Caste based society. The immediate concern would be survival. The population was informed that their was a new form of government in effect and that citizens would be placed into a castes based on their skills and willingness to help the system succeed.

Those willing to participate, went with members of the military on raids to the coasts for supplies. Seen as the protectors of the city, those who conducted the survival raids were placed in a special caste, the Praetorians. Being a bit of a fan of Ancient Rome, Bennington saw the name as a symbol of honor for the city.

So it came to be that the City of Salus was founded. As the city's buildings began to emerge, people began to see the visions of its leaders. The acceptance of their new lives was slowly accepted but was, inevitably accepted. Within ten years of the city's founding, it was viewed as the only way to live. It was just in time for new complications to emerge.

[Super Squirrel]

Feedback? No? Then I shall commence with writing on the the energy crisis and start getting the city's history complete to go onto the real meat of the game setting.

[TheQuestionMan]

Sorry SS, I have been distracted by other Topics of late.

Nicely written and grammatically correct, but I suspect you were hoping for something more constructive. I think you should have added Notable Individuals, the Movers and Shakers of the Post Apocalyptic World.


Very nice

QM

[Super Squirrel]

Good point. I have some already (such as the Padres of the different Houses.). I guess I need to get them into the history. One of the bigger guys is coming up in the next section. I'll try to make sure to mention him a little bit more in depth than I had been originally planning.

[mangahunterd]

Very good read and a nice take on the genre. I agree that the other major players need to be discussed as well as what they have found out through their foraging over the 10 years they have been building. IE other survivors, how the flora/fauna fared in the aftermath etc... I am assuming it had not effect on the ocean life since there is mention of fish. The main idea I have trouble following is that all land masses were affected, especially from a meteor. It seems like there would be hot spots and zones that were not affected at all.... of course there maybe and you have not got to that part yet :thumbup:
So far very good... rep for you sir!

[Super Squirrel]

Oh trust me... there are definitely hot spots. :)

There are spots that are cleaner than others. I haven't worked on it much. I've figure that the brunt of the contamination struck the US thus the reason it fell so quickly. Europe/Asia/Africa is contaminated based on population density. The higher density, the faster the spread. Thus Africa is fairly safe where as Western Europe is in for some trouble.

The ocean life is affected though most of the effect is in the Pacific Ocean. Japan, while relatively contamination free is having issues with getting beyond its coast.

I don't have the notes on me at work right now, but I have rules on determining how hot of a zone an area is and rules on how to deal with radiation.

[Super Squirrel]

Situations beyond my control are going to put off me getting this updated for some time.

I'll try and throw some teasers up as I can. Hmmm, something stat related...


Crystal Energy Pistol (CEP Shorty-3): Energy Blast 6d6 (30 Active Points); OAF (-1), END Must Pull From a Connected Crystal Charge Pack (-1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4). Total Cost: 12 points. Value: 600 ER

Crystal Charge Pack: END Reserve (18 END, 10 REC) (12 Active Points) Limited Recovery (See Radiation Exposure Chart on pg. ###; -1), Crystal (-1/2), Only Fits Shorty Style Weapons (-1/4). Total Cost: 4 points. Value: 300 ER

No, I don't have the radiation chart available yet. Sorry. :(
plus Endurance Reserve