Mad Max

[Wolven]

Does anyone know if there is any information anywhere for a Mad Max style setting for hero games? I might be running a game on this and want to try to find some information. Thanks!

[Lord Liaden]

I don't know of anything specifically dealing with the Mad Max setting, although it's pretty classic post-apocalypse limited to modern-day tech. I can point you to a good HERO System writeup for Mad Max himself, on Michael Surbrook's excellent "Surbrook's Stuff" website:

 

http://www.devermore.net/surbrook/adaptionsmovie/madmax.html

 

If you'd be interested in discussion of the post-apoc genre in general, from the thread below you can find links to just about everything on the subject that's been posted or linked to on the Hero discussion boards:

 

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8470&highlight=postapoc

[assault]

Mostly you would need various vehicles and weapons.

 

A lot of your precise requirements would depend on what point in the series you are aiming at. The first movie still had a functioning civilisation. The second didn't. The third sucked.

 

The setting would differ greatly depending on these factors.

 

Personally, I would run a campaign during the first film, and let the PCs try to prevent civilisation from entirely crumbling away.

 

One thing I definitely wouldn't do is go the Car Wars route, and start allowing weapons to be mounted on vehicles (aside from the few cases where it is genre).

[Wolven]

Thanks for the info guys. I didnt even think of using post-apoc as a search term. I am not sure if the guys in my group will be interested in doing a post-apoc type game as I havent brought it up to them yet. We change games every 4-6 weeks so different people can take turns GMing. I wanted to give GMing a shot and I thought a MadMax type game would be fun. I havent GMed a Hero game in quite a long time, and I have a bad habit of going Hack-n-Slash. So I really want to do right this time. The hero boards here are a fountain of information and great people.

 

Thanks again

[tkdguy]

A Mad Max game sounds like a lot of fun. Although I'd prefer a Road Warrior kind of scenario.

[Badger]

Whatever you do dont model it after the 3rd movie. :D

[Guest Champsguy]

Heathens! Thunderdome ruled.

[tkdguy]

Originally posted by Champsguy

Heathens! Thunderdome ruled.

 

I remember the Mad magazine spof of Thunderdome. Max says he always ends up getting beat up, while james Bond ends up with beautiful women. He wishes he could end up with beautiful women too. The last panel has Tina Turner, Cindy Lauper, and Madonna there. Max is fleeing in terror. "YECCH! I said beautiful!...)

[Sketchpad]

I would actually start by picking up Fantasy Flight Games' Redline Horizon book ... it's all Mad Max and a bit more ... plus it'd be super easy to transfer to Hero.

[assault]

Just for a reason why the first, second and third films differed so profoundly...

 

The first film was camp. It was a motorcycle film, just like a whole bunch of such films being produced on low budgets in Australia in the 1970s.

 

The second film was more camp. It was made for the American market. It was even retitled because almost nobody in the US had seen the first one.

 

Lots of derivative films were made. They all sucked, because, fundamentally, they all escalated the camp elements present in the Max films.

 

The third film sucked because it was made for Hollywood. It involved a further escalation of the camp elements present in the first two films. As a result, it was a load of terminal twaddle. There are good reasons why fans of the first two films think the third one sucks, and they aren't entirely related to Tina Turner, or with the stoopid children.

 

If you really want a decent post-Apolacypse film that doesn't suck beyond imagination, check out "Tank Girl". It takes the codswallop that sucked the brain out of the third Max film and turns it into a musical...

 

"Birds do it. Bees do it. Even educated fleas do it. Let's do it. Let's fall in love..."

[Arthur]

Anybody remember Autoduel Champions? It came out just about 20 years ago and was a two-part supplement.

 

Part one was the Car Wars world in Hero System terms. Sort of the precursor to GURPS Autoduel.

 

Part two was supers within the Car Wars rules.

 

Come to think of it, there was a third part: it was the first writeup of helicopters in Car Wars.

 

Anyway, it was done once, so it's not beyond the realm of possibility to see a new "Autoduel Hero" supplement. I'd love to write it or at least contribute.

 

However, the odds are long against it, I'd bet.

[Toadmaster]

It looks like Aftermath (by Fantasy Games Unlimited) is back in print, I just saw a copy at my local FLGS bound as one large book instead of the three book box set it was originally sold in. I would strongly suggest that anyone interested in post apocalypse gaming go out and get one it is without a doubt the best source material for the genre. The rules are quite complicated and unweildy but you can ignore the mechanics because the game books include everything you need to design a PA campaign, replace the HERO rules for the originals and you will have something quite like a HERO genre book.

 

It covers the genres, the end, various time frames (during the collapse, right after, all the way to 100 years +), the end (Biowar, nukes, aliens etc).

 

All the other PA games I've seen focus on their own setting (Twilight 2000, Morrow Project, Gamma World etc) Aftermath is the closest thing to a HERO genre book you will find until DoJ releases one (hopefully it will make it by the 2012 schedule ).

[BNakagawa]

Ah, yes. Arthur beat me to the punch. Autoduel Champions. First appearance of my beloved Vulcan Machine Gun.

 

That and if you use that, then you can also pick up tons of old car wars background materials for cheap.

[GreyGuardian]

There was also a low tech carwars set of rules published in the autoduel magazine. Crossbows and car spikes etc. combine that with autoduel champions and convert to 5th edition.... good to go.

 

of course you could just wait for the hero vehicle sourcebook to come out and then write up your own setting based on the movie... I'd probably do it as competent normals. Survival would be very important in that setting. and probably some of the info from star hero and fantasy hero could be used to spice things up. Heck it's a fantasy game with no magic and relative low tech post apocalyptic. And remember bad dental care (remember the autogyro pilot... egads BAD teeth.)

[Wolven]

sheesh. I had totally forgotten about AutoDuel Champions. I had that supplement once apon a moon. I will check out some of the recomendations at my local gaming store and see what pops up. I will be bring up the subject of GMing this tomorrow at our weekly session. Thanks again for the help.

[assault]

Autoduel Champions is fine, but it's Car Wars, not Mad Max.

 

The two are both quite worthwile settings, but they're different.

 

As long as you appreciate that, ADC is quite fine. I thought of it a while back, but didn't really consider it relevant. It doesn't have any/much setting stuff, and the rules aren't that useful either.

 

Unless you can just pull it out of your closet, don't bother.

[Old Man]

The closest Car Wars ever got to a Mad Max setting was the "Chassis and Crossbow" variant that, IIRC, came out in one of the very early Autoduel Quarterlies. I've never actually seen the rules, though, so I couldn't tell you if it was any good.

 

Anyone played the most recent incarnation of Car Wars?

[paigeoliver]

Re: Mad Max

 

I'm not running a Mad Max game, but the first scenario in my new cross-dimensional campaign does take place in that world.

 

Going to be a bit like Road Warrior, but with the twist that the players will be attempting to transport a small spacecraft instead of a tanker full of juice.

[Captain Obvious]

Re: Mad Max

 

I would think the best way to do Post-Apoc in this vein would be to just take your own home town, or some other area you're familiar with, and decide what happens in the area after "the big one".

 

If you're in the middle of nowhere and need the place to be a little bigger, assume that whatever happened didn't cause much destruction in your area, and survivors flocked there to rebuild. If you're in the big city and want fewer people around, assume that the catastrophe and the looting afterwards drove many people away.

 

Most of the equipment in use should be pretty easily scrounged up from Dark Champions and the Vehicle Sourcebook. Other equipment can be built with these as guidelines.

 

The Car Wars stuff isn't really useful for a Mad Max type campaign. Even Crossbow and Chassis was pretty light on background...just had a lot of weapons and alternate vehicle rules. Car Wars is an interesting background in its own right, but trying to use Car Wars material to build a Mad Max world is like trying to use d20 to recreate that Dungeons and Dragons movie.

[ghost-angel]

Re: Mad Max

 

If I recall correctly.. the biggest difference from movie 1 & 2 to movie 3 of the MadMax series was that the first two didn't actually have a catastrophe.

 

The first one had a failing society, it just broke down and failed under it's own wait. Presumably from the loss of oil in the world. It had deserts because it was filmed in Australia - and took place there.

 

Same with the second, it was simply further decline with the catch that it took place around an oil refinery with one last truck full.

 

 

Thunderdome tried to insert some nuclear war catasrophe, put it in America (Thunderdome was where Vegas was I think...) and had some crappy plot, with some great lines. "You have a plane." - "I do?" - "It just might save your life." - "It will?"

 

Mad Max was less about The End and more about what happens when society is stripped of all forms of enforced civility, Max starts out as upholding the ideals that were quickly disappearing. Which worked until the environment reached out and got him too. He then went the same direction as everyone else and gave up on living life with ideals that could no longer be upheld in his world.

 

Mad Max is a different way of telling "Lord of the Flies"

[paigeoliver]

Re: Mad Max

 

Thunderdome was still in Australia. I have all of these movies, have watched them all multiple times, so I know the world very well.

 

The first movie had apparently seen some nuclear activity as well. Remember the signs for the forbidden area that max goes into at the end?

 

At the end of Thunderdome they fly over a city, which seems to be Sidney judging from the landmarks.

 

It all works from one movie to the next. The only really confusing part is the fact that Bruce Spence plays two DIFFERENT characters in the trilogy (as do two other people, but no one noticed the others)

 

The whole nuclear thing is sort of vague though. No direct mention of it in Road Warrior, there is the indirect mention in Mad Max, and then the indirect mentions in Thunderdome (geiger counter scene, and the Pox-Eclipse part of the story).

 

There is also the very real possibility that the nukes went off inbetween Mad Max and Thunderdome. Road Warrior had to be extremely close chronologically to the fall for their to still be any gasoline around at all. Especially enough to support a biker gang of that size.

 

There was no gasoline at all in Thunderdome, other than that which was probably in that small airplane. Max rolls in being towed by camels, and Tina Turner explains that all their vehicles run on methane.

 

As far as Thunderdomes plot is concerned, I have a single large issue with it. The tribe of children, I cannot wrap my mind around the age distribution of them, it doesn't add up. The youngest ones (other than the babys) were about 6 years old. Lets assume the young ones were ditched at age 2, any younger and they probably wouldn't have survived (not being cared for by other CHILDREN), that means the oldest ones would have been ditched at age 10, which means that they would have spoken better english, and would have been a lot less like they were.

 

Also, the tribe of children pretty much establishes that Thunderdome was only 6years out from the fall, I would have guessed it to be 10-15 years out myself.

[Susano]

Re: Mad Max

 

Thunderdome was still in Australia. I have all of these movies, have watched them all multiple times, so I know the world very well.

 

The first movie had apparently seen some nuclear activity as well. Remember the signs for the forbidden area that max goes into at the end?

 

At the end of Thunderdome they fly over a city, which seems to be Sidney judging from the landmarks.

 

It is Sydney.

 

Go to:

http://www.madmaxmovies.com/

 

Or:

http://www.madmaxmovies.com/making/madmax3/Sydneyscape/index.html

 

It all works from one movie to the next. The only really confusing part is the fact that Bruce Spence plays two DIFFERENT characters in the trilogy (as do two other people, but no one noticed the others)

 

Hmm... Bruce Spence played the Gyrocaptain and Jedediah the Pilot (who may, or may not, be the same person). I thought Vernon Wells (Wez in THE ROAD WARRIOR) was in THUNDERDOME as well. Max Fairchild is in MAD MAX and THE ROAD WARRIOR (Benno in MM, The Broken Victim in RW).

 

Who are the other two people?

 

The whole nuclear thing is sort of vague though. No direct mention of it in Road Warrior, there is the indirect mention in Mad Max, and then the indirect mentions in Thunderdome (geiger counter scene, and the Pox-Eclipse part of the story).

 

There is also the very real possibility that the nukes went off inbetween Mad Max and Thunderdome. Road Warrior had to be extremely close chronologically to the fall for their to still be any gasoline around at all. Especially enough to support a biker gang of that size.

 

http://www.madmaxmovies.com/ used to have timeline section. Cant find it anymore.The opening narration of RW makes it fairly certain that the war happened either during MAD MAX, or right after.

 

There was no gasoline at all in Thunderdome, other than that which was probably in that small airplane. Max rolls in being towed by camels, and Tina Turner explains that all their vehicles run on methane.

 

As far as Thunderdomes plot is concerned, I have a single large issue with it. The tribe of children, I cannot wrap my mind around the age distribution of them, it doesn't add up. The youngest ones (other than the babys) were about 6 years old. Lets assume the young ones were ditched at age 2, any younger and they probably wouldn't have survived (not being cared for by other CHILDREN), that means the oldest ones would have been ditched at age 10, which means that they would have spoken better english, and would have been a lot less like they were.

 

Also, the tribe of children pretty much establishes that Thunderdome was only 6 years out from the fall, I would have guessed it to be 10-15 years out myself.

[paigeoliver]

Re: Mad Max

 

Ok, this will probably be of little use to any of you, but here is the Mad Max scenario we used last night. Since I wrote this for myself there are quite a few blanks to fill in, such as "what happens" and why the characters need to get to the rendevous point.

[Captain Obvious]

Re: Mad Max

 

A lot of blanks, but very genre.

[paigeoliver]

Re: Mad Max

 

Well, here is how the scenario was played out with our group.

 

Start of game, Dread Pirate Heather activates the Extra-Dimensional-Movement power of her ship, and then turns off the main reactor like she always does.

 

Riding with Heather is Zek (player's inspiration was Lt. Data, but character is a human), Duran (very Conan-like, with an axe), and Bri (Durans follower, a wolf).

 

Meanwhile Reneshat walks through the open portal with equipment in hand. Renshat studies the art and science of these portals, and can usually find them with a successful skill roll. You see it is all a science, it matters not that the portal was created by someones spacecraft, as the spacecraft was only fullfilling its role in creating a portal that had to be created.

 

And "Al" the hologram that only Reneshat can see and hear is not far behind.

 

From there is a bit of arguement amongst players until 2 bikers come roaring on the scene being chased by Boo Boo Zemeckis. The bikers don't last a single phase.

 

From here Reneshat attempts to (lightning bolt) energy blast Boo Boo's truck, but fails to penetrate the defenses. Boo Boo sort of shakes this off as "not possible" and goes out to meet the other characters, and check out the spacecraft.

 

Everyone goes in the spacecraft except for Reneshat and Al. Reneshat tries to steal the truck, but the keys aren't in it. Al points out that it is boobie trapped too, so he gives up on that.

 

While that was going on Heather realizes that she can't turn the reactor back on again now that she is ready to fly away. A few skill rolls and the more technically astute characters realize that the ships reactor can run on anything once started, but uses a slight bit of Uranium to begin the reaction. Normally the reactor should only be shut down in emergencies, or for service, but Heather had been shutting it down all the time, and thus ran the thing out of Uranium.

 

Reneshat studies his book, and figures that there should be an "out" portal appearing for one minute, straight across the road about 100 miles to the north in 48 hours.

 

After more arguements most of the characters head to the "Toll Booth" location to procure the big truck there (combat ensues). They get it, pick up the little girl (well, technically they knocked her out with a phaser), and come back and hook up the spaceship behind the Mack truck and get ready to tow it on out of there.

 

Reneshat spends his one unspent XP on a trans fam with cars during the 24 hours before they get ready to make the portal.

 

Then the characters head for the portal, the Mack can only manage about 50 MPH towing the heavy spaceship, and they have to go right through bandit country.

 

From there it went alot like the final chase scene in the Road Warrior, with people leaping from car to car and such, they made it to the portal with time to spare, and there were no casulties, although the Wolf did get knocked down to -1 body.