Two "Post-Apocalyptic Hero" Questions

[Guest dan2448]

This book is now almost six years old, but I just recently bought a copy. Having played several post-holocaust RPGs as a kid in the early 1980s, and having really enjoyed other 5e genre books by Steve Long (including Pulp Hero, Dark Champions, and Champions (w/ Aaron Allston)), I was very interested in Steve's 'take on' this genre.

 

I knew I'd likely never play a post-apocalyptic RPG ever again myself. Rather, I expected to enjoy reading a thorough, thoughtful, well-researched analysis. It didn't disappoint. The book was excellent, I thought, and was a real pleasure to read, especially the first 90 pages.

 

I had couple of questions about it, and wondered if anyone here might have any answers or other feedback:

 

1. The "Moonshattered Earth" setting (starting on p. 145) was fantastically evocative on the old "Thundarr The Barbarian" cartoon. Has anyone here done Hero System write-ups for any of the characters from that show?

 

2. The marginal note on page 58 states that "Planet of the Apes" isn't really a post-apocalyptic setting. This 'aside' surprised me on multiple levels, to be honest. I had loved those vintage movies and the 1970s TV show as a kid and had incorproated multiple elements from them into post-apocalyptic RPGs I played as a teenager in the 1980s. And they seemed to incorporate so many of the 'post-apocalyptic elements' enumerated on pages 6-12 of this excellent genre book. That same marginal note on page 58 states that a 'post-apocalyptic story' as this genre book uses the term "has to have... the state of the post-apocalyptic world as important elements, along with themes such as the quest for personal survival and/or refuge, exploring the ruins..." I might be wrong, but I really thought the first two "Planet of the Apes" movies with Charlton Heston and the 1970s "PotA" TV show embodied exactly that. I'd be really interested in anyone's further thoughts or insights on this. (Maybe that note was referring to Tim Burton's remake of "Planet of the Apes" from 10 years ago?)

[IndianaJoe3]

Planet of the Apes is really a corner case. It explicitly takes place after a nuclear war. However, many of the genre tropes are notably absent.

[Zen Archer]

Given how the original film series ends, I'd call it as much apocalyptic as post-apocalyptic.

 

I read the original novel a long time ago, and didn't quite place it in the genre then either.

[Tasha]

Some of the Later PotA films did become a bit Post Apocalyptic in feel. There were the ones that took place right after the Ape uprising and dealt with Cesar and how Humans and Apes tried to co-exist and survive vs the Mutant uprisings. I think the TV show was also in this time period. The Original films with Charlton Heston weren't really PA. Just his dealing with the civilizations that developed after the Apocalypse. The book was even more so with the Astronaut falling into Ape Civilization during the Ape's 1950's or so. Similar to the ending of the Mark Wahlberg PotA film directed by Tim Burton.

[Guest dan2448]

Some of the Later PotA films did become a bit Post Apocalyptic in feel.

 

Thanks very much to everyone for their feedback. I agree that the original film (with its "Twilight Zone" ending) was not overwhelmingly 'post-apocalyptic.'

 

But the end of that film, with Charlton Heston angrily pounding the sand of Zuma Beach in Malibu while staring at the wrecked Statue of Liberty, is THE most iconic 'post apocalypic' scene in the history of Cold War-era media. And the sequel, "Beneath the Planet of the Apes," which featured another astronaut searching for Taylor in the ruins of New York City leading ultimately to a nuclear apocalypse after a battle between psionic mutants worshiping an atom bomb in Manhattan's St Patrics' cathedral and mutant, intelligent, anthropomorphic apes, embodies 16 of the 21 elements of the genre enumerated on pp. 6-11 of this "Post-Apocalyptic Hero" book.

[Lord Liaden]

While I'm not personally aware of any HERO System write-ups for Thundarr and his crew, to any fans of the original series and of HERO, I heartily recommend the magnificent campaign website for The Savage Earth, by our community's own Keith Curtis. It's a magical post-apocalyptic Earth clearly and explicitly inspired by Thundarr, but matured, richly detailed, well organized, and lavishly illustrated. It also provides 5E HERO game stats for nearly everything unique to the setting.

[Guest dan2448]

I heartily recommend the magnificent campaign website for The Savage Earth' date=' by our community's own Keith Curtis. [/quote']

 

Thanks very much for this reference: that really is an amazingly detailed world described on that website!