Gritty Apocalypse Game

[Starhawk]

Someone told me that Pendragon has manor rules. Given that I'm running a post-apocalyptic game with a nation building aspect is this something that would add to the game?

[1d8+DB]

Manors in Pendragon, at least the core rules, are extremely abstract. They provide a bit of background color for your character, they're a place for your character to 'hang out' in the off-season (Pendragon  characters are pretty much castle-bound in the English winter), and they are a source of spending money for your character.

 

There are good reasons for checking out the game, but as a source-book for post apocalyptic foraging, you should probably pass.

 

There are a number of post apocalyptic forums out there.  I'll ask my survivalist friend  which one he recommends.

 

I thought that there might be a GURPS Apocalypse book available, but apparently no. For source books you simply can't beat GURPS. There is  a GUPRS Zombie book, which you might want to look at.

[1d8+DB]

So here is how I would run the foraging/supply aspect of this. Granted it is  fairly abstract, and perhaps you want something that's more precise.

 

So first of all, determine how much time it takes to thoroughly search an area. I'm thinking at least a minimum of four hours. The relevant skill is Spot. When characters are actively 'foraging',  they must decide whether they're completely focused on their search, or whether they're trying to remain somewhat alert to dangers from outside of their area of immediate focus (either they take a negative modifier to their  Spot skill, or their Listen/Sense skill; ideally some characters should concentrate on foraging while others provide over-watch security).

 

Now you've already decided if there is some hazard  in the area (zombies, other survivors, wild animals) and whether there is a special  'find' there (the portable generator, the survivalist's weapon cache, the professor's note-books).

 

Each area would have a rating:  1. Percentage Modifier %/Foraging Points. 2. PM % /FP 3. PM%/FP...

The number of entries in the rating is the number of times that foraging can be done in that area. The mall might have a dozen of check-boxes, the woods only 1 or 2. After all the check boxes are filled, only critical successes would  allow anything to be found there. The Percentage Modifier, is the of course the Spot skill modifier: either a positive or negative modifier. It would of course go down along with the  'visit' number.  The  first check box for the mall might be  50%/10 FP. The fifth one might -10%/3 FP.

 

Foraging points are an abstraction that the Player Characters can exchange for needed supplies/materials. For instance, potable water, enough to sustain one person for a day, might cost 5 FP.

 

Alternatively you could base FP on the degree of success (1 FP for each 5 percentiles that the Spot roll was made by), or just roll randomly (1d10 FP).

 

I wouldn't really worry about  how much space the supplies take up; unless the Player Characters are collecting AFVs (armored fighting vehicles).

 

Obviously this works best for smaller groups. If the Players are running a whole community, you can always abstract it further (how many people at any one time in the community are foraging/farming, providing security, crafting items/preparing food: the number foraging/farming determines the number of FP produced each day).

 

 

There are some good scavenging tables/rules in the D20 Apocalypse book: http://www.amazon.com/d20-Apocalypse-Modern-Supplement/dp/0786932732.

 

Also here: http://radioactiveapedesigns.com/ (and this is free!)

[Starhawk]

Hi 1d8+DB

 

Thanks.. Hadn't considered the timeframe for the check. The focussed subtraction is good as well. I can see this working mostly in the starting period when it will be the group and a very small tenancy community.After a point there won't be foraging unless the party is willing to go very far afield. 

[Mysterioso]

This guy is giving his first Toxic World novel away as a Kindle promotion.  I read a novella he set in the same world and found it pretty good.

Sean McLachlan

Radio Hope (Toxic World Book 1)

 

http://www.amazon.com/Radio-Hope-Toxic-World-Book-ebook/dp/B00I5HHTVS

 

[Hexelis]

I also have to recommend Rubble & Ruin, it's a good setting on its own, but I've also used it in home-brew stuff.