Give them the G.O.A.T!

[Verderer]

There's really no way I can avoid it any more, the idea of GMing a Fallout based campaign. For long I have had hankering for a post apocalypse game, and I just love the Fallout setting having played all the games on PC.

So there's no end of ideas for adventures, monsters and so on, but I got to thinking how I would give the PCs a G.O.A.T. test. The acronym comes from Generalised Occupational Aptitude Test, and Fallout 3 uses it as a part of the interesting story mode character generation. basically you answer a series of pretty silly questions, and then get a couple of corresponding bonuses in certain skills. Character creation like this is kinda sneaky because you as the player can't really be sure what you get (unless you cheat). As a result you get your grading as some silly trade like hairdresser or marriage counselor, and so on, but this isn't really explored in the computer game (perhaps fortunately).

So how to do this in BRP? I thought I would invent another series of questions, and then use the multiple choice answers to give some bonuses. Instead of single skills, I thought I would apply these to the skill category bonuses, that way they would be more effective and relevant, and a smaller bonus would cover more skills. So Instead on giving +10 or +20 to communication, I might give +5 or +10 to communication skill category? Or maybe use a combination, if a PC gives constantly a certain type of answer (hit him in the head!) He might get +20 to brawling but nothing in his combat category bonus?

I still need to figure out the types of questions, and what answers relate to which skills, but how would you more experienced GMs feel this would work, and what amount of bonus would be suitabtle (not too excessive) for a category or a single skill?

Naturally, because they take the G.O.A.T., they need to be vault dwellers to begin with, and I fully intend to come up with suitable (annoying&funny) professions they need to roleplay a bit before I release them unto the unsuspecting Wastelands...

Edited February 7, 2010 by Verderer

[dragonewt]

In a post-apocalyptic world, the best test of character is the Spider Goat.

Edited February 7, 2010 by dragonewt

[threedeesix]

BRP works great for Fallout, we have been playing out the entire Fallout 1 story line for over a year now. Played last night and we're finally within reach of the water chip as we have gained access to the vault beneath Necropolis. My brother is running the game so I don't have any files to share or anything, but suffice it to say, the game rocks.

Rod

[Verderer]

Necropolis? Where in the ole US is your campaign taking place? Has your brother examined the d20 'Exodus' stuff, Rod? I wondering if there's anything interesting in them?

[threedeesix]

Necropolis is the "possibly" fictitious city of Bakersfield, now rubble, some place out west. It's now a haven of feral ghouls, hence the name.

Has your brother examined the d20 'Exodus' stuff, Rod? I wondering if there's anything interesting in them?

We playtested it. It is Fallout with the serial numbers filed off. Originally it was to actually be Fallout, but Bethesda shut it down after they purchased the IP from Interplay, as the deal was with Interplay and not them. They have quite a few short adventures that would be easy to convert. Right now however, my brother is happy to send us through the events of Fallout 1 as most of us have not played it and even those that have are loving the BRP version.

Rod

[Verderer]

Yeah, it was a pity they got the rug pulled from under their feet. Even if it was d20, I would consider even a bad Fallout RPG better than no rpg at all... I am thinking maybe buying that SW Wasteland sourcebook and perhaps a few of the adventures to give me ideas. Haven't considered yet where exactly to place the campaign, Washington area is most familiar to me from Fallout 3, and none of my players have played it YET. On the other hand, a brand new area of my own would be nice to develop. Have to think about it.