How To Run a Post Apocalyptic RPG Game That Doesn't Suck

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

Thanks for watching! Find out more about Maximum here: www.kickstarter.com/projects/mikegnade/maximum-apocalypse-rpg

[@xKingLx]

I switched from fantasy to post-apoc, dropped DnD for Apocalypse World and its like a new lease on my forever DM life. So much fun, and if I miss playing dragons I just make a big pre-apoc war machine. ugh. I love it.

[@the6ofdiamonds]

Personally, when running Post-Apoc stuff I keep the hope/happy stuff few and far between. I pull inspiration from stuff like the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. franchise (which isn't really the same setting) and Metro 2033. The worldspace is generally apathetic to the PCs existence, you die just like everyone else. This makes every firefight risky. Do you have enough ammo? What if you get hit? Is there an anomaly you can't see? In my opinion, it makes those little things bigger, as long as they still happen. Both as GM and player I prefer these setups where it's doesn't get "easier" as time goes on, instead you adapt to the setting's rules. You learn to avoid certain areas or set ambushes if you know a fight is coming. Or you learn to work with people, everyone needs something, and some will even pay for it, some will just take you out and loot your corpse.

[@joeldelconte3500]

As a GM you sometimes wish you could jump into the story and play with your friends instead of narrating. I would love a video on how to play a GM PC without hurting your player's experience. Edit: I see this comment has gained some attention. It has been well over 2 years since this comment and I've grown as a GM. I can now say that in any traditional TTRPG system GM PC hurts the game play. I do think that concepts like GM-less systems or systems where the duty of GM is shared are interesting ways to get everyone playing.

[@cthulhu6697]

NPCs are easy enough, also expendable

[@CarlosHenrique-tg1bs]

@@cthulhu6697 IRONSWORN RPG

[@cthulhu6697]

@@CarlosHenrique-tg1bs I've not heard about that, what is the setting? I remember a post apocalyptic type of RPG in the 80s called Twilight 2000. I never played it or knew anyone who did. I was just thinking of a survival horror type RPG where you have guns and the world is basically like modern day, but like The Walking Dead mixed with Resident Evil mixed with Silent Hill. Basically survival horror. I was just trying to come up with a way of having realistic combat where there are variables that determine how combat is run, when there are so many things to consider. Some would depend on the PCs' professions ( a Marine is going to stand a much better chance of putting rounds on target, where he wants to hit that target in a certain place, such as the head for zombies, than an office worker ), some things would depend on the kind of weapon ( a scoped .300 Win Mag is going to be able to do that, especially at longer ranges ) a .45ACP is going to do more damage than a 9x19mm, JHP ( jacketed hollow point ) ammo is going to do more damage than the same round in FMJ ( full metal jacket ), and so on. I also didn't want the PCs to get killed by the first wound they receive, which is a real possibility in real life ( getting nailed center mass with a .357 magnum will most likely kill, or at least incapacitate, anyone ). I was trying to come up with a combat system that is realistic and fair at the same time, which is hard to do when you factor in a person that is a bus driver in normal life, owns a gun, is only familiar with that gun in that caliber ( like his Glock 19 is the only gun he's ever shot, he's been to the range twice in his life, and hasn't even handled other 9x19mm weapons ), getting into a running gunfight with, say, a guy that goes hunting every season, with a variety of weapons, shoots regularly, and may be a combat veteran. In real life, that would be a quick gunfight, but it would make for a very frustrating game, especially when you consider that a good, solid hit with most guns is going to fuck you up. There are so many factors that can influence a gunfight ( like cover and concealment, a PC's experience pre-game with guns, knives, and so on, plus what I mentioned earlier

[@zaviewilkerson6597]

@@cthulhu6697 You should take a look at Z land. A survival horror rpg with a particular focus on actually surviving. Players have to keep up with their thirst, hunger, and sleep while also avoiding the horrors that have brought down their world. Also did you know that there’s a new edition of twilight 2000? It’s on preorder now on drive thru rpg.

[@indycole396]

Tip one: you don’t

[@jeroenvanwees3250]

I do like the Fallout-setting, from the videogames. Setting a rpg in a similar settings seems like fun. I'm definetly giving this a look :) Also, i wanted to make a 2020 joke, something about a critical apocalypse, or something, but that seemed in poor taste :/

[@AuntieHauntieGames]

Modiphius is releasing a Fallout TTRPG soon. :D

[@mattheModest]

The fallout setting is utter perfection. It’s the setting I am running my first campaign ever in - normal 5e with some tweaks to fit!

[@JoshuaGoudreau]

I just started an Apocalypse World game last week so this has some great timing, great stuff

[@lizcote4760]

Good luck!

[@JoshuaGoudreau]

lol Yeah, it fell apart. AW is kinda confusing and counterintuitive. We switched to Spirit of 77 but the campaign didn't last real long because myself and my group don't do very well remotely playing.

[@XImemX]

@@JoshuaGoudreau I dm with my wife and our friends if you are on the east coast and want a couple more players.

[@Lorian667]

Thank you Guy for all your efforts!

[@cuddlykhan]

Degenisis is such an amazing post-post-apocalyptic setting/system. And it's free! And the art is soooo gorgeous.

[@chaosmastermind]

Are you going to run a game with this new system when it comes out? I'd love to watch it, if so.

[@bilJeschke]

If people want some reading inspiration, try the Hell Divers series. Might work well with this system.

[@inakiiribarrenlineros8594]

Great video! Btw, I was wondering if you could do a video about superhero RPG's. There's very very little info about this and it would be extremely useful

[@nickwilliams8302]

I highly recommend Mutants & Masterminds (which is also the base system for the official DC RPG). Incredibly flexible system that focuses on the effect of the characters' powers rather than trying to simulate every single superpower ever shown in a comic book. Has an interesting "Power Level" mechanic that allows you to balance the campaign like a level-based system while retaining the flexibility of a skill-based system. And it uses a d20 mechanic, so players who are used to D&D should be able to get their heads around it reasonably quickly. The downside is that there are so many options in character creation that creating a character from scratch (there are premade archetypes) can be daunting. I myself created a character kind of based off Taskmaster so complex that I had to use an app to run his character sheet (basically, the character "knew" how to to just about anything, just not all at the same time). Basically, I used the "Variable" power to simulate a theoretically infinite number of skillsets. But that was an extreme example. Normally, once you've got the character made, it's relatively easy to run and advance them.

[@rickprocure6321]

​@@nickwilliams8302 i hate m&m. Its over complicated. Its a good dtart but a pain to run

[@nickwilliams8302]

@@rickprocure6321 I find it a pain to make characters, but what's so difficult about running it? I found it comparable to 3e D&D.

[@jakobcollins9801]

Sorry if it was mentioned during the video (I was cleaning while listening to this and may have missed it), but another good post apocalyptic game where the survival of your race is based on the player characters is Mutant: Year Zero. The mechanics are light, the pre-written story module has been fun to play (I'm a player in a current campaign), and there is a ton of room for great roleplay. You play as the last of your race, the People, a race that is mutated and sterile. You live on one of the few safe places left in the world, the Ark, and you must fight, discover, and build to save what's left of your people. Rumor has it that there is a place called Eden that may be the key to allowing the People to breed and save themselves, but so far, it is just that, a rumor. If anyone has any questions about the game, I'd be happy to answer them (aside from what is in the GM section, as I didn't read that section because I didn't want spoilers).

[@nickwilliams8302]

Playing in a MYZ campaign currently. Really simple system. Cool combination of RPG and base-building. Really enables the idea that the PCs can make things better that Guy talks about.

[@jakobcollins9801]

@@nickwilliams8302, the mechanic for base construction is pretty neat, I agree. There's a lot to like in the game, even if it's a fairy simple system (sometimes less is more).

[@QisforQadim]

I always thought Earthdawn was an interesting post apocalyptic setting. Though the game's main point of entry is after people emerge from their shelters and have established society again. Always thought it would be more fun to be the people emerging from the shelters to reestablish society.

[@codypatton2859]

I've been looking for a great post-apocalyptic TTRPG and thank you so much for bringing that one to my attention!

[@Mimic_Lord]

Thanks for the tips! I'm thinking of running an A.I. uprising campaign with my friends at some point. The BBEG would be introduced right in the beginning of the campaign, and they would be playing as level 20 characters going to some lich's old castle that many thought abandoned, only to find it dead, with a group of robots standing there along with the BBEG, and they all eventually die, then there would be a 20 year time-jump, and they'd be playing as new level 7-10 characters

[@katahdinbear9254]

I've run a HERO Systems 4th then 5th edition game based upon the "Deathlands" series of book written under the name James Axler for nearly 20 years now. This looks interesting as far as post-apocalyptic goes. Outland Arts "The Mutant Epoch" by William McAusland is quite fun as well.

[@JBurton44622]

Another great post-apocalypse game is Rifts by Palladium Books. You can literally be anything you can think of. They even have whole books on converting characters from other systems into theirs. My favorite thing though is that no matter how badass you think your group is there is always something much bigger and badder than you can ever be.

[@roboticgamer5029]

I started talking to friends about doing a post apocalyptic game as our first game and then I find THIS. It’s my first time being a GM and my first actual game ever. It’s weird how much of a coincidence it is I find this video as soon as I start talking about it

[@paulhalforc1889]

No one has mentioned the most crunchy of Post apocalyptic systems; Aftermath!

[@midnightgreen8319]

Dungeon Crawl Classics Umerica, Neon Lords of the Toxic Wasteland, and the Mutant Epoch are all brilliant!!

[@mitchellpennell]

My friend Scott made this! It’s really great!!

[@jonathanbaer3507]

Was not expecting Nick Frost but okay, I can rock with this

[@russelljacob7955]

It would be interesting to have a continuation on how to establish a post apoc world. This can work in any game, not just modern/future. Post apoc fantasy is more than doable and interesting. The one thing most often missed in a bad post apoc game is "reason for living" right at start which goes along with fantasy games "you walk into a bar and see a dwarf." Uh... okay? So who are the people. Do you know what happened like with fallout 3 and are just setting out? Or are you more people growing up out there, and then happen onto plot like.... well fallout new vegas? I guess what I am getting at is when doing a post apoc world, it is a setting, not the plot itself. While you touched onto that in your discussion with things like "by level 10, am done with the surviving", it could use more discussion. Survival goods are like spells in fantasy where they are a metered part of play. Frostpunk video game is a good example. The resources are not a limiter as much as a tool to progress and unlock more of the gameworld. In my fantasy post apoc, this was combined. The tools for survival were what allowed them info to learn and have more to progress to deadlier areas and not just die, but it also offered the mystery and a potential solution to stopping what is happening.

[@adamblack9742]

I’ve been watching your videos for over a year now and just love your show. Your post apoc guides have been great help in my work creating a new game called Hard Rock Apocalypse. I’d love when the time comes in a few short months to have you review it. Can we talk about this?

[@memesouls8653]

Can we appreciate the fact this man has been running this channel since 2009??

[@seanhanney1741]

This was recommended to me at just the right time.

[@KarmaSpaz12]

D&D just needs some tweaking. I have the 4th ed Dark Sun book with all its marvelous art and when flicking through it am always reminded how a fantasy post apocalypse setting might look that isn't just a retread of DarkSouls, one where real world chemical radiation is replaced with magic and all those consequences. Almost a bit Vancian.

[@Lustvig]

Oh FFS, you gotta mention Gamma World - the granddaddy along with Morrow Project.

[@illumANark]

, you should check out Legacy: Life among the ruins, it has some impressive mechanics where you zoom in on the P.C. but then at stages you zoom our for the "family/clan/tribe" view on the world, where the PC is a leading member of the Tribe, and there is a way to hand on a PC's Legacy. It is wildly interesting, and worth checking out as well.

[@WARCERER]

My favourite post-apoc game is Apocalypse World... I was hoping you make a video about that kind of games...

[@vitalijusmotikas4186]

Great topic to unpack! I took one of your suggestions a year or more ago. Post apocalyptic magic d&d game. Apocalypse caused by unlimited use of magic (also inspired by mrhexx videos about 10-12th lvl spels)... Survivors will condem arcane magic users; limit divine and druidic magic. Variety of monsters, extraplaners and survivor is unlimited. Grimm atmosphere, illusions...

[@philippschmitz1787]

The question also is: How long is the Apocalypse ago? If we're talking about months or years, it's clear that almost everything is demolished and has to be rebuilt, but if we're talking about decades or centuries the world is probably in a somewhat medieval stage. There are city-states and fortified settlements, where you can survive much easier. So it's not necessarily about finding water and food... there are of course bandits in the wasteland between the settlements, clean water is still a valueable resource (maybe it's a kind of currency for barter)... but apart from that it's a quite normal fantasy setting with guns and mutants... and maybe crazy vehicles that are running on pig turd #BeyondThunderdome. I kinda like that stage of civilization because it gives you the freedom to forget about survival mechanics if needed, but you can still run a survival campaign if you (for example) try to build your own settlement deep in the wasteland. You can smoothly switch between fantasy battles, struggle for survival, horror scenarios (ie a mad scientist that stitched together corpses), western topics etc.

[@tefnutofhoney2832]

Im taking the old fanmade fallout tabletop from like, before fallout 3, expanding it with modern fallout content (races and items from 3, nv, and 4, plus 1 and 2 cut content), and throwing together a post-nuclear hawaii for them to explore

[@lloydritchey]

Rifts: a post-apocalyptic kitchen sink setting with the gonzo dialed up to 11.

[@fugitiveunknown7806]

There are a ton of PbtA games that do a great job and have "fired" a lot of other rpg's for me. Fellowship is particularly fantastic IMO, covering any mixing of philosophies/races/nations for a greater good. We've used rhat one for a fantssy game and Transformers (oddly) in our group. Theres also a Cyberpunk one called Sprawl that's better than any existing ruleset (though IMO the bar is low on that one). Theres also a one called Legacy: Life Among the ruins that covers multigenerational games where each player controls a society.

[@caolanochearnaigh9804]

So, I want to make a zombie campaign. Not just any zombie campaign, though- I'm talking Resident Evil. (I've never DMed before, I've only ever been a player...) How would I integrate RE into D&D...?

[@ericgieskieng4262]

Aftermath by fgu was my favorite of this genre.

[@kylestacks3292]

I've spent years developing my own post-apocalyptic tabletop game the mechanics of it are very heavily rippedfrom fallout and utilize the special system and everything's on it 1- 10 scale so you only need one type of dice but overall I have loved working on this project over 2,000 square miles of world spacewith a few major factions and so many raiders and monsters and critters to deal with vehicular combat is a major aspect of it you can also modify your vehicles and weaponsbut typically it plays like that of a sandbox whatever adventures they get into I'm just spitballing off top my head I have predetermined events that can go into play should they meet said requirements or or just happened to be in the right place at the right time but typically it's just whatever wacky adventures they get into in the world

[@ElRojo651]

The fallout 2d20 system that's coming out looks really fun.

[@williamlee7482]

I was running a Mutant Epoch game where all the players started as teens ( 15-16 ) members of the same tribe sent on a coming of age quest to become adult members of the tribe . The player races are human , mutant human , ghost mutant ( mutants with mental mutations only ) and mutant animals . I had to tweak the character creation rules so the only occupations that fit a tribal setting are used ( fishers , hunters , miners , loggers , farmers , traders , crafts persons , scribes , watchmen and scroungers ) . I have players roll twice once for their fathers occupation and once for their mothers occupation and they choose one parents occupation to began with . Each player gets skills based on their occupation plus 4 random rolls on the skill table but can learn any skill with training . All players start with basic hide armor , 2 melee weapons a missle weapon and a dagger or hand axe . They also get a simple backpack , 2 sacks , eating utensils ( a wooden bowl , wooden spoon and a wooden fork ) a simple fire starting out , a one person waxed cloth tent , a bedroll , 2 weeks dried food ( dried meats , dried fruits and nuts and dried vegetables ) and a 1 gallon water skin all provided by the tribe . What's cool about the Mutant Epoch rpg is that there is a skill called junk crafter that allows players with a high enough skill in junk crafting to make everything from junk crafted fire starting kits to junk crafted vehicles to junk crafted aircraft and everything in between . It's my goto post apocalyptic rpg other then mutant future or gamma world but those two need house rules for skills whereas the Mutant Epoch rpg has skills already

[@qb_2653]

I very like a Neuroshima rpg (it was published only in Poland) for world and a mood of a handbook i hope someday someone will publish it on the west cause iven if it's not very realistic it has a realy great world creation

[@RainMakeR_Workshop]

Is there any d20 OGL game for a post apocalyptic wasteland? Like d20 Apocalypse, but for 5e.

[@brianfroeschner6644]

I"m not sure from this video how the game mechanics supports this theme (Survival/Hope/Mood). Is there a Hope stat? Is there an abstraction value for resources?

[@bloementuintje9356]

Not my thing! but man. you make it sound really cool!

[@cthulhu6697]

+how to be a Great GM I wanted to ask you something that nobody has come up with a good answer to. I know 1st edition AD&D rules for combat. If I wanted to set up a modern day, zombie apocalypse game, how would you determine hit rolls ( since pretty much nobody will be wearing armor ), a damage ( per weapon, a .45 is obviously going to do more damage than a 9mm, an AK round is a bigger, more powerful round than an M-16, and so on ), and hit location system ( since I would be doing a Romero/Walking Dead type, shambler zombie, and you have to hit a moving target in the head, with pluses for your proficiency, dexterity, specialization etc... ) and make it as realistic and fair as you can? A D20? a % (2d10), or what? I don't want people to "tank," like Rambo in body armor with an M-60, but I don't want them to be killed by a single hit. Thanks if you answer

[@ZoeAlleyne]

That book looks like it was designed by whoever did the booklet for Prowlers and Paragons. The font and layout is exactly the same.

[@ChurchofCthulhu]

Gamma World (3rd edition). I'm done here.

[@Thugmun1]

Have you run a Maximum Apocalypse game? I've seen you play one, would love to see you run one😀👍! Love all your videos. What is the link to your books? Crack on!👍

[@99zxk]

I've been living your videos. Probably watched 20 or more.. Not sure why this is in the second circle Playlist, though. Seems like a good system, but I'm not sure how this relates to general RPG GM'ing.

[@markkeyworth]

Good example of this is ‘day of the triffids’

[@timbuktu8069]

The book Lucifer's Hammer.

[@captainthorrek262]

Watching this video made me want to roll up a Kaiju... maybe a slightly less irritating version of Godzuki

[@Frederic_S]

Until next time!

[@TheDungeonTomb]

hello i need you expertise . love to see this in a video .how to add hit dice to a monster. i ask because so fare i can't figure out why there is so big a difference in hp on many monsters of the same CR , in the dmg it show in chapter 9 that a Cr 3 have between 101-115 hp eks a Archer Cr 3 have: Hit Points 75 (10d8 + 30) (+ 3 con) so why only 75 Hp Amarith Coppervein Cr 3 have : Hit Points 58 (9d8 + 18) (+ 2 con) so why only 58 Hp so ofc. the hp will be different because of the Con bonus it will be different. and some monster even have 6 dice in numbers more then another of same CR. so in short version how do you calculate how many Hit dice a monster have when you have decide on the CR and i know about the 3x con bonus. and also what size dice i should use . like medium is D8. but i can't figure out how many dice the different CR should have thanks in advanced i hope you will take this up been on it for long time, and talked to many and no one can give me a answer on it .

[@tesco139]

Imma make a dnd campaign completely themed on fallout new vegas

[@scholtzovsvet5724]

Yes, the answer is simply, play Mutant year zero. Is this a sponsored video for Maximum apocalypse? Btw i have the card game at it seems like a comedy more than some serious survival stuff.

[@blenfor]

Deadlands Hell on Earth: Reloaded.

[@no_whale9635]

Hello, master, i am your russian fan and i want voice over your videos on my future channel . Of course with link on original video. Can i?

[@Natsirt666]

Three words: Rifts Savage Worlds...

[@tach5884]

Rifts, now that takes me back.

[@Natsirt666]

@@tach5884 The new SWADE system is much better than the old, heavy Palladium stuff. Highly recommended!

[@jamesmilton8308]

Anyone ever play exodus or the fallout rpg?

[@michaelanderson2166]

Dnd is already post apocalyptic.

[@Carcass_Consumer]

Ian Robertson oof

[@whatareyoudoingyouidiot342]

@Ian Robertson As someone who's played a fair bit of Shadowrun, Catalyst can bite my ass. 6th edition SUCKS

[@passdoutcouchpotatos]

Just play apocalypse world

[@scottuhls]

But Apocalypse World keeps the apocalypse in the background. How does one change the world when the game is more about the characters than building back the world as a whole.

[@TheCreach]

76 comments, nice

[@htennek1]

But.. standard D&D _IS_ post-Apocalytpic.....

[@obza]

Russia Go.Вперед Росия

[@TheeTroutKing]

hello guy, were's girl?

[@monza8844]

Nerd

[@noneyabusiness2237]

Tollenkar's Lair.