Pyramid is the monthly GURPS supplement containing short articles with
a loose linking theme. This time, tying in with the After the End
series again, it's a grab-bag of articles about the post-apocalypse.
Disclaimer: as the author of one of the articles in this issue, I
received a free copy.
Are We Not Men? (Jason "PK" Levine) adds plenty of new mutations to
the system in After the End, as well as offering the option of
random generation. Cinematic mutations aren't really my thing, but
this is definitely handy for a game which includes them.
Example character here.
Robots After the End (Roger Burton West) is my short piece on
integrating Reign of Steel with After the End.
Designer's notes here.
Eidetic Memory: The Mercy Dolls (David L. Pulver) is an example
post-apocalyptic setting. This world was destroyed by the Blue Moon
virus, which kills most of its victims and mutates the survivors,
often into flesh-craving monsters. The Mercy Dolls are a few surviving
medical robots, who aren't just good-guy healers: they also provide a
backbone of force to the natural human tendency to despise the
mutants. This could be blended into an existing campaign, but mutants
are definitely needed.
Warping Monsters Into Mutants (Peter V. Dell'Orto) is a means of
converting Dungeon Fantasy monsters into mutants for After the
End: post-apocalyptic explorers don't have magic swords and armour,
but they do have guns. So armour levels may be slightly improved,
attacks get longer ranges, and magical abilities are replaced.
Survival at the End (Christopher R. Rice) goes into some detail
about gathering, trapping and hunting, as well as finding water and
starting fires; and there are some perks to represent characters who
are particularly good at living rough. This is good stuff in general,
and doesn't just apply to the post-apocalypse.
Designer's notes here,
and more for Christopher's Patreon subscribers here.
Random Thought Table: The Aftermath Protocol (Steven Marsh) is a
scenario outline designed to require difficult decisions without
obvious "right" answers. In this case there are rumours (and indeed
religious worship) of a protocol for rebuilding the world, but that
may not be entirely a good thing.
Short Bursts: Good Old Days (Matt Riggsby) is more Car Wars tie-in
fiction. Well, it's more appropriate here than in an issue about
Dungeon Fantasy…
Out of this lot, the Survival article is most likely to see immediate
use at my table, but this is solid support material for After the
End or any other post-apocalyptic game. Pyramid 90 is available from
Warehouse 23.
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