Sunday, July 6, 2014

Slicing Even Deeper Into Wisdom From The Wastelands Issue 41 From Skirmisher Publishing For Mutant Future Or Any Old School Post Apocalyptic Campaign


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HERE
Radiation is one of the corner stones of the Mutant Future rpg game (or so it would seem but there have always been other apocalyptic events that could trigger the PA 'future' of  the game), radiation is however is key to the WWIII 1950's sci fi pulp ethos that we all know and love. This issue by the Skirmisher Publishing folks delves deep into the various real world basis for using radiation and the comic book style energy sources that can give teens the powers of a mutant spider and beyond.
This is all done with the usual Skirmisher eye toward quality and pocket book savings as well.
The Blurb according to Drivethrurpg : 
As one of technology’s four horsemen, radiation is a important part in Mutant Future and other post-apocalyptic and sci-fi games: hazard, theme, bringer of mutation, waster of civilizations. The game mechanics assume a single kind of radiation, which reacts in a single way with the human, animal, or mutant plant body. But in real life, this isn’t the case. Radiation comes in different forms, with different intensities and different ways of being used or causing harm. This issue considers these different types of energy, and introduces many possibilities brought by a few hundred years of scientific progress, industrial ingenuity, and alien contact.
Wisdom from the Wastelands is dedicated to providing useful information, game content, and ideas to players of modern, science fiction, and post-apocalyptic table-top and role-playing games in general and to fans of Goblinoid Games’ Mutant Future RPG in particular. The material it contains are compatible with it and any others that use the "Basic" system introduced in the most popular role-playing games of the early 1970s and are easily adaptable to many other games (especially successor systems, to include those covered by the Open Game License).
Our goal is for each thematic issue of this publication to contain a variety of useful and earnest content that will inspire Game Masters and players alike and provide them with things that they can immediately plug into their games. We very much hope you will find this and subsequent issues of the Wisdom from the Wastelands to be useful and enjoyable!

The whole issue is basically an adaption of one of the original classic  radiation systems from a PA rpg system we know and love, expanded and fleshed out in a more complete state. This is a perfect system for adapting to any number of retroclone rpgs. With Goblinoid Games smoothing out the rough bits between their own systems and OD&D retroclones this is one that can easily be used for all sorts of applications in old school campaigns 



Using Wisdom From The Wastelands Issue #41 
For Your Old School Post Apocalyptic Campaigns 

This system of radiation based hazards makes Deathlands such as those found in the old school post apocalyptic campaigns an element that can be adapted into other old school game systems as well. 


Adventurers will have to deal with ancient toxic waste dumps,deadly deserts, and more. Radiation checks often come in the classic fantasy games and there is a tradition of this dating back to the Seventies and Eighties with films like Wizards by Ralph Bakshi studios and
'The Elf Stones Of Shanara' novels use this trope to great effect in the series. This makes radiation and deathlands a subtle as well as a dangerous hazard in PA fantasy as well as science fantasy rpgs.
I've also used radiation hazards as invisible guardians of artifacts and treasures where such items can and will kill PC's unless the players are truly careful.
With game campaigns such as  Carcosa and other retroclone settings this system adds a touch of subtle danger and insanity to a gonzo setting. Used correctly this can increase the weirdness and horror of such settings.
With very little work this system can also work as a DYI apocalyptic element adding in more of a science fiction feel to space based games. The mutant PC's in SSSSSSSPPPAACE is a classical pulp style PA trope that can be ruthlessly exploited by a DM with this system making adventuring hazardous, weird, and very dangerous.
There really are a myriad of uses for this issue of Wisdom From The Wasteland making this classic issue one that you'll be reaching for again and again as a DM! 

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