Every so often, I find myself wanting to create and play a game in a post-apocalyptic world. Whenever people mention the genre films that I enjoyed most as a teenager, such as “The Terminator” (1984) and “Mad Max” (1979), I get the itch.

The downfall of the modern industrial West is something that has haunted my entire life, whether from the fear of World War III, epidemic disease, or the threat of an asteroid strike. One of my favourite games from the Eighties was “Twilight 2000” and I ardently studied a book my father bought on the military possibilities of a nuclear war.

The discovery of Palladium’s “Rifts” was a big influence on my post-apocalyptic tastes, specifically the idea of the magic coming back to the world. Rather than a purely science-fiction scenario, I always wanted to believe in the arcane and mystical so that these elements could find a place in my gaming.

Having been playing classic Dungeon Fantasy games for months, I have been itching to shift genre for a while. Perhaps it’s time to forge something new: while I do have an idea for a science-fiction game too, the itch for the post-apocalyptic is back and I thought it might be fun to pitch an idea.

The End…

For me, the first interesting question is, “How long ago did everything fall apart?” Because my potential players are all moderns, I’ve always been more interested in the collapse itself and then the period about two to three generations later.

“All but the oldest adults were born into the wasteland, but that still leaves quite a few people who lived in the old world and witnessed its end. The youngsters have been told these stories, either by the old-timers directly or by someone who heard it from them, which gives everyone a fairly accurate view of what the world used to be like.”

GURPS After The End 2: The New World (v1.2, 2023), page 8

Another key idea is that I’d like to try using actual real-world maps, such as Ordinance Survey Maps from Britain, to base the world upon. With a relatively recent collapse of civilisation, where “most ruins are still fairly intact”, I think the game would be an interesting opportunity for exploration. I can even imagine setting it near where I live in Nottinghamshire. Is there a post-apocalyptic Robin Hood?

Next on my list are the things that I want to include: I’ve already mentioned Magic – albeit not terribly flashy but rather a warping effect on the world; I love Zombies, especially as a symbol of the meaninglessness of modern society gone rampant; I think the idea of Rad-Zones appeals too much to ignore the global use of enhanced radiation weapons (ERW).

After The End recommends picking a Primary Cause and then a “robust-but-modest selection” of Secondary Effects. Given the revived plausibility of World War III, I am going to opt for a global escalation of conflict leading to the use of “dirty” nuclear devices by terrorists and then a wider global war featuring chemical, biological, and ERW devices.

Secondary effects will include the Walkers and Shufflers (zombies) which are in turn linked to the Return of Magic. Things Fall Apart as the structure of society itself is undermined, leading to a broader social collapse. Drawing on environmental fears, I want to summon Mother Nature to the party too, perhaps linked to the rise of the arcane.

We have urban centres washed clean of humanity through a combination of wartime atrocity and the rise of the zombies. Structures are relatively intact, but people are getting rare. In the wilds, nature has become more hostile than ever, and new species of plant, animal, and insect life make survival tough. Through it all, some of the survivors are discovering they can manipulate Mana.

Thematically, I have thoughts of including surviving colonies based around both religious and magical groups. The usual run of gangs and paramilitaries, not to mention mutants and zombies, and even ex-military units will of course find a home here. I also fancy some eco-Druids and other environmentalist crazies rearing their heads in the apocalypse.

To begin, I am tempted to buy an Ordinance Survey map of Nottinghamshire and base the game in my own back yard. I think my non-British online friends might get a kick out of the British apocalypse even if it might be harder to convince the locals. Alternatively, I can see me picking Germany or France as another suitable arena.

Overall, I want a thoroughly European / British apocalypse that has room for all the elements that appeal to my own sensibilities. To kick it all off, I’m even considering leveraging the idea of Mythic Player Emulation from Mythic Magazine #41. But that’s another story.

Game on!