Pyramid #3/90: After the End

[PK]

Originally Posted by acrosome

Survival at the End is great- it's the sole reason I bought the issue- and the author clearly knows his stuff, but... it seems like something was left out. For instance it goes into great detail about various traps, and what skill rolls and how much time is needed to set them. But it doesn't really include mechanics for what/how much you catch, and over what span of time.

Are these traps meant to be another roll that you must make before you can make the general Survival roll to [gather and] trap food? Or are they optional, to give a bonus? Or do these replace them? What?

They were meant to add color and specificity to the existing rules for trapping found in either GURPS Low-Tech Companion 3 and GURPS After the End 2. (I derived the ATE2 rules as a simplification of those in LTC3, so either should work.)

[PK]

Originally Posted by johndallman

I subscribed to Pyramid #3 for the first time a few months ago, because I ended up buying about two-thirds of the issues, and the subscription is about two-thirds of the price of twelve issues individually. However, since I've got two After the End issues and a DF issue so far, I'm not currently feeling encouraged to continue the subscription.

For what it's worth, you should be seeing a much greater variety for the rest of your subscription. We tend to do about one (at most two) DF-focused issues per year, and the reason for the two ATE issues so close together was as part of a "media blitz" to celebrate the new series.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by PK

For what it's worth, you should be seeing a much greater variety for the rest of your subscription.

Good. I had hoped that would be the case.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by (E)

I have no criticism for what you wrote up, it was just quite obvious that you ran low space. Without getting into a four Yorkshiremen situation I have similar experiences with self sufficiency though it looks to be a lot easier around here.

I really wish I'd another 2,000 words, but I'm rather proud of what came out. I've said it elswhere, but I could wrote a LOT more on the subject "Survival Life" as it were. I've currently got some ideas for farming, dirty-tech, travel, and infrastructure after a collapse (though I've not got a lot of knowledge in that area).

Originally Posted by (E)

My gardens and farm are currently supplying the staples (excluding grain) plus 2-3 types of vegetables, eggs and meat a day for my family (me, partner, our two kids, three step kids, 2 foster kids). My dogs are also good enough that I can post while I am doing my stock shifts because I don't get a chance other wise ;)

Luxury! No, seriously, that sounds wonderful. I ever get out your way expect me in your garden with barefeet. :-)

Originally Posted by chandley

Survival at the End is great. Really nice article digging into some detail on a big part of any AtE game. The specific examples of traps, firestarters, etc are exactly the kind of "dirty tech" write ups I would love more of.

Thank you! :-)

Originally Posted by Bruno

M
Survival at the End - I keep playing barbarians, so naturally this is also to my interests. I've got just enough survival training myself to know interesting tidbits, and to know that I'd not fare so well if I actually had to do it, but putting my characters through survival misery is much more fun.
Great article, and despite being given thanks by the author in the About box I'm not biased at all.

You helped make it much better, Em. :-)

Originally Posted by Jonas

I'd love to see a more detailed write-up on day to day post-collapse life and attempts at recovery personally, bonus points if its more generic rather than being specifically ATE themed.

That's a good idea - "day to day in the End" sounds like a Pyramid article to me. It'd probably still be ATE-themed, but like Survival would be useful elsewhere.

Originally Posted by johndallman

Survival at the End was really good, and widely applicable.

Thanks, John. :-)

Originally Posted by acrosome

Survival at the End is great- it's the sole reason I bought the issue- and the author clearly knows his stuff, but...

Thanks. That means a lot to me. I was really nervous about this one. Been about a decade since I was in the wild, but like riding a bike you don't forget that stuff. It just stays with you.

Originally Posted by acrosome

...it seems like something was left out. For instance it goes into great detail about various traps, and what skill rolls and how much time is needed to set them. But it doesn't really include mechanics for what/how much you catch, and over what span of time.

Correct. The rules for Gathering (GURPS After the End 2: The New World, p. 30) cover this. You use those rules. If you want to get more details you use the modifiers for mine.

Originally Posted by acrosome

Are these traps meant to be another roll that you must make before you can make the general Survival roll to [gather and] trap food? Or are they optional, to give a bonus? Or do these replace them? What?

Definitely optional. One thing I didn't include (and I should've - I'm kicking myself) is WHY to use them. For some GMs it's just because they like the detail (like me), but players might need some incentive. I think adding 1.5 the penalty (round up) as a bonus to the final skill roll to determine meals gathered would be a good rule.

[PK]

cbower has posted a review of this issue. Thanks!

[Rindis]

This issue was a disappointment to me. AtE isn't a big thing for me, and I wasn't expecting more after #3/88.

That said, if I was to do anything with it, I prefer something on the order of 2nd Ed Gamma World / Thundarr, so I'd instantly pick up "Are We Not Men?". I don't think it'd cover everything I'd want/need, but having more options than just whatever's in ATE1 will be a good starting point.

I don't have any Reign of Steel materials, so "Robots after the End" was doubly useless for me. That said, the bridge between RoS and ATE is obvious, and using an article to show how they intersect very smart.

"The Mercy Dolls" does a good job of it's goal of setting up a situation where both sides have a point. I don't know that ever use this though. Partially because of the general setting type, and partially because I feel a lack of buy-in to either side's position.

"Warping Monsters Into Mutants" makes sense. Maybe too much sense, as I felt about half the article fell into the exceedingly obvious camp. There was some good advice in there too, but I had to wade through the obvious parts first.

"Survival After the End" was thorough, and had lots of good bits that might be of use elsewhere. For me, it was too much, and I haven't read all of it because my eyes kept glazing over.

The Random Thought Table, "The Aftermath Protocol" wasn't bad, and does come up with a potentially really hard choice for the characters/players. I don't think I'd use it in an ATE game, mostly because I do actually have some potential setting thoughts that would preclude it.

So, generally good articles that generally aren't of use for me.