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Old 09-07-2018, 09:35 AM   #1
Kromm
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Default Pyramid #3/119: After the End II

The end of the world?
Or Nature's way to tell us:
"Humans had their chance."
— Bane Jimson, Wastelands Herbalist
As GURPS After the End strives to show, there are countless ways civilization could be wiped out, leaving wastelands that look like almost anything. Pyramid #3/90: After the End offered some possible visions of the end times, and now Pyramid #3/119: After the End II is here with more – because like worlds, good issues deserve sequels. So what does the grim future hold?
Moon of Silver, World of Dust
By J. Edward Tremlett
Disasters rooted in technology – bio-weapons, nukes, pollution, etc. – dominate the landscape of post-apocalyptic fiction, but astronomical and supernatural catastrophes are also popular niches, and this campaign frame combines the two. In it, the Moon successfully challenged the Sun for Earth's skies. And we all know who likes the Moon: Werewolves. If you're tired of zombies always being the bogeymen who overrun the planet, you'll find this take on ". . . and then monsters came" refreshing, though no less creepy.

No Place Like Home
By Chip Limeburner
Did we get horror in your apocalypse? We're not sorry; we're totally heartless. This adventure borrows from slasher and splatter fiction to show that the end of the world doesn't mean the end of malice. Sometimes it's the darkest souls who survive, because without society's constraints, they can do whatever it takes, however horrific. In this case, "whatever it takes" is preying on those seeking shelter from the wastelands' dangers. More than that would be spoilers (though I doubt any gamer believes an "abandoned" house is anything but trouble).

The Knowledge of Our Forebears
By Nathan M.M. Meluvor
And now a brief pause from the bleak, for those who prefer to focus on fresh starts. For humanity to fight its way back from a cataclysm, a lot of rebuilding would be needed. Starting from scratch might take longer than we have, but that may not be necessary if we can draw on the wisdom of the past. This is most likely to endure in the form of writings, provoking the question "How well will the books survive?" This article aims to answer that, and also looks at whether the descendants of survivors would necessarily understand what they find.

Eidetic Memory: Whispers From the Wastelands
By David L. Pulver
I mentioned zombies earlier . . . and here they are! Along with vampires and trolls. Yet while all are without question monsters, none are necessarily supernatural, or even what they seem. Take your pick between a sinister cave that holds both prizes and perils, a horrific gang of zombie-herders straight out of the most over-the-top flavor of post-apocalyptic B-movie, and an encounter with a fiend whose motto is "You pay or I slay!" All three could exist in the same campaign background, including any of the wastelands described in this issue.

Editor Steven Marsh opens and closes the festivities, and his deepest thoughts are, as usual, at the end – appropriate for this issue, I think. This month's Random Thought Table offers approaches to sandbox gaming that tempt adventurers with an entire world of possibilities without relying solely (or at all!) on a map.

But Wait, There's More!

The end of the GURPS section of this issue isn't the end of the issue. There's also a The Fantasy Trip section with articles by Jack Sinnott, William F. Hostman, and TFT Line Editor Guy McLimore. I leave the details in Guy's capable hands, because they're on-topic for his forum, not this one . . . but if the world of your GURPS campaign ends, perhaps it could restart in TFT as a post-apocalyptic fantasy? Hey, it was good enough for Robert Adams, Gene Wolfe, and endless others!
Store Link: http://www.warehouse23.com/products/SJG37-2719
Preview PDF: http://www.warehouse23.com/media/SJG37-2719_preview.pdf
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Old 09-07-2018, 03:57 PM   #2
SteamBub
 
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Default Re: Pyramid #3/119: After the End II

This looks like something I could use. I've been toying with an idea for Merlin AtE timeline where nuclear war is what caused a hellstrom. So all the supernatural elements in this issue should help flesh that.
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Old 09-07-2018, 04:41 PM   #3
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Default Re: Pyramid #3/119: After the End II

Looking forward to getting it but waiting on the BackerKit for Kickstarter to see how far my limited funds go this month.
I might not be the only one.
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My GURPS publications GURPS Powers: Totem and Nature Spirits; GURPS Template Toolkit 4: Spirits; Pyramid articles. Buying them lets us know you want more!
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Old 09-08-2018, 09:19 AM   #4
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Default Re: Pyramid #3/119: After the End II

Hooray for more AtE support! Bought it almost immediately.
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Old 09-13-2018, 04:26 AM   #5
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Default Re: Pyramid #3/119: After the End II

A little question: in the description of the magazine, it is written: "three ready-to-use adventure ideas". Are they really ready to play adventures or just (debelopped) adventure ideas.

Just to know if I can put them in my list of really ready to play (directly out of the box) adventures ...

Last edited by Gollum; 09-13-2018 at 10:49 AM.
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