Nuts & Bolts #169 - The Perfect Map for the End of the World Part 2- Puttin' My Money Where My Mouth Is

Last week, I wrote about finding some old road atlases and thinking they could be great for making maps for Post Apocalypse games. Well, this week I put my money where my mouth is and show off the results of the last week worth of efforts, including the techniques I used to get there!

The map above (which is nice and high resolution so feel free to use it if you want), depicts central Massachusetts. I tore it out of the atlas, grabbed a pen and got to work. As it had been quite some time since I last did this I documented my process and had to figure some stuff out the hard way. Example: the aging effects I used can cause ink pens to run if they are water soluble, and even some run will happen if they are not, I used a black pen and ended up with fairly blue lettering after multiple soaks. Know your materials and consider your order of operations. 

The first thing I did was put some notes onto the map. Again I used a black ball-point pen, but as you can see from above it ended up looking more blue. This is fine, but was a result of my doing the writing before the "aging" effects. Here's what the WIP (work in progress) looked like before I started aging.

You'll also note there's a lot more there than in the final. I decided early on to burn off the ripped dangly bits on the left side, and tore off a good chunk of the legend since that would make finding locations a little more difficult. That gave me the nearly final size and shape of the map.

The above picture is in a weak soak of tea. Weak because I tried to re-use a used teabag from my morning caffeine infusion. You can already see the lettering turning more blue in color. This may or may not suit you and your preference for pen style. I know I will probably do aging before writing on my next map. I ended up sacrificing a new tea bag to make a second soak because I wanted my result to be a bit darker. I also crumpled and un-crumpled the paper a few times before, between, and after each soak, I was looking for a final result that had that soft and more cloth-like feel at the end, which I think I managed really well. 

Between the first and 2nd soak I also tried to put some stains in using a little cooking oil and some soy sauce (it's what I had on hand!) followed by some hot sauce (Frank's Red Hot btw). While the oil worked the other two ended up being very minimal in the final product. 

After the second bath in tea I was happy with the state of the paper but it felt like it needed something. My focus group agreed, and suggested some blood spatter would look good. I wasn't willing to bleed for my art, so I tried red food coloring. It was way too bright.

It looked far to red for an old blood stain, blood usually dries to a darker brick red/rust color so I needed to add something to the dots to darken them. I did some experiments on the side and found that Dark Soy Sauce (a specialty product for most folks) worked well. I think that dark coffee might get a similar result. You want something that will only darken the red, not cover it. I'll try coffee the next time out. These were all applied using the end of a chopstick to dab the paper. I wanted to avoid a paint brush. A fingertip could also work, or the end of a fork. Test on a sheet of scrap so you don't ruin you badass map. 

In conclusion what I did was:

1. Write my on-map notes
2. Burn edges and/or tear pieces off as you like
3. Crumple liberally
4. Soak with tea then dry fully
5. Crumple liberally
6. Spot stained then dry
7. Second Soak and dry 
8. Crumple liberally
9. "Blood" dots 
10. Crumple liberally

Based on my learnings though I think I would consider moving my first step till after the soaking is done depending on how "new" you want said notes to seem on the paper. Generally I am pretty happy with how it looks, although even the hi-rez scan above doesn't quite get the colors right. WHat I am very happy with is the physical presentation. In person it looks and feels like a well worn wasteland map that the characters might be given or find. Sadly in person games are still some ways away, but just making this has been hugely fun and given me a real hankering to run some post apocalyptic fun. I hope it will for you too!

An aside: The aging techniques, use of tea soaks and crumpling of the paper, can work for old treasure maps and the like for any genre. Use the basic idea here for your fantasy RPG of choice.

Or don't, I ain't the boss of you.

Nuts & Bolts #168 - The Perfect Map for the End of the World

I'd wager, if you are of a certain age, you have memories of fighting with one of these dang things while trying to figure out where you are, where you need to be, and just how lost you really are. These days we all carry interconnected super computers in our pockets and take for granted that they know our location to within a handful of yards (or meters if you aren't in the US), but when I was younger, and especially when I was a kid, these were the closest thing we had to navigation aids. 

And damnit the post-apocalypse was better for it! 

Yes, the post-apocalypse. Back when I first started wandering the wastelands during my after-school hours the very idea of GPS and computer navigation was science fiction. The kind of science fiction that didn't belong in a good old fashioned post-apocalyptic wasteland! The idea of wandering the wastes with a tattered a stained fragment of an old paper map felt right at the time, and for me it still feels right. It has a low-tech tactile aspect that works in a ruined world where "treasure" was usually represented by physical goods and items, and where knowledge that wasn't part of a skill was often lost. The kind of wasteland where a waster stained encyclopedia was a tradable item. 

While cleaning my basement I found these three atlases, and was about to drop them in the recycle bin, after all, my phone does everything these do, but better. And then I got an idea. I'm prepping to run some post apocalyptic something later this year and ... why couldn't I use these for maps? I could tear the pages out, stain them with coffee or tea, mark them up with pen and marker, and then either hand them to players or take a picture for those internet games that most of us have found so much more convenient. 

Also, it was super timely as I didn't have a good topic for today. Ha!

Story Seed - The World at Dusk

Image Source: http://anndr.deviantart.com/art/Silent-World-410222727

The radiator ticked behind me, cooling in the ocean breeze. It wouldn't run again. I'd failed to find oil enough to keep it from seizing and now the van that had been my home since the end began was dead. I stood looking out over the Pacific, the water was as blue as it had been in my dreams, as blue as the sky overhead. The whole vista played like my dreams, silent and still. The only other sound was the barely audible lapping of waves on the shore. Nothing else invaded this moment.

I leaned back against the van, the ticking of the engine was already slowing, as the vehicle, as Betsy, ceased to be more than the sum of its parts. I wondered again, not for the first time, how it had all come to this. Was I truly the last living human? I'd seen precious little evidence of other survivors since I fled the self destructive violence of New York on my little Vespa.

That Vespa had gotten me all the way to Illinois before crapping out on me, but in the ruined silence of some suburb of Chicago I'd found Betsy. Her keys were still in the ignition and her tank had been full. It was like she was inviting me in. In those days I'd wandered back roads and scavenged for food and supplies daily, living at most with a day or two ahead of me.

Once I found an entire mini-mart that had not been vandalized. I felt terrible that I was the one to breach its locks and pillage the contents, but it was that or go without food for a third day in a row. Guilt loses to an empty stomach every time I learned. Eventually, after I don't even know how many months zigzagging throughout central states I decided that I wanted to see the Pacific again before I too died of whatever contagion had gotten the rest of us.

Here I stand at the end of the world. It's been a year. Two, maybe? Since it all started. Since people began to simply die for no reason, in numbers that could not be ignored or covered up. I haven't see a living soul in at least half that time, and no sign that maybe there were some I didn't see in almost as long.

The world has grown quiet as humanity dies. I don't know if it is out of respect, or anticipation. The sun over the water is as beautiful as I remember from my childhood. It's been twenty years since I saw it last and I was only eight at the time. I smile, I always knew I'd see it again before I died. I slide my back down the side of the van and sit on the ground. I'm tired, but happy, and even though I need to close my eyes I just want to watch the sun set. On the world, on humanity.

On me.

Nuts & Bolts #59 - Atom Bomb Baby! Fallout 4 Cypher Edition (part 3)

Image Source: http://okiir.deviantart.com/art/FALLOUT-Flag-of-the-Brotherhood-of-Steel-539206332

Hopefully the past two weeks have been an enjoyable excursion into Fallout. This will be my last post on the topic, not because I couldn't do more, but because Cypher System doesn't need endless posts that detail every tiny variation on theme. This'll cover the most common robots of the Commonwealth Wasteland, and wrap up a couple of other minor topics.

Self Destruct Mode

All of the robots below have a self destruct mode that causes their internal nuclear engines to go supercritical and explode if the robot is otherwise disabled. This is usually the result of having its limbs/arms destroyed. Self destruct takes 3 rounds to hit critical mass during which the robot will pursue its enemies before finally detonating in a 10 damage explosion to everything within immediate range. During the 3 round charge up time the robot will cause 2 radiation damage per round to all within immediate range.

Robot Motivation

All of the robots detailed here follow their programming. Exceptional robots do exist that have the capacity for free thought (see also Synths in part 1) but the norm are those that are simply following whatever instruction they were last given.

Image Source: http://4mindzapper.deviantart.com/art/Mister-Handy-342502286

Mr. Handy/Mr. Gutsy

The Mister series of robots are floating eye style bots. With a round central body, three eye stalks, and three appendages fitted with a flamer, saw, and either a SMG (for Mr. Gutsy models), or a pincer (on Mr. Handy models). The Mr. Handy series was a common "butler bot" before the war, and even after it many have been put into service in the wasteland, or continue to follow prior commands. Mr. Gutsy was the military model and programmed with a sense of bravado that could fit well in a Sentrybot.

Level 3 (TN 9)

• 1 Armor, 12 health, Short Movement
• Can attack close with a saw for 4 damage, with a flamer for 4 damage in a cone extending to immediate range (Speed defense save for half damage), and Mr. Gutsy can attack with an in-built SMG to medium range for 6 damage. 
• Self Destruct Mode: As described above, this will engage if all three arms are disabled.
• Loot: mostly crafting components, though a Mr. Gutsy may yield some ammunition
• Use: The Mister series will fulfill programming for as long as they are operational. They can be found guarding homes and military installations or convoys, or re-purposed to protect raider bases or wasteland settlements.

SentryBot

The SentryBot is unarguably the most dangerous robotic remnant of the pre-war world. These massive robots are heavily armed and armored, with powerful dual fusion cores to run whatever weapons they need. Equipped with a variety of armaments these dangerous robots are nearly always found guarding pristine military weapon caches.

Level 5 (TN 15)

• Armor 3, Health 20, Short Movement
• Integrated weapon systems: SentryBots always have two in-built weapon systems, and can attack two targets a turn. Often these are a pair of mini-guns dealing 8 damage each, but variants may include laser or plasma weapons, missile launchers, or flamers. 
• Self Destruct Mode: As described above, this will engage if both arms are disabled. In addition a SentryBot will ALWAYS explode when destroyed. Stand back please.
• Loot: Aside from fusion cores needed to power power armor, the wrecks of SentryBots often contain ammunition, and salvageable crafting materials. 
• Use: SentryBots can be found protecting old world military assets.

Image Source: http://4mindzapper.deviantart.com/art/Fallout-3-Protectron-344847016

Protectron

The Protectron series of civil defense bots saw a great deal of variation in the pre-war years. With models purpose-built for police, medical, construction, and fire-fighting use as well as the standard guard models. Protectrons are robust but their clumsy and slow movement make them less of a threat than their peers.

Level 2 (TN 6)

• Armor 1, Health 12, Immediate Movement
• Standard models feature a short range laser (damage 3), while police and medical models have stunners built into their hands (melee attacks deal additional 2 points of speed damage that bypasses armor). All other models rely on simple melee attacks (2 damage).
• Self Destruct Mode: As described above, this will engage if both arms are disabled.
• Loot: Usually just scrap.
• Use: Occasionally found wandering, following a prior command, many can be found still in their charging cradles in police stations, firehouses, hospitals, and construction yards.

Assaultron

The close runner up to the SentryBot in terms of threat level and pant-browning ability. The Assaultron was built to be a fast and devastatingly effective front line melee fighter. They are easily the fastest and most nimble of robots and employ savage melee attacks. Most models also feature a powerful laser for medium range attacks on fleeing targets or during a charge.

Level 4 (TN 12)

• Armor 2, Health 14, Long Movement
• Close attacks as level 5 dealing 6 damage
• Head Laser: Medium range, 5 damage, can only be used every 3rd round
• Self Destruct Mode: As described above, this will engage if both arms are disabled.
• Loot: Usually just scrap
• Use: Much like SentryBots, Assaultron often guard military assets. In addition some are found in the wasteland on search and destroy missions; unfortunately they no longer recognize any targets are friendly.

Image Source: http://4mindzapper.deviantart.com/art/Fallout-3-Eyebot-342844690

Eyebot

Small floating orbs that feature a loudspeaker, these robots are used to spread information, or propaganda. Eyebots are armed with a light laser, and feature very little armor.

Level 2 (TN 6)

• Short Movement
• Light laser does 3 damage to medium range
• No self destruct: Eyebots lack an internal nuclear engine and do not have self destruct capability.
• Loot: Scrap and the occasional fusion charge for laser weapons
• Use: Encountered throughout the wasteland loudly proclaiming something from their speaker-grille.

Image Source: http://maxpaynt.deviantart.com/art/Fallout-Sniper-Farsight-543818584

Crafting

An important part of life in the wasteland is the ability to salvage waste and turn it into something useful. Characters with the right skills can formulate drugs, upgrade weapons, and build settlements. GMs are advised to be careful just what they allow players to build normally. Drugs and explosives should follow the usual rules for building cyphers. Weapon upgrades should be limited to small increases in attack (a +1, +2, or perhaps a full asset), extending range, or changing the weapon class (light to medium to heavy). For players who want to be able to craft a full gamut of objects armor and weapons I suggest that those characters should look at the "Crafts Unique Objects" focus (CSR pg 116).

Sample Drugs

A small selection of additional Cyphers in the form of pre- and post-war drugs

• Mentats
• Level 1d6; Provides 2 assets to all science/technology based activities for a number of turns equal to its level
• Grape Mentats
• Level 1d6; Provides 2 assets on all interaction activities for a number of rounds equal to its level
• Jet
• Level 1d4; Provides an asset on all combat tasks for a number of rounds equal to its level. Imposes a 1 level difficulty on all tasks for the round after it wears off (unless another dose is taken, which will compound the eventual crash)
• MedX
• Level 1d6+4; Provides +1 armor for a number of rounds equal to its level

See also:

• Part 1 - Rules and Characters
• Part 3 - 'Bots

Nuts & Bolts #58 - Atom Bomb Baby! Fallout 4 Cypher Edition (part 2)

Image Source: http://markuzr.deviantart.com/art/Courage-Today-Victory-Tomorrow-171019357

"War. War never ... Holy god what is that ARRRGGHH!!!"

Yeah. War "never changes" but the combatants do. So let's take a look at the things trying to eat your face. Since the Cypher System is so easy to "roll up" NPCs and creatures for I can it the high points and move onward without needing to dive deep for each line item. If a stat isn't given, it is calculated normally based on the Cypher System rules. All entries here are for a "normal" member of the species. In many cases there are tougher versions that look very similar which can be made easily by increasing the level and corresponding attributes.

Oh, and if you missed last week you can find it here.

Deathclaws

Deathclaws are basically your standard genetic chimera mutated through elevated background radiation levels. Nothing special really. Oh, and they are the most badass killer in the wasteland. Basically just always, always, avoid these guys.

Always.

Level 8 (TN 24)

• Motivation: As predators deathclaws attack creatures for food or for invading their territory. 
• 2 Armor, Speed Defence to 7 due to size, Short Movement
• Armor Rending Claws: Deathclaw claws not only deal impressive damage, but they can also bypass up to 2 points of armor. 
• Loot: Generally very little aside from meat which can be made into steaks that grant a +1 Might Edge for melee damage only for an hour after eating.
• Use: Deathclaws can be used to ambush characters in the wasteland or by having quest objectives exist within a deathclaw lair. 

Radroaches

What is there to say about Radroaches? They are everywhere, and while they are seldom a threat individually the certainly can prove a danger in groups. Radroaches are most dangerous for the radioactivity in their bite attacks that can weaken and eventually overwhelm even the most hardy of wastelanders.

Level 2 (TN 6)

• Motivation: Scavengers looking for food.
• 1 Armor, Immediate Movement, can cling to walls and ceilings with ease.
• Radioactive: Every attack from a radroach will deal 1 point of radiation damage even if the physical damage is negated by armor. 
• Increase attack to level 3 when attacking from above. 
• Loot: Radroach flesh can be cooked for sustenance. They tend to be found in ruins where items of value may be located
• Use: Radroaches infest ruins and also find their way into settlements as they look for easy sources of food. A single radroach is little more than an annoyance, but a swarm can become a threat.

Radscorpions

If radroaches are radioactive annoyances radscorpions are radioactive nightmares. Heavily armored with deadly virilous poison that is also radioactive these giant insects are one of the wasteland's top tier predators.

Level 6 (TN 18)

• Motivation: Insectile predator looking for a meal
• 5 Armor, Short movement, can burrow and travel underground
• Radioactive: All attacks from a radscorpion deal 1 radiation damage in addition to normal damage.
• Deadly Venom: A quick attack with the radscorpion's tail deals normal physical and radiation damage. Injection of venom requires a level 7 might defense roll. Failure deals 5 points of Speed Damage and 2 additional radiation. Success deals only 2 radiation damage.
• Ambush: A burrowed radscorpion can pop up from under the ground and ambush prey increasing the difficulty of its attack by 1 level.
• Loot: Radscorpion tails contain their venom sacs which can be harvested to use the poison on weapons or by certain people to craft various drugs with. Some wastelanders also eat radscorpion meat and eggs which have been known to provide a slight resistance to energy based attacks for an hour after consumption (+1 armor for energy only).
• Use: Radscorpions are solitary predators who can be encountered in almost any part of the wasteland. 

Mole Rats

What do you get when you take an annoyance like radroaches and give them the ability to burrow and ambush? You get mole rats, which are really annoying. Thankfully they also taste great! Probably. 

Level 3 (TN 9)

• Motivation: Scavengers looking for food.
• 0 Armor, Immediate Movement, can burrow and travel underground
• Radioactive: All attacks from a mole rat deal 1 radiation damage in addition to normal damage.
• Ambush: A burrowed mole rat can pop up from under the ground and ambush prey increasing the difficulty of its attack by 1 level. They often do this in groups leading to terrifying encounters.
• Loot: Mole rat flesh can be cooked for sustenance which also grants a slight resistance to radiation (+1 armor for radiation) for an hour after eating.
• Use: Mole rats mostly attack creatures that enter or near their lairs.

Image Source: http://www.deviantart.com/art/Fallout-3-431023344

Super Mutants

Supermutants are the result of the Forced Evolutionary Virus (or FEV for short) on humans. They are big, strong, tough, and often times dumb. They are also dangerous as heck. Probably second only to Deathclaws on an average basis. These are a good mid to late game menace as they scale well with individuals varying from "standard" to "brutes," "masters," and eventually "behemoths" that are progressively larger and more dangerous.

Level 5 to 9 (TN 15 to 27)

• Motivation: Supermutants want to convert other people into supermutants by exposure to FEV. Also they have been known to make a meal out of ... anything it seems. 
• 0-2 Armor depending, Short movement
• Loot: Supermutants may use nearly any kind of weapon, from basic pistols and rifles to super sledges and Fat Man Launchers.
• Use: Supermutants are sterile and reproduce by capturing humans to subject to the FEV. Supermutants also often take over key locations. 

Feral Ghouls

Feral Ghouls are the result of ghoul degeneration as a result of excessive post-ghoulification radiation exposure. The continued exposure to radiation slowly rots a ghouls brain until eventually they are reduced to an almost animalistic state commonly known as feral ghouls.

Level 3 (TN 9)

• Motivation: Mindless ferals that attack any non-ghouls.
• 0 Armor, Immediate Movement, 
• Radioactive: All attacks from a feral ghoul deal 1 radiation damage in addition to normal damage.
• Blitz: Feral ghouls can make a short range movement at the start of a combat and immediately attack thereafter. The round following a blitz they are prone and cannot attack as they must stand up. 
• Loot: Feral ghouls often carry random bits of their former life. From ammo to teddy bears.
• Use: Feral ghouls can be found most anywhere and attack any non-ghouls they encounter. They are seldom found alone, and are often found in packs of three to six.

Synths

Synths are androids. The oldest are crude and look more or less robotic, while the most advanced are bio-machines that are nearly indistinguishable from human. Appearance aside they are essentially human-like opponents, capable of wielding any of a variety of weapons and wearing armor. Instead of providing stats I suggest that you use the various NPC options in Chapter 17 of the Cypher System Rulebook with a single modification. I would add a point of armor on top of any they have to reflect the more robust nature of their artificial construction.

Mirelurks

Mirelurks are heavily mutated crabs. They are heavily armored, but slow. The

Level 4 (TN 12)

• Motivation: Predator looking for a meal
• 15 Health, 3 Armor, Short movement, can burrow (but not travel underground)
• Radioactive: All attacks from a radscorpion deal 1 radiation damage in addition to normal damage.
• Loot: Mirelurks rarely carry any notable goods but mirelurk meat and eggs are a good source of nutrition and have been known to contain trace amounts of stimulants that can grant +1 Speed edge for an hour after consumption.
• Use: Mirelurks are quasi-communal predators who can be encountered near bodies of water, often protecting clutches of eggs buried in mud or sand.

Glowing Enemies

Glowing enemies come in many shapes and sizes; from the mildly alarming (at least after the first one) Glowing Radroach, to the downright pant-browning Glowing Deathclaw (seriously Fallout 4, that was not cool). Glowing enemies show up among normal members of Ghouls, Deathclaws, Mole Rats, Radroaches, Mirelurks, and possibly Radscorpions (I haven't seen one yet, but I expect it's only a matter of time). Glowing enemies add the following to their normal template:

• Increase level by 1
• Increase Health by 6 points
• Add the Radioactive trait or increase the damage of the Radioactive trait to 2 points of radioactive damage

Image Source: http://samyangart.deviantart.com/art/Wasteland-Vault-Girl-566064555

Alternates Rules for Radiation Damage

My friend +Jeremy Land suggested a couple of other ways to deal with radiation damage. I think both are even more dangerous, but they are cool so I'm including them here. All credit goes to him on these two methods:

• Instead of reducing a single Pool's maximum by 1 (i.e. Might, followed by Speed, then Intellect), reduce each Pool's maximum by 1 per point of radiation damage.
• Marc's Thoughts: This is obviously way more threatening, and may actually be better, but as GM you'd also need to make sure to provide more RadAway and/or more opportunities to use medical treatment to remove radiation to compensate.
• Or, another way to do it is to add a Radiation score: Once it reaches your lowest Pool's maximum, you're always impaired; once it reaches your middle Pool's maximum, you're always debilitated; and once it reaches your highest Pool's maximum, you're dead.
• Marc's Thoughts: This is fairly similar to the above, but with a little less bookkeeping. It's also very deadly, but maybe that isn't a bad thing. As above radiation removal would need to be more carefully doled out to avoid this being too deadly.

Next week I'm going to tackle 'bots and a few stragglers and odd-balls. In addition I can address any questions or comments that may come up to this or last week's post.

See also:

• Part 1 - Rules and Characters
• Part 2 - Creatures of the Wastelands

Nuts & Bolts #57 - Atom Bomb Baby! Fallout 4 Cypher Edition (part 1)

Image Source: http://heavymetalhanzo.deviantart.com/art/Fallout-Power-Armor-Helmet-544733060

"War. War never changes ...."

I've finally sated my bloodlust for Fallout 4 enough to come up for air, and I decided to celebrate by delving into Fallout ... What? It makes perfect sense!

Anyways ... Fallout is one of those video game franchises that has lasted for a good many years (nearly 20!) and managed to do so without any major missteps (though that will certainly generate an argument from somebody). While some are decrying the lack of true RPG options in Fallout 4, with the game being more shooter-y and less "I can solve this any way I like" the fact is that not only is it more Fallout, it's also Fallout set in Boston! (And seriously, there are a lot of options for talking stuff out if you have a good Charisma, but don't expect to avoid shooting stuff with a Charisma below like 6.)

I don't know if I'll have the time to get a chance to actually play a tabletop RPG set in the Fallout 'verse, but that's not going to stop me from laying the bricks... and since I can choose what bricks to lay I am building my Fallout TTRPG hack from Cypher System bricks...

Oh and since I'm feeling very much in a Fallout 4 mood this'll be geared toward the Commonwealth more so than say, the Capital wasteland, or the Mojave.

New Rules

I mostly hate doing this, but sometimes you just need to add stuff to make things work. In this case Radiation needs some specific rules beyond what are built into the Cypher System Rulebook (henceforth CSR), and I want to address specific concerns over weaponry and Power Armor.

• Radiation - In prior Fallout 4 radiation sucks. Like it really really sucks, and it is something to genuinely be afraid of and have a real desire to get rid of. To model the crappy as heck radiation damage use the following rules.
• Radioactive attacks (such as those from feral ghouls, radroaches, and other wasteland creatures) do their normal damage and also reduce the character's might pool by 1 point. This reduction lasts until treated with Radaway (see cyphers), or by a medical professional with the appropriate equipment (a level 5 task that requires a medical suite).
• Exposure to radiation from environmental sources removes 1-5 (typically) pool points from Might per scene, modified by any leaded armor, or RadX. 
• GM Intrusions may also create environmental radiation sources that do instant damage (e.g. mini-nukes, exploding nuclear cars, and the like)
• Radiation damage beyond a target's Might capacity will decrease Speed and then Intellect as normal. Each pool reduced to Zero by radiation requires a Might Defense check of level 4+[Number of pools at Zero], failure means the loss of additional pool points equal to the difficulty of the check. Characters who succeed may chose to become Ghouls and replace their current descriptor with the Ghoulish descriptor.

• Power Armor - Power Armor consists of three separate items of note: Power Frames, Fusion Cores, and Armor Sections. Each of these 
• Power Frames - The power frame is the skeleton that supports the rest of the armor and contains the motive systems. Frames require a Fusion Core to run. When powered with a fusion core a power frame will generate the following bonuses:
• +3 Might Edge for lifting and carrying objects and damage on melee attacks
• Inability on Speed Defense tests
• Fusion Cores - Fusion cores are the small but potent power source that makes Power Armor function. Cores are treated as artifacts that can activate a Power Frame. When a core is new it rolls for depletion on a 1 in d20. If the core continues to be functional it then rolls for depletion on a 1 in d10, after that if the core remains functional it rolls depletion as a 1 in d6 until the GM determines the core is depleted via a GM Intrusion.
• Armor Segments - I'm simplifying armor segments greatly because Cypher System is a fairly narrative game and I already feel bad about the stuff I am bolting onto it. Simply put each section of armor (left arm, right arm, helmet, chest, left leg and right leg) each provide +1 armor for a total possible 6 Armor. This armor has no penalty beyond that of the penalty imposed by a Power Frame.

• Weapons
• Laser Weapons
• Laser Pistols are a Medium Range, Light weapon
• Laser Rifles are Long Range, Medium Weapons
• Laser Sniper Rifles increase their range to 300 feet
• Gatling Lasers are Medium Range, Heavy Weapons with Rapid-fire
• Plasma Weapons
• Plasma Pistols are a Medium Range, Medium weapon
• Plasma Rifles are Long Range, Heavy Weapons
• Plasma Sniper Rifles increase their range to 300 feet
• Gatling Plasma Weapons are Medium Range, Heavy Weapons with Rapid-fire
• Gatling Plasma weapons inflict 8 points of damage per attack instead of the normal 6 for a heavy weapon
• The Syringer
• Medium Range (long for sniper modded)
• Treat as a Light Weapon but it deals no base damage
• Ammunition can be loaded with disease or poison to affect the target
• Effort for "damage" increases the level of the Might Defense 
• Fat Man Launcher
• Can launch Mini-Nukes (see Post-War Cyphers) up to long range 
• Junk Jet
• Heavy Weapon with a short range 
• Can fire any object as ammunition

Post-War Cyphers

• Radaway 
• Level 1d6; restores 1 point of Radiation damage per level of the cypher when used
• RadX
• Level 1d6; provides 1 armor for radiation only per level of the cypher for 1 hour
• Nuka-Cola Quantum
• Level 1d6; restores one pool to full, and provides an asset on all tasks for a number rounds equal to the cypher level
• Bottle-cap Mines
• Level 1d6+4, deals its level in damage to all targets in short range
• After being set, Bottle-cap Mines explode when an enemy comes within immediate range of them
• Mini-Nukes
• Level 10; deals 10 damage to all targets within medium range
• Can be thrown up to short range (see also Fat Man Launcher)

Image Source: http://whatpayne.deviantart.com/art/Nuka-Cola-Quantum-Poster-171021934

Types

Cypher System types are your archetypal role. They fill in the character's "core proficiency" where their descriptors will provide some "attitude" and their focus provides their unique "skills."

• Warrior
• Warrior is a good fit for most any of your soldier type characters. These could be raiders, Brotherhood of Steel Knights, or even just really belligerent vault dwellers.
• Explorer
• Fallout is as much about exploration as anything else, and so the Explorer could easily be the heart and soul generalist of the game. 
• Speaker
• Fallout has always used the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. system (more on that later), and some have always been inclined to invest heavily in Charisma. Speaker is the type for you if you would rather talk your way out of raider camps and run convoys between the wasteland's many settlements.
• Why no Adepts?
• Fallout has a long history of characters with powers that verge on ESP and more. These are fairly rare however, and have never been available for PCs in my memory. It feels to me like these should stay out of the hands of PCs as a result. GMs other than myself are free to "unlock" Adepts for their players if they want to embrace the weirdest parts of the wasteland as PC options.
• Flavors
• Any of the flavors aside from magic would be a good fit in a Fallout game as well. The freeform nature of character building in Fallout lends itself to people making stealth flavored speakers or skill flavored warriors. 

Image Source: http://heavymetalhanzo.deviantart.com/art/The-Adventures-of-Vault-Boy-and-Dogmeat-571208841

Descriptors

I said above that Descriptors are kind of like a character's "attitude." They color the way the character interacts with the world and their history. The following list covers probably 90-95% of those in the CSR as there were really only a few that didn't fit the game as I see it. I'm not going to comment on all of these, but I may note some apt connections.

• Appealing
• Brash
• Calm (probably a Vault dweller or Brotherhood scribe)
• Charming
• Clever
• Clumsy
• Craven
• Creative
• Cruel
• Dishonorable
• Doomed
• Driven
• Empathic
• Exiled
• Fast
• Foolish
• Graceful
• Guarded
• Hardy
• Hideous
• Honorable
• Impulsive
• Inquisitive
• Intelligent
• Jovial
• Kind
• Learned
• Lucky
• Mysterious (the Fallout New Vegas courier perhaps?)
• Naive
• Perceptive
• Resilient
• Rugged
• Sharp-Eyed
• Skeptical
• Spiritual (Cult of Atom perhaps)
• Stealthy
• Strong
• Strong-Willed
• Swift
• Tongue-Tied
• Tough
• Vengeful
• Virtuous

In addition I'd like to do something that prior Fallout games have not: allow Ghoul player characters!

Ghoulish

• Resilient: You gain +4 to your Might pool.

• Hideous: Your skin has fallen off leaving you with a grotesque appearance. You have an inability with all pleasant social tasks.

• Extended Lifespan: Ghouls have radically extended lifespans. They stop aging at the point they become ghouls and do not age. You can only die from damage, and gain training in all Might defense tasks.

• Radiation Resistant: You don't take damage from radiation normally. Instead of the normal rules for radiation damage you heal an amount of Might and/or Speed points equal to the radiation damage. Each time you are exposed to radiation do also lose one Intellect point (can be recovered normally).  

• Feral Tendencies: Any time your Intellect pool is reduced to zero you must make a Level 4 Might defense roll. If this reduction is caused by radiation the difficulty increases to Level 6. If you fail this roll you permanently lose points of Intellect equal to the difficulty of the check. If this loss reduces your Intellect pool to Zero you become a feral ghoul. 

Foci

• All Backgrounds
• Defends the Weak
• Crafts Unique Objects
• Entertains
• Fights Dirty
• Fights With Panache
• Leads
• Is Licensed to Carry
• Looks for Trouble
• Masters Defense
• Masters Weaponry
• Metes Out Justice
• Murders
• Needs No Weapon
• Never Says Die
• Performs Feats of Strength
• Solves Mysteries
• Stands Like a Bastion
• Throws With Deadly Accuracy
• Wields Two Weapons at Once
• Works the Back Alleys
• Wastelander
• Carries a Quiver (may be considered apocryphal)
• Controls Beasts
• Explores Dark Places
• Explores Deep Waters
• Hunts With Great Skill
• Lives in the Wilderness
• Slays Monsters (wasteland beasts like Yao Guai & Deathclaws)
• Brotherhood of Steel
• Battles Robots/Synths
• Conducts Weird Science
• Hunts Nonhumans/Ghouls
• Slays Monsters (wasteland beasts like Yao Guai & Deathclaws)
• The Institute
• Builds Robots
• Conducts Weird Science
• Fuses Flesh and Steel (Synth)
• Fuses Mind and Machine (Synth)

That's it for now, and should get most cypher GMs going easily enough using the NPCs provided in Chapter 17 of the CSR as raiders, wastelanders, and the like. I plan to do a second post next week detailing some of the wastelands more infamous creatures, such as mirelurks, supermutants, deathclaws, and the like. 

Meanwhile how did I do? Anything you would do different? Anything I missed that I should add? Let me know in the comments.

See also:

• Part 2 - Creatures of the Wastelands
• Part 3 - 'Bots

Story Seed - Disappointment

Image Source: http://przemek-duda.deviantart.com/art/Symbiont-World-The-Descent-527512593

Beth felt it start, but couldn't do anything to stop it. The ladder slid and she went with it, riding it down before throwing herself away from it. She landed hard and slid a few feet on the rough weathered surface before she came to a stop. The echoes of the accident faded away, and were replaced by a heavy silence that gave way only for the steady far-off drip of water somewhere in the dark depths below.

Beth lay sprawled out, hugging the surface of some old floor or wall that now lay fallen, propped up at a steep angle. She hurt, but not so great that she feared anything was broken. Finally, and slowly, she rolled to her side, and then to her back.

Above, the sky was visible, like some kind of portal to another world, through the ragged hole Beth had descended through. Light poured down through the hole and showed that this ancient place was one of steel and synthetic stone. Everything here was blunted by water wear, and covered by creeping vegetation. Her ladder was the only thing visible that was free of the tangled vines and creeping lichens.

Beth sat up with a groan and fumbled into her pack for the drone she carried. The small sphere lit up at her touch, and when cast out it took to the air and began to pass a lighted scanning beam around the area. Beth watched as the data began to come up on the control unit. No power, no animal life, no indication of edibles. This ruin was unlikely to yield anything of value. She sighed heavily and looked at the fallen ladder and then to the ragged portal and the sky beyond.

As if in sympathy her stomach gave an irritable growl.

Story Seed - Life From Death

Image Source: http://simonfetscher.deviantart.com/art/Forgotten-Sphere-486971784

The remains of the city were quiet. The only sounds came from the whistling of the wind through the canyon streets as it blew across the broken windows of the buildings. Those buildings, their broken facades grinning like skulls or slumping into the streets in defeat, were a potential source for all manner of pre-war tech. A lucky scav might find a working domestibot, or a high capacity fuel cell that still functioned. Far more common were the bits and pieces of broken tech that could be salvaged. A good techsmith could turn junk in any number of useful items, and they were always in need of parts.

Kcal lifted the small EMF scanner and flipped the toggle. There was a low hum as the green display brightened, showing distance rings around a central bright dot. She waved the device about for a few minutes, but got no response. With a click she snapped the toggle back down to conserve power. With no active power sources in the area she wasn't going to score any functional tech, but she also wouldn't need to worry about any warbots left over from the Scorch. She hoisted her pack up onto her shoulders and looked to the intersection ahead. She could move down either of the side streets, or continue down this main avenue.

Kcal made her choice and started forward, picking her way around the larger pieces of rubble and debris, and keeping her eyes roving and her ears alert for trouble. The crunching of her boots was quiet, and could only barely be heard above the sound of the wind. She turned left and started down a wide street littered with the metal hulks of burned out autos. Their metal had the tell tale twisted and melted look of a plasma bomb. Some part of the back of her mind thought they looked like wax. Thankfully the plasma weaponry didn't leave any bones, so she didn't need to see the dead. Up ahead she could see an open space to the right, a plaza of some kind she thought and she made her way towards it. The plaza would make for a good base point to search from.

As she got closer Kcal could see that the plaza was broken, the sythstone cracked and buckled from some long ago impact. Curious she hurried forward hoping to find a downed combat drone, or possibly even an aerial fighter. Instead, as Kcal entered the plaza she was confronted with a large sphere partially embedded into the broken synthstone. It looked like an undetonated plasma bomb, probably dropped at the same time as the others that had slagged the street and the autos. Atop the crumpled weapon a tree grew out of the broken casing, its roots twining around and into the weapon and down into the earth between the cracked paving. All around the object short grasses grew, healthier and more vibrant here than elsewhere in the city or beyond.