| Designer(s) | Paul Hume, Robert N. Charrette |
|---|---|
| Publisher(s) | Fantasy Games Unlimited |
| Publication date | 1981 |
| Genre(s) | Post-apocalyptic fiction |
| System(s) | Custom |
Aftermath! is a role-playing game created by Paul Hume & Robert Charette which was published in 1981 by Fantasy Games Unlimited.
It is set in a post-apocalyptic world in which the characters typically have to fight for food, water, basic supplies and shelter. The rules are reasonably complex and include many flow charts and tables to enable the Games Master to simulate the world. This leads to a very immersive gaming experience. However, it does require a good knowledge of the rules to play.
The nature of the Apocalypse is up to the Games Master but it is often reminiscent of the Mad Max films. There is even an expansion (Aftermath! Magic!) to play in a universe dominated by dragons in the style of the film Reign of Fire.
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While it undoubtedly adds a richness and depth to the game lacking in others, the sheer detail involved really cannot be overstated. One fan commented on a forum... "I've heard legends about early games like Aftermath, which were said to cause bleeding from the eyes due to the sheer complexity of their rules".
The game designers responsible can be found in the credits list below (see External links).
Characters are rated on a set of 6 stats – Wit, Will, Strength, Deftness, Speed, and Health. These are rated as follows:
Characters also have a set of talents – Charismatic, Combative, Communicative, Esthetic, Mechanical, Natural, and Scientific. These talents govern the progress in skills, and can be used in a pinch as a “Natural Talent” instead of a skill.
Aftermath! is a true skill based system, with no “levels” to artificially balance gameplay. A character has a set of skills that define the tasks that they are proficient in. Skills are rated on a skillscore, which is converted to a D20 roll (BCS) for convenience. If the D20 is under the BCS, then the skill test succeeds.
The combat system is a tiered system. You only resolve the combat to the level of detail needed for the encounter.
A basic attack is roll to hit (D20). If the target is an “extra” there’s no need to even roll for damage. An average attack (for a player attacking) is roll to hit (D20), and then roll for damage. A detailed attack is roll to hit (D20), roll for hit location (D100), then roll for damage. A personality attack (or an attack against the PC) is roll to hit (D20) roll for location(d100) roll for damage, and resolve any special effects as needed.
Damage dice are based on the mechanism causing the damage. If it’s a muscle powered or melee weapon, it’s based on the character’s strength. Firearms are based on the Muzzle Energy of the projectile. Simply put – if a character has a strength of 20, then they do a base of 1d10 damage with melee weapons. A 7.62NATO rifle has a BDG of 27 (2700fp of muzzle energy) for 3D10+3 damage.
Skill advancement is based on attempting a task “Under Duress”. A check is made against the governing talent, and if successful, the skill used advances by 1%.
Damage is rated against a character’s DRT (based on Health, Strength, and Willpower). If more damage is done than the Character’s Shock Factor (based on Health) in a single attack, then they may succumb to shock.
Timing in the game is based on Combat Turns with Action Phases. Each activity takes a number of actions by the character, which take a number of action phases to complete based on their Speed and Deftness.
Most everything the player needs to know to play the game is summarized on their character sheet.
A number of add-on scenario and campaign books were published. Because of the detailed rules, it was possible to build extremely detailed and believable worlds around actual places, such as Sydney University, where for example every room in the University was modeled with lengthy descriptions of items in each room, and maps based on actual university blueprints.
The game attained cult status rapidly and is still very much alive and well, mainly in the hands of enthusiasts. There seems to be a lot of interest on French websites.