This is a site for discussing roleplaying games. Have fun doing so, but there is one major rule: do not discuss political issues that aren't directly and uniquely related to the subject of the thread and about gaming. While this site is dedicated to free speech, the following will not be tolerated: devolving a thread into unrelated political discussion, sockpuppeting (using multiple and/or bogus accounts), disrupting topics without contributing to them, and posting images that could get someone fired in the workplace (an external link is OK, but clearly mark it as Not Safe For Work, or NSFW). If you receive a warning, please take it seriously and either move on to another topic or steer the discussion back to its original RPG-related theme.

Author Topic: Post-Apocalyptic Cowboys of the Wastelands  (Read 3371 times)

HappyDaze

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • H
  • Posts: 5337
Re: Post-Apocalyptic Cowboys of the Wastelands
« Reply #15 on: August 03, 2022, 05:28:38 PM »
Your title made me think of Fallout, but then I say you don't want lasers and power armor. Still, the Fallout attitude can fit even without the retro-future tech.

GeekyBugle

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7402
  • Now even more Toxic
Re: Post-Apocalyptic Cowboys of the Wastelands
« Reply #16 on: August 03, 2022, 05:39:53 PM »
Your title made me think of Fallout, but then I say you don't want lasers and power armor. Still, the Fallout attitude can fit even without the retro-future tech.

Well, in what little lore I have so far, the starting town was created/populated by preppers so I guess yes.
Quote from: Rhedyn

Here is why this forum tends to be so stupid. Many people here think Joe Biden is "The Left", when he is actually Far Right and every US republican is just an idiot.

“During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.”

― George Orwell

SHARK

  • The Great Shark Hope
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5045
Re: Post-Apocalyptic Cowboys of the Wastelands
« Reply #17 on: August 03, 2022, 06:16:19 PM »
I understand that it is fairly common for folks down there abouts to walk outside into their backyard, hoping to go swimming in their pool, and they often encounter Alligators swimming in their pool! *Laughing* Or the Alligators are lounging about poolside, sunning themselves.

LOL I can assure you that it's not "common" to find gators in Florida swimming pools. Canals and lakes (which are everywhere), that's another story!

One other thing to note, the crocodiles in Florida are actually larger and much more dangerous, but not nearly as numerous.

Greetings!

*Laughing* Nice, Zalman! I like Alligators. Crocodiles, you say? I thought...crocodiles were not native animals to the US though? WTF have those Nature books been telling me!!!?? ;D

Zalman, have you eaten Alligator?

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK
"It is the Marine Corps that will strip away the façade so easily confused with self. It is the Corps that will offer the pain needed to buy the truth. And at last, each will own the privilege of looking inside himself  to discover what truly resides there. Comfort is an illusion. A false security b

SHARK

  • The Great Shark Hope
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5045
Re: Post-Apocalyptic Cowboys of the Wastelands
« Reply #18 on: August 03, 2022, 06:19:10 PM »
Greetings!

The biggest Lizard in the US? Probably the Ghila Monster, a pretty thick-limbed, and foul-tempered creature that lives in the South-Western United States. There may be some as well in the deserts of California.

Other than that, well, there are the ferocious Alligators! They live in the South-Eastern United States--Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida. Pretty much in the swamps and marshes. They can get very large--and they like to eat people, too. ;D

I understand that it is fairly common for folks down there abouts to walk outside into their backyard, hoping to go swimming in their pool, and they often encounter Alligators swimming in their pool! *Laughing* Or the Alligators are lounging about poolside, sunning themselves.

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

Greetings hermano! Good to see you back! (Now if we could only get Pat back too).

LOL gators and crocks aren't lizards.

As far as I know (and I'm no expert) the bigest lizard (if they are that) in the continent would be the Iguana. Anyhow I might go for lizard men or maybe not. Who knows at this point?

Greetings!

Thank you, Hermano!

Yes, Alligators and Crocodiles are not lizards. I like them, though.

Iguanas. I forgot, how big do Iguanas get?

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK
"It is the Marine Corps that will strip away the façade so easily confused with self. It is the Corps that will offer the pain needed to buy the truth. And at last, each will own the privilege of looking inside himself  to discover what truly resides there. Comfort is an illusion. A false security b

GeekyBugle

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7402
  • Now even more Toxic
Re: Post-Apocalyptic Cowboys of the Wastelands
« Reply #19 on: August 03, 2022, 06:57:05 PM »
Greetings!

The biggest Lizard in the US? Probably the Ghila Monster, a pretty thick-limbed, and foul-tempered creature that lives in the South-Western United States. There may be some as well in the deserts of California.

Other than that, well, there are the ferocious Alligators! They live in the South-Eastern United States--Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida. Pretty much in the swamps and marshes. They can get very large--and they like to eat people, too. ;D

I understand that it is fairly common for folks down there abouts to walk outside into their backyard, hoping to go swimming in their pool, and they often encounter Alligators swimming in their pool! *Laughing* Or the Alligators are lounging about poolside, sunning themselves.

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

Greetings hermano! Good to see you back! (Now if we could only get Pat back too).

LOL gators and crocks aren't lizards.

As far as I know (and I'm no expert) the bigest lizard (if they are that) in the continent would be the Iguana. Anyhow I might go for lizard men or maybe not. Who knows at this point?

Greetings!

Thank you, Hermano!

Yes, Alligators and Crocodiles are not lizards. I like them, though.

Iguanas. I forgot, how big do Iguanas get?

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

Not counting the tail about 42 cm around 17 inches. Tasty critters too, you should try them in salsa verde. Gator is tasty too.

I know, how about catmen? there's plenty of medium size cats in the continent, maybe an Ocelote? We could call them tabaxi!  ;D
Quote from: Rhedyn

Here is why this forum tends to be so stupid. Many people here think Joe Biden is "The Left", when he is actually Far Right and every US republican is just an idiot.

“During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.”

― George Orwell

Effete

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 666
Re: Post-Apocalyptic Cowboys of the Wastelands
« Reply #20 on: August 03, 2022, 08:34:50 PM »
Crocodiles, you say? I thought...crocodiles were not native animals to the US though? WTF have those Nature books been telling me!!!?? ;D

Yup! The United States is the only country in the world where both crocs and gators are indiginous.

My grandmother lived in Florida and we would visit as kids every couple years or so. There was a pond near her house with a walking path around it. Gators would sun themselves on the warm concrete often. They were fairly docile too. As long as you didn't get closer than 15 feet or so, they'd just mind their own business.

Effete

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 666
Re: Post-Apocalyptic Cowboys of the Wastelands
« Reply #21 on: August 03, 2022, 08:42:17 PM »
I know, how about catmen? there's plenty of medium size cats in the continent, maybe an Ocelote? We could call them tabaxi!  ;D

What tone are you going for?
Because once you start adding anthropomorphic animals, I think that introduces a healthy degree of camp.

Tubesock Army
BANNED

  • Banned For Doxxing
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • ?
  • Posts: 534
Re: Post-Apocalyptic Cowboys of the Wastelands
« Reply #22 on: August 03, 2022, 08:50:20 PM »
Mutant Bastards, a Gamma World clone/restatement, is a sort of post-apoc western.

GeekyBugle

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7402
  • Now even more Toxic
Re: Post-Apocalyptic Cowboys of the Wastelands
« Reply #23 on: August 03, 2022, 09:11:01 PM »
I know, how about catmen? there's plenty of medium size cats in the continent, maybe an Ocelote? We could call them tabaxi!  ;D

What tone are you going for?
Because once you start adding anthropomorphic animals, I think that introduces a healthy degree of camp.

No, not anthros, elevated animals, very different. But I'm jocking, I'll stick to the four races I already mentioned plus Freaks (roll for random mutation). At least for now.
Quote from: Rhedyn

Here is why this forum tends to be so stupid. Many people here think Joe Biden is "The Left", when he is actually Far Right and every US republican is just an idiot.

“During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.”

― George Orwell

VisionStorm

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2184
Re: Post-Apocalyptic Cowboys of the Wastelands
« Reply #24 on: August 03, 2022, 11:57:50 PM »
Cowboys of the Wastelands has a nice ring to it (don't know if taken). I picture a guy with a cowboy hat and a wastelander jacket riding a lowrider through a Mad Max wasteland.

Races
Not bad ideas, but no random mutations race? Also Elevated Lizards might go better with a wasteland desert theme (particularly if this is set in the Americas, where there are no apes), but apes could could work too if they're some sort of escaped pre-cataclysm genetic experiments that managed to thrive in the wild.

Classes
Lacks warrior classes. If Raider = Tomb Raiders (as in exploring pre-cataclysm ruins for goods) a term like Scavenger might work best. "Raider" tends to be used for ruthless wasteland warriors in post-apocalyptic fiction.

A "wastelander" class might be good just to throw that term out there. Might work as another term for "hunter" or "wasteland ranger/survival specialist". Or might be a more general warrior class.
Random mutations, as a PC? could be, since I guess there's still mutants being born, yes, I like it.

What's the biggest lizard in the US? I'm not going for a substitute for halflings. I figure there's enough chimps in your Zoos as to have them mutated by whatever, escape and then multiply over 200 years.

I figured the Drifter would be the warrior, kinda western but it's not gunslinger.
Scavenger... Yes, I like it.
Wastelander... Could be, instead of Drifter, and it's the warrior class.
Hunter because I am trying to avoid the Brave because it's not really a NA tribesman.

Ah, I figured that Drifters would be more like scoundrels or rogue types. They could work as warriors too, I suppose, but more like warrior-rogues, since the term has outlaw connotations. Or you could just change the name to Wastelander, like you mentioned, and phase them out, or use the word "drifter" more as a descriptive term rather than a class.

Having gunslingers would be nice too, if you're going for a western feel, but maybe you wanna keep the classes tight instead of going overboard. "Gun-slinging" could just be a skill.

Also, if you decide to just stick to the four races as character races, you might wanna consider the lizard men or other mutated creatures idea for antagonists. The wasteland is not just gonna mutate humans alone, after all. You could have giant crocodiles at the toxic swamplands, overgrown bearded lizards that shoot venom from dozens of yards away, psionic coyotes that can confuse their victims with their howls and cause them to hallucinate, etc. There could be a lotta stuff you could work with if you're going for a mutating wasteland that can warp creatures into newer breeds.

GeekyBugle

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7402
  • Now even more Toxic
Re: Post-Apocalyptic Cowboys of the Wastelands
« Reply #25 on: August 04, 2022, 12:44:55 AM »
Cowboys of the Wastelands has a nice ring to it (don't know if taken). I picture a guy with a cowboy hat and a wastelander jacket riding a lowrider through a Mad Max wasteland.

Races
Not bad ideas, but no random mutations race? Also Elevated Lizards might go better with a wasteland desert theme (particularly if this is set in the Americas, where there are no apes), but apes could could work too if they're some sort of escaped pre-cataclysm genetic experiments that managed to thrive in the wild.

Classes
Lacks warrior classes. If Raider = Tomb Raiders (as in exploring pre-cataclysm ruins for goods) a term like Scavenger might work best. "Raider" tends to be used for ruthless wasteland warriors in post-apocalyptic fiction.

A "wastelander" class might be good just to throw that term out there. Might work as another term for "hunter" or "wasteland ranger/survival specialist". Or might be a more general warrior class.
Random mutations, as a PC? could be, since I guess there's still mutants being born, yes, I like it.

What's the biggest lizard in the US? I'm not going for a substitute for halflings. I figure there's enough chimps in your Zoos as to have them mutated by whatever, escape and then multiply over 200 years.

I figured the Drifter would be the warrior, kinda western but it's not gunslinger.
Scavenger... Yes, I like it.
Wastelander... Could be, instead of Drifter, and it's the warrior class.
Hunter because I am trying to avoid the Brave because it's not really a NA tribesman.

Ah, I figured that Drifters would be more like scoundrels or rogue types. They could work as warriors too, I suppose, but more like warrior-rogues, since the term has outlaw connotations. Or you could just change the name to Wastelander, like you mentioned, and phase them out, or use the word "drifter" more as a descriptive term rather than a class.

Having gunslingers would be nice too, if you're going for a western feel, but maybe you wanna keep the classes tight instead of going overboard. "Gun-slinging" could just be a skill.

Also, if you decide to just stick to the four races as character races, you might wanna consider the lizard men or other mutated creatures idea for antagonists. The wasteland is not just gonna mutate humans alone, after all. You could have giant crocodiles at the toxic swamplands, overgrown bearded lizards that shoot venom from dozens of yards away, psionic coyotes that can confuse their victims with their howls and cause them to hallucinate, etc. There could be a lotta stuff you could work with if you're going for a mutating wasteland that can warp creatures into newer breeds.

I was thinking that gunslinging would be a skill yes.

Other mutants as monsters was part of the plan.

I'm thinking of the monetary system, coins or paper bills would have no value so bullets? I mean no one is manufacturing them in bulk so I think it's a natural for an exchange medium. Thoughts?
Quote from: Rhedyn

Here is why this forum tends to be so stupid. Many people here think Joe Biden is "The Left", when he is actually Far Right and every US republican is just an idiot.

“During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.”

― George Orwell

Effete

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 666
Re: Post-Apocalyptic Cowboys of the Wastelands
« Reply #26 on: August 04, 2022, 01:31:08 AM »
I'm thinking of the monetary system, coins or paper bills would have no value so bullets? I mean no one is manufacturing them in bulk so I think it's a natural for an exchange medium. Thoughts?

Anything but bottlecaps. ;)

With the collapse of banking, there'd be no real purpose (or support structure) for a "currency." Things would devolve back into a barter economy. My suggestion would be, in place of a particular, set currency, characters collect "scrap." Scrap represents anything that has value and can be sold, but players (and GMs) don't need to go through the hassle of describing exactly what their scrap is. So it works exactly like a currency (in game terms), but is still nebulous as far as what it actually is.

A bonus to this approach is, if you're using Hero Points or something similar, you can have a rule where by spending those points, characters can turn their "scrap" into an actual item. So let's say a character finds an old machine that needs a new fuse (value 20). The wastelander has 60 scrap, so he spends a Hero point or two and turns 20 scrap into a fuse. He now has 40 scrap left over.

Wisithir

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • W
  • Posts: 229
Re: Post-Apocalyptic Cowboys of the Wastelands
« Reply #27 on: August 04, 2022, 01:36:28 AM »
I'm thinking of the monetary system, coins or paper bills would have no value so bullets? I mean no one is manufacturing them in bulk so I think it's a natural for an exchange medium. Thoughts?
Ammo as currency was done Metro.

Realistically, ammo does not keep that well, just look at how badly poorly stored surplus ammo behaves in real life. Firearms probably reverted to cap and ball or flintlocks in areas where percussion cap tech is too advanced.

Effete

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 666
Re: Post-Apocalyptic Cowboys of the Wastelands
« Reply #28 on: August 04, 2022, 02:32:01 AM »
Realistically, ammo does not keep that well, just look at how badly poorly stored surplus ammo behaves in real life. Firearms probably reverted to cap and ball or flintlocks in areas where percussion cap tech is too advanced.

Yeah, I'd imagine breach-loaded pipeguns would become far more common than pistols, revolvers, or god-forbid, automatics.

Wisithir

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • W
  • Posts: 229
Re: Post-Apocalyptic Cowboys of the Wastelands
« Reply #29 on: August 04, 2022, 03:19:11 AM »
With the collapse of banking, there'd be no real purpose (or support structure) for a "currency." Things would devolve back into a barter economy.
A store of value is incredibly useful as it allows incremental transactions and does not require both participants have goods on hand to make an exchange. I imagine local community promissory note or scrip/chits would be developed quickly and would have distance based deprecation if exchanged externally.  Conversely, some company script might be incredibly valuable because of the commodities that could be bought with it, regardless of distance.

From a historical standpoint, I would speculate that refined metals and spices or flavorings would valuable commodities in lower redeveloped areas.

Yeah, I'd imagine breach-loaded pipeguns would become far more common than pistols, revolvers, or god-forbid, automatics.
Automatics are actually simpler than wheel guns, but are sensitive to ammunition and do not handle black powder fowling for long. Matchlock blunderbusses will definitely make a comeback too.