Fallout: The Savage Wasteland

Game Master thegreenteagamer

Okay, so in talking a little online about the Fallout conversion for Savage Worlds I've been running, I got Rynjin excited to play in it as a PBP. The last PBP I tried to get in as a player fell apart, so I figured I'd test the waters here since this isn't really Pathfinder at all, which is popular here, and see if I did this if I'd actually get interested people.

Crunch - I have been working on a conversion for about...well off and on two years, but with long breaks, so probably six months of work. I've converted most Perks to Edges, converted almost every item, almost every chem, almost everything from every game that isn't part 4, since that hasn't come out yet. I've also added shields (since why wouldn't you take a police riot shield or a trashcan lid or such if you have a free hand), and I feel the SW rules will add a few nice twists to Fallout, like dual wielding or whatnot. My document I about 90 pages so far, but that counts the Bestiary and GM notes for my home game I'm running, so the portion I'd have you guys use. This game wouldn't be until I have my wife PDF it up all nice, so I can host it on my own site for credit so someone doesn't steal all my work (not to pat my back but this is seriously in depth). So...yeah...thus the interest check and not recruitment yet.

Flavor: the game would take place in Florida, and would be a sandbox style. The players would all be exiles from Vault 2, in Miami (which was hit HARD by the nukes). This vault like so many had a flaw: this vault's flaw was a lack of birth control anywhere...no education, no materials, and no videos or data files with any information on it. After the vault hit capacity, the Overseer's solution was to calculate the number of people born in a year, subtract those who have died, and exile that amount of people from the vault by pure lottery. This is how the players are thrust into the wasteland. Further, every year those making the drop are chosen at random as well, and drop locations are never in the same year twice, all to prevent people from finding their way back to the vault (which would he difficult in any case; exiles are suited in a radiation suit on the way out because Miami is still pretty dense with the rads, and are left with no gear when they reach the drop point. After all, that's precious supplies the dwellers remaining could use!)

My thoughts are to have the actions of both the RL and the PbP group affect the world, and possibly have to deal with the results of each other's actions...but that may be hard to pull off due to time differentials.

What's happened in Florida in the Fallout universe, you ask? I won't tell it all, but...

Daytona has become a deathrace colliseum, where slaves are forced to race mad max style psycho fusion powered vehicles in a Mario kart on crack style entertainment for the masses.

Saint Augustine is a good three feet underwater, as are most coastal regions, and oversized gators with petrified scales roam the waters, but there is treasure to be found in its buildings, or so they say.

Tampa has become a Tortuga-like pirate's haven, with no law, and five gangs living in uneasy harmony having agreed to a peace treaty. They align for ourside threats, but otherwise keep their distance. Anything and everything can be found on their black market, but you might get stabbed on your way there.

Orlando is a haven for feral ghouls, a collection of ruins and rubble, but in its center lies Kingdom. Did you know below Disney lies a secret city connecting all of its parks? A few people know that, but fewer still know that in the future it becomes a Vault-City like example of safety and technology. Still, non-citizens have to pay outrageous ticket prices for entry, and so a shanty town has sprung up outside of its gates.

Jacksonville? Mutants in NAS Jax and Brotherhood scouring Mayport for weaponry. Usually the Brotherhood keeps to their base doen south in Kennedy Space Center, though, where they've set up a makeshift base as they siphon it for tech.

...And much more. I just thought I'd give you an idea, though. Oh, and don't go near the everglades if you value your life. I warned you.

Old friends include Deathclaws, Geckos, variant Cazadores, Geckos, Ghouls, Centaurs, and more! I have finished just about everything but tunnelers. New friends include the Palmetto Radroaches, Janus Panthers, Boomer Frogs, and other Florida wildlife gone Fallout style!

Anyway, yeah so...if you like the idea, let me know, and I'll try and hurry with the PDF to this. It's all on a giant Word file atm.

I loved fallout, i'll see if i can come up with something

As mentioned, I'm super in.

Interested!

If I can get some time on the weekend I'll see if I can get the edges and hindrances section here. There's only two new hindrances for humans, but there's a LOT of new edges based on perks, like LadyKiller/ConfirmedBachelor/ChezLeFemme/Black widow (pick a gender - get +1 charisma with that gender and +1 damage; only works with humans) or the higher level stuff, like Mysterious Stranger or Miss Fortune (summon an extra that levels with you by spending a Benny; extra disappears immediately after combat; requires the Luck edge).

Considering you start with almost no gear, and I can feed you stats of items as you find them....I might be able to start with just the edges and hindrances posted, I suppose...If i get enough interest.

Darn you Fallout obsession. You push me ever forward.

I'd be running off the Deluxe Explorer's edition of Savage Worlds, and the only forbidden core rules would be magic related, for world reasons, and noble, rich, and filthy rich, for this particular campaign's reasons. Also no Wanted hindrances, as nobody in the waste knows who you are yet.

Yes, I converted implants from parts 1, 2, and NV (and added a handful of my own). They're not cheap, and only a handful of places can install them (Kingdom might be a good start) but yeah, the cyborg route is an option.

I think I forgot to mention, the major changes are Investigate is not a skill anymore, Science IS a skill (smarts linked), and Shooting has been split into Guns (agility), Energy Weapons (smarts) and Explosives (strength). Throwing is not a skill anymore - use fighting for throwing spears, daggers, etc, and use Explosives for throwing grenades, molotov cocktails, etc. Just simpler given how few throwing weapons there are. Finally, tracking is folded into survival instead of remaining it's own skill.

Rule-wise, the rest remains, even the things that seem contrary to traditional Fallout games. Never climbed? Yeah, I thought that was stupid with all the canyons in Zion valley. Never drove? You must not have played Fallout 2. Never boated? Again, stupid, considering all the water in Fallout 3...And this IS Florida, and swamps...well.... Pilot? Who am I to say you can't steal a vertibird? Well...the Overseer (GM) but I did say this is sandbox, so it could happen.

If there's anything I forgot or any questions you need answered, I will be bored at work with two breaks and a lunch to reply, so feel free.

Before anyone asks, yes, I have Super Mutants and Ghouls, and no you can't start as one. They're not balanced, especially Super Mutants. And frankly I don't want to deal with a group of Murderhobos, which Super Mutants would become, as they start with Wanted and Ugly as hindrances, and most humans KoS them. Maybe you might get dipped if you're caught by [REDACTED], the new threat out of [major city not mentioned], though. I haven't ruled that out.

So yeah, ask if you want.

Dot me up...

Okay, highly interested. I've been in love with the Fallout universe since I first played 3, I've played all the games, including Brotherhood briefly, so I'm highly interested in this. I've only played one SW game, still in it, so I'm still learning the rules, but if this goes through, count on my submission.

Huh.

Where can I find the basic Savage Worlds rules?

I'm interested, never played Savage Worlds but I love me some Fallout!

Where can I find the basic Savage Worlds rules?

Not for free, legally, anywhere. The core book is like ten bucks for the physical copy, so I can't imagine the PDF costs much. There's also a wiki or two with some basic info out there if you Google hard enough. It's not OGL, so you won't find any SRD.

I'll be using the Deluxe Explorers Edition (not deluxe edition, not explorer's edition, Deluxe Explorer's edition...Yes those are two older editions and yes it was stupid to name it such).

Again, I've added a few things and changes a few things as stated above, but Savage Worlds is generic enough where it won't be a problem. Older editions are extremely similar to newer ones if that's all you find, with newer ones changing weapon damage a little and adding a few new edges, removing the guts skill for a spirit roll, and changing the car chase rules but it's otherwise the same.

Oh and if you're wondering, power fists, deathclaw gauntlets, and other unarmed weapons function as modifiers for your unarmed damage, so the brawler and martial arts and other edges are not worthless. Hey, there could have been old karate vids in the vault!

Yes, I added the Paralyzing Palm and Ninja perks as edges, but they're pretty high level...

Very interested, so count me in.

Oh and if you're wondering, power fists, deathclaw gauntlets, and other unarmed weapons function as modifiers for your unarmed damage, so the brawler and martial arts and other edges are not worthless. Hey, there could have been old karate vids in the vault!

Yes, I added the Paralyzing Palm and Ninja perks as edges, but they're pretty high level...

Sweet. My favorite characters in New Vegas were Unarmed/Explosives based (yeah, they were all crazy mofos. Thump-Thump to open, Deathclaw Gauntlet/Saturnite Fist/Whatever to finish).

Dual wielding those is a thing, too.

Or any one handed weapon, really.

I'd be interested, probably as a tech specialist.

I'm interested, but I have a couple questions.

1. Does the explosives (strength) skill cover making them? Or will we use repair (smarts)?

2. What skill would one use if they wanted to use bows or crossbows?

This sounds really cool so far. And well done combining survival and tracking. It drives me crazy that those are 2 different skills.

Oh, and I double-checked but SWD and SWDE have the same content. The only difference is that they were formatted for different paper sizes.

Hey, Look, I made a GM alias for this. It's almost like I'm taking it seriously! (:-D) (I'm getting a little psyched that I've actually got people interested...I didn't think SW would be popular around these parts.)

I'm interested, but I have a couple questions.

1. Does the explosives (strength) skill cover making them? Or will we use repair (smarts)?

2. What skill would one use if they wanted to use bows or crossbows?

This sounds really cool so far. And well done combining survival and tracking. It drives me crazy that those are 2 different skills.

Oh, and I double-checked but SWD and SWDE have the same content. The only difference is that they were formatted for different paper sizes.

1. I hadn't thought of that. It does make it kind of weird to be linked to Strength if you consider it as part of making and disarming of explosives. I had simply thought of the fact that all explosives were either thrown or in big-ol' two-handed weapons, like the missle launcher or the grenade machinegun.

I am thinking making weapons of any kind, from scratch, would probably be Repair or Science, for the firing mechanism or the explosive, respectfully. Like, throwing a Molotov Cocktail together would be a Science roll, probably at +1 or +2, since they're relatively well known.

2. Bows and Crossbows and the like would use Guns. Basically, my flavor-text for why energy weapons uses Smarts and Guns uses agility as that Energy Weapons require precise calibrations and have auto-stabilizers to help you aim or compensate for your bad aim if you know how to program them right, where a gun is just aim and pull the trigger. (Mainly it's because by removing two Smarts-based skills in Investigate and Tracking, I had to make it up with Science and Energy Weapons to keep Smarts relevant...also, in the videogames they go off Perception, and Notice is a Smarts-based skill.)

Yeah, I thought not using Survival for Tracking was pretty stupid...given this is the post-apocalypse I might have made Survival a little TOO valuable by folding all that in.

I didn't know the Deluxe Edition was the same thing. Are you SURE? Because I think that's the edition that still uses the old flat-bonus weaponry instead of the variable dice weaponry for melee (i.e. Strength +2 instead of Strength+d6, which can ace/explode), and penalties to attack rolls instead of caps on damage. Basically, I know the newest edition uses "Way of the Brave" from Deadlands as the new standard for melee damage...and I like that, because it makes melee a LOT more deadly in comparison. I know Explorer's edition has the new weapons, but not a bunch of edges from various settings, like Martial Arts, Assassin, Brawler, etc... I KNOW the Deluxe Explorer's edition has all of that.

Looks like I've got about 8 people who said they're interested.

It might be time to convert this to an actual recruitment. While I've played in a handful of PbPs, I haven't GM'd before, so please, bear with me when this goes down. I've GM'd a lot of live games, but I'm sure the difference is substantial.

RJ, I know you're in, 'cause you were the ONLY person in that last PBP that was with me hounding the GM and the other players to get started, and I know you're crazy into PBP, and I've already looked over your rep for running...what, like 9 at a time? Yeah, you're good.

Everyone else, here's the deal: I'm going to try to be as active as possible. I can guarantee a post a day from me responding to everyone's actions throughout the day. I can, if it's a slow day at work or a weekend where I'm not running errands or such, probably do more than that. It is very likely that that will be the case most days, BUT I do not want to guarantee that ahead of time and then fall short and have you disappointed, so I want to warn you of that...but I am 99.9999% sure I can always give a mega-post at the end of the day to sum up for everyone.

So, if you're still interested, and you want to move to full-on recruitment, give me a few things:

1. Your knowledge of the Fallout universe. (Personally, I've played all but Tactics and BoS, BUT I have made reading the Fallout Wiki a habit, and so I am quite familiar with a lot of the stuff in them.) I have NOT preordered Fallout 4, so my knowledge of that will basically be what I see when I'm at my friend's house playing or watching him play...or what's on the Wiki when I check it. It's cool if you're not mega-familiar, because you guy ARE Vault Dwellers, after all, so your character might not know what the heck a Deathclaw is, for example.

2. Your knowledge of Florida. It's cool if you don't know this. Again, you're from vaults, and frankly, a lot of stuff changed. This is just for my reference when I point out "Oh, it's about 30 miles east of Ocala" or whatnot.

3. Your PBP history/experience. Newbies are cool, but I might ask for tips from experienced folks.

4. Your experience with Savage Worlds. Kind of important, but not a deal breaker. I'm already doing a new thing here, I don't want to teach the rules too much.

5. Your character concept - mechanics/what you want him to do.

6. A brief story. A paragraph or two is enough. We can build your personality and stuff as we go. I don't need to read a novel and then feel bad if I choose someone else over you.

I'm gonna pick 4-6 of you, for simplicity's sake, and I apologize in advance to anyone I can't get.

I'll probably drop off some Novice level edges and the two new hindrances here around my lunch break. Gotta run.

1. I have played Fallout some, but not for a vast amount of time. Still have Fallout 3 for the P/S/3, but have moved on to P/S/4 for the most part. Do plan on getting Fallout 4.

2. Have lived in Florida since 1995, and travel it extensively for work... so I know it very well.

3. I have almost 10,000 PbP posts on these boards, and have run a couple of short lived Savage Worlds games on these boards... (Just don't have time to run the way my players deserve).

4. Know SW very well. Have run it multiple times in Tabletop, and both ran and played it on these boards. In fact I'm playing in a SF one on the boards right now.

5. I'm still up in the air with concept. Don't really have a concept I'm dying to play. I guess maybe a real athletic character. Good at fighting, climbing stuff like that... and tough... real tough.

6. I'll work up a background, once I'm more clear on the concept, but briefly this is the guy who is always picked first in any athletic endeavors during youth activities.

1. Your knowledge of the Fallout universe. I've played all the games extensively...like hundreds of hours into each one including Fallout 1 (and Wasteland 1 & 2)

2. Your knowledge of Florida. I'm from Louisiana, but one of my better friends lives in Orlando (and works at Disneyland) so my knowledge of Florida is I'd say above average

3. Your PBP history/experience. I've been on the boards about 4 years, I've run games for nearly 3. I have two long running games still going, one is a homebrew/module based game in Falcon's Hollow, the other is an Iron Gods game with the same group. The FH game has nearly 8k posts, the IG game has about 5k posts.

4. Your experience with Savage Worlds. 0, never played it but I'm a quick learner and I'll pick up the PDF's if I need to

5. Your character concept - mechanics/what you want him to do. My favorite Fallout characters are always the techy Mr. Fixit sorts (which is why I'm pumped about the weapon building in F4). I'd like to make a character that is all about fixing tech and using tech. He can supplement as the party "Doctor" also. If there will be that sort of thing.

6. A brief story. Hmm. I don't know enough about the story background but I'm thinking the character would be a tinker/scientist type that is kinda geeky and an introvert. He was "cast out" of his Vault because he tinkered with the wrong thing and angered the Overseer

1) I'm pretty familiar with Fallout, played 1-3 + New Vegas & Tactics. Played the first 2 to completion at least twice each, have studied the wiki a lil bit.
2) little to none-knowledge of Florida specifically, never even been to the US.
3) Some experience, but never had a game pan out long term, some of which may be down to me as i had a long break from boards due to some issues with depression. In theory my lingering issues are mostly resolved now though.
4) Have played SW in tabletop, though haven't played it extensively.
5) Tech Specialist, Energy Weapons, computers, mechanics expert.
6)
Daughter of the Overseer and one of the senior doctors, given the best opportunities of the vault to learn and advance and relishing the opportunity to dig into the Vault's computers and other tech Irena managed to patch up systems that should have failed from overuse years ago. All were surprised when her name was picked in the lottery, most assumed the overseer wouldn't even put his own family in there, but there it was. Pride wouldn't even allow either her or her father to try and back out of it.
Irena is arrogant in her abilities with machines, and has an inflated sense of self worth, though she is willing to accept help from others. Despite a general lack of social skills, she expects to be treated as leader of the "expedition"

NB: Can adjust character if there are conflicts, as I'm happy to fill out gaps in the party.

Here's a few brief snippets from my conversion that will be useful for character generation:

Hindrances (new)

The following hindrances are available in addition to the standard hindrances in the core Savage Worlds book. Any of the originals can still be taken, however, and none of the following are required.

Chem Resistant (Major): The character’s metabolism doesn't react to chemicals very well. For a chem to have any effect, the hero has to make a Vigor check

Fast Metabolism (Minor): The character’s metabolic rate is twice normal, which causes him/her to be less resistant to poison and radiation, but heal faster. -1 penalty to Rad Resistance checks and to
Vigor checks when afflicted by poison; +1 to natural healing checks.

Edges (new)

The following Edges are available in addition to the standard edges in the core Savage Worlds book. Most of the originals can still be taken (see the “Removed Edges” section), however, and none of the following are required.

Novice Edges

Adrenaline Rush (Vigor d8): Get a bonus to damage rolls with fighting weapons equal to the number of wounds you're suffering.

Black Widow/Lady Killer/Confirmed Bachelor/Cherchez La Femme: Pick a gender; receive +1 damage versus humans of that gender; also receive +2 to charisma with human members of that gender if they are attracted to members of your gender. All four edges are mutually exclusive.

Cannibal (Vigor d6): May eat human flesh to gain a soak roll on a preexisting wound, even after the golden hour has passed. Requires a full meal from a fresh body. Will result in -4 charisma if discovered and possibly aggression from those who witness.

Child at Heart (Charisma 0+): +4 charisma when dealing with children

Entomologist (Smarts d6; Science d6): +1d6 damage to mutated insects with any attacks.

Flower Child (Vigor d6; Spirit d8): +2 to chem addiction checks, withdrawal time is halved

Heave, Ho! (Strength d8; Fighting d6 or Explosives d6): Double range of thrown weapons that you have at least d6 skill in.

Hunter (Survival d6): +1d6 damage versus animals and mutated animals.

In Shining Armor (Repair d4; Science d8): Metal or power armor you wear gains an additional +2 armor versus lasers.

Light Touch (Agility d8): When wearing light armor (armor that has no pace penalty) or no armor, you get +1 damage on raises with your attacks, and enemies get -1 damage on their damage with raises against you. Regular hits are unaffected.

Rad Child (Vigor d8): +2 to vigor rolls when resisting Radiation effects

Snakeater (Vigor d6): +2 to vigor rolls when resisting Poison effects

Removed Edges
(Basically, if it involves magic or power points, it's out. Also, money-based traits, for this particular campaign's purposes, but they could work in the setting in general.)
- Adept
- Arcane Background (any)
- Arcane Resistance /Imp. Arcane Resistance
- Champion
- Gadgeteer
- Holy/Unholy Warrior
- Mentalist
- New Power
- Noble
- Power Points
- Power Surge
- Rapid Recharge / Imp. Rapid Recharge
- Rich/Filthy Rich
- Soul Drain
- Wizard

Some stuff you might not see there (Run and Gun, for example) are a bit more powerful on Savage Worlds than Fallout the way I made them, and are a bit higher level.

There is further stuff added, but given that you are only Novice to start, and will be without equipment to begin* (probably...I'll get to that when I choose a group), equipment isn't necessary, and I can show you the higher level stuff when you get closer to it. Should anyone get turned into a Ghoul or Super Mutant I'll share the stuff for their races at that point.

The only other thing you should know is that Radiation is a third path towards incapacitate, similar to Wounds and Fatigue, and much like how Wounds and Fatigue stack with one another for penalties but not for determining if you are incapacitated, Radiation stacks with both for penalties but not determining if you are incapacitated.

Chem Addiction is resisted with Spirit with a modifier depending on the Chem. IF you start with a chem addiction in character creation with the Habit Hindrance whether major or minor, then you are mentally addicted to that Chem, not necessarily physically, and a doctor cannot cure you (though you can buy off hindrances with leveling up through the usual rules).

1) I've played Fallout 1-3, New Vegas, and BoS, though only 3 and NV to completion.

2) No real knowledge of Florida, only been once several years ago.

3) Been playing PbP for most of the year, though I've played live games for several years now.

4) Only played one SW game, and I'm still in it. Still learning the rules but I think it's going well.

5) My concept is a very animal-oriented person, easily taming the various creatures that find their way into the Vault. It was just shear dumb bad luck that (s)he got kicked out. Taking the Animal Friend edge as soon as I can.

6) Will have a better background when actual recruitment comes around.

Can't get all the details on my phone right now, but Animal Friend requires Beast Master, is a Seasoned edge, and makes your pet from Beast Master a wild card (with no bennies of his own) in addition to the animals help you benefit, since Beast Master kinda does half that part.

Alright, got my answers down and I'm still excited to play.

Incidentally, for those of you who have played Savage Worlds on a Play By Post basis, how have you handled initiative?

I don't want to do agility rolls, because it eliminates the awesomeness of pulling a Joker and getting that +2 to everything.

I guess I could do 1d54, with 53 or 54 being jokers, and the Quick trait allowing rerolls of 1-16, being the same ratio as playing cards...

I just kept a deck of cards... and had a digital one on my phone, and drew, and told the players where they acted.

1. I would say that I’m moderately familiar with the Fallout universe. I’ve played through Fallout 1, 2, 3 and New Vegas (none of the add ons though).

2. I guess I know about as much as the average non-american knows about Florida. I know where it is, some cities but I know little about the culture, politics of Florida, etc.

3. I started lurking some PbP threads around mars/april of 2010. Liked what I saw and joined my first game in september. Since then I’ve joined up in a few more, most of which ended because the GM stopped posting. I did drop two myself (because I grew disillusioned with Pathfinder) but only at the end of an adventure with an appropriate time for the character to disappear.

I’m currently active in 2 PbPs (both on this forum). One is a Savage Tide game played in Pathfinder that started in october 2011 and the other is a Dungeon World game that started this august.

4. Savage Worlds is my favorite system but the people I game with prefer DnD and the likes, so I rarely get to try it. I have a good grasp of the rules, although could be abit rusty.

5. I didn’t give much thought about this. I just saw the words “Fallout” and “Savage worlds” and immedietly thought “wow!”. My first thought was some kind of medic/doctor (although kind of low end). Second thought was someone evolving into a gun slinger type with duster, hat and all. Perhaps the two things can be combined?

6. Going with the medic angle my character would have been an med student to the vault doctor, pinned to take over once the doctor retired. As such he was assured that he would be exempt from the lottery draw. Guess the doctor lied. My character doesn’t know why the doctor went back on his word.

I didn't know the Deluxe Edition was the same thing. Are you SURE?

As Loup confirmed the Deluxe Edition is the latest set of rules (which includes the die modifier for dmg) in print. The Deluxe Explorer’s Edition is the same rules but in the popular “Explorer Edition” format. I don’t think there has been any major rules changes since the Deluxe Edition except for the new shaken rules (overcoming shaken and being able to act on the same round doesn’t need a raise any more, a normal success will do).

Incidentally, for those of you who have played Savage Worlds on a Play By Post basis, how have you handled initiative?

When I tried to run a SW PbP on this forum I just used a standard card deck and drew from there. Initiative in SW is basically the same as you’re handed a card, you don’t roll anything. And if the player’s don’t trust you handling initiative then there’s a bigger problem which die rolling isn’t going to fix (also a die roll will keep hitting cards that should already have been used, so you won't come any closer to a joker as a normal initiative draw does).

Yeah, honestly, I'd agree that just drawing from a deck, whether IRL on online, is the best option. Solves all the potential issues, and I think we can all trust you to do that.

The medic/scientist theme seems pretty popular. I think that's the third one I saw.

Totally the opposite of my real life group (we play tonight) where there's one medic type among four players (a musclebound dude who "only wants to get his hands on a minigun", a wannabee cowboy, gunslinger, and a daredevil bomber type with lots of vehicle skills). The scientist medic type said he wants to become transhuman and end up a floating brain in a jar like the guys in Old World Blues.

Just a funny observation in the difference in mentality. I love noticing the differences.

1. Your knowledge of the Fallout universe. (Personally, I've played all but Tactics and BoS, BUT I have made reading the Fallout Wiki a habit, and so I am quite familiar with a lot of the stuff in them.) I have NOT preordered Fallout 4, so my knowledge of that will basically be what I see when I'm at my friend's house playing or watching him play...or what's on the Wiki when I check it. It's cool if you're not mega-familiar, because you guy ARE Vault Dwellers, after all, so your character might not know what the heck a Deathclaw is, for example.

I have played Fallout 3 and New Vegas and all its DLC extensively. I played about half of Fallout 1 before I dropped it for some reason and never got back around to picking it back up. I've read a bunch of stuff (most prominently the Timeline) on the wiki, so am generally familiar with the lore.

2. Your knowledge of Florida. It's cool if you don't know this. Again, you're from vaults, and frankly, a lot of stuff changed. This is just for my reference when I point out "Oh, it's about 30 miles east of Ocala" or whatnot.

I have lived in Florida my whole life, primarily near Tallahassee. Currently living just outside of Orlando.

3. Your PBP history/experience. Newbies are cool, but I might ask for tips from experienced folks.

I have done more Play by Posting than I have real-time games, first picking it up after the original group that got me into TRPGs collapsed. I am currently in 10 games, and running three, though that number is slightly misleading since it looks like 4 of the 10 are dead, and a couple of the rest move VEEEEEERY slowly.

4. Your experience with Savage Worlds. Kind of important, but not a deal breaker. I'm already doing a new thing here, I don't want to teach the rules too much.

Absolutely zero. I'm going to need to get my hands on one of the books and read it over.

5. Your character concept - mechanics/what you want him to do.

6. A brief story. A paragraph or two is enough. We can build your personality and stuff as we go. I don't need to read a novel and then feel bad if I choose someone else over you.

These are sort of tied together.

As I said, I like Unarmed and Explosives using characters in the games. Other weapons (particularly Shotguns) are fun as well, but I like punching robots to death and making things go boom the most.

I would like my character to be an engineer, whether as his assigned job or as a hobby in his spare time. Maybe one of the guys who keeps the reactor running and does tweaks on equipment (like the guy at the start of FO3 that fixes up your Pip-Boy). Maybe he found some old holodisks of boxing matches or something and picked up on how to use Ye Ode Fisticuffs.

1. Your knowledge of the Fallout universe. (Personally, I've played all but Tactics and BoS, BUT I have made reading the Fallout Wiki a habit, and so I am quite familiar with a lot of the stuff in them.) I have NOT preordered Fallout 4, so my knowledge of that will basically be what I see when I'm at my friend's house playing or watching him play...or what's on the Wiki when I check it. It's cool if you're not mega-familiar, because you guy ARE Vault Dwellers, after all, so your character might not know what the heck a Deathclaw is, for example.

I've played Fallout 3 and New Vegas. And most of the DLC. Couldn't quite bring myself to play Mothership Zeta. I'm actually pretty well versed in most of the lore because I became addicted to Shoddycast's "Fallout Lore: The Storyteller" series. You can find it on YouTube. I can't recommend it enough.

2. Your knowledge of Florida. It's cool if you don't know this. Again, you're from vaults, and frankly, a lot of stuff changed. This is just for my reference when I point out "Oh, it's about 30 miles east of Ocala" or whatnot.

The last time I was in Florida, I was 8 years old and going to Disney. I guess that doesn't count. I do have some idea where things are, since I have some family members down there.

3. Your PBP history/experience. Newbies are cool, but I might ask for tips from experienced folks.

I've been posting here for just over two years now. Even ran a savage worlds game here, that I sadly had to let go, because my life suddenly get very intensely busy at one point. Things have cooled down since then, thankfully.

4. Your experience with Savage Worlds. Kind of important, but not a deal breaker. I'm already doing a new thing here, I don't want to teach the rules too much.

I just DMed a one shot East Texas University game on Halloween. My group loved it so much, they want to put it on schedule for a regular campaign.

SW has become my group's default generic system. We've used it for Star Wars and Elder Scrolls. And I played in a Russian Front Weird War 2 game as well. Love that, by the way.

I've also been in a couple PBP SW games here on the board, including Patrik Ström's Conan game.

5. Your character concept - mechanics/what you want him to do.

I'm thinking of a low level security guy. An intimidating brawny dude with some survival, guns and explosives. A sweet guy, but willing to hurt someone who hurts his group.

6. A brief story. A paragraph or two is enough. We can build your personality and stuff as we go. I don't need to read a novel and then feel bad if I choose someone else over you.

You train for it, just in case, because you know it's possible. It keeps you up sometimes. But deep down, you never think it'll be you. Mostly you just hope it's not someone you care about.

So when someone gets hauled off to the vault doors - sometimes crying, sometimes stoic - and it's not someone you really know. You just swallow that queasy feeling, because mostly what you feel is relief.

You listen to the Overseer make that same damned speech about "sacrifice", "the good of the many" and how we'll "never forgot." And we know it's a lie. And we know the exiled know it's a lie, too. But you comfort yourself by thinking, "Hey, at least they got a shot. Maybe they'll make it work out there."

As if "out there" only needed a stimpack and shot of med-x to get fixed back up again.

I've watched it hit them from up close. Watched them realize their world has changed forever. It always shakes me how they take it. The ones that cry are never who you expect. I've never been to the drop point. But I've escorted folks to the vault doors three times.

And I've thrown up. Every. Damned. Time.

I wonder, when it's me, will I cry?

I think I can make a decision by tomorrow and be ready to start by Saturday if those selected have a character by then.

I've sent most of you some follow up questions in PM. If you have any further questions feel free to drop them here if you feel the answers would benefit the group, or in PM if you wanna keep it hush hush, whatever.

Ha, you're not making it easy for me to choose with some of the responses in my messages!

Anyway, it has been pointed out to me that I didn't say the date.

I don't have my notes with me, and I'll double check the exact date when I get home, but it was about 10-20 years after the events of New Vegas, (I went with the "Independent New Vegas" ending as it leads to the least change in the world...but NCR and the Courier did drive Caesar a bit further east to keep a safe buffer zone) which if I recall the timeline correctly, makes this about 30 years +/- after part 3.

That'd make this the year 2303 as I recall (Fallout 3 was 2277 I think).

Fallout 3 was 2277, yeah. Fallout New Vegas was 2281, if I remember right. So somewhere around 2300 sounds about right.

As I mentioned in a PM to our wonderful Overseer, my character concept at this point is someone who's actually gotten some survival experience from being in the escort party a couple times: he's seen the outside and taken groups to the drop points in the past. Now that he's been unfortunately ejected from the Vault, he sees it as his job to help keep the others alive, as well as a challenge to try and stay alive in the Wasteland.

New Vegas was only 4 years later? I thought it was a bit more. Lemme check.

...Huh. Yep, seems so. Thought it was a "rounder" number.

Apparently Fallout 4 takes place in 2287, if that's a consideration.

Here's the crunch for my character concept Mickey Rios. He is -- or was -- a Vault Security Officer. He's escorted a few to the doors, but has never actually been outside before. He's a big, tough lovable guy, who just wants to make sure his group makes it. I wouldn't call the guy a meathead, but let's just say he did less than stellar on the G.O.A.T.

I took Chem Resistant for a hindrance because I assume that includes stimpacks and med-x. And that feels kind of like activating Hardcore mode to me.

Here's my idea of Spaulding Dunn. He's the all american boy. Tall, Fair and Handsome. Only 16 and quiet naive, but everyone likes him. His mates were saddened, and all the teen girls heartbroken, but Spaulding just shrugs and takes it in stride. After all it's an adventure, and a chance to see what's out there. Plus, he wouldn't wish this on anyone else...

As long as there aren't too many spiders and scorpions, and wasps... and...

Crunch

Hmmm. I was going to go about 2300, give or take a year, but I would like to preempt Fallout 4; so let's go with 2286. Assuming the total events of New Vegas took about one year to go down, that gives about four years after, but a whole year ahead of anything that may happen in FO4... so if there's a catastrophic world changing event in that one's story that even as far as Florida would have heard of, I won't need to retcon.

I have decided three of the players. I will PM them and make the final announcement when I narrow down the last 1-3.

I've never run a PbP, as I said earlier, and IRL my largest group was five player, but I actually usually ran with like three or four, so I never had to turn anyone away. This sucks to think about doing, but I don't want to get bogged down waiting for too many players. So if I don't choose you, I'm sorry in advance, and I hope you'll not mind if I hit you up if someone has RL problems and needs to go AWOL or something like that.

Okay, got the crunch done, and also typing up a backstory kinda like what wicked_raygun did above. (Also, by the way, hi there, WR! Long time no see.)

Okay, let's see if I can do this right.

Aight I got that far ad hit a snag...how many Edges do you get by default? I see Humans get 1 extra, and you can get more by maxing out your Hindrances, but how many does a "Novice" level character get?

Zero. If you aren't human and take no flaws, you get zero.

Challenge is more or less assumed you take two minor and a major flaw. It isn't a requirement, but it helps.

Since you're human, you have that one default. Your hindrances can be spent on edges, attributes or skills, so you start with 1-3, depending, but can potentially get one every level, if that's what you choose to spend your level on.

Gotcha.

That should do it, I think.

I put a (?) behind Parry and Toughness. I assume 2+Half of Fighting or Vigor means half the die number? So +3 for d6 and +4 for d8?

Yes. With 1 more for brawny or less for small. Your toughness and parry are correct.

But your attributes spent in parentheses are too high. You only get 5 points and can get at most 2 from hindrances. You actually by my count only spent 7, which is perfect, not 8, which would have been too much.

Well, let's hope I don't die immediately. Macgyver should be fun in play.

Your skills are too high. D4 is not free in skills, only attributes. You spent 22, by my count, not 15.

0 points = no skill (d4-2 and wild die also -2)
1 point = d4
2 points = d6, etc...up to a matched attribute. Skills double in cost after a matched attributes.