I'm working on a post-apoc setting with magic and weird science and mutants. I have a couple of things I'm trying to figure out though.
First, I was originally thinking of using the Modern Path classes, but after reading through the PDF a few times, I'm not sure I like how they converted the d20 Modern classes. I could convert the original classes myself though, so that's an option.
My setting does have magic though, so I will want some spellcasting and psionic classes. I started reading through Occult Adventures, but I think I prefer the Dreamscarred Press version of psionics since it keeps power points and makes psionics different from magic. I had thought about making the spellcasting classes only ten levels and having Barbarian, Fighter, Monk and Rogue classes be 20 levels since they don't have any magic. Then if you want to cast spells, you can multiclass into Sorcerer or Cleric. This would limit the classes at least and not make magic crazy out of control.
My other idea is to just allow any Pathfinder class and make the world a crazy-everything-exists setting. I've already made it somewhat like Rifts, but without the extensive overpowered stuff. If the players have access to something, then the bad guys most likely do too. I'd still prefer Ultimate Psionics to Occult Adventures though.
I guess I'm not sure where to proceed from here. I've read through Broken Earth and Darwin's World. I want more magic than those though.
Sword & Sorcery studios had an interesting take on Gamma World, compatible with D&D 3.5 (and can convert to Pathfinder).
The use of nano tech for sudden micro environments was interesting, as well as a mixed history due to the "apocalypse" actually being a large number of unrelated disasters to different global locations. In essence, survivors have conflicting stories of what caused civilization to end.
Just add in Pathfinder magic, and run Thundarr the Barbarian type of plots. Yes, a 1980 cartoon series already had an apocalypse with magic present.
You could also go back to d20 modern for ideas. An innate class-based Defense bonus reduces reliance on armor which may be needed for a setting like that.
I wouldn't limit spellcasting classes to 10th level, as IMO the ability to cast spells will at some point fail to mitigate the considerably lower base attacks, saving throws, and hit dice. If you're worried about too much magic power, I might limit spellcasting classes to "half-casters." I am not familiar with Dreamscarred's psionics rules to make suggestions (unfortunately I'm one of those people who was all for switching psionics to just another form of magic and had already done that for my own revision of d20 Modern), but the equivalent of maximum 4 or 6th spell level classes rather than full casters.
Most class conversions would otherwise focus on updating skills and knowledges for contemporary knowledge.
The main thing otherwise in terms of conversion is to think about how you want to handle firearms if they exist in this world; if it is post-contemporary, contemporary firearms load faster, carry more ammo, etc. than what IIRC the Paizo firearms rules allow for. (Many feel the d20 Modern firearms did not do enough damage, but those folks forget that system used a differing damage threshold system that effectively made them potentially more lethal. The problem there is that damage threshold system can also complicate things and is probably not worth using.)
The Dreamscarred rules are basically like the old 3.5 psionics with power points to augment and such. I'm not sure I'd allow all the classes, but at least the Psion, Psychic Warrior, Soulknife and Wilder. The others just seem to have a different flavor I'm not prepared for.
I do like the d20 Modern rules though, but I think they have some issues on their own. I could of course use the d20M base classes and then make the pathfinder classes 10 level Advanced classes like they did with Urban Arcana. It wouldn't require too much work to convert them.
For guns, since the end times happened in our future, there would be scifi weapons too like laser pistols and maybe fusion derived weapons. I have all the d20M books too, so I'd like to add things like power armor and hovercars. I just don't like how d20M was in a place between 3e and 3.5 and has some of the old stuff from 3e. I could just replace the skills and things like CMB/D with Pathfinder updates to clean it up a bit.
I felt that the advanced classes were one of the problems with d20 Modern because the forced multiclassing could bork BAB/Save progression (they hadn't quite gotten that figured out properly).
For your purposes, I would suggest using straight up Pathfinder classes--especially because you ARE using fantasy, and the PF classes are properly balanced for fantasy (nitpickers take the comment with the requisite grain of salt but hopefully you know what I mean), but take abilities and feats from d20 Modern suited to contemporary/future technology---maybe turning some base class talent trees into archetypes for Pathfinder classes.
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You could also go back to d20 modern for ideas. An innate class-based Defense bonus reduces reliance on armor which may be needed for a setting like that.
But to make sure that armor would still be at least somewhat relevant, and to also place an emphasis on non-lethal combat (subduing people and capturing them for questioning instead of blowing them up), I would suggest making it so that any damage taken (to a maximum of your Armor Bonus) while you are wearing armor would be converted to Non-Lethal damage. If you are wearing a piece of armor that has an Armor Bonus of 4, and you are hit for 5 points of damage, then you will receive 4 Non-Lethal damage and 1 Lethal Damage.
You could also check out the armor as DR rules (although I hate dealing with damage reduction personally) as another option.
Depending on the type of apocalypse, there are several factors to consider. A demonic invasion is different from the rise of the serpentfolks.
The Mana Wastes is a good example of post-apocalypse campaign; this country originated after the disastrous war between Nex and Geb, when the two namesakes archmages (not content with having unleashed severals golems, undeads and extraplanar creatures) have made extensive use of wish in the hope that one of them was able to annihilate the rival. Result? The land has become barren, have created areas of dead magic, the fabric of reality has been damaged, and to make matters worse there are also mutants.
Years ago I had in my hands d20 Modern - Apocalypse - if it is in your possession could provide interesting ideas abouts postapocalypse societies, rules about mutations and radioactivity and three examples of postapocalypse campaign (Earth Inherited, Atomice Sunrise and Plague World).
Yeah, I have d20 Apocalypse. Mine will be Earth in the near future after several super-soldier programs have come to light and with a weakening of the barrier between different dimensions of the same Earth. Magic comes through some, along with some fantasy races and the world has been cut up into pieces by the force of all them being combined. I started reading the Secret Wars from Marvel, and unfortunately, I think Battleworld has some similarities to what I'm doing. Like all these different versions were combined into a less than stable whole.
+1 for Gamma World. Doesn't get much weirder IMO. I hear the 4e variant wasn't too bad. And there's a free PC generator at WoTC. One of the big charms of the old GW was rolling your mutant character. Not sure how the Sword & Sorcery version handles it.
if you are using laser guns and such, I recommend checking out the Technology Guide, which is also on the PRD. It has rules for a lot of stuff like that. Also the Iron Gods adventure Path in general has a lot of stuff and ideas that would work well with post-apocalypse type settings
I'm back on this. I've been reading through the Technology Guide and I like it for what I need. I'm going to start an in person game in a few weeks, but everyone will start out with a non-spellcasting class. They will also be geographically where we live now in Wisconsin, so it will have a bit of familiarity to it. They won't really know how much the world has changed outside of their little community.
I was thinking about props for the game though. I ran something like this before using the d20 Modern rules and I took a US atlas and scribbled, stained and tore some pages out of it. I also filled it with random phrases from music and religious texts, though the players thought it meant more than it did.
This time though, I'm thinking bigger. I had the idea of buying a cheap small Android tablet that they find in game and give one to them in real life. I can limit it so they only have access to apps I put on it, but it would still have internet connection so they could use wikipedia or Google Maps. Just because they find something in it though, doesn't mean its still there. If they say they are going to charge it, I'll give them a solar panel in game and plug it in out of game. If it runs out of power, they can't use it.
I was looking at tablets though and I'm not sure which one to go for. I was thinking either a cheap Android or the new Fire, since I can get either of those for about $50. That way I don't feel bad if it breaks, or if something happens in game, I can hit it with a hammer or something to show the damage. It might still work, but they will learn to protect it. But if its cheap enough, I won't feel bad.