5e: Wasteland Worlds

Hi all!

As regular readers and existing customers may know, one of my D&D 5e products is a collection of classes and archetypes called Wasteland Wanderers.

These classes and archetypes are designed with a post-apocalyptic setting in mind, and could also fit thematically in other sci-fi settings. Even if you have no interest in such a campaign many of them can be used in more traditional fantasy worlds with either very little adaptation on your part, or no changes required at all.

But what post-apocalyptic settings are out there for D&D 5e?

There's my own Fifth Edition Fallout, which served as the original inspiration for Wasteland Wanderers.

There's also Mike Myler's 2099 Wasteland, an alternate universe version of his superheroic cyberpunk setting Hypercorps 2099. As you might expect, mutant powers from radiation exposure and even magic are part of the fabric of the setting. The game comes with its own classes, but Wasteland Wanderers offers you additional viable alternatives, and was even mentioned by Mike in his Professional Goblins podcast!

As far as I'm aware, those are the only presently published post-apocalyptic settings for use with D&D 5e rules. If you know better, please do leave a comment.

Finally there's always the option of defining your own worlds, which is a challenge many of us relish.

For those Game Masters who prefer to use published material, however, this list might be considered slim pickings.

I've been considering publishing a compilation of example post-apocalyptic settings designed for use with Wasteland Wanderers, that would also serve as a rules reference. The working title for this concept is Wasteland Worlds. The idea is that Wasteland Worlds would include all the rules you need to run a post-apocalyptic game—environmental hazards, weapons, etc.—derived from similar rules originally created for Fifth Edition Fallout. It would also include three settings, each portraying a very different world in the wake of different apocalyptic events. Each setting would dedicate 30 pages or so to describing its world and providing additional rules and other crunch unique to itself, including notes on how to use and/or reskin monsters from the core D&D game.

I'm presently polling on twitter to see what kind of interest there would be for this sourcebook, and would be very grateful if you could take a moment of your time to add your vote. Brief summaries of my three proposed settings follow, and the embedded twitter poll can be found at the end of this post.

Proposed Settings

Rad Planet

After the destruction of the world in nuclear fire, those few who survived the devastation and its radioactive fallout reverted to a pre-civilised society. There are those who cling to the shreds of the past’s civility and try to rebuild, but they contend with the raiders, the savage primals, and the mutant beasts that now wander the radlands.

Black Water

The survivors of the Flood dwell on isolated Platforms which fall into greater disrepair day by day. The brave and the desperate venture out onto the waters via skimmers or into the depths themselves inside submersibles, seeking salvage from wrecks and abandoned Platforms. But the sunken depths contain many dangers, and the forgotten Platforms have new occupants.

Permafrost

On a frozen planet, people live in deep bunkers. It is foolish to venture onto the blizzard-wracked surface, though long-abandoned technologies await those who brave the cold. The underground is not without its own dangers: when the bunkers were constructed, a network of deep tunnels were found. In the decades since the Deep Freeze, it was discovered that the bunkerfolk were not alone...

The Poll

Let me know if you would consider purchasing this product if it were available by responding the survey below!

Polling interest in a compilation of 3 example settings + supporting mechanics compatible with Wasteland Wanderers https://t.co/4gbeagDhgN

— Spilled Ale Studios (@spilledale) October 1, 2017