Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Total Prize Claimants Thus Far: 0

Nearly two weeks ago, I held a Mutant Future giveaway to celebrate the second year of The Savage AfterWorld. I posted the names of the following winners and sent out emails to the addresses they had registered with:
  • Mutant Future rulebook goes to "elrics"
  • Apocalypse Tech Report goes to "Jason"
  • Set of Nuke Dice goes to "Kev"
  • Radioactive Waste Dice Cups go to "jmezz382," "AslanC," and "Pete Politis"
And so far the following winners have claimed their prizes:




That's right; no one has yet contacted me to claim their prize. Hmmmm... This was not an issue I expected to have happen, but I suppose I may have randomly drawn six people who don't visit this blog. Or check their emails. Or they used a bogus account when first registering. Or whatever.

Anyway, my goal is to get these items into the hands of regular readers. So consider this a Last Call for the original winners to step forward and claim their prize. Any prizes I still have on-hand in, say, another week or two, I'll give away to a new set of winners through a more targeted method.

So if you won something, step forward today for the clock's running out!

Friday, June 24, 2011

Quick Giveaway: Win "Nuclear Sunset: The Southwest"

Hey gang,

With the 99 cent sale of Nuclear Sunset: The Southwest underway for another day or so, I thought I'd spring for a few copies for folks who have not yet picked it up. So I'll purchase a gift PDF for the first five people who send me an email with "Nuclear Sunset Giveaway" in the subject line. (My email address is over yonder in the right-hand column.) Put your RPG Now email address in the body of the message. If you don't have one, just send me your primary email address and you can use that to register and claim your PDF at the site. I'll update this message when I have the five "winners."

EDIT TO ADD: OK, WE HAVE OUR FIVE WINNERS. NO MORE ENTRIES ACCEPTED.

Congrats to Zach H., Matt S., Aaron F., Alan K., and Tim DeC.! (And one more out to JDJ!)

"Nuclear Sunset: The Southwest" Review

Nuclear Sunset: The Southwest is the first of a planned series of Mutant Future campaign books by Vigilance Press. Taking place in the ruined remnants of the United States, The Southwest encompasses what once was Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and the surrounding areas.

The campaign book is 24 pages long and nicely laid out. Each page of the high-rez PDF download is beautifully illustrated with a colorful background image and some really nice artwork is scattered throughout. A few issues with this approach is that it can be difficult to read some text that was overlaid across an image. And printing out the entire book yourself in color could prove to be pricier than a simple black and white product. However, these are small complaints as the quality of the art really is top-notch.

As for the content, The Southwest posits that this region of America fell back into the lawlessness of The Old West after the Great Wars destroyed civilization. Settlements and mining towns have risen from the ruins, and thieves and bandits roam the wastelands. To make matters worse, warring factions like The Cartel and the 88th vie for control; a new Aztec "king" has arisen and begun sacrificing victims; and those rumors of aliens kept at Area 51 were true. Fortunately, there are men like the Marshalls who try to keep the peace in the region, and the Navajo Nation thrives once again. Several other factions are discussed that the PCs might cross or join as they venture through the area.

The various cities found in the region are nicely rounded, with each entry describing the town's government, economic activities, and racial diversity. The settlements have mutated along with its residents, as they changed to meet the needs of the new world. For instance, Vega (Las Vegas) is an industrial society as the culture scavenged the piles of small machines and plastic chips to reuse in other ways. Each town also comes with a set of adventure hooks that could be used as campaign springboards for visiting PCs. There is also a listing of ruins throughout The Southwest -- those places that were destroyed in the exchange that could potentially hide valuable salvage...or twisted savages.

Overall, I'm impressed with this initial effort as the "feel" of the post-apocalyptic American southwest has been nicely realized with just enough gonzo-ness to give it that Mutant Future feel. I can see this being used as a more serious starting point for a new campaign, especially one that wants to focus on six-guns and shootouts. And I look forward to new entries in the series -- The Northeast is the next area we'll be seeing. When completed, I can envision an entire Atlas of the Blasted States of America.

Nuclear Sunset: The Southwest is normally $1.99, but until Saturday, Vigilance Press has it on sale for 99 cents at RPG Now. One buck for a brand new Mutant Future campaign book? Why are you still sitting there reading this review? Go. Purchase. Enjoy.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Free RPG Day Today Brings An Updated Thundarr Sourcebook


In honor of Free RPG Day today, I thought I'd take a moment to update the free World of Thundarr the Barbarian Sourcebook for Mutant Future. This sourcebook will always be available for download here at The Savage AfterWorld. The sourcebook has been updated with the following entries:
  • One-Eye
  • Zogar the Barbarian
  • Zogar's Trident
This brings the material available in the sourcebook to:
  • Three playable character classes (Barbarian, Sorcerer, and Mok)
  • Eight NPCs, both allies and villains
  • Eleven devices, covering everything from weapons to vehicles
  • Twenty-nine creatures, mutants, and foes
  • Four adventures based on classic Thundarr episodes
And while you're enjoying this free Mutant Future sourcebook, why not head down to your local FLGS for more free goodies today? And be sure to throw down a couple of bucks to support these bastions of gaming goodness!

Friday, June 17, 2011

Achievement Unlocked!

Just had someone point out to me that, with the recent influx of new followers, The Savage AfterWorld has reached the next level on the Old School RPG Blogger Advancement Table. I am now a 7th level Pundit, apparently. Thanks to everyone for your support over the years!

Our Second Year In The Savage AfterWorld (And Who Won Those Prizes?)

The Savage AfterWorld turns two years old today. In that time, this blog has accumulated:
  • 283 posts, with 22 mini-adventures for survivors to traipse through, 72 new creatures to populate your blasted landscape, and 22 bizarre future tech for PCs to wield.
  • 59,111 page views over that time, which averages out to 80 a day. (Most of those could be web spiders and spammers, but I'll take what I can get).
  • 168 Followers who enjoy this blog enough to sign up for updates and who stop by regularly. (Well, there are some who have signed up solely to win something today, but -- again -- I'll take what I can get.)
So, again, thanks for your support. Here's looking forward to many more trips into The Savage AfterWorld! And about those prizes I promised, let's get to it.

Rather than using a set of polyhedral dice (blasphemy!), I used Random.org to select the random winners of the prizes. Set it up for random numbers between 1 and 168 and, starting from the first page of registered Followers, I counted through the pages until I reached the name of each winner. And here are the winners of our Mutant Minion Giveaway:

  • Mutant Future rulebook goes to "elrics"
  • Apocalypse Tech Report goes to "Jason"
  • Set of Nuke Dice goes to "Kev"
  • Radioactive Waste Dice Cups go to "jmezz382," "AslanC," and "Pete Politis"
Winners have been contacted through the email they used to register as a follower of the blog, so be sure to check that address for information on claiming your prize. Congrats!

And for everyone who didn't win, enjoy a piece of birthday cake!

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Gamma World Coming To PSN, XBL, and PC This Fall


I actually have "Breaking News" on the post-apocalyptic RPG front. Just stumbled across this news item a few moments ago, even though it was apparently announced last week. At E3, Atari unveiled its new Gamma World videogame based on the new version of the classic Post-Big Mistake RPG. Here are the details straight from PS Nation:


GAMMA WORLD
Gamma World is an action RPG based on the Dungeons and Dragons influenced TSR pen and paper RPG of the same name. While the original Gamma World was set in the 25th century after a second nuclear war, the most recent (2010) edition takes place after the Large Hadron Collider causes multiple realities to all come together in “The Big Mistake”. From the press release:


In the fall of 2012, scientists at the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva, Switzerland, embarked on a new series of high-energy experiments. No one knows exactly what they were attempting to do, but a little after 3pm on a Thursday afternoon came The Big Mistake. Something unexpected happened, and in the blink of an eye, a multiplicity of possible universes condensed into a single reality. Welcome to Gamma Terra.


It’s essentially a third person shooter with RPG elements mixed in and it’s a game that definitely doesn’t take itself too seriously. In the game, you’ll get to customize your survivor by mixing two races. We saw the radioactive man/yeti fight his way across a number of levels. Your character will be subject to Alpha mutations triggered by radiation which will change your abilities and give you enhanced powers as you progress through the story. You’ll also use Omega technology to bend the laws of physics helping you gain an advantage over enemies.


You’ll also have a number of weapons at your disposal and the ability to upgrade and enhance them with parts found across each of the game’s levels. We got to see a sewer level but there will be cities, wastelands and more in the final release. There’s also the possibility of DLC adding more missions and areas depending on how well the game is received.


Developer Bedlam Games told us that you’ll be able to play solo, two player local co-op and up to 4 players online with full voice chat when the game releases on PSN this Fall. This looks like it could be a fun little Action RPG on the PSN for people looking for something a bit lighter than Fallout or Mass Effect.


And the cover art is something to behold. Click to embiggen:



And here's the booth they had:


Gamma World: Alpha Mutation could be the start of a new videogame franchise.

24 Hours Left To Enter Our Mutant Future Giveaway

Just wanted to remind everyone that there are still 24 hours left to enter our Second Birthday Mutant Future Giveaway. The prizes up for grabs include softcover copies of the Mutant Future rulebook and Apocalypse Tech Report supplement; a set of Q-Workshop Nuke Dice; and Radioactive Waste dice cups. The random drawing will be held Friday, June 17, on our second anniversary of this blog's launch. Become a Mutant Minion for your chance to win! Good luck!

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Savage Menagerie: Tigranha

No. Enc.: 0 (2d4)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 150' (50')
Armor Class: 6
Hit Dice: 4
Attacks: 1 (bite)
Damage: 1d8
Save: L3
Morale: 7
Hoard Class: None

Tigranhas are a furry cat-faced breed of carnivorous fresh-water fish. They are fairly large (about 1 or 2 feet long), traveling in schools of 2d4. They will attack anything that enters the water they inhabit and, once they smell blood, they never need to make a morale check again.

Only someone very clumsy or very foolish would step near a pond or lake infested with Tigranhas. To combat this, the creature has developed a mental phantasm mutation which it uses to trick a victim. The Tigranha school may create the illusion of a bridge or set of stepping stones across the body of water, or they may just make it appear that the coast is 20 feet further away than it actually is. By the time a victim realizes the mistake, it's too late. The Tigranhas will have already descended.

If the party hears an NPC complaining about all the "cat-fish" in a nearby lake, they had better not think about going fishing. It's the fish who will be the ones angling for dinner!

Mutations: mental phantasm

REMINDER: Don't forget that The Savage AfterWorld's Second Birthday Giveaway is still ongoing and there's still time to toss in your entry for a great prize!

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Our Second Birthday, But YOU Get The Presents!

The Savage AfterWorld launched on June 17, 2009. As we near the two-year mark of this blighted blog, I wanted to thank my readers by doing something nice for those who have supported it over the years. Ergo, in six days on the Official Birthday of TSAW, I will hold a random drawing for six readers to win the following prizes:

One reader will receive a brand-new softcover Mutant Future rulebook! If you've been wanting to get your hands on a freshly printed copy straight from Lulu, here's your chance!
Another reader will win a brand new softcover Apocalypse Tech Report supplement for Mutant Future! If your games could use a bit more weird science and bizarre devices, look no further.A third reader will get a brand new set of Nuke Dice from Q Workshop. These black-on-gray dice look like they've been ravaged by The Final Wars. A radiation symbol marks the highest number on each one as well.And three readers will each get a custom-made Radioactive Waste dice cup created by Yours Truly! How big are they? Well, mine holds two sets of polyhedral dice, another eight d6s, and one big ol' d30. Plenty of space for your most toxic of randomizers!

So how can you be in the running to win one of these items? Simple - you just have to be a "Mutant Minion" by registering as a Follower of The Savage AfterWorld (over there in the far right column). If you're already a Follower, you're already entered! If not, you have until Friday morning to get yourself listed and entered.

On June 17, on the official anniversary date, I'll take all of the registered Followers of this blog and will randomly draw six winners from the ranks. Those folks'll get the goods described above. This random giveaway is open to folks worldwide, as I'll happily ship your winnings wherever you may be. So good luck to everyone...and thanks again for your support. More Mutant Future goodness is coming from The Savage AfterWorld this year (including our first published supplement and adventure), so stay tuned!

NOTE: I'll try to contact the winners through the info they used to become a Follower. But on the off-chance your info doesn't have any blog or email info for contact, be sure to poke back in for the Winner's List to see if you won something!

Monday, June 6, 2011

Prepare For The Nuclear Sunset

The folks at Vigilance Press are putting the finishing touches on the first campaign setting for Mutant Future. Nuclear Sunset takes place in a post-apocalyptic U.S., and the first regional sourcebook -- The Southwest -- is close to completion. The book will contain location descriptions, ruin descriptions, and numerous organizations detailing the post-apocalyptic Southwest, along with many adventure hooks.

According to owner Chuck Rice, Vigilance Press has been around since 2001 and has released products for d20, 4C, True20, OSRIC, and ICONS. Chuck explains each region of Nuclear Sunset will have a very different feel from the other regions, and as the cover implies (to the right), the Southwest has a neo-western vibe, with some alien conflicts mixed in, and a dash of terminator for taste.

An interesting bit of design is that the cover is primarily the regional map, and everything on the map is described in the book, along with several factions that dominate the region politically. Nuclear Sunset: The Southwest is planned to be between 15-20 pages and will most likely be priced at $1.99 at outlets like RPGNow. More regions are to follow, with the Northeast planned as the next area. I'll post an announcement upon availability with a review to follow.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

That's Not Toxic Waste...It's My Latte

I don't often pimp products that aren't of an RPG nature, but these items I stumbled across at Think Geek are just too apropos for this radioactive wasteland of a blog. I think the pictures and links speak for themselves: