Advice: Running Fallout Pen and Paper RPG -

U

underableedingsun

First time out of the vault
Hello All,

Been on this site quite a few times in the past years, first time actually posting anything(actually just became a member;)

Anyway, looking to run a Fallout Pen and Paper game sometime in the future. It likely won't be for some time (I am in the middle of a Pathfinder Campaign right now, and I've learned the hard way not to run 2 campaigns at once). I like to plan my games out in advance though, generally while running a current game. I've mostly only ran DND and Pathfinder, while running a little human occupied landfill and star wars in the past. I even ran a three session stint of fallout PNP with a few people, just a short. I have a pretty good completion rate of my campaigns, about 75%, which is really good in PNP.

Anyway, I have started putting together all my materials, which is basically pulling from the uncompleted Fallout PNP 3.0, the fallout SIMPLE system, JE Sawyers Fallout PNP 2.0, and Matthew Standley's revisions to PNP 2.0, along with some changes that I've made myself-some updates if you will. You can find my game so far here: http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaign/falloutbyunderableedingsun/wikis/main-page. The game will be ran online with map tools.

To make it easy the major changes I've made is:
1) Added an Athletics and Academics Skill and removed the gambling skill.
2) Revamped perks, everyone gains perks one level sooner than they used to. To make up for this I moved all perks so they could be gained at even number, if in the middle I usually moved them forward a level rather than back.
3) I added a few perks from current games that didn't seem OP.
4) Added a detection Derived Attribute, that will be used to spot mines and opposes the stealth skill.
5) Fixed some skill rules, such as added rules for where thrown weapons go on a miss, and some minor bonuses to highly successful skill checks (such as extra hp's on first aid) to continue on with the fallout idea that raising skills over 100 has real influence over what your character can do.

Some Changes I still want to make:
1) Sneak - revamp for lighting, distance and line of sight, facing. As is the sneak skill is opposed by a perception check, I have already changed that to an opposed detection.
2) Make facing rules. The game makes facing relevant, but there are no rules for facing. Should be pretty simple.
I think there were a few other things, but they aren't coming to mind right now.

As far as setting, I've been pretty heavily contemplating it, and I believe I'm going to run Van Buren. While lined out somewhat, its open and unplayed enough that whatever I make should still be fun without breaking storyline or immersion. It seems like a fun story and is just itching to be played out. I have found some info on it, so I have a basis, but nothing that sticks me to anything, giving me the freedom I desire as a GM.

Now, that's still up in the air, but it seems like the best idea. If I did Van Buren, the starting equipment section wouldn't matter. I think I will do Backgrounds instead, and offer small little bonuses based on that (Like leaving one square out of Splash radius on a successful hit, a slightly higher starting detection skill, etc.) as you start off as a prisoner.

Anyway thats where I'm at, so I'm just looking for the following:
1) Any advice on the Fallout PNP I am getting ready to run. I've made some decent overhauls, so if you have any advice I'd love to hear it. Never know how everything plays out till you try it, but I don't mind others inputs.
2) Does anyone know where a lot of info on Van Buren may be. Right now I'm using Fallout Wiki, which is great, just wondering if there is any other sources out there I should know about.
3) Does anyone have pre-written adventures? I swear I used to have a fair number but that was 2 or so computers ago. Now all I have is the one thats in the book.
4) Anything else that may or may not help.
5) If you have an interest in playing you can let me know too. I run online with Map Tools, though unlike with PF, I'm not stuck with map tools if something better comes along. The campaign is likely a year or so out, but my current game is kinda shaky (2 of four players seem to be flaky) so it may be sooner. I always run my campaigns on Sundays, usually bi-weekly, though sometimes I go weekly.

Thanks for any and all input.
 
Im sorry but I don't know anything about PNP RPG's. I have never even tried them, but they don't sound bad.

There should be someone on here who can help you though.
 
I've just taken a look at the link you've provided, and have noticed you are basing it off of New Vegas mostly.

If it were Fallout 1-2 I, or we, could have provided you books of information about the game, perks, the universe, etc.

However not to many people here play New Vegas or Fallout 3, so you may have trouble finding someone to help you.

That being said, we do have a few newcomers here (including myself, but I am a old-school Fallout player) who have enormous experience in these games and may be able to help you.
 
Its actually based mostly on JE Sawyers PNP, which I believe is mostly Fallout 1 and 2, as I'm pretty sure I owned it before Fallout 3 had even come out, though I could be wrong.

I'm actually mainly looking for anything on Van Buren that may help. The fallout Wiki seems pretty good, just seeing if there are additional resources for that. Looking at it more a map of the AZ, Utah, Colorado region so I have some ideas of where all these locations are.

I have also remembered I think there's something called the Fallout Bible. That may be a good resource, though I remember it being dreadfully long.

Thanks.
 
Ah, I see. That is why you included factions such as Caesar's Legion, right? You want the VB Caesar's Legion, and not the NV variant of the faction. Is that what you meant?
 
Ya, Cesears Legion actually occupies a lot of the territory where Van Buren takes place.

I found a couple good maps for the region now, so I'm good on the maps now.
 
Theism portent thing to realize is that Fallout's math fucking sucks. Damage dealt = damage - DT - dr/100*damage. That's a lot of math to be doing constantly, every combat. You may wanna assign players roles for calculating (One person does the DR, one person subtracts the result and DT from the damage), or write a simple program to handle it or something, to make life easier.

Also, since CTH is Skill -AC + bonuses, and you will always know the playes AC or skill' and can control the other two factors, you can always tweak and guide enemies to be just the right Chance To Be Dangerous. Make it so the mooks have a 1/3 chance of hitting a player, the players have Atlanta a 2/3 chance of hitting a mook, the boss has at least a 2/3 chance of hitting, the players have a minimum 4/7s chance of hitting or the like.

You also want a good, violent crit table.
 
Excellent advice.

It should be possible to program those formulas in map tools, its pretty powerful. I'm not that good at that side, but a few of my former players were awesome at that and I can probably bribe them.

I've been having issues with the critical chart. in 2.0 I didn't like the chart that much, and in 3.0 it only added on some damage. Maybe I'll shop around for an old D&D table or something.

Thanks.
 
Well I was thinking more in terms of violent deaths, not actual damage. Fluff, not mechanics. The basics of Ignore armor and/or cripple limbs should serve you very well. You could also try doubling/increasing damage but I think that less math is good.
 
Good point, I can make crits devastating while keeping them simple. Good idea.

Anyway, my PF game had to be cancelled because a player had to drop, so I will now be actively recruiting for this game.
 
I think it's in archives by now, but there's atleast one thread in something awful's TGD about revamping SPECIAL. So if you're a goon and have archives (like you should) it's worth checking out. I don't remember how long ago it was, or I'd go check, but I'm very lazy right now. Most of what I've been pulling out is stuff from that thread.
 
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