Gamma World

The Great Hairy · Post by **The Great Hairy** » Wed Nov 24, 2004 4:00 pm

Gidday all,

Anyone else here a Gamma World nut? I'm currently (when my players get a date sorted) running a 6th Ed GW game. The PCs are part of a primitive tribe, and are just now encountering their first technological stuff. All confusion to them!

I've been playing GW since it first came out in '77. The boxed 1st Ed was my first roleplaying purchase too. (By the nostrils I'm old.)

So, anyone got any views on the new version? What do you people think of d20 GW? Does it fit the setting?

Cheers,
TGHO

Rob-hin · Post by **Rob-hin** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 9:41 am

Can't say I've heard about it.
Care to give some additional information?

The Great Hairy · Post by **The Great Hairy** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 4:27 pm

This is the main page: http://www.swordsorcery.com/gammaworld/

Gamma World is basically a post-Apocalypse game, set well after the world has pretty much been wiped out. The newest edition (6th) uses d20 Modern rules as it's base (which mostly fits the scene). I tend to use a mix of 1st, 4th and 5th Ed as well as the 6th Ed stuff.

The PCs have a choice of a wide range of starting mutations and abilities. Again, I mix in more psionics than are present in the 6th Ed book. And in the current game I am running, the PCs are all stone-age peoples struggling to understand their world.

I can quite recommend it.

Cheers mate,
TGHO

Rob-hin · Post by **Rob-hin** » Fri Nov 26, 2004 5:42 am

Gosh darnet. I've been looking for such a setting!
I was always searching for Fallout rules but didn't find didly sqwat.

I'll read up on it straight away, thanks.

The Great Hairy · Post by **The Great Hairy** » Fri Nov 26, 2004 4:45 pm

Mate, you are missing out! Gamma World rocks. Although I do prefer some of the rules from the earlier versions to the current version (more mutations in the earlier versions, longer time period between Apocalypse and the game start, etc.) although 6th Ed does have a stack of cool stuff (nano, better handing of psionics, etc.).

If you need any more info, just drop me a line.

Cheers,
TGHO

Rob-hin · Post by **Rob-hin** » Sat Nov 27, 2004 9:28 am

It looks like a project by some d&d players rather then an official game.
Correct?

jopperm2 · Post by **jopperm2** » Sat Nov 27, 2004 5:42 pm

I saw an article about this game in an 80s issue of Dragon Magazine and I've wanted to play ever since. I dunno where to get it/find people to play though.. And to answer your ? Rob, I think it was a real game owned by TSR that has been converted to d20.

The Great Hairy · Post by **The Great Hairy** » Sat Nov 27, 2004 5:51 pm

Originally TSR developed Gamma World back in 78 or so. It's always been a TSR or WoTC product, until recently. Now White Wolf, through their Swords and Sorcery line do it, on license from WoTC.

@jopperm2
You should be able to find any of the source books at your local gaming shop. If they don't have it, they should beable to get them in!

Cheers
TGHO

KrazyJedi · Post by **KrazyJedi** » Fri Dec 03, 2004 8:58 am

[QUOTE=The Great Hairy]Mate, you are missing out! Gamma World rocks. Although I do prefer some of the rules from the earlier versions to the current version (more mutations in the earlier versions, longer time period between Apocalypse and the game start, etc.) although 6th Ed does have a stack of cool stuff (nano, better handing of psionics, etc.).

If you need any more info, just drop me a line.

Cheers,
TGHO[/QUOTE]

Never played it meself, but GW is long remembered from my AD&D days. Glad to know it's still alive and kickin'!

Anybody know if Traveller is still around?

jopperm2 · Post by **jopperm2** » Fri Dec 03, 2004 10:23 am

I believe the original still exists in some form and I know that SJ Games puts out a well-supported version in GURPS. I've heard it's pretty good too!

The Great Hairy · Post by **The Great Hairy** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 5:16 pm

Yep, Traveller is still around. I've seen the older versions on sale cheep at my regular game shop. And as jopperm2 says, S J Games is releasing a new version, as an attachment for GURPS.

Cheers,
TGHO

KrazyJedi · Post by **KrazyJedi** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 1:56 pm

[QUOTE=The Great Hairy]Yep, Traveller is still around. I've seen the older versions on sale cheep at my regular game shop. And as jopperm2 says, S J Games is releasing a new version, as an attachment for GURPS.

Cheers,
TGHO[/QUOTE]

Ah, yes, now I remember seeing it on SJ's website.

Ekental · Post by **Ekental** » Fri Dec 17, 2004 11:00 pm

[QUOTE=The Great Hairy]Mate, you are missing out! Gamma World rocks. Although I do prefer some of the rules from the earlier versions to the current version (more mutations in the earlier versions, longer time period between Apocalypse and the game start, etc.) although 6th Ed does have a stack of cool stuff (nano, better handing of psionics, etc.).

If you need any more info, just drop me a line.

Cheers,
TGHO[/QUOTE]

There are some game imbalances and rule issues with the thing. (Though most games have them) Gamma World has some issues that are just too unbelievable to be fun.
Anyone read "Murphy's Rules" book on the pen&paper rule anomalies and such?

The Great Hairy · Post by **The Great Hairy** » Sat Dec 18, 2004 9:31 pm

[QUOTE=Ekental]There are some game imbalances and rule issues with the thing. (Though most games have them) Gamma World has some issues that are just too unbelievable to be fun.[/QUOTE]

Yeah? Such as? I can't think of any really awful ones, although some of the mutations are quite unbalanced in the current edition.

[QUOTE=Ekental]Anyone read "Murphy's Rules" book on the pen&paper rule anomalies and such?[/QUOTE]

Nope - do you have a link to further information? Sounds cool.

Cheers,
TGHO

Ekental · Post by **Ekental** » Sun Dec 26, 2004 8:58 pm

Ill post more later but quickly...

http://archive.gamespy.com/comics/koval ... rphys.html

Oh yeah check their samples...

http://archive.gamespy.com/comics/koval ... mples.html

jopperm2 · Post by **jopperm2** » Mon Dec 27, 2004 1:19 pm

Those are REALLY funny!
I really like Pyramid magazine too.. I used to have a few copies of paper issues before they went all electronic. I wish I still had them. Notice how SJ Games doesn't mind poking fun at itself.

The Great Hairy · Post by **The Great Hairy** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 6:15 pm

Ha! That Murphy's stuff is grouse. Very funny. I always liked how S J Games is happy to poke fun at itself.

@Ekental
Any change you'll post a more detailed discussion on the problems with the Gamma World rules? I'm interested in your thoughts!

Cheers,
TGHO

Ekental · Post by **Ekental** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 1:54 pm

Oh whoops... been lazy and haven't gotten out the book

Let me give it a try

"The map scale of a hex in TSR's Gamma World is given as 'roughly 43.7 kilometers'... this unusual value converts neatly to the useful amount of about 27.3 miles..."

"Zap! Your Dead...
The 'Blaash', a carnivorous radioactive moth found in TSR's Gamma World, has only to swoop within 5 meters of someone to kill him instantly..."

"In TSR's Gamma World, an Energy Grenade does half damage if you use a shield or wear armor, but does full damage if you wear both..."

I like these best though... not from Gamma World

"Sizzling Simulations
NATO includes the following: 'To simulate the use of strategic nuclear weapons simply soak the map with lighter fluid and apply a flame"

"First you take off the lens cap...
Tri-Tac's FTL:2448 revelas that a ship's sensors have a 1 per cent change of failing to detect a giant gas planet 300 feet away. The chance rises to 11 percent if you don't know what you're looking for..."

"It takes concentration...
In Guadalcanal Campaign (Strategic Simulations), an airplane looking for submarines will ignore enemy carrier fleets it may encounter..."

The Great Hairy · Post by **The Great Hairy** » Sun Jan 16, 2005 11:56 pm

No worries mate, thanks for posting them. I'll just point out that none of those issues exist in the current edition.

I do like the NATO one. Very funny.

Cheers
TGHO

Therion · Post by **Therion** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 8:27 am

Rob-hin wrote:Gosh darnet. I've been looking for such a setting!
I was always searching for Fallout rules but didn't find didly sqwat.

I'll read up on it straight away, thanks.

Then you may be interested to know that an unofficial attempt was made to include Fallout in Alternity (TSR's sci-fi system which was cut off). That was also for Gamma World (which came as an Alternity setting). Hmm.. I think that may actually have been in one of the fan magazines, but I think you'd best ask around the forums there if you can't find it otherwise.

The fan site keeping the system alive is here: AlternityRPG.Net - the official Alternity RPG website!