Yale looks at you and the other students around you and smiles. He puts some blackish leaves into his pipe and concentrates on the bowl, which quickly ignites with a ‘bacca flavored puff. He sits and leans against the white painted wooden wall, putting his boots up on a rock.

“Them Ancients built everything around you that ain’t rock and don’t grow, like the metal bones down the road stickin’ outta’ the ground. Those bones were covered with glass and plasteel, and the Ancients lived in ‘em. They lived there like you and your folks do, but they had living metal do their jobs for them.”

“The Ancients had many tribes among ‘em, and them tribes were fierce with one another. Each tribe wanted the resources of Terra, as well as those of Luna and the feathered death rocks in the night sky. They were willing to kill the other tribes and wouldn’t cry once over the loss.”

Yale draws deeply from his pipe, slowly exhales, and continues. “One of them tribes was called the Poklipz. They got tired of the larger tribes fightin’, so they decided to attack the homes of the tribes with fire from the sun. When they found out who done it, the other tribes used the sun fire against Poklipz, destroying them total. Then they attacked each other with the sun fire, since they was warrin’ like they always wanted to, as well as death gasses and invisible bugs.”

“I don’t know how we survived, but some of the Ancients knew of the coming war and took the steps necessary to continue life in new forms. They awakened the minds of animal and plant, and prepared their bodies to harness and blossom from the sky fire’s afterglow. Altered humans grew and were changed by the glow as well. Look around you, young’uns. The Ancients gave their lives so that Terra could be rebuilt in YOUR image and likeness. Ya best get on it!”

The following is taken directly from the 4th Edition Gamma World rulebook. Modifications or additions are shown in italics.

~

Only true men (Pure Strain Humans) are allowed to join the Church of Genetic Purity. The members of this alliance thrive on fear and hatred. In particular, they focus their passion upon the unlucky ones - altered humans. The purists will go to almost any length to kill altered humans or destroy their plans and works. Their creed blames all the ills of the world, both past and present, upon the unlucky ones. Strangely, they seem to have no great hatred for sentient animals or plants.

Most sentients find their dogma of hatred and genocide repugnant. They are almost universally hated by the other cryptic alliances. In particular, they are pitted against the Iron Society. The typical follower proudly displays the white circle badge of his alliance, reveling in the fear of those around him. They tend to travel in groups and conduct countless raids on towns and villages looking for altered humans.

Purists are particularly well equipped. Early in their history, they seized control of an installation at New Waskum. The installation there has since been gutted. They have claimed all of the artifacts of the ancient times as their rightful inheritance. Groups of Purists can sometimes be found in control of a base or installation where they have taken control of most of the equipment.

Traditional: These members zealously seek out mutants to kill. They believe that their purpose in life is to wipe out the altered human population.

Reformed: These members believe that the mutants will eventually die out because of their inherent weaknesses. They tend to enslave mutants rather than kill them.

Symbol: A white circle with an unbalanced scale is emblazoned prominently on their clothes.

Benefits: Members each carry a fully functional weapon artifact. They are particularly fond of blasters. However, most front-line members of the CGP carry sub-machine guns, grenades and knives.

Restrictions: This cryptic alliance is not available to player characters!

Experience Point Bonus: Not applicable, since player characters cannot be members of this cryptic alliance.

Notes: The Church of Genetic Purity is not open to player characters. This group is founded on racial hatred and specifically designed to be the nemesis of the player characters. A Congregrant of the Church of Genetic Purity would want to kill all mutated members of a party.

There is an underground movement afoot within the city of Bastion, home of the Church of Genetic Purity. True men of the alliance that have mutated children born to them sometimes join this movement. It is aimed at overthrowing the Church of Genetic Purity and dedicating the efforts of the city to healing genetic deviations. This would in effect, remove all mutations from the human race peacefully, assuming that all mutants agreed to have their genes altered.

Typical alliance members wear armor and carry weapons at all times. They favor the color red and are fond of cloaks. Knee-high boots and heavy gloves are common accessories. They carry the symbols of their alliance proudly and boldly.

Intellectually, they are strict and unyielding. They never allow their reasoning to be scrutinized or questioned. A person that is not with them must be against them. There is not room in their philosophy for fence straddling.

Roll 1d4 for the total number of rolls you can make on the chart below. There is a maximum of 5 Physical defects or mutations and 5 mental defects or mutations. Espers begin with one bonus mutation of the player’s choice, mental or physical. Racially, Mutated Animals and Sentient Plants begin with their racial mutations. Plant or animal Espers do gain the Esper bonus mutation.

01 – 10: 1 Physical Defect

11 – 20: 1 Mental Defect

21 – 30: 1 Physical Mutation

31 – 40: 1 Mental Mutation

41 – 50: 1 Physical Defect and 1 Mental Defect

51 – 60: 1 Physical Mutation and 1 Mental Mutation

61 – 70: 1 Physical Mutation and 1 Mental Defect

71 – 80: 1 Physical Defect and 1 Mental Mutation

81 – 85: 1 Physical Defect and 1 Mental Defect, Player Choice

86 – 90: 1 Physical Mutation and 1 Mental Mutation, Player Choice

91 – 95: 1 Physical Mutation and 1 Mental Defect, Player Choice

96 – 00: 1 Physical Defect and 1 Mental Mutation, Player Choice

Physical Mutations – 2d20 & 1d6, roll and add:

3 - Air sail

4 - Anti-Life leech

5 - Bodily control*

6 - Carapace*

7 - Chameleon power*

8 - Density control*

9 - Dual brain

10 - Electrical generation*

11 - Energy absorption*

12 - Energy metamorphosis*

13 - Energy reflection*

14 - Gas generation*

15 - Gills

16 - Hands of power*

17 - Heightened balance

18 - Heightened physical attribute

19 - Heightened precision

20 - Heightened sense

21 - Heightened speed*

22 - Horns or antlers

23 - Immunity

24 - Kinetic absorption*

25 - lnfravision

26 - Metamorphosis*

27 - Multiple limbs

28 - New body parts

29 - Night vision

30 - Oversized limbs

31 - Photogeneration*

32 - Photosynthetic skin

33 - Poison*

34 - Quills or spines

35 - Radiating eyes*

36 - Regeneration*

37 - Shapechange*

38 - Size change

39 - Skeletal enhancement

40 - Sonar

41 - Sonic blast*

42 - Sound imitation

43 - Transfusion*

44 - Ultravision

45 - Vocal imitation

46 - Wings

Physical Defects – 1d20:

1 - Achilles heel 

2 - Albinism (see below)

3 - Allergy 

4 - Attraction odor 

5 - Body change 

6 - Chemical susceptibility 

7 - Diminished sense 

8 - Doubled pain 

9 - Down syndrome (see below)

10 - Ectrodactyly (see below)

11 - Energy sensitivity 

12 - Fadeout 

13 - Microcephaly (see below)

14 - Neurofibromatosis (see below)

15 - Nocturnal 

16 - Photodependent 

17 - Poor dual brain 

18 - Poor respiration 

19 - Skin structure change 

20 - Spina bifida (see below)

Albinism – The mutant has white skin and (usually) red eyes. Treat this as the Energy Sensitivity Defect but to bright light (e.g. sunlight)

Down syndrome – The mutant has slightly “smashed” facial features and diminished cognitive abilities. –1d4 from both MS and IN, and –2 from CH

Ectrodactyly – Naturally missing fingers or toes which creates a claw-like appearance. –1d4 from DX

Microcephaly – The mutant has a smaller than normal head, which may be oddly shaped. –1d6 from both MS and IN.

Neurofibromatosis – The character grows abnormal tumors all over, which can be painful and distracting. –1d2 to DX, MS and CH

Spina bifida – The spine did not form completely, and is often twisted or bent. –1d8 to DX

Mental Mutations – 2d20 & 1d4, roll and add:

3 - Beguiling*

4 - Confusion*

5 - Death field generation*

6 - Density control (others)*

7 - Devolution*

8 - Directional sense

9 - Displacement*

10 - Duality

11 - Empathy*

12 - Fear generation*

13 - Force field generation*

14 - Heightened mental attribute

15 - lllusion generation*

16 - Intuition*

17 - Levitation*

18 - Life leech*

19 - Magnetic control*

20 - Mass mind*

21 - Mental blast*

22 - Mental control*

23 - Mental invisibility*

24 - Mental multiplier*

25 - Mental paralysis*

26 - Mental reflection*

27 - Molecular disruption*

28 - Photokinesis*

29 - Plant/animal control*

30 - Psychometry*

31 - Pyro/cryokinesis*

32 - Repulsion field*

33 - Stunning force*

34 - Summoning*

35 - Symbiotic attunement*

36 - Telekinesis*

37 - Telekinetic hand*

38 - Telekinetic flight*

39 - Telepathy*

40 - Teleport object*

41 - Teleportation*

42 - Thought imitation

43 - Total healing*

44 - Will force*

Mental Defects - 1d12

1 - Autism (see below)

2 - Bipolar (see below)

3 - Dissociative identity disorder (see below)

4 - Homicidal Psychopathy (see below)

5 - Hostility field

6 - Mentally defenseless

7 - Panic disorder (see below)

8 - Parkinson’s disease (see below)

9 - Periodic amnesia

10 - Phobia

11 - Schizophrenia (see below)

12 - Seizures

Autism: An autistic character has a very difficult time with social interactions (-1d6 CH) and may exhibit symptoms of the disorder (compulsive, repetitive or ritualistic behaviors, restricted behaviors, etc) that affect his mental strength (-1d6 MS).

Bipolar: The character switches from bouts of depression (-1d3 MS and -1d3 CH) and energetic mania (+1 DX and +1 CH) over a period of a month. At the beginning of the month, roll 1d6: 1-3 the character is depressed, 4-6 the character is manic. Each stage lasts for roughly a week, with periods of relative normalcy (about 2 weeks) between. There is a 5% non-cumulative chance per round of combat that his mood will change to the opposite and restart the cycle.

Dissociative identity disorder: The character has 1d8 multiple personalities, which can vastly differ from one another. The player must work with the GM to develop these personalities. There is a 5% non-cumulative chance per round of combat that his personality will change to a different one, chosen at random or which is better able to deal with the stimulus. These personalities each have their own MS, IN and CH scores, and the player must keep careful track which personality is in charge.

Homicidal Psychopathy: The character is driven to take the life of a sentient creature in cold blood once every 1d8 weeks. If the character is unable to kill, he will start becoming more and more irritated and violent until he is able to kill. The character will have a “preference” when it comes to his victims, and will rarely stray from this preference. Kills in combat do not count for this character – they must be cold-blooded murders.

Panic disorder: With panic disorder, a character suffers from brief attacks of intense terror and apprehension, often marked by trembling, shaking, confusion, dizziness, nausea, difficulty breathing. She will move at full speed for 1d6 rounds away from what ever brought on the panic attack. There is a 5% non-cumulative chance per round of combat that the character will have a panic attack.

Parkinson’s disease: This defect impairs the character’s mobility, include shaking, rigidity, slowness of movement and difficulty with walking and gait. The character has -1d6 DX, and loses any positive DX mod to his Speed (and must still apply any penalty).

Schizophrenia: This is a mental defect characterized by a breakdown of thought processes and by poor emotional responsiveness. Common symptoms include auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social or occupational dysfunction. The character suffers -1d8 MS, -1d2 IN and -1d6 CH.

~~~

PLANTS: Plant characters roll on the standard 4th Edition Plant Mutation chart.

The top map is the main player’s map. The bottom is for reference only, and may or may not have any bearing on the campaign.

This is my Gamma World timeline, taken from the original and modified somewhat for my campaign.

DATE - EVENT(S)

1942 - Team under the direction of Enrico Fermi successfully brought the world’s first reactor to a “critical” state.

1945 - First use of atomic bomb in warfare. Blast killed 70,000.

1954 - First nuclear submarine (Nautilus) launched.

1957 - U.S.S.R. launched first artificial satellite (Sputnik I).

First commercial nuclear power plant built in Shippingport, PA by Duquesne Light Company.

1959 - First probe (Luna I) to successfully escape Earth’s gravity launched by the U.S.S.R.

1961 - First manned spacecraft (Vostok) launched by the U.S.S.R.

1962 - Space probe successfully arrived at Venus (Mariner II).

1964 - Space probe successfully arrived at Mars (Mariner IV).

1969 - First manned lunar landing (Apollo 11) occurred.

1973 - Recombinant-DNA technique (gene splicing) demonstrated.

1974 - Space probe successfully arrived at Mercury (Mariner 10).

1975 - Space probe successfully arrived at Jupiter (Pioneer 10).

1979 - First major nuclear reactor accident (Three Mile Island) occurred. Radiation contained before being released into the environment.

Space probe successfully arrived at Saturn (Pioneer 11).

1986 - First nuclear reactor accident in which radioactive material was released into the environment (Chernobyl) occurred. Nuclear reactor exploded, killing 31 workers.

Space probe successfully arrived at Uranus (Voyager II).

1989 - Space probe successfully arrived at Neptune (Voyager II).

1991 - U.S.S.R. disbanded.

1997 - First clone of a large mammal (sheep) accomplished successfully.

2001 - First self-aware, AI computer (Mark) activated by United States military.

2005 - First privately-owned AI computer activated at University of Southern California.

2006 - Various facilities to tap the thermal energies beneath the Earth’s crust constructed. 

2010 - Construction of experimental undersea cities began (Atlantis, Poseidon, and Pacific City).

Construction began of production facilities to create genetically engineered food supply in response to drastic food shortages worldwide.

2011 - Majority of European countries formed United Europe. In response, China and other Asian nations combined to form the Asian Coalition.

2012 - Construction of Atlantis, Poseidon, and Pacific City completed. 15,000 inhabitants moved into each city.

Kurguelen Disaster occurred at Poseidon. Daniel Kurguelen went mad and blew the main airlock in an attempt to return to the surface, killing himself and 10,750 others.

Undersea cities project abandoned.

2014 - First Earth orbital shuttle service established via the combined efforts of Lockheed and American Airlines.

Construction of first orbital commercial spaceport began.

First lunar mining facility successfully established at Tycho Crater. 

2016 - Construction of first orbital colony, Ares I, began.

First megafission reactor built.

2019 - Seven Day Crisis occurred. Main drive failed on orbital spaceport. Orbit would have deteriorated beyond repair within seven days, causing the spaceport to crash onto the Earth. Drive was repaired by fifth day.

2021 - Construction of first lunar colony completed as an expansion of the Tycho Mine. The combined colony and mine became known as Tycho Center.

Columbia Project began. Dr. Tetsuo Aragami and Prof. Heinrich Schmidt attempted to create genetically engineered intelligent plants. The labs were destroyed in order to insure that their work would not be used for military purposes. The labs’ explosions caused experimental plant fibers to be unknowingly released into the environment.

2023 - New tritium fusion reactor design developed. Fusion reactors became as productive as fission reactors; however, not as productive as megafission reactors.

Human organs began being grown in labs and organ replacement, when needed, became common.

2030 - First underground spaceport facility constructed at Grissom Air Force Base.

2031 - Human cloning technique perfected.

2035 - Hydrox fuel developed by Dr. Esteban Romano. Space travel was revolutionized.

2041 - Experimental crystal mine operated entirely by genetically engineered clones established on Moon by Asian Coalition.

2043 - First unmanned interstellar probe, Santa Maria, launched toward Alpha and Proxima Centauri. Problem with navigation system caused it to crash into an asteroid soon after leaving the solar system.

2047 - Unmanned interstellar probe, Columbus, launched toward Alpha and Proxima Centauri.

Unmanned interstellar probe, Magellan, launched toward Tau Ceti.

Unmanned interstellar probe, Marco Polo, launched toward Bernard’s Star.

Unmanned interstellar probe, Pizarro, launched toward Xi Ursae Majoris.

2049 - Lunar Clone Incident occurred. Clones on Moon revolted and took the mine supervisors as hostages. Clones wanted to be treated equally as naturally-created humans. Coalition sent strike team to retake mining facility. Facility retaken at the cost of all clone lives and the lives of two of the three supervisors.

United Europe, United States, Canada, and many other countries outlawed the creation of human clones in order to avoid situations such as the Lunar Clone Incident.

2053 - Asian Coalition outlawed the creation of human clones.

2061 - Columbus reached Alpha Centauri and discovered habitable planet, Sphere.

2066 - Mount Olympus colony established on Mars.

First manned interstellar spacecraft (Vostok Explorer) launched with crew of five.

2068 - Construction of colony starship spaceyard (Vanderberg Spaceyard) began.

Weather control satellites launched into Earth orbit.

Robots become available for use at home (household robots).

2070 - Theoretical terraforming process developed by Dr. Robert Clark and Dr. Magesh Pillai.

Marco Polo arrived at Bernard’s Star. Discovered terraformable planet (Bernard IV).

2072 - Magellan arrived at Tau Ceti. Discovered terraformable planet (Gaea).

2077 - Terraforming of Phobos, a Martian moon, began.

2080 - Terraforming of Phobos failed.

Terraforming of Deimos, Mars’s second moon, began.

Transmission from Marco Polo received.

2081 - Transmission from Magellan received.

2082 - Terraforming of Deimos completed and was successful.

Deimos colony established.

2085 - First interstellar colony ship built (Eden). Launched toward Sphere with 40,000 colonists.

Additional colony ship dock constructed at Vanderberg Spaceyard.

Terraforming equipment was added to colony starship design.

2086 - Construction of Eden II and Eden III began.

Colony established on Jupiter (Freedom).

2097 - Eden II launched with 65,000 colonists toward Bernard IV.

Eden III launched with 65,000 colonists toward Gaea.

2099 - Eden arrived at Sphere. First interstellar colony established.

Human limbs began being grown in labs and lost limb replacement became common (when needed).

2108 - Pizarro discovered two terraformable planets (Scion and Essence) in Xi Ursae Majoris. Transmission sent to Earth.

2110 - Eden II arrived at Bernard IV. Survey team discovered unknown bacteria living beneath the soil. Study of bacteria required before terraforming could begin.

2112 - Eden III arrived at Gaea. Terraforming began.

2114 - Bernard IV bacteria study completed. Decision to begin terraforming made.

Cybernetic muscle implants to increase strength developed. Used primarily by the military.

2120 - First purely pleasure spaceport built between the inner and outer rings of Saturn.

2127 - Pizarro transmission reached Earth. Decision made to terraform both planets.

2149 - Lunar and Martian colonies demanded independence.

2150 - After negotiations began to break down, lunar and Martian colonies threatened the use of nuclear weapons from bases located near the colonies. Independence granted in exchange for the returned control of the bases.

2166 - Terraforming of Gaea completed. Second interstellar colony established.

2167 - Terraforming of Bernard IV completed. Third interstellar colony established.

2170 - Hyperpulse transmissions (which allowed for speedy interstellar transmissions) developed by Spacial Communications, Inc.

2173 - Duralloy developed.

2182 - Legion of Free Men formed to promote an united world government.

2228 - First world governing agency established (United World Council).

National governments are considered subunits of the Council.

Legion of Free Men disbanded.

2231 - Chemical power cell introduced to the public.

2233 - Hydrogen power cell developed.

2248 - Positronic neural network circuitry developed by Dr. Amanda Walker.

2250 - First android created.

2252 - New fusion process using thorium and tritium developed. Tritium fusion reaction used as igniter to cause thorium to create segnisium, resulting in a high loss of mass and subsequent gain in energy.

2254 - Cybernetic neural networks developed which improve memory, allow the instantaneous learning of new skills, and allow direct communication between the human brain and computers.

2261 - First major megafission reactor accident in Albuquerque, NM. Megafission reactor exploded, killing 5 million and creating a crater 25 km across.

Experimental design of AI computer incorporating laboratory-created human brains developed.

2263 - Majority of megafission power plants closed in favor of thorium fusion power.

2265 - First broadcast power facility came on-line.

2268 - Computer design involving human brains rejected as unstable combination.

2270 - Force fields developed by Dr. Boon Toe.

2275 - Control of all lunar facilities (except for various military defense bases) was centralized at Tycho Center. All personnel from these facilities were moved to Tycho Center. With a population of approximately 50,000, Tycho Center became the only inhabited lunar facility.

2277 - Orbital construction of interstellar colony starship, Warden, began at Vanderberg Spaceyard.

MC II generators produced for home use.

2280 - Project Restoration initiated. Genetically engineered animals are released throughout the United States in an effort to repopulate extinct and severely endangered species.

First stasis chamber prototype developed. Meant to be used for the incurably ill and extreme deep space voyages.

2285 - First Universal Cards issued.

Legion of Free Men reformed in an attempt to centralize Earth’s nations further into the world government.

2288 - Construction of Warden completed. Loading process began.

2290 - Warden left Earth orbit with 1.5 million colonists.

Autonomists formed in response to the merging cultures of Earth. Opposed the world government and promoted the return of national centers of government.

2291 - Warden left solar system.

Molecular transport at speed of light developed by Dr. Lee Vu. Maximum transport range was equal to 400,000 km (with the help of satellites).

2292 - Gravity control became possible.

2300 - Team lead by Dr. Mark Rimer developed the life chamber.

Man-portable force field generators developed.

Interstellar colonies demanded independence. Negotiations were very difficult due to delay in communication transmission time.

2301 - Canopus Plague brought to Sol system by Star Voyager. Ship had been on deep space exploratory mission to Canopus system and returned on auto-pilot to Earth orbit. Team from orbital Spaceport IV sent to investigate. Infected by plague which eventually lead to the infection of the spaceport. Unfortunately, two other orbital starports were also contaminated due to infected refugees from Spaceport IV. The public was told that all complexes were destroyed to prevent the possible spread of infection. However, Spaceport IV was not destroyed, but kept in quarantine in order to study the plague (and the possible military uses).

Negotiations with colonies continued.

2302 - Powered armor developed by the military.

World government gained more power as colony negotiations deteriorated. Interstellar war threatened.

World government ordered the building of the GNC (Global Network Computer) to coordinate all Earth’s defenses and protect Earth from any attack.

2303 - 5,000 members of the Legion of Free Men were killed by a small neutron bomb during a convention celebrating their recent success. It was believed that the Autonomists set off the bomb.

3,000 - people killed by the release of nerve gas in an office building housing the Autonomists’ headquarters. Several hundred Autonomist leaders were also assassinated. It was believed that the Legion of Free Men was responsible.

2304 - Ren Odinson became colony commander at Tycho Center.

First unstable mutations found in several species of Restoration animals. Mutated animals are hunted down, captured and medically examined (i.e. vivisected). Many found are never captured, due to apparent enhanced thinking on the animal’s part.

2306 - Interstellar war declared. Earth was unable to launch an attack against an interstellar colony without the fear of another colony attacking Earth. Earth was too well protected and too far away for the colonies to launch an effective attack themselves.

Autonomist agent secretly corrupted the GNC database with a virus.

2307 - Incomplete transmissions received from an unidentified interstellar colony. Seemed to concern a warning about alien life forms.

GNC activated. Automatic self-defense program detected and destroyed Autonomist virus before any damage was caused.

Hostilities rose between different nations and groups concerning the treatment of the colonies and the Legion of Free Men/Autonomists animosity.

2308 - GNC blocked all interstellar transmissions to/from all planets within the Sol system while attempting to decide where the virus program originated (which it considered an attack).

Group calling itself The Apocalypse issued an ultimatum:

People of the world, you appear bent upon the destruction of a civilization that has taken centuries to build, and the extinction of life on Earth. If that is your will… so be it! We, The Apocalypse, demand an immediate cessation of this insane violence, or we will end it for you… with a force you cannot conceive.

We have the power! The choice is yours!

2309 - Hostilities continued.

The Apocalypse destroyed the capital of every nation on Earth.

Earth forces found and stormed The Apocalypse’s base. The Apocalypse launched nuclear weapons from an undiscovered base on the Moon. The GNC interpreted this action as an attack from the lunar military facilities and launched a counterstrike which set off a nuclear exchange throughout the solar system, resulting in the Cataclysm.

2310 - Nuclear winter settles onto the planet, killing a significant amount of life.

2311 - Radioactive fallout reacted with dormant plant fibers from the Columbia Project to create the Rambling Woods.

2315 - The Nuclear Winter ends and summer returns for the first time in 5 years.

2328 - Warden strayed into undetected radiation cloud. Majority of crew and colonists died from radiation exposure.

2344 - The first truly intelligent animal, a dog named Jasper, is discovered when he telepathically requests assistance from officials for a packmate that was injured.

2358 - Warden reached Xi Ursae Majoris. Genesis Project began (the terraforming of Scion and Essence).

Mutated plant life escaped from hydroponics labs in Tycho Center.

2360 - Mutated macrobes escaped from microlabs in Tycho Center.

2400 - Cyborg leader of the Followers of the Voice was created.

2426 - An underground military instillation just East of Fortbag is discovered. It proves to contain pre-apocalypse technology, but is also heavily guarded by powerful military robots.

2432 - An intelligent fruit tree and two intelligent bushes make contact with traders in the bartertown of Mojav.

2460 - Descendants of Warden crew killed by a mutant army lead by Bromwint.

Genesis Project completed.

2546 - First confrontation between mutated macrobe and plant life at Tycho Center.

2547 - General Jellen led a force of the Ranks of the Fit against the Fortbag instillation. The attack was a failure, but some pieces of functioning technology are recovered.

2566 - Korleen rediscovers the ancient city of Ezcon and leads a small army against the tribals that live there.

Ezcon’s borders stabilized, and Korleen takes on the title of Mayor. The city is declared a Free City, where all races of sentient beings are welcome.

2575 - Korleen is murdered, and his daughter Avrel takes over as Mayor of Ezcon. Even though Korleen is a Pure Strain Human, the Knights of Genetic Purity are found to be responsible for the murder. All captured Knights are executed.

2588 - The Knights of Genetic Purity attack the city of Ezcon again, this time with advanced weaponry. The city guard manages to defend the city, but with heavy losses. Mayor Avrel starts hiring expeditionary groups to try and recover lost technology.

2591 - Radiation levels drop far enough to be tolerable in Ohside, and water-breathing mutants recover lost technology (including a Black-Ray rifle and a suit of Powered Plate Armor.

2595 - A scavenger stumbles up to one of the watch towers of Ezcon and promptly collapses. Before dying, he reveals that he had discovered the location of an Ancient military bunker in Centero. Two expeditions are sent out from Ezcon in an effort to find this unknown bunker, but neither return.

2596 - Gamma World game begins.

Here are the rules I use if for some reason the characters or NPCs get their hands on a nuke. 1.2mt is (supposedly) the largest weapon the United States has in our arsenal, so that’s what I base this on. You can determine the radius of a larger or smaller blast by going here:

http://nuclearsecrecy.com/nukemap/

Effects radii for 1.2mt blast (smallest to largest):

A - Fireball radius: 0.52 km / 0.32 mi

Maximum size of the nuclear fireball; relevance to lived effects depends on height of detonation.

~ Game Rules ~

Unless you are incredibly lucky, your very atoms are toasted. Take 25d10 damage and Stage VII Radiation damage.

B - Air blast radius: 2.91 km / 1.81 mi

20 psi overpressure; heavily built concrete buildings are severely damaged or demolished; fatalities approach 100%.

~ Game Rules ~

The pressure alone is enough to kill you. Take 20d10 damage and Stage VI Radiation damage.

C - Radiation radius: 3.23 km / 2.01 mi

500 rem radiation dose; between 50% and 90% mortality from acute effects alone; dying takes between several hours and several weeks.

~ Game Rules ~

The radiation will seriously mess you up. Enjoy your extra arms. Take 15d10 damage and Stage V Radiation damage.

D - Air blast radius: 7.67 km / 4.77 mi

4.6 psi overpressure; most buildings collapse; injuries universal, fatalities widespread.

~ Game Rules ~

The pressure alone is enough to kill you. Take 10d10 damage and Stage IV Radiation damage

E - Thermal radiation radius: 12.57 km / 7.81 mi

Third-degree burns to all exposed skin; starts fires in flammable materials, contributes to firestorm if large enough.

~ Game Rules ~

You stand a good chance of surviving this. Take 5d10 damage and Stage III Radiation damage.

I’ve enjoyed playing Gamma World 4th Edition since it came out in 1992. I first learned about GW when my brother tried to introduce me to it in the early 80’s. I got into it again in my Junior Year in high school in 1985. That was 3rd Ed, and I enjoyed it despite the horribly clunky rules, charts and editorial mistakes.

Then 1992 came around, and I was in love with the new format. The change in Armor Class rules would eventually become a part of 3e Dungeons and Dragons, which I was thankful for (anyone remember THAC0?). 4th Ed was a wonderland of opportunities for me, and it was incredibly easy for me to make games, creatures, technology, what have you.

So now it’s 2012, and I’m adding my love of GW to the games we play with friends and family. Part of that is starting this blog. This is where I’ll post things I come up with, relevant pictures and whatever I feel belongs here. Not everything will be pure GW tho, so just expect that.

May your weapons never jam.

~ Me