Thanks to the awesome Robert Schwalb of Schwalb Entertainment, I have access to the the finished final PunkApocalyptic rulebook which just needs final editing, art, and layout.
If you are thinking about backing PunkApocalyptic then know that the product is fully written and already Funded. Additionally, if you know how to play Shadow of the Demon Lord, then you know how to play PunkApocalyptic. However where SotDL has 4 Attributes, PA has 8.
Levels in PA are called Mission, as in after you have finished 5 missions you are Mission 5.
I'm going to make a 1st Mission character (the Pay What You Want QuickStart let's you make a 0 Mission character).
First, we assign Attributes, I am using an array, but they may be randomly rolled. You determine an Attribute's Modifier by subtracting 10 from it's value.
Name: Horse
Attributes
Muscle 10 (+0)
Meat 10 (+0)
Hands 10 (+0)
Feet 9 (-1)
Brains 13 (+3)
Eyes 12 (+2)
Mouth 12 (+2)
Guts 11 (+1)
Defense (Half Feet + Half Eyes [round down]): 10
Health (Meat): 13 (Meat of 10 + 3 from Builder)
Grit (3 + Guts): 14
You may use Grit points to heal damage, but certain things will lower it, like radiation, sickness, or if you are dying.
Education (Brains Modifier): 3
You may choose a number Specialties or Languages equal to your Education. I gain 3 Languages from my Genius Background and will choose 3 Specialties from the following list: Architecture and Engineering, Arts and Culture, Law and Politics, Medicine, Philosophy and Religion, Science, or I can Make up a Specialty.
I choose Architecture and Engineering, Medicine, and Science. These grant me an Asset when I'm making an Attribute roll, generally, against a Difficulty of 10.
Speed (1/2 Feet [round down]): 4
This is how many yards I can move on my Turn.
Reach (defaults to 1): 1
Size: 1
Mutagen:
To determine if you have a Mutagen, roll a d6 and on a 6 you gain 1 random mutation and 1 cosmetic mutation of your choice). I rolled a 6. I now roll 3d6 to determine the type of Mutation I have. My options are Harmful, Minor, Physical, and Mental. My 3d6 roll is a 12, which results in a Minor Mutation. Now I roll on the Minor Mutations d20 table to determine what body part is mutated. I roll a 9 which is my Head. I then roll a 12 which means I have A Second Face on the Back of My Head. For my Cosmetic Mutation, I decide that what little hair I have on the top of my head has a metallic sheen.
Next we choose a Background, you may choose from the following: Brute, Drifter, Face, Fanatic, Ganger, Genius, Scavenger, and Survivor.
Each Background gives you an Attribute boost, a Language, a Talent, Starting Gear, and a Mission 4 benefit.
I'm going to choose Genius.
I roll on the Genius Background table (a d6 roll) and get "You used your mind for selfish ends. You manipulated a whole bunch of people into doing what you wanted them to do. Eventually, they wised up and ran you off.
I get to raise my Brains from 13 to 14.
I speak 3 Languages of my choice: Spanish, Latin, and German.
I get the following Talent:
Well, Actually: When you use an action to help another creature, you increase the number of Assets granted by 1.
In SotDL, Assets are called Boons. Essentially, Difficulties in PA are either 10 or an Ability score. You can roll a number of extra d6s that help you or Assets and a number of extra d6s that hinder you or Complications. Assents and Complications cancel each out, so if your roll has 4 Assets and 3 Complications, your actual roll will be 1 Asset.
I start with the following Gear: A nice set of clothes, a duffel bag, 1 food, 1 water, a slingshot with 10 stones, and a random piece of Junk (I'll roll on the Junk table to learn what this is). I roll a 6 on a d6 to determine what Table to use and roll an 18 to get an Avon Catalog.
There are random tables for:
Age: Adult.
Looks: Not so much to look at.
Height: Average.
Weight: About average.
Distinguishing Features: Missing a few toes, plus metallic hair and a second face from above.
Social Interaction: You get along with other people about as well as anyone else does. You’re not particularly outgoing but you’re not all quiet and reserved either.
Connections: You have lots of friends. Your connections are important to you and you make a lot of effort to maintain your relationships.
Sanity: You’re more or less stable. In other time and place, you’d probably benefit from a therapist.
Goal: You want to suffer.
Motivation: You are afraid of doing the wrong thing.
Obligations: You try to do what you say you will do, but you don’t always succeed.
Morality: You’re neither good nor evil. You look after yourself and sometimes make sacrifices for people close to you.
After my 1st Mission I choose a Novice Path. My options are Builder, Freak, Killer, or Scum.
I choose Builder:
My Health increases by 3.
And I gain 2 Talents:
Pet Project: You build a prototype of a device from those described under Pet Projects. You can choose upgrades for the device when you complete more missions. If you lose the device or it is destroyed, you can replace it at no cost once you finish your current mission. My Pet Project options are Ballistic Punch, Electric Suit, Flame Cannon, Pumper Gun, and Vaporeta.
I choose Ballistic Punch: I have a melee weapon that deals 1d6+3, if that attack roll is 20 or higher, the target falls prone. However, if my attack roll is 0 or less the weapon breaks and I need a Repair Kit and 1 minute to fix it.
Hasty Assembly: You can use a tool kit to turn salvage into useful objects. Pick one object worth 100 bullets or less. For every 5 bullets of the item’s price, you must have 1 salvage. It takes about 5 minutes of work to cobble together the device. If you finish, you expend the salvage and create the desired object, which retains functionality until the end of the mission, at which point the object becomes unusable and the salvage is lost.
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