This is system prep for my Apocalypse Never Game. This is a combination of several systems: Knave, Maze Rats, Vaults of Vaarn, Cairn, and Liminal Horror.

Setting

Something bad happened. Catastrophic. The world seemed like it was ending. Things were seen in the confusion; unnatural things that should never be able to walk, or crawl, or whatever they were doing.

That was several years ago now. The world didn’t end, just any semblance of a safe and comfortable life. Now refugees from every time and place have banded together to survive. Some survivors are from a mythic past, with sword and shield, some are from a time like ours, and some are from a far distant future where humanity has radically changed.

You have been driving for days, looking for food, gas, and a place to rest. You aren’t heroes, just survivors.

Game Style

This setting and gameplay style will be played OSR/NSR style. That means:

• You will be weak if you do your standard attack. This game is not about tactical combat, nor does it encourage it.
• You will have to use your gear creatively to stay alive. You will get far by thinking about what makes sense in the world, not thinking about the game rules.
• This is not a character-focused game. This is more game-y than narrative. I didn’t write any sort of plot to follow.

If you want more explanation, link, link, and link.

The rules are meant to be light, and your success at an action depends on your ability to describe it. Expect dilemmas and hard choices, not checks and hard rolls. This should feel more like improv than a movie.

I hope this doesn’t sound like I want to kill you. I don’t. But I want a dangerous world with consequences so that you can be pushed to do things more interesting than “I swing my sword.”

Character Management

Your character has 6 abilities: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. Roll 2d6 and take the lower roll for each of them to get the scores bonus. Add 10 to the bonus to get that stat’s defense. You can then swap two ability bonuses and corresponding defenses, or re-roll one ability.

Roll 1d8 for starting hitpoints and add your constitution bonus.

Everyone starts with 3 days rations, 3d6 x 20 dollars, and a flashlight. Then roll as directed in Section Equipment. If the total of your skill bonuses is less than 16, you may roll on an additional table of your choice.

The party also starts with a vehicle of their choice (nothing crazy).

When a new campaign starts, choose an XP method: gold, stunts, or artifacts (these methods give XP per PC). For gold, 1000 gold recovered gives 1 XP. For stunts, XP is awarded at the end of a session, 1 for showing up, 2 for a clever use of tools, and 3 for defying the odds. For artifacts, every artifact sold after adventuring gives 1 XP. The XP table is shown below:

When leveling up, roll your new level’s number of d8’s for new HP and add your constitution modifier (if you roll below your current HP, increase HP by 1). You may also increase the ability bonuses and corresponding defenses of three different abilities by 1.

You have a number of inventory slots equal to your Constitution defense. Use them sensibly and wisely.

You have a number of skill slots equal to your Intelligence bonus. You may fill one by memorizing a spell, training a combat or tactical skill, or a cybernetics implant.

You also can have the condition deprived. This may happen by not eating or sleeping properly. If you are deprived, you cannot regain any HP until you have a good night of sleep or a meal, as needed.

You also start with a skill. Choose one of the following:

1. +1 to any ability bonus and defence
2. A spell
3. Specialty:
   • Natural: excels in foraging, tracking, and navigating
   • Dextrous: excels in tinkering, picking locks & pockets
   • Nimble: Climbing, leaping, balancing, agility stunts
   • Stealthy: moving silently, staying out of sight, covering your tracks

Record your character attributes in a manner of your choice.

Saving Throws

There are no ability checks in this system, simply saving throws. This is more than a renaming convention; if you aren’t saving against an immediate danger, you should not be rolling.

To roll a save, roll 2d6 plus the relevant ability bonus. If the result is greater than 10, you succeed; otherwise you fail.

Magic

Spells are held in skill slots. If you choose not to generate a spell a particular day, you lose the ability to generate spells. However, if you gain the ability to cast two spells, you may forego generation of one spell without losing both.

If you choose a spell, use Liminal Horror to generate it.

When you cast a spell, roll 2d6. On a 2, you suffer a magical catastrophe. Roll from Liminal Horror.

Spells can only be cast once, and regenerate after a restful night of sleep.

Combat

Combat is mostly freeform. There is no fixed initiative order, no standard actions, just your descriptions. If there is a competition between who does what first, roll a Dexterity Save.

Roll 2d6 and add strength bonus for melee weapons, wisdom for ranged weapons, add the weapon’s attack bonus, and subtract the defender’s armor bonus (bottoming out at zero). This is the damage dealt.

When attacking and doubles are rolled, special effects take place. Consult the Following table:

For a scar, use Section Scars

If an item reaches 0 quality, it is unusable. Repairing armor costs 20% of its store price per quality.

If you want to attempt a combat maneuver (stunts in Knave) such as tripping, disarming, grappling, or stunning, it is resolved with a relevant save against the opponent’s relevant Defence. These may not directly cause damage.

You can only use ranged weapons from a distance, and melee weapons up close. You may sacrifice a shield to absorb all the damage of one hit.

Scars

Compare damage taken on the critical hit to the following table.

Equipment

Armor

Armor items have ratings. (r). Use the following formulae:

Armor bonus = r

Inventory slots = r

Quality = 1 + r

Roll 2d6:

Helmet and Shields provide additional armor bonuses (added on top of armor).

Weapons

All weapons have quality 3.

Choose whether your weapon is ranged or melee.

For the specific form of your weapon, roll from Knave, Liminal Horror, or Vaarn equipment lists (or choose).

Items

Roll 3d6, then roll for gear on the tables corresponding to your individual die rolls.

Table 1

Table 2

Table 3

Table 4

Table 5

Table 6

Additional Equipment

Lists can be found on Liminal Horror site, Vaarn site, and Cairn site.