3 Generations After the End

7/23/2019 3 Generations After the End

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Generations After The End

A System-Agnostic Post-Apocalyptic Setting

Preface

3 Generations After The Endis a small post-apocalyptic setting that the Gamer Assembly released in January 2012.

e deliberately !ept 3 Generations After The Endgeneric" and in fact" each monster includes stats for #ungeons$ #ragons%E" Gamma orld%E" &a'age orlds" (ATE" and Apocalypse orld.

Table of Contents

)reface...............................................................................................................................................................1*redits................................................................................................................................................................1+ntroduction...................................................................................................................................................... 2

The ,alley..........................................................................................................................................................3&anctuary" &hedras #omain.............................................................................................................................3&tronghold" The ingdom of Tomas.................................................................................................................%Entry Gate )amphlet......................................................................................................................................... /,ie (rom The ottom f Greybar *ity...........................................................................................................The (orests....................................................................................................................................................... 4The ol'es of Thanatos.................................................................................................................................. 5The 6aces......................................................................................................................................................... 10Technology is 7agic..........................................................................................................................................11The 7onsters................................................................................................................................................... 12The Enemies.....................................................................................................................................................18

CreditsThan!s to *hris #undon" *hris Jac!son" rian 9iberge" and T.. ombat for their articles and support.

This document as assembled" typeset" and edited by rent ). :ehall.

All images used in this issue are in the public domain" or released under an appropriate license and creditedhere appropriate. 6eally" e chec!ed.

Go tohttp;


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Introduction

y rent ). :ehall

**-=-:# Jeff )reston

The Apocalypse

Introduced Magic

The s!y collapsed. The sun'anished. The moon crac!ed.a'es plunged the cities into thesea. Airplanes fell from the s!y.

And the i>ards" arloc!s" anditches of olden times returned.These may be related.

The i>ards ?hich is hat mostpeople call those ith magicalability@ soon retreated intoabandoned labs and createdarmies of strange beasts andbeast-men. These creatures couldnot be controlled" and many ofhom still sur'i'e in bands aroundthe orld.

Wizards Are

Powerful And eared

Though uite a fe lo- to medium-poered i>ards li'e scatteredaround the orld" the publicimagination 'ies i>ards assuper-poerful" uasi-immortalbeings ho can mold reality to theirill and rule their fiefdoms ithabsolute authority.

i>ard-ruled !ingdoms are usuallytheocracies" basically large andorgani>ed cults de'oted to the ill

of the i>ard ruling them. Thosein'ol'ed are rarely happy aboutthis" but those ho disobey areuic!ly disco'ered and sacrificedto demons ?or orse things@.

Techno!Priests

Control the Cities

ithin the crumbled cities of yore"the )riesthood has arisen topreser'e the technology of thepast. +n some places" they aremerely the preser'ers of 'astarchi'es of !noledge. +n others"

they subdue and rule the othersho li'e in their cities" demandingtribute and sacrifices.

The cities themsel'es aremarginally safer than theilderness" but hold uniuedangers. inged li>ards nest onthe roofs far abo'e" hile ratfol!

scurry through the seers. ldpar!s are no farms struggling tocoaB e'en mutated 'egetablesfrom the tired earth.

"a#age $ature

Abhors Technology

The deeper one presses into theild forests and Cungles of theorld" the less technologyfunctions. ,icious" poerfulcreatures li'e deep in the ildplaces. 6are is the non-i>ard hocan sur'i'e in the ilderness.

%egions Are

Controlled &y

Wizards 'r

Warlords

pen" habitable spaces--thefarmlands of old--are usually splitup into small nation-states" eachruled by a i>ard or a arlord.Technology has regressed to asubsistence le'el of foodproduction" sca'enging" and trade.6emnants of the old orld are used

for shelter and ra materials.http://blogs.gamerassembly.net/?p=134

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**-=-:# Jaydot &loane

The (alley

y rent ). :ehall

The ,alleyDs a hard place. arderthan most.

The Gray *ity hul!s on the esternhori>on" of courseF canDt miss that.The aging toers house the)riesthood and their supposedci'ili>ation. TheyDre safe enoughamidst the crumbling asphalt andfiltered sunlight" beteen the giantflying li>ards roosting in the roofsabo'e and the cralingsca'engers of the seers belo.7ay the ratfol! ne'er learn ho toorgani>e.

utside" itDs your choice beteenTomas and &hedra. Tomas rules his!ingdom ith ruthless efficiency"more tons and armies sproutingup e'ery month" it seems. 9ife in his

!ingdom is tiring but hopeful; heDsbuilt a poc!et of real li'ing that!eeps many dangers out.

&hedra the itch pays littleattention to her subCects. They paya lot of attention to her" and to hercloa!ed priestesses. The latterroam the streets" occasionallycomandeering people and theirgear for strange rites. :o reason isgi'en. hole families candisappear o'ernight.

This is the price paid for themagical barrier that !eeps hostile

creatures from entering &hedraDs!ingdom. This barrier must alsoarn &hedra hen anyone enters"as strangers uic!ly earn a 'isitfrom her priestesses" ho learn the

strangersD businessor !ill them.er !ingdom isnDt as prosperous asTomasDs" but itDs a little easier. (or aprice.

Their !ingdoms are surrounded bythe ilds" a sa'age forest filledith e'en more sa'age creatures.ell" the plants themsel'es ill !illyou. And that itself is strange.Those fe hoD'e li'ed outside ofthe !ingdoms or the city ill tell youthat the things li'ing in that forestdonDt ma!e sense" and donDt li'eanyhere else. +tDs li!e they eremade in there. y someone. r

something.

http://blogs.gamerassembly.net/?p=143

"anctuary) "hedra*s +o,ain

y rent ). :ehall

They say it is &hedras magic that!eeps the beasts out of the rollinghills and 'alleys of &anctuary" andbrings the rains in spring. &anctuary

is" indeed" a strange place. +t ismore...'ibrant than most" more fullof life. 9ife in &anctuary is peaceful"and her people ha'e full bellies.

f course" those full bellies come ata price; total obedience to thepriestesses of &hedra. er robedpriestesses roam the streets oninscrutable errands. Theyoccasionally commandeer peopleand supplies. :o reason is gi'en" butrarely is a reason as!ed. That is theprice.

&anctuary is made up of about to

do>en tons and 'illages" nearly allof them farming communities. Thisis ama>ing in itselfF little of neearths soil is capable of farming.&trange" tisted things come fromthis earth" but its edible" and theresa lot of it.

The only non-farming ton is Toer"a massi'e mining compleB in themountains and &hedras home. Thisis a dar! place. Though it employs

hundreds of people" the only onesho e'er lea'e are &hedraspriestesses. ere" &hedra performspoerful magic in the dar!passages of the compleB she car'edfrom the li'ing roc! of themountain. 7oans and screams cansometimes be heard from inside.

The truth; &hedra is a necromancer.&he spends most of her timecreating undead" for the gray areabeteen life and death fascinatesher. &he has released so much lifeenergy that it has seeped into the

lands around her" gi'ing them thestrangely poerful life her subCectscra'e.

&hedra ill undoubtedly become alich someday. )erhaps she alreadyis" and uses a glamour of beauty tohide her true self.

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"tronghold) The -ingdo, of To,as

y rent ). :ehall

The Eggshell

Tomass !ingdom is entirelysurrounded by a all" hich is nomean feat in this orld. :ear theroads" the all is solid stone ten feethighF out in the ilderness" its mostlypieces of scrap tied together andbarely comes up to a mans chest.

This is the Eggshell" so namedbecause it protects the precious lifeithin it. E'ery road into &trongholdpasses through large gates andguard houses set in the Eggshell.The guards stationed here can

inspect anyone or anything" andoften abuse their pri'ileges.

Bifis a typical guard; broad-shouldered and narro-minded. ellsift through belongings and findays to claim 'aluables asHsuspicious.I

Wo,

The capital city of &tronghold" omis a ton of bustling acti'ity. +t as aci'ili>ed ton before the last" too"and the old stone buildings that formthe center of om ha'e been

fortified into a castle" complete itha circular all and a foul-smellingmoat.

om also has an arena. ne day aee!" beasts are raced in themorning" and human teams playaggressi'e ball games in theafternoons.

7ost crimes in Tomass !ingdoms arepunished by forced gladiatorcombat. nce a month" all criminalsare brought to the arena and fightto the death. The sur'i'or returnsneBt month. +f a criminal lasts for

more than a fe months" he or she isput against increasingly large teamsof enemies and e'entually !illed.

To,as*s Ar,y

7a!e no mista!e; Tomass army isprobably the best in the orld. eforged a rabble of bandits into ahard military unit" conuered thetons that no ma!e up &tronghold"and built his folloers into an army.

The army is di'ided into three le'els;

The Guard are the loest le'el. Allable-bodied men ?12 to 30 years old@are forced to ser'e in the Guard forsiB-month terms e'ery three years.Their training is minimal by Tomassstandards but orld-class outside.

Any member of the Guard has aniron ill.

The (ists are chosen from the Guardto li'e out their li'es in the Army ?andrarely ha'e a choice in the [email protected] train daily and are fearedthroughout the land. (or the pastfi'e years" they'e been the centerof the )roCect.

The (ists are actually Tomassbiggest problem" as they are themost restless. They need neenemies to fight.

The lades are Tomass personalbodyguards. E'ery lade is hand-pic!ed from the (ists as an eBampleof some eBtreme; bra'ery" loyalty"might. Theyre an odd lot" but theyrefanatically de'oted to Tomas" andany one could easily defeat a do>ennormal men.

The Pro.ect

Tomas is building. A lot. (ortificationsand toers are going up all o'er&tronghold. nly Tomas and thelades !no hat its all for.

Plot /oo0s

The )*s are sent by a ealthy metaltrader ho sent his youngest son toor! in &tronghold for siB months.That as to years ago.

The )*s find a dying man ho claims

that the buildings are beingconstructed in a magical patternthat" hen completed" ill summon ademon that ill gi'e Tomastremendous poer but ill destroythe 'alley in the process.

The )*s find a dying man ho claimsto ha'e been attac!ed by one ofTomass lades. e says that Tomassactual goal is to build anunstoppable army.

The )*s are captured on a pretenseand brought to the arena for themonthly gladiator fights.

To,as

Archetype:&tern general

Actors to imitate: from 7en +nlac!" that guy ho alays playsyatt Earp

Behaviors: &tand straight" fron"bar! orders" spea! instraightforard English

Goals:(ind out if the )*s are a threator useful.

What he'll say:+f Tomas doesnt see

the )*s as threats" hell hold nothingbac!.

e sees himself as the only saneorgani>ational force in this part ofthe orld. The i>ards are insaneand insanely dangerous" and nobodyelse is strong enough to protect a lotof natural humans. e has noproblems ith mutants themsel'es"but hes afraid that humanity illmutate further into completemonsters" and that ci'ili>ation illne'er be able to reco'er.

e readily admits that he ants to

in'ade &hedras domain" defeat herarmies" and !ill the itch. e seesher as a threat.


% 3 Generations After The End


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Entry Gate Pa,phlet

y T.. ombat

Welco,e to reybar

City1

e hope you enCoy your 'isit to ourfair community.

(eel free to as! a !eeper if youha'e any uestions aboutreconstructing a 'ibrant"ad'anced" and safe society inthese modern times.

En.oy co,fort and

con#enience1

All aspects of daily life in Greybar*ity ha'e been designed ith yourcomfort in mind. Any inCuries ordiseases ill be treated as soon asyou arri'e" and youDll be bac! onyour feet in no time. #onDt miss ournightly shos in the *entral Aud"running the gamut from ancient-style li'e theatrical performance"to massi'e trideo shos" tostadium-style music concerts. urchefs use the freshest ingredientsto ma!e you the best meals in theorld today. E'ery guest room hasa terminal to eBplore the 'ast

ealth of information stored onour netor!" indi'idualen'ironmental controls" a pri'atebath ith hot ater" andcon'enient aste reclamationreceptacles. Kse ourcommunications grid to contactpeople across ton ithout lea'ingthe comfort of your room. Trideoconferencing is a'ailable" as isimmersi'e pri'ate entertainment.

+f you ta!e the ath and Coin ourcity" all of this can be yours e'eryday. =our )ersonal &tar )ass ill be

upgraded from 6ed to =ello and

youDll accrue credits in ourcentrali>ed system hich can becashed in for some great reards"so lea'e the uncertain bartersystem at the gate. +f youDreinterested in becoming a memberof Greybar *ity" please as! anyeeper earing a lin!ing lue)ersonal &tar )ass.

Please be courteous

and follow our

si,ple rules2

ur rules are simple and meant to

pro'ide the maBimum comfort forall citi>ens and 'isitors.

1. Your Personal Star Pass Must BeWorn At All Timese cannotprotect you if e donDt !noyour location or status. =our&tar is fitted ith acommunicator and personal lifesigns scanner. +f you tra'elmore than three paces fromyour &tar" a team ill bedispatched to determine ifyouDre in danger and help youout of hate'er situation youDre

in.2. !ecycling "s Man#atoryith a

lac! of ra materials" e stri'eto reuse and recyclee'erything. )lease use thecon'enient aste reclamationreceptacles scatteredthroughout the city" mar!ed itha green triangle.

3. !espect Boun#aries =our &tarill arn you if you stray into arestricted area. Greybar *ityruns on 'ery large machineshich could hurt you if you get

too close. 6estricted areas eBist

to !eep you safe.

%. $%ey All &eepers+f anyone itha lue or hite &tar as!s you todo something" they arespea!ing ith the authority ofthe entire city behind them.)lease comply ith the eeperDsreuest as uic!ly as possiblefor e'eryoneDs safety andcomfort.

(ailure to follo these rules illresult in a arning from a eeperfolloed by immediate eBpulsionfrom Greybar *ity. (urther

infractions ill be met ithincreasingly escalated responses.

Interested in ,o#ing

to reybar City3

e ould lo'e to be your nehome. After ta!ing the ath of*iti>enship and recei'ing your=ello &tar" you ill be assigned arole in the city. :e citi>ens aretested for aptitude and assigned tohelp the city in a mannerappropriate to their s!ill set.Kns!illed citi>ens ill spend at least

siB months in (ood &er'ices hilelearning a ne trade in the offhours.

e ant you to be happy andhealthy. e ant you to be safe.e ant you to unloc! your fullpotential.

EnCoy your 'isit to Greybar *ity. ehope you come bac! soon.

?)roduced by Greybar *ity )rinting" aholly-oned subsidiary of the &yrinB*orporation.@


3 Generations After The End /


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(iew ro, The &otto, 'f Greybar City

y T.. ombat

The folloing teBt as foundencrypted ith 62T13" hidden in afile tagged H*orrupt +mage (ileI. +thas the latest date of the 318 files inthe directory" each containing asimilar bloc! of hidden andencrypted teBt.

+tDs all coming to a head. + can feelit. +tDs only a matter of time beforethe eepers sitch from masters tosla'es" and no itDs closer thane'er. + !no the (ree #ata7o'ement ta!e a loo! at any nefile that comes online. + only hopetheyDre bright enough to find and

read this. + used some s!ills fromthe pre-disaster days hen + as atotal digit head so + could hide myCournal" but + !ept it simple. henthe eepers didnDt haul me in fortreason" + figured they missedthese files. *orrupt data is prettycommon and thereDs no sensescrutini>ing e'ery little thing" isthereL

+Dm an old man ho ants to set therecord straight about Greybar *itybefore + shuffle off or they ta!e meto *ybernetics to put my brain in

one of the )aB bodies.

9etDs tal! about life in the big city.The eepers run e'erything. Theycontrol the entertainment" thefood" the medical establishment"access to the data cached fromhen there as an +nternet thattheyD'e been bastardi>ing" and allhigh-tech de'elopment. The rest ofus go on li!e sheep" ser'ing ourrole as proletariat laborers. +f oneof us gets a great idea" eDreas!ed to Coin the eepers. uthereDs the thing; +f you Coin them"

thatDll be the last original idea youha'e. + donDt !no hat they do forthe initiation ceremony or hat theycut out of your brain hen theyattach that infernal metal boB tothe bac! of your head" but eepersare con'inced that all the ansersalready eBist online if only theyDre

diligent enough to find them. 9i!e+nternet data came from thehea'ens to enlighten the orld" butonly the eepers ha'e theimplanted interface to trulyappreciate the scope of the data.

And yet they donDt bother loo!ing atsub'ersi'e messages hiding incorrupt image files.

+ dodged a bullet hen they as!edme to Coin. + came up ith an idea"but + con'inced them it asnDt me.They tapped a friend of mine" andhen + sa him the neBt year he

remembered me. e said he ashappy" but he as completelydifferent. e didnDt e'en thin! thesame ay any more. e as!ed meto Coin" and + Cust couldnDt. + li!e theay + thin!. &o + resol'ed to !eep myhead don and do hat asreuired in as unremar!able a ayas + could manage. And thatDs hen+ disco'ered the (ree #ata7o'ement.

+ or!ed in the (ood 7ines foryears. The eepers maintain tosub-le'els of hydroponic gardensand li'estoc! genetics labs underthe city. The 'at-gron flesheBperiments turn my stomach" butthatDs the tasty meat that !eeps thecity fed and docile. + sore it offafter + sa ho it as made. Thereare more sub-le'els under thoseto" and + sa a guy ith a yellostar ho loo!ed li!e he oned theplace coming out of an accessstairay right behind one of the )aBone time. The eepers donDt ha'ethe manpoer to de'elop and usethe loer le'els" hich is hytheyDre so !een on recruiting ne

citi>ens. They send )aB patrolsdon there to ma!e sure nobodyhas mo'ed in. + learned that the(ree #ata 7o'ement can somehocontrol the )aB" so it ma!es an idealbase of operations for them. Thereare plenty of secret entrances andno other humans go don there.

The )aB are the eepersD hole card"an army of perfected robotsoldiers ho obey ithout uestionor hesitation. )eople say the )aBare built from people" but thatDsCust rumor. E'ery once in a hilesome of them seem to recogni>esomething and act strangely" somaybe thatDs not far off. Theeepers read about :uclear#eterrence" and theyD'e beenusing that doctrine for the past 0years to hold the ol'es at bayoutside the city alls. *ombatrobots donDt feel pain. TheyDre

pinpoint accurate" and their pulselasers recharge to full gi'en time.ut usually one ell-placed shotfrom a clic! aay tends to endfights before they begin. nce in ahile a i>ard gets uppity andta!es one out before he falls" butthatDs been rare. The eeperstrusted the )aB so much that theyturned o'er all securityresponsibilites to the )aB. :o theycan concentrate on finding thetruth at the bottom of the pile ofdata in their heads.

The (ree #ata 7o'ement hac!edthe eepersD interface a hile ago.TheyDre listening in on e'erythingthe eepers do. +Dm not sure if theyhac!ed the )aB or if they Custor!ed out a deal someho" but+D'e ne'er seen a )aB attac! amember of the 7o'ement.According to the sub'ersi'epropaganda that sometimesinterrupts the entertainmentshos" ne data comes in atrandom inter'als. +t loo!s li!ethereDs some sort of intermittentconnection to other sites in other

cities. The eepers thin! itDs Theord f God" so theyDre o'erCoyedhen ne data comes in. The7o'ement is more pragmatic. Theylearned about computers the sameay + did M hac!ing andeBperimentation. + thin! theyD'e gotthe right idea" but they ha'e no

3 Generations After The End


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idea ho to run a go'ernment.TheyDre specialists" not leaders ore'en team players. &o theyDre greatfor throing mon!ey renchesaround" but + fear theyDll ta!e o'er

and the hole city ill comecrumbling don.

:ot that the eepers are too faroff from total meltdon either. +tDsa hard orld no. The )aB !eepsthe raiders at bay" but theinfrastructure itself is threateningto implode. Gathering geneticmaterial from banished citi>ens ismostly for sho no since theydonDt ha'e a or!ing geneticscanner any more. 6ecycling +s7andatory" but that only gets us sofar. e still need ne things to fill

the holes left be raids and theftand the passage of time. Theeepers ha'e been rangingfarther and farther afield"desperately searching for moretechnology they can sal'age to!eep their machines running. + heartheyD'e left the 'alley a couple oftimes" but they !eep absolutelyclear of the forests. All theirdefensi'e and curati'e gadgetsand theyDre afraid of goblins in theoods. 7aybe their dogma ma!esthem belie'e in the Tooth (airy too.

(ood production is alays a tric!y

thing. TheyD'e tried to mo'e someof the fields outside" but the )aBcouldnDt stop the sheer number ofraiders in an unfortified field. elost a fieldDs orth of seed cord

that year and more than a fegood people. eD'e got enough forno" and the synthesi>ed spicescan ma!e feces taste gourmet" butho !nos ho long until one ofthe eBperiments ta!es out a holefield. :obody thin!s about the ris!sin'ol'ed in hat eDre doing e'eryday Cust to sur'i'e.

And thatDs my big problem ith theeepers and the &yrinB *orporationthey represent. E'erybody listenssympathetically" and e'erybodyants a better place to call home.

&ome people ha'e great ideas" butonce the eepers gi'e you theimplant you start na'el-ga>ing andsifting through data loo!ing for thesecret of life. #ata acts li!e anarcotic" and hen itDs in your headall the time nothing else mattersuite as much. The eepers get anon-stop information buffet to!eep them complacent. Theeepers in turn pro'ide a constantstream of bread and circuses forthe masses" and the people stufftheir mouths too full to uestiontheir self-appointed leaders. &o

hoDs at the top reaping the fruits

of this docile societyL

+f the eepers and the (ree #ata7o'ement e'er decided to listen toeach other" Greybar *ity ould

actually become the beacon ofhope in a dar! orld that thebrochures ant you to belie'e.eDd be able to use the eepersDarchi'ed data as a starting pointfor inno'ation instead of an endingpoint of religious intolerance. ecould rein'ent the orld and gethumanity connected again. ecould all pull together toard abetter life for our children andtheir children. ut + doubt that ille'er happen. The 7o'ement antsa say" and the eepers only hearthe data from before the cataclysm

echoing in their heads. The7o'ement !eeps grabbing forattention through thie'ery and'andalism" hile the eepers fightbac! the chaos ithout e'eranaly>ing hat the city really needs.oth sides butt heads because theyalays ha'e. And that stupidity illget us all !illed one day.

&o elcome to Greybar *ity. +tDscrappy" but itDs a far sight betterthat your alternati'es.

Good luc! out there.



Greybar *ity is a tough place. The eepers cater to those fesouls ho thin! they can re-capture life before the catalcysm.&ome still belie'e that there are poc!ets of pre-collapseci'ili>ation" li'ing in the height of luBury.

All their materials trumpet this" and they spend a fair amount oftime manufacturing their utopian facade.

9ifes a bit more rough inside. E'eryone does hat the eeperstell them to do" mostly because the )aB frea! out e'ery last citi>enof Greybar. There are plenty of stories about robot insurgentarmies and berser! androids !illing entire cities. There hasnt

been a problem yet" but.....M rent



8/20

The orests

y *hris Jac!son

The face of the orld has

irre'ocably changed" threegenerations after the end. Thelandscape is di'ided neatly beteen'ast sathes of desolate aste andgigantic" ancient forests. Arableland that has not become completelyo'ergron is an incredible rarity inthe orld" and all of that has longsince been claimed by the arlordsor the sorcerer-!ings. 7any of theremaining cities ha'e been builtithin the crumbling remains ofthose left from before the end"croding along the coasts of ri'ers"la!es" and oceans. These are almost

in'ariably held under say by theineffable hims of the )riesthood.here'er one can gain a fleetingsense of security" one also mustha'e to sacrifice liberty.

7agic seems to ha'e not onlyreturned to human!ind. The forestsare" perhaps" the most dangerousplace in the orld. Technologybegins to ineBplicably brea! donand malfunction" the further onestrays from ci'ili>ation" but there isnohere orse than deep ithin theforests" here technology CustdoesnDt or! at all. E'en moreprimiti'e implements such ascompasses can often lead oneastrayF the magic imbuing the placeseems to disrupt natural as ell asartificial magnetic fields. This mayalso contribute to some of the moresubCecti'e eBperiences" deep in theoodsF spending too much time inthe ilds can lead to di>>iness"confusion" eBhaustion" and anBiety.These effects seem to beparticularly bad to those ith naturalmagical talent of their onF not onlydoes magic freuently misfire or goastray" but but it is more eBhausting

for the caster to carry through.orse" it seems that many flora andfauna ithin the forests and Cunglesseem naturally attracted to magic">eroing in on the errant caster"often ignoring their companionscompletely.

,ery fe animals still dell ithin the

forests" and those that do are

monstrous. The plants themsel'es" itseems" ha'e become the chiefpredators" preying both upon eachother" and anything else thatanders too far in hether for follyor for food. 7any ha'e changed intothings unrecogni>able from hatthey may once ha'e been"de'eloping bulbous" tuberous"'ining" stic!ing" and piercingstructures to assist in theirpredations. :early e'ery predatoryplant can eBhibit short bursts ofincredible groth" draining storageorgans and shri'elling pseudobulbs

in order to achie'e these ildgrasps. 6oots" stems" and e'enfloers are often co'ered in minutehairs" hich sense somethingbrushing against them" or e'enal!ing o'er the ground abo'e" andstimulate the plant to stri!e. Thesehairs can also ser'e anotherpurpose as ellF many are pac!edfull of potent crystalli>ed toBins"causing s!in that brushes againstthem to burn" scab" or e'ennecroti>e. 7any pollens ser'e adouble-duty as soporific agents"lulling the breathers into a narcotic

sleep. &pines and mucilaginousglands along the lea'es and stemsfurther ser'e to deli'er the plantsDpredatory payloads to theirunsuspecting 'ictims. nce boundby rapidly-groing 'ines" disabled bypoison or inCury" or simply eBhaustedfrom fighting bac! cruel nature" theplants sloly gro o'er their 'ictims.Ad'entitious roots pour out of anypart of the plant and di'e into theflesh" draing out nutrients as theyeBude en>ymes that brea!s donthe tissue. E'en calcium is dran outfrom the bones" e'entually" lea'ingnothing as e'idence after only acouple ee!s.

)eople 'enturing into the forests"hether for ad'enture or forforage" often do not return. 6escueparties are a rare sightF usually oncesomeone has been attac!ed" there is'ery little chance of sur'i'al.

:e'ertheless" the sight of a scarred"

scabbed indi'idual is not anuncommon one ithin thesettlements nearest to the forests.&ome are e'en permanentlydisfigured from their eBperiences inthe ild. +t is sheer folly to 'entureithin the oods alone" sooftentimes a member of anad'enturing group ill ta!e amisstep and be attac!ed by feralfoliage" and for the rest of theirli'es bear the mar!s of theencounter. =et the incredible bountypromised ithin the forestscontinues to dra the bra'e and the

desperateF despite all of thedeadliness" there is also anabundance of edible fruits" roots"and fungus. 7any nomadic groupstra'el from forest to forest"foraging and sca'enging ithin foritems of subsistence and trade" asell as for the components of'aluable medicines hich they canproduce. +t is unreasonable"therefore" to ma!e any sort ofattempt to destroy the forestsholesale" despite the threat theypresent" because it iscounterbalanced by their incredible

fecundity of natural resources.http://blogs.gamerassembly.net/?p=365


**-=-:# Jaydot &loane
http://blogs.gamerassembly.net/?p=365http://blogs.gamerassembly.net/?p=365


9/20

The Wol#es of Thanatos

y *hris #undon

hen predators rise in the foodchain and e'entually hit the top" it isseldom that they remain in thatplace unchallenged. Gi'en enoughtime" other predators ill reali>etheir potential and e'ol'e into athreat to the complacent. Thei>ards of the orld 6eborn uic!lyasserted themsel'es as thedominant species across thede'astated lands" but in manyplaces across the lands there asno room for shared poerF i>ardfell upon i>ard in desperatestruggles to be the strongest

among them. +t is often hen thesei>ards hunt alone that they fall'ictim to another predator" onethat hunts them specifically.

9ittle is publically !non about theol'es of Thanatos" other thanthey seem to specifically targeti>ards throughout the astelands.The fe facts people ha'e scrapedtogether range from ama>ing tohorrifying. i>ards ha'e suddenly'anished in the night" e'en fromtheir on lairs. The 'ast maCority isne'er seen again" and looters hodescend on the riches of themissing i>ards say that" despiteclear signs of a struggle ha'ingoccurred" their libraries andartifacts are freuently intact.Their numbers arenDt !non" norhas a base of operation beenidentified. The greatest uestion"though" is ho theyDre able to ta!edon such immensely poerfulbeings here many ha'e failed.

n only a fe recorded occasionshas a i>ard returned from goingmissing" and in e'ery case theyDrefound crucified to the gates of a

city" butchered li!e a sine and ith

a loo! of unending terror on theirfaces. The reports from autopsiesthat are performed on the remainsbecome loc!ed aay by the Techno-)riests and those ho as! uestionsare either rebu!ed or Cailed.+nformation among the commonfol! is little more than scary storiesand rumors.

Those in the inner circles of theTechno-)riests" though" !no muchmore about the ol'es thantheyDre letting on. The bul! of hatis !non has been chronicled by aJocelyn Albrecht" a young Techno-

)riest in training at the Grey *ity inThe ,alley. Than!s to her efforts"e no !no that the ol'es ofThanatos are a band of fiercehunters ho prey specifically oni>ards. &he also learned that theyseem to ha'e no politicalaspirations outside their oninternal dealings" and their entiresociety is centered on the huntitself. ut" most significantly" sheas the first to disco'er one of thesecret hunting techniues of theol'es; the ability to dampenmagic.

The actual method they use toproduce the mysterious liuid isguarded e'en fiercer than the!noledge of its eBistence" but theeffects are no !non throughobser'ation. The effects henintroduced en'ironmentally areprofound; lo concentrations ofthe liuid in the area and soilcauses magic in the area tobecome significantly dampened.&uccessfully cast spells are ea!er"and some fi>>le before they cane'en manifest. &tronger

concentrations intensified the

effects. 6obbed of their potentoffensi'e and defensi'e abilities"i>ards fall as if they ere merelambs.

7ost intriguing as hen theol'es seemed to begineBperimenting in the AssassinDsarts. +n one situation obser'ed by aspy planted in a i>ardDs home" thei>ard as drin!ing from a cup oftea hen he suddenly cho!ed andfell to the floor" sha!ing beforegoing unconscious. The i>ardreco'ered se'eral minutes laterand his connection to the ley lines

had been completely se'ered. ecould no longer summon a light" letalone summon a creature or alightning bolt. The spy reco'eredsome of the tea" hich testedpositi'e for the dampening poison.e donDt !no if the effect aspermanent" thoughF the ol'esraided the lair hours later and thespy barely escaped ith his life.

*ombining the effects of theirdampening poisons and brutalcombat techniues ith tactics thatborder on terrorism" the ol'es of

Thanatos ride a thin line beteenbeing praised as sa'iors of thepopulace from the i>ards anddeeply feared for their horrific andeBtreme methods. 7any onderhat ill happen if all of a regionDsi>ards are slain" dri'en into hidingor mo'e on to less hostile lands.ill the ol'es mo'e on" or ill theyremain and loo! for ne preyLithout !noing ho they are orhat their true purpose is"speculation runs rampant.




10/20

The %aces

y rian 9iberge

3 Generations After The End?3GATE@

is designed to be a primarily human-centric setting. ThatDs great in a lotof ays. umans are the dominantrace in most 6)G settings" and arecertainly the stars of most modernmedia. +tDs easy for us to relate on acommon le'el ith them" as ell asimagining them competing in afantastic orld.

oe'er" many systems also supportthe idea of multiple player races and3GATEis easily eBpanded to includethose.

After humans" the eastmen are the

most prominent race. *reated by theearly i>ards after the greatapocalypse" the beastmen arepoerful men and omen infusedith bestiality of nature. &ome arestill under the control of i>ards butmany still escaped to the ilderness"forming their on tribes. 7any racesare naturally suited for beastmen asthey already represent creaturesho are part man" part animal.7inotaurs" li>ardfol!" shifters" andthri-!een are all eBcellent choices. +fyou ant to get creati'e" ta!e agood loo! at the mechanics for the

race and re-s!in for differentanimals as needed. Gnolls are aneBcellent template race henplaying #$#%E. They get bonusesfor hunting in groups" and theirfeats allo them to becomeeBcellent trac!ers or gain a naturalcla eapon. These traits could beused to represent any number ofanimals in the orld.

eastmen are also naturally suitedto or!ing in a miBed party. &omeare already allied ith the i>ards"hile others ha'e a natural reasonto oppose them" so humans from

either area could find reasons toor! ith them. TheyDre less

naturally suited to the cities of the

techno-priests" but in fantasy yourcharacters are already eBceptional.They could be con'erts" prisonersor!ing toard release" or maybethey ere an eBperiment left behindand freed by the priests.

#epending on the le'el of artifacttechnology you ant to play ith" thetechno-priests offer another greatrace idea" that of the robot" cyborg"or android. The arforged of #$#"the gearforged of 7idgard" and thegiant robot of ig Eyes" &mall 7outhare all great mechanics to use for

these races. =ou could be a necreation" an eBperiment of thetechno-priests and the ultimaterepresentation of manDs orship oftechnology. )erhaps you ere foundand only recently reacti'ated. 7anyhigh tech labs ould be outside ofthe city and in secret locations"lea'ing you to ally ith the firstilling humanoids you can find. =oumay e'en ha'e been around sincethe apocalypse" remembering theold orld. Tal! to your G7 about thisoption first. 7any things from thepast may need to be a secret toallo proper eBploration anddisco'ery. 7aybe your characteras a simple or!er drone before"and ne'er learned of life outside athree bloc! radius" or it could bethat years of poor maintenanceha'e ruined your memory" gi'ing youglimpses of the past in short"confusing bursts" ma!ing you amodern oracle.

(inally there are the deepest areasof the ild" here technology ceasesto function" and the beastmen roamith unforgi'ing sa'agery. (e dareto tread here" and e'en feer

return to spea! its tales. &ince magicreturned ith the apocalypse" the

secrets held here could be the

source of the most fantastic racialoptions. )erhaps technology doesnDtfunction here because of magicDsrich 'eins. (ey lines could emanatefrom these >ones" and perhaps theirhearts are portals to other planes.ne might stumble into cities ofhumanityDs mythic past; the mines ofdar'es and gnomes" tree-top el'en'illages" or roaming tribes of goblinsand giants. 9i!e humans" membersof these races may feel compelled tobra'e the un!non and eBplore theastes outside their hiddensanctuaries. hat happens hen

they lea'e" thoughL #oes their magicchangeL #o they themsel'es becomearped by the apocalypseL hatgrand creations might come intobeing if dar'en master craftsmanere to or! ith the techno-priestsL

hate'er you decide" use it to buildthe lore of your orld" and ha'e agrand ad'enture.



http://blogs.gamerassembly.net/?p=270http://blogs.gamerassembly.net/?p=270


11/20

Technology is Magic

y rian 9iberge

6eligion meetsTechnologyby 6in>eind on (lic!r

HAny sufficiently ad'ancedtechnology is indistinguishablefrom magic.I

NArthur * *lar!e

+n most of the cities ithin thepost-apocalyptic orld of 3Generations After the End" thepriests rule. These are 'erydifferent men of the cloth thane see in our current time. Thesepriests do not re'ere an unseengod or the ords of prophetstranslated from ancient tomesand scrolls. +nstead" they orshipthe remnants of a once greatsociety" pulling ords from )#(sof technical manuals oncomputer tablets.

+n most fantasy tabletop games"a priest or cleric" is 'ery differentthing from our techno priests. +n

#$#" clerics are arriors of theirgod" able to ield di'ine magic tosmite foes. +tDs a 'ery differentstyle" and you ha'e some choices

to ma!e as a group if you ant toinclude these classes as an optionfor your players. y default" thereis no di'ine magic in 3GATE. Theapocalypse brought bac! thei>ards and itches of old" butnot the gods.

The easiest ay to deal ithdi'ine magic is to ban it outright.That means no paladins" clerics"or oracles" at least not in themechanical sense. +nstead" thesecharacters ould ta!e classesli!e engineer" artificer or

alchemist. hen they step intobattle" no godly force inter'enesmore than the ad'ancedtechnology that only they seem tobe able to master.

+n this ay" a priest could appear'ery differently depending on thetech le'el of the city he hailsfrom. + imagine something li!e*arl from ,an elsing" earingsimple bron robes" and thenpulling out cloc!or! rifles" andnumerous ondrous itemscreated from astounding futuretech repaired into ne uses. nthe opposite end" a priest fromThe eepers of &yrinB might dressin a perfect suit" accessingdatabases remotely ith nano-implants" and calling laser stri!esdon from satellites. Either styleor!s" and thereDs no reason hythey canDt eBist in the samecampaign.

hich brings me to the other ayto run things" and the point of theopening uote; Allo di'ine

classes" but play all their abilitiesas the result of technology. Asearing bolt spell is really a ristlaser. ealing ith a 9ay on ands

ability isnDt the or! of the godsbut ad'anced ointments or bio-repairing nanobots. E'en a pillarof di'ine fire doesnDt need tocome from the hea'ens but froma satellite" or a tossed 'ial ofproperly miBed chemicals. Thepriest might understand thetechnology he or!s ith" or hemay only !no the ritual of it alland really belie'e itDs the or! ofthe gods. The gods did" after" allgi'e the priests the holy teBts totell them ho to accomplish thesemiracles. 9i!e any goodtechnology" some people seem tobe naturally gifted or ha'e acalling. Then again" sometimes nomatter hat you do it Cust onDtor! until someone breathes onit the right ay. &ounds li!e theor! of gods to me.

ThereDs no need to ma!e it allone ay or the other. )erhaps there-fluffed di'ine characters onlycome from the more ad'ancedcities" or represent those that arenaturally gifted in understanding

technology. They may be in thesame party ith another priestho is Cust as de'out" but theirtechnology euates to only to afe special items" and play afighter mechanically. Thesedifferences can gi'e depth toyour orld" as long as they retainlin!s to each other. +t shouldnDtloo! li!e hole different orldshappened to be neBt to eachother for the sa!e of thead'enture. 7a!e sure somethings carry o'er" e'en if its Cust

a fe symbols" sayings" andbeliefs.




12/20

The Monsters

y rent ). :ehall

All images in this 7onsters section ?eBcept for the image of the Trill@ are by )eter &ec!ler" and ere releasedunder a *reati'e *ommons Attribution 3.0 Knited &tates 9icense.

%atfol0

6atfol! are intelligent enough to use tools" but remainsufficiently feral that they can rarely be reasoned ith.

6atfol! usually attac! any creatures that in'ade theirterritory ?hich is usually a seer beneath a crumblingcity@. They lo'e ater" and li'e in half-submerged nestsstuffed ith sca'enged food and belongings.

+n combat" they prefer to sarm enemies.



13/20

4izzies

)eople eBposed to strange energies mutate into thesesmall" sa'age" li>ard-li!e humanoids ith limitedintelligence.

9i>>ies are smarter than" say" ratfol! and ha'e theiron primiti'e societies. *lans of ten to fifty li>>ies areusually led by a shaman ho performs bloody rites andleads the clan on raids for sacrifices and sla'es.

That is the other problem ith li>>ies; they lo'ecollecting sla'es" ho do much of the hea'y lifting inli>>ie societies before being sacrificed to theirinscrutable gods.

+n combat" li>>ies prefer to stay at range" using theirslings to great effect. The clanDs shaman ill alsoattempt great feats of magic.


CC-ATT-ND Jaydot Sloane


14/20

Arachnoid

These mutated creatures are actuallyuite sentient" and are sloly buildingtheir on subterranean !ingdom. They

occasionally burst to the surface"attac!ing human outposts for food andsla'es ?hich may be the same thing@.

Though sentient" they are not particularlyintelligent" relying on brute force tacticsand numbers. Tales are told of atelepathic de'ice that allos thearachnoids to mold sla'es into mindlessfighters.

1% 3 Generations After The End


15/20

Trill) the Carni#orous Plants

Trill are dangerous because of their stealth.They lay out their tentacleseach dozens ofyards longalong the forest floor, where

they appear to be normal roots. When ameal approaches, the tentacles grip thetrills prey and, secreting a dulling poison,pulls the struggling creature towards thetrills sticky mouths.

3 Generations After The End 1/

'Carnivorous Plant (Tattoo Design)' by Paul Stratton (used with permission)


16/20

+e,on

Occasionally, a wizard will get thebright idea to summon a demon tohelp around the house. It neer ends

well.

!emons are solitary creatures" theyneer work with others, een their ownkind. #ost of the demons summonedso far hae been brutes, intelligentenough to take direction and e$changea few words.

!emons prefer to charge into battle,howling and dominating enemies withtheir glowing eyes and slashing at therest.



17/20

The Ene,ies

7any of the monsters you face ill be all too human.

All images in this 7onsters section are by Jeff )reston" and ere released under a *reati'e *ommons Attribution3.0 Knported 9icense.

&andits

%andits cling together to get safety in numbers.

The most feared group of bandits in the &alley arethose led by a mysterious, cloaked and masked manknown only as !readnought.



18/20

+readnought) &andit Captain

'ittle is known of !readnought. (es a

smart bandit leader, but is generallybrutal and bloodthirsty in battle.



19/20

To,as the Warlord

Tomas united the people of his

kingdom, )tronghold, with thepromise of safety. (es mostlymade good on that promise,but life in )tronghold is hard.

Tomas sees the world in blackand white terms* wizards areunnatural and should be killed.



20/20

"hedra the "orceress

)hedra is rarely seen, een inside

her own domain of )anctuary.)he usually sends her priestessesto collect supplies for her strangerituals.

In persona, )hedra is calm andmysterious, always seeking herown ends.


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3 Generations After the End