A.C.: After Collapse

A.C.: After Collapse is a post-apocalyptic roleplaying (RPG) game created by Justin Oldham, edited by Beth Hartt and Anne K. Nagel, published by Shadow Fusion Books in 2019.

This d20-based architecture includes a classless Character generation system, combat rules, and guidelines for adjudicating poison and radiation.  The Basic/Advanced skill system is predicated on sub fields of information and expertise that can be improved when players spend Character Points (CP) they have acquired during normal game play. 

 Accumulated CP can be spent by players to confer a range of benefits on their Characters that include increasing attributes, improving their aim in combat, increasing the amounts of damage they inflict, or even giving themselves an advantage when making dice checks against poison, radiation, or the unwanted effects of drugs.  In any respects, the game mechanics that make A.C. “work” have been inspired by past products, including those that ushered in this RPG genre.

Haven's Legacy is the first of what we can only hope will be many novels based upon the game.  Intended for a Young Adult audience, this story introduced you to sixteen-year old Lex and his struggle to find a place for himself in a post-apocalyptic world where the past is not quite dead and buried.   If this experiment works out, we’ll bring you more of these adventures for young readers.

Basic Rules offers you a broad overview of the game system and its associated backstory.  Core components include physical and mental attributes, Hard Points, Vigor Points, and rules for exposure to toxic substances (see: TOX Count) and various forms of radiation (see: RAD Count).  Structure Point Values (SPVs) and Armor Point Values (APVs) combine with Materiel Resistance factors (see: MAR) to simulate toughness or durability of anything you can imagine (e.g., armor, weapons, and equipment).  Temperature Limits (see: TMP) are included to help players and referees deal with issues of both heat or cold.

Gadgets, Devices, and Computers is our deep dive in the simulated artificial intelligence and software that make up the electronics which can be found by daring explorers in the post-collapse world.  Basic Equipment showcases the most common tools, footwear, and survival gear any explorer could hope to have when they venture in to unfamiliar ruins.  That includes some of the most recognizable military uniforms that predated the collapse.

Food and Drugs is a colorful compendium of everything from nourishment to junk food, including more than you wanted to know about eating dirt—and—lots of obscure facts about pre-collapse synthetic foods and meds that might be what you need to save a life! 

Personal Protection Equipment is a wide-ranging catalog of the armor and accessories that post-collapse warriors want to know about.  Everything from helmets and vests that were obsolete before the collapse began, to high-tech power-assisted armor systems that ferociously dominated the world’s most violent battlefields for as long as they lasted. 

Low Tech Weapons is a collection of the most common bows, blades, crossbows, etc. that any bruiser would want, including an assortment of bludgeons, and pole arms (e.g., spears) to make your point in stress-filled situations.  Small Arms contains combinations of trivia and technical details about metal cartridge firearms and ways of making them.