Attributes of a Survivor

A.C.: After Collapse is a multi-faceted post-apocalyptic role-playing game (RPG) that allows you to create characters and situation to satisfy almost any style of game play.  This game and the novels based on it are intended to provide you with a roadmap to adventure.  Mechanics of the game are flexible enough to encourage newcomers while satisfying experienced referees and players with versatile genre favorites, like brutal radiation, exotic poisons, and enough combat factors to make even them feel like they did some damage.

Upper Body Strength (UBS) and Lower Body Strength (LBS) are separate attributes, ideal for players and referees who want to model a wide range of physicality (i.e., body types).  As you can see from the video (above), Agility (AGL) and Manual Dexterity (MAN) are also separated from each other. This allows players and referees some way to simulate those aspects of physicality in a way that makes sense when you're deep into role playing.

For as long as RPGs have existed as commercial products you can buy, a running debate has continued concerning the nature of character and NPC "intelligence."  Knowing that we could never hope to answer that question, we chose to present Reason (REA) as a meta-attribute that is made of Creativity (CRE) and Empathy (EMP) (i.e., CRE + EMP /2 = REA).  In the same way that characters and NPCs can be physical in so many different ways, we wanted to give gamers the same flexibility to be "smart" in many different ways.

As difficult as the question of intellect might be, there are other factors of human existence that are just as subjective.  To simplify the role-playing process, we made Willpower (WILL) just as useful for referees as it can be for players.  When players know how susceptible their characters can be to the influences of flattery and seduction, they experience a little more confidence or fear based on the situation that is unfolding.  That's why Attractiveness (ATT) confers the capacity to charm or seduce on anyone who has a high value of this attribute.