Automobiles & Apocalypses©: Thunder Road© And Swordsmen & Skeletons© Crossover Rules
By Jack Vogel
These rules require the use of Swordsmen & Skeletons© (S&S©) and Thunder Road©. They can be expanded further by the addition of the Thunder Road
Advanced Rules© and the Thunder Road Campaign Rules©, which, combined, make an excellent campaign for A&A© in a future Umaihryca driven to collapse
by the Quantum Energy Wars. Thunder Road and additional rules rules located at https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/804/thunder-road.
STARTING VEHICLES: Each PC begins with one vehicle. Roll 1d12:
1-2: Eliminator
3-5: Avenger
6-8: Doom Buggy
9-11: Motorcycle <Ignore if not using Advanced Thunder
12: 18 Wheeler <Road rules. Else roll 1d8 on this table.
OTHER AVAILABLE STARTING EQUIPMENT: PCs start with 10 Credits
(CR) each. Any S&S© items and weapons are primitive equipment. Most
primitive weapons are free (old world pipes and baseball bats lying around)
swords and any primitive armor cost 1 CR. Firearms are advanced weapons
(shoot as bows, but see below), crosses and holy water (assumed to be
leavened with QE, see the QE rules, below) cost 2 CR. Advanced equipment
can be purchased only at character creation or in Installations (see below), as
the economic breakdown of 2100 ADU (Anno Domini Umaihryca) was almost
total:
Food Pill: Rations for 1 creature per day; not very palatable, but edible. Pack
of 30 for 1 CR.
Quadricorder: Analyzes substances/energy sources, ranged. 3 CR.
Photonic Screwdriver: +3 to repair advanced equipment. 2 CR.
Hand Computer: Processes 4 levels of data from a data cube. 3 CR.
Communicator: Quantum fallout level reduces range to roughly 100 miles,
depending on local conditions and terrain per the GM. 2 CR.
Data Cube: Holds 20 levels of data (equal to a long movie). 2 CR.
Flak Vest: AC 12, MV 12. Cost=2 CR
Neutron Shield: AC 14, MV 12 must be recharged daily. 3 CR.
Powered Armor: AC 16, MV 18, must be recharged daily. 5 CR.
Primitive Armor vs Advanced and QE Weapons: Primitive armor (e.g.
chainmail not imbued with quantum energy) is useless against advanced and
QE leavened weapons, but a monster’s AC is assumed effective against such
powers. Advanced and QE leavened armor affects all weaponry.
Disruptor: Ranged weapon, 1d6 damage; roll of 1 on the damage die causes
no loss of hit points, but instead forces the opponent to make a save or fall
unconscious for the rest of the battle. Must be recharged after 30 shots.
Cost=3 CR.
Chopper Pilot: Chopper and other flier pilots (including fixed wing aircraft,
hoverers, bombarding spacecraft and, by a strange theological quirk -over
which the brother/pilots have often become involved in internecine crusades
over heresy- long range missiles and artillery; these all operate by the chopper
rules) have evolved into a quasi-monastic order of savants in 2111 ADA. They
take strict vows, primarily, to serve the Brotherhood of Flight, secondarily,
never to attack another pilot (but see Rogue Chopper Pilot , below) and
tertiarily, to serve their savage ground-driver (never referred to as pilot, this
would be sacrilege) employers loyally, as long as the Brotherhood is paid its
tithe.
The Brothers do not fight or adventure on the poisoned and unholy ground for
any reason, though they will attack ground vehicles from the air. Each faction
must pay one black die (a special Thunder Road© D6 re-numbered 1, 1, 2, 2,
3 and 4; make a few out of ordinary black D6s, by painting out four spots each
on the 5 and 6 sides) in CR before the beginning each road trip (adventure) or
it has no air support.
Rogue Chopper Pilot: The Brotherhood of Flight has a large share of madmen
in its ranks. It is possible to replace your chopper pilot with a rogue who will
attack other pilots, though he will still not adventure on the ground; that would
be beneath him (get it?). A rogue pilot can attack another chopper, (Rank 4,
vulnerable only to other fliers). However, when he is revealed, all choppers
(including other rogues) will only attack him until he is destroyed. Rogue
Choppers cost double air support fees.
Trade Goods: Each character rolls 1d6 (below) once for the type of trade
goods he can purchase before each road trip (adventure). He can purchase
only this type, though he can purchase in any amount, as long as he has the
money. However, any character can instead invest in goods available to
another character, even from a rival gang, but only at terms allowed by that
character, these can be carried on either vehicle. Investments made with
members of the same gang must be honored, or the dishonoring party will be
expelled, and declared an outlaw. Investments with other gangs can be
honored or not as the party who located and sold the goods desires. Roll 1d6
for trade goods available. Each has a special effect if expended on the road:
1: Machine Parts: One lot each can be expended to allow a single reroll to
repair a vehicle, if desired. The second roll is final.
2: Technical Manuals: Can be used (not expended) once only per road trip,
regardless of the number of lots purchased, to reroll any saving throw
involving technical (not QE) knowledge. The second roll is final.
3: Delicacies: One lot each can be expended to reroll any roll made to
negotiate with a tribe, if desired. The second roll is final.
4: Weapons Parts: One lot each can be expended to use as a caltrop (Thunder
Road Advanced Rules©), if desired.
5: Pre-War Artifacts: One lot each can be expended to draw a single special
ability card to use for the carrying vehicle. This replaces its present special
ability for this road trip only (Thunder Road Advanced Rules©), if desired.
6: Fuel: Special; One lot each can be expended to use as an oil bomb
(Thunder Road Advanced Rules©), if desired.
Any of these can be purchased at the beginning of any road trip (adventure) in
lots costing 100 CR each.
TRADING: At the end of the road trip, the gang that was not eliminated from
the board (the one that won the race) sells its trade goods for the roll of two
black dice x10% profit. The last gang to be eliminated sells its trade goods for
1D6 x10% profit. The second-to-last gang to be eliminated sells its trade
goods for the roll of one black die x10% profit. All other gangs lose their entire
investment and all trade goods purchased.
18 Wheelers carry up to 20 lots of trade goods each. Eliminators carry up
to 5 lots of trade goods each. Avengers carry up to 3 lots of trade goods
each. Doom Buggies carry up to 1 lot of trade goods each. Motorcycles
cannot effectively carry trade goods, though GM-created adventures could
allow motorcycle-rider PCs to act as couriers for a single special passenger or
documents, based on GM created adventures, if the GM allows.
Equipment that requires recharging can only be recharged from a vehicle’s
battery. 18 Wheelers can recharge three items per day, each. Eliminators
and Avengers can recharge two items per day, each. Doom Buggies and
Motorcycles can recharge one item per day, each.
MODIFICATIONS TO THE THUNDER ROAD CAMPAIGN© RULES: All
starting equipment listed in these rules, as well as any available in Swordsmen
& Skeletons© can be purchased at any Installation met with in the course of a
road trip, with the exception of a Wraith Highway Patrol Station, which is, of
course automatically, hostile. All starting equipment available in S&S©, only,
not the technological equipment or trade goods listed above, can be purchased
from any tribe met in a Ruin, or otherwise during the course of a road trip,
which is willing to trade, or at least is not otherwise presently hostile at the
time of the trade.
INTERFACING THUNDER ROAD© ROAD TRIPS WITH SWORDSMEN &
SKELETONS© ADVENTURES: In the harsh world of 2111 ADA, society has
become largely nomadic. Invading auto-gang nomad hordes, the numberless
walking dead, QE storms, and even stranger horrors have made stable,
civilized urban and even farming life almost impossible. Humans and
intelligent mutants have largely reverted to a hunter/gatherer/scavenger
existence, attempting to move toward sources of weapons, food, and tools,
while steering clear of the ever present dangers of a world that is now in
complete rebellion on the quantum level. As a result, each adventurer is part of
a road-warrior gang that is constantly on the move. Games are a series of
Thunder Road© road trips, followed by S&S© adventures. Gangs may circle
back to previously discovered cities or adventure sites at the GM’s discretion.
However, monsters and QE Storms may prevent this, or they PCs may find
such places utterly ruined or greatly changed in some way.
QUANTUM ENERGY: The Quantum Wars of 2062 ADA changed the nature of of as magic or mysticism, and dismissed by right thinking people, is now an –
reality utterly. Missiles armed with QE warheads were used indiscriminately by often bitter – overpowering and utterly destructive reality.
all sides, raising the ambient QE level exponentially. What was once thought

CHARACTER CLASSES: Swordsman becomes Road Warrior, Wizard becomes QE MONSTERS: All monsters listed in S&S© become monstrous mutants.
Quantum Seer, and Priest becomes Quantum Mystic. All have the technical These count as ordinary S&S© or New Monsters and Monstrous Amulets©
know-how to operate a car and advanced items and can use any weapons and monsters, with the exception that they are not specifically named, as the PCs
armor. will likely have no idea what they are. Generate a random QE monster
Pariah Pilot is an optional class (GM’s discretion), based on the Swordsman encounter as per the S&S© rules, but change its appearance as you wish, or
class. He can, of course, fly a chopper, and does so using the Rogue Chopper by combining the appearances of two other randomly generated monsters
Pilot rules, but even they hate him, as he will fight with his feet on the unholy (tremendous monsters take the form of large robots). You may want to create
earth. He (and all other Flight Brothers) also has the following QE powers: At several of these before each adventure, to save time.
3rd level he can Glide from any height down to the earth in one turn (if he
survives one attack on his chopper) at 5 th level he can use the Fly QE power QE ITEMS: All S&S© magic items are available as QE artifacts, though they
(spell) once per day per even numbered level attained. At 7 th level he can use take quasi-technological forms. Healing potions become ampoules, vaccines,
the Whirlwind (effect as the Sleep spell) once per day per even numbered level etc. Bows and arrows become firearms and bullets, leavened with QE.
attained. At 9th level he can use the Lightning Wrath QE power once per day Weapons and armor with special powers (these are selected randomly from
per even numbered level attained. primitive and advanced types) become stunner- (poison), electro- (lightning
Rogue/Pariah Flight Brothers are universally madmen, presumably because of wrath), blazer- (fiery wrath) or icer - (icy wrath). Holy and unholy remain the
the higher levels of Quantum Energy that exist in the upper atmosphere (no same, though many characters will deny the existence of these powers. Other
one knows why; Quantum Energy Manipulation was a new and unexplored QE items (enchanted items imbued with spells, spirit and monstrous amulets)
science when mankind used it to destroy his civilization). As a result, a are called psychic focuses.
Rogue/Pariah Flight Brother in a high-stress situation such as at the beginning
of an encounter in an S&S© adventure (not in an aerial battle, there he is USING CARS IN S&S© ADVENTURES: QE monsters save when fired on or
always completely at home) must save or suffer a psychological effect for the rammed by vehicles or choppers, and take 1d6 damage per the vehicle’s rank
duration of the encounter. Roll a black die: if they fail (choppers are rank 4). To attack vehicles, monsters must save,
1: Paralyzed for his side’s first round of combat. and, if successful, roll the car’s rank or higher on 1D6, wrecking the it if they
2: A paranoid fit causes him to make all attacks and saves at -1. succeed. A PC in a vehicle that is wrecked in an adventure rolls his save or
3: Goes completely catatonic. rolls 2+ on a black die to avoid death, whichever he chooses. Vehicles move
4: Hallucinations cause him to save each round or attack an ally. across an S&S© battle board at a speed equal to their speed, based on a
yellow die and a black die (if on road) but the driver must save if he makes a
CHARACTER RACES: Only Humans, Androids, and Mutants are allowed. A turn or crosses rubble, to avoid wrecking.
Human’s background ability can be any of the character type abilities from the
Thunder Road Campaign Rules©, which gives a +3 to saves with related THE IN DEPTH ROLE PLAYING RULES FOR A THUNDER ROAD
knowledge in S&S© adventures or anything else the GM allows. CAMPAIGN, are replaced by the S&S© system.
Mutants instead get a random mutation, rolled up as a random QE item, re-roll
any cursed, useless, or one-shot (scroll and potion) powers, or powers that AUTOMOBILES & APOCALYPSES© AND OTHER GAME SYSTEMS: Since
grant spells over third spell level. They also suffer a -3 penalty to persuade A&A© is D20 based, it is possible to play adventure modules designed for
and to knowledge of advanced and QE equipment. other D20 post_apocalyptic games, such as 1st and 2nd edition Gamma World©
Androids are artificially created life. Faster, stronger and smarter than and Mutant Future© with the A&A© system. The only difficulty is that A&A©
humans, but lacking a human’s affinity with QE. Once an Android’s requisites characters begin the game with one hit die at first level, while GW© and MA©
are created, add the roll of a black die to each. An Android can only become a characters may begin with anywhere from 3-18 hit dice.
Road Warrior, never a Quantum Seer, Quantum Mystic, or Pariah Flight However, here again, Thunder Road© comes to the rescue. A quick fix for this
Brother, nor any other class that can directly manipulate QE powers. They can problem is to make no change to the statistics from these game systems, but
use QE items, but save at -3 vs. all harmful QE effects. simply to change all hit dice for monsters and NPC characters to Thunder
Road© black dice, which roughly halves hit points, and equates the power
PLAYER CHARACTERS IN THUNDER ROAD©: Whenever a PC’s car risks level between the systems at around 4 th -7th (mid-) levels. This still leaves
being wrecked in a Thunder Road© battle, or if he risks some form of danger GW© and MA© characters, with superior attack rolls and saving throws than
brought on by the Thunder Road Campaign Rules© he can either roll the dice their A&A© counterparts, but this too is easily remedied by (again) replacing
listed in those rules (black, yellow or red) or can choose to make his S&S© all GW© and MA© attack/damage dice with Thunder Road© black dice.
saving throw instead. However, if he uses an S&S© D20 save, he is assumed Note that while these two additional uses of the black dice roughly level the
to be trying to save his own life at all costs, and only saves himself if he GW© and MA© creatures with A&A© creatures and characters, they
succeeds. He does not gain any benefit that might otherwise have accrued accomplish this by making the GW© and MA© creatures somewhat more
from a successful roll, such as finding treasure. skillful but less physically powerful than comparable A&A© characters.
Lastly, GW© and MA© use a different system of mutations and psychic
THUNDER ROAD CAMPAIGN RULES CHARACTERS© IN S&S© powers (drawn from monster special abilities and spells) than does A&A©.
ADVENTURES: All such characters count as Road Warriors but have black These can be maintained as they are (if you own the GW©/ MA© rules) or
dice for hit dice; their background abilities are their Advanced Thunder Road replaced by the closest A&A© equivalent, generally determined, from the
character abilities. name of the power.

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2003, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich Baker, Andy Collins, David Noonan, Rich Redman, Bruce R. Cordell, John D. Rateliff, Thomas Reid, James Wyatt, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson