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Edit this Review Name: Great Plains Apocalypse

Publisher: Shadow Drifter Games
REVIEW OF GREAT PLAINS APOCALYPSE Author: Daymon Mills
Category: RPG
Great Plains Apocalypse is a game of horror-
survival after a dimensional apocalypse destroyed
Cost: $12.00
much of civilization. Its set in the Midwest, away
Pages: 76
from the shattered cities of the coast, out in the
open where the fragmented remnants of human
are vulnerable to the monsters that invaded our
planet. Action, Drama, Horror, Occult, Post-Apocalypse

The source of these monsters is a clever conceit. View [ Printable Review ]

Cryptids, like chupacabra and skunk ape, come
from another dimension through small tears in the REVIEW SUMMARY
fabric of reality. Thankfully, few creatures made it Capsule Review
through and thus cryptids remained elusive and October 23, 2023
rare. Then, in the process of trying to find the 'God
Particle', physicists tore reality asunder like
Godzilla shredding a Tokyo skyscraper. Through by: Andrew Hind
this rift poured more monsters, not merely cryptids
but also devastating Kaiju that meted out
punishment for mankind's technological hubris. Style: 3 (Average)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)
The PCs survived the fall of civilization and are
merely trying to stay alive. Great Plains Apocalypse is a well-
designed rules lite game of post-
GPA is delightfully rules lite. Making up a character apocalypse horror with a unique conceit
is a breeze. You have 3 stats based around what and innovative ruleset.
you did in life prior to when monsters began eating
people like Tic Tacs: scientist, scoundrel, and
soldier. Scientist allows you to make more Andrew Hind has written 72 reviews, with average style
technical or knowledge base rolls; scoundrel is of 4.04 and average substance of 4.03 The reviewer's
previous review was of Curse of the Chupacabra.
focused on Stealth, conversation, and thievery; and
soldier is mainly focused on tactics and combat. This review has been read 296 times.

Based on your past life experience you assign

modifiers of 0/+1/+2 to these three stats. Finally, Downloadable RPGs:
you roll a random talent for your highest attribute.

Characters also have an attribute called Steadfast,

used for endurance, sanity, and so on, representing
wear and tear on the body and mind, essentially RPG Campaign Manager:
replacing hit points. You roll the die and if comes
up a 1 or 2 the die type decreases (from d8 to d6,
for example). If the character reaches 0 dice, you
die. Clever and fun.
An attribute called Bullets is a measure of wealth
and, perhaps more importantly, ammo. After every
combat, the player rolls the resource die and if the
result is a 1 or 2 then the die lowers to a smaller
die level. Reaching 0 Bullets is bad news.

Finally, every character has an Escape Fate tokens,

awarded for being heroic or exceptional
roleplaying. Escape Fate tokens can be cashed in
to do exceptional things and survive extraordinary
circumstances.

Task resolution in GPA is simple: the player rolls

2d6 and adds the score from whichever Stat is
most relevant. An 8 (or higher if the task is difficult)
is a success. Simple. The back half of the book is
devoted to GM resources, including some
atmospheric supernatural weather phenomenon,
15 pages of foes to encounter (ranging from
cannibals to cultists to mothman, shadow people,
and wildmen (a catch all for hairy hominids like
Sasquatch and Skunk-ape).

Lastly, the book includes a lengthy adventure called

The Mist That Befell Telfer, a nice introductory
scenario that highlights most of the game's unique
characteristics and themes.

Great Plains Apocalypse offers a unique gaming

opportunity simply by taking the 'surviving the
calamity' genre out of the usual vistas of trampled
skyscrapers and into to the wide-open grain fields
and small towns of Fly Over Country where there is
nowhere to hide. The implied setting is beautifully
supported by an innovative, fun, and lightweight set
of rules (which can be ported to any location
should you not want to play in the Midwest).

Great Plains Apocalypse is, in short, a masterclass

in rules-lite game design.

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RPGnet 2023-10- Andrew Hind's Summary: Great Plains Apocalypse is a well-

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