Ruins Of McCleanburg

Introduction

Thirty years ago, the Kodan invaded. We don’t know if they came from across the sea, from the stars above, or through a mystic portal, but they appeared in number and defeated any resistance. They had flying and crawling war machines and guns large and small that could fire faster than any crossbow or catapult. Our knights, longbows, and even wizards buckled before their forces. They broke any hint of resistance. We suffered under their heel for twenty years.

Then, they retreated south of here and built a wall behind them, a fence of dazzling green beams. The Kodan took most of their weapons and supplies, but left entire outposts, bases, and cities behind. Deserted. We don’t know why they left us alone, why they built their Frontier where they did. Did they find something they were looking for? Were they repelled by something they found?

Bah. Those questions don’t help us survive in the here and now. We try to grow food in the soil they poisoned and try to find game animals the Kodan scared off. Our children are often born strange to our eyes, but this is a hard world to survive, and their gifts are useful.

The harvest this year was meager. Winter is mild here, but it is cold enough we can’t grow another crop. We need our young, our able bodied, to search the ruins for tech we can barter to other communities for more food.

Go out into the Ruins of McCleanburg.

Character Creation

This is a GURPS 4e campaign using Dungeon Fantasy and After the End sourcebooks. Total power level is 155 points with 50 points of disadvantages and up to 5 quirks. Points from quirks can be added to bucket #1 or #2.
Bucket #1: Make a 125 point character based on a Dungeon Fantasy template with 50 points of disadvantages.
Bucket #2: Kick it up a notch. Spend 30 points on anything. Come up with a special power, unique talent, crazy mutation, or some such. Want to transform into a crab-like alien? Have rocky skin? Flash across the battlefield? Let’s build it.
Bucket #3: Heroic Toughness. Nothing here right now. Will add details when I introduce this category.

McCleanburg is awash in the leavings of the high-tech Kodan civilization. In addition to Dungeon Fantasy skills, higher tech skills are also available. Most characters won’t have more than two points in these.

• Armoury (body armor, heavy weapons, small arms, vehicular armor)
• Computer operation
• Driving
• Electrician
• Electronics operation
• Electronics repair
• Gunner (machine gun, cannon, rockets)
• Guns (rifle, pistol, shotgun)
• Guns (LMG, GL, LAW, SMG)
• Mechanic

Equipment and Wealth

The Kodan occupied for 20 years, so almost anything in the books up to TL8 can be found for a price. Gear will follow the After the End rule of x2 for each TL above 4. TL5 = x2 ; TL6 = x4; TL7 = x8; TL8 = x16. Ammunition is currency and is simplified like in After the End: calibers are small pistol ($2, .32 and below), large pistol ($5), small rifle ($5), large rifle ($10), shotgun($10) and HMG ($50, heavy machine gun/magnum rifle). $500 starting cash and can spend up to 7 points on Extra Cash for $250 per point. Signature Gear provides plot protection to a piece of equipment.

Characters

Current Characters

Clu2415 as GM
Karl Green playing Happs Broadbelt Halfling Scout.
CodeNameMeow as Cinder, centaur bard--has basic equipment
Ned az is playing Erik Newfield Human Artificer

Old Characters

human scout
TROK, half-ogre barbarian
Deen Lightfoot fae gnome wizard
Ylva, wolf-blooded swashbuckler --some spicy points unspent

Setting Information

The PCs are residents the village of Pawtucket, in the Paw Creek area of McCleanburg County. The old-timers chuckle at stories of Countess McClean's petty tyrannies before the invasion. McCleanburg's western edge is the Catawba river, running north to south. Paw Creek is the area that extends west from Downtown to the river. A mile south of Pawtucket is 85, a major Kodan road which stretches to the west and northeast. Another mile south of 85 is The Airport, where great steel birds landed and took off with a massive building to organize departing and arriving passengers and cargo. Crossings over the Catawba include a Kodan bridge built for 85 and the Rozzelle's family ferry in the northwest. On the northern end of the county is Huntersville, a trading partner for meat. East of Huntersville, on the Catawba shore is the Mack, a power plant that is now a hive of mutants and radioactivity.