Nuclear Winter
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Nuclear Winter is a tabletop RPG set After the End, on our Earth. In 2059, World War III had come. In four hours, it was over. What's left of humankind struggle to survive. Raiders plague the wastelands. Yet, some still cling to hope... and they are right.
Still in some kind of alpha version, developed by a French troper, Elodie Hiras. You can get it (no English version... Yet) here [dead link], but don't bother, unless you can read French. If someone wants to make a translation, or anything to post on the web, go ahead, contact me, so I can list it under special thanks in my game. (Some stuff isn't in the actual version yet, but is stated here as Word of God.)
Tropes used in Nuclear Winter include:
- Absurdly Sharp Blade: Carbon nanoblade. Knife made from nanotechnologies. Reaches 10,5 on Mohs scale of mineral hardness (10 is diamond).
- After the End: The whole setting.
- Anti-Hero: from type II to type IV
- Back Stab: One-Hit Kill, provided you sneak behind your enemy.
- Badass: Provided they have high skills, and the blessing of Lady Luck, people can become any of the badasses that exclude supernatural powers.
- Bi the Way: Whether you are a skilled marksman, a doctor, or just a hand for the farm work, nobody gonna give a damn about your sexual orientation.
- Black and Grey Morality: You have the Obviously Evil raiders, slavers, and post nuke dictatorship. You have some ex military units, trying to bring back law and stability in the wastelands, even if they do some morally ambiguous actions.
- Bondage Is Bad: Well, there are some assholes into it. But not everyone into bondage is a monster.
- Born Lucky: Heroes are born lucky, and can survive almost anything.
- Casual Kink: BDSM requires lots of trust (would you let yourself be tied up easily in a world where lots of people will kill you/steal from you/both?), but isn't frowned upon.
- Child Soldiers: Theoretically, in the ex-military faction, you need to be at least 18 (or any other age that was legal majority before the war in the country where the action is set) to be recruited. But since after a nuclear war, ID papers are uncommon, if you go to a recruitment center, are able bodied and minded, and look like you are old enough, then you are recruited.
- Cold Sniper: There are two kind of these: The murderer kind, and those who have PTSD. The second kind can be warmed up though.
- Complete Monster: Raiders, who are killing and/or raping people for fun, and slavers, willing to sell other humans for money, and punishing those who resist. And slavers are often Manipulative Bastard.
- Every Car Is a Pinto: Nope. To make a fuel tank explode, you need some explosive or a Gatling gun loaded with tracers.
- Friendly Sniper: you can find some of these in the wastelands.
- Forgotten Phlebotinum
- Gatling Good: Only on armored vehicles.
- Item Crafting: possible, and invaluable if you need something, but can't find it.
- Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique: Commonplace in the wastelands, even among the ex-military trying to restore law and stability.
- Lost Technology: Scientific, technological and medical fields.
- Luck Stat: Saves you from death, and can turn failures into success.
- Made a Slave: Unfortunately, common in the wastelands.
- Sex Slave: Some of the slaves are these.
- Nanomachines: A breakthrough was made before the war. Can assist in healing.
- The Medic: Doctors.
- Reference Overdosed: lots of reference in the rulebook. The cardboard box, War never changes, Act on Instinct, subsection B of the resolution of the international Geneva conference. of October. 1863., and many other.
- Shell-Shocked Veteran: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is common for soldiers and mercenaries. Some manage to cope with it, other don't.
- Tank Goodness: There are some good tanks in the hands of ex-military units.
- Useless Useful Non-Combat Abilities: If you're going for an adventure in the military, diplomatic, stealing and commercials skills are useless. You usually shoot down ennemies, and you are provided with supplies at any base. As far as other abilities are concerned... They avert this trope. Chemistry enables you to craft medicine and bullets. Explosives have nearly no use in direct combat, but enable you to plant (and disarm) mines and explosives traps. Mechanics does the same, but for mechanical traps, and enables you to maintain your guns, repair them, maintain your vehicles, and repair them. Creative use of electronics enable you to create makeshift turrets, and various traps. Computers are important to use some high end informatics systems (including guidance systems), and high security systems make good use of them. Medicine... Since this game averts Heal Thyself, and if not patched, a wound will take lots of times to heal, and perhaps even get infected... And only medicine can treat infections. Antibiotics do little if you don't know what you're doing. Lockpicking is essential, if you don't want to alert the enemy. As is Electronics security bypass. Stealth enables you to not get shot at. You can live without piloting skills, but then again, Gunship Rescue is cool.
- World Half Full: The wastelands are a hellish place to live. But, it can be changed for better.