3 generations

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A System-Agnostic Post-Apocalyptic Setting

3 Generations After The End is a small post-apocalyptic setting that the Gamer Assembly released in January 2012.

We deliberately kept 3 Generations After The End generic, and in fact, each monster includes stats for Dungeons & Dragons 4E, Gamma World 4E, Savage Worlds , FATE , and Apocalypse World .

Preface...............................................................................................................................................................1Credits................................................................................................................................................................1Introduction...................................................................................................................................................... 2

The Valley..........................................................................................................................................................3Sanctuary, Shedra's Domain.............................................................................................................................3Stronghold, The Kingdom of Tomas.................................................................................................................4Entry Gate Pamphlet......................................................................................................................................... 5View From The Bottom Of Greybar City...........................................................................................................6The Forests....................................................................................................................................................... 8The Wolves of Thanatos.................................................................................................................................. 9The Races......................................................................................................................................................... 10Technology is Magic..........................................................................................................................................11The Monsters................................................................................................................................................... 12The Enemies.....................................................................................................................................................17

Thanks to Chris Dundon, Chris Jackson, Brian Liberge, and T.W. Wombat for their articles and support.

This document was assembled, typeset, and edited by Brent P. Newhall.

All images used in this issue are in the public domain, or released under an appropriate license and creditedwhere appropriate. Really, we checked.

Go to http://gamerassembly.net for more.

http://gamerassembly.net/





By Brent P. Newhall

CC-BY-ND Jeff Preston

The sky collapsed. The sunvanished. The moon cracked.Waves plunged the cities into thesea. Airplanes fell from the sky.

And the wizards, warlocks, andwitches of olden times returned.These may be related.

The wizards (which is what mostpeople call those with magicalability) soon retreated intoabandoned labs and createdarmies of strange beasts andbeast-men. These creatures couldnot be controlled, and many ofwhom still survive in bands aroundthe world.

Though quite a few low- to medium-powered wizards live scatteredaround the world, the publicimagination views wizards assuper-powerful, quasi-immortalbeings who can mold reality to theirwill and rule their fiefdoms withabsolute authority.

Wizard-ruled kingdoms are usuallytheocracies, basically large andorganized cults devoted to the will

of the wizard ruling them. Thoseinvolved are rarely happy aboutthis, but those who disobey arequickly discovered and sacrificedto demons (or worse things).

Within the crumbled cities of yore,the Priesthood has arisen topreserve the technology of thepast. In some places, they aremerely the preservers of vastarchives of knowledge. In others,

they subdue and rule the otherswho live in their cities, demandingtribute and sacrifices.

The cities themselves aremarginally safer than thewilderness, but hold uniquedangers. Winged lizards nest onthe roofs far above, while ratfolk

scurry through the sewers. Oldparks are now farms struggling tocoax even mutated vegetablesfrom the tired earth.

The deeper one presses into thewild forests and jungles of theworld, the less technologyfunctions. Vicious, powerfulcreatures live deep in the wildplaces. Rare is the non-wizard whocan survive in the wilderness.

Open, habitable spaces--thefarmlands of old--are usually splitup into small nation-states, eachruled by a wizard or a warlord.Technology has regressed to asubsistence level of foodproduction, scavenging, and trade.Remnants of the old world are used

for shelter and raw materials.http://blogs.gamerassembly.net/?p=134

2 3 Generations After The End



CC-BY-ND Jaydot Sloane

By Brent P. Newhall

The Valley’s a hard place. Harderthan most.

The Gray City hulks on the westernhorizon, of course; can’t miss that.The aging towers house thePriesthood and their supposedcivilization. They’re safe enoughamidst the crumbling asphalt andfiltered sunlight, between the giantflying lizards roosting in the roofsabove and the crawlingscavengers of the sewers below.May the ratfolk never learn how toorganize.

Outside, it’s your choice betweenTomas and Shedra. Tomas rules hiskingdom with ruthless efficiency,more towns and armies sproutingup every month, it seems. Life in his

kingdom is tiring but hopeful: he’sbuilt a pocket of real living thatkeeps many dangers out.

Shedra the Witch pays littleattention to her subjects. They paya lot of attention to her, and to hercloaked priestesses. The latterroam the streets, occasionallycomandeering people and theirgear for strange rites. No reason isgiven. Whole families candisappear overnight.

This is the price paid for themagical barrier that keeps hostile

creatures from entering Shedra’skingdom. This barrier must alsowarn Shedra when anyone enters,as strangers quickly earn a visitfrom her priestesses, who learn the

strangers’ business…or kill them.Her kingdom isn’t as prosperous asTomas’s, but it’s a little easier. For aprice.

Their kingdoms are surrounded bythe Wilds, a savage forest filledwith even more savage creatures.Hell, the plants themselves will killyou. And that itself is strange.Those few who’ve lived outside ofthe kingdoms or the city will tell youthat the things living in that forestdon’t make sense, and don’t liveanywhere else. It’s like they weremade in there. By someone. Or

something.

http://blogs.gamerassembly.net/?p=143

By Brent P. Newhall

They say it is Shedra's magic thatkeeps the beasts out of the rollinghills and valleys of Sanctuary, andbrings the rains in spring. Sanctuary

is, indeed, a strange place. It ismore...vibrant than most, more fullof life. Life in Sanctuary is peaceful,and her people have full bellies.

Of course, those full bellies come ata price: total obedience to thepriestesses of Shedra. Her robedpriestesses roam the streets oninscrutable errands. Theyoccasionally commandeer peopleand supplies. No reason is given, butrarely is a reason asked. That is theprice.

Sanctuary is made up of about two

dozen towns and villages, nearly allof them farming communities. Thisis amazing in itself; little of newearth's soil is capable of farming.Strange, twisted things come fromthis earth, but it's edible, and there'sa lot of it.

The only non-farming town is Tower,a massive mining complex in themountains and Shedra's home. Thisis a dark place. Though it employs

hundreds of people, the only oneswho ever leave are Shedra'spriestesses. Here, Shedra performspowerful magic in the darkpassages of the complex she carvedfrom the living rock of themountain. Moans and screams cansometimes be heard from inside.

The truth: Shedra is a necromancer.She spends most of her timecreating undead, for the gray areabetween life and death fascinatesher. She has released so much lifeenergy that it has seeped into the

lands around her, giving them thestrangely powerful life her subjectscrave.

Shedra will undoubtedly become alich someday. Perhaps she alreadyis, and uses a glamour of beauty tohide her true self.

3 Generations After The End 3



By Brent P. Newhall

Tomas's kingdom is entirelysurrounded by a wall, which is nomean feat in this world. Near theroads, the wall is solid stone ten feethigh; out in the wilderness, it's mostlypieces of scrap tied together andbarely comes up to a man's chest.

This is the Eggshell, so namedbecause it protects the precious lifewithin it. Every road into Strongholdpasses through large gates andguard houses set in the Eggshell.The guards stationed here can

inspect anyone or anything, andoften abuse their privileges.

Bif is a typical guard: broad-shouldered and narrow-minded. He'llsift through belongings and findways to claim valuables as“suspicious.”

The capital city of Stronghold, Womis a town of bustling activity. It was acivilized town before the Blast, too,and the old stone buildings that formthe center of Wom have been

fortified into a castle, complete witha circular wall and a foul-smellingmoat.

Wom also has an arena. One day aweek, beasts are raced in themorning, and human teams playaggressive ball games in theafternoons.

Most crimes in Tomas's kingdoms arepunished by forced gladiatorcombat. Once a month, all criminalsare brought to the arena and fightto the death. The survivor returnsnext month. If a criminal lasts for

more than a few months, he or she isput against increasingly large teamsof enemies and eventually killed.

Make no mistake: Tomas's army isprobably the best in the world. Heforged a rabble of bandits into ahard military unit, conquered thetowns that now make up Stronghold,and built his followers into an army.

The army is divided into three levels:

The Guard are the lowest level. Allable-bodied men (12 to 30 years old)are forced to serve in the Guard forsix-month terms every three years.Their training is minimal by Tomas'sstandards but world-class outside.

Any member of the Guard has aniron will.

The Fists are chosen from the Guardto live out their lives in the Army (andrarely have a choice in the matter).They train daily and are fearedthroughout the land. For the pastfive years, they've been the centerof the Project.

The Fists are actually Tomas'sbiggest problem, as they are themost restless. They need newenemies to fight.

The Blades are Tomas's personalbodyguards. Every Blade is hand-picked from the Fists as an exampleof some extreme: bravery, loyalty,might. They're an odd lot, but they'refanatically devoted to Tomas, andany one could easily defeat a dozennormal men.

Tomas is building. A lot. Fortificationsand towers are going up all overStronghold. Only Tomas and theBlades know what it's all for.

The PCs are sent by a wealthy metaltrader who sent his youngest son towork in Stronghold for six months.That was two years ago.

The PCs find a dying man who claims

that the buildings are beingconstructed in a magical patternthat, when completed, will summon ademon that will give Tomastremendous power but will destroythe valley in the process.

The PCs find a dying man who claimsto have been attacked by one ofTomas's Blades. He says that Tomas'sactual goal is to build anunstoppable army.

The PCs are captured on a pretenseand brought to the arena for themonthly gladiator fights.

Archetype: Stern general

Actors to imitate: Z from Men InBlack, that guy who always playsWyatt Earp

Behaviors: Stand straight, frown,bark orders, speak instraightforward English

Goals: Find out if the PCs are a threator useful.

What he'll say: If Tomas doesn't see

the PCs as threats, he'll hold nothingback.

He sees himself as the only saneorganizational force in this part ofthe world. The wizards are insaneand insanely dangerous, and nobodyelse is strong enough to protect a lotof natural humans. He has noproblems with mutants themselves,but he's afraid that humanity willmutate further into completemonsters, and that civilization willnever be able to recover.

He readily admits that he wants to

invade Shedra's domain, defeat herarmies, and kill the witch. He seesher as a threat.





By T.W. Wombat

We hope you enjoy your visit to ourfair community.

Feel free to ask a keeper if youhave any questions aboutreconstructing a vibrant,advanced, and safe society inthese modern times.

All aspects of daily life in GreybarCity have been designed with yourcomfort in mind. Any injuries ordiseases will be treated as soon asyou arrive, and you’ll be back onyour feet in no time. Don’t miss ournightly shows in the Central Aud,running the gamut from ancient-style live theatrical performance,to massive trideo shows, tostadium-style music concerts. Ourchefs use the freshest ingredientsto make you the best meals in theworld today. Every guest room hasa terminal to explore the vast

wealth of information stored onour network, individualenvironmental controls, a privatebath with hot water, andconvenient waste reclamationreceptacles. Use ourcommunications grid to contactpeople across town without leavingthe comfort of your room. Trideoconferencing is available, as isimmersive private entertainment.

If you take the Oath and join ourcity, all of this can be yours everyday. Your Personal Star Pass will be

upgraded from Red to Yellow and

you’ll accrue credits in ourcentralized system which can becashed in for some great rewards,so leave the uncertain bartersystem at the gate. If you’reinterested in becoming a memberof Greybar City, please ask anyKeeper wearing a Blinking BluePersonal Star Pass.

Our rules are simple and meant to

provide the maximum comfort forall citizens and visitors.

1. Your Personal Star Pass Must BeWorn At All Times. We cannotprotect you if we don’t knowyour location or status. YourStar is fitted with acommunicator and personal lifesigns scanner. If you travelmore than three paces fromyour Star, a team will bedispatched to determine ifyou’re in danger and help youout of whatever situation you’re

in.2. Recycling Is Mandatory. With a

lack of raw materials, we striveto reuse and recycleeverything. Please use theconvenient waste reclamationreceptacles scatteredthroughout the city, marked witha green triangle.

3. Respect Boundaries. Your Starwill warn you if you stray into arestricted area. Greybar Cityruns on very large machineswhich could hurt you if you get

too close. Restricted areas exist

to keep you safe.

4. Obey All Keepers. If anyone witha Blue or White Star asks you todo something, they arespeaking with the authority ofthe entire city behind them.Please comply with the Keeper’srequest as quickly as possiblefor everyone’s safety andcomfort.

Failure to follow these rules willresult in a warning from a Keeperfollowed by immediate expulsionfrom Greybar City. Further

infractions will be met withincreasingly escalated responses.

We would love to be your newhome. After taking the Oath ofCitizenship and receiving yourYellow Star, you will be assigned arole in the city. New citizens aretested for aptitude and assigned tohelp the city in a mannerappropriate to their skill set.Unskilled citizens will spend at least

six months in Food Services whilelearning a new trade in the offhours.

We want you to be happy andhealthy. We want you to be safe.We want you to unlock your fullpotential.

Enjoy your visit to Greybar City. Wehope you come back soon.

(Produced by Greybar City Printing, awholly-owned subsidiary of the SyrinxCorporation.)





By T.W. Wombat

The following text was found encrypted with ROT13, hidden in a file tagged “Corrupt Image File”. It has the latest date of the 317 files in the directory, each containing a similar block of hidden and encrypted text.

It’s all coming to a head. I can feelit. It’s only a matter of time beforethe Keepers switch from masters toslaves, and now it’s closer thanever. I know the Free DataMovement take a look at any newfile that comes online. I only hopethey’re bright enough to find and

read this. I used some skills fromthe pre-disaster days when I was atotal digit head so I could hide myjournal, but I kept it simple. Whenthe Keepers didn’t haul me in fortreason, I figured they missedthese files. Corrupt data is prettycommon and there’s no sensescrutinizing every little thing, isthere?

I’m an old man who wants to set therecord straight about Greybar Citybefore I shuffle off or they take meto Cybernetics to put my brain in

one of the Pax bodies.

Let’s talk about life in the big city.The Keepers run everything. Theycontrol the entertainment, thefood, the medical establishment,access to the data cached fromwhen there was an Internet thatthey’ve been bastardizing, and allhigh-tech development. The rest ofus go on like sheep, serving ourrole as proletariat laborers. If oneof us gets a great idea, we’reasked to join the Keepers. Buthere’s the thing: If you join them,

that’ll be the last original idea youhave. I don’t know what they do forthe initiation ceremony or what theycut out of your brain when theyattach that infernal metal box tothe back of your head, but Keepersare convinced that all the answersalready exist online if only they’re

diligent enough to find them. LikeInternet data came from theheavens to enlighten the world, butonly the Keepers have theimplanted interface to trulyappreciate the scope of the data.

And yet they don’t bother looking atsubversive messages hiding incorrupt image files.

I dodged a bullet when they askedme to join. I came up with an idea,but I convinced them it wasn’t me.They tapped a friend of mine, andwhen I saw him the next year he

remembered me. He said he washappy, but he was completelydifferent. He didn’t even think thesame way any more. He asked meto join, and I just couldn’t. I like theway I think. So I resolved to keep myhead down and do what wasrequired in as unremarkable a wayas I could manage. And that’s whenI discovered the Free DataMovement.

I worked in the Food Mines foryears. The Keepers maintain twosub-levels of hydroponic gardensand livestock genetics labs underthe city. The vat-grown fleshexperiments turn my stomach, butthat’s the tasty meat that keeps thecity fed and docile. I swore it offafter I saw how it was made. Thereare more sub-levels under thosetwo, and I saw a guy with a yellowstar who looked like he owned theplace coming out of an accessstairway right behind one of the Paxone time. The Keepers don’t havethe manpower to develop and usethe lower levels, which is whythey’re so keen on recruiting new

citizens. They send Pax patrolsdown there to make sure nobodyhas moved in. I learned that theFree Data Movement can somehowcontrol the Pax, so it makes an idealbase of operations for them. Thereare plenty of secret entrances andno other humans go down there.

The Pax are the Keepers’ hole card,an army of perfected robotsoldiers who obey without questionor hesitation. People say the Paxare built from people, but that’sjust rumor. Every once in a whilesome of them seem to recognizesomething and act strangely, somaybe that’s not far off. TheKeepers read about NuclearDeterrence, and they’ve beenusing that doctrine for the past 60years to hold the wolves at bayoutside the city walls. Combatrobots don’t feel pain. They’re

pinpoint accurate, and their pulselasers recharge to full given time.But usually one well-placed shotfrom a click away tends to endfights before they begin. Once in awhile a Wizard gets uppity andtakes one out before he falls, butthat’s been rare. The Keeperstrusted the Pax so much that theyturned over all securityresponsibilites to the Pax. Now theycan concentrate on finding thetruth at the bottom of the pile ofdata in their heads.

The Free Data Movement hackedthe Keepers’ interface a while ago.They’re listening in on everythingthe Keepers do. I’m not sure if theyhacked the Pax or if they justworked out a deal somehow, butI’ve never seen a Pax attack amember of the Movement.According to the subversivepropaganda that sometimesinterrupts the entertainmentshows, new data comes in atrandom intervals. It looks likethere’s some sort of intermittentconnection to other sites in other

cities. The Keepers think it’s TheWord Of God, so they’re overjoyedwhen new data comes in. TheMovement is more pragmatic. Theylearned about computers the sameway I did – hacking andexperimentation. I think they’ve gotthe right idea, but they have no




idea how to run a government.They’re specialists, not leaders oreven team players. So they’re greatfor throwing monkey wrenchesaround, but I fear they’ll take over

and the whole city will comecrumbling down.

Not that the Keepers are too faroff from total meltdown either. It’sa hard world now. The Pax keepsthe raiders at bay, but theinfrastructure itself is threateningto implode. Gathering geneticmaterial from banished citizens ismostly for show now since theydon’t have a working geneticscanner any more. Recycling IsMandatory, but that only gets us sofar. We still need new things to fill

the holes left be raids and theftand the passage of time. TheKeepers have been rangingfarther and farther afield,desperately searching for moretechnology they can salvage tokeep their machines running. I hearthey’ve left the valley a couple oftimes, but they keep absolutelyclear of the forests. All theirdefensive and curative gadgetsand they’re afraid of goblins in thewoods. Maybe their dogma makesthem believe in the Tooth Fairy too.

Food production is always a tricky

thing. They’ve tried to move someof the fields outside, but the Paxcouldn’t stop the sheer number ofraiders in an unfortified field. Welost a field’s worth of seed cord

that year and more than a fewgood people. We’ve got enough fornow, and the synthesized spicescan make feces taste gourmet, butwho knows how long until one ofthe experiments takes out a wholefield. Nobody thinks about the risksinvolved in what we’re doing everyday just to survive.

And that’s my big problem with theKeepers and the Syrinx Corporationthey represent. Everybody listenssympathetically, and everybodywants a better place to call home.

Some people have great ideas, butonce the Keepers give you theimplant you start navel-gazing andsifting through data looking for thesecret of life. Data acts like anarcotic, and when it’s in your headall the time nothing else mattersquite as much. The Keepers get anon-stop information buffet tokeep them complacent. TheKeepers in turn provide a constantstream of bread and circuses forthe masses, and the people stufftheir mouths too full to questiontheir self-appointed leaders. So

who’s at the top reaping the fruits

of this docile society?

If the Keepers and the Free DataMovement ever decided to listen toeach other, Greybar City would

actually become the beacon ofhope in a dark world that thebrochures want you to believe.We’d be able to use the Keepers’archived data as a starting pointfor innovation instead of an endingpoint of religious intolerance. Wecould reinvent the world and gethumanity connected again. Wecould all pull together toward abetter life for our children andtheir children. But I doubt that willever happen. The Movement wantsa say, and the Keepers only hearthe data from before the cataclysm

echoing in their heads. TheMovement keeps grabbing forattention through thievery andvandalism, while the Keepers fightback the chaos without everanalyzing what the city really needs.Both sides butt heads because theyalways have. And that stupidity willget us all killed one day.

So welcome to Greybar City. It’scrappy, but it’s a far sight betterthat your alternatives.

Good luck out there.



Greybar City is a tough place. The Keepers cater to those fewsouls who think they can re-capture life before the catalcysm.Some still believe that there are pockets of pre-collapsecivilization, living in the height of luxury.

All their materials trumpet this, and they spend a fair amount oftime manufacturing their utopian facade.

Life's a bit more rough inside. Everyone does what the Keeperstell them to do, mostly because the Pax freak out every last citizenof Greybar. There are plenty of stories about robot insurgentarmies and berserk androids killing entire cities. There hasn't

been a problem yet, but.....– Brent




By Chris Jackson

The face of the world has

irrevocably changed, threegenerations after the end. Thelandscape is divided neatly betweenvast swathes of desolate waste andgigantic, ancient forests. Arableland that has not become completelyovergrown is an incredible rarity inthe world, and all of that has longsince been claimed by the warlordsor the sorcerer-kings. Many of theremaining cities have been builtwithin the crumbling remains ofthose left from before the end,crowding along the coasts of rivers,lakes, and oceans. These are almost

invariably held under sway by theineffable whims of the Priesthood.Wherever one can gain a fleetingsense of security, one also musthave to sacrifice liberty.

Magic seems to have not onlyreturned to humankind. The forestsare, perhaps, the most dangerousplace in the world. Technologybegins to inexplicably break downand malfunction, the further onestrays from civilization, but there isnowhere worse than deep within theforests, where technology justdoesn’t work at all. Even moreprimitive implements such ascompasses can often lead oneastray; the magic imbuing the placeseems to disrupt natural as well asartificial magnetic fields. This mayalso contribute to some of the moresubjective experiences, deep in thewoods; spending too much time inthe wilds can lead to dizziness,confusion, exhaustion, and anxiety.These effects seem to beparticularly bad to those with naturalmagical talent of their own; not onlydoes magic frequently misfire or goastray, but but it is more exhausting

for the caster to carry through.Worse, it seems that many flora andfauna within the forests and junglesseem naturally attracted to magic,zeroing in on the errant caster,often ignoring their companionscompletely.

Very few animals still dwell within the

forests, and those that do are

monstrous. The plants themselves, itseems, have become the chiefpredators, preying both upon eachother, and anything else thatwanders too far in whether for follyor for food. Many have changed intothings unrecognizable from whatthey may once have been,developing bulbous, tuberous,vining, sticking, and piercingstructures to assist in theirpredations. Nearly every predatoryplant can exhibit short bursts ofincredible growth, draining storageorgans and shrivelling pseudobulbs

in order to achieve these wildgrasps. Roots, stems, and evenflowers are often covered in minutehairs, which sense somethingbrushing against them, or evenwalking over the ground above, andstimulate the plant to strike. Thesehairs can also serve anotherpurpose as well; many are packedfull of potent crystallized toxins,causing skin that brushes againstthem to burn, scab, or evennecrotize. Many pollens serve adouble-duty as soporific agents,lulling the breathers into a narcotic

sleep. Spines and mucilaginousglands along the leaves and stemsfurther serve to deliver the plants’predatory payloads to theirunsuspecting victims. Once boundby rapidly-growing vines, disabled bypoison or injury, or simply exhaustedfrom fighting back cruel nature, theplants slowly grow over their victims.Adventitious roots pour out of anypart of the plant and dive into theflesh, drawing out nutrients as theyexude enzymes that breaks downthe tissue. Even calcium is drawn outfrom the bones, eventually, leavingnothing as evidence after only acouple weeks.

People venturing into the forests,whether for adventure or forforage, often do not return. Rescueparties are a rare sight; usually oncesomeone has been attacked, there isvery little chance of survival.

Nevertheless, the sight of a scarred,

scabbed individual is not anuncommon one within thesettlements nearest to the forests.Some are even permanentlydisfigured from their experiences inthe wild. It is sheer folly to venturewithin the woods alone, sooftentimes a member of anadventuring group will take amisstep and be attacked by feralfoliage, and for the rest of theirlives bear the marks of theencounter. Yet the incredible bountypromised within the forestscontinues to draw the brave and the

desperate; despite all of thedeadliness, there is also anabundance of edible fruits, roots,and fungus. Many nomadic groupstravel from forest to forest,foraging and scavenging within foritems of subsistence and trade, aswell as for the components ofvaluable medicines which they canproduce. It is unreasonable,therefore, to make any sort ofattempt to destroy the forestswholesale, despite the threat theypresent, because it iscounterbalanced by their incredible

fecundity of natural resources.http://blogs.gamerassembly.net/?p=365


CC-BY-ND Jaydot Sloane





By Chris Dundon

When predators rise in the foodchain and eventually hit the top, it isseldom that they remain in thatplace unchallenged. Given enoughtime, other predators will realizetheir potential and evolve into athreat to the complacent. Thewizards of the World Reborn quicklyasserted themselves as thedominant species across thedevastated lands, but in manyplaces across the lands there wasno room for shared power; wizardfell upon wizard in desperatestruggles to be the strongest

among them. It is often when thesewizards hunt alone that they fallvictim to another predator, onethat hunts them specifically.

Little is publically known about theWolves of Thanatos, other thanthey seem to specifically targetwizards throughout the wastelands.The few facts people have scrapedtogether range from amazing tohorrifying. Wizards have suddenlyvanished in the night, even fromtheir own lairs. The vast majority isnever seen again, and looters whodescend on the riches of themissing wizards say that, despiteclear signs of a struggle havingoccurred, their libraries andartifacts are frequently intact.Their numbers aren’t known, norhas a base of operation beenidentified. The greatest question,though, is how they’re able to takedown such immensely powerfulbeings where many have failed.

On only a few recorded occasionshas a wizard returned from goingmissing, and in every case they’refound crucified to the gates of a

city, butchered like a swine and with

a look of unending terror on theirfaces. The reports from autopsiesthat are performed on the remainsbecome locked away by the Techno-Priests and those who ask questionsare either rebuked or jailed.Information among the commonfolk is little more than scary storiesand rumors.

Those in the inner circles of theTechno-Priests, though, know muchmore about the Wolves thanthey’re letting on. The bulk of whatis known has been chronicled by aJocelyn Albrecht, a young Techno-

Priest in training at the Grey City inThe Valley. Thanks to her efforts,we now know that the Wolves ofThanatos are a band of fiercehunters who prey specifically onwizards. She also learned that theyseem to have no politicalaspirations outside their owninternal dealings, and their entiresociety is centered on the huntitself. But, most significantly, shewas the first to discover one of thesecret hunting techniques of theWolves: the ability to dampenmagic.

The actual method they use toproduce the mysterious liquid isguarded even fiercer than theknowledge of its existence, but theeffects are now known throughobservation. The effects whenintroduced environmentally areprofound: low concentrations ofthe liquid in the area and soilcauses magic in the area tobecome significantly dampened.Successfully cast spells are weaker,and some fizzle before they caneven manifest. Stronger

concentrations intensified the

effects. Robbed of their potentoffensive and defensive abilities,wizards fall as if they were merelambs.

Most intriguing was when theWolves seemed to beginexperimenting in the Assassin’sarts. In one situation observed by aspy planted in a wizard’s home, thewizard was drinking from a cup oftea when he suddenly choked andfell to the floor, shaking beforegoing unconscious. The wizardrecovered several minutes later…and his connection to the ley lines

had been completely severed. Hecould no longer summon a light, letalone summon a creature or alightning bolt. The spy recoveredsome of the tea, which testedpositive for the dampening poison.We don’t know if the effect waspermanent, though; the Wolvesraided the lair hours later and thespy barely escaped with his life.

Combining the effects of theirdampening poisons and brutalcombat techniques with tactics thatborder on terrorism, the Wolves of

Thanatos ride a thin line betweenbeing praised as saviors of thepopulace from the wizards anddeeply feared for their horrific andextreme methods. Many wonderwhat will happen if all of a region’swizards are slain, driven into hidingor move on to less hostile lands.Will the Wolves move on, or will theyremain and look for new prey?Without knowing who they are orwhat their true purpose is,speculation runs rampant.





By Brian Liberge

3 Generations After The End (3GATE )

is designed to be a primarily human-centric setting. That’s great in a lotof ways. Humans are the dominantrace in most RPG settings, and arecertainly the stars of most modernmedia. It’s easy for us to relate on acommon level with them, as well asimagining them competing in afantastic world.

However, many systems also supportthe idea of multiple player races and3GATE is easily expanded to includethose.

After humans, the Beastmen are the

most prominent race. Created by theearly wizards after the greatapocalypse, the beastmen arepowerful men and women infusedwith bestiality of nature. Some arestill under the control of wizards butmany still escaped to the wilderness,forming their own tribes. Many racesare naturally suited for beastmen asthey already represent creatureswho are part man, part animal.Minotaurs, lizardfolk, shifters, andthri-keen are all excellent choices. Ifyou want to get creative, take agood look at the mechanics for the

race and re-skin for differentanimals as needed. Gnolls are anexcellent template race whenplaying D&D 4E. They get bonusesfor hunting in groups, and theirfeats allow them to becomeexcellent trackers or gain a naturalclaw weapon. These traits could beused to represent any number ofanimals in the world.

Beastmen are also naturally suitedto working in a mixed party. Someare already allied with the wizards,while others have a natural reasonto oppose them, so humans from

either area could find reasons towork with them. They’re less

naturally suited to the cities of the

techno-priests, but in fantasy yourcharacters are already exceptional.They could be converts, prisonersworking toward release, or maybethey were an experiment left behindand freed by the priests.

Depending on the level of artifacttechnology you want to play with, thetechno-priests offer another greatrace idea, that of the robot, cyborg,or android. The warforged of D&D ,the gearforged of Midgard , and thegiant robot of Big Eyes, Small Mouth are all great mechanics to use for

these races. You could be a newcreation, an experiment of thetechno-priests and the ultimaterepresentation of man’s worship oftechnology. Perhaps you were foundand only recently reactivated. Manyhigh tech labs would be outside ofthe city and in secret locations,leaving you to ally with the firstwilling humanoids you can find. Youmay even have been around sincethe apocalypse, remembering theold world. Talk to your GM about thisoption first. Many things from thepast may need to be a secret toallow proper exploration anddiscovery. Maybe your characterwas a simple worker drone before,and never learned of life outside athree block radius, or it could bethat years of poor maintenancehave ruined your memory, giving youglimpses of the past in short,confusing bursts, making you amodern oracle.

Finally there are the deepest areasof the wild, where technology ceasesto function, and the beastmen roamwith unforgiving savagery. Few dareto tread here, and even fewer

return to speak its tales. Since magicreturned with the apocalypse, the

secrets held here could be the

source of the most fantastic racialoptions. Perhaps technology doesn’tfunction here because of magic’srich veins. Fey lines could emanatefrom these zones, and perhaps theirhearts are portals to other planes.One might stumble into cities ofhumanity’s mythic past: the mines ofdwarves and gnomes, tree-top elvenvillages, or roaming tribes of goblinsand giants. Like humans, membersof these races may feel compelled tobrave the unknown and explore thewastes outside their hiddensanctuaries. What happens when

they leave, though? Does their magicchange? Do they themselves becomewarped by the apocalypse? Whatgrand creations might come intobeing if dwarven master craftsmanwere to work with the techno-priests?

Whatever you decide, use it to buildthe lore of your world, and have agrand adventure.








By Brian Liberge

Religion meetsTechnology by RinzeWind on Flickr

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”

—Arthur C Clarke

In most of the cities within thepost-apocalyptic world of 3 Generations After the End , thepriests rule. These are verydifferent men of the cloth thanwe see in our current time. Thesepriests do not revere an unseengod or the words of prophetstranslated from ancient tomesand scrolls. Instead, they worshipthe remnants of a once greatsociety, pulling words from PDFsof technical manuals oncomputer tablets.

In most fantasy tabletop games,a priest or cleric, is very differentthing from our techno priests. In

D&D, clerics are warriors of theirgod, able to wield divine magic tosmite foes. It’s a very differentstyle, and you have some choices

to make as a group if you want toinclude these classes as an optionfor your players. By default, thereis no divine magic in 3GATE. Theapocalypse brought back thewizards and witches of old, butnot the gods.

The easiest way to deal withdivine magic is to ban it outright.That means no paladins, clerics,or oracles, at least not in themechanical sense. Instead, thesecharacters would take classeslike engineer, artificer or

alchemist. When they step intobattle, no godly force intervenesmore than the advancedtechnology that only they seem tobe able to master.

In this way, a priest could appearvery differently depending on thetech level of the city he hailsfrom. I imagine something likeCarl from Van Helsing , wearingsimple brown robes, and thenpulling out clockwork rifles, andnumerous wondrous itemscreated from astounding futuretech repaired into new uses. Onthe opposite end, a priest fromThe Keepers of Syrinx might dressin a perfect suit, accessingdatabases remotely with nano-implants, and calling laser strikesdown from satellites. Either styleworks, and there’s no reason whythey can’t exist in the samecampaign.

Which brings me to the other wayto run things, and the point of theopening quote: Allow divine

classes, but play all their abilitiesas the result of technology. Asearing bolt spell is really a wristlaser. Healing with a Lay on Hands

ability isn’t the work of the godsbut advanced ointments or bio-repairing nanobots. Even a pillarof divine fire doesn’t need tocome from the heavens but froma satellite, or a tossed vial ofproperly mixed chemicals. Thepriest might understand thetechnology he works with, or hemay only know the ritual of it alland really believe it’s the work ofthe gods. The gods did, after, allgive the priests the holy texts totell them how to accomplish thesemiracles. Like any goodtechnology, some people seem tobe naturally gifted or have acalling. Then again, sometimes nomatter what you do it just won’twork until someone breathes onit the right way. Sounds like thework of gods to me.

There’s no need to make it allone way or the other. Perhaps there-fluffed divine characters onlycome from the more advancedcities, or represent those that arenaturally gifted in understanding

technology. They may be in thesame party with another priestwho is just as devout, but theirtechnology equates to only to afew special items, and play afighter mechanically. Thesedifferences can give depth toyour world, as long as they retainlinks to each other. It shouldn’tlook like whole different worldshappened to be next to eachother for the sake of theadventure. Make sure somethings carry over, even if its just

a few symbols, sayings, andbeliefs.





By Brent P. Newhall

All images in this Monsters section (except for the image of the Trill) are by Peter Seckler, and were released under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.

Ratfolk are intelligent enough to use tools, but remainsufficiently feral that they can rarely be reasoned with.

Ratfolk usually attack any creatures that invade theirterritory (which is usually a sewer beneath a crumblingcity). They love water, and live in half-submerged nestsstuffed with scavenged food and belongings.

In combat, they prefer to swarm enemies.




People exposed to strange energies mutate into thesesmall, savage, lizard-like humanoids with limitedintelligence.

Lizzies are smarter than, say, ratfolk and have theirown primitive societies. Clans of ten to fifty lizzies areusually led by a shaman who performs bloody rites andleads the clan on raids for sacrifices and slaves.

That is the other problem with l izzies: they lovecollecting slaves, who do much of the heavy lifting inlizzie societies before being sacrificed to theirinscrutable gods.

In combat, lizzies prefer to stay at range, using theirslings to great effect. The clan’s shaman will alsoattempt great feats of magic.


CC-ATT-ND Jaydot Sloane



These mutated creatures are actuallyquite sentient, and are slowly buildingtheir own subterranean kingdom. They

occasionally burst to the surface,attacking human outposts for food andslaves (which may be the same thing).

Though sentient, they are not particularlyintelligent, relying on brute force tacticsand numbers. Tales are told of atelepathic device that allows thearachnoids to mold slaves into mindlessfighters.




Trill are dangerous because of their stealth.They lay out their tentacles–each dozens of yards long–along the forest floor, where

they appear to be normal roots. When ameal approaches, the tentacles grip thetrill’s prey and, secreting a dulling poison,pulls the struggling creature towards thetrill’s sticky mouths.


'Carnivorous Plant (Tattoo Design)' by Paul Stratton (used with permission)



Occasionally, a wizard will get the bright idea to summon a demon tohelp around the house. It never ends

well.

Demons are solitary creatures; they never work with others, even their ownkind. Most of the demons summonedso far have been brutes, intelligentenough to take direction and exchangea few words.

Demons prefer to charge into battle,howling and dominating enemies withtheir glowing eyes and slashing at therest.




Many of the monsters you face will be all too human.

All images in this Monsters section are by Jeff Preston, and were released under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

Bandits cling together to get safety in numbers.

The most feared group of bandits in the Valley arethose led by a mysterious, cloaked and masked manknown only as Dreadnought.




Little is known of Dreadnought. He’s a

smart bandit leader, but is generally brutal and bloodthirsty in battle.




Tomas united the people of his

kingdom, Stronghold, with thepromise of safety. He’s mostly made good on that promise, but life in Stronghold is hard.

Tomas sees the world in black and white terms: wizards areunnatural and should be killed.




Shedra is rarely seen, even inside

her own domain of Sanctuary.She usually sends her priestessesto collect supplies for her strangerituals.

In persona, Shedra is calm andmysterious, always seeking herown ends.


3 generations

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