1

2

LOVE THE BOMB Created by Mark Iradian

©2006 by Mark Iradian. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to

copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the

GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version

published by the Free Software Foundation; with the Invariant Sections being LIST

3

LOVE THE BOMB A narrative post-apocalypse RPG system by Mark Iradian

Table of Contents WHAT IS LOVE THE BOMB?...................................................................................................................................... 5

WHAT IS A NARRATIVE RPG?.................................................................................................................................. 5

THINGS YOU’LL NEED TO PLAY LOVE THE BOMB RPG .......................................................................................... 5

CHARACTER CREATION ............................................................................................................................................. 6

STRENGTH ........................................................................................................................................................................ 6

DEXTERITY........................................................................................................................................................................ 6

VITALITY ........................................................................................................................................................................... 6

KNOWLEDGE ..................................................................................................................................................................... 6

CHARM............................................................................................................................................................................... 6

PERCEPTION ..................................................................................................................................................................... 6

SKILLS ................................................................................................................................................................................. 8

ROLLING THE DICE ..................................................................................................................................................... 10

COMPETITION ROLLS ................................................................................................................................................... 10

COMBAT........................................................................................................................................................................... 10

HEALTH AND CRITICAL ROLLS ................................................................................................................................... 11

HEALTH AND OTHER VITALS ................................................................................................................................ 13

FOOD AND WATER ......................................................................................................................................................... 14

POISON, DISEASE, AND RADIATION .......................................................................................................................... 14

RESTING .......................................................................................................................................................................... 15

TRAPS .............................................................................................................................................................................. 16

DRUGS AND ADDICTIONS............................................................................................................................................. 16

EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY ................................................................................................................................. 17

HISTORY ........................................................................................................................................................................... 19

LOVE THE BOMB .......................................................................................................................................................... 23

PLAYING THE GAME................................................................................................................................................... 31

MUTANTS AND ROBOTS ............................................................................................................................................... 31

SHELTER AND FACTIONS ............................................................................................................................................. 32

WEATHER AND VILLAGES ............................................................................................................................................ 32

4

Throughout the billions of years, mankind has struggled, evolved and sought to master his domain. He has

guaranteed his place as king of this world. It is his responsibility alone. Earth belongs to him and no other

organism dares challenge his title. He has the right to control it, live it, and end it.

Mankind did not know when to stop. He mastered the atom, a particle of which controls everything, yet his

own people turn their backs on him. He became angry at those who speak ill of him or assaulted his

temples. Jealously, revenge, and anger begins to control him.

Mankind could never be erased and he knew this. With his knowledge and power over the atom, he began

using destructive tactics that gave his former title of master. He knew that it would cost a great deal of

sacrifice from his own people. Perhaps, when this is over, he will once again rise to power.

And if he didn’t, would anyone care?

The world is his. Let him do what he wants with it.

Love the Bomb.

5

What is Love The Bomb?

Love The Bomb RPG is a classless pen and paper

roleplaying game where you, the player, take on

a role of a character that is stuck in a world

filled with decaying ruins, lifeless fields, and

deadly diseases. You are one of the few

survivors on this giant dirt of sphere called

Earth and decided to try live it out as opposed

to taking your own life. Well, you could take

your own life, but it wouldn’t just as exciting,

now would it?

The game is meant for three to six people. One

player must be the Game Master, who controls the

characters and environment that interacts with

the rest of the player.

What is a Narrative RPG?

A narrative RPG is a somewhat more freeform

based roleplaying, focusing more on storytelling

than action or rolling excessive number of dice.

Usually, in a narrative RPG game, the game

master (GM) needs to be able to improvise his

plot, and the rules, as his players move along

with the story. It is the Game Master’s job to

provide an entertaining story for his players,

while taking on the role of dozens of NPCs (Non-

player character) that will help or hinder the

player’s role.

The player’s job is to become the actor of the

GM’s plot. It is their responsibility to play a

realistic character that has both weaknesses and

strengths. If the player’s character is dying,

the performance of said character should act

like they are dying. The player must always

stay in character; whether it is the knowledge

of the world or their skills. The GM has every

right to disapprove a character because it

doesn’t fit with the storyline.

Things you’ll need to play Love The Bomb RPG

Before you begin a game of Love The Bomb RPG,

you must have the following:

A) 4-sided, 6-sided, 8-sided, 10-sided, 12-sided, and 20-sided dice.

B) Pencil and Paper. C) Someone to be the Game Master who has a

storyline in his head and fair.

D) Two or more people that will create their post-apocalypse personification

and willing to be the Game Master’s

bitch for the next several hours.

E) NOT REQUIRED BUT RECOMMENDED: Beer, pretzels, pizza, and soft drinks.

6

Character Creation

Unlike other RPGs, Love The Bomb uses words

instead of numbers for characters. Therefore,

players are able to create either really

powerful characters or really weak characters,

depending on the plot and theme the GM plans to

use for the game session.

The first part of character creation of your

Stats. Stats are determined by your characters

background (more on this later).

Strength

The measurement of physical power. Used for

numerous situations like pinning someone down or

lifting something heavy. Pulling, pushing,

crushing, moving, and other physical challenges

are used by Strength.

Dexterity

How nimble your character is. The ability to

jump long distances or dodging at the right

moment are examples of dexterity. Anything that

requirements movement of the body is determined

by Dexterity.

Vitality

This statistic is your character’s resistance,

whether it is addictions, poisons, or anything

physical. Vitality also affects how long he can

breathe, how long he can run, and so forth.

Food and Drinks are also affected by Vitality

Finally, Vitality also plays a role when in

combat, able to take an extra bullet or stab

wound.

Knowledge

This is a measurement of general knowledge of

the world. Whether it is dealing with gang

politics, computer electronics, or street

smarts, Knowledge is tested when dealing with

information that isn’t common.

Charm

Charm is a mixture of both your looks and your

personality. Charm is used in social

situations, such as debating, negotiating or

making deals.

Perception

Your perception allows you to notice clues or

other abnormalities in a scene that would

otherwise be bypassed by others. It can also be

used for smells, hearing, and other senses.

7

Briefing deadEarth

8 deadEarth

8

Skills

Skills are abilities that are not an

inherent trait. Skills can be anything

from seduction to growing weed. They can

be specific like trivia knowledge of a

specific music group, to something really

broad like being Canadian. There is no

list of skills; it’s up to you to decide

what skills are used to shape your

character.

Skills, alongside with Stats, are created

by using words. Skills give your character

a more direct image of your character.

They should represent how others see your

character. If your character knows

different styles of Martial Arts, list all

of them if you want to.

Here is an example character. His name is

Muff and he is a car mechanic by day and

works out in the middle of the night. He

uses his Desert Eagle at the local range,

where his reigning champion for over 2

years at the local town. He has been a

follower of Christianity for over 20 years,

although does sin ever now and then. Once

a week, he trades some bullets or guns

given to him as payment for his mechanic

skills to spend some personal times with

the ladies.

Talented Car Mechanic (D10)

Devoted Christian Follower (D8)

A Skilled Lover (D12)

A Professional Marksman (D8)

Now you’re probably wondering about the

dice.

As mentioned before, every stat and ability

is described using words when creating your

character’s background. Once you are done

writing the background, you should figure

out what level your stat and skills go to.

Non-Existent

The lowest of them all. This rank is for

those just absolutely horrible at the

chosen skill or trait. You use this rank

for skills not listed on your character,

reflecting their lack of experience. You

can be a crap cook, but it doesn’t mean you

can’t try.

SKILL LEVEL DIE SAMPLES

Non-existent D20 + 5 poor, crap,

unskilled

Below Average D20 amateur,

beginner

Average D12 decent,

mediocre

Above Average D10 skilled,

professional

Expert D8 expert, pro,

very good

Master D6 amazing, master

Perfected D4 godlike,

grandmaster

9

Below Average Skills listed here can be equal to minor

side hobbies or tasks done a long time ago.

They may have started using it, but never

really much farther than the basics.

Average

Anything listed under this level is

considered to be mediocre; nothing special

nor terrible. Simply put, this level is

for skills that they practice somewhat

often but never went further to try and

master.

Above Average They are so advanced in their skill, that

they are probably making a living out of it

or made it into a profession.

Expert This goes beyond the person’s profession,

and the character is probably very well-

known in the circles or communities of

those into the same skill. An example of

this would be firearms, seduction, or

acting.

Master One word: Einstein. If a skill hits here,

the character is known world-wide about it.

Perfected It would be very rare to find someone who

has perfected a skill. People with a

perfected title are considered gods among

their craft and should only be reserved for

incredibly special characters.

“Skill and confidence are an

unconquered army.”

~ George Herbert

10

Rolling the Dice

Whenever there is a situation involving a chance

of failure, a ‘test’ needs to be made using

either the character’s Stats or Skills. The GM

determines what is used and the ‘difficulty’

number that needs to be passed. In most

situations, a 6 or lower is needed to pass the

test. Higher numbers mean the test is easier,

while a lower number means a more difficult task.

The outcome does determine the degree of success

or failure. If someone rolled a twenty, for

example, it would be considered a ‘critical

failure’ and something disastrous is likely to

happen. A one, on the other hand, means you have

succeeded without flaw or ‘critical success’.

Competition Rolls

There will be scenarios when two characters duke

it out using the exact same skills, a competition

roll is made. A competition roll is very simple:

Roll two dice belonging to the same stat or skill

used, and the one with the lowest result wins.

Arm wrestling? Strength. Racing down the

street? Driving. Beer drinking contest?

Vitality.

The difference between the two results also

affects the outcome of the contest. If there is

a tie involved, than there is a tie.

Combat

Combat in Love the Bomb is perhaps one of the

more dangerous combat systems you’ll see in an

RPG. There is no magic to protect you or some

cybernetic implants to make you survive several

shotgun blasts. Getting a good shot in your

character can result in a quick and rather

painless death (depending where you have been

shot), just like real life.

The initiative (who goes first) is relied on the

wisdom of the GM and the situation. For example,

if the party didn’t detected the group of

automatic thugs on the rooftop, the thugs will go

first.

Every turn is described in a narrative fashion

and the winner of the competition roll gets to

decide what happens on that exact moment. Your

character can do literally almost anything in

combat, from rolling to the side to aiming the

thug’s head with his magnum. Essentially, the

winner of the roll dictates what happens in

combat. The GM has the authority to slightly

change the outcome, if he wants to.

The only two key differences between combat and

competition rolls are: Combat uses two different

skills/stats depending on what action is being

narrated, and health rolls.

11

Health and Critical Rolls

Most of the time, there is always

that thin chance of survival (or

perhaps a big chance) when the

unexpected hits a character. A

pistol shot in the gut, a high-

powered rifle in the shoulder, or an

insanely powerful car crash.

Depending on the situation and

magnitude of the damage, the GM will

ask the player to do a health roll

and give a difficulty based on the

scenario. Failing at a health roll

means the player suffers greater

wounds which might have negative

effects on the character (e.g. wound

in leg means agility-based rolls are

more difficult). Continuing to fail

health rolls might lead to a Critical

Roll.

A Critical Roll is literally a do or

die, meaning if the player fails this

roll, there is a good chance of that

character ending up dead. This type

of roll is reserved for either

failing numerous health rolls (up to

GM, suggestion is 4), or for those

high damaging scenarios like a good

sniper bullet into a man’s torso who

happens to be wearing kelver.

Failing a critical roll can either

mean that the character has

officially become incapitated and

must be taken to the hospital; or the

character dies. Again, depending on

the GM and the situation involved, it

can go either way.

Remember that Health and Critical

rolls are used if there is a

chance (even a slim chance) of

surviving. A pointblank shotgun

in the gut without any armor

stopping the force will kill a

character instantly.

12

Character Creation deadEarth

13

Health and other vitals

Like in real life, getting shot isn’t an

experience without its losses. When fists

are flying, bats are swinging, and guns

are blazing, someone is bound to get hurt

amongst the chaos.

Unless one of the crew members has First

Aid skill along with a good medical kit,

there is a good chance that a doctor will

be needed. A doctor is one of the most

valued members of society, able to heal

wounds that would otherwise be life

threatening. Doctors expect big payment

payment, whether it is an expensive gun or

a load of rations, and are often cited to

be very tough negotiators.

When dealing with hospitals, the GM should

focus on two things when naming the

doctor’s price: The skill of the doctor

and the critical nature of the wound.

Much like the characters in the party,

NPCs (non-player characters) also have

their own set of skills, and doctors are

no expectations.

The party has a lot of options when it

comes to healing their brothers and

sisters. They can visit a first rate

doctor who is an expert at his field (D8)

or go to guy who can’t even stitch

properly and performs surgeries in his

basement (D20).

Once the payment is made, the GM rolls for

the doctor against the difficulty number

(higher for easy injuries, lower for

critical ones. Normal is still 6).

Failing the test does not mean that the

crew is charged again, but a very high

roll can actually result is increased

magnitude of the injury, making a crap

situation into a pretty shitty one.

Just remember that even though the doctor

might perform the operation with success,

it doesn’t mean the character’s injuries

are instantly cured. Medications,

painkillers, a night’s rest, or a cast

might be needed.

14

Food and Water

You are stuck in a world where a can of dog food

can save someone’s life, insane famine victims

fight over a diseased carcass, and water is just

as valuable as gold.

Both food and water are separate needs, so you

will need plenty of water flasks and food rations

before setting off into the wastelands.

Fortunately, you are at a time where most of the

violent killings and suicides have ended and it

is now possible to grow some food on the soil due

to the fallout declining. Still, the food and

water in a post-nuclear holocaust environment

isn’t what you would call ‘good’ and many people

would rather keep their food then trade it for a

gun. People who know how to farm are extremely

valuable at these dire times but the knowledge of

farming isn’t common, thus your character will

never know how to farm.

Characters can survive by drinking 2 liters of

water and having two meals a day. It is up to

the GM to determine when these two necessities

are needed and what your character goes through

when these needs are not met.

Poison, Disease, and Radiation

Besides getting a fatal blow to the head or

starving yourself, there are other things that

could kill you while trekking through the

wasteland. Poisons from various predatory

animals, diseases from eating bad food, and being

idiotic enough to walk into radioactive fallout

are good ways to shorten your life.

Both Poison and Diseases can be resisted against,

according to your Vitality stat. Whenever you

come in contact with venom or a disease, you must

roll your Vitality stat and try to get it equal

or under the difficulty number listed.

Once poisoned, your character’s life will slowly

zap away and if not treated soon, he/she might

die. The affects of poison should be portrayed

in your character (ex: One poison might make your

limbs go numb, therefore you cannot move or

defend yourself). You cannot be healed with

normal healing kits and the only way to get rid

of poison is to either let the poison run its

course or use the First Aid (or similar) skill.

The difficulty when using the First Aid skill

depends on the strength of the poison. Rare

powerful poisons can kill someone instantly.

Disease/Poison

Strength

Difficulty

Number

Weak 12

Moderate 10

Strong 8

Deadly 6

Lethal 4

15

Disease, on the other hand, does not damage

your health. Instead, it reduces one (or

more) of your character’s Stats, degrading

it by one skill level (ex: Above-Average to

Average). Diseases do not wear out in

time, unlike poison, and they can be

contagious. Diseases can also ruin your

limbs or destroy a body sense (e.g. taste)

temporarily. The effects are up to the GM.

Like poison, being diseased disallows the

ability to be healed, even by normal

healing kits. The only way to be cured of

a disease is to find a working medical

facility and either use a First-Aid related

skill or get a doctor. Just remember that

diseases can also be airborne, blood borne,

or be in tainted food and don’t require

direct contact from animals. (Hope your GM

is not creative).

Radiation is deadliest out of three. Do

not buy into the myth that radiation

mutates a person. Radiation isn’t

something that a group of travelers in

wasteland would want; they know it doesn’t

“mutate” them, but deforms them. Leukemia,

Third Degree Burns, Conflagration, and

destroyed cells are small examples of what

Radiation can do. There isn’t much

radiation fallout as there was one thousand

years ago, but they are still places that

are contaminated by radiation and should be

avoided at all costs.

Light radiation does not glow or give any

signs. In fact, Radiation can look

completely normal in an area, making it

very deadly to poor unsuspecting travelers.

The only way to detect radiation in the

area is to get a Geiger counter, a very

rare item in the wastelands. There is no

resistance for radiation and there is no

way to cure it. Radiation effects on you

can be various, way too much to list here.

The effects of Radiation on a character are

up to the GM.

Resting

Resting is a requirement for anyone in the

wastelands. You are human and must sleep

like any other living organism. Resting

can be used to heal wounds slowly or to

kill off time. However, it is highly

recommended that when resting, you and your

party should be in a safe place. They are

nocturnal carnivorous creatures out there

and they like easy prey at night.

16

You can rest anytime and how long you want, but

any hostile encounters in the wasteland will get

the first move in combat if they catch you. You

are simply a stationary blind target for those

Raiders and hungry critters.

Traps

Doors, chests, and lockers are some of things

that can be trapped by their owners. A trap can

have numerous effects, from incredibly high

voltage to spraying deadly viruses. The

imagination is left up to the GM.

To detect a trap, a Perception skill roll has to

be made and roll under the GM’s difficulty

(usually 6, the lower the harder). Once

detected, the Explosives (or any other trap-

related) skill is used to disarm the trap. You

can also trap things yourself, if you have the

right equipment and pass all necessary rolls

assigned by the GM.

Drugs and Addictions

Getting addicted is one of sure-fire ways to end

your life. In this radioactive wasteland where

food comes in a form of an 8-legged rat, drugs

are often perceived as either a death wise or an

escape from this horrible reality. But

sometimes, in the hardest of situations, you will

need that extra boost of strength or vitality, or

insert a needle into your brain to enhance your

perception. However, a drug does come with a

very hefty price.

They are numerous drugs in this game, way too

many to list here. Some of them are your basic

stuff, like crack, while others were created

during the declining of the fallout. Each drug

has their own addiction rating and with each use

of the drug, the player must make an addiction

check against the rating by Rolling his Vitality

and beat the number. If he fails, his character

has become addicted to that specific drug and

every 8 hours (possibly including sleep), he must

have the drug or else he might even go berserk or

do something that be classified as insane. The

only way to get rid of an addiction is to see a

doctor (other players cannot help) and weeks in

solitude to fight his urges. This is a very

expensive process.

A simple knowledge check or drug-related skill

can determine exactly what the drug does and it’s

addiction rating. Otherwise, you need to take

the dealer’s word for it.

17

What a drug does is modifies the roll of 6

Stats of the Character: Strength,

Vitality, Dexterity, Charm, Knowledge, and

Perception. A ‘good’ drug will modify the

result of the roll by making it lower,

while a ‘bad’ drug does the opposite. It

is very possible for a drug to affect

different stats at the same time. The

duration of the drug is up to the GM.

Example Drug: Angel Eye gives -2 to

Vitality roll with a Dangerous addiction

rating.

Equipment and Technology

Your character’s starting equipment

should match your character’s skill and

background. A military man, for example,

would have plenty of weapons and ammo. A

man of science and math would have a

calculator, a notebook, and a pistol.

Discuss with your GM to what items you

will need. Starting characters also get

about a week worth of water and rations,

a starting pistol and some clips.

Unlike other roleplaying games, there is

not a huge list of items, their weight,

or what damage they do. Being a

narrative roleplaying game, the GM will

use (hopefully) common sense on the

likely damage of the weapon and the

players won’t think they can over 1000

pounds worth of inventory. Being shot by

a sniper or assault rifle hurts a lot

more than a 9mm pistol. Clips play a

very important role with your weapon,

because a clip is depleted from your

inventory after you are finished combat.

Even if you used one bullet, the clip is

gone.

Much of the technology has been recovered

but the major problem is the lack of

power to run most of the available

technology. Generators cannot be built

without fuel and very few individuals

have working generators. If someone does

have a generator, there is a good chance

that they are hidden from plain sight

inside an underground shelter.

Vehicles such as cars, tanks, and even

airplanes still exist. Some of them can

be operated. Weapons that you know today

are being used, with a few additional

sci-fi imaginative weapons.

18

19

History

2009 - The President of the United States bows down to international and

domestic pressure on troops being

deployed in hostile foreign soil.

Civil violence and assaults on police

officers in the United Stated are no

longer considered uncommon news by the

mainstream media and the tabloids.

Radio hosts and book authors blast both

the president’s character and policies

on a daily basis. The Iraqi Prime

Minister declares his hostiles

intentions to Iran for supporting the

insurgents.

In response to the growing instability

of the United States, Saudi Arabia and

several other members of OPEC back away

from the once almighty US Dollar and

set their oil prices exclusively in

Euros. Canada cuts off NAFTA and

closes its borders to the United

States.

Within days, the wealthy citizens and

currency exchange brokers cashes in

their US Dollars for Euros and Yen.

The huge change within the world’s

financial were overwhelmed and lost

over half its value within a few hours.

In several weeks, the result was the

worst Depression the world has ever

witnessed.

Banks became targets for attacks,

racial tensions explode, Muslims are

besieged by Christians, and brownouts

become an excessive problem. The

biggest spark, however, was the failed

assassination attempt of the Saudi

Arabia’s king, leading the country into

martial law and suppression of civil

rights.

In late 2009, the North America

continent was going through as some

might say an ‘economic hell’. The

United States, with its huge deficit

and negative trade balance, completely

destroyed the United States economy.

Canada’s job market, relying heavily on

the United States, shrinks to

nothingness while French Canadians

demand separation and Native Americans

forcibly claiming more land. Alberta

has retreated from the Canadian

20

confederation and becomes its own country.

2010 - The provinces of Canada have become into their own countries; the confederation is

dead. Skirmishes at the US-Mexico border are

more violent and common. British and French

patriots begin burning Islamic flags on

street corners and kill those who support

Muslims. In the Middle East, Palestine

disappears from the map by Israel forces and

Egypt’s army is nearly destroyed after

failing to support the Palestines. Shortly

after Iran’s nuclear missile test, Iraq’s

army mobilizes to disable Iran’s nuclear

ability.

The United Nations destroys itself in a vote,

with over 100 nations voting in favor of the

destruction of the UN. The treaty of NATO

and the European Union burns itself out as

domestic priorities take over.

2011 – To fight the depression, numerous nations imposes import restrictions and

outrageous tariffs. California is the first

state to leave the Union, believing that the

United States government has demonstrated the

inability to protect the people from the

violent fighting between the Hispanics,

Anglo, African, and Asian minorities. Texas

and his neighboring states follow suite,

creating their own country. Soon afterwards,

the Union that created the United States is

in pieces and the President is assassinated.

Australia retakes the North Eastern Australia

after several weeks under the control of the

rebels, and takes the pole position in the

economic recovery race. Japan begins to

build up their military again and puts an

economic embargo on North Korea.

2012 – Islamic terrorists have breached the walls of Israel and detonate three suitcase

nukes, disintegrating 94% of the population

and the infrastructure. Israel counter

attacks by launching nuclear missiles at not

only Mecca, but several Muslim countries in

Africa and the Middle East. As the Iraqi

tanks and planes shred the country of Iran,

the allies of Iran have launched nuclear

missiles with their destination being

Baghdad. Several countries in North America

lie in ruins as they all exchange nuclear

missiles with one another, with Alberta being

the first casualty due to their vast and rich

oil fields.

21

In Asia, North Korea launches two

nuclear warheads at Japan for pre-

emptive strike reasons. Japan

retaliates by carpet bombing both North

and South Korea infrastructure and

military bases. Japan also claims

responsibility for a nuclear missile

sabotage in North Korea, resulting in

huge population losses within the

surrounding area.

Tibet terrorists bomb several

government buildings in China,

including twelve nuclear power plants.

The fallout spreads to Russia and other

countries in the Asia continent.

2013 – Global temperature begins to rise at an extraordinary rate. South

America is completely flooded, with

shores of Europe, Africa, Asia, and

North America being submerged in water.

Australia is in a civil war after a

successful assassination of the prime

minister and reported food storages for

the booming population and immigrants.

Militants from China are caught

stealing oil from the Russian

pipelines. Russia launches a pre-

emptive missile strike at China before

mobilizing their army. China counter-

attacks with their own list of missiles

and army, leading to a very bloody

battle that only last several weeks

before both countries have their

governments overthrown and lead to

Anarchy.

Several European countries like Poland,

the United Kingdom, Spain, and France,

become subjects of a campaign of

terrorist attacks, including nuclear

missile silos, low yield nuclear bombs,

and nuclear power plants. Domestic

riots increased, factions between the

populations are created, and floods are

increased.

Much of the world is covered in Nuclear

Winter and Australia is the first

country to die out. With food storage

and faction conflicts, Australia

becomes a shadow of it’s former self.

Other countries follow through.

“Power corrupts. Absolute power is kind of neat.” John Lehman, US Secretary of the Navy 1981-1987

22

23

Love The Bomb

Nuclear Blast The first thing bomb victims experience

is the intense flux of photons

from the blast, which releases 70-80%

of the bomb's energy. The effects go up

to third degree thermal burns and are

not a pretty sight.

Initial deaths are due to this effect.

The next phenomenon is the supersonic

blast front. You see it before you hear

it. The pressure front has the effect

of blowing away anything in its path.

After the front comes the overpressure

phase. It would feel like being

underwater a few hundred meters. (At a

few thousand meters under the sea,

pressurized hulls implode.) The

pressure gradually dies off, and there

is a negative overpressure phase, with

a reversed blast wind. This reversal is

due to air rushing back to fill the

void left by the explosion.

The air gradually returns to normal

atmospheric pressure. At this stage,

fires caused by electrical destruction

and ignited debris turn the place into

a firestorm.

Then come the middle term effects such

as keloid formation and retinal

blastoma. Genetic or hereditary damage

can appear up to forty years after

initial irradiation.

The Mushroom Cloud The heat from fusion and fission

instantaneously raises the surrounding

air to 10 million degrees C.

This superheated air plasma gives off

so much light that it looks brighter

than the sun, and is visible hundreds

of kilometers (km) away. The resultant

fireball quickly expands. It is made up

of hot air, and hence rises at a rate

of a few hundred meters per second.

After a minute or so, the fireball has

risen to a few kilometers, and has

cooled off to the extent that it no

longer radiates.

The surrounding cooler air exerts some

drag on this rising air, which slows

down the outer edges of the cloud. The

unimpeded inner portion rises a bit

24

quicker than the outer edges. A vacuum effect

occurs when the outer portion occupies the

vacuum left by the higher inner portion. The

result is a smoke ring. The inner material

gradually expands out into a mushroom cloud,

due to convection. If the explosion is on the

ground, dirt and radioactive debris get

sucked up the stem, which sits below the

fireball.

Collisions and ionization of the cloud

particles result in lightning bolts

flickering to the ground. Initially, the

cloud is orange-red due to a chemical

reaction when the air is heated. When the

cloud cools to air temperature, the water

vapor starts to condense. The cloud turns

from red to white.

In the final stages, the cloud can

get about 100km across and 40km

high, for a megaton class explosion.

Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) A nuclear explosion gives off

radiation at all wavelengths of light. Some

is in the radio/radar portion of the spectrum

- the EMP effect. The EMP effect increases

the higher you go into the atmosphere. High

altitude explosions can knock out electronics

by inducing a current surge in closed circuit

metallic objects - electronics, power lines,

phone lines, TVs, radios, etc. The damage

range can be over 1000km.

Overview of Immediate Effects The three categories of immediate effects

are: blast, thermal radiation (heat), and

prompt ionizing or nuclear radiation. Their

relative importance varies with the yield of

the bomb. At low yields, all three can be

significant sources of injury. With an

explosive yield of about 2.5 kilotons (kT),

the three effects are roughly equal. All are

capable of inflicting fatal injuries at a

range of 1km.

The fraction of a bomb's yield emitted as

thermal radiation, blast, and ionizing

radiation is essentially constant for all

yields, but the way the different forms of

energy interact with air and target

vary dramatically. Air is essentially

transparent to thermal radiation. The thermal

radiation affects exposed surfaces, producing

damage by rapid heating. A bomb that is 100

times larger can produce equal thermal radiation

intensities over areas 100 times larger.

25

The area of an (imaginary) sphere centered

on the explosion increases with the square

of the radius. Thus the destructive radius

increases with the square root of the

yield (this is the familiar inverse square

law of electromagnetic radiation).

Actually the rate of increase is somewhat

less, partly due to the fact that larger

bombs emit heat more slowly which reduces

the damage produced by each calorie of

heat. It is important to note that the

area subjected to damage by thermal

radiation increases almost linearly with

yield. Blast effect is a volume effect.

The blast wave deposits energy in the

material it passes through, including air.

When the blast wave passes through solid

material, the energy left behind causes

damage. When it passes through air it

simply grows weaker. The more matter the

energy travels through, the smaller the

effect. The amount of matter increases

with the volume of the imaginary sphere

centered on the explosion. Blast effects

thus scale with the inverse cube law which

relates radius to volume. The intensity

of nuclear radiation decreases with the

inverse square law like thermal radiation.

However nuclear radiation is also strongly

absorbed by the air it travels through,

which causes the intensity to drop off

much more rapidly. These scaling laws

show that the effects of thermal radiation

grow rapidly with yield (relative to

blast), while those of radiation

rapidly decline.

In a small nuclear attack (bomb yield

approx. 15kT) casualties (including

fatalities) would be seen from all three

causes. Burns (including those caused by

an ensuing fire storm) would be the most

prevalent serious injury (two thirds of

those who would die the first day would be

burn victims), and occur at the greatest

range. Blast and burn injuries would be

found in 60-70% of all survivors. People

close enough to suffer significant

radiation illness would be well inside the

lethal effects radius for blast and flash

burns, as a result only 30% of injured

survivors would show radiation illness.

Many of those people would be sheltered

26

from burns and blast and thus escape the main

effects. Even so, most victims with radiation

illness would also have blast injuries or

burns as well.

With yields in the range of hundreds of

kilotons or greater (typical for strategic

warheads) immediate radiation injury becomes

insignificant. Dangerous radiation levels

only exist so close to the explosion that

surviving the blast is impossible. On the

other hand, fatal burns can be inflicted well

beyond the range of substantial blast damage.

A 20 megaton bomb can cause potentially fatal

third degree burns at a range of 40km, where

the blast can do little more than break

windows and cause superficial cuts.

A convenient rule of thumb for estimating the

short-term fatalities from all causes due to

a nuclear attack is to count everyone inside

the 5 psi blast overpressure contour around

the hypocenter as a fatality.

In reality, substantial numbers of people

inside the contour will survive and

substantial numbers outside the contour will

die, but the assumption is that these two

groups will be roughly equal in size and

balance out. This completely ignores any

possible fallout effects.

Overview of Delayed Effects Radioactive Contamination. The chief delayed

effect is the creation of huge amounts of

radioactive material with long lifetimes

(half-lifes ranging from days to millennia).

The primary source of these products is the

debris left from fission reactions. A

potentially significant secondary source is

neutron capture by non-radioactive isotopes

both within the bomb and in the outside

environment.

When atoms fission they can split in some 40

different ways, producing

a mix of about 80 different isotopes. These

isotopes vary widely in stability; some are

completely stable while others undergo

radioactive decay with half-lifes of

fractions of a second. The decaying isotopes

may themselves form stable or unstable

daughter isotopes. The mixture thus quickly

becomes even more complex, some 300 different

isotopes of 36 elements have been identified

in fission products. Short-lived isotopes

release their decay energy rapidly, creating

27

intense radiation fields that also

decline quickly. Long-lived isotopes

release energy over long periods of

time, creating radiation that is

much less intense but more persistent.

Fission products thus initially

have a very high level of radiation

that declines quickly, but as the

intensity of radiation drops, so does

the rate of decline. A useful rule-of-

thumb is the "rule of sevens". This

rule states that for every seven-fold

increase in time following a fission

detonation (starting at or after 1

hour), the radiation intensity

decreases by a factor of 10. Thus after

7 hours, the residual fission

radioactivity declines 90%, to one-

tenth its level of 1 hour. After 7*7

hours (49 hours, approx. 2 days), the

level drops again by 90%. After 7*2

days (2 weeks) it drops a further 90%;

and so on for 14 weeks. The rule is

accurate to 25% for the first two

weeks, and is accurate to a factor of

two for the first six months. After 6

months, the rate of decline becomes

much more rapid. The rule of sevens

corresponds to an approximate t^-1.2

scaling relationship.

These radioactive products are most

hazardous when they settle to the

ground as "fallout". The rate at which

fallout settles depends very strongly

on the altitude at which the explosion

occurs, and to a lesser extent on the

size of the explosion.

If the explosion is a true air-burst

(the fireball does not touch

the ground), when the vaporized

radioactive products cool enough

to condense and solidify, they will do

so to form microscopic particles.

These particles are mostly lifted high

into the atmosphere by the rising

fireball, although significant amounts

are deposited in the lower atmosphere

by mixing that occurs due to convective

circulation within the fireball. The

larger the explosion, the higher and

faster the fallout is lofted, and the

smaller the proportion that is

deposited in the lower atmosphere. For

explosions with yields of 100kT or

28

less, the fireball does not rise above the

troposphere where precipitation occurs. All

of this fallout will thus be brought to the

ground by weather processes within months at

most (usually much faster).

In the megaton range, the fireball rises so

high that it enters the stratosphere. The

stratosphere is dry, and no weather processes

exist there to bring fallout down quickly.

Small fallout particles will descend over a

period of months or years. Such long-delayed

fallout has lost most of its hazard by the

time it comes down, and will be distributed

on a global scale. As yields increase above

100kT, progressively more and more of the

total fallout is injected into the

stratosphere.

An explosion closer to the ground (close

enough for the fireball to touch) sucks large

amounts of dirt into the fireball. The

dirt usually does not vaporize, and if it

does, there is so much of it that it forms

large particles. The radioactive isotopes are

deposited on soil particles, which can fall

quickly to earth. Fallout is deposited over a

time span of minutes to days, creating

downwind contamination both nearby and

thousands of kilometers away. The most

intense radiation is created by nearby

fallout, because it is more densely

deposited, and because short-lived isotopes

haven't decayed yet. Weather conditions can

affect this considerably of course. In

particular, rainfall can "rain out" fallout

to create very intense localized

concentrations. Both external exposure

to penetrating radiation, and internal

exposure (ingestion of radioactive material)

pose serious health risks.

Explosions close to the ground that do not

touch it can still generate substantial

hazards immediately below the burst point

by neutron-activation. Neutrons absorbed by the

soil can generate considerable radiation for

several hours. The megaton class weapons have

been largely retired, being replaced with much

smaller yield warheads. The yield of a modern

strategic warhead is, with few exceptions, now

typically in the range of 200-750 kT. Recent

work with sophisticated climate models has

shown that this reduction in yield results in a

much larger proportion of the fallout being

deposited in the lower atmosphere, and a much

faster and more intense deposition of fallout

than had been assumed in studies made during

29

the sixties and seventies. The reduction in

aggregate strategic arsenal yield that

occurred when high yield weapons were

retired in favor of more numerous lower

yield weapons has actually increased the

fallout risk.

30

31

Playing the Game

As you are probably well aware, most of

the information is very vague. This is

intentional. Unlike most other RPGs,

you are not forced to follow background

information provided in the rulebook.

There is no ‘specific faction trying to

take over the world’ or famous people

with huge globs of back story This

book is merely to provide tools to

create a narrative roleplaying

experience in a post-apocalypse

setting. You decide what factions you

will be with or against, what weapons

are used, and where it happens. You

can fudge the rules/results every now

and then. This is your game, after

all.

This section will deal with the bare

bones of playing the game and

storyline.

Mutants and Robots

At the time when the world started

blowing each other up, the technology

of robot stalled. With the economic

depression and declining

infrastructure, dwindling corporations

had other problems to deal with. That

doesn’t mean there isn’t a possibility.

Perhaps in Japan, there was a select

few scientists that created working

prototypes of Robot Androids against

North Korea or other such scenario.

However, if you plan on going for a

realistic game, robots should be out of

the question.

Mutants are perhaps one of the more

cliché traits of the post-apocalypse.

If you are a veteran of roleplaying

games in a post-apocalypse setting,

you’ve probably come across a few games

like Gamma World that had sentinel

plant creatures or a huge radiation

chart.

As mentioned before, radiation does not

mutate a person but deforms them.

Personally, I would not use mutants,

because it goes against the nature and

power of radiation. However, nothing

is stopping you from using them.

Mutant animals like large rats or lions

can roam around the landscape, killing

those around them.

32

Shelter and Factions

Without shelters, there is a very good

chance that the best men and women of the

human race would be wiped out from the

blast. These shelters, either built by

paranoid people or the government, have

the necessary resources to survive a

number of years before stepping foot

outside. They have their own generator,

their own food, and possibly their own

weapons. The most organized and powerful

factions were probably hiding inside a

well-planned shelter and were ready for a

time like this.

This is not to say that shelters are

considered heaven. Human nature takes

it’s course and they might be disorder

inside the shelter. One person is hogging

more food then the others, or perhaps

something simple like jealously over a

girl. Ordinary things can demolish a

man’s work of creating an underground

bunker because of a select few.

Weather and Villages

Before you start the game, you should

decide on what type of weather and skies

will be presented. Events like Nuclear

Winter or Fallout Rain will an affect on

the characters and villages within. The

time also affects the sky. If the game

starts immediately after the nuclear

holocaust, black smoke will cover the sky

and even daytime would be considered night

(look back at the Persian Gulf with the

oil well burnings). Take these things

into consideration before asking the

players to describe their characters.

For those outside the shelter, small

communities will be formed and the current

attitude and behavior could be seen as

‘tribal’ and ‘untrustworthy’. Treaties

will be made between small towns, or there

can be pillaging for that necessary

resource such as food or water. Without

proper generators, cities cannot be

rebuilt and communication is restricted

only by letter or word of mouth. The

world that was once small due to the Age

of Information has become big again.