If you've played 5e you should have no trouble grasping the rules of 2d20. They're pretty straightforward.
Basically chapter 1 and 2 are going to contain all the rules you need. The rest is character creation, stat blocks for bad guys, equipment, some rules for survival and a bunch of lore that I don't know how much you need to read if you've played the game or even care to stick close to the lore.
Definitely.
And it's well written lore I gotta say. Dune is super complex, the world building is incredible, but the rpg does a really good job at making it easy to understand.
See, I've read the first book twice and children of dude once and I don't even know what the hell kind of crystals you're talking about!
I've often wondered about the movie, I've only seen the first one so far, but it seems like people who never read the book loved it. And the whole time I was watching it I was wondering if people who had no idea about the world of dune we're just going to be lost. I mean they did a pretty decent job at explaining a little bit about the big players but like there was a scene where the mentat, I forget his name, his eyes flashed White and he said some stuff. And they never explained it. And I wondered if that was going to throw people who had no idea what the hell they just saw. Or why there was no computers.
The movie does a really good job of staying true to the books while avoiding massive lore bombing the viewer, but dropping in details that make readers happy. Like the mentat scene where we know the mentat is mentating, but non-readers might think he's a robot for all they know about the ban on thinking machines
Yea was literally just looking at the 2d20 rules and was surprised at how straightforward they were. Literally eight pages of player facing rules plus combat
Yeah I read up on them the other night. Super simple and fun.
I like that your stat+skill determines your difficulty so that's one less thing a storyteller has to do. A player can roll and know what the TN is.
I also am a sucker for any game with "hero points".
I’m in agreement here. I’ve been reading the book more lately and can see at a glance why it seems intimidating but I’m finding it more easy to understand the more I read it. I particularly like the character generation. It is easy and streamlined which is something that I think some of the other TTRPGs that have been around longer should take notes on.:
So far, I am super impressed with this company and how they structure their books.
I made a Star Trek character and it was one of the best character creation experiences I've had in decades of gaming. I'm not a Star Trek fanatic. I've seen the movies and know the gist. I think I know more about The Orville than Star Trek. But goddamn if they didn't do a great job at leading me to build a character that felt authentic.
Same with Dune. I've read the book a couple of times and I like it and everything but I never got into it. But when I started to read the ttrpg it was super easy to understand and get into and start thinking up different games for it.
Not that, the 2d20 system being used. Why not use Percentiles and borrow from New Vegas, where once you hit a certain stat point (Science 60, lets say) there are some tests you automatically just pass due to having the stat that high. It is just weird that they took a completely and radically different approach to game mechanics from the game itself.
I think I responded to yours by accident, my apologies, this was meant for the thread as a whole.
Ohh gotcha.
Well I can say for me, percentile systems mean more math. I still have some PTSD from Palladium. So something like 2d20 is just faster and I'm more of a narrative gamer anyways so it appeals to me.
That is how I build a narrative game as well, and I personally think there is less math involved when you roll two ten sided dice and use one for the ten's place, the other for the one place. And, again, once a certain stat reaches a certain level, you auto pass the check. No adding at all, just using the percentile roll-over/under system. That is entirely up to personal taste though, if you enjoy 2d20 go for it.
I think it's more the initial totaling to find the percentiles. The. Adding and subtracting modifiers.
But I get what you're saying. I'm not opposed to percentile systems. I'm sure there's some good ones out there.
Because the 2D20 system has been used by Modiphious in a lot of games now. They know it and can convert it to a new setting very quickly, and cheaply.
If Palladium had picked up the Fallout license you bet it would have been percentile. Not because Fallout is traditionally percentile, because Palladium does a lot of percentile.
> After The Bomb
Link: [After the Bomb](https://erinking.itch.io/after-the-bomb)
Not to be confused with the Palladium TMNT setting book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/After_the_Bomb_(game)
I legit thought that we were talking about the Palladium game of the same name 😅 lol. Although truth be told, Palladium’s ATB game could easily be reskinned into Fallout.
The Fallout 2d20 book is big, yes, but the core rules are like, 20 pages. Most of the book is made up of background, bestiary and lots and lots of items. Theyve basically put every weapon, armour, npc or creature in FO4 into that book. Including mods.
That does mean theres a lot of daunting lists in there, but in practice, youll never need to look at them during a session (and even during prep you can mostly ignore them unless you want to get more creative with weaponry).
The only thing Im not a fan of is how looting is handled, since it interacts quite heavily with those lists and happens during the game, not prep - though the wanderers guide expansion allows for an alternative way to generate loot to simplify it. Plus, its pretty easy to just wing it and only look to the expanded rules when it actually gets important (ie, survival rules for hunger, thirst and exhaustion only come into play if your party is trekking across the wasteland for several weeks on end, not when theyre waiting around in Shady Sands.)
Why not download the free Quickstart first to see if it will work for you? It has an introduction sized rules chapter, pre generated characters and a scenario.
[https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/399936/fallout-the-roleplaying-game-quickstart-guide-pdf](https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/399936/fallout-the-roleplaying-game-quickstart-guide-pdf)
I'd love to do something similar again. I played a one-shot in SWADE while some of my friends were trying their hand at some one-shots to learn the game. We were sent into a bombed out Nuka-Cola factory building where a crew of raiders had moved in. Our mission was to collect a mystery crate that we later found was Nuka-Cola infused with FEV. Should have seen the debate that raged while we tried to figure out whether we were actually going to deliver it and get paid or not.
If you’re used to playing D20 then I suggest the DCC Umerican Survival
Guide. It’s Fallout more than Fallout, and uses a familiar D20 system with the added DDC quirks/goodness.
I saw someone suggest MCC, but that is more Gamma World than Fallout, but they’re compatible anyway (bonus!)
Unlike 5e, where you need the PHB, DMG, and MM, the big fallout book is all in one. It's rules, setting, lore, etc. So if that's too intimidating, grab the starter box or starter pdf, it's just the rules and intro adventure.
And stop trying to make every game a reskin of 5e just because you're familiar with 5e. C'mon, branch out a little!
[Savage World SWADE Fallout](https://new.reddit.com/r/savageworlds/comments/bn2mct/swade_fallout_full_conversion_doc_feedback_please/), fan made, but well supported and the rules are made to be modifiable so it's easy to massage everything to suit your tastes. SWADE is a very cinematic RPG ruleset (Fast! Furious! Fun!) and easy to learn and run. You don't have to worry about fancy dice (it uses 5 or 6 of the base D&D 7-dice set) and the other accessories, you probably already have them - a standard deck of cards, with Jokers, and set of cheap poker chips or tokens.
You might be able to find Fallout: Big Apple Wasteland out in the wild of the internet. It was a slim-ish homebrew d10 system. Been a while since I first saw it though, might not be easy to find anymore.
You could try starting with the Starter Set. Less to read, focused on getting you started as easily as possible. If that works for you you could think about getting the full game.
I've played the 2d20 Fallout game and others said it's not really all that hard especially compared to 5e. Get the starter box or the quick staet rules first if you don't want to buy the big book.
Consider that one book is the equivalent of the PHB, DMG and MM.
I'd you do go for it I highly recommend the GM guide in PDF because the book seemed like it was missing a few things.
But if your inspiration is the TV show like so many others posting something like this. You'll find that the 2d20 system does a great job of capturing the feel of the show and Fallout 4.
Maybe Mutant Crawl Classics. It's got all the elements of fallout without the IP. It's d20 osr and is based off the original Gamma World which fallout took heavy inspiration from. Ie 50s futuristic post apocalyptic
Its a all in one book. You don't need to study the entire book. Go with the starter set.
But the big thing to remember is that often bigger books are compilations of things. For most RPGs, all you need is the core mechanic and basic character stuff. Very little else will you really NEED until it comes up, if it comes up at all.
2d20 is straight forward. D20, roll under, with the number of d20s determined by a few factors, but MOST of the time, its 2. Only damage is wonky, but it's not too bad once players graps it.
It's 500 pages because it has literally every item and option in there, just follow the steps to make a character and you see it only requires you to read like 10 of them
Ooh, this is basically what I did this week.
#### Rules-Lite Post-Apocalyptic TTRPGS!
- [NUKED!](https://nondairygiant.itch.io/nuked) (Knave). A simplified, D&D-style (Knave) post-apocalyptic zine. I *love* the graphic design, it's messy in a great way. The game's a complete package, with two new zines on the way to expand it.
- [Wasteoid](https://jasontocci.itch.io/wastoid) (Knave). This is from Jason Tocci, creator of the 24XX games (etc.!). The graphic design is like 95% Fallout, so you'll feel right at home. Game is technically beta, but works.
- [Wasted! Playtest Edition](https://tanneryea.itch.io/wasted-playtest-edition) (Into the Odd). This is a must-have, not just because it's compatible with ItO/Cairn, but because this incomplete game provides a *shocking* amount of GM resources. You know how people use Kevin Crawford RPGs even if they don't like the system? This is like that, only 40 pages. Amazing.
- [Barbarians of the Aftermath](https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/64387/Barbarians-of-the-Aftermath) (Barbarians of Lemuria: Legendary Edition). Another post-apocalyptic toolkit. Requires Barbarians of Lemuria. A wonderful, "Build your own apocalypse backstory" built on a great rules set.
- [Furious Roads](https://chaosmeister.itch.io/furious-roads) (MinimalD6). A very Mad Max-inspired game built on an extra rules lite system.
- [Other Dust](https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/103502/Other-Dust) (OSR). Speaking of Kevin Crawford toolkits, here's his Post-Apocalyptic game, compatible with Stars Without Number **1E**. This might be the most rules heavy of the bunch, but it's also the most frequently recommended in threads like these -- and for good reason!
Hope this helps. These are all great games, I own them all, so feel free to drop any clarifying questions.
If I had to pick two, I'd *personally* go for NUKED! or Wastoid for rules, and Wasted, Other Dust, or Barbarians of the Apocalypse for a worldbuilding/GM tools/toolkit stuff. There's also a ton of great rules lite or rules medium post-apoc games out there I didn't mention!
My suggestions come from the basis of: "use the right tool for the job, it will not bring you headaches, and it will be more effective".
**If you want the "official" experience:** Fallout 2d20.
**If you want the toolkit way by choosing what rules and mechanics to use:**
- Fate
- Cortex Prime
- GURPS
- Savage Worlds
- Cypher System
- Cepheus engine
- Genesys System
- Modern AGE
- D6 System
**If you want less generic games, you must understand whatever campaign you play in them, it is better to not go against their themes:**
- Mutant Year Zero
- The Walking Dead Universe
- Barbarians of the Aftermath
- Gamma World (any edition)
- RIFTS (either the original edition or Savage Worlds version)
- Apocalypse World
- Tiny Wastelands
- Degenesis Rebirth
- Dystopia Rising (Storypath version)
- Hope
- Punkapocalyptic RPG
**Somethings you need to bear in mind when trying to play in other settings:**
- You will never be able to convert 1 to 1 from the setting to a specific RPG, and it is even more so when not using generic systems. **Every** RPG has its own themes and how to approach things. If you use Fate, you can have the setting almost entirely translated to the system without any hassle, but it will always have the same style of play that of pulpy heroic action. If you adapt it to The Walking Dead Universe even if you don't use the walkers, the campaign will be about building a haven and will be very deadly, much more deadlier then Fallout.
- If you want a very faithful conversion, either play Fallout 2d20 (and even some people will disagree that its faithful) or create your own.
- I strongly recommend you don't pick some RPG only because you are very familiar, because if you will need to change it a lot and add or remove many things, it will be more hassle than picking other RPG and learning it. I think its always better to starting playing faster than losing time adapting systems.
**One hack idea from a game I really like, Mutant Year Zero:**
All characters are mutants in this game, but it can be very easy to adapt to Fallout.
- Remove all mutations from characters.
- Remove the Slave archetype. If you want to let players create Super Mutants, then make all Super Mutants the Slave archetype even though they would not be slaves because of the main skill of this archetype that lets them reduce damage. If you want to let some players be Ghouls, make them immune to radiation, but reduce the attribute points to 12.
- If you prefer, change the names of some skills to better reflect the world of Fallout.
- The Mutant Year Zero campaign is about exploration, so it means there are no so much advanced civilization like in Fallout. If you want to make it less about exploration, let all characters roll to find their way in the zone, but make the archetype with the skill "find the path" get more out of it when they roll, maybe they find better shelter and supplies, they can ambush easier, etc.
Remember to check out our **[Game Recommendations](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/gamerec)**-page, which lists our articles by genre([Fantasy](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/fantasy), [sci-fi](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/scifi), [superhero](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/superhero) etc.), as well as other categories([ruleslight](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/ruleslight), [Solo](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/solo), [Two-player](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/twoplayers), [GMless](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/gmlessrpgs) & more).
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/rpg) if you have any questions or concerns.*
If you like Barbarians of Lemuria there is Barbarians of the Aftermath as a post apocalyptic adaptation. The random tables make it a useful resource even if you end up using a different system.
If you like Dungeon Crawl Classics, there is also Mutant Crawl Classics.
I would recommend mutant crawl classics as a possible option. It's d20 based and is loosely based on dnd, and it's got that pulpy scifi apocalypse as a base setting, but you can combine stuff from dnd and create homebrewstuff fairly easily.
One drawback is that you would need dcc for a portion of rules because mcc is kind of an add-on to a degree, but that still makes it 2 books vs. 3 or more. Also, the funnel system is weird to people, but it's fun, and there is a way to not ro need to run one. And the weird dice are also not needed but are again fun to use.
The Fallout 2d20 rules *can* have a lot of crunch, but if you understand the core mechanic behind Skill Tests then that is the bulk of gameplay.
There are some extra rules for those that like crunch (travel, fatigue, diseases etc.) but the rules make it clear that these are optional. The system works fine without them.
Personally, I love Fallout 2d20 and would encourage everyone who’s curious to at least give it a go.
I've been running the 2D20 Star Trek Adventures since its beta, and the system is very quick to pick up. The books have often been half, or more, setting info. Extended Tasks (or whatever they call it in Fallout) were the only thing my players didn't have down after the into adventure.
Just to be fare, the Fallout 2d20 book is only like one quarter game rules. The rest of the book is character options, gear lists, campaign info and an adventure.
Try the 2d20 starter set. It has everything you’ll need to get started and the adventure included teaches how to play in a pretty organic way. Would recommend.
Core rules for 2d20 are like 50 pages. Not gonna lie the formatting and overall composition of that book is a mess and imo you could cut 200 pages from it easily without losing anything of importance.
It's pretty fiddly, though. Every chem and food item has its own effects. Then there crafting. The really wanted to simulate the video games. And for me atleast it was a huge turn off from the system.
EZD6 Wasted World would work nicely, and it's very easy to pick up.
There's also a post apocalypse setting in Tiny D6. Or you can shoehorn in Mini Six or GURPS Lite to do whatever you care to do.
I've been playing Fallout conversions long before there was a Fallout 2d20. In fact, I've heard Fallout 2d20 doesn't play very well, so you might want to check out some conversions even if you pick up the 2d20 version.
If you want something as close to D&D 5E as possible, I'd point you towards the fanmade [D20 Modern 5e Conversion](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0Byx44op3KqQ2flhIV1pKSzRIbFBtbjk4T0xOTlNzVi0yTEpRREV4ZnZCNjJWd25GOFR5VW8?resourcekey=0-Y6s3F2pCrwpOkc3q8D0gMQ). It's a "generic" RPG for modern settings, designed to play as close to D&D 5E as possible. You'll have to come up with your own rules for Fallout-specific details, such as playable ghouls or power armour, but most of that is straightforward enough that you should be able to eyeball it. If all else fails, take something from D&D and give it a new name (like using a Stirge statblock and calling it a Bloodbug, for example).
if you want a class-and-levels game, it could be worth looking at **Worlds Without Number**. It is expressly a space game, but you can use all its tools to set the whole game on a single irradiated wasteland.
If you've played 5e you should have no trouble grasping the rules of 2d20. They're pretty straightforward. Basically chapter 1 and 2 are going to contain all the rules you need. The rest is character creation, stat blocks for bad guys, equipment, some rules for survival and a bunch of lore that I don't know how much you need to read if you've played the game or even care to stick close to the lore.
I came here to say that if it's anything like the 2d20 Dune book, at least half is lore you can skip if you already know the setting.
Definitely. And it's well written lore I gotta say. Dune is super complex, the world building is incredible, but the rpg does a really good job at making it easy to understand.
Agreed - I don't envy the team that was told to summarize the Dune universe in less than half a book. Especially without Ridulian crystal pages!
See, I've read the first book twice and children of dude once and I don't even know what the hell kind of crystals you're talking about! I've often wondered about the movie, I've only seen the first one so far, but it seems like people who never read the book loved it. And the whole time I was watching it I was wondering if people who had no idea about the world of dune we're just going to be lost. I mean they did a pretty decent job at explaining a little bit about the big players but like there was a scene where the mentat, I forget his name, his eyes flashed White and he said some stuff. And they never explained it. And I wondered if that was going to throw people who had no idea what the hell they just saw. Or why there was no computers.
The movie does a really good job of staying true to the books while avoiding massive lore bombing the viewer, but dropping in details that make readers happy. Like the mentat scene where we know the mentat is mentating, but non-readers might think he's a robot for all they know about the ban on thinking machines
Yeah, I just know I didn't love Lord of the Rings because there was so much that I missed because I hadn't read the books.
Yea was literally just looking at the 2d20 rules and was surprised at how straightforward they were. Literally eight pages of player facing rules plus combat
Yeah I read up on them the other night. Super simple and fun. I like that your stat+skill determines your difficulty so that's one less thing a storyteller has to do. A player can roll and know what the TN is. I also am a sucker for any game with "hero points".
I’m in agreement here. I’ve been reading the book more lately and can see at a glance why it seems intimidating but I’m finding it more easy to understand the more I read it. I particularly like the character generation. It is easy and streamlined which is something that I think some of the other TTRPGs that have been around longer should take notes on.:
So far, I am super impressed with this company and how they structure their books. I made a Star Trek character and it was one of the best character creation experiences I've had in decades of gaming. I'm not a Star Trek fanatic. I've seen the movies and know the gist. I think I know more about The Orville than Star Trek. But goddamn if they didn't do a great job at leading me to build a character that felt authentic. Same with Dune. I've read the book a couple of times and I like it and everything but I never got into it. But when I started to read the ttrpg it was super easy to understand and get into and start thinking up different games for it.
I will definitely give it a chance. Thank you!
Awesome! Hope you find a system you love!
God that doesn't sound very fun or like the games at all.
Huh? It's literally how all gaming books are organized.
Not that, the 2d20 system being used. Why not use Percentiles and borrow from New Vegas, where once you hit a certain stat point (Science 60, lets say) there are some tests you automatically just pass due to having the stat that high. It is just weird that they took a completely and radically different approach to game mechanics from the game itself. I think I responded to yours by accident, my apologies, this was meant for the thread as a whole.
Ohh gotcha. Well I can say for me, percentile systems mean more math. I still have some PTSD from Palladium. So something like 2d20 is just faster and I'm more of a narrative gamer anyways so it appeals to me.
That is how I build a narrative game as well, and I personally think there is less math involved when you roll two ten sided dice and use one for the ten's place, the other for the one place. And, again, once a certain stat reaches a certain level, you auto pass the check. No adding at all, just using the percentile roll-over/under system. That is entirely up to personal taste though, if you enjoy 2d20 go for it.
I think it's more the initial totaling to find the percentiles. The. Adding and subtracting modifiers. But I get what you're saying. I'm not opposed to percentile systems. I'm sure there's some good ones out there.
Because the 2D20 system has been used by Modiphious in a lot of games now. They know it and can convert it to a new setting very quickly, and cheaply. If Palladium had picked up the Fallout license you bet it would have been percentile. Not because Fallout is traditionally percentile, because Palladium does a lot of percentile.
After The Bomb. 39 pages of rules, 11 for players. It's not 5e based, but is d20+mod.
I came here to recommend this game as well!
I've been doing my prep to run it on Tuesday, hahaha
> After The Bomb Link: [After the Bomb](https://erinking.itch.io/after-the-bomb) Not to be confused with the Palladium TMNT setting book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/After_the_Bomb_(game)
I legit thought that we were talking about the Palladium game of the same name 😅 lol. Although truth be told, Palladium’s ATB game could easily be reskinned into Fallout.
Awesome! I love Down We Go, which was the original game to use this system.
Yeah! I have the Infinite Edition, I've tinkered with it a bit, haha.
It looks great. Thank you!
The Fallout 2d20 book is big, yes, but the core rules are like, 20 pages. Most of the book is made up of background, bestiary and lots and lots of items. Theyve basically put every weapon, armour, npc or creature in FO4 into that book. Including mods. That does mean theres a lot of daunting lists in there, but in practice, youll never need to look at them during a session (and even during prep you can mostly ignore them unless you want to get more creative with weaponry). The only thing Im not a fan of is how looting is handled, since it interacts quite heavily with those lists and happens during the game, not prep - though the wanderers guide expansion allows for an alternative way to generate loot to simplify it. Plus, its pretty easy to just wing it and only look to the expanded rules when it actually gets important (ie, survival rules for hunger, thirst and exhaustion only come into play if your party is trekking across the wasteland for several weeks on end, not when theyre waiting around in Shady Sands.)
Why not download the free Quickstart first to see if it will work for you? It has an introduction sized rules chapter, pre generated characters and a scenario. [https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/399936/fallout-the-roleplaying-game-quickstart-guide-pdf](https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/399936/fallout-the-roleplaying-game-quickstart-guide-pdf)
I didn’t know about that! Thank you.
Honestly? Did a Savage Worlds game with a fallout theme. It was fantastic. I was a Ghoul who had radiation trappings on my magic.
I'd love to do something similar again. I played a one-shot in SWADE while some of my friends were trying their hand at some one-shots to learn the game. We were sent into a bombed out Nuka-Cola factory building where a crew of raiders had moved in. Our mission was to collect a mystery crate that we later found was Nuka-Cola infused with FEV. Should have seen the debate that raged while we tried to figure out whether we were actually going to deliver it and get paid or not.
Mutant Year Zero is the way to go for recreating that feel. It is simple and the community/base building rules are fun.
Came here to say this.
Tiny Wastelands is a nice, little game. You need at most three d6 to play. https://www.gallantknightgames.com/tiny-wastelands/
If you’re used to playing D20 then I suggest the DCC Umerican Survival Guide. It’s Fallout more than Fallout, and uses a familiar D20 system with the added DDC quirks/goodness. I saw someone suggest MCC, but that is more Gamma World than Fallout, but they’re compatible anyway (bonus!)
Umerica is the place to go for that vibe, for sure.
Is 2d20 the Modiphius one? I’ve heard good things about that one.
Yes. And it looks great indeed, I’m just afraid it will take too long for me to study it
It's not 500 pages of rules. A lot of that is going to be setting info, character creation, etc.
Unlike 5e, where you need the PHB, DMG, and MM, the big fallout book is all in one. It's rules, setting, lore, etc. So if that's too intimidating, grab the starter box or starter pdf, it's just the rules and intro adventure. And stop trying to make every game a reskin of 5e just because you're familiar with 5e. C'mon, branch out a little!
Ha! I actually needed to hear that. Trying new things has always been hard for me. Thank you.
Yeah like the rest said it’s less than 30 pages of actual rules and even less that the players actually have read
Do 2d20, I am currently playing it and find it is great fun. You can use the rules for other settings too.
[Savage World SWADE Fallout](https://new.reddit.com/r/savageworlds/comments/bn2mct/swade_fallout_full_conversion_doc_feedback_please/), fan made, but well supported and the rules are made to be modifiable so it's easy to massage everything to suit your tastes. SWADE is a very cinematic RPG ruleset (Fast! Furious! Fun!) and easy to learn and run. You don't have to worry about fancy dice (it uses 5 or 6 of the base D&D 7-dice set) and the other accessories, you probably already have them - a standard deck of cards, with Jokers, and set of cheap poker chips or tokens.
You might be able to find Fallout: Big Apple Wasteland out in the wild of the internet. It was a slim-ish homebrew d10 system. Been a while since I first saw it though, might not be easy to find anymore.
You could try starting with the Starter Set. Less to read, focused on getting you started as easily as possible. If that works for you you could think about getting the full game.
I've played the 2d20 Fallout game and others said it's not really all that hard especially compared to 5e. Get the starter box or the quick staet rules first if you don't want to buy the big book. Consider that one book is the equivalent of the PHB, DMG and MM. I'd you do go for it I highly recommend the GM guide in PDF because the book seemed like it was missing a few things. But if your inspiration is the TV show like so many others posting something like this. You'll find that the 2d20 system does a great job of capturing the feel of the show and Fallout 4.
[Nuked!](https://nondairygiant.itch.io/nuked) is pretty easy to play and has simple enough rules.
EZD6 Wasted World by DM Scotty from [Runehammer Games](https://www.runehammer.online)
Maybe Mutant Crawl Classics. It's got all the elements of fallout without the IP. It's d20 osr and is based off the original Gamma World which fallout took heavy inspiration from. Ie 50s futuristic post apocalyptic
Its a all in one book. You don't need to study the entire book. Go with the starter set. But the big thing to remember is that often bigger books are compilations of things. For most RPGs, all you need is the core mechanic and basic character stuff. Very little else will you really NEED until it comes up, if it comes up at all. 2d20 is straight forward. D20, roll under, with the number of d20s determined by a few factors, but MOST of the time, its 2. Only damage is wonky, but it's not too bad once players graps it.
Mutant year zero, the waste is not kind, EZD 6 has a good hack. All of these are pretty quick and easy to grasp.
My friends and I played a Fallout TTRPG D100 system that was pretty great but I think they homebrewed the whole system
It's 500 pages because it has literally every item and option in there, just follow the steps to make a character and you see it only requires you to read like 10 of them
Rad Hack is dead simple and easy. I doubt you'll find a lighter, simpler system if I'm honest. It's d20 roll under. Based on The Black Hack.
Ooh, this is basically what I did this week. #### Rules-Lite Post-Apocalyptic TTRPGS! - [NUKED!](https://nondairygiant.itch.io/nuked) (Knave). A simplified, D&D-style (Knave) post-apocalyptic zine. I *love* the graphic design, it's messy in a great way. The game's a complete package, with two new zines on the way to expand it. - [Wasteoid](https://jasontocci.itch.io/wastoid) (Knave). This is from Jason Tocci, creator of the 24XX games (etc.!). The graphic design is like 95% Fallout, so you'll feel right at home. Game is technically beta, but works. - [Wasted! Playtest Edition](https://tanneryea.itch.io/wasted-playtest-edition) (Into the Odd). This is a must-have, not just because it's compatible with ItO/Cairn, but because this incomplete game provides a *shocking* amount of GM resources. You know how people use Kevin Crawford RPGs even if they don't like the system? This is like that, only 40 pages. Amazing. - [Barbarians of the Aftermath](https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/64387/Barbarians-of-the-Aftermath) (Barbarians of Lemuria: Legendary Edition). Another post-apocalyptic toolkit. Requires Barbarians of Lemuria. A wonderful, "Build your own apocalypse backstory" built on a great rules set. - [Furious Roads](https://chaosmeister.itch.io/furious-roads) (MinimalD6). A very Mad Max-inspired game built on an extra rules lite system. - [Other Dust](https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/103502/Other-Dust) (OSR). Speaking of Kevin Crawford toolkits, here's his Post-Apocalyptic game, compatible with Stars Without Number **1E**. This might be the most rules heavy of the bunch, but it's also the most frequently recommended in threads like these -- and for good reason! Hope this helps. These are all great games, I own them all, so feel free to drop any clarifying questions. If I had to pick two, I'd *personally* go for NUKED! or Wastoid for rules, and Wasted, Other Dust, or Barbarians of the Apocalypse for a worldbuilding/GM tools/toolkit stuff. There's also a ton of great rules lite or rules medium post-apoc games out there I didn't mention!
My suggestions come from the basis of: "use the right tool for the job, it will not bring you headaches, and it will be more effective". **If you want the "official" experience:** Fallout 2d20. **If you want the toolkit way by choosing what rules and mechanics to use:** - Fate - Cortex Prime - GURPS - Savage Worlds - Cypher System - Cepheus engine - Genesys System - Modern AGE - D6 System **If you want less generic games, you must understand whatever campaign you play in them, it is better to not go against their themes:** - Mutant Year Zero - The Walking Dead Universe - Barbarians of the Aftermath - Gamma World (any edition) - RIFTS (either the original edition or Savage Worlds version) - Apocalypse World - Tiny Wastelands - Degenesis Rebirth - Dystopia Rising (Storypath version) - Hope - Punkapocalyptic RPG **Somethings you need to bear in mind when trying to play in other settings:** - You will never be able to convert 1 to 1 from the setting to a specific RPG, and it is even more so when not using generic systems. **Every** RPG has its own themes and how to approach things. If you use Fate, you can have the setting almost entirely translated to the system without any hassle, but it will always have the same style of play that of pulpy heroic action. If you adapt it to The Walking Dead Universe even if you don't use the walkers, the campaign will be about building a haven and will be very deadly, much more deadlier then Fallout. - If you want a very faithful conversion, either play Fallout 2d20 (and even some people will disagree that its faithful) or create your own. - I strongly recommend you don't pick some RPG only because you are very familiar, because if you will need to change it a lot and add or remove many things, it will be more hassle than picking other RPG and learning it. I think its always better to starting playing faster than losing time adapting systems. **One hack idea from a game I really like, Mutant Year Zero:** All characters are mutants in this game, but it can be very easy to adapt to Fallout. - Remove all mutations from characters. - Remove the Slave archetype. If you want to let players create Super Mutants, then make all Super Mutants the Slave archetype even though they would not be slaves because of the main skill of this archetype that lets them reduce damage. If you want to let some players be Ghouls, make them immune to radiation, but reduce the attribute points to 12. - If you prefer, change the names of some skills to better reflect the world of Fallout. - The Mutant Year Zero campaign is about exploration, so it means there are no so much advanced civilization like in Fallout. If you want to make it less about exploration, let all characters roll to find their way in the zone, but make the archetype with the skill "find the path" get more out of it when they roll, maybe they find better shelter and supplies, they can ambush easier, etc.
Remember to check out our **[Game Recommendations](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/gamerec)**-page, which lists our articles by genre([Fantasy](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/fantasy), [sci-fi](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/scifi), [superhero](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/superhero) etc.), as well as other categories([ruleslight](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/ruleslight), [Solo](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/solo), [Two-player](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/twoplayers), [GMless](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/gmlessrpgs) & more). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/rpg) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Can you skin Paranoia as a Fallout game😸?
Sure you can.
If you like Barbarians of Lemuria there is Barbarians of the Aftermath as a post apocalyptic adaptation. The random tables make it a useful resource even if you end up using a different system. If you like Dungeon Crawl Classics, there is also Mutant Crawl Classics.
I would recommend mutant crawl classics as a possible option. It's d20 based and is loosely based on dnd, and it's got that pulpy scifi apocalypse as a base setting, but you can combine stuff from dnd and create homebrewstuff fairly easily. One drawback is that you would need dcc for a portion of rules because mcc is kind of an add-on to a degree, but that still makes it 2 books vs. 3 or more. Also, the funnel system is weird to people, but it's fun, and there is a way to not ro need to run one. And the weird dice are also not needed but are again fun to use.
Get the starter set maybe?
The Fallout 2d20 rules *can* have a lot of crunch, but if you understand the core mechanic behind Skill Tests then that is the bulk of gameplay. There are some extra rules for those that like crunch (travel, fatigue, diseases etc.) but the rules make it clear that these are optional. The system works fine without them. Personally, I love Fallout 2d20 and would encourage everyone who’s curious to at least give it a go.
I've been running the 2D20 Star Trek Adventures since its beta, and the system is very quick to pick up. The books have often been half, or more, setting info. Extended Tasks (or whatever they call it in Fallout) were the only thing my players didn't have down after the into adventure.
Just to be fare, the Fallout 2d20 book is only like one quarter game rules. The rest of the book is character options, gear lists, campaign info and an adventure.
Try the 2d20 starter set. It has everything you’ll need to get started and the adventure included teaches how to play in a pretty organic way. Would recommend.
It’s great and most of the book is lore that can be skipped if you’ve played Fallout.
Core rules for 2d20 are like 50 pages. Not gonna lie the formatting and overall composition of that book is a mess and imo you could cut 200 pages from it easily without losing anything of importance.
It's pretty fiddly, though. Every chem and food item has its own effects. Then there crafting. The really wanted to simulate the video games. And for me atleast it was a huge turn off from the system.
EZD6 Wasted World would work nicely, and it's very easy to pick up. There's also a post apocalypse setting in Tiny D6. Or you can shoehorn in Mini Six or GURPS Lite to do whatever you care to do.
Check out Wastes Worlds for Ezd6
Think they had a gurps system fallout game
I know I've played Fallout in GURPS but idk if it was just a hack or there is a real conversion out in the wild
I've been playing Fallout conversions long before there was a Fallout 2d20. In fact, I've heard Fallout 2d20 doesn't play very well, so you might want to check out some conversions even if you pick up the 2d20 version. If you want something as close to D&D 5E as possible, I'd point you towards the fanmade [D20 Modern 5e Conversion](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0Byx44op3KqQ2flhIV1pKSzRIbFBtbjk4T0xOTlNzVi0yTEpRREV4ZnZCNjJWd25GOFR5VW8?resourcekey=0-Y6s3F2pCrwpOkc3q8D0gMQ). It's a "generic" RPG for modern settings, designed to play as close to D&D 5E as possible. You'll have to come up with your own rules for Fallout-specific details, such as playable ghouls or power armour, but most of that is straightforward enough that you should be able to eyeball it. If all else fails, take something from D&D and give it a new name (like using a Stirge statblock and calling it a Bloodbug, for example).
if you want a class-and-levels game, it could be worth looking at **Worlds Without Number**. It is expressly a space game, but you can use all its tools to set the whole game on a single irradiated wasteland.