Arthurian World
I don't like future apocalypses. They're depressing. Moving into the past gives more assurance that we're not living out our kids' inevitable doom.
Setting
It's been two generations since the Romans pulled out. In your grandfather's day, a merchant could take his cart from one end of the island to the other without fear. The Legions maintained the roads and kept bandits at bay. But now, you can't ride out of sight of the town walls without guards, and you may as well plan on conquering the land as try to cross the country. The one is as easy as the other.
Much knowledge has been lost. The Romans could make true steel, but now, even where there's a forge hot enough to produce it, the smiths can do no better than brittle steel or hard iron. A few isolated sites have preserved great horse bloodlines, but most places you go make do with ponies or small-framed riding horses. War and famine have eliminated many settlements and vast tracts of land lie fallow. Famine and disease threaten everyone, though not every season. There's no true security of person or property. All that matters is the reach of your arm.
Gear
Horses replace cars. Knives, swords, bows, spears, and other primitive weapons replace guns. AP just means your weapon's forged better than the ordinary stuff.
Playbooks
I don't see a need to do a full hack of the AW rules. I propose to just reskin the existing playbooks (which are sort of like classes).
| AW Playbook | Arthurian Playbook | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Angel | Healer | Instead of drugs, you use herbs, or prayer, but the rules are the same |
| Battlebabe | Paladin | The battlebabe has lethal capability but remains untouched by the violence. Paladin seemed like the closest period name. Not necessarily a hole warrior but a saint in his or her own way. |
| Brainer | Wizard | Sorcery or arcane knowledge replace technology. You walk in people's dreams, dominate their minds, and see into their souls. Magical or holy items replace tech gear. |
| Chopper | Highwayman | Horses replace bikes, but bottom line, you lead a bunch of roaming bandits. |
| Driver | Knight | However you got them, you have a couple trained war horses and great horse breeding stock. If a war horse dies, once per year you can roll to replace it. You can also use your breeding stock as barter. You're not the best swordsman in all the land but on the other hand you ride into battle and they don't. Suck on that. |
| Gunlugger | Man at arms | Paladins may be unaffected by the violence around them, but you're straight up unbothered by it. Fighting is your life's work, you know how to do it, and you have the tools at hand. |
| Hardholder | Lord | Call yourself lord, king, duke, or maximum leader, it doesn't matter. Your authority comes from the loyalty of your followers and the things they'll do for you. |
| Hocus | Shaman | You speak to the gods, or for the gods. Or God. Whatever. When you talk, your 20 or so followers listen. |
| Operator | Trader | In any age, there's always someone who knows how to get you what you want. |
| Savvyhead | Smith | It may sound mundane but there's always been a certain spiritual aspect to the forge. Maybe you know the riddle of steel. Maybe you're a true son of Weyland. However you come by it, you have the true knack. Anyone can conquer. Only you can take the base iron from the earth and make it something more. |
| Skinner | Bard | Not merely a player, the bard is a showman and a wonder in a very dreary world. You're still the prettiest. |
Some of those hold up better than others, obviously, and we may have to do a little tuning if we ever play this.
So then what?
Obviously a lot would depend on the playbooks people choose. A party centered around a hardholder is a lot different from one centered around a roaming band of Loki-worshipping bandits. That said, it's always a struggle to find enough to eat, to avoid the plague, to fend off the local bandits or the invaders from overseas, and to keep peace with one another.
