Winter of Atom

Current Status: Looking for new players, to face the harshness of winter in the Commonwealth! We're several sessions underway, but there's still plenty of time to leave your mark on the wasteland!

All payments are expected to be received after a session, but before the following one. I will happily meet up with you on voice chat at a time or date convenient to you prior to the game in order to discuss your character concept for free. Similarly, if you have questions about your character or the game itself between sessions, I am always available for questions and answers without any extra cost. Sessions will run roughly 3 hours.

Fallout: the Winter of Atom

War, war never changes. In the ruins of old Boston, the Commonwealth settles in for a long, deadly winter. As its hungry communities do their best to find food and survive the cold, a new sect of the Church of Atom arrives. Their flock grows as they spread their worship of nuclear division and radiation across the region. Led by an enigmatic prophet calling himself the Last Son of Atom, the Church could threaten a new era of warfare for the Commonwealth. A group of ragtag survivors must do whatever it takes to protect their communities and keep the Commonwealth from becoming ground zero… again.

In this campaign, the party will enjoy a fairly open plot line, with a growing threat and objectives. The adventure will feature places, people, and locations familiar to those who have played Fallout 4, and in some ways acts as a prequel to events in that game, as events which were only offhandedly referenced in the video game are elaborated upon here. Experience these events in a setting that is familiar, as the party finds their way to becoming heroes of the Commonwealth.

Why Choose Me?

I have been professionally GMing for tabletop roleplaying groups for the past seven years, and just for fun for nine years. I have been paid by local nursing homes, afterschool programs, and other players like you on Roll20 to run Dungeons and Dragons campaigns, and I have been running campaigns in the Fallout 2d20 ruleset for nearly a year now. I'm easy going and relaxed when it comes to my style of GMing, and I prefer to run things Rules As Written for fairness for all players. I'll give all players a fair deal and equal treatment. I may be relatively new to this ruleset, but with tens of thousands of hours of experience in running games, you will get a handcrafted tale of your very own in the Fallout setting. My experience in tabletop gaming will help create a better game for you.

Why pay to play?

Payment allows for consistency both from myself but players as well. Those who pay are more likely to actually show up for a game. Also, you paying helps me maintain my subscription on Roll20, purchase more tokens and maps, and various other quality of life improvements for both you as players and myself as the Game Master.

Style of the Campaign and My GMing

The Fallout 2d20 ruleset does wonders for roleplaying and combat in particular. This campaign is designed to take full advantage of that and the survival elements, to provide an open world in which to make your fortune. Thanks to the vast wiki of people and places for the Fallout 4 video game and lore, there is no shortage of adventures and quests awaiting you in the wasteland. Furthermore, I hope to craft stories personal to your characters, based on decisions you make. I have over nine years’ experience in GMing, and plenty of experience improvising new changes to the plot and future developments in the campaign. There’s plenty of threats overhanging the setting, and I won’t be going out of my way to kill you, but I also won’t pull a deus ex machina to save you if you make very poor decisions.

It is possible that you will stumble into encounters or situations in which you are woefully outgunned or outmatched by your opponents. Fleeing is a reasonable option that shouldn’t be discounted. As a Game Master I usually tend to be more about roleplaying than straight combat, so diplomacy should always been considered too. The factions and people present in the setting have objectives of their own, perhaps several, and monsters will behave realistically as well, without just attacking until everyone is dead, unless that’s what they are specifically attempting to do. As a GM, I believe that enemies should behave realistically and act as though they only have one life to live (unless they have more). I strive to make the world feel as real as possible to my players.

Player Expectations

• My number one rule for all players in my game is: Don't be a jerk. Treat everyone with respect and as you would wish to be treated. I have a zero tolerance policy for out of character or out of game abuse or mistreatment of other players. No one should ever have to feel as though they're under attack when they just want to have fun.

• If there is a problem with the game, myself, or another player, you should bring it to me privately after or between sessions so that I can address whatever the issue may be quickly and efficiently. This includes any matters of debate you may have over my interpretation of the rules or rulings I may have made. We don't want to bog down in rules-lawyering during game time.

• All players should be expected to roleplay in character, even if you're only comfortable doing it a little bit. I will be trying to insert your character's backstory into the larger campaign plot, so your character will have a personal investment tailored specifically to you. This doesn't mean you have to do a silly voice, accent, or otherwise, just speak and say the things that your character would say.

• Please address any technical issues you may be having before game time. Nothing upsets or disappoints people more than having to spend a half hour or more addressing a single player's technical difficulties. Check your mic, headphones, and computer before we play.

• Be prepared to use Discord for communication and possibly voice chat. The discord text system and chat rooms are convenient and useful for keeping track of ongoing games. It allows players to communicate between sessions and for me to keep track of everyone's comings and goings.

• If you have played parts of Fallout 4 before or read about it online, you may recognize some of places and characters. Please don't spoil things for your fellow players if you think you know what is about to happen. Remember, this is a prequel, and people who may be synths in the video games or settlements that are founded later may not be around. If you attempt to metagame, you may instead set yourself up for bitter failure and/or disappointment.

What to Expect From Me

• The game will be played with the Rules as Written, no homebrew rules, excepting some online available additional monsters, guns, and armor. Should we decide to introduce further advanced features, they must be agreed upon by the party beforehand.

• I will contact all players at least 12 hours prior to the session to confirm how many people are available and expected to arrive. Should I be unable to perform the session for whatever reason, I will typically confirm this 24 hours before the game.

• Sessions will be designed to run around three hours, with at least one ten to fifteen minute break in the middle to allow for bathroom and drink breaks.