A Deep Look At Bill King's Wasteworld rpg

 "Enter the savage struggle for power and dominion. You can take on the role of a cyborg ninja, a potent psycher, or a fearsome alien. Fight mutant monsters and terrible robotic killing machines in a world gone completely mad"

The  Waste World Rule book written by Bill King. The combat rules are fast, deadly, & nasty.

 Waste World is the sort of game that gets over looked in this day & age. Why? Because really it doesn't know what it wants to be. Its sort like an old issue of Heavy Metal Magazine with a bit of a 40k or a Meta Baron's flavor thrown in.
Infact my history with the game is pretty much tied in with Heavy Metal because back in the 1997 when I first spied the game on the shelves of War & Pieces in West Hartford, Ct.  Not unlike SLA Industries ultra violent edge, Waste World was a post apocalyptic love fest to the genre that had spawned it! The game was/is tight in a cinematic way brings out the best in game play with little room for BS. Unlike SlA Industries it doesn't pretend to be something at its not with a disappointing "secret ending". Here's what you get:
The setting includes cybernetic warriors, powered armor, samurai with energy swords, giant robotic war machines, flying cities, psionics, alien species, and armies of undead. Immortal samurai with energy blades. Powered armor with razor-sharp wings. Armies of mad robots bent on destruction. Hardened wasteland warriors. Demons. Undead. Mutants. Ridiculously large guns. Sound like fun? Waste World may be the game for you.
Want to know more? Read a  Waste World Review I or  
Waste World Review 2  

 From Wayne's Books :
In the dark future of a dying earth five warrior civilizations prepare for the final conflict. In each mighty megacity, technology is an ideology that shapes the destiny of millions. The enigmatic Machine Gods of Prometheus grant their followers the gift of bionics, and faith in total war. The ever-reincarnating samurai defend their Shogun with swords of light. The Lords of Hydra sculpt their followers into superhuman soldiers, using the terrifying power of biotechnology. The decadent nobles of Ikarus descend from their flying city in razor-winged battlesuits to prey on the lands below. The exiled aliens of Janus defend the world's last starport and pray that salvation will come from the stars.

"The people of this ravaged planet fight for Drakonium, the most precious substance in the universe, the ultimate energy source. They know that without it, their cities will fall, their civilization will collapse and the poisoned deserts will claim their homes. They know they can never falter, never retreat, never stop fighting. There can be no mercy. There can only be conflict. It is all they know, and all they will ever know.

"In the Waste World Roleplaying Game, you can enter this savage struggle for power and dominion. You can use the flexible design rules to create the charater you want to play. You can take on the role of a cyborg ninja, a potent psycher, or a fearsome alien. Using the super-fast and ultra-deadly combat system, you can fight mutant monsters and terrible robotic killing machines in a world gone completely mad. Waste World Roleplaying Game provides you with all the rules you need to get right into the action in this harsh and dangerous world."

Still don't have enough post apocalyptic action? Want to dive deeper into to the gene pool? There were 2 world splat books:

From the back of the Shogunate book: "The immortal Shogun rules a land of mystic violence where honor counts for more than life. The reincarnating samurai face countless foes, ranging from cyborg ninja to evil psychic sorcerors. The alien Kitsune shapeshifters weave a web of intrigue that ensnares the lives of billions. Journey to this savage land and carve out your destiny..."

Then there are these creepy bio dudes!

From the back of the Hydra book: "The genclans reshape entire nations using the sinister secrets of biotechnology. They grant their followers superhuman powers. They use life itself to create awesome weapons. Their ruthless pursuit of power threatens to change the destiny of Waste World. This source book allows you to visit their ancient homeland, take part in their deadly intrigues and fight in their brutal wars."
Review of Hydra: The game and world of Waste World is unlike any other I've come across, and I've came across plenty. With their main book you can create virtually any type of pc, high technology, psionics, bio-technology, or just a tough survivor. The in-game balance is pretty good and the rules simple, fast, and brutal, just like a game called "waste world" should be.

But what makes the world and game great is the story, Avernus itself and that is why this book is a must have for anyone who wishes to play Waste World. It details the city of Hydra in beautiful detail including the Genclans that rule and the various powers that each of the Genclans can possess.

  
This is one hell of a nifty GM screen & believe me when I say that some of the company's operating today might learn a thing or two about designing a GM's Screen. I bought 2 of them in '97 & I'm still using them today! What does that tell ya about quality?

Background & System
A far-future post-apocalyptic RPG, set on a planet ravaged by ten millennia of total war, where five gigantic city-states ("metrozones") are struggling over dwindling supplies of Drakonium, the ultimate energy source. The warfare has spawned mutation-causing weapons, bio-engineered plagues, robots turned amok by a computer virus, and a Galactic interdict trapping unpleasant aliens on the planet. Resolution is a simple d20+stat+skill+modifiers, where an 11+ succeeds. A roll of 1 fumbles, while 20 is roll again. Character creation is open point-bought. There are four attributes (Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, and Psyche) rated -3 to +3, and skills rated 0 to 9 (divided into Easy, Normal, and Hard). Combat bases damage on the degree of success, with a possible multiplier and/or additive bonus. It also has hit location and critical hits.

Game Use & The OSR!


There is so much for a game master to mine that its not funny. Waste world is sort of like Gamma World without the artifact finding issue. The world is detailed & can handle anything from the intrigues of a Dune style political game to the shooty, shooty, bang, bang of the ABC warriors or Judge Dredd comic. Gamma World D20 might have learned a bit from the writing of  Waste World. 
Economically its a pretty good buy at 288 pages for 50.00  on Amazon or Flea Bay.
The Splat books sell for about if you can find them. 
Please note that I'm bias & love this game.
With a little thought, long campaigns of deceit and intrigue could be run. Or tons of good, mindless, violence. All possible in the Waste World