Things You Take For Granted

Post-Apocalyptic games all tend to draw on the same general setting but can be extremely varied. I want to make sure that some things are clarified before new players start posting things that can't happen in this story or assume their character own items that might be much harder to attain. So to clear things up, I've gathered a list of things you should be aware of before you dedicate yourself to a character idea.


 * Vehicles - There's no such thing as mass produced vehicles anymore. If your character wants a vehicle, they are going to have to jump through a number of hoops to get one. Where are you going to find one? If you do find once, chances are it's going to need extensive repairs and parts aren't just a phone call away. Is your character a mechanic? If no, who's going to repair it? Is there anyone who can repair that specific type of vehicle? Mechanics themselves are in short supply. It's not like there's a college down the road that drops new mechanics into the world every other semester. So say you did get it up and running. Does it run on gasoline? Where on earth are you going to find any of that? If your character isn't a person of extraordinary means, chances are they will not be able to finance a vehicle.
 * Education - As mentioned before, it's not like there are colleges in every major city pumping out newly learned citizens into the world. Whatever "occupation" you've decided for your character, please keep in mind there's no real way for them to learn much except through direct experience or word to mouth. I'm not ruling out institutions of higher learning possibly popping up here and there. But if they do - they won't be anything like we're used to. If anything, people can learn things, but there's no such thing as college degrees anymore. No one cares. Either your character can do something or can't. No one checks to see if they have a piece of paper stating they're a doctor.
 * Contraception - We're back in the dark ages. The only methods of contraception available are home "remedies" and probably do just as much harm as they might do good, if not more. Any condoms left over from the pre-war era have since turned to dust and they're certainly not in production anymore. If this isn't an issue you don't want to address, feel free to not bring it up. It's mostly mentioned to help bring an element of realism to the story.
 * STD's - They exist. They're rampant and unchecked.
 * Personal Hygiene - There are still some hygiene items left over from the pre war era that can be scavenged and traded in the wastes but they're likely to be expensive and rare. Other than that, items must be created from what is available. Soap can be made from fat so it shouldn't be in short supply. Just keep in mind, there's no walgreens on the corner when you run out of toilet paper. If something can't be improvised, it probably doesn't exist anymore.
 * Amenities - Unless you live in a big city, a vault, or on a self contained commune, you probably don't have heat, running water, electricity or working sewers. Even if you DO live in these areas, you may not have these things. Think about it - there's no one to maintain any of these things. You can't call General Electric when your power goes out. That's it. It's out. Unless you can find the problem and fix it, you're probably screwed. (There is electricity supplied to most of the buildings within the limits of Duke's settlement. Potable drinking water is available near the hotel. Sewage is handled via outhouses.)
 * Water - Most surface water has been contaminated with radiation and not fit to drink. In D.C. they have started a project to purify the Potomac river and clean water is free for all. Merchants go in and out of there regularly gathering water to sell to people along their trade routes.
 * Architecture - Most pre war buildings are in a severe state of disrepair. Clean lumber is rare. Most buildings are a frankenstein mash up of old and new. Old foundations and supports may still be sturdy, but walls and windows have likely been replaced with what is available or boarded up.
 * Disease - The old familiar ones are still around with a few new ones caused by radiation. Surgery, transfusions and transplants are mostly a thing of the past. If Joe Shmoe finds out he's got cancer, a bad kidney, or needs his appendix taken out, Mrs. Shmoe should probably start working out where she plans to bury him. There's still some medical items available, but sterility is practically impossible and prescriptions and traditional medicine simply don't exist.