Apocalypse World — Post-apocalyptic 2d6 — the PbtA originator

"The world is dead. The rules are simple. The stories are infinite."

Dice2d6

Players3–5

Prep~5 min (world creation in session 1)

Foundry VTTNone

Complexity

What is this system

Apocalypse World is a tabletop RPG from Lumpley Games (2nd Edition, 2019), the originator of the Powered by the Apocalypse (PbtA) engine. 2d6: 10+ full success, 7–9 partial, 6- the MC decides. Gameplay through Playbooks (character archetypes) and Moves (actions triggered from fiction). Zero prep — the world is born at the table. Influence: Dungeon World, Masks, Blades in the Dark, and dozens more.

Setting

Post-apocalyptic with no pre-written world. Players create the world together in session 1: what happened, who you are, what's going on. No prewritten setting — only archetypes and improvisation.

What it looks like at the table

MC: 'You approach the house. Door ajar. Inside — the smell of burnt meat. What do you do?' The Gangster (playbook: Driver): 'I peer inside, pistol ready.' Roll 2d6 + Sharp: 4+2 = 6. Miss. MC: 'The door slams shut. You hear a lock click. And a chain.' The world is dead. The rules are simple. The stories are infinite.

Playstyle

Narrative Exploration Combat Post-Apoc

Key mechanics

PbtA (2d6)

Roll 2d6 + modifier: 10+ full success, 7–9 partial (success with complication), 6- MC decides. Simple but deep math.

Playbooks

Character archetypes: Driver, Chopper, Battlebabe, Hardholder, etc. Each playbook has unique moves, abilities, and conflicts.

Moves

Actions triggered from fiction. No 'attack' or 'skill check' — there's 'going into melee' or 'trying to read a tense situation'.

MC Never Rolls

The Master of Ceremonies (GM) describes consequences through their moves. Players are the only ones who touch the dice.

What people say

Ten years on, Powered by the Apocalypse games (PbtA) are everywhere. The Bakers designed the PbtA engine so that other game designers could 'hack' it, creating games with similar mechanics, but unique worlds and rules. More than four dozen games bear the PbtA license, making Apocalypse World incredibly influential.— James Hanna, CBR

Apocalypse World is both a roleplaying game and a really intense primer on D. Vincent Baker's approach to GMing a campaign. In fact, the primer is so intense that it's been baked right into the ruleset at a really primal level.— Justin Alexander, The Alexandrian

Art & materials