Spend enough time in the RPG hobby and you’re bound to encounter Powered by the Apocalypse games, or “PbtA.” So what are they, and where did they come from?
It all began with Vincent and Meguey Baker’s Apocalypse World, a roleplaying game set in a Mad Max-style apocalyptic wasteland that casts players as survivors trying to build a life amidst scarcity, external and internal threats, and a mysterious force known as the world’s psychic maelstrom. Released in 2010, it received critical and popular acclaim, numerous awards, and was hailed as an innovative leap forward for independent roleplaying game design. But Apocalypse World’s legacy lies in its open invitation to other designers to publish games inspired by it.
And inspire it did: today there are hundreds if not thousands of games which proclaim to be “Powered by the Apocalypse”—inspired by Apocalypse World or any number of its successors, creating a long line of RPGs in conversation with each other which continues to this day!
It’s worth noting that PbtA is not strictly a “system.” This category of games and their rules is enormous and diverse, largely not interchangeable, and many bear only a passing resemblance to each other. PbtA is closer to a philosophy or an ethos than a game engine (like, say, the d20 System, FATE, or GURPS). That said, there are some common threads which appear in most, though not all, Powered by the Apocalypse games:
Moves
One of the major innovations of Apocalypse World, “moves” are a rules structure for actions players and GMs can take. Most describe a procedure with a specific trigger, like “When you do something under fire, roll +cool”, and list potential outcomes based on the result of the roll. Moves can be broad like Act Under Fire above, encapsulating any number of potential actions, or very specific, like Open Your Brain to the World’s Psychic Maelstrom. The move’s description usually suggests what’s possible to achieve with the move, and what the consequences might be for failure or partial success.
The GM usually also has a list of moves they can make, and rules on when they can make them. Typically, they make these moves at the start of a session, in response to missed rolls by player characters, and whenever everyone looks at them to see what happens next. These GM moves usually reinforce the themes, challenges, and threats of the games they appear in.
Fiction-first
Another common term applied to PbtA games is “fiction-first,” meaning that they are primarily interested in what is happening in the “fiction” of the game. The events of the shared imaginary world and the actions of the characters come first, and the rules and mechanics follow them. For example, a player cannot simply state they are going to Act Under Fire, their character must actually do something under fire in the fiction before the move can occur. The GM cannot simply inflict harm on the player characters, they have to establish the threat of harm in the fiction first.
Degrees of Success
Another factor that differentiates many PbtA games from traditional RPGs is outcomes in between success and failure. The “partial success” or “mixed success” is usually the most common result of the average roll, meaning the player’s goal is achieved, but some complication or cost arises as well. This, as above, usually follows from the fiction, and it means that the next challenge is always on the horizon.
Playbooks
Common, but not ubiquitous, in PbtA games are classes called “playbooks,” which usually contain a suite of unique and specific moves that playbook can specialize in. Advancement usually consists of gaining access to new moves from your playbook, or from another one, allowing player characters to mix and match, as well as grow and change over time into a new playbook. They might also imply a narrative arc for a character, provide structure to their growth, or tempt them with power at a price.
2d6
Another common feature of PbtA games is that players roll 2d6 plus their relevant stat bonus, with a 6 or less being a miss, a 7–9 being a partial success, and a 10 or higher being a success. Some games use d8s or d10s, some roll more tha some don’t use stats but tokens, resources, or questions instead, and some use no dice at all!
Notably, in most PbtA games, the GM never rolls dice at all, and players’ rolls include their opposition’s response. For example, a successful roll for a player is essentially a failed roll for their opponent, and vice versa. Partial successes might represent both sides achieving something.
Examples
Powered by the Apocalypse might be the most prolific type of RPG in existence, and you’ve almost certainly heard of some of the games in its category. The Avatar: the Last Airbender game Avatar Legends, for example, or the monster-hunting Monster of the Week for adventures inspired by Buffy and Supernatural. Teen paranormal dram Monsterhearts, teen superhero drama Masks, and the evocatively named Thirsty Sword Lesbians all draw inspiration from Apocalypse World. Blades in the Dark’s “Forged in the Dark” system has its roots in PbtA, as do the diceless, GMless systems behind Dream Askew and Wanderhome!
Apocalypse World’s influence can be seen nearly everywhere in the RPG hobby today, and you owe it to yourself to go back to the source! If you want to see what all the hype is about, head to StartPlaying.Games and get Powered by the Apocalypse yourself!
Sean Foer is a game designer, editor, writer, video creator and professional GM.
