I have been a big fan of Barbarians of Lemuria (also known as BoL) since getting it. I have been anticipating Barbarians of the Aftermath (or BotA as it is known by fans) since I found out it was being produced by Nathaniel Torson. Nathaniel has interacted with fans of BoL to see what they wanted in the BotA expansion and from my reading of the finished product it is clear he has listened.

Firstly the product is written in a very clear and readable style. There are humorous comments sprinkled in the text that add to the enjoyment of reading the product. It is well formatted and the artwork sprinkled through the book seems to have had some thought placed into it. The product basically looks good and reads well. Nathaniel claims that the Smiley face that can be seen on the front cover that is curiously ironic for a Post Apocalyptic setting was unintentional. I’m not sure if I believe him.

Secondly this really is a great product for anybody who wants to play in a Post Apocalyptic setting. While you would need the main BoL rules to play BotA directly the PDF itself contains a large amount of information and advice on playing in and constructing Post Apocalyptic settings. You could arguably use the tables in the product to create a setting and use your favourite rule set to run a game in that setting. I would of course recommend the BoL rule set but I freely admit I may be biased in that regard. This also covers any sort of Post Apocalyptic setting whether resulting from man’s mistakes, nature reacting against man, supernatural apocalypse, war, alien invasion etc.

There are rules that include (but are not restricted to) the following:

Firearms Vehicles and vehicular combat Mutation and radiation Psychic Powers

Sorcery is referred to but requires the main BoL book (as does priestly powers that may be used in Supernatural based settings). What is especially useful is that all the rules detailed in BotA are optional and usable as tool kits so you can create whatever you want with BotA. I cite as an example my own intention to run a “Bourne” type game. I will be using the firearms and vehicles rules to do this. One recent post on RPG.net asked about using BoL in the Warhammer world. Using the mutation and radiation rules from BotA you could use BoL and create mutants and represent the effect of Warpstone.

I am especially impressed by the Vehicular rules that are abstract in that they use a range track system but allow all sorts of interesting actions t be carried out. It seems a very workable system for chases and vehicular combat.

There are a few errors in this first draft of a very minor nature (my first reading picked up three errors of formatting and spelling) but Nathaniel Torson is receiving notification of these and intends to on a monthly basis update the PDF so all such errors will be taken care of and really they don’t impact using the material. By Christmas once such errors have been cleared up we could be looking at a print version being made available to us.

All in all my overall view is that this is a great addition not only to the BoL line but anybody looking for a useful supplement to set up a Post Apocalyptic setting. However, it does not restrict you to such a setting which in my opinion is great. I should also add that a GM pack has been included with all relevant tables and character/vehicle sheets to make the GM’s job easier.

I don’t think you will be unhappy if you get this. If you don’t already have BoL get that as well…

I recently purchased this product intrigued by the Christian themes. I was aware of Mr Defendi’s previous work on Spacemaster. There are also not many modules written specifically for Rolemaster. I have in the past dealt with this by converting Warhammer Fantasy Scenarios.

I was not certain what to expect. I am not in any way disappointed by my purchase. In fact I ended up getting all the other available products in this line and now eagerly await new releases.

I have been incredibly impressed – even stunned – at just how good the setting and adventure module are. The level of quality is incredible and the dedication of the people involved is clear in every page and illustration.

The setting is very detailed and has enough information with adventure seeds to allow for you to create your own scenarios in the setting with ease. However, the adventure book with the settings book that comprises “The Moving Shadows” campaign is what really makes it for me. It is for me one of the most epic and interesting campaigns I have come across in 22 years of gaming. I am really looking forward to running this. I wholeheartedly recommend this line.

Excellent Game - I can not sing its praises enough. Lightspeed absolutely fills the need for a GM who wants to have a well supported product, which still gives him or her the flexibility to run any kind of Sci-Fi game for his players.

Well Done!

Harry

I've just had a chance to scan through this since I purchased it and I'm impressed. I think it will be a very useful aid when I get my game started within the next month or so.

Great value as well!

Harry