TMP 4E New GM Facebook page feedback

[Giorgio]

TMP FB page

Hello everyone,

Below is the post I wrote on The Morrow Projects Facebook page; I copied and pasted it here for better visibility after I learned from Chris Garland that this was a good place to bring up a discussion on topic. I will be posting a follow up in a new post in these forums later.

Not in my original FB post, as I didn’t have my notes on hand; when I talk below about “settlements” as they pertain to the Pathfinder RPG game; this is the kind of template and guidance I have in mind, that would make my job as a TMP 4E GM much easier.

Pathfinder Settlements

Pathfinder Settlement Tools


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Hello All!

I recently purchased and I am currently reading The Morrow Project 4th Edition, as a new GM with no prior experience I have some questions, any assistance welcome.

1- After TMP 4E core rulebook, what other 4E material is available now and in the near future? The timeline website is not clear on this/does not have a news section.

2- Are additional TMP 4E resources going to be made available in digital format?

3- When will a GM screen and dice be made available for purchase?

4- Which of the many TMP fan sites forums are more TMP 4E new GM friendly and conductive to good discussions and gaming resources?

5- Are there any good YouTube videos you can recommend that show the basics of the game/how to play?

Request: Can you make available more pre-gens PCs and blank character sheets on Drivetrurpg.com?

Some feedback/comments below from my perspective as a new TMP 4E GM, and where I could use some clarification, guidance and help.

Core Rulebook Chapter 13: Survivors
-Some more information about Prime Base, Regional Bases, and bolt-holes/team locations that can be used for running a campaign would be very useful and welcome. Also, more maps and blueprints/layouts of interior spaces, pre-generated NPCs and settlements, player handouts, and plastic minis or pawns would all be good candidates for future supplements/expansions.

Core Rulebook Chapter 14: Survivors Equipment and Economics
-This section is VERY math heavy and intimidating to me as a new GM. More detailed example on how to build settlements step by step (like Hope and Grinder), an empty/default settlement template/sheet AND a completed version (of Hope and Grinder), and “upgrade templates” (showing cost, time, labor, resources) for different tech levels for each of the eight identified sectors [Agriculture, Extraction, Manufacturing, Transport, Energy, Communications, Healthcare, Weapons] would be very, very useful and help me to better understand the material.

For example, if I had a full “settlement sheet” of Hope (I can expand on this upon request), and basic information on available labor, resources, and tech base and some “upgrade templates” like “+ x labor, x time, x resources, x tech base to upgrade the military/defense sector to the next tech level” I could as GM calculate what kind of effort the PCs would need to achieve in order for a marked difference to be made on their world/environment, and to help make informed choices.
GM to Players (example): Hope has a Labor pool of 10, a Resource pool of 7, and a Tech Base of F in Agriculture, Extraction, Manufacturing, Transport, Energy, Communications and Healthcare, and a Tech Base of E in Weapons. It will cost you the following points to upgrade any sector from Tech Base F to E: Labor 30, Resource 50, Time 6 months; double that to go from Tech Base E to D. You can’t build everything you want with the time, resources, skills, equipment and technology you have on hand; what to you want to prioritize and start first?

Core Rulebook P. 205; The image is very blurry and I can’t read some of the numbers, do you have a better image available to print?

Core Rulebook P.304: The Day the World Begin (Sample Scenario)
-As a new GM, this section feels rushed and incomplete. As the only non-rules/background section of the book, it is my view it falls short in assisting a new GM to get a campaign off the ground. Where are the maps of the surrounding area showing the location of the bolt holes, the supply catches, the town of Evanstown and the nearby settlements and points of interests? Where are the handy list of Evanstown NPCs, available supplies for sale or trade, and map of the town? This section could use a bit of expansion to make it more new GM friendly.

Core Rulebook P.305: Evanstown
-The info on the town is a good starting point yet I feel that its missing a one page printable “settlement block” info that summaries the info in a GM friendly way.

-The focus of this game is rebuilding America, and I feel like the book is lacking guidance in how to get that implemented in game. For example, Evanstown is stated up, but it is not clear how it can be “upgraded” once TMP personnel get involved. Let’s say the PCs find all 6 supply catches, and decide that this town will be their base of operation and will be “upgraded”. How many people can be involved in improving the town (manpower/labor), what areas can be improved (defense, education, health, trade, infrastructure) at a cost of what effort(time/resources/labor), and how will it affect the surrounding settlements once word gets of “the rich and powerful strangers from the past” as the PCs start hiring local labor, trading, and brining new knowledge and technology to the world? More clarifications and example would be very useful.

Thanks for everyone who has read this far and provided feedback!