Modiphius Fallout Bundle: A 2d20 Nuclear Winter for Your Table

The Fallout Tabletop Mega Bundle from Modiphius Entertainment represents a massive tactical acquisition for any Game Master looking to bring the irradiated ruins of North America to their gaming table. While Humble Bundles often provide a scattershot of PDF supplements, this 61-item collection is a comprehensive library of the 2d20 system, covering everything from the core rules to the specialized Winter of Atom campaign. For those of us who have spent decades tracking encumbrance and ammunition, this isn't just a collection of lore; it is a robust framework for post-nuclear survival.

Mechanically, the 2d20 system is a far cry from the percentile-based roots of the original Interplay video games or the d20-based d20 Modern era. Instead, Modiphius utilizes a pool-based system where players roll two twenty-sided dice, seeking results under a target number determined by the sum of an Attribute and a Skill. The real engine, however, is the Momentum and Action Point economy. Successes beyond the Difficulty generate Momentum, which players can spend to add damage, gain information, or take extra actions. This creates a cinematic flow where one player's lucky scavenge can fuel the entire party's combat efficacy. For GMs, the Fallout Core Rulebook introduces a clever Action Point pool for the environment, allowing the Wasteland itself to react to player choices with complications or sudden reinforcements.

Scavenging and crafting—the lifeblood of the franchise—are handled with a level of granularity that respects the source material without bogging down the session. The bundle includes the Settler’s Guide Book, which expands on the base-building mechanics seen in Fallout 4. It provides a structured way for players to invest their hard-earned caps into something more permanent than a temporary stimpak fix. This mechanical layer transforms the game from a simple hex-crawl into a campaign of reconstruction, forcing players to weigh the needs of their community against their own personal survival.

Lore-wise, the bundle leans heavily into the Bethesda-era aesthetic, focusing on the Commonwealth and the Capital Wasteland. The Winter of Atom expansion is particularly noteworthy, providing a grim, cult-focused narrative that expands on the Children of Atom beyond their role as mere radioactive set-dressing. The writing captures the specific Raygun Gothic tragedy of the setting—the lingering echoes of a 1950s utopia that choked on its own hubris. It provides tables for scavenging pre-war tech that feel authentic, ensuring that finding a pristine box of Sugar Bombs feels just as significant as uncovering a T-45 Power Armor chassis.

The table feel of this system is distinct. It is not a rules-lite narrative game; it is a tactical simulation that demands resource management. Players must track ammunition, thirst, and radiation—the crunch that veteran GMs crave. The 2d20 system manages to make these tracking elements feel like active gameplay rather than a bookkeeping chore. If you have been hesitant to leave the comfort of 5th Edition, this bundle offers a low-friction entry point into a system that rewards tactical positioning and clever use of the environment. The inclusion of the GM Toolkit and various map packs ensures that the transition from reading the PDF to rolling dice at the table is as seamless as possible.

Ultimately, this bundle is a testament to how Modiphius has successfully translated a complex digital RPG into a tabletop format that respects the player's intelligence. It avoids the pitfalls of over-simplification, offering instead a dense, rewarding experience for those who want their wasteland to be as dangerous as it is vast. Whether you are a fan of the original isometric games or the modern open-world titles, the mechanical depth provided here is enough to sustain a multi-year campaign.