Other Dust
At-a-glance: Post-Apocalyptic/OSR • d20-based • 3-5 + GM • Low prep • Rules-lite • 2-4h sessions
Theme and Setting
Other Dust takes place on the Tomb World of Earth, centuries after the collapse of human civilization. The world is an open grave—green glass plains and trinitite pearls necklace the throats of torn cities. Prismatic jungles heave with nanite-infested life, thick with twisted bodies and fever-hot madness. The ancient towers of Old Terra are cast down into the mire, and the stars above no longer send their ships of steel and burning light. Humanity survives in struggling enclaves and fugitive tribes, scavenging the bones of former glory while fighting the New Earth with steel, salvage, and burning defiance.
Core Mechanics and Rules
Other Dust uses familiar OSR mechanics fully compatible with Stars Without Number. Character creation offers class-based heroes including Wasteland Warriors and fierce avengers adapted to survival in the ruins. The d20-based resolution system emphasizes player ingenuity over complex rules, with combat that is deadly and best avoided when possible. The game features robust rules for running groups and enclaves in the radioactive wasteland, giving players concrete tools to save or doom the hard-pressed people around them. Found your own settlement or crush someone else's—the faction system creates emergent political drama.
What Makes It Unique
Other Dust stands out through its synthesis of post-apocalyptic survival with Kevin Crawford's signature sandbox toolkit approach. The 150+ pages include extensive GM resources for building and running a post-apocalyptic campaign: random tables for ruins and encounters, enclave generation systems, and easy-pull techniques for quick improvisation. The game excels at providing structure without railroading—giving GMs the tools to respond to player choices while maintaining a living, reactive world. Its full compatibility with Stars Without Number allows for unique crossover campaigns where sci-fi and post-apocalyptic elements intertwine.
Target Audience and Player Experience
Other Dust appeals to players who enjoy OSR-style sandbox gameplay with a post-apocalyptic twist. Fans of Gamma World, Fallout, and classic post-apocalyptic cinema will find familiar territory elevated by robust GM support tools. The game rewards creative problem-solving and faction manipulation over combat dominance. Character progression ties to community building—players become invested not just in their own survival but in the fate of their enclaves. Ideal for groups seeking emergent storytelling, wasteland exploration, and the challenge of rebuilding civilization from the ashes.
