# Apocalypse World: Burned Over tags: #game/rpg/apocalypse-world ![[Apocalypse World - Burned Over (cover).jpg]] # Apocalypse World: Burned Over ## Summary Welcome back to the end of everything, though the Bakers have decided the apocalypse needs a bit of a scrub-down. _Apocalypse World: Burned Over_—now functionally known as _Apocalypse World 3rd Edition_—is the "PG-13" reimagining of the game that originally launched a thousand Powered-by-the-Apocalypse (PbtA) ships. It replaces the raw, abrasively adult tone of its predecessors with a version that won’t make you blush if your parents or teenagers walk into the room. It’s still a game about scarcity, desperation, and looking through crosshairs at the people you supposedly love, but it trades "Hot" stats and "Sex Moves" for a tighter, perhaps more surgically focused set of mechanics. If the original _Apocalypse World_ was a punk rock basement show, _Burned Over_ is the remastered vinyl release: cleaner, more deliberate, and arguably more dangerous because you can actually see the teeth coming at you. ## Core Die Resolution Mechanics Life in the ashes is predictable in only one way: you roll two six-sided dice (2d6) and add a relevant Stat. The results are as unyielding as a skeletal skyscraper: - **10+ (A Strong Hit):** You succeed. You get what you want, you seize the hold, and the world momentarily forgets to crush you. - **7–9 (A Weak Hit):** You succeed, but the cost is high. You get what you want, but you flinch, hesitate, or the Master of Ceremonies (MC) offers you a "hard choice" that will inevitably haunt you in three sessions. - **6 or less (A Miss):** The MC makes a move. This doesn't just mean you fail; it means the situation escalates, your gun jams, your friend betrays you, or the psychic maelstrom decides to have a chat. The most distinctive mechanical shift in _Burned Over_ is the move toward **Highly Interruptible Moves**. You must explicitly announce these actions, giving every other scavenger at the table a chance to jump in and ruin your day before the dice even hit the table. ## Editions and Evolution While _Apocalypse World (1st Edition)_ was a revolutionary mess and _Apocalypse World (2nd Edition)_ refined the battle moves and added the Hx (History) system, _Burned Over_ represents a "radical revision." - **The Death of Hot:** The "Hot" stat—previously used for seduction and manipulation—has been dragged behind the shed and shot. In its place, social maneuvering is handled by **Cool** (for reasoning) or **Aggro** (for demanding), the latter of which is now a primary stat rather than just a move. - **Standard Moves vs. Peripheral Moves:** The laundry list of "if-then" peripheral moves from _2nd Edition_ has been replaced by **Standard Moves** tied to equipment, allies, or holdings. If you don't have the workspace, you don't get the move. - **The Psi (**$\Psi$**) Rating:** Every character now has an explicit psychic strength rating, used for both active brain-picking and as a shield against the world’s psychic maelstrom. - **Hard Zones:** Instead of a vague wasteland, the MC and players select specific **Hard Zones**—like the _Drowned City_ or the _Bottomless Vaults_—which provide a structured map and thematic location moves from the jump. ## References - [Digital Purchase and Downloads - itch.io](https://lumpley.itch.io/apocalypse-world-burned-over-hackbook) - [Official Game Site and PDF Store - lumpley games](https://lumpley.games/burnedover/) - [Review: A Kinder, Much Angrier Apocalypse - Rascal News](https://www.rascal.news/apocalypse-world-burned-over-is-kinder-and-much-angrier/) - [Kickstarter Announcement and 3rd Edition Details - Bell of Lost Souls](https://www.belloflostsouls.net/2025/12/rpg-apocalypse-world-burned-over-3rd-edition-final-day-on-kickstarter.html) - [Discussion on Edition Differences - ENWorld](https://www.enworld.org/threads/apocalypse-world-to-get-third-edition-kickstarter-launching-soon.715124/)