This week I am going to offer up another entry for the Idea Chest. The Planet of the Apes franchise weaves post-apocalyptic themes with societal commentary. While the TV series and more recent films have contributed to the legacy, for this post I will specifically be focusing on the original 1968-1973 film series that started it all. Before I dive in, consider this a spoiler warning for those who haven’t yet experienced these classic films.

As a young boy, I was spellbound by the “Planet of the Apes” series. I discovered them around the same time as tabletop RPGs and they left an indelible mark on my imagination. I feel that these movies can provide a wellspring of inspiration for not only sci-fi or post-apocalyptic games but fantasy campaigns as well. There are a number of elements of this franchise that can provide inspiration for your games.

A Familiar Yet Altered World

The characters in “Planet of the Apes” find themselves in a world that is eerily familiar yet starkly different. This situation is not just interesting, it’s full potential for fantasy settings. For instance, imagine your party stepping through a portal to a world where orcs are the cultured rulers and humans, elves, and dwarves are seen as primitive. Such a reversal of roles can offer a fresh perspective and challenge players’ preconceptions about “civilization” in your game.

The New Society

If you do expose your PCs to an altered world, it also opens up the possibility to delve into the social structure of that world. This dynamic can be reflected in a campaign setting, where different factions vie for power, influence, and survival. It can serve as a mirror to our own society, offering an opportunity to explore themes of equality, prejudice, and governance.

Echoes of the Future

Envision the players encountering a future version of their own world within the campaign. It’s a startling revelation that can bring the consequences of their actions into sharp relief. How have their decisions affected the world? What legacies have they left behind? This concept encourages players to think long-term about their journey’s impact.

A Glimpse of the Past in the Present

Conversely, consider the story possibilities if beings from a potential future were to somehow arrive in the current campaign timeline. This twist, akin to what happens in Escape from the Planet of the Apes, could lead to compelling interactions and conflicts. How does the world react to these beings? Are they seen as omens, deities, or threats?

The Forbidden Zone

The Forbidden Zone in “Planet of the Apes” is a desolate and dangerous region that harbors secrets of the past. In a fantasy campaign, such a zone could be the result of a lost civilization sealing itself away, using magic to deter intruders. This concept can introduce an area filled with mystery, danger, and forbidden knowledge, tempting the brave and deterring the cautious.

The Cult of the Lost

The mutants in the Forbidden Zone worship a nuclear bomb, a relic from a bygone era. This concept can be mirrored in a fantasy setting. Imagine a group of isolated people who, cut off from the rest of the world, begin to revere an ancient artifact from their history. This could be a dormant magical object or even a misunderstood natural phenomenon. Their worship, based on misinterpretations or half-lost memories, could have transformed this entity into something far removed from its original nature. It becomes a symbol of their identity, shaping their culture and perspective on the outside world. Does the party attempt to understand and empathize with these people’s beliefs, or do they try to reveal the truth behind the object of worship?

Infinite Regression

The concept of infinite regression—discovering that every ‘new’ world is just a layer over the ‘old’ one—could turn a campaign into a multidimensional exploration of history and reality. What if the ‘ancient ruins’ your party discovers are not from the past but from a future that has come and gone?

Conclusion

I’m curious to know if you’re familiar with the Planet of the Apes franchise and whether you’ve ever drawn from its themes for your games. Have these films inspired your campaigns? Have you ever flipped the script on your players with a setting that challenges their notions of the norm? Finally, as someone who’s not caught up on all of the newer films, I’d love to hear if you’d recommend them.

That’s all for now. Thanks for taking the time to visit and I hope you have a great week. Good gaming!

For more Idea Chest posts, go here.

For maps & plot hooks, go here.

For some random tables, go here.

Want to help me to compile a list of TTRPG conventions? Click here.

Finally, for a bit about me and some general stuff, this is the spot.