Wreck Age a Post-Collapse RPG and Tabletop Game

Andrzej Probulski Probulski (order #5451458) #5451458)


WREC WR ECKK AGE AGE In the 23rd century, the Earth Ea rth verged on total collapse. Rapid climate climate shifts, shifts , caused by centuries of industrial pollution and nuclear nuclear waste, wa ste, had brought the planet to the brink of an ecological meltdown. Countless reparative efforts had failed; fai led; each solutio solutionn was too little and far too late. Left with no alternative, world leaders collaborated on a last-ditch effort to save humankind: the Exodus. It was a bold plan involving several waves of evacuations, with the end goal goa l of colonizing new planets. planets. The T he Exodus promised promised survival for everyone. ever yone. It It was an escape from a decaying planet. planet. It was hope. It was a lie. The brilliant, the rich, rich, and the powerful gathere g atheredd their families, their valuables, valuables, and their resources for the first wave. They left Earth in a flotilla of arks, arks , scientific scientific vessels, and seed ships. Within a few days, however, however, it became clear that there would be no second wave. Hope mutated into rage as the ill-fated masses realized they had been left behind to rot. Governments Governments fell apart and economies crumbled; the world collapsed into anarchy. As society collapsed, so too did the Earth itself. The oceans rose, natural disasters d isasters ravaged the coasts, and a nd chemical chemical rain r ain scorched scorched the arable land. Countless species vanished, either slaughtered outright or dying en masse, unable to adapt to the perilous new environment. As catastrophes crashed down one after another in a crescendo crescendo of failure, humanity itself came dangerously d angerously close to extinction. Since the Exodus, uncounted generations have eked out a harrowing, threadbare existence with what little remained. Now a new world is emerging from the ashes. a shes. Every Every storm eventually eventually passes; every desolate desolate winter eventually melts into a fragile spring. Yet the scars of suffering and chaos remain. Recovery Recovery will wil l be slow and painful. painf ul. Few grand cities remain, and even fewer great leaders. There is no centralized structure. The powerful powerf ul fight over the scraps of the old world, world, while the weak struggle strug gle just to make it through another day.

Welcome to The Resurgence. Resurgence. Welcome to the Wreck Age. Andrzej Probulski Probulski (order #5451458) #5451458)

The world world of Wreck Wreck Age created by: Matt Sears and Anton Zaleski Written by: Anton Zaleski Additional Additional writing writing by: Nick Baran, Robert Ferrick, August Hahn, Pete Ruth, Matt Sears, Neil Settle, and Dennis Wald Editing: Kristina Adamo, Nick Baran, Kyle Ferguson, Sara B. Frank, Joshua Lopatin, Pete Ruth, Naomi Taub, Nathan Reed Rules: Anton Zaleski Playtesting: Rebecca Abella, Nick Baran, Kristina Adamo, Megan Gissing, Joshua Lopatin, Chad McMann, Kyle Kyle Roth, Matt Sears, Sear s, Grant Smith, Tyler Tyler Tassone, Tassone, and Dennis Wald Cover Art: Konstantinos Skenteridis Art by: Konstantinos Skenteridis Additional Additional Art by: Jordan Jordan Grimmer, Lynell Lynell Ingram, Alexan A lexander der Jamieso Jamieson, n, Ksenia Kozhevnikova, Kozhevnikova, and Eric Williams Layout: Anton Zaleski Many thanks to: Lane Atteridge, Rob Baer (MBG), Nick Baran, Beasts of War, Dario Biancheri, Rob Boyle and Post Human Studios, Dana Brancucci, Dan Cotrupe, Tim Cupp, Calvin Daniels, Mark Deiter, Hank Edley, Carlianne Fenton, Kyle Ferguson, Daniel Fokine, Johnny Johnny Frandsen, Frandsen, Filipe Filipe Fernandes, Fernandes, Sara B. Frank, Frank, Megan Gissing, Peter Peter Gorman, Johnny Johnny Grogan, Carl Hayman, Hayman, Lynell Ingram, Pierre Pierre Francoi Francoiss Jacquet Jacquet (PF), (PF), Michael Michael Janocha, Janocha, Alexander Alexander Jamieso Jamieson, n, Kirill Kozyrev, Walt Walt Langhans, Sam Lenz, Rich Nelson, Chad McMahon, Brian Niro, Jeremy Olsen, Joshua Lopatin and Chicago Skirmish Wargamers, On the Lamb Games, Anne Peterson, Sylvain Quirion, Keith Rankin, Sharon Redman, Nathan Reed, Travis D. Robeson, Ricardo Robles, Kyle Roth, Pete Ruth, Jordan Sanderson, Klaus Scherwinski, Neil Settle, Grant Smith, Bryan Steele, Cait Stephens, Tabletop Gaming News, Tyler Tassone, Naomi Taub, Ross Thompson, T hompson, Josh Turner, Turner, Dennis Wald, Wald, Patrick Weaver, Weaver, and Matt Weeks Dedicated to Orion Zaleski. May your your future be prosperous and filled with hope. Printed in the USA


Direction / Go Examples of The Wanderer’s Code

Visit the world of Wreck Age: http://wreck-age.net– Wreck Age website and forums or look for “Wreck Age” or “Hyacinth Games” on your favorite social media network. contact us at [email protected] WRECK AGE and the Wreck Age Logo ™ & © Hyacinth Games, LLC. in the USA and other countries, and are used with permission. Certain materials, including references in this publication, Wreck Age core rules, and all Wreck Age characters and their distinctive likenesses, are property of Hyacinth Games, LLC, and are used with permission under the Hyacinth Games LLC. Wreck Age CORE RULES, written by Anton Zaleski; © 2013 Hyacinth Games, LLC. All rights reserved First Printing by Hyacinth Games, 2013 Creative Commons License; Some Rights Reserved. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ or send a letter to: Creative Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA.

What this means, is that you are free to copy, share, and remix the text and artwork within this book under the following conditions: 1) you do so only for noncommercial purposes; 2) you attribute Hyacinth Games and Wreck Age; 3) you license any derivatives under the same license. For specific details, appropriate credits, and updates/changes to this license, please see: http://wreck-age.net.com/creativecommons.

Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

Table of Contents History.................... 8

The Exodus ..............................11 The Lost Years ...........................12 The Reunification Wars...............13 Too Son Accords.........................14 The Big Push .............................14 Echost of Unrest .........................15 Things Fall Apart ......................16 The Dark Times.........................17 The Resurgence..........................19

Map ........................ 20 Locales ................... 22 Community .............. 36 What is A Community? ...............37 Community Functions .................37 Resource Units ...........................37 Creating A Community................38

Factions................... 40

Stakers ......................... 40 Drifters ........................ 42 Stitchers ....................... 44 Reclaimers .................... 46 The ARHK................... 48 The Church of Fun ........ 49 Unicephalon ................. 50 The Vale....................... 51 Caravaneers .................. 52 The Fringes .................. 53

Game Rules.............. 54 What you will need to play ..........56 Universal rules of play.................58 Campaigns .................................59 Encounters ................................59 Communities and factions ............62

Characters .................... 62

Training ....................................63 Attributes...................................63 Traits ........................................65 Skills ........................................66 Tests .........................................66 Automatic failures.......................67 The Rules of Sixes ......................67 Opposed tests .............................68


Unskilled tests............................68

Turns ........................... 69 Initiative....................................69 Activations.................................70 Actions ..................................71 Free Actions ...............................71 Simple Actions ...........................72 Complex Actions ........................75 End Phase Actions ......................77

Fighting ....................... 79 Engagement ..............................79 Malfunction Die.........................79 Fumbles .....................................79 Counter-strikes...........................79 Superior numbers ........................80 Disengaging ...............................81

Shooting ....................... 82 Suppression ................................83 Unnerved...................................84

Damage ........................ 84 Resolving damage .......................85 Damage results...........................86 Parting action ............................87 Non-lethal damage .....................87 Weapons malfunctions and maintanence ........................88

Character and Crew Creation .......... 90 Player Characters .......................91 Freewill.....................................91 Communities ..............................91 Crews ........................................92

Archetypes .................... 92 Creating a character....... 92 Character Development Points ..............................94 Green ........................................94 Trained .....................................95 Veteran......................................95 Elite .........................................96 Character Equipment ..................97 Trinkets ....................................97 Fleshing your character out .........98 Animal companions ....................99 Pack Boar ..................................99 Dog...........................................99

Archetypes............... 100 Kits.............................. 154 Generic Archetype List .. 100

Soldier ......................................100 Medic ........................................100 Mechanic...................................101 Scavenger ..................................101 Guard ........................................102 Trader .......................................102 Wastrel......................................103 No Ghost ...................................103

Faction Archetype List... 104

Technocrite................................104 Server .......................................105 Scrivener ...................................105 Power Scav .................................106 Neophyte ...................................106 Outrider ....................................107 Jammer......................................108 Sapper .......................................108 Field Hand ................................109 Gearhead ...................................109 Orderly......................................110 BPU ..........................................110 Golem .......................................110 Administrator.............................111 Hunter ......................................111 Chieftain ...................................112 Locust.......................................112 Beast Handler ............................113 Exploadaboar ............................113 Berzerker ...................................113 ARHK Trooper ..........................114 The Lost ...................................114 Unicephalon Agent .....................115 Tweeker ....................................115 Wagon Boss ...............................115

Resurgence equipement................155 Common settlement equipment.....159 Large and rare settlement equipment ..................162 Medical equipment .....................162

Transportation ..................164 Explosives .................................166 Faction-specific equipment...........167 Reclaimer equipment...................167 Staker equipment ........................170 Stitcher equipment ......................171 Drifter equipment .......................172 Unicephalon equipment ...............172 The Vale equipment ....................173 Church of Fun equipment ............173

Weapons Modifications .. 177 Weapon Traits ............................178

The Narrator ........... 182 Adventure plot prompts ...............186 Adventure hoks ...........................187 Fleshing it all out .......................190

Encounters .............. 192 Setting up a game .......... 192 Scenario general rules .... 192 Stances ......................................193

Objectives ..................... 193 Sample Encounters ........ 195 The Hunt ..................... 196 Antiques Road Show....... 198 Clash of the Titan ......... 200 Occupy Mall Street........ 202 Food For Vultures .......... 203 Nighttime Raids ............ 205 Rules for sentries ........................207

Traits and Skills ....... 116 Campaigns ............... 208 Character traits ............. 117 Recovery ...................... 210 Skills ........................... 121 Character Advancement . 212 List of Skills ................. 124 Advancing Skills ........... 213 Knowledge Skills ........... 130 Trading Items ............... 213

Equipment ............... 136

Weapons: Melee ............ 137 Weapons: Ranged .......... 138 Weapons: Old Tech ........ 140 Weapons: High Tech ...... 142 Armor .......................... 144 Miscellaneous items ....... 148 Foodstuffs and provisions 150 Travel and survival equipment......152


Random Weapons Chart ..............214 Random Items Chart ...................215

Random exploration ...... 216

Advanced Rules ........ 228 Climbing, Jumping, Falling ......................... 228 Terrain and cover .......... 228 Parlay .......................... 231

Charts and Tables ..... 234

History The Resurgence is upon us. Almost two centuries after the Exodus, plants and animals are just now starting to poke their heads up for the first time in generations. Most people have no written history to rely upon; many who have access to historical documents will try to use them for their own purposes, while others would just as soon forget the transgressions of the past. This is a short synopsis of history as we know it, pieced together from data scrolls, old file dumps, satellite ghost signals, and a variety of other sources. ~Exerpts from Duster’s Almanack


125-100 B.E. (Before Exodus) The first “vat-grown” organ is successfully implanted to a human host. This is lauded as the end of waiting lists for transplants, and is promoted by the burgeoning biomed industry as a centerpiece of their war against disease. As biotechnology advances, vat-grown organs are able to extend life “indefinitely.” However, while scientists have successfully created a vat-grown brain, they are unable to transfer consciousness and memories from one brain to the next. Of course, such advancements only benefit the select few who can afford the costly procedures. The less privileged are entered into a lottery; a few lucky winners will be able to have their livers or kidneys replaced, free of charge. Over the next decade hundreds are successfully implanted with kidneys, lungs, hearts, and other organs that are grown in laboratories.

insomnia, catatonia, panic attacks, and even fits of violence. 110-70 B.E. (Before Exodus) Due to a marked rise in the use of automated labor, unemployment rates across the world reach unprecedented highs. Sharp increases in the incidence and severity of crime are of serious concern to governments across the world, as they are confronted by increasingly violent uprisings. Governments turn to private security forces to quell the uprisings, both to reduce costs and to take full advantage of the plausible deniability they offer. 99 B.E. (Before Exodus) The Arkemedes corporate army is formed in Hong Kong. Funded entirely by the Arkemedes multinational conglomerate, the company quickly ousts the Chinese government. The newly formed city-state declares its independence from outside influence, and establishes itself as an independent trade hub and industrial power. Protests against the corporate takeover of the military are organized and vocal at first, but quickly dissipate as organizers are rounded up and imprisoned. Disorganized and bloody clashes between Chinese Nationalist and Arkemedes corporate forces continue for almost a decade, with neither side willing to commit to full-scale war.

118 B.E. (Before Exodus) The first Academy Awards in which none of the nominated films include a single human cast member are held. Computergenerated avatars Slope and Ashford Hayes host the awards show. Virtual Reality cafés have sprung up in cities across the globe, allowing the underclass to cheaply escape the drudgery of their service industry jobs. These chambers allow users to experience the tastes, smells, sounds, and feelings of any scenario they can imagine. Within a few years, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is updated 57 B.E. (Before Exodus) to include Acute Resophobia: the fear of In response to worker riots, heavy reality. This increasingly common and industrialization and automation, debilitating mental disorder is brought on heads of state and corporate executives by excessive amounts of time spent in the meet to discuss methods of suppressing virtual world, lack of social interaction, increasingly common insurrections. and constant “connection” to virtual These conferences create the basis for interfaces. It often presents with extreme the Hondo Accords, which lead to the emotional instability, loss of appetite, investment of trillions of dollars in Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

the development and proliferation of Virtual Reality simulations and other entertainment. A variety of technologies are developed in the aftermath of the Accords, including the data scroll, the GeoMapper, and the precursors for the drug “Glutton.”

government launches primarily from Cape Canaveral and Houston’s “Space City,” both of which experience rapid population growth as hundreds of thousands are hired to build rockets, coordinate launches, and sift through incoming data. In 45 B.E., Houston becomes the largest city in the United States; Seattle also sees a population boom, thanks to its privatized space program, while old population centers like Chicago are neglected and left to dereliction.

Additionally, a new system is established that differentiates the rights and regulations for two distinct classes of people, which is to be enforced on a global scale. This system sets the stage for the Exodus that will be organized less As the Exodus draws near, the assignment of places in the first wave than a century later. begins; the intelligent and highly skilled are passed over as seats are awarded primarily to the rich and powerful. 50-20 B.E. (Before Exodus) Corporations involved with the design, After centuries of disunity, the scientific manufacture, and manning of colony community concedes that the next ships become owners of the ultimate century will bring a series of catastrophic golden parachutes, their plutocratic pollution events. Equally obvious is the CEOs reigning over the fates of millions. impossibility of reversing the effects Shipyards and relevant training facilities of industrialization, compounded over become heavily guarded compounds, several centuries. This grim forecast their owners spending a fortune to comes as a shock to many, after decades protect the only avenues of escape from of corporate misinformation and the dying planet. purposefully doctored reports funded by special interest groups. With this revelation, world leaders meet behind 15 B.E. (Before Exodus) closed doors and make a stark decision. Using biologically and mechanically They agree to focus resources on their enhanced humans known as “augments,” respective space programs in hopes special operatives for the Cybrex of escaping the planet entirely and Corporation, stage raids on non-profit colonizing other planets in nearby solar and humanitarian groups around the systems. For the second time in history world. They specifically target those there is a monumental space race, researching cures for cancer and promising the winner a chance to select developing seed banks, as well as human from the choicest new home worlds, rights, information freedom and free rather than Mars or the Moon (both of data groups. These operatives hack which have fallen out of favor due to into these various networks, download independence movements and pervasive data, and then corrupt servers, ruining anti-corporate sentiment). computer hardware beyond repair. Thus do they swiftly and forcefully solidify With an eye towards the planned the corporate monopoly on medical and departure, unmanned probes are shot agricultural technologies, and effectively into space daily, each headed for a neutralize the open source community new prospective homeworld. The US in one fell swoop. The incident provokes Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

outrage across the world and a number of protests are staged; however, these outcries are largely ignored by the government and news media.

The Exodus On a clear and chilly fall day, small space-worthy vessels sit on launch pads across the globe.

Circa 5 B.E. (Before Exodus) The lottery for the Exodus is announced to great fanfare. Three distinct phases are outlined, the first designated for the vanguard class, as laid out a half-century earlier: leadership, as well as a handful of engineers, doctors, and personnel essential to the preparation of the colonies for the next waves. These successive waves are to include the remainder of the populace, selected at random, with families left intact where possible. Many sell themselves into indentured servitude to corporate entities to ensure a place in an earlier phase. Nuclear plants are quietly stripped of refined radioactive materials for the Exodus.

Most colony shuttles leave in one massive wave, watched anxiously by throngs of people eager for “their turn.” A few stragglers depart on the following days, delayed by malfunction or miscalculation. Some are grounded by riotous mobs, and are quickly stripped of their parts and destroyed. Some shuttles are sabotaged and explode on the ground, killing thousands. A few are prevented from reaching orbit by engine malfunctions; one such shuttle holds a large team of medical professionals. This ship crashes during takeoff near the burned out ruins of Tucson (later renamed TooSon). Casualties are low, as the ship primarily holds some of the most sophisticated medical equipment and personnel available.

1 B.E. (Before Exodus) Exodus lottery centers broadcast thousands of names and their corresponding lottery numbers on a daily basis. There are many who feel that they should have been in the first wave, and begin to speak out against the system. Rumors run rampant: some insist that the lottery is fixed and that only the first wave will actually depart Earth. A conspiracy group, the Eleventh Hour, runs a hacked net-based public service announcement denouncing the Exodus project as a sham, warning the masses that they will be left behind. Governments and corporations rush to suppress these rumors, promoting the lottery with pride and patriotism.


Despite these losses, the vast majority of the first wave of Exodus shuttles escape unscathed. Engineers, medical staff, computer scientists, leadership staff, top government officials, and, of course, the private corporate leadership all depart from the planet in tiny life pods, the generational vessels known as Seed Ships. These contain the personnel who are essential for colonization. (Once in orbit, most of the ships immediately implement a strict system of order: if a child of the age of five fails an aptitude test, or if someone is found guilty of a crime, they can be jettisoned or repurposed, and their organs reused or recycled). When the Seed Ships depart orbit, worldwide fanfare quickly devolves into violence as those left on the planet realize that no one is left to operate the second and third waves. The fears of the paranoid anti-Exodus contingents prove to be

valid, as packets of information sent back from the Seed Ships are encrypted with viruses that corrupt servers across the planet. The net crashes: bank records are erased, massive amounts of personal data vanish, and global communication fails. All social media: the net, wire, cable, and most other forms of communication, disappear overnight. The masses have been abandoned to their fate. Despair sets in as billions have been left to perish on a doomed planet, their connection to the rest of the world severed. The following weeks see countless instances of mass suicides, as those who cannot cope with their perceived estrangement from humanity choose death over loneliness.

1-2 A.E. (After Exodus) The Lost Years Within weeks, automated power grids begin to degrade due to computer failure, rioting, and sabotage. Grocery stores and malls become battlefields as bloody disputes are waged for control of goods. While some communities make a concerted effort to forestall pandemonium, others see oppressive crackdowns by heavily armed police squads, who take advantage of their superior equipment and lack of oversight to transform themselves into ruthless crime syndicates.

Downed electrical systems and further rioting in New York City and Seattle cause sea walls to fail, as a torrent of water floods subways and basements. Many oceanside cities find flooding In the wake of the Exodus, a vacuum of power opens up. Most militaries had been quickly undermines foundations, with privatized for nearly a century prior, and many fleeing by raft or boat, as fights break out over anything buoyant. Some with most of the world’s corporate heads climb to the top of high rises and make gone, armed mercenaries turn on each camp, even as the foundations groan other, and on the rest of the populace. beneath them. Cleveland burns, as do Within weeks, warlords rise to power across the globe. In other places, anarchy many other inland cities, the populace raging after generations of neglect. rules; many are murdered in streets for Many grab what they can and escape to their meager possessions.


the countryside, but the displaced find to peacefully unite communities under that few communities are willing to take the auspices of saving humanity from the them in. Millions are forced to settle in brink of destruction. For the first time shantytowns immediately outside city since the initial Exodus shuttles launched limits to face a long, brutal year that sees into the sky, a spark of hope flickers. rapidly dwindling numbers. Philadelphia is left in ruins, as throngs of angry mobs However, the fledgling government is destroy and loot governmental buildings. not universally welcomed. Much of the This topples the last vestiges of the U.S. populace balks at the ill-equipped, halfgovernment (D.C. had been abandoned as starved militia forces that show up open the U.S capital decades prior due handed and full of promises. Many of to insurrection). these communities have already set up their own governments, which they prefer With no means of reliable to the uncertainty that the RSA offers. communication, some believe that the In other areas, the chaos is so complete Exodus is still in progress. Throngs of that when the RSA troops arrive, there hopefuls make their way to Texas and is no leadership to receive them, the Florida’s launch sites, but when they masses having surrendered completely arrive they find nothing but tent cities, to their violent instincts. Once-civilized flooding, and starvation. towns have devolved into dens of iniquity, peopled by cannibals and child soldiers. A year after the Exodus, the world’s These areas are declared “lost zones” by population has been cut in half. In the the RSA government and written off as absence of centralized government, small hopeless. Rumors circulate that the RSA fiefdoms sprout up, and many of the nukes one of these lost zones, later named remaining metropolises transform into Uranium Springs, lending credence to the self-contained city-states. Cults emerge notion that the RSA is no better than the and quickly gain power in many areas, pre-Exodus government. taking in many scared and starving souls who are desperate for structure Six months after the RSA begins pushing and meaning. Cross-country travel is for a unified central government, they treacherous, as highways become hunting start using force to bring the “scabbers” grounds for cannibalistic culling gangs. At the same time, chaos and bloodshed are (a derogatory term for inhabitants of the lost zones) and other vagrants and rampant, even within the walls of cities. insurgents into the fold. 2-25 A.E (After Exodus) Reunification The violent entropy of these Lost Years leaves a craving for order and stability. Two years after the Exodus, whispers of a new central government begin circulating. Led by a hodgepodge of middle-ranking military, The Reunified States of Amerika (or RSA for short) begins deploying its ragtag army throughout North Amerika, attempting


The Reunification Wars For the second time in its history, the United States devolves into civil war. Individuals take up arms either for or against the unification of the country.

The RSA fights city-states, warlords, and scabbers on numerous fronts. Due to the absence of satellites and communications infrastructure, the high-tech drone warfare of the past few centuries is no longer possible. Trained soldiers equipped

with ballistic armor or piloting high-tech The Big Push 25-45 A.E. (After Exodus) battlesuits fight alongside and against Built from leftover scraps, the Big civilian mobs armed with clubs and crossbows. Most of these battles are more Push is forged, taking its name from the fanatical drive to overcome the skirmish than bloodbath, with neither damage of the past and salvage the side able to claim a distinct advantage. This is particularly true in the wide-open future. Old machines are taken apart and refashioned into technologies that work areas of the continent that come to be known as The Wilds. Sporadic conflicts with the environment instead of against it. Researchers begin tireless work to carry on for two decades. Casualties develop new technologies that will help are light on all sides, but the death toll stem the tide of pollution and reduce from starvation and endemic disease is climate change, as the greatly reduced overwhelmingly high. and war-weary populace welcomes a period of calm and cooperation. After decades of seemingly endless Before the Exodus, individuals had fallen conflict, a neo-populist movement led by the wayside in a global economic by physicians, elders, and other citizens market. Neighbors became accustomed to emerges to oppose the RSA forces in giving each other distrustful glances and the city of TooSon. Early during the crossing the street to avoid one another. Reunification War, they meet the These were the slums of isolation. In initial wave of RSA forces with leaflets its place, neo-populism takes root, and outlining their promise for a better cooperation returns to communities that tomorrow, a plan for lasting peace and have for so long been starving for it. industry. Their arguments prove so From urban neighborhoods to pastoral convincing that several hundred troops villages, people begin to come together. desert and join the TooSon neo-populists. As neighbors start working towards This same scene plays out in many other common goals, bonds of trust and towns where the neo-populists have a camaraderie develop. strong foothold. These groups lay the foundation for a new era. Repairing the damaged environment and deeply scarred cities is a top priority for the RSA. Environmentally dangerous The TooSon Accords practices are outlawed and replaced by 24 A.E. (After Exodus) greener methods, and people begin to Self-sufficiency and sustainable work together on a grand scale. technologies are essential to resolving the Reunification conflict, the end of which Disposable goods and electronics gives the people something they have become unthinkable; the artifacts of desperately needed for so long: hope. the Big Push are often oversized and ugly, but are always built to last. Those With perseverance and growing popular left behind are tasked with creating an infrastructure that can withstand the support, the neo-populists bring the test of time; designed obsolescence is no militarists to the bargaining table longer an option. Many of the devices to hammer out the TooSon Accords. from this time are created to outlast The end of the Reunification Wars is their users, and each new innovation is proclaimed, and the Reunified States of an investment in the future. Scientists Amerika are consolidated. Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

set to work breeding hardier strains of methods are tried: nanotechnology, vegetables. However, cross-pollination carbon-filled balloons designed to suck proves difficult, as pre-Exodus pollutants out of the air, and low levels corporate farming relied almost of electric current pumped into the soil exclusively on terminator seeds, which are all employed with limited success. became sterile after use. Seed banks, once highly illegal, now operate in the open, and seeds are shared freely. Many 45-61 A.E. (After Exodus) excess seeds from this time are buried Echoes of Unrest in cryogenic containers to safeguard The scrubbers were developed to clean future generations. the soil within a few years, but decades later many still haven’t germinated. With Invention is no longer within the sole food supplies shrinking beyond the point domain of corporations; all citizens are of subsistence, civil unrest foments. called on to be self-reliant, resourceful, and innovative. In every community As food begins to run short, and tensions public meetings are called, where new rise, the government moves forward devices and techniques are shared and with experimental austerity measures, then showcased through an ad-hoc including breeding restrictions and net grid. calorie rationing. Appetitesuppressing drugs, However, the tide of pollution is such as Glutton, are insurmountable: the sea level has distributed amongst the been rising rapidly for nearly populace. While they a century, food production have no nutritional content, they is greatly diminished, and are designed to make enforced the supply of fossil fuels is malnutrition less painful. all but exhausted. Even as communities band together, With food supplies dwindling, birds fall from the skies people grow increasingly and fish float belly-up in panicked, and thievery is again the water. But despite war, on every mind, be it the act, its plague, and pollution, the prevention, or its punishment. people of an acne-scarred Stockades return to Earth refuse to give up. prominence, and prisons are built and The RSA focuses expanded to house immense resources these new “food on the development criminal” inmates. of genetically engineered Most convicts are plants and bacteria designed to clean the charged with crimes related to the food skies, soil, and water. These “scrubbers” shortage, and “An Eye for an Eye” is are planted and disseminated as widely the slogan of the day. Death becomes as possible, in the hopes of reversing the standard sentence for violent widespread environmental damage. crimes, as the starving population Unfortunately, the scrubbers take far rallies against wasting food supplies longer than expected to achieve the on prisoners. Where once the practice desired effect. Various other de-pollution was reviled, penal labor is now widely Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

utilized, often for the implicit purpose of working prisoners to death. Less than a century after the Exodus, the people are once again tense and desperate, poised for calamity. A cross between minstrel and protestor, Hunger Artists tour the country with troupes, their caged demonstrations raising awareness of the government’s mishandling of the food shortages, and entertaining in the process. As the shows travel from town to town they receive donations of caloric prescriptions (scripts). In these desperate times, Hunger Artists endear themselves to the community through acts of reciprocal charity: for the duration of their fast, each Artist gives their scripts to needy families. At the end of the fast, the community repays the Artist by throwing a feast with whatever they can scrape together. Eventually the popularity of Hunger Artists declines after numerous exposés link them to the black market. Despite this, the seed of charity is planted, and the more altruistic religions of the world embrace the policies of fasting and donation. The practice becomes outlawed in much of Former Asia as hundreds of Buddhist monks die from self-imposed starvation. The faltering Panasia government, which has close ties to the RSA, takes the opportunity to criminalize donations to Hunger Artists, although the measure is meant primarily to target the increasingly powerful black market.

one after another. Starvation is rampant, and the side effects of hunger drugs drive entire settlements into bouts of suicidal depression and violent psychosis. In underdeveloped regions, weaker, lesssupported law enforcement agencies are completely overwhelmed by food thieves and maniacs. As the situation deteriorates, black market “murder squads” emerge. The destitute and starving employ them to kill their neighbors, taking half the victims’ caloric scripts in payment. Children are sold into slavery as pharmaceutical lab rats, to secure drugs and foodstuffs for the remainder of the family. The government becomes increasingly unable to stop these practices, and the RSA sees their power decline due to lack of control, corruption, and hopelessness. Broken and reeling, the remaining cities and settlements have no time to recover before the final nails in the Big Push’s coffin get hammered home. Early in the Big Push, environmental concerns led to a ban on toxic chemical pesticides, which were substituted with government-subsidized natural, nontoxic herbicides. However, as the RSA weakened, farmers turned to pre-Exodus chemicals to protect their crops. Over time, enhanced species of pesticideresistant grasshoppers and locusts evolve, and in the summer of 62 A.E. clouds of insects decimate most of the remaining crop fields. By destroying these alreadydevastated crops, the insects effectively quash any hope of restoring the populist government to power.

62 A.E. (After Exodus) Things Fall Apart While grain silos stand empty, the It soon becomes apparent that these prisons are overflowing. The RSA decades of peace have been little more government halts all deliveries of food than the calm before another storm. supplies for prisons, and wardens face an Within a year numerous calamities strike, extreme ethical dilemma. Do they allow Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

the prisoners to starve in their cells, or release them, hungry and desperate, into the wild? About half of the wardens choose the latter option: droves of ravenous, deranged convicts are released into the withered countryside. These hardened newcomers band together and begin pillaging to survive. While the security forces of larger settlements are usually able to stave off these marauders, many smaller outposts are completely wiped out. And yet, the worst is still to come. The Dark Times 62 A.E. to ~200 A.E. As things once again fall apart, those with RSA currency to spare stockpile weapons, mercenaries, and supplies. Some use their private armies to obtain and fortify secure compounds. Later, as the same money is rendered worthless by governmental collapse, these mercenary contractors gleefully turn their guns on their formerly rich sponsors. As the financial market finally collapses into oblivion, money is no longer power. During this era, food becomes the only currency that matters, as neighbors turn on each other to secure their next meal.


Tightly knit towns and cities degenerate into war zones, as neighbors fight over whatever scraps of food they can find. Community leaders become warlords. The last vestiges of the RSA government collapses entirely, with surviving members fleeing into small, fortified bunkers that contain self-sufficient farms and are powered by geo-thermal and crank generators. These are the Dark Times: an age of suffering and ignorance unmatched by any other in human history. The very tools that might have saved the Abandoned (as those of us left behind sometimes call ourselves); information, technology, and community are cast aside. In their place, desperation and basic need trumps all. The ethnic and cultural differences of old disappear; all that matters are food, clean water, and weapons to defend them with. Corporations and governments have all but vanished, leaving behind warlord-led legions, gangs, clans, and militias. For the first time since before the Reunification War, cults once again operate openly. Because of the hopelessness, many use their cult membership simply as a means to

kill others (or themselves) without any guilt. However, there are a few post-collapse religions that spring up with a genuine humanitarian or pacifist agenda. Oftentimes, the members of these newfound religions operate pragmatically: going on “final pilgrimages” when there is no food or shelter to be found, or proselytizing before armed thugs looking to take the rags off their backs. Their deaths due to starvation and violence are significant in the culling and restructuring of religions in the post-collapse world. The Dark Times finds most communities becoming violently xenophobic and territorial. Lack of fuel makes longdistance travel virtually obsolete, and due to this most people are able to interact only within the confines of their own communities. Only a few tight-knit societies manage to scrape together a relatively painless existence through it all. Gunmetal, Esperanza, and Switch City are poised for expansion, their names known throughout The Wilds and beyond.


Some Resurgent historians have since concluded that the Dark Times were an avoidable catastrophe, resulting from mankind’s reliance on computer networks and digitized data. When the digital infrastructure collapsed, the only readily accessible knowledge came from an oft-unreliable oral tradition, open to interpretation and religious whim. Others argue that the collapse was inevitable, due to the massive pollution and climate change. Scholars will undoubtedly argue these points for centuries to come.

The Resurgence: Year Zero ~200 A.E. (After Exodus) Most digital information on Earth has been lost. Scattered throughout The Wilds are small data havens, operated by hermits who prefer the binary world to reality. Completely inaccessible to the masses, the number of microhavens has dwindled over the past few decades. Knowledge is typically passed on by word of mouth, often manipulated and half told. These oral tales bend history, leading to a variety of tribalistic cultures, often zealous in their beliefs. Only those who left 200 years ago have an accurate historical log, and even then, it is only accurate up to the Exodus. Confusion and misinformation reign.

Gradually, the world is recovering. At long last, the soil scrubbers have begun to have a real and long-term effect, and crops are able to grow again. The past generations have faced starvation, violence, and other horrors. Hardened and stoic survivors emerge from this prolonged period of misery. In The Resurgence, each group’s knowledge of history varies greatly. The Reclaimers have pieces of (often contradictory) historical data, but not enough to put together the whole picture. The Drifters’ education is brief, focused more on warfare and ancestry than history. Some Staker communities take various religious texts as fact, while others forsake the written word altogether. Stitcher overseers might have witnessed the Exodus and the Big Push firsthand from their lairs, but their memories are clouded by psychosis. Even those with concrete knowledge often choose to withhold it to suit their agendas. Essentially, the past 200 years are a near-universal blank.


Merika MAP


LOCALES

The Resurgence isn’t just about what has happened, but where it happened too. From the Washed Coast to the Glades, from the skeletal towers of Man Hadden to the colorful and chaotic sprawl of Esperanza, the towns and cities that make up the small pockets of humanity make up the character of the world. We’re just going to focus on the Shattered States of Merika for now, but eventually we’ll be doing almenacs for Sino-Russia, Nu Rain, the Glass Lands, the African Union States, the Corpse Cities, and the Japanese Ghost Isles when we find the time, and assuming that our couriers make it back in one piece. ~Exerpts from Duster’s Almanack Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

Ashvil Tucked away on the eastern coastline of the continent, mountains surround Ashvil: but the city itself sits in a sort of bowl-shaped depression, carpeted with a patchwork of farmland and deciduous forest. Prior to the Exodus, severe rockslides on roads leading into the city regularly made the city completely inaccessible to surface traffic.

After the Exodus, a plan was quickly set into motion. The main highways into town were blocked off with a few well-placed explosive detonations. Thus, Ashvil was quickly isolated from the outside desperation and despair. With the roads blocked, there was absolutely no way for the culling gangs or even the RSA forces to easily access the town. Few even knew that in the secluded valley, a vital and thriving community flourished. Atlanta Long overgrown, the ruins of metropolitan Atlanta stretch for dozens of miles in every direction. Most of the extant city consists of dilapidated low-rises, warehouses, and clusters of skeletonized skyscrapers.

Largely deserted, the area plays host to the occasional clash between roving scavengers. Trade routes mostly avoid Atlanta, as its dense urban sprawl provides far too many opportunities for


ambush, and offers little readily available salvage, having been picked clean generations ago. Camp Tulsa During the Reunification Wars, and the ‘Push, Tulsa was the seat of the Reunification Government.

Camp Tulsa was once a city in ancient times, but is now simply the remnants of a rather massive military base. After the Exodus, Camp Tulsa became home to the largest military brigade in the RSA. Now, the camp is little more than a dusty series of abandoned buildings. Camp Tulsa was made up of several barracks, mess halls, training grounds, and shooting ranges, all built and maintained to help RSA soldiers become a better militia. The now half-buried camp is very drab in appearance; dust and sand has thickly covered the remains of the buildings, which were painted in every shade of grey imaginable. The plain, nondescript architecture was designed for modular and quick construction, for brutal efficiency rather than beauty. Coal City As the name implies, Coal City (also known as the CC, Two C town, or Toosie Town) is a sooty, grimy place. There are several brown coal mines nearby, and Coal City is a central hub for trading

and commerce in the area. Pictographic warnings regarding fire and explosives are spread all over the town. Most trade comes from the Northwest, so the town bazaar has been erected in that direction. In the center of town, coaldriven blacksmiths forge goods for trade that will accompany the coal caravans. When the coal comes in from the mines it is traded for food, which, along with sundry goods, is bartered for with the caravans. Coal City miners are notorious for their heavy drinking; it’s rare that a night will go by without at least one massive brawl over mining quotas, or simply because a woman from one mining crew looked cock-eyed at a guy from another. Defiance Defiance is a haven for those who seek more security in their lives than is readily available in the Great Plains, but without the puritanical bent that many communities have.

The town has a reputation for a certain level of lawlessness; local Orderbringers are known to turn a blind eye to the many illicit ventures of the town, so long Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

as their palms are sufficiently greased. While Defiance hasn’t completely dissolved into anarchy, it does have its share of narco-cafes, whorehouses, backyard distilleries, and gambling dens. The town is also known for its Glutton junkies, who will oftentimes be seen on the outskirts of town, laying in a false-food induced coma. For all its unseemliness, the Orderbringers of Defiance are constantly patrolling the town’s borders and are quick to put down any perceived threats. A large, sturdy building that was once was a dog food plant has become the town’s slaughterhouse. Cattle and meat are Defiance’s main import and export, although many visiting herdsmen gamble or drink their earnings away, or spend it on Glutton. As a small hub for caravans, Defiance is poised to grow and perhaps flourish in the coming years. Esperanza AKA Hope City Ciudad de la Esperanza (Hope City) is one of the only places in Year Zero that has a political structure.

Gangs essentially form the military wing of the political apparatus, armed and funded by the city’s various powers, using plausible deniability to have these gangs carry out their will.

This isn’t to say that there isn’t an underclass existing within Esperanza, but compared to the rest of Merika, even the destitute of the city are well off by nearly all other standards.

Hope City is walled, and has been isolationist since before the Dark Greenville Times. Immediately following the Green River is a slow moving tributary Exodus, a rallying cry was put out of the Ohio River, in the area formerly that those without a place to go, who known as Kentucky. The spacious, wanted to work together should come riverside town of Greenville was once a to Esperanza, or, as it was called, ‘The peaceful community, however, the power Last Hope’. Thousands of refugees vacuum created by the Exodus changed poured in, some traveling from as far all of that. away as Beijing and Karachi. This migration into Mexico had been ongoing After the Exodus two ships appeared on for nearly a century, but at far lower the river, each commanded by a warlord, levels than those following the Exodus one from the north and one from the and into the dawn of the Big Push. south. They pillaged and burnt as they traveled along the river and met on Esperanza benefited greatly from the the shores of Greenville. The details early years of the Big Push, albeit of this long, bloody conflict are lost to indirectly. The Reunification Wars saw time. Thus was the council of the Green clashes between Esperanza and RSA River Warlords born and baptized by Coalition forces, in what were the former fire. Today, there are six warlords in states of Mexico and the US. Deserters Greenville, each delicately balancing and those who remained when the their power on the tip of a sword. Coalition forces withdrew were invited to join Esperanza as equals, if they would As the Big Push began to the west, pledge their allegiance to the newly lawlessness pervaded the Ohio River formed city-state. Valley. The vast wealth of the river and its surrounding villages brought Few refused, and Esperanza quickly pirates and brigands out in force. They became one of the most diverse world would meet upon the outskirts of town, cities left largely intact. and fight over the right to sack it. This tradition carried the battle to other Over a century of isolation has led to the villages and towns. The constant influx formation of many political coalitions of river pirates and their meetings on the within the walled city, most based on gritty embankment outside of Greenville ideological or economic interests. made it a destination for the waterlogged raiders who would constantly vie for While there is nearly no external dominance over it. Thus the town trade, there is huge amount of interbecame a haven for the river pirates and neighborhood trade that occurs. Most their ilk, along with less than reputable areas of the city are largely self-sufficient, traders from all over the valley and the so much of the trade is characterized by eastern coast. desire rather than necessity. Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

Since The Resurgence, things have quieted substantially between the Warlords and the infighting more subtle. While the original Warlords are long dead, those who remain can all trace their lineage back to one of the original four outfits. This wary truce hinges on a number of small pacts, with a two warlords at a time leaving Greenville to perform raids up and down the river while the remaining four hold the town. The raiders take a larger force with them than is within the walls, the theory being that if they were ever barred reentry they could take back Greenville by force.

brutal to those in this area for the last century, and it was only through cooperation that Detroit remained standing. A huge wall still surrounds most of the city; Security forces have orders to shoot anyone attempting to enter the city anyplace other than its main gates.

The combined energies of so many different groups have helped Gunmetal flourish and become a large Midwestern trading hub. The population fluctuates greatly depending on the season, but upwards of 250,000 people call Gunmetal home, mostly gathered at the riverfront. For a few weeks at peak trading season Gunmetal the city hosts close to half a million. The people of the city formerly known Gunmetal’s industriousness has led to as Detroit know all about coaxing its population retrofitting several of the barren, despoiled land into harvest, a dormant factories to produce a variety of talent which grows out of a long tradition items for trade, from break-action survival of city farms that started in the early 21 st rifles to fully automatic belt-fed machine century. It’s unsurprising that the waves guns. These firearms are well known of pollution during the Big Push troubled across the continent, and the city is named them less than other communities. after them. Gunmetal traders take pains to only trade with ‘honest’ communities, Refugees from all over the country and will only allow their weapons to be trickled into Gunmetal after the Big used for defense and protection. Despite Push, and it had remained relatively this, some of these firearms still inevitably unscathed through the Dark Times. The end up in the hands of a few Drifter tribes Raiders of the North were particularly to the west.


Gunmetal may well be the best-fortified community in the Midwest, with a defensive perimeter that surrounds most of its farmland and the entirety of its urban center. Numerous bombardments and attacks have failed, and would-be invaders quickly realize that a siege is nearly impossible, due to the city’s ability to sustain itself agriculturally. Houston Houston was already booming when the groundwork for the Exodus began. Its aeronautics and space travel industry, coupled with a large technological sector, made it the ideal staging ground for the massive endeavor. Once the plan for the Exodus was unveiled, the city swelled with engineers and scientists seeking newly created jobs.

inter-Reclaimer trench war that spanned several years. Much of the bitterness from these battles still remains. Mekka Located in the skeletal remains of Denver, Mekka is the Reclaimers’ largest Data Haven. Here, the skyscrapers that dotted the Denver skyline have all been melded into a central structure. Originally this stopgap was meant to keep deteriorating buildings from collapsing, but as the Data Haven grew, the buildings moved closer and closer together until there was essentially one large mass.

Many of Mekka’s bridges and central buildings have been rebuilt and new buildings have been added, using materials stripped from the onceHouston was one of the first to crumble sprawling metropolitan area. What and be retaken by nature after the was once Denver is now a labyrinth of Exodus: the lack of an organized research labs, data centers and medical government or system of public works facilities. From within the secure walls of meant that the city was quickly devoured Mekka, Reclaimers run about tending to by swampland from the inside out. It their creations. In fact, the reclamation took only a few decades for Houston to be of the city was so successful that it has overtaken by Mother Nature, with most served as a model for all the Data Havens of its inhabitants moving to cities that and Servers built since. were a larger part of the Big Push. Reclaimers attempt a pilgrimage to Oklahoma Scraps E-Waste Site the hub at least once in their lifetimes Oklahoma Scraps is one of the largest to add their collected knowledge to technological digs in post-Exodus the central archive. While Raleigh is Merika. As such, it is also the site of more academic in nature, Mekka is the years-long battles between Reclaimer largest collection of working pre-Exodus sects, as well as the incursions of random technology in Merika. traders and scavengers. In ancient times, this area which stretched an expansive Most people of Mekka seek the distance had been a dumping ground for information they need to rebuild lost technological material for many years technologies. Others attempt to create prior to the Exodus. Slates, tablets, new designs based on long-lost relics. scrolls, and myriad electronics were laid to rest here. At the peak of its excavation, various Reclaimer sects sent forces to protect their workers, leading to an Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

Old New York The ruins of New York consist of two populated sections: Brook Line and Mad Hadden. Brook Line Thanks to the rise in sea level and the crippling frequency of coastal storms, the Big Apple is now mostly underwater wasteland. The skeletons of skyscrapers jut out of the water, but at street level the city is mostly uninhabitable. Throughout the city, the walls are crumbling, floors are burnt out, and vines climb the buildings, foliage bursting through long ago shattered windows. Salt water has eroded the foundations of these ancient towers. Yet one area, Brook Line, has been undergoing a constant salvaging operation by an extremely territorial groups of Caravaneers for a generation. A permanent flotilla city, fashioned from found materials, has sprung up. This flotilla has become the center for risky trade and vice on the eastern seaboard. The easy pickings and vacuum of population in the area have led to rival Caravaneer factions, some little more than gangs. Each crew specializes in various salvage operations (below-


surface scuba, high-rise spelunking, and so forth). Clashes between groups can be prolonged and brutal, as grudges can often last until one group is completely decimated or absorbed by the other. Some of these trade wars have been going on for the better part of a century, even before Brook Line was established as a den of iniquity. Man Hadden In Man Hadden, the ancient city center, several hundred of the Pre-Exodus old world’s powerful live in surprising luxury, in what remains of about a mile of interconnected skyscrapers. These buildings overlook a large Central Dock, where a small, bustling market has been established, with all trade coming and going by waterway. This small (but extremely wealthy) area of the city has canals that resemble ancient Venice on ground level, with the skyscrapers jutting into the clouds. Most travel up-town (in other words, up, literally) happens via jury-rigged bridges hundreds of feet in the air. The inhabitants of this living area of the city employ hundreds of workers to maintain the structures; underwater welders, laborers,

and constructionists all call the Man Haddenites their bosses. The inhabitants also maintain a vigilant security force to repel any who would attempt to take their wealth away from them.

who are isolationist even by usual Stitcher standards. They work in relative peace and quiet on a variety of projects, which is unusual for the typically narcissistic bunch.

Extravagant parties, including all Carefully distributed maps fuel the myth manner of art, orgies, and death sports that Phoenix is an oasis, full of salvageable occur in open air platforms which treasure for those willing to make the trek serve as entertainment centers for the through the punishing desert. This legend wealthy elite. These socialites are provides a steady stream of victims for the vaguely aware of a world outside of Man Cabal of Stitchers. Hadden, but they don’t acknowledge it very frequently, nor do they need to. Raleigh Man Hadden’s outer buildings all Before the Exodus, Raleigh and the have retrofitted turrets jutting from internationally renowned Research all sides, with wide angles of vision. Triangle experienced a significant The nearby skyscrapers have all been population boom, thanks to the high demolished, giving nearly a half mile tech nature of the local economy. The in all directions of nothing but open area was home to one of the largest water. This makes approach clear to launches for government officials, due these guard posts, and raiding extremely to its relative proximity to Washington difficult. The last successful assault on D.C. After the Exodus, Reclaimers Man Hadden occurred when a clever from all over the East coast converged group of Reclaimers entered the docks on Raleigh, and it became one of the in a submersible boat, leading the Man largest, though relatively inconspicuous, Haddenites to mine some of the lower Reclaimer settlements for nearly a areas of the approaches. thousand miles– and home to one of the continent’s few functioning Data Havens. Some call the area (and its inhabitants) “Mad Havin” as a slur. After centuries of The heavily fortified, walled settlement living in excess, the term may not be all is surrounded by barbed wire and that far off the mark. land mines. Reclaimers here consider themselves defenders of knowledge and they guard their data haven and its Phoenix infrastructure viciously. They are even Most of Phoenix is a ghost town, reduced known to attack settlements that spring to rubble; the skeletal remains of a up “too close” to their trove. handful of skyscrapers jutting out of the sand. The area is constantly hit with sandstorms and is on the verge of being Redding overtaken by the desert. Redding is the Washed Coast’s bustling trading hub, built high in the trees with The interiors of these centralized many ballistas and guards watching the structures hold a hidden labyrinth that approaches. Mostly lower technology houses a large community of Stitchers– is traded here, as well as herbs and several hundred, including support staff– other medicinal supplies. Occasionally Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

something unfamiliar will turn up, Seattle and the locals will usually get rid of Another aeronautics and technology it for a pittance, so there is a constant center, Seattle experienced a similar small Reclaimer presence here. Drifters rise and fall to that of Houston. occasionally raid the outskirts, and many However, Seattle has seen just as much, Staker communities have been built in if not more, of nature’s encroachment. and around this vibrant forest. Rising sea levels meant a sea wall that required constant maintenance. Prior The trading route between scrappers to the Exodus the people of Seattle coming from Seattle and Redding is busy, were vigilant enough to keep the city and the long route to Switch City is a apart from the growing sea floor, but well-traveled one. the sea wall collapsed in the first years following the Exodus. Those that remained dispersed to the surrounding Rust communities. Now, little remains Rust is a settlement along the polluted of Seattle that hasn’t been re-taken banks of Lake Erie. Founded in a vast completely by nature. industrial complex filled with junked vehicles and machine parts, Rust sits in the shadow of Buffalo’s skyline. The Scrapyard townspeople wear heavy leather clothes Scrapyard, as its name implies, is a vast at all times to protect themselves from junkyard of useful (or useless, depending the jagged edges filling their junkyard on who you ask) parts. The residents of home. Because their land and main water Scrapyard make a living repurposing scrap supply are poisonous, Rust depends on material into goods and equipment, and trade to survive. Thus they are relatively are authorities on the utility of random open for a walled community, but only to bits and pieces that most can’t make heads Caravan traffic. Otherwise, outsiders are or tails of. There is a large trading center turned away almost without exception, outside of the walled town, with heavily and on the rare occasion when they do armed and armored watch towers set up let a stranger in, the welcome rarely lasts to create a kill zone for any for any who the night. disobey the town’s strict trading practices. Junk traders from near and far bring their odds and ends to Scrapyard to unload for Saturnalia more “useful junk.” Saturnalia was named during the space race years immediately prior to the Exodus, as a tribute to the technological Somerset marvels of humanity’s journeys to the In Somerset, the strictly enforced stars. Numerous tributes and statues were laws of the settlement carry draconian erected to leave a reminder on what was punishments. Smaller infractions, such supposed to be an empty and deserted as insubordination, are punished by planet. The current reality, however, is amputation of anything from a finger a bitter reminder to the residents of this to entire limbs. The worst offenders are small and humble town. sentenced to a closed-door execution that leaves behind only the husk of the person. Punishments even worse than death are quietly whispered among the townspeople. Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

Despite being this totalitarian system, Somerset still offers benefits for those who settle there. First, it is next to a huge man-made lake, which served as a reservoir during the Dark Times. Even now, water is one of the town’s chief exports. Somerset also has a working oil well and refinery, so it is extremely self-sufficient; there are many rooftop gardens, and buildings use solar or even gas-fueled generators to provide power.

small city is built on the premise of a fast buck, and was fairly glamorous for post-Exodus Merika even as the Dark Times approached, at least for those with accrued wealth. More than other cities, the inhabitants of SonoTrader are sharply divided by class. The exclusive Uptown is home to the best clubs, stores and the homes of the powerful. However, Downtown Sono-T is a decrepit slum, where only the tough or cunning survive for long.

Due to the accessibility of oil and water, commerce thrives in Somerset. Black Throughout its long and storied history, gold provides the town with a steady flow SonoTrader has had no leaders or of trade in and out of the region. The government officials, only merchants and city is also home to a small trade mall, businesses. As such there are no laws; the and several hostels and inns. Most of larger and more influential businesses these businesses, as well as many bars and impose their will on less powerful ones hotels, are located along a road called using financial incentives and occasional Highway 27, which is one of the longest violence. Merchants sometimes remaining pre-Exodus roads in existence. collaborate in an attempt to gain a stable power base. However, these mergers are Industry is another major component of often short lived, as rivalries over profit Somerset’s economy. The city is home and customer base inevitably crop up. to an ancient pre-Exodus underground SonoTrader is well known for its amoral technological complex, with various trading practices, its trade in humans, elements of production that go towards and as a hub for the bounty hunters. whatever projects the Seraphim dictates as necessary. Excess goods go straight to the market, funding a complicated web Switch City / “the Switch” of projects to pay the loyal subordinates Switch City, once known as Chicago, of the town’s mysterious leader. is Merika’s largest trading hub and 2 nd largest city. The population fluctuates, but the average is somewhere around SonoTrader Village 350,000 people. Just about any item Situated on one of the major trade roads known to post-Exodus humanity can be of The Wilds, SonoTrader Village is found within the walls of the Switch, made up of vast rows of tents, small although rarities are usually beyond most stands, and shacks built of sheet metal, budgets. Within the gates one can find a with narrow streets running up and down constant influx of traders and caravans each side of the battered walkways of with a multitude of interests, as well as a what was once a national park. variety of merchants and those trying to increase their fortunes. After the ‘Push started, SonoTrader became home to a multitude of There are few laws here, but they are merchants, who enjoyed the lack of strictly enforced. Death is the most regulation that the town offered. The common punishment. However, if you Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

have the goods to bribe the security forces jutting out of it, TenPike sits on a major and the magistrates, you may be able crossroads of what was once an interstate to pay off your crime. Just make sure to highway, but it’s been centuries since do so before the Hunters find you and vehicles regularly traveled it. Today, claim their bounty. The security forces ox-carts and pack boars are the main themselves have jurisdiction only within means of transporting goods through the the city limits. However, for a large town, which is thriving by 26 th century bounty, the hunters will travel hundreds standards. The town consists mainly of of miles to get their man. More than ramshackle huts constructed from scrap one unscrupulous merchant has found metal, hammered roadway signs, and themselves on the run after attempting caked with mud for insulation. to cheat fate (or possibly their customers) within the walls of the Switch. TooSon The open-air markets of Switch City hum TooSon is an expansive ghost town with with life (and sometimes electricity) all a rich history. After the Exodus, TooSon day and night. In some places the stalls swelled in size. Thousands arrived within stretch for miles, and all manner of months, fleeing from the culling gangs goods and services can be found within and chaos that existed outside of most them. Some of the more illicit items may major population centers. require bribes to the security forces and the city council to procure, but the price is small compared to the large profit that The agreements that ended the Reunification Wars were signed here, can be made in these gray markets. and came to be known as the TooSon Accords. The treaty created the fledgling Big Push government, and laid the TenPike ground rules for treatment of non TenPike is the epitome of a small military citizens as well as prisoners and Resurgence town. A trading hub, built refugees; it also established a hands-off on a large hill with a concrete ramp approach to relations with Esperanza. Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

Toronto Toronto underwent a great deal of strife and violence after the Exodus. Most of the current population can trace their ancestry back to the few who managed to elude harm by escaping land and living on a large flotilla several miles offshore. They maintained a small military fleet and a civilian government, which worked in tandem to serve the needs of the citizens of the Lake Flotilla. Meanwhile, Toronto burned.

After nearly a century at sea, the overcrowded flotilla, which had been trading with Detroit for firearms in exchange for filtered water, returned to land. They cleared out the petty warlords that had established themselves on the shores of the Lake. A brief exchange, led by the flotilla’s missile ships, cleared the Toronto Harbor and the inhabitants returned to dry land for the first time in generations. Within a year they had retaken the majority of the city, thanks to their highly advanced technology, their access to weapons from Gunmetal, and their fresh water supplies. Toronto maintains one of the largest navies in the region. While there are some conflicts between the Great


Lakes city-states, they are typically limited to small skirmishes. The cities still openly trade with one another. Toronto’s Coastal Defense Force clashes occasionally with Gun Metal and Switch City, but their main focus is keeping the lakes free from pirates. Toronto’s major exports are peat and natural gas, which are sent down-lake either to Gunmetal in exchange for machinery and weapons, or to Switch City for raw steel or other trade goods. Uranium Springs The scorched town of Uranium Springs sits just off what was once the historic Route 66 in northern Arizona.

Originally built around a giant freshwater outlet, tradition states that Uranium Springs was the target of several suitcase nukes at the end of the Reunification Wars because the populace had barricaded the town and refused to recognize the interim government. Now Uranium Springs is a refuge for nomads, scavengers, and lowlifes seeking a cool glass of water and a rest from the road. It is lawless and isolated.

The availability of water, coupled with the irradiated environment, make the town a magnet for cults of all shapes and sizes, especially those who worship technology, radiation, death, decay, and so forth. A cult called the Isotopes is based in Uranium Springs. They worship the radiation within the surrounding areas. Their rituals eat away at their bodies and minds; like the ancient renaissance painters, they have been driven mad by the tools of their trade. The population is an interesting hodgepodge of various groups and interests. There are still a handful of “regular” folk who call Uranium Springs home. These townspeople take regular anti-radiation meds. Some study the physical effects of radiation, although the purpose varies greatly, as some follow humanitarian impulses while others have more nefarious purposes. Then, there are the cults, which regularly hold holidays to honor various oddities. Finally, there is a criminal element. Uranium Springs has an extensive underworld network; many flee there to hide from prying eyes or slip through the cracks, hoping that


the bounty hunters who are chasing them will overlook this desolate, hidden place. The town’s major exports are homemade trinkets and irradiated water sold far and wide as a miracle cure by snake oil peddlers as “a cure for what ails you.” Victoria A gigantic arthrofarm can be found in what’s left of Victoria, in the former British Columbia. This community breeds various species of bugs, and the facility is known not only for its food production, but also for the highgrade chitin-based composite material similar to automotive fiberglass that they produce. The Wilds The Wilds are the wide-open plains of the Merikan Midwest, the areas in between scattered towns and city-states where there can be no guarantee of safety. This vast expanse is home to the Drifters, Stakers, and all manner of wildlife. The Wilds also house some

of the largest remaining pre-Exodus Nearly all trade routes from the old weapons caches, missile bases, army east to the new west travel through barracks, and thus a lot of unclaimed Old Yellowstone, simply because there Tech. Small towns and trading posts are isn’t much else around, which suits the scattered throughout. Those who live in inhabitants of Yellowstone just fine. The Wilds tend to view the city-states They are a proudly isolationist town, with distain and prefer the frontier way of welcoming the goods that outsiders bring life. This is also where the vast majority but not the outsiders themselves. of Tribals and Warlords can be found. Their simple means of survival has allowed them to thrive, and the Yellowstone town now houses of several thousand The town of Yellowstone stands on tall, inhabitants. Naturally this wealth makes swaying posts, so as to withstand the them a desirable target for pillage, rare but severe earthquakes that have, but as the great Drifter tribe “the over time, leveled almost everything else Plainstalkers” learned the hard way, within hundreds of miles. Yellowstone’s stilted existence protects it from more than just earthquakes. The Some traders whisper that the land Plainstalkers laid siege to Yellowstone is cursed, and that the people of almost a generation ago, and are Yellowstone must have struck an unholy still recovering from the loss. Nearly deal to stay standing in this forsaken 1000 Drifters perished in the assault, place. The truth is much simpler: the cementing Yellowstone’s legendary status hot springs and geysers below power as the impregnable fortress of The Wilds. the town, and allow for technological advancement beyond what would generally be available to a town this far out from civilization. Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

Community With the Dark Times past, the worst may be over, but the world of The Resurgence remains a bleak and desperate place haunted by a tortured history of neglect, abuse, and betrayal. The feral and uncivilized Earth is horrifically scarred. Cities that once housed millions sit desolate, empty: vast tombs of the past. Pollution chokes once-thriving waterways and festers in toxic swamplands. The monuments of humanity’s progress lies strewn about the planet, rotting like fallen trees in the forest. Yet at long last, survivors can detect a glimmer of genuine hope. In some places, plants have begun growing on their own, crops can be managed stably, and forests regenerate themselves. Wild animals once again hunt and graze on the open plains. Slowly, the world has started to heal itself. After centuries of decline, the population is once again expanding. The small and terrified bands of survivors have grown both in size and ambition. Now, in The Resurgence, these communities are reaching out to the world with a renewed, if tentative, confidence. Trade has resumed, and communities that were destitute mere generations ago now feel the unfamiliar prodding of pioneer ambition, to revitalize the earth with their own sweat.


WHAT IS A COMMUNITY? be created, the condition and abilities of A community is an assemblage of people those Characters, their access to training, who are united by common ideology, by gear and equipment, and their capacity shared goals, or simply by the need for for personal advancement. security and survival. Some communities are large enough to have developed To advance, Characters will work on sophisticated social networks, while oth- building up their communities and ers are little more than a single extended pooling efforts towards something family chain. During The Resurgence, called “Resource Units” (or “RUs”). communities have emerged in a variety Both survival and advancement require of shapes, from hidden cults, to trade ambitious measures of work and strug villages, or in rare circumstances, a gle, and these trials should compose the modest cityscape. drama of your narrative.

While the Exodus created a tremendous void, the subsequent collapse also resulted in the renewed valuation of community, as well as the re-valuation of their individual constituents. Thus there are striking differences between the understanding of culture and community 21st century and that of the 26 th. In The Resurgence, people matter more, and a community and its constituents share a symbiotic relationship rather than a parasitic one. In The Resurgence, it’s hard to imagine life without Community. Characters would be left to wander the perilous wastes alone in search of scrap and shelter. The dangers of solitary travel make banishment tantamount to execution, and most communities reserve this punishment for only the most unforgivable transgressions.

The collective efforts of the Community are measured in this abstract form of capital that Resource Units represent. RESOURCE UNITS Resource Units (RUs) represent both abstract social currency and tangible currency in Wreck Age. RUs can be acquired through work, trade, scavenging, or more aggressively through violence and direct conflict. Resource Units are the building blocks of Community, used to create and maintain a populace, and acquire machinery, infrastructure, weaponry, and armor.

Even relatively well-established communities often find themselves on the razor’s edge, and may come to rely upon individuals such as your Characters for protection, sustenance, and all manner of support. The adventures of each Character will reflect on their Community in COMMUNITY FUNCTIONS both tangible and intangible ways. Thus The Community is the single most imeach encounter might help Characters portant and defining facet of Character generate (earn, steal, discover, pillage) creation, as Characters emerge directly Resource Units, but that experience will from the possibilities offered by their reonly be absorbed into the Community spective Communities. These tightly knit and, in turn, improve the weaponry, enclaves form the framework for both the renown, technology, skill, and training moral and the ideological composition of those Characters can access. Conversely, Characters. This may be a new concept to repeated failures by Characters can have seasoned gamers. A player’s Community a catastrophic impact on the Community will determine how many Characters can from which they hail. Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

Players can spend Resource Units in A player who prefers a small, technoseveral different ways: to improve their logically advanced community might Community, to generate additional new find Reclaimers or Stitchmen appealing, Characters from within that Community, while those who prefer a can-do frontier or to augment and advance existing Char- spirit may be drawn to the Stakers. A rovacters through training or equipment. ing band of marauders would generally be Each option has its merits and pitfalls; considered Drifters, while a more cultish players must make strategic decisions group might fall under the umbrella of based on the welfare of the Community The Vale or the Church of Fun. Finally, and the situation in play. those who prefer an organized force with access to pre-Exodus technology and Players can earn Resource Units for their intelligence might choose the ARHK or communities through their adventures. Unicephalon. Each faction has its own Scenarios or Narrators will determine the unique motivation and spirit, as well as a number of RUs at stake, as well as how storied past and background for players they can be won, harvested, stolen, pilto build on. fered, or otherwise acquired. Make sure to record all Resource Units gained or Below, we have included some additional lost at the end of each session. The rela prompts to help you determine the type tive RU costs for Community advanceof Community that you would like to ment and Character creation are outlined create. in later chapters. Community Beliefs and Motivations CREATING A COMMUNITY One of the central tenets of a Commu The first step towards creating a Commu- nity is what creed or dogma they follow. nity is determining what sort of gaming This can be surprisingly difficult to experience you want to have. imagine in a vacuum; a good starting point would be to consider the general If you are playing the tabletop game, you relationship between this Community can create this Community entirely on and its immediate surroundings. your own or choose a pre-made commuConsider if the Community is: nity. For a narrative game, the players will generally be coming from the same - Civilized / Progressive / Barbaric Community, so cooperation will be required. In some cases the Narrator will - Peaceful / Proud / Violent - Secular / Religious / Superstitious create the Community for you, or use a - Ordered / Chaotic pre-made Community. Of course, none - Resourceful / Disorganized / Shabby of the Communities that we provide are - Insular / Survivalist / Expansionist set in stone, they are templates that you should feel free to make your own. While these core values or traits don’t necessarily affect game play in a specific In order to create a Community, the way, they provide a template for the shape player(s) should have a general idea of your Community will eventually take. the style that they would like to play. It may help to consider the basic ComEach of these foundational traits could munity types in Wreck Age: Stakers, potentially describe any of the factions Drifters, Reclaimers, Stitchmen, the described in this book, so you will want ARHK, Church of Fun, Unicephalon, to expand and elaborate on them. and The Vale. Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

Ideally, the consideration of these prompts should evolve into a storied background and context for your Community and its Characters.

COMMUNITY NAME To complete the creation of your community, we now come to what is often the most rewarding step in the process. Its now time to select the name of your com After considering a Community’s basic munity. The name of a Community can disposition, it’s time to examine that say a lot about the content of its CharCommunity’s motivation. What do they acters. However, don’t feel restricted by to accomplish? Are they in search of naming conventions. For those who have fortune? Security, safety, and comfort? a hard time with naming, we recomDo they seek knowledge, and if so, of mend a quick perusal of your thesaurus. what? Do the members of your ComLikewise, we often look at contemporary munity want to wage unending war to maps to find rich, suggestive, and even appease their gods, or do they desperately peculiar places in the real world that covet some long lost object? Sometimes seem easily adaptable to The Resurgence. these choices can be obvious. Reclaimers, for example, are generally motivated by the quest for technology. However these motivations are open to interpretation; you may choose whatever motivations for a Community that you desire.

If you find this challenging, we encourage you reverse the perspective and to consider your Community’s natural enemies.


STAKERS Stakers seem to live a simple, drab existence. They derive remarkable resilience from their lands and beliefs, defending what is theirs at all costs. Despite their stubborn refusal to accept the world’s perception of them, there is no denying the bond that evolves between those who claim stewardship over a plot of land and build their homes and lives upon it.

Malingerers are sharply chastised, and at times, even ejected from the community. However, Stakers are also beholden to ancient familial customs, which may require them to accept the laziness of those among them if they have powerful relatives or family lines. Of course, if even these Stakers test the patience of their community too frequently, they may find themselves in exile, a dire predicament when so much of their character is tied to their homestead.

Born into settlements focused on pragmatic survival, working the land is the Stakers’ calling. Stakers build and Stakers are quite culturally diverse and create; that is what defines their way of rarely identify as such, preferring to call life. They come from all walks of life, themselves after their place of origin or but despite this diversity, an indomitable primary occupation: Pikers if they are belief in cooperation from TenPike, or Rookerites if they hail and community from Rookery. They are very internally binds them focused, having little concern for those together. outside their walls. As such, they feel Stakers little obligation to assist their neighbors are hardin times of distress, and are content working to develop their own unique religious people. beliefs, social structures, and traditions. During the Dark Times, it became necessary to make a series of excruciating decisions. Stakers pass down stories of these difficulties from parent to child, in the hope that the same mistakes won’t be repeated by future generations. Depending on ideology and happenstance, Stakers live somewhere between threadbare post-collapse existence and varying levels of utilitarian technology. Their tech is a hodgepodge of sustainable resources, salvaged materials, and creative ingenuity. Having lived for generations on the brink of collapse, Stakers focus heavily on sustainability. Their devices are typically powered by solar panels, hydroelectric Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

generators, wind turbines, bio-fuel, and, rarely, fusion generators. Some larger communities have vehicles and refueling stations. Smaller communities may be powered by bicycle driven generators or even hand-cranked machines. Beyond the fundamental skill set specific to each community, Stakers will rarely have experience with tech that exists outside of their ‘stead. A Gearhead from one Staker community may understand quantum physics, the principles of Faster Than Light travel, and how to repair a fission generator, while another may only understand Old Tech machines like bikes, internal combustion engines, trip alarms, and gunsmithing. The skills that the members of each community have are dependent largely on their individual circumstance. Maintaining a utilitarian approach to armaments, crucial for survival, Stakers quite literally cling to their guns. The Resurgence of the natural world has done little to lessen the depravity of those who would wish to harm their communities. Furthermore, they know that in the event of an attack it is unlikely that anyone will come to their aid. Thus, Stakers are highly trained in selfdefense and carry personal weapons almost constantly. Children drill in basic combat and simple blade work from an early age, before moving on to ranged weapons, usually some variety of rifle. Wary of sudden attacks, Stakers tirelessly maintain their guns. While they may have access to other types of weaponry, almost every Staker community keep a significant store of rifles and ammunition.


Without each member of the community fulfilling their function, like a part of some great churning machine, the Staker way of life would perish. Outriders and Jammers patrol the outskirts of the ‘stead looking for suspicious activity or intruders. Field hands watch over the precious herds and crop fields. Sappers mine and lay defensive positions. Gearheads maintain all of the equipment and machinery. Together, these individuals prevent their homes from being razed by rampaging marauders or from being decimated by draught, or weather conditions.

DRIFTERS

“Might makes right, and the mightier you are the more right you are.”

-Killer Kowalski, First Chieftain of the Iron Bars Tribe The nomadic barbarians called Drifters Drifters see the world as divided are a diverse collection of clans and between the weak and the strong. The tribes who wander the Merikan Wilds, strong take what they need while the attacking stable communities and seeking weak are prey. Rank is determined challenges in battle, prey, and supplies. by warrior prowess and adherence to They have evolved from a massive The Code. Drifters value personal convergence of prison gangs in the final freedom first, and support of the tribe days of the Big Push, into a tightly knit and its traditions second; they view warrior culture of hunters and raiders. everyone outside their culture as either To everyone else, the Drifters are a prey or worthy opponents. The Code’s constant danger, threatening to pour third tenet is “make nothing, take over the land like a plague of insects. everything,” which feeds the Drifters’ Thus, Drifters have named their uncontinuous need for battle and plunder. tested warriors “Locusts,” who swarm Drifters refuse to use technologically the battlefield, overwhelming their foes advanced weapons, which represent the with sheer numbers. evil of their past jailers. Those who do use high technology are loathed, and destroyed whenever the opportunity arises. Drifters are a caste society in which success in battle translates into glory in life and recognition after death. Rank has far more to do with raw ability and ferocity than with plotting and manipulation. Bragging and storytelling are considered natural skills of the warrior: the martial songs they sing, describing feats of valor, will outlive them and cement their position as Honored Ancestors. Accomplishments are tattooed or branded upon the body in symbols common to all the Drifters, with small variations indicating ancestry or specific affiliations. Drifter tribes are loosely territorial towards each other. Some Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

locations and communal meeting places are designated as sacrosanct; they may not be tarnished by bloodshed.

back and “act a Staker,” without engaging the enemy intimately. However, any weapon used in game hunting is acceptable: bows, rifles, and shotguns A common Drifter saying is: “Don’t make are common. One of their more unique it, take it!” They will not personally weapons is the Explodaboar, a trained build or craft anything not meant to boar with shaped charges strapped wage war. Slaves, or those who are not to a special harness and triggered by yet warriors, are used for any other labor. remote. The results can be random and These ancillary members of the tribe devastating. Watching a group of armed don’t have the full protections of The men, aware of the beast’s danger, run for Code, but are still afforded the most basic cover while being chased by the creature of rights under it. is one of the great comedies of Drifter culture. Drifters lead short and violent lives, and as such, have an ingrained relationship The place a Drifter holds in the tribe to their weapons, armor, is as much a part of them as their name and explosives. Energy and the tattoos they wear. The leader of weapons, computers, a tribe is called its Chieftain. They lead nanotech, or any the charge in battle, and are expected to other form of highly put themselves in harm’s way advanced technology rather than lead from the are reviled as tools rear. The Locusts swarm of the weak. over enemies, devouring Weapons that lives, claiming glory, and allow a Drifter taking anything they can to get up close carry. With luck, skill, and personal and ferocity a Locust carry more may one day be called a honor than Berzerker, a warrior of ranged weapons great physical prowess that allow a and unflinching courage, Locust to sit capable of near psychotic levels of violence. The warrior caste is supported by the Beast Handlers, who lead packs of vicious trained animals into battle. Shamans provide healing, spiritual guidance, and cleansing. In addition, they bestow new rank and tattoos to those who have earned them and serve as masters of the slaves and others who are not of the warrior caste. Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

STITCHERS

“This is our world, and only we have the knowledge to rule it, now and forever. These fools grubbing in the dirt should gladly sacrifice themselves for our immortality, and if they do not, we will show them their true purpose.”

-Audio recording recovered in a Houston area hospital, date unknown.

Stitchers (sometimes called Stitchmen) are horrifying, self-serving individuals, and predators of the highest nature. They fear nothing but time and death, which they struggle against with all the fiber of their being. Their eternal quest for immortality has led them to twist their original Hippocratic oath into something grotesque. Through organ harvesting, they are able to extend their lifespan almost indefinitely. In children’s stories, Stitchers are the creatures that go bump in the night, a well-deserved reputation. Stitchers are monstrous in appearance, like patchwork dolls thrown together by sick, demented minds.

Now scattered across the land, Stitchers can trace their origins back to a single Exodus ship filled with medical staff, which malfunctioned and crash landed outside of TooSon. This accident shaped events for centuries to come. Initially, the stranded doctors worked with the local communities, and some were even instrumental in coalescing the Big Push into a populist movement. However, hundreds of years later, Stitchers are warped by narcissism, paranoia and ruthless self-interest; while the archetypical Stitcher has a malicious, vampiric nature, some still choose to work cooperatively with communities, even as they seek to ensure their own survival. Most, however, maintain their own isolated enclaves, ruling through fear-mongering and manipulation. These doctors carefully dole out medical care, bio-engineered enhancements, food, and weapons to those who serve the “master” well. The Stitcher ethos can be summed up quite simply: “Do unto others, before they do unto you.” Backstabbing, murder, and violent coups are all commonplace within their culture. Stitchers are motivated by the quest for everlasting life, and tend to be rife with dementia and psychotic tendencies due to their old age. Their bodies a patchwork of different organs, their brains continue deteriorating as the decades turn to centuries. With medical technology and


a constant supply of fresh organs and tissues, Stitchers extend their lifespans well beyond anything imaginable in the 21st century. However, there are still limitations. The brain cannot be retrofitted or replaced, and will eventually begin to decay, albeit at a greatly decreased rate due to vitamin shots, blood transfusions, and preventative surgeries. As such, encroaching dementia and brain deterioration are among the Stitchers’ deepest fears, reminding them that even though they can cheat death for a period of time, they too are mortal creatures. Stitchers prefer to capture their victims as unharmed as possible, allowing for a much wider use of their vital and valuable organs. They make ample use of tranquilizers and narcotics, which cause no permanent damage to their targets. In the field, small groups set traps or isolate individuals for easy pickings. They utilize primarily non-lethal weaponry, such as Narco Guns, Tranq Rifles, and Net Casters to capture their prey. Stitchers generally operate alone or in very small groups, and are highly distrustful of others, even within their own ranks. Hunters are the most common type of Stitcher to operate in the field, and are the only ones most people will ever meet, (and likely the last they will remember). Their role can vary greatly, from trusted bodyguard, to disposable lackey. The most successful and trusted Hunters will find themselves upgraded with all manner of bio Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

enhancements. Administrators run the day-to-day operations of the cabals, serving a managerial role. Orderlies are the lowest on the totem pole (and may find themselves in the meat grinder if organs are scarce). They handle menial tasks, as well as tending to the various automatons, such as the flesh constructs known as Golems.

RECLAIMERS

“We must use old technology to determine where we as a species went wrong.”

-Parna, the legendary Reclaimer Scrivener, and founder of the Order of Parna

The Order of the Reclamation are devout scavengers of the old world. They are academics, engineers, scientists, and scholars who seek out the remnants of Pre-Collapse civilization, utilizing the data they collect to further their understanding of ancient technology. While not the only ones who attempt to preserve and discover this lost tech, they are by far the most fanatical. They gather these remnants and raw materials in hidden outposts called Data Havens. To the outside observer, Reclaimers are simply a cult with a fanatical hunger for technology. However, within each of their secretive compounds exists a haphazard but technologically advanced mass of drives, servers, and data cables that sort and catalog a tremendous amount of data. Within the chaos lies a complicated structure of order which mirrors the way the organization itself runs. Like an ant colony, every drone, every soldier, has a purpose.

The Reclaimers, while widespread, are few in number. Each flock of Reclaimers will be made up of a number of sects, each competing for ultimate dominance over the group. These sects follow varying doctrines: from the peaceful co-existence that the Parnists espouse, to the military dominance that the Metas (or the MRO) promote. As such, it’s not surprising that the cult is rife with jealousy and bloody strife. This may culminate in a clash over found artifacts, or with accusations of heresy leading to long-term disputes. However, unlike the academics of old, Reclaimers occasionally solve disputes between sects by means of plasma weaponry. These conflicts have led to more than one Data Haven being torched with laser fire, or worse: the ultimate horror of having their servers fried by EMPs. The secretive and heavily protected Root Council leads the Reclaimers. It’s rumored that not all of the Council members are still alive in the flesh and blood sense, but instead are virtual AI backups. Reclaimers work tirelessly throughout their lives, uploading their findings into the servers. The identity of those members lives on after their physical death, through these Avatars. Beneath the Root Council are various divisions, sects, and teams of Reclaimers who make up the organization as a whole. Each serves in some way to support the Order as well as following personal and political agendas. The Reclaimers offer help to many in the wastes. They trade data tablets, renewable energy sources, and electronic guides of various kinds to communities across Mericka . These tablets come with small libraries of literature, as well as basic education programs that allow Stakers, city dwellers, and even the odd wanderer to learn reading, writing and basic science. However, this isn’t done entirely out of the goodness of their


hearts: these seemingly innocuous tablets allow the Reclaimers to gather vast amounts of data. The devices record and periodically transmit data about the lives and movements of those who use them. Through this, the Reclaimers discover many sources of technology they would otherwise miss. If they discover any rumor of ancient tech that interest them, they will send out teams to recover it through barter, and failing that… through force. The Reclaimers revere technology above all else, and will often see the use and creation of technology as a path to reach a higher plane of consciousness. The more advanced technology that one uses, creates, or comprehends, the closer they are to the Celestial Drives. As such, most Reclaimers utilize High Tech weapons in the field. Charger Rifles and Laser weapons are common among these technophiles. To risk death or dismemberment testing out an unproven new technology is seen as brave and deserving of praise, especially those among the war-like zealots of the MRO. They appreciate using mayhem-inducing tech and weapons such as flame casters, and arc disruptors. Most interactions that other groups will have with the Reclaimers are through the lowestranking members, known as the Technocratti, or just Technos. They are the face of the of the Order, trading technology for supplies and info on new sources of ewaste. When on a scavenging mission, the team will usually be led by a Scrivener Cleric. Scriveners are responsible for transcribing data and organizing the vast collections of information in some meaningful way. They also lead battle teams, as they are tougher and more worldly than some of their more academic peers. In addition to the Technos, a combat team will usually have a Server, Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

several Power-Scavs, and possibly a Zealot or two. Servers carry mobile communications devices and are basically long-range radio operators. They serve as the team’s networking hub. Power-Scavs are equipped with specialized excavation devices for cutting through rock, metal, and if need be, bone. Zealots are fanatical devotees of technology willing to risk their lives for the sake of knowledge. They carry the heaviest and most experimental weaponry into combat, and you can sometimes find their remains at the center of a smoking crater should anything go wrong.

THE ARHK

The Autonomous Region of Hong Kong up by the Dockers Guild, who maintain (or simply, the ARHK) see themselves as their prominence through favors for the the only civilized voice left on the planet. various interests in the Spire. As resources Highly industrialized, and in constant are scarce, there are always competitions need of raw materials, they send out for them, but ultimate control lays with expeditionary forces to many corners of the the Board of Corporate Directors. Despite world to find and exploit natural resources, occasional political struggles among the as well as ancient tech. The ARHK Board, their almost complete control over believes that their corporate charter gives their own lives and those of the populace them manifest destiny over anything still assures that they will, in almost every remaining in the world. Though much of case, work together peaceably to maintain the original, ancient under-city is rubble, their power. Blood sports are popular with new foundations have been driven deep management level employees, as is the into the earth, and the floors insulated enjoyment of sex slaves and Virtual Reality against the pollution that could seep into chambers. The working masses have far the populated areas. This building process fewer creature comforts, as most toil perfectly illustrates their ideology as well. through 16-hour shifts, six days a week. From the the top of a silver spire that juts into the clouds, the Board of Directors Since the Spire is so distant, most contact dictates their corporate policy, enforcing it that those in the Merikan Wilds will have with an iron fist that grasps every corner of will be with lower echelons of ARHK the hermetically sealed city of Hong Kong. workers. Assessors, and Auditors maintain Although their reach is still fairly short, order in the field, and head they are currently undertaking a series up expeditionary forces to of vast expansion projects, which would distant lands. Most commonly extend their shareholders’ ownership seen are the Troopers, who are to the remainder of the planet, led by lower-level managers. which they see as rightfully theirs. They are sent out in small squads, known by the ancient term “platoons,” to Colonization and brute force achieve various objectives. are core tenets of the These Troopers will be ARHK’s ideology. When armed with the ubiquitous colonizing an area, carbines that are natives are seen as distinctive and are able either resources or to fill a variety of roles. opponents. Acquiring The platoon may also be slaves can sometimes allocated other weaponry be beneficial, as they depending on its mission. are a source of cheap Although extremely rare on labor, paid only in expeditionary or colonial the most menial levels missions, Human Resources of food. However, may occasionally deploy the main goal of assassins, called Headcleaners, colonization is to bring who will execute anyone resources back to the caught circumventing Spire to maintain the corporate policy. industry there. When these resources make it back to the ARHK, the acquisitions will be divided Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

THE CHURCH OF FUN

“ The world w orld is a nightmare you can’t can’t wake up from. f rom. Your Your body is a prison you can’t escape from. Lives are short, and violent, and full of pain. pain. So why worry about ab out anything?” anything?”

-Vitmas Haze (Church (C hurch Founder) you can take. Your Your eyes glaze over, over, adrenaline flows, and your brain becomes aggressive and hyper-vigilant. hy per-vigilant.

In a world filled with pain and suffering, it’s unsurprising that some people just want to let let loose loose and forget. forget. The Church Church of Fun embraces the idea that while you might live to see tomorrow, it won’t The Church Church itself has a very very loose be pretty, and you won’t won’t be thankful. thank ful. social structure, with each Flock For some, the chemically induced orgy organizing themselves differently. of excess that the Church offers is far Generally, a dominant member leads more enticing than the grim reality of the congregation, supported by various starvation and decay. decay. The The Church Church has Clergy. The Leaders will typically analgesics so powerful, they can shrug call themselves, the Pusher, Doctor, off bullet bul let wounds. wounds. They T hey have adrenaline or Shepherd. Those in supporting injections that give them inhuman roles call themselves priests, monks, strength and laser-like focus. They take ta ke jesters, jesters, or goons. goons. No No matter matter what what they drugs that seem to make time time itself ooze are called, they will isolate themselves like molasses. You never know which from the rest of the Flock. Burners are drug, or combinati combination on of drugs, dr ugs, they took. the Flock’s warriors. Always prepared with an ampl amplee supply supply of of adrenalineReveling in excess, the Church of Fun inducing inducing combat drugs, they willingly seeks to enhance the human experience fry their brains to obtain the superhuman through unimaginable reflexes that they gain from these hedonism. When they chemical chemical cocktails, engaging enemies in discover a stash of food, a frenzy of chemical-induced rage. The they feast and purge and remainder of the flock is made feast again like ancient up of parishioners: the normal Roman emperors. They play members of the Church that cruel jokes on each other and worship worship and do the the necessary everyone else around them. menial menial tasks. task s. In return, they They revel in overwhelmi overwhelming ng receive a steady stream of emotion, testing the limits drugs. Finally, the bottom bottom of man’s capacity for feeling. rung of the Church’s All Al l Flocks have have a battle battle drug, society is made up of referred to as the Red Dose. Addlebrains, also called Depending on who develops Burnouts. These people it, it can transform you are damaged beyond be yond repair repair into a berzerk warrior or and so heavily addicted to an icy, heartless heart less assassin. drugs that they are barely No matter, when the effect functional. They’r They ’ree viewed is the same: your body and treated as a cross between is pushed to its utmost sick family members and stray limits. Every punch is dogs, resignedly cared for the strongest punch one moment, and shooed you can throw. Every Every away with a swift kick step is the quickest the next. Andrzej Probulski Probulski (order #5451458) #5451458)

UNICEPHALON The corporate cor porate monks monk s known k nown as Unicephalon Unicephalon operate from f rom the shadows, using their superior technology to shape current events. Their goal is to bend the course of events to their agenda, which they see as the best way to ensure ensu re the t he sur vival viva l of the human species. They work towards the “Re-Birth”: a complex, covert plan to recreate rec reate culture c ulture,, rebuild reb uild society, and to re-establish a just, verdant verd ant world. Unicephalon uses an intricate and extensive network of traders, transplants, and operatives to obtain information. They often work through diplomatic channels to support leadership that benefits their cause. Unicephalon also engage in sabotage and fosters uprisings against those they view as threatening the t he planet’s welfar wel fare. e. Unicephalon was originally chartered to be a caretaker of earth in the absence of corporate and governmental power after the Great Exodus. They were to determine determine if it would ever become inhabitable again. Over the past two centuries, Unicephalon has gradually and independently determined that its mission should be one of humanitarian welfare, rather than serving ser ving the whims of the elite. In that regard, they are in constant conflict with the ARHK, who have them at a disadvantage in troop numbers they Andrzej Probulski Probulski (order #5451458) #5451458)

can muster. They will work work to sabotage ARHK AR HK operations operations whenever whenever possible, possible, often pinning the blame for that destruction at the feet of un-suspecting locals. This is simple subterfuge. Their list of enemies includes industrialists, and other “dirty tech”-utilizing communities. This can put Unicephal Unicephalon on agents agents at odds with the the general ideol ideolog ogyy of the region in in question. As such, it’s doubly important for agents to operate under the radar, and without without raising raising the suspici suspicion on of the locals. Dressed in common garb, Unicephalon missionaries travel t ravel throughout throughout the populated lands, gathering intel and reporting back to command. However, if necessary, they will engage in subterfuge subterfuge against a gainst targets that are seen as counterproductive to the Re-Birth. These Agents operate operate in small cells, cell s, often just a single individual with an encry encrypted pted network transmitter. They utilize utilize a series series of of safehouses and contacts placed strategical strategically ly throughout major population population centers. centers. Walking through the crowded market streets of a trade hub, chances are you’d pass one of these operatives without ever noticing. But if they needed to find you they would, would, and if they wanted to kill you, it it wouldn’t wouldn’t be particularly challenging for them.

T H E VA L E

“We are all guilty of evil in our lives, but it is not this past that matters. How we create everlasting future future is our our concern. concern. To To achieve achieve this, we we must shed shed this plane, plane, and move move on on to a more true existence.” existence.”

-Vornis, -Vornis, founder f ounder of The T he Vale Vale The members members of the the death cult cult known an extensive series of initiation rites called as The Vale have rejected the premise “Processing.” Because their numbers of life after the Collapse. Instead, Instead, they are sparse, The Vale will avoid battle hold rigid authoritarian beliefs that whene whenever ver possib possible, le, preferr preferring ing subt subterfuge erfuge humanity has run its course, and that and sabotage to confrontation. Often they themselves are the harbingers of the they create a parasitic relationship with “End Times.” Each Vale cell operates an unsuspecting community, posing as independently, and while all Vale sects wandere wanderers rs or or Caravan Caravaneers eers.. They ply ply their their believe that they cannot leave this plane trades for a short while, gaining the trust of existence while any of mankind still of their victims before making live, the actual final destination is a point their move. of contention. Since their basic goals overlap there is rarely squabbling over The Vale Vale can pass through different different details, although there are always those stages of “ascendance” “ascendance” in a very short short whose whose views are are considered considered hereti heretical. cal. period of of time, depending on how By accusing each other of heretical willing the participan participantt is to die for for the views, groups groups revel in cruelty cruelty and greed cause. As such, the leadership of the in a nihilistic and often short-lived cult is transitive and extremely volatile. rampage. Of the two kinds of heretics Doomsayers are the recruiters, who the bloodier of the two often becomes quietly travel from town to town, looking the more tolerated; even though their for potential converts. New recruits methods are reprehensible, they are still are called the Lost; until proven, they working working towards The End. Willing to have only limited access to the cult’s murder even each other, The Vale has a inner workings. Often, the first stage well-earned reputatio reputationn of being willing of Processing will require a Lost to to commit all manner of unspeakable kill one or more of their own family atrocities atrocities to fulfill ful fill their agenda. members, proving their loyalty. From there, they can be promoted to the rank Recruitment is a top priority for The of Ascendant. For most, Ascendency is Vale, Vale, as suici suicide de bomb bombings ings and and acts acts of of the highest stage they ever attain, as they viole violence nce quickly quickly dimini diminish sh their their ranks. are the suicide bombers and fanatical The Vale’ Vale’ss missi missionar onaries ies attemp attemptt to find the military arm of the cult. Ecclesiastics Ecclesiastics most downtrodden souls, who are likely are the inductors, who specialize in susceptible to the teachings of the clan. brainwashing recruits, and are in charge After all, who who bett better er to to teach teach the gospel gospel of morale. They scare the subject into of death and destruction, than those who submission, rambling off the teachings have nothing to lose? They promise to of the cult’s founder Vornis. They fill feed and clothe these poor souls, and give the subject’s head with the worthlessness purpose to their their otherwise otherwise meaningl meaningless ess of the human race, convincing them the lives. Their target demographic demographic is Rapture failed and they are the only malleable and without hope, which allows ones left in the world to finish the work them to be turned into the most brutal of the creator– to vanquish all life. If of killers. To be inducted into The Vale, they do not carry out this quest, all will one must renounce renounce all familial ties, be damned. They see death as the only conflicting religious faith, and undertake means of salvation. Andrzej Probulski Probulski (order #5451458) #5451458)

Caravaneers While The Resurgence is in full swing, smugglers, merchants, outcasts, and trade is once again ag ain flourishing. The thieves who travel the wastes looking Caravans that wander the rugged for trade and opportunity. Despite their patchwor patchworkk of trails and crumbling crumbling reputation for greed and their own highways highways are an integral part of this dubious justifications for their lifestyle, fledgling trade network. network. They travel t ravel most communities grudgingly welcome from isolated outposts to towns and Caravaneers. They provide muchcities, cities, exchanging goods and services, needed resources and are the primary entertaining, and disseminating news. source for regional news. If you want to While some view Caravaneers as purely know what is going on in the next town opportunistic, the reality is more over, or if you must obtain something nuanced; each Caravan sets their own your communi community ty isn’t isn’t able able to produce, produce, limits limits on the kinds of goods good s they will you either either can travel travel the treacher treacherous ous barter. Some Caravans traffic traff ic in narcotics highways yourself or you can wait for the or slaves without remorse, while others next Caravan to roll through. refuse, as it conflicts with their own haphazardly constructed morality. In As a rule, the wealthier wealthier the Caravan, Caravan, the desperate times however, even the better equipped it will be, however, most honorable merchant will the Caravans are as unique and sacrifice his or her morals. varied as the peopl peoplee that run Every commodity, no them. Life on the road is one matter how strange of constant danger, especially or repugnant, for those travelling with valuable has a consumer. goods. Unprotected travelers Caravaneers are caught in the open fall willing to cross cross great victim to to Drifters, bandits, bandits, distances to find those and worse. Wagon Bosses interested in their goods. typically ty pically have have their best crew members ride shotgun, Not all Caravaneers calling them “Riders.” were born born on the These fully inducted inducted and roads. Many Caravans trusted members of the contain a number of Caravan are the right hands exiled Stakers who to the Wagon Masters, were press press ganged who oversee oversee day-to-day into service, or who operations. Regardless of weren’t weren’t conte content nt to live live affiliation or rank, all a stationary stationary life and Caravaneers travel prepared left their ‘stead to go for confrontation. Some rambling. In general, Caravaneers employ Caravaneers are a additional additional Security Security Agents disparate mob of armed with netcasters teamsters, teamsters, sell-swords, sell-swords, and narcoguns. Andrzej Probulski Probulski (order #5451458) #5451458)

T he Fringes Fring es “The Fringes” are made up of groups of small crews that might band together for survival or out of of an ideological ideological cause cause are brought together for a common pur pose that exists exists outside outside of the narrowly narrowly defined dynamics of the the confines of traditional Factions. Unlike groups who have found success in common philoso phies and and binding cultures, fringe groups groups are brought together by circumstances and immediate needs. Bandits, vigilantes, crusaders, and adventurers band together for illicit business, righteous fervor, personal quests, quests, and thrilling exploraexploration. Some will run together as an ad hoc family for generations, and others will backstab each other at the first opportunity. Regardless of the length or reason for their commitment to one another, fringe groups of all sorts can flourish in The Resurgence. These disparate groups are built out of those who claim no immediate allegiance to the predominan predominantt Factio Factions. ns. Those who don’t strictly adhere to one of the prevailing Factions have no place within the confines of a Staker settlement or a Drifter tribe. They typica t ypically lly lack the t he devotion or technical knowledge that the Reclaimers dedicate their lives to, and they are nothing but prey to the Stitcher hunters. Instead they tend to find their homes where they can either blend in or Andrzej Probulski Probulski (order #5451458) #5451458)

fade out. The few remaining populated cities teem with uncommitted rabble where the sheer volume volume of people forces high levels of diversity. Otherwise you will most often encounter fringe groups g roups out in The Wilds, where the wide ex panse offers of fers some amount of protection, and allows them to scrape out their own existence between the scattered outposts of humanity. Typica Typically, lly, fringe frin ge groups are composed of all manner of hired guns, zealots, outlaws, and pariahs. They find themselves selves trying tr ying to survive in the margins of society as loners or loosely banded together. Most of them survive based upon their skills and talents. t alents. Marksmen, Scavengers, Mechanics, Healers, and No Ghosts are all coveted for their abilities and when they come together can make a successful troupe of adventurers. Separately though, they can also be an incredible asset to a Faction’ Faction’ss crew, hired to fill missing skill sets within their ranks. ran ks. You must always be cautious when dealing with these free spirits. If your resources resources run out, you may find these opportunists working for the other side.

GAME RULES Have you ever wondered how a plasma caster works, what the best way to track a errant capybara is, or how to decipher the scribling of the Wanderer’s Code? The answers to these and many other questions will be answered in what we here at Duster’s Almanack like to call “The Game Rules.”


The world of Wreck Age depicts humanity’s desperate struggle after betrayal and disaster have decimated Earth as we know it. Your introduction to Wreck Age begins in the 26th century, during the re-setting of the calendars, or Year Zero, the first year in the re-emergence of civilization we call The Resurgence.

players will find ample room to build their own background and realize their own specific vision. The rules system has been developed to make familiar concepts like hit points and ammunition abstract, while still allowing a Character to experience exciting situations, such as becoming wounded and running out of ammunition.

In Wreck Age, players participate in The Resurgence, humanity’s second chance to save itself from extinction, building upon the ruins of the past. Some have banded together, while others go it alone. Some ride to war, leaving nothing but chaos in their wake, while others work ceaselessly for a lasting peace, safety and security. In Wreck Age, survival is your goal; your wits are your best friend, and sometimes the only reward for a job well done is simply surviving another day.

A resourceful player can achieve their goals without resorting to violence, opting instead to disarm, trick, trap, or otherwise best an opponent. Indeed, not every encounter requires a battle at all, unless that’s the way players choose to play their Characters. Combat is resolved quickly and can be extraordinarily brutal, so if you decide to take up arms to resolve every problem, you may find yourself creating a lot of replacement Characters. With that in mind, we have made Character generation quick and enjoyable yet flexible, deep and immersive.

First and foremost, Wreck Age is designed to tell a story, one that builds upon itself in varying forms as each session unfolds. The aim is to strike a balance between the traditional tabletop war game and a roleplaying game, maintaining the depth and character development found in an RPG. In Wreck Age, the Community that Characters emerge from is the singlemost important and defining facet of Character creation. These tightly knit enclaves represent the last struggling vestiges of humanity, and form both the moral and the ideological disposition of your Character. Your Community will shape the resources at your disposal and will offer the means and the impetus to use them. The rules are designed to be simple, intuitive, and streamlined, yet offer enough flexibility to allow players to engage in any scenario they can imagine. The Resurgence is both diverse and dynamic; it’s a wide-open space in which Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

In this section, we are going to teach you how to use the rules to play Wreck Age. First, we will describe and define a few common terms and explore the basic mechanics of the game. Next, we will examine how to build a Character, which play a fundamental role in the world of Wreck Age, and be the player’s entry into the world. Lastly, we will walk through the ongoing development of your Character, and the adventures they will go on. With these fundamental elements in hand, you will be ready and able to explore all manners of gaming possibilities offered in Wreck Age. WRECK AGE, A NARRATIVE RPG AND TABLETOP SKIRMISH GAME Wreck Age offers two distinct avenues through which you and your friends will explore humanity’s despondent state in Year Zero and beyond; you can play

Wreck Age as a cooperative roleplaying game and/or as a tabletop skirmish game. Ideally you can play Wreck Age as both, a unique and innovative hybrid game system. At its core, a roleplaying game is a form of interactive and collaborative storytelling. Whereas cinema, literature, and television are passive, roleplaying games engage the participants actively as audience, actor, and author. In Wreck Age, participants take the role of Characters in an imaginary world that is organized and adjudicated by a Narrator (a.k.a. game master, referee, storyteller, and so on). The Narrator’s role is twofold: they not only conjure a world and cast of Characters with which the players interact, facilitating how those interactions proceed, but also advance the grander narrative events of the storyline in conjunction with the players. As such, a cooperative roleplaying game is not a zero-sum dynamic; the only way to lose is to not enjoy the game itself. Moreover, players are writing the story together, as a collective team. By comparison, tabletop war games incorporate miniatures or figurines into strategic play in order to reflect fantastic, futuristic encounters. These miniatures act as physical avatars or proxies for the players themselves and work dynamically in their real surroundings relative to one another. The tabletop format shifts the focus from interpersonal narrative construction to tangible strategic complexity. In Wreck Age, participants have the opportunity to test their strategic mettle in direct opposition with an opponent (or opponents).


Wreck Age offers a balance of a cooperative narrative roleplaying and the tabletop skirmish war game experience; players can emphasize either format as they like, and are encouraged to explore the possibilities offered within, between, and across each mechanism. WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO PLAY Narrator: For everything but strictly tabletop play, one player must organize the party, narrate the adventures, assume the role of any Characters outside the crew, and arbitrate any rules’ ambiguities or any disputes; this player is known as the Narrator. Narrating can be much more difficult than acting as a player alone, but the experience can often be that much more rewarding for the effort. Please keep in mind that it is not necessarily the Narrator’s job to “kill the Characters” as, in Wreck Age, Characters generally find a way to do that on their own. Instead, the Narrator acts as the architect and arbitrator for game events as they unfold. Players: 2-6 additional players, who are prepared to immerse themselves in the world of Wreck Age, are also required. We recommend that each player arrive with an idea of what they would like their Character’s background and motivations to be. Of course, there is always room to grow, but a solid grasp of Character personality helps make the life of that Character all the more dramatic, interesting, and engaging.

The typical skirmish game will require only two enthusiastic participants. If no Narrator is available, or desired, we suggest that any and all house rules, conditions, and limits be communicated before starting a game. Dice: An assortment of 6-sided dice (individually referred to as a “d6”) will work to resolve any situation that invokes pure chance. At least one of these dice should be a different color, to represent potential for malfunctions . You might also use a web– or application-based random number generator, but we prefer the old fashioned approach of “rolling the bones.” Sometimes the dice may be referred to as a number followed by d6. So “3d6” would refer to 3 regular, 6-sided dice, “4d6” would refer to 4 dice, and so on. Similarly, if the game asks you to roll a “d3,” you would roll a die, and the divide the result by half, rounding up. In this case, a 1 or 2 counts as a 1; a 3 or 4 becomes a 2; and a 5 or 6 turns into a 3.

The following are optional for strictly narrative play, but are required when playing Wreck Age as a tabletop skirmish game:

Hyacinth Games offers our own Wreck Age line of miniatures that has been made specifically to represent the desperatelysituated Communities found in Year Zero. Naturally, we recommend that you have take a look at the beautifully sculpted figures in the Hyacinth Games range. Tape Measure: A tape measure demarcated in inches in order to find appropriate distances between miniatures. In Wreck Age, one inch is equivalent approximately two yards or meters “in the real world,” using 28mm scale. Battlefield: We recommend a standard playing surface on 3’x3’ table. Though we have seen players run dynamic scenarios on tables anywhere between 2’x2’ and 4’x 6’, or even larger, we recommend learning the basics of game play first. The most important notion is that you create a surface to match the size of the encounter. Most encounters will have specific set-up areas and other noteworthy zones included in the mission parameters. Your play area must be large enough to accommodate these requirements. As mentioned, the typical Wreck Age skirmish will conform to 3’x3’ standard.

Miniatures: We highly recommend the use of miniatures when playing any Scenery: Terrain features, buildings, format of Wreck Age, though they are and other scenery that can provide cover not strictly necessary for the traditional are integral to any encounter, in order narrative playing session. Miniatures to affect line of sight and movement, can be both evocative and helpful when as well as to prevent significant groups determining the relative placement of of individuals from simply blasting one Characters in Encounters and other another in some brutal massacre. Scenery tricky situations. As a player, you provides more tactical options and play should choose your models based on opportunities than would be available your preferred aesthetic. The statistics otherwise, as well as immersing the throughout this book are designed for players in the world of Wreck Age. “true scale” 28mm miniatures, but with a slight amount of conversion, you Hyacinth Games also offers a constantly would be able to use any scale models growing variety of terrain pieces that you prefer. specifically designed for the Wreck Age world, allowing you to simulate a number Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

of evocative scenes, such as junkyards, tangled overgrowth, and ruined towns. There are, of course, any number of other scenery providers and you can also find inspiration for your own modeling conversions in both the most common and unlikely of places. We encourage you to bring whatever you have available to the table, literally.

THE GOLDEN RULE Like most games, Wreck Age is designed to be fun! If disagreements over the rules of play arise, these should be decided quickly and democratically, with the spirit of the rules and brevity kept in mind, so that players can return to the game as quickly as possible. If no agreement can be reached, each player with an opinion on the matter is to roll a die, with the highest result determining the decision. The most important thing to remember is that you should not let misunderstandings put a damper on the enjoyment of the group.

In most campaign systems, the scenario will suggest the size, nature, and scope of the terrain; however, if you would like to play a single, spontaneous encounter, we recommend at least one piece of medium scenery for every 3 square feet of table, and at your option, a handful of smaller UNIVERSAL pieces. The terrain should have a cohesive RULES OF PLAY SUMMARY and suggestive theme. For a standard 3’ To deliver a robust, accessible game, by 3’ table, this would mean 3 pieces of reasonable amount of abstraction is medium scenery items, and perhaps a few arequired. In-game, a Character might smaller pieces as well. crouch and peek around a corner, but the miniature representing that Character The most important consideration should obviously cannot. There are several key always be size and scale; however, as rules to keep in mind that are always in long as both players agree to the scenery effect, and they greatly affect the actions on the table, there are, quite simply, no that a Character can perform: limits to what you can field. We should All measurements are given in mention that the more work you put in inches. Unless explicitly instructed to creating a thematic table, the more otherwise, measurements are immersive experience you will have. always taken from the edge of a model’s base. In instances where a measurement is made between RULES OF PLAY models, use the distance from the Wreck Age is designed to be accessible. edge of one model’s base to the We’ve built the game from the ground other’s. An inch represents up upon this premise. Rules are meant either two yards or meters of to be clear, understandable, and easy to “real” distance. When two model’s learn while providing players with a sea bases are touching, that is called “base-to-base contact ” of tactical options during every game. The following sections will teach you No measurements can be made before the game’s mechanics, explain what declaring an action; in The Wilds, Characters are, and ultimately allow you players must estimate distances to play the game. wisely in order to prevail; some skills and traits make exceptions to this rule. •

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Models represent Characters on the

tabletop. They are They are presumed to have a 360˚ field of vision at all times;

ENCOUNTERS

In Wreck Age, the “excitement” of the game takes place during what what are called cal led “encounters.” Encounters are where where all al l tabletop battles occur; in the Narrative format they are where battles and A Character must must be able able to draw draw a other dynamic situations are resolved. direct line of sight (LoS) to any target Whenever the sequence of a game that they wish to attack at range, requires something to be determined with or charge . Line of sight is defined more than a simple attribute or skill test , as being able to draw an invisible an encounter will cause the action of the line from the head of the attacking game to slow down to a more manageable Character to any part of the pace. Simp Simply ly put, put, encounter encounterss are the defending Character, not including where the action action happens. happens. the model’s base. Characters that are place where in base-to-base contact are always During a Narrative session, when the considered to be in line of sight of Narrator comes to a point where many one another. complex decisions converge into a very Fractions are always rounded up. narrow period of time, such as when a battle ensues, an encounter begins and is played through until it is resolved. CAMPAIGNS Think of encounters encounters as a slice slice of time. time. Whereas encounters are standalone Within encounters a few minutes of play events, when several standalone may represent only seconds from the encounters are strung along in a series, Characters’ Characters’ perspectives. As A s stated above, this is referred to as a “ campaign .” This encounters may be linked together in a applies only to the tabletop format series of events called campaigns. of Wreck Age, as players engaged in a Narrative adventure are by default Encounters don’t always a lways involve violence, violence, playing playing a campaign campaign . but instead are representative of action and drama. Though T hough encounter encounterss can be Campaigns may be played back-to-back over the span of a night, or may span representations of combat, they will several days, weeks, or even years. The quite often call for a more nuanced or idea behind a campaign is to allow for focused approach to problem solving, players players to engage in not not just just one small small such as sneaking into a building to steal skirmish, but rather allow players to a computing device without being noticed partake in a long long journey of of adventures adventures by sentries, or establishing a trade and to develop their Characters Characters as they negotiation amidst heavily armed guards. go. The campaign format allows for The latter latter example example can easily easily turn into into a these Characters to develop along with firefight, although with quick wits, and the story arc; gaining skill, sk ill, items, and a sharp tongue, your Characters may increased increased levels of training. t raining. This is the be able to prevent it from doing so, thus ideal method of play for Wreck Age, which which is a game focused focused on stori stories es during saving lives, which translates to saving The Resurgence. Resurgence. scarce resources. a model’s “facing” is irrelevant. irrelevant. Models may not, however, see through walls wal ls or other obstructions to line of sight.

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More information about creating your own encounters encounters and campaigns can be found in later chapters of this book. Andrzej Probulski Probulski (order #5451458) #5451458)

As Wreck Wreck Age is first and and foremost foremost a storytelling game, g ame, the objectives objectives of

encounters should rarely be to simply incapacitate or kill everyone else around you, unless it’s it’s a smaller piece piece of of an overarching overarching story. Killing Kil ling for the sake of killing alone doesn’t generally make for an interesting narrative. ENCOUNTERS: MISSION PARAMETERS Any encounter encounter that players players wish to undertake will have parameters parameters that should be explained prior to beginning that encounter. Some sample encounters are provided in the back of this book, but that shouldn’t stop you from creating your own! These These may be drafted well in advance of a game, or might be improvised off-the-cuff. Narrators may also find themselves creating encounters in response to what the players chose to do within your adventures, if playing a Narrative RPG game. Many of these parameters parameters are helpful helpful both for your your own purposes and also in case you want want to share the adventures that you’ve created with others others outside outside of of your regular gaming group, which which can be a very rewarding experience. experience. In any case, an encounter’s paramet encounter’s parameters ers should should include include or or at least consider all of the following: •

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Intel: This is a brief brief narrative summary of what the action will be, and what your group knows about the opposition. While this isn’t specifically required for encounters that you will be playing within your own group, if you wish to share your encount encounter er with with others it will be helpful to establish what each side knows about what is happening in that encounter. Composition: An encounter encounter should tell you which Factions, Communities, settlements, and Characters are involved. This can


be something as simple as providing a RU value with which each player may build a crew, or it can be an inclusion of specific pre-made Characters and/or Narratorcontrolled Characters. Charac ters. To To create a good encounter, the sides should be balanced (or in the players favor if up against NCs), unless there is a specific reason for them not to be (such as a siege situation, or if the Characters are supposed to escape from a far superior force). •

Objectives: Every side in the encounter should be given the reasons that the encounter is taking place, and a means to end it. What do the Characters need to do to achieve their goals and finish the encounter? For example, desperate Drifters in need of water might be willing to kill for it, causing at least one casualty for every member of their crew, while the opposing side might be normally peaceful Stakers who are unprepared for this sudden attack, and need to hold out for a set amount a mount of time until reinforcements arrive. Whatever the motivations and goals of each group, the encounter should provide clear and concise victory conditions . These victory conditions may may include simple acts that need to be achieved, a specific number of Characters that need to be killed, or objects that need to be interacted with successfully. Additional Add itional aspect asp ects, s, such s uch as a s turn t urn limits and other conditions, could also end an encounter. o

Secret Objectives: Each player will not necessarily neces sarily know what all of the objectives are. are. In Wreck Age, there is a “fog of war” just like on any battlefield batt lefield

of historical or modern times. Players will not inherently in herently know what their opponents are up to, and might have to use their deductive deductive skills to tr y to figure this out during the course of the game. o

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Victor Victoryy Conditions: Conditions: Victory Victory conditions are an important part of your objectives and and are a clarifying aspect for an encounter. This does not imply that there can be only one victory condition that that all sides in the encounter must complete to win. Rather, Rather, many of of the best encounters provide unique victory conditions for for each group so that every side has its own goals to accomplish while working to prevent prevent the opposi opposition tion from from achieving theirs. Duration: While not explicitly required, assigning encounters a fixed duration of turns will turns will ensure that they don’t drag on. A set duration duration can also provide provide urgency to an encounter, such as a race against ag ainst the clock to disarm an expl ex plosive osive device.

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Deployment: Encounters always provide the starting startin g position of all the Characters involved, and how the encounter should be set up on a tabletop (or in your head if you are not using miniatures). The starting star ting location of each side should be clearly defined, and all terrain and features should be clarified. Encounters take place in a wide variety of places, from the open plains, swamps, or forests of The Wilds, Wilds , to densely populated popu lated settlements covered in warehouses, shops, and other buildings. Defining what those features are will help to facilitate fun f un and balanced play. Additional Additional information: It is important to review rules. If you are planning on using sentries, night fighting, other advanced rules, or any house rules that you wish to include, include, have have them figured figured out ahead of time. You might also want to list list some some of the commo commonly nly used pieces of equipment that are key to achieving the objectives of of the encounter, or list a little more background.

We’ll go into creating encounters in more detail in the “ Narrator” chapter.


COMMUNITIES AND FACTIONS Communities represent the small sliver of society during The Resurgence. Communities give the individuals of Wreck Age their culture, their history, and their place in the world. Just like the Characters that you’ll be controlling, Communities come in all sizes, shapes, and stripes. A small but technologically advanced Community would foster a differen dif ferentt sort of individual than a destitute but populous one. Each Community contains the scavengers, hunters, teachers, soldiers, scholars, and mechanics that make up a settlement. Characters are based primarily on the Community’s background, and ultimately, the Community Community’s ’s Faction. Faction. Factions represent the culture of a Community, and the basic ideological structure. Factions play a tremendous role in defining any Community or Character that the players will be controlling. Every Faction has its distinct culture, philosophy, and way of life. Because Wreck Age is a game driven by story and narrative, Communities and Factions are central plot devices within the the story and game. When creating and developing your Characters, the Community and Faction that you come from will be an integral integral facet of what what types ty pes of abilities abilities and skill sets are available to you.

CHARACTERS In Wreck Wreck Age, A ge, players will wil l control one or more Characters, one of which they will chose to represent their “Player Character.” Player Player Characters are the embodiment of the players in the game. They are a re capable of heroic heroic feats, and are the leaders of the players’ “crew,” or adventuring group. Crews consist of the player’s Character’s traveling companions, compatriots, followers, or Andrzej Probulski Probulski (order #5451458) #5451458)

even their henchmen. In the Narrative Narrative RPG form of Wreck Age, and in some encounters, there may be Characters in play play that are not not directly directly controlle controlledd by the players, but rather by the encounter itself or the Narrator. These Characters will be referred referred to as “Narrator- Controlled Characters,” Characters,” or “NCs.” While we highly suggest that you play play the Narrative Narrative RPG format format using miniature figurines and tabletop scenery, especially the miniatures and scenery in the Hyacinth Games range, it is not mandatory. mandatory. The game is designed with choice choice in mind, mind, and thus weíve weíve established established rules that allow you to talk ta lk through a battle or other encounter easily and understandably. That said, while playing playing the tableto tabletopp format, format, though, miniatures and some form of scenery is required to play. In Wreck Age, miniatures are the physical physical representa representations tions of of the Characters, and are referred to as “models.” Models are synonymo s ynonymous us with Characters, Characters, as they represen representt the same thing; the Character is what the player player controls, controls, and and the model model exists to represent the spatial relationships between other Characters and setting that they are in. CHARA CHAR ACTERS: CT ERS: THE ST S TAT LINE AND CHAR CH ARACTER ACTER SHEET SHEE T Stat lines are a shorthand presentation of a Character’s attributes which allow a player to quickly reference the Character’s Char acter’s proficiencies proficiencies and abilities at a glance. Character Sheets are a physical representation of both a Character’s stat line, the rest of their abilities (such as skills and traits ), ), their equipment, equipment, and their t heir condition (if they are wounded , unconscious , etc). As an example, we’ve included Weaver’s

Character Sheet. Were you playing as Weaver, you could use a Character Sheet to track her advancement during an encounter or campaign:

Weaver AP M 3 3 Training Archetype Previous Archetypes Community Skills

P 2

S 2

F 2

N 2

W 3

R 1

Trained Wanderer None

Unaffiliated Barter 2 Area Knowledge (Western Wilds)1 Equipment: Break-action rifle (Maintained) Revolver (Neglected) Small Melee Weapon (Neglected) Rags (Clothing) 10’ of rope Survival kit Trinkets 2 antique flares, 2 25mm tracer shells

Traits: Gunslinger, Old Tech Condition: (wounded, etc)

Now let’s talk about what all of these things mean.

CHARACTERS: TRAINING Training indicates a Character’s general ability, experience, and discipline. There are six levels of training within the world of Wreck Age: Green, Trained, Veteran, Elite, Beast, and Automaton, with the latter two being used for non-human Characters, such as a pack boar, flesh automaton, or animal companion. The level of training will determine a great deal of that Character’s profile; a Green Character will be inexperienced, have a very basic skill set, and have low attribute values, generally, whereas an Elite Character will have a multitude


of skills and much higher attribute values. If you’re playing a one-off game, then this provides a means for quick Character generation. If you’re playing a campaign, or series of games, then you can progresses with that Character as they evolve. Training plays another crucial role for your Character. A Character’s training will determine the difficulty for all Nerves tests that Character must make. What are “Nerves,” you ask? Ok, let’s talk about the attributes that make up the Characters’ stat lines.

CHARACTERS: ATTRIBUTES Characters in Wreck Age are comprised of many facets, such as their skills, training, and traits , but the basic abilities of a Character are defined by their attributes . The level of each attribute represents how strong a Character is in that particular area. The higher the number of attributes a Character has, the better they are at that ability. For every level of an attribute that a Character has, they may roll 1d6 for any tests involving that attribute. Here is a list of the eight attributes, their ranges, and brief descriptions explaining what they each do: ATTRIBUTES: ACTION POINTS (AP)

Action Points (AP ) represent the speed with which a Character can act and react . The higher the AP value of a Character , the more things that Character can do each turn during their activation. A human Character who is not augmented has a maximum AP value of three (3), but this may go as high as six (6) through various implants, training or traits , augmentations, and chemical enhancements.

ATTRIBUTES: MOVEMENT (M) Movement (M) indicates how fast, far, and well a Character can move. This represents a speed that they may move in inches during their activation. This attribute may also be tested against when determining if a Character is able to jump out of the way of a falling rock, or other feats that require feats of dexterity or speed.

A human Character who is not augmented has a maximum Movement value of three (3), but this may go as high as six (6) through various implants, training or traits , augmentations, and chemical enhancements.

inflicted upon an enemy, and conversely, to determine if a Character avoids that damage from the enemy’s blow. Weapons have their own Power attribute, which is used whenever attacking with that weapon to determine the potential damage inflicted. A human Character who is not augmented has a maximum Power value of three (3), but this may go as high as six (6) through various implants, training or traits , augmentations, and chemical enhancements.

ATTRIBUTES: SHOOTING (S) Shooting (S) represents a Character’s There are five types of Movement actions ability to effectively use ranged weapons available to Characters: crawling , such as firearms or bows. A Character walking , charging , running , and sprinting . with a high Shooting attribute rolls They are all tied directly to a Character’s more dice for any sort of ranged weapon Movement attribute. attack, and as such is more likely to score a hit on a target than a Character who Characters may move horizontally does not. through regular movement, or vertically via climbing, ladders or ropes. Characters The base value of this attribute will be may not move through other Characters, between zero (0) and six (6), although through walls, and may not move across some skills, traits and pieces of equipment chasms wider than the model’s physical may allow this upper limit to be height (although they may jump, which exceeded. A Character with a Shooting we’ll get into later in the advanced attribute of zero (0) may never shoot a rules). If at any time, a Character makes weapon in any way, shape, or form. base-to-base contact with one or more opposing Characters, all additional movement is canceled, and the models ATTRIBUTES: FIGHTING (F) are considered e ngaged. See the sections Fighting (F) represents a Character’s on engagement for more details. abilities in close-quarters combat. A Character who is trained in hand-to-hand fighting such as a gladiator, boxer, or ATTRIBUTES: POWER (P) martial artist would have a high Fighting Power (P) represents the raw strength attribute, and would therefore be capable and resilience of a Character. It is of handling themselves in a brawl. also used when determining feats of strength, such as kicking down a door The base value of this attribute may not or avoiding injury from a fall. Finally, be less than one (1) or more than six (6), this attribute is used for both attack and although some skills , traits and pieces of defense; in a fistfight, this attribute is equipment may allow this upper limit to used to determine potential damage be exceeded. Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

ATTRIBUTES: NERVES (N) Nerves (N) represents a Character’s mental discipline: their courage, confidence and composure in stressful or tense situations. A grizzled veteran, a hardened warrior, or an unflappable field medic who doesn’t shake under heavy fire might have a high Nerves attribute. The difficulty of Nerves tests are based on the level of training of the Character.

The base value of this attribute may not be less than one (1) or more than six (6), although some skills, traits and pieces of equipment may allow this upper limit to be exceeded. ATTRIBUTES: WITS (W) Wits (W) represents a Character’s intellectual and social skills; willpower, intelligence, ingenuity, tactical awareness, street smarts, common sense, and the ability to communicate. Characters with a high Wits value are more able to gain the upper hand in a negotiation, talk their way out of a fight, or even make useful improvised tools from random pieces of junk. Finally, Wits values determine how many skills that a Character may learn over their lifetime, and determines the number of dice that they role for initiative.

The base value of this attribute may not be less than one (1) or more than six (6), although some skills , traits and pieces of equipment may allow this upper limit to be exceeded. ATTRIBUTES: RENOWN (R) Renown (R) acts not only as a Character’s reputation and heroic prowess, but also their dumb, blind luck. It is also used to advance Characters’ training levels, as well as some traits and skills. A warrior who singlehandedly Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

saved a settlement, or an uncanny card shark would be examples of a Character with a high Renown attribute. The base value of this attribute can be zero (0) but has no upper limit. Green Characters must start with Renown of zero (0), Trained Characters may start with a Renown of between zero (0) and three (3), and Veteran and Elite Characters have no upper limit, but must start with at least one (1) or two (2) points respectively. STARTING RENOWN

(based on training level): Green 0 Trained 0-3 Veteran 1-unlimited Elite 2-unlimited CHARACTERS: RESOURCE UNITS Characters have an assigned Resource Unit value. This is the “value” to the Community of that Character, and is also used to balance opposing forces to ensure fair play in encounters and tournaments. It is not the value of RUs that the Character has earned through their adventure. Those RUs are instead tracked through the Community. CHARACTERS: TRAITS Traits are a Character’s intrinsic abilities. Rather than being learned , as skills are, traits are part of the Character’s state of being. An example of a trait would be a Character’s ability to traverse rough terrain more easily due to their upbringing in a mountainous region.

Some traits are linked to an attribute and provide them an ability or bonus

when performing related actions. An CHARACTERS: TRINKETS example of this would be the Sniper trait , Trinkets are trade goods or smaller items that have little to no effect on game play, which provides both a bonus to Shooting but may be kept or traded as a form of attribute-related actions and also grants the Character an easier shot at extreme currency. Standard Characters may carry ranges due to the trait’s ability. More up to ten trinkets. Pack animals may carry up to 30 trinkets. information on traits can be found in the “ Traits and Skills” chapter of this book. CHARACTERS: SKILLS Unlike traits , skills are learned abilities that are acquired through experience, and represent groups of learned behavior at which the Character excels. There are a maximum number of skills levels that a Character may learn. This is determined by their Wits attribute. Characters may have no more than three times the level of skills as their Wits score. Skills also have a numerical representation of their level of proficiency. For example, a Character with the Dodge skill at the second level of proficiency would be denoted as “Dodge 2” on a Character Sheet. Like attributes, skills are rated from one (1) to six (6).

More information on skills can be found in the “ Traits and Skills” chapter of this book. CHARACTERS: EQUIPMENT Equipment includes all of the tangible items that a Character will carry with them. This can means weapons, armor, and kits of various types. Characters may only carry either one heavy item, OR up to two regular two handed items. They may additionally carry up to three onehanded weapons. All Characters may start with a Small Melee weapon, which counts towards the maximum of three one-handed weapons a Character may carry. Characters may carry one kit.

Kits are packs that hold a variety of small items, and generally fit on the Characters’ back, or in various pouches. Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

CHARACTERS: COMMUNITY The community indicates where the Character is from, and will give many clues and prompts about what kind of person the Character is.

TESTS Both within encounters and during other parts of Narrative RPG adventures, situations will occur where Characters will attempt to affect their surroundings. Some of these situations include exhibitions of combat prowess, feats of technical savvy, or even salesmanship during a negotiation. It is in these situations that “tests” come into play. These tests are often linked to an attribute or a skill, such as a Shooting test , or a Barter test . Simply put, a test is the method used in Wreck Age to determine whether what a Character is attempting succeeds or fails. More information on skills and tests can be found in the “ Traits and Skills ” chapter of the book. TESTS: TEST MECHANICS AND TARGET NUMBERS (TN) Anytime a Character is in a situation based on chance, the player will roll dice to determine whether the attempt succeeds or fails. This is called a “test” . Tests are based on attributes or skills, and are typically given a fixed “ target number (TN for short).” An action’s TN is expressed as “x+ ” (where x indicates

the number that needs to be rolled equal TESTS: TEST DIFFICULTY TABLE to or higher). The higher the TN, the The following Test Difficulty Table harder that test will be, as the die result defines the target numbers for tests of must be equal or greater than the TN varying difficulties: value in order to score a success . For an example, if a Character is attempting TEST DIFFICULTY TABLE to perform an action that requires a test with a TN of 4+, the player would roll Trivial 2+ TN the dice allowed by the related attributes Easy 3+ TN and/or skills. In this specific case, every Standard 4+ TN die that has a value of four or greater Difficult 5+ TN would indicate a success. These target Hard 6+ TN numbers can be affected by the difficulty of conditions. For example, foggy Nearly Impossible 7+ TN weather would have an adverse effect on a Shooting test . TESTS: AUTOMATIC FAILURES Unless otherwise stated, the unmodified AND THE RULE OF SIXES TN for a test is 4+. That means that it If during a test, any “natural 1’s” will require at least one die result to be 4 are rolled, then any of those dice are or more to be successful. considered an “automatic failure.” Automatic failures are not eligible for any Some tests require “multiple successes,” TN modifiers that might otherwise raise and in some cases multiple successes can the value of the die or otherwise allow provide the Character with bonuses, it to pass. For instance, if a Character called a “Margin of Success.” It will be is attempting an action with a TN of clearly indicated when any test requires 2+, and that player has a trait that adds multiple successes or grants bonuses for +1 to all die rolls for that test, if a 1 is Margin of Success . rolled on any of the dice, then these are immediate, automatic failures even Some skills allow you to combine their though under normal circumstances, value with an associated attribute, thus bonuses may have raised result to a value allowing you to roll dice equal to the of 2 or greater, which would have passed combined attribute and skill values for the test . that action . Additionally, some traits grant modifiers to tests . THE RULE OF SIXES If during a test, more than one natural 6 is rolled, add a value of 1 to one of TESTS: TARGET MODIFIERS the natural 6’s in the spread, effectively While tests have a fixed TN , these values making one of the results a 7. This is are subject to the conditions that may called “ The Rule of Sixes.” The Rule modify them, such as inclement weather of Sixes is a compounding mechanic. For conditions, distance, darkness, attacking example, if a roll contains three natural enemies that are behind cover, or a 6s, then the value of one of them would variety of other circumstances. A change increase to 8. If a roll is fortunate enough to the TN value is unsurprisingly called to have four 6s in it, then the value of one a “target modifier,” or “TN modifier.” of the 6s would increase to 9. Luckily, it is only necessary to reach these higher Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

TNs in very rare instances. Also, keep in mind that only one success of higher than 6 is achievable through The Rule of Sixes , although other modifiers may still be able to affect the roll.

TESTS: UNSKILLED TESTS In Wreck Age, skills are utilized to attempt an action . Many skills also list an associated attribute with which unskilled attempts may be made. Unskilled tests Furthermore, when attacking, The Rule of suffer a +1 TN modifier. Only skills Sixes will boost the Power of a successful marked as having an associated attribute attack by 1 for every additional natural 6 may be attempted unskilled. Unskilled beyond the first. Therefore, three 6s will tests allow only for a single success and boost the Power of the attack by 2, four will never be able to achieve multiple 6s will boost the Power of the attack by 3, successes or Margins of Success . and so on. TESTS: OPPOSED TESTS “Opposed tests” involve one Character rolling against another Character, object, or challenge. An example of opposed tests would be two Characters engaged in a tug-of-war, a foot race, or bartering over the value of an item.

Opposed tests rely on the involved test’s TN, but the opposing side will also roll their own test , and the results will be compared. In these cases, the die/dice roll must not succeed only based upon the TN , but must also have a higher number of successes than the opposing Character in order to prevail. Compare each player’s highest natural die roll to determine the victor. If there are equal die rolls, then the individual highest results cancel each other out and you look to the next highest natural die roll and so on until the tie can be broken. In the rare case that all the dice are exactly the same, the players will re-roll the test . Like other tests, opposed tests are subject to TN modifiers and Margins of Success , and may require multiple successes . It should always be indicted if any of these are required for the opposed test in question.


For example, Jason’s Character, Hyako, has a Wits attribute of 3, and a level 1 Explosives skill (which is linked to Wits). Janet’s Character, Marco, has a Wits attribute of 2, and no Explosives skill. If they were each to take an Explosives test , Hyako would roll 3d6 for her Wits attribute, and one extra die for her point in the Explosives skill. Her TN would be the standard 4+, and she would be able to achieve multiple successes. Marco, however, would roll only 2d6 for his Wits score, would have a TN of 5+, and can only achieve a maximum of one success.

Unskilled opposed tests may be attempted, and will involve rolling the involved attribute(s), but there may never be more than one success from any Character attempting an unskilled opposed test. TESTS: MULTIPLE SUCCESSES Some tests will require more than one success to succeed. This will be clearly indicated for these sorts of tests . Remember that unskilled tests allow only for a single success and will never be able to achieve multiple successes.

TESTS: MARGIN OF SUCCESS As mentioned previously, some tests (usually associated with a skill) will allow for a Margin of Success . These tests may not only succeed, but succeed so well that they earn a bonus to their success. Skills that allow for Margins of Success are marked with “(MoS)” next to the skill name, such as the “Athletics (MoS)” skill.

When attempting to perform an action that requires a skill that a Character doesn’t possess, which again is allowed only if the skill is an attribute-linked skill, the Character may only achieve a maximum of one success. Therefore, no Margins of Success are achievable when taking an unskilled test.

TURNS Encounters are broken down into small and abstract chunks of time called a “turn.” Each turn represents the time it takes for all eligible Characters to perform their actions. Activations are everything that one individual Character can do during a turn. Characters will activate in an alternating “you go, I go” manner until all Characters have activated that are able to. This allows for the simulation of simultaneous actions between two or more sides in an encounter . The first thing that happens every turn is to roll for initiative to see which side goes first. The winning side then gets to choose to go first, or defer to any other player. Then, each player has one Character perform their activation , and play goes to the next side. They each take turns with one Character activating at a time until all Characters that are able to activate have done so. The end of each turn is then resolved during what’s called the end phase . The turn Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

then resets and play continues until one side has achieved its objectives or victory conditions have been met, at which time the encounter is concluded. TURNS: INITIATIVE During an encounter, players will perform a special kind of opposed test at the beginning of each turn , which is called an “Initiative test,” or “rolling for initiative.” This is an opposed test . To roll for initiative, all players will select the single highest Wits value of all their Characters eligible for activation, and then roll that many dice. There is no TN for an Initiative test; instead the player with the highest individual die wins the initiative . Ties are resolved as all other opposed tests, with the highest two tied dice canceling each other out and then deferring to the highest dice results in order. Winning initiative gives the right to take the first activation , or to defer and force an opponent to activate first.

TURNS: ACTIVATIONS TURNS: WHAT CHARACTERS Once initiative has been rolled, players CAN ACTIVATE will alternate between activating one Some Characters may not be eligible eligible Character at a time. In an for activation because they are out of encounter that has more than two commission , stressed, or otherwise players, follow initiative order from incapacitated. Any Character in this highest to lowest to resolve the order situation may not be activated and may of play for each side . If one player has not have their Wits attribute used for more eligible Characters than another, the purposes of an Initiative test. The when one player runs out of Characters following is a list of situations that to activate, the opposing player(s) prevent a Character from being activated continue their activations until all eligible as normal. Characters have activated. When there are no more Characters left to activate , the end phase occurs, and afterwards the CHARACTER CONDITIONS turn ends.

Activation is the term used for a player choosing a Character and performing actions with that Character. A Character may only make actions while activated. All Characters may only be activated once during a turn . There are some situations where a Character may not be activated , when they are out-of-action or unnerved for example. An activated Character may perform one or more actions during their activation , depending on how many AP (Action Points) they have at their disposal. Actions that cost AP to do are called “simple actions.” Some actions take an entire Character’s activation, regardless of their available AP. These actions are called “complex actions.” Additionally, a Character may take a single small action at the end of their activation , which does not require the use of any AP; these are called “free actions.” A player may continue taking actions until they run out of AP or simply declare that their activation has ended.

These prevent Characters from activating • Unconscious/Paralyzed • Unnerved • Out Of Action • Dying • Dead

TURNS: THE END PHASE At the end of every turn , there will be a variety of things that may have to be resolved; unnerved Characters, Power tests for unconscious Characters to see if they wake, the activation of NCs (Narrator-controlled Characters) if playing the strictly tabletop method of Wreck Age, and a variety of other events. These things will all be handled at the end of the turn , in what’s called the “end Phase.”

The first thing to be done in the end phase is to check to see if objectives have been met that trigger victory conditions, or if the turn limit has been reached. If these conditions have not been met, play will go into another turn. Any Character that is unnerved (reduced to 0 AP) may take a Nerves


test . A successful result for the test will normally take the exact same action remove d3 suppression markers from that twice in one turn. However, there are miniature, removing the unnerved status. traits that make exceptions to this rule. If they fail, they may immediately move At the end of their regular activation, a 2d6” in any direction, but remained Character may then take one free action unnerved . before the turn passes over to the next Character or into the end phase. However Furthermore, any Character that is if a Character performed a complex action, unconscious or out-of-action may make a that is all they can do on a turn, and no Power test to return to action. free action may be taken. The Narrator or encounter in place will be largely responsible for monitoring situations and determining any further actions that will be required in the end phase . We will talk more about the end phase in the Actions: End Phase section.

ACTIONS In Wreck Age, virtually anything that a Character can do is an action . While some actions do not require a test to perform, most will require that a test be taken to accomplish them. The majority of actions will take place within an encounter. When involved in an encounter, Characters will only perform actions during their activation . Every turn , activated Characters may take as many actions as they have AP (Action Points). As mentioned, there are three types of actions in Wreck Age: a complex action , a simple action , and a free action.

Complex actions take a Character’s entire activation, regardless of their AP. Simple actions require the amount of AP listed to use, and one free actions is allowed after all simple actions are taken. A Character must expend AP for any action within an encounter. Those AP are spent regardless of the outcome. No matter what type of action a Character chooses to perform, Characters cannot Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

ACTIONS: FREE ACTIONS Free actions are those that normally require no AP expenditure to accomplish, and are typically things that can be accomplished in just a few seconds of real time, such as unsheathing a knife or pistol, yelling across a room, or dropping to the ground. A Character may perform one free action without expending AP, and may only do so at the end of its activation, as long as that Character didnít utilize a complex action, in which case, no free action is allowed. The one exception to this rule is that a Character may take any amount of additional free actions at any point during their activation by expending one AP per free action , keeping in mind that Characters may not normally perform the same action twice in a turn . FREE ACTION: Go Prone A Character may drop flat on their stomach, attempting to avoid enemy fire. This can be a double-edged sword, because while it makes you a harder target for an enemy at a distance, it makes you an easier target for very close enemies, and you may only move a maximum of a Character’s Movement attribute per activation . While going prone is a free action , getting back up is a simple action . You may want to indicate that the Character is prone with a marker.

FREE ACTION: Regroup (+1 AP) If a Character has 1 or more Suppression markers, they may attempt to remove 1 by using this free action to perform a

Nerves test.

FREE ACTION: Communicate A quick whisper or yell to another Character that would take only a few seconds. This can be useful when using communications devices, for instance, to relay a combination to another Character so that they may unlock a security door. FREE ACTION: Draw small weapon A Character may ready any weapon with the pistol trait or any Small Melee weapon. Only readied weapons may be used in combat. FREE ACTION: Hip Shot A hip shot is an un-aimed snap shot fired at a target that is geared more towards suppressing an opposing Character than actually putting them down. To resolve a hip shot the Character will take a Shooting test. Hip shots are penalized with a +2 TN modifier. Although hip shots are free actions , Characters who sprinted may not fire a hip shot .

ACTIONS: SIMPLE ACTIONS Simple actions are those that require one

SIMPLE ACTION: Stand From Prone (1 AP)

This action is only used when a Character has gone prone. Stand from prone simply removes the prone condition from the Character, and that Character no longer has movement restrictions.

SIMPLE ACTION: Regular Shot (2 AP) This is a shot fired from any position, taking a moment to aim, and not fired wildly or haphazardly. A Regular shot may represent a single shot, burst, or automatic fire, but is an abstraction of what the Character would be doing given its tactical situation and weapon. To resolve a regular shot the Character will take a Shooting test . A regular shot has no TN modifier , and the TN is based off of the range of the weapon being fired. SIMPLE ACTION: Concealment (2 AP) A Character who performs a Concealment action is attempting to better utilize the surrounding terrain for defensive purposes. In short, they are hiding. To attempt a Concealment action , a Character must be within 1” of cover, such as standing close to a wall, or be within the confines of area scenery such as a grove of trees. By spending 2 AP, that Character receives the Concealed trait . Concealed Characters force any ranged attacks against them to take a +2 TN modifier .

Concealed Characters may still be charged or engaged as normal.

to three AP to be expended to perform. If a Character chooses to move, shoot, or These actions take more time or are fight while concealed , they immediately more demanding than free actions , but a lose their concealed status and all its Character may perform as many of these benefits. However, there is nothing actions as they can afford to on their preventing a concealed Character from activation , in any order, keeping in mind making an attack, resulting in a loss that they may not normally perform the of concealment, and then performing a same action twice in the same activation. Concealment action afterwards to gain The next few sections will explore concealment again, provided they have the simple action types and explain how each AP to do so. is performed. Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

SIMPLE ACTION: Reload (1 AP) Later in this chapter you’ll learn about malfunctions that are brought about from use in combat, and one of the possible malfunctions is that your weapon will run out of ammo. Used only when a Character has an out of ammo marker, simply remove the marker and your Character may use the weapon normally. The one exception to this is if a weapon is out of ammo while its owner is engaged; in this case the weapon may not be reloaded until the engagement has ended. SIMPLE ACTION: Change Weapon (1 AP)

In order to use a weapon, either for Shooting or for Fighting, it must first be ready. At the beginning of an encounter you may choose which weapons and/or equipment that you have in hand, unless the encounter states otherwise. If, for any reason, you wish to change weapons , you may do so at a cost of 1 AP, unless you are engaged , in which case it is a complex action, and takes your entire activation, including any free actions . Denote the change on your Character Sheet and you may then use the weapon as you please. In the case of Small Melee weapons and ranged weapons with the pistol trait , you may instead use the draw small weapon free action at the end of your activation. If you wish to use the draw small weapon action at any time before the end of the Character’s activation, it will cost 1 AP to do so as explained in the free action rules.


SIMPLE ACTION: Slow Weapons (1 AP per level of Slow Weapon Trait)

Some weapons have the slow trait . In order to use a slow weapon, it must first be loaded or otherwise prepared, and will take extra AP to do so. Characters must spend AP relative to the level of the associated slow trait. For example, if a Character were using a weapon that had the slow 2 trait , to prepare the weapon you’d need to spend 2 AP and then it would be ready for use. Additional AP would still be required to fire it. SIMPLE ACTION: Harvest (2 AP) There are many different resources in the world that can be harvested: grain from a field, algae off of a pond, or even the organs of the dead (or worse, the living). Harvesting is a simple action that requires 2 AP.

In a Narrative RPG adventure, Characters may harvest specific items; otherwise Characters will harvest Resource Units (RUs). For example, if playing a Narrative adventure all harvest actions will result in something specific gleaned from the act, e.g. picking berries, gutting a fish, or digging for medicinal roots. SIMPLE ACTION: Search / Scavenge (1-3 AP)

The world of Wreck Age teems with all make and manner of goods and, even in the heat of the moment, a player might catch a fleeting glimpse of something that looks unexpectedly valuable or useful. Likewise, Characters may set out to find a specific item in an encounter. The search /scavenge action represents a Character’s attempt to physically locate such an item. The encounter or Narrator will dictate how

many AP will be required for each search or scavenge action. If no AP value is listed, the action will cost 2 AP. In a Narrative RPG adventure, Characters may scavenge specific items; otherwise, Characters will scavenge Resource Units (RUs).

base contact with an opposing Character, it is considered to have charged rather than walked. A Character who walks must add a +1 TN modifier when making a ranged attack during that activation.

SIMPLE ACTION: Crawl (2 AP) Applying only to Prone Characters, by crawling they may move up to their base Characters may wish to scavenge a downed Character, an objective marker , or Movement attribute. perhaps a vacant room for a handy item or a possible clue to an evolving mystery. SIMPLE ACTION: Run (2 AP) A Character may move up to their SIMPLE ACTION: Interact With Movement value in inches, plus 1d6 Objects (1-x AP, dependent on type) additional inches. A Character who runs Characters may find they need to interact during activation must add a +2 TN modifier when making a ranged attack with an object or an objective. This will require manipulation of some manner: during the same activation. a heavy gate may need to be cranked open, a keyboard might require code to unlock, or an old machine might need to SIMPLE ACTION: Sprint (3 AP) be primed and started. These attempts A Character may move up to its Movement value in inches, plus 2d6 require expenditure of an AP once a Character is in the correct position– additional inches. Characters who have usually directly adjacent to that object. sprinted during activation may not attack with a ranged weapon during Encounters or Narrators will clearly that activation. spell out where, when, and how the interaction will affect play. In any case, the interaction occupies a Character’s full physical and/or mental attention for “Fast Moving” Bonus that turn .

A interact action may be a free action , all the way to a complex action (6) or more. The encounter or Narrator will determine the AP required. An old gate may be automated, thus only taking a free action to open, or it may be hand cranked, taking a slow and laborious complex action (3). SIMPLE ACTION: Walk (1 AP) A Character may move up to its Movement attribute value in inches. If, during its move, it comes into base-to Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

If, through any Movement action, a Character generates 11” or more of movement or more during activation, irrespective of how far they actually chose to Move, that Character becomes fast moving until their next activation. This can be achieved through any combination of crawling , walking , running , sprinting , or charge actions . Any Character making a ranged attack against a fast moving Character does so with a +1 TN modier .

ACTIONS: COMPLEX ACTIONS (no free action) Complex actions, such as fixing a broken weapon, or setting a trap, will require the full attention of a Character for one or more turns. A complex action may have a number in parenthesis after it, indicating that more than one turn is required to accomplish this action. For example: Complex Action (3) indicates that a Character would need 3 fulluninterrupted turns to complete that task. A character engaging in a complex action may not utilize a free action in that turn, except in the case of a hold action . COMPLEX ACTION: Hold Action The hold action is used when a Character is preparing and laying in wait to activate. This may be the preparation for a significantly ambitious activity or series of actions , like jumping from cover, running across a field, and firing off a wild shot, all in one go. By holding , Characters will earn a “hold marker,” which increases their available AP by 1 in the next turn. After declaring a hold, the Character may use one free action , and then their activation ends. This is in contrast to how most complex actions operate. Each hold marker that a Character possesses represents 1 AP , meaning that a Character who uses a hold action is giving up their entire AP pool for that turn and in exchange receiving 1 additional AP in the following turn .

A Character may perform as many subsequent hold actions as they wish (but a Character may never have more than 6 AP). For each subsequent hold action , another hold marker will be added. The Character must expend the additional AP in the next turn unless declaring another hold . However, stacking hold markers can be risky; any Character with one or more


holds that fails a Nerves test loses any and all hold markers. Whereas a Nerves test taken by a player with one hold marker is taken normally, any hold markers beyond the first will cause a +1 TN modifier . This is cumulative. Therefore a Character with 3 hold markers will take Nerves tests with a +2 TN modifier, and so on. A Character may spend the additional AP earned by holding in any manner that they wish. As usual though, a Character may not perform the same action twice in a single activation , unless that Character has a specific trait that allows them to do so. Any hold markers or excess AP not spent by the end of that activation are lost. Unlike other complex actions , a hold action allows for a Character to take a free action at the end of their activation. COMPLEX ACTION: Aimed Shot An aimed shot is a shot fired with careful time taken, controlled breathing, and emphasis placed upon making an effective kill. To resolve an aimed shot the Character will take a Shooting test . Only Characters with a Shooting attribute of two (2) or greater may take an aimed shot. An aimed shot gains a -1 TN modifier due to careful, precise aiming. COMPLEX ACTION: Charging Charging involves an all-out frontal assault. If a charge results in an engagement it will garner a significant bonus to combat.

If through a charge action a Character comes into base-to-base contact with an opposing Character, they not only becomes engaged , but will also be able to make an immediate strike against

any target they have engaged with, at +1 to their Fighting and Power attributes. This bonus lasts only during the charge activation . Characters may charge a maximum of the results of the number of dice equaling their AP-1 plus the distance of their base Movement.

A Character with 3 AP and a Movement of 4 would be able to charge 4” plus the results of two dice. A Character with 1 AP and 2 Movement would only be able to charge their base Movement of 2,” and would not add any additional dice to the distance.

If a Character takes a charge action that doesn’t result in an engagement, they are considered slow moving until their next activation, even if they have moved 11” or more.

the Fighting section. If more than one die is rolled for Fighting, one of them must be of a different color than the rest. This is called the Malfunction Die . A result of 1 on the Malfunction Die may result in some sort of detrimental effect to the attacker. Any successes that are rolled, including those on the Malfunction Die , cause a hit upon the target Character. Multiple successes are not counted (except for multiple 6s; see: the Rule of Sixes above) unless the Character is engaged with multiple opponents, in which case the attacking Character may choose secondary targets to apply the excess hits to. Once hits have been tallied and assigned, the attacking Character then rolls for damage once and the results are applied to all Characters that have been hit by the attack, as explained in the Damage section below.

COMPLEX ACTION: Disengage Disengaging may happen only when a Character is already engaged . To disengage, a Character must declare a disengage action , but may only move the distance of their base Movement attribute. COMPLEX ACTION: Fighting Fighting is the term in Wreck Age used Disengaging is a risky action that allows to describe attempting hand-to-hand opposing Characters to make a counter- strike against them. After moving , any close combat. A Fighting action is simply a swing, jab, slash, bash, or other attempt opposing Characters that were engaged to hurt someone within arm’s reach. with that model may immediately When a Character uses the Fighting perform counter-strikes against the disengaging Character. A Character action , they must currently be engaged with one or more opposing Characters, engaged to multiple opposing Characters and must declare which Character they’re may choose to leave engagement with some Characters while maintaining attacking. If they are engaged with more than one opponent, they may potentially engagement with others by keeping in hit more than one, but they must still base-to-base contact with whichever declare their primary target before Characters desired during the disengage movement ; in this case, only the opposing rolling any dice. Characters that were disengaged from may To fight, an activating Character takes a perform counter-strikes . Fighting test . The base TN for a Fighting action is 4+. TN modifiers are found in the Fighting Modifier Table located in Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

COMPLEX ACTION: Rally (+d6 AP) If a Character has 1 or more suppression markers , they may attempt to remove d6 of them by using this complex action to perform a Nerves test. COMPLEX ACTION: Craft Crafting is used to make new items out of existing ones. From something as simple as a sun dial, to a complicated fusion generator. Many crafting actions will be outside of the scope of a standard encounter, but one important thing that a Character may do with the craft action is to make ad-hoc weaponry, such as zip guns or melee weapons from items they have on hand.

As an example, making a zip gun is a very hard (6+ TN) Wits test and a complex action (2), meaning that at the end of two full turns, you would take a test based on the Character’s Wits, and need at least one result of 6 to succeed. We will talk more about ad-hoc weapons in the Weapons Chapter. COMPLEX ACTION: Un-jam Weapon In the case of a weapons malfunction result of a jammed or stuck weapon (see Weapons Malfunction later in this chapter), the Character must spend an entire turn un-jamming this weapon so that they may use it again. If the Character chooses, they may instead abandon that weapon, and use another (or their fists), but the weapon is then considered lost.

Water / Sea Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

COMPLEX ACTION: Repair/replace This action is used to make small changes to equipment and weapons, and to interact with various objects. Some actions, such as fitting or removing a silencer will be regular complex action , whereas repairing an engine may be a complex action (4 ) or even higher.

ACTIONS: END PHASE At the end of every turn , a variety of things may have to be resolved; unnerved Characters, recovery tests for unconscious and out-of-action Characters to see if they wake, and NCs (Narrator-controlled Characters) move in the tabletop version of Wreck Age. These things will all be handled at the end of the turn , in what’s called the “end phase.” The Narrator or encounter will be largely responsible for monitoring situations and determining what additional actions may be required in the end phase , but we will go over the basics here. END PHASE ACTION: Check Victory Conditions The first thing to be done in the end phase is to check if objectives have been met that trigger victory conditions, or if the turn limit has been reached. It is possible for more than one side to achieve their objectives at the same time. If victory conditions have been met, the encounter ends. If no victory conditions have been met, play will go into another turn.

END PHASE ACTION: Move NC Characters in Tabletop Version In a tabletop game of Wreck Age, if there are any Characters that are not controlled by any players, who are instead controlled by the Narrator, they are moved in the end phase, after victory conditions are checked for. END PHASE ACTION: Muster (+d3 AP) Any Character that is unnerved (reduced to 0 AP) may take a Nerves test . A successful result for the test will remove d3 suppression markers from that miniature, removing the unnerved status. This is a free action, called a muster. If they fail, they may immediately move 2d6” in any direction, but remained unnerved . END PHASE ACTION: Recovery Characters that are unconscious or out-ofaction may make a Power test to return to action. This is called a Recovery test ( or just “recovery”). Out of action Characters will return as wounded , and unconscious Characters will return to action as groggy. RECOVERY TESTS

Target numbers for Recovery tests are: • Unconscious: Difficult (5+ TN) • Out-of-Action: Hard (6+ TN)


A FEW SIMPLE RULES REGARDING ACTIONS AND AP •

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You may never have or store more than 6 AP. This means that a Character with a base AP of 6 (which would indicate superhuman speed and reflexes) may never utilize a hold action to gain more. If a Character engaged in a hold fails a Nerves test for any reason while doing so, that Character will lose all stored AP. Once a Character activates properly with a standard action, they must either spend or forfeit all hold markers attached to their Character. So if a Character that has held only spends a single AP (rather than the 4 at its disposal) in its activation, the hold marker will still be negated and will not pass along to a later turn. The exception to this is if a Character makes subsequent holds . Unless they have a trait that allows them to do so (such as Nimble for Movement actions , or Sustained Fire for Shooting actions ), a Character may not perform the same action more than once in a single turn .

FIGHTING Fighting is the term in Wreck Age used to describe attempting hand-to-hand close combat. Fighting occurs only within an engagement , when two or more opposing Characters are locked into a brawl of some sort. A Fighting action is simply a swing, jab, slash, bash, or other attempt to hurt someone within arm’s reach. When a Character uses the Fighting action , they must be engaged with one or more opposing Characters, and declare which Character they’re attacking. The activating Character then makes a Fighting test, which is based on the Fighting attribute to determine if the target was hit. This is followed by an opposed test for damage if a hit is scored. ENGAGEMENT A brawl, scuffle, or melee happens within the confines of an engagement. All opponents in base-to-base contact are considered engaged. Engagement ends when all Characters in it have been killed or otherwise incapacitated, or all Characters disengage .

may make a Fighting action to attack any opponents also engaged . FIGHTING: MALFUNCTION DIE The Malfunction Die is a die of a different color (or a special die that we manufacture) that is in all intents and purposes, just like the rest of the Fighting dice rolled for the test, however, if a 1 is rolled on the Malfunction Die, something bad can happen to the weapon (See Weapons Malfunctions), AND a fumble is caused. FUMBLES If the Malfunction Die is rolled and results in a natural 1, this results in a fumble. If a fumble occurs, all opposing, engaged Characters may initiate a counter-strike . To resolve a counter- strike , the activated Character’s attack must first resolve completely. After the activating Character resolves their attack completely, all opposing Characters in engagement with the Character that fumbled may counter-strike.

After resolving the counter-strike , the activated Character who rolled the ENTERING ENGAGEMENT fumble then rolls for malfunction s as Engagement occurs any time a Character shown in the Weapon Maintenance And moves into base-to-base contact with Malfunctions section, assuming that any opposing Character. To do so, a they are still able to activate. Character must be able to draw lineof-sight to the target they are engaging . This must be at minimum an arm, leg, COUNTER-STRIKES or head. If playing with models, bases do If a Character fumbles , enters not count for line-of-sight purposes. If a engagement with a Character with any Character who initiated engagement has Hold markers , or disengages , they are charged , they may immediately take a subject to a counter-strike. To counter- Fighting action at no AP cost and gain a strike , a Character must be eligible to bonus of +1 to their Fighting and Power activate. Therefore Characters who attributes for that attack. Otherwise, are unconscious, out-of-action, or dead engagement ends a Character’s may not counter-strike. Counter-strikes activation. Note that engaging is not an allow Characters to make a Fighting action per se. However, all Characters action outside of their activation at no who are engaged that are able to activate AP cost. All counter-striking Characters Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

may utilize any bonuses that would be SUPERIOR NUMBERS available to them as if they had activated, There may be circumstances where more such as bonuses to Power and Fighting than two Characters are simultaneously from superior numbers . Finally, when engaged . In these situations, the making a counter-strike, any fumbles are Characters on the side that outnumbers ignored, although a malfunction may still their opponents are granted a temporary cause a weapon to break during these +1 to their Fighting and Power attributes attacks of opportunity. for every Character by which they outnumber their opponents in the Player Characters who are struck down engagement . This is called having superior before being able to counter-strike may numbers. In the case of engagements still take a parting action , but must between more than two players (i.e. attempt to do so in the next activation. As three or more sides), you must count all such, they may not counter-strike if they opponents in that particular engagement may not activate. regardless of who controls them to determine superior numbers . ENTERING ENGAGEMENT WITH HOLDING CHARACTERS When engaging a Character with hold For example, if three friendly Characters markers , the Characters that are being are engaged with one opposing Charengaged may first perform a counter- acter, superior numbers dictates that all strike against the engaging player, or three friendly Characters are granted may alternatively perform a Shooting a +2 to both their Fighting and Power action , at no AP cost, against the engaging attributes, with the Power bonus being Character. If the Character being engaged applied to the weapon used. However, elects to shoot, they may roll only if two friendly Characters are engaged one die instead of using their normal with two opposing Characters, each of Shooting attribute. After the Shooting which is controlled by different players, action or counter-strike is resolved, the no bonus is given because the attacking engaging Character may make their initial player’s Characters are equal in number engagement attack as normal. We’ll talk to opposing Characters, and therefore more about Shooting in the next section. they don’t have superior numbers .

ACTIVATION DURING ENGAGEMENT In the chaos of hand-to-hand combat, Characters must do everything that they can to fight for their lives. While engaged , a Character’s actions are severely restricted. Engaged Characters may only take a Fighting action or a disengage action , or change weapons. They may use the draw small weapon free action at the end of their activation. All of the other actions available to a Character in an engagement are complex actions , meaning that they may not do any thing else during their activation. Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

ENGAGEMENT INVOLVING MORE THAN TWO CHARACTERS If a Character is fighting against more than one opponent, they may be able to hit more than one opponent, as long as they have a Fighting attribute of more than 1. First, they must declare the Character that they are attacking, and for every success that the Character rolls on their Fighting test beyond the first, they may attack any additional Character that they are engaged with.

USING WEAPONS DURING FIGHTING If a Character wishes to use a weapon in a fight, the weapon being used must be ready when the engagement starts. If a Character wishes to change weapons , during an engagement they may do so, but instead of being a simple action as usual, it is a complex action. There is one exception: You may use the draw small weapon free action to ready a Small Melee weapon or any ranged weapon with the pistol trait at the end of the Character’s activation.

FIGHTING MODIFIERS TABLE TN modifiers for Fighting tests : •

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Pistols In Engagements While blades, clubs, and other close quarters instruments are the primary types of weapons used in fights, Characters may use any ranged weapon that has the pistol trait when engaged, but can only attack the Characters that they are engaged with. Shooting an opponent that you are engaged with is no easy task. Even though the Characters are at point blank range, the opposing Character(s) will attempt to block the shot. Resolve any attacks with a pistol weapon but with a TN of 5+, using the Character’s Fighting attribute instead of their Shooting attribute.

Please note that pistol weapons do not gain a bonus to Power from engaging multiple opponents with superior numbers, but will still benefit from an increased Fighting attribute. FIGHTING MODIFIERS TABLE Below is a list of the most common TN modifiers that are in effect when Fighting , although some have been touched upon in previous sections. These are cumulative, so if more than one TN modifier is in play they will stack.


•

Charging A Defender: Counter-striking An Attacker: Attacking A Fast Moving Defender: Attacking A Slow Moving Defender: Attacking A Prone Defender: Attacking An Incapacitated Defender: Using A Ranged Weapon While Fighting:

+1 Fighting for the first attack. +1 Fighting for the

counter-strike. +1 TN modifier. -1 TN modifier. -1 TN modifier. -2 TN modifier. +1 TN modifier, and use the Fighting attribute.

DISENGAGING If a Character wishes to retreat or otherwise withdraw from an engagement, they may declare a disengage action . When declaring a disengage action, a Character may move only their base Movement attribute (in inches if playing with miniatures). After moving , any opposing Characters that were engaged with the disengaging Character may immediately perform counter-strikes against the disengaging Character as if they were still in base-to-base contact. A Character engaged with multiple opposing Characters may choose to leave engagement with some Characters while maintaining engagement with others simply by keeping base-tobase contact with whatever Characters they choose during the disengage move . In this case, only the opposing Characters that were disengaged from may perform counter-strikes .

SHOOTING Shooting involves a Character using a ranged weapon to make an attack. To do so, the activating Character makes a Shooting test, which is based on the Shooting attribute to determine if the target was hit. This is followed by an opposed test for damage if a hit is scored. As with Fighting, if more than one die is rolled for Shooting, one of them must be of a different color than the rest. This is called the Malfunction Die . Unlike Fighting, Characters cannot fumble when making a Shooting test . The risk of a malfunction is the only undesired outcome of rolling a natural 1 on the

SHOOTING: MALFUNCTION DIE The Malfunction Die is a die of a different color (or a special die that we manufacture) that is in all effects and purposes, just like the rest of the Shooting Dice rolled for the test; however, if a 1 is rolled on Malfunction Die, something bad can happen to the weapon (See Weapons Malfunctions).

SHOOTING: TARGET NUMBER (TN) TABLE When Shooting, the TN changes depending on both the abilities of the weapon and the distance to the target. There are four ranges , and the further the Malfunction Die. distance, the harder the base TN . Also be aware that there are several TN modifiers Unlike Fighting, there are several types that may be in effect, as illustrated in of Shooting actions. Additionally , the base the Shooting Modifiers Table. Below TN needed to score a hit is determined by is a list of the TNs associated with the the distance to the target. Finally, unless various ranges: firing at the most distant targets, the target(s) will need to roll for suppression , SHOOTING: TARGET NUMBER (TN) TABLE which is explained below. Point Blank: Targets at 2” or closer have a TN of 3+. You will need to refer to your weapon’s Short Range: Determined by the statistics in order to determine the range weapon, targets that are at which you’ll be firing upon an enemy, further than 2” up to the and thus, the TN required to score a hit. short range rating of the Remember, that in most cases you may weapon have a TN of 4+. not pre-measure distances. Long Range: Determined by the •

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To make a Shooting action, the Character must have a ranged weapon ready, and must be able to draw a line of sight to the target. If the intended target is completely obscured from the Character’s sight, it cannot be fired upon. Assuming you can draw a line of sight to the target, you may then declare one of the following methods of Shooting : •

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Aimed Shot: Complex action Regular Shot: 2 AP simple action Hip Shot: free action


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Extreme Range:

weapon. Targets that are further than short range up to long range rating of the weapon have a TN of 5+. Determined by the weapon, Targets that are further than the long range rating and up to double the long range rating have a TN of 7+. Targets beyond double the long range ratings may not be hit.

SHOOTING MODIFIERS TABLE Below is a list of the most common modifiers that are in effect when Shooting , although some have been touched upon in previous sections. These are cumulative, so if more than one modifier is in play, they will stack unless otherwise explained. SHOOTING MODIFIERS TABLE

TN modifiers for Fighting tests : •

Cover:

If the defender is in or behind area scenery or terrain, or if the attack passes through area terrain there is a +1

TN modifier. •

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If the defender is concealed , attacks against them receive a +2 TN modifier (not cumulative with cover). Prone, If the defender is prone > Short Range: and the attacker is firing a weapon from long range or longer, there is a +1 TN modifier. Prone, If the defender is prone =< Short and the attacker is Range: firing from short range or closer, there is a -1 TN modifier.: Fast Moving: If the defender is Fast Moving , there is a +1 Concealment:

SUPPRESSION If a Character is fired upon from long range or closer, they must take a Nerves test after the attack is resolved, regardless of any damage caused. However, this is not required if the Character is not able to activate. Remember that Nerves tests use Nerves to determine the number of dice rolled and use the Character’s training level to determine the TN, as shown on the Suppression Table below. If the test has no successes, the Character receives a suppression marker . Each suppression marker reduces that Character’s usable AP by one for the remainder of that encounter, or until the marker is removed through a variety of

rally actions.

If a Character has one or more suppression markers but has not been reduced to 0 AP, that Character may attempt a variety of rally actions to regain their composure. A successful result in the test will remove suppression marker(s). Any regained AP may be used in that turn . Beasts may not take a selfimposed Nerves test in this manner.

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TN modifier. •

Slow Moving:

If the defender is Slow Moving, there is a -1

TN modifier •

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If the attacker walked during that activation , there is a +1 TN modifier. Attacker If the attacker ran during Running: that activation , there is a +2 TN modifier. Small target +1 TN modifier Large Target: -1 TN modifier Attacker Walked:


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SUPPRESSION TABLE Green: Nerves tests have a TN of 5+ Trained: Nerves tests have a TN of 4+ Veteran: Nerves tests have a TN of 3+ Elite: Nerves tests have a TN of 2+ Beast: Nerves tests have a TN of 4+ (may not rally , or regroup , but may muster)

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Automoton: Automatons are immune to suppression .

UNNERVED Characters may find themselves with as many suppression markers as they have AP, effectively giving them 0 AP. This would disallow them from taking any actions during their activation. This condition is called being unnerved. Immediately after gaining the last suppression marker that reduces their AP to 0, an unnerved Character may move 2d6” in any direction.

Unnerved Characters are particularly susceptible in their panicked state. If an unnerved Character comes within 6” of any friendly Character other than a Player Character, that friendly Character must take a Nerves test. If they fail the Nerves test, they also become unnerved , regardless of their starting AP. This can set off a dangerous chain reaction, especially among less-trained Characters. Please note that Player Characters are immune to being affected by already unnerved Characters in this way, although they may be unnerved themselves if reduced to 0 AP. If an unnerved Character is shot at, engaged , or comes within 2” of an opposing Character, they may take one final Nerves test to attempt to muster ( see End Phase Action: Muster). If they fail this, they are considered “routed” and are considered to have left the encounter. Any Character that leaves the encounter in this manner will permanently lose 1 Renown for the shame and humiliation of such cowardice. If the Character has 0 Renown already, they are considered to have disappeared in shame, and are removed from the crew permanently. Their equipment may not be scavenged.


DAMAGE Combat is quick and deadly. If you are 100 miles from your settlement, you won’t want to engage in a firefight with every band of wanderers who cross your path, as it is extraordinarily improbable that Characters will find any help if hurt. Although already gone over in the Shooting and Fighting sections above, we’ll just give you a quick reminder: In order to attack, a player rolls the number of dice equal to the value of their Shooting or Fighting attribute: Shooting for ranged combat, and Fighting for close combat. Shooting tests and Fighting tests operate slightly differently, however; both require the player to roll the number of dice equal to the value of the relevant attribute. If a successful hit is scored, then the successful character will roll a damage test , as shown below. When attacking, always roll 1 die of a different color to represent the potential for a malfunction (and fumble in the case of Fighting).

The TN for Shooting is based on the range, while the base TN for Fighting is always 4+.

The Rule of Sixes effecting Damage If, during a Shooting or Fighting test , a Character rolls more than one natural 6, they will add 1 to their Power Attribute for each 6 beyond the first. Therefore, a result of four 6’s will add a total of 3 to the Power of the attack.

DAMAGE TEST MODIFIERS DAMAGE TN MODIFIERS •

2 x power:

Power of the hit doubles the base Power of the defender: -1 TN modifier for the attacker’s

Damage test •

Soft Cover:

Defending Character is in soft cover: +1

Defensive Power

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Hard Cover: Defending Character is in hard cover: +2

Defensive Power

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Light Armor: Medium Armor:

Defender is wearing Light Armor : -1 TN modifier to the Defender’s Power test Defender is wearing Medium Armor : -1 TN modifier to the defender’s Power test AND +1

Defensive Power •

Heavy Armor:

Defender is wearing Heavy Armor : -1 TN modifier to the Defender’s Power test AND +2 Defensive

Power

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Shield:

Defender is using a shield: +1 Defensive

Power

Soft Cover includes long grass, reeds, bushes, thin woods, and other nonhardened surfaces. The main benefit is that it makes it harder to determine where the target is. Hard Cover would be anything with a density that could actually soften a blow, such as metal, rocks, and brick walls.


RESOLVING DAMAGE To determine results of damage in Wreck Age, you will first use either the Shooting attribute for ranged combat, or the Fighting attribute for close combat. If you score a hit, you will then resolve damage, as follows:

If an attacking Character scores a hit, the two players will role an opposed Power test to determine if damage has been done. This is also called a Damage test. The attacking Character will roll either their own Power rating or the Power rating of the weapon they are using, adding any additional modifiers. Against that, the defending Character will roll their Power attribute, which may be modified by armor or cover. The unmodified TN for a damage test is 4+ for both attacking and defending. The defending Character will subtract their successes from those of the attacking Character. The attacker’s remainder will indicate how much damage has been done. See the Damage Results Table for the final outcome of the damage. Unless the damage was caused by something with the non-lethal trait , it is considered lethal, and will roll on the standard damage table below. Non-lethal damage has its own damage track.

DAMAGE RESULTS All lethal damage is tracked on the following table, with the first result being wounded , the second out-of-action , the third dying , and the fourth (and last), dead . All damage stacks, so be certain to record the number of successful damage results against each Character on the table as their health declines. A Character wounded twice is out-of-action . A Character who is already out-of-action , and who receives another out-of-action result is dead .

# of Damage Effect 0 or less No Effect

1

2

Wounded

DAMAGE TABLE Results The Character is scraped and bruised, but otherwise unfazed and may continue as normal. The Character is wounded .

When wounded, all Shooting , Fighting and Power tests receive a +1 TN modifier for the rest of the encounter. Out-of-Action The Character goes down, and is considered out-ofaction . They may be tending to their wounds, or too badly hurt to continue activating. Out of action Characters may not activate. During the encounter, a Character with the right skill or equipment may stabilize an out-of-action Character and their condition may be downgraded.

3

Dying

In the end phase of every turn, they may take a hard Power test (6+ TN ) to return to action as wounded . From this point forward, the Character is considered out of the game, and will potentially die without prompt medical attention.

Dying Characters may not activate. During the

4+

Dead

encounter, a Character with the right skill or equipment may stabilize them and their condition may be downgraded. The Character is dead with no hope of revival. They might be useful to Stitchers, who may harvest his or her organs. It should go without saying that dead Characters may not activate.


PARTING ACTION Any Player Character that receives an out-of-action, dying , or dead result before they activate in that turn, may attempt a parting action as a last gasp. In order to do so, a Player Character must take a Power test with a TN of 5+. If passed, The Player Character activates next and can spend their AP as usual (plus any hold markers they have). Please note that ONLY Player Characters may attempt a parting action .

All damage results stack, so be certain to record the number of successful damage rolls against each Character on the table as their health declines. A Character groggy twice is unconscious .

Warning / Danger / Radiation

NON-LETHAL DAMAGE

Any weapon with the non-lethal trait , or an unarmed Character will use the non-lethal damage table instead of the regular damage table.

# of Damage 0

NON-LETHAL DAMAGE TABLE Effect Results The Defender is scraped and bruised, but otherwise No Effect

1-2

Groggy

3+

Unconscious

unfazed. The Character may continue normally. This is the non-lethal version of wounded . All Shooting tests , Fighting tests , and Power tests take a +1 TN modifier . The Character goes down. In the end phase of every turn , they may take a Power test with a 6+ TN to return to action as groggy . However, any Character may revive them by entering in base-to-base contact and spending 2 AP to do so. Characters with the First Aid skill only need to spend 1 AP to revive an unconscious Character.

If a Character has taken damage from a non-lethal weapon, use a marker or keep track on their Character sheet. The non-lethal effect will remain until that Character receives greater damage from a non-lethal weapon, or the encounter ends. Non-lethal damage cannot bring a Character’s damage status past unconscious . Non-lethal damage wears off after the encounter , with no detrimental effect, unless noted in the weapon’s profile. Any Character that ends the encounter with only non- lethal damage will never roll on the Serious Damage Table.


WEAPONS MALFUNCTIONS AND MAINTENANCE

Almost every type of Character in Wreck Age will have some form of weapons and equipment. There are various effects that these items can have on play. First we’ll go over malfunctions and maintenance, and then jump into traits, followed by descriptions and more information about all manner of basic equipment that’s used in The Wilds. When using a weapon, any natural 1 on the malfunction roll will require a player to roll on the Weapons Malfunction table. A weapons malfunction requires the player to roll of 2d6 (or as indicated), picking the highest. The roll may be further modified by weapon traits and other factors. Double 1’s subtract 1 from the result, allowing a 0 to be rolled without other modifiers. On the malfunction roll, every natural 1 beyond the first natural 1 rolled subtracts 1 from the die result on the Weapons Malfunction Table. So for example, if 3d6 is rolled because a weapon is maintained (see Weapon Traits), and you roll two 1’s and a 6, the best result becomes a 5.

Dagger / Weapons also, Death / Holiday Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

WEAPONS MALFUNCTION TABLE

Roll 2 dice (or as otherwise indicated) if a 1 is rolled on the Malfunction Die: Result Effect 0 or less The item either explodes or otherwise shatters in the Character’s hands.

1

The Character immediately takes a hit at a Power 1 less than the item’s typical Power, OR at Power 2 if the item has no Power. Any item that explodes or breaks in this manner is considered beyond repair, but may be traded or sold for scrap. The item is damaged or broken, with no damage to the controlling Character.

2

If kept, the Character may potentially repair the item at a later opportunity. The item is jammed or lodged into another object.

3-5

The Character may discard this item immediately if desired (the item is considered lost). Otherwise, in the following turn, that Character may perform a Repair action in order to utilize it again. The item has run out of ammunition/charge/energy. A Character must make a simple action to reload the item to be able to use it again.

6+

This result has no effect on melee weapons or on single-use items. No effect.


Character And Crew Creation If you want to survive in the wastes, then get yourself a group together. You can call them a “crew,” call them a “gang,” call them whatever you want... just don’t call them late for dinner. ~Exerpts from Duster’s Almanack


As should be familiar to you by now, Characters are the individuals that the players control within the world. In many cases, players will control multiple Characters at once. There is a basic assumption that players will have one representative who takes on the role of their in-game persona. These Characters can be seen as their own personal action heros, and are called Player Characters. NARRATOR CHARACTERS (NCs) Narrator Characters are the Characters that the Narrator uses and controls. They represent everything from townsfolk to antagonists, and other individuals that the players do not control. PLAYER CHARACTER Player Characters represent the players’ own personal self within the game. Player Characters are protected from many of the types of outside influence that other Characters will be affected by: from intimidation, to coercion or fear. A player declares which one Character will be their Player Character before the game starts. This Character remains the Player Character for the duration of play. If a Player Character dies or is otherwise incapacitated, the player may choose another Player Character, either from their existing group, or by creating a new one from scratch from their Community. Alternately, when a Player Character dies, the player(s) may choose to restart as a new Faction.

Characters that are designated as Player Characters have something called “freewill.”


FREEWILL Player Characters are able to make their own decisions about a variety of circumstances, and are able to decide how to react with greater autonomy than other Characters. This is due to their having freewill . In game-terms, this means that a Player Character may be able to ignore the effects of a variety of Wits and Nerves tests . If freewill allows you to ignore an effect, it will expressly mentioned when that effect, trait , or skill is described. COMMUNITIES Most Characters are a part of a larger Community. To begin creating Characters, you must choose what type of Community that they are from. The process is started through something called Archetypes . Archetypes are your basic structure, or the bones of the Characters. From there, you may add a variety of details, or keep it streamlined and simple. There are also some Characters that come from either no Community, or Communities that are on the fringes of society. These were described in the Fringes chapter.

If there is no specific faction that you wish to play, then you may ONLY choose Archetypes from the “generic” list. If you have chosen a specific faction, you may instead choose an Archetype from that specific Faction Archetype list which immediately follows the Generic Archetype List. Please note, a specific faction (the Reclaimers, Stakers, etc), may still choose most generic Archetypes. This can make for a few odd combos, but we’ll leave that to the player’s (and/or Narrator’s) discretion.

CREWS Crews are the combination of all of the Characters that are entering the game with common interests and backgrounds. They will typically all be from a specific faction, although this need not always be the case. One player may control the entire crew, or just a part of it, depending on the play style (narrative or tabletop), and player preference. If multiple Characters are controlled by a player, this doesn’t mean that the player has to give up control in any way. It simply means that Characters other than the Player Character won’t have the benefit of freewill . CREATING A CREW To create a crew, you will be assigned a specific amount of Resource Units either based on your encounter, or using the Narrator’s discretion. The crew may utilize these RUs to “buy” Characters. Declaring one of your Characters as a Player Character does not cost any additional RUs. Crews are made up of multiple Characters.

ARCHETYPES Achetypes are a quick way to create Characters, and are a preset for you to work from. Archetypes are a starting point, to which you then add levels of customization. Why use Archetypes, and not the more in-depth Character creation process? In part, because this allows you to pick up where you left off if and when your Character dies. Think of it as the Community’s “save point.” This system allows you to put a new Character back into the action with ease, but still allows for plenty of room for customization and creativity.


Skills are determined by Archetype, which is described in more detail in a few pages. The higher the level of training, the higher number of skills and traits a Character will have, although a community will have an impact on the type and level of skills available to a starting Character as well.

CREATING A CHARACTER Your Community will supply you with the amount of RUs required to create a Character. This represents the community spending the resources on the infrastructure needed to create a Character of this Archetype through training and equipping them. Once you pick an Archetype, you may advance that Character in any direction that you are drawn to. • First, choose an Archetype and

training level. Archetypes are listed immediately following the Character Development Points section. That will determine the “cost” of your Character in RUs, and the amount of Character Development Points available to “build” that Character (see the next page). Use Character Development Points to choose your Character’s starting Attributes, minding any restictions for the chosen training level. • Next you will determine the details

that go along with that Archetype, such as traits , skills, and finally trinkets and equipment. • Lastly, you will flesh out the

Character with any additional details that you would like to use, such as story, background, interests, and motivations.

NOTES ON CHARACTER CREATION

Here is the breakdown of what a sample Archetype choice looks like:

Guard / Heavy / Brawler RU Costs 12 / 35 / 85 / 125 Limitations Shooting MAX 5 At Veteran Power MAX 4 Prerequisite None Archetypes Entrance Cost 0 RUs Exit Any Archetypes Faction Any Community Unaffiliated or as per Faction Skills 1 Knowledge Skill per training level Equipment 2 Uncommon Weapons, Light Armor At Trained: Medium Armor Small Melee Weapon Rags (Clothing) Trinkets 2 rolls

Starting Traits: none Available Traits: Nerves of Steel, Old Tech, Last One Standing

RU Cost: The cost in RUs. This cost is broken down by training level as follows: Green/ Trained/ Veteran/ Elite. Beasts will only have one RU cost. A dash indicates that a Character of that training level may NOT be created or taken. Limitations: These are the limits that the Character has on their attributes. These numbers circumvent the usual maximums. If a number is higher than 3 for Movement, Power, or AP, that overrides the usual human maximum. If a number is lower than 6 for the other attributes, then that is their upper maximum. Prerequisite Archetype: This is a list of different Archetypes that a Character must have had at least one of


before entering the current Archetype. This does not apply to one-off play, only to campaigns. Entrance Cost: This is the cost in RUs that you must spend to enter this Archetype. This is a representation of the gathering of the equipment and training specific to that Archetype. Exit Archetypes: These are the Archetypes that the Character may advance into from the current Archetype. Most Archetypes will have at least one Exit Archetype, indicating that this specific Archetype is grooming the Character for a smooth transition into the next. To choose an Exit Archetype that Character must spend 1 Renown. Faction: This is the type of faction that the Character may belong to. If “any” is listed, then there are no restictions. Community: This is simply the name of the Character’s community. Skills: Any skills given to that Archetype beyond the skills gained for each training level. Equipment: Shows you what equipment the Character may have to start with. Certain options are available only at specific training levels or higher. In the example, the Character may have Medium Armor at Trained. This would also be an option at Veteran or Elite. Trinkets: How many rolls on the trinkets Chart that the Character gets. Starting Traits: These are the traits that the Character begins with automatically, regardless of training level. Available Traits: You may choose traits from this list based on your training level (see training levels, on the following pages).

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT POINTS

GREEN 15 Character Development Points 0 additional traits 1 skill (and whatever Archetype gets)

Character Development Points allow a Character to purchase their starting Attributes. Each Character Development point allows you to purchase 1 point in A Green Character is either a brand-new an attribute. recruit, or one with very little experience. Green Characters do not have much real All Attributes except for Renown range world experience, but will likely have from a value of 1 to 6. enough to survive for a short while. Green Player Characters have a For regular humans, the MAX value for Nerves test TN of 5+. All other Green Action Points, Movement, and Power is 3. Characters will make Nerves tests at 6+. You MUST place at least one point into every attribute except for Renown. The level of Renown required varies based on training. If you are playing a campaign, you will use Renown (and RUs) to advance your characters and track their progression. This will be gone into in the “Campaigns” chapter later in the book. RU COST PER TRAINING LEVEL Most Characters come from a community. This community teaches, equips, and protects them. While not all Characters in Wreck Age need to come from a community (some come from “The Fringes”), the vast majority will. There are some notable exceptions, such as the outcast No Ghosts. But even the Caravaneers, who are made up mostly cast-outs, have banded together to form their own communities for safety and security.

The initial cost to a Community for a Trained or Veteran Character will be much higher than a Green Character. Here are the basics for each level of training:


Sample stat line:

Green Sample Character AP M 3 3

P 2

S 1

F 1

N 3

W 2

R 0

Green Characters must begin with 0 Renown, but may earn a maximum of 1 during their adventures. Green Characters have a MAX Power of 2. Remember that for AP, and Movement, 3 is the normal maximum for humans. Green Characters begin with factionspecific traits , and starting traits .

TRAINED 18 Character Development Points 1 additional trait 2 skills (and whatever Archetype gets)

VETERAN 21 Character Development Points 2 additional traits 3 skills (and whatever Archetype gets)

Trained Characters have a modest level of Veterans are Characters who have been competence as well as some basic, formal in the thick of it, and have lived to tell training. They may not have much real the tale. They have a good level of world experience, but they feel at least experience in their field, and have quite marginally prepared and confident in high levels of competence and training. their abilities. Trained Characters have a Veteran Characters have a TN of 3+ for TN of 4+ for Nerves tests . Nerves tests . Sample stat line:

Sample stat line:

Trained Sample Character

Veteran Sample Character

AP M 3 3

AP M 3 3

P 3

S 2

F 2

N 3

W 2

R 0

Trained Characters may begin with 0-2 Renown. You do not have to put any points into Renown, although you may put up to 2 if you choose to. Remember that for AP, Movement, and Power, 3 is the normal maximum for humans. Trained Characters begin with factionspecific traits , starting traits , and may choose one additional from the Archetype list. They may choose up to two skills in addition to those given specifically to the Archetype.


P 3

S 3

F 2

N 3

W 3

R 1

Veteran Characters must begin with at least 1 Renown, but have no upper limit. You do not have to put any further points into Renown, although you may if you choose to. Remember that for AP, Movement, and Power, 3 is the normal maximum for humans. Veteran Characters begin with factionspecific traits , starting traits , and may choose two additional traits from the Archetype list. They may choose up to three skills in addition to those given specifically to the Archetype.

ELITE 25 Character Development Points 2 additional traits (+ Elite trait) 4 skills (and whatever Archetype gets)

BEAST (predetermined stats)

Elite Characters are experienced, and prepared. They possess a level of skill and ability that is extremely rare. An Elite Character will be able to use their wits and prowess to find their way out of just about any situation. Elite Characters have a TN 2+ for Nerves tests .

Beasts are Characters with an animalistic sense of survival. These Characters rely on instinct rather than training. Beasts have a 4+ TN for Nerves tests , and may not use an activation in order to perform a self-imposed Nerves test , and so will only test to rally once they have been reduced to zero AP or if another Character intervenes.

Sample stat line:

Sample stat line (an attack boar):

Elite Sample Character AP M 3 3

P 3

S 4

F 3

N 4

W 3

R 2

Beast Sample Character AP M 3 4

P 2

S -

F 2

N 2

W 1

R -

Elite Characters must begin with at least Beasts may not choose any additional 2 Renown, and have no upper limit. You traits , but have traits assigned based on do not have to put any further points what type of Beast that they are. into Renown, although you may if you choose to. Remember that for AP, Movement, and Power, 3 is the normal maximum for humans. Elite Characters begin with factionspecific traits and starting traits , and may choose two additional from the Archetype list. They may also have a specific trait given to them at the Elite training level. They may choose up to four skills in addition to those given specifically to the Archetype.


CHARACTER EQUIPMENT

TRINKETS The trinkets found in The Resurgence vary greatly in size, shape, weight and value.

You may ALWAYS choose a item of lesser rarity than the one allowed. For example, an Archetype calling for a To determine what trinkets a Character has, Roll 6d6 for each “trinkets roll” player to choose a rare weapon for their and consult the following chart: Character may select a zip gun from the common weapons list instead of one of the rare weapons. TRINKETS CHART A Character may carry either one heavy weapon, OR up to two regular 2 two handed weapons. They may additionally carry up to three one-handed weapons. Characters may carry one kit. All Characters may start with a Small Melee weapon, which counts towards the maximum of three one-handed weapons a Character may carry. If a weapon is High Tech or Old Tech , then the Character must have the associated trait to properly use it. They may still attempt to use it, but at a Shooting Attribute of -2. If this brings their Shooting below 1, they may not use it at all. Examples of weapons, by rarity: Common weapons: zip gun, Small Melee , Medium Melee , pipe rifle, junk gun, bow, molotov. Uncommon weapons: revolver (light), auto pistol (light), break action rifle, mining laser, shotgun Rare weapons: assault carbine, hunting rifle, flame thrower, flame thrower Very Rare weapons battle rifle, narco gun, web caster, charger pistol, laser rifle, vibro blade


Dice Result 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36

Item mirco processor harmonica silver coin music box sewing needle small motor revolver cylinder pistol magazine hunting knife handle motherboard small diode toggle switch relay small locket 25 mm tracer shell empty rifle casings empty pistol casings ancient screw antique flare ancient cracked mug broken eyeglasses silver chain antique pendent tiny solar cell washers gas can cap un-charged battery micro processor prism ring, platium ring, silver

Value 4 RUs 2 RUs 5 RUs 2 RU 2 RUs 4 RUs 1 RU 1 RU 1 RU 1 RU 1 RU 1 RU 1 RU 2 RUs 1 RU 1 RU 1 RU 1 RU 1 RU 1 RU 1 RU 3 RUs 3 RUs 2 RUs 1 RU 1 RU 2 RUs 2 RUs 2 RUs 3 RUs 5 RUs

Fleshing your Character out

MOTIVATION

(Optional)

If there is one thing your Character could change about their life, what would it be?

Pick and choose two or three from each of these lists of questions: ORIGIN

Where was your Character born? Do they still call their birthplace home? What is your Characters height/weight/ etc.?

Do other people factor into your Characters decisions, and if so who? Is your Character loyal to anyone? Does your Character have faith, and if so, in what? Does your Character have any preconceptions regarding other groups?

What is the farthest they have traveled from their home, and why?

Is revenge ever worth risking your life? Did the civilizations of the past deserve to fall?

Does a life of wandering frighten them?

What is the best thing in life?

Is security more valuable than freedom?

How would they like others to view them?

Has your Character ever known love? What scars do they have and how did they acquire them? Let’s say they have a home, and it is burning, what is the one thing they make sure to save? Do they have any fears or traumas to overcome? What is the Character’s biggest secret? What do they believe happened to the world to cause the collapse? Do Stitchmen exist or are they bogeys? Did they choose their lifestyle or was it forced upon them? What is the most vivid memory from their childhood?


Wealth, security or glory? Is telling a lie ever the right thing to do? Your Character comes upon a starving child along a caravan trail, but they only have enough food for their own journey. What do they do? They see someone being punished un justly, and have the ability to free them, but will have to leave their equipment behind in town. What do they do? Is life worth living? Does this Character take prisoners?

MAVERICK

Your Character will profit from letting a crime occur even though they are not committing it. At what act would they draw the line and have to intervene? How does your Character pass the time when not scavenging or working? Does your Character dream in color? Are they kind or cruel to a specific type of animal? Do they believe in a higher power? When they feel the desire to escape from reality, what do they do? Does your Character ever sing or dance? Does your Character prefer night or day? Does your Character have any nervous habits? How do others see your Character?

ANIMAL COMPANIONS

Animals, such as pack boars, can be invaluable help to a crew in The Wilds. Every Character may obtain up to three pack boars at a cost of 10 RUs each.

Pack Boar (to carry your burdens) AP M 3 2

P 2

S -

N 1

W 1

R 0

RU Cost 10 Faction ANY Training Beast Skills NONE Equipment: Various packs and harnesses

Starting Traits: wild beast, pack animal

Dog (man’s or woman’s best friend) AP M 3 4

P 2

S -

RU Cost 10 Faction ANY Training Beast Skills NONE Equipment: none

Starting Traits: none


F 1

F 3

N 1

W 1

R 0

Archetypes GENERIC ARCHETYPE LIST (available to any faction):

Soldier / Shooter / Marksman / Archer / Slugger (Ranged Combat) RU Costs 12 / 30 / 70 / 120 Limitations Wits MAX 4 Fighting MAX 5 Prerequisite None Archetypes Entrance Cost 5 RUs Exit Any Archetypes Faction Any except Drifter Community Unaffiliated or as per Faction Skills 1 Knowledge Skill per training level Equipment: 2 Uncommon Weapons, Small Melee Weapon, Rags (Clothing), Light Armor At Veteran: Medium Armor At Elite: Hunting Rifle Trinkets 1 rolls

Starting Traits: none Available Traits: archer, concentrated fire, sniper, gun slinger; at Elite: Old Tech

Medic / Healer / Herbalist (healer) RU Costs 15 / 30 / 65 / 110 Limitations Shooting MAX 4 Fighting MAX 4 Prerequisite None Archetypes Entrance Cost 10 RUs Exit Any Archetypes Faction Any Community Unaffiliated or as per Faction Skills First Aid: 2, OR Doctor: 2, OR Triage: 2. 2 Knowledge Skills per training level Equipment Uncommon Weapon, Small Melee Weapon, Rags (Clothing), Light Armor OR Med kit Trinkets 1 roll

Starting Traits: none Available Traits: survivalist, savant

Although not always a true practitioner of medicine, these Characters are often more like mystics with the basic understanding of the herbs needed to make These Characters have a keen eye and salves, poultices, and even some mediskill with an assortment of projectile cines. Their knowledge is often gleaned weapons but no specific preference for from oral history, and as students of such any. As a member of a crew, these Charhistory they know much of the outside acters are eager to be a part of a team world outside of their Communities, and are more than willing to become a along with some inaccuracies and myths groups, ranged weapons “expert,” even if that may not sync with reality. While their expertise is limited to having decent these Characters won’t have an answer aim and knowing how to ensure the to everything, their answers align more weapon does not explode in their hands. with the truth when they pertain to the flora of the area, and any foray into the wilderness would be wise to bring one of these Characters along with them. Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

Tech / Mechanic / Mecher

Scavenger

(Repair)

(Salvage)

RU Costs 12 / 25 / 55 / 105 Limitations Shooting MAX 5 At Veteran: Power MAX 4 Prerequisite None Archetypes Entrance 5 RUs Cost Exit Any Archetypes Faction Any except Drifter Community Unaffiliated or as per Faction Skills 1 Knowledge Skill per training level Equipment: 2 Common Weapons, Small Melee Weapon, Rags (Clothing), Tool kit Trinkets 2 rolls

RU Costs 10 / 20 / 50 / 100 Limitations Shooting MAX 4 Fighting MAX 4 Prerequisite None Archetypes Entrance Cost 5 RUs Exit Any Archetypes Faction Any Community Unaffiliated or as per Faction Skills Scavenge: 2, 2 Knowledge Skill per training level Equipment Uncommon Weapon, Small Melee Weapon, Rags (Clothing), Light Armor OR Scavenging kit Trinkets 4 rolls

Starting Traits: tinkerer Available Traits: Old Tech, savant, scrounger

Some Characters have tinkering in their blood. They see the world differently than most; every piece of scrap has a purpose to it. Most communities have at least one of these types, though they differ in their abilities and specialties. Some are trained to do what they do; others just have a special gift for fixing stuff. These Characters can be a valued asset in the resurgence.


Starting Traits: none Available Traits: guile, nimble

Survival is rough for many. For many Characters, simply being able to survive is top priority. Characters with very little learn quickly what is worth the most. They learn where and how to get things of the most value, who is willing to trade the highest value, and how to stash their prizes. However, not all Scavengers do it to just to survive; some do it as a way of life. Scrap is scrap, and in this world some scavenge to live, and love their role. What can be scavenged is diverse, but through experience, Scavengers learn that they can’t pick up everything. So, if it’s worth enough but they can’t carry it, they’ll hide it, mark it and come back with help to get it. Finding an interested trader to take it off their hands is another story.

Guard / Heavy / Brawler RU Costs 12 / 35 / 85 / 125 Limitations Shooting MAX 5 At Veteran Power MAX 4 Prerequisite None Archetypes Entrance Cost 0 RUs Exit Any Archetypes Faction Any Community Unaffiliated or as per Faction Skills 1 Knowledge Skill per training level Equipment 2 Uncommon Weapons, Light Armor At Trained: Medium Armor Small Melee Weapon Rags (Clothing) Trinkets 2 rolls

Starting Traits: none Available Traits: nerves of steel, Old Tech, last one standing

These Characters are rough and rugged. They are generally large and muscular. They have probably been thrown out or quit too many different gangs to get offended easily (or to easily find other work), and often their skills as fighters are the only kind of skills they have that are of value to anyone. Most every caravan or community finds a need for these types of Characters, to some degree. This is not a lifestyle you can retire and live easy from. Most Characters of this type either find another career path, or die doing this one. The hope for most is for a big score or payoff that can get them out of the life they’re currently in, because no matter how big and tough you are, there’s always someone bigger and toughter.


Trader / Merchant / Face (Barter) RU Costs - / 60 / 120 / 200 Limitations Shooting MAX 5 Fighting MAX 5 Prerequisite None Archetypes Entrance Cost 5 RUs Exit Any Archetypes Faction Stitcher, Staker, Reclaimer, Unicephalon Community Unaffiliated or as per Faction Skills Barter: 2, at Veteran, Intimidate: 1 1 Knowledge Skill per training level Equipment Very Rare Weapon, up to 3 Rare Weapons Small Melee Weapon, Simples (Clothing), Light Armor, 1 Kit Trinkets 4 rolls

Starting Traits: none Available Traits: tactical genius, Old Tech, scrounger; at Elite: High Tech

Traders procure all shapes and sizes of wares to trade. They have the ability to know the intrinsic value of an item just by a glance, and know what kind of profit it can make them. Some Traders are known for the kind of items they sell, others for the community they operate out of. They are all gifted at speech and know how to size up those interested in their wares. Some will only show you what you want for a fee, or save the best items for their most trusted customers. Others are more of the freelance types and go wherever the action is peddling what they have to the people that need it most. They make good use of Scavenger types, and anyone with items to trade in excess.

Wastrel / Vagrant

No Ghost

(Dreg)

(Drifter Outcast)

RU Costs 10 / 20 / 45 / Limitations Nerves MAX 4 Fighting MAX 4 Shooting MAX 4 Prerequisite None Archetypes Entrance Cost 0 RUs Exit Any Archetypes Faction Any Community Unaffiliated or as per Faction Skills Scavenge: 2, 2 Knowledge Skill per training level Equipment Common Weapon, Small Melee Weapon, Rags (Clothing), Trinkets 4 rolls

Starting Traits: chemical dependency at Trained, luddite Available Traits: guile, scrounger

RU Costs - / 50 / 80 / 180 Limitations Power MAX 4 Fighting MAX 4 Nerves MAX 4 Prerequisite Drifter Locust, Drifter Archetypes Berzerker, Drifter Chieftain, Drifter Beast Handler Entrance Cost 5 RUs Exit Any Archetypes Faction Any except Drifters Community Unaffiliated or as per Faction Skills Survival: 2 Scavenge: 1 Tracking: 2 Barter: 1 1 Knowledge Skill per training level Equipment up to 3 Rare Weapons Small Melee Weapon, Rags (Clothing), Light Armor, may have Shield, 1 Kit Trinkets 3 rolls

During the Big Push and in years past, these types were almost exclusively seen Starting Traits: last one standing, nimble as a drain on society. Sitting around in a hatred: (Drifters), punishment marked drug or alcohol-addled stupor, making a mess, and having violent outbursts were Available Traits: archer, berzerker, concentrated fire, signs of a Wastrel. However, during The gunsligner, ner ves of steel, scrounger, tactical genius, Resurgence, these types fill a more pragtinkerer; at Elite: fanatical matic place in society. They are the eyes and ears of a community. If you have a These are warriors who broke the Code’s need for knowledge, a Wastrel or Vagrant laws, the sacred rules of the Drifters, and might be the first person you want to go have been cast out, stripped of all tribal to for information on the surrounding connection to their ancestors. These “No area. They spread the gossip, though how Ghosts” wander the wastes, taking refuge much is true and how much is a fantasy among the desperate. To some, No Ghosts of their chemically addicted lives is often embody dishonor, failure and treachery, anyone’s guess. If you need some clues but they are well known as a force to be to the goings-on of a community, they reckoned with. probably have it; for a fee (often as simple as a bottle of grain alcohol) you can get it No Ghosts rarely understand compassion from them. and almost never show it. These outcast Drifters have nothing to live for, take reckless chances, and express their inner rage in shows of extreme violence. Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

FACTION ARCHETYPE LIST (available to specific Factions):

RECLAIMERS

A full force reclaiming expedition will be led by one Scrivener/ Cleric and one or two Sovereigns/ Acolytes. Two Engineers/ Power Scavs and four to six Technocrites make up the fighting force using standard weaponry, with the occasional inclusion of one or two Tech Zealots. In battle, Reclaimers are routinely prepared to retreat, to minimize their losses outside of the Zealots, who would just as well die in combat than live to see another day. All Reclaimers have the Linked Trait Limitations: Fighting 2, Nerves 5.

Technocrite (also known as Technos) RU Costs 25 / 50 / 80 / 120 Limitations Nerves MAX 5 Fighting MAX 2 Prerequisite Neophyte Archetypes Entrance Cost 15 RUs Exit Scrivener, Power Scav, Archetypes Server, Generic Faction Reclaimer Community Unaffiliated or as per Faction Skills Scavenge 1, 1 Knowledge Skill per training level Equipment Laser Pistol OR Charger Pistol, At Trained: Laser Rifle OR Charger Rifle, Small Melee Weapon, Fatigues (Clothing), Light Armor Trinkets 3 rolls

Starting Traits: linked, High Tech Available Traits: concentrated fire,

scrounger, savant

Technocrites is a general term for a Reclaimer scout/ scavenger and is the entry level (and most common) Reclaimer role. They are often responsible for finding new sources of technology. Depending on their school or personal ideology, they may specialize in finding technologies, or breaking codes.


Server

Scrivener

(Network Specialist)

(Cleric)

RU Costs - / 55 / 90 / 130 Limitations Nerves MAX 5 Fighting MAX 2 Prerequisite Neophyte, Technocrite Archetypes Entrance Cost 20 RUs Exit Scrivener, Power Scav, Archetypes Generic Faction Reclaimer Community Unaffiliated or as per Faction Skills Scavenge 1, 2 Knowledge Skills per training level Equipment Laser Rifle OR Charger Rifle, Small Melee Weapon, Fatigues (Clothing), Light Armor Server Kit Trinkets 2 rolls

Starting Traits: linked, High Tech Available Traits: Old Tech, tactical genius,

scrounger, savant

Servers are walking data hubs. They carry large computers, typically strapped to their back. Their primary function is to link the rest of the team together, and to establish a local intranet. Typically, a Server would be less combat oriented than the rest of the Reclaimer flight. Most of the time they stay back from combat, collect data, and assist the rest of the crew through scripted programs and passive countermeasures. Servers are vital lifelines back to a Reclaimer Community, as they are able to maintain a network for dozens, or even hundreds, of miles depending on the weather conditions.


RU Costs - / 70 / 110 / 160 Limitations Nerves MAX 5 Fighting MAX 2 Prerequisite Neophyte, Technocrite, Archetypes Power Scav, or Server Entrance Cost 35 RUs Exit Zealot, Generic Archetypes Faction Reclaimer Community Unaffiliated or as per Faction Skills Scavenge 1, 2 Knowledge Skills per training level Equipment Cyber Gauntler, Signal Staff, Laser Pistol OR Rare Weapon, Small Melee Weapon, Fatigues (Clothing), Light Armor Trinkets 4 rolls

Starting Traits: linked, High Tech Available Traits: leadership, Old Tech,

savant, tactical genius, scrounger

Scriveners are collectors of data in the highest regard. They may watch the battle from a distance, while giving real time orders to their crew, or they may take a more hands on approach in a battle, wading into combat with their Gauntlet glowing with energy. Scriveners are as diverse as the schools of thought that make up the Reclaimers, but most lean towards being tech-centric, with the quest for knowledge and technology as their central focus.

Power Scav

Neophyte

(Engineer / Sapper)

(Un-tested Reclaimer)

RU Costs - / 40 / 90 / 140 Limitations Nerves MAX 5 Fighting MAX 2 At Veteran: Power MAX 4 Prerequisite Neophyte, Technocrite Archetypes Entrance Cost 20 RUs Exit Scrivener, Zealot, Generic Archetypes Faction Reclaimer Community Unaffiliated or as per Faction Skills Scavenge 1, 2 Knowledge Skills per training level Equipment Power Claw, Laser Pistol OR Charger Pistol, Small Melee Weapon, Fatigues (Clothing), Light Armor Server Kit Trinkets 4 rolls

Starting Traits: linked, High Tech Available Traits: Old Tech, tactical

genius, scrounger

At least one Power Scav is usually included in any sort of mission that will be including salvaging. Power Scavs are the muscle of a Reclaimer crew. They carry hydraulic claws either on staffs, or attached to a fitted glove. They use these power claws to smash through rock and other obstructions and to crush doors or other obstacles. They are trained in archeological methods as well as combat, and their hydraulic claws serve them well in either regard.


RU Costs 20 / - / - / Limitations Nerves MAX 4 Fighting MAX 2 Shooting Max 4 Prerequisite Neophyte, Technocrite Archetypes Entrance Cost 10 RUs Exit Technocrite, Scrivener, Archetypes Zealot, Generic Faction Reclaimer Community Unaffiliated or as per Faction Skills Scavenge 1, 1 Knowledge Skill Equipment Laser Pistol OR Charger Pistol, Small Melee Weapon, Fatigues (Clothing), Light Armor Trinkets 2 rolls

Starting Traits: linked, High Tech Available Traits: none

Neophytes are the youngest Reclaimers, and will rarely be found outside of the walls of a Reclaimer community. They start their education at the age of six. Their schooling begins first on the basics: reading, math, and science. It quickly gravitates into critical thinking, and then quickly moves into other disci plines they will need to succeed within the ranks. Once a Neophyte is done with their basic training, they will chose a school or specialty, and their studies will begin in earnest.

STAKERS A Staker is only as good as those around them. By themselves Stakers are hardy, and resourceful individuals, but combined in a group, Stakers are a real force to be reckoned with. Trained since birth to work in a crew, these pioneers of The Resurgence may take a variety of roles throughout their life in the service of their community. All Stakers have the Old Tech Trait Limitations: Fighting 3.

Outrider (Frontier Ranger) RU Costs - / 45 / 75 / 120 Limitations Fighting MAX 3 At Veteran: Fighting MAX 4 Prerequisite None Archetypes Entrance Cost 20 RUs Exit None Archetypes Faction Staker Community Unaffiliated or as per Faction Skills Survivalist 1, Tracking 2, 1 Knowledge Skill per training level Equipment 1 Uncommon Weapon, Small Melee Weapon, At Veteran: Hunting Rifle, At Elite: Assault Carbine or Laser Rifle Simples (Clothing), Light Armor Trinkets 2 rolls

Starting Traits: Old Tech Available Traits: High Tech, concentrated

fire, archer, sniper

The eyes and ears of a community, Outriders serve as patrols, guards, and fast response teams for any activity in and around a ‘stead. Outriders are also messengers, serving as intermediaries between their home communities and those nearby. They are often mounted on motorcycles or horseback, although which one depends greatly upon where they call home. They are tasked with scouting the surrounding area for threats and resources, sometimes alone for days or even weeks at a time. As such, an Outrider is selfsufficient and has a strong tie to the land. Outriders will rarely face an enemy head on, instead engaging at a rifle’s distance, or leading foes into traps. When the enemy is superior in number, an Outrider will subject their target to quick hit-andrun strikes to keep the enemy off balance until help arrives. Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

Jammer

Sapper

(Scout)

(Miner)

RU Costs 12 / 25 / 45 / Limitations Fighting MAX 3 Nerves MAX 5 Prerequisite None Archetypes Entrance Cost 5 RUs Exit Outrider, Gearhead, Field Archetypes Hand, Sapper Faction Staker Community Unaffiliated or as per Faction Skills Survivalist: 1, 2 Knowledge Skill per training level Equipment 1 Uncommon Weapon, Small Melee Weapon, Signal Staff, Simples (Clothing), Trinkets 3 rolls

Starting Traits: Old Tech Available Traits: l ast one standing, nimble,

scrounger, archer

Typically younger Stakers who still have the “wanderlust,” Jammers are long-range scouts that some Staker communities will utilize in order to map and to maintain contact with the outside world. This task is typically assigned to an adolescent Staker with an inherent desire to see what else is out there in the great, wide world. A few months on Jammer duty will typically put an end to the dreams of a life outside of the settlement walls as, for the most part, there is rarely much else around for hundreds of miles. They earn their namesake for two reasons: first because of the “jamming” of any desire to leave the community that this job typically has on its young folk, and second, because of the complicated set of electronic countermeasures the Jammers carry. These countermeasures allow the advanced scouts to scramble enemy signals and communications, harassing the communication and supply lines behind enemies as they approach a Staker community. Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

RU Costs 14 / 25 / 40 / 80Limitations Fighting MAX 3 Nerves MAX 5 Shooting Max 4 Prerequisite None Archetypes Entrance Cost 10 RUs Exit Outrider, Gearhead, Field Archetypes Hand Faction Staker Community Unaffiliated or as per Faction Skills Explosives: 2, 1 Knowledge Skill per training level Equipment 1 Uncommon Weapon, Satchel Charge OR Military Grenade Small Melee Weapon, Simples (Clothing) Trinkets 2 rolls

Starting Traits: Old Tech, At Trained: paranoid (may cure for 15 RUs) Available Traits: l ast one standing, nerves

of steel, nimble

One of the more dangerous roles in the mines, the Sapper has learned to com partmentalize their fears and has an innate control over their fight or flight responses. Their training in explosives is very useful for the community, but the explosives trade can take its toll on the psyche. Although not geared for every conflict, sappers are exceptional at creating distractions, placing traps, or creating a quick burst of mayhem. Their technical knowledge is limited, but they are often cautious to a fault, up until when the fireworks have already started that is.

Field Hand

Gearhead

(Guard)

(Mechanic)

RU Costs - / 35 / 65 / 110Limitations Fighting MAX 3 Shooting MAX 5 At Veteran: Power MAX 4 Prerequisite None Archetypes Entrance Cost 10 RUs Exit Outrider, Gearhead, Sapper Archetypes Faction Staker Community Unaffiliated or as per Faction Skills Harvesting 2, 1 Knowledge Skill per training level Equipment 2 Uncommon Weapons, Small Melee Weapon, Simples (Clothing). Light Armor Trinkets 1 roll

Starting Traits: Old Tech Available Traits: p ain resistant, nerves of

steel, archer, scrounger

Field hands are trained in both harvesting and combat. Oftentimes, a field hand will be working just outside of the safety and security of the main walls of a community. They are planters and harvesters, and watch for rodents while keeping a close eye on the vastly important crops. Additionally, they are the second line of defense, immediately following the Outriders. If a field hand is working outside of the Community’s main defensive structure in the event of a raid, they are expected to slow the enemy down as much as possible, and give the rest of the community a chance to arm themselves against the advancing enemy. Field hands are not always expected to come back into the settlement if the situation is sufficiently desperate or urgent.


RU Costs 12 / 35 / 65 / 100Limitations Fighting MAX 3 Shooting MAX 5 Nerves MAX 5 Prerequisite None Archetypes Entrance Cost 10 RUs Exit Outrider, Sapper, Field Archetypes Hand Faction Staker Community Unaffiliated or as per Faction Skills Mechanic 2, 1 Knowledge Skill per training level Equipment Common Weapon, Arc Welder, Small Melee Weapon, Simples (Clothing), Light Armor, Tool Kit Trinkets 3 rolls

Starting Traits: Old Tech, tinkerer Available Traits: n erves of steel, pain resis-

tant, scrounger

Some Stakers either have a natural mechanical aptitude, or are encouraged to learn mechanical skills through the needs of a community. They become mechanics, industrial designers, and engineers, and work closely with trades people, lumber workers, smiths, and miners to enhance and upgrade existing equipment. Though strenuous and thankless, Gearheads are a tight and insular subsection of the Staker community. The trade is often passed through familial lines, and Gearheads serve intensive and prolonged apprenticeships before earning their title among peers.

STITCHERS

Stitchers are sometimes solitary creatures, relying on mechanical compatriots to assist them in their work. Others have large, hidden laboratories, with dozens of assistants and mercenaries at their beck and call. These are some examples of the various types of beings one would encounter if unlucky enough to find themself in the midst of a Stitchmen Community. Limitations: Nerves 4, Wits 4

Orderly (Mechanic) RU Costs 35 / 55 / 85 / 150Limitations Wits MAX 4 Nerves MAX 3 Prerequisite None Archetypes Entrance Cost 15 RUs Exit Administrator Archetypes Faction Stitcher Community Unaffiliated or as per Faction Skills Animal Handling, First Aid 1, Harvesting 2, 2 Knowledge Skills per training level Equipment Rare Weapon, Small Melee Weapon, Simples (Clothing), At Veteran: Chem Injector Light Armor, Trinkets 2 rolls

Starting Traits: High Tech Available Traits: l eadership, nimble, pain

resistant, Old Tech

Orderlies are tasked with the maintenance and handling of the various shambling bio or mechanical creatures utilized by a Stitcher band. Typically better versed in technology and bio-chemistry than surgery, it is an Orderly’s role to send the bloodthirsty Golems and mechanical BPUs into the field to do the Stitcher’s bidding. Controls up to 3 of the following: Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

BPU (Body Processing Unit) AP M 2 2

P 6

S -

F 2

N 1

W 1

R 0

RU Cost 120 Faction Stitcher Training Automaton Skills NONE Equipment Power Claw, Heavy Armor,

Traits: fanatic

Stitchmen communities are typically very small in number, due both to the necessity to stay hidden, and to their neurotic nature. BPUs (Body Processing Units), or Body snatchers as they are commonly known, fit perfectly into the Stitchmen dynamic, as they don’t talk back, don’t have any free will, and will do any job that the Stitcher demands of it.

Golem (Body Processing Unit) AP M 5 4

P 4

RU Cost Faction Training Skills Equipment

S -

F 4

N 1

W 1

R 0

80 Stitcher Beast

NONE Power Claw, Heavy Armor,

Traits: fanatic, pain resistant, fleet footed

Golems are constructs made out of sinew, muscle and bone, pieced together in true Stitcher fashion. They are controlled by a rudimentary brain, which is managed by a rack of different chemicals. They are usually utilized for a short periods, as the potent cocktail of chemicals tends to overload their hearts, and their lack of self-restraint means that they are a danger to all. Rather than be permanent members of a crew, Golems are typically created and pointed at a particular project or task, and then put down afterwards.

Administrator

Hunter

(Doctor)

(Soldier)

RU Costs - / 70 / 105 / 210Limitations Wits MAX 4 Nerves MAX 4 Power MAX 4 Prerequisite Hunter, Orderly Archetypes Entrance Cost 30 RUs Exit Administrator Archetypes Faction Stitcher Community Unaffiliated or as per Faction Skills First Aid 2, Harvesting 2, 2 Knowledge Skills per training level Equipment Rare Weapon, Small Melee Weapon, Simples (Clothing), Chem Injector Light Armor, Trinkets 1 roll

Starting Traits: High Tech, psychosis Available Traits: l eadership, nerves of steel,

pain resistant, Old Tech

RU Costs 30 / 65 / 90 / 180Limitations Wits MAX 4 Nerves MAX 2 At Trained: AP MAX 4 At Veteran: Power MAX 4 Prerequisite None Archetypes Entrance Cost 20 RUs Exit Administrator Archetypes Faction Stitcher Community Unaffiliated or as per Faction Skills Harvesting 2, 1 Knowledge Skills per training level Equipment Up to 2 Rare Weapons, Small Melee Weapon, Simples (Clothing), Medium Armor, At Elite: Chem Injector OR Sniper Rifle Trinkets 3 rolls

Starting Traits: High Tech Available Traits: concentrated fire, Old Tech,

fleet footed, nerves of steel, pain resistant

It is very rare for a Doctor themself to attend to any but the most important Because of their small numbers, Stitchers (or desperate) of missions. Why would often utilize specialized Hunters, who a paranoid megalomaniac risk life and begin their employ as mere mercenaries. limb, even if those limbs can be replaced? The men and women who do the StitchInstead, Doctors send Administrators as ers’ bidding are rewarded with scraps their eyes and ears in the field. Typically of technology or upgrades to their own garbed in bio-plastic surgery coats, and bodies, even longevity procedures. Somecovered in with light bio-plastic armor times, master Hunters will be coerced plating, Administrators carry a variety of into giving their service in exchange for surgical gear, and are well-versed in their the safety and security of a Stitcher’s uses, from basic surgery to gut-wrenching care. Those who undergo treatment of torture techniques. this variety may be fitted with chemical injector racks that allow them to obtain Administrators, while twisted and missuper-human strength and speed. shapen, can still be strangely beautiful, drawing people in with their exotic and Hunters are typically the only members nerve-deadened charm. Long false eyeof a crew or cabal that anyone will ever lashes six inches long, which serve as pas- see, and they are generally the only ones sive sensors, razor sharp pure white teeth, that can be seen and “pass” as normal and blackened gums, are just a few of humans, although even that isn’t always the fashion trends among those with too the case. Older Hunters are generally much time on their hands and a twisted well on their path to being just as inhuurge to maintain their appearances. man as any other Sticher. Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

DRIFTERS

Drifters are trained as warriors from birth, and will take a variety of roles throughout their short and violent lives. All Drifters have the nimble , and hatred:

No Ghost traits.

Limitations: Shooting 2, Wits 4

Chieftain (Great Warrior) RU Costs - / - / 80 / 140Limitations Wits MAX 4 Shooting MAX 2 Power MAX 4 Prerequisite Locust, Berzerker, Beast Archetypes Handler Entrance Cost 15 RUs Exit Elder Archetypes Faction Drifter Community Unaffiliated or as per Faction Skills Manipulation: 1, Martial Arts: 1, 1 Knowledge Skill per training level Equipment Rare Weapon, Up to 2 Uncommon Weapons, Small Melee Weapon, Simples (Clothing), At Veteran: Chem Injector Light Armor OR Medium Armor, May choose Shield Trinkets 4 rolls

Starting Traits: hatred: No Ghost, nimble Available Traits: l eadership, nimble, nerves of

steel, berzerker, archer, fleet footed, guile

Cheiftains are warrior leaders of great renown, second only to the Tribes elders. They have bested all opponents either in combat, or by using cunning and guile to remove them from power. A clever chief-in-waiting can use Drifter code to disqualify an opponent that they feel they may not be able to best in the ring. This is seen as an honorable assention to power.


Locust (Untested Warrior) RU Costs 10 / 25 / - / Limitations Wits MAX 4 Shooting MAX 2 Prerequisite None Archetypes Entrance Cost 5 RUs Exit Chieftain, Berzerker, Beast Archetypes Handler Faction Drifter Community Unaffiliated or as per Faction Skills 1 Knowledge Skill per training level Equipment Up to 2 Common Weapons, Small Melee Weapon, Simples (Clothing), Light Armor OR Shield Trinkets 1 roll

Starting Traits: hatred: No Ghost, nimble, luddite (may remove as a trait choice) Available Traits: nerves of steel, berzerker,

archer, fleet footed

Often referred to by the derogatory terms “grubs,” “maggots,” or “larva,” Locusts are the mass of unproven warriors that make up the majority of any Drifter tribe. They gain their name from the swarms of them that fall upon unsuspecting settlements, raiding crops and stealing anything that they can carry. To become elder tribespeople, a Locust must face an ordeal that produces a benefit to the tribe. Sometimes, this ordeal will be a solitary mission, but more often large groups of Locusts are sent out to accomplish the task, and any that return alive and successful may be given new roles and dutys, and will inevitably receive many new tattoos to prove that they are productive members of their Tribe.

Beast Handler

Berzerker

(Animal Handler)

(Warrior)

RU Costs 15 / 35 / 50 / 100 Limitations Wits MAX 4 Shooting MAX 2 Prerequisite Locust Archetypes Entrance Cost 5 RUs Exit Chieftain, Berzerker Archetypes Faction Drifter Community Unaffiliated or as per Faction Skills 1 Knowledge Skill per training level Equipment Up to 2 Common Weapons, Remote Control Detonator Small Melee Weapon, At Trained: Shock Staff Simples (Clothing), Light Armor Trinkets 1 roll

Starting Traits: hatred: No Ghost, nimble Available Traits: nerves of steel, berzerker,

fleet footed, archer

Drifters with an affinity for animals may be tasked with their care and charge. This often simply means poking them and yelling at them loudly. Beast Handlers may handle up to 3 boars:

Exploadaboar (Attack Boar) AP M 3 4

P 2


S -

F 3

N 1

W 1

R 0

25 Drifter Beast

NONE Satchel Charge w/ remote detonator

Starting Traits: wild beast, nimble

Very little makes a Drifter happier than watching a pig stuffed with explosive satchel charges blow up an enemy. Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

RU Costs - / 40 / 65 / 110 Limitations Wits MAX 4 Shooting MAX 2 At Elite: Power MAX 4 Prerequisite Locust Archetypes Entrance Cost 5 RUs Exit Chieftain, Beast Handler Archetypes Faction Drifter Community Unaffiliated or as per Faction Skills Martial Arts: 1, 1 Knowledge Skill per training level Equipment Up to 3 Uncommon Weapons, Small Melee Weapon, Simples (Clothing), Light Armor OR Shield Trinkets 1 roll

Starting Traits: hatred: No Ghost, berzerker, nimble, luddite (may remove as a trait choice) Available Traits: nerves of steel, fleet footed,

archer, pain resistant, fanatical

Berzerkers are brave and bloodthirsty warriors, who are willing to wade into combat with any foe. They favor getting up close and standing toe-to-toe with their enemies, and are often found leading a charge of locusts. Taken from the ranks of the untrained, Berzerkers are vererans of many conflicts, and don’t fear death in the way that most men and women do. One of the greatest honors that can befall a Drifter is to fall in battle, and they aim to take as many opponents with them as they can.

OTHER FACTIONS There are many other interest groups in The Wilds, some of which Characters may encounter. The ARHK trooper is the most ubiquitous of the corporation’s minions, and have found a foothold on the western coast of the Shattered States of Merika. They often send exploratory forces further inland, and it’s probable that they have agents secreted away in most major city-states by this point. The Vale also has operatives spread out throughout the continent, with death and destruction waiting to be triggered by these sleeper cells. The Lost are simply their initiates, as of yet unproven. Their final test may involve your demise. Unicephalon Agents, on the other hand, see themselves as missionaries for a better tomorrow. They spread themselves thin, throughout the lands, observing and manipulating situations as they see fit. The Church of Fun believes simply that hedonism and enjoyment are all that we have left on this earth. Tweekers are the result of the philosophy. They have put so many various chemicals through their system that they suffer from paranoia and addiction. However, that doesn’t stop them from doing it all over again the next day!

ARHK Trooper (Solder) RU Costs 15 / 30 / 70 / 135 Limitations Wits MAX 5 Nerves MAX 5 Fighting MAX 5 Prerequisite None Archetypes Entrance Cost 15 RUs Exit ARHK Archetypes Faction ARHK Community Unaffiliated or as per Faction Skills 2 Knowledge Skills per training level Equipment: ARHK Carbine, Uncommon Weapon Small Melee Weapon, Simples (Clothing), Medium Armor Trinkets 1 roll

Starting Traits: linked Available Traits: concentrated fire, ner ves of steel, fleet footed, High Tech

The Lost (Vale Trainee) RU Costs 8 / 20 / 40 / 80 Limitations Wits MAX 5 Nerves MAX 5 Shooting MAX 4 Prerequisite None Archetypes Entrance Cost 5 RUs Exit Vale Archetypes Faction Vale Community Unaffiliated or as per Faction Skills 1 Knowledge Skill Equipment Common Weapon At Veteran: Uncommon Weapon Small Melee Weapon, Rags (Clothing), Trinkets 1 roll

Starting Traits: hatred: non-Vale, luddite, phychosis Available Traits: fanatic, nerves of steel, fleet footed, remove luddite


Unicephalon Agent

Wagon Boss

(Operative)

(Merchant)

RU Costs Limitations Prerequisite Archetypes Entrance Cost Exit Archetypes Faction Community Skills

40 / 60 / 110 / 250 AP MAX 4 None 35 RUs Unicephalon

Unicephalon Unaffiliated or as per Faction Oral Communication: 2, Barter: 2, 3 Knowledge Skills per training level Equipment 1 Very Rare Weapon At Veteran 1 Additional Very Rare Weapon Small Melee Weapon, Simples (Clothing), Medium Armor Trinkets 1 roll

Starting Traits: linked, High Tech Available Traits: concentrated fire, nerves of steel, fleet footed

Tweeker (Drug Addict) RU Costs 10 / 25 / 50 / Limitations AP MAX 2 Wits MAX 4 Nerves MAX 3 Shooting MAX 3 Prerequisite None Archetypes Entrance Cost 5 RUs Exit Church Of Fun Archetypes Faction Church Of Fun Community Unaffiliated or as per Faction Skills 1 Knowledge Skill per training level Equipment Up to 2 Common Weapons Small Melee Weapon, Rags (Clothing), Trinkets 2 rolls

Starting Traits: luddite, chemical dependency, paranoid Available Traits: nerves of steel, fleet footed, pain resistant, remove luddite


RU Costs - / - / 100 / 200 Limitations Wits MAX 5 Fighting MAX 5 Shooting MAX 5 Prerequisite None Archetypes Entrance Cost 25 RUs Exit Caravaneer Archetypes Faction Caravaneer Community Unaffiliated or as per Faction Skills Phychology: 1, Oral Communication: 1, Barter: 3, 2 Knowledge Skills per training level Equipment 2 Rare Weapons, Small Melee Weapon, Simples (Clothing), Data Slate Light Armor Trinkets 1 roll

Starting Traits: linked Available Traits: concentrated fire, nerves

of steel, fleet footed, leadership

Wagon Bosses are leaders of Caravaneer wagon trains. They are often tasked with the introduction between their group and a skeptical community along the trail. Bartering, negotiation and leadership keep the Wagon Bosses alive on most days, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t well versed in the use of a rifle for the rest of the week...

Traits and Skills

You can learn a lot being out in The Wilds; as the old saying goes: “Whatever doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.” ~Exerpts from Duster’s Almanack Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

CHARACTER TRAITS There are a variety of Character traits that have an effect on Characters in an encounter. These traits are generally determined by a Character’s starting position, their Community, and occasionally other factors. Please note that when inches are mentioned, this translates into an equal amount of meters in the narrative game. Archer A Character with the archery trait has intimate knowledge of bows and crossbows. Bows may reload as a free action (rather than slow 1), and crossbows are considered slow 1 in the hands of such a Character. Berserker Berserkers are used to wading into the thick of battle without care or concern for their own personal safety.

Characters with this trait may use two one-handed melee weapons at the same time while Fighting. This adds +1 to the Power of any hits, but results in -1 to Defensive Power of this Character.

Concentrated Fire A Character may fire a ranged weapon twice in one turn, as long as there is AP available. A slow weapon would still have to be reloaded in between shots. Shots must be resolved in order, with any malfunction issues from the first shot affecting the second. The attacks may be resolved against any target or targets within range. A maximum of two shots may be taken. Fanatical Fanatics are Characters who are so firm in their beliefs that they will willingly give their lives for their cause. This Character does not ever have to roll for suppression tests. They are always considered to pass them. Fanatical Characters may never flee from Fighting. Fleet Footed Experienced at running long distances over rocky or otherwise spotty terrain, these Characters excel at moving over rough ground. The Character suffers no Movement penalty when traversing difficult terrain, but still must spend 2” of Movement to climb every inch, where applicable.

Gunslinger Chemical Dependency Can use two pistol weapons at the same This Character has become addicted time when Shooting, making a separate to a specific chemical compound, and roll for each shot. There is a +2 TN will suffer the effects of withdrawal if modifier to each Shooting test while using not given the drug or chemical between two pistols. Both shots must be fired at encounters. Characters in withdrawal targets within 12” of each other, or they suffer severe penalties to both attributes may be fired at the same target. as well as negative modifiers to all skill tests . If their specified compound Additionally, a Character with this trait (generally up to the player) isn’t used at may use their free action to draw a pistol least once a day, the Character will suffer at the beginning of their turn (rather -1 AP, and -1 to Nerves. than having to wait until the end).


Guile Less-than-savory Characters are well versed in double dealing, and utilize a skillset involving “roguish” abilities, such as lock-picking, sneaking, and general trickery.

Large Target These are large Characters, creatures, or objects, that are much easier to shoot at. All ranged attacks against a large target are resolved with a -1 TN modifier .

Guile allows Characters to move silently

Last One Standing This Character has witnessed a horrible slaughter. They no longer have the fortitude to maintain their composure in battle. If half (or more) of a Character’s crew goes out-of-action (or worse), this Character must modify their Nerves by -1, to a minimum of 1 for the rest of the encounter. However, if the Character begins the encounter alone (without any other Characters on their side), they raise their Nerves by +1 for that encounter.

as if they had the Sneak skill, using a Movement test at a 5+ target. AP spent for movement is as normal, but Characters may not use guile to sprint silently.

Guile also allows for Characters to use concealment with 1 less AP than usual. It also allows them to take a Wits test (a complex action ) to unlock doors, with the target varying based on difficulty, with 4+ being standard.

Finally, guile also allows a player to place a small piece of terrain (no more than 2” in any dimension) after all Characters have been deployed in any encounter. Hatred This trait is gained from a grave insult; it could be driven by a historical schism, or some other feud. This hatred is typically assigned to a specific faction. When the Character faces that faction, they add one to their Fighting attribute in an engagement , but one less Defensive Power die whenever defending from Shooting or Fighting, indicating their total disregard for their own safety against this hated foe. High Tech The basic knowledge and understanding of high technology, including laser weaponry, particle acceleration, anti-matter, and so forth. Please note, it’s possible to have an understanding of High Tech and not understand the basic fundamentals of Old Tech . Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

Leadership Some Characters have an ability to motivate others. This trait allows a Character to rally others. A Character with this trait may use their presence to inspire those within 12” to rally . To use this trait , the Character must be able to activate as normal. Then, they must declare a standard rally , at regular AP cost, AND they will expend that Character’s free action . Roll a Nerves (not suppression ) test to activate the trait , or use a Renown to accomplish it automatically. If successful, any Character within 12” of that Character who is suppressed may rally as normal immediately. Linked This Character is linked via some method to the rest of their team and possibly Community, depending on the distance. They may always use the highest rating of anyone in their crew for any Wits or Nerves tests , as long as both Characters involved have the linked trait .

Luddite This Character is so averse to technology that they refuse to operate it even in the most perilous situations, either believing their immortal soul would be at risk if they were to do so, or because of some other aversion. Characters with this trait may start only with common and uncommon items, and may never use any item that has the High Tech trait . Nerves of Steel These Characters have seen death and combat many times and are not shaken by it very easily. It takes two suppression markers to remove a single AP from this Character. Nimble If they are not wearing armor (although they may be carrying a shield), they may sprint multiple turns in a row. Additionally, nimble Characters only need to move 8” or more to be considered fast moving , as long as they are not wearing any armor (although they may be carrying a shield and still get this bonus). Old Tech The basic knowledge and understanding of ancient, pre-Exodus technology. Some of this is surprisingly low-tech, such as various weapons, high-grade flamethrowers, and military-style hand grenades. This also includes a basic understanding of radio waves, sonar, tablet and scroll usage, intranets, etc.


Pack Animal These creatures were born to carry heavy burdens. A pack animal may carry up to three portable objectives or one heavy objective (described in the Encounters Chapter). Pain Resistant Sometimes, due to pain-reducing drugs, innate ability, or out of sheer will, a Character may be able to withstand a brutal amount of pain. Characters with this trait are able to roll one extra die whenever making a Defensive Power test . Also, A Player Character who is pain resistant may take a parting action by taking a 4+ Power test rather than the usual 5+. Paranoid A Character with the paranoid trait rolling all natural 1 or 2s on any Nerves test will have to immediately roll one die consult the following chart: 1-3 The aliens/ giant snakes/ robots are here! – Immediately unnerved, the Character must run towards the nearest table edge. If they flee from the board in this fashion before rallying, they lose 2 Renown permanently. If this brings them to below 0 Renown, they are removed from play permanently. 4-6+– No effect. •

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Additionally, if they are ever unnerved in any fashion, they must run towards the nearest table edge, as above. Psychosis A Character with the psychosis trait rolling all-natural 1’s on any Nerves test will have to immediately roll one die and consult the following chart:

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1 I can’t take it no more! – Scrounger Attempts suicide by drawing their Scroungers have had a lifetime of hardship most powerful weapon, which and know how to get by with next to automatically hits, and then make nothing. They are adept at finding useful a standard Damage test against items and have gained the ability to notice themselves. what many others overlook. 2-3 They won’t take me alive! – Attacks the nearest Character (friend This trait allows you to add +1 to the or foe), with the most powerful result of any dice for a Scavenging test . attack available (Shooting or Also adds 1 to any trinket rolls, and after Fighting). If within 8” they will game encounters. attempt to charge unless they have a more powerful ranged attack Sniper available. Snipers are trained to take accurately 4-5 The aliens/ giant snakes/ robots are aimed shots. This is a rarity in The here! – Immediately unnerved, they Resurgence, as there is not a large must run towards the nearest table amount of spare ammunition for edge. If they flee from the board in target practice. this fashion before rallying, they lose 2 Renown permanently. If this brings Characters with the sniper trait may add them to below 0 Renown, they are 1 to their Shooting attribute for all aimed removed from play permanently. shots. Additionally, they may take shots 6+– No effect. at extreme range at a base target number of 6+ rather than the usual 7+ target.

Punishment Marked Whether it is a No Ghost stamped with tattoos detailing times they broke the code of their Tribe, or a branded and banished Staker criminal, few trust those that have the markings of punishment.

You can never use their Wits attribute for initiative unless they are the only/last Character remaining. Savant This Character has a natural intuition and uncanny luck.

They may re-roll any natural 1’s on any Skill tests involving the Wits attribute. Small Target Some creatures or targets are so small, that they are harder to hit with a ranged attack. Anyone doing a ranged attack against a small target suffers a +1 TN modifier . Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

Slow Moving Slow moving Characters may be suffering from the effects of a serious injury, or might just be particularly slow on their feet.

Any Characters with this trait are hit at +1 by any Shooting or Fighting rolls. Please note: slow moving cancels out and takes precedence over the fast moving trait . In other words, if a Character has both the slow moving and fast moving traits , the effects of fast moving are completely ignored and instead, the effects from slow moving are applied. Tactical Genius Some Characters are inherently good leaders, and are quick thinking when they are in difficult situations. Each turn, if they are used to determine initiative, this Character may roll 1 additional die.

Tinkerer A tinkerer is someone with a natural curiosity and aptitude for the inner workings and mechanics of things. Tinkerer is an inherent trait and interest, whereas the Mechanic skill represents more formal training and advanced ability in the mechanical field.

SKILLS A Character may have up to a maximum total level of skills of three times their Wits.

Therefore a Character with a Wits of 3 may have up to 9 levels of skills total. Each number of a skill counts as one A tinkerer may add +1 to the results of any level of skill (e.g. Barter 2 counts as 2 levels of skills). weapon malfunction roll they must take. This will NOT affect a roll of 4+. They “You could have the biggest gun out there may also attempt to modify or repair or the quickest knife in the wastes, but weapons, although at a higher target surviving The Wilds is way more about than if they had the Armorer skill.

wits than weapons. Just trust me on this.”

Wild Beast Some creatures are so wild that they just can’t be reasoned with.

Their attacks always count as lethal. Wild beasts have claws or teeth, and all their attacks are at Power +1. Additionally, any wild beast that is a part of the group must have a human Character from that crew within 8” of them at all times, or may not do anything except move towards and attack the nearest target. This is extended to 16” from any human Character that has the Animal Handling skill.


Characters in Wreck Age are set apart from one another by many factors, one of these being their skills: the list of things they are have learned to do. Every Character gets a few skills to begin their adventures through the dangers of The Resurgence and, assuming they survive, they can earn more. These skills define their role in the game and suggest ways for them to role-play and interact with others. For example, a well-armed Character skilled in Barter and First Aid might be able to sell his abilities as a combat medic, offering to patch people up for pay. Another Character with Repair and Engineering skills might be a real gearhead, far better at dealing with machines than people, and would offer her skills as a mechanic for hire. However, don’t think of skills as limitations, but rather opportunities. Ultimately, just like people in real life, Characters are far more than the sum of their skills. Someone could just as easily play a Character with the First Aid skill but hate the sight of blood, only using their talent when absolutely necessary and avoiding it whenever possible.

Outside of combat, skills have a huge do something completely separate impact on gameplay. Many basic actions from a standard skills test . This will be in Wreck Age have no call for skills tests . clearly laid out in that specific skill’s Injecting someone with penicillin would description. be considered so rudimentary that no test would be required. However, injecting a SKILLS TEST: needle while facing a heavy barrage of Any time a Character attempts a specific laser rifle fire from a group of Reclaimers action that involves a skill they must take would. Any situation that is risky, a test . Roll an equivalent number of dice difficult or that carries a significant to the value of that skill against a target penalty for failure will usually require a number, which is based on the difficulty test . If you or another Character in your of the test , remembering to add the crew have the right skills, you probably appropriate amount of dice with a target have a good chance to succeed. If not, that is one harder if there is an allied there is no need to worry. Not every attribute. catastrophic failure results in having to generate new Characters… TEST DIFFICULTY TABLE Just most of them. As previously discussed, skills represent a Character’s proficiency in a particular task. Each skill has a numerical value attached after the skill, which denotes a Character’s level of general ability with that skill. For example, Armorer: 2 would indicate the skill of Armorer, and the skill level of 2.

Trivial 2+ TN Easy 3+ TN Standard 4+ TN Difficult 5+ TN Hard 6+ TN Nearly Impossible 7+ TN SUCCESS OR FAILURE: Typically a skills test is successful if at least one success is achieved on these dice. Many skills also have a sliding level of accomplishment and will provide greater benefits depending on how many successes are achieved on the roll. This is typically left up to the discretion of the Narrator, or will be dictated by circumstances laid out in the scenario or adventure.

If an attribute is listed in parenthesis after the skill name, that is the attribute that may be coupled with a skills test , keeping in mind that the target number for skills test will usually be one better than when using a straight attribute. In addition to the attribute associated with that skill, these additional attribute dice should be specifically identified from the others rolled in that test (usually by differing colors from the others). Remember: dice rolled for attributes will UNSKILLED TESTS: take the test with a target number that is If a Character lacks a particular skill, one higher than the target number for the they may still attempt an action that skill dice (after any potential modifiers). would normally require that skill. However, they do so at the base attribute However, not all skills work this target number , and may never count more way; some skills operate differently. than one success. However, the Rule of Some skills allow the Character to Sixes may still apply. So if a Character Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

rolls 3 6s for a test , they still have a final result of 8, 6, and 6, but may still only count one success. If this is an opposed test , only one success counts, so having the necessary skill can be very important. In such an opposed test , a moderately skilled Character will usually win over one going on blind luck. HOW HOLD EFFECTS SKILL TESTS:

If a Character chooses to hold , the test automatically becomes a complex action requiring 4+ AP. Holding allows for Characters to reduce the target number , and therefore the difficulty of a test , by one. This is not allowed for opposed tests . MARGINS OF SUCCESS & MULTIPLE SUCCESSES: Multiple successes often have benefits above and beyond just simply accomplishing a task. Also, there are some tasks that are more challenging or tricky to accomplish, so multiple successes will be required just to succeed at all.

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Good benefit. The skill succeeds with 1/2 greater benefit. Great benefit. The skill succeeds with two times the normal benefit. Amazing benefit. The skill succeeds with three times the normal benefit, and may be subject to additional rewards.

Skills that allow for Margins of Success will be labeled with: “(MoS).” NOTE: A skills test can only achieve accomplishments for multiple successes if the Character actually has the skill. As an example: a Character without the Barter skill may still barter using a straight Wits test , but may not achieve levels of success beyond the first one in the way that a Character with the Barter skill would.

Furthermore, a Narrator may determine that for Margins of Success should be ignored for certain skill tests , particularly if they are trivial or easy tests .

In some cases, a check may be asked and a minimum of 3 successes is required. While players can certainly suggest and This means that no matter what, you will try to influence the form of any success need to achieve the target number at least where the actual game result might vary, three times to succeed at that test . the Narrator or scenarios will decide how skills tests ultimately affect play. However, for skills that allow for Margins of Success, you may be able to Example One: Weaver is visiting the rugged achieve a better than average result with town of Uranium Springs, and is trying to multiple successes. Obviously, having a haggle down the price of a tank of fuel for her motorcycle. She has a Wits attribute of 3, and higher skill or linked attribute will allow a Barter of 2. There are no real positives or you to roll more dice, which is the best negatives to the situation, so this is considered a standard Barter test with a target of 4+. way to have a chance at getting more The dice come up 4, 5 and 2, 2 and 3. This successes. is an opposed test, but the Settlement’s trade Successes Effect 2 Substantial benefit. The skill succeeds with a 1/3 greater benefit. Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

master fails all his rolls. This indicates 2 levels of success. 2 successes result in a Substantial Deal (1/3 reduction or bonus on the transac- tion). With a smile and a few friendly words, she manages to get an old water skin filled with bio-fuel at no extra cost.

LIST OF SKILLS Example Two: Weaver, ready to leave

the settlement and head back out on the road, tries to start her bike and it won’t even roll over. She gets off the saddle and checks things out (a successful Mechanic test at 4+) and realizes that she needs a new alternator. Visiting that same merchant, she tries to strike up another deal. Because she was successful with this bargain once, the Narrator allows a favorable circumstance, and the task is considered easy Barter test (3+ target). Unfortunately the fates are against Weaver today, and the dice come up as 1, 2 and 3 for Wits, and a 1 and a 2 for Barter. This means the skills test has completely failed. The trade master rolls 2 successes, meaning that if he even has an alternator, it will be 1/3 more costly to trade for. Weaver has to dig deep in her pack to get what she needs in this case. Alternately, the Narrator may decide that in this case, the trade master has been offended, and refuses to sell the alternator to her. Example Three: Weaver, stinging

from the rebuke with the trade master, storms off to drown her sorrows for a while at what passes for the town’s bar. With a couple of rounds of oil drum spit brew in her, Weaver decides to just steal what she needs from another merchant’s garage on her way out of town. This would normally involve a Sneak skills test, a skill that Weaver doesn’t have. The player gets ready to roll Weaver’s three Movement dice, as Sneaking is based off of the Movement attribute. Unbeknownst to Weaver, the merchant she screwed up with so badly with has spread word to be on guard against her – an unfavorable circumstance. This makes it a hard test at a 5+ target. However, keep in mind that she doesn’t have the Sneak skill, so she must roll at 1 higher, and she needs 6s to succeed. She rolls her three dice, and gets a 2, and two 6s, indicating two successes. However, since she doesn’t have the Sneak skill, she may not gain the benefit of multiple successes. However, the Narrator determines that one success is enough to pull off her little caper, and she snatches the alternator and pushes her bike out of town under cover of dark, not risking fixing her bike until she’s well out of range of any potential danger.


Animal Handling Characters trained in Animal Handling will be able control and coerce wild beasts . This allows wild beasts to be controlled at up to twice the distance normally allowed (16” instead of 8” for a boar, for example). Armorer Armorers are able to fix and manufacture weapons of a variety of types. This Character may roll one extra die for weapons malfunction rolls.

Additionally, they may also attempt to create new pieces of equipment when not in an encounter. For every level of Armorer skill, you may choose one of the following specializations: Defensive: Specializing in armor, •

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shields and so forth. If the armor has Old Tech or High Tech as a trait , the Armorer must possess that trait to attempt to create it. Energy Weapons: Beam and Caster weapons. (Requires High Tech ) Projectile Weapons: Anything from Bows to Battle Rifles. If a weapon has Old Tech or High Tech as a trait , the Armorer must possess that trait to attempt to create it. Siege Weapons: Large-scale weapons of mass destruction, from catapults to anti-tank rockers. (Requires Old Tech )

Athletics (Movement) (MoS) For every level of Athletics skill, you may choose one of the following specializations: Climbing: An athlete can take tests to move over obstacles that would normally be impassible due to height or lack of access points. For •

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every success on the skills test , the working man’s diplomacy, the most Character can ascend 1 meter (1” in a common form of diplomacy left in The Resurgence. Successful Barter tests tabletop game). can raise the value of goods traded Running: May roll an extra die when using Movement for each away. Like most skills in Wreck Age, level of Athletics skill and pick the Barter is useful in many situations and the Narrator is the final arbiter of best result. Obviously, this does not affect walking actions, as no dice where and when a Barter test applies. are added. If used to determine the Bartering is typically an opposed test . results of a race, this will be an opposed test . “The whole world used to use money, Acrobatics: The ability to jump little bits of metal or paper that supposfurther and climb higher. May climb edly represented real wealth somewhere at a rate of 1” per 1” of Movement, and safe. There ain’t nowhere safe anymore. may jump double normal distances. If you want something, trade for it.” “It was the damnedest thing I’ve ever seen. That Drifter shimmied out of his bonds, having to leave his clothes behind. He squeezed between his cell bars, went over the fence and took off into the woods. This may just be me but any man willin’ to climb ass-naked over a barbed wire fence, I’m of a mind to let go.”

Barter (Wits) (MoS) Bartering is used to appraise, trade and process goods and resources. Bartering is also effective as a form of


Camouflage This is the skill of using special fabrics, natural materials, paints, and the surrounding terrain to hide yourself, your Community, your position, or your equipment.

To see through your camouflage, an observer must win an opposed W its test vs. Camouflage test , with at least one success.

“They know, they just know where to hide, how to trick you, and how to camouage themselves among the perfectly respectable. Therefore, I’ve concluded weeds must have brains.”

Cartography The focus of the systematic study of mapmaking and its application(s). This may use computer-based drawing tools and satcam imagery (for those that have access to such tech), or something as simple as a piece of charcoal on a flat rock.

bonuses. Craft is expanded on in the knowledge skills section, and for each level of Craft taken, you may select one specialization. Specializations are listed in Knowledge Skills. Doctor This skill allows for surgery and other non-battlefield ailments to be treated. The use of an operating room is not necessary, but will reduce target numbers by 1.

This skill allows a Character to install mechanical and biological enhancements.

If used in conjunction with the First Aid skill, this will increase the amount Communication, Written of dice rolled by 1 for every level of the The ability to read, write, or comprehend Doctor skill taken. the written language. This adds a +1 bonus to tests involving the creation or repair of items, if you have repair or Dodge (Prerequisite Movement 4) engineering manuals on hand. Characters with this skill are adept at stepping out of the way of blows in closequarters combat. Communication, Oral The ability to converse comprehensively, Dodge allows a Character to add one comprehend difficult concepts Defense die per level of Dodge in a Fight through speech, take a leadership (Dodge will not help to protect from role, and engage in politics. This adds shooting or any other sort of damage). a +1 TN modifier to rolls involving Barter and Intimidation. “Have you ever had an awkward moment Communication, Visual Sign language, and other silent means of getting your message across. This allows two or more Characters to silently communicate if they all have this skill. Craft (MoS) The ability to make things. May be combined with a variety of knowledge skills due to requirements or for specific Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

where you and another person both have a knife at each other’s throats, and you try to dodge the blow and both step the same way twice? How embarrassing.”

Espionage (Wits) Code-breaking, lock-picking, and any other abilities that allow you to break and enter. Having the guile trait allows any Espionage tests to have a -1 TN modifier .

Explosives (Wits) The Explosives skill governs the ability to use all mines, grenades and satchel charges. Any Character with the Explosives skill may throw an explosive at a -1 TN modifier , or attempt to remotely detonate one with a -1

events that involve wagers. Gambling may or may not involve opposed tests , depending on the situation. “Gambling is an act of faith. You trust in the luck of the dice or the cards, and you hope that they won’t betray you like some TenPike Wastrel.”

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First Aid This is a skill that allows a Character to serve as a battlefield medic. The First Aid skill allows you to roll one die against the following target: Wounded: 4+ target Out-of-Action: 5+ target Dying: 6+ target Dead… sorry, you’re out of luck!

Harvesting (Wits) This skill is the means to harvest various (nonmined) items from the world. It can take the form of culling crops, collecting berries, or harvesting organs.

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For every level of Harvesting skill, you may choose one of the following specializations: Crops: anything planted Each success brings the damage down Organs: body parts one level (dying becomes out-of-action , Survival: Berries, shrubs, and out-of-action becomes wounded , wounded other edible plants Characters may act as normal). It is a complex action for each attempt. This trait may not be used on the Character Herbalist (Wits) that has it, if they are out-of-action or This skill indicates the knowledge of worse (unless they have a chem injector). a variety of plants used in the creation Certain skills and equipment can raise of salves and balms. Characters with the number of dice rolled. this skill understand both the positive and negative effects of various plants, mushrooms, and mosses, and are “Do you got a rst aid kit handy? Do capable of creating penicillin, mind you know how to patch up a wound? Tell altering drugs, and a number of poisons me, are you patient and understanding? from them. ‘Cause I might need some help with this • •

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hole in my chest.”

Gambling (Wits) A Character’s skill at games of chance and betting. This includes games of chance, races and contests, and other


Investigate (Wits): The ability to search for clues and disseminate information based on the findings in any setting, that doesn’t directly involve finding salvage or Resource Units.

Manipulation (Nerves) (MoS) he ability to lie, cheat or deceive. Generally, you must first be able to communicate through a common language, although occasionally there are ways around this, such as brandishing a weapon in a threatening manner. However, lack of a common language will make your target 2 levels more difficult. ”It’s all about manipulation and doing whatever it takes to get my way.”

Martial Arts (Fighting) (Prerequisite Fighting 3) A Character trained in Martial Arts has received training in any one of a variety of ancient fighting techniques, which allows them to literally turn their body into a weapon. This translates into the ability to strike using your Fighting attribute with deadly results. You may choose to make any unarmed Fighting attack damage lethal or non-lethal if you possess this skill. Additionally, every level increases your dice results in an Attack Roll by 1 for Fighting when engaged un-armed. Mining (Wits) The training and knowledge in Mining allows Characters to mine for various minerals and elements. Use of proper mining tools is greatly suggested. NBC (Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical) (Wits)

(Prerequisite Wits 4): The knowledge of nuclear, biological, and chemical elements, with purposes ranging from energy generators to weapons. Most of this sort of technology falls under Old Tech .


Negotiate (Wits) (MoS) This skill indicates an ability to make any sort of non-barter deal. This includes diplomacy, resolving disputes, creating treaties, or gleaning valuable information. Coupled with Knowledge skills, such as Area Knowledge or Culture, it can be used to determine very specific types of negotiating involving manner and etiquette, or you can choose to leave it more vague and broad. Both parties involved must be able to speak a common language to use the Negotiate skill.

Negotiate is typically an opposed test . Poisons (Wits) This skill represents practical knowledge of poisons. A successful skill roll lets you (among other things) recognize a poison-bearing plant in the wild; extract the poison in a useful form; recognize a poison by its taste in food or drink; identify a poison by observing its effects (+1 to TN if you are poisoned); know a proper antidote; or recognize or prepare an antidote from its sources. Each of these feats requires a separate roll. Psychology (Wits) (MoS) A catch-all skill that allows you to attempt to understand other cultures or individuals, interrogate them, and finally, if you have the Written Communication skill, write your postcollapse dissertation on them. Repair This skill allows Characters to fix broken items or pieces of equipment. They must have knowledge of the type of item being repaired. In other words, a Drifter may not be able to attempt to fix a plasma caster unless they have somehow

gained the High Tech trait and have been around the technology. The Character may make a roll when not in an encounter to repair broken equipment. Roll 1d6 for every level of the Repair skill. There is no attribute bonus. The target in an environment with the proper tools and workspace is 4+. A failed roll means that the equipment is beyond repair, while a single success means that the equipment is repaired, but takes on the Neglected and Unreliable Equipment traits . 2 or more successes means that it is repaired as “good as new” (although this might still mean that the weapon is Unreliable , depending on its original traits ). If the weapon has the Old Tech or High Tech traits , then the Character must also have these traits to be able to affect that weapon. A Character with both the Repair skill and the Tinkerer trait may attempt to make Repair tests to equipment away from proper tools. However, any equipment repaired in this manner will be at a target of 6+, and as noted, failure means that the equipment is beyond repair, so this is risky. Research Allows you to take a test for general knowledge of various areas and topics if playing the tabletop version of Wreck Age. Research takes the place of knowledge skills as a general rule.

In the narrative game, Research may be used to learn new knowledge skills via exposure (being around someone with that skill, or the proper documents, data slates, etc.) with a hard (5+ target) Research test .

Scavenging (Wits) Each level of this skill allows you to add an additional die to Scavenge tests . This skill also allows you to make Repair tests to broken equipment away from proper tools. However, any equipment repaired in this manner will obtain the Unreliable trait (which can later be removed if a proper workshop is used). Sneak (M) This is the ability to move silently and pass undetected. Great for slipping past guards and sentries unnoticed. Socialize (Wits) (MoS) This is the skill of socializing, partying, etc. A successful Socialize test , under the right circumstances, gives you a -1 target on a request for aid or information, or just on a general reaction. A failed roll means you made a fool of yourself in some way. Survivalist (Wits) Path-finding, trap-making and disarming, as well as knowledge how to do survive off of berries and various plants. Tracking (Wits) The ability to track a vehicle or animal (either human or non-human). This uses the Wits attribute as a base. Target numbers are based on circumstance. This skill can be used to spot any hidden Characters (or objective markers) within line of sight, with the following target number: 0-6” 3+ TN 6-12” 4+ TN 12-18” 5+ TN 18-36” 6+ TN • • • •


KNOWLEDGE SKILLS:

Knowledge of a specific area, and a variety of details from within that area. Knowledge skills are exclusive to the For every level of Area Knowledge skill, you may narrative version of Wreck Age. Unlike choose any one of the following specializations other skills, knowledge skills don’t count (note that you may take these specializations towards your skill maximum (which is as more than once with a different focus; e.g many levels as three times a Character’s Area Knowledge:TenPike, Area Knowledge: Wits attribute). SonoTrader Village): Neighborhood: For a city, such All Characters start out with one as Switch City, the residents and Language skill of their choice. English buildings of a few city blocks. (low) is the most common language Rural area: The inhabitants, trails, in Merika. streams, hiding places, ambush sites, flora, and type of fauna of a few SKILLS SPECIALIZATIONS hundred acres. Many knowledge skills are broken down Village or Town: All important into categories. They then have a variety citizens and businesses, and most of specializations that can be taken within unimportant ones; all public that general area of knowledge. You may buildings and most houses. choose to take one specialization for City: All important markets, streets, every skill level in that basic skill, so a Character with a level 5 Electrical skill prominent citizens, and leaders. may choose up to five specializations from the list of options. Specializations allow for automatic successes for any trivial , easy Business & Politics (Wits) or standard test , and all other tests that Even though society has all but are taken at a -1 target modifier if they fall collapsed, there are still those that stick under that specific jurisdiction. to their bureaucratic roots. For every level of Business & Politics skill, you If preferred, you may choose to keep may choose one of the following specializations: these knowledge skills completely basic Accounting: The skill of keeping and forego specialization, depending on track of items of value. your preferred play style. Administrative/Bureaucratic: Determining and enforcing laws; running old-style, politically driven Animal Husbandry communities. For every level of Animal Husbandry Economic: The details of how to skill, you may choose one of the following make a profit, as well as how banks specializations: and (the few remaining) stock Farm Animals: An affinity with markets work. the sorts of creatures found on Legislative/Judicial: Enforcing Staker farms. and making laws, as well as Falconry: This is the skill of hunting interpreting those same laws. small game with trained hawks. Domestic/Tame: Knowledge and understanding of the sorts of animals usually kept as pets. Wild: An affinity with the creatures that roam The Wilds and wastes. Area Knowledge (Wits) •

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Computers Science (Wits) (Prerequisite Wits 3) For every level of Computer Science skill, you may choose a level in any one of the following specializations: Artificial Intelligence/ Avatars: This is the knowledge of how to link to Virtual Reality Avatars, which were extremely common before the Exodus, and are still en vogue among the Reclaimers. Computer Hacking (VERY HARD 6+ TN ): This is the skill of gaining unauthorized access to a computer system. This usually involves using another computer over a communications network. A successful Computer Hacking test allows you to gain basic access to a system, or to find (or change) information on a system you have already broken into. If the test is failed, you don’t gain access and leave some sort of incriminating evidence of your attempt.

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Tablets/ Scrolls (EASY 3+ TN ): Basic understanding of how to use data tablets and scrolls to run basic shells, call up data, and so forth. It is the only computer skill available to most of the population of The Wilds. You must also learn Computer Science: Computer Programming to write software and Repair: Computers to troubleshoot hardware.

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Prerequisite: Computer Science, Computer Programming, Computer Science:Tablets/Scrolls

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Computer Programming (HARD 5+ TN ): The ability to write, rewrite and debug computer software. A successful test lets you find a bug in a program, determine a program’s purpose by examining its code, answer a question about computer programming, or write a new program (time required is up to the Narrator).

Prerequisite: Computer Science: Tablets/ Scrolls

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Virtual Reality: The understanding of how a Virtual Reality chamber works. May be combined with Computer Programming and Creative Expression skills to create new environments.

Prerequisite: Computer Science: Tablets/Scrolls


Construction (Craft Skill) For every level of Construction skill, you may choose one of the following specializations: Ad Hoc: This is the ability to build things out of easily obtainable materials in the area. It may be bundles of hay, logs, or even mud and thatch. Siege/ Combat: Bridges, trenches, and other combat structures. Carpentry: The ability to build structures or items out wood, synthetic wood, or similar material. A successful test lets you do one hour’s worth of competent carpentry. A failed test means the work is not structurally sound. Engineering: The ability to plan large structures. Masonry: The ability to build structures out of stone, brick, or other rock, and mortar. •

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Cooking (Wits) This is the skill of being a chef. While it is not needed for simple tasks, such as boiling water or opening packaged rations, Characters will use it to combine ingredients to create an edible dish. A successful skills test allows you to prepare a pleasing meal. Many chefs have an optional specialty, such as desserts, baking, bartending, or a particular variety of ethnic cuisine (examples: Western Staker or Esperanzan).

Creative Expression Current Affairs (Wits) (Wits or As Marked) This is the ability to quickly recognize For every level of Creative Expression whatever qualifies as a current affair in the skill, you may choose one of the following 26 th century, and to recall it when needed. specializations: Acting: This is the ability to act on the For every level of Creative Expression stage or screen. It is different from the skill, you must specialize in one of the Manipulate or Negotiate skills in that following areas: you are trying to impress and entertain Heraldry: This is the skill of people– not deceive them. recognizing coats of arms, crests, Body Marking (Craft): Tattooing, flags, and other emblems of various piercing, and scarification. Both this skill and painting suffice for henna or factions, warlords, and trade temporary tattoos, while cosmetic surgery caravans. requires the Doctor skill as well. Body Markings: The ability to Calligraphy (Craft): The ability disseminate the meaning of various to create decorative handwriting or tattoos, ritual scarring, and other symbols. Does not require literacy. Dance (Movement): The ability to body modifications. move your body in a pleasing rhythm. Trade Routes: The knowledge of Typically coupled with music. what trade routes are the safest (or Drawing (Craft): Various forms of most dangerous), and where those ash/ charcoal, ink, pastel, and pencil routes will take you. work, on any sort of substrate. Interior Decorating: The ability to create pleasing building interiors with appropriate paints, fixtures, and furniture. Culture (Wits) Includes ancient techniques such as Feng (Prerequisite Renown 3) Shui and decorative wall painting. Information on entertainment, gossip, and Musical Instrument: This is the ability to play a musical instrument. the goings on of daily life on 26 th century With a successful skill roll, you give a Earth. Typically reserved for larger cities competent performance. like Esperanza and Switch City. Musical Composition: This is the For every level of Culture skill, you may choose ability to compose a piece of music. A successful skill roll means the piece is a one of the following specializations: pleasant listening experience. People: The names of and gossip Painting (Craft): Using tempura, about celebrities, heads of state, and synthetic, or dye-based paints (among the like. others), this skill includes painting on Politics: Inter-city treaties, etc. paper, canvas, or a wall. Popular Culture: Hit VR sims, Poetry (Craft): The ability to compose words in a manner which allows a fashions, and the “must have” poetic message or concept to get across. products of specific locations. Pottery (Craft): Working with Regional: News of all kinds for a various sorts of air-dried or fired specific region (pick one). ceramics– typically clay. Science and Technology: New Singing: The ability to carry a tune. Woodworking (Craft): All forms of (re)discoveries, excavation sites, carving and woodwork, from whittling and re-found technology, as well as to decorative carving. This skill does inventions and innovations. not allow for construction of items, Sports: Scores and rankings for merely decorative effects. recent chariot matches, names of star Writing, Creative (Craft): The ability to spin a tale using written athletes, etc. Characters. Prerequisites: Written Communication, Language (any) •

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On a successful Current Affairs roll, the Narrator will inform you of any news within your specialty that pertains to the current adventure (which may include clues or quests) or give you a small skill bonus (e.g., a success on Current Affairs: Sports might give -1 target to a Gambling skill check when betting on a chariot match.

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Electrical (Wits) (Prerequisite Wits 3) This skill lets you use any sort of basic electronic equipment within a known specialty. Make a skill test in an emergency situation or for “abnormal” use of equipment – not for ordinary, everyday use. (As usual, unskilled users must always attempt their default roll, at a more difficult target number).

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Communications: This skill includes all forms of electronic communications technology: radios, satellite uplinks (w/ Old Tech ), laser communicators (w/ High Tech ). Includes knowledge of any standard, current communications codes appropriate to your background. Electronic Warfare (EW): Signalsintelligence and jamming equipment, including electronic countermeasures (ECM) and electronic countercountermeasures (ECCM). Force Shields: Basic knowledge of portable, vehicular, base, and starship force shields and deflectors. Matter Transmitters (MT): All variety of matter transmitters. This includes space elevators. Failures can be disastrous, especially when transmitting living beings! Medical: All manner of electronic diagnostic and life-support equipment.


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Scientific: Laboratory electronics and survey gear. You are automatically familiar with the equipment used with any scientific skill on which you have spent at least one level. Security: Both operating and defeating all forms of alarms, security sensors, and areasurveillance technology. Sensors: Most forms of long-range detection gear. Sonar: All types of acoustic detection and ranging gear (normally used underwater, or in Nape of Earth flying). Surveillance: All forms of concealable or remote surveillance gear: “bugs,” hidden cameras, longrange microphones, wiretaps, etc.

Etiquette (Wits) (Prerequisite Renown 3) For every level of Etiquette skill, you may choose one of the following specializations: Business/Political: You may not be a politician, but you know how to talk to one. Caravan: The etiquette of life on the road with traveling merchants. City (Esperanza, Switch City, ARHK, TenPike, etc) Cult (Church of Fun, The Vale, Children of Gorgon, etc) Cultural: You have the knowledge of how to not offend the people of a particular area. Dining: The art of eating gracefully. Raiders: It may not involve pleasantries, but raiders have an etiquette all their own. Religious: In an age where people take religion seriously, this can be a matter of life or death. •

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History (Wits) (Prerequisite Wits 3) History is the study of the past. A successful skill roll lets you answer questions in regards to this history, and might (at the Narrator’s option) allow you to remember a useful parallel, although it might not be factually accurate: “Ah, yes, the vid star Crucial Kyle once faced a situation like this, in episode 342, and here’s what he did...” For every level of History skill, you must specialize. There are several classes of specialty: A specific geographical region – spread over multiple eras. Examples: History (European Union), History (United States), or History (Lunar Colony). A single era (e.g., Big Push period) A culture (e.g., Drifters, A specific Corporation, RSA) An idea (e.g., economic, military, vid-feeds: pre-Exodus) •

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German), Slovak (Polish/Ukranian), Spanish, Spanglish (Spanish/English), Wanderer’s Code, Yiddish. There are also wide varieties of “dead” languages, which may be learned at the Narrator’s discretion. Mechanical (Craft) The knowledge of how to fix and maintain any non-weapon-related equipment. The Character must have the knowledge of whatever it is that they are fixing, so this must often be coupled with the Old Tech , or High Tech traits . For every level of Mechanic skill, you may choose one of the following specializations: Aircraft Battlesuit Biotech Nanotech Robotic Tech Space Craft Vehicle, Small Vehicle, Large VTOL (Vertical TakeOff and Landing) • • • • • •

The variety of possible specialties makes it impossible to list all possible defaults.

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Language (Wits) All Characters start out with at least one language of their choice. Learning more requires additional skill levels in Language, choosing a specialization for each level.

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For every level of Language skill, you may choose one of the following specializations:

Arabic, Basque, Cantonenglish (ARHK:Chinese/English), Danish, Dutch, English (Formal), English (Tradesman), English (Low), Esperanzan (Spanish/English), French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindustani, Italian/Vaticanspeak, Japanese, Kurdish, Lower Latin, Mandarin (Chinese), Merikan Sign Language (MSL), Merindian (polyglot), Mohawk, Mongolian, Morse Code, Navajo, Persian, Pidgin, Portuguese, Punjabi, Rasta, Romanian, Romany, Russian, Sardiniaviac (Norwegian/Swedish) Scots, Serbian, Sino-German (Chinese/ Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

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Pilot (Nerves) (Prerequisite Wits 2) Aerospace: Any vehicle capable of atmospheric flight to and from orbit. Prerequisite: High Tech OR Old Tech, Wits 4 Aircraft : The ability to fly airplanes, drones (coupled with RCV piloting), and other flying craft. Prerequisite: High Tech OR Old Tech, Wits 3 Animal: The ability to ride a horse, boar, or other beast of burden, that is of sufficient size and skill to transport a human. Automobile: Any vehicle with three or more wheels that weighs less than 5 tons and does not move on rails.

Prerequisite: Old Tech, Wits 2

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Battlesuit: The ability to pilot a

Battlesuit, such as the ones used by the ARHK, through a series of

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neural connections. Prerequisite: High Tech OR Old Tech depending on suit type, Wits 4 Bicycle: The ability to steer and pedal a two (or more) wheeled bicycle. Boat: Any sail or motor boat of various sizes. Larger crafts may require additional knowledge skills. Exodus Ship: The ability to pilot solar sailed spacecraft, which are typically built in zero gravity. Prerequisites: High Tech AND Old Tech, Wits 5 Tracked or Heavy Wheeled: Any vehicle with three or more wheels that is larger than a standard automobile and does not move on rails, or any larger tracked vehicle. This includes construction equipment and tanks. Depending on the type of vehicle, this may require additional knowledge skills to operate. Hovercraft: Any kind of air-cushion vehicle, a hydrofoil, or other vertical and horizontal thrust vehicle that does not fly through the air. Locomotive: Any vehicle that moves on conventional or maglev rails; this also includes larger Caravaneer Land Trains, even though they operate off of rails. Motorcycle: Any powered one-or two-wheeled vehicle, including those with sidecars. Remotely Controlled Vehicles (RCVs): Use this skill if a vehicle


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can be steered by remote control. Will also require a Piloting skill in any sort of vehicle controlled in this manner. Flight Pack: The ability to steer and maneuver a “strap-on” aircraft. Glider: Piloting any un-powered, winged aircraft. Helicopter: Any aircraft that uses rotors for both lift and thrust. This includes VTOL aircraft. Prerequisite: Old Tech, Pilot:Aircraft Lighter-Than-Air: Steering and controlling the height and thrust of any kind of dirigible, hot air balloon, or zeppelin.

Science (Research): For every level of Science skill, you may choose one of the following specializations: Astronomy: The study of the stars and cosmos. Bioengineering: The engineering of living matter. Chemistry: The study of chemical reactions. Geology: The study of rocks and rock formations. Mathematics: The ability to manipulate numbers including but not limited to operations, formulae, and calculus. Metallurgy: The study of metals and their reactivity. Physics: The study of energy and matter. •

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Equipment No matter whether you’re a homebody, or want to go out gallivanting around the wastes, you’ll need some good quality equipment to keep you going. If you are ever in the area, stop by our shop in The Switch. ~Exerpts from Duster’s Almanack


In the world of Wreck Age, there are myriad weapons, armors, and other implements, both built for their initial purpose and improvised and repurposed out of necessity. Each kind of equipment item will fall into a category that defines how and when it can be used, and its effectiveness. Each item is categorized according to its form as well as by defining traits, and using the guide below, you may put virtually anything you can envision into use in the world of Wreck Age. These categories will help players develop their Character profiles by defining the strengths and weaknesses of their items.

WEAPONS: MELEE Small Melee Small and concealable, Small Melee weapons are so common, that every Character is assumed to have one. Any close combat weapon small enough to be easily concealed and wielded effectively in one hand falls into this category. This includes knives, brass knuckles, saps and other deadly items that were designed specifically to inflict pain and suffering in a tiny package. These weapons may even be part of a garment and represent spiked plating or heavily reinforced striking surfaces like fists, knees, elbows, etc. An important distinction is that small tools such as claw hammers or wrenches are not Small Melee weapons, because they were not specifically designed for the purpose of weaponry. These fall under Improvised Melee weapons instead. Medium Melee From axes to swords, crowbars to sharpened metal batons; Medium Melee weapons are distinguished from small or large ones principally by their ability to be wielded with either one or two hands, Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

and are generally larger and capable of considerable damage. These are at least one foot in length but usually less than three. Capable of more force and damage in a given strike than their smaller counterparts, Medium Melee weapons give up the ability to be hidden and some speed for the ability to inflict more pain on the target. These weapons are obvious tools of warfare and rarely appear to be anything other. Large Melee From the first time someone decided to use a blade in battle, there was always someone else who saw wisdom in wielding a bigger one. While these weapons tend to be far slower than their smaller kin, they make up for this deficiency in pure destructive power. The blow of a Large Melee weapon can knock a foe off his feet, and the target may in fact be dead before he hits the ground due to the grievous injuries caused. Any large club, large axe or large blade weapon over three feet in length, but that is not well-suited for use as a throwing weapon, is considered to be a Large Melee weapon. Spear Reach out and touch someone! Spears share many traits with Large Melee weapons, but they fall into a special category, defined as any large weapon that is specifically designed to be both used in melee combat and that is particularly well suited for throwing at a target. A skilled Character can throw a spear a considerable distance. Weapons that are classified as Spears include harpoons, javelins, and tridents, but would not include a pike or halberd, as they are not particularly useful as thrown weapons due to their size and unbalanced nature.

Improvised Melee In the world of Wreck Age most weapons are, at some level, improvised. Since few Communities are set up for anything but the most basic manufacturing, weapons are scavenged or cobbled together from whatever materials are available at the time. That means weapons actually considered “improvised” are the sort that have very little resemblance to a purpose-built weapon and rarely find use as one. These include bottles, tools, rocks, sturdy tree branches, the jawbone of a long dead animal, or any menacing pieces of junk or detritus.

Special Rule: Improvised weapons Any Character can spend one AP and may attempt a Wits test against a TN of 5+ to find an Improvised weapon within reach. One success will provide immediate use of an Improvised weapon as if that Character had one equipped. Three successes or more will result in the Character finding a Small Melee weapon instead, such as a knife or brass knuckle. After the current battle or scene is concluded, the weapon is typically discarded. The Character can use their discretion to determine if the weapon is worth keeping and in good enough condition to count as a permanent piece of equipment.


WEAPONS: RANGED WEAPONS Bow For thousands of years, bows in their various forms were the pinnacle battle implement used for killing at a distance. In its basic form, a bow is simply a big, curved stick fitted with a string used to launch smaller, straight sticks. It does this extremely well, and in the right hands, can end a battle long before a foe can close into melee range. Crossbow One of the various bow forms mentioned above, Crossbows are more powerful than hand-drawn bows, giving up a faster rate of fire in return for power and range. The crossbow’s main advantage is in accessibility; they are much easier to fire accurately, especially for the untrained. Crossbows also have the advantage of being able to accept some Modifications, such as scopes. Break-action Rifle Although it is one of the earliest forms of long arm, this weapon is still as reliable and effective in Year Zero as it was when it was invented. These single-or doublebarreled rifles separate via a hinge in front of the trigger, allowing ammunition to be loaded. The main advantages of this type of weapon over its newer cousins are that it provides for easy field maintenance and good accuracy, although its rate of fire is slow due to having to reload after each shot. Shotgun Shotguns are another example of simple, reliable firearms that have remained mostly unchanged during their long history of violence. Capable of chambering either scatter-shot or solid

rounds (slugs), shotguns have the ability to both engage large groups of targets and deliver devastating damage against a single target, making them both flexible and powerful. The only disadvantage found with shotguns is that they are not as effective at engaging at long ranges.

Special Rule: Shotguns Reloading is usually incorporated into the AP cost of using a rearm. Because shotguns can chamber two different kinds of rounds, this ammunition is typically kept in separate containers. Changing from one type of ammunition to another is a simple action that costs two AP. Once this AP is spent, the weapon is automatically reloaded with the new round type until that player chooses to spend another 2 AP to switch back.

Pipe Rifle Pipe rifles are pieced together literally out of smooth pipe lengths and spare parts, and as such, are inherently unreliable and extremely inaccurate. Crafted out of necessity, they are the weapons typically seen among those who have no other choice. Crude and easy to produce, pipe rifles are rarely built to last, and have few of the features of a manufactured rifle, aside from their form and the ability to deliver a bullet. Even so, a pipe rifle should never be discounted, as they are still firearms and can still kill quite effectively in the right hands.


Revolver Revolvers were the first important evolution of handheld firearms, allowing powder and bullet to be loaded together in individual chambers and reserved for later use. This provided a combatant with a faster trigger finger several shots to be delivered before needing to reload. This simple and effective increase in rate of fire, while maintaining a high level of reliability, was widely implemented due to its great benefit to the shooter. Revolvers are still just as effective in Year Zero, being the sidearm of choice for raiders and settlers alike due to these factors, as well as the ease of maintenance compared to complicated, auto-loading firearms. Auto Pistol More complex than a revolver, auto pistols hold more rounds and are more quickly reloaded, though often at the expense of reliability. While an auto pistol tends to have better range in the field, they are also more prone to jamming under rough conditions and typically require a great deal of maintenance between encounters. Auto pistols are more capable of Modifications, making them popular with the more technically savvy. There are two calibers that auto pistols are chambered for; the standard pistol round, and the rarer carbine round that is more often associated with rifles. Zip Pistol The firearms equivalent of an improvised weapon, zip pistols are short-ranged weapons cobbled together from common materials and are sometimes capable of only one shot before becoming useless. These weapons were once disposed of after use, but with scavenging being the law of the land in Wreck Age, most are cleaned up and repaired between encounters.

Hunting Rifle Usually bolt-action and fed from an internal magazine, these rifles were used for hunting animals for sport and food, when animals were still widely available to hunt. Still useful for finding meals on the go as well as killing an enemy, hunting rifles are often pressed into service during combat as their range and stopping power make them extremely valuable weapons. Hunting rifles typically have a scope attached and easily accept other Modifications. Revolver Carbine A rifle with a revolving cylinder or barrel, the revolver carbine is uncommon outside of some Staker Communities due to the complexity of manufacturing. These weapons combine all the benefits of a revolver with many of the traits of a rifle, offering dependability and a much longer effective range. The larger frame of a revolver carbine also lends itself to Modifications more than its handgun counterpart. Junk gun Junk Guns are large, musket-type firearms that can be filled with an assortment of projectiles, even items that were not originally intended for that purpose, such as rocks, nails, bolts, or any small item. You can load just about anything in it that you want, and the powder charge will send it careening out of the muzzle at a velocity fast enough to cause damage to a target. Improvised Grenade The low-tech approach to killing lots of people in a short amount of time, improvised grenades have a serious risk factor involved in their production and use. They are usually a weapon of last Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

resort, built as need arises and employed quickly to reduce the chance of their detonating prematurely. These grenades are typically made from glass, metal tubes, and whatever explosives are on hand at the time.

WEAPONS: OLD TECH Flamethrower A more traditional and older fire-based weapon, flamethrowers propel flammable liquids or gels past a heating element, igniting that fuel which is then spread over a large area, sticking to all it comes into contact with. The damage that a flamethrower can cause is not initially significant but the effects of its flames can quickly engulf and destroy even hardened targets such as vehicles and structures. This does not even begin to touch upon the instinctive, animalistic fear of being burned alive, which is a powerful psychological weapon in itself. Assault Carbine Assault carbines are the classic image of a short-barreled military firearm. Also called “assault rifles,” “automatic rifles” or even the colloquial “heaters.” Although they are not often found in good working order, assault carbines are worth the time and effort spent maintaining them due to a high rate of fire, a good level of accuracy, and the ability to accept most Modifications. A skilled combatant, armed with an assault carbine, can singlehandedly dominate any battlefield.

Battle Rifle Battle rifles are similar in design to assault carbines, but feature a longer barrel, and fire a more powerful bullet, providing greater accuracy and stopping power. These are essentially a military-style version of the hunting rifle, firing identical rounds. They accept most Modifications. Sniper Rifle Sniper rifles are built on a more solid frame than most other rifles and designed for the specific purpose of delivering lethal force at great distances. Not fast enough in combat to be the weapon of choice for most combatants, these weapons are generally reserved for experts who specialize in identification and destruction of key targets. There is nothing quite as feared in The Wilds as a skilled sniper; watching a comrade’s face disappear into a fountain of gore, without being able to identify where the shot was fired from, is a singularly terrifying experience. Military Grenade These delightful little objects pack explosives and fragmentary material in a hard casing, and are designed for easy throwing and simple use. Some versions are designed to be launched by ballistic means, usually as a second barrel on some firearms. Military grenades are optimized to affect a wide area with concussive force and hot shrapnel, delivering devastation upon the area.


Net Gun A non-lethal weapon designed for capture and containment purposes, net guns use compressed gas to propel an expanding net into a target area. The net unfurls in flight and entraps anyone in the target area. Net guns are not used to cause damage to the target, as injuries rarely occur due to the net itself, but instead are used to incapacitate, or at least inconvenience, those caught in its net. Tranq Pistol A common enough weapon in Year Zero to be considered in general use, many of the older and more robust guns come from the ruins of zoos and decrepit animal control facilities. They fire syringetipped projectiles, delivering whatever chemical the user wishes into the target’s blood stream. While mildly painful, these projectiles are non-lethal and the most common load is a soporific compound that causes unconsciousness. While only effective at short ranges, Tranq pistols are an effective weapon for incapacitating a target. Tranq Rifle Larger than their smaller brethren, tranq rifles have a greater range and can hit targets from a distance or from the safety of cover. Tranq rifles typically use the same dart projectiles as their pistol version but cannot deliver greater dosages, being equally effective in incapacitating targets, just at longer ranges.

AT Rocker AT rockers, also called “rockets,” are one of the most devastating portable weapons in the post-Exodus world. Essentially, these weapons consist of a tube with which to aim and launch a solid fuel propelled explosive projectile. They aren’t particularly complicated devices, but the sensors and ignition systems are exceedingly rare and nearly impossible to manufacture. Inaccurate versions of these, called “rocket propelled grenades (RPGs),” are more common, although even those are rarely seen except in the hands of the wealthiest and most powerful Communities. AT rockers require a two-person crew to operate efficiently, and even then are very slow to reload, having the slow 3 trait . RPG A poor substitute for a true AT rocker, RPGs nonetheless provides a portable explosive device that can be launched at great distances. They have no guidance system, and as such are inaccurate and unwieldy. Even so, being able to launch a grenade at a target from great distance can have its advantages. Gas Grenades These thrown weapons use a variety of lethal and non-lethal compounds to incapacitate or otherwise affect their target(s). They will have a variable blast radius, and the cloud of gas may linger for more than one turn. This will be indicted in the description of each grenade when it’s encountered.


WEAPONS: HIGH TECH EMP Rifle Electromagnetic Pulse Rifles (EMP Rifles) generate a targeted burst of invisible energy that has very little effect on living targets, but can play havoc with power sources and electrical devices. Any target successfully hit by an EMP rifle’s attack has all its powered gear fail immediately. Gear lost this way will need to be repaired by a skilled worker, requiring a very difficult 6+ TN test to repair before it can be used again. Additionally, all affected power sources are instantly drained, and powered weapons must roll on the Weapon Malfunction Chart with no modifiers to determine if any permanent damage was inflicted. Laser Rifle One of the less attractive traits of humanity is that we have constantly sought more effective ways to kill one another, and as such, weapon technology has progressed a long way from present day up to The Exodus. While many of the marvels of that age have been lost, a few still survive in jealously guarded caches as well as in the hands of factions dedicated to the revival of science. The laser rifle is a prime example of lost technology: it is a directed energy weapon that delivers lethal beams of nearly invisible heat. Due to the complete lack of recoil, laser rifles are extremely accurate. Among the Order of the Reclaimers, creating Laser Rifles is seen as a rite of passage. Flame Caster Operating on a principle similar to the plasma caster, this weapon generates and launches a magnetically contained disk of searing fire, which immolates both the target and the air around it. This reaction releases a massive amount of

flame and is quite capable of reducing its rifles have a very low rate of fire, being target to a pile of charred ash. Incendiary re-charged with a crank, foot pedal, or a weapons– flame casters included are hand-held spring which is used to build terrifying weapons, striking fear into the up a strong electric charge. hearts of opponents by their appearance on a battlefield alone. These weapons are built for longevity and operate without any additional power source, making them extremely Plasma Caster valuable for long expeditions or time Plasma casters generate pockets of away from re-supply. However, there charged, rapidly pulsing ions and are scarce few in existence anymore, then launch a swirling vortex of the and the technology to create one that is superheated gas. The white-hot plasma portable and lightweight is long since produced by these weapons will melt lost. Typically, these valuable weapons virtually anything that it touches, are of pre-Exodus construction, although making these weapons very it is rumored that some of the largest dangerous to both to the user Reclaimer Communities have the ability and the target. Depending to produce these in their secretive Data on the gas and the Hubs. Glass rifles sacrifice speed for weapon in question, pure precision and can eliminate the beam created targets far outside the effective range resembles anything of most ballistic or laser weapons. from a line of bright All glass rifles are constructed with fire to a bolt of raw an integral scope and night optics electricity. Regardless for optimum lethality in any of form, the devastation environment. such weapons can wreak is almost unimaginable. Narco Gun Narco guns operate at a Glass Rifle higher level of technology Glass rifles are one of than tranq weapons, but the most exotic of all perform a very similar weapons in the Wreck role. There are many Age world, and are different methods for named as such due to the a narco gun to deliver strange appearance of the their payloads, but all beam; the energy released inject targets at a distance. by this weapon causes Some fire frozen slivers of the air surrounding the chemical compounds beam to sparkle like in a small cluster, thousands of tiny shards others bombard of glass glistening in the the target with a gel sunlight. Glass rifles are capsule that releases directed energy weapons its agents upon impact, with a complete lack of recoil, while still others use a low making them incredibly intensity laser beam to direct accurate and effective at even a conventional dart filled with extreme ranges. However, glass their payloads.


ARMOR “I really don’t see what we’re doing out here,” Yva complained as she pulled at the sleeves of this strange new jacket she was wearing. “Why would you take me all the way out here past the camp walls?” Heller walked away, counting out his paces until he was thirty steps away. “I need to test something.” “Oh?” She poked at the jacket’s odd buckles. They t together tightly, making a click inside when they were joined. The jacket had no need of buttons or straps, something she found very disconcerting. Yva did not like wearing something she could not name. “What’s that?” Heller turned around, took aim with that strange silver pistol of his and red. The gunshot cracked in the air before Yva could react, striking her in the shoulder hard. She turned with the blow, dropping to one knee before reaching up to cover the wound. “Have you lost your mind!?” Heller was just smiling, watching her. He was not ring again, his gun already holstered. He was just standing there, taking notes in his infernal metal book while she knelt there, searching for the wound she expected to nd.

It is an undeniable truth that a little protection goes a long way, especially in The Wilds. While there has been a tremendous amount of knowledge lost in terms of weapons and technology, those left behind after The Exodus have developed different kinds of protection through clever application of the technological remnants. As such, the people of the Wreck Age world vary greatly in their style of armor, due in part to the wide range of weapons they might face, but even more so because available construction materials vary wildly. Some settlements have access to advanced materials and techniques while others have only what force or fortune have made available. One certainty in Wreck Age, regardless of the armor or its wearer, is that Characters who wear armor are also capable of repairing and recreating it. While there may be artisans in some settlements and factions capable of making suits of armor for others, anyone who has armor treats it as a prized possession, and knows how to patch holes, replace lost pieces and salvage new parts to remedy any wear or battle damage.

Except that she wasn’t. She wasn’t bleeding. There was no hole, not in the jacket and not in her. The shot had certainly hurt but there was no blood or real injury. Yva blinked for a moment before narrowing her eyes. “Oh, I get it. We’re out here to test how fast you can run.”


Salvage / Goods

ARMOR: LIGHT

ARMOR: MEDIUM

Patchwork Armor Dermal Armor Exactly what its name suggests, Dermal armor is comprised of thin, patchwork armor is a mix of various implantable plates of bio-plastic that pieces, from old quilts to small cover vital areas such as the chest sections of animal hide. It barely and abdomen, with forearm and shin functions as armor but it offers a implants being less common. Light in modicum of protection in the vital areas weight and incredibly strong, this armor where stopping a blow really counts. is used almost exclusively by Stitchers The main advantages to patchwork and those in league with them. armor are that it is nearly as comfortable as normal clothing, and it is extremely simple to create. Flak Jacket Flak jackets take several forms, but all share a few basic traits; they are singleLeather Armor (Leathers) piece garments, they only protect the Leather armor, or “leathers” as they upper half of the body, and they have are commonly called , are simply a panels of thicker material over vital slight improvement to patchwork armor, areas like the abdomen and heart. primarily different in the materials used Some flak jackets have sleeves while to create them. Constructed mostly from others are vests. Many incorporate cured and shaped hide or sheets of thick small metal or ceramic plates to stop plastic, this type of armor has cloth attacks from blade weapons. These were or quilt seams to provide mobility and originally designed to protect from reduce weight. Some leathers have a few blast and shrapnel effects, primarily, metal sections over vital areas, but for the but offer protection from other types of most part, they are made almost entirely attack as well. of animal and bio plastic materials. For most settlements with livestock, leathers are common and easy to acquire. Riot Armor The Pre-Collapse civilian authorities’ answer to military-style gear, riot armor Scout Armor was often used during times of civil Scout armor is a suit of lightweight disobedience and was designed to counter protection consisting of strap-on plates the threats posed by unruly mobs and and thin, flexible carbon fiber and common handguns. Riot armor was often plastic sections covering the chest, used in conjunction with large, resilient forearms, groin, and shins. Usually shields made of transparent bulletproof favored by exploratory expeditions and plastic, but these shields have mostly typically worn under their clothing, been lost to battle or the elements. these are not generally worn when a Anyone wearing Riot armor is fierce battle is expected. considered slow moving.


ARMOR: HEAVY Mil-Spec Military specified (mil-spec for short) armor is a rarity in the world of Wreck Age. Each one is prized and they are usually well-maintained, as they allow a wearer to move almost imperviously in combat. These suits are comprised of ballistic mesh, ceramic plate and tempered metal reinforcement can reflect virtually any projectile. They even offer resistance to rounds specifically designed to penetrate armor. Plate Armor Plated armor is essentially plates of metal, or other hardened material layered over some sort of harness that attaches it to the user’s body. In some ways, this is a Post-Collapse rendition of medieval combat wear. Plate armor is bulky, inflexible and usually too heavy for protracted wear. However, these suits carry a certain intimidation value and are able to deflect all but the most powerful attacks with at least some success. While those who value their mobility should avoid these rattling tin-man suits, they do have their place.

Tower Shield These are inordinately large shields that allow the user to carry a mobile wall, as tall as (or taller than) the user. Originally used in pre-ancient times before technology, tower shields are generally meant to be used in formation, and provide substantial cover for those behind them.

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COMBAT MODIFIERS: ARMOR Light Defender is wearing Light Armor : -1 TN modifier to the Armor: Defender’s Power test

Medium Armor:

Heavy Armor:


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Penalties: Characters wearing Medium Armor may not move over 10” in a turn, and as such, cannot be considered fast moving . Defender is wearing Heavy Armor : -1 TN modifier to the Defender’s Power test AND +2 Defensive Power

Shield:

Penalties: Characters wearing Heavy Armor may not move more than 6” in a turn, and are always considered slow moving. Defender is using a shield: +1

Tower Shield:

Penalties: Characters using shields may not use twohanded weapons while the shield is in use. Defender is using a shield: +2 Defensive Power

ARMOR: SHIELDS Shields The idea behind a shield is simple; it is a wall between you and pain. Usually made out of materials too heavy or thick to be worn as armor, a shield can bring focused protection exactly where it is needed most because its user can move it into the path of an attack. Shields are fairly useless without mobility; even the largest shield is likely useless if the person carrying it is caught by surprise or attacked in a manner that does not allow any sort of defensive reaction.

Penalties: There is no movement penalty for wearers of Light Armor. Defender is wearing Medium Armor : -1 TN modifier to the defender’s Power test AND +1 Defensive Power

Defensive Power

Penalties: Characters using shields may not any weapons while the shield is in use.

Since she was one of the only sentries willing to deal with him, Yva was often put in charge of going through Heller’s hauls every time the Reclaimer came back from an expedition into the dark bones of the city nearby– a looming ruin once called Memphis. Usually this duty was boring and uneventful. Most of what Heller brought back was only of interest to him and had little use for the community. This time was an exception, however. Heller had managed to finally bring back a cart full of something valuable. “Where did you find all this metal?” “Heh. You like? I thought the beams and poles would be useful for shoring up the new barn and the rest I can use to make armor and shields for the sentries. I did promise better protection since that whole ‘bomb thing’, after all.” Yva was only barely listening. She was already picking out her prize from the haul, a big triangle of plate steel with only a few dents. “This. I want this for a shield. Now.” Heller looked up at the soldier woman and the big yellow sign she was holding, the one that intoned in still mostly legible black paint, “YIELD.” “Yeah,” he laughed. “I can see why.”


MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

era was meant to be easy to maintain and resupply, allowing resources to It takes more than a heavy jacket and a dependable rifle to survive in The Wilds. be stretched to their limits as things A gun may help you take down something began to really get bad. Replacement parts, portable power sources, and even to eat, but it won’t help you cook it. A couple of old belts with some metal plates ammunition followed standards design templates that have now been adopted by and tire treads attached to them might stop a knife, but can’t keep out the winter the survivors in Year Zero. chill when you make camp. Survival is more than weapons and armor; it is also Because of this fact you will find only about gear and having the skills to use it. references to a few types of ammunition. Most were made to specific and exacting As one might expect in a desolate world standards for carbines, large bore rifles, of salvage and scavenging, gear comes and pistols. A few special weapons and in thousands of different forms and is types of ammunition exist, but these of extremely varied quality. While a are increasingly rare and hard to come threadbare sheet rummaged from the ruins of an old store might be better than by. Thanks to the efforts of a group of these forward-looking people 200 years nothing, it cannot compare to a thick wool blanket bartered from a shepherding ago, if your Community can create or settlement. Moreover, that can’t beat a scavenge ammunition and power supplies self-warmed solar-charging synthetic, of its own, then they will work in your heated blanket. Sometimes quality of firearms. gear is the difference between living to see tomorrow and being someone else’s mark for looting. CLOTHING The Big Push was centuries earlier, but it was an era that poured much of its engineering power and resources into developing technologies that focused more on longevity and hardiness than flashy design work, learning its lessons from the 21st century’s culture of “design for obsolescence.” Because of this focus on survivability, many of these designs remain in service, and are still being used during The Resurgence. In fact, due to the quality of the goods made when there was still some semblance of mass production, some of the technologies from the Big Push have survived through the Dark Times, although it may take a skilled machinest a large quantiiy of these ancient scrap items to create a single working version. Equipment designed during the Big Push Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

Fashion is not much of a priority in Year Zero. Having clothes at all usually trumps their appearance. That said, there are times when effort is put into what someone wears and how they look. Raiding parties, for instance, usually try for a similar look so they can easily spot each other in the middle of combat. For the same reason, Stakers defending their homesteads and other groups likely to encounter trouble have developed their own styles in order to more easily determine friend from foe.

Rags While any clothing is better than none, these barely count. Typically thin, mostly ruined, and only barely preserving a person’s modesty, rags offer little protection from the elements and are usually the garb of the desperate or enslaved. Wearing rags is almost never a choice; they are what people wear when they are grateful to have anything at all.

Longcoat Practically a suit of clothes by itself, a longcoat covers most of the body and may even come with a hood. Like fatigues, they provide no little physical protection in combat. However, even without defenses, a longcoat is a fantastic ward against inclement weather and even doubles as a blanket in a pinch, making many an explorer’s best friend.

Scavs Scavs, short for scavenged clothing, are the mark of survivors in Year Zero. Scavs are made out of whatever random clothes their wearers can find. Cloth, plastic, rubber garments in various states of repair from as far back as the Big Push era are common types of scavs. While they may be ramshackle, scavs are usually warm and functional. Only the most hopeful or ambitious are foolish or brave enough ask for anything more in The Wilds.

Boots A catchall category for sturdy footwear, boots are vital for any serious travel or outdoor work. Most often the result of just taking a salvaged sole and adding strapping until it feels stable, boots are sometimes more complicated, especially ones based on designs predating the Big Push era.

Simples Anything but simple given the state of the world, these are new clothes woven and sewn by hand. They are typically the products of Drifter slaves or Staker artisans. Simples are a major commodity for trade and even the most bloodthirsty raiders have been known to stay their rage if their target appears to be a tailor. Fatigues Often found as salvage, fatigues are any form of functional military style clothing. While they do not typically have any protective value, fatigues work well in conjunction with armor and weapon rigs. They can be found with camouflage patterns or are easily dyed. They are sought after by soldiers and guards, for their utilitarian nature and for the air of authority that they can provide. Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

The importance of boots is never more apparent than when one becomes a slave. From Drifter tribes to Reclaimer work camps, one theme is a constant– slaves do not get shoes. This is done for many reasons. It is a psychological reminder of inferiority, forcing the slaves to stay “naked.” It is also a matter of pure practicality. Not only are boots too valuable to waste on slaves, but escapees cannot get very far in The Wilds on bare feet.

Food

FOODSTUFFS AND PROVISIONS

Cooked Food Some foods have to be heated before they The importance of provisions cannot be can be eaten safely. One advantage of overstated. Food and drink are arguably cooking food, typically meats or tough the most important items a person can vegetables, is that it extends the useful carry. While it is possible to go for a life of the meal. Cooked meat can be week or more without eating, dehydration saved and carried much longer than if it can kill within three days. Hard activity were raw. Cooked foods are usually the like combat and long hikes will shorten fare of choice on hunting excursions as this time even more. When stocking up the day’s kills become that night’s meals. on provisions, it is important to consider your traveling conditions. Long trips Dried Food will demand consumables that do not Most foods with any moisture can be spoil quickly, while short trips may dried through dehydration or freeneed little more than fruit and a small drying, sacrificing a little flavor for a canteen. much longer useful lifespan. Dried meat Forage Forage is “living off the land,” gathering whatever berries, edible leaves and other consumables can be found without going to the risk and effort of hunting for prey. In some places, forage can sustain someone indefinitely. In others, it takes serious skill and experience to scrape together enough to make it from day to day. Fresh Food Fresh food can mean many things, all of them the result of hard work. Loaves of bread, newly picked apples or churned soy butter are all examples of fresh food. While there is no denying that fresh fare is the best and arguably the healthiest, it typically does not last long before spoiling. These means that fresh food is rarely an option on extended trips without a skilled survivalist along. Green Stuff Green stuff is a nutrient-rich powder, which can be mixed with water and turned into a disgusting but nutritious paste. It can also be used for filling gaps.


can last weeks, and plants last even longer. Even foods like nuts and breads can be preserved this way, staying good for months or even years if properly contained. On long trips, the majority of provisions will likely be of the dried food variety. Animal Feed People are not the only ones in need of consumables. Livestock and mounts need to eat as well, meaning animal feed is an important consideration. Fortunately, the efforts involved in gathering food for humans usually results in animal feed. Animal feed tends to be bundled and kept in very large amounts, which disappear quickly. It can be quite shocking how much a single cow or goat can consume in a day. Water Carrying water can be hard work; a single gallon, roughly what an active person needs to drink each day, weighs more than eight pounds. If there are clean water sources available, it is much easier to collect it on the go. If not, it can be carried in slings, bottles, jars or other water catchers.

Juice Juice from fruits gathered from wild or domestic groves can be just as hydrating as water and has the benefit of providing taste and energy as well. Juice is not noticeably heavier than water and can be carried the same way. Its only real drawback is its lifespan; juice will not stay good indefinitely and needs to be consumed within a few days to ensure it does not fall victim to germs and become harmful to drink. Aloe Having been used for millennia, aloe can be used for burn treatments and other topical applications, and will often be found in first aid kits. It is sought after by Stitchers, due to its various properties that help to grow human tissue, as well as its drug absorption properties. It can be ingested as a laxative, for weight loss, as a means to prevent ulcers, and will often be found in all manner of “miracle cure” peddled by vendors across The Wilds, who might not typically be scrupulous, but will always be convincing. Stillbrew The answer to many of The Resurgence’s woes, Stillbrew is just one of the names for plant matter and fruit subjected to fermentation and distillation, resulting in a usually clear or slightly yellow intoxicating fluid that tastes like battery acid and goes down like a river of broken glass. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, Stillbrew is extremely popular and signature versions have cropped up across the Shattered States of Merika.


STILLBREW From the Duster’s Almanack: Never underestimate the power of a good bottle of Stillbrew. I was once cornered at my campsite by three big Drifters coming back from a big raid; I’d thought I was clear of them but such was not the case. They were still ush with victory and looked to add my meager belongings to their spoils. We stared down each other’s guns for a while and I wasn’t liking my odds, so as happens so often in situations like this I red off with my mouth rst. “Gentlemen, this doesn’t look good for me here, but I promise I’ll take one or two of you down with me. How about we settle this without anyone having to bleed?” Seeing as how two of them were already injured, I had their attention. I kept it by slowly opening my pack and revealing a couple of wax-capped bottles. My offer made and accepted, we all stowed our shooters and sat down in a circle for that ages-old ritual known as a drink-off. I woke up pretty much next-to-naked with a barren camp site and all our empties stacked up beside my head like a gravestone. That night taught me two things. The rst, alcohol is a universal language. The second, ass-naked and alive beats dressed and dead any day. Thank you, Churchill Hooch. I’ll be coming back Stallion City way for more of you soon.

Stile-Caf TRAVEL AND SURVIVAL One of the favorite beverages of people EQUIPMENT everywhere, Stile-Caf is an easily made drink that is one part eye-opener Holster and one part dietary supplement. A case for a pistol (or occasionally a Distilled from collected coffee grounds, rifle) made out of cloth, leather, or some chocolate and fungal ethanol, it is other sort of material. Holsters allow a a powerfully strong drink that has Character to store a weapon while not a variety of good uses. A shot in the holding it in their hand. Holsters can morning will blast the cobwebs out of be attached to a users hip, back, leg or anyone’s head, a dash added to water in some cases, arm or ankle. They are will kill some bacteria, and a full cup often made with pouches for ammunition can actually flush a minor virus out of for whatever kind of weapon holds someone’s sinuses. There are some that them. They can be coupled or attached even claim that old world engines can to weapon rigs, which can hold up to run, albeit badly, on a few pints of the three holsters, each one housing its own concoction, which explains why a badly weapon. Holsters (and ammo pouches) distilled batch can also accidentally are blessings for a gunner, especially if serve as a potent nerve toxin! they have ever had to make do without one before. Beer Approaching fermentation a different way provides a completely different but no less effective result: beer. This once-lost art was found again and it did not take very long to spread in both popularity and practice. The same basic methods to make beer can be adapted to make all sorts of libations returning to the world such as mead and simple wines.

Weapon Rig One step up from a simple belt, a weapon rig is strapping and holders designed to carry weapons when not in use. These can be as simple as a thick belt with a hook on one hip for an axe handle or as complicated as a back-and-body harness for a rebar claymore. Compass A device with one main function: An indicator that points north at all times. Some are as complicated as digital images on a small screen with magnetic sensors offering a constant directional updated. Others are as simple as a needle in a floating chunk of cork. Most are somewhere in between. Bedroll For temperate climates, a bedroll may be all that is needed. Secure sleep, especially in low temperatures, demands thicker coverage. In such instances, a bedroll, also known as a


sleeping bag, is best. Bedrolls make sleep more effective and comfortable because they offer temperature and padding on both sides, making up for what is often uneven ground. Rope The uses for rope, which can be constructed as cable, cord, or twine, are endless. “You can never have enough” is an accurate statement when it comes to rope. Different widths and materials are important as some rope is too thick for fine work and thin cable is notoriously too weak for bearing heavy loads. One should never set foot outside a settlement without at least a short length of rope, as it is always better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. Gas Mask A gas mask is a useful piece of equipment when scouting polluted areas, and in addition, it provides the wearer immunity to the effects of naturally occurring toxic gasses and gas grenades. Machete With a sturdy blade built to cut through overgrowth and tree limbs, the machete is useful in some environments and absolutely necessary in others. Because shelters benefit from hewn wood and fires need fuel, anything capable of rendering down wood without completely exhausting the user is important. Machetes can also serve as weapons or tools when needed. Because these are designed to cut through tough material, they carry enough of an edge to serve in combat. However, in the rigors of combat, they can dull quickly, and they aren’t manufactured to withstand the stress of battle. As such, they have a tendency to dull or break when used in this manner. In combat, treat machetes as Medium Melee weapons with the

unreliable trait.


Tarp Any sheet of plastic, impregnated cloth or highly flexible metal can be used as water-resistant tarps. Generally made from materials that take centuries to chemically degrade, some of these have even been salvaged from before the Big Push. These have hundreds of uses, ranging from forming the walls of a makeshift tent, to spreading under a hunting kill, to serving as an emergency blanket, or as the outer lining of a raft. Tent Tents can be any sort of portable shelter that keeps someone covered and protected from the elements. Most are little more than some kind of cloth and risers such as sticks or twine. Tents may require a barrier of some kind, such as a tree or large stone to attach to. Even the simplest of tents reward the effort of carrying and assemblage as soon as the rain begins. Water Catcher For extremely long voyages, these lifesaving implements are indispensible. The simplest are just canteens used to capture water from other sources like cisterns or streams. More advanced styles capture rain water or moisture in the air and collect it for later use, with the best designs capable of gleaning just enough water from the atmosphere to keep a person alive in the desert.

Within / Enter

KITS Scavenge Kit This kit, loaded with items useful for any salvage operation, contains the following: 50’ of rope, a beam welder, a gas mask, a hand light, and a Geiger counter. First Aid Kit Unlike a medical or field surgeon kit, a first aid kit is a collection of basic medical supplies that can be easily carried and used even by someone with only limited skill. First aid kits are often valuable trade goods due to their utility and ease of use. Most contain bandages, simple ointments, and medicine of various varieties available to the makers of the kit at the time of manufacture. Field kits allow a +1 TN modifier to any First Aid tests .

Trail Kit This kit contains a small collection of dried foods and water, and as such these are what explorers with experience tend to carry. Some settlements even offer trail packs as bartering goods. The best of these pre-made packs have become a common and valuable bartering commodity. Kit contents vary, but generally trail kits contain: three days rations of dried food, and two liters of water. Camp Kit Camp packs are simply backpacks, bags with carrying straps or other wearable containers with enough cargo room to carry traveling supplies. These are useful because they not only free an explorer’s hands, but they distribute the weight of their contents to make them easier to carry. On long trips, this is invaluable. These kits include the following: A bedroll, a compass, a hand light, and a bag to contain them.

Field Surgeon Kit Survival Gear This kit’s compact design and small form For anyone who spends any amount of factor belies its utility and how many time outside a settlement, a few pieces items that it can carry. This kit contains of survival gear are indispensable. The the following: A first aid kit, a scalpel, a truly skilled and hardy might be able to vibro-scalpel, a small vial of anesthetic, make their way through trackless lands with only their wits but more often than and a small medical book describing not, those people end up as mountain both common treatments and advanced lion food. Being prepared with a good surgical techniques. Allows a +1 TN cooking pot, some kindling and a blanket modifier to any Doctor tests . may be the only reason a traveler survives the trip. Tool Kit The often-overlooked but extremely important workhorses for any project, tools are only ignored until they are gone. Everything from hammers to compressed air ratchets count as tools and without them, very little gets done. In fact, before any new construction happens, tools have to be salvaged or created first. Securing reliable tools is a top priority for any settlement. These kits contain a variety of hand, pneumatic, and power tools. Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

RESURGENCE EQUIPMENT Vibroblade This sturdy and reliable blade vibrates in order to saw through materials more easily. Solar powered and designed to withstand harsh alien atmospheres, many of these blades are still circulating The Wilds. A medical version designed for quick and messy amputations is prized by any Community with a tech savvy physician, and by Stitchers for altogether different and sinister reasons, but is much harder to come by. Considered a tool by most, Drifters covet theirs as effective weapons as well. (Laser) Charge Packs Laser charge packs, which are portable energy sources, are generally referred to as “charge packs” in Year Zero, and were originally designed solely as laser rifle power sources during the pre-Exodus era. Once considered disposable, the Reclaimers have developed them from their original military application to a ubiquitous, standard power source that is not as reliable as the original military versions but allow for recharging and a wider range of uses. In fact, Reclaimers now use them for powering everything from their personal computers to household appliances in their settlements.

Databook Databooks come in many shapes and sizes but all of them have the same purpose: storage and display of information. Most functional databooks come from the Big Push era and follow the same “small slate” format, appearing as a flat 8” by 10” piece of resilient glass with a handle, engineered to withstand adverse conditions. Most databooks can be “jailbroken” to operate as small personal computers, and are capable of offering far more functionality than the average Resurgent user has the skill to appreciate. Vanguard Industries Excavation Laser Heavy yet compact, the excavation laser is a tool that emits powerful, focused bursts of heat meant to shatter rock in order to extract valuable minerals. Unwieldy for combat, this device still finds its way onto the battlefield because it can wreak havoc on structures and other unmoving targets, although as a weapon it is usually deployed only as a last resort. An audio emitter recites a lengthy list of warnings upon powering up, stating that “Vanguard Industries is not liable due to injury or accident,” making this one of the less stealthy devices to operate. When used for its intended purpose, an excavation laser is a powerful mining tool and valuable resource.

Beam Welder Geiger Counter Necessary to enter locations that have A rare but critical piece of technology been sealed since before the Collapse, for those in dangerous irradiated areas, or to repair heavy steel structures, the Geiger counters allow the user to portable and relatively lightweight beam measure the local radiation level. Most welder is a versatile and powerful tool. A of these are old handheld units from the beam welder can be dangerous to operate, Big Push or before, and were both built so only those trained in its use should do to last and extremely reliable. Geiger so. The beam welder has the unreliable counters are only effective at revealing trait , and in a pinch, can be used as a areas of radiation ore and detecting short ranged weapon, but should not be radioactive contamination of water relied upon in such a manner in anything sources, offering no protection from radiation aside from forewarning. but the most desperate of circumstances. Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

Geomapper These devices were originally intended to be dropped from high orbit, and then utilized to gather data in worker riot situations, which had been occurring more and more frequently in developed countries before The Exodus. These beacons appear as little more than a metallic cylinder. However, when they are put into place and turned on, they are able to connect to one of few postExodus satellites and give minute-byminute reports about the surrounding area. Geomappers are invaluable when on long-range patrols, and something of value or interest was found. As may be expected, they are also quite rare. Glowtorch These are standard issue for Reclaimer scavenging crews, and are sought after by others. This reusable electric lantern can run off the power from a charge pack, or can be slotted into a cyber gauntlet as a gauntlet module, using one of its utility slots. A glowtorch will effectively run for one year on one charge pack , and can be set to strobe or to generate different colors. Glowtorches are very resistant to damage but are only moderately bright, providing 200 lumens of light.

Dark Times are coveted, especially since their durability and yield are unmatched by anything before or since. Miracle Knife Miracle knives are a holdover from the days before The Exodus: a folding set of blades, micro lasers, and other tools that all neatly fit into a single handle when retracted. Salvaged miracle knives are usually found in very poor condition and have to be repaired before they are serviceable. Some prize theirs so highly that many give their personal miracle knife a name. While not useful as weapons, these tools can be utilized to make a quick repair to equipment, making them invaluable assets. Night Vision Goggles Built to operate even in complete darkness, these distinctive pieces of headgear provide vision in any lighting situation, containing eyepieces, an image intensifier, and an infrared illuminator in one integrated package. Wearing these prevents the wearer from suffering negative modifiers in even complete darkness. Nearby bright flashes (within 10”) such as explosions will blind the wearer for two full turns, preventing the user from drawing line of sight on any target. A version of this is available as a Cyber Gauntlet module, and is immune from the negative flash effects.

Indestructible Solar Cells Although not impossible to damage as the name suggests, these solar panels were designed for the exterior of the seed Megaphone ships that left Earth in The Exodus, These devices are a simple and effective and thus are quite resilient. They were means of amplifying a person’s voice numerous at the time of The Exodus, but and allowing communication across were looked on as an insulting reminder short distances. These are often used by of the greed of those who had forsaken travelers in The Wilds, giving both sides humanity. In many cases, this resulted the benefit of being able to communicate in these cells being melted down and without getting too close to one another. repurposed into memorials and statues to Megaphones allow a Character to the temporary successes of the Big Push. communicate up to 36” away. indestructible solar cells that survived the


Obsi-Lens This little marvel is a collapsible night vision spyglass that breaks down to fit into the palm of one’s hand. There are several different types, and most are Pre-Exodus technology, built to military specification. An Obsi-Lens occupies one of the user’s hands when being used but provides all the benefits of night vision goggles. This device is immune to the flash effects that night vision goggles are susceptible to, but requires the user to actually hold it in the hand during use, which reduces its utility somewhat. Scrolls These are a flexible version of a tablet, although they have less data storage capacity. Unlike their larger relative, the screens of scrolls roll up into a small housing for protection and storage, making them more concealable and less likely to attract covetous eyes. Scrolls are typically about the size of an auto pistol magazine when they’re retracted, and only require a tiny amount of electricity to power them, which is gathered from onboard micro solar array. Scrolls usually have limited features and are not nearly as capable as tablets or databooks. Shock Marbles These are electrified metal spheres that are extremely volatile. Originally designed as toys in a set of electromagnetic “marbles” prior to The Exodus, it was discovered that they could be adjusted by overloading their charging stations to create varying intensities of electrical shock upon touch. Shock marbles are used by Reclaimers as rechargeable batteries and are favorite trouble-causing implements of the Church of Fun, as they can be thrown as a ranged weapon of surprise and opportunity. While they are easy Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

to conceal, they also happen to be extremely volatile and many chuckles have been had at the expense of a Reclaimer who handled them unwisely. They cannot be stored with a charge for longer than a month, as the charge cell for each marble is very tiny. Spaceway Systems Nutrient Processor Originally designed to be used on Exodus ships, and overproduced to keep the Exodus lie alive, these food processors accept all kinds of organic and mineral matter and dispense small, nutritious pellets that can be eaten dry or made into a thick gruel by adding water. The machines also have an audio function that tells you the nutritional value of each pellet batch, as well as offering advice on what to look for if there were shortcomings to your diet. Nutrient Processors were cherished during the Dark Times by those left behind on Earth and lucky enough to have access to one. They have fallen out of favor since food has become more plentiful in The Resurgence. Even so, the remaining processors are almost always well-protected. Tablets Tablets are small, portable computers that are operated through a touch screen. These have been an extremely common piece of technology since the 21st century. Superior to the more commonly found databooks in every way, tablets are information devices with myriad features and capabilities that only really come into their own when used by someone versed in Reclaimer training. Tablets are computing marvels, capable of solar selfcharging and limited internal automatic repair. Reclaimers consider all tablets to be their property regardless of the current owner and this has led to violent altercations on occassion, although some

Reclaimer sects purposefully trade and distribute these devices. Most Reclaimer Data Hubs have the means to either manufacture or refurbish these devices once the data has been gleaned from them. These are communication devices, portable data storage devices, computers, cameras, and short-range network nodes all built into one integrated device. Cyber Gauntlet These technological marvels are a mainstay for Reclaimer Scriveners, but can occassionally be found in use by other individuals. These tools can feed information to the heads-up display of those linked to it within several hundred meters through limited networking capabilities, and even further if a booster of some kind (such as a Server kit) is used to extend the signal. Gauntlets have three utility slots for cards that provide additional uses, but some utility modules will require a secondary power source for anything beyond basic functionality.

This secondary power source can often be set to something as rudimentary as the user’s body heat. Utility slots can also be powered by a standard charge pack; the first two slots only require light drain, and the third moderate drain. The cyber gauntlet is designed with durability in mind, although this limits the overall functionality, which is why it requires different “packs” to increase its usefulness. This also allows gauntlets to fulfill a variety of roles, as the hardware is interchangeable and upgradable. Cyber gauntlets can be keyed to the user’s DNA, energy signature, fingerprints, or all three to ensure that a fallen user’s secrets die with him. Swapping or installing a pack is a complex action.


On Tablets and the Reclaimers Once a commonplace item on PreExodus Earth, tablets now represent a large part of the Reclaimer’s search for lost knowledge. Each of these small personal computers are pieces of the historical and scientic mosaic they are attempting to rebuild. Originals are often damaged, corrupted or hold information that is opposite to what has already been found. Each new tablet found may represent hours or days of work before any of its secrets can be discovered. Once information can be extracted safely, it is dumped into a data store for quarantine and then the Reclaimer Community’s Data Haven itself. Much of the information is meaningless, the thoughts and opinions of a culture long dead, but the Reclaimers keep it all. They laboriously go through every last le and partition off anything deemed useful. Most Reclaimer Data Hubs have the means to either manufacture or refurbish these devices once the data has been gleaned from them. Tablets serve Reclaimers well as communication devices, portable data storage/ computers, cameras, and short-range networks/intranet all wrapped up into one. It is literally true that without his or her tablet, a Reclaimer is crippled both in functionality and in the eyes of their own society. As an offshoot of their efforts to recover and process every tablet on Earth, Reclaimers often come across lesser devices known as data books. After copying the data from these, Reclaimers typically restore and reset them for trade. They have bartered data books and tablets constantly for the last 150 years, making them one of the most common functional High Tech devices on the planet.

COMMON SETTLEMENT EQUIPMENT

The strength of a person is often due in great part to the strength of his or her Community. Settlements are not just a brief stop along an explorer’s journey; they are the source of The Resurgence itself. While none of the growth and advances during this time would have happened without outposts and fortified towns leading the way, no settlement exists in a vacuum. Trade and barter are facts of life because without the right equipment, a town can perish as fast as any traveler. Arc welder These hardy relics of the Big Push are prized by growing Communities as well as those hit by tragedy, as they allow for buildings to be propped up or patched with ease, with only one small generator often being needed. Caravans have been known to follow in the wake of Drifters in order to “lend” the use of an arc welder to beleaguered towns, but this dangerous game often gets them strung up by angry settlers or razed to the ground if they catch the attention of the Drifters they’re trailing. A Community in possession of an arc welder requires only half the required resources to build a fortified building, and it only takes a third of the time. Chillbox A massive step forward in the constant battle against food spoilage, a chillbox is usually repaired or rebuilt salvage from city ruins. They can be insulated, chilled by nitrogen or other chemicals, powered by natural gas, or a mix of all three. These cabinets maintain a cold temperature internally and are designed Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

to stay sealed when closed. This allows the preservation of anything put inside, keeping food and other materials from decaying for days or weeks. Some maintain temperatures below freezing for long term storage. Darklight Foggers and Lenses Darklight is a mixture of phosphorescent natural chemicals and aerosol propellants pumped into the air at night around some Communities like a fogger. The substance clings heavily in the air for hours, barring wind or rain, almost unnoticeably. The luminescent property of darklight only becomes apparent when the hanging mists are viewed through special darklight lenses, which come in the form of goggles or scopes, and which cause the chemicals to glow like midday sunlight to the viewer. Any community that can afford darklight foggers will have little to no fear of nocturnal ambushes, so long as the sentries are equipped to see what it reveals. Fencewire Fencewire comes in rolls and is usually found in poor or corroded condition. A loose weave of metal cables, fencewire can be hung between set poles or attached to other freestanding structures to create contained areas. Most useful for herding livestock, fencewire is also effective at marking the borders of a settlement’s territory. Thornwire Thornwire is a more robust type of fencewire, and while they may look the same at a distance, no one confuses the two for very long. Thornwire is made with small, sharp barbs of metal at various points throughout its weave. They can catch clothing and pierce the

skin of anyone who attempts to grab the wire or climb over it, making it useful as a defensive barrier and a powerful deterrent to those that would otherwise cross it. Generator The need for electrical power varies depending on where you are in The Resurgence, but most large settlements are built around at least one generator. Electricity is a vital resource and rarely squandered, used only to power critical systems like lights, livestock, defensive fencing and other important needs. Generators take many forms, from solar, wind, and hydroelectric, to fuel driven.

the perfect tool when trying to rip apart scrap metal. Often made with leather or cloth wrappings around a central handle, it is great for prying off, cutting into, and punching through many useful materials. The axe-like blade at one end of the rig is also quite the capable weapon if the scavenger using it must defend themselves or their claim. Hand Light A small, typically rechargeable or handcranked light source, hand lights make exploration much safer in the dark. Few hand lights are very powerful but as dark as nights can be in The Resurgence, any light is better than nothing. Hand lights have an advantage over torches in that they power on and off instantaneously, providing light without all the setup, storage and work of a torch.

Green Pods Green pods are a genetically modified organism, spliced from natural seeds such as corn and legumes, and that are designed to produce exponentially more Heater plants than the original species, while Heaters do exactly as the name implies; not passing on the genetic modification they generate heat. These devices range to the offspring. Once green pods are from small units that fit in a coat pocket planted, they sprout purebred plants of to full sized cabinets capable of heating the original species to produce massive an entire structure. The larger the heater, quantities of edible produce and viable the more fuel it needs, but their large seeds for future use. Eating green pods size forces them to be mostly confined to rather than the resultant plants can settlements and larger caravans. Useless have several undesirable effects, as the in some climates, heaters are absolutely seeds were also engineered to grow in invaluable in others. highly acidic soil and will attempt to take root in the stomach before perishing. Green pods are both extremely rare and Spot Light valuable to the right Community. These are large sources of lights typically mounted on a building or at the top of a watch tower. Used only when Junking Rig needed because of their significant power As scavenging is a big part of many requirements, spot lights create a very Communities’ lifestyles, having the intense beam that can be directed to blind proper tools for the job is a necessity. attackers, search for fugitives, or signal The junking rig is a piece of purposefully distant travelers. cut and shaped steel roughly two feet in length, notched and hooked to serve as Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

Motion Eye Small sensors that operate on several different levels, these devices tend to be self-contained and rechargeable, and have some built-in method of attachment such as magnets or vacuum cups. They detect motion within a set area, either reporting this to a secondary device or triggering a loud audible alarm. Settlement defenders use motion eyes whenever possible.

Watchers and Seers Watchers are small cameras that can be placed wherever needed, transmitting their images to seers , which are monitoring screens. Watchers and seers are very useful when securing a settlement because they reduce the need for large amounts of sentries walking patrols. Like talkies, these devices often need someone technically minded to install them but prove very easy to use thereafter.

Portable Stove A “kitchen on wheels,” a portable Wind Mills/Water Wheels stoves serve as the main source of food Both of these items work on the same preparation even in large settlements general principle: to let the elements because of their ease of use and simple spin strong magnets around a copper coil cleaning. Portable stoves use various in order to generate electrical energy. fuels to generate heat and contain the The size, shape, and efficiency of these grills and flat surfaces needed to prepare valuable structures can vary greatly. large meals. Standard Solar Panels Standard solar panels allow energy to be gathered via sunlight and then either used to directly power various electric implements, or stored in battery cells for later use. Almost every self-sustaining Community has a large array of these. Unlike their more rare and valuable cousins, the indestructible solar panel, most are fairly fragile and finicky, so care and regular maintenance is required. Talkies Communication over large distances is difficult for most settlements, but there are options for doing so. Salvaged technology has provided talkies, which are handsets or wearable earpieces that transmit voices to each other. While setting up and maintaining talkies may require the services of a Reclaimer, most people can use a Talkie with a bare minimum of training. Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

Zapwire Charged by windmills or chemical batteries, zapwire is a low-voltage security option that Communities can string around hydroponic gardens, recyclers or any other locations of high value. Although not as powerful as the electric fences of the old world due to lackluster power supplies, zapwire is intended to keep human trespassers out and deter unwanted entry. In some less moral Communities , however, spools of zapwire can be used as traps, fashioned into weapons, or implemented as torture devices.

LARGE AND RARE SETTLEMENT EQUIPMENT

are typically placed in the center of the host Community, and are one of the most heavily protected areas of any settlement that is fortunate enough to own one.

Arthrofarms Food sources are sometimes hard to come by in the Post-Exodus world, and most Communities focus on the hardiest MEDICAL EQUIPMENT species of fauna and insect to utilize for their proteins and byproducts. Creating Of all the threats and risks in The Wilds, glass, polymer or plastic greenhouses the deadliest killers are not beasts or filled with hives, colonies, or mudraiders, but injuries. Injuries are hard to boxes that are home to various species treat without proper medical facilities, of collected insects, arachnids, and and even the smallest infection can small crustaceans, the Community can lead to weakness, rot or death. In a effectively farm the creatures. A thriving world where a single cut or bullet can Arthrofarm only requires a few workers turn septic without treatment, first aid to maintain properly, but can produce becomes absolutely critical. A clean roll enough waste-based fuel, food resources, of bandages might not seem like much and other useful byproducts for the when one is healthy, but after a battle, it entire Community. can be more valuable than guns or silver. Cold Storage Refrigerators Bandage Generally not considered worth the price Bandages in Year Zero take many forms; for those other than Stitchers or Stakers from strips of torn cloth taken from with an excess of electricity, refrigeration salvage, to advanced aerosol sprays is primarily used to keep foodstuffs from carried by the Stitchers. In every case, an spoiling. The massive upkeep forces most effective bandage has to be clean, it has settlers and nomads to keep to the agesto allow air to reach the covered skin, old method of salting meat. Chillboxes and it has to control moisture. Otherwise, are a smaller and less power-hungry using an ill-suited bandage can be more alternative, but cold storage refrigerators harmful than not using one at all. are much larger, and able to maintain colder and more even temperatures to Bandages are single-use items that avoid unforeseen spoilage or freezer burn allow for a Character to receive a +1 on of the valuable foodstuffs, or in the case recovery rolls. Dying Characters will of Stitchers, ill-gotten and subsequently still roll on the Permanent Damage deep frozen organs. Table. Using bandages is a simple action that requires 2 AP. Seed Banks Typically seen in Staker Communities, although not exclusively, seed banks are valuable sources of genetic material. They are often stored within small greenhouses which maintain seedlings, and coupled with refrigeration for long term storage of the seeds. Seed banks Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

Chem Injector Chem injectors are devices that deliver chemical compounds, and are hard wired into the subject’s nervous system. While they started off in use PreExodus for military applications, they were quickly utilized for recreational

drug use. These are sometimes used to control slaves from revolting, or to manage beasts of war or burden. Chem injectors allow the Characters wearing them to heal themselves if they are wounded, and to heal others if they are in base-to-base contact. Since they are tailored to the individual, the TN for reducing the damage by one level is 5+ on 1d6, regardless of how badly the Character is wounded . Dead Characters are beyond help and cannot be revived or resuscitated; the only aid anyone can offer them is a eulogy. If the wearer of a chem injector, or another Character using one on its wearer, has the First Aid skill, they may add an additional 1d6 while still maintaining the TN of 5+. While Characters may use it on themselves as a simple action requiring 3 AP, if another Character uses it on them, it may only be used as a complex action requiring 4 AP. First Aid Bag These bags vary in appearance, but all contain a series of tubes filled with various medical chemicals and salves. These devices allow one Character to heal another Character by being in base-to-base contact and then performing a complex action. This action allows the Character being aided to take an immediate Power test against the TN listed in the table below. If the Character using the first aid bag also has the First Aid skill, the Character being rendered aid may roll an additional for the use of this bag 1d6 . First aid kits may be used on yourself as a complex action , and will function as indicated above . Dead Characters may not be revived or resuscitated, although you may mark their grave with your bag if you choose to.


FIRST AID TARGETS

Target’s Power test to recover • Wounded TN: 4+ • Out-of-Action TN: 5+ • Dying TN: 6+ Exo-heart This device is simply a backup to the heart that senses when blood flow has dangerously slowed, pumping blood for a Character’s heart when the heart is not functioning. This device has its drawbacks; although it can often save lives in cardiac arrest situations, it has caused others to bleed out more rapidly. These units must also be calibrated initially, and recalibrated on a regular basis, as several units out of calibration have caused death by forcing the heart into tachycardia. Exo-hearts allow for Characters to roll 1d6 if they are dying as a free action . On a roll of 2+, they are immediately upgraded to out-of-action, prior to rolling on the Permanent Damage Table . On a result of 1, they are immediately dead. Ointment This category of gear includes any topical cream or gel that is applied over an affected area for proper treatment. Ointments usually need careful packaging and contain valuable medicines suspended in them. Ointments are a step above herbal remedies and are often created to maintain and preserve the effects of such curatives for a longer period of time.

Medicine There are as many kinds of medicine as there are ailments, sometimes far more. Much of the commonly found medicine in Year Zero is herbal, although there are still a large amount of synthetic drugs scattered about.

New compounds are all but lost, and in fact, the ability to make medicine can be dangerous because few things will get the attention of Stitchers faster than a new source of drugs. Drug Synthesizer These exceedingly rare devices can make a wide variety of chemical compounds from organic material such as fungus, flowers, or roots. An example would be putting fruit mold into the unit in order to synthesize Penicillin. The higher end synthesizers come pre-loaded with a variety of drugs, but allow for tests to be run in order to develop new compounds. More rudimentary models only offer a small range of available drugs that can be produced. To use this item requires knowledge of the ailment and the proper resources on hand. These are one of the most prized pieces of equipment by the Stitchers, and the Church of Fun,for obvious reasons.

Plea / Help / Doctor / People


TRANSPORTATION Most survivors in The Resurgence have only their own feet for transportation or, if they are fortunate or part of an affluent settlement, a beast for riding. That is not to say vehicles are completely absent in Year Zero. Certain factions have access to the technology needed to salvage, repair and, more rarely, build them. Since motors need fuel and maintenance, having a vehicle may solve a lot of problems but it may also creates many more. Vehicles with motors can be either were built or converted to use plant waste fuel. This vegetable oil fuel is typically made from the husks or inedible parts of the plant, algae, or they sometimes run on fuel cells or batteries, depending on the community. Bicycle Pedal-powered bikes, carts, and even wagon trains are not at all uncommon. Needing little more than pedals, gears, wheels, and chains to create, even bare-bones settlements can have access to bicycles. Car While cars are not seen as often on what roads remain in Year Zero as motorcycles, they still have their uses. Cars ta ke more fuel but they hold more passengers and gear. This makes them effective raiding vehicles, especially when fitted with ramming bars, armor plating and weapon ports. The rare Drifter raiding party that has a car in the lead is a terrifying sight that has led to the end of even very wellfortified settlements. Chariots Two-wheeled wagons, chariots are generally built with speed in mind, rather than the ability to carry large amounts of cargo. Chariots are often seen in raiding

parties, and are favored by Drifters in that capacity. Chariot races are also a big sport throughout The Wilds, with The Switch holding yearly races that draw thousands from around the continent to compete. Chariots can be as simple as a plank of wood on two wheels, to armored gladiatorial chariots of the Somerset races, or even the front end of a Big Push era pickup truck chariot with the back end hacked off. Horse Horses in the 26 th century are similar in size and look to horses of the past, but through advanced genetic engineering and cross-breeding, they are much hardier, requiring far less water than their distant cousins and able to travel, under load, for an entire day without stopping to rest, unlike many of their human handlers. Wagon Wagons take on various sizes and forms, from a repurposed truck trailer with a cloth covering to a flatbed with bicycle wheels. They can be hitched to a variety of beasts of burden, including human slaves or desperate Stakers who have been driven from their settlements by raiders. Motorcycle/ATV Motorcycles and ATVs are the most common form of motorized transportation in Year Zero, although still very rare. What they lack in protection from the elements they more than make up for in speed, maneuverability, and fuel economy. Most of these vehicles come from the Big Push era, and as such, they are designed to operate on many kinds of fuel, a throwback to the chaotic standards of that time and the rapid changes in engine technology.


“After the last time I went out with you past the back fence, I’m doing this under protest.” Heller nodded, guiding her to an old stump and sitting her down. “Objection noted. Now close your eyes for a moment.” “Go rut yourself.” “If you don’t close your eyes, I can’t give you your birthday surprise.” Yva shook her head. “Oh, Hells no. One, the last time you had me a surprise, you shot me. Two, no one celebrates with presents here. It’s a Community rule since supplies are so short. If I break that rule, I’m no better than some witless grub.” Heller walked over to a hanging tarp. “You keep reminding me I’m not really a townie anyway, right? So if I give you this, that could just be my ignorance of your silly customs.” “That doesn’t matter. I can’t accept anything from you or anyone. Our ‘silly customs’ exist for damn good reasons, ‘Claimer. I wouldn’t expect you to understand them. You just could never grasp the importance of discipline and self-denial.” He pulled down the plastic sheet, revealing the long-framed motorcycle he’d been piecing together from salvage for months now. The moonlight gleamed off the frame he had hand-buffed until they shined like the chromed pipes of old. “Okay then, I’ll just start tearing this down.” Much to his delight, her eyes widened and her voice lowered. “Touch my bike and I end you.”

Hauler A hauler is any vehicle intended to move a great deal of weight over a long distance. Cars, trains and wagons are all haulers, each with their own unique features and purposes. Haulers are rarely used in combat, mostly because of their value as transports and low speed.

EXPLOSIVES Rudimentary Detonator /Radio Transmitter These are simple devices, utilizing a radio signal which can attempt to detonate explosives. Using a free action a Character with a rudimentary detonator may trigger explosives with the remote trait . This in volves a test for all remote devices within the trigger range (24”).

Flier The Character must roll a Nerves test if The rarest category of vehicle is the flier, within 8” of ANY of the explosives or mostly because of the extreme skill needed they may not use the detonator. If the Nerves test is successful (or not required), to rebuild one from salvage or build a roll one die for each explosive: use the new one. Fliers are also complicated to following to see if each goes off: maintain, difficult to pilot and require a great deal of usually very rare fuel. EXPLOSIVES TRIGGER TEST That said, access to a flier provides up to up to up to up to over immense mobility and access to places no 6” 12” 18” 24” 24” traveler on the ground could ever hope to 3+ TN 4+ TN 5+ TN 6+ TN Out reach. Fliers are found only in the most of Range opulent of settlements, and even rarer are If the trigger tes t is successful, each operational ones. Wind buggies From the Great Plains of the Western Wilds, to the Deserts near Esperanza, there are large open expanses, where there is little except for miles and miles of open land. In these flat areas, winds can sometimes get to very high speeds, and people trying to get across them often use wind buggies or carts with sails attached to them as a means of propulsion. Trains Rail transport dates back to the 6 th century, using slaves to drive goods across large expanses, and have been in almost continual service since that time. When The Collapse came, trains were the only viable method of moving people and goods across the remains of the Earth, primarily due to the lack of fuels for smaller haulers. Several rail lines still exist, running through the Western Wilds and beyond, making stops only at the largest of settlements. Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

explosive that is triggered will expode. If any explosives fail to detonate, or you fail the Nerves test , you may attempt to explode them again in a following turn .

Remember, using the trigger may cause any explosive to detonate. Rudimentary Detonators don’t allow you to select one explosive or or another seperately. Signal Staff / Radio Jammer Signal staffs are designed to transmit and block radio signals. They may also be used as a weapon in a pinch. Signal staffs can intercept the tranmission from a rudimentary detonator, and have a chance of blocking the signal, preventing the explosive from detonating. This is an automatic action, and does not require the Character holding it to activate. Check the distance to any explosive that has been triggered for detonation, and then roll separately for each explosive to see if the signal staff blocks the detonation. SIGNAL STAFF JAMMING TEST up to 10”

up to 20”

up to 30”

up to 40”

3+ TN 4+ TN 5+ TN 6+ TN

41”+ Out of Range

FACTION-SPECIFIC EQUIPMENT

Unlike general equipment, the items used by specific factions in Wreck Age are often very advanced and can easily surpass what anyone outside that organization might have access to. Faction-specific equipment represents the culmination of years of hard work spent recovering skills, hoarding resources and securing dig sites filled with lost technology and/or vital materials. While this type of equipment is clearly superior to what is generally available, every last piece was earned the hard way. Not every piece of equipment can be used by every Character. Looting these items off of a corpse or from an abandoned shopping mall won’t give you the technical knowledge to utilize some of the more archaic or more technologically advanced items that you might come across in your travels. Possession is possible, but understanding takes a great deal more than two hands and some luck. With the exception of a few simple items, all of this equipment requires training to operate. This training is part of what being part of a Community is all about; the gear is just an extension of the philosophy and education that permeates every aspect of these societies. That said, Characters are not necessarily banned from using every single piece of faction-specific equipment they find. Some are so simple their use is automatic and no special effort needs to be made. For more complicated devices, the Narrator can allow Wits tests with a difficulty as noted on the table below. Success allows the Character to use the device one time or for a given encounter. As can be seen below, many types of equipment are used by several Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

Communities while others are just extremely specialized. For the most part, the term faction-specific equipment refers to the fact that only one specific faction has easy acces to that a piece of equipment. This represents the ability and resources to acquire these items and maintain them properly. The Resurgence is starting to change that, a fact none of the various factions appreciate, especially the Reclaimers. RECLAIMER EQUIPMENT Server Kit A fully mobile computer platform combined with a wireless communications rig, the server kit is typically built into a backpack and utilizes a sizable, visible antenna stalk that extends up past the wearer’s shoulder. All Reclaimers in range can connect to the crew’s network through the server kit. These computers allow Reclaimers in the field to maintain a connection to their home base, connected to their Data Hub and each others’ tablets and Cyber Gauntlets through the pack. Range for full functionality is 24” for a strong signal, and up to 60” for a weak one. Weak signals may drop out on any given turn. Roll 1d6 with a 3+ TN . If the test fails, the signal is dropped, but can be regained the next turn; this test is made at the start of the affected model’s turn.

While Reclaimers are connected through a server kit, they always have line of sight on each other and each others’ targets. This allows for unprecedented coordination on the battlefield and very accurate indirect fire. All server kits integrated into cyber gauntlets provide their readings to all other gauntlets in the network, granting their benefits to every Reclaimer present.

Re-breathers and his or her Data Hub, with t he only Re-breathers are seen as a symbol of status commonality being in the acceptance of within the Reclaimers, and it’s extremely standard charge packs. Some sects will rare to find a member anywhere outside of favor a very utilitarian style and their their compound without one. Much of this weapons will look almost like an assault is a throwback to the time when air filters carbine. Others favor ornate designs with were needed almost anywhere outside, long barrels and intricate trigger guard and the Reclaimers have stuck with this as design. Some may even have scrollwork, a means of honoring tradition. They are inscriptions, or other designs on them. often are painted with symbols and affixed Many of the more recently founded hub with trinkets and totems, and generally members have rifles with a very cobbled have no external or visible filters. Their together look, due to the growing limits style varies, but they generally utlilize on salvage and parts. In their original very advanced technology. Some have form, all Reclaimer rifles fire a beam larger protrusions that house canisters invisible to the naked eye, although the or hose-fittings for pure oxygen and wavelength can be adjusted to add color environment-scrubbing chemicals, to allow for targeting purposes, or to intimidate. for breathing in completely hazardous or even underwater environments. The color of the beam can be an indication of what Order the Reclaimer belongs to, while some may be outside of Black Box the human visual spectrum, but can be A black box is a data recorder used seen with a Reclaimer’s optics. Typically, by Reclaimers to store logistical Reclaimers like to see where they’re information such as salvage locations, shooting, so there will be a component roads, trails, or other important to the beam that is within the visual markers. With a built-in server kit spectrum, with red or green beams being functionality, this device can both store typical colors of choice in these cases. and transmit information over a secure More details about these weapons can network to any Reclaimer who has the be found in the Weapons: High Tech access code. Its main purpose is to store Weapons section above. the important locations and travels of Reclaimer groups so that if one is lost to The Wilds, a Reclaimer recovery squad Scout Armor can be sent to gather the belongings of Scout armor is a suit of lightweight the dead and continue their work. and flexible armor that is primarily used by expeditionary teams to defend against animal attacks, small raids of Reclaimer Rifle opportunity, and hazards of salvaging A Reclaimer’s worldly rite of passage, such as falling rocks. More information designed and constructed during the on this armor may be found above in the last phase of their technical training. Armor: Light Armor section. Stylistically, they vary greatly based on the personality of the Reclaimer


Cyber Gauntlet Modules The gloved technological marvels which are a mainstay for Reclaimer Scriveners can be used with a variety of dongles which allow for increased functionality.

The gaultnets have three utility slots for gauntlet modules additional uses, but some utility modules will require a secondary power source for anything beyond normal functionality.

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Here are some examples of Gauntlet Modules that can be plugged into the slots: •

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Cartographer Module: When slotted into the cyber gauntlet, this powerful logistics tool can leave virtual markers (known in Reclaimer Communities as “bread crumbs”), in augmented reality for users to follow in their heads-up displays, making it much harder to get lost in a scavenging or exploring operation. This uses one utility slot, and can feed information directly into a scavenging team’s black box by periodically pinging its location directly to the nearest Reclaimer Data Hub, even without a secondary power connection. Code-breaker Module: This powerful module allows users to plug into security systems and break ciphers, bypass security doors, and gather information from storage systems of all types. Codebreaker modules are required to access recovered or stolen tablets and databooks, making them a vital Reclaimer tool. This module uses one utility slot. Motion Detector Module: This module incorporates motion trackers and an active sonar pulse into the cyber gauntlet, allowing the wearer to scan for motion in every


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direction up to 150 feet (50” in an engagement ). Unless actively blocked in some manner, the module prevents the user from being surprised in combat and allows for indirect targeting through cover, negating the penalty for lack of line of sight. This module takes up one utility slot. Element Module: This module boasts a metal detector, Geiger counter, elemental and chemical analyzer, and a chemical locator effective to 6 ’ (2”s in an encounter). As you would expect, these are extremely useful for salvaging. The element module may link into the wearer’s tablet , databook , or the group’s black box to record the locations of finds as well as other useful information as to the composition of items scanned. This module uses two utility slots, and unlike all other modules, this may be used without a cyber gauntlet, although it requires power from an external source such as a charge pack. When used without a Gauntlet , its range is reduced to 1’ (base-tobase contact in an encounter ). Night Vision Module: Operating exactly as the standalone night vision goggles as described in the Reclaimer Equipment section, this module allows users to see clearly even in complete darkness. This module uses one utility slot. Due to advanced filter technology, night vision modules are immune from flash blindness effects. Glowtorch Module: This module operates exactly as noted in the High-Tech Equipment section above. It takes one utility slot, and can operate in two modes, a low power mode fed off of the user’s body heat, or a high-power mode fed off of a charge pack.

STAKER EQUIPMENT

The Staker culture is such that it carries on the tradition of the Big Push era, and thus Stakers build with durability and ease of maintenance in mind. Their equipment, weapons, supplies, and vehicles are all built with longevity as the primary design goal, and these items are passed down from generation to generation.

Wind Turbines A wind turbine is a simple device that utilizes a series of blades to convert kinetic energy from the wind into electrical power. These wind turbines may be referred to as a “wind mill” or “wind chargers.”

Wind Turbines are the result of over a millennium of windmill development and engineering. In The Resurgence, wind turbines are manufactured in a variety of shapes and sizes, and most Water Harvesters Staker communities have at least one Water harvesters are basically large of these pieces of equipment running as dehumidifiers that operate by sucking a power source. The smaller turbines moisture out of the air, and then are used for simple applications such as condensing water either into a basin or battery charging for auxiliary generators, pumping water directly into a larger or to trade to caravans. Slightly larger reservoir. These are of absolute necessity turbines can be used to power the entire in any area that a safe water source community. Arrays of large turbines, doesn’t exist, which is the vast majority of known as wind farms, are both a huge the desertified areas of The Wilds. benefit to the community (as they can sell the excess electricity), and a tempting target for raiders of all sorts. Skywriters Skywriters are devices that allow the user to temporarily alter the molecular Revolver Carbines composition of the oxygen in the sky, An iconic Staker mainstay, these robust changing its color. The purpose of this and functional weapons are found in ingenious device is to communicate plain nearly every Staker settlement. They text or encoded messages directly into come in shapes and sizes as varied as the the sky to other Staker settlements or Stakers that manufacture them. Details on salvage teams in the field. They are rare this weapon can be found in the Weapons: and prone to constant breakdown, but Common Ranged section above. some Communities live and die by being able to pass messages to each other over a distance via these complicated, yet Break-action Rifles utilitarian devices. Invaluable to isolated Staker Communities, the break-action rifle is simply a weapon that has one or two barrels and is loaded by unlocking the weapon’s breech and loading ammunition manually. More detail on this weapon can be found in the Weapons: Common Ranged section above.


STITCHER EQUIPMENT Bio Plastic Bio-Plastic is a polymer that is synthesized using organic material such as skin, blood, and bone. Stitchers commonly use this material to craft implantable dermal armor, and it is used as a construction material for some Stitcher weapons and buildings. Bio-Plastic is as strong as steel, with significantly less weight.

Net Guns Hailing back to the time of The Old World, net guns were used to capture dangerous fugitives and for crowd control. These resemble shotguns with a basket on the end, but launch large nets at targets in order to entangle and subdue them. There may be nothing more frightening than being caught in a Stitcher net, knowing that you will ultimately be vivisected and have your organs harvested in order to extend your captors lives. More detail on this weapon can be found in the Weapons: Old Tech Weapons section above.

Organ Printers These 3D printers are fed a variety of bio-chemical “inks” and a DNA pattern, which then prints a fully functional Tranq Guns replacement organ that can be implanted Tranq guns come in two varieties, a almost immediately. Most organs can pistol and rifle, which are detailed in the be printed, using the right combination Weapons: Old Tech Weapons section of genetic material, but there are some above. These weapons are used to drug a limitations. Even in the 26 th century, target, subduing them at range without the mysteries of consciousness and the possibility of escape. the complex structures of the brain are beyond the reach of the most brilliant minds, and thus, it cannot be Narco Guns replicated. Attempts have been made at While narco guns are widely used transplantation and brain production, by anyone needing effective, nonbut they have all ended up creating lethal weaponry, they are much more grotesque monstrosities. prevalent among the Stitcher crews. Narco Guns are a much more advanced and robust version of a tranq gun. More Narco Darts detail on this weapon can be found in These hollow darts can take the form of the Weapons: High Tech Weapons ballistic needles, or more likely a small section above. pellet designed to penetrate the skin and inject any number of substances, from tranquilizers and hallucinogens to Body Snatchers (BPU) drugs that affect the cardio-pulmonary These units were originally medical system, slowing the target’s heart. drones used to help clear and secure These are used in narco guns, which are unconscious or dead bodies for detailed above in the Weapons: High containment and/or processing, Tech Weapons section. especially in war zones or areas of conflict. They are equipped with a variety of adaptable modules, allowing them to serve a more combat oriented role in times of need. However, the Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

resources needed to create and maintain these mechanisms make them far too valuable for a frontal assault against anything but a completely overwhelmed foe or other cases of extreme desperation. BPUs often double as hospital beds, interrogation chairs, and dissection tables. Their terrifying visage is enough to send those who know what they are into a complete panic. However, those who have seen one and lived to tell about it are few and far between.

DRIFTER EQUIPMENT Boars While not specifically equipment, Drifters will use boars rigged with explosives as shock troops. They are triggered either by impact, or by rudimentary remote control detonators that the Drifters either steal or have their slaves build.

Medium Melee weapons There are many types of weapons Chem Injector that Drifters use, from axes to swords These racks filled with chemicals take a to sharpened crowbars. The variety variety of forms, from small vials attached and style of these weapons defines a to a Stitcher’s waist, to large backpackDrifter in many ways. While these like canisters filled with a variety of weapons are not the solely in the realm gas. The one thing that they all have in of the Drifters, they train with them common is that they allow the user to extensively, and relish the concept of inject substances into their bloodstream to using them in combat to defeat foes affect their performance or save their life. that Drifters see as inferior, and needed More detail on this item can be found in fancy gadgets and weapons. the Medical section above. UNICEPHALON EQUIPMENT Medical Kit In contrast to the simplicity of a first aid kit, a medical kit has slightly more complex contents. There may be various methods and means of injecting painkillers and stims, as well as tools for monitoring patients conditions. These kits require a moderate amount of skill to use. Medical kits are often valuable trade goods due to the valuable items contained within. The Stitcher versions of these kits will have a wide variety of useful medical supplies, from pills to air-based hypodermics that are pre-loaded with various drugs, as well as the standard fare that usually comes in these kits. Allows a +1 TN modifier to any Doctor or First Aid tests .


Unicephalon Rifle The Unicephalon rifle operates through an advanced electromagnetic principle. It utilizes an electronic primer cell that ignites a powder charge with both the explosion and an electromagnetic pulse within the chamber, sending a solid steel projectile launching out of the barrel at nearly 3,000 feet per second. It fires a caseless 10mm rifle round. The primer cell is kept charged by solar and heat absorbing paint coating the gun, so it doesn’t need any external power sources of any sort. In a pinch, the rifle can be hand loaded with any sort of metallic shard, such as a nail or rod.

THE VALE EQUIPMENT Anointer A weapon specific to The Vale, and rare even among their orders, these vicious devices use acids harvested from toxic dumps and old ruins.

THE CHURCH OF FUN EQUIPMENT Disruptor A psycho-feedback weapon from the era of the Big Push, a disruptor sends a barrage of psychokinetic wavelengths that are intended to disrupt a person’s thought patterns, rendering them unconscious. On low power settings, this can render a target unconscious, but the technology has always been unstable and any exposure to a disruptor for more than a few seconds can result in serious brain damage, or even death. Although they were no safer during the Big Push, disruptors were once used for crowd dispersion during food riots.

Anointers are used to dissolve their targets in a vicious burst of caustic death. The Church of Fun builds and maintains Hellish and dangerous to use, Anointers these from the remnants of Virtual Reality are only used by the most psychotic of the theaters that remained after the Collapse. death cult: those that have taken their They operate in a very haphazard worship for killing to the most violent manner, and any malfunction will cause of extremes. Even more so than plasma the wielder to be knocked unconscious on casters and flame weapons, the mere sight a roll of 1 or 2, using the LOWEST result of these vile weapons strikes terror into rather than the highest. Some of the less the heart of the viewer. enlightened of The Resurgence believe these weapons steal souls.


Weapon Name

Short: Long: 4+ TN 5+ TN Power Traits

Improvised Projectile † Improvised Weapon † Improvised Grenade †

3”

6”

Melee

4”

Small Melee

Melee

6”

Medium Melee

Melee

4”

Bow

8”

24”

3

Pipe Rifle

6”

18”

Junk Gun

4”

Zip Pistol

Hands

Improvised

1

Improvised

1

Improvised

1

User sturdy, silent, thrown, +1 hold-out

Common

1

User reliable, sturdy, silent, +1 thrown

Common

2

reliable, silent, slow 1

Common

2

4

inaccurate, slow 1, unreli able

Common

2

12”

5

scatter, slow 2

Common

2

3”

6”

3

hold-out, pistol, single use

Common

1

Molotov

-

6”

2

flame, thrown, single use

Common

1

Large Melee

Melee +1

-

User sturdy, silent, reach 1 +2

Uncommon

2

Spear

Melee +2

10”

User silent, thrown, reach 2 +1

Uncommon

2

Signal Staff †

Melee +2

-

2

shock, non-lethal, unreliable

Uncommon

2

Gas Grenade

-

6”

5

blast 2, non-lethal, single use, shell, thrown

Uncommon

1

Mining Laser

4”

10”

6 heavy, slow 2

Uncommon

Revolver, Light**

4”

8”

3

pistol, reliable, sturdy

Uncommon

1

Auto Pistol, Light

4”

15”

3

pistol, unreliable

Uncommon

1

Shock marble

-

6”

3

non-lethal, thrown shock, single use

Uncommon Common CoF

1

Crossbow

6”

30”

4

armor piercing 1, silent, slow 2

Uncommon

2

Shock Staff

Melee +2

-

3

non-lethal, shock, unreliable

Uncommon

2

Break Action Rifle*

12”

48”

4

accurate, reliable, slow 1

6”


2

Availability

Tech Level

unreliable, slow 1

User silent, unreliable, thrown 1

blast 1, thrown, unreliable, single use

Uncommon Common Staker

Old Tech

2

2

Weapon Name


Availability

Tech Level

Hands

Shotgun, Shot*

4”

15”

6

reliable, scatter

Uncommon

2

Revolver, Heavy**

4”

10”

4 pistol, reliable, sturdy

Rare

1

Autopistol, Heavy

4”

12”

4

Rare

1 2

pistol, unreliable

Revolver Carbine*

10”

40”

4

reliable, sturdy

Rare Uncommon Staker

Arc Welder

4”

6”

7

heavy, slow 2

Rare

Old Tech

2

Assault Carbine*

10”

80”

4

automatic 2, scoped, unreliable

Rare

Old Tech

2

Web Caster / Net Gun

6”

20”

7

non-lethal, scatter, slow 2

Rare

Old Tech

2

Shell Launcher

6”

20”

-

uses shells

Rare

Flame Thrower

5”

8”

4 flame, heavy, unreliable

Anointer

4”

8”

6

Tranq Pistol*

4”

10”

4

non-lethal, silent

Rare

Old Tech

1

Tranq Rifle*

10”

48”

4

non-lethal, silent, scoped

Rare

Old Tech

2

Rare

High Tech

1

Rare

High Tech

2

blast 2, lethal/non-lethal,

Shock Mine

Placed

-

Disruptor

8”

30”

Satchel Charge†

placed

-

Military Grenade

-

6”

7

Hunting Rifle

12”

96”

5

Sub Machine Gun

4”

15”

3

Narco Gun*

10”

24”

6

non-lethal, silent

ARHK Carbine*

10”

40”

4

automatic 3, reliable, large magazine

Laser Rifle*

12”

48”

5

accurate, silent, unreliable


3/9

blast 1, scatter, non-lethal

single use

4 non-lethal 6

blast 2+d6, single use, remote blast d6, thrown, single use, shell accurate, armor piercing 1, slow 1, scoped innacurate, automatic 2, ammo hog

2 Old Tech

2

Rare High Tech Uncommon Vale

2

Rare

Rare

2

Rare

1

Rare

2

Rare

Old Tech

1

Very Rare

High Tech

2

Very Rare Uncommon ARHK

Old Tech

2

Very Rare

High Tech

2

Weapon Name


Availability

Tech Level

Hands

Laser Pistol

4”

15”

5

silent, unreliable

Very Rare

High Tech

1

Battle Rifle*

12”

48”

5

armor piercing 1, automatic 1, unreliable

Very Rare

Old Tech

2

Sniper Rifle*

12”

96”

5

armor piercing 1, scoped

Very Rare

Power Claw / Jaws of Life

Melee +1

-

7

reliable, sturdy, reach 1”

Very Rare

High Tech

2

Very Rare Uncommon Stitcher

High Tech

2

Very Rare

Old Tech

1

2

Shock Gun

4”

12”

Vibro Blade

Melee

-

Coilgun

4”

8”

4 EMP

Very Rare

High Tech

2

Charger Pistol

4”

15”

4 accurate

Very Rare

High Tech

1

Charger Rifle

12”

48”

4 accurate

Very Rare

High Tech

2

RPG

8”

24”

7

heavy,a mmo hog, slow 3, blast d6, innacurate

Very Rare

Old Tech

2

Flame Caster

8”

24”

5

flame, heavy, unreliable

High Tech

2

4

silent, reliable, automatic 2, armor piercing 1

High Tech

2

High Tech

2

High Tech

2

High Tech

1

Legendary

High Tech

2

Legendary

Old Tech

2

Legendary

Old Tech

2

Unicephalon Rifle*

12”

48”

7

non-lethal

User hold out, reliable, sturdy +2

Plasma Caster

8”

24”

9

blast 2, heavy, slow 2, unreliable

Glass Rifle*

12”

144”

10

accurate, armor piercing 3, scoped, slow 3,

Cyber Gauntlet †

Melee

-

3

shock, reliable

EMP Rifle

8”

30”

8

EMP

AT Rocker

8”

20”

8

Light Machine Gun

12”

2

5

heavy, ammo hog, slow 3, blast d6 armor piercing 1, heavy, automatic 3(only), ammo hog, large magazine

Legendary Rare Reclaimer

Legendary Uncommon Unicephalon

Legendary Very Rare Reclaimer Legendary Reclaimer Legendary Rare Reclaimer

Weapons marked with an asterisk (*) may accept one or more weapon modifications. Any weapon marked with two asterisks (**) may accept a single Weapon Modification. † See item description for more details on this weapon. If a Weapon is High Tech or Old Tech , the Character must have that trait to properly use it. They may attempt to use the weapon, but their Shooting or Fighting attributes will be lowered (by 2 for High Tech , by 1 for Old Tech ). If this brings that attribute below 1, they may not use it at all.


WEAPONS MODIFICATIONS A Character with the Armorer skill or Tinkerer skill may attempt to make “modifications ” to weapons that indicate they are able to accept them. All attempts still require the amount of RUs listed, even if they don’t succeed. If a time is listed, that indicates that the modification may be done within the confines of an encounter. Modifications may not be created within an encounter, unless specified. In the following charts, the first TN listed is for those attempting to make the item using the Armorer skill, the second for the Tinkerer skill.

Scope: An optical attachment that provides a magnified image of the target . Success: TN : 4+/5+ Cost: 15 RUs Effect: Gives the weapon either the rifle scope or tactical scope trait . May not be used with innacurate weapons.

Bipod: A two-legged attachment which gives stability to weapons Success: TN : 3+/5+ Cost: 5 RUs Effect: -1 TN modifier for attacks at long or extreme range when the attacker is stationary for the full turn . Weapons with this attachment gain the heavy trait .

Red Dot Sight: An optical attachment that provides a magnified image of the target . Success: TN : 6+/Cost: 15 RUs Effect: -1 TN modifier for attack rolls upon targets up to 20” away.

Targeting Computer: A miniaturized computer and targeting monitor, integrated into an eyepiece. Success: TN : 7+/Cost: 50 RUs Effect: -1 TN modifier at all ranges, including those at extreme Range .


Silencer: A barrel attachment that greatly reduces the report that weapons produce. Success: TN : 5+/7+ Cost: 15 RUs Time to Attaching or removing is a silencer attach: is a complex action. Effect: Halves the weapon’s long range value and reduces its Power by 1. Gives the weapon the silent trait . A silencer will allow a Character to fire and remain concealed , and also may be used in encounters against sentries without raising awareness. Restriction: Not usable on weapons with a Power greater than 6 and most High Tech weapons.

Night Sight: Auto-illuminated dots or an addition of illuminated material that replaces built-in sights or optics to provide easier target acquisition in low light. Success: TN : 2+/3+ Cost: 30 RUs Effect: Eliminates darkness penalties for attacking enemies at Short or Medium Range .

Blade Attachment: A blade that is affixed to the front of a weapon. Success: TN : 3+/4+ Cost: 2 RUs Time to Attaching or removing a blade attach: attachment is a complex action (2). Effect: Adds a Medium Melee Weapon to the weapon that does not require it to be held in the user’s hand. Additionally, gives the weapon the heavy trait .

WEAPON TRAITS Armor Piercing Armor piercing weapons are designed to get past body armor, whether it be with a razor sharp cutting edge, or high powered munitions. For each level of the armor piercing trait that a weapon has, it removes one bonus die that the defender would normally get to their Defensive Power from armor or cover. If the target doesn’t have any bonus dice to Defensive Power , then this trait has no effect on that target.

one is rolled. Note: this applies only if you fire a weapon on full automatic mode only. You may choose to shoot most automatic fire weapons as a nonautomatic fire weapon, unless the weapons states automatic fire only .

A Character who rolls 3 successes when Shooting an automatic re 2 weapon may choose to shoot up to three targets within 2” of each other with a single action.

Accurate These weapons are very precise, and can be used to target distant enemies with ease. Accurate weapons give +1 to the Shooting attribute at extreme range .

Blast These weapons create an explosion or large area of effect when used. The main target is used as the center point for this blast; all targets even partially in the Ammo Hog blast diameter suffer a hit. Blast weapons These weapons consume copious amounts only go off if a hit is scored and it is of ammunition, and as such need 10 RUs within range, but they may be targeted at worth of upkeep after every encounter to any point within LoS (Line of Sight) . keep loaded. Automatic Fire Automatic fire allows for the user to pepper an area with shots. The rating indicates the distance from the original target in which a Character may hit additional targets. If the Character shooting scores more than one hit, they may choose additional targets within this radius. However, when firing in this mode, all dice except for the Malfunction Die will be subject to a +1 TN modifier .

Automatic fire takes no additional AP beyond what the shot would normally cost. Additional hits may be directed at the same target multiple times. Automatic fire weapons apply a -1 to the results of a weapon malfunction if


EMP A weapon that uses Electromagnetic Pulse technology. These weapons short circuit and fry electrical equipment. Attack rolls are made as normal, with any successes indicating that all of the electrical equipment of the target is in peril. In the case of a hit, the Power of the EMP weapon is rolled and all successes are tallied. Any piece of High Tech equipment with a Power rating less than the number of successes rolled is considered fried and reduced to scrap. If the High Tech item has no Power, assume Power 3 for all common or uncommon items, Power 5 for rare items, and Power 7 for very rare or higher items. EMP weapons strike mechanical Automatons (Robots and other electro-mechanical

creatures) at their regular Power +4. Any other targets are struck at the EMP weapon’s regular Power, but non- High Tech items are not affected.

Inaccurate Poor quality or bad design makes this weapon less than precise at longer ranges. These weapons may NOT be used at extreme range .

Flame Flame weapons either ignite their targets Large Magazine or cover them in burning material. Weapons with a large magazine Living targets attacked by a flame carry large supplies of ammunition. weapon automatically receive a number of They ignore the first “out of ammo” suppression markers equal to the successful malfunction result per encounter. hits rolled in the attack. This simulates the primal fear caused by fire. Non-living Non Lethal targets or those with the fanatic trait treat Non-lethal weapons don not cause this as a normal attack. permanent or deadly damage. Instead they will force the targeted Character to be rendered unconscious if they are successful. Heavy A heavy weapon is large and un-wieldy. Any Character carrying a heavy weapon is considered slow moving as long as they Old Tech are carrying it. Pre-Collapse technology, which can include such esoteric things as rockets and other fuel-based projectiles. High Tech Characters without the Old Tech trait High Tech weapons are complicated will suffer a -1 Shooting attribute when and technologically advanced. They using these weapons. If this reduces their utilize beam, particle, plasma, or gauss Shooting attribute to 0, they may not use technology. Characters without the this weapon. High Tech trait will suffer a -2 Shooting attribute when using these weapons. If this reduces their Shooting attribute to 0, Pistol they may not use this weapon. Pistols are meant for close quarters shooting. Weapons with the pistol trait gain +1 Power at close range or shorter. Hold-Out Additionally, they may be used during an A hold-out weapon is typically small, engagement utilizing the Fighting attribute easily accessible, and often hidden from rather than the Shooting attribute in such sight until needed. A weapon with this cases. In these circumstances, they strike trait can be slipped past the guard with an with a +1 TN modifier . opposed Wits vs. Nerves test . The Character attempting to find the hold-out weapon, rolls their Wits, while the Character Reach attempting to hide the weapon rolls their These melee weapons allow the wielder Nerves. to engage targets outside of base-to-base contact. A Character with a reach weapon can attack the target at a distance from Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

its base equal to the level of the reach trait . For example, a weapon with a reach 2 would be able to attack any models within 2” of base-to-base contact. During the entire first turn of an engagement, other Characters at this distance can only strike back if their weapons also have a reach rating equal to or greater than the attackers. In the end phase of the turn , all defending Characters in this engagement may then be moved into base contact with their targets. This move has no AP cost.

• A tactical scope halves the long range

of the weapon, but treats point blank, short range, and long range as a 4+ target for attack rolls. Extreme range is still a 7+ target. A tactical scope also grants a +1 bonus to Shooting when using that weapon.

• A rifle scope enables a longer field of

use but is not as effective at closer ranges. For a weapon so equipped, at

point blank, short range, and extreme range , the target is 6+. At long range , the base target is 4+.

Reliable These weapons have a well-earned reputation for being dependable under extreme conditions. They add 1 die to the result of a roll on the Weapon Malfunction Table. This makes it more likely the weapon (and it’s user) will survive intact. Remote These explosives are able to be remotely detonated by a Character who has a detonator. They may also be manually triggered, although that is often tantamount to suicide.

Scatter A scatter weapon is extremely deadly at short range , while losing effectiveness farther out. Scatter adds +1 to the Shooting attribute of the user while they are using that weapon; but at long or extreme range , the Power of the weapon is halved (rounding up). Scoped A scope is a magnifier of some sort, and is attached to a ranged weapon. Scoped weapons carry one of two sorts of scope: tactical or rifle . Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

Shell These small, cylindrical charges can be loaded into a shell launcher and fired at range. They may also be thrown by hand as normal grenades. Shock These electrified weapons are often used to herd animals (or sometimes people) into holding pens, but you can also find them in the hands of a variety of other situations. Shock weapons can be used for incapacitating an opponent by administering a electric current aimed at disrupting superficial muscle functions. As a result, shock weapons ignore armor. Silent Designed not to attract unwanted attention, silent weapons make no significant noise when they are used, allowing attackers to remain hidden while engaging targets. Hidden models do not break their concealment when using a silent weapon as long as they remain still during the turn in which they fire them.

Single Use Once a single use weapon makes an attack roll in combat, it is considered spent and cannot be used again, regardless of the outcome. Slow Slow weapons are either technically complicated or just require more effort to use in combat. Characters must spend a number of AP equal to the slow rating (usually 1 or 2) to prepare a slow weapon. This is cumulative with the out of ammo malfunction results. So a slow 2 weapon that Is also out of ammo will require 3 AP to prepare to shoot again. Sturdy These items are rugged and reliable. An item that is sturdy will ignore any “explode” result, and instead re-roll on the Weapon Malfunction Table if a 0 or less is rolled. Thrown A thrown weapon can be used at range but is propelled by muscle power and will typically has a very limited effective distance. Thrown weapons use the Fighting attribute for their attack roll , even though it is technically a ranged attack. Unreliable An unreliable weapon is badly built or in poor repair, resulting in frequent breakdowns and questionable service. These items subtract 1 die from the result on the Weapons Malfunction Table, making it more likely that there will be a jam, misfire or accident.


ADVANCED WEAPONS TRAITS (Optional) WEAPON CONDITIONS Maintained These weapons have been kept in excellent condition, and are regularly serviced and cleaned, earning a reputation for being dependable under extreme conditions. They add an additional die when rolling on the Weapons Malfunction Table, making it more likely the weapon (and its user) will survive intact. Weapons that start with the maintained trait may lose it if not kept up, being reduced to functional . Neglected Neglected weapons are those that haven’t been kept up with regular repair and maintenance. They may be rusty, caked with dirt and grime, or even have broken parts or safety mechanisms. These weapons have a well-earned reputation for breaking under the worst conditions. They subtract 1 die when rolling on the Weapons Malfunction Table, making it more likely the weapon malfunction will have a detrimental effect. Weapons with the neglected trait may be repaired and upgraded to functional (the baseline state of weapons in The Resurgence). functional This is the standard baseline weapon’s condition during The Resurgence. Functional weapons will roll the regular number of dice (usually 2) on the Weapons Malfunction Table.

The Narrator The following chapter will outline the tasks of the Narrator, and will give you some guidance on how to do it successfully. We’ll deal with plot hooks and how to design encounters and adventures that will be both challenging and interesting to everyone involved. The Narrator helps to expand upon the background of Wreck Age and strings together the narrative by designing adventures, encounters, and running campaigns. While a strictly tabletop version of Wreck Age doesn’t require a Narrator, it’s still strongly recommended to have someone take on that role, especially in a campaign as they can utilize the NCs (Narrator-controlled Characters), add plot twists, and so forth. THE ROLE OF THE NARRATOR First and foremost, Wreck Age, like other tabletop or roleplaying games, is designed to be enjoyable. The Narrator’s job is to help facilitate the enjoyment of the entire group.

The Narrator is the storyteller, the rules arbitrator, the person who controls NCs, and the person who moves the plot of the game along. The Narrator is also often the organizer of game play, and is often tasked with bookkeeping and organizing events. Don’t worry; this is more fun than it sounds.


KNOW THE RULES It’s important for the Narrator to have a firm handle on the rules of how to play the game, and should understand the game mechanics and how they operate. As players progress through a myriad of tasks and adventures, they will continually look to the Narrator for direction and also to make judgments on any disputes over the rules. NARRATOR’S DUTIES Many of a Narrator’s duties take place before the game actually starts, such as preparing the Characters and encounters. The more time spent here, the easier your job will be once the gaming session has started. Try to anticipate some of the things that the Characters will want to do, and some of the situations you expect to arise in the encounters. For example, if one of the goals of game play is to introduce the antidote for a plague into a well, then you should have the mechanics for how to do this worked out ahead of time. Will Characters have to take a Wits test to figure out how to administer the antidote, and are there applicable TN modifiers? As the Narrator, the format and style of game play is left up to you. If the rules seem too complicated, you may use simple 4+ targets, and ignore all target modifiers . If you would like to expand on the rules, add as many additional modifiers, charts, and special rules as your heart desires. We’ve given you a rough setting and instructions for the basic vision of Wreck Age, but have left plenty of room for you to take it and run with it in whatever direction you desire.

KNOW THE PLOT AND BACKGROUND The Narrator should also know the background of the adventure inside and out. This may mean reading through it several times, or if the Narrator has written their own adventures, having an idea of the various paths and options that the players may choose. However, if something comes up that you haven’t planned for, you may have to come up with something on the spot. This is one of the qualities of a talented Narrator. SETTING Take some time to consider the setting; both the background and what will be included in the mission. If you’re playing a tabletop game, you may need to consider the need for additional painted models or scenery, of which Hyacinth Games offers an ever expanding line. If you’re playing a strictly narrative adventure, consider giving the players some sort of art or a few paragraphs setting the scene.

CAMPAIGNS A campaign can take place over multiple sessions, from several weeks, to months, or even years. In a campaign, players will keep track of Character and Community progression, injuries, RUs, Renown, and newly obtained equipment throughout the course of play. BEING A SUCCESSFUL NARRATOR There is more than one way to be a successful Narrator, but some of the key components are creativity, organization, time, dedication, the ability to adjust course on the fly, and understanding of other players’ expectations.

PLAN, PLAN, PLAN No matter how much time you spend planning, you’ll rarely plan a single game, much less a campaign, where the players don’t come up with something that you hadn’t prepared for. So what do Ask yourself some questions about the plot, to make sure there are good reasons you do? Play it out! You can use this as an for what is happening in the encounter. opportunity to expand on the basic story What is the nature of the objectives? and improvise. Take a moment to think, What happens if the players go off the and then make a quick decision. At first, rails (off the tasks you have set for them)? it may seem strange to alter the course Are the players antagonists, protagonists, of the game in such an improvisational or both? How to they fit into the fashion. A lot of your preparation work background of Wreck Age? If playing might go unused, but in some situations on opposing sides, do the players have a shared history, or is this just a casual this is the best option. It’s better to run-in between them? quickly come up with an alternative to your plan, than to have players waiting In this section, we’ve included some for minutes while you thumb through a basic information on how to write stack of notes and books. your own adventures and encounters. If you prefer, feel free to simply use During a game of Wreck Age you will one of the pre-existing scenarios in be called upon to make all manner of the encounters chapter and run a decisions. At times, players will attempt game based solely on an equal amount of RUs for each side. However, one of to sway you to their cause. In these the more rewarding aspects of tabletop cases, think of yourself as a just and and narrative roleplaying gaming is moral dictator rather than the head the creation of your own story arcs. Ultimately, we’ll teach you how to link of a democratic system. You have the final say in all decisions, and there will games together to create a continuous be moments in which you’ll need to story, forming a campaign. Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

reassert your authority over the game. That said, your power must be tempered with objectivity: try to be as unbiased as possible. Remember that your job is to create an enjoyable environment. If you come down too hard on players, they’re not going to want to take part in your game again. If a player seems discouraged, offer casual advice on things that may get them back on the right track, but avoid favoring any players over others.

While experienced Narrators can improvise a whole game if they need to, with preparation there’s no need to go that far unless you really like a challenge. Keep in mind that there are many things that won’t be covered in the rules: how many turns would it take to climb each floor of an abandoned skyscraper, set up an observation nest to watch an approaching Warlord’s army? What is the Power value of a concrete wall that you want to blow up with a satchel charge? How does Glutton affect someone’s nervous system in the long TAKE (AND MAKE) NOTES term? What would be the target modifier The rules of Wreck Age are developed to be for attempting to pick a lock while give you the tools to play whatever type being raked by assault carbine fire? We of game that you want, from hack-andcouldn’t possibly cover every situation slash type battles, to plots containing that you’re going to come across, and we intrigue and espionage. When developing wouldn’t have the pages to do so even if an encounter or adventure, make sure to we tried. jot down ideas and get feedback from the players. Ask them what they liked, what they didn’t like. REWARD CLEVER, CREATIVE, AND EXCITING PLAY When preparing for an adventure or Wreck Age has been designed for a scenario, go through a mental dry run. fast-paced, varied game, which allows Try to imagine what might happen and players to do exciting and dramatic what you can prepare to be ready for things they cannot do in real life. it. Generally, it’s a good idea to make When players want to do something a cheat sheet for yourself (similar to that seems a bit outrageous, don’t the reference sheets at the back of this automatically deny them. Rather, keep book) with the details for particular in mind that Characters in Wreck Age rules that may be used, or even just the are capable of cinematic feats. Just like page numbers so you can look them up in the movies, Characters (especially quickly. Player Characters) are heroes, and it’s Prepare as much material as possible for in their nature to be able to accomplish extraordinary feats. If what they the other players. It will make your life recommend is too off the cuff, you may easier if you can think of questions they are likely to ask, write down the answers choose to force them to expend Renown before the game and give them a handout points and allow them to do it anyways. sheet. This will save them (and you) from interruptions during play. Looking HOW TO GIVE REWARDS for an obscure rule or reference will One of the most rewarding aspects of a slow the play, and can ruin everyone’s immersion in the game. Instead, make it campaign is the ability to advance your Characters and your Communities. In up on the fly, and then look up the rule Wreck Age, a player can garner two after the game for future reference. Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

basic types of experience. First, there are Resource Units. These can be used to buy or upgrade Characters and advance your Communities. Second, there is Renown. This Attribute serves as cultural recognition, and may be used in a variety of circumstances, either to buy Character upgrades, or in-game for various effects. Generally speaking, you should give anywhere between 30 and 200 RUs per gaming session to the entire crew, depending on how sparse or lavish you want your games to be. Also, take into consideration what has already occurred in the game. Have the players sustained losses? Did they play smartly and carefully, but the dice just happened to go against them? Encourage players by offering them satisfactory rewards. RUs are intended to be spent by the Community as a whole, where as Renown is meant to be used and spent by individuals. You should be a bit more selective about doling out Renown; save this for individuals who performed above average. Did one player make a particularly good call on something? Were they instrumental in saving the day? Did they accomplish a secret objective? Did they figure something out that the others


missed? If so, reward them a single Renown point. Alternately, if you gave the players a particularly challenging mission, you may want to reward them a Renown point even if they didn’t accomplish their task. WRITING ENCOUNTERS Wreck Age is based on the creation of a story, either on the tabletop or with pen and paper. A centerpiece of this is writing a scenario for the Characters to play through. This section gives advice on how to generate ideas for encounters and how you can realize them. THE STORY Combined with good characters, a well thought out plot makes the difference between a night of merely rolling dice, and an interesting, fun, strategic game. So, how can you make sure that your games are fun and engaging? KEEP IT SIMPLE When writing an encounter or adventure, keep in mind that the best ones are based on a simple, straightforward idea, with an occasional plot twist. In game play,

secret objectives allow you to create a situation where the “fog of war” takes place in an encounter or adventure. Sometimes you may want to add various side-plots and alternate side missions, but in general, a simple idea is the foundation of any successful campaign or one-off scenario. At its core, an encounter should begin with a conflict that can be resolved through the course of the game. ADVENTURE PLOT PROMPTS Location Where do the adventures take place? Objective What do the Characters need to do? Conflict For example; a Character or the crew is going to be ambushed, taken advantage of in a deal gone wrong (such as a doublecross), assist an escape attempt or a covert infiltration, etc. •

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Individual(s): NC/s (Narratorcontrolled Character/s) who the players need to rescue, kidnap, kill, interrogate, or meet. – Item(s): A valuable data scroll, a valuable relic, piece of equipment, or culturally significant item that the crew, or opposing crews wish to destroy, find, or trade. Location(s): The Character(s) need(s) to get some place. This location could be a crashed satellite (like oure intro adventure; The Omen), a ruined city, a strategic position, and so on…

These can be combined into more elaborate plots, such as needing to find a device and get it to the right person for


analysis. Often these more complex ideas are better suited to campaign play. Timeline: In what order to events happen? Knowledge/Motivation What do the Characters know, and how do they feel about this? Rumors What have the Characters heard? How much of this is actually true? Planned Events and Interactions What major events will occur regardless of the Characters’ decisions? Momentum What can the Characters discover, and how do they go about that? The Truth While the Characters may never fully understand the “truth” of the encounter or adventure, such as the actual motivations of other Characters or the “real” purpose of a sought-after object, the Narrator should always be fully aware of these things, even if they are trying to hide the truth from the players. Alternate endings and continuous story arcs Players should always have the ability to make decisions throughout the game that will affect the final outcome. What sorts of alternate endings can take place, and what sorts of plot hooks can be used to keep the storyline going? Characters and secret objectives Some Characters may be essential to a mission, while others won’t be. A Drifter Orator may be of little use in a large battle, but may be instrumental if the crew encounters something relevant to tribal history and culture. With that in

mind, every player should have at least one Character who is important to the mission at hand. To keep things more interesting (and more realistic), you may choose to give some Characters secret objectives. These objectives show how Characters have interests that lay in a slightly different place from the rest of the crew, just like in the real world. Characters in the game will have their own motivations and their own reasons for being a part of the group, even though most will come from the common background of the same Community. A few examples of secret objectives: •

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The Character has been tasked with finding an item. The Character must meet someone: to kill them, to obtain information, or perhaps even to betray the rest of the crew. A Character is delayed, or has a deadline to meet. The Character is actually a secret agent from another faction, and is gathering intelligence on the movements and disposition of the Community. The Character has a secret hatred, and intends to kill one of the people that the crew is going to meet.

These can provide all sorts of distractions, and the Narrator should feel free to take control of the Character at relevant moments should the need arise.


ADVENTURE HOOKS The Angel of Death A terrible weapon from Pre-Collapse times, known only as the Angel of Death, is buried somewhere in the ruins of a nearby city. No one knows its true power, and scavenging crews from many factions have converged on the city to locate and capture or destroy the artifact. What is the Angel’s true nature, and is it a real threat? The Beacon A Unicephalon agent has been dispatched to eliminate the leader of a cult traveling through Switch City. The cult is reputedly attempting to repair an ancient beacon, bringing the world to the attention of who knows what kind of Pre-Exodus interests. However, the cult is a front for a Reclaimer who has discovered the existence of the lunar colony and is actually trying to activate the beacon to establish contact with the base. Both sides wish to possess of the beacon. Brain Handle An agent has learned that one of a local trader’s entourage was recently abducted by Stitchers, and underwent major surgery whilse kidnapped, enhancing their abilities. The agent wishes to kill this individual, or at least capture him without damaging the modified body. Unfortunately, the member of the entourage is unstable, has excellent (augmented) hearing, and has been fitted with a powerful cortex bomb that will detonate if the body is tampered with. Cleansers Forming a secret cell, five puritanical Vale cultists have teamed up to hunt down a Reclaimer who adheres to Parnist philosophies. Their foe is

experienced and powerful; the humanist nature of Parnist Reclaimers has granted him many allies. Even with numbers on their side the Cultists face a difficult task, and may come up against unexpected opposition. Optionally, the players may see it from the Reclaimer’s side, and face unknown attacks from these seeminingly random assailants. The Deal A Reclaimer Scrivener has learned of a secret High Tech weapons deal, and is determined to ambush the traders and reclaim the technology. The traders, in turn, suspect that the Reclaimers are on to the deal, and have taken steps to make sure that things go as planned, hiring a variety of security agents and unsavory characters.

The goods are en route via wagon train, carried by a group of unsuspecting Caravaneers, who are also well armed. Adding to the confusion, Unicephalon believes that possession of this technology may destabilize the region, and has sent


agents to intercept the shipment. They have disguised themselves as laborers, and stowed away aboard the wagon train, and may act at any time. Going Underground A Reclaimer Scrivener has been holed up in an underground lair for the last few years studying an anti-matter device. Two crews from different interest have been sent: one to eliminate the Scrivener and her work, and the other to kidnap this Reclaimer to find out what information has been gleaned from these tests. Naturally, the Reclaimer is paranoid, and has defenses to protect the valuable work that’s being done. Lambs to Slaughter There are claims of ‘do-gooders’ situated in the middle of an ancient city ruin, who advertise asylum for any who approach them with good intentions. Supposedly, they offer security, housing and food. In actuality, this is a Doomsday cult that believes that

the rapture must be man-made, and is looking to kill off as many wanderers wanderers as possible possible before discovery. A ll the food is laced with a slow acting poison, comprised of saltpeter and traces of cyanide. Rather than commit suicide to further their goal, the cult believes all al l those that they murder die for a holy cause and enter heaven. If the community is attacked the believers escape to the labyrinthine passage pass agess below b elow it, letting the sheep she ep above die in their stead. The township is comprised of half newcomers, with only a few ever suspecting something is amiss. The open gate policy makes it hard to keep track of people, so when a family disappears in the night, little is thought of it. Andrzej Probulski Probulski (order #5451458) #5451458)

The The Ra R at King An outlying o utlying area was wa s once an old suburban garbage dump, but now it’s a haven for millions of rats. There may be valuable salvage within, assuming that you’re willing to risk the potential for disease and the strength of your own stomach. Someone has scrawled “The Rat Haven” near the entrance, in what looks like li ke blood. To To make matters worse, hidden within is a cult that worships rats, and lives among them. It’s hard to say which are more dangerous: these cultists or their diseased familiars. Stop the Launch! The government government of of a nearby city-stat city-statee is corrupt, inefficient, anti-Unicephalon and under the influence of a cult. A hardline Unicephalon agent has decided

that it is time to put a permanent end to this affair af fair by launching launching an orbital orbital missile missile at the government buildings, destroying the authorities with one blow. Another Unicephalon agent is recommending less drastic measures: the resultant loss of government in the area will do more harm than good, and more harm will emerge in a power vacuum. This agent and their companions must fight their way into into the platform platform’s ’s contro controll room on on an isolated base and stop the other agent from launching the missile. We’re not from Parna, we’re from Painsville! A Reclaimer Reclaimer has recover recovered ed a tablet tablet of great literary and scientific scientific value. This text held on the tablet was supposedly written written by the great great Reclaimer Reclaimer scribe scribe Parna himself, and until now was considered lost. However, falsification of this sort of artifact is not unheard of, so rival Reclaimers attempt to break into the extensive underground lab of this Scrivener to authenticate it and copy the data for themselves.

has commemorative coins that bear the faces of Big Push icons. C A ATHEDRA THEDRAL L

The Characters Characters happen upon upon the remains remains of a small cathedral. Only one wall still stands; with an intact intact glass window window displaying displaying a crucifixion. crucifixion. There are a number of concrete blocks stacked upright, and almost a roof of sorts, although it would offer little protection from the elements. Upon inspection, there are many rough rough carvings car vings in the stones, indicating solar panels, the sun’s rays, and growing crops of wheat. This is the home home of of a sun cult. They travel north after the autumn harvest and come back with a group of sacrificial slaves, whose blood will fertilize a prosperous prosperous harvest. T HE HE CRATE

Along a well-traveled well-traveled caravan trail, the Characters see fires in the distance. These are the remai remains ns of a raid on on a trade caravan. A small group g roup of Drifters Drifters has stayed behind, fruitlessly attempting to FLESHING IT ALL OUT open a weathered yet sturdy shipping These are extra pieces pieces that that you can crate which which has so far survived sur vived their tack on to an existing adventure to add onslaught. onslaugh t. The rest of the caravan ca ravan has additional flavor, or just use them as a been completely burnt, with nothing but kick off point for your own. charred wood and bone to pick through. If the Characters deal with the Drifters, T HE HE C ART the question remains: what could be A trader arrives arrives at a settleme settlement, nt, in a so valuable that the Caravaneers were wagon like no one has has ever seen before. before. It It willing to haul such such an immense immense object object was once a box truck, but was was complet completely ely across the plains? stripped down; only the cab and the steering wheel were left intact. It was then rebuilt with low wooden panels in DON Q UIXOTE the back; the brakes are hand-operated, You Y ou discover discover a group of of functional functional and the wagon is pulled by a group of windmills, which which have have a long long power cell cell large boars. The T he trader specializes specializes in attached. attach ed. An A n electrified concrete concrete wall wal l elegant pewter wares, made from melted surrounds the entire area, and the blades down figurines from ages past. He even of the windmills are salvaged sa lvaged from fixed Andrzej Probulski Probulski (order #5451458) #5451458)

rotor planes and helicopters left over from the Big Push. There are spare power cells stacked neatly neatly in a pile. They have clearly been dutifully tended, but by whom, who m, and where where are are they now? now?

the majority of the building, and loud noises indicating construction can be heard for nearly two kilometers. Who is doing this work, and why? T HE HE UNIVERSITY

T HE HE FLY B B Y S S TA TATES

When society collapsed, so too did industry and the government. Fuel for vehicles vehicles became harder harder and harder harder to come by, with bio-fuel and hydrogen powered powered engines becoming becoming more more valuable valuable than can be imagined. In the midst of whatever adventures they’re on, the Characters see two aircraft fly overhead in a low altitude formation. No matter what faction they are, this is of potential interest to them. T HE HE JUNK P PIT

You stumble upon an old You quarry, many miles across, which is filled fil led with every ever y sort of ancient vehicle, from planes to cars car s to hovercraft, hovercraft , and even the skeleton of an orbital space craft. The vast majority of these are little more than rusted metal, but there are almost certainly things of great value hidden there. In the center of the pit is an island made of garbage that stands far above the rest of the wreckage, where business transactions are handled. It has a long-range scanner, and its inhabitants have built a small fleet of armed drones to protect their valuable junk. junk . R EBUILDING EBUILDING A A S SKYSCRAPER

A small skyscraper is being renova renovated, ted, in the midst of a cluster of skeletal ruins. Enclosed scaffolding surrounds Andrzej Probulski Probulski (order #5451458) #5451458)

Amidst Amid st rubble r ubble and ruin, ruin , a small smal l university stands prim and proper, surrounded by an electrified fence. The college colleg e now houses house s a small smal l totalitarian state. “Students” graduate into positions of power, or can be held in “detention” “detention” for minor crimes, many of which are punishable by minor dismemberment, such as the removal of an ear or finger. Regular Reg ular games of skill are held, and the sports team sends charioteers to Switch City every year. Contests involving feats of strength and endurance are also held on a semi-weekly basis. The athletes form a type ty pe of warrior caste, raiding nearby villages for food, clothing, and fertile mates. The administration is secretive and cultish, roaming the halls in ornate robes and doling out punishment to those who fail to live up to the school’s rigid disciplinary code. Every morning, the school’s haunting anthem plays over the t he loud speakers.

The Watchtower In the middle of a field, there is a large, blue watch tower. It may currently be empty, or there may be b e someone standing on top of it with a megaphone and a large rifle, wondering wonderin g exactly ex actly what the Characters are up to.

EncouNters SE S E T T I N G U P A G A M E :

SC S C E N A R I O G E N E R A L R U L E S

DEPLOYMENT Oftentimes, you will want an encounter to You must must determine determine where where the the Characters be relatively relatively well-balanced. This T his is easil ea silyy You start. In a Narrative Narrative game, this is usually achieved through comparing Resource fairly simple, as the Characters enter the Units. Resource Units ( RUs) RUs) represent encounter from a specific position. the amount of effort and raw materials required to “create” a piece of equipment, Crews deploy by rolling iniative, with Character, asset, or community. To play every crew deploying in initative order, a one-off game, this makes balancing determining who who will act first first sides simple: just choose an equal amount just as if determining in a turn. Encoutners will determine of RUs per side, and choose a scenario. Alternate Alternately ly,, you you may may choose choose that one one side side deployment zones, and conditions. or another that has fewer RUs to work If deploying from a table side, the player with, with, but but perhap perhapss an easil easilyy defens defensib ible le controlling the crew rolls two dice for positi position on or some some other other benefi benefit. t. the distance from the edge that t hat they may place their models. models. This will sometimes sometimes Not all encounters require models and cause overlapping deployment zones. No terrain, but we recommend playing with Character may be deployed within 9” of them whenever possible. an opposing Character at the start of the game, unless the Scenario specifically specifically We advise setting up a 3’x3’ table with at states otherwise. least one terrain piece that blocks line of sight per player. For games with three or more players, we also recommend CHOOSING A SCENARIO expanding the table to 4’x4’ feet and If playing a Narrative adventure, the increasing the size of the table by another Narrator will determine the type of two feet for each additional player. Have encounter, and the disposition of the at least one medium terrain piece and one opponents. However, if playing a strictly smaller terrain piece should be placed tabletop game, players take turns for each player, with scenarios dictating determining what encounter they are additional terrain pieces. Players may going to play. Roll a die and consult the Random Encounter Table below place place more more terrain if desired. desired. t0 determine the type of encounter. If you roll roll “attack”, you must must choose choose an If playing one-off tabletop games, to attack scenario, “defend”, you must determine determine the encounter encounter type, ty pe, take ta ke play play a defend defend encounter, encounter, and if you turns for each game, rolling a die d ie and consulting the Random Encounter Table roll “neutral”, you must play a neutral scenario. You must then choose a to determine the type of encounter that “stance .” .” Stances represent represent the disposition you will play play.. Then Then you you will chose chose your your that your crew will take during the crew’s stance within that scenario (as indicated indicated below). This stance wil willl give you encounter. Once the encounter has been chosen, chosen, you may then take ANY AN Y stance: a different style of play in each scenario. offensive, neutral, or defensive. Andrzej Probulski Probulski (order #5451458) #5451458)

RANDOM ENCOUNTER TABLE: Each game, players take turns rolling a single d6 Die Result Type of encounter 1 Attack 2-3 Neutral 4-5 Rolling player’s choice 6 Defend Once you determine the type of encounter, you then choose your actual stance, as follows: STANCES Before deployment, each player should select the stance that his or her crew will take during the mission. Most encounters will give you the option of taking an offensive, neutral, or defensive stance , and this will affect your objectives and victory conditions. Each player should secretly jot down their chosen stance from any one allowable for the encounter on a piece of paper, or use a token to represent the stance that they have chosen, and then other players should reveal their selections simultaneously.

After all players have revealed their stances to one another, they may roll to “manipulate ” their opponents, by goading them into acting differently through banter, threats, distractions, ruses, and the like. To manipulate another player you may make a Wits test with a 7+ TN needed to succeed (meaning you need to roll two or more 6s). If you succeed, your opponent must disregard the stance that they have selected and choose again from the remaining options. A faction can only be successfully manipulated in this manner once by a single player. In other words, each player may attempt to manipulate the stance of one other player, and that player may only be affected once.


Example: Becky is playing Drifters and Tom is playing Stakers. They’re about to play the Hunting encounter and Becky wants a ght. Both players reveal their stances and Tom selected Neutral because his force has gotten pretty beat up over the last couple games and Becky selected Offensive because she’s just gotten access to a cache of weapons and is hoping for a brawl. Becky doesn’t want Tom to get rewarded for trying to avoid a confrontation, so she tries to manipulate Tom into being the aggressor. To do so, before the game begins she makes a Wits test and rolls a 6, a 6, and a 2, giving her two 6’s. The Rule of Sixes makes one of those 6’s a 7. Her force is hurling threats and offensive gestures at Tom’s force, and has gotten a reaction. Tom must now choose from the remaining options, and must select an offensive or defensive stance instead.

OBJECTIVES Objectives represent the goal(s) of the encounter. They are the things that the Characters are after. Some objectives need to be carried by Characters, others must be defended, or even destroyed. What needs to happen to the objective(s) in question will be clearly laid out in the encounter rules or explained by the Narrator.

Tokens, counters, or some other form should be used to represent objectives on the tabletop. Try to make them no smaller than 1”x 1,” and no larger than 3”x 3.” Objectives fall into several classes, which are explained here: PORTABLE OBJECTIVES Some objectives are able to be picked up and carried away. The Characters may be searching for a spool of copper

wire, a specific piece of scrap, or a HEAVY OBJECTIVE weapon of great power and value. They Some objectives have significant weight and/or bulk. A crew out scavenging may be raiding for food or water, or may come across a small piece of looking to trade for a new fuel line machinery that would be valuable to their for a generator. Regardless of the specifics, “Portable Objectives ” may be community, but it may weight more than carried by one Character, but will slow A standard human. These are considered a “Heavy Objective ” While carrying a that Character down. Heavy Objective, a model may not attack in a fight, or take any sort of Shooting To pick up a Portable Objective, the Character must be in base-to-base contact action . A Character carrying a Heavy Objective may only move their base with the objective that they want to Movement (usually 3”), and is considered carry. They then, roll a Power test with slow moving . A Character may always a 4+ TN . If successful, they may move choose to drop the Heavy Objective at the up to a Run action (but not over 10”). end of their activation (a free action ), and If failed, the Character may only move act normally in the next turn. their base Movement (typically 3”). Characters carrying Portable Objectives A single Heavy Objective may be are considered slow moving . carried by a pack animal , a boar or other domesticated beast of burden, but must be Up to 3 Portable Objectives may loaded onto the creature by a Character be carried by a pack boar or other domesticated beast of burden, but must be in base-to-base contact, after succeeding at a Power test with a TN of 4+. This loaded onto the creature by a Character attempt is a complex action . Beasts loaded in base-to-base contact, at an Action Point cost of 1 AP per Portable Objective. with a Heavy Objective. Beasts do not need to make a check to see if they can run while loaded, but like other Characters, they may not sprint. Characters carrying a Portable Objective may not move and shoot, they may only choose one or the other.

Alternately, any two Characters may carry a Heavy Objective. These Characters must both be touching the Heavy Objective, but do not have to be in base-to-base contact with each other.

IMMOBILE OBJECTIVES Some Objectives are either far too heavy Pack animals may carry up to three to be moved by the standard equipment Portable Objectives or one heavy objective that a crew would carry with them, such (explained below). Characters may only as a large piece of machinery, weighing carry one Portable Objective, unless several tons. There are also situations they chose to drop all weapons except in which the crew may be called upon to for pistols and Small Melee weapons defend or scout a a terrain feature such as (dropped weapons are considered lost), in a hill or a path, obviously these objects which case they may carry 2. Characters would not be able to be picked up and carrying two Portable Objectives in this be moved. These are (un-surprisingly) manner may not shoot, but may fight at a called “Immobile Objectives .” +1 TN to any Shooting or Fighting rolls. Immobile Objectives may not be moved in the framework of an encounter. They are Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

either intangible, or would require heavy equipment that the players do not have to lift and transport. CONCEALED OBJECTIVES Sometimes, an objective may be hidden out of sight, or not obviously available. These are called “Concealed Objectives .” Any Character within 6” of a Concealed Objective may take a 4+ TN Wits test to “spot” it. Any Character within 12” of a Concealed Objective may take a Wits tests with a 5+ TN to spot it. Once spotted, characters may interact with them as they would normally interact with an Objective of that type (Portable, Heavy, or Immobile). Characters may not interact with Concealed Objectives until they have “found” them. Once one Character has found a Concealed Objective, all other Characters on their crew within communication range (12” or further with a megaphone or if linked ) will be able to interact with it.

SALVAGING DEAD OR DOWNED CHARACTERS You may loot the corpses of the dead (or just the bodies of the sleeping) by being in base-to-base contact with them. This requires a Scavenge test, a complex action with a 4+ TN if no opposing Characters are within 12”, and at a 5+ TN if there are opposing Characters within 12”.

You may never scavenge your own Characters, although you may retrieve specific items if playing a narrative game. Characters may salvage opposing faction’s characters and recieve: Drifter/ Church of Fun: 1d6 RUs Staker/ The Vale: 2d6 RUs ARHK: 3d6 RUs Reclaimer/ Stitcher: 4d6 RUs Unicephalon: 5d6 RUs • • • • •

MAINTAINING COMPOSURE AND INITIATING COMBAT Neutral and defensive stances , will not want to initiate combat. There may be a penalty imposed depending on the situation, or you may want to focus your activations in another manner. However, sometimes inexperienced Characters get nervous or frightened. At Characters with Scavenge have an the beginning of the their first activation advantage when attempting to spot of the encounter, any Green Character Concealed Objectives, and have a -1 that is both in line of sight and within TN to all their rolls (and may use the 18” of a model from an opposing faction dice allowed for a Scavenge Roll in must take a Nerves test . If passed, the Character may continue to act as normal. addition to their Wits for any tests to spot Concealed Objectives. Scavenge tests If the test is failed, that Character draws weapon, and is considered to have have a -1 TN modifier (4+ becomes 3+, 5+ ainitiated combat , although they don’t becomes 4+). have to actually shoot or attack. Player Characters are excluded from having to take this test . Crews with a neutral or CARRYING OTHER CHARACTERS defensive stance who lose their composure or who attack in any way before being Sometimes, you may wish to carry a attacked have also initiated combated. Character that is incapacitated, either to They may face a penalty, depending on save them because they are unconscious, the encounter. or because an opponent may benefit from your leaving their bodies. Characters are Sample Encounters considered Portable Objectives, as listed On the following pages are sample above, however you may only ever carry encounters. More will be posted on the one Character at a time. Wreck Age website, and included in later supplements, but of course, feel free to design your own. Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

1. THE HUNT (attack/neutral/defend encounter)

Game and food are scarce, and have been so for months. Your scouts have tracked a large herd of game, but it is ambling at the outer limits of your territory and slowly drifting further afield. An opportunity is slipping slowly away, and you cannot afford to watch it go. Your crew has been dispatched in a desperate effort. All seems well in the first few days. After locating the tracks, your hunting party finds the herd but, as you close on the prey, the party realizes that they are not alone. The hunting party is already too strung out, too far from home to return empty handed. Grab what you can and get out as quickly as possible. OBJECTIVE Your hunting party must gain as many Resource Units (RUs) as you can while sustaining as few casualties as possible. SETUP Each table quarter should contain at least one piece of terrain that is not impassible.

The number of players determines the number of herds: 1 player: place 6 herds, 2 players: place 3 herds each, 3 players: place 2 herds each, 4+: place 1 herd each Roll initiative . The winner places the first herd of 3 animals. These animals will stick together and attempt to remain within 5” of each other. Following the order of initiative , players will alternate placing herds until all animals have been set on the table. At least one model in each herd must be less than 18” from the center-point of the table. Each model in a herd must stay within 5” of at least one other model in the herd. Any model in a herd may not be closer than 2” to a model in another herd. After placing all herds, the player with initiative chooses one table edge as the deployment zone; that player may deploy a hunting party 2d6” from the deployment zone edge. In initiative order, opposing players may select any remaining table edge and deploy as above. All models must remain at least 12” from any enemy model that have already been deployed. Each player’s deployment zone is their base camp. STANCES

Offensive stances: “Forget the herds, get THOSE guys!” You party gains 3 additional RUs for every enemy it scavenges, but earns one 1 less RU per animal or token.

Once combat is initiated (by any sort of attack or if a Character loses their composure), the crew who initiated it may be shot or engaged without penalty from any crew with a neutral or defensive stance . Neutral stances: “Stay quiet! We can sneak the food right past them!” You party gains 2 additional RUs for any animals downed with a silent weapon, and will lose 10 RUs for initiating combat with another hunting party. Defensive stances: “I’m not trading your lives for a hunk of deer meat.” You party gains 2 RUs for every one of your Characters that survives the encounter without so much as a scratch, and will lose 5 RU for initiating combat with another crew


SPECIAL RULES

The animals in the herd have their own statistic profile, listed here:

Gazelles (or Deer) AP M 3 5

P 2

S -

F 1

N 1

W 1

R 0

Training Beast Skills NONE

Traits: wild beast, animal instincts (see below)

Animal Instincts The herds are activated at the end of each round (during the end phase ). Roll a d6 for each herd; we recommend doing so near that herd, to prevent confusion about which die belongs to which herd. Models in the herd will move the number rolled plus the value of that herd’s Movement attribute (d6+5). If a 1 is rolled, that herd will remain stationary. If a 6 is rolled, the herd will move as normal, directly away from the nearest human model. Otherwise, the herd will move in a random direction, the number of inches rolled on the die.

All animals must end their movement no further than 2” from another model in its herd. A herd’s Movement Attribute equals the Movement of its slowest herd member, and a herd will always move as far as it is able. If, during movement, an animal gets into base-to-base contact with any Character, resolve a close combat attack against the character immediately; however, the animal will not get a charge bonus. The animal counts as the attacker. After the engagement the herd will move on, if possible. If any animal in a herd touches any table edge, the entire herd is removed from the game. Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

Hunting If an animal is killed, replace it with an Portable Objective. A Character in base-to-base contact with a Portable Objective can make a Harvest test during its activation. If successful, the Character retrieves the RU immediately, and is considered to have the Portable Objective until the Character drops it, willingly or otherwise. Dropping Objectives A model may drop any/all objectives in its possession at any point in its activation. This is a free action . If a Character is reduced to 0 AP due to suppression or other effects, all objectives in its possession are dropped immediately. Retreat Players can remove a Character from play by ending that model’s activation in contact with any table edge. That model is immediately removed from the table and may not return to the encounter. Ending the Encounter The game ends after 6 turns or if any side has no Characters left to activate. Calculating Resource Units +2 RUs for each token carried by an active character, with any Objectives remaining on the board being claimed by the last remaining crew for 2 RUs each.

+5 RUs for each token your Characters placed in your base camp, or loaded on a pack animal that is still active at the end of the game, or has retreated. -2 RUs for each of your Characters that are wounded -3 RUs for each of your Characters that are dying -5 RUs for each of your Characters killed (not including pack animals and Beasts) -10 RUs if a neutral or defensive stance initiated combat.

2. ANTIQUES ROAD SHOW (neutral encounter)

Various factions have converged on a deserted and dust-torn town. Preliminary scouting missions indicated an area potentially rich for salvage, but the ghost town is dozens of miles from your Community. Casualties and combat this far out will be at great risk, so you would like to avoid detection if possible. As you approach, a lookout for your group spots dust on the horizon. This ghost town won’t be empty much longer. OBJECTIVE Try to keep your cool, find as much salvage as you can carry and as quickly as you are able, load it, and get out. SETUP The board should be littered with buildings that block line of sight, though we recommend at least one main street that stretches the width of the board, as well as several winding alleys. In particular, terrain should be very dense towards the center of the table. 2-3 small terrain pieces per square foot is recommended. Deployment zones are rolled for each crew (2d6” from the chosen board edge).

You will need 12 Salvage counters. These are all considered Concealed Objectives, as well as Portable Objectives. Roll initiative , and the highest scoring player will begin by placing a Salvage counter on the board, with placement then alternating between players in order of highest to lowest initiative until all counters have been placed. No counter may be placed closer than 4” from any other counter on the table. You will also need a counter or marker to represent the Main Salvage. This is a considered a Heavy Objective once it’s found. This will remain off the board until discovered by searching the various buildings in the center of the board. STANCES

Offensive stances: “Kill ‘em all! Makes looting easier.” Offensive stances will not lose 10 RUs for initiating combat. Neutral Stance: “Remember, we’re here to LOOT, not SHOOT.” Neutral stances will gain an extra 5 RUs for each salvage marker brought to your deployment zone, or loaded onto an active pack animal at the end of the encounter. Defensive Stances: “I don’t care WHAT’S here, just don’t get hurt. Doc hates me enough already.” Defensive stances will gain 3 RUs for each Character that survives the encounter unscathed.


SCENARIO SPECIAL RULES

All Characters (not including Beasts) in a group understand the particular reason for being in the ghost town, and their goal is to inspect as many buildings as possible, in order to locate the potentially valuable resources. A Character is not obligated to carry a counter it reveals, and may opt to leave it in place when discovered.

Whoever recovers a Portable Objective may roll on the following chart after the game to see what you managed to pick up in all the commotion. The Heavy Objective allows you to roll three times. Roll 1 die for each level of a Character’s Scavenge skill with a 3+ TN to determine what the Portable or Heavy Objective contains. SALVAGE CHART 0 successes: 1 success: 2 successes: 3 successes:

Nothing 1 random Common weapon 1 random Uncommon weapon Data tablet– worth 10 RUs to Reclaimers or Unicephalon– 2 RUs to any other faction 4+ successes: 1 random Rare weapon

The prize of the Main Salvage is in one of the buildings within 12” of the center of the board. Each time a Character enters a building within 12” of the center that has not been previously searched by any group, roll a die. On a roll of 6, that Character has found the Main Salvage. Each building may be searched only once. This search happens automatically once a Ending the Encounter Character enters a new building, and does The encounter ends immediately when one party successfully brings the Heavy not require additional AP. Objective entirely into its deployment zone, or when one party either is wiped The Main Salvage is a Heavy Objective. out or chooses to withdraw. The party Reveal this Heavy Objective within 1” that controls the Main Salvage will of the main entrance to that building. then roll on the chart above. You may use any appropriate counter to represent the Main Salvage, or design your own. Calculating Resource Units 10 RUs for every salvage counter an If a 6 has not been previously rolled active Character is carrying, or has during a search, the Main Salvage loaded onto an active pack animal . will automatically be found in the last building remaining within 12” of the 30 RUs if the Heavy Objective is being center. After finding the salvage, the carried by an active Character, or if it has Characters must then take it to safety by been loaded onto an active pack animal . removing themselves from play on their own table edge. -2 RUs for each of your Characters wounded. If the carrier/s is/are taken down, place the salvage counter at the spot where the first model went down. Any Character may pick it up by moving into base-tobase contact with the Heavy Objective.

-3 RUs for each of your Characters dying. -5 RUs for each of your Characters killed (not including pack animals and Beasts). -10 RUs if a neutral or defensive stance initiated combat.


3. CLASH OF THE TITAN (attack encounter)

During the Oil Wars of the 22 nd and 23rd centuries, battlesuits were used to great effect as they allowed for a single operator/pilot to engage dozens of enemy combatants, usually unfortunates that hailed from less-technologically advanced nations. The results were generally dramatic and lopsided. Essentially a lightly armored walking tank, the battlesuits were produced in the tens of thousands, and as artificial intelligence improved, they eventually found service in all manner of faculty: private security, law enforcement, and as dispassionate population control tools. Lost in a remote corner of The Wilds, several are rumored to have been spotted among the ruins of a recently collapsed building. Did the suits cause the collapse, or were they there already there, merely uncovered in the ruin? The matter is rife for speculation, gossip, empty conjecture, and misleading exaggeration. While one might generally dismiss the vagaries of idle chatter with prejudice, battlesuits are mythical in stature and value. When your crew deciphered a transmission concerning a probable location of one, you’re not wasting any time. Your crew quickly grabs their gear and heads out, wary that there may be others doing the same. OBJECTIVE The battlesuit has been found! It’s protecting a random rock. Salvage the battlesuit. Each crew should track any successful damage against the battlesuit, as they will gain RUs for it at the end of the encounter. SETUP Standard set up; Characters may set up 2d6” in from any table edge, but not within 9” of any opposing Character. You will need a model to represent the the battlesuit, which should be placed as close to the center of the board as possible. It must not start in cover.

Roll for initiative as normal to begin the Encounter. Research Teams: Any number of teams can take part in this encounter, but the situation will necessarily dictate the number of Characters that may participate: • 1 team: up to all members. • 2 teams: up to 6 randomly selected members from each crew. • 3 teams: up to 4 randomly selected members from each crew. • 4+ teams: up to 3 randomly selected members from each crew. STANCES Offensive stances: “This is our battlesuit, and I absolutely do not care how we get it.” Gain 3 RUs for every opposing Character that you wound, but only gain half the RUs (rounded up) from scavaging the battlesuit. Neutral Stances: “We need the battlesuit. We also need to figure out how to get it working. Look for the manual.” Gain 10 extra RUs from salvaging at the end of the encounter, but lose 10 RUs for initiating combat with anyone except for the Battlesuit. Defensive Stances: “We can’t be the only ones that heard that transmission. Be prepared to bug out.” Your Characters must survive unscathed; gain 2 RUs for every character that survives without a scratch.


Artificial Intelligence

SCENARIO SPECIAL RULES

Ancient Automated Battlesuit AP

M

2

2

P

S

F

N

W

R

4 4 3 1 1 0 Equipment Targeter: May always measure distance to targets Heavy Armor Hydraulic Fist: Melee, reach 1, (Power: as user+3) Flame-thrower 2 LMGs, each with large magazine

At the start of each of the Battlesuit’s activations, follow the sequence below to determine its behavior for that Round. •

•

•

Traits: Artificial Intelligence (see below), large target, automaton •

The battlesuit endures damage in this manner:

Successes

Effect

0 Successes No effect 1-2 Success Armor damage: roll a d6: 1-4: The armor is reduced one step: from heavy to medium, to light. 5-6 Success: The suit’s armor is destroyed outright. 3 Successes Drive train damaged: roll a d6: 1. The suit cannot move next turn. 2-3.The suit staggers D6” in a random direction. 4. Reduce the suit’s M Attribute by 1. 5-6. The suit is immobilized, and may not move (but may still pivot). 4 Successes Critical hit: roll a d6, (if you reroll a result, step the damage up to the next highest result): 1. Ammo feed severed. Lose 1 LMG. 2.-3 The hydraulic fist is damaged, it’s Power is halved. 3. Both suit’s LMGs are destroyed. 5. Ammo explodes, giving the battlesuit a Power 8 hit. Additionally, anyone within d6” takes a Power 4 hit. This destroys both the LMGs. 6. Battlesuit explodes. All models within d6+2” take a Power 3 hit. Major damage: roll a d6, (if you re 5 or 6 Successes roll a result, step the damage up to the next highest result): 1-2. It staggers backwards d6”, and cannot activate for 1 turn . 3-4. Immobilized. It may not move or pivot, but may still shoot. 5. Fission leak. Roll a D6 at the start of every turn. On the roll of the 6 the battlesuit explodes, as below: 6. The Battlesuit explodes. Characters within d6” take a Power 4 hit. 7 or more Once in a lifetime shot: The successes battlesuit crashes over, its systems failing. Its RAM glitches for a few moments before system shutdown.


1. If there are any Characters within 8” and in its line of sight, then it will attempt to charge into a engagement . 2. If there are no Characters within 8”, the battlesuit will walk towards the nearest Character. This action takes no AP for the battlesuit. 3. If the battlesuit does not charge, it will fire its first LMG at the farthest Character within line of sight. 4. Roll a d6. On the score of 4+, the battlesuit will fire its 2nd LMG (or flamer it’s within long range or closer) at the nearest Character, and any others within 2” of that Character.

Ending the Encounter The encounter ends after 6 turns , or if the battlesuit is destroyed. The team that inflicted the final blow that destroyed the Battlesuit wins. Only this crew is entitled to obtain the wreck, but all participating crews may also gain salvage. If all teams choose to retreat, the Battlesuit will remain in place and run auto-repair scripts on itself. Calculating Resource Units The crew that won the encounter gets 6d6 RUs from scavaging the battlesuit if the battlesuit was destroyed.

Every crew left on the board will collect 2d6 RUs from scavenging the battlesuit, if it was destroyed. +5 RUs for every hit that inflicted 1 or more successes against the battlesuit. -2 RUs foreach of your Characters

wounded

-3 RUs for each of your Characters dying -5 RUs for each of your Characters killed (not including pack animals and Beasts) Any Character who destroys the battlesuit down will have the Renown attribute raised by 2.

4. OCCUPY MALL STREET (attack/neutral/defend encounter)

While on patrol, your team stumbles across an abandoned market that does not register on any datapoint. You hear voices in the distance and steady yourself, preparing for the encounter. OBJECTIVE The objective is to control the most market stalls/buildings on the tabletop. A stall/ building is controlled if at least one active Character is inside the building, with no functioning enemy models inside. Characters that cannot activate, cannot contest the control of a stall.

Roll initiative for set up, as normal.

SET UP

Players take turns placing two market stalls (or shipping containers, or small buildings) per player anywhere on the board. These are considered Immobile Objectives. Shipping containers make for ideal market stalls, or build them as you wish. If in a defensive stance , you may place your characters anywhere on the board (first), then offensive stances must place their Characters on any single board edge. Neutral stances set up last, with those crews beginning in a 5” radius from the center of the board.

Note: models are not obligated to fight and may seek to rummage in close proximity to each other. STANCES Offensive stances: “We were here first (or maybe second). This is our town now!” Offensive stances will not lose 10 RU for initiating combat. Neutral Stances: “Let these loudmouths by. We’ll stay by what’s important.” Neutral stances get a 5 RU bonus per market stall held. Defensive Stances: “Let ‘em try and take these rusted cans.” Defensive stances will booby trap any stall that they hold. This happens automatically in the end phase of the first turn in which they control the stall. This causes a Power 4 hit to any other Characters that enter it (including those from their own crew). Sometimes the best defense is a good booby trap. ENDING THE ENCOUNTER The game lasts four turns . If all but a single team retreat, the encounter ends and the remaining team is considered to control all stalls. Calculating Resource Units: Each team gains 10 RUs for each market stall controlled. Additional RUs are rewarded to all teams as follows: -2 RUs for each of your Characters wounded

-3 RUs for each of your Characters dying -5 RUs for each of your Characters dead (not including pack animals and Beasts) -10 RUs for initiating combat (unless offensive stances ) Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

5. FOOD FOR THE VULTURES (neutral or defend encounter)

Your team is lost. You are running low on food, you are out of ammunition, and your water supplies are dwindling. You haven’t seen anything to scavenge in two days, but in the distance you spot an odd-looking former dwelling. You also see figures approaching from the far side. The vultures circle overhead, waiting for their next meal. OBJECTIVE

Find some ammo, grab whatever loot you can find and escape, retreating through the enemy’s deployment zone. SETUP Place a large piece of terrain (which represents a burned-out house, such as a shipping container, or a trailer) in the center of the table. Place four smaller pieces of terrain along the diagonal line between two opposite table corners. These four pieces of terrain must be more than 6” from the terrain at the table center, but extend no further than 5” from the diagonal line.

Prepare 10 similar size and shape Salvage tokens with one side marked to represent one of the following: 5 Salvage tokens numbered 1-3 underneath. You will prepare 6 counters: 2 of each number. You will only use 5 of these counters, chosen at random. 3 Empty (blank) tokens 2 Trap token •

• •

Roll initiative for set up, as normal. With players taking turns setting out tokens. The tokens are turned face down, shuffled, and then placed on terrain pieces until either no tokens remain or each terrain piece contains one token, whichever comes first (again, these terrain pieces should not be impassable). The tokens are turned face down and shuffled. Then draw 6 of them and place one on each small terrain piece and 2 on the large terrain in the table center. The remaining 4 tokens are not used for this game and should be set aside, but not revealed. Place more terrain equally over the table as appropriate. Divide the table into two diagonal halves along the line used to place the specified terrain pieces. The players roll-off and the winner chooses one of the triangles as a deployment zone. This player may then decide to deploy first. The other player will get the opposite deployment zone. Each player deploys all of their Characters no more than 6” away from the table edges. STANCES Offensive stances: “Get the ammo, and take care of these fools!” Offensive stance Characters will be able to re-load on the first non-trap token they salvage. Neutral Stances: “Let’s get this loot and get out of here!” Neutral stances get a 5 RUs per salvage token they retrieve. Defensive Stances: “Let’s not get into a scuffle.” Defensive stances will gain 5 RU for each character that ends the game either in or leaving the opponent’s deployment zone.


SCENARIO SPECIAL RULES: Only one Character per team may start the encounter with ammunition left for a single weapon. Pick one weapon, which must not have a Power rating of higher than 4. All other ranged weapons must Scavenge ammunition by discovering a Salvage token.

Any wounded Characters will be attacked by vultures once per turn , during the end phase . These vultures score an automatic Power 1 hit, and resolve damage as normal. Salvage counters A Character in base-to-base contact with a Salvage counter may make a Scavenge action , a simple action taking 2 AP, with a 3+ TN . If successful, the counter is revealed. Each Salvage counter that is neither a trap nor blank will be marked on the bottom with a number: 1-3. This indicates how many RUs the team will gain multiplied by ten for carrying this token completely into its deployment zone.

If the token has an RU value, the Character may pick it up immediately; however a Character is not obligated to carry a token it reveals, and may opt to leave it in place when discovered. Additionally, any token that is neither a trap nor blank will allow the relevant Character to reload all weapons for that model (a free action ). Reloading does not expend the counter. If the token is blank, it is simply removed from the game with no further effect. If the token indicates a trap, all Characters within 2” are automatically hit by a Power 3 attack. Resolve damage as normal. The counter is the removed from the game without further effect. Dropping Tokens A model may drop any/all tokens in its possession at any point in its activation. This is a free action and does not require AP. If a model is forced to move due to suppression , all tokens in its possession are dropped immediately before that movement.


Tensions are High At the beginning of any activation , a Green Character that is both in line of sight and within 6” of a model from an opposing faction must take a Nerves test . If passed, the Character retains composure and may continue to act as the player chooses. If the check is failed, that Character draws a weapon, and is considered to have initiated combat. This occurs even if the Character does not have any ammunition for their weapon. This rule does not affect Green Player Characters. Ending the Game The game ends after six turns or if any side has no Characters left that can activate. Calculating Resource Units +5 RUs for each Salvage token completely within your deployment zone.

+10-30 RUs as indicated on the counter for each Salvage token a Character is carrying at the encounter’s end. +10 RUs for each Character exiting the board through the enemy’s deployment zone.

Defensive players score 3 RUs for each Character who is completely inside of their original deployment zone and who have not been wounded during the game. -2 RUs each of your Characters wounded. -3 RUs for each of your Characters dying. -5 RUs for each of your Characters killed (not including pack animals and Beasts).

Please note that there is no penalty for initiating combat in this scenario.

6. NIGHTTIME RAID (attack/defend encounter) OBJECTIVE This is a night time raid on an outpost. One player must be the attacker. The other will be the Defender. SET UP The Defender may switch out any pack animal s for guard dogs at no RU cost.

Place a small building (or shipping container) in the middle of the board. No other terrain may be set up within 9” of the center building. The defender will have two sentries. One should be a Beast. Next, roll for the purpose of the raid: 1: Slave Raid 2: Blow Up guardhouse 3: Capture a specific individual 4. Resource Raid (the Attacker must make off with 1 of 2 carts) 5. Recon (the Attacker must touch 3 Way Points and retreat off the board) 6: Attackers choice 1: Slave Raid The attacker gains a free attack boar armed with Gas Bomb (as Gas Grenade: P:6, Blast 2, non-lethal ), rather than satchel charge. Each attacker may have a bow with 1 gas arrow). 2. Blow Up Guardhouse The objective is to blow up the guardhouse. Place an explosive in base-to-base contact with the guard house, and trigger the explosive. Each attacking Character has a remote control charge, which may not be used for anything other than to attach to the guard house. Once they have done so, any Character may trigger it once they are at a minimum of 8” away, with a free action . 3: Capture a Specific individual. The Attacker marks 5 Characters 1-5, if a 6 is rolled, they may choose which Character they are attempting to capture.

The attacker gains a free attack boar armed with Gas Bomb (as Gas Grenade: P:6, blast 2, non-lethal ), rather than satchel charge. Each attacker may have a bow with 1 gas arrow). The attacker must knock the specific individual unconscious and carry them off the board to win (or knock out all opponents). Lethal force against the specific individual will result in an attacker’s loss. 4: Resource Raid (the attacker must make off with 1 of 2 carts) Before the game begins, the defender must place two carts at least 6” away from the Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

center building. The attacker must retrieve one of these carts and carry it off the board for a victory. The encounter will last eight turns total. Failure to move a cart off the board by then results in a attacker loss. To move a cart, a Character must start their turn in base-to-base contact with it, and make a Power test at the start of that turn. Success allows a Character to run, while keeping the cart in base-to-base. Failing the Power test will mean that the Character can only walk (their base Movement) 5: Recon The Attacker must touch 3 way points (described on the next page) and retreat off the board. To acheive victory, the attacker must touch three of the defender’s way points, and retreat off the board. The attack will win if they are able to prevent the defender from doing so. If the defender is able to raise the alarm, but still touch 3 of the defender’s waypoints, it will result in a tie. 6: Attacker’s choice The attacker may choose which type of nighttime raid to embark on.

STANCES Only offensive and defensive stances may be chosen for this scenario. At least one of each must be taken. The offensive players may always choose to go first or second, until a sentry is alerted. Manipulation may NOT be used for these encounters.


RULES FOR SENTRIES

Sentries are Characters who are on guard duty. While in “sentry mode,” a Character may not activate as normal, but instead, must follow a path set by pre-determined “way points.” The player controlling the sentry may choose which way point the sentry goes to next, but otherwise, has no control over their movement. The way points indicate the path that a sentry may take. These are placed before the offensive player(s) deploy: place 6 way point counters, face down. 4 of these counters should be marked as way points, and 2 should be blank (these are fakes). Before the game begins, you must chose one of the way point counters, and flip it over. One of your sentries (not a Beast) may be placed anywhere along the path to this way point, including on it. Sentries still use AP as normal, but their actions are limited. They are allowed to move, and make Spot tests at any point along their Movement path. The offensive player(s) will then place their forces on any board edge, rolling 2 dice for deployment edge as usual, and putting their force within that deployment zone. The offensive player(s) may split up their force in any way that they chose, with any number of Characters coming on any table edge, rolling 2 dice for each board edge’s deployment distance. The attacker may always choose to activate first (or last) each turn , until a sentry is alerted to their presence. At that point, initiative is rolled as normal, and all remaining Sentries convert to “regular” Characters, and may act as normal, rather then in sentry mode. Once the game starts, sentries move 4” per turn towards their next way point. Once a sentry reaches the chosen way point, the player controlling that Character (the sentry) may choose the next way point to head towards, which will be any uncovered way point left on the board.


To spot a sneaking Character, sentries must make a Spot test , which is based on that Character’s Wits attribute.

Spot tests are done as follows:

Roll a number of dice equal to the Wits attribute. This is the maximum distance that a character can spot at for this turn. Keep these results, as you will use them to determine not only the distance a sentry can spot, but also if the test succeeded or not. Line of sight is required for a sentry to attempt to spot a hidden or sneaking Character. Then, check the following chart for target numbers. If there is at least one success, the Character doing the spotting has seen something, is taken out of sentry mode, and may act normally. A sentry who has spotted an opposing Character may spend a free action raising the alarm, which will alert all Characters within 12,” (36” if that Character has a megaphone, unlimited if linked ) allowing them to come off of sentry mode as well. SPOT TEST TARGET NUMBERS: Opposing Character is in the open Opposing Character is behind cover The opposing Character is within 2x Wits attribute in inches Opposing character is more than 20” away Night time (if Character spotting has night vision, the target is unmodified) The Character doing the spotting is a Beast If the Character doing the spotting has binoculars or magnification For each level of Sneak skill that the opposing Character has, up to a maximum target of 6+

4+ base TN 6+ base TN -1 TN modifier +1 TN modifier +1 TN modifier

-1 TN modifier -1 TN modifier +1 TN modifier

Campaigns

Well boys and girls, the real question is, are you in it for the long haul? Sure you can pick up a med pack and a rifle and go off and play adventurer for a day... but these weekend warriors never get the full experience of what it’s really like to a true wanderer. There’s a whole world out there to explore and scavange; why just settle for a short stint? You haven’t lived until you’ve been out in The Wilds, low on food and ammo, pulling a tarp full of goodies that you grabbed from a Pre-Exodus missle silo, with a band of Drifters hot on your trail. That’s the life! ~Exerpts from Duster’s Almanack Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

Campaigns are a series of games strung together over multiple nights or sessions. A campaign might be merely a few days in a row of play, or might be an extended adventure over the course of many months. In a campaign, you will face many changes to your communities, characters, and may even see changes to large-scale things like trade routes and power dynamics, which will help to shape the world you are playing in.

Side Plots Make sure that you add a variety of sub or side plots that will keep the Characters interested. This will sometimes take a considerable amount of work, but oftentimes, the players will go off on a tangent that you didn’t expect. Don’t force them back on track right away; use this as an opportunity for them to explore the world in a way that you hadn’t already considered. Campaigns are a give and take.

Campaign Plots Plots should evolve over a series of sessions, using a variety of hooks and plot devices. You should prepare an ending of epic proportions: a rogue missile launch being averted, a city-state saved from a maniacal army of raiders, or a mad man toppled from power. Make it heroic and fulfilling.

Managing Information As we discussed a bit in the “Narrator Chapter,” you will want to keep good track of the events and behind the scenes info that has occured. This will make it easier for you to handle all the twists and turns that the Campaign will take you on.

Finishing the Campaign Campaign “Time” One of the most rewarding experiences Some Narrators may wish to have each can be wrapping up a campaign. Just session represent a specific amount of like finishing an epic TV series or time, while others will jump ahead (or trilogy of novels, the ending should tie even backwards) in the timeline to achieve up all the loose ends, but still leave the specific effects. Make sure that whatever players wanting more. Also, finishing you choose, you’re clear with the players a campaign can give the players a great every session about how much time has excuse to try a new faction, or section of passed, unless you require them to remain the world. in the dark about the length of time that has passed, for some reason. Now let’s talk about how campaigns affect the Characters themselves.


RECOVERY

Wounded: At the end of the encounter, roll 1 die for Characters are bound to get beat up at every Character who is wounded . If any some point during a campaign. At the end of the results are a 1-2, you must roll on of an encounter, every Character that has the Serious Injury Table. been hurt, but isn’t dead, has a chance to make a recovery . Out-of-Action: With proper care, many of the horrific At the end of the encounter, roll 3 dice after-effects of battle can be mitigated for every Character who is out-of-action . with proper training and/or supplies. If any of the results are a 1 or 2, you must Skills such as First Aid allow effects to roll on the Serious Injury Table. be healed in the confines of an encounter, while Doctor skill allows the effects to be mitigated after an encounter. Dying: At the end of the encounter, roll one die Any active Character with the Doctor for every Character who is dying . On a skill may make a 4+ TN Doctor test and 1-2, the character is dead, otherwise roll for each success they may distribute the on the Serious Injury Table. successes across any Characters that are in need of medical attention. Characters with at least 1 point of Renown may choose to lose 1 point permanently to re-roll any single die after the Recovery roll, but before rolling TenPike’s Doc Hardy rolls 3 dice for his on the Serious Injury Table. At the level 3 Doctor skill. The target is 4+. He Narrator’s discretion, they may also burn rolls a 5, and two 4s, giving him three a Renown to re-roll the results of the successes, but there are 7 people on his Serious Injury Table. side that are wounded . As such, he can divide these successes up however the player sees t, with each success reducing the level of damage by one step before the recovery roll (dying becomes out-ofaction, out-of-action becomes wounded , wounded becomes no effect). This is, in effect, the Doc applying his skills to those he thinks would need his services most.

Some gear (such as bandages or a First Ait kit) grant a +1 to recovery rolls, while a Chem Injector allows a Character to make a Power test in every end phase with any successes reducing damage by one step. Gear with these capabilities has been noted as such in the Equipment Chapter. After attempting to heal any Characters that have been hurt, roll the following for any Characters with the mentioned conditions:


SERIOUS INJURY TABLE. (Roll 2d6 and add the results) 2:

Dead: The injuries sustained are too much for the character, and they die.

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Skull Cracked: One too many blows to the head has caused neurological damage to the Character. From this point on, he or she will be bewildered when attempting anything requiring intellect or memory. The Character suffers -1 to Wits.

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Scarred/Pock marked: A terrible fever left this Character scarred for life, giving them an appearance some find fearsome. A -1 Wits modifier exists for all social situations when encountering new groups of people, compounded to -2 if the new group has a religious aversion to disease or scarring. This does not apply to tests involving intimidation, and in fact does the complete opposite -1 TN modifier to rolls involving the Manipulation skill if present, rather than -1 Wits. This is doubled against those averse to scarring.

5-6: Broken Leg: This Character acquires the slow moving trait for one month in Narrative play, or four games if playing a linked series of encounters or campaigns. 7:

No effect.

8-9: Broken Arm: -1 Fighting and Shooting for one month in Narrative play, or four games if playing a linked series of encounters or campaigns. 10:

Mechanical appendage: The Character has lost a limb, and had it replaced with a mechanical one. Regardless of technological level they will be shunned by Characters with the luddite trait , and seen as unnatural or menacing by others. Players receiving this result should roll 1d6 again. A result of 1-3 will give them a -1 to their Shooting and Fighting attributes, while a result of 4-6 will give them a -1 to their Movement.

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Trauma: A horrifying experience has led to the Character gaining the phobia trait . If the Character rolling this result already has the phobia trait , it will lead to them gaining the paranoid trait in addition.

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Mute: The Character can no longer speak, whether for physical, physiological, or psychological reasons. They must attempt to communicate through gestures that require an opposed test. The rare Communities that have both a surplus of paper or tech and a literate population will go a long way to lessen this trait’s negative aspect, although challenges among strangers would still occur. This Character cannot use Wits for the initiative roll of any other Characters through any means.


CHARACTER ADVANCEMENT In campaigns, a Narrator may determine that to advance in a certain attributes, a specific requirement must be met. Finding very rare or legendary items for a Community will naturally make for the perfect foil for new adventures and encounters. These details are completely up to the Narrator’s discretion. Reclaimers, the ARHK, and Unicephalon may always train without an instructor, or create weapons on their own by spending the required RUs. These factions are assumed to be able to tap into supplies unavailable to other factions, but the Narrator may determine that these creations come with a disadvantage. For example; Reclaimers use VR (Virtual Reality) chambers for advancement, the Narrator may decide that their skills may have a +1 TN modifier penalty until they have been used in real life for several weeks. CHANGING ARCHETYPES A Character may choose to enter a new lifestyle by first purchasing all the required skills, attributes, and equipment for the standard amount of RUs and Renown. You may only enter a new Archetype that you have the required “Prerequisite Archetype” for, or that has the “Prerequisite Archetype” listed as “none.”

To advance to a new Archetype that is listed as an “Exit Archetype” costs 1 Renown. To advance to a new Archetype other than and “Exit Archetype” costs 3 Renown. Most Archetypes have an RU value after “Entrance Cost.” This is the amount of RUs the Character needs to train and buy all the proper equipment for their new chosen career. Advancing Characters keep all old traits and skills, and obtain any new ones when they gain their new Archetype.


ADVANCING TRAINING LEVELS Advancing a level of training costs both RUs and Renown. This represents the amount of time and effort spent not building up a reputation, but instead training, studying, calling in favors, and learning new skills. Training must be advanced one level at a time, you cannot skip levels. CHARACTER TRAINING ADVANCEMENT

Cost of advancing to a new training level (spent at time of advancement) Training level COST IN: Character to advance to: RUs Renown Development Points • Trained • Veteran • Elite

15 30 75

1 1 5

+3 +3 +4

Character Development Points are added to Characters when they advance training levels. These must be spent immediately upon purchasing the new training level, and may never be saved. Remember the normal human limits (Movement, AP, and Power are capped at 3 for normal humans), and that Trained Characters may never have more than 2 Renown. Each advance in training level gives that Character one additional skill to choose from at no RU or Renown cost. This is NOT considered an Archetype skill, and must be advanced at the more expensive cost, which is explained in the next section. Every new training level also allows the Character to choose an additional trait from the “available traits ” list in their Archetype profile. If an Attribute ever falls below 1, the Character immediately must spend 5 RUs or 1 Renown to regain level 1 as soon as possible, or risk becoming paralyzed, insane, or otherwise incapacitated. Such a Character is removed from play, and considered a Narrator-controlled Character .

ADVANCING SKILLS

TRADING ITEMS

To advance a Character’s skill, you will To trade, you will first need to find a spend either RUs or Renown to raise their party with the item that you are looking training level. for. This can be as simple as going to the nearest trade hub, or may be a long and Cost per Skill level arduous process, involving a campaign in Archetype Cost in RUs Cost in and of itself. Skill? Renown Yes 10 0 “buying” items: No 25 1 Common: 3 RUs Uncommon: 5 RUs Skills must be “purchased” one level Rare: 25 RUs at a time. Therefore, if you have an Very Rare: 100 RUs and up Archetype-related skill (such as the Barter skill for a merchant), and want to go from level 1 to level 3, you must first “selling” items: purchase level 2 for 20 RUs, and then Common: 1 RU purchase level 3 for 30 RUs, for a total Uncommon: 3 RUs of 50 RUs. Skills taken from outside of a current or former Archetype are more Rare: 5 RUs expensive, due to the extra effort and Very Rare+: 25 RUs resources needed to learn a skill you are not as familiar with. Very rare items may be “purchased” at Knowledge skil ls have their own 100 RUs and up (2 Margins of Success costs involved. They a ll cost the on a Barter test allows purchase at 50 following per level: RUs). Very rare items “sell” at 25 RUs (2 Margins of Success on a Barter test allows Cost per Knownledge Skill a sale at 50 RUs). Level Cost in RUs Cost in Renown Rare item may be “purchased” at 25 RUs (2 Margins of Success on a Barter test Level 1: 1 allows purchase at 15 RUs), and “sell” at Level 2: 4 5 RUs (2 Margins of Success on a Barter Level 3: 10 test allows sale at 10 RUs. Level 4: 20 1 Uncommon items may be “purchased” at 5 Level 5: 25 1 RUs (2 Margins of Success on a Barter test Level 6: 40 3 allows purchase at 3 RUs), and “sell” at 2 RUs (2 Margins of Success on a Barter test allows sale at 3 RUs). You still need to purchace Knowledge skills in order, so you may instead go Common item may be “purchased” at 3 from untrained, to level 3 for the cost RUs (2 margins of success on a Barter test of 15 RUs. allows purchase at 2 RUs), and “sell” at 1 Remember, that a Character may only RU (2 Margins of Success on a Barter test have as many skill levels (including allows sale at 2 RUs). knowledge skills) as three times their Wits attribute. Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

ITEM AVAILABILITY (optional)

The size and disposition of a Community directly influence how easy (or difficult) that it will be to find a given item, when you are in their marketplace. Roll a Barter test for each specific item you’re looking for. If you fail your roll, you can’t find that item available in town, but may re-roll the next time a trade caravan visits town. GETTING RID OF ITEMS Characters are assumed to trade in weapons and equipment at the same time they obtain new ones. As communities become more powerful, they may always choose to get rid of less desirable equipment, in favor of better and more useful items. Bartering, however, tends to favor the person with the better items, and the value of your heavily used equipment will generally be far less than the resources that you put into it. This represents the additional wear and tear that your Characters have put the items through.

Note that on random equipment charts, there are occasions where items are on more than one table. The trade value of that item is strictly dependent on what table you roll on if you are “buying,” or if you are “selling.” This represents that in some cases, the other party may not know what they have, and its true value, and in other cases, the other party believes that it’s worth far more than you do. You are not ever forced to barter for the weapons or equipment rolled, but these rolls merely indicate what is available or desired, depending on the case. RANDOM WEAPONS CHART Roll 2 dice, add 1 for each level of the Barter or Scavenge skill (depending on the circumstance) the character searching for the weapon has. Subtract 1 for small Communities, or if in isolated circumstances. Common: 2 or less: Molotov 3: Medium Melee 4: Junk Gun 5: Zip Pistol 6: Pipe Rifle 7: Small Melee 8: Pipe Rifle 9: Junk gun 10: Bow 11: Bow 12+: Break Action Rifle • • • • • • • • • • •

Uncommon: 2 or less: Bow 3: Break Action Rifle 4: Crossbow 5: Revolver, Light 6: Auto Pistol 7: Large Melee 8: Auto Pistol 9: Revolver, Light 10: Shotgun 11: Mining Laser 12+: Revolver, Heavy • • • • • • • • • • •


Rare: 2 or less: Mining Laser 3: Revolver, Heavy 4:Tranq Pistol 5: Shell Launcher 6: Sub Machine Gun 7: Tranq Rifle 8: Satchel Bomb 9: Military Grenade 10: Flame Thrower 11: Hunting Rifle 12+: Assault Carbine • • • • • • • • • • •

Uncommon: 2 or less: Rope 3: Ointment 4: 3 days Dried Rations 5: Canteen 6: Weapon Rig 7: Tent 8: Machete 9: Compass 10: Water Catcher 11: Mining Laser 12+: Tablet • • •

Very Rare: 2 or less: Assault Carbine 3: Vibro Blade 4: Laser Pistol 5: Charger Rifle 6: Shock Gun 7: Battle Rifle 8: Charger Pistol 9: Power Claw 10: Sniper Rifle 11: Laser Rifle 12+: LMG • • • • • • • • • • •

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Rare: 2 or less: Tablet 3: Portable Stove 4: Solar Panel 5: Glowtorch 6: Survival Kit 7: First Aid Kit 8: Miricle Knife 9: Beam Welder 10: Laser Charge Pack 11: Data Book 12+: Bicycle • • • •

RANDOM EQUIPMENT CHART Roll 2 dice, add 1 for each level of the Barter or Scavenge skill (depending on the circumstance) the character searching for the item has. Subtract 1 for small communities, or if in isolated circumstances. Common: 2 or less: Bottle of Beer 3: 1 day Animal Feed 4: 1 day Dried Rations 5: Aloe 6: Megaphone 7: Bed Roll 8: Tarp 9: Stile-Caf 10: Hand Light 11: Bandages 12+: Rope • • • • • • • • • • •

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Very Rare: 2 or less: Bicycle 3: Geiger Counter 4: Indestructable Solar Panel 5: Drug Synthesizer 6: Obsi-Lens 7: Night Vision Goggles 8: Miracle Knife 9: Chem Injector 10: Spaceway Systems Nutrient Processor 11: Green Pod 12+: Geomapper • • • • • • • • •

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RANDOM EXPLORATION

At the end of an encounter (if playing a tabletop game), or gaming session (if playing a narrative game), a crew may roll on the Exploration chart. This is done as soon as a game is over so that players can witness each other’s dice rolls. A starting crew that is just beginning will have very little chance of discovering more obscure locations. More experienced crews will find a much easier time making discoveries as a campaign progresses due to better training and equipment. Of course, this chart may also be used simply for random encounters and exploration. Any RUs that you obtain in this way are put straight into your Community RU pool, for later use to upgrade the community, or create new characters later. Rolling multiples As well as scavenging RUs, the crew can come across unusual places or encounter inhabitants of the ruined city. If you roll two or more of the same number while searching, you have found something out of the ordinary. Consult the Exploration Chart and refer to the appropriate entry in the Exploration results. For example; you might roll two 3’s or three 5’s, in which case you should refer to the chart. Choose the highest number of results. For example; if you rolled five 1’s, and three 6s, you consult the result for the five 1’s.

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Exploration procedure 1. Roll 1D6 for each of your Characters who are still conscious at the end of the encounter or adventure, and add one extra die if you achieved your primary goal/s for the encounter or adventure (narrators may add extra dice for considerable successes).


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2. Pack animals are allowed to roll as well, because it represents their additional ability to carry things that might not be considered useful, but might as well be carried on the return journey home if space allows. 3. Then add any extra dice allowed by skills or equipment. You can pick a maximum of six dice out of all the dice you roll, even if you are allowed to roll seven dice or more. If certain skills or pieces of equipment allow you to re-roll the dice, you cannot do so more than once. 4. Any Characters with the Tracking skill may re-roll one die for each level of the skill that they have. A Geomapper allows a re-roll of any dice (however, the second result must stand). 5. If you rolled any multiples of the same number, that indicates that your crew has found an unusual location. Consult the Exploration chart to determine what you have found. Refer to the appropriate entry on the following pages and follow the instructions given there. Please note, that you may always choose to ignore the effect of multiples if your crew so chooses (maybe you’re just too tired, and want to go home for the night). However, you must do this before looking at the Exploration Chart to determine what has happened. 6. Add the results of the total number of rolls (up to 6). This indicates how many RUs you have discovered on your journey back to your Community. Mark down this amount in the Community RU pool, on your Character sheet.

Example: Your crew, known as the Great Plains Raiders– a group of Drifters– have just won a glorious battle. Four of their number remain, and they have one pack boar. One Character has a Tracking skill of 2.

This means that the crew may roll five dice and re-roll two of them. The player rolls 5, 5, a 4, a 3 and a 1. She then picks one of the dice (the 1) and re-rolls it. She scores a 5, giving the crew a grand total of 5, 5, 5, a 4 and 3. This means that the crew has managed to obtain 22 RUs (5+5+5+4+3=22) and the three 5’s produce a “Market Hall” result on the Exploration chart, and the crew discovers it on their travels home. These results can easily be used as jump off points for your next adventures, should you choose to wait to explore them until later. EXPLORATION CHART

Roll: 11 22 33 44 5 5 66

DOUBLES Event:

Zoo Abandoned Clothing Store Corpse Straggler Overturned Vendor Cart Small Caravan

Zoo The ancient remains of what was once a zoo. Behind an open door in a cage, the Characters find a tranq rifle. There are also 3 RUs worth of other random supplies and salvageable medical equipment. If the crew has at least one pack animal , they can salvage another 5 RUs worth of scrap metal for each animal in the crew.

clothes. The dusty store has numerous clothing goods strewn all over the floor, but the Characters are able to find 10 pairs of boots, 3 long coats, 2 business suits, 4 sets of high quality simples, all in good repair (albeit a bit dusty). They may salvage 2 RUs worth of scrap for each pack animal the crew has. Corpse You come across a recent corpse, who appears to have expired due to a booby trap that has sent a crossbow bolt through their torso. Characters can salvage the crossbow from the booby trap, 2 RUs worth of small goods and equipment, a break action rifle, as well as some worn (and bloody) scavs (the corpse’s clothing). Straggler The Characters come across a Straggler. The Straggler is malnourished, and when he spots the crew, he approaches asking for help. •

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Abandoned Clothing store A dilapidated building is home to what was once a small clothier. The riot gates are down, but one corner has rusted off, and it’s clear that whoever has been inside was looking for something other than Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

1: Wastrel: The Wastrel asks for 3 RUs in goods/clothes. If the Characters comply, mark the Wastrel as a contact for the community. 2: A Vagrant who just wants to be left alone to drink. 3: A Vagrant who offers the Characters a random trinket if they stop to talk. 4: A highly drunken Vagrant, who will vomit on one of the Characters. 5: A belligerent Vagrant, who will attack if provoked (use the Dreg profile below). 6: AMBUSH! This Straggler is actually the bait for an ambush. Several spider holes have been dug around the area where the Straggler is, and a combat is immediately initiated. The Dregs automatically gain initiative.

3 Green Dregs Attributes AP M P S F N W R 2 3 2 2 2 2 2 0 Faction None Community Dregs Skills None Equipment Each armed with a crossbow, Small Melee weapon, wearing rags. Trinkets 1d6 RUs worth of trinkets

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in this cart. However, only 10 RUs may be taken without a pack animal , and 20 can be carried with only one pack animal . 5-6: Weapons vendor. All that remains are the smashed remnants of this cart. Everything else of value has been rifled through and taken. Large parts may be salvaged off the cart if you have a pack animal , worth 4 RUs

Traits: None

Small Caravan Straggler You run across a small Caravan, consisting of a handful of Caravneers. (actually the Dreg Leader) These merchants are willing to peddle Trained Dreg their wares. Attributes AP M P S F N W R Roll one die, and consult the following 3 3 2 2 3 2 2 1 table: Faction None 1-2: Water Caravan. The Characters Community Dregs are offered water, at the rate of 1 RU Skills None per days’ supply. 3: Trade Caravan. The Characters Equipment Shotgun, Medium Melee weapon, wearing rags. are offered a variety of goods, up Trinkets 2d6 RUs worth of trinkets to 3 from the random common or uncommon items table. Traits: None 4: Trade Caravan. The Characters are offered a variety of goods, up to 5 from the random common or Overturned Vendor Cart uncommon items table. They also The Characters come across the remains of an overturned vendor cart. Roll a d6. have 1 random rare item. The type of cart is as follows: 5; Reclaimers in disguise. They 1: Food vendor. All the food has are looking for any High Tech. If gone bad, but the Characters find 1 the Characters possess any, the RU worth of water, and another 5 “Caravaneers” will attempt to trade RUs worth of metal pots and cooking and acquire it. If the Characters utensils. refuse, the Reclaimers will become 2: Water vendor. All of the water more insistent, and eventually attack. caskets save one have been broken 6: AMBUSH! This Caravan is open in whatever caused the cart actually the bait for an ambush. to be overturned. The remaining Several spider holes have been dug water casket contains 4 RUs worth around the area where the merchants of water. are, and a combat is immediately 3-4: Junk cart. Like a Post-Collapse initiated. The Dregs in the holes version of horders, this cart automatically gain initiative. contained more junk and trinkets than you can shake a stick at. 30 RUs worth of various assorted “junk” is •

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4 “Caravaneers” Trained Reclaimer Technos Attributes AP M P S F N W R 3 3 2 3 2 2 2 1 Faction Reclaimers Community Reclaimers Skills None Equipment each with a Laser Rifle, Small Melee weapon, Light Armor, wearing rags over fatigues. Trinkets 4d6 RUs worth of trinkets

TRIPLES Event: Weapon’s Vendor Abandoned Hospital Prisoners Doc Market Scrapyard

Roll: 111 222 333 444 5 5 5 666

Weapon’s Vendor This mobile stand contains up to 4 Traits: linked, High Tech random common weapons, 2 random uncommon weapons, and one random rare weapon. The trader may be attacked if desired. He will defend himself with a 5 Green Dregs Attributes AP M P S F N W R laser pistol. 2 3 2 2 2 2 2 0 Faction None Community Dregs Skills None Equipment Each armed with a crossbow, Small Melee weapon, wearing rags. Trinkets 1d6 RUs worth of trinkets

Traits: None

“Caravaneer” (actually the Dreg Leader)

Trained Trader Attributes AP M P S F N W R 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 Faction None Community Dregs Skills None Equipment Laser pistol, Medium Melee weapon, wearing simples. Trinkets 4d6 RUs worth of trinkets

Traits: None

Trained Dreg

Attributes AP M P S F N W R 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 Faction None Community Dregs Skills None Equipment Shotgun, Medium Melee weapon, wearing rags. Trinkets 2d6 RUs worth of trinkets

Traits: None

Abandoned Hospital The Characters find a shut down hospital. It’s been mostly picked clean, but there are still a few items left abandoned in it.

Characters may attempt to stabilize dying characters with the ancient medical equipment found within, using the Doctor skill, which will recieve a -1 TN modifier . This equipment can be salvaged for 40RUs if the crew has a pack animal to carry it to your community.


Prisoners You come across a pair of prisoners suspended in a net. They beg to be released. They barter for their lives and explain that they were sold into slavery by their community that could not pay their protection money to a nearby militia. They escaped, but were snared in traps that were set to capture escapees. They offer to join you for their freedom. The swear to work off the debt to you. The Characters may choose to: Set them free. They will added to your community contacts. Take their offer. This will give your Community two Green Scavenger Characters that can be fielded at the Archetype entry RU cost of 5 RUs. Turn them over to be worked to death. This will reward 10 RUs to your community and the possibility to run bounty hunter missions for this slaver community. You characters may suffer a negative Renown for this non-humanitarian descission. •

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Mysterious Ruins You come across some distant ruins. Do not roll for the random enemies until the game is set up. Any of your units that flee are automatically killed, even wastewalkers, as you do not know the area well. If you kill the defenders roll to see what the ruins are. 1: Crumbling Ruins. 2-3: Hospital. 4-5: Warehouse. 6: Factory. • • • •

Roll one dice to determine defenders. 1: D6+6 rat swarms. 2-3: 2D6 green civilians with common weapons. 4-5: 6 trained militia with uncommon weapons. 6: Lone veteran ex-soldier with light machine gun and a military grenade. • •

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Rat Swarm AP M 2 4

P 1

S -


10 none

F 1

N 1

W 1

R 0

Beast

NONE none

Starting Traits: small target

Doc You stumble across a wandering Doctor. The doc offers to help any wounded or dying characters. Roll one die, on a roll of 1 or 2, the Doc is actually a Stitcher, but may not automatically attack.

Roll an additional die: 1-3: the Stitcher will heal any Characters for free as listed in 5. 4. The Stitcher refuses to help, but will give the Characters 5 RUs of medical equipment for each dead or dying Character the crew trades to the Stitcher. 5. The Stitcher will help any wounded or out-of-action Characters for free, but will demand the payment of any dead or dying Characters. The crew may refuse or attack, but if they attack, the Stitcher and a hidden hunter will attack as below. 6: Ambush! The Stitcher has drawn the characters into an ambush. A Hunter emerges from a Spider Hole and they attack the crew. •

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Any Characters that are dying may be healed (brought to wounded ) for 10 RUs. Pay the RUs and roll 1d6. On a roll of 4+, the Doctor is successful in healing. Any wounded Character may be healed on a roll of 4+ for 5 RUs Any out-of-action Character may be healed automatically for 3 RUs.

Trained Administrator

8 Trained Guards

Attributes AP M P S F N W R 3 3 4 2 2 2 2 0 Faction Stitcher Community None Skills First Aid: 2, Harvesting: 2 Equipment Shock staff, chem injector, Small weapon, wearing rags. Trinkets 1d6 RUs worth of trinkets

Attributes AP M P S F N W R 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 Faction None Community Market Skills None Equipment Each has a shotgun, Medium Melee weapon, Light Armor, wearing simples. Trinkets 3d6 RUs worth of trinkets

Traits: None

Traits: nerves of steel

Trained Hunter Attributes AP M P S F N W R 4 3 3 2 2 2 2 0 Faction Stitcher Community None Skills Harvesting: 2 Equipment Hunting Rifle, Medium Melee weapon, Medium Armor, wearing rags. Trinkets 3d6 RUs worth of trinkets

Roll: 1111 2222 3333 4444 5 5 5 5 6666

FOUR OF A KIND Event:

Cult Lone Skyscraper Tribal Graveyard Drinking Hole Gunsmith Abandoned Subway Tunnel

Traits: None

Market The crew comes across a crowded open air market, complete with market stalls and protected by numerous guards. Characters must disarm before entering the market, so it is not an option to attack any of the market stands without getting through the guards first, although Characters may keep any weapons with the hold out trait .

There are a wide variety of items available here. Characters may make 2 rolls on the random weapons chart (up to Uncommon), and may purchase them at the regular RU price. Characters may also roll to sell any pieces of equipment that they wish at regular trading prices. Any item up to uncommon is available here for regular trade value.


Cult: A band of cultists are kicking up dust, chanting and proclaiming the end of the world. They see the crew and believe them to be prophets sent to them from their revered eagle (actually, just a regular eagle, which are particularly rare). The cult insists on you stopping and allowing them to feed you, heal your wounded, and gives you a container that they call “the cure.” They explain that it was a gift from their beloved eagle, and has tremendous ability to restore the sick to health. “The cure” is a surprisingly refined ointment cream. It is worth 20RUs to your community. Lone Skyscraper In the middle of an open area, a lone skyscraper juts up into the sky. If the Characters explore, the bottom half will be totally stripped of everything,

including the metal from the stairs. If the Characters have 50’ or more of rope and a grappling hook, or some other means of reaching higher levels, they will find 50 RUs worth of heavy office equipment that can be carried by pack animal if they can only somehow get it down. Tribal Graveyard If the Characters choose to dig up the graveyard, they will find 5 RUs worth of trinkets, metal, and other objects. However, this may upset the locals if they are discovered. Scrapyard You discover an area littered with scrap vehicles, and at least one of them is probably salvageable. If a Character wants to investigate a scrap pile, doing so requires two action points. You may only roll once on the following chart: 1-4: Nothing but scrap. Worth 10 RUs per pack animal . 5: You come across a non-working car. May be repaired by passing 3 hard (5+ TN ) Mechanics skill successes. It will still need bio-fuel or water (can run on hydrogen). Worth 60 RUs if it can be made to work. 6: You find a non-working truck. Worth 100 RUs, but the crew must have four pack animals to haul it. •

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Drinking Hole The Characters come across a well guarded drinking establishment. 1: For 10 RUs, the bartender will give the Characters information on the surrounding area (may or may not be accurate) 2-4: The bartender offers drinks and to re-fill the Character’s canteens for 1 RU each 5: The bartender thinks that the crew are raiders, and will demand •

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that they leave. Refusing will lead to the Bar Room Brawl. 6: Bar Room Brawl 2-7 bar room brawlers attack the Characters.

2-7 (1d6+1) Trained Bar Room Brawlers Attributes AP M P S F N W R 3 3 3 1 3 2 3 0 Faction Fringes Community Drinking Hole Skills none Equipment none Trinkets 1d6 RUs worth of trinkets

Traits: none

Gunsmith The Characters come across a small, walled compound, with several guard dogs, a tower with a spotlight, and barbed wire. The gate is open and guards great you. They ask you follow them.

They take you to a man who identifies himself as “the Gunsmith.” He offers you some water and explains that he is a weapon maker. His family and the guards have lived there for many years and he is known in these parts as the best at his craft. He has been trained through generations of experience, passed down from his ancestors. He offers you some custom-made weapons as a gift, and asks that your community consider him first when choosing to purchase weapons. He explains that his family doesn’t leave the compound, and that any scrap metal brought to him will be traded for weapons and munitions. Each surviving member is given a custom made weapon of their choice. Your community now has the ability to trade 50 RUs worth of weapons from The Gunsmith, so long as they bring him 40 RUs worth of scrap metal. No pressure, as he can never have too much!

Abandoned Subway tunnel You stumble across a subway that runs under the skeleton of a deserted city. If you have pack animals , you are able to salvage 20 RUs for every pack animal in the crew, due to the mass amounts of electronics and materials available. You may come back for el cars if you bring heavy machinery. There are 1d6 subway cars, and each is worth 100 RUs.

Roll: 1 11 11 2 22 22 3 33 33 4 44 44 5 5 5 5 5 6 66 66

FIVE OF A KIND Event: No Ghost Encounter Reclaimer Encounter Slaver Compound Chemist’s Lab Merchant’s Villa Underground Bunker Entrance

No Ghost Encounter The crew feels eyes on the back of their necks. A No Ghost has spotted the crew, gained cover, and is tracking them.

The No Ghost is low on food and water, and is determining what the best course of action will be.

Veteran No Ghost Attributes AP M P S F N W R 3 3 4 3 3 2 2 1 Faction Fringes Community None Skills Survival: 2, Scavenge: 1, Tracking: 2, Barter: 1 Equipment Hunting Rifle, heavy revolver, Medium Melee weapon, survival kit, Light Armor, wearing rags. Trinkets 3d6 RUs worth of trinkets

Traits: hatred: Drifters, nimble, concentrated fire, tinkerer last one standing, punishment marked

Reclaimer Encounter You spot the glare of a lens in the distance and see a group of Reclaimers pointing and heading in your direction. You may attempt to run, using alternating Movement tests. Use the slowest Movement in your party against the Reclaimer’s Movement of 3. Roll as you would for initiative , with the highest score winning. If your crew wins, you escape, but if the Reclaimers win, they will close to 30” and attack.

If the Characters do not run, the Reclaimers will parlay, and it will The No Ghost will do one of the following: become quickly clear that they believe that you have technologically advanced 1. Attack (will always attack if items that they will demand be turned the crew is made up of 1 or more over. If you do not have any such items, Drifters). on a roll of 3+, they will leave your crew 2-4. The No Ghost will follow the alone, but if you have salvaged (or carry) crew, but a successful 7+ Wits test any Reclaimer specific equipment, or will allow them to spot the No have found a cache of data slates or any Ghost. They may choose to parlay or other High Tech or Old Tech find, they attack if they spot the No Ghost. will persist, and attack if refused. 5-6. Approach and offer to join the Crew as a Fringe member for 50 RUs. •

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If desired, the crew may attempt to free them, without buying them by using the Intimidation skill. If you have 4 Attributes AP M P S F N W R Intimidation successes (at a 6+ target), 3 3 3 3 1 2 3 0 the slavers will free the five slaves. Faction Reclaimer Alternately, you can fight the slavers. Community None The slavers all start behind cover, and Skills Scavenge: 2 the crew is in the open. It will be a difficult battle! Equipment Each armed with a laser rifle,

2-7 (1d6+1) Trained Reclaimer Technos

revolver, and wearing Light Armor. Trinkets 20 RUs worth of trinkets

Trained Slavers

Traits: linked, High Tech

Slaver Compound The Characters come across a slaver’s compound, and are assumed to be here to trade for the goods offered by the compound. The slaver and crew outnumber your group 4 to 1. Confrontation is stacked against you. To fight with no cover against these men and women would likely result in death. If the Characters approach the compound they will be offered slaves, which may or may not conflict with their core values. Your crew may trade for up to five slaves at a rate of 10 RUs each. This can prove beneficial to your group and community, and they can either be integrated into your crew, put to work, or freed. If added to your crew, they are all Scavengers, and you must spend 5RUs to properly outfit them. Alternatively, they may prove useful to your crew as work hands. They can carry carts or tend to menial tasks that may be outside of your crew capabilities. Another option available is to buy them to free them. You gain five slave contacts.


Attributes AP M P S F N W R 3 3 2 2 2 3 3 0 Faction Fringes Community Slavers Skills None Equipment Each armed with a shotgun, spear, and wears Light Armor. Trinkets 1d6 RUs worth of trinkets each

Traits: None

Veteran Slave Master Attributes AP M P S F N W R 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 1 Faction Fringes Community Slavers Skills Survival: 2, Scavenge: 1, Tracking: 2, Barter: 1 Equipment Armed with an assault carbine, Large Melee, and wearing Medium Armor. Trinkets 3d6 RUs worth of trinkets

Traits: hatred: Drifters, nimble, concentrated fire, tinkerer, last one standing, punishment marked

Chemist’s Lab

Merchant’s villa

You crew encounter a Chemists lab in a ruined factory. The operators offer their drugs for free. They want you to take some with you and spread the word that all are welcome in their sanctuary. It can be beneficial to have some drugs if you need information from a Wastrel, or the Characters may take it if they wish (effects are left up to the Narrator). You are given 20RUs worth of drugs and told that more can be had if you come back.

Your characters follow the smoke trailing up in the air to a smoldering villa. There is a bullet-riddled sign that says “Free Trade Merchant Villa,” and what looks like the remnants of a small community of traders. Someone hit them hard and left no one alive. Looting the dead, you find 5 zip guns, 2 break action rifles, 1 shotgun, 3 pipe rifles, 1 hunting rifle, 1 revolver, 2 auto pistols, and one very rare weapon (rolled on the random very rare weapon table).

You may ask for more, but will be told that the only way to get more so soon, is to join the cult, which can lead to interesting plot twists should the players choose to go that route.

Underground Bunker entrance The Characters stumble across the entrance to an underground bunker. Overgrown foliage outside kept this area hidden. The door to the outer building is missing, and it looks particularly run 12 Trained Tweekers Attributes AP M P S F N W R down. 2 3 3 1 3 2 3 Faction Church of Fun Community Unknown Skills None Equipment Armed with a Small Melee, and wearing rags Trinkets 1d6 RUs worth of trinkets

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Traits: luddite, paranoid, chemical dependency, pain resistant

Your characters enter and find an access door leading down. It’s locked, but if the characters search (6+ TN Wits test , needing 3 successes), the key can be found. Alternately, brute force can bust the lock. It is a Power 8 target, needing 1 success to detroy it. This bunker leads down into 6 rooms. Scavenge includes:

Veteran Spin Doctor Attributes AP M P S F N W R 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 1 Faction Church of Fun Community Unknown Skills None Equipment Armed with a shotgun, Small Melee, and wearing Light Armor. Trinkets 2d6 RUs worth of trinkets

Traits: paranoid, chemical dependency, nerves of steel, pain resistant


Room 1: 20 Boxes of food, each containing 12 vacuum sealed packs containing enough food for one person per day. Rack of sealed five gallon water jugs, 20 total jugs. Room 2: Portable Generator new in its manufactured box. 20 Gallons of bio-fuel in one gallon cans

Room 3: 10 military grenades, 5 satchel charges, and 5 remote detonators, 2 light machine guns, with ammunition.

so that they can strengthen their hold on the area. The crew may choose to fight them if they wish.

Room 4: Sealed container of simples, fatigues, and Radiation suits. A total of 12 sets.

Attributes AP M P S F N W R 3 3 2 2 2 3 3 0 Faction Fringes Community Crime Lord Skills None Equipment Each armed with a shotgun, Medium Melee weapon, and wears Light Armor. Trinkets 2d6 RUs worth of trinkets

Room 5: Seed bank container, stocked with thousands of seeds, hermetically sealed. Room 6: Crate of mobile electronic devices: 32 in total. Crate of solar charged batteries. 144 batteries in total. This is a treasure trove of unimaginable value. Now how will your crew carry this all home? SIX OF A KIND Roll: Event: 1 1 1 1 1 1 Crime Lord 2 2 2 2 2 2 Chariot Race 3 3 3 3 3 3 Crashed Satellite 4 4 4 4 4 4 Slaughtered Crew 5 5 5 5 5 5 Fighting Arena 6 6 6 6 6 6 Survivalist’s Villa Crime Lord The Characters encounter a forward patrol in a ragged pickup truck. They represent a local warlord, who tithes any and all who enters her territory.

4 Trained Guards

Traits: None

One Trained Guard stays in truck with AT Rocker mounted in the bed)

Veteran Guard Attributes AP M P S F N W R 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 1 Faction Fringes Community Crime Lord Skills None Equipment Armed with an shotgun, Medium Melee, and wearing Light Armor. Trinkets 2d6 RUs worth of trinkets

Traits: None

Chariot Race The Characters come across a sight to behold, a group of chariots racing around a makeshift track, in the middle of nowhere. If any Character has the Pilot: Chariot skill, they may ask to enter the competition as a contestant. They will be up against five other charioteers, each with a Pilot:Chariot skill of 3. Make 3 opposed tests (rolling seperately for each contestant), and the winner will be the one with the most total successes.

The patrol will make the crew an almostreasonable offer to buy any High Tech and Old Tech that the characters possess, at a rate of 2x the normal RU value. However, the catch is that payment will be made in the warlord’s own-minted currency, which The prize is a solid silver cup, which is would only carry any value within her domain. The warlord’s patrol isn’t exactly worth 150 RUs. asking either. They want any and all tech, Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

Crashed Satellite The crew encounters the remains of a downed satellite. They may attempt to scavenge it, or attempt to procure heavy equipment to bring it back to their community. However, if they leave it unattended, it will be decended upon by a group of 10 Reclaimers.

10 Trained Reclaimer Technos Attributes AP M P S F N W R 3 3 2 3 2 2 2 1 Faction Reclaimers Community Reclaimers Skills None Equipment: each with a Laser Rifle, Small Melee weapon, Light Armor, wearing rags over fatigues. Trinkets 4d6 RUs worth of trinkets

Traits: linked, High Tech

Two Reclaimers will have arc welders, and one will have a power claw, and they are busy disassembling the satellite. The satellite may be savaged for the following parts: • • • • • •

A smaller solar array worth 4 RUs Computer parts worth 10 RUs Copper worth 15 RUs Electronic parts worth 15 RUs Scrap metal worth 25 RUs Large solar panels worth 100 RUs

Slaughtered Crew You stumble into a gruesome scene, over a dozen men and women, butchered and left to bake in the hot sun. The culprits apparently didn’t care too much about their equipment, since it seems that they left it all with them.

The following can be scavenged from the slaughter: Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

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6 shotguns 13 light revolvers 5 auto pistols 1 hunting rifle 3 sets of bloody, but otherwise useful

Light Armor 1 set of Medium Armor , which has a

hole in the back d6 rare weapons (roll for each at random) An ARHK carbine A note that implicates a man named Markin in some sort of conspiracy.

Fighting Arena You encounter a roped-off arena, complete with a large crowd and lots of guards. If you’re good enough, you can enter the event, a weaponless handto-hand puglistic brawl with a variety of malcontents. If any Characters choose to enter the contest, they must go weapon-less. They will face three Green Characters in the first round, two Trained Characters in the second round, and an Elite Brawler in the final round. If they are able to defeat all of the opponents, the prize is an ancient computer worth 40 RUs, but valued at 400 RUs to a Reclaimer Community. Survivalists Villa Hidden by a variety of folliage, you come across a villa, guarded with remotely detonated booby traps, cameras, darklight foggers, fencewire, watchers, and seers. However, the owner can be found slumped over dead at a desk if the Characters enter the home, apparently dead of natural causes.

The crew can easily take over this compound as their own base, and it is well stocked with food, weapons, and a variety of supplies. This is a true postapocalytpic survivor’s dream home!

Advanced Rules ADVANCED MOVEMENT A Character can move in any direction during a movement action and can turn, pivot, or rotate for free during the Character’s movement. MEASUREMENT TRANSLATIONS One inch in the tabletop game roughly translates to 1 yard or 1 meter in the narrative game. You may also alter this to suit a different scale easily, by saying that any reference to inches converts as follows: 1” = 3cm if you wish to play with 15mm scale models 1” = 1cm if you wish to play with 6mm models. •

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CLIMBING, JUMPING AND FALLING CLIMBING During a movement action a Character might have to overcome obstacles in their way, or they may want to jump across a ravine or trench in order to get into a better position.

Characters can climb up or down or over obstacles during their movement action as long as the obstacle isn’t higher than the Character (in the skirmish game this is based on height of the miniature including the base). The distance moved vertically counts double the total distance of any movement (horizontally and vertically or a combination of both). A Character may not end their movement on such an obstacle. It’s all or nothing, with a few notable exceptions: Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

If a Character uses a ladder, rope, drain pipe or other terrain features to climb up or down, than there is no limitation in the height they can cover, and the Character may end their movement as well as start a movement action while climbing. The Character cannot make any actions other than movement or Free Actions while climbing up or down. JUMPING A Character may jump its Movement attribute in inches with no penalty. If they ran or sprinted in the last turn towards their jump, they may leap an additional d6”. If the distance fails to get them to the other side, they will fall. FALLING For every 3” fallen, a Character takes a Power 1 hit, up to a maximum of Power 8.

TERRAIN AND COVER Terrain and cover is an important aspect of Wreck Age. Almost any terrain may be used as cover. Cover may protect Characters from shooting attacks, and provide some protection from Characters engaging them in a fight. For a Character to be in cover, they need to either be inside Area Terrain, or have the terrain partially blocking line of sight between the two models. If two opposing Characters are within 1” of any one piece of non-area terrain, the Characters each ignore cover for shooting purposes.

AREA TERRAIN Any Terrain that is represented by a base or border is considered Area Terrain. Good examples of this include woods, swamps, rubble, and so forth. If a character is in Area Terrain, they benefit from the +1 target modifier for being in area, unless they are prone, in which case, the attacker takes a +2 target modifier to their shooting targets.

A minimum 25% of a model must be covered. This could be a Character standing behind bushes that cover up their legs or half of their torso. Most Area Terrain is also considered Rough Terrain.

Characters receive no bonuses or penalties for moving through Open Terrain, and Open Terrain offers no cover. ROUGH TERRAIN Rough Terrain can include many different things: a field of loose rabble or rocks, tall grass, ruined buildings and obstacles. Any dense vegetation can also be constituted as Rough Terrain. Rough Terrain typically provides cover to Characters, and is commonly categorized as Area Terrain, meaning that if any part of the Character’s base is in the terrain feature, that Character receives a cover bonus from it.

Rough Terrain slows down Characters. In the tabletop game, each inch moved costs 2” of movement, essentially halving the movement of the Character through that terrain.

SOFT COVER Soft Cover encompasses long grass, reeds, bushes, thin woods, and other nonhardened surfaces. The main benefit to this sort of cover is that it makes it harder to determine where the target is. This IMPASSIBLE TERRAIN is translated to a +1 bonus to Defensive Impassible Terrain is made up of Power, as well as a +1 TN modifier for obstacles too dangerous to just walk someone shooting at a target in Soft through or pass over. Such could be the Cover. plain concrete wall of a building as well as a pit of caustic chemical substances. HARD COVER Hard Cover would be anything with a density that could actually soften a blow. Metal, rocks, and brick walls are examples of this. Hard Cover offers a +2 bonus to Defensive Power, and has the same +1 TN modifier to anyone attacking someone in or behind Hard Cover. OPEN TERRAIN Open Terrain is any flat surface or gentle slope that isn’t covered with obstacles. This includes short grass, dirt, or fields.


Characters can’t pass through an area of Impassible Terrain. Their base may not enter the Impassible Terrain zone. WATER Depending on the depth and the way water flows, water terrain can either count as shallow or deep.

Shallow water is simply treated as Rough Terrain. Deep water can only be crossed by swimming; moving a maximum distance equal to the Character’s Movement

attribute divided by 2 (rounding up) per AP. The Swimming skill increases this speed. Shallow water counts as Soft Cover, and deep water counts as Hard Cover as long as the Character is inside/moving through the water terrain. Scavenge (Skilled 4+/Wits 5+) The world of Wreck Age teems with all manner of goods and, even in the heat of the moment, a Character might catch a glimpse of something valuable or useful. Likewise, a Character may set out to find a specific item in a given Scenario. A Scavenge action , therefore, represents a Character’s attempt to physically locate such an item. Characters may Scavenge things like: a downed Character, certain objectives, a vacant room for a handy item, or a clue to an evolving mystery.

this is a difcult task, the target for this is 5+. Weaver rolls a 1, 3, and 4, indicating no successes . She fails to notice a Glowtorch with the name of a nearby bar, The Tramp Tower, inscribed on it. If she had taken more time, and declared a hold rst, her chance of success would have gotten a little better. She would have had a 4+ target, instead of 5+, which would have given her one success. Since this marks the end of the encounter, Weaver’s suppression markers are removed, and she returns to her base AP of 3.

Interact (target number based on difficulty) From time to time, a Character will need The act of Scavenging usually costs 1 AP, to interact with an item or an objective and a Character may attempt to scavenge that requires some form of simple manipulation: a heavy gate may need up to twice in any turn. Likewise, a to be cranked open, a data slate might player declare a more thorough search require a Character to input a code to and declare a complex scavenge action , which is a complex action but increases the unlock a screen, an old machine might Character’s chance at success, giving a -1 need to be primed and started, or a Character may need to pick up an object. target modifier . Such attempts are usually simple actions If the Narrator wishes, Characters may that take between 1 and 3 AP once the scavenge specific items; however, it’s Character is in position to act, which recommended that players simply scavenge usually means being directly adjacent to Resource Units to keep things simple, and that object. Scenarios or the Narrator to keep bookkeeping to a minimum. will clearly spell out where, when, and how the interaction needs to be taken. In any case, interaction generally occupies a Weaver slowly approaches the stoop Character’s full physical and/or mental where the Wastrels were sitting and attention for that turn . looks around. She takes a Scavenge test, which is based on her Wits attribute. She doesn’t have a Scavenge skill, so she must rely solely on her Wits, which has a rating of 3. Since she doesn’t have the Scavenge skill, and


Harvest (Skilled 4+/Wits 5+) The setting of Wreck Age is filled with natural resources that can be harvested . This might include collecting grain from a field, algae off of a pond, or even the organs from a body. Harvesting thus

involves a deliberate and methodical action and requires 2 AP. For example, picking berries from a tree is a 2 AP simple action , while digging up medicinally valuable roots may be a complex action or may take even longer. This modifier applies to both the Harvest Skill dice, and the dice rolled for the Wits attribute when calculating the modified TN of the dice. In the advanced Narrative rules, a Character may harvest specific items; in the basic game a Character will harvest Resource Units. Craft (Skilled 4+/Wits 5+) Crafting is an attempt to fabricate an object. This might be as simple as a cup of snake wine, or as complicated as a Reclaimer Plasma Caster. Crafting some items requires a certain skill or trait to unlock that specific goal. See the Skills and Traits Chapter. Snake wine brewing is not an intuitive talent.

those moments when your Character needs a mechanism to function properly, replace/ repair should, one hopes, ensure that all is well. Generally, a replace action is a simple action and a repair action is a complex action . Of course, the Narrator will have the last word on these matters.

Parlay (Opposed test: Renown vs. Nerves) Parlay is an attempt to cause opposing Characters to bend to your will, based on your status and reputation. To do so, Characters will use their Renown against the opposing Character’s Nerves.

Only Characters with freewill may use parlay , and only Characters without freewill may be affected by parlay . Freewill is explained in the Character and Crew Creation Chapter

You may not use more Renown for a parlay test than your Wits attribute. In other words, if you have 8 Renown, but only 3 Wits, you may only roll 3 dice Crafting is a simple action that takes two when rolling a parlay test . This means or more turns . A Character may only ever that no Character may ever use more attempt to craft a single item per turn. than 6 Renown for a parlay test . Within an encounter, any Character may There is a 12” (12 meter) base range attempt to craft an improvised weapon. for parlay . This may be extended to 36” This act is a complex action . Any weapons (36 meters) by using a megaphone, or created in this fashion have the unreliable further through the use of electronic trait . However, having the Crafting communication, or if the Characters are (or Armorer) skill will allow you to somehow both linked using any form of manufacture a weapon in this manner communications network. that is no longer unreliable . All the listed TN below are for the Replace/Repair: Character attempting the parlay action. In Wreck Age, very little remains intact The opposing Nerves test will always be for long, and most items haven’t been taken at the base TN , according to the fabricated to a high standard. A lot of training level of the Character. items the Characters encounter are worn, Parlay has a variety of uses, including: haggard, or in a state of disrepair. In Andrzej Probulski (order #5451458)

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Enraging an Opponent Make the opposing Character attempt to engage the Player Character. The opposing Character must use all available AP to move towards the Player Character. (Complex Action: 5+ TN ) “Stay down!” A success causes the opponent to gain a suppression marker. ( free action : 4+ TN ). “Cease Fire!” Causes an opponent to cease-fire, until shot at or assaulted. (Complex Action: 6+ TN ) “I’ll Kill You!” Causes an opponent to flee, by reducing them to 0 AP. (complex action : 7+ TN ) “Join Us” May cause a Character from any Fringes Faction Character, generic Archetype, pariah, or a Character from your same faction to join your crew for the remainder of the game. (complex action : 8+ TN )



Painting and Hobby One of the most rewarding and enjoyable parts of tabletop war gaming is the hobby aspect. Painting and playing with miniatures may seem like a sil ly thing for adults to do, but a s George Bernard Shaw once said: “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” We find these wise words to apply here, and since you’ve at least theoretically read through this entire gaming book, perhaps you do as well. Painting miniatures and making terrain can be taken as far as your imagination allows, from single models, to huge cityscape layouts.


When building terrain or models, consider using household items such as cans or bottles as a basis for your buildings, adding embelleshment and random bits that you have can turn a normally recocnizable household item into a building or bunker with a little effort. Here are some of the metal and resin miniatures that Hyacinth Games’ produces for Wreck Age, and some examples of how they can be painted up and played with.

Charts and tables UNIVERSAL RULES OF PLAY SUMMARY •

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All measurements are given in inches. Unless explicitly instructed otherwise, measurements are always taken from the edge of a model’s base. In instances where a measurement is made between models, use the distance from the edge of one model’s base to the other’s. An inch represents either two yards or meters of “real” distance. When two model’s bases are touching, that is called “base-to-base contact ” No measurements can be made before declaring an action; in The Wilds, players must estimate distances wisely in order to prevail; some skills and traits make exceptions to this rule. Models represent Characters on the tabletop. They are presumed to have a 360˚ field of vision at all times;

a model’s “facing” is irrelevant. Models may not, however, see through walls or other obstructions to line of sight. •

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A Character must be able to draw a direct line of sight (LoS) to any target that they wish to attack at range, or charge . Line of sight is defined as being able to draw an invisible line from the head of the attacking Character to any part of the defending Character, not including the model’s base. Characters that are in base-to-base contact are always considered to be in line of sight of one another. Fractions are always rounded up.


TEST DIFFICULTY TABLE

Trivial 2+ TN Easy 3+ TN Standard 4+ TN Difficult 5+ TN Hard 6+ TN Nearly Impossible 7+ TN MARGINS OF SUCCESS & MULTIPLE SUCCESSES: Successes Effect 2 Substantial benefit. The skill succeeds with a 1/3 greater benefit. 3 Good benefit. The skill succeeds with 1/2 greater benefit. 4 Great benefit. The skill succeeds with two times the normal benefit. 5+ Amazing benefit. The skill succeeds with three times the normal benefit, and may be subject to additional rewards.

Skills that allow for Margins of Success will be labeled with: “(MoS).” TURNS: INITIATIVE An “Initiative test,” or “rolling for initiative,” is determined as follows: This is an opposed test . To roll for initiative, all players will select the single highest Wits value of all their Characters eligible for activation, and then roll that many dice. The player with the highest individual die wins the initiative . Ties are resolved as all other opposed tests, with the highest two tied dice canceling each other out and then deferring to the highest dice results in order.

ACTIONS: Free ACTIONS FREE ACTION: Go Prone FREE ACTION: Regroup (+1 AP) FREE ACTION: Communicate FREE ACTION: Draw small weapon FREE ACTION: Hip Shot

ACTIONS: SIMPLE ACTIONS SIMPLE ACTION: Stand From Prone (1 AP)

SIMPLE ACTION: Regular Shot (2 AP) SIMPLE ACTION: Concealment (2 AP) SIMPLE ACTION: Reload (1 AP)

Located / Directed

SIMPLE ACTION: Change Weapon (1 AP) SIMPLE ACTION: Slow Weapons (1 AP per level of Slow Weapon Trait)

SIMPLE ACTION: Harvest (2 AP) SIMPLE ACTION: Search / Scavenge (1-3 AP)

SIMPLE ACTION: Interact With Objects (1-X AP, dependent on type) SIMPLE ACTION: Walk (1 AP) SIMPLE ACTION: Crawl (2 AP) SIMPLE ACTION: Run (2 AP) SIMPLE ACTION: Sprint (3 AP)

ACTIONS: COMPLEX ACTIONS (no free action) COMPLEX ACTION: Hold Action COMPLEX ACTION: Aimed Shot COMPLEX ACTION: Charging COMPLEX ACTION: Fighting COMPLEX ACTION: Disengage COMPLEX ACTION: Rally (+d6 AP) COMPLEX ACTION: Craft COMPLEX ACTION: Un-jam Weapon COMPLEX ACTION: Repair/replace

ACTIONS: END PHASE END PHASE ACTION: Check Victory Conditions END PHASE ACTION: Move NC Characters in Tabletop Version END PHASE ACTION: Muster (+d3 AP) END PHASE ACTION: Recovery RECOVERY TESTS

Target numbers for Recovery tests are: • Unconscious: Difficult (5+ TN) • Out-of-Action: Hard (6+ TN)


Combat

The TN for Shooting is based on the range, while the base TN for Fighting is always 4+.

The Rule of Sixes effecting Damage If, during a Shooting or Fighting test , a Character rolls more than one natural 6, they will add 1 to their Power Attribute for each 6 beyond the first. Therefore, a result of 4 sixes will add a total of 3 to the Power of the attack.

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SHOOTING MODIFIERS TABLE

FIGHTING MODIFIERS TABLE

TN modifiers for Fighting tests :

TN modifiers for Fighting tests :

Cover:

If the defender is in or behind area scenery or terrain, or if the attack passes through area terrain there is a +1

TN modifier.

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•

•

If the defender is concealed , attacks against them receive a +2 TN modifier (not cumulative with cover). Prone, If the defender is prone > Short Range: and the attacker is firing a weapon from long range or longer, there is a +1 TN modifier. Prone, If the defender is prone =< Short and the attacker is Range: firing from short range or closer, there is a -1 TN modifier.: Fast Moving: If the defender is Fast Moving , there is a +1 Concealment:

TN modifier.

•

Slow Moving:

If the defender is Slow Moving, there is a -1

TN modifier •

•

•

•

If the attacker walked during that activation , there is a +1 TN modifier. Attacker If the attacker ran during Running: that activation , there is a +2 TN modifier. Small target +1 TN modifier Large Target: -1 TN modifier Attacker Walked:


Charging A Defender: +1 Fighting for the first attack. Counter-striking An +1 Fighting for the counter-strike. Attacker: Attacking A Fast +1 TN modifier. Moving Defender: Attacking A Slow -1 TN modifier. Moving Defender: Attacking A Prone -1 TN modifier. Defender: Attacking An -2 TN modifier. Incapacitated Defender: Using A Ranged +1 TN modifier, Weapon While and use the Fighting Fighting: attribute.

SUPPRESSION TABLE Nerves tests have a TN of 5+ Green: Nerves tests have a TN of 4+ Trained : Nerves tests have a TN of 3+ Veteran: Nerves tests have a TN of 2+ Elite: Nerves tests have a TN of 4+ Beast: (may not rally , or regroup , but may muster)

Automoton: Automatons are immune to suppression .

•

•

•

Aimed Shot Complex action Regular Shot 2 AP simple action Hip Shot free action

DAMAGE TN MODIFIERS 2 x power

Power of the hit doubles the base Power of the defender: -1 TN modifier for the attacker’s

damage test.

SHOOTING: TARGET NUMBER (TN) TABLE Point Blank: Targets at 2” or closer have a TN of 3+. Short Range: Determined by the weapon, targets that are further than 2” up to the short range rating of the weapon have a TN of 4+. Long Range: Determined by the weapon. Targets that are further than short range up to long range rating of the weapon have a TN of 5+. Extreme Determined by the Range: weapon, Targets that are further than the long range rating and up to double the long range rating have a TN of 7+. Targets beyond double the long range ratings may not be hit.

Soft Cover:

Hard Cover:

Light Armor:

Penalties: There is no movement penalty for wearers of Light Armor. Medium Armor: Defender is wearing Medium Armor: -1 TN modifier to the Defender’s Power test AND +1

Defensive Power.

Heavy Armor:

Shield:

Enemies


Defending Character is in soft cover: +1 Defensive Power. Defending Character is in hard cover: +2 Defensive Power Defender is wearing Light Armor : -1 TN modifier to the Defender’s Power test.

Penalties: Characters wearing Medium Armor may not move over 10” in a turn, and as such, cannot be considered fast moving . Defender is wearing Heavy Armor : -1 TN modifier to the Defender’s Power test AND +2 Defensive Power. Penalties: No Character wearing Heavy Armor may move more than 6” in a turn, and are always considered slow moving. Defender is using a shield: +1 Defensive Power. Penalties: Characters using Shields may not use two-handed weapons while the Shield is in use.

# of Damage Effect 0 or less No Effect

DAMAGE TABLE Results The Character is scraped and bruised, but otherwise unfazed and may continue as normal. The Character is wounded .

1

Wounded

2

When wounded, all Shooting , Fighting and Power tests receive a +1 TN modifier for the rest of the encounter. Out-of-Action The Character goes down, and is considered out-of-action . They may be tending to their wounds, or too badly hurt to continue activating. Out of action Characters may not activate. During the encounter, a Character with the right skill or equipment may stabilize an out-of-action Character and their condition may be downgraded.

3

In the end phase of every turn, they may take a hard Power test (6+ TN ) to return to action as wounded . From this point forward, the Character is considered out of the game, and will potentially die without prompt medical attention.

Dying

Dying Characters may not activate. During the encounter,

4+

a Character with the right skill or equipment may stabilize them and their condition may be downgraded. The Character is dead with no hope of revival.

Dead

They might be useful to Stitchers, who may harvest his or her organs. It should go without saying that dead Characters may not activate. NON-LETHAL DAMAGE TABLE # of Damage

0 1-2

3+

Effect

No Effect :

Results

The Defender is scraped and bruised, but otherwise unfazed. The Character may continue normally. Groggy This is the non-lethal version of wounded . All Shooting tests , Fighting tests , and Power tests take a +1 TN modifier . Unconscious The Character goes down. In the end phase of every turn , they may take a Power test with a 6+ TN to return to action as groggy . However, any Character may revive them by entering in base-to-base contact and spending 2 AP to do so. Characters with the First Aid skill only need to spend 1 AP to revive an unconscious Character.


Weapon Name


Improvised Projectile † Improvised Weapon † Improvised Grenade †

3”

6”

Melee

4”

Small Melee

Melee

6”

Medium Melee

Melee

4”

Bow

8”

24”

3

Pipe Rifle

6”

18”

Junk Gun

4”

Zip Pistol

Hands

Improvised

1

Improvised

1

Improvised

1

User sturdy, silent, thrown, +1 hold-out

Common

1

User reliable, sturdy, silent, +1 thrown

Common

2

reliable, silent, slow 1

Common

2

4

inaccurate, slow 1, unreli able

Common

2

12”

5

scatter, slow 2

Common

2

3”

6”

3

hold-out, pistol, single use

Common

1

Molotov

-

6”

2

flame, thrown, single use

Common

1

Large Melee

Melee +1

-

User sturdy, silent, reach 1 +2

Uncommon

2

Spear

Melee +2

10”

User silent, thrown, reach 2 +1

Uncommon

2

Signal Staff †

Melee +2

-

2

shock, non-lethal, unreliable

Uncommon

2

Gas Grenade

-

6”

5

blast 2, non-lethal, single use, shell, thrown

Uncommon

1

Mining Laser

4”

10”

6 heavy, slow 2

Uncommon

Revolver, Light**

4”

8”

3

pistol, reliable, sturdy

Uncommon

1

Auto Pistol, Light

4”

15”

3

pistol, unreliable

Uncommon

1

Shock marble

-

6”

3

non-lethal, thrown shock, single use

Uncommon Common CoF

1

Crossbow

6”

30”

4

armor piercing 1, silent, slow 2

Uncommon

2

Shock Staff

Melee +2

-

3

Uncommon

2

Break Action Rifle*

12”

48”

4

6”


2

Availability

Tech Level

unreliable, slow 1

User silent, unreliable, thrown 1

blast 1, thrown, unreliable, single use

non-lethal, shock, unreliable accurate, reliable, slow 1

Uncommon Common Staker

Old Tech

2

2

Weapon Name


Availability

Tech Level

Hands

Shotgun, Shot*

4”

15”

6

reliable, scatter

Uncommon

2

Revolver, Heavy**

4”

10”

4 pistol, reliable, sturdy

Rare

1

Autopistol, Heavy

4”

12”

4

Rare

1 2

pistol, unreliable

Revolver Carbine*

10”

40”

4

reliable, sturdy

Rare Uncommon Staker

Arc Welder

4”

6”

7

heavy, slow 2

Rare

Old Tech

2

Assault Carbine*

10”

80”

4

automatic 2, scoped, unreliable

Rare

Old Tech

2

Web Caster / Net Gun

6”

20”

7

non-lethal, scatter, slow 2

Rare

Old Tech

2

Shell Launcher

6”

20”

-

uses shells

Rare

Flame Thrower

5”

8”

4 flame, heavy, unreliable

Anointer

4”

8”

6

Tranq Pistol*

4”

10”

4

non-lethal, silent

Rare

Old Tech

1

Tranq Rifle*

10”

48”

4

non-lethal, silent, scoped

Rare

Old Tech

2

Shock Mine

Placed

-

blast 2, lethal/non-lethal, single use

Rare

High Tech

1

Disruptor

8”

30”

Rare

High Tech

2

Satchel Charge†

placed

-

6

blast 2+d6, single use, remote

Rare

2

Military Grenade

-

6”

7

blast d6, thrown, single use, shell

Rare

1

Hunting Rifle

12”

96”

5

accurate, armor piercing 1, slow 1, scoped

Rare

2

Sub Machine Gun

4”

15”

3

innacurate, automatic 2, ammo hog

Rare

Old Tech

1

Narco Gun*

10”

24”

6

non-lethal, silent

Very Rare

High Tech

2

Very Rare Uncommon ARHK

Old Tech

2

Very Rare

High Tech

2

3/9

blast 1, scatter, non-lethal

4 non-lethal

ARHK Carbine*

10”

40”

4

automatic 3, reliable, large magazine

Laser Rifle*

12”

48”

5

accurate, silent, unreliable


2 Old Tech

2

Rare High Tech Uncommon Vale

2

Rare

Weapon Name


Availability

Tech Level

Hands

Laser Pistol

4”

15”

5

silent, unreliable

Very Rare

High Tech

1

Battle Rifle*

12”

48”

5

armor piercing 1, automatic 1, unreliable

Very Rare

Old Tech

2

Sniper Rifle*

12”

96”

5

armor piercing 1, scoped

Very Rare

Power Claw / Jaws of Life

Melee +1

-

7

reliable, sturdy, reach 1”

Very Rare

High Tech

2

Very Rare Uncommon Stitcher

High Tech

2

Very Rare

Old Tech

1

2

Shock Gun

4”

12”

Vibro Blade

Melee

-

Coilgun

4”

8”

4 EMP

Very Rare

High Tech

2

Charger Pistol

4”

15”

4 accurate

Very Rare

High Tech

1

Charger Rifle

12”

48”

4 accurate

Very Rare

High Tech

2

RPG

8”

24”

7

heavy,a mmo hog, slow 3, blast d6, innacurate

Very Rare

Old Tech

2

Flame Caster

8”

24”

5

flame, heavy, unreliable

High Tech

2

4

silent, reliable, automatic 2, armor piercing 1

High Tech

2

High Tech

2

High Tech

2

High Tech

1

Legendary

High Tech

2

Legendary

Old Tech

2

Legendary

Old Tech

2

Unicephalon Rifle*

12”

48”

7

non-lethal

User hold out, reliable, sturdy +2

Plasma Caster

8”

24”

9

blast 2, heavy, slow 2, unreliable

Glass Rifle*

12”

144”

10

accurate, armor piercing 3, scoped, slow 3,

Cyber Gauntlet †

Melee

-

3

shock, reliable

EMP Rifle

8”

30”

8

EMP

AT Rocker

8”

20”

8

Light Machine Gun

12”

2

5

heavy, ammo hog, slow 3, blast d6 armor piercing 1, heavy, automatic 3(only), ammo hog, large magazine

Legendary Rare Reclaimer

Legendary Uncommon Unicephalon

Legendary Very Rare Reclaimer Legendary Reclaimer Legendary Rare Reclaimer

Weapons marked with an asterisk (*) may accept one or more weapon modifications. Any weapon marked with two asterisks (**) may accept a single Weapon Modification. † See item description for more details on this weapon. If a Weapon is High Tech or Old Tech , the Character must have that trait to properly use it. They may attempt to use the weapon, but their Shooting or Fighting attributes will be lowered (by 2 for High Tech , by 1 for Old Tech ). If this brings that attribute below 1, they may not use it at all.


WEAPONS MALFUNCTION TABLE Roll 2 dice (or as otherwise indicated) if a 1 is rolled on the Malfunction Die: Result

Effect

0 or less

The item either explodes or otherwise shatters in the Character’s hands. The Character immediately takes a hit at a Power 1 less than the item’s typical Power, OR at Power 2 if the item has no Power. Any item that explodes or breaks in this manner is considered beyond repair, but may be traded or sold for scrap.

1

2

The item is damaged or broken, with no damage to the controlling Character.

Value 4 RUs

7 harmonica

2 RUs

8 silver coin

5 RUs

9 music box

2 RU

10 sewing needle

2 RUs

11 small motor

4 RUs

12 revolver cylinder

1 RU

13 pistol magazine

1 RU

14 hunting knife handle

1 RU

15 motherboard

1 RU

16 small diode

1 RU

17 toggle switch

1 RU

18 relay

1 RU

19 small locket

2 RUs

20 25 mm tracer shell

1 RU

The item is jammed or lodged into another object.

21 empty rifle casings

1 RU

22 empty pistol casings

1 RU

23 ancient screw

1 RU

24 antique flare

1 RU

25 ancient cracked mug

1 RU

26 broken eyeglasses

1 RU

27 silver chain

3 RUs

The item has run out of ammunition/charge/energy.

28 antique pendent

3 RUs

29 tiny solar cell

2 RUs

A Character must make a simple action to reload the item to be able to use it again.

30 washers

1 RU

31 gas can cap

1 RU

32 un-charged battery

2 RUs

33 micro processor

2 RUs

34 prism

2 RUs

35 ring, platium

3 RUs

36 ring, silver

5 RUs

This result has no effect on melee weapons or on single-use items. 6+

Dice Result Item 6 mirco processor

If kept, the Character may potentially repair the item at a later opportunity.

The Character may discard this item immediately if desired (the item is considered lost). Otherwise, in the following turn, that Character may perform a Repair action in order to utilize it again. 3-5

TRINKETS CHART

No effect.


Campaigns SERIOUS INJURY TABLE. (Roll 2d6 and add the results) 2:

Dead: The injuries sustained are too much for the character, and they die.

3:

Skull Cracked: One too many blows to the head has caused neurological damage to the Character. From this point on, he or she will be bewildered when attempting anything requiring intellect or memory. The Character suffers -1 to Wits.

4:

Scarred/Pock marked: A terrible fever left this Character scarred for life, giving them an appearance some find fearsome. A -1 Wits modifier exists for all social situations when encountering new groups of people, compounded to -2 if the new group has a religious aversion to disease or scarring. This does not apply to tests involving intimidation, and in fact does the complete opposite -1 TN modifier to rolls involving the Manipulation skill if present, rather than -1 Wits. This is doubled against those averse to scarring.

5-6: Broken Leg: This Character acquires the slow moving trait for one month in Narrative play, or four games if playing a linked series of encounters or campaigns. 7:

No effect.

8-9: Broken Arm: -1 Fighting and Shooting for one month in Narrative play, or four games if playing a linked series of encounters or campaigns. 10:

Mechanical appendage: The Character has lost a limb, and had it replaced with a mechanical one. Regardless of technological level they will be shunned by Characters with the luddite trait , and seen as unnatural or menacing by others. Players receiving this result should roll 1d6 again. A result of 1-3 will give them a -1 to their Shooting and Fighting attributes, while a result of 4-6 will give them a -1 to their Movement.

11:

Trauma: A horrifying experience has led to the Character gaining the phobia trait . If the Character rolling this result already has the phobia trait , it will lead to them gaining the paranoid trait in addition.

12:

Mute: The Character can no longer speak, whether for physical, physiological, or psychological reasons. They must attempt to communicate through gestures that require an opposed test. The rare Communities that have both a surplus of paper or tech and a literate population will go a long way to lessen this trait’s negative aspect, although challenges among strangers would still occur. This Character cannot use Wits for the initiative roll of any other Characters through any means.


CHARACTER TRAINING ADVANCEMENT

Cost per Knowledge Skill

Cost of advancing to a new training level (spent at time of advancement) Training level to advance to: • Trained • Veteran • Elite

Character Renown Development Points

COST IN: RUs

15 30 75

1 1 5

+3 +3 +4

Cost in RUs

Cost in Renown

Yes

10

0

No

25

1

Result: Common: 2 or less: 3: 4: 5: 6: 7: 8: 9: 10: 11: 12+:

2 or less: 3: 4: 5: 6: 7: 8: 9: 10: 11: 12+:

Level 1:

1

-

Level 2:

4

-

Level 3:

10

-

Level 4:

20

1

Level 5:

25

1

Level 6:

40

3

“buying” Common 3 RUs Uncommon 5 RUs Rare 25 RUs Very Rare+ 100 RUs and up

Bow Break Action Rifle Crossbow Revolver, Light Auto Pistol Large Melee Auto Pistol Revolver, Light Shotgun Mining Laser Revolver, Heavy

Mining Laser Revolver, Heavy Tranq Pistol Shell Launcher Sub Machine Gun Tranq Rifle Satchel Bomb Military Grenade Flame Thrower Hunting Rifle Assault Carbine

RANDOM EQUIPMENT CHART Uncommon: Rare:

Bottle of beer 1 day animal feed 1 day dried rations Aloe Megaphone Bed Roll Tarp Stile-Caf Hand Light Bandages Rope


Cost in Renown

RANDOM WEAPONS CHART Uncommon: Rare:

Molotov Medium Melee Junk Gun Zip Pistol Pipe Rifle Small Melee Pipe Rifle Junk Gun Bow Bow Break Action Rifle

Result: Common:

Cost in RUs

TR ADING ITEMS

Cost per Skill level Archetype Skill?

Level

Rope Ointment 3 days dried rations Canteen Weapon rig Tent Machete Compass Water catcher Mining Laser Tablet

Tablet Portable stove Solar panel Glowtorch Survival Kit First Aid Kit Miricle Knife Beam Welder Laser Charge Pack Data Book Bicycle

“selling” 1 RU 3 RUs 5 RUs 25 RUs

Very Rare: Assault Carbine Vibro Blade Laser Pistol Charger Rifle Shock Gun Battle Rifle Charger Pistol Power Claw Sniper Rifle Laser Rifle LMG

Very Rare: Bicycle Geiger counter Ind. solar panel Drug synthesizer Obsi-Lens Night vision goggles Miracle knife Chem injector Nutrient processor Green pod Geomapper

Wreck Age a Post-Collapse RPG and Tabletop Game

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