Wasteland Survival Guide: Turning Dumb Rookies Into Smart Su
Chapter 2: House Rules
Every game has it's personal quirks. Every GM has them too. These are mine. There are many like them, but these are still mine.
-We don't roll dice unless I ask or tell you too. I hate that when players say they want to.do something and then add a dice roll. I know some people like it because it occasionally speeds things up. But I don't. I don't because a lot of the time I have a response based on an if/then scenario.
-We do use the books. The standing order of priority in the event rules contradict are as follows. My own judment, the d20 Weapons Locker, d20 Post Apocalypse, d20 Modern, and then d20 Future.
-Find one color for dialogue and stick with it.
-You keep track of your experience and stats. Not me. Keep your bio lines to the left, by your portrait, up to date. If they lag behind, and I use them, it's your fault, not mine.
-We will be using exploding damage dice. If your gun does 2d6 damage and your dice come up a 6 and 4, you may roll the six again and combine the results. This makes things more deadly, I know. This is why when we roll damage, we will be recording each dice.
-When it comes to healing, if it normally says a d8 or 2d8, etc, etc, you roll 2d4 instead. A healing item that restores 2d8 health would restore 4d4. This just raises the minimim.
-When combat comes, I don't want you sitting around and waiting for a particular order. Yes, we will be going by initiative, so don't jump to the front of the line when you know you're last (Ricky Bobby), but don't sit around and wait on Leo the Slow Poke Libtard if he's holding you up. At the bottom of a combat post, put your mechanics in OOC orange. I prefer it be standard action, move action, and then status effects and special abilities. But as long as I can understand it, we're all groovy.
-At some point there will be laser guns or plasma weapons. You've been warned.
-I reserve the right to add to, subtract from, use, or abuse this list as necessary.
Medicine & Drugs
Buffout: A bottle of Buffout has 3 doses. Each dose gives you a +4 Strength and a +2 Constitution for a number of rounds equal to your (new) Constitution score. Its effects do not stack. Each dose also grants a -2 penalty to Will Saves for the duriation. Buffout is also highly addictive. After the second dose, (and each time used after) You have to make a DC 14 Will Save or become addicted. While suffering withdraws, you have a -2 penalty to Strength, Constitution, and Wisdom.
Healing Powder: Healing Powder is a strange medicine made up of a variety of herbs and spices. It is especially common among tribals. Healing Powder is snorted through the nose (thus the user must be conscious). It heals 1d6 plus the user's Constitution Score over a number of rounds equal to the user's Constitution Modifier. However, the user suffers a -1 penalty to Wisdom when using Healing Powder. The -1 penalty is cumulative for a number of hours equal to the user's Constitution Modifier. Obviously one should avoid using too much powder.
Stimpack: Stimpacks are injected. The have strange, instant healing effects. Stimpacks heal for 4d4+4 points of health. They also heal an additional 1d4+1 points of health for every five ranks in Treat Injury the user has.
Smoking Herbs: Smoking Herbs have a relaxing effect. They provide a +2 bonus to Charisma for the duriation of the scene and have an additional effect of providing a +3 bonus to all saving throws vs Radiation.
Cigarettes: Cigarettes in the wasteland are highly addictive. After smoking a few cigarettes (2d4+2), a character must make a DC25 Will Save or become addicted. Once addicted, a character must smoke at least 1 cigarette every hour or suffer a -2 penalty to all saving throws until they get their fix. Breaking a cigarette addiction is extremely tough. It takes at least three days and a DC 25 Will Save on three consecutive days. Failing this will save two days in a row means the addiction cannot be broken and requires at least two weeks before the character can try again. However, cigarettes have several useful benefits in the Wasteland to make many risk the addiction. First, smoking a cigarette gives the user a +1 bonus to Will saves. Second, cigarettes are strangely healing. Cigarettes heal 1hp for every point of Constitution bonus, minimum of 1. A pack of cigarettes has 20 cigarettes.
Beer: Beer is gradually addictive, it's effects building up over time. Beer in the Wasteland has two effects. For every 2 beers drank, the character gains a +1 bonus to damage (maximum of 5) and a +1 bonus to to Will Saves in order to resist fear. The effect is called Liquid Courage by most. The second effect is the drawback. Beer lowers Wisdom, Intelligence, and Dexterity by 1 for every two beers drank. In addition, a character can drink up to 2 beers for every point of their Constitution bonus. When they exceed that amount, they must make a DC 15 Fortitude save to avoid getting sick and passing out. Alcohol addiction is tough to break, but also tough to acquire. After every 2 beers, a character must make a DC 10 + number of beers drank Will save to avoid addiction. If you drink 3, it's DC 13. If it's only 2, then there is no chance of addiction. Breaking the addiction functions exactly like cigarettes, but is DC 20. The effects of beer last 1 hour for every beer.
Liquor: Liquor (and wine) function exactly like beer, except that liquor has 10 drinks per bottle and wine has 7.
Afterburner Gum: Afterburner gum is something uniquely engineered after the war. The effects last for only a few minutes, but provide an instant boost to reaction time. Afterburner gum increases Initiative by +2 and provides a +1 bonus to Reflex saves for 10 minus the character's Constitution modifier minutes (minimum of 1).
Jet:
Mentats:
Painkillers:
Anti-venom:
Radaway:
First Aid Kit:
Food & Water:
Weapons & Armor
Football Pads: Football Pads are not really proper armor, but in the wasteland, they work in a pinch. They provide +4 AC bonus, but also a -2 Dexterity check penalty. They do not hamper movement. They do require Light Armor Proficiency to use. Without the proficiwncy, they are +3 AC and -3 Dexterity check.
Scorpion Duster: The Scorpion Duster gives you a +1 bonus to Charisma while wearing it, and provides a +1 bonus to AC. It can be worn over most other armor. Its effects do stack. You must be a Rad Scorpion of Private Rank or Higher to wear this item and get its bonus. If you're not, you suffer a -10 penalty to Charisma.
Biker Leather & Leather Jacket: Biker Leathers just look cool. They give a circumstantial +1 bonus to Bluff and Intimidate, but a -1 to Diplomacy. They alao protect against the environment, and grant a +1 cicumstantial bonus to resist that effects of cold. They are beefed up from the original +1 bonus to AC to a +2 bonus. They do not require any sort of proficiency to use.
Baseball Bat: Used with one hand, a baseball bat does 1d8 damage. Used with two hands, baseball bats do 3d4 damage. Metal bats are heavier, and apply a -1 penalty to hit, but also do an additional +1 point of damage.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:39, Sun 25 Feb 2018.