Weird Wastelands

world may have had their powers passed down directly from pre-apocalyptic sources. Were powers such as theirs responsible for the downfall of the previous civilization? Only the dead know. new sorcerer subclass: sun-hollowed soul sorcerous origin The angry sun has baked its power into you. In so doing, what of you was burned away? You possess the ability to parch your enemies, poison them with cosmic rays, and shine as brilliantly as that hateful orb itself. Will your radiance help repair the land, or will it be yet another malignance that scourges it? Perhaps you or one of your ancestors found yourself caught under the sun’s gaze too long, and it hollowed out a place for itself in you or someone in your family. Its scintillating rays changed you on a base level and allow you to harness the damaging power of the sun. SUN-HOLLOWED SPELLS SORCERER LEVEL SPELLS15 1st gamma burst*, guiding bolt 3rd heat metal, sun greeting* 5th hollowed husk*, hypnotic pattern 7th blight, wall of fire 9th contagion, flame strike SUN-HOLLOWED SOUL SORCEROUS ORIGIN FEATURES SORCERER LEVEL FEATURE 1st The Sun Shines Eternal 6th Sun-Baked, Scorched Resilience 14th Corona 18th Supernova THE SUN SHINES ETERNAL At 1st level, you gain the following benefits granted to you by the power of the dying sun: ■ Any time you cast a spell that deals radiant damage or produces light, it is considered sunlight. ■ Whenever you spend 1 or more sorcery points to create an effect, you can choose to make your skin glow with a yellow luminosity that creates bright light in a 30-foot radius around you for 1 minute. This light dispels magical darkness. ■ You can spend 2 sorcery points when you cast a spell of 1st level or higher that deals acid, cold, fire, lightning, or necrotic damage to change its damage type to radiant. SUN-BAKED At 6th level, if you’ve spent at least 1 hour in the past 24 hours in direct sunlight, you may spend one of your Hit Dice to regain sorcery points. Roll one Hit Die with no 15. Spells marked with an asterisk can be found in the “Spell Descriptions” section at the end of this chapter. CHAPTER ONE • character options weird waStelandS 47

modifier and add the result to your pool of sorcery points. You regain this ability when you finish a long rest. SCORCHED RESILIENCE At 6th level, you are resistant to radiant damage like the burning star above. When you cast a spell using radiant damage, you may spend 1 sorcery point to make yourself flash with a burst of radiance so bright that one creature of your choice within 30 feet of you that can see you must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be blinded until the end of your next turn. You may use this ability once per long rest. CORONA At 14th level, the power of the sun can surround you. As a bonus action, you can spend 2 sorcery points to emanate radiant energy. When a creature moves within 10 feet of you for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, the creature takes 3d8 radiant damage and must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for as long as it remains within 10 feet of you. You ignore all negative effects imposed by heat16 while this ability is active. This ability lasts for 1 minute or until you choose to end it as a bonus action. SUPERNOVA At 18th level, you can use an action to call upon the sun to transform you into light itself. While in this form, you gain the following benefits: ■ As a bonus action, you can teleport up to 120 feet to any unoccupied space you can see. ■ The range of any spell you cast that deals radiant damage extends to 300 feet as long as you can see your target. ■ You are able to pass through solid objects and creatures. ■ You have resistance to all damage except force and psychic damage. This ability lasts for up to 1 minute, and you may dismiss it at any time. When the effect ends, you must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or explode in a supernova of radiant energy, causing 20d6 fire damage and 20d6 radiant damage in a 60-foot-radius sphere centered on you. You die instantly and return to life the following dawn. You return with all the equipment you were wearing and carrying when you activated the ability, and you return as though you had finished a long rest. Once you use this action, you can’t use it again for 10 days. 16. See the “Heat and Wind in the Wastes” section of chapter 3 on p. 118 for more information on heat levels and their effects on creatures. warlock If you aren’t born with innate magical abilities, there are few ways in the wastes to gain power outside of making a pact with a powerful being. There are many entities capable of granting magic here, and even more people willing to make a deal with such beings to ensure their survival, even if it means furthering the agenda of a nefarious creature. Warlocks of the Apocalypse are uncommon, as the forces who caused it do not often openly announce themselves, either because their presence is limited or for fear of being overcome by the many groups who would band together to snuff them out at the soonest opportunity. new warlock subclass: apocalypse otherworldly patron The forces that caused the apocalypse may be dead, but they are not gone. They seek a connection to the present, and they have found one in you. Your patron has imbued CHAPTER ONE • character options 48 weird waStelandS

Even though the intent of this book is gaming in the postapocalypse, there are some people (myself included) for whom the murky conditions of the apocalypse itself is too tantalizing a secret to leave alone. This subclass is for my fellow curious gamers. – Emma EXPANDED SPELL LIST When you first choose this patron, you choose what type of apocalyptic pact they represent: disaster, pollution, ruin, or despair. Your patron allows you to choose from an expanded list of spells associated with their apocalyptic pact when you learn a warlock spell. The following spells are added to the warlock spell list for you, depending on which pact you select. POWERED BY THE APOCALYPSE At 1st level, your patron gives you a memento of the apocalypse that contains a tiny remnant of its destructive power. This memento is a Tiny object, and you can use it as a spellcasting focus for your warlock spells. You may roll on the Patron Memento table to determine your object or choose it yourself. If your memento is lost or destroyed, you may summon your memento in a ritual that takes 1 hour during a short or long rest. The previous version of your memento is destroyed when a new one is created. When you touch your memento, you can use it in the following ways. Apocalyptic Protection If you fail a saving throw versus any environmental effect, you may add an additional 1d4 to your roll, possibly changing your failure into a success. Seed of Annihilation Once during each of your turns when you cast a spell that deals damage, you may deal an additional 1d8 necrotic damage to a single target. You may use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain these uses whenever you finish a short or long rest. WARLOCK SPELLS BY APOCALYPTIC PACT SPELL LEVEL DISASTER PACT POLLUTION PACT RUIN PACT DESPAIR PACT 1st bane, create or destroy water inflict wounds, purify food and drink fog cloud, identify bane, heroism 2nd gust of wind, spike growth lesser restoration, protection from poison gentle repose, shatter calm emotions, ray of enfeeblement 3rd call lightning plant growth, stinking cloud animate dead, dispel magic beacon of hope, fear 4th control water, hallucinatory terrain blight, death ward confusion, fabricate phantasmal killer, private sanctum 5th flame strike, insect plague commune with nature, contagion antilife shell, creation dominate person, modify memory you with the only kind of power they know: that which caused the world to transform into what it is now. Perhaps your patron is a powerful and long dead archwizard who has forged a connection with you to divine the result of their actions and find the cause of the disaster they were helpless to avert. Maybe your patron is a darker force, a powerful entity with an interest in completing their unfinished destruction of the world. Or perhaps your patron is the very magic that plagues this land, concentrated enough to gain sentience and seek out an avatar. Your patron could even be a powerful psychic force that feeds off the painful despair caused by the great upheaval, and they’re getting hungry. Whatever your patron is, it has ties to what came before and an interest in what happens next. To aid you in your adventures, your patron grants you magic imbued with treacherously apocalyptic energy along with powers to protect yourself from some of its effects and explore and report back on the dark and undisturbed corners of the Weird Wastelands. APOCALYPSE OTHERWORLDLY PATRON FEATURES WARLOCK LEVEL FEATURES 1st Expanded Spell List, Powered by the Apocalypse 6th Catastrophic Induction 10th Resurrected History 14th Summon Cataclysm CHAPTER ONE • character options weird waStelandS 49

PATRON MEMENTO d8 MEMENTO 1 A melted coin 2 A tarnished locket 3 A scorched glass doll’s eye 4 A broken toy airship 5 A cracked wooden gavel 6 A powder compact with a shattered mirror 7 A preserved insect in a jar 8 A mummified hand CATASTROPHIC INDUCTION At 6th level, you begin to assume some characteristics of the apocalypse itself. You gain resistance to necrotic damage. Additionally, you can cause disaster for others. You can use your reaction to force a creature within 60 feet of you to roll one attack, ability check, or saving throw with disadvantage. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain the uses of this ability when you finish a long rest. RESURRECTED HISTORY At 10th level, your patron can tell you things about remnants of the previous civilization. You learn the spell legend lore. It counts as a warlock spell for you but doesn’t count against the number of spells you know. You can also cast it once per long rest without a using a spell slot. Additionally, you make Intelligence (History) checks with advantage if they pertain to the apocalypse. SUMMON CATACLYSM At 14th level, your patron grants you the ability to open a portal to moments of cataclysm through the ages. As an action, you may touch your apocalyptic memento and summon a Tiny portal up to 40 feet in the air above a location within 100 feet of you. Cataclysmic energy and matter fall out, spilling in a 40-foot cone from the portal. Roll on the Summon Cataclysm table to determine the type of material, damage, and other effects of the cataclysmic energy. This portal is open for 1 second and cannot be entered. All creatures within the cone must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone and take damage as indicated on the table, or half as much on a success and remain standing. This matter exists for 1 minute before melting into ectoplasm. Once you use this feature, roll a d6. You can’t use this ability again until you finish a number of long rests equal to the result. SUMMON CATACLYSM d6 MATERIAL TYPE DAMAGE 1 Burning and melting buildings, roads, and transports 8d6 magical bludgeoning damage, 8d6 fire damage, and the area is considered difficult terrain 2 40 ft. of boiling water charged with scintillating electrical energy 8d6 lightning damage, 8d6 radiant damage, and prone creatures are swept away in the water; at the start of your turn, the water and any Huge or smaller creatures in it move 50 feet away from the center of the cataclysm; the water’s height is reduced by 10 ft. per turn 3 5,000 gallons of magma17 10d6 fire damage the first time a creature enters or begins its turn in the affected area, and 4d6 fire damage at the beginning of each of its turns while it remains in the affected area 4 A cloud of poisonous miasma 8d6 poison damage and 8d6 necrotic damage, and any creatures who die in the affected area rise as zombies 1d4 rounds after death 5 1,000 gallons of roiling alchemical reagents and byproducts 14d6 damage of any type you choose 6 Nothing visible, although those in the area get sunburned, blistered, nauseous, and weak 8d6 radiant damage, and all creatures in the area must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or become incapacitated; at the beginning of each of its turns, an affected creature can attempt another Constitution saving throw, removing the incapacitated condition on a success 17. If you summon this spell at its maximum height, and if one assumes the entire cone is full of apocalyptic material, it could be a really ridiculously large amount of matter. While we want this power to be memorable and destructive, we didn’t want it to be “10 percent of an actual volcanic eruption” powerful. Hence these limits. For reference, 5,000 gallons is about half the contents of a small swimming pool. CHAPTER ONE • character options 50 weird waStelandS

wizard Traditional wizards are extremely rare in the wastelands. Most must find a spellbook and learn how to wield magic on their own. Precious few wizards take on apprentices, there are no wizard schools left, and most traditional magical knowledge was lost in the cataclysm. The magic to which wizards have the most access wasn’t available at the fall of the prior civilization; it is mostly destructive and not necessarily useful in present conditions18. Further complicating a wizard’s role in the Weird Wastelands is the havoc the use of verbal and somatic components can create in areas of wild, rampant magic. Traditional wizards must always be on their guard for such conditions. new wizard subclass: technomancy arcane tradition When no one is making paper, how do you learn magic from a book? Chances are, you don’t. Technomancers are practical junkyard wizards who studied not in colleges but in the school of hard knocks. They attempt to use technology to tame magic that would otherwise run wild across the wastes or be controlled inside the mind of a traditionally educated wizard. As a consequence, they have special knowledge of constructs and an understanding of how pre-apocalypse arcanotech devices work. Many 18. We’re talking about the damage-focused spell lists in the PHB. technomancers work hard to keep their knowledge secret, as they are at least somewhat aware of the role that magic played in the demise of the prior civilization. A technomancer may live in a settlement to maintain whatever magical devices the community has or to receive things that villagers find to ensure their safety, or they may traverse the wastes looking for more tech. They often gather in secretive cabals to study what they find. They may communicate with each other through cyphers and puzzles in an effort to keep knowledge of apocalyptic magics quiet. Interacting with pre-apocalypse tech is a fine tightrope to walk in terms of safety and ethics. Heard rumors of a dangerous magic-user in the wasteland? Chances are it’s a technomancer. TECHNOMANCY ARCANE TRADITION FEATURES WIZARD LEVEL FEATURE 2nd Arcanotech Panoply, Scrap Book 6th Imbue Spell 10th Omni-tool 14th Imbued Spell Mastery CHAPTER ONE • character options weird waStelandS 51

Why are we being so specific about this? Counterspell can only be declared as a reaction to casting a spell, not discharging it. So unless your opponent is there when you imbue the spell into your device, it is not possible to counterspell an imbued spell cast from an arcanotech device in this way. We think that’s cool. What is an arcanotech device? A staff, rod, activator, emitter, hoop, orb, gauntlet, headgear, prosthetic arm, or chunky ring. Your panoply is where you store your arcanotech devices, in which you can store spells in later levels. Think of it as your collection of little magical devices. ARCANOTECH PANOPLY At 2nd level, you have finished constructing a unique set of tools and arcanotech devices you use to cast your technomancy spells known as a panoply. The components of a panoply are many and come in various shapes and sizes, but the collection almost always fits inside a small sack or storage case. The components of a panoply are: ■ A component pouch for storing reagents and ingredients ■ An arcane battery that holds a maximum number of charges equal to your proficiency bonus that can power magic items and arcanotech devices ■ Any number of arcanotech devices created or refurbished by you that power your other class features While you are wearing or holding your panoply, spells you cast have no verbal or somatic components if they have a material component listed. Additionally, if you create a construct with a spell, the construct gains additional hit points equal to twice your wizard level. SCRAP BOOK Beginning at 2nd level, you have learned to use a wider variety of materials to copy new spells. The gold you must spend to copy any new spell into your spellbook is halved, but your spellbook weighs 10 pounds instead of the standard 3 pounds. IMBUE SPELL At 6th level, you can cast a spell of 1st level or higher with a duration of instantaneous and store that spell in one arcanotech device from your panoply, discharging it later as an action. All variables for the spell are set when you imbue it into the device, and the spell’s effect originates from the device when discharged. When you cast the initial spell, you can specify under what conditions the spell will discharge (proximity, after a set timer, direct discharge by you (as an action), or some other condition). Only you can discharge a spell you imbue into a device. An imbued spell remains in its device for 24 hours and disappears when discharged. You can imbue only one spell in an arcanotech device at a time, and a device can only hold one imbued spell. If the device is destroyed, the imbued spell is lost. Once you use this feature, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest. OMNI-TOOL At 10th level, you have upgraded and modified your panoply to create a marvelous arcanotech omni-tool. At the end of a short rest, you can reconfigure the omni-tool to serve as any set of artisan’s tools, and you are proficient with whatever tools you are using in this way. When you’re holding your panoply, you no longer have to use verbal or somatic components to cast any spell, regardless of whether the spell has material components. IMBUED SPELL MASTERY At 14th level, when you imbue a spell into an arcanotech device, the spell remains imbued indefinitely until discharged or until the device is destroyed. Additionally, the number of devices you can have imbued at one time increases to a number equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded down). CHAPTER ONE • character options 52 weird waStelandS

There are many pockets of civilization in the wastelands. They can be groups of villages, towns, or factions all separated by the borders of the harsh wastelands. The only way for these pockets to stay connected is with envoys, so they are viewed differently than most other travelers in the wastes. The Last of the Mohicans film provided the inspiration for this ability when Hawkeye approaches the Huron to bargain for the release of Cora and Alice Munro. The Postman inspired the Enclave Envoy background too. The backgrounds in this section provide both concrete benefits (features, proficiencies, and languages) and roleplaying suggestions to further your characters’ connections to the wastelands. enclave envoy You have a way with words, and you use this ability to foster peace…or at least the guise of peace until the blade is poised to fall. As an envoy, you bear the banner of peace and relay messages between different enclaves. You are respected by most, unless you treat people in bad faith—then your white flag will be stained red. Throughout the wastelands, enclaves are always looking for envoys to traverse the expanses between pockets of civilization. You may do this for peace, fame, or fortune, if you can survive long enough to see these rewards realized. Skill Proficiencies: Two skills of your choice from the following list: Deception, Insight, Perception, Persuasion Languages: Any two languages of your choice Equipment: A fine leather satchel, an enclave banner, a set of traveler’s clothes, dispatches/ mail for the nearest enclave, and a pouch containing 5 gp background feature: banner of peace So long as you carry your enclave banner, you are given the chance to speak your piece as long you keep the peace. Certain enclaves may test your resolve with intimidation, but if you proceed peacefully, your path will not be blocked, allowing you to present your case to whomever is in charge. Other enclaves will not attack you until you have had your say with their leader. suggested characteristics Enclave envoys come from all walks of life. There is no one path that leads to success—whether you must promise, entice, or cajole, only the results matter. An envoy must use all the tools in their kit to achieve their goals. d6 PERSONALITY TRAIT 1 My positivity is infectious, so I spread it far and wide. 2 I always put my travel expense stipend into savings. 3 I like to give grand speeches to sway others. 4 I work with everyone on both sides of an issue. 5 I’m not above blackmail to get what I want. 6 I am prone to exaggerate when relaying my exploits. CHAPTER ONE • character options weird waStelandS 53

d6 IDEAL 1 Optimism. Peace is always an option. (Good) 2 Righteousness. I would give my life to prove peace is the right path. (Good) 3 Bipartisanship. Common ground isn’t that common, but it’s the only ground in which peace can grow. (Good) 4 Realism. You can’t make everyone happy. (Neutral) 5 Certitude. I will have peace, no matter who must die to achieve it. (Evil) 6 Might. Never compromise with weak opposition. (Evil) d6 BOND 1 My enclave is my life. 2 An adventurer saved me from certain death in the wastelands, but I never got their name. I will find them and thank them properly one day. 3 All the treaties I’ve brokered have held, save one. It is my mission to reinstate this peace that was lost. 4 My mentor taught me everything I know. They are my guiding star. 5 My word is my bond. 6 My family has always supported me, and I work daily to repay that support. d6 FLAW 1 I can never remember new people’s names, and it’s led to more than one diplomatic incident. 2 I love the praise I receive when I negotiate a new peace even more so than the peace itself. 3 I lie all the time. To everyone. 4 A dragon has compromising information on me, so I do its bidding from time to time. 5 I must have the last word during negotiations. 6 I like to push drinking during every negotiation so everyone is more malleable. faction veteran The wastelands are rife with warlords who carve out territory for their own whims. These warlords establish factions to ensure their rule, recruiting all who would carry out their orders. These faction veterans range from specialists to war wagon drivers. For these veterans, the faction is life. As a faction veteran, you have a place to call home. You have people to call brother and sister. You have a warlord to call savior. You know the rivalries and conflicts that threaten your family, and you know what needs to be done to eliminate those threats. Choose or roll for your faction on the Faction Options table. FACTION OPTIONS d6 FACTION MISSION 1 Arcanotech Cabal You have been tasked with bringing home the Apocalyptic Converter, which will bring enough power to cleanse the wasteland of impurity. 2 Badland Reavers You were sent into the wastelands to find a trolleum field and bring the location back to the faction before the war wagons drink their reserves dry. 3 Doom Cult The head of your cult shrine statue has been stolen, and tracks lead you east. You cannot return until you find it. 4 The Fellowship News of a massive oasis must be confirmed before any more desperate pilgrims hazard the wastes and disappear. You have a tattoo that looks like a map of the region. You are the chosen. 5 Infernal Recruiters Quotas must be filled, and your region has been lacking. You must find new recruits. After all, the Blood War cannot fight itself. 6 The Enduring Aristocracy You have been promised conversion for years but are treated like a common servant. You will prove your worth one way or another. CHAPTER ONE • character options 54 weird waStelandS

See the “Survival Gear” section of chapter 2 on p. 82 for information on the mechanic’s kit. Giving a player a functional war wagon from the beginning of the game might be too much for some GMs, but a stolen war wagon is a call to adventure for the player from the start. A broken-down war wagon is a large gold sink for the character and results in a different—if not slightly more frustrating—call to action. See chapter 2 for information about trolleum, the fuel used in the wastelands. Skill Proficiencies: Perception, Survival Tool Proficiencies: Choose either mechanic’s kit or vehicles (land) Languages: Any one language of your choice Equipment: The keys to a war wagon (broken down, lost, or stolen) or a half-full jug of trolleum, a head covering, and a pouch containing 10 gp background feature: ins and outs You know the movers and shakers in the various factions and understand their general workings. You know the conflicts between factions, the location of faction borders, and how each operates in that territory. This vast understanding gives you advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) and Charisma (Persuasion) checks when dealing with other faction members. suggested characteristics These veterans come in every shape and size with personalities traits to match. Some are boisterous while others find it ideal to be silent as death. They have flaws like anyone else, but they accept them and even bond over them more so than people from other backgrounds. d8 PERSONALITY TRAIT 1 I want everyone to bear witness to my deeds! 2 My vehicle is my best friend. There are many like it, but this one is mine. 3 I always laugh at my own jokes. 4 My weapons are as sharp as my tongue. 5 I feel the need…the need for speed! 6 If you hear me, you’re probably already dead. 7 My faction is my family, and I look out for them. 8 I strive to rise to the top of my faction. d6 IDEAL 1 Loyalty. The faction and everyone in it are everything! (Lawful) 2 Worship. Veterans come and go, but the warlord is forever! (Neutral) 3 Egoism. I am part of the faction but only trust myself. (Neutral) 4 Ambition. I will rule this faction one day! (Neutral) 5 Fanaticism. No other faction should exist, and I will make that a reality. (Evil) 6 Fatalism. The faction is a means to an end, and that might mean an end to the faction or me one day. (Chaotic) d6 BOND 1 My warlord took me in, and I owe them more than my life. 2 My vehicle’s name is Zora. 3 My driver is the biggest badass who ever drove a vehicle, and I keep that rig running. 4 My sibling was taken by a rival faction, and I will find them! 5 I still donate to the temple that raised me before I joined my faction. The next generation needs all the help they can get. 6 I’ve life bonded with the epitome of perfection and would do anything to protect them. d6 FLAW 1 I never take care of my vehicle, and it breaks down all the time. 2 I hoard everything, much to the chagrin of my faction mates. 3 I keep myself meticulously clean regardless of the availability of water. 4 I’m on my third faction, but a little burn gets rid of those pesky tattoos. 5 I’m an adrenaline junkie and look for that rush anytime, anywhere. 6 I killed a faction mate but hid the body well. At least, I hope so. A life bond can be many things in the wastelands. Most of the time it is a romantic connection, but don’t limit yourself to that. This could be a best friend or someone who saved your life. Expand your mind to the full implications of knowing someone for whom you’d do anything. It could be an NPC or another character— either way, this bond will probably be fodder for drama in the game, but isn’t that why we play? CHAPTER ONE • character options weird waStelandS 55

Mendicants are those who rely on others for food and money, so make sure you don’t forget that when playing a character with this background. This would be a perfect match for any monk or paladin, but any class would work. The wastelands are hard, but only by giving does everyone survive. GM and player should work together to make sure this warrant sets the table for some action. Whether it’s water thieves or worm rustlers, there’s always someone in the wastelands that needs to be brought to justice. This could feature a one-off event or the inciting moment that pulls the party into the greater narrative. I highly recommend watching any bounty hunter movie or TV show prior to picking this background. Dredd works as inspiration too. The main idea here is to balance the tension between the need to see justice done and the need to eat. You want to work for the greater good, but that costs money. Some mendicant lawgivers give in to temptation and become corrupted. Who judges the judges? mendicant lawgiver You walk these lands because they are lawless, and while you cannot abide that, you need compensation for your service to the wastes. You have trained for this and carry the badge of your office so that wastelanders know who you are. They must pay for adjudication; while you are free to dispense justice as you see fit, justice isn’t free. Some call you a justice beggar, but they all pay one way or another. Whether you feel called to the service of law or simply find it the easiest way to turn a profit, you have a job to do all the same. Most people of the wastes welcome lawgivers since blood feuds are more costly. You settle scores and bring in bounties when needed. Should warring factions seek your services, you negotiate a fee and hear their cases, rendering judgement as you see fit. Although some may not like your rulings, most would never dare cross a mendicant lawgiver. Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Intimidation Languages: Any two languages of your choice Equipment: A local warrant, a set of manacles, a badge of office, a set of traveler’s clothes, a brand for the guilty, and a pouch containing 5 gp background feature: wasteland justice You have the authority to adjudicate grievances in the wastelands, hunt down and turn in bounties, and enforce claims by wronged parties that present sufficient evidence. Most everyone in the wastelands that isn’t protected by a faction or other governing body look to mendicant lawgivers for justice, and that is what you provide. When serving a warrant in an area, locals provide you with food and shelter, so long as justice is swift. suggested characteristics Lawgivers ply their trade for many reasons, whether out of a sense of duty or a love of coin. Either way, their authority grants power in the wastes. They rely on the coin of those who hire them, so each lawgiver’s pursuit of justice must satisfy all parties involved. d8 PERSONALITY TRAIT 1 I am the law. 2 I never charge what I should to adjudicate disputes; people have it hard enough out in the wastelands. 3 I will listen to all sides and carefully weigh the options before rendering judgment. 4 Crossing me is signing your own death warrant. 5 I always catch my prey, because of my particular set of skills. 6 The only option I weigh fairly is the gold in my hand and who put it there. 7 I strive to bring balance to the wastelands. 8 I cannot resist investigating a crime. CHAPTER ONE • character options 56 weird waStelandS

d6 IDEAL 1 Indifference. No one is above the law. (Lawful) 2 Fairness. Everyone deserves a fair shake no matter how guilty they seem. (Neutral) 3 R.A.W. If the letter of the law isn’t broken, there is no reason for my services. (Lawful) 4 Tough. The wasteland is unforgiving, and so am I. (Neutral) 5 Pessimism. The world is broken, and I can only do so much to keep the pieces together. (Neutral) 6 Certitude. What I do matters to the people I help. (Good) d6 BOND 1 A former bounty has escaped justice for now, but not for long. 2 Once I save enough money, I will settle down and open a bar. 3 My family was taken from me by reavers, and I work to keep other families from sharing my pain. 4 I made a bad judgment once, and it will never happen again. 5 My mount has seen me through many travels, and a better companion can’t be found. 6 My mentor taught me everything they know, and I will always be there for them. d6 FLAW 1 My rulings are as harsh and unforgiving as the wastelands I travel. 2 My bounties usually end up in the bottle. 3 My rulings are vague and unsatisfying to those who task me with justice, but no one has challenged me…yet. 4 I’m willing to bend the rule of law for the right fee. 5 I bring every bounty in dead regardless of the warrant’s stipulation, but I always have an excuse. 6 I use my position of power to cover for my many insecurities. naturalist The natural world fascinates you, and what place is more fascinating than the wasteland? It’s full of creatures, geological formations, flora, weather patterns, magical interference, and elemental dysphoria that are all new and just waiting for someone to come in and study them. Naturalists stand on the edge of the unknown in the physical world and delight in observing it, categorizing it, and amassing a collection of samples of every bit of it. Perhaps you don’t come from this world and treat your journeys here as an intrepid excursion, or maybe you grew up here and are nevertheless captivated by all the things that make up the place you call home. Whether you seek to transform this land or wish merely to observe, you dedicate yourself to studying in the school of life. CHAPTER ONE • character options weird waStelandS 57

Naturalists often correspond with one another (as often as one can in such a remote place) and sometimes travel together to cover different regions. The largest settlements in the wastes may have a naturalist society, which is often little more than a chamber in the back of a barn stacked high with specimen jars.19 Skill Proficiencies: Nature, Survival Tool Proficiencies: Herbalism kit Languages: Any two languages of your choice Equipment: Three paper journals, pens, ink, a collection of beakers and specimen jars, pins and mounting paper, a magnifying glass, drawing charcoal, and the last seeds of an extinct plant background feature: cross reference If you find any naturally occurring plant, animal, substance, or object, you can consult your journals to find some nugget of information about it. If you spend 1 minute consulting your journals, you roll Intelligence (Investigation) checks made to learn more about your discovery with advantage. If you spend 10 minutes consulting your journals, you automatically succeed on the check. background feature: meteorologist You can predict and prepare for the weather. When you begin a long rest, you can roll a DC 15 Intelligence check. If your roll is successful, the GM must tell you what tomorrow’s weather will be.20 suggested characteristics Naturalists are devoted to increasing their understanding of the world around them. They tend toward a logical and orderly outlook, and things that don’t comfortably fit into their concept of the world can inspire fascination, frustration, or both.21 19. This background is inspired by natural scientist explorers in the 19th and early 20th centuries. If you’ve ever seen Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World and ever wanted to play a character like the ship’s doctor, this one is for you. In an area or world where most knowledge has been lost, this becomes a particularly engaging and useful background to have. 20. If your group is not using our weather rules in chapter 3, this ability may not be as useful to you it would be otherwise. In that case, some suitable replacements for this background feature may be the ability to have naturalist contacts who can research on your behalf, resistance to poison, or a small library of physical science you have access to in the area of your home. 21. Something for your table to think about: Is magic a part of the natural world? Or is it something else? d8 PERSONALITY TRAIT 1 I notice the little things that others take for granted. 2 Others might call the sun hateful, but I think it’s just misunderstood. 3 I could talk about rocks all day, and I often do. 4 I see order where others see chaos. 5 I gravitate toward the organization of the natural world more than the organizations of people. 6 I’ll make a deal with a magicore22 if I get to study it while I do. 7 The only thing I fear is what I do not understand, which isn’t much. 8 The only thing that distracts me from looking at animals is looking at baby animals. d6 IDEAL 1 Protection. I study the living world so I can find a way to heal it and make it better for us and for the land. (Good) 2 Taxonomy. There is an order to the connections between things, and it is my charge to discover it. (Lawful) 3 Innovation. I’ll do anything to discover new ways to harness the power of the natural world to help people. (Chaotic) 4 Exploitation. I study to discover something people need so I can control the supply. (Evil) 5 Preservation. The land has been so harmed by the acts of people, and the best thing we can do is understand it and let it heal itself. (Good) 6 Explorer. I want to be the first person in the world to catalogue new specimens. (Any) 22. You can find the magicore’s stat block in chapter 6 on p. 299. CHAPTER ONE • character options 58 weird waStelandS

There are already a few nature-based backgrounds, but we wanted to have something a bit different to offer, and I believe this is a niche that hasn’t been filled yet. The nomad is a migratory background. Whether they follow prey or stay ahead of detrimental weather patterns, GMs should always consider a nomad character’s skill set when planning adventures. Simply knowing a region can provide tools for the party to overcome adversity. d6 BOND 1 I once harmed the natural world in a terrible way, and I seek to repair my damage. 2 I lost a fellow naturalist on an excursion, and I have pledged to find them. 3 I want to collect every possible example of one type of specimen. 4 I wish to name as many new types of things after myself as I can. 5 A settlement was built over an important ecological site, and I must make them understand the significance of their actions. 6 I lost my most precious specimen, and I must recover it. d6 FLAW 1 I constantly lose track of my live bug collection. 2 When I’m on the trail, I get easily sidetracked. 3 I see patterns in everything, even when they’re not there. 4 I am so organized in my thinking that I am very disorganized in life. 5 I am so used to observing that I take what everyone says extremely literally. 6 I make extremely healthy—but extremely unpalatable—food. nomad You travel the wastelands not because you have nowhere else to go, but because you choose to wander here. You know the paths to travel and during which season to travel them. Whether you are part of a collective or go at it alone, the knowledge you possess is valuable to anyone interested in staying alive. As a nomad, you may be a guide or a seller of wares in short stops at communities scattered throughout the wastelands. These communities welcome you because you carry news from afar and skins for clothing or shelter. Other nomads usually have a place at their fire for you and an extra ration if you’re hungry. Skill Proficiencies: Choose two from the following: Athletics, Nature, Perception, Survival Tool Proficiencies: One type of artisan’s tools of your choice Languages: Any one language of your choice Equipment: A set of artisan’s tools with which you are proficient, an extra-large water skin, a set of traveler’s clothes, a well-made trinket or piece of jewelry with a personalized inscription, and a pouch containing 5 gp CHAPTER ONE • character options weird waStelandS 59

This knowledge can be game trails, local predators, or just a secret watering hole, but it should always support the exploration pillar of the game. Nomads travel to know things about not only the land around them but also themselves. What do they do with this knowledge? Do they keep it for their people or share it with travelers they meet? A lot of conflict can arise by simply knowing the location of the only oasis in a particularly barren region. Push your players’ moral code to the limit, and see what fallout occurs. background feature: this is the way You have a knack for the paths you’ve walked, the game trails you pass, and the watering holes that serve as an oasis in the wastelands. You never stop traveling, and you enjoy finding new lands to add to your collected knowledge of the wastelands. Whenever you are in familiar territory, you have advantage on Intelligence (Nature) and Wisdom (Survival) checks. suggested characteristics Nomads have always existed in the wastelands and always will because they are made of sterner stuff than most. This can change some people for the worse, while others realize the value in helping others in trouble. After all, one day you might be the one in need of help. d8 PERSONALITY TRAIT 1 I welcome all to my fire. 2 I have so many stories from my travels and tell them until I’m told to be quiet. 3 I have a suspicious eye for new people. 4 I work meticulously to use every part of an animal after a hunt. 5 I’ll sometimes go all week without saying a word. 6 I prefer to walk alone. When I’m with a group, I keep my distance. 7 Settling in one place means waiting to die. 8 I am the web that ties the wasteland together. d6 IDEAL 1 Discovery. I will walk every path there is. (Any) 2 Selfishness. I always eat and drink first because I’m more important. (Evil) 3 Life. All are worthy of helping, even former enemies. (Good) 4 Cycles. All live and all die. (Neutral) 5 Persistence. I simply put one foot in front of the other. That’s gotten me this far, and it will carry me onward. (Any) 6 Fatalism. No one can change their fate. You must walk your path to its end. (Any) d6 BOND 1 I found a piece of personalized jewelry, and I will find its owner. 2 Something created these wastelands, and I will find the cause. 3 My tribe has carried me thus far. Now it’s my turn to carry them. 4 My pet is loyal to me, and if anything happens to it, I will burn the world down. 5 I’m always looking for hidden knowledge. You never know who needs it and what they’re willing to pay. 6 I will map this world or die trying. d6 FLAW 1 I kill more prey than necessary because more skins mean more gold. 2 I don’t trust city dwellers. 3 No matter the situation, I will take any mind-altering substance I find. 4 I hoard food, even when others are starving. 5 I always know the right path, even when it’s the wrong one. 6 I will leave others to die if it keeps me safe. CHAPTER ONE • character options 60 weird waStelandS

In case we haven’t been clear, this is an evil AF background! Your character doesn’t have to have an evil alignment or believe what they did/are doing is evil, but the actions are evil all the same. As such, you should talk to your gaming group and discuss your ideas before you choose this background. It’s possible to go into creepy places that could make most people uncomfortable, and we strongly recommend you don’t do that. Do not take our inclusion of this background as our blessing to make a character who is a rapist or serial killer. There are lots of (way more) interesting, fun, and even heroic ways to play with this background and your character’s relationship to their deeds and former/current faction. To us, interacting with these complex and potentially sensitive concepts is part of the value of roleplaying games, but only at tables where we are all ready to dive into them with shared enthusiasm and solid boundaries. raider Life is hard in the wastelands, and from time to time you must take what you need from others to get by. You’ve spent your life in a warband that raids settlements, ambushes travelers, and extorts the weak to get what it needs. Why break your back gathering resources when you can break a back or two and just take what you need? Perhaps you were born into such a faction, or maybe you came to it later in life out of necessity. Most raiders travel in small bands, but larger groups can both strongarm the communities of a region and become a geopolitical force themselves. Raiders are strong of body, weak of ethics, and more persistent than a hell wind.23 When they’re between villages to pillage, raiders do what they can to survive in the wastes, as nearly no settlements will welcome them. Whether you seek to put these treacherous and disdainful practices behind you or you’re happy to take what you want by force, there is no doubt that you will have to reckon with the consequences of your evil deeds sooner or later. Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Intimidation Tool Proficiencies: Choose one from the following: brewer’s supplies, cobbler’s tools, cook’s utensils, woodcarver’s tools Languages: Any two languages of your choice Equipment: Any one musical instrument, a dice set, a whetstone, an item you took from someone that you wish to return to them, and a piece of jewelry with your faction’s symbol on it background feature: a glint of silver Due to years of sorting through other people’s things, you have an uncanny knack for finding hidden objects of value. Any time you make an Intelligence (Investigation) check to find treasure, you do so with advantage. 23. Hell winds are hot, ferocious winds that you’ll encounter as you explore the wastelands. For more info about hell winds, check out chapter 3. background feature: faction fraternizer Choose one faction with whom you are on friendly terms. Perhaps you used to be a member of the group, or perhaps your relationship with them is more complex. Members of that faction reveal themselves to you and are not hostile toward you unless gameplay changes those conditions. You can seek shelter when in your chosen faction’s territory. Others outside the faction may recognize you as a member of that faction unless you take measures to disguise yourself or otherwise hide your alignment with them. suggested characteristics Raiders see the things they want and take them. They may have reasonable cause to do so, but their willingness to engage in this kind of activity reverberates through their personality, relationships, and the reactions of others to them. Their relationship to property is (or has been in their past) more complex than “this belongs to them, therefore it does not belong to me,” and their relationship with authority figures who enforce such distinctions is rocky in contexts where they deem that authority to be questionable. d8 PERSONALITY TRAIT 1 I always ask nicely for what I want first, but I’ll get it one way or another. 2 I fear no one. 3 My blade is sharp, but my tongue is sharper. 4 When there’s too much talking, I get the itch to break things. 5 To the victor go the spoils, and I’m always the victor. 6 An ambush always happens when you least expect it...so I always expect it. 7 Stuff is just stuff; people get too worked up over it. 8 I will do anything to ensure the survival of my friends. CHAPTER ONE • character options weird waStelandS 61

d6 IDEAL 1 Grift the Grifters. I only pillage from those who steal from others. (Good) 2 The Great Equalizer. I create balance by taking from those with plenty and give to those with none. (Good) 3 Take the Fifth. I wholly reject notions of personal property. (Chaotic) 4 Fight Makes Right. If the weak can’t keep it, they don’t deserve it. (Evil) 5 Bare Necessities. Life is hard, so I only take what I need and nothing more. (Neutral) 6 We All Do It. Sometimes, raiding is just what we have to do to survive in the wastes. (Any) d6 BOND 1 I seek to make amends with those from whom I have taken too much. 2 Something precious to me was stolen by a raider I thought I could trust. 3 One day, I will be a warlord myself. 4 I tried to wrestle an heirloom from a villager, but they took something from me: my heart. 5 I would do anything to protect my warband. 6 There’s one thing I still need to steal, and I will not rest until I get it. remembrancer The remembrancers are a distinguished and loosely organized order devoted to recording and sharing social history. The power—and fallibility—of people’s memories has always been of particular interest to them. While memory is the fundamental element of knowledge, it is impermanent and subject to distortion, as age and emotion skew perspective. You have committed yourself not just to remembering but to recording everything about peoples past and present and spreading their stories. How did they survive, who were their ancestors, what was their toil, what did they create, whom did they love, how did they honor their dead, what stories did they tell, how did they overcome adversity? All these things and more are yours to record and share through inscription and story. d6 FLAW 1 I hate losing more than anything. 2 When everyone’s tempers are up, I make terrible jokes to cut the tension. 3 I have horrible motion sickness on war wagons and other vehicles. 4 My sense of curiosity is often stronger than my sense of reason. 5 The one thing I always forget to pillage is soap. 6 My warband and I used to dare each other to eat roadkill, and that’s how I found out it’s a delicious way to eat. CHAPTER ONE • character options 62 weird waStelandS

You may have an interest in a particular era, or maybe you let what you discover as you journey through life be your guide to what is worth remembering. You are gifted at conveying the lessons you’ve learned through storytelling—one of the best ways to transmit knowledge over time in a time when both literacy and writing materials are uncommon. Skill Proficiencies: History, Performance Languages: Pre-Apocalyptic Common Equipment: A series of half-written chronicles, calligrapher’s supplies, a magnifying glass, an ancient map of an unknown place with marks in a language you don’t understand, and a wastelander’s pack24 24. See the “Survival Gear” section of chapter 2 on p. 82 for information on the wastelander’s pack. background feature: my cousin’s cousin You have an excellent grasp of genealogy and lineages and can find family anywhere. In any settlement with more than fifty residents, within 1 hour you are able to find someone you are related to or a fellow remembrancer who can be convinced to offer you and your party shelter. background feature: around the waterhole If you spend a short or long rest inside any community, you are able to learn about the social networks of that community, including: ■ A notable NPC ■ The community’s relationship with another community ■ Two rumors suggested characteristics Remembrancers’ perspective on the present is shaped by their knowledge of the past. Because they are so focused on the past—or on how the present will be remembered in the future—the transitive nature of time shapes their relationships to others and the world as a whole. d8 PERSONALITY TRAIT 1 I collect every relic of past cultures I can. 2 While I pass on stories I learned from others, it doesn’t hurt to put myself in all of them, too. 3 I’ve heard it all; nothing fazes me, and I’ve always got a tale to prove it. 4 I could talk to people all day, and I often do. 5 I record every detail of my day; you never know when it might be useful. 6 I think about the past so much that it feels more alive to me than the present. 7 I am fascinated with learning more about people who have been dead for generations. 8 I love learning anybody’s stories, but the person I’ve got a crush on tells the best ones. New Language: Pre-Apocalyptic Common Widespread knowledge of pre-apocalyptic language has been lost to time. Perhaps an effect of terrible magical war, current language has little in common with it. The Weird Wastelands are peppered with remnants of this lost language— called Pre-Apocalyptic Common by current denizens of the wastes—and only a precious few, the remembrancers among them, have learned enough to be able to decipher it. CHAPTER ONE • character options weird waStelandS 63

d6 FLAW 1 I am an unremorseful gossip. The more powerful the person, the more bombastic the things I say about them. 2 I believe what everybody tells me. 3 I’d rather study relics of the past than interact with people in the present. 4 I know rules and customs for everything, and I will always tell others when they’ve broken one. 5 I know more about others than they know about themselves. 6 A lifetime of hearing about people’s pain and struggle has left me with no sense of humor. Wasteland Trader We might be living in hell, but everybody still needs stuff! You barter and deal in whatever counts for commerce in the wasteland. Most wasteland traders wander from place to place, always on the hunt for items people might want to trade or sell. The most successful traders journey with hired hands for protection, so they can service the lesstraveled places and search for special items. Some traders may specialize in select goods, but few have the luxury of only dealing in one type of item. Perhaps you started small and managed to barter your way up to prominence, or this could be your family trade. Maybe you’ve always been attracted to junk or the curiosities of the long-dead past that are scattered throughout the Weird Wastelands, or perhaps you are attracted to performing a vital service to the communities in the area. Whatever the case, you are an expert in assessing value, in turning trash into treasure, and in making a deal that’s good enough to keep you in business another day.25 Skill Proficiencies: Investigation, Persuasion Tool Proficiencies: Any one tool of your choice Languages: Any two languages of your choice Equipment: A cart, a Medium-sized pack animal, 3 days’ worth of feed, two trinkets, 5 pieces of standard adventuring gear of your choice worth 10 gp total or less as wares, a ledger, pens and ink, a letter of credit you owe someone that will soon be due, and a wastelander’s pack26 25. This is a great background if you love shopping, inventory management, and/or getting those sweet gp more than the rest of your party. The abilities of this background make your character the natural treasurer of the group. 26. See the “Survival Gear” section of chapter 2 on p. 82 for information on the wastelander’s pack. d6 IDEAL 1 Education. The innovations of people are what must be not only remembered but spread to all corners of the world. (Good) 2 Preservation. Our cultural practices are what define us and must be observed and respected. (Lawful) 3 Innovation. History is for the dead—we must take what’s best about now and do something useful with it. (Chaotic) 4 Control. The knowledge I gain about others positions me to make better decisions for them than they can for themselves. (Evil) 5 Knowledge. The people can do whatever they want with knowledge, but only if it’s available to them to access. (Neutral) 6 Connection. Our stories are what connect us and teach us who we were, who we are, and who we can be. (Any) d6 BOND 1 I will find the key to solving a great problem for the people of this world or die trying. 2 My rival remembrancer and I are in a race to find a lost figment of the past, and I will not let them win. 3 It’s easy to record the history of rulers, but mine is the people’s history. 4 My enemies seek to suppress an important secret I discovered, but I must share it with the world. 5 I would die to protect my chronicles. 6 I fell in love with a hero from the past and will do all I can to learn more about them. CHAPTER ONE • character options 64 weird waStelandS

background feature: let me check in the back Your penchant for gathering useful items can help you out of tough spots. Once per game session, you may use your action to search your wares and find one piece of adventuring gear, simple weapon, common armor, or other item worth 5 gp or less of your choice (as agreed to by your GM). You may do this at any time during the session. background feature: cargo carrier You are accustomed to carrying your wares. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity. suggested characteristics Wasteland traders are the retail workers of the postapocalypse. They see a chance to commodify everything, and they know that a good relationship with others is required to succeed. Like many retail workers, their wares or their customers may be the object of their annoyance or exhilaration depending on how the day goes. Those who aren’t fascinated by material possessions are perplexing, and perhaps not to be trusted. Everyone likes stuff, right? d8 PERSONALITY TRAIT 1 You might call it junk, but I call it treasure waiting to be discovered. 2 I have little patience for window shoppers and rude customers. 3 I like to tell stories about my wares, even if I take a little creative license when I tell them. 4 I have one type of item I cherish and will make a bad deal to get as much of it as I can. 5 I like to give small things to children; it makes them smile and attracts their parents to my cart. 6 I live to haggle. 7 The most precious commodity I deal in is the love of my customers. 8 I love learning anybody’s stories, but the person I’ve got a crush on tells the best ones. d6 IDEAL 1 Honor System. I will give away needed goods to a customer who is down on their luck, even if it means my purse is smaller. (Good) 2 Service. I always make fair trades because it’s the only way we all get by. (Lawful) 3 Distribution. I perform a vital service to my community, and nothing will keep me from my trade. (Chaotic) 4 Profit. In any deal, I always make sure I come out on top. (Neutral) 5 Swindler. If I convince my customer to make a deal, what does it matter if what I said wasn’t true? (Evil) 6 Fire Sale. Tit-for-tat value doesn’t matter to me; how much I want something does. (Chaotic) d6 BOND 1 My family lost something precious to them, and I’m trying to trade up until I can get it back. 2 I will have my own permanent store one day. 3 I am trying to trade enough to finally be free of dealing with customers. 4 It is my destiny to master the art of the deal. 5 I will get revenge on the person who stole all my goods when I was just starting out. 6 I once traded away my heart to someone and got nothing in return. I hope one day they will trade theirs back. d6 FLAW 1 When I haggle, I get personal. 2 I call out other people’s bad dealings when it’s none of my business. 3 I keep very poor track of my inventory. 4 I sometimes talk my customers’ ears off, and they never return. 5 All my inventory smells musty for no discernable reason. 6 I never accept returns. CHAPTER ONE • character options weird waStelandS 65

We at Web DM do not condone texting and driving, but this is a fantasy game, so drive with your knee and fire a crossbow all you want. We see you and want to provide a safe space to play out that fantasy. For some real-world drama, you could have everyone on the vehicle attempt a Wisdom saving throw when a daredevil driver uses this part of the feat, and failure causes the frightened condition. Seriously, don’t do anything except drive while driving, and buckle up. Presented here is an additional set of feats tailored to the Weird Wastelands if your table uses the optional feat rules. You must meet any prerequisites specified in a feat to take that feat. If you ever lose a feat’s prerequisite, you can’t use that feat until you regain the prerequisite. Daredevil Driver Prerequisite: Proficiency with vehicles (land) ■ You gain expertise with vehicles (land). ■ While driving, you have advantage on saving throws related to maneuvering or operating your vehicle. ■ While driving, you can ignore the disadvantage normally imposed on performing actions not related to driving. Expanded Influence (Psionic) Prerequisite: The ability to manifest a psionic effect ■ Increase your Constitution or Intelligence by 1, to a maximum of 20. ■ Through practice and meditation, you have learned to expand your zone of influence by 30 feet. Extracurricular Discipline (Psionic) Prerequisite: The ability to manifest a psionic effect You learn a rank of a psionic discipline. You may take this feat multiple times to learn new advancements in your any discipline. You do not receive the mastery abilities if you max your advancement in a single discipline using this feat. Hidden Reserves (Psionic) Prerequisite: The ability to manifest a psionic effect ■ Increase your Intelligence by 1, to a maximum of 20 ■ Your persistent meditation has unlocked a hidden pool of bonus power points equal to your Intelligence modifier. ■ You may only take this feat once. Seasoned Traveler Your knowledge of what it takes to travel in the wilderness grants you the following benefits: ■ Increase your Constitution or Wisdom by 1, to a maximum of 20. ■ You have advantage on ability checks made to prevent exhaustion when traveling for longer than 8 hours a day, to find a suitable campsite, and when taking the Make Camp action to set up a comfortable campsite.27 ■ You gain additional slots of carrying capacity equal to your half your proficiency bonus (rounded down).28 Survivalist Your experience surviving the harsh wasteland grants you the following benefits: ■ You do not need comfort to gain the benefits of a long rest when sleeping in the wilderness.29 ■ You have advantage on saving throws made to avoid exhaustion from lack of sleep. ■ When traveling, you do not take a penalty to your passive Wisdom (Perception). 27. See “Make Camp” in the “Wilderness Actions Descriptions” section on p. 130 of chapter 3 for more information. 28. See the “Slot-based Encumbrance” section of chapter 3 on p. 107 for information on optional encumbrance rules for the wastelands. 29. See the “Variant Survival Rules” section of chapter 3 on p. 102 for information on the comfortable condition and how it affects taking a long rest in the wastelands. CHAPTER ONE • character options 66 weird waStelandS

This section describes the new spells introduced in Weird Wastelands. Here you’ll find spell lists by class as well as the spell descriptions, presented in alphabetical order. Spell components unique to Weird Wastelands can be purchased in Tradetown30 or from special vendors with relevant materials, or they can be fashioned by a creature with proficiency with a relevant set of tools. BARD SPELLS 1st Level Relief Repair Object CLERIC SPELLS Cantrips (0 Level) Flagellate 1st Level Relief 3rd Level Wasting Burden DRUID SPELLS 1st Level Relief 2nd Level Searing Saber Trench PALADIN SPELLS 3rd Level Temporary Conveyance RANGER SPELLS 1st Level Arcanotech Communion Repair Object 2nd Level Quick Fix 3rd Level Temporary Conveyance SORCERER SPELLS 1st Level Gamma Burst 2nd Level Evaporate Searing Saber Sun Greeting 3rd Level Hollowed Husk WARLOCK SPELLS 2nd Level Searing Saber WIZARD SPELLS 1st Level Arcanotech Communion Repair Object 2nd Level Quick Fix Searing Saber Trench 3rd Level Assemble Scrap Golem Temporary Conveyance 4th Level Machine Spirit Phasic Beam 5th Level Refurbish 9th Level Assemble Sky Barge spell lists arcanotech communion 1st-level divination (ritual) Casting Time: 1 minute Range: Touch Components: S, M (a magnification monocle worth at least 50 gp) Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes You awaken a spirit that dwells inside a construct, mechanical item, or arcanotech device and telepathically commune with it. For the duration, you may ask it three questions related to its function which it will answer truthfully in a simple reply. Appropriate questions include what mechanisms and properties it has, how to activate or deactivate functions, who created it, who last used it and for what purpose, or how many charges it has remaining. assemble scrap golem 3rd-level transmutation Casting Time: 1 minute Range: 60 feet Components: V, S, M (spare parts or raw materials worth at least 150 gp, which the spell consumes) Duration: Instantaneous You assemble a crude construct out of salvaged scrap and natural materials at a point you can see within range. This construct uses the scrap golem stat block and has a mostly humanoid shape and appearance. When it drops to 0 hit points, the materials used to assemble the scrap golem rapidly deteriorate and become unusable. The construct shares your initiative in combat and takes its turn immediately after yours. You can command it verbally with no action required. It obeys your commands to the best of its ability and takes the Dodge action on its turn if you do not issue it a command. spell descriptions 30. See the “Weird Location: Tradetown” section of chapter 5 on p. 176 or information about Tradetown and how to find spell components there. CHAPTER ONE • character options weird waStelandS 67

scrap golem Medium construct, typically unaligned Armor Class 11 + the level of the spell (natural armor) Hit Points 30 + 10 for each spell level above 3rd Speed 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 18 (+4) 8 (−1) 10 (+0) 5 (−3) Damage Resistances fire Damage Immunities poison, psychic Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10 Languages understands one language the caster speaks Challenge — Proficiency Bonus equal to the caster’s proficiency bonus ACTIONS Multiattack. The scrap golem makes a number of attacks equal to half this spell’s level (rounded down). Bolt Launcher. Ranged Weapon Attack: caster’s spell attack modifier to hit, range 60 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d6) + the spell’s level piercing damage. Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: caster’s spell attack modifier to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) + the spell’s level bludgeoning damage. The scrap golem remains under your control for 24 hours, after which it becomes an inanimate object. You may cast the spell again without the need for material components to take control of the inanimate scrap golem. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the scrap golem’s Armor Class, hit points, and actions are improved (included in its statistics). assemble sky barge 9th-level transmutation Casting Time: 4 hours Range: 120 feet Components: V, S, M (a finely detailed platinum model airship worth at least 10,000 gp, which the spell consumes) Duration: Instantaneous You assemble a majestic sky barge out of salvaged scrap and natural materials at a point you can see within range. This construct uses the sky barge stat block and appears as a luxurious flying ship of a design you choose. You can create any deck plan you like. The barge is furnished and decorated as you choose, at the GM’s discretion. It contains sufficient room to house up to 50 Medium-sized creatures. Three near-transparent crew members pilot and operate the vessel. You decide the visual appearance of these crew members and their attire. They are completely obedient to your orders. One member of this crew pilots the craft from the command CHAPTER ONE • character options 68 weird waStelandS

deck, one charts navigation, and one maintains the vessel. They can’t attack or take any other actions apart from those required to fulfill their duties on board. The crew members can go anywhere on the sky barge but can’t leave it. When you create the barge, it is fully fueled and fully operational, but thereafter uses fuel as normal and needs to be refueled and maintained as a normal vehicle.31 33. See the “Variant Survival Rules” section of chapter 3 on p. 102 for information on new conditions in the wastelands, including the dehydrated condition. sky barge Gargantuan vehicle, legendary Armor Class 20 (integrity 40)32 Hit Points 300 Speed 0 ft., fly 120 ft. (hover), 70 mph Initiative 1 Proficiency Bonus +6 Creature Capacity 3 crew members, 50 passengers Cargo Capacity 50,000 pounds TRAITS Module Slots. The sky barge has 10 module slots. ACTIONS Ramming Speed. If the sky barge moves at least 40 feet straight toward a target, it can attempt to collide with it. The target must succeed on a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw or take 45 (6d12 + 6) bludgeoning damage. The sky barge takes the same amount of damage. evaporate 2nd-level necromancy Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: V, S, M (an empty waterskin) Duration: Instantaneous You target a living creature within range and emit a tether of desiccating energy that drains the creature of water and draws the water into a container you hold in your hand. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take 3d8 necrotic damage and become dehydrated.33 On a success, the target takes half damage and is not dehydrated. If the target fails and the caster is holding a suitable container (such as a waterskin), the water from the target fills the container (up to 1 gallon). At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 2nd. flagellate Conjuration cantrip Casting Time: 1 action Range: 15 feet Components: S Duration: Instantaneous You create a barbed whip that strikes out at a creature you can see within range. Make a melee spell attack against the 31. See the “Vehicles” section of chapter 2 on p. 85 for information on refueling and repairing vehicles, vehicle integrity, and module slots. 32. See the “Vehicles” section of chapter 2 on p. 85 for information on vehicle integrity. CHAPTER ONE • character options weird waStelandS 69

target. On a hit, the creature takes 1d6 magical slashing damage. You may choose to gain one level of exhaustion34 to deal an additional 1d6 magical slashing damage with this attack. At Higher Levels. The spell’s damage on a hit and when you gain a level of exhaustion in order to increase the damage of the attack both increase by 1d6 when you reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level (4d6). gamma burst 1st-level evocation Casting Time: 1 action Range: Self (10-foot radius) Components: V Duration: Instantaneous Scintillating radiance builds within you and bursts outward in a bright flash in a 10-foot-radius sphere. Creatures within range must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take 2d8 radiant damage and become poisoned until the start of your next turn. On a successful save, the creature takes half damage and is not poisoned. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 1st. hollowed husk 3rd-level transmutation Casting Time: 1 action Range: Self (10-foot radius) Components: V, S, M (an ampule of toxin, which the spell consumes) Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute You become gaunt and desiccated as you convert all the water in your body into a thaumaturgic toxin that emanates an aura of enervating radiance. You shed bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet. You can end the spell early by using an action to dismiss it. When a creature enters the area of the light for the first time or starts it turn there, it must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or gain two levels of exhaustion for as long as it remains in the area of light. A creature can never gain more than four levels of exhaustion from this spell, and any levels of exhaustion caused by this spell are removed when the spell ends or when the affected creature leaves the spell’s area. machine spirit 4th-level transmutation Casting Time: 1 action Range: Touch Components: V, S, M (an arcanotech control module and a focusing lens worth at least 500 gp) Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour You take control of a non-sentient construct or vehicle, commanding it mentally or verbally as long as you are both on the same plane of existence. If the target is magical, you must succeed a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw to take control of the object. Additionally, this spell functions as up to three crew operators for devices or vehicles that are not animated or self-operated. The target of the spell does everything in its power to complete commands given to it, including placing itself in harm’s way, though it will not obey orders to self-destruct. In combat, you can give it a new command as a bonus action, and it takes its turn immediately after yours. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the duration increases by 1 hour for each slot level above 4th. phasic beam 4th-level evocation Casting Time: 1 action Range: Self (60-foot line) Components: S, M (a harmonic beam resonator worth at least 250 gp) Duration: Instantaneous You project a flickering beam of pale-blue energy in a 5-foot-wide, 60-foot-long line originating from you. Each creature in the line must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 6d8 force damage, or half as much on a success. This beam ignores objects and cover, and constructs and undead creatures are immune to it. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 4th. 34. We had the Ascetic Domain cleric in mind when designing this cantrip, as Enduring Vigor and Transpose Exhaustion help them manage the exhaustion level gain. CHAPTER ONE • character options 70 weird waStelandS

quick fix 2nd-level conjuration Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you take when you see a vehicle within 20 feet of you suffer a malfunction or flat tire Range: 20 feet Components: S, M (a gold-plated monkey wrench worth at least 25 gp) Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour You summon the exact nonmagical part you need to temporarily repair a vehicle within range. The part is instantly installed, and any penalty incurred by damage or a flat tire is ignored while the spell is active. When the spell ends, the part disappears, leaving a greasy sheen behind, and the damage or flat tire returns until repaired. refurbish 5th-level conjuration Casting Time: 1 action Range: Touch Components: S, M (three drops of alchemical lubricant worth at least 50 gp, which the spell consumes) Duration: Instantaneous A Huge or smaller construct or arcanotech device that you touch is repaired to full functionality, charged or fueled to full capacity, cleaned, and polished. relief 1st-level evocation Casting Time: 1 action Range: Touch Components: V, S Duration: Instantaneous You expend one of your Hit Dice, and a creature other than you that you touch regains hit points equal to the maximum of the Hit Die expended plus your spellcasting modifier. This spell has no effect on undead or constructs. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, you may expend one additional Hit Die per slot level above 1st. repair object 1st-level conjuration Casting Time: 1 action Range: 30 feet Components: V, S, M (spare parts or raw materials worth at least 10 gp, which the spell consumes) Duration: Instantaneous A construct or nonmagical object you touch regains a number of hit points equal to 2d8 + your spellcasting ability modifier. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the healing increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 1st. searing saber 2nd-level evocation Casting Time: 1 bonus action Range: Self Components: V, S Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute A sword of fire ignites in your free hand. This magic sword has a size and shape of your choosing (GM’s discretion) and counts as a simple melee weapon with which you are proficient. For the duration, you can use your spellcasting ability instead of Strength or Dexterity for the attack and damage rolls using this weapon. The sword sheds bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet. It deals 3d6 fire damage on a hit. If you release the sword, it disappears, but you can summon the blade again as a bonus action while the spell is active. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 2nd. sun greeting 2nd-level divination (ritual) Casting Time: 4 hours Range: Self Components: V, S, M (10 gallons of water, which the spell consumes) Duration: Instantaneous At sundown, you prepare a ritual fire and boil water over it as a sacrifice to the dying light. For the duration of the casting time, you must hold your head over the boiling water while the steam rises past you as you commune with yesterday’s sun. At the end of the casting time, you receive a vision allowing you to view up to 1 hour from CHAPTER ONE • character options weird waStelandS 71

the last 24 hours of any given outdoor location open to the sky within 24 miles. You can perceive the vision from anywhere the sunlight would have shone that day, out to the horizon. You can see any creatures and events that transpired at the location but cannot hear, smell, taste, or touch anything. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the distance viewed is increased by 24 miles per slot level above 2nd. temporary conveyance 3rd-level transmutation Casting Time: 1 hour Range: 120 feet Components: V, S, M (4,000 pounds of raw materials or scrap worth at least 50 gp) Duration: Concentration, up to 1 day You create a fully powered and operational land vehicle of Huge or smaller size of your choice out of salvaged scrap and natural materials. The vehicle appears in an unoccupied space at a point you can see within range. If there aren’t enough manufactured materials within range to create the vehicle, the spell uses natural materials as well, smelting ore out of rock and blasting sand into glass. You choose the vehicle’s appearance, but it can seat no more than four Medium creatures, and its dimensions are limited to its size. It has no weapons and provides only half cover to occupants. Otherwise, it uses the standard statistics of the chosen vehicle. The vehicle forges a mystical, mental connection with you that gifts you knowledge of its functionality. While driving the vehicle, you are considered proficient with vehicles of its type, and you add double your proficiency bonus to ability checks related to driving that vehicle. When the spell expires, the vehicle disintegrates into useless gray powder. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, you can create a land vehicle that can seat up to six Medium creatures. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, you can create a land vehicle that can seat up to ten Medium creatures. CHAPTER ONE • character options 72 weird waStelandS

trench 2nd-level transmutation Casting Time: 1 action Range: 30 feet Components: V, S Duration: Instantaneous Choose an area within range to excavate a trench that is 5 feet wide, 5 feet deep, and 30 feet long. When you create the trench, you can create a slope or stairs on either end for easy access. Anyone standing on the ground that is being excavated must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or fall into the trench and land prone. wasting burden 3rd-level evocation Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: V, S Duration: Instantaneous A creature you can see within range must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take 2d8 radiant damage and gain one level of exhaustion. If you are currently suffering any levels of exhaustion, the target gains one additional level of exhaustion. If the target already has three or more levels of exhaustion, this spell has no effect. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 3rd. alterations to magic Web DM holds in the highest esteem rules that make for interesting choices. When it comes to exploring harsh environments, there are some spells that erase that choice when followed “by the book.” Many of the consequences of exploration-based play fall by the wayside if you can always find food, water, or shelter by spending little to no resources of your own. The wilderness too easily becomes a backdrop instead of a force to be reckoned with. Our goal in the Weird Wastelands is to allow your group to become immersed in the world, to think through how to survive and succeed in this challenging place, and to make difficult, compelling choices about how to spend your resources. To that end, we’re suggesting some adjustments to several spells based on the way magic works differently in the Weird Wastelands. Create Food and Water This spell requires 1 pound of edible food and 1 gallon of potable water as a material component, which is then turned into 10 pounds of food and 10 gallons of water. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, you create 10 additional pounds of food and 10 additional gallons of water for each spell slot above 3rd. Create or Destroy Water This spell creates salt water instead of fresh water unless a pearl worth at least 100 gp is used as a material component. The pearl is consumed when the spell is cast. Goodberry Casting this spell requires a real, fresh berry as a material component. The berry is consumed when the spell is cast. Purify Food and Drink This spell cannot be cast as a ritual, and it requires 1 pound of charcoal as a material component. The charcoal is consumed when the spell is cast. Tiny Hut This spell cannot be cast as a ritual, and it requires a 10- pound hearthstone from the caster’s home as a material component instead of a small crystal bead. CHAPTER ONE • character options weird waStelandS 73

chapter two This chapter is all about stuff and how to get it in the Weird Wastelands. From ways to make trade more interesting to rules for food, equipment, mounts, and vehicles, including how we’re approaching magic items in the wastes, this is where you’ll find anything you can buy, sell, or exchange. Wealth Gold and currency are useful game elements, even against a backdrop that isn’t currency-based, such as this one. You are free to use gold as a touchstone for ease and speed of play. In the Weird Wastelands, people trade objects of value, but there is no standardized currency.1 So, when we say you find 20 gp worth of treasure, that is the total representative value of the objects found. Oftentimes, we give a general value to a group of objects (like scrap or harvested components) because defining the value of each small item found in a pile can get tedious. For purchases that aren’t integral to the session (or for gaming groups who don’t view shopping as a cherished pastime), feel free to treat found resources as if they were standard gp. In the fiction of the game, characters are exchanging objects instead of coins, but for simplicity’s sake, 1. To be clear, the kinds of objects people use as “currency” in trade are small things that have inherent value: buttons, paper, cloth, flint, screws, sewing notions, durable bones, interesting rocks, food, bits of arcanotech, and so on. Ancient coins are also a big part of this “currency.” Why? For one, gold has inherent value for use in many spells, and other metals can be repurposed. But beyond that, there is some knowledge that coins were valuable before, ergo they must still be valuable now, even if a full understanding of why has been lost to time. item availability in the weird wastelands settlement industry and trade The following section contains everything you need to know about shopping in the Weird Wastelands. This usually means bartering as opposed to simply exchanging coin. We’ve provided guidelines for those times when you want to create a non-standard purchasing experience to enhance player immersion in the wastes. In a land of scarcity, not everything is always immediately available. Typical means of production have largely been supplanted by scrounging the remains of a dead civilization, and there is no standard array of things that can be purchased anywhere.  Consider where your characters are and the resources of the community they’re in. If the characters seek something specific, crucial to survival, or rare, whether it is available is up to the GM’s discretion. In a location like Tradetown, it may be easier to find things; in a small settlement with barely enough for themselves, much less so.2 a pile of junk with a listed value of 20 gp can be used to purchase 20 gp worth of goods. Potable water is the most prized resource in the wastes and is accepted as currency by everyone. Water has a flat value of 1 gp per gallon, and a full waterskin can always be exchanged for a safe place to sleep or a meal. If you wish to use water as your standardized currency, you certainly can—we have established its value in such a way to make it easy.3 2. See p. 176 in chapter 5 for information on Tradetown. 3. Water is a terrible currency in terms of carrying it, but referring to the value of things by their value in gallons of water is a fun way to play! CHAPTER TWO • equipment, magic items, & settlement interaction 74 weird waStelandS

Using these tables and archetypes for every single trade could quickly become tedious. Gauge how often to use them by how much your table enjoys it when you do. If your players are looking for something uncommon or out of the ordinary, this is a great time to use this table. If they just want a bite to eat or to sharpen a weapon, perhaps not. Trader Interactions When you want a bartering scene with an NPC to be something more than a quick exchange, this section is for you. Here, you will find guidelines for randomizing the initial disposition of your traders. This serves several purposes. First, it sets the stage for memorable interactions. Second, it takes some pressure off of the GM to come up with a trader’s personality and goals. We’ve included several trader personalities to inform potential interactions. These tools are meant to aid in roleplaying; you will still have a conversation with the players as you would with any other exchange. Whether your players are trading in a settlement or encounter a traveling trader in the wild, these tools are here for a little extra backup.4 TRADER PERSONALITIES Bartering in the wastelands is an integral part of everyday life, but that doesn’t ensure that every barter goes smoothly. Maybe you come across an ill-tempered trader who was recently swindled, or a shop owner feeling generous after reaping the benefits a life-changing trade. Either way, reactions from traders should be varied to keep players on their toes. This section provides four trader archetypes to offer an array of personalities and situations found throughout the wastelands: desperate, dramatic, jovial, and shrewd. These archetypes are meant to give you the bit of characterization you might need to create a memorable bartering scene on the fly. When a player proposes a barter with an NPC, decide which type of trader they encounter, then roll 2d6 and check the relevant Trader Reactions table to determine the trader’s initial response. Desperate Traders Desperate traders are down on their luck. Perhaps they were recently robbed or are otherwise unable to trust. They put no stock in promises and halt negotiations at the mere whiff of trouble. They don’t just want this trade to go well for them, they need it to. 4. The point of including this system is to support the genre trope of postapocalyptic trading. Two people, each with their own desires and worries, encounter each other and explore whether they have anything of interest to the other and whether they can connect, for a mere moment, as people in a fair and mutually beneficial exchange. Can you trust a stranger to not try to kill you and take your stuff in the postapocalypse? Hopefully. DESPERATE TRADER REACTIONS 2d6  REACTION 2 Hostile. The trader believes they are in danger and attacks if provoked. 3–5 Threatening. The trader may accept the trade but believes they can extort or rob the party and may enlist help to do so in the near future. 6–8 Has Concerns. The trader wants additional items and information to trade. 9–11 Helpful. The trader accepts the trade and offers to act as a guide to a location in the area in exchange for additional items. 12 Relieved. The trader accepts a fair trade and discloses how much they desperately needed the item. The trader is now an ally of the party. Dramatic Traders Dramatic traders are prone to outbursts of rage or joy in equal measure. They are known far and wide by reputation and thrive on the attention. Whether or not a deal with a dramatic trader goes through, it should be an experience the characters never forget. DRAMATIC TRADER REACTIONS 2d6  REACTION 2 Elitist. The trader hurls a stream of conspicuously loud insults at the party for even proposing such an offer, which attracts the attention of nearby creatures. 3–5 Pitiable. The trader pretends to be down on their luck and insists the characters take pity on them by sweetening their offer. 6–8 Has Concerns. The trader accepts the offer, but it takes an extremely long time to complete, as they check every single detail about the goods traded. 9–11 Chummy. The trader is eager to trade as long as the party is willing to carouse with them first. 12 BFFs. The trader immediately takes to the characters and throws in a bonus item on top of the asked-for goods. They consider the party their best friends and tell everyone they meet about the party for the next week (whether the characters want them to or not). CHAPTER TWO • equipment, magic items, & settlement interaction weird waStelandS 75

Useful advice like where to find the closest fresh water source, the location of a safe campsite, or a rumor about one of the locations in chapter 5. Jovial Traders Jovial traders are always happy to trade, but this doesn’t mean there won’t be hoops to jump through. Being affable has its perks, but there can be more with these traders than meets the eye. JOVIAL TRADER REACTIONS 2d6  REACTION 2 Aggravated. The trader is insulted and stops to count to 10 to diffuse their anger. They won’t proceed to barter without an apology. 3–5 Disappointed. The trader accepts the offer but is noticeably sad it wasn’t better. 6–8 Cheerful Indifference. The trader accepts the trade and pays the party a genuine compliment. The players of any characters who give a compliment in return receive a point of inspiration. 9–11 Amicable. The trader is eager and willing to trade and gives a piece of useful advice for free. 12 Friendly. The trader just scored the best deal of their career and is vibrating with joy. They accept the party’s trade at half cost. Shrewd Traders Shrewd traders are people of their word and give every deal an astute assessment. They size up the person offering a trade as much as the trade being offered. SHREWD TRADER REACTIONS 2d6  REACTION 2 Annoyed. The trader is inconvenienced and feeling spiteful. They attempt to make the characters accept something undesirable as part of the deal. 3–5 Suspicious. The trader suspects the barter is a pretense for robbery. They accept the deal but have the party followed when the transaction is complete. 6–8 Opportunistic. The trader wants another item or resource in addition to the original offer. 9–11 Fair. The trader accepts the offer and points out if the party has offered too much. 12 Friendly. The deal goes through, and the trader offers a useful piece of advice. TRADE GOODS Occasionally, characters may encounter a trader who wants a specific type of good or carries a limited selection of items. If you need inspiration for specific goods a trader is looking to buy, doesn’t want, or is currently carrying, roll on the Trade Goods table. TRADE GOODS d20 TYPE OF GOODS 1 Exotic animal parts (hides, bones, scales, claws, etc.) 2 Scrap metal 3 Clothing 4 Stone 5 Lumber 6 Books and scrolls 7 Sacred relics and religious icons 8 Medicine 9 Dried tea leaves or coffee beans 10 Salt or spices 11 Incense or perfume 12 Gemstones and jewelry 13 Precious metals 14 Intoxicants 15 Tools and equipment 16 Trolleum fuel5 17 Spell material components or alchemical reagents 18 Magical metals 19 Arms and armor 20 Arcanotech6 spare parts and components 5. See the “Vehicles” section later in this chapter for information on trolleum, the fuel of the wastelands. 6. See the “Magic Items” section later in this chapter for information on arcanotech devices and arcanotech wonders. CHAPTER TWO • equipment, magic items, & settlement interaction 76 weird waStelandS

food and drink Food and water are scarce in the wastes, primarily because agriculture is so difficult here and water has been magically polluted. Not only is water scarce, but the blazing sun chokes out most plant life before it gets a chance to grow. Horticulture happens only in places with sun protection and with organisms that require little water to thrive. Yeast, molds, and slimes grown in caves or under rocks are compressed into cakes or dried and used like flour. Tending most other plant-life is akin to nurturing wild patches of cacti rather than seed-to-harvest cultivation. Grazing beasts can thrive here—mainly “goats” that have adapted to this hot and low-moisture environment—and eat any plant life they can find. There are also “sheep,” “camels,” “donkeys,” “oxen,” and “cows.”7 Food products taken from mammalian livestock are inherently toxic to humanoids due to the concentrated magical pollution in the wasteland plants they consume. But wastelanders have discovered several ways to filter the poison from such beasts, most commonly through the use of giant ticks. These ticks start life the size of a fingernail but swell to the size of a plum when engorged with blood. When put on a goat, they filter and excrete 7. There are quotes around all of these because, oops!, they’re all actually goats, but different types have adapted in different ways and have beneficial mutations here and there that give them different purposes. The “sheep” are somewhat larger and create fiber, the “camels” create tallow, the “donkeys” are sturdy pack animals, the “oxen” are positively gigantic beasts of burden, and the “cows” produce milk. All these beasts are considered goat meat when the time comes for them to shed their mortal goatly coil. magical pollutants, restoring their host creatures to nearhealthy levels. The ticks themselves are also edible and breed prodigiously. They are so important to the process that livestock farmers in the wastes are generally called tick herders. In their natal stages, these ticks are edible grubs served as fairly ubiquitous food in settled areas. People also breed small animals.8 Rats and lizards great and small are kept similarly to the way rabbits, guinea pigs, or pigeons might have been before the cataclysm. The ticks don’t touch them, so it is unclear whether toxic magic builds up in them and is harmful over time, but most don’t live long enough to find out, so consuming them is a widely accepted practice. There are even a handful of dinosaur farms that cater only to the richest palates. FOOD PRICES The Common Food table gives descriptive information and prices for individual food items you’re likely to see from vendors and settlements in the Weird Wastelands.9 services It’s common to hire others for help in the wastelands— survival is harder when you’re going it alone. The Services table lists common adventuring services that the party can purchase from NPCs. Keep in mind that people offering services can have a cantrip or two relevant to their occupation (for example, most tinkerers will have mending). Use of these cantrips is part of their fee. Smaller settlements will have some, but not all, of these services. SERVICES DESCRIPTIONS General Labor. This includes work that needs to be done that doesn’t require any particular skill proficiency and can be performed by general laborers. The more strenuous or risky the labor, the higher the price will be for its performance. Living general laborers use a commoner stat block. Undead use the skeleton stat block and are contracted through a necromancy renter. Guides. Guides exist to lead others to resources in the Weird Wastelands. Dowsers can lead people to water, hunters to hunting grounds, and junk pickers to scrap. These specialists also make excellent messengers. Guides that 8. We name these animals to make an easy reference, but these are the Weird Wastelands! What do your lizards and rats look like? Maybe all the reptiles look like Godzilla, but tiny. Maybe the rats are dog-sized sloth-like creatures with adorable faces. You do you. 9. As you can see, we give traditional copper, silver, and gold values here, even though in the economy here operates on a barter system. We considered offering a conversion mechanic to essentially change the economy of the wasteland, but we came to the conclusion that (1) while delving into tabletop fantasy economics is a worthy pursuit, it’s not one that is central enough to the themes of this particular book to justify it, and (2) given the previous point, the fastest and easiest conversion we can offer is to give approximate values so you can make comparisons as you see fit. CHAPTER TWO • equipment, magic items, & settlement interaction weird waStelandS 77

COMMON FOOD FOOD DESCRIPTION COST Giant tick Fresh off the goat 1 cp Lumpy gray paste It’s edible, but is it food? 1 cp Small nutrient cube No one is sure of their origin 1 cp Composite yeast, algae, and grub slurry What chicken tastes like 2 cp Large egg (reptilian or avian) You can do a lot of things with an egg! 2 cp Yeast cake Surprisingly complex bouquet 2 cp Algae wafer Proof that healthy doesn’t mean tasty 3 cp Tick broth Hot water with a smack of tick to it 3 cp Tuber Throw it in a pot, add some broth, maybe a preserved fungus, and you’ve got a stew 4 cp Dried grubs wrapped in yeast cake Less sweet than live grubs, but longer shelf life 6 cp Roasted chitinous insects in yeast cone Protein! 7 cp Live grubs in yeast cone Sweet, juicy, and writhing 8 cp Preserved fungus Makes its own sauce 8 cp Entire dried lizard Melts in your mouth, not in your hand 1 sp Cheese round A pleasant, “goaty” funk 2 sp Albino cave fish fillet Seems fresh, but really, how can you tell? 3 sp Mystery meat kabob The only thing you’re sure of is that it’s a kabob 3 sp Mystery sausage link This can’t be goat meat 3 sp Metallic fruit Sharp on the outside, custardy on the inside 4 sp Rat burger Surprisingly tender 4 sp Rat on a stick Save the snout for last! 4 sp Small cave amphibian Check for freshness by licking it first 4 sp Hunk of giant slug flesh Don’t salt it 5 sp Goat stomach surprise The surprise is that there’s nothing inside it 6 sp Goat stew Excellent served over yeast cake 8 sp Goat hoof jelly cup Even when it’s sweet, it’s still savory 1gp Water, 1 gallon Room temperature and perfectly potable 1 gp Hunk of dino meat The reddest red meat you’ve ever seen 5 gp Cup of effervescent nectar When you drink it, for a fleeting moment you feel like you’re in love for the first time 10 gp Two golden sponge cream fingers Covered in a curiously flexible glass wrapper, these wondrous confections are only consumed at the grandest events 10 gp CHAPTER TWO • equipment, magic items, & settlement interaction 78 weird waStelandS

accompany the party grant advantage on tasks related to their specialty. They use the scout stat block. Hired Goons. There are three levels of goons, and you may use the corresponding stat blocks for each: bandit, thug, and gladiator. They are loyal as long as they’re paid. More powerful goons are more expensive. For example, a famous gladiator may require 100 gp per day. Magical Services. These magic practitioners charge per spell level cast. It is reasonably easy to find someone to cast a 1st- or 2nd-level spell, but magic users able to cast spells of 3rd level and beyond are rare and typically require more than just material compensation; these accomplished casters want a service in return. Mundane Healing. These are masters of the healing arts without the benefit of magic. If you are in the care of a mundane healer, you have advantage on saving throws against poisons, diseases, and other hazards of the wastes.10 This effect does not last beyond the day that is paid for. These healers use the commoner stat block and have expertise in any relevant skills. 10. See chapter 4 for information about hazards in the Weird Wastelands. Sages. Sages perform research on behalf of others. They can reveal the location of notable sites and arcanotech wonders, and the information they provide is reliable. They can also reveal information about infamous and legendary monsters. Skilled Specialists. These experts are proficient in some highly desirable skill. Requisitioning a particularly well-known or experienced specialist requires paying a premium price. Transportation. When you purchase transportation, you get a driver, a vehicle, and any animals or other equipment required to operate it. Drivers use the commoner stat block. The prices outlined in the Services table are for transporting several people and their equipment. For larger loads, higher prices are in order. Vehicle Repair. Those who can maintain and repair mechanical and arcanotech vehicles are even rarer than the vehicles themselves. They often require specialized tools and a workshop or garage, not to mention they need hard-tofind parts and supplies, which can significantly raise their prices. SERVICES SERVICE OFFERED BY PRICE General labor Contracted undead, pack handlers, sweat mongers, torchbearers, itinerant unseen servants 1d4 cp per day to 1d4 sp per day Guides Dowsers, hunters, junk pickers, messengers 1d4 + 2 sp per day Hired goons Gladiators, mercenaries, minions, reavers, sellswords Minimum 2–6 sp per day depending on combat prowess Magical services Cult fanatics, curse eaters, entrail readers, exorcists, palm readers 100 gp per spell level of 1st level and above Mundane healing Apothecaries, barber-chirurgeons, herbalists, massage therapists 1d6 × 10 gp per day Sages Astrologers, chroniclers, cleomancers, mystics, naturalists, rememberancers 3d6 gp per day Skilled specialists Bootleg alchemists, bounty hunters, informants, matchmakers, mechanics, professional companions, puppeteers, tinkerers, wrestlers 1d6 to 6d6 gp per service rendered plus the cost of any materials Transportation Caravanners, drivers, mule skinners, porters 1d4 sp per mile for nonmagical transportation; 1d6 + 1 gp per mile for magical transportation Vehicle repair Mechanics, technomancers 2d6 to 4d6 gp per service rendered plus the cost of any materials Sages are able to share detailed information. They can reveal locations on a map, lore about a monster, information on how to interact with certain creatures, or even snippets from a creature’s stat block. It is up to the GM to determine how long it takes to research this information. Instead of giving hard and fast rules, consider your pacing. How soon do you want the players to have the info? A good rule of thumb might be 1 day per gp it costs to research, but you should adjust this based on the needs of your game. CHAPTER TWO • equipment, magic items, & settlement interaction weird waStelandS 79

wasteland equipment While the Weird Wastelands are unforgiving, that doesn’t mean characters lack equipment. Our intention in this chapter is to give you options that reflect the setting: weapons and armor are practically everywhere, but they are old, in questionable condition, or difficult to repair. When we think of the postapocalypse, we see visions of fighting with a weapon until it breaks, picking up whatever new object you can find in a mountain of junk, and hoping it’ll last until you find something better. Of course, this includes all manner of survival gear tailored to this area that helps characters survive the wastes. In this section, we also have unique magic items and ways to reskin traditional equipment to better fit the aesthetic of your game. reskinning standard armor and weapons Most equipment in the Weird Wastelands doesn’t look like standard fantasy gear. In order to help players and GMs imagine the equipment of the Weird Wastelands, this section provides names for gear you can use to get in the postapocalyptic mindset, information on how weapons and armor are different here, and ways to further customize standard gear. ARMOR Armor in the Weird Wastelands is made from two main types of materials: animal parts (bone, hide, fur, and horn) and scavenged elements (bits of broken pre-apocalyptic armor and scrap that can be repurposed into equipment). Scavenged armor is likely to contain bits of magical armor, as those were most likely to survive until the present. Therefore, players can have a lot of latitude in what their armor looks like; perhaps their “breastplate” is metal pauldrons over a wrap of ancient, super durable cloth that grants the AC of a standard breastplate with no other magical benefits. spikes This is a postapocalyptic book, and that means we have to talk about armor spikes. We certainly imagine most armor is spiky here. There are many creatures that want to eat the characters. It makes sense that wastelanders would try to make being eaten as difficult as possible.  If you’d like to attach a mechanical benefit to armor spikes (as opposed to purely aesthetic spikes), try these suggestions. Light and medium armor can have spikes that do 1d4 damage automatically to creatures grappling or grappled by the wearer. Spiked heavy armor deals 1d6 damage. Armor either has spikes or it doesn’t; the number of spikes does not affect the amount of damage dealt. Spiked armor costs twice as much to buy as un-spiked armor, and adding spikes to your armor costs as much as your armor. CHAPTER TWO • equipment, magic items, & settlement interaction 80 weird waStelandS

WASTELAND ARMOR NAMES STANDARD NAME WASTELAND NAME Padded Blanket and cord Leather Scavenger’s harness Studded leather Dino leather Hide Goat suit Chain shirt Merchant’s shirt Scale mail Gorgonhide Breastplate Scrapbelly Half plate Reaver’s harness Ring mail Coinmail suit Chain mail Hotsuit Splint Oven Plate Monster-proof suit11 WEAPONS Weapons in the Weird Wastelands are similar to armor in that they tend to be fashioned from a hodgepodge of found materials and animal parts. These might resemble durable blades fastened to bone hafts, swords on the ends of poles, or a bunch of blades hammered into a stick. The weapons mentioned here are the most common, but experienced explorers may wield all manner of bizarre and fantastic armaments. 11. If you use a monster-proof suit as we have pictured here, it should grant the wearer immunity to being swallowed. WASTELAND WEAPON NAMES STANDARD NAME WASTELAND NAME Battleaxe Big chopper Blowgun Ghoul’s kiss Club Beat stick Crossbow, hand Wristbow Crossbow, heavy Bigbow Crossbow, light Crankbow Dagger Goat sticker Dart Plumbata Flail Spiked chain Greataxe Executioner Greatclub Fight stick Greatsword Bigknife Halberd Long axe Handaxe Little chopper Javelin Poke stick Lance Fancy poke Light hammer Tinker’s fist Longbow Shooter Longsword Longknife Mace Basher Maul Slayer’s fist Morningstar Spiked basher Net Tangler Pike Monster poker Quarterstaff Stick Rapier Fastknife Scimitar Curveknife Shortbow Plinker Shortsword Smallknife Sickle Stanker’s nail Sling Bandage gun Spear Pokey poke Trident Fish fork War pick Toothpick Warhammer Reaver’s fist Whip Goat tongue CHAPTER TWO • equipment, magic items, & settlement interaction weird waStelandS 81

SURVIVAL GEAR This section contains items to help adventurers weather the harsh elements of the Weird Wastelands. Traders are likely to have at least one or two of these items on offer. In Tradetown or other large settlements, most if not all of these can be easily obtained. Survival Gear Descriptions Binoculars. Using binoculars doubles the distance you can see. Bottled Lightning. This unassuming bottle contains sparks of lightning. As an action, you can open the bottle and aim it at a target within 30 feet of you. Make a ranged attack against a creature or object, treating the bottled lightning as an improvised weapon. You have advantage on the attack roll if the target is wearing armor made of metal. On a hit, the target takes 2d8 lightning damage, and if the target is a creature, it can’t take reactions until the start of its next turn. The lightning is expended once used. Cooling Salve. This jar contains enough salve for ten applications. As an action, you can apply salve to the skin of a creature within reach, including yourself. If the creature is suffering from the sunburned condition,12 it is no longer sunburned, and it gains advantage on saving throws against extreme heat for the next 8 hours. Dowsing Rod. This two-pronged wooden rod grants you advantage on ability checks made to find water. Filter Mask. This garment protects against dust and wind. While wearing the mask, you automatically succeed on saving throws against heat and wind damage caused by weather, and you have advantage on saving throws against the effects of airborne poison. 12. See the “Variant Survival Rules” section in chapter 3 on p. 102 for information about the sunburned condition. Grapple Gun. This device launches a secure grappling hook connected to a high-strength, 200-foot-long cable with a 1,000-pound weight capacity. As long as the grapple has a solid surface to attach to, it is secure. It takes an action to fire the grapple gun. SURVIVAL GEAR ITEM COST WEIGHT Binoculars 500 gp 1 lb. Bottled lightning 50 gp 1 lb. Cooling salve (10 uses) 2 gp 1 lb. Dowsing rod 5 gp 3 lb. Filter mask 30 gp 2 lb. Grapple gun 50 gp 4 lb. Headwrap 1 gp 1/2 lb. Lunchbox 50 gp 1 lb. Mechanic’s kit 10 gp 12 lb. Moisture-recycling bio-suit 1,000 gp 10 lb. Parasol 2 gp 2 lb. Quartz goggles 8 gp 1 lb. Scavenger’s kit 5 gp 20 lb. Smoke bombs (10) 10 gp 2 lb. UV balm (10 uses) 5 gp 1 lb. Wastelander’s pack 15 gp 40 lb. CHAPTER TWO • equipment, magic items, & settlement interaction 82 weird waStelandS

Quartz Goggles. While wearing these goggles, you automatically succeed on saving throws against being blinded by environmental effects. Scavenger’s Kit. This kit contains a crowbar, a magnet, a shovel, a sieve, an oilcan, and a set of pliers. If you are proficient with the scavenger’s kit, you add your proficiency bonus when making ability checks while scavenging.14 Smoke Bomb. As an action, you can hurl a smoke bomb up to 20 feet. The bomb explodes on impact, creating a cloud of black smoke that fills a 10-foot-radius sphere. The area within the cloud is heavily obscured. A strong wind disperses the cloud, which otherwise remains until the end of your next turn. UV Balm. This jar contains enough balm for ten applications. As an action, you can apply balm to the skin of a creature within reach, including yourself. If the creature is suffering from the sunburned condition, it is no longer sunburned, and it is immune to the sunburned condition and to fire damage for 1 hour. Wastelander’s Pack. This pack contains a headwrap, a dowsing rod, UV balm, a magnet, a shovel, a waterskin, a sewing kit, a sack, a set of traveler’s clothes, 2 days of rations, a canteen, and a 10-foot pole. 14. See the “Variant Survival Rules” section in chapter 3 on p. 102 for information about scavenging. Headwrap. This garment protects your head and face from the wind and sun. While wearing the headwrap, you have advantage on saving throws against heat and wind damage caused by weather. Lunchbox. This lunchbox keeps your meals warm. When you eat a meal stored in this lunchbox, you remove one level of exhaustion currently affecting you (in addition to the normal benefits of consuming food). You can only gain this benefit once per day. The lunchbox can hold 1 day of rations for one creature. Mechanic’s Kit. This kit contains a wrench, an oilcan, loose spare parts, grease, a screwdriver, and an assortment of screws and bolts. Proficiency with this kit allows you to add your proficiency bonus to any ability checks you make with it to repair mundane or magical machines (like vehicles or constructs). Parasol. This small umbrella provides sun protection. Creatures shaded by the parasol have advantage on Constitution saving throws made to prevent exhaustion and against other hazards imposed by the sun’s heat. Moisture-recycling Bio-suit. While you wear this biosuit, you gain benefits as if you were wearing quartz goggles, a filter mask, and a headwrap. Additionally, the suit recycles your wastewater into potable water. While you are wearing this suit, your standard daily water needs are met automatically (2 gallons per day), and you have advantage on Constitution saving throws made to prevent exhaustion imposed by lack of food or water (this includes advantage on saving throws to prevent the dehydrated condition13). This suit can be worn underneath light armor. 13. See the “Variant Survival Rules” section in chapter 3 on p. 102 for information about the dehydrated condition. CHAPTER TWO • equipment, magic items, & settlement interaction weird waStelandS 83

mounts Mounts are instrumental to the success of trade in the wastelands, but scarcity of resources makes it difficult to care for living beasts. It is hard enough to secure enough food and water to keep a single person alive let alone meet the needs of larger pack beasts. These difficult environmental circumstances mean it is rare to find typical mounts in the wastes, and the ones that do exist are always expensive. Despite the scarcity of living beasts, there are several groups who have made their fortune creating magical mounts to sell to those wealthy enough to afford them. Necromancers frequently sell their services creating undead steeds, and technomancers15 turn a healthy profit creating constructs to function as beasts of burden. The Wasteland Mounts table shows the base cost, speed, and carrying capacity16 of mounts commonly available in the wastes. Unless specified otherwise, wasteland mounts follow the standard mount rules found in the PHB. WASTELAND MOUNT DESCRIPTIONS17 Giant Spider. Giant insects are common throughout the wastes and are easier to care for than mammalian beasts. Giant spiders are not the fastest mounts available, but their climbing capabilities make them a popular choice for miners 15. See the Technomancy arcane tradition in chapter 1 on p. 51 for information about what a technomancer is and what they can do. 16. If you would like to abstract mount carrying capacity, see the “Slot Based Encumbrance” section on p. 107 of chapter 3. 17. Unless otherwise noted, these creatures’ stats can be found in the official 5E core rules. or salvagers intent on delving into dangerous locations. Several spider ranches exist in the wastes, making these mounts readily available for purchase. Giant spider mounts use the giant spider statistics. Iron Mule. The iron mule is an artificial quadruped fashioned after a mule. It uses the mule statistics, but it is considered a construct and cannot take the Attack action. Necromantic Steed. Whether through ambient magic or intentional necromancy, dead flesh has been reanimated and is used as transport. Such undead mounts vary in size depending on the corpse. For example, one necromantic steed might simply be an undead riding horse, but another might be the husk of a Huge insect. For such creatures, use the ankylosaurus statistics, but the creature type is undead. Pack Dinosaur. Dinosaurs in the wastelands can be trained to haul cargo. Such mounts range in size from Large to Gargantuan and include such creatures as the hadrosaurus, stegosaurus, and brontosaurus.18 Vatborn Beast. Alchemists and technomancers have developed methods to grow enhanced beasts in great vats, though such creations are rare indeed. Any beast can be rendered as vatborn by giving it the original creature’s maximum hit points and a +2 proficiency bonus. War Dinosaur. More predatory dinosaurs can be trained to fight on command, serving as mounts to ride into battle. Such mounts range in size from Medium to Huge, including the deinonychus,19 allosaurus, and triceratops. 18. These three dinosaurs can be found in the official 5E supplement MotM. 19. The deinonychus can be found in the official 5E supplement MotM. WASTELAND MOUNTS MOUNT COST SPEED CARRYING CAPACITY Giant spider 150 gp 30 ft., climb 30 ft. 195 lb. Iron mule 1,500 gp 40 ft. 420 lb. Necromantic steed, Medium Base mount cost + 350 gp Varies Varies Necromantic steed, Large Base mount cost + 650 gp Varies Varies Necromantic steed, Huge Base mount cost + 1,500 gp Varies Varies Necromantic steed, Gargantuan Base mount cost + 2,500 gp Varies Varies Pack dinosaur, Large 50 gp 40 ft. 195 lb. Pack dinosaur, Huge 100 gp 40 ft. 540 lb. Vatborn beast 400 gp × beast CR (min. 400 gp) Varies Varies War dinosaur, Large 450 gp 60 ft. 500 lb. War dinosaur, Huge 800 gp 50 ft. 1,500 lb. CHAPTER TWO • equipment, magic items, & settlement interaction 84 weird waStelandS

Vehicles The wasteland is a wide-open expanse filled with dangers more easily handled with a speedy vehicle. This section includes stat blocks for wasteland vehicles, rules for running and repairing them, and a catalog of items to customize them. VEHICLE FEATURES This section explores the universal features shared by all vehicles in the wastelands. Though the parameters vary, every vehicle has the following characteristics.20 Size Class. Vehicles come in a dizzying array of sizes, many of which must be tremendously large to fulfill their purposes. A vehicle’s size class provides a rough measurement of its size relative to the world around it. Rarity. Due to their unique nature, vehicles are considered magic items in addition to their mundane properties. Each vehicle has one of the following rarity designations: common, uncommon, rare, very rare, and legendary. Armor Class and Integrity Score. Each vehicle has an Armor Class (AC) that determines how difficult it is to hit. In addition, each vehicle has an integrity score, which represents the damage threshold that must be met before the vehicle loses hit points. If the vehicle is hit by a single instance of damage that fails to meet its integrity score, it instead takes no damage. Hit Points. A vehicle is destroyed when it drops to 0 hit points, unless otherwise specified. Speed. A vehicle’s movement is measured in feet and miles per hour. The per-foot measurement is for use in combat or other encounters that require initiative, while the miles-per-hour measurement is used when traveling great distances. A vehicle with a full crew may move up to its speed on its turn. When a vehicle moves in combat, it must do so in a straight line unless its movement has the (maneuverable) trait, in which case it can move in any direction. Initiative. A vehicle has a set count for when it acts in initiative (the vehicle loses ties). Proficiency Bonus. Every vehicle has a special proficiency bonus determined by its rarity. When a vehicle attempts a saving throw, attack, or ability check, it adds its proficiency bonus to the roll. Alternatively, if the vehicle requires only one crew member or there is a creature clearly designated as the captain, the vehicle can use that creature’s proficiency bonus instead. Guidelines for determining a vehicle’s proficiency bonus are provided in the Proficiency Bonus by Rarity table. Crew. A vehicle needs a crew to operate, and it cannot move or take actions unless the number of required crew members is met. A designated crew member does not roll their own initiative in combat since their actions and movement are fully dedicated to managing their operating responsibilities. To qualify as a crew member, a creature 20. These rules are designed to expand and replace the previous mechanics found in the 5E core rules. must be physically and mentally capable of performing their designated tasks. A beast, for example, is unlikely to have the skills necessary to operate complex mechanical controls. While there are no specifically designated roles for each vehicle, the GM has final say on whether or not a creature qualifies as a crew member. Passengers. Some vehicles are large enough to carry passengers in addition to the required number of crew members. While it may be possible for a vehicle to carry creatures beyond this capacity, doing so risks damaging the transport and is not sustainable over prolonged periods of time. The information provided in this section assumes the typical passenger is a Small or Medium creature. Cargo Capacity. The cargo of a vehicle is measured in weight and refers to the carrying capacity of nonessential goods and materials. This capacity is measured in pounds, but a GM may rule the nature of a vehicle may prevent it from carrying certain kinds of cargo. Module Slots. Every vehicle has a certain number of module slots, which indicates how many additional components can be integrated into its base structures. Modules provide mundane or magical upgrades designed specifically to work with vehicles. Generally speaking, the larger a vehicle is, the more module slots it has. Every vehicle has at least one module slot. Module slots are only compatible with one of three module types: logistical, navigational, or tactical. A list of available modules and an explanation of each type is included later in this section. Actions. On each of its turns, a crewed vehicle may move up to its speed, use any actions available to it, and use any special effects or actions granted by its modules. Unless otherwise specified, a particular module can be used only once per round. VEHICLE REPAIRS21 When a vehicle is damaged, a creature can attempt to make repairs to it. Unless specified otherwise, a creature cannot conduct repairs on a vehicle while it is moving or otherwise in use. 21. These rules can also be used to calculate the cost of hiring someone to repair a vehicle. For mechanic prices, check out the Services pricing table earlier in the chapter on p. 79. PROFICIENCY BONUS BY RARITY VEHICLE RARITY PROFICIENCY BONUS Common +2 Uncommon +3 Rare +4 Very rare +5 Legendary +6 CHAPTER TWO • equipment, magic items, & settlement interaction weird waStelandS 85

VEHICLE BASE COST24 VEHICLE RARITY BASE COST SPARE PARTS COST Common 100 gp 10 gp Uncommon 5,000 gp 500 gp Rare 20,000 gp 2,000 gp Very rare 50,000 gp 5,000 gp Legendary 200,000 gp 20,000 gp variant rule: the damaged condition When a vehicle suffers damage, it is unlikely to retain its full functionality. The consequences of this damage can be represented by a special condition known as the damaged condition. The loss of critical components, the death of too many crewmembers, or a fire onboard are all examples of effects that can cause the damaged condition. When a vehicle is below half its hit point maximum (rounded down) and takes damage, roll a d20. On a 10 or lower, it gains the damaged condition. When a vehicle gains the damaged condition, the GM rolls for or chooses one of the following effects. A vehicle can gain the damaged condition multiple times. When it does so, the effects don’t stack; instead, it suffers an alternate effect. The damaged condition can only be removed by repairing the vehicle, requiring professional maintenance and raw materials. A typical professional requires 24 hours to remove a single damaged condition, assuming they have the appropriate tools and materials for the task. The GM may rule that particularly rare or highly magical vehicles take double the amount of time to repair and may require highly skilled wizards or similarly talented individuals to conduct repairs. 24. This table suggests rough pricing for wasteland vehicles. Use it as a guideline for buying and selling vehicles, but the GM has final say on vehicle availability and market price! The creature attempting the repairs must meet the following criteria: ■ The creature must have proficiency with the kind of vehicle they are trying to fix. ■ The creature must have the appropriate tools to fix the vehicle, such as smith’s tools, tinker’s tools, or a mechanic’s kit. A creature who meets the repair criteria can perform one of the following types of repairs. variant rule: fuel22 Since vehicles are magical in nature, they do not need fuel to function in a standard game. However, if you would like to create an additional challenge to emphasize the scarcity of resources in the wastes, you can use these optional rules.  One tank of fuel (also called “trolleum” in the Weird Wastelands), which is typically around 15 gallons, is enough to fuel 24 hours of driving for a Large or smaller vehicle. That same amount of trolleum can fuel a Huge vehicle for 12 hours of driving, or a Gargantuan vehicle for 6 hours.  Fuel in the wasteland is slightly less expensive than potable water, and one tank typically sells for around 12 gp. In remote locations where fuel is scarce, it might easily cost twice that amount. Patch Job If the vehicle has taken damage but has at least half its total hit points (rounded down), a creature can spend 1 hour patching the damage. At the end of the hour, the vehicle regains a number of temporary hit points equal to its integrity score (up to the vehicle’s hit point maximum). These temporary hit points last until depleted. A vehicle can only gain temporary hit points in this way once per day. Replace Parts If a vehicle has taken damage and has less than half its total hit points (rounded down), a creature can spend 1 hour or more and the necessary spare parts23 to repair the damage. At the end of each hour, the vehicle regains hit points equal to its integrity score (up to the vehicle’s hit point maximum). One hour’s worth of repairs requires spare parts worth a gp amount equal to 10 percent of the vehicle’s base cost, as shown on the Vehicle Base Cost table. 22. If you are using the variant rule for fuel and would like to abstract fuel amounts, see chapter 3. 23. See the “Scrounging for Scrap” section in chapter 3 on p. 128 for information on how to abstract the cost of spare parts or use salvaged scrap to repair vehicles. d6 EFFECT 1 Speed is halved 2 Deals half damage 3 Disadvantage on attacks 4 Passenger capacity halved 5 Hit point maximum halved 6 Cargo capacity halved CHAPTER TWO • equipment, magic items, & settlement interaction 86 weird waStelandS

VEHICLE COMBAT Due to their unwieldly nature as objects and their great size, vehicles can be tricky to use in combat. Because they are composed of many smaller objects, vehicles can be damaged in a wide variety of ways. If you wish to dig deeply into vehicular combat, the damaged condition is provided as a special ruleset that adds more tactical options and complexity. Otherwise, the GM arbitrates what special consequences may result from a vehicle taking damage or suffering effects. VEHICLE TEMPLATES This section presents base templates of some of the vehicles used in the wastes. Modules can be installed to create new versions of these vehicles, within the limitations of each vehicle template’s Module Slots trait. Bandit Buggy - “Sandrail,” “cager,” “sand runner,” “sand wagon” The entry-level wastelands ride, the bandit buggy can get you from A to B. Though the basic chassis rarely has windows, doors, fenders, or full body panels, the bandit buggy can be outfitted with some sweet gear. bandit buggy Large vehicle, common Armor Class 10 Integrity 20 Hit Points 100 Speed 60 ft. (maneuverable), 35 mph Initiative 10 Proficiency Bonus +2 Creature Capacity 1 crew, 3 passengers Cargo Capacity 1,000 pounds TRAITS Module Slots. The bandit buggy has three module slots. ACTIONS Ramming Speed. If the bandit buggy moves at least 40 feet straight toward a target, it can attempt to collide with it. The target must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or take 18 (3d10 + 2) bludgeoning damage. The bandit buggy takes the same amount of damage. big tank Huge vehicle, uncommon Armor Class 20 Integrity 30 Hit Points 250 Speed 50 ft., 30 mph Initiative 5 Proficiency Bonus +5 Creature Capacity 2 crew, 2 passengers Cargo Capacity 10,000 pounds TRAITS Module Slots. The big tank has six module slots, three of which can only hold tactical modules. ACTIONS Ramming Speed. If the big tank moves at least 40 feet straight toward a target, it can attempt to collide with it. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 31 (4d12 + 5) bludgeoning damage. The big tank takes the same amount of damage. golden sky barge Gargantuan vehicle, legendary Armor Class 20 Integrity 40 Hit Points 300 Speed 0 ft., fly 120 ft. (hover), 70 mph Initiative 1 Proficiency Bonus +6 Creature Capacity 1 crew, 20 passengers Cargo Capacity 50,000 pounds TRAITS Module Slots. The golden sky barge has ten module slots. ACTIONS Ramming Speed. If the sky barge moves at least 40 feet straight toward a target, it can attempt to collide with it. The target must succeed on a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw or take 45 (6d12 + 6) bludgeoning damage. The sky barge takes the same amount of damage. Golden Sky Barge Legends tell of technomancers who can summon a shining, flying ship as big as a city. The golden sky barge is living proof that those rumors of outrageous excess are true. Big Tank - “Death dealer,” “pacifier” This is the real deal, a genuine arcanotech war machine built for the wasteland. Whether it is pieced together from old relics and scraps or built new, a big tank is a solid truck that can be loaded for bear, making it one of the most fearsome vehicles in the wasteland. CHAPTER TWO • equipment, magic items, & settlement interaction weird waStelandS 87

Rugged Motorcycle - “Chopper,” “rat bike” In the wastelands, two wheels are easier to maintain than four. Fast and durable but limited in crew and cargo, the rugged motorcycle can’t carry much more than one Medium creature and some gear. VEHICLE MODULES Modules for vehicles are divided into three categories: logistical, navigational, and tactical. When not integrated into a vehicle, a module is merely a collection of parts, machinery, and magic that requires a suitable host. Mundane modules can be fabricated with some basic material and elbow grease, while modules with magical properties are as precious and rare as magical items. Some modules have prerequisites that require integration with specific types of vehicles. These restrictions may be based on size classification, type, or other factors and are detailed in the module’s description. Acquiring Modules Vehicle modules can be found in wrecked vehicles throughout the wastes, but such valuable finds are rare. Shops are more reliable sources for modules, like the one at the Derby.25 The cost of a module is based on its rarity, as reflected in the Vehicle Modules by Rarity table. Installing Modules Installing a module into a vehicle with an eligible module slot requires 24 hours of focused activity by an appropriately skilled expert. 25. See p. 230 in chapter 5 for more info on the Derbytown location. technical truck Huge vehicle, rare Armor Class 10 Integrity 30 Hit Points 250 Initiative 5 Speed 50 ft., 30 mph Proficiency Bonus +4 Creature Capacity 2 crew, 10 passengers Cargo Capacity 10,000 pounds TRAITS Module Slots. The technical truck has five module slots. ACTIONS Ramming Speed. If the technical truck moves at least 40 feet straight toward a target, it can attempt to collide with it. The target must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or take 30 (4d12 + 4) bludgeoning damage. The technical truck takes the same amount of damage. rugged motorcycle Medium vehicle, common Armor Class 12 Integrity 10 Hit Points 50 Initiative 15 Speed 90 ft. (maneuverable), 50 mph Proficiency Bonus +3 Creature Capacity 1 crew Cargo Capacity 200 pounds TRAITS Module Slots. The rugged motorcycle has one tactical module slot. ACTIONS Ramming Speed. If the rugged motorcycle moves at least 40 feet straight toward a target, it can attempt to collide with it. The target must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or take 16 (3d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage. The motorcycle takes the same amount of damage. transport automaton Gargantuan vehicle, very rare Armor Class 10 Integrity 30 Hit Points 250 Initiative 5 Speed 30 ft., 15 mph Proficiency Bonus +4 Creature Capacity 1 crew (0 once a destination has been programmed), 12 passengers Cargo Capacity 20,000 pounds TRAITS Module Slots. The transport automaton has six module slots. ACTIONS Ramming Speed. If the transport automaton moves at least 40 feet straight toward a target, it can attempt to collide with it. The target must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or take 20 (3d10 + 4) bludgeoning damage. The transport automaton takes the same amount of damage. Transport Automaton - “Dune walker,” “camel truck” This large vehicle combines an automated mobile platform, either on multiple legs or massive treads, with a makeshift howdah atop it. Technical Truck - “Meat truck,” “band wagon,” “hauler” This big truck is great for hauling loads of scrap or your favorite reaver warband. It might not be the fastest, but it’s tough and reliable. CHAPTER TWO • equipment, magic items, & settlement interaction 88 weird waStelandS

VEHICLE MODULES BY RARITY NAME TYPE RARITY COST Bolt Thrower, Light Tactical Common 20 gp Ram Prow Tactical Common 20 gp Bolt Thrower, Heavy Tactical Uncommon 500 gp Compass System Navigational Uncommon 500 gp Fuel Efficient Navigational Uncommon 500 gp Grappling Hook Gun Tactical Uncommon 500 gp Keep the Rubber Side Down Navigational Uncommon 500 gp Tire Caltrops Tactical Uncommon 500 gp Buzzsaw Tactical Rare 2,000 gp Flame Thrower Tactical Rare 2,000 gp Harpoon Launcher Tactical Rare 2,000 gp Metal Detector Logistical Rare 2,000 gp Monster Pheromone Spray Logistical Rare 2,000 gp Oil Slick Tactical Rare 2,000 gp Sand Sail Navigational Rare 2,000 gp Smoke Screen Tactical Rare 2,000 gp Spiked Prow Tactical Rare 2,000 gp Wheel Spikes Tactical Rare 2,000 gp Elemental Engine Navigational Very rare 5,000 gp Hydraulic Hoppers Navigational Very rare 5,000 gp Medusa Hitch Logistical Very rare 5,000 gp Necro-bike Logistical Legendary 10,000 gp The creature installing the module meet the following criteria: ■ The creature must have Vehicle Proficiency in the kind of vehicle they are trying to fix. ■ The creature must have the appropriate tools to fix the vehicle like smith’s tools, tinker’s tools, or a mechanic’s kit. Logistical Modules Logistical modules provide a vehicle with upgrades that enhance quality of life for passengers and crew members. These modules are ideal for optimizing a vehicle for roleplaying purposes and cover things like armories, crew quarters, recreational areas, workshops, and specialized cargo holds. Medusa Hitch Module, very rare This embalmed, necromantically enchanted head of a medusa is affixed to one side of the vehicle, gazing outward horrifically in one direction in a 30-foot cone. When a creature enters the area of the cone for the first time or starts its turn there, its movement is reduced by 10 feet. Furthermore, as an action, the driver can reach down and pull open the medusa hitch’s eyes, invoking what remains of the medusa’s power. When the driver does so, each creature in the cone must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed until the end of the creature’s next turn. CHAPTER TWO • equipment, magic items, & settlement interaction weird waStelandS 89

Metal Detector Module, rare This module deploys magnetic resonance detectors that pick up signs of nearby magnetic materials such as metal and scrap. The metal detector pings when it detects metal other than the vehicle and anything it carries within 120 of it. Its detection range is impeded by more than 5 feet of sand and more than 2 feet of solid rock or wood. Monster Pheromone Spray Module, rare This module emits a chemical in an invisible cloud that surrounds the vehicle in a 30-foot radius. All creatures in the affected area must attempt a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw, which they attempt with advantage if you or your companions are fighting them. On a failure, a creature is charmed by you until the end of your next turn, until it moves out of range of the spray, or until you or your companions do anything harmful to it. The charmed creature is friendly to you. When the effect ends, the creature knows it was charmed by you. Necro-bike Module, legendary This skeletal necro-tech motorcycle features flaming wheels and a balefire headlight. It’s sometimes called a “bone rider,” “balefire chopper,” or “revenger.” Revenant Rider. When the necro-bike’s driver dies while on the necro-bike, its soul lingers. After 24 hours, the body reforms at the nearest unoccupied space to the spot where it died. This feature closes all wounds, neutralizes any poisons, cures all diseases, and lifts any curses affecting the creature when it died. Any of the driver’s damaged or missing organs and limbs are restored. If the driver’s body was destroyed, a new body is created through the magic of this feature. While the soul is bodiless, a wish spell can be used to force the soul to proceed to the afterlife and not return through these means. Navigational Modules Navigational modules provide a vehicle with upgrades that enhance its mobility or other basic operating functions. These modules are ideal for optimizing a vehicle for exploration purposes and cover things like armor plating, autopilot controls, fuel reserves, terrain converters, and turbochargers. Compass System Module, uncommon Your vehicle has a simple navigational assistance mechanism that points toward the direction you choose and calculates rough distance traveled since last reset. You have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to navigate in the wastelands while using this module. Elemental Engine Module, very rare This arcanotech engine uses a trapped elemental to propel a vehicle upward into the air, allowing it to hover over the ground. This module grants its vehicle a flying speed of 60 feet (hover), or 35 mph. Fuel Efficient Module, uncommon This “module” is in fact installed by removing material from a vehicle, lightening its load and rendering it more fuel efficient. When this module is used, its vehicle can travel 25 percent farther on a standard amount of trolleum. Hydraulic Hoppers Module, very rare (requires Large or smaller vehicle) This module features heavy-duty hydraulics and powerful springs. As an action, you can activate the hopper to jump your vehicle up to 20 feet up or in the direction it is moving. When the vehicle lands, it does not take damage (nor do any of its crew or passengers). Once deployed, this system must be manually reset, requiring 1 minute of uninterrupted labor. Keep the Rubber Side Down Module, uncommon This gyroscope and gimbal system can be installed in a vehicle to compensate for momentum changes and prevent the vehicle from flipping. The driver of a vehicle with this module installed has advantage on skill checks to avoid flipping or crashing. Sand Sail Module, rare (requires Large or smaller vehicle) This retractable mast and sail can be deployed to propel a vehicle across open ground. The system takes 1 minute to deploy and retract. Once deployed, the vehicle has a top speed of 30 feet, or 15 mph. When powered by the sail, the vehicle cannot go up steep hills or over rough ground but does not require fuel. The module also requires a sustained wind of at least 10 mph to function, though the module corrects automatically for changes in wind direction. Tactical Modules Tactical modules provide a vehicle with upgrades that enhance its destructive capabilities. These modules are ideal for optimizing a vehicle for combat purposes and cover things like conduit crystals, self-destruct protocols, siege capabilities, mounted weaponry, and on-board security. Bolt Thrower, Heavy Module, uncommon (requires Large or larger vehicle) This module integrates an arsenal of heavy projectile bolts into the construction of a vehicle. When the weapon is used, the vehicle’s crew makes two Bolt Thrower attacks. CHAPTER TWO • equipment, magic items, & settlement interaction 90 weird waStelandS

Bolt Thrower, Heavy. Ranged Weapon Attack: + proficiency bonus to hit, range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (4d10) + proficiency bonus piercing damage. Bolt Thrower, Light Module, common (requires Medium or larger vehicle) This module integrates an arsenal of light projectile bolts into the construction of a vehicle. When the weapon is used, the vehicle’s crew makes one Bolt Thrower attack. Bolt Thrower, Light. Ranged Weapon Attack: + proficiency bonus to hit, range 100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (3d8) + proficiency bonus piercing damage. Buzzsaw Module, rare (requires Large or larger vehicle) This module extends a spinning blade on a mechanized arm, able to cut through flesh and steel alike. When the weapon is used, the vehicle’s crew makes one Buzzsaw attack. Buzzsaw. Melee Weapon Attack: + proficiency bonus to hit, range 5 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (3d10) slashing damage. Flame Thrower Module, rare (requires Large or larger vehicle) This module operates with a tank of alchemist’s fire, a pilot flame, and a hand pump. As a bonus action, the creature wielding the flame thrower can light or extinguish the pilot flame. If the flame thrower or the creature wielding it takes more than 10 piercing damage while the pilot flame is lit, the tank explodes, dealing 28 (8d6) fire damage to every creature within 10 feet of it, or half as much on a successful DC 13 Dexterity saving throw. Flame Thrower. A line of burning liquid 30 feet long and 5 feet wide shoots from the flame thrower in a direction you choose. Each creature in the line must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 17 (5d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Grappling Hook Gun Module, uncommon (requires Medium or larger vehicle) This module projects a metal hook on the end of a steel cord or chain, grappling targets that are not larger than your vehicle. If the target is the same size as your vehicle or smaller, it is dragged with you when you move. Once a target is grappled, you can use the Winch action to draw the hook back in, pulling your vehicle and the target closer together. Grappling Gun. Ranged Weapon Attack: + proficiency bonus to hit, range 30 ft., one target. Hit: The target is grappled (escape DC 13). Until the grapple ends, the grappling gun cannot be used on another target. Winch. When you have a target grappled with your grappling hook gun, you can take your action to activate the winch and attempt to close the gap between your vehicle and a target. If the target is the same size or smaller than your vehicle, the winch pulls the target 20 feet closer to you. If the target is larger than your vehicle, the winch pulls you 20 feet closer to the target. Once the target and your vehicle are within 5 feet of one another, the chain goes slack and the grappling hook can be unhooked by a creature using its action to do so. Harpoon Launcher Module, rare (requires Large or larger vehicle) This module projects a metal harpoon with a sharp point and curved barbs on the end. The harpoon is attached to the launcher mounted to the vehicle by a steel cord or chain. When you successfully hit a target with the harpoon, the target is grappled. You can then use the winch to attempt to pull your vehicle and the target closer together by drawing the harpoon back in. Harpoon. Ranged Weapon Attack: + proficiency bonus to hit, range 60 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (4d8) piercing damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 15). Until the grapple ends, the harpoon launcher cannot be used on another target. Winch. When you have a target grappled with your harpoon launcher, you can take your action to activate the winch and attempt to close the gap between your vehicle and a target. If the target is the same size or smaller than your vehicle, the winch pulls the target 20 feet closer to you. If the target is larger than your vehicle, the winch pulls you 20 feet closer to the target. Once the target and your vehicle are within 5 feet of one another, the chain goes slack and the harpoon can be removed by a creature using its action to attempt a DC 13 Strength (Athletics) check, removing the harpoon on a success. Oil Slick Module, rare An oil slick spreads a viscous, slippery liquid onto the surface behind your vehicle as it moves, causing pursuing vehicles to spin out of control. As an action, you release a vessel of oil, leaving a pool of flammable grease in a 10-foot-by-10-foot square behind your vehicle. The area is difficult terrain for 1 hour, at which time the grease dries up, leaving behind a dirty residue. When a vehicle enters the affected area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or spin out of control. When a vehicle spins out of control, it uses its remaining movement to travel in a random direction. Roll a d10. On a 1–4, the vehicle moves left. On a 5–8, the vehicle moves right. On a 9–10, the vehicle moves forward. Each oil slick module has one vessel of oil, which can be refilled anywhere trolleum—or fried foods—can be purchased. Because the oil can be virtually any viscous substance (including what would otherwise be considered waste), refilling an oil slick module costs no more than 1 gp. CHAPTER TWO • equipment, magic items, & settlement interaction weird waStelandS 91

Ram Prow Module, common A ram prow is a metal plate mounted on the front of a vehicle designed to deflect damage from frontal collisions. While driving a vehicle with a ram prow and using the Ramming Speed action, your vehicle does not take damage from the resulting collision. Smoke Screen Module, rare (requires Medium or larger vehicle) A smoke screen module includes a small cannister of oil or grease and a tiny furnace, generating thick black smoke behind a vehicle as it moves. As an action, you activate the smoke screen module, creating a 30-foot cone of black smoke directly behind your vehicle. The smoke spreads around corners, and its area is heavily obscured. It lasts for 1 minute or until a wind of at least 10 miles per hour disperses it. Each smoke screen module has one vessel of oil, which can be refilled anywhere trolleum—or fried foods—can be purchased. Because the oil can be virtually any combustible substance (including what would otherwise be considered waste), refilling a smoke screen module costs no more than 1 sp. Spiked Prow Module, rare A spiked prow is a metal plate with vicious spikes that is mounted on the front of a vehicle. It is designed to deal additional damage and deflect damage from frontal collisions. While driving a vehicle with a spiked prow and using the Ramming Speed action, you can roll the damage dice twice and use the higher result when dealing damage. Additionally, your vehicle does not take damage from the resulting collision. Tire Caltrops Module, uncommon A tire caltrop module drops sharp scrap onto the surface behind a vehicle as it moves, damaging and slowing vehicles behind it. As an action, you release a canister of tire caltrops, leaving a line of debris 10 feet long and 5 feet wide behind your as it moves. Any vehicle that enters the area must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or damage their tires significantly, taking 14 (4d6) piercing damage that bypasses armor and a vehicle’s integrity score. This damage reduces the vehicle’s driving speed by 20 feet until the vehicle is repaired. A vehicle moving through the area at half speed is not affected. Each tire caltrop module has three cannisters of scrap, which can be refilled easily from scrap found virtually anywhere, though doing so requires one action per cannister to refill. Wheel Spikes Module, rare These specialized wheel rims have built-in hub caps with spear-like spikes that extend 1 foot out from the sides of the vehicle. As a bonus action, you can use your vehicle to bump a vehicle traveling next to you at roughly the same speed, driving the barbed spike into it. The driver of the other vehicle must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, or the target vehicle takes 11 (2d10) piercing damage. SAMPLE VEHICLES This section presents two vehicles that may be found in the wastes. These vehicles are based on templates and modules from the previous sections. Speedy Cruiser - “Burner,” “longrunner” The Speedy Cruiser is an upgraded bandit buggy with a streamlined chassis, lighter weight, and a smaller footprint. This allows it to go farther and faster on the same amount of trolleum as other vehicles. Spee-D-Livery is an outfit that runs messages and packages between settlements. Staffed with daredevil drivers, the Spee-D-Livery team prefers to outrun threats rather than fight them. speedy cruiser Large vehicle, rare Armor Class 10 Integrity 15 Hit Points 75 Speed 90 ft. (maneuverable), 60 mph Initiative 10 Proficiency Bonus +3 Creature Capacity 1 crew, 1 passenger Cargo Capacity 500 pounds TRAITS Keep the Rubber Side Down. This gyroscope and gimbal system can be installed in a vehicle to compensate for momentum changes and prevent the vehicle from flipping. The driver of the Speedy Cruiser has advantage on skill checks to avoid flipping or crashing. Fuel Efficient. This “module” is in fact installed by removing material from a vehicle, lightening its load and rendering it more fuel efficient. The Speedy Cruiser can travel 25 percent farther on a standard amount of trolleum. ACTIONS Ramming Speed. If the Speedy Cruiser moves at least 40 feet straight toward a target, it can attempt to collide with it. The target must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or take 16 (3d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage. The Speedy Cruiser takes the same amount of damage. CHAPTER TWO • equipment, magic items, & settlement interaction 92 weird waStelandS

Gunboat Grrrl - “Dune rat” The Gunboat Grrrl is built to hit hard and mitigate damage to itself when doing so. It can blast, cut, and ram its way to victory against many a wasteland vehicle. The Gunboat Grrrls—also known as the Dune Rats to some—are a band of femme raiders who excel at attacking caravans, taking what they want, and scavenging when the need arises. gunboat grrrl Large vehicle, rare Armor Class 10 Integrity 25 Hit Points 150 Speed 60 ft. (maneuverable), 35 mph Initiative 10 Proficiency Bonus +4 Creature Capacity 1 crew, 4 passengers Cargo Capacity 2,000 pounds TRAITS Bolt Thrower, Heavy. This module integrates an arsenal of heavy projectile bolts into the construction of a vehicle. When the weapon is used, the Gunboat Grrrl’s crew makes two Bolt Thrower attacks. Buzzsaw. This module extends a spinning blade on a mechanized arm, able to cut through flesh and steel alike. When the weapon is used, the Gunboat Grrrl’s crew makes one Buzzsaw attack. Flame Thrower. This module operates with a tank of alchemist’s fire, a pilot flame, and a hand pump. As a bonus action, the creature wielding the flame thrower can light or extinguish the pilot flame. If the flame thrower or the creature wielding it takes more than 10 piercing damage while the pilot flame is lit, the tank explodes, dealing 28 (8d6) fire damage to every creature within 10 feet of it, or half as much on a successful DC 13 Dexterity saving throw. Harpoon Launcher. This module projects a metal harpoon with a sharp point and curved barbs on the end. The harpoon is attached to the launcher mounted to the Gunboat Grrrl by a steel cord or chain. When the Gunboat Grrrl successfully hits a target with the harpoon, the target is grappled. The Gunboat Grrrl can then use the winch to attempt to pull itself and the target closer together by drawing the harpoon back in. Spiked Prow. A spiked prow is a metal plate with vicious spikes that is mounted on the front of a vehicle. It is designed to deal additional damage and deflect damage from frontal collisions. While using the Ramming Speed action, the Gunboat Grrrl can roll the damage dice twice and use the higher result when dealing damage. Additionally, the Gunboat Grrrl does not take damage from the resulting collision. ACTIONS Bolt Thrower, Heavy. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 26 (4d10 + 4) piercing damage. Buzzsaw. Melee Weapon Attack: + 4 to hit, range 5 feet ft., one target. Hit: 16 (3d10) slashing damage. Harpoon. Ranged Weapon Attack: + 4 to hit, range 60 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (4d8) piercing damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 15). Until the grapple ends, the harpoon launcher cannot be used on another target. Winch. When the Gunboat Grrrl has a target grappled by its harpoon launcher, it can take its action to activate the winch and attempt to close the gap between it and its target. If the target is Large or smaller, the winch pulls the target 20 feet closer to the Gunboat Grrrl. If the target is Huge or larger, the winch pulls the Gunboat Grrrl 20 feet closer to the target. Once the target and the Gunboat Grrrl are within 5 feet of one another, the chain goes slack and the harpoon can be removed by a creature using its action to attempt a DC 13 Strength (Athletics) check, removing the harpoon on a success. Flame Thrower. A line of burning liquid 30 feet long and 5 feet wide shoots from the flame thrower in a direction the driver chooses. Each creature in the line must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw, taking 17 (5d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Ramming Speed. If the Gunboat Grrrl moves at least 40 feet straight toward a target, it can attempt to collide with it. The target must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or take 19 (3d10 + 3) bludgeoning damage. CHAPTER TWO • equipment, magic items, & settlement interaction weird waStelandS 93

magic items While the means to create magic items were obliterated in the apocalypse, magic items from pre-apocalyptic society are scattered throughout the wasteland. Faction members, salvagers, and anyone else brave enough to seek such items can turn a huge profit finding and selling such treasures. arcanotech devices In the wastelands, most magic items are known as “arcanotech devices,” mass-produced objects from a pre-apocalyptic magical society that once thrived in what is now the wasteland. Most magic items now circulating in the Weird Wastelands are arcanotech, but true magic items do occasionally surface. By default, wasteland characters are familiar with arcanotech devices. Wastelander NPCs generally fall into two camps regarding arcanotech. Either they see such objects as resources necessary for survival, or they believe the dangerous nature of such items far outweighs any potential benefits they might provide. SAMPLE ARCANOTECH DEVICES This section lists the arcanotech devices unique to the Weird Wastelands. Arcanotech devices function mechanically as magic items, and unless specified otherwise, they follow all the rules of standard magic items presented in the core 5th Edition rules. Animated Alchemy Lab Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement) This mule-sized mechanism resembles a pill bug with a metallic carapace and a dozen motorized legs peeking out from beneath its metal curtain of armor. When you attune to the lab, you can issue verbal commands (no action required) to the mechanism to move, stop, or unfold. The device’s size is Medium, it has a walking speed of 30 feet, and it requires 1 minute to transform into its lab form or roll back up into walking form. Magical Lab. When unfolded, the mechanism transforms into a metallic workbench stocked with vials, an alembic, a retort, and other alchemical materials that counts as a set of alchemist’s supplies. While attuned to the mechanism, you are considered proficient with alchemist’s supplies (even if you are not normally proficient), and tasks you perform using the lab’s tools take half the time they would normally take. Extra Storage. In addition to its alchemical supplies, the mechanism has an airtight, lead-lined compartment that can hold up to 1 cubic foot of additional material— roughly the size of a backpack. Objects stored inside the compartment have total cover against attacks and other reskinning magic items as arcanotech By default, all magic items in this setting are arcanotech devices, but that doesn’t mean magic items from the DMG and other 5E sources can’t be used. A standard magic item can easily be reskinned into a piece of arcanotech without requiring any rule changes. Making something arcanotech is primarily an aesthetic change in the same way we describe the different look and feel of everything in a fantasy postapocalypse. For example, a wand of magic missiles in a standard campaign setting may look like a wooden rod topped with a crystal, but the arcanotech version could look like a mithral tube set with glass lenses to focus energy. variant rule: recharging arcanotech Most arcanotech items have features powered by expendable charges. As an optional rule, spellcasters can expend spell slots to restore expended device charges during a short rest. To do so, a caster must remain in physical contact with the device for at least 10 minutes of the short rest.  At the end of the short rest, the caster expends one spell slot of their choice, and the device regains a number of charges equal to the level of the expended slot (1 charge for a 1stlevel spell slot, 2 charges for a 2nd-level spell slot, etc.) up to the maximum number of charges a device can hold.  Once a device has been recharged, it cannot be recharged in this way again until the following dawn. external effects. The attuned user can freely open and close this container, but to all other creatures, the compartment is sealed as if by an arcane lock spell. Weird Concoction. Once per day while the mechanism is unfolded in its lab form, you can use an action to command the lab to dispense a weird concoction. When you do so, roll a d4 and consult the Weird Concoctions table to determine what concoction is produced. Once dispensed, CHAPTER TWO • equipment, magic items, & settlement interaction 94 weird waStelandS

a concoction maintains its potency until the next dawn, when it degrades into a nonmagical viscous slime. WEIRD CONCOCTIONS d4 VISUAL DESCRIPTION CONCOCTION 1 Cerulean, wobbling A potion of growth 2 Ebony, swirling A vial of basic poison 3 Magenta, viscous One use of oil of slipperiness 4 Puce, sparkling A potion of greater healing Phaser (Rare). This beam thrower has a snub barrel and a boxy stock. While holding it, you can use an action to expend 1 of its charges to emit a green beam at a target you can see within 30 feet of you. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 4d8 necrotic damage and become stunned until the end of its next turn. Repulsor Ray (Rare). This beam thrower features a flared barrel and a burnished copper stock. While holding it, you can use an action to expend 1 of its charges to emit a purple beam at a target you can see within 150 feet of you. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 4d8 force damage and be pushed up to 10 feet away from you in a straight line. Arc Rifle (Very Rare). This beam thrower resembles a musket made entirely of chrome. While holding it, you can use an action to expend 1 of its charges to emit a blue beam at a target you can see within 300 feet of you. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 6d8 lightning damage. Regardless of the result of the saving throw, the target and creatures within 5 feet of the target take 2d8 lightning damage as electricity arcs from the original target. Pulse Rifle (Very Rare). This beam thrower resembles a musket with tubes and wires running down its stock. While holding it, you can use an action to expend 1 of its charges to emit a yellow beam at a target you can see within 300 feet of you. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 6d8 radiant damage. Alternatively, you can expend 2 charges to release a 30- foot cone of radiant energy from the weapon. Each creature in that area must attempt a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 6d8 radiant damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Disruptor (Legendary). This beam thrower resembles a wheellock musket with silvery runes etched into the barrel that glow when the weapon is fired. While holding it, you can use an action to expend 5 charges to emit a purple beam at a target you can see within 300 feet of you. The target must succeed on a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw or take 10d8 force damage. The target is disintegrated if this damage reduces it to 0 hit points. Glyph Orb Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement by a spellcaster) This small, chrome, perfectly reflective sphere hovers an inch above your palm. You can cast glyph of warding onto the glyph orb, but the glyph orb allows you to move it any distance without breaking the glyph or ending the spell’s effect. As an action, you can command the orb to fly to a point you can see within 60 feet of you, where the glyph is triggered. When the spell or effect inscribed in the glyph occurs, the orb is destroyed. Beam Thrower Wondrous item, varies Beam throwers are arcanotech weapons that emit a ray of destructive energy. They come in a variety of types and sizes, and each one has 5 charges. A beam thrower regains 1d4 + 1 expended charges daily at dawn. Beam Pistol (Uncommon). This beam thrower resembles a flintlock pistol with strange lights running down its barrel. While holding it, you can use an action to expend 1 of its charges to emit a red beam at a target you can see within 90 feet of you. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 3d8 fire damage. Beam Rifle (Uncommon). This beam thrower resembles a flintlock musket with strange lights running down its barrel. While holding it, you can use an action to expend 1 of its charges to emit a red beam at a target you can see within 120 feet of you. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 4d8 fire damage. CHAPTER TWO • equipment, magic items, & settlement interaction weird waStelandS 95

Hexsteel Plate Armor (any), legendary (requires attunement by a spellcaster) Hexsteel plate consists of perfectly interlocking glyph plates that conform to your body, leaving no part of you exposed. When worn, prismatic energy dances across the surface of the armor. While wearing this armor, you gain the standard benefits of wearing plate armor plus the following additional benefits: ■ You have a +2 bonus to AC. ■ Your Strength score is 19 (unless your Strength is already 19 or higher). The armor holds 20 charges. It regains 1d6 + 4 charges daily at dawn. While wearing the armor, you can use an action to expend charges to cast one of the following spells from it, using your spell save DC and spellcasting ability: antilife shell (5 charges), darkvision (2 charges), prismatic spray (7 charges), protection from energy (3 charges), sunbeam (6 charges), or water breathing (3 charges). HEXSTEEL WEAPON RARITY RARITY BONUS Uncommon +1 Rare +2 Very Rare +3 Hovering Shield Armor (shield), very rare (requires attunement) When not in use, the hovering shield resembles a handful of small metallic discs. While holding the disks, you can use a bonus action to speak one of two command words to produce one of the following effects. ■ When speaking the first command word, the discs leap into the air and orbit in your space to protect you as if you were wielding a shield, leaving your hands free. You can benefit from only one shield at a time. ■ When speaking the second command word, the discs leap into the air and expand in size, becoming thinner and wider, forming an immobile barrier behind which you can hide. The hovering barrier provides three-quarters cover for you and one other creature of Medium size or smaller within 5 feet. The hovering shield remains animated for 1 minute, until you use a bonus action to end this effect, or until you are incapacitated or die, at which point the discs return to a small stack at your feet or into your hand if you have one free. Leprechaun Juice Potion, rare This sparkling green liquid is stored in an odd ceramic bottle with clovers and rainbows etched into it. When you drink this substance, you are compelled to perform a comic dance in place, shuffling, tapping your feet, and capering. The dance lasts for 1 round, at the end of which you have an overwhelming urge to defecate. Until you defecate, you have disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws and attack rolls. While you are affected by this effect, other creatures have advantage on attack rolls against you. When you do defecate, you produce a gold nugget worth 500 gp, and the effect ends. Magma Cannon Wondrous item, very rare (requires attunement) This stout, hand-held mortar cannon of adamantine and hexsteel fires slugs of super-heated rock that explode on impact and leave behind a temporary area of near-molten rock. Hexsteel Weapon Weapon (any), varies (requires attunement) This weapon is made of hexsteel. You have a bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon determined by rarity. In addition, the weapon can be used as a spellcasting focus. While using this weapon as a spellcasting focus, you gain a bonus to spell attack rolls determined by the weapon’s rarity. CHAPTER TWO • equipment, magic items, & settlement interaction 96 weird waStelandS