Exploration & Survival

Rest and Recovery

This is not a variant rule. This is the default rest system.

In the harsh post-apocalyptic wasteland, recovery is slow and dangerous.

Short Rest: 8 Hours

Requirements:

• Minimum 8 hours of rest (sleep or light activity)
• Safe or defensible location
• Adequate shelter from elements
• Access to water

Benefits:

• Recover Hit Dice equal to half your level (minimum 1)
• Spend recovered Hit Dice to heal (roll each die + END modifier)
• Regain all 'per short rest' abilities
• Regain 1 spell slot of 3rd level or lower
• Remove 1 Burnout Point
• Remove Exhaustion level 1-2 (if at level 1-2 only; levels 3+ require a Long Rest)
• Maximum 1 short rest per 24-hour period

Limitations:

• Cannot benefit from multiple short rests in same 24-hour period
• Interrupted rest (combat, environmental hazard) must restart
• No spell slot recovery beyond 1 slot

Dungeon "Breather" Variant:

• DMs may place "safe rooms" in dungeons/hostile areas
• These allow 1-hour rest that counts as short rest (reduced benefits)
• Only recover 1 HD, no spell slots
• Prevents total party wipes in long dungeons

Long Rest: 7 Days (1 Week)

Requirements:

• Minimum 7 consecutive days in safe settlement
• Access to food, water, shelter
• No strenuous activity (light work allowed, no combat/adventuring)
• Medical care or healing magic available (recommended)

Benefits:

• Full HP recovery
• All Hit Dice recovered
• All spell slots recovered
• All limited-use abilities recovered
• Remove all Burnout Points
• Remove all Exhaustion levels
• Remove most conditions (poisoned, diseased, etc.)
• Heal one Lingering Injury (if medical treatment available)

Limitations:

• Exhaustion 5-6 requires 2 weeks to remove fully (1 week removes 2 levels)
• Permanent injuries may not heal
• Must actually be in safe location (DM discretion)

Interrupted Long Rest:

• If adventuring/combat occurs during rest week, all progress lost
• Must restart 7-day count

Natural Healing (No Rest)

Daily Recovery (No Combat):

• Regain END modifier HP per day of light activity (minimum 1)
• Requires adequate food and water
• Slow but doesn't require full rest week

Starvation/Dehydration:

• 3 days without food: Gain 1 Exhaustion, then 1 per day
• 1 day without water: Gain 1 Exhaustion, then 1 per day (2 per day in hot climate)
• Food/water immediately stops Exhaustion gain but doesn't remove levels

Lingering Injuries

When you drop to 0 HP or take damage equal to or greater than half your max HP in one hit, roll on this table (DM discretion).

Lingering Injury Roll: d100

DM Guidance:

• Roll only for dramatic/deadly encounters
• Lower rolls (01-50) for minor defeats
• Higher rolls (51-00) for near-death experiences
• Allow players to avoid with Luck/Hero Points (if using those rules)
• Cybernetic/magical augments can replace lost limbs

Field Medicine and Non-Magical Healing

With magic scarce and long rests requiring a week, field medicine is critical.

Emergency Stabilization

Action: Stabilize Dying Creature

• Time: 1 action
• Range: Touch
• Skill: Medicine DC 10
• Effect: Success stabilizes creature at 0 HP (no more death saves)
• Failure: No effect, can try again
• Critical Failure (DC 5 or lower): Patient loses 1 death save

Field Surgery

Field Surgery (10 minutes): Requires a Medicine kit and a stable environment. Medicine check DC 15. Success: Restore 4d8 + WIS modifier HP. Failure: No HP restored, 1 use of kit expended. Once per character per 24 hours.

Long-Term Care

Downtime: Intensive Medical Treatment

• Time: 1 week (during long rest)
• Skill: Medicine DC varies by injury
• Effect:
  • Heal lingering injuries (see table above)
  • Double HP recovery rate during rest
  • Remove disease/infection
  • Prevent injury complications

Costs:

• Medical supplies (Tier 2-3, 1-3 tokens depending on injury severity)
• Access to medical facility or well-equipped camp

Stims (Technology Healing)

Use: 1 action. Range: Self or adjacent ally.

A character can benefit from a maximum of 2 stims per 24-hour period. The body builds tolerance; additional stims have no effect.

Exhaustion in Harsh Environments

Exhaustion is more dangerous and easier to gain in the wasteland.

Accelerated Exhaustion Sources

Environmental:

• Extreme Heat (2+ hours): Fortitude save DC 15 every hour or gain 1 level
• Extreme Cold (2+ hours): Fortitude save DC 15 every hour or gain 1 level
• High Altitude: Fortitude save DC 15 per day or gain 1 level
• Toxic Atmosphere: Fortitude save DC varies, typically 1 level per hour exposed

Activity:

• Forced March (beyond 8 hours): Fortitude save DC 10 + (hours beyond 8) per hour or gain 1 level
• Swimming/Climbing (extended): Fortitude save DC 15 every 30 minutes or gain 1 level
• Sprinting (10+ minutes): Gain 1 level automatically

Deprivation:

• 24 hours without sleep: Gain 1 level, then 1 level per additional 24 hours
• 3 days without food: Gain 1 level, then 1 per day
• 1 day without water: Gain 1 level, then 1 per day (2 per day in heat)

Combat/Magic:

• Sandevistan augment use: Gain 1 level after effect ends
• Critical Burnout (9+ BP): Gain 1 level
• Resurrection magic: Gain 3 levels automatically

Removal (Gritty Rules)

• Short Rest (8 hours): Remove 1 level of Exhaustion if at level 1-2 only; levels 3+ require a Long Rest
• Long Rest (7 days): Remove all levels of Exhaustion
• Greater Restoration (5th-level spell): Remove 1 level instantly

Morale and Surrender

Not every fight ends in death. Smart enemies flee or surrender.

Morale Checks (Optional Rule for DM)

When conditions worsen, enemies may break.

Morale Trigger Conditions:

• Leader killed or incapacitated
• 50% of group killed/incapacitated
• Faced with overwhelming force (party 2+ levels higher)
• Subjected to fear effects

Morale Check:

• Roll: d20 + WIS modifier + Proficiency (if trained)
• DC: 10 (easy), 15 (moderate), 20 (hard) — DM sets based on enemy's fanaticism/desperation
• Success: Fight continues
• Failure: Enemies attempt to flee or surrender

Intelligent Enemies:

• May negotiate before fleeing
• Offer information for their lives
• Lay down arms and beg for mercy
• Retreat tactically rather than rout

Mindless/Fanatical Enemies:

• Undead, constructs, fanatics ignore morale
• Fight to destruction
• May retreat tactically if intelligent (undead controlled by smart necromancer)

Surrender and Interrogation

Accepting Surrender:

• Defeated enemies drop weapons, fall prone, or raise hands
• PCs must decide: accept, execute, or ignore
• Accepting creates prisoner situation (guard, feed, transport)

Interrogation:

• Intimidation, Persuasion, or Deception checks
• DM sets DC based on enemy's loyalty/fear
• Success yields information (amount varies by margin of success)
• Torture is an option (DM determines moral/alignment consequences)

Letting Enemies Go: Released enemies may:

• Honor agreement and leave
• Return with reinforcements
• Ambush party later
• Spread word of party's mercy (reputation impact)

Crafting

Crafting Requirements:

• Tool kit appropriate to the item (included in starting equipment for Technicians)
• Raw materials (cost = 50% of item market price)
• Technology skill check:
  • Tier 1 items: DC 12
  • Tier 2 items: DC 16
  • Tier 3 items: DC 22
• Time: Tier 1 = 4 hours, Tier 2 = 1-3 days, Tier 3 = 1-4 weeks
• A character can only craft items they have proficiency to use