Warning: Pre-Alpha
This game is currently in pre-alpha, and at this time, I do not recommend running a game in it yet. Every single game mechanic and piece of lore is subject to potentially breaking changes.
Thank you for your interest in this game! You can follow its development at https://www.youtube.com/@trekiros
-Trek
IV - Objects
Every item in the game is made up of some combination of these 5 core ingredients. From most to least common, they are:
🛠
Scrap. Metal, plastic, wood, etc... Anything with enough durability and rigidity to give structure to armor, weapons, vehicles, or buildings. Used to repair vehicles.
🥩
Biomass. Leather, claws, bones, etc... Can be used as food, or to make flexible objects such as clothes or ropes. Used to take rests.
🧪
Chemicals. Any substance reactive enough to be useful in the creation of medical drugs or explosives. Used to craft stims.
📻
Electronics. Switches, cables, etc... They are necessary for the construction of high tech weapons, robots, or various gadgets. Items which include electronics do not function under sunlight.
⚡
Energy. Deuterium canisters, batteries, etc... Used to power prisms.
Every item in the game has a technology level which goes from 1 to 5, and determines who can craft the item:
1
Rudimentary: Anybody can craft this item - you just need the right ingredients.
2
Specialized: These items require some dedicated training to assemble. To craft this item, you need an ability like the specialist perk.
3
Expert: These items require an advanced level of mastery to make. To craft this item, you need a second ability, like the expert perk.
4
Industrial: Crafting this item has become impossible since the Flare - the supply chains have broken down, or you'd need machinery which just doesn't exist anymore. If you find one of these items, hold on to it, they have become extremely valuable.
5
Unknown: Crafting this item wasn't possible before the Flare. You're not sure if those even exist...
Note: the feats required to craft tech 2 and tech 3 items are divided by item type. For example, you might be able to craft tech 2 melee weapons and tech 3 drugs, but only tech 1 armors.
You can dismantle any object to retrieve half of its components (rounded down, minimum 1). If you have the required components & expertise, you can craft any object.
The maximum number of components you can craft or dismantle over the course of a rest depends on the type of rest it is. Short rest: 10 components. Long rest: 100 components. Complete rest: 1000 components.
For example, if an item has 15🛠 10📻 as its components, you can craft or dismantle up to 4 of them during a long rest.
An object's value, in chips, is its tech level multiplied by how many components it takes to craft it. For example, a Tech 4 object with 10📻 as its components is worth 4x10 = 40💰.
The wasteland's merchants can usually only sell Tech 1 and Tech 2 items, and they usually specialize in items of one specific type: an arms merchant is unlikely to carry armors, for example.
At the Plot Twister's discretion, a merchant might carry a couple Tech 3 or above items, or there might be a shortage of some specific Tech 1 or Tech 2 items.
To get better deals when buying or selling items, you can attempt to accrue favors by doing things such as:
- Saving a merchant's life from a raider attack
- Doing a mission for the vendor
- Being long time repeat customers of a vendor
- Owning a shop
- Having the silver tongued perk
Some favors might be temporary, and only last one day or one deal, such as:
- Searching for a client who wants the exact item the players are selling
- Succeeding on a Persuasion check to haggle
- The good the players are buying is perishable
Favors with one NPC don't carry over to other NPCs. Based on how many favors of different kinds you have, the buying and selling price of items for that NPC is equal to the item's value multiplied by the following number:
| Favors | Buying from a vendor | Selling to a vendor |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | x1 (100%) | x1/5 (20%) |
| 1 | x4/5 (80%) | x1/4 (25%) |
| 2 | x3/4 (75%) | x1/3 (33%) |
| 3+ | x2/3 (66%) | x2/5 (40%) |
Making an honest living vs Adventuring
Using these rules, it is technically possible to make an honest living, by buying crafting ingredients from a vendor with a lot of favors, using them to craft Tech 2 or Tech 3 items, and then selling those to a buyer with a lot of favors.
However, this will usually be less profitable than going on dangerous missions out in the wasteland: the highest skilled crafters, with the most favors & connections, will only make about 50💰 per week, whereas even the lowliest of scavengers, going on the least risky missions, will typically make at least 100💰 in that time frame!
Don't be afraid to go on adventures! The rewards will be worth the risk! (...And you'll probably have more fun!)