Message:xGear Quest—Wastelands
Go forth and purge the evil within and without. Don't forget your honing stones (inside joke). Characters are survivors in the post-apocalyptic landscape. One of them is secretly a Terminator Morrow Agent (that only the Ref knows as an Enemy Infiltrator). Over the course of the play, the identity of that culprit will become known. Once the player (party) ousts the spy, the campaign concludes. Clues will be given along the way.
In truth, all the characters are corrupted by technological evil. Each was sent away from home and the familiar, because they each could not be allowed to stay among the vault dwellers. The group is dispatched into the wasteland under the pretense of establishing trade, representing what was once taken for granted -- civility.
Each player must select three of these five Traits for his character. The Traits will become clues to the Terminator intruder's identity.
SELECT THREE TRAITS:
Cunning, Imperial, Moody, Satirical, Tragic (Past)
These Traits will appear in the Events and create problems. e.g., "The Terminator slays one other player character with the Trait of Moody." A character so dispatched must be resurrected (by player action) No one will roll a new character. Death allows the character to be purged of his evil code and is no longer (even by chance) the Terminator.
Mechanics
This is a GEAR oriented game. That said, I plan to make the adventures more riddle, clue whodunits of a Gygax underworld style.
Characters
All players start with only ten points.
The ten are used to select for Gear slots, HPs and Test Pips. Note: Make-Rolls have been completely removed from play. These task points are fluid and can be assigned and reassigned at will. The only exceptions would be, once a Pip is assigned then it is locked for the session. Your character is literally trading HP for Pips and extra slots to haul out loot.
+++Gear Slots: Double this number is your allotted number in pieces of separate Gear you can carry to perform actions or take-out as LOOT. Some items have greater encumbrance and require multiple slots. Some items fit together in a single slot. e.g., kabar knife of 1/2 point slot.
+++HPs: Triple the number of assigned points becomes character's HP of damage that he can take before dying at zero.
+++Pips: Up to six points can be assigned to add +2 in each Aspect. Pips are added to every roll you make of the same type. This dice improvement will never be more than four. If Pips are lost, they can be replaced once again with XP use in the session.
Six Aspect Tests
Mutation, Psionics, Luck (Agility), Restoration (Salvage), Utility (Focus), Weaponry (Physical)
All failed rolls cause a point of damage. There may be other bonus on success and penalty for failing any Test.
Mutation: Fail and ability turns-off. Use two roll alternate of Psionics & Weaponry. (See note*)
Psionics: Success and additionally heal an HP on anyone.
Luck (Agility): Fail and someone else must attempt the roll. Until either success or all fail once. In cases where the event starts with everyone required to make a roll, you do not apply the fail and continue. Recursive logic can be rough to track.
Restoration (Salvage): Fail and suffer three damage, instead of one.
Utility (Focus): Success also gives the player character a found bottlecap ($$$).
Weaponry: Quite often, roll until Success. There may be ways of mitigating this within the event or adventure.
Note: * -- Mutation test rolls may be made instead as two rolls of Psionics & Weaponry. If you ever must repeat a Test in an event, e.g., roll Psionics twice, the second attempt is at DefMod <-2>.
Aspect Tests
All events of the adventure are described in terms of the six Aspect Tests. e.g., Climb may need Utility. Pitfall Utility -or- Luck, Gas trap = Restoration (Salvage). Puzzle = Luck (or players solve by correct answer-explanation).
Cybernetics
Each player has internal electronics. You are a super soldier, but the nuclear war fried many of your systems. You slowly heal back ability at the rate of one improvement (D6) per session.
All start w/o function. These will slowly grow in power by adding quality proficiency in Tests. Starting with Poor, then Good, then Great. Implants will not ever be lost or decline in quality.
Combat
Weaponry as a Test suggests something to fight. Yet scary mutants may require Weaponry & Restoration (Salvage).
Most action should occur with at most six rolls (very rare), all Aspects. Players would then interpret the result as slaying the mobs or driving them away or escaping.
Gear Explained
This is a GEAR oriented game. Gear has intrinsic powers, covering certain Aspects. e.g., Grapnel may be Good Quality Utility. Arcane Orb may be Mutation and Psionics of Great power. Father's BB Gun = Poor Luck and Weaponry. Mom's Chili = Poor Restoration (Salvage) and Poor Utility.
Before you start out to adventure (continue in the session), you outfit yourself with Gear from your group arsenal (or private cache). In between sessions the characters heal and may buy new stuff for $$$ credits.
Gear Quality
Gear is rated as Poor, Good, Great.
Poor: Success at Test on 15+
Good: Success at Test on 11+
Great: Success at Test on 8+
Whenever a Test roll is failed, the character suffers damage. Additionally on a roll of a ONE (on D20 Test), the Gear Quality declines. This can happen only once for each piece of gear in the session. Failing durability on a ONE will cause the object's quality to decline.
Repair Gear
For a fixed fee of five bottlecaps ($$$), any Good item can be restored. Poor are discarded when Quality declines and Great only drops to Good for the remainder of the session. All Great gear returns to being Great at the start of the next play session.
Omnipotent Rage
Mutation may be substituted for any Test. Failing Mutation in this manner, when substituted for any other roll, will turn-off that option for the session.
DefMod
Some actions start with a die penalty. This can range one to four. The penalty may last until an adventure puzzle or unknown info is revealed. e.g. Gear with riddles to unlock.
Healing & Resurrection
Once any player falls below half HPs, any party member may make Psionics & Restoration (Salvage), that's two rolls, to restore a point of damage. This can occur even after a character loses his last point of HP and lies technically dead. The walking wounded may limp along with the successful rolls of healing by his comrades. Only the Psionic success heals points of damage. The Restoration (Salvage) roll is just a penalty.
Expert Status
When an event is resolved with a natural twenty, the character gains Expertise. Make a note. The character is never forced again to roll that type of event. His actions are success. This only applies to Card Events and only for a twenty on the first roll attempt made in the encounter. This does not apply in scripted adventure, only for Card Events.
Bare Essentials
If a player ever finds himself without an object for a Test, he can improvise a Poor one. However, the damage penalty doubles for failure. If the player needs a visual representation, select from these.
Thorn—Poor Mutation
Tooth—Poor Mutation
Hank Hair—Poor Mutation
Flint—Poor Psionics
Marble Chip—Poor Psionics
Prayer Icon—Poor Psionics
Penny—Poor Luck (Mental)
Acorn—Poor Luck (Mental)
Memento—Poor Luck (Mental)
Bandage—Poor Restoration (Salvage)
Coffee—Poor Restoration (Salvage)
Spanner—Poor Restoration (Salvage)
Twine—Poor Utility
Sack—Poor Utility
Gloves—Poor Utility
Worn Belt—Poor Utility
Cudgel—Poor Weaponry
Sharp Rock—Poor Weaponry
Motor Chain—Poor Weaponry
Vendor Prices
Pay ten $$$ to gain another roll on the Gear table. Receive D4 $$$ for any object you sell in trade. You may not buy individual objects of a desired type. Haggling in the waste will get you killed.
Free-Style Descriptions
Each player must say what he is doing with his Gear. In some cases the Referee will ask for more or deny the action. Try again! If you had a nice Hat for Luck, you might need to describe how that Hat managed to let you find a key. "It covered my eyes, perhaps, allowing just the light of the hiding spot to be seen." Or, "I bent down to pick-up a pocket handkerchief right as the enemy fires." Strive for the bravado of the canon.
Generating Play
Some adventures will be pre-designed. Others will be maps with Letters to trigger random Event Cards
Ace: Psionics -or- Luck; Test single player at random.
2: Restoration -or- Weaponry; Test single player at random. After the first Spade of the session, add Bad Fate / Sub-Boss.
3: Luck -or- Utility; Test any of the players of the group as Save-the-Group.
4: Luck -or- Restoration; Test any of the players of the group. After the first Diamond of the session, add Bad Fate / Sub-Boss.
5: Luck -or- Weaponry; Test any of the players of the group as Silent Task.
6: Utility -or- Weaponry; Test any of the players of the group. After the first Heart of the session, add Bad Fate / Sub-Boss.
7: Psionics -or- Luck; Test any of the players of the group.
8: Psionics -or- Restoration; Test any of the players of the group. After the first Club of the session, add Bad Fate / Sub-Boss.
9: Psionics -or- Utility; Test any of the players of the group.
10: Award the players a Stop-Harm and select another event playing card.
Jack: Restoration -or- Weaponry; all players of the group must make the Tests.
Queen: Utility -or- Restoration; all players of the group must make the Tests.
King: Psionics -or- Weaponry; all players of the group must make the Tests.
Hearts: No Addition.
Diamonds: Add Luck (Mental)
Clubs: Add Utility
Spades: Add Weaponry
You never roll the same Test twice. So if you have a Ace Diamonds that means you roll Luck and Psionics.
Clarify Card Extras
Decline Gear: One object drops in quality. Great to Good. Good to Poor and Poor to trash.
Flair: A piece of gear now has additional powers off the Flair table.
Setback: Next D4 events are double damage for all.
Peril: Option to suffer D4 damage or make Restoration (Salvage) Test roll.
Stop-Harm: Voids all damage taken and stops all gear decline in an Event. Lets any Event pass harmlessly without consequence but Ref may decide this also grants no gain.
Save-the-Group: By failing the roll, instead of taking damage, all the other players take damage.
Silent Task: Failing the roll means the group suffers minus one DefMod going forward.
Bad Fate / Sub-Boss (D8)
1: Lose XP permanently.
2: Lose faith in an object (random); give to another permanently.
3: Double damage going forward in the session.
4: Lose or break an object of your choice.
5: Decline random object's Quality.
6: Blank all assigned Pips.
7: Take 2D4 damage.
8: Roll again Escalate /Psychosis.
Escalate / Psychosis (D8)
1: Event damage changes to D4.
2: Group loses 20 $$$.
3: Double damage for all going forward.
4: Each player loses or breaks an object of his choice.
5: Turn-Off all Pips; to gain them (once again) cost another XP point.
6: Increase the durability loss from ONE (on D20) to One to Three.
7: DefMod <-4> applies to all Events; never beyond minus four.
8: Bad Bodyguard meaning any Event damage from missed roll injures you the roller and one other. The victim is only rolled the once and thereafter mirrors his buddy's damage. Yes, the victim can have more than one other player dinging him w/ extra damage. Guess you made a friend?
These can occur against a prime villains of the campaign, like the Ghouls, or are triggered by group missteps or poor judgment.
Potential NPC
Some of the events allude to familiarity between the players and someone of the wastelands. When an Event is marked "Potential NPC," the players shall select one of four roles.
Former Ally - Aloof
Comic Relief - Annoyance
Frienemy - Goal Rival
Stone Cold Pragmatist
Any of the four might apply, regardless of the other rolls and penalties the card generates.
Meaning What?
Former Ally - Aloof: Receive Sweetwater Elixir that makes all rolls GREAT for one session. If used now, whole party gets gain. Otherwise, bottle and save for use by one player in a later time and session.
Comic Relief - Annoyance: All players ignore DefMod but also take double damage for the rest of the session.
Frienemy - Goal Rival: Receive Orange Pills to restore ten HP damage (immediately) or pocket to gain four recovery at any later time. However, user may not check any more Pips in the session.
Stone Cold Pragmatist: Choose either DefMod <-1> -or- Double Damage for rest of the session. But also all characters become fully healed.
After making the selection, the players then flip a playing card and see if they get a successful match. Some roles are easier to foster.
Success on your guess as validated by the card suit. Fail means the card flip did not match the party prediction. Try again next time.
Odds of Success (validation)
Former Ally - Aloof == Heart (only)
Frienemy - Goal Rival == Heart -or- Diamond
Comic Relief - Annoyance == Heart, Club -or- Diamond
Stone Cold Pragmatist == Club -or- Spade
Give the NPC a name and affectation, something like a lisp, one-eye, burnt face, bad haircut, etc. Something memorable and maybe let there be a backstory. "We were running petrol through Burn Acres, when we were attacked by the Swinton Brothers...."
After any of the seven NPCs are properly identified, then thereafter all future meetings generate the same Success consequences. The players must have at least one of each type before they can generate a second category.
Not so Fast
When you tried and failed, the results do vary.
Former Ally - Aloof
Actual Flip Club -or- Diamond: Low Die loses random gear.
Actual Flip Spade: All lose gear choice.
Frienemy - Goal Rival
Actual Flip Club: Low Die unchecks Pips; he may not use further Pips in the session.
Actual Flip Spade: All characters uncheck Pips; no further Pips may be used in the session.
Comic Relief - Annoyance
Actual Flip Spade: Party suffers DefMod<-3>.
Stone Cold Pragmatist
Actual Flip Heart: All characters take D4 damage.
Actual Flip Diamond: Low Die takes ten damage.
Yours,
IronRed
05-Jun-2025