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RED MARKETS
QUICKSTART RULES
Game Design: Caleb Stokes
Writing: Laura Briskin-Limehouse, Adam Briskin-Limehouse, Tom Abella, Jake Moffitt
Editing: Laura Briskin-Limehouse, Caleb Stokes
Art Direction: Kyle Carty, Kathryn Carty
Cover Art: Kim Van Deun
Interior Art: Przemek Lech, Kim Van Deun, Patsy McDowell, Christopher Cirillo
Graphic Design: Kathryn Carty, Kyle Carty
Special Thanks: 64 Playtester Survey Takers, Technical Difficulties, Role Playing Exchange,
Insert Quest Here, The Drunk and The Ugly, The RPPR Cult (GroupMe), and Sharon Abella.

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 The Rules
It’s been five years since the Crash. There is no known
“patient zero,” no single starting point. The public
went from skeptical to pleading to evacuation orders
in less than two months and less than half of the
country made it to safety.
Someone high up decided the best option for
America was to pull back to the East side of the
Mississippi and hole up as best we could. Millions
made it over, but millions didn’t. Millions like you,
left without help, without law, without hope. But you
kept it together and helped establish a new home for
yourself in the Loss with others who couldn’t get out
in time.
It’s been five years, and you can’t do another five.
You’ve decided to become a Taker, willing to head out
past the walls of your enclave to do the work of people
with money to spare. It’s dangerous work, but it pays.
After all, the rent is still due.   mounted on solar-powered weather balloons. If you
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ThIngs to Know
It’s been five years - Most things of value from before
the Crash are useless: cars are rusted, medicine
is inert, and even canned food has spoiled. Almost
everything worth having has already been salvaged
and sold, or it’s too dangerous to go after...unless
you’re desperate enough.
Half a land - At the peak of the Crash, a decision
was made to collect all available military and
government assets and retreat east of the Mississippi.
The river provided a natural barrier and allowed
government forces to fight back, establishing the
Recession. A constant refugee crisis means things
aren’t great, but they’re a lot better than anything west
of the Mississippi.
Ubiq - For a post-apocalyptic zombie wasteland, the
wi-fi is surprisingly good. The Ubiq network provides
free wireless internet through a collection of routers
can see sky, you’ve got a signal..
The Undead - They come in two varieties: sprinters
called Vectors, which ultimately turn into the stiff,
shambling Casualties after two to three days in Torpor.
All their bodily fluids are black with Blight. A“Hot”
infection from a Vector turns you in minutes, while a
“Cold” bite from a Casualty can take days.
Bounty - The government set up a system for
reclaiming property in the Loss after they reclaim the
land. Claims require a proof of death, with Driver’s
Licenses being the most common. The looted
documents of the undead have become the new
currency of the Loss: Bounty.
Retirement - The goal of saving enough Bounty to
get smuggled into the Recession.
ProfIt System
Red Markets uses the Profit System when a character
might fail an important task. First, the character
must have at least one point in a skill in order to —the
“+1 or it can’t be done” rule. Second, determine if
the skill require the player to buy-a-roll: does the
character have to spend something?
• Purely mental or social actions are free, but they
are one-and-done. Takers can’t try again, even if
there is time.
• Spend a charge to buy-a-roll if using gear
(something requiring ammunition, batteries, or
other disposable parts).
o If using a charged tool, players may spend
extra charges before the dice are rolled. Every
extra charge spent adds a +1 to the roll.
• Spend a charge of rations for intense physical
actions. Players may spend additional charges to
add a +1 to the roll for each extra charge.
At that point, players roll two ten-sided dice:
one Black and one Red. Add your skill rating
and any gear bonuses to the number on the
Black die. If the modified Black is higher than
the Red, it’s a success. Otherwise, it’s a failure.
Ties always go to the Market.
If the dice (before any modifiers) show the same
number, it’s a Critical result. Even numbers are
Critical successes, odd numbers are Critical failures.
Critical rolls mean you’ve either succeeded or failed
spectacularly, whether you’re in a fight, scavenging for
loot, or negotiating the price on a job. Criticals ignore
any modifiers from skills and gears; it’s all about the
natural doubles on a roll.
If you’re unhappy with your roll, you can petition
to succeed at cost. If there is a way to succeed that
makes sense narratively, the Market can offer you
the option. For example, if hacking an electronic
lock, petitioning to succeed at cost could involve
taking harm as you use your body as a conductor to
short out the lock. Or on a Mechanics skill check, the
Market may say you could succeed if you spend all
the remaining charges on your toolkit. It is always up
to the player to ask to succeed at cost. The Market
always has final say on what it would take to succeed,
and the player has the final choice in accepting that
cost or not.
Alternatively, players can use a point of WIL to
get out of a tight spot. WIL is one of your characters
potentials, but you can burn points during gameplay
to give yourself a benefit on your rolls: Flip the dice
(so a B3-R8 roll before modifiers becomes a B8-R3),
downgrade a critical failure to a regular failure, or
upgrade a normal success into a critical.
Finally, if you’re trying to succeed on a roll where
you have the time and ability to ask for help, you can
tap a Reference. Give someone a call who knows
better what to do. You’ll automatically succeed on any
non-combat roll. But nothing is free in Red Markets
— tapping a Reference costs Bounty, and not every
contact can help every time. If you owe too much to
your References, they might not pick up the next time
you call.
CasualtIes
Feel free to call them “zombies” if you want—but only
Bait call them that in the Loss. The Blight comes in
two varieties: Vectors and Casualties.
Vectors are people infected with Hot Blight: jacked-
up speed freaks with a taste for flesh and blood
pouring out of every orifice. Like all their bodily fluids,
that blood is loaded with live virus, which replicates
in living bloodstreams and transforms others into
Vectors minutes after contact. A hot outbreak can
wipe out a city in a few hours.
Vectors aren’t actually dead, but their brains are
overwhelmed by frenzy and heedless of injury and
pain. Losing a limb will only slow a Vector: kill them
by taking out their head or heart.
Eventually, the Blight burns out Vectors’ bodies and
they enter a state of Torpor. While they get cold, the
Blight takes over the body. In its Cold, undead form,
the virus converts the tissue of the deceased into
sinew, an alien nervous system and preservation fluid,
which puppets the body around. This corpse puppet is
a Casualty—slow, hungry, and their bites take longer
to infect. The only way to stop them is to destroy
the brainstem where the sinews process signals.
Individually they’re easy enough to put down. In a
group, they are a flowing river: eventually they’re going
to wear you down.
Water is a good metaphor for how Casualties
wander the wasteland. They flow downhill in the
direction of gravity and pool in areas of lowest
elevation. They tend to be found around large
population centers. They follow paths of least
resistance when not exposed to outside forces.
And, like floods, they can suddenly overwhelm the
unprepared.
Takers
A desperate job for a desperate world. People become
Takers for any number of reasons but most never get
out of the job.
Spots and GaInIng WIL
A Spot describes something about a Taker’s
personality. Their Weak Spot is a persistent character
flaw—no matter how aware and dedicated they
are to fixing it, it’s going to get the Taker in trouble
occasionally. A Soft Spot is something that would have
been a virtue before people turned into the shambling
undead. It would be a great quality in a world where
compassion was still rewarded.
A Taker’s Tough Spot describes how they have
survived the past five years. Tough Spots come from a
set list of choices. Each gives the Taker a mechanical
benefit and drawback. See the character sheets for
examples.
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 Everyone starts the game with as much WIL as
their potential. To gain WIL during a job, a Taker has
to follow a Spot into trouble. It can be any Spot (Weak,
Soft, or Tough), but it must put the Taker and possibly
their crew in more trouble. This can be proposed by
the player or the Market. Whoever proposes to play a
Spot, the opposite number approves the play or not.
Say yes whenever possible.
HumanIty and Self-Control
A Taker’s mental composure is tracked along three
threats to Humanity: Detachment, Trauma, and
Stress. Threats measure the ways the Loss can scrape
away at a Taker’s well being. When something in the
game threatens a Taker’s Humanity, the Market calls
for a Self-Control check. If the check succeeds, the
character holds it together. If it fails, the PC takes
damage in that threat. The type of damage depends on
the type of experience:
• Detachment: witnessing or inflicting pain upon
teammates, loved ones, and other humans; when
the Casualty bites someone else
• Trauma: experiencing or fearing personal injury
or illness; when the Casualty bites you
• Stress: suffering financial & professional setbacks;
anxiety over persistent problems; fear of the same;
when the Loss bites your wallet
The Market determines the amount of damage
suffered by a failed check according to the severity of
the experience.
Gear
Buying gear in the Loss is one thing, but keeping it in
working order is another. Parts need to be replaced,
batteries need to be charged, and guns need ammo.
For every piece of equipment you own, there’s upkeep
after every job. If you skimp on maintenance, you’ll
have to roll to see if your equipment survives for the
next job. Deck yourself out with all the toys you want,
just know that it all cuts into the bottom line. On the
plus side, you only pay the base upkeep for an item —
any upgrades you add to it are one-time expenses.
All vile acts are done to satisfy hunger.
--Maksim Gorki
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BurnIng Charges
Bicycles wear out. Bodies need calories. Electronics
need batteries. Red Markets abstracts all this with
charges — the number of times you can use a piece
of equipment before having to refresh it (replacing
the spent charges with another clip, a new battery, a
granola bar, etc.) Basic uses of charges include:
• Firing a gun (bullets)
• Using armor (impact degrades protection)
• Electronics (battery life)
• Rations for physical exertion (walking all day
or swinging a weapon)
Some equipment uses more than one charge per
use, and some can use extra charges for added
benefits. Those effects are noted on character sheets.
Scrounged supplies can refresh charges, but expect
to be self-sufficient until you get back home. You get
your ADP potential in refreshes per game. You can
refresh one piece of gear multiple times or several
different pieces once each: whatever you need during
the job.
Jobs
Once you get more experience, you’ll have more
options for how to earn a living, but for now you’re
going to have to get a Job. Jobs are one-shot contracts
for good or services that someone is willing to pay for:
go find something (or someone) and bring it home
intact (or not), protect someone out in the Loss, or
maybe clear out Casualties from an area. In order to
find a job, your crew is going to have to do some Prep
Work.
Prep Work
You need to hustle for work. Before you approach a
potential client about work, each Taker is allowed to
make a single skill check to learn one of the following:
• The existence of a job (“The Brutalists have an
extraction job.”)
• The specifics of a job (“They need a server
filled with research data out of the old Ace
Pharmaceutical factory.”)
• The starting value of the job (“At base, the job
pays 11 bounty.”)
What type of skill check gets this info? Any skill that
the player has and can make a reasonable case for. Do
they Network around town to see what’s out there? Do
some Research to find a likely prospect? Persuade the
bartender to give up some information? Pick a skill
and tell a story. The Market retains veto power, but
good Markets want to say yes to cool ideas.
If you fail, you can tap a reference to get the
information (at a price of 1 bounty after the job is
done). Hearing about multiple jobs is good, but
having more information on a job will be a big help in
negotiation.
Negotiation
Once you know what the client wants, it’s time to
sell them on hiring your crew. You’ve got to drive up
demand for your services using Sway: make the client
think they need you to do this job. Find the price that’s
worth your risk and the client’s time. Hopefully, it
won’t get you killed.
LeadershIp Opens
You want a negotiator with a lot of social skills
(everyone gets to participate in negotiations by
running a Scam, but someone needs to do the actual
talking). Your negotiator rolls Leadership and that
determines how long the negotiations will last. See
the Leadership Roll table below.
Whoever won the Leadership roll decides who
speaks first.
NegotIatIon Round
In each round, one side will roleplay their half of
the conversation and make a skill roll (no tapping
of References here; only the negotiator is in the
room). Unless a client holds back to try and read
the negotiator, they always succeed their check.
Once each side goes, you move the dice on the Sway
Tracker up or down, and then the round concludes.
In-between rounds, other members of your crew run
Scams to help you in future rounds of negotiation:
LEADERSHIP ROLL TABLE
Roll Results
Critical Success Move up 1 Sway to start, Rounds = Black/2
Success Rounds = Black/2
Failure Market rolls rounds in secret
Critical failure Move down 1 Sway to start, Market rolls rounds in secret
Persuasion
• Gain +1 on the Sway Tracker
• Incorporate one of the client’s spots into the pitch
for an extra +1 Sway
Sensitivity
• Sacrifice your turn to make a Sensitivity check and
find out one of the client’s spots
Deception
• Gain +1 on the Sway Tracker
• Incorporate one of the client’s spots into the pitch
for an extra +1 Sway
• Negate the client’s bonus for using one of your
spots against you
Intimidation
• Sacrifice a turn to prevent the client from learning
more of your spots
• Force an early end to negotiations and resolve
negotiation now
The Sway Tracker
Negotiations are social combat between your crew
and the client. Clients are trying to hire a crew who
can get the job done at the lowest price. The Takers
are trying to convince the client to pay as much as
possible. The Sway Tracker starts with you at one
end moving up and the client at the other end moving
down (use a Black to represent the Takers and a Red
for the client on the track). The final resolution lands
you at one of these prices for the job:
• As a Favor: You fail negotiations so badly that you
work for the Demand price and owe the client a
favor in the future.
• Buyer’s Market: You’re going to get the base
Demand price for the job.
• At Value: You’re working for the full base price of
the contract.
• Labor: The client will cover your breakpoint
expenses as well.
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 • Hazard Pay: The client agrees to add on 1 Bounty
per Leg per Taker.
• 100% Mark-Up: The client has agreed to double
At Value cost of the job.
• Expenses: In addition to everything else the client
has agreed to pay you, they’re also going to cover
the Upkeep cost of all your gear.
Negotiator and client are never parallel until the
end—when you get next to the client, you’re Heads
Up. Once you’re Heads Up, it’s not enough to convince
them how great you are—you need to Push. This
means that if one of you is pushing with 1 Sway, the
other one needs to push back with 2 Sway in order to
move the dice one way or another. How do you get that
extra Sway? With Scams.
Scams
Scams are flashbacks to the crew’s preparations to
put one over the client. The negotiator uses the fruits
of the Scams to gain Sway or as bonuses on their
rolls. Team members are limited to one scam per
negotiation, and scams only occur between rounds.
No Scams after the last round of the negotiation.
Scams are mainly used for the following actions.
• Intelligence Gathering: the scammer learns one
of the client’s Spots
• Price Manipulation: the scammer’s actions
add bounty to the equilibrium price equal to the
natural Black of their check
The specifics of each method will vary based on the
skills of the character and the creativity of the player.
Scams occur before negotiations even start, so Takers
can spend References on their failed rolls.
LeadershIp Closes
After all the negotiations are complete, the negotiator
makes one last Leadership test. If they succeed, the
Black die moves up to the Red die for the higher
price. If they fail, the Red die moves down to the lower
price. This is the last chance the players have to walk
away from negotiations: if the price just isn’t good
enough, they can go look for work elsewhere. But prep
work and scam rolls don’t refresh. The crew is stuck
with what it can find.
Out on the Job
Once negotiations are finished, it’s time for the crew
to head out, over the Fence. Outside the Fence, in the
Loss proper, dangers and opportunity await.
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ScavengIng
Takers can scavenge from three things: the
surrounding area, dead people, and dead casualties.
Each option takes time to do the thorough job
represented by making a Scavenging skill check. To
scavenge the area, the crew can make one Scavenging
check per encounter, at the Market’s discretion.
Dead people have whatever gear the Market
narrated was on them before they became dead. If the
Market didn’t specify what they were equipped with,
the crew can make one Scavenging check per dead
human (upto the number of Takers). The Taker can
look for a specific tool worth 3 bounty in upkeep or
less, or bounty. Not both. On a success, they find the
gear or the natural Black from the Scavenging check
in bounty. On a failure, they find nothing.
Casualties are looted as a mob and only carry
bounty. Takers can make one Scavenging check per
mob, regardless of size. On a successful check, Takers
find the natural Black of the check in Bounty on the
mob. If they fail, they find nothing.
If a Taker critically fails a Scavenging check while
looting Casualties, the Market rolls an Infection check
in secret. This is why Latents and Immunes have job
security with Taker crews.
Haul
Haul is an abstract measure of how much stuff a
Taker can carry. One haul is one unit of stuff you can
sell; each Taker can carry their STR potential of haul.
There are still useful things Takers can bring back
home. But you don’t sell one pen in the Loss, you have
to sell one haul of pens to make a profit. Some gear,
such as vehicles, drones, or animals, increase a crew’s
Haul.
Combat
Of course, not everything can be taken back to the
enclave and turned into bounty. At least not without a
fight.
InItIatIve
Players each roll a single Black die and add their
SPD. The Market rolls one Red die for every Market
force (i.e., bad guy) in the fight, to a minimum of the
number of PCs. The players keep their own modified
score, and the Market assigns the Red dice to the
individual Market forces (discarding any additional
dice). Characters act in order from highest to lowest,
with ties acting simultaneously. One cycle through the
full initiative order is one round.
Types of ActIons
When the fight starts, you’ve got four types of actions
available: tactic, twitch, freebie, and task.
TactIc
A tactic is a planned action (relatively speaking). You
get one of these per round, and it covers things like:
• Firing a weapon
• Making a Melee/Unarmed attack
• Drawing/holstering a weapon
• Running to cover
• Refreshing gear (including weapons)
• Full defense (trading your tactic for a second
twitch)
• Full offense (converting your twitch to a second
tactic at the end of initiative)
Tactics take place and are resolved in initiative
order.
TwItch
A twitch is about unplanned actions (think
“reactions”). It’s also limited to once per round, and
can involve:
• Roll Athletics check to dodge attacks or get under
cover
• Block an incoming Melee/Unarmed attack
• Recover from knockback
• Quick draw an item by dropping previously-held
gear
• Use gear-specific features like quick reload
A twitch is entirely defensive, but can be done at any
point in the initiative order. If a character is attacked
outside of cover and has already used their twitch, the
attack automatically succeeds.
FreebIe
Freebies are intellectual and verbal actions that can
be carried out while performing tactics and twitches,
or whenever the Taker chooses. Characters get one
freebie per round, such as:
• Foresight check to gain tactical information
• Awareness check to spot something
• Shouting or whispering, or using other CHA-based
skills
• Self-control checks as called by the Market
• Command using Profession: Animal Handling or
Profession: Drones
Task
Task actions require a long time and a lot of focus
relative to to other combat actions (e. g., picking
a lock, hotwiring a car, bandaging a wound). For
task actions, the Market quotes the number of
uninterrupted combat rounds required to make a
check OR the number of successful skill checks
required to complete the task (wait to roll OR roll
and add). According to the Market’s judgement, some
task actions can be interrupted while other may not.
Freebies can still be taken during a task action, but
tactics and twitches cannot.
Combat SpecIal Maneuvers
Presented below are several options for combat.
Cover
Characters in cover cannot be attacked as long as they
are in cover. Characters are out of cover if they attack.
Twitches can be used to return to cover. A tactic or
twitch must be used to move to cover if the character
doesn’t start out there.
Called Shot
Player declares a called shot on their tactic and moves
to the end of the initiative order. If the Taker’s twitch
remains unspent, the Taker makes a check and cannot
spend extra charges to hit their target. On a success,
the player can dictate the narrative of the success, up
to & including the death of the target.
FIrIng Into Melee
Players cannot spend extra charges for bonuses on
their rolls to hit. Failure hits an unintended target.
Flank
To hit an enemy in cover, they must be flanked. This
requires either an Athletics or Sneak test to move
into position. If either test fails, the Market’s Forces
get to declare a free attack. Dodges can be attempted
normally if the Taker has a twitch left. If an enemy
moves to flank and isn’t stopped, the Takers they
moved against are no longer considered in cover.
Reload
Refreshing charges costs a tactic.
RatIons In Combat
Melee/Unarmed attacks, Athletics, and Resistance
checks require a charge from rations, representing the
food that the PC consumed prior to the scene.
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 Additional ration charges add a +1 to the roll at
a one-to-one basis. Rations can be topped off with
Refresh and do not require an action to do so (it is
presumed that the PC ate prior to exerting calories;
PCs do not stop in the middle of a fight to eat beef
jerky). If a character runs out of rations, they cannot
buy-a-roll for physical skills until they refresh charges.
A full combat round resting will restore charge equal
to the character’s speed, but they cannot rest again
until they use up their new charges.
Movement/DIstance
Distance and range are very abstracted in Red
Markets. Distances are measured by what is
narratively convenient (which is different than what is
personally convenient). When performing an action in
which time, distance, and speed is a factor, players can
ask the Market to describe the stakes as much as they
deem necessary. Trust the Market to quote reasonable
distances and plausible times that keep combat
exciting.
HIt LocatIons and Damage
In Red Markets, the amount of damage inflicted is
determined by the natural Black roll, and the location
is determined by the natural Red. Damage is tracked
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with the hit location chart on the character sheet.
Spend 9 charges blasting away with a gun to turn a
B1/R6 into a B1+9/R6 success? Great, but it’s still
just one damage done to the left arm. The same dice
are used to calculate damage on failed rolls during
twitches. If a PC fails an Athletics check with B5+3/
R9, five points of damage goes to the torso; the
damage doesn’t go up on account of the Taker wisely
trying to get away with extra rations charges and
skill. Fail a dodge on B9/R9? Ouch. That’s 18 points
of damage to the chest (9 damage to hit location 9,
doubled by a critical failure).
Just remember, the damage and location is always
determined by the natural result of the Black and Red.
Success and failure of checks is still determined by
skills, charges, and other modifiers.
Types of Damage
There are two types of damage: Stun and Kill,
determined by the weapon used. Stun damage
constitutes bruising, numbness, blunt trauma, muscle
fatigue, and scrapes. Kill damage constitutes broken
bones, punctures, lacerations, poisoning, and serious
internal injury. Indicate Stun damage with a diagonal
slash ( / ) in a box. Indicate Kill damage with an ( X ).
 Every character has 10 hit boxes per location,
with the exception of 20 in the torso. Stun or Kill
damage inflicted to a location already filled with Stun
damage becomes Kill damage (turn a slash into an
X). When a location is filled entirely with Killing, the
consequences get more severe.
HealIng
Characters with Profession: Doctor or First Aid
and the proper gear can heal some damage done in
combat. A successful check heals a number of Stun
boxes equal to the natural Black of the check (spent
charges just indicate a greater chance of success, not
better medical skill). Kill boxes are reduced to Stun
boxes at the same rate, meaning 2 profit is needed for
every Kill box completely removed.
A Taker can make only one successful First Aid
check per location, though another check may be done
by another character. In either case, the one-and-done
principle applies. The only way to succeed a failed
First Aid check is to succeed at cost, by using a point
of Will or, if time and technology allows, tapping a
Reference to consult on the procedure.
Beyond that, healers can’t take any more action on
a body part until it is filled with brand new injuries.
Additional treatments require the care of a doctor and
rest in a safe place.
Death
Filling the torso or head (locations 7-9 or 10) with
Kill damage kills a character through cardiac failure,
blood loss, brain trauma, or some combination of all
three.
CasualtIes
Casualties come in two sizes: mobs and stampedes.
Both types use the same stats, but we’ll deal with
mobs first. Groups of Casualties are generated with
two numbers:
• Mass: determined by Black, this is the number of
individual Casualties in the mob. As Takers make
headshots, mass goes down.
• Shamble: determined by the Red, this abstraction
of distance measures the number of combat turns
before the Casualties reach the nearest player.
Shamble can be altered by the movement of PCs.
If the Market needs to know how many Casualties
are in a grocery store, roll the dice. B6/R3 means
there are six undead (Mass) roughly 3 combat turns
(Shamble) away from the group. The zombies will
attack at the end of the third round.
The undead are slow. They always go last in any
initiative order.
If Shamble reaches one and mass remains, the mob
attacks the character they just reached. Players may
use a tactic or twitch to make an Athletics check and
avoid the grappling horde. If the check fails, damage
is done just like in regular combat. A Black die’s
worth of Kill damage is done to the Red hit location
(and the Market must make an infection check). If the
player has no actions left and the mob still attacks,
the Market rolls the dice and damage is calculated the
same.
If the mass is above one during an attack, the
Market has a choice. They can add +1 to the damage
for every additional zombie, or they can ask the player
to make a test against knockback. If the Market
chooses knockback, the player makes a Resistance
check, adding any bonuses from additional rations
spent. On a success, the character manages to avoid
being dragged to the ground. On a failure, the mob
piles onto the victim.
DamagIng CasualtIes
Casualties don’t take damage traditionally: anything
that isn’t a headshot has little effect.
However, since Casualties can’t do much besides
walk straight towards their target at a slow pace, it is
much easier to score a headshot then it is on a human
target. Called shots aren’t necessary. Furthermore,
decay of muscle and bone tissue means any Kill
damage to the head is enough to put the zombie down
for good.
To reduce the mass of mob by one, a player needs a
successful attack. That’s it. Just one successful attack
kills a casualty... but it only kills one. Easy headshots
don’t mean much when dozens of monsters are
attacking at once. As Takers say, every kill is easy until
the one that bites you.
Vectors
Vectors are faster and stronger and tougher than
humans. You can fill a Vector’s leg full of lead, but
they’re barely going to slow down. Vectors only go
down if their torso or head are filled with Killing
damage. And unless you cap that Vector in the head
after filling the torso full of damage, they will get back
up as a Casualty sometime later.
Good luck.
11
 The Market’s SectIon
Welcome to Red Markets, where the world has ended
but the rent is still due! This guide walks you through
how to prepare for running the included one-shot
game, how to help your players learn the rules, and
advice on how to handle unexpected events at the
table itself.
PreparIng for the game
Read everythIng
First, read through the rules handouts we’ve provided.
You’re going to give these to the players, but they also
contain explanations on the setting and most of the
mechanics for the game. They should provide a solid
foundation for what to expect
Second, take a look at the character sheets provided.
Along with the rules packet, these are going to be the
first things players see. Get familiar with the character
sheet itself and the archetypes that we’ve created for
your players — it’ll make it easier to imagine how
your players might act and situations that might arise
during game play.
12
Third, take a look at the Legs and Job writeup
that we’ve provided. Red Markets provides a lot of
structural help in running game sessions, and you’ll
need to be familiar with the challenges your players
will face during play. These guides are designed with
you in mind: you need to read them ahead of time, but
hopefully you also find them helpful to have on hand
when your group is actually playing.
STOP. Go and read:
• The Rules Handout,
• The Characters
• The Job Description
Study NegotIatIons
Now that you’ve read over the material, we
recommend you go back and study this section the
closest. This portion of the game can be the trickiest
for both GMs and players to learn. Being clear on how
it works will help you guide players through it for a
fun experience. It is also a good place to draw players
into creating some of the setting and get them using
an NPC’s Spots before they need to use their own to
regain WIL out on the Job.
Game NIght Prep
Here’s your session checklist:
Necessities
• Dice (or an app): 2d10s, one Black and one Red,
one pair per player
• Character sheets
• Quick start printouts: 1 per player plus you
• Negotiation/Sway Tracker
• Map of the Job, either in printed or electronic
format
• Printouts of the Job
Comforts
• An extra rules printout or two
• Pencils/pens/dry erase markers for the group
• A tablet, dry erase surface, or scratch pad for
when you need to draw a diagram
Luxuries
• Index card-size printouts of loot/extra gear
• Poker chips or glass beads to track character’s
WIL
ExplaInIng the Rules
We’ve built the quickstart rules around a tutorial
model: you learn a little something, then you get to
use what you’ve learned, then you get to learn the next
thing. If your players have the time and inclination to
read through the entire rules set ahead of time, more
power to you. If they’re looking over everything for
the first time at the table, here is how we recommend
walking them through the packet (estimated times in
parentheses):
• Get Started: read over “Things to Know” and
“Profit System” to give the players their first
introduction of the setting and the core mechanic
of the game. Make sure everyone understands how
the dice work and everything else will go much
more smoothly (3 min).
• What Every Player Wants to Know: review the
“Casualties” and “Gear” sections so the players
all understand what they’re getting into, and how
their tools can (and can’t) help them get out of
trouble (5 min).
• Telluride: once they have some of the basics
down, the players can take a break as you tell
them all about Telluride. Give them a quick history
of the place, the broad ins and outs of the different
groups there, and let them know that the details
of the place are up to them to create (particularly
during prep work and scams as part of the Job
negotiation). This is probably a good time for
everyone to introduce their characters, and any
personal spin the player wants to put on what’s on
the character sheet (3 min).
• Finding Work: now that we have the location and
the characters, we can start learning about how
jobs and negotiations work by playing through the
prep work and negotiations for the Job (40 min).
• Leaving Telluride: it’s not like they’ve never set
foot outside the walls before, but it’s still a moment
for them, so play it up. Feel free to roleplay a
tearful farewell from a Dependant, or foreshadow
something you know will come up in a Leg or the
Job. Call for a Self-Control check against Stress.
They’re about to walk out into the Loss (2 min).
• Review During Game Play: the final sections on
Humanity, Combat, and Casualties will come up
naturally (or not) depending on the choices the
players make and the luck of the dice. Depending
on your mood and the way your players handle
problems, you may very well make it through the
scenario without ever having to look at the combat
rules (Humanity and Casualties are more likely
to come up, but even then your players might get
lucky). Regardless, we recommend waiting until
the situation comes up in-game and then reviewing
the rules together (180 min).
Beyond what’s in the rules and the notes here, we’d
like to recommend that you let common sense and fair
play settle any questions or outside-the-box requests
that you might come upon at the table. Come up with
a house rule and keep it going until you have time
afterwards to look up the official rule (and even after if
you like your rule better).
Rules of Thumb
NegotIatIons
Negotiations should be a tense and engaging opening
to the game where the crew worked together as
a team to secure a solid payday. When not done
properly, they can leave players feeling confused and
drag down the start of the game. With that in mind, we
wanted to provide some advice.
PushIng Up and Down
Negotiating in Red Markets is about two sides wanting
opposing things and using their social skills to push
against the other towards the thing that they want.
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 The players use their skills to convince the client to
give them the job. At the same time, the client is using
their skills to convince the crew to take the job for as
little Bounty as possible.
Both the PCs and the client use Spots to make
themselves more persuasive. Knowing the client’s
Spots can give you an edge as you ingratiate your
way into their good graces. To start, the crew doesn’t
have positive or negative Rep Spots, but anything
earned during the job would affect their Negotiations
for the next job. A positive Rep Spot can be used like
experience on a resume or to show good character
while negatives spots highlight past bad acts. From
either direction, the end result is the same: pushing
the final price of the job.
Scams
A lot of players have trouble with the freeform nature
of Scams and what to do to help out the negotiator.
The short answer is “be creative,” but for folks who
want more structure or need pointers, we’ve come up
with a few suggestions:
• Unarmed or Intimidation - rough someone up
in order to get them to tell you about the client
(Intelligence Gathering)
• Shoot - go hunting; bribe someone close to the
client into telling you about the client with the
meat from the hunt  (Intelligence Gathering)
• Athletics - Carry off supplies to decrease the
enclave supplies and drive up the equilibrium price
(Price Manipulation)
• Awareness - park yourself in the Enclave’s
watering hole for the day and see what kind of
chatter you can pick up on (Intelligence Gathering)
• Scavenging - dig through their garbage for
clues  (Intelligence Gathering)
Sway Tracker
Some considerations for the Market to bear in mind
when using the Sway Tracker:
• The Market Doesn’t Roll: like everywhere else in
Red Markets, the Market doesn’t roll to determine
whether an NPC performs an action — the client
just gets a Sway every round they don’t spend
reading a Taker for their spots. This is balanced
by the Takers’ ability to run Scams between
Negotiation Rounds, which the Client doesn’t get
to do.
• Mind the Gap: when there is a gap between the
two negotiation dice (e.g., Black on “Labor” and
Red on “100% Mark-Up”) and the dice could
14
become heads up this round, the final position of
the dice will be based on the relative Sways of the
negotiators. Remember opposing sway cancels
each other out:
o Black 2, Red 1: Black die moves up one space,
Red die remains in place
o Black Equals Red: Black die remains in place,
Red die moves down one (ties go to the Market)
o Black 1, Red 2: Black die remains in place,
Red die moves down once space
• Gifts: in addition to the Takers’ Spots, the Client
has an extra spot available to them — the Gift
spot. The Market can only offer a single gift to the
crew in any one job negotiation, and it should be
of moderate value (e.g., no cars) and utility to the
crew. It may be gear the Takers need to complete
the job or just something valuable the Client has to
offer. Either way, the Takers cannot resist the extra
sway from a Gift Spot.
Out In the FIeld
ScoutIng Ahead
Players often want to send someone to scout ahead
of the main group (not least of which because one of
the characters is listed as a “Scout”). Something for
the GM to keep in mind is that scouting ahead does
not get around the one-and-done rule. Players may
argue that since the scout is separate from the rest of
the group, the scout can make an Awareness check on
Legs and the rest of the crew can do the same when
they catch up. But the presence of the scout triggers
whatever happens on a Leg. Once the rest of the crew
catches up, any rolls they make are to notice the new
situation, the one altered by the scout’s presence
(whether or not they succeed a Stealth check.)
It should be noted that a Scout on their own does
have a certain opportunity to engage with a situation
without their co-workers’ knowledge — the exact
amount of “free time” before everyone else arrives is
up to you.
Match RIsk to Reward
When in doubt, make sure that the risks the players
take align with the potential reward they seek. It’s
great when players come up with a clever workaround
for a problem, but it’s better when they really have to
overcome obstacles in order to earn their reward. Ain’t
no such thing as a free lunch — if something good
suddenly appears, make sure there’s something risky
or dangerous nearby for them to get past.
The converse is also true. If players are taking a
risk, try to think of ways to reward them. Keep in mind
that rewards are not limited to gear or bounty either.
They could earn themselves a positive Rep spot, a free
Humanity heal, a favor from a Contact, or anything
else you think a character would find rewarding.
HumanIty
Humanity refers to the general state of a Taker’s
mental health, their ability to stay a person, or imitate
who they used to be. It’s not enough to keep from
getting bitten and earn your rent: you have to keep
being a person, too. Red Markets tracks threats to
Humanity in three ways: Detachment, Trauma, and
Stress, which can be summed up as:
• Detachment is when a Casualty bites someone
else
o Detachment is all about having to choose
between seeing other people as people or as
objects because it hurts too much otherwise.
If the character needs to ignore another
character or NPC’s pain in order to avoid
mental damage, the Humanity track under
threat is Detachment. Leaving other people to
Casualties is a Detachment threat.
• Trauma is when a Casualty bites you
o Trauma is all about physical pain and the
threat of force. Anything that could threaten
the character’s life (or limbs) is a Trauma
threat. Particularly egregious violence directed
at others also counts as most people are
empathetic enough to picture it happening to
them. Large numbers of Casualties coming
towards you is a Trauma threat, but so is a
bandit with a gun to your head.
• Stress is when a Casualty bites your wallet.
o Stress is all about seeing the slow bleed out
happening. When something threatens a
character’s ability to pay for food and shelter
(for themselves or their Dependents), that’s
a Stress threat. This could involve having
to sacrifice gear since that could be vital to
doing a job later. It could involve passing up a
lucrative job opportunity. Or it could be leaving
valuables behind due to Casualties.
When life in the Loss threatens Humanity, players
make a self-control check to hold it together on one
of these tracks. Success means they hold it together
(though for particularly bad events, they might still
take damage), but failure means they take damage on
their Humanity track. If a player manages to fill up the
first five boxes in a single Humanity track, they crack,
and must immediately choose one of the following
reactions:
• Fight: the character attacks the nearest enemy
with screaming, suicidal rage (literally screaming:
the attack counts as being loud). The character
will continue fighting and screaming even after
having killed the enemy and will only stop when
teammates can physically pull them away from the
scene. Fight invites Trauma checks for co-workers
witnessing the brutality.
• Flight: the character immediately bolts from
the source of the latest terror, even if it means
heading into greater danger. Co-workers will be
ignored, loot can be dropped — anything to get
away from what they just witnessed. The character
may emerge in the following scene, not knowing
how they got there. Flight invites Detachment
checks for co-workers, as they have suddenly been
abandoned in a time of need.
• Freeze: the player can take no actions for the
remainder of the scene. The character may
completely freeze, or wander aimlessly (even
through combat), or start muttering about some
banal irrelevancy from their life before the Loss.
The Freeze will continue until their co-workers
can get them to safety. Freeze can threaten Stress
checks in co-workers during combat, as they have
to manage the now helpless player.
Combat
Full hit locations: The rules in the full game are more
complex, but for now:
• If a hit location full of stun damage and takes more
damage of any type, convert the stun into killing
damage.
• If a hit location full of killing damage takes more
damage, the excess goes to the torso.
o An exception to this is the head. If the head is
full of kill damage, the character is dead.
o The second exception is if you’re dealing with
Vectors. Vectors hit for more damage in a full
location do not take the extra damage in the
torso.  
InfectIon
If a character isn’t Latent or Immune and critically
fails a Scavenging check on Casualties or receives Kill
damage from a casualty or Vector, then the Market
rolls an Infection check in secret. The Market rolls
Black, adds the character’s STR, and then rolls Red.
WIL cannot be used to shift results.
15
 On an infection check:
• If the Red is higher than Black + STR, the
character is infected.
• If Black + STR is higher than Red, the
character is uninfected
• If it’s a critical failure, the character is naturally The great use of life is to sp
Latent. end it for
• If it’s a critical success, the character is something that will outlast it.
Immune.

Example References -William James

Sticky, best pickpocket in the enclave
Wired, local hacker
Tool, mechanics wiz - if they can’t take it apart and put
it back together better than before, nobody can
Doc, medical consultant available over Ubiq
Kowloon - architecture student-turned-Taker, retired
but still answers calls on pre- and post-Crash building
design

16
NegotIatIon Example Round 1
Cosmic: Hello, Miss Matlab?
Market: You know your client is Matlab, who has an
Market (as Matlab): Oh, please, just “Matlab” is fine.
extraction job. Who’s going to be the negotiator?
And are you *the* Cosmetologist, or…?
[the team point to the Cosmetologist]
Cosmic: “Cosmic” for me.
Ok, roll Leadership.
Matlab: Oh, of course! (jaunty laugh)
Cosmetologist: I’ve got 8 on Black and 4 on Red,
Cosmic: (jaunty laugh)
which becomes 11 over 4 with my 3 points in
Market: ...and you keep laughing fakely as though you
Leadership, right?
hadn’t both done a lot of research on the other person
Market: Yep, and 11 divided by 2 comes out to 5
before this meeting. Roll Persuasion for your jaunty
rounds. Where are you meeting Matlab?
laugh.
Cosmic: Let’s do this on her turf to set her at ease.
Cosmic: Got a... 11 black over 7 red.
Market: Alright, she’s found space in the old main
Market: Yep, that’s a success for you, so you guys
branch bank in Telluride, which has been dedicated to
move up one spot on the tracker. Matlab moves down
storage. The boards on the windows date back to the
one spot even without a roll, because the world is not
start of the Crash, and while it’s still messy inside, you
fair in the Loss. Now, it’s time for a flashback to … who
can tell that a lot has been cleared away. Do you want
wants to run a scam?
to go first or second in negotiation?
Cosmetologist: What’s the difference?
Market: Do you want to respond or do you want to
lead?
Cosmetologist: I’ll go first.

17
 Scam 1
Embalmer: I want to manipulate the price.
Market: Ok, what’s your idea?
Embalmer: I’ve got this drone with a camera, can I
make a roll with Drone Operator to make an ad for
LifeLines talking about how we’re the only crew good
enough to survive in the area?
Market: Alright, Roll Drone Operator.
Embalmer: B5 under R10, with my bonus. I guess
I spend so much time shooting footage I don’t get it
edited and up before the meeting.
Market: Do you want to spend a Reference?
Embalmer: Uh… no, I’ll just fail.
Round 2
Market: Okay, Cosmic, how are you going to talk up
your crew and their good work.
Cosmic: Matlab, I wanted to start out by telling you
how deeply committed my crew is to our work and
fulfilling our clients’ needs.
Matlab: Well, I do appreciate hearing that, and hope
we can come to some sort of arrangement.
Cosmic: Alright, continuing with the firm
professionalism and I roll… B5 over R6, but I have 3
points in Persuasion, which makes it B8 over R6.
Market: Matlab is going to spend her turn sizing you
up to learn one of your Spots, so your die will move up
the tracker to “Labor” but she’s going to stay put this
turn.
Cosmic: But she can use that against me the next
turn?
Market: Yep.
Scam 2
Technician: We want to learn one of Matlab’s spots,
right? Can I use my dog to do a little snooping?
Market: What did you have in mind?
Technician: My dog has a camera on it, maybe I can
have him snoop around her office when she’s not there
looking for clues?
Market: Alright, give it a try.
Technician: And… that’s a B2 over a R9, so a fail. I
guess Matlab didn’t leave her diary open on her desk.
Can I tap a reference?
Market: Absolutely — who do you know in town who
might have information on Matlab?
Technician: I want to talk to the owner of the last
remaining coffee shop in Telluride, because he knows
all of the latest rumors and gossip around town.
Market: What’s his name?
Technician: Uh... Java Steve. He’s great at making
beverages out of substitute ingredients and smuggling
18
in real coffee for customers flush with cash.
Market (as Java Steve): My friend, how are you?
Looking good, Tech!
Technician: Feeling good, Steve! How’s everything
here?
Java Steve: Very busy, we just got a shipment from our
special supplier in.
Technician: Man I’d love one… but I was wondering
if you had heard anything about Matlab, the latest
addition to our little community?
Java Steve: Oh, my, yes, she has ordered a lot of
drinks this week. Sure I can’t get you one?
Technician: Work first, unfortunately.
Java Steve: She’s been taking all kinds of meetings
at the back corner booth by the windows. She’s very
hands-on you know — doesn’t like anyone who sits
behind a desk and orders others around.
Technician: Well, that is good to hear. If this job works
out, you’d better believe that I’ll be back for a latte.
Java Steve: Alright, we’ll keep the frother warm for
you.
Market: So from Java Steve, you have learned Matlab’s
Weak Spot: Dirt Under Her Nails. Put Java Steve
down on your character sheet under “References” and
mark the “Needy” box.
Technician: I’ll come back and buy a fancy drink from
him once we get paid.
Round 3
Cosmic: So how do I use the Weak Spot?
Market: Work it into the conversation.
Cosmic: You know, there might be some flashier
operations in town, but we’re smaller because we’re
the ones doing the work. We don’t waste money
on extra people who get to stay behind the walls —
every one of our team puts themselves in danger to
complete a job, myself included.
Matlab: I do like groups with lean overhead.
Cosmic: I’m looking at a B7 over R6 on my Persuade
roll. What is Matlab doing?
Market: She’s going to learn another of your Spots.
Cosmic: So now she’s got two of our Spots?
Market: Yep. You’re heads up with her now and have
gotten yourself up to “100% Mark-Up”, but she’s going
to be able to push very hard in the last two rounds of
negotiations.
Cosmic: But we’re at the top of the sway tracker —
how hard can she push?
Market: If you fail to learn her other spots, fail in
the negotiation rolls, and fail your final Leadership
roll, you’ll be offered the job at “Buyer’s Market” — 8
Bounty for the job.
Cosmic: What’s the best we can do?
Market: If you win all those rolls instead, you’ll be
offered the job at Expenses, which means you’ll be
offered… 108 Bounty instead.
Scam 3
Cosmic: Alright, team, let’s focus on getting those last
Spots for Matlab, else... I’ll try to close negotiations
before she can push us down too far.
Attendant: I’m the scavenger, so I would have used
Scavenge in my scam — I rummaged through her
garbage to see what I could learn
Market: Sounds good — roll it.
Attendant: That is a B5 over R2, success.
Embalmer: Wait, those are natural doubles — that’s a
critical success.
Market: Indeed it is — while you’re rummaging
through her garbage looking for clues, you find some
broken electronics that she’s thrown away. You know
there’s someone in town who will either be able to get
it up and running or pay for scrap, so that’s worth an
extra Bounty.
Attendant: And what do I learn about Matlab?
Market: You find a pad of paper with notes from some
of her meetings. She makes a lot of comments about
a few people that she has spoken to who are trying to
act overly-righteous and trying to curry favor with her,
which she didn’t care for. You put together her Soft
Spot: All Money is Blood Money.
Round 4
Cosmic: What’s so important for our team is the work
itself, because that’s how we can improve Telluride
for everyone. It’s a dirty world out there, and we all
understand how certain actions have to be taken to
ensure success on a job, which means survival for us
all. We place a premium on that level of delivery.
Matlab: That is good to hear, but I hear a lot of things
around town, and I’m most interested in what people
can actually deliver. Some people have a reputation for
letting their mouths run a little ahead of their abilities.
Matlab knows your Weak Spot is “Arrogance”— that
your mouth writes checks that you team won’t cash.
Roll for Persuasion.
Cosmic: Ooh, B5 under R6, even after my Persuasion
skill is added.
Market: Your Sway is 1 because you used the Soft
Spot, but failed your roll. Matlab will have 2 Sway and
push you down the Sway Tracker by one unless you
use WIL, or succeed in a Deception check.
Cosmic: If I fail the Deception check, I can use the
WIL to flip it anyway — B10 over R6 on Deception
because I am a great liar.
Market: What do you tell Matlab?
Cosmic: I go on a tear about our exploits in the Loss,
embellishing them with details to make us sound even
more effective, but only things that she won’t be able
to check up on later.
Scam 4
Market: Alright, Mortician — what do you have for us?
Mortician: So Java Steve said that Matlab has been
taking a lot of meetings with people — I want to find
someone and threaten them into telling me about her.
Market: Great, who are you going to intimidate?
Mortician: I want to find the weakest person that she’s
met with and grab him in a dark alley.
Market: That would be Smokey, trying to establish
himself as a Taker. Being a Latent means you’re more
noticeable, so first you’re going to have to make a
Stealth check.
Mortician: B4 over R5; I will use a point of WIL to
flip and remain unseen. I’ll rush him in the alley and
throw him up against the wall.
Smokey: Holy shit, man, what do you want?
Mortician: I hear you had a conversation with Matlab.
What do you know about her?
Smokey: I never talked to her, man! We were bidding
on that extraction job, but she wouldn’t let us in on
what the job was. We needed more information but
she was keeping her cards too close to her chest. She
said how she can’t have anyone beat her to the job!
Market: So you found her Tough Spot, First to
Market. Matlab is anxious that someone else will
swoop in and grab it first. And now, for the last round.
Round 5
Cosmic: We understand that discretion following a
job can be as important as getting the job done itself.
We pride ourselves on our ability to bring back the
goods quietly, without mess, without anyone knowing
anything has happened.
Matlab: Discretion is important, but so is the ability
to deliver on the job — I want to make sure that you’re
capable of making the tough decisions..
Market: Matlab is playing your spot Can’t We All Be
Friends, and saying that you’re going to go soft if you
run into other people on the job.
Cosmic: And… B5 over R9 for a fail… I’m going to
hope I pass my Deception check against her and save
my WIL for the final leadership test.
Market: Let’s see your mad lying skills again.
Cosmic: B8 over R7 — I am the Lying Queen! I double
down on all those stories I embellished and add
details about hard decisions we had to make.
19
 FINal LeadershIp check
Market: Ok, make your closing pitch to Matlab for that
sweet, sweet Expenses payout.
Cosmic: We are professionals dedicated to improving
not only our lives, but those of our clients and the
Telluride community. We have a solid record of on-
time delivery and know how to do so without being
splashed all over Ubiq. I’m certain that if we can agree
on an appropriate price, the goods you desire will be
in your hands in no time.
Market: Roll that beautiful Leadership check.
20
Cosmic: B9 over R10, which I will flip with my one
point of WIL for a success.
Matlab: Well, Miss Cosmic, I must say that I’m very
impressed with you and your team, and I do agree
about the challenges of the work and the importance
of what needs to be done.
Market: And with that, you have secured for your
team a big payday of 108 Bounty at the cost of a
reference and a few points of WIL spent — hopefully
you won’t need that to avoid a Casualty bite when you
actually set out past the walls.
GEAR
Presented below is a selection of gear and equipment.
Much of the gear presented in the sample adventure
has been upgraded in some way, though for the
purposes of future game sessions and acquisition,
these boxes have been left blank.

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Enclave: TellurIde, CO
By Laura Briskin-Limehouse and Jake Moffitt
HIstory
Pre-Crash, Telluride was a small ex-silver mine town
of a couple thousand artists, skiing enthusiasts, and
hippies nestled in a box canyon in the Rockies. During
the Crash, the Mountain Goats, a company of the
10th Mountain Division, US Army, retreated to the
town with the refugees they were protecting. After
Gnat’s Whisper, the town realized there would be no
help coming. So, permanent residents, town officials,
soldiers, tourists, and refugees came together to fortify
against the stampedes of Casualties they were sure to
come. But, when trouble came, it was in the form of
Raiders.
The Raiders successfully drove the Mountain Goats
out and into the mountains. The Goats took as many
civilians as they could and promised the rest they’d
be back after finding reinforcements. Reinforcements
turned out to be training the civilians who retreated
with them, hiring a couple Taker crews, and one long
night of stealth and assassination after months of
infiltration and espionage.
Now, Telluride is tense with divisions. Civvies
who stayed during Raider rule are split between
those grateful the Goats didn’t abandon them and
those resentful it took so long. Some of the Goats
sympathize while others resent the lack of gratitude.
Rangers, civilians who went with the Goats, are
betwixt and between political groups, seen as
‘reservists’ by the Goats and ‘military’ by the residents
left behind.
The original town officials were executed by the
Raiders on the first day. That leaves military officers as
the only available leaders. A lot of Civvies are fearful
of the black ops tactics the Goats employed and worry
they’ve traded one set of Raiders for another.  The
town is trying to heal these rifts by working towards
an expansion into Mountain View, their sister town on
the other side of the mountain.
Defenses
Mountain terrain surrounds the city on most sides.
Colorado Route 145 from the west is the only route
in for most ground vehicles. Skilled drivers with off-
road vehicles can make it to town through Imogene
Pass. Black Bear Road, with its famously difficult
switchbacks, is impossible due to rockslides and
natural erosion.
Both roads into town have walls of salvaged
materials, wood, and concrete built before the Raiders
took over. While never tested against large numbers of
29
 casualties, they do the job of keeping stray Casualties
away from the town. The walls continue to be
CompetItIon / Other Enclaves
The two forces below are a thorn in the side of
reinforced with human opposition in mind since the
Telluride and its Takers.
Raiders were driven out.
The Goats have several mortar emplacements and
sniper’s nests protecting the entrances to town these Church of the ImmunogenIcs
days. The sniper’s nests are used as training schools A group of survivalists holed up in Mountain View
for marksmanship, entry into the Rangers, and who believe this is the end of days and believe it’s
serious defense. their duty to eliminate casualties from the Loss.
The Immunogenics view Immunes as “the Chosen
People,” selected by God to survive the Blight. They
FactIons actively work to breed more Immune in the hopes of
The Mountain Goats – The remnants of a company making the Chosen Race that will inherit the Earth
of the 10th Mountain Division. after the Blight has wiped the others out. Their leader
Rangers – Foragers, hunters, and folks tasked with claims to be Immune, though this isn’t known for
guarding the foragers - Hunter/gatherers in the most certain.
literal sense.
Civvies – the artists, hippies, and skiers who lived in
Delta Meadows
Telluride before the Crash
The entire enclave is a feudal society, where the
Refugees – Everyone else.
judiciary government seized the land surrounding the
city. The remaining judges, sheriffs, police officers,
Industry prosecutors, and the like are the new aristocracy
with everyone else relegated to serf. The police force
Imports
function as the “knighthood”, enforcing the lords’
• Food supplies / seeds
(judges, prosecutors, and other former government
• Ammunition
employees’) policies. The serfs work the surrounding
• Power / fuel
orchards and farms in exchange for food, protection,
• Medical knowledge & supplies
and shelter, although not always adequate amounts of
any of those.
Exports
• Water
• Wooden tools & supplies (bowls, furniture, lumber
for construction, etc.)
• Art / entertainment
• Medicinal herbs & plants d it is t oo ha rd for us; it
Life as we fi n
pa in , t oo m an y di sappoint-
NeIghborhoods entails too much ca n n ot do without
le t as k s . W e
Historic District – Where most of the Residents
ments, impossib e pe rh ap s three of
live; the nice neighborhood
. . T he re ar
Festival Green – The town square, city hall, and palliative remedies e rs io n s of in terest,
rf ul di v
these means: powe
meeting/voting hall all rolled into one. Partially taken
over by a tent city of Refugees.
t o ca re lit t le of our misery;
Hotel Row – Where the majority of the refugees live which lead us hi ch le s s e n it; and
Main St – The marketplace/small business row at io n s , w
substitute gratific hi ch m ake us insen-
ub s t an ce s , w
Notable People intoxicating s t hi s k ind is indis-
e t hi n g of
• Paula McAdams, Head of the Town Council
Cpt. Whitney Carver, Head of the Mountain Goats sitive to it. Som
•
• Saqui Hansen, Artists’ Co-op representative
pensable.
• Food Production: -Sigmund Freud
o Sky Peacedancer, Foragers and Hunters
o Harmony Cotterill, Agriculture
30
Sample Characters
Embalmer
Crew: Telluride Funeral Services
Weak Spot: Head in the Clouds
Soft Spot: Karma is its own Reward
Tough Spot: Scavenger
Attendent
Crew: Telluride Funeral Services
Weak Spot: Dismissive
Soft Spot: Waste Not, Want Not
Tough Spot: Immune
Dependants
Loren, a friend from the old days, Latent

Dependants PotentIals and SkIlls

Glen, sibling STR 2 (Haul 2)
SPD 3
PotentIals and SkIlls Shoot 2
STR 1 (Haul 1) Stealth 3
SPD 2 Athletics 3
Shoot 1 ADP 3 (Refresh 3)
Stealth 1 Awareness 3
Athletics 2 Self-Control 2
ADP 2 (Refresh 1) Scavenging 2
Awareness 1 Criminality 2
Self-Control 1 INT 1
Scavenging 1 Foresight 1
INT 3 Research 1
Foresight 2 CHA 1
Research 2 Sensitivity 1
Mechanics 2 WIL 1
First Aid 3
Profession: Gear
Drones 3 Backpack, Rations
CHA 1 Scent Blocker
Persuasion 1 Binoculars
WIL 2 Handgun
Upgrades:
Gear Silenced,
Backpack, Rations Extended
First Aid Kit Magazine
Upgrades: DHQS Ubiq Specs
Issue
Drone
Upgrades: Surveillance
Suite
Ubiq Specs
Handgun
Upgrades: Silenced

31
 TechnIcIan MortIcIan
Crew: Telluride Funeral Services Crew: Telluride Funeral Services
Weak Spot: Easily Angered Weak Spot: Napoleon Complex
Soft Spot: Providing Solace Soft Spot: Protecting the Weak
Tough Spot: Fenceman (+1 against Casualties/ Tough Spot: Latent
Cracked in Trauma)
Dependants
Dependants Me-maw, parent
Devin, old army buddy and former fenceman
PotentIals and SkIlls
PotentIals and SkIlls STR 3 (Haul 3)
STR 2 (Haul 2) Unarmed 2
Melee 2 Melee 2
Resistance 2 Resistance 2
SPD 3 SPD 1
Shoot 3 (+1 vs. Casualties) Shoot 1
Athletics 2 Athletics 1
ADP 2 (Refresh 2) ADP 2 (Refresh 2)
Awareness 2 Awareness 2
Self-Control 2 Self-Control 2
Drive 1 Scavenging 1
INT 2 INT 3
Foresight 2 Foresight 2
Mechanics 1 Research 1
First Aid 1 Mechanics 2
Profession: CHA 1
Animal Intimidation 1
Handling 2 WIL 1
CHA 1
WIL 1 Gear
Backpack, Rations
Gear Flashlight
Backpack, Rations Carpet Gauntlets
Dog Carpet Greeves
Upgrades: Handgun
Patrol Vest, Upgrades: Silenced,
Hardy Extended Magazine
Ubiq Specs Axe
Rifle Upgrades: Sturdy

32
CosmetologIst
Crew: Telluride Funeral Services
Weak Spot: Arrogant
Soft Spot: Can’t We All Be Friends?
Tough Spot: Hustler
SEXTON
Crew: Telluride Funeral Services
Weak Spot: Externalized Frustration
Soft Spot: Round Pegs in Square Holes
Tough Spot: Lost

Dependants Dependants
Steph, spouse Pat, spouse
Dar, son, age 16
Sandy, daughter, age 12 PotentIals and SkIlls
STR 2 (Haul 2)
PotentIals and SkIlls Resistance 2
STR 1 (Haul 1) SPD 1
SPD 1 Shoot 1
Shoot 1 Stealth 1
Athletics 1 Athletics 1
ADP 2 (Refresh 2) ADP 2 (Refresh 2)
Awareness 1 Awareness 2
Self-Control 2 Self-Control 1
INT 2 Scavenging 2
Foresight 1 Drive 2
Research 1 INT 3
CHA 3 Foresight 3
Networking * Research 2
Persuasion 3 Mechanics 3
Sensitivity 3 First Aid 1
Intimidation 1 CHA 1
Leadership 3 Networking 1
WIL 2 Sensitivity 1
WIL 2
Gear
Backpack, Rations Gear
Laptop Backpack, Rations
Upgrades: Optimized, Shotgun
App: BotSpammers, App: Upgrades: Military
DigDataDoug Toolkit
Handgun Upgrades:
Upgrades: Extended Tailored
Magazine Ubiq Specs
Upgrades: Optimized,
App: Apophenia Overlay

33
 Job: Papers, Please
by Tom Abella
Goods/ServIces
The First Bank of the Loss started as an effort by
small-time, area loan sharks to cut their overhead
through a network of standards and shared biometric-
based background checks. They have recently shifted
focus towards improving their day-to-day operating
standards by printing their own scrip to replace
bulkier, less-portable, proof-of-death document
bundles and convert useful-but-illiquid goods into
currency. They need a Taker crew to retrieve the
printer/laminator from an abandoned DMV office.
EquIlIbrIum
15 bounty At Cost. Barely Scarce. Point out lack of
available Takers to raise.
Economy
Telluride is a capitalist enclave with a basic food and
housing ration for residents.
ClIent - Matlab
Matlab was one of many students whose education
was cut short by the Crash. Her half-completed
engineering degree was of immediate use, and her
summer voluntourism working with microlenders
showed her the good a little extra scratch can do.
She’ll work all day with her hands, but abhors those
who harm the living. She’s fighting an uphill battle
with her partners in the bank to keep the operation
clean. She sees this job as an opportunity to show
everyone how much money can be made without the
need for leg breakers.
Weak Spot: DIrt Under Her NaIls
Matlab admires and respects those who get physically
involved in the work they do.
Soft Spot: All Money Is Blood Money
Matlab doesn’t approve of many of the things that
The Bank does, but to make the Loss a better place,
she doesn’t have the luxury of turning down available
resources.
Tough Spot: FIrst to Market
There’s no evidence that someone else will do this job
first, but it’s clear she needs someone competent to
acquire the laminator to bring the idea to market the
right way.
34
GIft Spot: Reference and Refresh (OptIonal)
Matlab promises to provide two free reference calls (if
she doesn’t know, she’ll outsource) & one free refresh
during the course of the job, as long as it could be
carried by an older BeeMail drone. Matlab warns the
Takers that the drone is loud (on the first use of a loud
item, the Market generates a mob of Casualties).
CompetItIon
Forgo Competition for a first game, especially as a
competing crew is the Complication at the Site.
Travel TIme
Leg 1 - The Toll Booth:
DescrIptIon
There is a small shack by the side of the road with
a toll operator sitting outside, along with a wooden
saw-horse painted bright yellow directly in front of the
bridge the Takers were planning to cross. Awareness
or Foresight notices the two snipers positioned to
cover the toll booth and how remarkably clear the
area is of casualties. The toll booth operator demands
2 bounty per person plus 1 for the dog. A successful
Persuasion, Leadership, or Intimidation check will
bargain them down to 1 bounty per person or 3
bounty for the whole group (Market’s discretion).
The operator will take refreshes of rations or bullets
instead of bounty.
SuggestIons
• The crew can go around, through the wooded
mountain side. If they do, have them spend
an extra ration, make an Athletics check, and
inflict 1d10/2 stun damage to a leg if they fail,
representing a sprained ankle.
• Snipers will react badly to a reconnoitering drone,
especially if negotiations have already begun.
• If a player(s) start combat, the snipers already
have shots lined up. If the players fail to dodge,
they are hit in the head. The snipers will shoot the
Takers closest to the toll booth operator first.
Spot OpportunItIes
• Arrogant, Easily Angered, Napoleon Complex -
most of the crew would take umbrage at being
extorted.
• Karma is its own reward: Embalmer can pay full
price rather than haggle
Market forces
• Part-time (10 boxes of health per person) —
• Everyone has Ubiq specs w/Optimized and
App: DeadEyes Hack upgrades (see Loot
chart)
• 2 snipers (both with heavy rifles (see below))
• 1 toll booth operator (Handgun w/Extended
Magazine & Silencer upgrades)
Leg 2 - Last Stand:
DescrIptIon
The Takers come across the remains of a military
last stand from the Crash. A choke point was created
using an avalanche, but erosion has opened it back
up. The Takers can continue on their way or take
the shorter, newly opened route. If they go through,
they need to make level 2 Self-Control check against
Detachment – there are dozens of skeletal corpses in
weather-damaged military gear. Embalmer recognizes
that some wounds were self-inflicted — a major
gunfight broke out near the triage station, no doubt
a fight about putting down the infected (known as
“Wait and See” massacres). A Scavenging roll reveals
1d10/2 assault rifles and 1d10/2 pistols without any
charges. The weapons constitute a Haul.
SuggestIons
• If the crew went around the toll booth, tie finding
this massacre to this leg. Mention old, decaying
roads reclaimed by nature and how the passages
maintained in the wake of the Crash have
contracted.
• If the crew chooses not to take the newly opened
path, call for an extra ration on this leg or have
everyone take 1d10/2 stun to the chest for the
steeper path, at which point the Leg ends.
• A critical success on scavenging could reveal an
unopened crate of weapons, bundled as some
amount of Haul and/or brand new fully-refreshed
models
Spot OpportunItIes
• Dismissive, Waste Not Want Not - Attendant may
scavenge without checking for traps/ambushes
• Providing Solace, Karma - Embalmer and/or
Technician might want to locate military IDs (not
worth bounty; the Recession assumes any MIA
soldiers are dead) to send word back to family
and/or bury the bodies. Burying bodies takes time,
Rations, and may expose the group to casualties
35
 Leg 3 - Caravan:
DescrIptIon
Around a blind corner, the Takers come on a destroyed
horse-drawn trade caravan. The mob of Casualties
that wiped it out look up from where they are eating
one of the bodies and start lumbering after the Takers.
Make an Awareness check to realize that the body
will become a Vector in four rounds. There is four
haul of goods in the caravan and 1d10/2 Bounty from
the caravan members. Alternatively, if the Takers call
either the origin or destination enclave to inform them
of the caravan’s fate and location, they will receive a
four bounty finder’s fee and a +Rep spot “Honest.”
SuggestIons
• Awareness checks are one-and-done—only one
crew member may make a check to spot the
Vector.
• When you roll to generate the mob, don’t be afraid
to start them close to the Takers.
• Remind Technician they can direct their dog to
lure Casualties away from the group and that they
have a +1 on their skill checks to kill Casualties (&
Vectors).
• Takers must decide whether to loot or call the
enclaves before they get a proper look at the
goods.
Spot OpportunItIes
• Providing Solace - Technician might ID the victims
to tell their families.
• Karma - Embalmer can forego his share of the
rewards from the caravan.
• Arrogant - Cosmetologist can rummage through
pockets before verifying death.
Market Forces
The Vector
Murder Modifier: +2
Fast: 2 shambles per round.
Strong: All successful attacks add +2 to damage.
Advantage: +2 to the Vector’s Black die in checks
against PCs and to the PC’s Red die against the Vector
Psychological Warfare: Vectors scream “apologies”
that cause Self-Control checks.
Hard to Kill: headshots kill it instantly. Otherwise, full
hit-box silhouette.
Hot Strain: On a failed Infection roll, Vector bites
turn a victim in a number of turns equal to the Red
36
of the failed infection check (Black+STR / Red). On a
critical failure, the PC is naturally Latent. On a critical
success, they are Immune.
The SIte: Mall
A large number of Casualties remain in the mall
from the fall of an early refugee encampment. Size
and proximity to wooded areas (making it vulnerable
to human infiltration and Casualty attacks) made
the site unattractive as an enclave location. Only the
food court and home goods store were ever properly
looted; security glass doors have kept most of the
Casualties inside. A successful Foresight or Research
check reveals why the mall has never been settled or
properly looted.
The basic layout is straightforward: six evenly-spaced
entrances including five department stores and an
open entrance. The mall was built into a hill, so the
three entrances nearest to the DMV are on the upper
level, though the DMV is on the lower level. The
basic choice for the players is to start close to the
DMV and find a way down (did they bring rope? If it’s
not on their sheet, then they’re going to have to be
creative), or start further away but on the same level.
An archived pre-Crash map is available online without
a check. Successful Research check will reveal the
fate of the early refugees and some more in-depth
information on the employee hallways in the mall.
Employee CorrIdors
Employee corridors zig-zag through the sections
of stores, allowing for stealthy and (possibly)
safe transit behind the stores, hugging the
exterior walls of the mall. The GM should place
these tunnels as time and pacing permits - a
single tunnel may offer a fast path to the
DMV, but multiple sections that need to be
entered and exited can make for a tenser
game. Doors require a check to open quietly.
The corridors are completely dark, and Takers
will be dependent on their flashlights for
visibility.
Stores
The map of the mall is unmarked to allow the GM
to place temptations and events as needed. These
represent activities that divert the PCs from the main
objective and gives the Baker Crew (see page XX)
opportunities to create problems. Stores can still
tempt and delay PCs making use of the employee
tunnels. Potential stores:
• Cookware store: missed by early-Crash
scavengers, this upscale store holds a wealth of
extremely practical/durable cookware, and many
appliances still in boxes that could be used or
repurposed.
• Hardware store: obvious source of improvised
weapons, the store is also loaded with power tools
useful to any Enclave. Anyone with the “Waste
Not, Want Not” or similar spot will have to pass a
Stress-2 check to leave it behind.
• Community bulletin board: in an open area there
are the remains of an elementary school art
project. Examining the display is a Detachment-2
test if the PCs leave it there. They can attempt to
collect the images and names and try to return the
art to the original owners (0 haul) for a +Rep spot
or WIL if the PC’s spot warrants it.
DMV
• The office has a roll-down gate that was locked
during the Crash and never opened.
• The DMV is startlingly well-preserved for a site in
the Loss. There’s a bit of water damage on some
sagging ceiling tiles, possibly from before the
Crash. Rows and rows of benches will provide
obstacles if combat occurs here.
• There is an employee exit leading to the employee
hallways. It requires a noisy Resistance check to
pry the metal door open.
• There are three surprisingly small laminating
machines (1 Haul each) inside at different teller
stations. Takers will have to burn a charge off of
a laptop to see if they work or take all three with
them to check later (at least 1 machine should be
in working order, method of determination is up
to the Market). There are 2d10 haul of unopened
boxes of licenses ready to be fed into the printers—
price is undetermined but will be valuable to
Matlab.
BreakIng the Levy
The Marcies department store refugees screened new
people and built powerful barricades, but they failed to
secure proper exits for when something went wrong.
The end result was some 200 people trapped inside
during a Vector outbreak. The aimless Casualties
remain inside, but if they were focused in a single
direction they could overwhelm the five-year-old rotted
fortifications.
The barricades and grime on the outside doors
conceal the numbers inside. The PCs will only learn
of the horde with an Awareness check from nearby
the doors, by piecing together the research they did
on the original refugee camp (which will just tell them
that the camp was hit by a Vector, not that the entire
population remains inside), or a Profession:Drones
check to look through the department store skylight.
Sloppy maneuvers within the mall or a particularly
loud attention-getting device at the far end of the mall
will cause the levy to break, whether or not the Crew
realizes it’s there.
If the levy breaks because of a noise right outside
the door, nearby Takers will be the target. If the PCs
set off a sustained noise at the far end of the mall,
the horde may pass them by (Self-Control checks and
horrifying description by the Market apply).
• There is a car on display at the far end of the
mall. A Mechanics check allow Takers to spend 2
charges from an electronics device to charge the
battery enough to run the car horn. Alternatively, it
can be removed and remotely triggered if attached
to Ubiq Specs or a laptop for a single charge
(Self-Control against Stress for the loss of gear).
Without charges, it is not loud enough to draw
the stampede except on a critical failure, which
immediately blasts the car horn plus alarm. If
the crew doesn’t use the car, the Baker crew may
notice it.
• The mall’s PA system can be hacked into. A
successful Mechanics check allows the PCs to play
whatever they want at any volume at any location
(1 charge per brief play).
• A music store at the far end of the mall has a
variety of amps and speakers in good condition,
and can easily be rigged with an electronic device
without a skill check. But unless the players check,
they fail to notice that the speakers’ volume control
are damaged and set to the maximum volume.
Playing any sound will break the levy.
37
 Assuming they are not distracted by the living, the
horde will move towards the sound at the far end of
the mall but ultimately break up and disperse once
they hit the far end. Without further action, the horde
will spread out all over the interior of the mall, with
only the occasional one managing to push open the
heavy doors to escape.
ComplIcatIon
As the Crew approaches the mall, they receive a call
from MatLab that the Baker boys were shooting their
mouths off about a big score and how they’re going to
snatch it up under the noses of the PCs. They’re told
that the Bakers are driving a flatbed truck and will
be arriving shortly. If the players don’t take the call,
they hear the Bakers roll up in their truck, into the
abandoned parking lot/barricade outside the Casualty-
filled department store.
There are up to four Bakers, but they are younger
and less skilled, without the coordination or discipline
of a more experienced crew. Though competent
at clearing Casualties and simple extraction jobs,
they have not done the research the PCs have, and
shouldn’t know about the employee corridors inside.
Make clear that, when dealing with Casualties,
the weak link breaks the chain. Extra hands on deck
means more opportunities for a mistake that escalates
out of control.
If the PCs do nothing, the Baker crew will make a
recon sweep around the mall, then enter at the far
end of the mall and sneak their way to the DMV. It will
be a competition between the two crews to get to the
DMV first.
The Baker crew isn’t opposed to working with
another crew, though they don’t initially see the need
to cooperate. If the PCs can impress upon them the
difficulty ahead (possibly mentioning the research
they’ve done), the crew might be willing to team up.
Matlab won’t want anyone else having a printer, but
she might agree to a bonus for additional functioning
printers and the blank licenses. The PCs may counter-
offer with letting the Baker crew keep what they can
carry back in their truck.
Agreeing to work with the Baker crew will involve
a Self-Control check against Stress (level 2 if the
PCs know about the potential Stampede) as the
crew is going into a dangerous situation with still-
green teammates they’ve never worked with before.
Additional hijinks/unprofessional behavior seen by
members of the crew may prompt additional checks
if PCs are left alone/reliant on them. Depending on
the success in negotiating with the Baker crew (and
38
how much they realize they are out of their depth),
they will want more or less input into the plan. They
won’t agree to be the sole distraction or otherwise
set up as Casualty fodder, though particularly smart
(and sadistic) crews should be able to position them
to not collect their half of the pay (GMs who feel that
such behavior is unsportsmanlike can have the Bakers
broadcast the PCs’ deception in real time).
The degree to which the Bakers complicate the job
should be based on the overall status of the PCs. If
they are broken and worn out after the legs, then a
few successful intimidation and persuasion checks
(in either order) will keep them in line. If not, then
one of the Baker crew can either get distracted by
the pristine (by Loss standards) stores left in the
mall and somehow create a noise that rouses the
Casualties mid-mall. The Takers will be split up and/
or surrounded and need to be absolutely silent unless
they want to attract additional mobs (or even those
left in the department store). Remind the players that
while it may be tempting to allow one of them to die
for bringing the Casualties to bear, a person being
consumed by zombies makes an awful lot of noise.
If working together, the Baker crew should only
cause the levy to break if the PCs are untouched from
the initial legs.
If in competition with the Takers, the Baker crew
should make dramatically (and Stress-inducing)
appropriate progress, breaking the levy at an
appropriate time causing the Takers to evacuate.
Leaving the Baker crew to the stampede will cause a
Detachment check, with strength depending on the
direness of their situation.
The Baker Boys
• ‘Jameson’ Baker (Good ole’ boy & leads from the
rear as a Sniper/Hunter)
o Weak Spot: Just a little bit of medicine before
bed.
o Soft Spot: Family First
o Tough Spot: Roach
o Skills: Shoot +3, Profession: Hunter +2,
Awareness +2, Persuasion +1
o Gear: Ubiq Specs (Dead Eye App, Optimized),
Rifle (Scope, Automatic)
• Kip Baker (Eldest brother, never too bright but
good in a brawl)
o Weak Spot: Bless his heart, he’s a little slow
o Soft Spot: Eldest knows best
o Tough Spot: Latent
o Skills: Unarmed +1, Melee +2, Awareness +1
o Gear: Axe
• ‘Flash’ Baker (Middle brother, was learning to be
an EMT before the Crash)
o Weak Spot: Dismissive
o Soft Spot: A little learning goes a long way
o Tough Spot: Lost
o Skills: Unarmed +1, Melee +1, Awareness +2,
First Aid +3
o Gear: First Aid Kit (DHQS Issue), Club, Carpet
Gloves
• ‘Baby’ Baker (youngest, immune, and none too
pleased)
o Weak Spot: Got to prove myself
o Soft Spot: Got to impress the ladies
o Tough Spot: Immune
o Skills: Unarmed +2, Melee +2, Melee:
Specialization Spear +2
o Gear: Spear (Reach, Sturdy, Crossbar), Carpet
Gloves

39
 COMBAT SUMMARY CHEAT SHEET
ActIon Economy
Every character starts a combat round with one tactic, one twitch, and one freebie. Lengthy actions, or tasks, take up an entire
turn or more and sacrifice tactic and twitch.

tactICS
Tactics resolve with Initiative. Tactics include:
• Firing a weapon
• Making a Melee or Unarmed attack
• Drawing or holstering a weapon
• Running to cover
• Reloading a weapon or refreshing charges on other tools
• Administering first aid
• Barricading a door
• Full Defense (converting an Tactic to a Twitch)
• Full Offense (converting the Twitch to a second Tactic, which moves to the end of the initiative order)

TWITCHES
Twitches go off when prompted by Market forces. Twitches are limited and are almost always either…
• Roll Athletics checks to dodge attacks
• Roll Athletics checks to get under cover
• Block an incoming Melee or Unarmed attack
• Recover from knockback
• Quick draw an item by dropping previously held gear
• Reload or perform another quick action, as allowed by a specific gear’s upgrade

FREEBIES
Freebies include intellectual and verbal actions that can be carried out while performing tactics, twitches, or task. Characters
get one multitask per combat cycle.
• Foresight rolls to get tactical information
• Awareness rolls to spot something
• Shouting or whispering, or CHA skill checks where appropriate
• Making a Self-Control test

All freebies are under the one-and-done rule. If the freebie required a roll, the Taker either made it or did not.
ORDER OF COMBAT
1. Players roll Black and add their SPD
2. Players declare from most to least. The Market spends Red dice to place Market Forces in-between their numbers. This is the initiative order.
3. The highest initiative player declares a tactic, spends to make a roll, and resolves the action
a. Black is damage. Red is hit location. The difference between Kill and Stun damage is determined by the gear used. The damage is
unmodified by extra spends unless the gear is specifically upgraded (or use the “Alternative Damage” p.XX)
b. Twitches are demanded by the actions of Market forces and may go wherever the player wishes. Twitches unspent at the end of the round
are discarded.
4. Assess damage and any penalties
5. Once ever player and Market force has had a turn, return to step 3 and repeat (or use “Alternative Initiative p.XX)
40
 SpecIal Maneuvers
Block: Make a Melee check to direct an attack to a specific piece of gear. Make an Unarmed check to direct damage to a specific
hi location. Firearms cannot be blocked.

Cover: Characters in cover cannot be attacked as long as they are in cover. Characters are out of cover if they attack. Twitches can
be used to return to cover. A tactic or twitch must be used to move to cover if the character doesn’t start out there.

Called Shot: Player declares a called shot on their tactic and moves to the end of the initiative order. If the Taker’s twitch
remains unspent, the Taker can make a precision check to hit the target of their choice. On a success, the player can dictate the
narrative of the success, up to and including the death of the target.

FIrIng Into Melee: All rolls are precisions rolls, and failure hits an unintended target.

Flank: To hit an enemy in cover, they must be flanked. This requires either an Athletics or Sneak test to move into position. If the
Sneak test fails, the Forces get to declare a free attack. If the Athletics test fails, the forces get to declare a free attack. Dodges can be
attempted normally if the Taker has a twitch left. If an enemy moves to flank and isn’t stopped, Takers they moved against are no
longer considered in cover.

Full Defense: Convert your tactic into a twitch. One twitch can go off whenever prompted by Market forces, but the second
can’t be used until the player declares full defense on their initiative. From that point on, twitches respond to threats normally.

Full Offense: Turn your twitch into a second attack. You must declare this on your initiative and it can’t be taken back. The
second attack moves to the end of the initiative order.

GrapplIng: Make an Unarmed check against the target. On a success, the target is grappled. Make a Unarmed check every
subsequent round to keep the target restrained. If the target is a Casualty, make a Resistance check instead.
Knockback: Certain weapons have knockback, which lays a target out prone. It costs a tactic to get up from the prone position.

Ready: Abstaining from all actions for one round (no tactic, twitch, or task) allows the Taker to do one of two things: 1) move to
the top of the next initiative order or 2) roll Black + Skill + Potential for the next check.

ReloadIng: Refreshing charges costs a tactic if it is an item worn on the belt; refreshing gear is a task action if it is stored in the
backpack.

Rush: Takers can burn both a tactic and twitch to rush the enemy. This must be declared on their initiative. The Taker makes an
Athletics test. If it succeeds, the Taker can use their twitch as another tactic and perform a Melee or Unarmed attack. If the first
Athletics test fails, the Market forces get a free attack. The player can choose to eat the damage and finish the attack, or use their
twitch to break off the assault and try to dodge.

Spray: If a weapon possesses the ability to spray, on a success a PC can choose to burn their twitch and keep firing. The Shoot
check must be successful first, but upon burning the twitch and spending 3 charges, the player can choose to deal damage again to
the same target or make a separate hit on a different target nearby.

SuppressIng FIre: A Taker spending 3 charges on a ranged weapon and burns one tactic to suppress an enemy in cover. That
means the enemy cannot move or attack that round. Takers that are suppressed must make a Self-Control: Trauma check to move
from cover, and the enemy gets to declare a free attack against them.
41
 RED MARKETS Severed
1

Taker
Dependants Strained
Needy
Crew
Weak Spot

Soft Spot

Tough Spot

References
Potential Skills
Unarmed
STR ( )
Haul Melee
( )
( )
Resistance
Shoot Threats
SPD ( )
Detachment

Crumble
( )

Break
Crack
Stealth Stress
Athletics Trauma
Awareness
ADP Self-Control
Refresh Scavenging ALT
Drive 10
Criminality
Foresight
INT Research
ALT 7-9
Mechanics ALT ALT
First Aid 5 6
Profession
( )
( )
ALT ALT
Networking 1-2 3-4
CHA Persuasion
Sensitivity
Deception
Intimidation
Leadership
WIL

Backpack Rations
Upkeep 1 Charges Static Upkeep 1 Charges 00000 00000
Effect Taker can carry STR in Haul and Effect Rations can be spent to Buy-a-Roll
personal gear on skills that require exertion.
Additional spends add +1
Qualities Essential Static Qualities Essential Addictive Charged
Character Advancement:
1 Potential = 10 Bounty
Skill Points = Bounty equal to new skill level (1B = 1 Skill, 2B = 2 Skill, etc)
 Taker: 2
Charges 00000 00000 Charges 00000 00000
Upkeep Effect Upkeep Effect
Qualities Qualities

Upgrades Upgrades

Charges 00000 00000 Charges 00000 00000

Upkeep Effect Upkeep Effect
Qualities Qualities

Upgrades Upgrades

Charges 00000 00000 Charges 00000 00000

Upkeep Effect Upkeep Effect
Qualities Qualities

Upgrades Upgrades

Charges 00000 00000

Purchasing Price = Upkeep x2
Upkeep Effect Failing to meet Upkeep causes a malfunction
Qualities
Crit Success: No refresh but still functions
Success: No refresh and -1 upgrade
Fail: No refresh,-1 upgrade,and must
Upgrades be repaired
Crit Fail: Item lost

Upkeep
Sustenence Survival Rent Dependants
Maintenance Equipment Purchase Pro. Dev.
Incidentals Health Humanity Favors
Break Point Projectced Earnings

Retirement Milestone Savings

Bounty Bank
 RED MARKETS NEGOTIATION SHEET
Crew Name
Enclave

Client Start

Red Die
As A Favor Buyer’s Market At Value Labor Hazard Pay 100% Mark-Up Expenses
Contract is offered Contract is offered Contract is Client agrees to Add one Bounty Double the cost The equipment
at the Demand price at the Demand price offered at add the crew’s per Taker per Leg of the job upkeep of every
only AND client only (Black result the value of break point to to Hazard Pay. before Labor participating
earns a - Rep spot on a equilibrium Supply+Demand the price (Black (Ex: a crew of Taker is added
to use in future roll) (Black + Red) + Red + break four on a into the price (no
negotiations point) three-Leg run one pays upkeep
earns 4 x 3 more) this session)

Provider Undercut Provider Default

Start Start

Black Die Black Die

Clients Have...
Weak Spot: A character flaw or secret that can be leveraged to provide +1 Sway
Soft Spot: An area of sentiment or great passion that can be exploited for +1 Sway
Tough Spot: For NPC clients, this takes the form of a specific need the client has for the contract.
It can be exploited for +1 Sway
Playing Spots
For Takers: For Clients:
Working a client’s weak, soft, or tough spot into the Sensitivity: Clients can sacrifice a turn to learn one spot
roleplaying behind a skill automatically adds +1 Sway to a roll. from the Taker in negotiations
This bonus remains even if the check fails, so success means Gift Spot: Once per negotiation, a client may “sweeten the
+2 Sway, but a failed play on a spot is still worth +1 Sway. pot” with a piece of gear, earning an irresistible +1 Sway
Spots must be learned in scams or using Sensitivity + Rep Spots: - Rep Spot: If the crew has done something unprofessional,
If the crew has earned a + Rep Spot for a notable deed, the incompetent, or dishonest in the past, the client can use it
negotiator can work it into the roleplay for a bonus +1 Sway. once for an irresistible +1 Sway

Negotiation Charm Skills

Networking: Roll a check to find a contract or find info about it. Total failure means undercutting to “As a Favor.”

Persuasion: Success moves +1 Sway, or defends against opponent’s Sway if heads up. Can be used with spots.

Intimidation can be used to end negotiations early with a threat to “walk out.” Work in a spot to move and end
Intimidation: negotiations in the same turn.

Sensitivity: Read an opponent’s weak, soft, or tough spot, but sacrifice a turn to do so. Failure wastes a turn and provides
no information.
Lie about the crew’s abilities to move +1 Sway. Can be used with spots. Deception can defend against the
Deception: client’s spot play with “poker face”
To Begin: Black + Leadership / 2 (rounded up, to a max of five rounds) equals the number of turns. Failure means
Leadership: rounds are rolled secretly.
To End: Success has Black meet Red at the higher price, and failure brings Red down to Black at the lower price.

Determining Price
To Start: Player makes a Leadership check (see above)

Heads Up: Red and Black cannot be parallel while in negotiation. Each die resolves at the same time (moving
simultaneously once both parties have spoken). It takes 1 Sway to advance unopposed, but in head up, dice only
advance by pushing (negating an opponent’s Sway and having some left over)

Fixing Price: On the last round, player makes a Leadership check. On a success, Black moves right and parallel
with the Red (higher price). On a failure, Red moves left until parallel with Black. Parallel dice indicate the
agreed upon price.

Undercutting: Competition will try to undercut agreed upon prices, unless eliminated or left out because
the PCs are “preferred providers” of a job line. Resisting an undercut requires a successful CHA check or a
dedicated scame. Failure means the price goes down one space; critical failure means two spaces. PCs undercutting
competition always succeed (there must be a game), but they start on “As a Favor” on the tracker.
# O
+1 or it can’t be done, 4 One-and- Done, 4

B P
Bounty, 4 Pre-Gens, 31–33
Buy-a- Roll, 4

R
C Rations, 5, 9
Casualties, 5 References, 5
Mass, 11
Shambles, 11
Charges, 6 S
Combat, 8, 40–41 Scavenging, 8
Actions, 9 Scams, 8, Markets: 14
Combat Maneuvers, 9 Self-Control Checks, 6
Critical rolls, 5 Spots, 5
Success at Cost, 5
Sway / Sway Tracker, 7, 45, Markets: 14
D
Damage, 10
Damaging Casualties, 11 W
Will (WIL), 6

G
Gear, 6, 21–28
Charged, 4

H
Humanity, 6, Markets: 15
Haul, 8

I
Immune, 16
Infection, 4, 8, Markets: 15–16

L
Latent, 16

N
Negotiations, 7, 17–20

45
46