Role Skills

A Rot suit. Protection Rating 3 against the

SPECIALIST SKILLS KK
Rot (page 126).
Beyond the twelve basic skills, each role has one KK Cold suit. Gives you Gear Bonus +3 to Endure
unique specialist skill. These are described below. severe cold.
KK An explosive charge, Blast Power 6 (page
94).
THE ENFORCER’S SKILL: KK A flaming torch.
INTIMIDATE (STRENGTH) KK A lamp, lit by booze (one dose per hour) or
the Battery artifact.
Everyone in the Ark knows you’re bad news. Often KK Binoculars. Gives you Gear Bonus +1 to Scout.
you don’t even need to hit anyone to make them KK A foghorn. Can be heard for miles around.
back off. You know exactly which buttons to push KK Destillator. Produces D6 doses of booze in a
to subdue them – or provoke them. Roll for Intimi- few hours.
date when you use your sheer physical presence KK Camouflage. Gives you Gear Bonus +2 to
to get someone to do what you want. The rules for Sneak.
bargaining position (page 82) apply, just like for KK Scrap raft. Can carry up to five mutants over
the Manipulate skill. water.
KK A cart. Can carry plenty of scrap and gear.
Failure: He won’t be pushed around by a bully like KK Balloon. Can lift one person a few hundred
you. He might even attack you now, or hold the meters through the air, until the hot air runs
grudge for the opportune moment. out.
KK Scrap cannon (page 87). Every shot requires
Success: Your opponent must choose – either at- an explosive charge.
tack you right now (by Fighting, Shooting or using
a mutation), or bow to your will.

Stunt: Additional / mean you strike fear into your

opponent’s heart. He suffers one point of doubt
(page 88) for every additional / you roll on top
of the first one.

THE GEARHEAD’S SKILL:

JURY-RIG (WITS)
Components: Before rolling to Jury-Rig your de-
The Zone is your own personal promised land. Eve- vice, you must describe what parts you use and how
rywhere things from the Old Age lie about, things you put them together. Choose freely, as long as you
you can use to build something new. You constantly use simple, broken items from the Old Age. To hold
pick up odd bits of scrap, and at any point in time the device together you can use steel wire, string,
you can sit down for a few hours to Jury-Rig a work- duct tape or rusty nails and bolts. What your device
ing contraption. Some examples: is made of has no technical effect on the game, but
describing it creates immersion.
KK A scrap gun (page 87).
KK Four arrows. Requirements: Some things are harder to build
KK Scrap armor, Armor Rating 3 (page 88). than others. For more advanced devices, The GM
KK A shield, made from a road sign. Armor Rat- can set one or more requirements:
ing 3.

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KK The device will take several days to finish. Repairs: You can do more than just build things
KK You need a particular piece of scrap, that you – you can also fix things that are broken. With a
don’t have. But you know who does… successful Jury-Rig roll and few hours work you can
KK You need a certain artifact to make the device repair an object with reduced Gear Bonus. If you
work. succeed, the Gear Bonus is completely restored. If
you fail, the Gear Bonus is permanently reduced to
Failure: If you fail the Jury-Rig roll, bad things hap- the current value. You can repair an object whose
pen. The device will fall apart when you really need Gear Bonus has been reduced to zero – but if you
it, or even blow up in your face. You can’t roll for fail the roll, the object is permanently destroyed.
the exact same device again, unless you find new
scrap to use. Alternatively, the GM can set a new
precondition.

Success: If you make the roll, your construct works

– once. Most Jury-Rigged devices are temporary,
made to solve a problem here and now – but not
to last. Normally, your device will only last for one
action or use, then it will fall apart (the Gear Bonus
automatically drops to zero). You can use a stunt
to make it last longer (below).

Stunts: For every extra / you roll beyond the first,

you get to choose one stunt. Some examples:

KK The device is durable and can be used more

than once. It breaks down according to the
normal gear rules (page 46).
KK The device’s Gear Bonus is increased by one.
KK If it’s a weapon, its weapon damage is in-
creased by one.
KK A gun gets an extra barrel and can be fired a
second time before you need to reload. You
can choose this stunt several times for a
multi-barrel gun.
KK The Armor/Protection Rating of an armor
or a Rot suit is increased by one. You can
choose this stunt multiple times.
KK The Blast Power of an explosive charge
is increased by 3. You can choose this
stunt multiple times.
KK You fit deadly shrapnel to an explosive
charge, increasing the weapon damage to
2 (page 94).
KK A scrap raft can carry twice as
many people.

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Role Skills

THE STALKER’S SKILL:

FIND THE PATH (AGILITY)

Any fool can walk into the Zone. But if you don’t
know what you’re doing you’ll soon end up a corpse,
bones gnawed clean by the beasts of the wasteland.
Stalkers are a special breed, loners who went into
the Zone and came to know it even as kids. Other
mutants in the Ark look at you sideways, fearing
you will spread the Rot or just distrust you for be-
ing different.
Vehicles: Some Gearheads have a special passion Roll for Find the Path when you go into a new
for cars, motorcycles and other vehicles from the sector of the Zone. Read more about Zone travels
Old Age. Their biggest dream is to find a vehicle, in Chapter 8 and, for the GM, in Chapter 13.
repair it, and rework it into a proper Zone ride. How
vehicles work is explained in Chapter 6. Failure: Any NPCs or monsters in the sector spot
If you find a vehicle in decent shape, you can you before you spot them, and if hostile, they might
repair it with a successful Jury-Rig roll. With a sec- ambush you (page 56).
ond, separate roll, you can custom build the vehicle
in a number of ways. For every /, choose one stunt Success: You find a safe path and spot any threats
below. Each of these stunts be chosen several times: in the Zone before they spot you.

KK Souped-up engine. The Gear Bonus of the Stunts: For every extra / you roll beyond the first,
vehicle is increased by one. you get to choose one stunt. Each stunt can only
KK Spikes and blades. The weapon damage of be chosen once per roll:
the vehicle (normally 1) is increased by one.
KK Armor. The Armor Value of the vehicle is KK You find an artifact in the sector, if it’s there
increased by 3 (only for cars). to be found. You still might have to struggle
to get your hands on it.
You can only roll once to improve a vehicle. If you KK You can assess the general level of Rot in the
rework it again, all stunts from the previous roll sector (page 125).
are lost. KK You find D6 bullets, still live.
KK You find D6 rations of grub contaminated by
Mounted Weapons: You can fit a scrap cannon or the Rot. It can be edible plants or leftovers
any other weapon to a vehicle. It requires no die from the Old Age. A Zone cook (page 67) can
roll, beyond building the weapon itself. cook the Rot out of the food.
KK You find D6 rations of Rot-free water (rotwa-
ter is usually plentiful).
E X A M PLE
KK The exploration of the sector only takes half
The Gearhead Naphta wants to build a sled to help the time (page 122).
her group escape across the frozen waters of the KK You rush through the sector in a quarter of
Zone. The GM decides this construct doesn’t have the time it would take to explore it. You avoid
any special requirements, so Naphta can roll right all threats, but the sector does not count as
away. She has Wits 5 and Jury-Rig skill level 2, so having been explored and you find no arti-
she rolls five Base Dice and two Skill Dice. She rolls facts, grub or water in it.
two / and gets to choose a stunt. She makes the
sled durable – robust enough to last for a few rides.

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 Role Skills

Keep Looking: You usually only roll to explore sec-

tors that you haven’t explored before. An explored
sector should be considered empty, and contains no
threats unless the GM decides otherwise. You can
roll for Find a Path to find artifacts, grub and water
in a sector that has already been explored, however
– as long as you haven’t already chosen these stunts.
Each new roll takes as long as exploring the sector
did in the first place.

Multiple Stalkers: If your group has several Stalk-

ers, only one of you get to roll to Find a Path when
you enter a sector. Which one is up to you. If you
later roll to find grub, water and artifacts you can
all roll individually.

THE FIXER’S SKILL:

MAKE A DEAL (EMPATHY)

Hunger, strife and conflict – your livelihood. Earlier,

when there was plenty of grub and the Elder looked
after you like you were his own children, you were
a weak nobody. Now, you have found good use for
your talent of seeing people’s needs and fulfilling
them – for a price. You have dirt on almost everyone
in the Ark, and there is hardly anything you can’t
get your hands on.
The most common use of the Make a Deal skill
is to find a contact to get you something you need
– be it grub, water, gear or a particular favor.

Failure: You get stonewalled and nobody wants to

deal with you. Or worse, you step on somebody’s
toes and now you’re looking over your shoulder…

Success: You know who probably has what you

need. If he wants to give it to you is another matter
entirely – you need to roleplay this out. Often you’ll
need to Manipulate someone to get what you want.

Deals on the Side: There is second way to use the

Make a Deal skill. You can do business on the side,
whenever you have a few hours to spare in the Ark.
You can only roll once per session. First, choose
what you’re trading in and with whom:

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KK Deal in grub – where’s it from, and who’s the Answer the above questions with help from the GM.
buyer? Then, roll to Make a Deal. If you fail, someone ends
KK Deal in water – what’s the source, and who’s up feeling cheated by you and you could be in a
the buyer? world of hurt. If you succeed, choose one option for
KK Deal in scrap – who’s the supplier, and who’s every / you roll:
the buyer?
KK Deal in booze – who distills it and who’s the KK You gain D6 bullets.
buyer? KK You gain D6 rations of grub.
KK Act as a courier or negotiator between rival KK You gain 2D6 rations of Rot-free water.
Bosses. KK You gain 2D6 doses of booze.
KK Guard something or someone. What, who and KK You get dirt on someone. The GM decides on
why? who, and what the information is, but you are
KK Steal something. What, from whom, and who free to make suggestions.
want’s it?
Deals on the side can be handled summarily, just
roll the dice and move – as long as you make your
roll. If you fail, the consequences could be painful
and should be played out in more detail.

THE DOG HANDLER’S SKILL:

SIC A DOG (AGILITY)

Your dog is worth more to you than any mutant in

the Ark. The bond between you is almost telepathic.
You instinctively know what the animal wants, and
the dog can always read your state of mind and
defends you against any threat.

Stats: This skill works a little differently. Skill level

1 means you have a dog that follows your every lead.
The dog has Strength 4 and Agility 6. You can use
the dog in several different ways:

Fighting: Your dog can Fight for you. Use your skill
level in Sic a Dog, and the dog’s Strength. You can
push the roll (risking damage to the dog), but it
won’t give you any Mutation Points.
To Sic a Dog on you enemy counts as an action,
meaning you cannot perform any other action in
the same turn. You can perform a maneuver in the
same turn, however.

Scouting: The dog can Scout for you. Use your skill
level in Sic a Dog and your Wits score (the dog
doesn’t have Wits). You can push the roll normally.

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 Role Skills

Tracking: Your dog can track a person or a creature,

EXAMPLE
even when there are no obvious tracks to follow. All
you need is a fresh scent or some object that has Jony wants to Fight the Stalker Yassan and Sics his
been in possession of the prey recently. Roll to Sic dog on him. Jony uses his skill level in Sic a Dog (3)
a Dog, using your Wits score. If successful, your and the dog’s Strength score (4), meaning he rolls
dog picks up the trail and can indicate in which three Skill Dice and four Base Dice. Yassan is hurt
direction the prey has gone. For every extra / you but fires back and hits the dog with his scrap gun,
roll, choose one stunt: causing two points of damage. The dog loses two
points of Strength and Jony can feel his rage rising…
KK How far behind (in hours) are you?
KK Is the prey wounded?
KK Is the prey alone? THE CHRONICLER’S SKILL:
INSPIRE (EMPATHY)
Damage: An enemy can choose whether to attack
you or your dog. The dog suffers and recovers dam- Your mission in life is to witness and record the
age just like a mutant. If the dog’s Strength reaches People’s fate in the dawnworld – but also to in-
zero it dies – something you’ll surely make your terfere when needed. When other mutants lose
opponent pay dearly for! their resolve you can help them find their cour-
Finding a new mutt in the Ark isn’t hard – it age again – and when they stray from the right
takes a few days and a successful Sic a Dig roll to path, you can guide them back. Roll for Inspire
tame a new one. A failed roll will result in a fight. when you wish to help or hinder another person
Out in the Zone, wild dogs are less common. rolling for a skill.

Grub and Water: Your dog is a survivor, eating Help: When using this skill, you can give all of your
garbage and drinking rotwater. You don’t need to rolled / to the person you are helping. It counts as
supply its daily grub and water – but you do need if he had rolled them himself, and he simply adds
to give it extra grub or water to recover its trauma them to the / he did roll. This effect replaces the
(page 90). normal help effect (modification +1).

Sympathy: Your dog gives you all the sympathy Hinder: When you hinder someone, every / you
you need to recover lost Empathy. You don’t need roll eliminates one / rolled by your subject. If all
the company of another mutant (page 90). of his / are negated, his action fails. The GM can
modify your Inspire roll according to your bargain-
ing position (page 82).

Conflict: In a conflict, you can Inspire whenever

someone around you performs an action that you
want to help or hinder, as long as you haven’t used
up your action in the turn yet. Be quick about an-
nouncing this, though – you must roll to Inspire
before they roll their dice.

Failure: If your roll fails, you get in the way of what-

ever action you’re trying to help or hinder, and can
suffer the adverse effects of it. The details are up
to the GM.

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Role Skills

Literate: Most of the Ark’s inhabitants can’t read

or write, at least not as long the Culture DEV level
is low (page 101). Chroniclers are different – duti-
fully, you have maintained the knowledge of let-
ters, words and numbers, taught to you by the Elder
when you were children.

E X A M PLE
Krin is climbing up into a tall ruined building in the
Zone, and must roll to Move. The Chronicler Silas
Inspires her. He rolls five Basic Dice (Empathy 5)
and three skill dice (skill level 3 in Inspire), and gets
one /. That’s very good news for Krin, who doesn’t
roll any / herself. With the encouragement from
Silas, she makes the climb.
A little later, Krin wants to Shoot an attacking
Zone-Ghoul. Silas wants to stop her believing the
conflict can be resolved without shedding blood. He
rolls for Inspire, and gets one /. Now, Krin must roll
at least two / to hit the ghoul.

THE BOSS’S SKILL:

COMMAND (WITS)

As a Boss, you are never alone. You always have your

gang of mutants nearby, ready to rush to your aid.
Command works a little differently from other skills.

Size: Your skill level is an indicator of how large

your gang is – every level represents about 3–4
members.

Stats: A basic gang mostly consists of Enforcers,

and maybe a Dog Handler and a Fixer. The gang
members will have typical NPC stats for their roles
– see Chapter 9. You can improve their stats with
talents (Chapter 4). Try to give all of your gang water to survive. If they have guns, they also have
members roles and names. just enough bullets. Out in the Zone, it’s another
matter – there, you have to provide food, water and
Weapons: Your basic gang is armed with clubs and bullets for your gang members.
other improvised melee weapons. Their weaponry
can also be improved with the Armed Gang talent. Command: Your gang members are all NPCs, under
the GM’s control. But you can order them around
Grub, Water and Bullets: As long as you are in the – all of them or some of them – with the Command
Ark, your gang members have enough grub and skill. Your roll is modified according to the task you

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 Role Skills

want done the table below, and any other factors yourself, you can send you gang to do your dirty
the GM finds relevant. work for you (in this case, use the modifications
table above). If the racketeering Command roll fails,
Failure: If your Command roll fails, someone in something goes wrong. Maybe someone refuses
your gang rebels against you! You’ll need to fight to pay up and attacks you, maybe your gang runs
him one-on-one, to make an example of what hap- into henchmen of another Boss. Details are up to
pens to anyone who questions your leadership. If the GM.
you lose this fight (and live), your gang abandons
you. You can find a new gang, but it will take some Projects: You can order your gang to work on the
weeks and a successful Command roll. This process People’s projects instead of doing the hard labor
should be at least partly roleplayed out. yourself. Roll to Command instead of the skill listed
for the project. Read more about the projects in the
Success: If the Command roll succeeds, your gang Ark in Chapter 7.
(or the individual members given the order) per-
forms the task you want. If any of the factors in
the table change during the task, you’ll need to roll THE SLAVE’S SKILL:
again. SHAKE IT OFF (STRENGTH)

Racketeering: Bosses thrive on the fear of others. It’s the Slave’s fate in life to endure pain and suf-
You can use the Command skill to demand bullets, fering. As a Slave, you have learnt to shake off the
grub and other resources from people in the Ark. abuse – whether physical or psychological. You
Decide who your target is, and roll to Command. It can shut out the outside world and let the pain
takes a few hours, and you can only roll once per fade away. Roll for Shake it Off any time you suf-
session. For every / you roll, choose what you get fer trauma, of any kind (page 88). You can’t use
from the list below. the skill against trauma suffered when you push
a dice roll.
KK D6 bullets.
KK D6 rations of grub. Failure: The pain is just too great, and you can’t
KK 2D6 rations of Rot-free water. shut it out. You suffer the full amount of trauma
KK 2D6 rations of booze. (but no other adverse effect).

You can play out the encounter, or handle it sum- Success: For every / you roll, one point of trauma
marily with a dice roll. You don’t even have to go is eliminated. If all trauma is eliminated, you suffer
none at all.

Conflict: You can use the skill any number of times

THE COMMAND ROLL in a turn of a conflict – using the skill does not
KK You offer a significant reward. +1 count as an action or as a maneuver.
KK The task has a low risk of harm. +1
KK You will perform the task
EXAMPLE
with them. +2
KK You offer no reward at all −1 The Fixer Sixter Manipulates the Slave Eriel to get
KK The task is obviously lethal. −2 his way, and gives Eriel one point of doubt. Eriel rolls
KK The gang is outnumbered. −1 for Shake it Off and gets one /. She ignores Sixter’s
KK The gang is outgunned. −1 words and suffers no doubt.
KK The gang is already hurt. −1
KK The gang is going hungry. −1