Survival & Growth

The wasteland rewards what you risk, change, and survive.

Living in the wasteland

• Currency is local. Caps are the compendium’s common Fallout baseline, but your campaign may use regional money, trade goods, or something stranger.
• Chems work, and they cost. Stimpaks heal, RadAway reduces rads, and stronger chems bring addiction risk. Withdrawal begins after 24 hours without an addictive chem: −2 to all attributes and disadvantage on Perception, Intelligence, and Charisma checks, until treated by a doctor or Fixer.
• Radiation changes the map. Every campaign decides where its hot zones, radstorms, clean-water sources, and safe shelters are.
• Supply matters. Ammo, food, water, medicine, and working equipment matter as much as a high skill.

Growing a character

When you level, you gain:

• Health: an increase based on your archetype’s hit die and Endurance.
• Skill points: 4 + half your Intelligence, rounded down. Tag skills gain 2 points for every 1 point spent.
• Attribute points: 2 points that you may bank.
• Perks: one at every even level.

XP required for the next level equals your current level × 100. Campaigns may also grant a milestone: one attribute point, one perk, or a meaningful narrative reward.

The living world moves too

The clock does not stop for level-ups. Factions act, pressures worsen, and choices leave memories. The setting decides what that looks like: a closed road, a changed market, a rumor, a patrol, or a door that no longer opens.