Apoc Post - The Gamma World Shopper

Volume 1: Issue 5: Winter/Spring

Shopping Rules : Ancient Age Items : Shadow Age Items

The Gamma World Shopper - Derek Winston

When Gamma World PCs enter a town or settlement, the very first question the players will inevitably ask is where they can find the "good stuff." However, allowing characters to simply purchase ancient artifacts raises the same problems as allowing AD&D characters to buy magic items- where do all of these items come from? Who owns them, and why are they selling such valuable equipment? How much is the item, and who else wants it? Will selling these items destroy the game, with players more interested in shopping than adventuring?

This article gives the GM an alternative to just saying no. The players may find just what they are looking for, but should have a difficult time acquiring it- the perfect situation for an adventure.

Notes on Shopping for Equipment and Ammunition

Most Gamma Age equipment can be found readily available in nearly any settlement. Minor Ancient Age equipment not found on the lists below can be available as well, at the GM's discretion.

As PCs acquire and use Ancient and Shadow Age weapons, the question of the availability of ammunition will arise. Some ammunition is common or easily manufactured by civilians, while other weapons use more exotic munitions only available from military sources.

To find ammunition for various weapons, the players should locate the weapon on Table 5 or 6, as applicable. Behind every weapon entry will be a (O), (G), or (A), standing for a level of success on a skill check. The players will have to make a skill check (one of the skills from Table 1: Recommended Skills for Artifact Shopping, as determined by the GM) in order to locate ammunition for their weapon and succeed at the minimum level indicated. The number after the success level indicates the number of clips/rounds that are found. All energy cells are (G) 1d4, but can only be searched for once.

Ammunition can only be searched for in a Gamma Age or higher-level culture. Modifiers from Table 2: Search Modifiers apply to this roll.

Step 1: Finding What's Available

In a strange city, it will take some legwork and bar-talk to find what the PCs are looking for. The PCs will need to make a skill check (determined by the GM) in order to discover the location and owners of certain artifacts. The GM determines the kind of skill check involved based on who has the artifacts in this area. After all, it takes a much different set of skills to contact an underworld arms dealer than it does to communicate with a scientific research facility.

Table 1: Recommended Skills for Artifact Shopping

Knowledge-Deduce Awareness-Intuition or Perception Investigate-Interrogate
Street Smart-Criminal Elements Culture-Etiquette Interaction-Bargain, Charm, Interview, Intimidate, or Seduce

The tables below give modifiers to the roll to locate items based on the settlement's location, population, trade status, etc. Keep in mind that a + step is a penalty, and a - step is a bonus-

Table 2: Search Modifiers
Settlement Population Step Modifier	Other Modifiers Step Modifier
Sparsely Populated (less than 50 inhabitants, max result Ordinary) +2	Stone Age Culture (max result Ordinary) +2
Low Population (50-100 inhabitants, max result Good) +1	Pre-Gunpowder Culture (max result Good) +1
Average Population (100-200 inhabitants) 0	Gamma Age Culture 0
High Population (200-500 inhabitants) -1	Area has Industry or Manufacturing -1
Very High Population (500+ inhabitants) -2	Area has Trade (trading post, large open market, etc.) -1
Nearby Ancient Ruins, Picked Over -1	Area Suffers from Raids/Warfare +1
Nearby Ancient Ruins, Irradiated, No Way In* -2	Townsfolk are Suspicious of Strangers (max Good) +1
Nearby Ancient Ruins, Irradiated, Access Available** -3	Townsfolk are Xenophobic (max Ordinary)+ +2
There is no way to safely enter the ruins on a regular basis. Extracting artifacts from the ruins depends on unreliable sources, such as adventurers, radiation-resistant mutants, etc. *The ruins are accessed on a regular basis by someone who has means to protect himself from the radiation, such as Radiation Resistance mutations, radsuits, etc. +Examples would be a Genetic Knight community's attitude toward mutants, people hiding a gold mine, etc. max results- An entry marked with a max results indicates the maximum level of success allowed on the roll.

Table 3: Results

Critical Failure- The PCs find no artifacts. In addition, some mishap befalls them during their search, such as being robbed, run out of town by the locals as troublemakers, or receiving a beating at the hands of the local crime syndicate. The GM determines the exact result.

Failure- The PCs find no artifacts.

Ordinary- The PCs are able to locate one Ancient Age artifact.

Good- The PCs are able to find 1d4 Ancient Age artifacts. In addition, they find additional artifacts based on the following factors:

High Population +1 Ancient Age Artifact

Very High Population +2 Ancient Age Artifacts

Nearby Ancient Ruins, Picked Over +1 Ancient Age Artifacts

Nearby Ancient Ruins, Irradiated, No Way In +2 Ancient Age or +1 Shadow Age Artifacts

Nearby Ancient Ruins, Irradiated, Access Available +3 Ancient Age or +1 Shadow Age Artifacts

Amazing- The PCs are able to locate 1d3+3 Ancient Age artifacts and 2 Shadow Age artifacts.

To determine the exact artifact found, roll on the Ancient Age or Shadow Age artifact list, as applicable.

Step Two: Acquisition

Just because the item is found doesn't mean it's there for the taking. The item must still be acquired from it's owner, in one way or another. Suggested methods are detailed below.

1) Buying. Probably what the PCs were looking to do in the first place, this is the easiest way to handle the situation. Prices are the same as in the Gamma World rulebook for artifacts from that source, modified by any skill checks performed by either side during the bargaining process. Prices for equipment from other sources should be converted over to Gamma World's gold standard.

2) Theft. Many artifacts are prohibitively expensive, have owners that don't wish to sell, or have caught the eyes of greedy PCs who simply don't wish to plunk down the cash to purchase them. In this case, the item can be stolen. The GM should determine where the item is, who guards it, etc., turning such an endeavor into a mini-adventure unto itself. Keep in mind the value of the artifact; a functioning automobile will be guarded by more than a peasant with a flintlock, and a cheap pistol doesn't warrant protection by well-armed super-mutants.

3) Other means. Perhaps the town bully has an empty magnum strapped to his side, for which he has no bullets. Or the item is not readily available, but known to be in the lair of a nearby monster. Or found in a pile of junk, needing only the skilled hand of a Tech Op (and a couple of spare parts) to fix it. The possibilities are endless, and can be used by the GM as an adventure hook.

Prior to using these tables, the GM should have a few short , generic scenarios ready to go involving the transfer of the item.

Step Three: Condition of the Item

Just because the PCs finally acquired the item doesn't necessarily mean that it is in pristine condition. Artifacts can change owners many times, who may or may not take care of them. Roll d100 on the table below after an artifact is acquired to determine what kind of condition the artifact is in.

Table 4: Artifact Condition
01-03	Broken and useless. The PCs have bought/stolen/otherwise acquired a turkey. This item cannot be repaired and will never work.
04-10	Broken and repairable. The item is broken, but can be repaired by someone with time, the right skills, and spare parts.
11-15	One or more functions useless. If the item has multiple functions, one or more of the functions will not work. The GM determines if the function can be repaired.
16-20	Functional, ready to break. The item does work, but the first time a critical failure is rolled when using it, the item breaks and ceases to function. It is 75% likely that the item cannot be repaired.
21-95	Fully functional. The artifact works precisely as described.
96-00	Extra functions. The artifact is fully functional, and in addition has further useful functions (for example, a gun may have a built-in laser sight).