Sie sind auf Seite 1von 101

Game Master’s Handbook

This version released August 19, 2000.


deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

PREFACE
Read This Or Die
Introduction
As the Game Master it is your job to create and control the world in which your player's
characters exist. It is your job to guide them through the wasted world of deadEarth. But
sometimes even the guide need needs some help. Use this book as a supplement to the Player's
Handbook to get yourself started in the world of deadEarth; use it as a reference when you get
lost.

"A journey of thousand miles, must begin with a single step."

- Confucius

Note: Some of the content found within this book may be duplicated in the full
purchasable versions of deadEarth books or supplements. Where duplicate or similar
content exists, always go with the examples and rules of the purchased version as it has
been rigorously tested and scrutinized. The information contained herein can sometimes
contain significant errors as this document is always a work in progress.

Disclaimer, License, and Warranty


This is a game; it is not real. Any harm that comes to anyone before, during or after playing this
game is not Anarchy inK Corporation's responsibility or concern.

The stories and characters in this book are fictional. Any resemblance they may have to real
individuals, places or events is purely coincidental.

If you have any suggestions, comments or scathing rebuttal address them to


info@deadearth.com.

Credits

creator... JT Smith

writers... Chris Hagness


Michael Helfman
JT Smith

Notice of copyright
Game Masters Handbook is ©1999-2000 Anarchy inK Corporation. All rights reserved.

Anarchy inK Corporation is the sole owner of deadEarth and all derivatives thereof. The game,
story and characters represented herein are its creative works and are protected under Federal
and international law. Any miscreants who take it upon themselves to break copyright laws will be
punished to fullest extent possible by said law.

Page 2 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

You are free to download, print, and distribute the manual contained herein as long as it remains
complete and unchanged. You do not have the right to create derivative works of, or make a profit
via deadEarth or the stories contained herein without the prior expressed written consent of
Anarchy inK Corporation. If you disagree, feel free to fuck off!

Page 3 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

CHAPTER ONE
Getting Started
The best way to learn how to play deadEarth, believe it or not, is to play it--not read it. If you are
reading this, I will assume that you are the game master or GM. The game master controls
everything that exists in the world of deadEarth, except the player character(s); but I am getting
ahead of myself. First I should define the roles of each part of a roll playing game.

game master - A person who oversees a game. This person is responsible for creating a
scenario for the players to interact with, and oversee the rules of the game. This person also
controls non-player characters and directs the flow of the game.

player - All humans involved in the game. Even the game master is a player, though s/he has
additional/different responsibilities.

player character (PC) - The character that each player creates and controls.

non-player character (NPC) - The characters that the game master creates and controls.

environment - The world in which all the characters interact and live. The environment is
generally created by the writer of the game, and more specifically defined by the game master.

scenario - A single mission, task, or goal that a group of players is given by the game master. In
other words, the premise of the story that all the characters will create through game play.

campaign - A group of common scenarios and characters.

The first step a game master needs to take is to become familiar with the world which s/he will be
overseeing. You will need to read the Players Handbook for this, but the players really will not.
You should also take a look at all of the supplements that are available, including the ClanSpeak
message board on the dE site (www.deadearth.com).

Step two is to create an environment for your players to play in. Just like any good story, your
environment will need a good plot. An easy one to start out with is the sample scenario (detailed
later). Figure out what part of the world the player characters will start in, what knowledge they
will start with, and what they will be doing as you start. Next you need to determine something for
them to do. Maybe it will be to rescue someone, or to get to know the town they are in, or to join
up with the local military and go on a couple of missions that way. You will also need to create a
couple of non-player characters to flesh out your environment/scenario.

Step three is to run the scenario with your players. Start out by having them create their
characters, then get them some equipment (if you want), then start them in the scenario. It is best
if you don't tell them anything about what you have planned. That way they don't have time to
come up with a counter plan. They will have to think on their feet and the whole gaming
experience becomes more interesting.

Take a look at the following sample starter scenario. Feel free to use it just to get the feel of how
the system works. If you have questions, post them in the ClanSpeak message boards on the dE
site. You will get a response quite quickly.

Page 4 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

gm: Ok. You wake up without any idea of who you are, where you are, or
what you were doing prior to right now. (This kind of scenario is easier
to start with cuz you don't have to create a history for the character
going through your scenario.) You look around, but there is very little
light. Really the only thing your senses can detect is an incredibly
foul stench. What would you like to do?

character: Since I can't really see anything I would like to feel around
to determine my surroundings.

gm: Ok, roll your senses. (Then you determine difficulty against the
character -- in this case average will suffice. The level of detail you
give them about their environment depends on whether or not their roll
beat the odds you determined.) You feel around and notice you are in a
slimy, wet, smelly hole in the world. There seems to be a concrete floor
below the muck, and you just heard a wheezing cough.

character: I ask, "Is there someone there?"

gm: You hear nothing, but just then a glaring light blasts its way into
the pit from above. You hear a voice from above, "You! What is your
allegiance?"

character: "What..uh..I don't understand?"

gm: The voice responds, "Well then you will stay in there until you do!"
And the door above slams shut. What do you do?

That is a very simple example of how you can start. Build on that. The game master creates an
environment and the character deals with it. Each scenario builds on the last. Perhaps this
scenario will end with the character joining up with some faction. Then the next scenario will
proceed with the character going on a mission for that faction--perhaps a raid on a small town.

The game becomes increasingly more fun when you add more characters into the mix. See if any
of your friends want to play. I generally run games that have four to eight other people with
characters in the game. I would not recommend more than four in a game otherwise it becomes
incredibly slow and hard to contain.

Good luck and have fun! Don't forget to post all of your clan members and characters on the
deadEarth site.

Page 5 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

CHAPTER TWO
Renown
If you are reading this you are probably thinking, "What is this renown thing all about?"

Well, I wanted deadEarth to be a little different than other role-playing games. In most games all
you have to shoot for is to become the most whoopassinest character that you can become. In
Dungeons & Dragons your goal might be to become a 15th level elfish thief, while in Star Wars
you may want to be a master Jedi, and in Rifts you may endeavor to become a 20th level Mind
Melter. I asked the question, "Then what?" Nobody seemed to have an answer. So I thought, if
someone takes the time to put all that work into developing a character, why not make them a
part of the official game. Kind of a thanks for playing my game.

Renown is simply a measurement of the storyline of a character. How detailed of a history s/he
has. How much energy and effort one has put into their character. It also has some fringe benefits
here and there, after all, what good is the ultimate reward without a little incentive along the way.

Assigning Renown
Assigning renown can be quite tricky. "How much renown should I assign to a task?" "Does the
character receive the benefits of renown right away or over time?" "Over how much time?"

Renown should not be something that is easy to come by. If it were, then all the people in
deadEarth would be legends, hence there would be no legends. Killing another legend would
probably be the quickest way to become a legend. However, you should play legends as though
they are just short of immortal. Remember that legends are not only extremely good at what
made them a legend, but they also have a huge renown that you must factor in. Short of killing a
legend, legendary tasks should be assigned renown based on the magnitude of the task. For
instance, if the character is working for the Raiders and takes over a Power communications
bunker with three or four soldiers in it, that may be worth one renown, but only if it were important
in the greater scheme of things, and only if others knew about it. If the character single-handedly
(or as a leader) takes control of a capitol city such as Kansas City or New Frankfurt, they should
be rewarded with 15 to 25 renown, as it is a legendary accomplishment.

In the end though, you will have to make the ultimate decision as to how much renown a task
should be worth, and I will have to trust your decision. The best advice I can offer you are be a
little stingy with the assigning of renown. If you find that you have given out too little renown, you
can always let the character compensate by using his/her troubadour skill to bolster it.

Characters/Players will slowly become legends over time, just by rumors spreading about what
they have done. If a player wishes to make that happen a little more quickly for his/her character,
then s/he can certainly pay people to spread rumors for them, or spread the word themselves
using their troubadour skill.

Also remember that good and evil deeds alike can be sources of renown. You could easily gain
renown for taking from the rich and giving to the poor Robin hood style, or by being an axe
murderer who scowers the globe killing important political figures.

Page 6 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

CHAPTER THREE
Training
On occasion it becomes necessary to skip ahead in game time so that game play does not
become tedious. Sometimes players will want to move their character's training more quickly than
game play allows (especially if your group doesn't get together very often). For these reasons I
have adopted a number of training ideologies.

Time Skipping
Perhaps one of the clan members is healing for the next several weeks, or one of them got put in
jail for a number of months, or perhaps you're traveling a great distance and don't want to play it
out. Whatever the reason you want to skip ahead in time.

Usually players do not want to see their characters grow older without some benefit. To alleviate
their pain, allow them to train during time skips. Let them choose a focus group--a group of
related skills that will take them in a certain direction. All skill points they get during the time skip
must be put toward that focus group. (Cuz in reality you won't be training yourself computer
programming, pioneering, and weapon smithing all at the same time.) Give them 2D6 to 6D6 skill
points per week during the time skip. Generally hard physical training is the only thing that can
gain 6D6 in a single week. High-end technical skills will gain about 3D6 per week.

Don't let your players push you over and don't let them get away with anything ridiculous.
Technical skills will have to be taught or read about in books. Advanced technical skills must be
taught by a master. There is no way to learn everything you need to know about genetics
engineering without being taught.

To sum up...

• Choose a duration for the skip (in weeks).


• Have each player choose a focus group of skills.
• Assign a number of skill points (in D6) that each player will earn for a week.
• Have each player roll their skill points and spend them toward focus groups.
• Some skills require books and teachers.

Military Training
There are many factions in deadEarth and you don't need to travel far find one. A good way for a
character to gain experience is to sign on with a faction. You'll always get a rigorous physical
training and if it is a good faction, you will get specialized training as well. The following are
examples of training programs that the factions in deadEarth might offer:

basic (6D6 per week for 4 sniper (3D6 per week for 8 weeks)
weeks)
• stealth
• weight training • pioneering
• brawling • tracking
• wrestling • ws rifle
• ws melee • ws missile
• ws blade • spot trap
• running • hide

Page 7 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

• acrobatics • search
• swimming • senses
• climbing
• pioneering

infantry (3D6 per week for arms acquisitions (4D6 per week for 6 weeks)
8 weeks)
• streetwise
• first aid • haggle
• spot trap • appraise
• tracking • influence
• pioneering • reason
• ws of choice • armor repair
• ws shield • all ws
• boxing or martial • intimidate
arts • outright lie
• senses

demolitions (3D6 per a trade (3D6 per week for 8 weeks)


week for 10 weeks)
• mechanics, electronics, medic, weapon smith,
• demolitions armor smith (includes chemistry), pilot (all
• prerequisites for drive skills), communications, pharmacologist,
demolitions etc.
• ws of choice • all prerequisites

law enforcement (3D6 officer (2D6 per week for 12 weeks)


per week for 10 weeks)
• command
• ws of choice • influence
• brawling • interrogate
• search • intimidate
• investigate • senses
• forensics • ws of choice
• intimidate • reason
• interrogate • streetwise
• command • navigation
• reason • pioneering

Background Training
Often, players will want their characters training in something that is unrelated to the current
gaming session. Allow them to train on a single skill in their spare time (if they have any). Allow
them a D6 or two per week for background training. It is a little like night school. It will take you
forever, but you will eventually learn it.

Page 8 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

Some of your players may say that D6 is too little, however, they are incorrect. First of all, this D6
or two per week is in addition to whatever else they might be doing for work, or while adventuring.
Also, when you are working or adventuring you don’t have much time for training. And finally,
training is never as beneficial as true experience.

Page 9 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

CHAPTER FOUR
Skill Specialization
How to use skill specialization

In the skills section of the player handbook, it states that skill specialization is "a good way to
make your character unique and more defined." This is true. However, there is nothing that
cannot be accomplished with the basic skills that exist in deadEarth. Completing a task may
require rolling several skills; skills are not meant to be so specific as to only cover a single type of
task.

In game play, specialization may be used by the players to become more proficient at a specific
task in a shorter amount of time. This is great for the moment, but as soon as another task comes
along, that character is back to their base skill. In the long run, it will be of more benefit to raise
the general skill rather than accumulate a number of specializations.

Specializing in a skill has one primary benefit: your odds difficulty goes down by one level. In
some instances, this is meaningless. A specialization in any type of gambling has no value, since
you don't roll against odds. Any skill that requires rolling against another person's skill roll has no
value in specialization.

Not only can skill specializations be to the advantage of players, but GM's can make use of it
also. If a player wishes to do something that the GM thinks should be especially difficult, or take a
long period of time, the only way a GM can do this is to make the task improbable, or impossible,
to accomplish. This tends to discourage players from even attempting the task, since it would
take years of play to get a skill to 8D6 or higher.

Now with skill specialization, GMs need not fear creating impossible tasks. Players can opt to
specialize in skills that would aid them in accomplishing the task faster. For example, let's say
your player wishes to construct a .45 handgun. Certainly they could do this using just smithing,
weaponsmithing, etc. That's what those skills are for. But with a specialization in smithing: drop
forging, the player has a much better chance of casting the required parts in a shorter time. This
will increase the overall time of the construction, but the player will feel as if s/he is making some
progress.

Basically, the goal is to break down large projects into several sub-tasks, each of which will be so
difficult that the player will *want* to specialize in skills just to be able to do it. Other methods at
the GMs disposal are to emphasize the importance of math and engineering skills. How often
does a person start to construct a vehicle, for instance, without blueprints? What happens if those
blueprints are faulty?

And the most important point of all: resources. One of the major obstacles to doing anything in
deadEarth should be resources. Complex tasks require lots of time, lots of money, lots of things.
Time can be hard to find; money can be relatively worthless in some places; everything is
extremely scarce. How long will it take the player to find the flaw in his/her design? What do you
have to pay for manual labor? Where are they going to find pure sulfur and saltpeter?

All this is meant to encourage players to try improbable feats. If they succeed, they may have a
source of renown and income practically unsurpassed in deadEarth.

Example skill specializations

Page 10 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

Skill specializations are left to the imagination and creativity of both player and GM. Below is a list
of example skill specializations which are used by the play testers, legends, and other NPCs.

Acrobatics: Dancing - Skill in ballroom, folk, traditional, modern, or exotic dancing.


Acrobatics: Tightrope Walking - Skill in balance and movement on unsteady and small
surfaces such as secured ropes, small ledges, tree branches, etc.
Appraise: Female Slaves - Evaluate the condition, experience, and worth of female slaves.
Beast Handling: Horse - Skill in domestication and training of horses.
Beast Ride: Horse - Advanced skills in riding on a horse, fighting while riding, and riding
acrobatics.
Brawling: Bitch Slap - The stun from a bitch slap is equal to the number of moves put into the
blow plus a D6.
Construction: Bowyer/Fletcher - Manufacture and repair of missile weapons (bows,
crossbows, slings) and their ammunition (arrows and bolts, stone arrowheads and fletching).
• WS Missile
Construction: Sailcar - Manufacture and repair of sailcars and their parts.
• Drive Sailcar
Domestics: Leatherworking - Skill in skinning, tanning hides, and curing of leather, and in
the stitching of leather garments, armor, and other equipment.
Forgery: Impersonation - Impersonating the voice, habits, actions, and attitudes of a type of
person or a specific person.
Genetic Engineering: Genetic Counseling - Isolate and identify particular diseases and
traits from genetic material; identify radiation manipulations and their effects; attempt to alter
PMRAs. Cannot add or remove radiations; use genetic engineering for this.
Guile: Cheating - Advanced skill in cheating at gambling games.
• Gamble
Herb Lore: Herbal Medicine - Create and administer herbal remedies for common maladies
or to cure medical mutations.
Herb Lore: Spiritual Healing - Heal people by faith or natural powers, perform exorcisms,
and lift curses. Can be used to counter or alter the effects of psionic powers on a victim.
• Herb Lore: Herbal Medicine
Hide: Disguise - Concealing identity using clothing, makeup, or other equipment.
Influence: Seduction - Advanced skill in getting others to be attracted to you, whether they
want to or not, whether they should or not.
• Charisma
Interrogation: Advanced Psychology - Practice of psychological technique in interrogation,
interpretation of psychological responses to interrogation.
• Medical Doctor: Psychiatric Medicine
Investigate: Military Tactics - Theory and practice of placement of large and small groups of
military forces, including evasive and deceptive tactics, guerrilla warfare, siege warfare, chemical
and biological warfare, and positive and negative effects on morale.
• Reason
Jury-Rig: First Aid - Creativity and experience in treating minor or severe injuries with little to
no equipment; includes pine-branch gurneys, neck-tie tourniquets, garbage-bag immobilization
devices, oil-burn cauterization, etc.
• First Aid
Language: Other - Speaking a language other than your first language. Commonly spoken
languages include American (most common language, trade language), Spanish, German,
French, Japanese, Chinese, and others. First language is automatically at 4D6 for most
characters.

Page 11 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

Literacy - Skill in reading and writing a language you speak; automatically at 4D6 for most
characters.
Literacy: Lip Reading - Skill in reading lips. You must be in constant visual range of the
speaker, and the speaker must be speaking a language you understand.
Literacy: Sign Language - Interpretation and practice of generic sign language.
Medic: Combat Medicine - Treating various types of combat related injuries with minimal
equipment; includes tourniquets, bandaging, amputation, and painkiller administration.
Medic: Trauma Medicine - Treating various types of major and minor trauma with proper
facilities and equipment.
Medic: Geriatrics - Care for and assist the elderly; can temporarily relieve the effects of aging.
On a successful roll, the effects of aging on either strength, moves, or resiliency are temporarily
negated.
Medical Doctor: Psychiatric Medicine - Behavioral and attitude counseling and the
treatment of major psychiatric maladies.
Medical Doctor: Hypnotist - Use hypnotism in the treatment of mental illness or in
interrogation. Successful hypnotism requires beating the subject's resolve roll. Lying or evading
questions under hypnotism is improbable.
• Medical Doctor: Psychiatric Medicine
• Interrogation (if used for interrogation)
Pharmacology: Dietetics - Identify and prepare dietary supplements and treat
gastrointestinal disorders. With proper supplies, you may keep a person alive on as little as one-
half ration per day (excluding water).
Pioneering: Rope Tricks - Advanced skill in knot tying for all purposes: climbing, rappelling
and belaying, restraints, lasso and bola construction, trap laying, securing objects, handling
sailing vessels, etc.
Pioneering: Wilderness Survival (Type) - Advanced knowledge of survival skills in a
particular type of environment: coastal, desert, mountainous, jungle, forest, etc.
• Navigate
Troubadour: Singing - Skill in vocal entertainment, including a couple memorized songs
(ditties from commercials, the Macarena, etc.).
• Memory
WS Melee: Two-handed Warhammer - The damage from a blow with a giant warhammer
is strength plus the number of moves spent swinging (player chooses). Stun is 3D6. A
warhammer must weigh at least 30# to be used with this skill.
• Weight Training
WS Thrown: Juggling - Skill and dexterity in juggling any type of objects; knowledge of
juggling styles and techniques.
• Acrobatics

Page 12 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

CHAPTER FIVE
Pre-determined Mutative Response Agenda (PMRA)
Note: PMRAs are not an official part of the deadEarth world. We have included them only as an
example of a way for game masters to add diversity to the game and to allow more specialized
characters through the powers invoked by the radiation of deadEarth.

This is a tool for GM's, not for players! Some players enjoy the sorts of skill programs, OCCs or
RCCs, or character classes available in other types of role-playing games. deadEarth does not
use or even allow for this sort of nonsense, since the entire purpose of role-playing is to not be a
cookie-cutter character. However, it is sometimes fun to introduce a certain degree of
specialization within a character. This is also useful in rounding out a group of characters to help
cover severe skill shortcomings without having to kill off any characters to make the players
realize their mistake. This can be done with a mini-radiation table with radiations of a specific
focus.

The idea behind PMRAs is that radiation exposure will tend to produce systematic, rather than
random, results in certain animals or people. The genetic makeup of certain individuals will tend
to mutate in a pre-determined pattern, resulting in certain types of radiations emerging more often
than others.

If a PMRA is to be used, it should be set up in advance by the GM. This is done by going through
the radiation list and sideboard and identifying radiations with a common theme. For instance,
radiations which affect the psychic abilities, or those that affect physical attributes. The GM
should make sure that the table includes radiations with both positive and negative effects in
near-equal distribution, and make up radiations if necessary. The GM is also encouraged to
randomize such lists and include approximately 20% death and 20% nothing to match the
chances encountered in the real radiation table. All the radiations in the PMRA should then be
numbered so that the player may roll on it instead of the main table. The PMRA should include
100 or more radiations for adequate randomization.

Another method of implementation is to use the following table:

• 01-20 Death
• 21-40 Roll on PMRA
• 41-60 Roll on main radiation table
• 61-80 Roll on PMRA
• 81-00 Nothing

The following are a few examples of PMRAs:

Healer PMRA (roll 3D6)

111 Catharsis. You may heal all hit points on your body by expending all your available skill
points, so long as they total more than 15. cost: special. range: self. effect: binary.

112 ER. You have a specialization in trauma medicine. Any wounds which require immediate
medical attention are considered to receive it, even if your skill roll fails. A person will not continue
to lose hit points due to the trauma so long as you are attending the person (other wounds or
radiations will cause hit point loss). cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

Page 13 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

113 (490) Purge. You may release all of the toxins from your body at will. cost: 7 skill points.
range: self. effect: binary..

114 Elderly. You have a specialization in geriatrics which allows you to ease the burden of old
characters. An average roll of geriatrics will allow an older character to negate some of the effects
of aging for a short time. With your assistance, an elderly person may negate the effects on either
moves, resiliency, or strength (choose one) for one hour. During this time you can make no other
actions other than helping them. You could instead spend 10 skill points to negate the effect of
age on one attribute for one hour. Only one attribute for one character may be negated in this
way at a time. cost: 10 / hour. range: touch. effect: binary.

115 Healing hands. You may heal any single wound completely if you take D6 hit points of
damage to one hand (your choice). cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

116 (005) Homebody. Gain an extra skill point every time you roll domestics. cost: none.
range: self. effect: cumulative.

121 (011) Crafty. Add a D6 to jury-rig. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

122 (028) Undaunted. You are not easily discouraged or intimidated. +D6 to resolve. cost:
none. range: self. effect: cumulative.

123 (030) Compassion. Gain an extra skill point every time you roll first aid, medic, or
medical doctor. cost: none. range: self. effect: cumulative.

124 Diagnostic sense. +D6 to medical doctor. cost: none. range: self. effect: cumulative.

125 (039) Hospitality. You can use your charisma to charm anyone into giving you a bed for
the night and some food, if they have any to spare. If you make an average charisma roll with this
intent, this effect is automatic. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

126 Voodoo. You are a mad whack voodoo ninja. Add the new skills "art" and "art
specialization: sculpture" to your character sheet at 4D6 and 2D6, respectively. The creation of a
voodoo doll requires an average sculpture roll. After the doll is successfully created, you can
spend 20 skill points to psychically bond the doll to any person you have ever touched, as long as
they are within your range. Once bonded, you can stick the doll with pins which will do the
damage and stun of a knife stab. Only the initial stab does damage; leaving pins in the doll does
nothing. Since the bonded person is not actually stabbed, only the sensation of pain occurs. The
damage and stun both go away within a round. Persistent sticking of the doll, however, could
incapacitate an individual for a while, but a person can never be killed with the voodoo doll.. You
cannot tear or otherwise mutilate the doll or the psychic bond is broken. cost: 20 skill points.
range: 20 miles. effect: binary.

127 Stroke. You immediately begin having a stroke, which will last for D6x10 minutes. Roll a
D6. 1) You are paralyzed from the neck down. 2) You are paralyzed on one side of your body (roll
to determine which side; includes arms and legs on that side). 3) 2D6 random skills are reduced
to 2D6. 4) D6 random skills are reduced to 2D6. 5) D6 random skills are reduced by a D6. 6)
You're lucky. cost: none. range: self. effect: temporary

132 (071) Gamma camera. You can see the radiation emitted by all objects, living or

Page 14 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

inanimate, and judge the intensity of both background and local radiation. cost: none. range:
self. effect: binary.

133 Curative. Your touch can heal, at a cost of 5 skill points per hit point. cost: 5 skill points
per hit point. range: touch. effect: binary.

134 (074) Radiation numbness. After any time you roll on the radiation table, for D6 days
immediately following various parts of your body experience a sensation of numbness. -D6
moves and -2D6 to senses during this time. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

135 Code red. You suffer a minor heart attack. An average first aid roll could cure you (remove
code red). Until that happens, however, you will permanently lose 1 hit point every minute. cost:
none. range: self. effect: temporary

136 (086) Lethal injection. The next time your skin is pierced, and your blood is exposed to
the atmosphere of deadEarth, you will develop a sickness which will remove one hit point at
random each day until you are dead. A prick as small as that from a needle could kill you. cost:
none. range: self. effect: binary.

143 Rescue. +D6 to first aid. cost: none. range: self. effect: cumulative.

142 (099) Prudence. You have the reason and insight to make good judgments and to hold
your ground in the face of discord. Add 3D6 to reason. You will never fail an influence roll
provided you are using it for the benefit of others and the good of all. Add (503) sense danger to
your list of radiation manipulations. You can naturally sense those who have evil tendencies (i.e.
they have radiation manipulations like the damned, murder is the game, etc.). cost: none. range:
self. effect: permanent

143 Truce. -4D6 to brawling, boxing, wrestling, martial arts, and any specializations of these.
cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

144 Psychiatrist you have a specialization in psychiatric medicine. With 2D6 counseling
sessions, one per week, you can actually remove a single radiation from the list of another person
which causes some behavior or mental effect (GM discretion; certain diseases are never meant
to be cured, and others may take years). cost: none. range: hearing. effect: binary.

145 Pain relief. You may reduce the effects of pain in yourself or other people. If the effect of
the pain is a decrease in a D6 from a single skill roll, the effect can be negated for 1 skill point per
round (in combat) or 4 skill points per hour (not in combat). The cost is doubled to negate a -2D6
effect, etc. If the effect of the pain is a decrease in a D6 from all skill rolls, the effect can be
negated for 3 skill points per round (in combat) or 8 skill points per hour (not in combat). If the
effect is a decrease in an attribute, it can be negated for 1 skill point per attribute point per round
(in combat) or per hour (not in combat). Other effects (like sleepiness, etc.) usually cost 1 skill
point per round (in combat) or per hour (not in combat). This does not affect stun in any way.
cost: special. range: touch. effect: binary.

146 (120) Ossuary. It's time. Your time to die. You must find your burial grounds so that you
may rest in peace. (The Game Master will determine the location of the ossuary.) You will stop at
nothing and will travel great distances to get to the proper place. When you arrive, you will
sacrifice yourself. Sleep well. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

151 (135) Green thumb. You always were a mama's boy. Biology, herb lore, horticulture,

Page 15 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

domestics, and memory all become natural abilities. Your character will insist on doing the
cooking and other chores for other players whenever possible, complaining that to do it right,
you've got to do it yourself. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

152 Until my dying day. From now on, record the total number of hit points you have healed
on yourself, other people, or animals. When this number reaches 30, you die. cost: none. range:
self. effect: binary.

153 Positive prognosis. Whenever you heal at least one hit point, roll a D6. On a 6, you heal
an additional D6 hit points on that wound. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

154 (140) Bloody palm. You are completely unable to determine which end of any bladed
object is sharp. When you handle bladed objects you have a 50% chance of injuring yourself (D6
damage). cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

155 Nightmares. You have constant nightmares which leave you weak and shaking in the
morning. -D6 to senses, intuition, memory, reason, and resolve due to lack of sleep. cost: none.
range: self. effect: binary.

156 (160) Lead magnet. Bullets seem to be attracted to you. -D6 to dodge when under fire.
cost: none. range: self. effect: cumulative.

161 Saving grace you may apply a +2D6 modifier to one skill roll per day from the following
skills: first aid, medic, medical doctor, herb lore, or pharmacology. cost: none. range: self. effect:
binary.

162 Faith healing. Your faith alone can be used to heal, almost. You may reduce a random
skill by D6 to heal D6 hit points on yourself or another at any time. cost: none. range: touch.
effect: binary.

163 Leap of faith. +2D6 to genetic engineering. If you roll genetic engineering and fail, the
result is multiplied by a D6 (i.e., roll D6 times on the table). cost: none. range: self. effect:
binary.

164 (171) Grep. Your brain has a unique ability to look for a needle in a hay stack. +2D6 to
search. cost: none. range: self. effect: cumulative.

165 Kudos. Add one to your renown for every level of charisma above 2D6. cost: none. range:
self. effect: binary.

166 (182) Meld. Any clothing, armor, and weapons you are carrying are now permanent
fixtures on your body. Add the armor rating and armor points to your hit points. Add the weight of
the equipment to your weight and adjust your modifiers accordingly. Any action you perform with
melded weapons takes one less move to carry out. cost: none. range: self. effect: cumulative.

211 (187) Isobiomorphic. Your character has a resistance to changes in his physical biology.
Any radiation which alters your character's height, weight, moves, strength, or resiliency has only
a 50% chance of having effect. There is a 50% chance that raising a skill will have any effect on
these attributes (spend the skill points and raise the skill accordingly, then roll for effect). If a
radiation will be the direct cause of death for your character, there is only a 50% chance that
death will actually occur (Game Master roll in private). Your character's body will reject any
surgical or cybernetic alterations, and there is a 50% chance that such a procedure will kill your

Page 16 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

character. Your body will only heal through natural means; first aid may be used, but any other
methods of healing will automatically fail. Using a radiation of your own to heal any hit points has
a 50% chance of killing your character per use. Modifiers to your attributes due to aging will not
apply after this radiation is gained. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

212 (191) Pockets. Your skin reveals to you that it has pouches built in. In essence you have
natural pockets. Add five pounds to your maximum carrying weight. cost: none. range: self.
effect: cumulative.

213 (194) Cancerous growth. A cancerous growth is the source of all your radiation effects.
You may have it surgically removed with a 50% chance of death no matter how skilled your
doctor. If it is successfully removed, remove all of the radiations from your list and their effects.
cost: none. range: self. effect: permanent

214 (212) Pimp. You cannot resist the temptation to solicit your group's services to anyone in
need. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

215 (218) Telepathic bond. You can hold a dying comrade in stasis long enough to get
medical attention holding his/her hand the entire time. cost: two skill points per hour. range:
touch. effect: binary.

216 Armistice. -4D6 to all WS skills. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

221 Excise. You may remove one radiation of your choice from your list. cost: none. range:
self. effect: temporary

222 (231) Radioactive expulsion. You have the ability draw in background radiation,
concentrate it, and release it at will with a simple touch. Any living organism you touch with this
ability will roll on the radiation table. cost: 15 skill points. range: touch. effect: binary.

223 (233) Ashes to ashes. You are now spiritually linked to people you enter combat with. If
you kill them, you will also die. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

224 (234) Toxic freedom. Poisons and noxious gasses no longer have an effect on you.
cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

225 (247) Motherly instincts. You must protect the other members of your party. You will
protect them to the point of babying them. You may even catch yourself saying things like, "If
you're going out, don't forget your jacket." cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

226 (250) Affliction. Reduce the hit points on each part of your body by one, permanently.
cost: none. range: self. effect: cumulative.

231 (253) Stasis. You will no longer age. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

232 Beat insurmountable odds. You may remove beat insurmountable odds from your list
to reduce the difficulty of any single impossible roll to merely an average roll. cost: none. range:
self. effect: binary.

233 Sanctify. You have the ability to bless another person or yourself. Spend 10 skill points

Page 17 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

and touch the person to give them +D6 to one skill for the rest of the day. A person can only be
sanctified once per day. cost: 10 skill points. range: touch. effect: binary.

234 (266) Amplified pain. Take D6 extra stun every time you are hit in combat. cost: none.
range: self. effect: cumulative.

235 (277) Peaceful. All combat related skills are now natural inabilities. cost: none. range:
self. effect: binary.

236 (287) Odds. Once per gaming session call odds. You may roll up to five times in an effort
to make that one roll that has to count. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

241 (289) Radiation toughness. You gain extra hit points equal to the number of radiation
manipulations in your list, and continue to gain hit points as you gain radiations. Likewise you lose
hit points as you lose radiations. The hit points you gain must be distributed as equally as
possible over your body. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

242 (291) Skin rash. Wearing anything more than loose clothing irritates your skin severely.
Subtract a D6 from all rolls while wearing anything more than light clothing (armor, backpack,
etc.). cost: none. range: self. effect: cumulative.

243 Sterilize. +D6 to first aid. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

244 (306) Narcoleptic. Everyone deals with intense situations differently, you happen to deal
with them by falling asleep. Roll a D6 every time you enter an intense situation. If you roll a one or
a six, you will fall asleep. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

245 (310) Misgivings. You're not sure this is a good idea. You always fall last in initiative.
cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

246 (314) Holding on. If you die by damage or by radiation, you may spend one skill point per
minute to keep yourself alive, until you run out of skill points or remedy the situation. cost: none.
range: self. effect: binary.

251 Sustenance. You are capable of providing sustenance and relieving hunger and the
effects of malnutrition. If this power is used, it will provide the equivalent of one ration to a single
person or animal. cost: 2 skill points. range: self. effect: binary.

252 Medical school. +D6 to biology, medic, and medical doctor. cost: none. range: self.
effect: cumulative

253 Witch doctor. You have specializations in herbal medicine and spiritual healing. You can
concoct herbal remedies for any illness reduced by one level of difficulty. You can also roll your
special afflictions skill to heal people of certain diseases which may be considered curses
(consult your GM). For example, curing a character of lycanthropy or theriomorphism requires
making a difficult roll a total of 2D6 times, once per day, with no more than 2 consecutive days of
failure. At least an hour each day must be spent in some sort of bizarre ritual. If successful, the
radiation is removed from the list of the character. cost: none. range: touch. effect: binary.

254 (334) Empathy. You cannot help but feel the pain of others. If you're aware of any person
near you who is suffering or is injured, subtract a D6 from all rolls. cost: none. range: self. effect:

Page 18 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

cumulative.

255 (338) Desperation. You may sacrifice one hit point from any place on your body to add
two points to your resiliency. This effect will not permanently remove the hit points from your
body. In effect, you will be injuring yourself to save yourself. cost: 1 hit point per 2 resiliency.
range: self. effect: binary.

256 (343) Dust to dust. The next time you kill any living thing, whether on purpose or
accidentally, you will kill yourself in a fit of anger. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

261 Impart resiliency. You can heal any single wound completely by permanently reducing
your resiliency by one. You can heal any single wound by D6 hit points by reducing your
resiliency by the same amount for D6 days. cost: special. range: touch. effect: binary.

262 Hanging on by a thread. You can psychically bond with an injured or dying person by
spending 10 skill points. After you have bonded, they draw strength from you. Any loss of hit
points due to trauma or lack of medical attention will instead come off your torso. Any additional
wounds they might receive affect both of you as if you were wounded. Wounds you receive do
not affect the person you are bonded with. cost: 10. range: touch. effect: binary.

263 (360) Outnumbered. You will surrender whenever involved in combat where your
opponents outnumber your allies. You can make no offensive actions when outnumbered. cost:
none. range: self. effect: binary.

264 (365) Mixed blessings. Remove all radiations from your list but keep their effects. In
effect, all of the radiations you have received to this point are now permanent. cost: none. range:
self. effect: temporary

265 (377) Life transfer. Give a hit point to a friend to save his/her life. cost: none. range:
touch. effect: binary.

266 (381) Radiation regeneration. You do not heal hit points by normal means. You only
heal when brought in contact with extreme radiation (which also gives you the chance to roll on
this table, what a coincidence). You can heal by other special abilities. cost: none. range: self.
effect: binary.

311 (392) Cellular decay. The cells in your body have been badly affected by the radiation of
deadEarth. Every week roll a D6. That many areas of your body will lose one hit point for the
week. Roll on the damage table to determine which areas are affected. You must eat twice your
normal rations in order to keep your energy up to fight infection. cost: none. range: self. effect:
cumulative.

312 Glory. Add one to your renown for each even level (4D6 or above) of first aid, medic,
medical doctor, or genetic engineering. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

313 Proctologist. Your fetish with others' behinds is obvious. Others will always be tempted to
call you the butt buster, the assmaster, or some other nickname. cost: none. range: self. effect:
binary.

314 (441) Halogen. You have the ability to project a variably bright light from your eyes. cost:
1 skill point per hour. range: 1000 feet. effect: binary.

Page 19 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

315 Contagious infection. Any disease you cure in another person will plague you. It will
appear after D6 days and add itself to your radiation list or whatever is appropriate. cost: none.
range: self. effect: binary.

316 Natural balance. For each skill which has any modifiers, positive or negative, apply the
opposite modifier to a randomly chosen skill. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

321 (453) Animal speech. You are able to talk to animals as you would a human. cost:
none. range: self. effect: binary.

322 Breath of life. Your breath is capable of healing minor injuries. By giving mouth-to-mouth
or just blowing on a wound, you can restore D6 to a person's resiliency. cost: 1 skill point. range:
self. effect: binary.

323 Sanitation. You can remove disease, bacteria, parasites, mold, etc. from food or water.
cost: 1 skill point per ration. range: touch. effect: binary.

324 Veterinarian. Any skills or radiations you have which may heal humans may also be used
to heal animals, so long as you can make an average beast lore roll. Heavily mutated animals
may require a difficult beast lore roll. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

325 Evangelism. You inspire faith in others which can allow them to heal themselves. The
injured person must first make a resolve roll. If they beat average, it will take a successful
charisma roll against average odds on your part to heal one hit point. This may be done for up to
D6 hit points per individual. If they do not beat average, it will take a difficult charisma roll for each
hit point. Only one hit point may be healed per day. cost: none. range: hearing. effect: binary.

326 (488) Valiant endeavor. The next time you risk your life while doing good for another
(and intending to do good, Game Master discretion), you may remove valiant endeavor from your
list of radiations to gain 5 renown. cost: none. range: self. effect: temporary

331 (492) Life from death. You may choose to resurrect yourself 24 hours after you die. You
will not do so without cost however. If you choose to resurrect yourself subtract two points from
your resiliency, strength, and moves. Subtract 2D6 from every skill above 4D6. cost: see above.
range: self. effect: binary.

332 Negative prognosis. Whenever you heal at least one hit point, roll a D6. On a 1, you do
an additional D6 hit points of damage. On a 2, you fail to heal any hit points on that attempt. cost:
none. range: self. effect: binary.

333 (512) Overconfidence. Once per day when rolling a skill, you may roll a D6. On a six,
you may reroll any dice less than four. On a one, all your dice are considered one's. cost: none.
range: self. effect: binary.

334 (523) Honor. You have the need to protect the helpless and cannot attack an unarmed
foe. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

335 Remedy. +D6 to medic. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

336 (527) Damage flow. Move hit points from one part of you body to another. cost: none.

Page 20 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

range: self. effect: binary.

341 (544) Overdraft protection. You may go to -5 on any critical area and still live provided
you receive immediate medical attention. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

342 Avert death. You may be able save any other person or yourself from death. You may
spend 50 skill points to add 10D6 to any single first aid, medic, medical doctor, or genetic
engineering roll. This will allow you to sew pieces back together, remove a radiation, or whatever
is necessary to prevent the death of that individual. After this ability is used, remove avert death
from your list of radiations. cost: 50 skill points. range: touch. effect: temporary

343 (569) Lost hope. deadEarth has broken you. You have no desire to make your life
worthwhile. You will gain no skill points for performing skills. cost: none. range: self. effect:
binary.

344 Appendicitis. Your appendix is painfully inflamed. -2D6 to running and weight training, -D6
to all hand-to-hand skills for D6 weeks. Then remove appendicitis. cost: none. range: self.
effect: temporary

345 (582) Accelerated aging. You now age at twice the normal rate. cost: none. range:
self. effect: cumulative.

346 (593) Sympathy. Your expression of pain is so acute that even your enemies are sorry. If
you take damage, everyone near you must beat above an average resolve roll or subtract a D6
from all rolls while you are near and injured. cost: none. range: self. effect: cumulative.

351 Medicinal. With an average pharmacology roll, you can create a medicinal supplement
which will heal D6 hit points within D6 minutes. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

352 (622) Radiation aging. From now on, each radiation you gain effectively adds five years
to your age. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

353 Invigorate. Your touch can be invigorating. You can remove all stun a person has received
or fully regenerate a person's resiliency. Each has a cost of 3 skill points. cost: 3 skill points.
range: touch. effect: binary.

354 (660) Regrowth. Every time a radiation is removed from your list, roll on the radiation
table. cost: none. range: self. effect: cumulative.

355 (665) Venerable. Add 10 years to your age and apply the appropriate aging modifiers.
cost: none. range: self. effect: cumulative.

356 Hospice. People come to you when they want to die. You don't know why, but any
character who is going to die from wounds or radiation unconsciously moves as near as possible
to you physically. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

361 Dietary supplements. You have a specialization in dietetics which allows you to identify
plants and herbs and prepare them for consumption (usually average difficulty; depends on
geographical location). Anybody who eats your dietary supplements rolls a D6. On a 1, they get
sick and throw up for an hour. On a 2 or 3, they add 1 to their resiliency for the day. On a 4 or 5,
they add 1 to their moves for the day. On a 6, they add one to their strength for the day. cost:

Page 21 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

none. range: self. effect: binary.

362 Resect. You may remove one radiation of your choice from your list. cost: none. range:
self. effect: temporary

363 (678) Aversion. You will avoid something of the Game Master's choice at all costs. cost:
none. range: self. effect: cumulative.

364 (696) Radiation weakness. Radiation reacts badly with your body. Subtract a hit point
from your body for each radiation manipulation in your list. You must subtract the hit points as
equally as possible from your body. For each new radiation that you add to your list, subtract an
additional hit point. Likewise add a hit point if you remove a radiation from your list. cost: none.
range: self. effect: binary.

365 (712) Chemical imbalance. Roll a D6 whenever you awaken. On a 1-2, you are
depressed and will refuse to participate in anything (except to combat for your life). All attempts to
influence or intimidate you into doing something are at -2D6. On a 3-4, you are normal. On a 5-6,
you are ecstatic and won't shut up. Anyone wishing to remain within hearing range of you for
more than 30 minutes must first beat an average resolve roll to summon the patience. cost:
none. range: self. effect: binary.

366 (735) Zero. Nothing. cost: none. range: self. effect: temporary

411 (750) Biorejection. Any non-biological materials in your body are expelled, including
anything melded, assimilated, or stone (from geomolecular transmutation, etc.). cost: none.
range: self. effect: binary.

412 (755) Justice. Help those who cannot help themselves. Gain one renown for each, less
fortunate, life you save. Lose one renown for each life you take, no matter what the
circumstances. cost: none. range: self. effect: permanent

413 (757) Rite of therapy. Medical doctor or genetic engineering rolls which attempt to
remove (not add) radiations from your list have a difficulty of x times two, where x is the number
of radiations on your list, or impossible, whichever is lower. cost: none. range: self. effect:
binary.

414 (762) Skin cancer. You develop advanced skin cancer on a random body part. Each
month, roll running against average odds to determine if the cancer has spread to an adjacent
body part. -D6 to running for each body part with skin cancer. cost: none. range: self. effect:
binary.

415 (764) Physical therapy. You may remove a radiation of your choice from your list per
odd skill level (above 2D6) of running (for example, 5D6 running = 0, 1, or 2 rads removed). cost:
none. range: self. effect: temporary

416 (765) Special procedures. Radiations may not be removed from your list by other
radiations (that effect is negated). However, an impossible medical doctor roll or an improbable
genetics engineering roll will remove a radiation from your list. cost: none. range: self. effect:
binary.

421 Spark of life. You are capable of generating an electrical potential between your hands.

Page 22 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

This potential is great enough to resuscitate a person or break a heart murmur or failure. +3D6 to
first aid if used. The potential can also be used to stun someone (+2D6 to bemuse if used), but
will not cause damage. cost: 5 skill points. range: self. effect: binary.

422 Vacillation. -5 from all initiative rolls. cost: none. range: self. effect: cumulative.

423 (802) Miraculous recovery. The instant you are about to die, you may remove
miraculous recovery from your list of radiations to prevent that death. If by radiation, remove the
radiation that would kill you. If by damage, add resiliency and hit points such that you do not die.
cost: none. range: self. effect: temporary

424 (807) Judgment day. Calculate your humanity: 5 x (number of radiations) - 10 x


(renown). Determine your judgment by rolling percentiles. If you roll under your humanity, you die.
Remove judgment day from your list after your judgment. cost: none. range: self. effect:
temporary

425 (824) Naught. Another spelling of nothing. cost: none. range: self. effect: temporary

426 (830) Charity. That which you give will come back upon you tenfold. (Well not literally.)
For each 10 $tandards you give to someone less fortunate than you, gain one skill point. cost:
none. range: self. effect: permanent

431 (841) Pummeled All your combat actions each take one move more to perform. cost:
none. range: self. effect: binary.

432 (867) Supplemental materials. All your prerequisites are now decreased by D6 (i.e.,
physics now requires math at 3D6 instead of 4D6). cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

433 (883) Languid. You feel sluggish, slow, and weak. -3 moves, -1 strength. cost: none.
range: self. effect: cumulative.

434 Animal trainer. +D6 to beast lore, beast handling, and any rolls related to the caring of an
animal. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

435 Psychic surgery. You can heal yourself or others with your psychic abilities. You may
heal one hit point for every 7 skill points you spend, or one hit point for each hit point of damage
you inflict on your head or torso. cost: 7 skill points. range: sight. effect: binary.

436 (895) Security blanket. Everyone within 25 feet of you (including yourself) has +25
shielding while near you. cost: none. range: 25 feet. effect: cumulative.

441 (899) Residual effects. Whenever a radiation is to be removed from your list, roll a D6.
That radiation and its effects are removed after D6 weeks, and not before. cost: none. range:
self. effect: binary.

442 (902) Hope. As long as you maintain hope you shall never fail. You may double any of
your rolls twice per gaming session if it will help someone beside yourself. cost: none. range:
self. effect: permanent

443 (913) Festering wounds. All wounds you receive require medical attention. Lose one hit
point off the injured body part per hour until medical attention is received or all hit points on that

Page 23 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

body part are depleted. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

444 Heal by strength. You can heal any single wound completely by permanently reducing
your strength by one. You can heal any single wound by D6 hit points by reducing your strength
by the same amount for D6 days. cost: special. range: touch. effect: binary.

445 Help is on the way. You know what to do, but you cannot seem to do it right. +3D6 to
first aid or medic for the purposes of determining what to do, and -3D6 to the same skills for
actually performing the actions. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

446 (931) Pustules. D6 random body parts develop oozing, pussy sores which are disgusting
to look at but otherwise harmless. cost: none. range: self. effect: cumulative.

447 Onus. -1 renown. cost: none. range: self. effect: cumulative.

452 (946) Alcoholism. You are an alcoholic. If you do not consume at least 12 ounces of
alcohol per day, -D6 to all actions until you have a drink. If you consume more than 24 ounces in
an hour, -D6 to all actions for D6 hours. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

453 (956) Amenities. You crave the creature comforts, whatever the expense. You will wine
and dine wherever you travel, as much as possible. Saving money requires beating an
improbable resolve roll. -2D6 to haggle. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

454 (962) Apoptosis. Genetically programmed cell death. Subtract 1 hit point from a body
part of your choice each week. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

455 Genetic counselor. You have a specialization in genetic counseling. By beating difficult
odds with your genetic counseling skill and spending 10 skill points, you may remove any single
radiation mutation from a player character's PMRA. This may not be replaced by anything by the
GM, and must be rerolled if the player rolls that number on his/her PMRA. You may gain a +D6 to
genetic engineering rolls which attempt to remove, replace, or add radiations to a character's
PMRA (normally improbable). cost: 10 skill points. range: touch. effect: binary.

456 Hermaphrodite. You have a rare condition which gives you the genitalia of both woman
and man. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

461 (967) Umbilicus. You have a length of umbilical cord which is growing out of your navel.
It will grow about a foot per year. It is harmless, except if it is removed by surgery, radiation, or
otherwise. If removed, permanently subtract 2 hit points from your torso. The umbilicus will grow
back. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

462 (976) Triple Helix. Your DNA has increased in density to include memory, physical and
mental skills, as well as radiation traits. Any children you have will be exactly like you at birth (in
radiations, skill, and memory). cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

463 (994) Leukemia. Subtract D6 resiliency now and another one every month. cost: none.
range: self. effect: binary.

464 (999) Rite of humanity. You may prevent rolling on the radiation table by spending 20
skill points each time you would have had to roll. cost: 20 skill points. range: self. effect: binary.

Page 24 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

465 Lifeblood. Your blood can heal others. By inflicting a wound on yourself and letting your
blood coat another's wounds (or be drunk, if internal), you can heal one hit point for every hit
point of damage you cause to yourself. You can heal from a cut on a limb only up until you lose
that limb. cost: none. range: touch. effect: binary.

466 Healing aura. You can heal yourself or others using a ghostly, glowing white cloud. This
cloud comes from your breath, after you expend 12 skill points. The cloud surrounds and clings to
the injured person, slowly dissipating over D6 hours. The cloud will heal 1 hit point per hour. Only
one cloud may be used at a time on a single person. cost: 12. range: person. effect: binary.

511 Healthy justice. You can heal yourself or another person by expending 5 skill points per
hit point healed. For each hit point healed, the person who inflicted the damage (if any) receives
one hit point of damage to the same body area. Both the person being healed and the person
who did the damage must have at one time been in contact with you for you to make the proper
psychic bond. cost: 5 skill points / hit point. range: touch. effect: binary.

512 Hypnotism. You can hypnotize an injured person and cause him/her to believe they are
not injured, thereby negating the pain while they are in the trance. This takes D6 minutes to
accomplish, and you must beat their resolve roll with your hypnotism skill roll. They will stay in the
trance indefinitely until you or someone else releases them or causes them 5 or more points of
stun. cost: 5 skill points. range: hearing. effect: binary.

513 Sense injury. You can sense the direction and distance to any injured person or animal
within your range. You can also sense the location and severity of any injuries, and know
intuitively the difficulty level of any attempt at healing. cost: none. range: 100 yards. effect:
binary.

514 Numbing touch. Your touch is freezing cold and will numb any body area within D6
rounds. Numb body areas and areas distil to it are unusable while numb, and feel no pain. There
is a 50% chance that you will numb a part of your own body while sleeping; roll for location. cost:
none. range: touch. effect: binary.

515 Sedative. One of your body fluids (GM chooses) is effective as a sedative. It will take D6
rounds to put a willing person or animal to sleep; unwilling subjects must beat an average resolve
roll to stay awake. cost: none. range: varies. effect: binary.

516 Pull punch. You can deliver any blow and do no damage and any amount of stun (up to
the maximum for that blow) you wish. cost: 2 skill points / blow. range: touch. effect: binary.

521 Macroscopic vision. You have one eye which serves as a magnifying glass. This gives
+D6 to any applicable search, medical doctor, or other skill rolls. It also completely screws up
your normal vision. Unless you wear an eye patch, -2D6 to all acrobatics, hand to hand combat,
search, senses, and other applicable skill rolls. cost: none. range: varies. effect: cumulative.

522 Reflection. You have the ability to look through someone else's eyes, provided you are in
contact. This will allow you to operate on yourself without penalty. cost: 10 skill points. range:
touch. effect: binary.

523 Spirit speak. You can speak with the spirit of a person who has been dead for less than
24 hours. Spirits will only tell you how and when they died, and who or what is to blame. Nobody
else will be able to see or hear the spirit. cost: none. range: hearing. effect: binary.

Page 25 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

524 Flinch. -5 from all initiative rolls. cost: none. range: self. effect: cumulative.

525 Shattering revelations. Your insight can reveal aspects of a person's personality which
will shock them if you tell them. If that person makes an average resolve roll, this has the effect of
a successful bemuse on that person. If that person does not make at least an average resolve
roll, this will do that person 4D6 stun. Talking will take 4 rounds. cost: 5 skill points. range:
hearing. effect: binary.

526 Borne of desperation. In times of extreme duress, you may either: 1. Add a D6 to all skill
rolls for 4 rounds. 2. Add 3 to any attribute for 4 rounds. 3. Automatically succeed at any attempt
to evade combat with any number of people. cost: 8 skill points. range: self. effect: binary.

531 Fight or flight. Upon entering any combat, you must choose to fight or flee. If you fight,
you must fight to the death. If you flee, you cannot make any combat actions except evasion.
cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

532 Never-ending blink. The next time you blink, your eyes will never open again, because
you are dead. Even after you're dead, they're stuck shut. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

533 Delusional. Whenever your resiliency is reduced to zero, you become delusional. Your
delusions may take the form of hallucinations, blurry vision, extreme imbalance, etc. at the GM's
discretion. -2D6 to all skill rolls until your resiliency is returned to 1 or greater. cost: none. range:
self. effect: binary.

534 Play dead. You are able to slow your heart and your breathing and appear dead. Only a
difficult medic, average medical doctor, or improbable search roll will reveal you are still alive.
However, if you maintain this for more than 5 minutes, there is a cumulative 10% chance each
minute after that you actually will die. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

535 Paralysis. You can paralyze a single body part of any person or animal. While paralyzed,
the body part becomes useless, but maintains bodily functions. Body parts distil or proximal are
unaffected, though gross motion may be impeded. cost: 2 skill points / minute. range: touch.
effect: binary.

536 Unreasonable fear. All people you encounter will believe that any exposed infection or
disease you may have is deadly and contagious. Anyone who wishes to approach within 20 feet
of you must beat a difficult resolve roll. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

541 Lift curse. You may relieve another person of any known radiation mutation. Simply touch
them, spend 20 skill points, and remove both the cursed mutation and lift curse. cost: 20 skill
points. range: touch. effect: temporary

542 Mindsnap. You have the ability to cause a nervous breakdown, uncontrollable rage,
debilitating depression, or some other effect in a single person. This will only persist while you are
within range and spending skill points. Your subject will have -2D6 to all skills and -2 to all
attributes while under your influence. However, if your subject can make an improbable resolve
roll (roll once each round), you will suffer -2D6 to all skills and -2 to all attributes permanently.
cost: 4 skill points / round. range: 25 feet. effect: binary.

543 Simulacrum. Before the damage dice are rolled for any blow to anybody within your

Page 26 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

range, you can choose to take that damage upon yourself. If you do, the person who has just
been saved takes no damage or stun from the blow. Both of you take an additional 5 stun this
round and an additional 5 stun the next round. cost: none. range: 25 feet. effect: binary.

544 Fearlessness. You cannot feel the effects of fear. You can aid others in resisting the
effects of fear by spending 5 skill points per person in your range. This gives them +D6 to any
rolls required to resist fear. cost: 5 skill points / person. range: hearing. effect: binary.

545 Blessing. You have the ability to bless other people. Each skill point you spend in the
blessing goes into a reserve pool for that person. That person can then add 1 to any skill roll,
reducing their pool by 1, until their reserve pool is gone. cost: special. range: touch. effect:
binary.

546 Community prayer. You can lead other people in a community prayer session. All
members who wish to do so may attempt to beat average odds with a resolve roll. Any who
succeed may make an offering of as many skill points as they wish. Divide the total number of
skill points by the total number of people in the session. That number goes into a reserve pool for
each person in the session. Any person can then add 1 to any skill roll, reducing their pool by 1,
until their reserve pool is gone. cost: 20 skill points. range: hearing. effect: binary.

551 Polygraph. You can tell when anyone is lying. Whenever you hear a lie a buzzing in the
back of your head alerts you to it, like a lie detector. cost: none. range: hearing. effect: binary.

552 Speak with plants. You can miraculously communicate with plants. Plants will only tell
you of recent passers-by, weather, and basic life functions. They will tell time in terms of sun
cycles or growth cycles. cost: 3 skill points. range: hearing. effect: binary.

553 Comeback. You can restore your resiliency to full instantaneously by spending 15 skill
points. cost: 15 skill points. range: self. effect: binary.

554 Speedy recovery. You recover hit points and resiliency at twice your normal rate. cost:
none. range: self. effect: cumulative.

555 (303) Obsession. You are now obsessed with something of the Game Master's choice.
cost: none. range: self. effect: cumulative.

556 (017) Radiation Decay. Each time you roll on the radiation table, subtract a hit point
from a random part of your body. cost: none. range: self. effect: cumulative.

561 (022) Reprisal. You may add to your list of radiations any single radiation which has been
previously removed from your list, then remove reprisal from your list. If no radiations have been
removed, or you cannot remember, or you do not wish to use the effect, also remove reprisal
from your list. cost: none. range: self. effect: temporary

562 (031) Tenuous existence. Reduce your resiliency to zero, and take double stun from all
damage. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

563 (043) Radiation desensitivity. Radiation has little effect on your body. +2D6 shielding.
cost: none. range: self. effect: cumulative.

564 (004) Attenuation. Roll a D6 and apply the following conditions based on your roll: (1-3)

Page 27 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

Add D6x10 to your shielding. (4-6) Subtract D6x10 from your shielding. cost: none. range: self.
effect: permanent

565 (068) Rite of consecration. You can perform a ceremony (invent one) to temporarily
consecrate a piece of equipment. Whoever uses this piece of equipment receives +2D6 toward
any skills for which it is meant. (A consecrated rifle gains +2D6 to WS Rifle for the user.)
Consecrating any item permanently consumes 5 skill points for each day of consecration for each
item. (At the time of consecration, if you spend 50 skill points, the item is consecrated for 10
days.) cost: special. range: touch. effect: binary.

566 (069) Rite of baptism. You can perform a ceremony (invent one) to purify the body and
heal the soul. This ceremony will heal 2D6 hit points of choice on you or on another. The
ceremony must last about 10 minutes. cost: 2 skill points. range: touch. effect: binary.

611 (082) Lung cookies. Your lungs and airway are partially clogged with mucous, making
heavy breathing difficult. -D6 to running. cost: none. range: self. effect: cumulative.

612 (088) Animal instincts. Gain an extra skill point every time you roll beast handling, beast
lore, beast ride, or trapping. cost: none. range: self. effect: cumulative.

613 (089) Compulsive. Add (303) obsession to your list of radiations. Whenever the game
master chooses, s/he may change the object of your obsession to anything s/he wishes. cost:
none. range: self. effect: binary.

614 (117) Read preternatural. You have an ability that some would find very useful. You
can not only determine whether someone has been altered by radiation, but can also tell how.
You can determine exactly what radiations a player has and what effect they produce, even if the
person that has them, is not aware of their existence. cost: 10 skill points. range: touch. effect:
binary.

615 (127) Induce Sleep. Your opponent looks tired, tell him/her. Roll your resolve against
your opponents. If you succeed, your opponent will be out like a light for D6 hours. If you fail s/he
will be out for one round or 15 seconds (whichever is applicable). cost: 32 skill points. range:
verbal. effect: binary.

616 (128) Deflect. You will shrug off all of the damage coming to you (from one source). You
must deflect if you have enough skill points. If you do not have enough skill points to deflect all
damage, you will deflect none (zero cost). Damage comes off of your armor first, then your
deflect, resiliency, and hit points. In essence, your skill points become extra resiliency. cost: 1
skill point per point of damage. range: self. effect: binary.

621 (159) Choose wisely. Choose a radiation from this table and add it to your list of
radiations. cost: none. range: self. effect: permanent

622 (201) Normal. Any affect this table has had on you is now reversed. Remove all radiation
manipulations from your list as well as normal. cost: none. range: self. effect: temporary

623 (164) Neat freak. You suddenly feel compelled to maintain an immaculate environment,
as well as a picture perfect personal appearance. Everything around you must have complete
order or you will lose the ability to concentrate. -D6 moves, memory, and reason while in disorder.
cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

Page 28 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

624 (172) Infravision. In addition to your normal vision you may now see in the infrared
spectrum. cost: none. range: sight. effect: binary.

625 (173) Damage displacement. Reduce every area of your body to one hit point and add
40 to your resiliency. Your resiliency now regenerates at 2D6 per hour. cost: none. range: self.
effect: binary.

626 (199) Eunuch. You are now genderless. You have no sexual preference or sexual
organs. The groin is no longer a double stun area. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

631 (206) Healing touch. You may heal a player character or non-player character with your
touch. cost: two skill points per hit point. range: touch. effect: binary.

632 (207) Intimidated. Roll a D6 when you enter combat. If you roll a one or a six you must
flee from combat. You may not take any offensive actions, even if you are cornered. cost: none.
range: self. effect: binary.

633 (211) Dream master. You have the ability to instill dreams into a sleeping victim or view
their natural dreams. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

634 (223) Homestead. Desires change with the wind and yours has changed forever. It's
time to settle down, find a spouse, and have some kids. Your adventuring days are over. cost:
none. range: self. effect: binary.

635 (232) Electrostatic battery. Your body maintains a static charge of around nine volts.
Enough to power a flashlight or a small radio. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

636 (250) Affliction. Reduce the hit points on each part of your body by one, permanently.
cost: none. range: self. effect: cumulative.

641 (252) Nocturnal. You are now naturally active during the night. You can function during
the day, but have a strong preference not to. Subtract a D6 to all rolls during the day. cost: none.
range: self. effect: cumulative.

642 (257) Deaf. You can no longer hear. You will automatically fail any hearing related senses
rolls. Halve your senses roll for initiative. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

643 (276) Cash in. Reduce each of your skills to its original level and keep track of the skill
points you had pumped into it. (A skill at 4D6 would be worth 30 skill points.) Redistribute all of
your skill points as if you were just starting your character. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

644 (293) Nature boy. You thrive in the great outdoors and find yourself uneasy in urban
areas and around people in general. Tracking, pioneering, fishing, navigation, beast lore, and
herb lore are all natural abilities. Streetwise, haggle, appraise, charisma, guile, influence, and all
drive skills are natural inabilities. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

645 (330) Truth sayer. Outright lie is now a natural inability. cost: none. range: self. effect:
binary.

Page 29 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

646 (355) Thoughtful. Memory is now a natural ability. cost: none. range: self. effect:
binary.

651 (358) Finagle master. Jury-rig is now a natural ability cost: none. range: self. effect:
binary.

652 (387) Bad posture. Subtract 3D6 pounds from your maximum carrying weight. cost:
none. range: self. effect: cumulative.

653 (411) Vaccination. Add 10 to your shielding. cost: none. range: self. effect: cumulative.

654 Defender of the weak. You can sense intuitively the strength modifier of others. If you
attack anyone with a strength less than your own, -2D6 to all combat and weapons skills and
reduce your resiliency to zero (not permanently). cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

655 (478) Talented. Choose a skill to be a natural ability. cost: none. range: self. effect:
cumulative.

656 (491) Rewind. Once per day you may enter a sleep-like trance which may slow your
aging process. The trance lasts 4D6 hours, and the no effect will occur if the trance is broken
before this time is up. You may not break the trance yourself, however, if you are disturbed in any
way, the trance will be broken. If successful, one random skill is reduced to 2D6, and your age is
reduced by a number of years equal to the number of D6 removed from that skill. cost: special.
range: self. effect: binary.

661 (529) Pense. You can feel what the people around you are feeling, provided you can beat
their resolve roll with yours. cost: 1 skill point. range: 15 feet. effect: binary.

662 (535) Concussion. Every time you take a point of damage to the head, take an extra
point of damage (resiliency will protect, if you have any) and an extra D6 of stun. cost: none.
range: self. effect: cumulative.

663 Righteous avenger. You may or may not have earned it, but you have a reputation for
upholding the law, defending the weak and helpless, and bringing justice to those who deserve it.
Others will seek you out to do just these things, even before they approach the police. Add +3 to
your renown. If you are caught cheating, lying, or breaking any laws, subtract -6 from your
renown, and remove righteous avenger. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

664 (574) Natural weakness stun. Take an additional point of stun every time you are hit.
cost: none. range: self. effect: cumulative.

665 (595) Natural weakness. You will suffer and extra point of damage every time you are
hit in combat. cost: none. range: self. effect: cumulative.

666 (613) Excitable. You thrive on intense situations. Roll a D6 every time you enter an
intense situation. If you roll a one or a six, add a D6 to all rolls for 2D6 rounds. cost: none. range:
self. effect: binary.

Psychic PMRA (roll percentiles)

Page 30 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

00 Geas. You have the power to force a person to do something completely against their will.
Once the geas is lain upon your target, they must do everything in their power to accomplish the
task given them as soon as possible. Whatever it is that they believe which inspires them to do
this task will come true if they avoid it. For example, a person may fear that they will die if they do
not accomplish the task. If they avoid doing the task at all, their belief that they will die will actually
kill them! If they fear drowning, or being burned alive, it will happen! The GM should decide what
punishment may occur and use it to prod any unwilling characters along in their task. If
necessary, the GM may give control of the geased character to the caster of the geas until the
task is complete. The task may be murder, suicide, or anything the player can think of. cost: 50
skill points and 2 renown per use. range: touch. effect: binary.

01 (045) Watery grave. The protein coating which protects cells from water is weak in your
body. Water will actually wash away cells, doing you damage. Body parts exposed to light rain,
puddles, lakes, or other standing water take D6 damage per hour of exposure (minimum of 1D6,
resiliency counts). Running water, fast-moving rivers, squirt guns, heavy rain, etc. will 1D6
damage per attack or per minute of exposure to any exposed body parts. Drinking water does not
do damage. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

02 (117) Read preternatural. You have an ability that some would find very useful. You can
not only determine whether someone has been altered by radiation, but can also tell how. You
can determine exactly what radiations a player has and what effect they produce, even if the
person that has them, is not aware of their existence. cost: 10 skill points . range: touch . effect:
binary.

03 (133) Sixth sense. Spot trap is now a natural ability. cost: none . range: self . effect:
binary.

04 (144) Heightened senses. Your five senses are more discrete than most. You can detect
things that others would miss. +1 to all rolls. You have automatic initiative. cost: none . range:
self . effect: cumulative.

05 Profiler. You can read the psychic essence left behind on inanimate objects by living beings.
You can tell who or what was last at a place or using an object, get a mental image of that person
or creature, and a feel for how long ago that was. cost: 6 skill points. range: touch. effect:
binary.

06 (192) Instill psychosis. You may literally drive someone to the brink of insanity. For the
period of affect, your victim will have no sense of morality and will act at -2D6 for all rolls. cost:
35 skill points per day (must spend all up front) . range: touch . effect: binary.

07 (211) Dream master. You have the ability to instill dreams into a sleeping victim or view
their natural dreams. cost: none . range: self . effect: binary.

08 (213) Pyrokinetics. You have the innate ability to command fire. You may ignite flammable
materials by spending two skill points. You may create a wall of flame 10 feet long and 10 feet
high at the cost of 12 skill points, and you may throw a ball of flame that does 2D6 damage for 17
skill points. cost: depends . range: 25 feet . effect: binary.

09 (218) Telepathic bond. You can hold a dying comrade in stasis long enough to get
medical attention holding his/her hand the entire time. cost: two skill points per hour . range:
touch . effect: binary.

Page 31 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

10 (220) Telekinetic club. You can inflict 3D6 stun at your slightest whim. cost: 20 . range:
sight . effect: binary.

11 (222) Psi location. Your character may locate the direction and distance to any player that
s/he has ever been in physical contact with. cost: 2 skill points . range: see above . effect:
binary.

12 (224) Total recall. You have a perfect memory. Never make a memory roll again. cost:
none . range: self . effect: binary.

13 (241) Proximity. You have the ability to put up an invisible trip wire. You will know how
many people are within 100 feet of you, and you will know their exact location. You have
automatic initiative. cost: none . range: 100 feet . effect: binary.

14 (242) Psychic dodge. You will automatically dodge if you have seven or more skill points
(you have no choice). +2D6 to that dodge roll. cost: 7 skill points . range: self . effect: binary.

15 (271) Spirit guide. You have a little guy on your shoulder telling you what to do and where
to go. Lucky for you he knows what he is doing. If anything bad is going to happen to something
in your group, the Game Master will make sure it happens to you last. cost: none . range: self .
effect: binary.

16 (823) Naught. Nothing. cost: none. range: self. effect: temporary

17 (272) Anti empathy. Your character emits his/her feelings in waves of raw emotion that
everyone can feel. All players and non-player characters will know instantly if you are angry,
happy, sad, nervous, confident, etc. Knowing your feelings gives them +D6 to their reason roll to
determine your intentions, if they are doing such. cost: none . range: 20 feet . effect: binary.

18 (273) Psychic shield. You may bring up a circular force shield with a radius of 15 feet at
any angle and position within your range. The shield will absorb 40 points of damage and all stun.
It will last until its points are depleted or you move out of range. cost: 11 skill points . range: 100
feet . effect: binary.

19 (319) Insight. Gain natural abilities to D6 random skills. cost: none . range: self . effect:
permanent.

20 (342) Network. You character is an astute telepathic, using his/her mind to communicate
with others as efficiently as speech. This ability may be used D6 minutes at a time and you had to
have had contact with each person in the conversation within the last D6 days. Anybody resistant
to the thought intrusions may block them by beating easy (6) odds with their resolve, and you still
spend your skill points as if that person were in the conversation. cost: 5 skill points per person .
range: see above . effect: binary.

21 (382) Empathic absorption. Whomever does damage to you will receive half of the total
damage you receive. cost: none . range: self . effect: binary.

22 (403) Telekinesis. You may lift and move an object at a reasonable speed for 20 moves.
cost: 5 skill points per 10 pounds lifted . range: 60 feet . effect: binary.

Page 32 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

23 (406) Unconscious freedom. You cannot go unconscious. cost: none. range: self.
effect: binary.

24 (414) R.E.M. phase. You need only sleep for 10 minutes every 24 hours. cost: none.
range: self. effect: binary.

25 (435) Color blind. Colors are no longer what they appear to be. You are seeing things as if
you had just eaten some kind of funky mushrooms. cost: none. range: sight. effect: binary.

26 (436) Verve paladin. Have you ever wished you could have done something to protect
someone, so they wouldn't have died? Now you can! As the keeper of death, Moloch, comes
from the netherworld to harvest the dead you may challenge him for the life of the individual that
is dying. In doing so you are entering a fight to the death. Fight to your last, for if you win, you and
your friend will come out unscathed.

You may use your weapons and armor, but if anyone interferes with your combat, their life will
also be on the line. Moloch is impervious to psionic (mind to mind) attacks, so don't try. He also
has distributed damage, which means you must deplete all of his hit points to defeat him, and he
cannot be knocked unconscious. Moloch has a strength of 8, 17 moves, and 60 hit points. He will
fight only hand to hand and has 6D6 to perform all skills.

Good luck mortal! You will need it. Oh, one more thing--each time you defeat Moloch (provided
you can do it even once) he will grow in strength and moves by 2 and in hit points by 10. cost:
none. range: self. effect: binary.

27 Circular thinking. -D6 to investigate, +D6 to bemuse. cost: none. range: self. effect:
binary.

28 (450) Memory purge. All skills are reduced by 2D6. cost: none. range: self. effect:
cumulative.

29 (460) Mental prowess. By focusing, you can outperform almost anyone, even if you have
no idea what you are doing. You may add 3D6 to one roll per day. In addition add a D6 to all
resolve and jury rig rolls. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

30 (470) Life bond. You will telekinetically bond with the next player character you come in
contact with. When that character dies, you will sacrifice yourself to give that person life once
again. The method of the sacrifice is up to you. cost: none. range: touch. effect: binary.

31 (491) Rewind. Once per day you may enter a sleep-like trance which may slow your aging
process. The trance lasts 4D6 hours, and the no effect will occur if the trance is broken before
this time is up. You may not break the trance yourself, however, if you are disturbed in any way,
the trance will be broken. If successful, one random skill is reduced to 2D6, and your age is
reduced by a number of years equal to the number of D6 removed from that skill. cost: special.
range: self. effect: binary.

32 (503) Sense danger. The game master will allow you automatic first initiative. Sense
danger does not tell you that danger is eminent until you are attacked and it does not give
direction or any other clues. cost: none. range: combat. effect: binary.

33 (534) Dormant. Roll again on this table. All of your rolls on this table will lay dormant for D6
weeks, after which, your radiation manipulation will emerge. cost: none. range: self. effect:

Page 33 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

binary.

34 (552) Read thought. You may read the thoughts of an individual that is around you. Roll
your resolve against theirs to see if you are successful. cost: 1 skill point . range: 15 feet .
effect: binary.

35 Nightmares. You have constant nightmares which leave you weak and shaking in the
morning. -D6 to senses, intuition, memory, reason, and resolve due to lack of sleep. cost: none.
range: self. effect: binary.

36 (577) Blind. You are permanently blind. You automatically fail any sight related roles. Halve
all halve your initiative rolls. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

37 Quality assurance. Record the radiations currently on your list, including quality
assurance. At any time, you may remove all radiations on your list which have been added since
quality assurance (replace your current list with the recorded list). cost: none. range: self. effect:
binary.

38 (579) Telepathy. You can subconsciously speak to anyone, anywhere; provided you know
that they exist. One catch though, they won't be able to talk back unless they also have the
ability. You must beat the target's resolve roll with your own in order for them to hear you. cost: 2
skill points . range: see above . effect: binary.

39 Modus operandi. +D6 to investigate and interrogate. cost: none. range: self. effect:
cumulative.

40 (619) Emotional adrenaline. Whatever you feel, is three or four times stronger than it
would normally be. If you are happy, you will go to great lengths to display it, if you are angry you
will do the same. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

41 (628) Psionic blast. Hit a target with an unseen force of 3D6 damage. cost: 12 skill points.
range: 30 feet. effect: binary.

42 (629) Psychic stronghold. Automatically block anyone trying to penetrate your mind with
a special ability. If you have a skill point this ability will protect you whether you want it to or not.
cost: 1 skill point. range: self. effect: binary.

43 (630) It bleeds. Anytime you are hit while in combat (even if your armor absorbs all the
damage) you will begin to bleed and take one damage to that part of your body. You may make
your opponent see more blood than there really is, thereby causing them x stun where x is the
number of skill points you put into it. cost: x skill points. range: sight. effect: binary.

44 (632) Hypnotic suggestion. You may implant an idea in a target's head for one hour,
provided you can beat their resolve roll with yours. You cannot make the target do anything that
they would not normally do, for instance, kill themselves. cost: 7 skill points . range: verbal .
effect: binary.

45 Implant. You can telepathically implant an idea in the mind of another person. That person
will believe the idea is their own. This can be especially useful in settling arguments before they
happen, etc. +D6 to influence, guile, and other applicable skills when this is used. cost: 3 skill
points. range: 10 feet. effect: binary.

Page 34 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

46 (646) Empathic transmission. You now have the ability to force an emotion on someone
else for a short period of time. cost: 12 skill points . range: 50 feet. effect: binary.

47 (657) Possession. Take control of a target's body. Do whatever you like with it for 2D6
rounds provided that you can beat their resolve roll with yours. The victim will be trapped inside of
a body that they can't control, however, they will be able to speak. cost: 40 skill points . range:
40 feet . effect: binary.

48 (658) Itch. Tell a target's subconscious that they are uncontrollably itchy and must scratch.
The target will lose D6 moves for the next D6 rounds while they are scratching, provided your
resolve roll is better than theirs. cost: 9 skill points. range: verbal. effect: binary.

49 (661) Staid. Your mind wanders toward the peace and tranquility of death. Roll your resolve
just before you wake. You must beat an average (15) odds to wake up otherwise your life will drift
to the serenity of death. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

50 (669) Proactive thoughts. You project your thoughts and emotions on everyone around
you. For this resolve you will not be able to mislead or lie to anyone. +2D6 and a natural ability to
bemuse. cost: none. range: 15 feet. effect: cumulative.

51 (676) Evolution. The following radiations are now skills for you to advance as you would
any other. These new skill no longer have any cost to you and you should roll them as individual
skills instead of rolling resolve. Your new skills are: (579) telepathy, (403) telekinesis, (632)
hypnotic suggestion, (679) subconscious weakness, and (629) psychic stronghold. cost: none.
range: self. effect: binary.

52 (679) Subconscious weakness. Of course your opponent has a weakness, they just
don't know it yet. So tell them. Choose a skill and roll your resolve against theirs. If you are
successful they will get a natural inability to the skill that you have chosen. cost: 15 skill points .
range: verbal . effect: binary.

53 (696) Radiation weakness. Radiation reacts badly with your body. Subtract a hit point
from your body for each radiation manipulation in your list. You must subtract the hit points as
equally as possible from your body. For each new radiation that you add to your list, subtract an
additional hit point. Likewise add a hit point if you remove a radiation from your list. cost: none.
range: self. effect: binary.

54 (704) Rite of possession. Once per day when you are in need, you may open your body
to a spirit for possession. A spirit will enter your body to carry out whatever it was you needed
help with. The spirit performs all applicable skills at 6D6, but has the limitations of your body and
its attributes, existing damage, etc. During your possession, the game master will completely
control your character. Spirits may not have the same ideas as you do about whom is your
enemy, or what the fair price is for a piece of equipment. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

55 (712) Chemical imbalance. Roll a D6 whenever you awaken. On a 1-2, you are
depressed and will refuse to participate in anything (except to combat for your life). All attempts to
influence or intimidate you into doing something are at -2D6. On a 3-4, you are normal. On a 5-6,
you are ecstatic and won't shut up. Anyone wishing to remain within hearing range of you for
more than 30 minutes must first beat an average resolve roll to summon the patience. cost:
none. range: self. effect: binary.

Page 35 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

56 (735) Zero. Nothing. cost: none. range: self. effect: temporary

57 linear thinking. +D6 to investigate, -D6 to bemuse. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

58 Psychometrics. You may spend 5 skill points to add a D6 to a single resolve roll. You may
add any number of dice this way to your single roll. cost: 5 skill points. range: self. effect: binary.

59 (794) Fair warning. Before you can enter combat, your obsession compels you to shout
"S/he/it's coming right for us!" You cannot make offensive actions until this is shouted. If you
cannot shout, you cannot make offensive actions. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

60 (795) Trepidation. You cannot initiate combat. Subtract 10 from your initiative rolls. cost:
none. range: self. effect: cumulative.

61 (806) Acrophobia. You have a fear of heights. Whenever you are within 5 feet of a drop of
20 feet or greater, beat an average (4D6) resolve roll or be immobilized with fear. Roll once per
minute to overcome this fear. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

62 (810) Rite of corruption. You may spend 10 skill points to reduce the reason skill of a
person you are speaking with. For every level their reason skill is reduced, you may add a D6 to
your guile and outright lie skills. You may not reduce their skill to less than 2D6. The effects last
of this rite for one minute. cost: 10 skill points. range: self. effect: binary.

63 (820) Rite of destiny. You may enter a meditative trance to determine direction in your
life. When you do, roll 4D6. If you cannot spend that many skill points, you receive no vision. If
you can, then do so, and receive a vision concerning your future from the game master. Add
(245) quest to your list of radiations. cost: special. range: self. effect: binary.

64 Shock wave. Any stun you deliver with a blow from hand-to-hand or weapons to yourself or
to others may be radiated psychically. For 5 skill points, you can make the stun of a single blow
apply to everyone in your radius (including yourself), but you must deliver the blow yourself and
state your intentions before the blow is delivered. cost: 5 skill points. range: 15 feet. effect:
binary.

65 (825) Nix. This means nothing, also. cost: none. range: self. effect: temporary

66 (826) Perish. You have perished, and are dead. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

67 (834) Life insurance. If you die from any cause, you may immediately pay a premium of
D6x10 skill points to negate the cause of death (if by damage, the last single blow or amount of
damage; if by radiation, remove it from your list and negate its effects). Each time this is done,
your premium is increased: the second time costs 2D6x10, the third 3D6x10, and so on. If the
premium cannot be paid, you cannot use your life insurance. cost: none. range: self. effect:
binary.

68 (845) Mental durability. You may add one point of resiliency to yourself or one point to
the armor rating of any solid object for each 10 skill points you spend. You must concentrate for
D6 minutes to achieve this effect, which will also last D6 minutes. cost: 10 skill points. range: self
or touch. effect: binary.

Page 36 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

69 Insecurity. You lack the confidence to perform many tasks. -D6 to all skills with 1
prerequisite. -2D6 to all skills with 2 or more prerequisites. Subtract an additional D6 from
resolve. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

70 (881) Sleight of mind. You can mentally suggest others to look away while you nab their
goodies. Roll your hork against their resolve to determine success for horking from now on. +3D6
to hork. cost: 7 skill points. range: audible. effect: binary.

71 (885) Fetish. You are obsessed with a particular body part or piece of equipment. You will
ask to see and touch the object of your fetish several times per day, and of everyone you meet.
Roll a D6 each day. If you do not pursue your fetish at least that often that day, you will gain no
skill points for the next two days. You must role play each instance out. cost: none. range: self.
effect: binary.

72 (918) Amnesia. Memory is permanently 2D6. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

73 (930) Elevated consciousness. You may enter a meditative state to contemplate tough
decisions. When you enter the trance, roll a D6. You will meditate for that many hours, and may
add that number of dice to your reason roll to make the decision. If you are disturbed before the
trance is over, you have not come to a decision and receive no bonus. cost: none. range: self.
effect: binary.

74 (952) Rite of mind. By spending 5 skill points, you can temporarily use the powers of one
psionic ability from the following list: (579) telepathy, (403) telekinesis, (632) hypnotic suggestion,
(679) subconscious weakness, or (629) psychic stronghold. Additional skill points may have to be
spent for the psionic ability. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

75 Alone. You have a fear of being separated from the group. You will avoid being separated at
all costs. If all other members of the group die, you will have to beat a difficult resolve roll to keep
from committing suicide. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

76 Area alarm. You can become intimate with an area of up to 100 square feet by walking and
studying it for 10 minutes. Then you may set up a psychic alarm which will alert you to the
presence of animals or people within the area if you are also in it. This alarm will wake you out of
a dead sleep, and may be made specific to any people, a certain person, persons other than your
group, animals only, etc. The alarm cannot detect sources of danger, and will not alert you if you
are outside the area. The alarm will last D6 hours per 3 skill points spent. cost: 3 skill points / D6
hours. range: 100 square feet. effect: binary.

77 Charm person. You can pick up on the psychic wavelength of another person and use it to
charm them. By spending 5 skill points you may add another die to one skill roll from the following
skills: charisma, haggle, influence, or guile. You may spend skill points to add as many dice to a
single roll as you wish, but they must be spent before the roll is made. cost: 5 skill points / person
or animal. range: sight. effect: binary.

78 Charm animal. You can pick up on the psychic wavelength of an animal and use it to
charm them. By spending 5 skill points you may add another die to one skill roll from the following
skills: beast ride or beast handling. You may spend skill points to add as many dice to a single roll
as you wish, but they must be spent before the roll is made. cost: 5 skill points / person or
animal. range: sight. effect: binary.

79 Comprehension. You can intuitively understand what anyone is trying to say, even if you

Page 37 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

can't understand the language or their speech or their gestures. This is not telepathy, there must
be some form of active communication. This ability is automatic and costs nothing. cost: none.
range: sight. effect: binary.

80 Fear. Your psychic presence can instill fear in others. Animals or people who are fearful of
you will have -D6 to all actions when dealing with you (haggle, weapon skills, etc.) and you will
automatically be above anyone who fears you in initiative. The fear has a duration of D6 rounds
(about a minute). cost: 8 skill points / person or animal. range: sight. effect: binary.

81 (860) Deterioration of the spirit. -D6 skill points each week (if no skill points are
available, apply a negative and subtract skill points as they are earned). cost: none. range: self.
effect: binary.

82 Mind bond. You may be able to bond with any other player character for a time. By
spending 5 skill points, you may use the skill level of one skill as if it were your own. For 10 skill
points, you may use the skill levels of all skills. For 10 skill points, you may instead use the effect
of one radiation mutation, if it is known to you. For 35 skill points, you may use the effects of all
radiation mutations that are known to you. The duration of these effects is one hour. The skill
points must first be spent, then you must beat an average resolve roll before you can successfully
bond with a character.

For 50 skill points, you may permanently add one radiation to your own list from those that are
known to you, or replace the skill level of one of your own skills with that of your bond-partner.
You must beat a difficult resolve roll to change permanently. cost: special. range: touch. effect:
binary.

83 Exorcism. You cannot be the target of (211) dream master, (218) telepathic bond, (342)
network, (470) life bond, (579) telepathy, (657) possession, or (679) subconscious weakness.
cost: none. range: none. effect: binary.

84 Quid pro quo. During combat, you may choose to activate quid pro quo. Once activated,
you become psychically bonded to your opponent. If you die, so does your opponent. However, if
your opponent dies, so do you. This bond will be maintained after combat (unless quid pro quo is
removed), and is effective forever. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

85 Indomitable. +2D6 to resolve. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

86 (266) Amplified pain. Take D6 extra stun every time you are hit in combat. cost: none.
range: self. effect: cumulative.

87 (282) Hot. Tell a target's subconscious that their flesh is burning off the bone. Provided you
can beat their resolve roll with yours, the target will scream out in pain and lose 4D6 moves. cost:
9 skill points. range: verbal. effect: binary.

88 (607) Cold. Tell a target's subconscious that they are freezing. The target will try to seek
warmth and will have -3 to all rolls for the next D6 rounds, provided that you can beat their
resolve roll with yours. cost: 6 skill points. range: verbal. effect: binary.

89 (302) Attention deficit. You can't concentrate on anything for more than 30 seconds.
There is a 30% chance that you will fail at any attempt to advance skills. If you fail you must still
spend the skill points. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

Page 38 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

90 Poltergeist. You are haunted by a poltergeist. You are not sure whether it's real or in your
imagination, but nobody else ever sees it because it only acts when you're alone (and acts
whenever you're alone). This poltergeist will cause you to believe that objects are being moved,
etc., and unless you can beat an average resolve roll, cause you enough fear that you receive -
D6 to all skills during the haunting and for 5 minutes after. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

91 Keen. +D6 to investigate and memory. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

92 Natural balance. For each skill which has any modifiers, positive or negative, apply the
opposite modifier to a randomly chosen skill. cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

93 (456) Liable. You have a strong compulsion to protect and serve the last player you had
contact with. You must seek them out and may not leave their side until you have successfully
saved their life. cost: none. range: touch. effect: cumulative.

94 (127) Induce Sleep. Your opponent looks tired, tell him/her. Roll your resolve against your
opponents. If you succeed, your opponent will be out like a light for D6 hours. If you fail s/he will
be out for one round or 15 seconds (whichever is applicable). cost: 32 skill points. range: verbal.
effect: binary.

95 Regulation. Your advancement is well-regulated. You may not acquire more than 12 skill
points per week; you must record your points over the entire week and discard any more than 12.
You may not use skill points mid-week to raise skills, but you may use them to activate radiation
effects. If you receive fewer than 12 skill points in a week, add skill points to bring the total to 12.
cost: none. range: self. effect: binary.

96 Mass suggestion. You have the power to make people believe you. You may add 2D6 to
any single troubadour, charisma, or guile roll. cost: 1 skill point per person. range: hearing.
effect: binary.

97 Elemental sense. You can sense natural fluctuations in the world around you, including
the presence of fire (campfires or larger), air (rooms or larger), earth (thicknesses 2 feet or
greater), and water (streams, ponds, or larger). cost: none. range: variable, 20 to 1000 feet.
effect: binary.

98 Detect psionics. You can instantly sense the use of any psionic power on this table by any
person or animal within your range. If you do not spend skill points, you will only know that
someone within your range is using some psionic. If you spend skill points as soon as you feel
the power, you will know what power is being used, the target, and the effect. cost: 3 skill points.
range: sight or hearing. effect: binary.

99 Read aura. You can get a sense of a player or nonplayer character through your psychic
senses. You will know the general overall alignment, attitude, intentions, and feelings of that
character. This is not an "instantaneous" reading. Note that a character with a lot of rage may
emit an aura of rage even when being friendly, and vice versa. cost: 3 skill points. range: sight.
effect: binary.

Page 39 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

CHAPTER SIX
Recovery Mission (Sample Adventure)
History
About a week ago Hagi Christ lost a very important shipment. Four days ago he sent out a rescue
team of five men. The team located the shipment and took off with it. They found the shipment in
a small town just west of New Frankfurt. Intel indicates that the rescue team is transporting the
cargo via truck to Paris. It is unknown where they intend to go from there.

Mission
Hagi has assembled you to go after the rescue team and dispose of them. Then recover the
cargo and bring it back to him. To ensure that you are successful, he has made you aware that
he has a secondary team of snipers watching you. They will aid you if you are in need and kill you
if you betray him.

Reward
Should your mission be successful, each member of the team will be rewarded with a 1,000
$tandard credit at any of Hagi's trade depots, pubs, and casino's in New Frankfurt. Each member
of the team is also granted $500 in credit up front to equip themselves for the mission.

NPCs
The group may encounter many NPC's during this mission and ask them questions as to the
whereabouts of the original team. The following list are the NPCs which are integral to the
mission.

Hagi Christ
A legend. He is the "boss" in this particular mission. For more information about Hagi
check out his bio in Legends.
four snipers
Hagi will have four very talented snipers watching the group the entire mission. These
snipers formally worked for the Power and have all the training they need to stay hidden
and be able to cap a target at 1000 yards, through the brush, in a stiff breeze.
John Smith
One of the original rescue team members. He is dangerous with dueling handguns and
has a quiet arrogance about himself. He is also quite a tracker.
Trinity
The only driver in the group and also the only woman. She is an excellent driver, but has
a tendency to fall asleep at the wheel due to her Narcolepsy.
Mike Walker
Good with his hands as a construction worker and a jury rigger. He also has a number of
years training in the martial arts.
Suk Rugwad
His talents lie in the interpersonal, though he can also stand his own in a hand to hand
brawl. Suk is also very intelligent and reads whatever and whenever he can. Suk is also a
religious fanatic and has spoken many times of his church.
Shooter Wheaton
Has some mechanical skills, and is very good with a rifle. Shooter has been known to be
a bit predjudous against mutos.

Page 40 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

Game Master Background Info


The original rescue team is not incredibly talented, but can be quite resourceful. Don't use this
mission for battle hardened veterans. Likewise it is probably not a mission for characters that are
just starting out. It will be quite hazardous to their health. Especially if they spend any time in
Paris.

The original rescue team will get to a mountain pass just outside of Paris and will break an axle.
They will jury rig the drive shaft into an axle in an attempt to push the cargo the rest of the way.
Unfortunately they will lose control of the truck as they go down the mountain and will destroy it.
They will bury the cargo a few hundred feet off the trail/road and will continue on to Paris.

Paris is a complete wasteland. It is heavily radiated and is home to the world’s largest population
of Troggs (see the Spawning Bed Database for more information). Gern Blythe, a researcher, is
really the only person that resides in Paris. He is protected by the Troggs but acts as though he
has barricaded himself in to keep them away. He maintains a private library of several hundred
thousand books and acts as a shaman to the Trogg.

The cargo that Hagi is wants so desperately is a crate about 12 feet long, four feet high, and five
feet wide. It weighs about three quarters of a ton or 1,500 lbs. The crate contains a fully
functional, though powered down Xavier X-11 warbot. If anyone were to look inside the crate,
they would most likely not even know what the Xavier is.

Page 41 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

CHAPTER SEVEN
The Spawning Bed Database
The Spawning Bed Database
Insil Banes (created: August 14, 2024)
Today is a very exciting day, indeed. I have begun cataloging all of the biological aberrations that
have taken place since the war. I will attempt to relate these abnormalities to my radiation traits
database so that whomever may read this in the future will understand what the anomaly is, and
how it came about.

Because I can't go gallivanting around the world studying these creatures I have asked several of
the local people to assist me in finding new species. They report back to me whenever they can. I
also make a bimonthly trip to Madagascar to talk to the travelers and traders about what they've
seen. Most of the information I have been and will be receiving is second hand, but I will
endeavor to keep this database as factual and scientific as possible, given the observations I
have to work with.

African Acerbic Snail statistics


Behold my latest discovery, the mighty gastropod. Yes, it may be
only a snail, but this special breed of African snail has a developed • lives in southern
a very powerful saliva, which it uses to break down foods so that it Africa
may ingest them. This saliva is a very strong acid, and with a few • 2 inches tall
snails working away, will eat away that horn you’ve got in about a • weighs 0.1 lbs
day or two. • 2 inches long
Just be sure you don’t get any of these snails on your skin. You’re
likely to suffer some serious acid burns (1 damage per minute to
that body part, resiliency does not count)

Angry Root statistics


Oh what a devilish creature the broth of this world has released on
to us. I call it the angry root, because I cannot think of a name that • lives in prairies
describes it more clearly. • 600 inches tall
Angry roots look like large oak trees with no leaves. They generally • weighs 3000 lbs
sit in prairie land where there are little or no other trees and bushes. • 10 moves
Angry roots can uproot themselves and travel under ground, though • 40 hit points
very slowly (1 move while traveling). They are plants that survive on • 10 resiliency
metallic minerals like iron, tin, and aluminum. They also feed on
• 5/9 natural armor
alloys.
• 1D6 to perform all
skills
These giant tree-like creatures are fierce predators for a number of
reasons. They have perfect camouflage (they look like trees). Their • 4D6 senses
attacks are always a surprise (because nobody knows it is not a • 6D6 to attack
tree), and they can rip through almost every kind of armor in just • stab
8D6 damage, 4D6 stun, 10
one blow. moves

Beware of trees without leaves.

Page 42 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

Copious Worm statistics


Late last year some of the local farmers came to me with a
problem. Their plants would not grow due to too much radiation in • lives in southern
the soil. Though this area was not hit by the war directly, the fallout Africa
rain had done its damage. • 36 inches tall
• weighs 550 lbs
Early last week I made a quite wonderful discovery and a solution • 144 inches long
to their problem. I was able to crossbreed a haliclona (oceanic • 20 moves
sponge) and an acanthocephalan (spiny headed worm). I then took • 70 hit points
DNA samples from the crossbreed and re-encoded them to have
• 25 resiliency
traits #737 (radiation absorption), #168 (terrian) and #186 (giant).
• 3/3 natural armor
The finished product is a large digging worm that tills soil as it • 5D6 senses
passes through and converts radiation into nitrogen to fertilize the • 6D6 to attack
soil. Copious worms are about 12 feet long, 3 feet in diameter and • 5D6 to defend
look like a spiny hose. Being able to pass soil through their body • swallow
3D6 (to D6 body parts)
gave them a larger surface area, hence they could absorb more damage, 3D6 stun, 10
radiation on a single pass. Like all other living things copious worm moves
bodies are attuned to certain harmonic frequencies, and can be • bump
controlled by those frequencies sort of like the shock from an 5D6 damage, 2D6 stun, 10
moves
electric fence.

Those farmers are going to be pleased with this work. It will save
them effort and fix their problems in one shot.

Crimson Terror statistics


I took my bimonthly trip to Madagascar recently and found that the
topic of discussion at the local pubs was of great interest to my • lives in rural areas
work. Everyone was yammering about a predator, called the along the east coast
crimson terror, that has killed a lot of animals and people in the of North America
Americas. The crimson terror, as it is known by legend, is actually a • 8 moves
community of amoeba that live in air. The terror is a predator that • 7D6 to attack
feeds primarily on biological organisms, though it can process non- • swoop
biological material. 5D6 (to D6 body parts)
damage, 2D6 stun, 12
moves
It moves through the air using microscopic cilia, hence it is able to
move silently. The only thing that gives it away is its red glow, which
is actually caused by air molecules superheating as they pass
through the amoebas bodies. There are actually millions and
sometimes billions of amoeba that move around in a single
community. Some swarms are as small as a human head while
others have been reported as being as large as a truck.

The reason the terror is such a deadly predator is that it is able to


digest materials almost instantly (5D6 damage to D6 body parts).
Its victims get almost no warning because it is silent, and probably
the worst part is that it cannot be injured by conventional weapons.
The only thing known to stop it is passing an electrical discharge
through the community.

Danbury Pauncher statistics

Page 43 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

After seeing a danbury pauncher up close, I have decided that it


must come from the same family as the sloth. They are generally • lives in brushlands
white, furry, and mildly overweight. They move at about the same of Africa and some
pace as a sloth, and will prop themselves upright against brush or islands in the
trees to stand tall and look more menacing. Caribbean
• 60 inches tall
The only thing that makes the pauncher special at all is its inherent • weighs 330 lbs
ability to conduct static charges through its body. If it releases an
• 65 inches long
energy strike in your direction, move! The energy bolts are deadly.
• 6 moves
Luckily the pauncher can only release two charges per minute
(once every other combat round). • 35 hit points
• 18 resiliency
• 4D6 senses
• 6D6 to attack
• 4D6 to defend
• claw slash
2D6 damage, 2D6 stun, 5
moves
• energy strike
4D6 damage, 4D6 stun, 6
moves
• gnaw
D6 damage, 4 stun, 4
moves

Moxen statistics
Many of the traveling traders that go into New Frankfurt and Kansas
City use an animal called a moxen to carry their wares. Moxen are • lives in almost any
large pack animals that are a genetically a horse, with a few habitat
adaptations from an ox, along with radiation trait #186 (giant). The • 90 inches tall
animal is generally about the size of a small elephant and can carry • weighs 1800 lbs
half its own body weight unencumbered, or three average sized • 100 inches long
humans. They are alert (5D6 senses), quick (10 moves) even over • 10 moves
rough terrain, and have incredible endurance (7D6 running). • 40 hit points
• 6 resiliency
Of course, all this mass and speed uses much energy, according to
• 5D6 senses
the basic laws of physics. They tend to eat huge amounts of grass
and grain products, and drink several gallons of water per day. I • 4D6 to attack
would guess that if you wanted to use a mox to cross an area • 2D6 to defend
where no food or water would be available for a week, you would • gore
2D6 damage, 2D6 stun, 4
use its entire (maximum) carrying weight (unencumbered) for the moves
food and water alone, and you would stop to feed and water the
animal at least four times per day.

Moxen are easy animals to train and use (average odds for beast
handling or beast ride) which make them ideal for almost anyone.

Purple Turtle statistics


Oh how I love intelligent species. If you ask me sometimes I believe
all the radiation in our environment does more good than harm. • lives in fresh water
Today my scouts brought back an extraordinary find. Simply lakes and swamps
superb. • 30 inches tall

Page 44 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

• weighs 110 lbs


We have nicknamed it the purple turtle. Most species of turtle • 50 inches long
exhibit black, brown, green, red, and sometimes orange shell • 7 moves
coverings, but this one is purple! My team found a grouping of more • 25 hit points
than 15 of these in one lake and eight more in another. • 20 resiliency
Unfortunately the could not bring any back for study, but they did • 4 natural armor
bring photos and these turtles are quite extraordinary. • 3D6 to perform all
skills
Purple turtles seem to live and feed in groups, perhaps even as
• 4D6 senses
families. They are quite temperamental both toward each other and
• 4D6 to attack
to outside parties. Apparently in their social order they are able to
distinguish one group from another as they are downright hostile to • 4D6 to defend
another turtle trying to interfere with their group. These turtles are • bite
2D6 damage, D6 stun, 3
quite intelligent also as I had mentioned previously. They can move moves
stealthfully, hide, determine dangers to themselves and others in
the group, dodge, and even remember enemies.

In addition to having a nasty temperament, the turtle also has a


nasty armament. It has a very hard shell (equivalent to hard plastic)
and a nasty bite. One in six (a 1 on a D6) of these creatures are
poisonous (1 damage per hour spreading through the body until
cured, average medic roll).

Radiation Elemental statistics


Radiation elementals are not a creation of the war of deadEarth.
Instead we all invented them long ago when we first started building • lives in areas of
nuclear power plants, weapons, ships, and space vehicles. I high radiation
suspect that they are an aberration created by a large leak of concentration
radioactive material combined with living humans and creatures. • 12x inches tall
• 2x moves
Radiation elementals are quite common these days, as they have • xD6 to perform all
plenty of food--radiation. I first encountered a radiation elemental skills
while doing a research project for the German government just • xD6 senses
before the war. My next encounter with one was in Paris while on • xD6 to attack
my way to meet my old friend and mentor Gern Blythe. Though
• exposure
incredibly toxic, they are harmless if you keep your distance and xD6 (affects an x foot
don’t threaten them. To my knowledge the only way to injure one is radius) damage, 0 stun, x
to remove their food supply, therefore they are quite protective of it. moves

This type of elemental looks like pure energy. It has a slightly


yellowish orange glow and is almost transparent except in dark
areas where it shines quite brightly. It doesn’t seem to be able to
interact with solid objects very well and is very clumsy when doing
so (cannot use weapons or be damaged by conventional weapons).
It looks almost like a ghostly vapor and appears to float
(weightless).

(Roll a D10 when you encounter a radiation elemental. The D10 is


used to determine the overall level of radiation in the area and the
strength of the elemental. If there is an operational reactor which it
has access to, automatically consider the level 10. Replace `x` in
the stats with the level.)

Page 45 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

Radleech statistics
I have discovered a most interesting species just this morning. I
don’t know much about it yet, but early tests indicate that this leech • lives in freshwater
is capable of infecting a host’s body with a type of RNA virus. ponds and creeks
near high levels of
This virus is able to restructure a host’s DNA back to it’s original radiation
condition. A single leech can remove up to three radiation traits • 2 inches tall
from a host in one sitting before it dies. If done over a long period of • weighs .25 lbs
time one leech can remove many more. (A leech can remove one • 9 inches long
random radiation manipulation in 2D6 hours.) • 1 moves
• 1 hit points
Leeches have been used for centuries to cure disease and to
restore blood flow after surgical procedures. Now it appears that
they have adapted themselves to suit this new environment.

Radmite statistics
A year or so ago I ran into an interesting little bugger that gave me
the itch to begin studying the phenomenon of radiation aberrations. • lives in areas of
I nicknamed the creatures radmites, or radiation mites. Similar to high radiation
dust mites, or termites, these small insects have developed a • 0.1 inches tall
radiation trait which allows them to bypass the energy production of • weighs 0.01 lbs
metabolism, and to get their energy directly through ionizing • 0.4 inches long
radiation inside their bodies. Since there is plenty of radiation on
deadEarth, these critters have lived and multiplied proliferatively.
They are generally harmless to humans, though occasionally one
might find a nest of radmites who have also taken on other radiation
traits. All radmites within a nest have exactly the same radiation
traits, since their life cycles are so short and intertwined. Actually,
radmites can be very useful if one knows how to identify them. The
mites will tend to live in local geographic areas with the highest
radiation level (range of about 10 miles). If one finds a radmite nest,
one may want to run, and not because of the mites!

Radtick statistics
The plentiful and resilient tick, in all its species and locales,
presents a very serious problem now. • lives in everywhere
• .01 inches tall
In performing the autopsy on a severely mutated young boy, I • weighs .001 lbs
discovered a blood-engorged tick native to the long grasses of • .03 inches long
Africa. • 6 moves
• 6 natural armor
This tick carried a disease, similar in the way in which pre-
deadEarth ticks carried Lyme disease, only much more dangerous.

This disease causes genetic mutations to occur in its hosts. I


believe that this tick-borne disease is not localized in Africa, but
may be carried in ticks all over the world, and are completely
indistinguishable from normal ticks. More investigation is
necessary.

(Radticks have (328) carrier zero. When a radtick finds a host, it will

Page 46 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

feed, rest, and feed again. Between feedings, it may move around
on the host. They will feed D6 times per host before moving on to a
new host. Each feeding takes about a half day, and constitutes a
`contact` as far as carrier zero is concerned. Finding any tick
requires beating a difficult search roll.)

Squalum statistics
Very, very interesting indeed. I talked with a traveling man today
about a large type of salamander that hides out in damp, muddy • lives in damp
environments. The man said that this rather large salamander, environments
around one meter in length, has the ability to heal damaged flesh • 5 inches tall
and to destroy harmful viruses and bacteria that are found in the • weighs 30 lbs
human body. Apparently the squalum excrete a sticky residue from • 36 inches long
their skin that contains these healing properties. After further • 12 moves
discussion with the man I found that the creature exhibits traits • 6 hit points
#616 (immune) and #104 (supernova). Trait #616 would certainly
• 10 resiliency
explain the creatures healing capabilities, but it does not explain its
• 2D6 to perform all
ability to heal others. In the past trait #616 abilities seemed to be
skills
limited to its host.
• 4D6 senses
This topic will require further study. Perhaps I will need to send • 4D6 to defend
someone out to find a live specimen. It shouldn’t be too difficult as
the squalum do not fight, they only run.

Stone Moss statistics


Record of a lichen indigenous to the Philippines and other Pacific
islands has been documented by my assistants. It is called `stone • lives in Pacific
moss` by the local peoples. islands and coastal
areas
This form of lichen apparently feeds on wood and natural fibers, • 1 hit points
and excretes a dense composite of calcium and other hard
minerals. The locals have been using them to create tough armor
by fashioning armor pieces from wood and covering them with
these lichens. As the lichens digest the wood, they deposit even
harder materials, apparently as hard as some metals. The pieces
are then polished to remove rough edges. The lichens will also feed
on many of the human foods, so care must be taken to keep them
isolated.

(Process takes 2D6 weeks to complete; converts wood armor into


`bone` armor, with a rating of 4/0.)

Trogg statistics
The trogg remind me of something I saw in a movie as a young
boy. They are just barely a human subspecies. Though they have a • lives in any habitat
capacity for thought and problem solving, it is highly insignificant humans do
compared to what the human brain is capable of. Perhaps in a few • 69 inches tall
thousand years they will evolve into a species on the same level as • weighs 185 lbs
modern humans. • 12 moves

Page 47 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

Even with their limitations they do possess characteristics that even • 40 hit points
humans are not capable of. Many of their abilities stem from the • 10 resiliency
radioactive broth that brought about this species. They all exhibit • 3D6 to perform all
traits #676 (evolution) and #502 (troll). And most have cross skills
mutated with a plant or animal. • 4D6 senses
• 5D6 to attack
Though rare, a trogg can be born to human parents. Humans and • 3D6 to defend
the trogg share 97.8% of the same DNA ladder. I suspect that the • blunt weapon
trogg bloodline was originally human. D6+4 damage, D6 stun, 4
moves
The trogg are not violent by nature, but tend to react violently when • punch
threatened or when they don’t understand something. Unlike 4 damage, D6 stun, 3
moves
humans they are not curious creatures and tend to stick to the
• kick
places and things that they know. 5 damage, D6 stun, 3
moves

Tronx statistics
Can you believe it? Well of course you can’t, you are a silly
computer, besides I haven’t told you yet. • lives in mild
climates
One of the villagers stopped by today after he returned from his trip • 6 inches tall
to Congo. He told me of a new type of parasite that was attacking • weighs 12 lbs
the locals up there. They call it Tronx. • 18 inches long
• 8 moves
It is a small crab-like creature that lays dormant for most of its life. It • 8 hit points
can live dormant for up to a year without food. When a large
• 8 resiliency
creature (like a dog or a human) happens by, it leaps on to their
• 2 natural armor
back and implants a drop tube into their heart. It then releases
several (2D6) eggs in the victim’s heart! When it attaches itself it • 6D6 senses
releases some sort of chemical to stun it’s prey so it has enough • 6D6 to attack
time to drop its eggs. • 4D6 to defend
• leap attack
2D6 damage, 6D6 stun, 6
The eggs hatch within two weeks and kill the victim (if they haven’t moves
already while growing). They then proceed to eat the remains of
their host.

The difficult part about the parasite and the eggs is that if removed
by force, they will kill the victim. Only the skilled hand of a surgeon
can remove either without killing the patient (medical doctor roll
against difficult odds).

Veneer Treefolk statistics


As a scientist who deals in genetics, I have seen a great many
disgusting things in my time, but nothing compared to what I saw • lives in North
yesterday. One of the traders in town had acquired some pictures American and
from a traveler. These pictures detailed the gruesome remains of European
two humans. They had been raked by veneer treefolk. woodlands
• 65 inches tall
Many people believe that the treefolk have existed for thousands of • weighs 170 lbs
years. As their name implies, they can hide in amongst the trees • 9 moves

Page 48 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

very well (7D6 hide in the forest). You would never see them unless • 47 hit points
you were looking for them, and even then your chances would be • 6 resiliency
slim to none. It is said that the treefolk were once human, but lived • 5D6 to perform all
in the forest for so long that they actually became part of it. skills
• 6D6 senses
Actually the treefolk are mostly docile. They only attack when • 4D6 to attack
threatened. In the past road builders and construction workers • 5D6 to defend
where the prime targets. People destroying the natural habitat. It • rake
seems that these two unfortunate souls found something else to 5D6 damage, 2D6 stun, 6
upset the treefolk. moves

Vim Dawg statistics


How very exciting! I heard about a new creature today that lurks in
the woodlands in most parts of the world. The creature is called the • lives in woodlands
vim dawg. • 50 inches tall
• weighs 170 lbs
Apparently it is a pure product of cross mutation. Its basic body • 75 inches long
looks like that of an ordinary timber wolf, though more upright. It • 14 moves
has a very muscular body which enables it to bite through almost • 20 hit points
any kind of flesh, bone and even wood! It can also jump six to eight
• 6 resiliency
feet forward from a standing position. From the reports I have heard
• 6D6 senses
it seems unaffected by damage while in combat (unaffected by
stun), which must make it a fierce combatant. The vim dog has very • 7D6 to attack
distinct markings as well. It has small horns protruding from its • 3D6 to defend
spine through its skin that run its length as well as massive tusks • gore
4D6 damage, 2D6 stun, 4
that allow it to gorge its prey. It also has massive sharp claws, but it moves
doesn’t seem to use them in combat. The part I find most • bite
fascinating is its eyes. They are incredibly bright and usually orange 2D6+2 damage, D6 stun, 3
or red! This very rare in mammalian species. moves
• tackle
2 damage, 4D6 stun, 7
Vim dawgs, unlike other dogs, do not usually hunt, travel, or live in moves
packs. This is because they must consume half their weight in flesh
and water every day to stay healthy. If such animals hunted in
packs they would surely starve.

Page 49 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

CHAPTER EIGHT
Artifacts and Talismans
Note: Artifacts and talismans are not an official part of the deadEarth world, however, some game
masters may find them useful as plot devices or to expand their world. For this reason, we have
created this chapter and included it in the Game Master’s Handbook.

There is more than a little mystery surrounding artifacts in the world of deadEarth. Very few know
of their existence. Fewer still are those who could even postulate such an idea. But the truth is
that through prolonged exposure to background radiation, or through radio activation occurring in
objects near the site of nuclear explosions, or through natural processes unbeknownst to man,
objects exist which can cause mutations in men and animals. Those who know of the existence of
artifacts will stop at nothing to possess them, and will do anything in their power to keep others
from learning of them. However, knowledge can never be suppressed, and the struggle for
possession of the valuable objects is on.

The mutations caused by an artifact are reproducible, which makes the artifact different from any
other piece of salvage or dirt. An artifact will cause the same mutation in any animal or any
person, and will never cause any other mutation. Artifacts require a period of activation, or the
time required to alter the genetic structure of a living thing. This varies for each artifact and may
take hours or even weeks.

There are two known types of artifacts. The first manifest permanent mutations in the users.
These are considered major artifacts, or talismans for clarity of terminology. These objects tend to
be larger, and have longer activation periods. After the activation period, a mutation is added to
the list of radiation mutations of the user.

The second type of artifacts, called minor artifacts or simply artifacts, cause temporary mutations
in the users. After the activation period, the artifact imparts the effect of a mutation to the user. If
the user parts with the artifact, the effect will dissipate and disappear completely after a time
equal to the activation period.

Artifacts and talismans also exhibit a curious property in that they affect a person's shielding,
either positively or negatively. This effect may be permanent or temporary, meaning that when
the artifact is removed from contact with the user, the user's shielding immediately returns to
normal. The shielding effect may also be fixed or cumulative over time. The use of certain
artifacts may be extremely detrimental over a long period of time, as permanent cumulative
effects will continue to affect the user even after the object is removed.

Removing either type of artifact from the presence of the user before the activation period is
complete dissolves any effects it may have had. The user must start over to complete the
activation period. For talismans, this may require a ritual involving standing on, sleeping in, or
carrying the object for the duration of the activation period. The artifacts must be placed or held
near the skin, with little or no intervening material. The presence of any kind of armor will prevent
the radiation from effectively interacting with the user. A person with natural shielding must roll
above their shielding on a D100 (or percentiles) at the end of the activation period to determine if
the mutation actually takes effect. This must be done each use for a minor artifact.

Artifacts have no other special properties. If an artifact or talisman is destroyed, it no longer has
the ability to induce mutations. If an artifact is altered from its natural shape by any significant
amount, it will also lose its properties. For instance, an artifact occurring in the form of a bar of
iron may be used as a melee weapon, but if it is bent significantly or molded in shape it loses its

Page 50 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

properties. Artifacts are typically found in the form of naturally occurring objects or typical
household objects, such as rocks, stones, furniture, tools, and parts of buildings.

The following is a list of talismans and artifacts which are collectively known to exist in deadEarth.
The people who have knowledge of these objects and their location are scattered, and are
completely subject to Game Master whimsy. Game Masters BEWARE! These are incredibly
powerful plot devices. Remember that, in most cases, only one of each of these artifacts and
talismans will exist anywhere in the known universe!

Talismans

Stone of StiGame Masterata

Description: A small, shiny gray stone, about an inch in diameter and with negligible weight.
Radiation: 023 StiGame Masterata
Activation Period: 2D6 hours
Shielding: No effect
Effect: The users body is covered with obvious scars from radiation exposure. These are
considered a mark of shame, a sign of disease which is contemptible by others. -4 renown and
charisma cannot be greater than 3D6 (and is reduced to 3D6 if higher).

Kettle of the Preternatural

Description: A large cast iron cooking kettle, about two feet in diameter and 50 pounds.
Radiation: 117 Read preternatural
Activation Period: 3D6 days
Shielding: -25 (permanent)
Effect: The user gains an ability that some would find very useful. S/he can not only determine
whether someone has been altered by radiation, but can also tell how. S/he can determine
exactly what radiations a character has and what effect they produce, even if the person that
has them is not aware of their existence. Costs 10 skill points per use.

Concentration Seat

Description: A heavy metal-frame office chair, weighing about 20 pounds.


Radiation: 515 Total concentration
Activation Period: 2D6 days
Shielding: +10 (permanent)
Effect: If the user sits in the Concentration Seat and concentrates for the time required, s/he
will gain the ability to make all attacks automatic called shots, and does not cost extra moves.

Cognizance Block

Description: A heavy concrete block with rough edges, 2 feet cubed and weighing 200
pounds.
Radiation: 144 Heightened senses
Activation Period: 3D6 days
Shielding: No effect
Effect: The user's five senses become more discrete than most. S/he can detect things that
others would miss. +1 to all rolls and automatic initiative.

Page 51 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

Log of Might

Description: A large chunk of petrified log, about 2 feet in diameter and weighing 200 pounds.
Radiation: 654 Summon inner strength
Activation Period: D6 days
Shielding: -15 (permanent)
Effect: The user attempts to lift the Log of Might again and again, resting against it when s/he
needs to eat or sleep. After the activation period, the user can lift the log. S/he gains +2
strength modifier for the next D6 actions after spending 4 skill points.

Endurance Rod

Description: A rusty piece of truck axle, about 6 feet long and weighing 50 pounds.
Radiation: 221 Athletically inclined
Activation Period: D6 weeks
Shielding: -1 per month (permanent)
Effect: Carrying the Endurance Rod over the duration of the activation period will give +D6 to
weight training, running, and acrobatics of the user.

Stool of Purification

Description: An ornamental birdbath, about 3 feet tall, 2 feet in diameter, weighing 40 pounds.
Radiation: 406 Unconscious freedom
Activation Period: 4D6 days
Shielding: -15 (permanent)
Effect: The user cannot go unconscious.

Artifacts

Sling Stones of Slow Death

Description: D6 small, round stones which can be used for ammunition for slings, or thrown.
Radiation: 125 D.O.A.
Activation Period: D6 days
Shielding: -20 (temporary)
Effect: If a stone can be hurled, shot, or thrown hard enough to embed itself into a living target,
and if the stone is not surgically removed before the effect takes place, the target will get
radiation poisoning and die within a week.

Rock of Ages

Description: A large, heavy rock, at least two feet in diameter and at least 300 pounds.
Radiation: 253 Stasis
Activation Period: D6 months
Shielding: -1 per month (permanent) and -25 (temporary)
Effect: The user no longer ages while s/he is in contact with the Rock of Ages at least 12 hours
per day.

Tome of Infinite Knowledge

Page 52 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

Description: An old, crumbling dictionary or Bible, weighing at least 10 pounds.


Radiation: 557 Foreshadow
Activation Period: D6 days
Shielding: -1 per day (permanent)
Effect: The user has the uncanny ability to know what the Game Master wants them to do (ask
the Game Master for advice).

Holy Symbol

Description: A hand-sized obscure religious symbol made of iron or steel, weighing 1 pound.
Radiation: 095 Inspiration
Activation Period: D6 hours
Shielding: -25 (temporary)
Effect: Once per day the user may seek inspiration by rolling a D6. On a one or a six, s/he may
add 2D6 to one roll.

Sign of Safety

Description: A street sign on its pole, about 6 feet long and weighing 25 pounds.
Radiation: 299 Swift bastion
Activation Period: D6 hours
Shielding: -15 (temporary)
Effect: Using the sign as a weapon or shield allows the user to be incredibly quick to respond
in defense of themselves. The user may spend two skill points total each round and take as
many defensive actions as they would like.

Fortune Box

Description: A drawer from a metal filing cabinet, about 1x1x3 feet, weighing 8 pounds. Can
be inserted into a sack with straps and used as a hard-sided backpack.
Radiation: 185 Sage
Activation Period: D6 hours
Shielding: -25 (temporary)
Effect: The user has the unique ability to perceive beyond their normal five senses, to see into
a situation and determine a better way to accomplish the task at hand. The user rolls two
distinguishable dice with each of their skill rolls from now on. If they match each other, s/he may
add them to their roll.

Table of Luck

Description: A medium-sized piece of a solid oak table, about 2 feet square and weighing 8
pounds. Can be used as a shield
Radiation: 315 Lucky
Activation Period: D6 hours
Shielding: -10 (temporary)
Effect: The user uses one distinguishable die in all rolls. If that die rolls a six, add it to the total
and roll it again. Add your next roll to the total also. This die may be rolled again and again, as
long as it rolls a six each time.

Page 53 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

CHAPTER NINE
Gambling
Gambling is a good way for characters to make a lot of money, fast. While using your gamble skill
to determine odds for betting on races, fights, and drinking contests is fun, it is not nearly as fun
as participating in a game yourself. For that reason here are a few games that players could
participate in while gambling.

Jacob's Ladder

• Choose an ante (1 to 100 $tandards).


• Choose the starting game level (5 to 50).

1. Ante in.
2. Everyone rolls their gamble. The object is to beat the starting game level. If you succeed,
go on to the next step. If not, you're out.
3. Ante in again.
4. Add one to the game level.
5. Everyone still in rolls their gamble. Each player that beats the game level may continue
on. Everyone else is out.
6. Start at step three again and repeat until there is only one winner. If all remaining players
are disqualified at the same time, they split the pot.

Jidyne (jih-dIne)
• Choose an ante (1 to 1000 $tandards).

1. Ante in.
2. The Game Master rolls a D6.
3. Everyone rolls their gamble. Do not add the dice together. Instead count the number of
dice that match the Game Master's roll. The player with the highest number of matches
wins the pot. If no one has a match, the pot remains for the next winner. If there is a tie,
continue to the next step.
4. Double previous ante and ante in. If a player cannot afford to double ante, s/he must
forfeit.
5. Everyone will then roll again as normal, but the Game Master's roll will remain the same.
The player with the highest number of matches wins the pot. If there is a tie or no one
gets any matches go to the next step.
6. Repeat from step four as necessary.

Two Ducks
• Choose an ante (1 to 1000 $tandards).
• Choose the game level (5 to 50).

1. Ante in.
2. Everyone rolls their gamble. Those who roll lower than the game level are out. Those
who roll higher than the game level are in and roll again until there is only one remaining
player. If everyone is disqualified at the same time, the pot remains for the next winner.
3. Replay until all players have quit or are broke.

Page 54 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

Dead Man's Poker


• Choose an ante (1 to 200 $tandards). Games larger than $200 are usually reserved only
for big players and competitions.

1. Ante in.
2. Be sure that everyone can hide their rolls from the other players.
3. Everyone rolls 5D6.
4. Everyone may choose to fold or bid. Those who fold are out until the next hand. To bid a
player simply announces how many additional $tandards they are throwing into the pot
(basically announcing how good of hand or bluff they think they have). Each player must
match the highest bid in order to stay in the game, this is called a call. When it comes to
a given player, s/he may choose to raise the bid. The bidding may go around again until
everyone has either called or folded.
5. Bidding continues until all the remaining players have called, or until one bidder is left.
6. After everyone has bid, each remaining player may reroll as many dice as their gamble
skills allows. Therefore if a player has 5D6 gamble, they may reroll up to five dice. If a
player has 7D6 gamble, then s/he may reroll up to seven dice, thus rerolling a couple of
dice twice.

highest single number


7. At this point bidding resumes as it
did in step 4. two of a kind
8. If all players except one have
folded, then the final player keeps three of a kind
the pot and does not have to full house (two of a kind and three of a kind)
disclose his hand.
9. The winner is determined by their straight (1,2,3,4,5 or 2,3,4,5,6)
hand (dice rolls). Compare each
player's hand to Figure G1 on the four of a kind
right. The scores are listed lowest to
five of a kind
highest.
10. If all players fold or if the remaining Figure G1
players tie, then the hand is
declared a draw and the pot remains for the next winner.
11. Replay until all players have quit, or are broke. Note that it is bad form to leave a table
directly after winning a big pot. Doing so can get you killed.

Page 55 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

CHAPTER TEN
Vehicles and Structures
Note: These rules are not the official rules for creating vehicles and structures in deadEarth. We
had a request by a player on the web site as to how he might go about creating stats for a vehicle
so we quickly came up with this response. The official rules for vehicles and structures will be
available in the Urban Survival Guide which will be available in fall 2001.

Vehicles and structures use much the same combat rules and armor ratings as characters, just
on a larger scale.
Material Rating
Armor and Materials
You can construct buildings and vehicles out of almost anything if you put Aluminum 4
your mind to it. Using Table 10 as a guideline for the ratings of materials Kevlar 7
you will be able to create anything. Stress points are determined by surface
area and stress rating is determined by thickness. For each surface of two Plastic 5
feet squared give the armor six points. If it is less than two square feet,
subtract accordingly; if it is more, add accordingly. For every quarter inch of Polymer 8
thickness add the stress rating from Table 10 for the material you are using
Steel 6
in your construction. For instance, if you are building a brick wall that is four
feet long, two feet tall, and half a foot thick then it would have 12 stress Stone 1
points and an stress rating of 24.
Titanium 9
note: If a piece of armor is not at least a quarter of an inch thick, Wood 2
then it has no rating, only points.
Table 10
Creating Stats for a Vehicle
After you have decided on a vehicle, divide it up into sections, both internal and external. External
will be the body of the vehicle and will act as armor. Divide it into as many sections as you see fit.
Internal will be the frame of the vehicle as well as systems (engine, fuel, electrical, etc.) and the
cockpit (a hit to the cockpit is a hit on someone in it). Make percentile tables for each of these two
sections. Once through the a section in the outer hull, attackers will start hitting the interior and
start rolling on that table.

After you have created those tables you can start assigning stress points and ratings to
everything. Determine what each section is made of and find the associated stress ratings. See
armor and materials above.

The vehicle will have moves just like a character. Determine what it's max speed (in miles per
hour) is and that is how many moves it has. After that the vehicles are figured into combat the
same way characters are, except that vehicles always have last initiative. If there are multiple
vehicles, determine the order based on the initiative of the drivers.

Pickup Truck

01-60 Frame 6/25


If the frame is destroyed the vehicle will fall apart.
60-67 Electrical System
Your battery is no longer charging and your lights and other electrical appliances will no longer
function. There is only a 10% chance that the vehicle will start the next time you try.

Page 56 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

68-74 Fuel System


You are now loosing fuel at a rate of one gallon every 10 minutes. There is a 50% chance that the
vehicle will catch on fire and a 25% chance that it will explode.
75-83 Engine
The engine (or something else in the drive train) is no longer functioning.
84-94 Cockpit
The cockpit takes a direct hit. There is a 90% chance that a passenger will suffer that damage.
95-00 Coolant System
The radiator, a coolant hose, or the pump is hit and the vehicle is picking up heat fast. Every
minute that passes adds 10% chance that the engine will overheat and seize.
Fuel Capacity 15 gallons
Range 270 miles
Acceleration 8 moves
Handling 11 moves
Speed 65 moves

Page 57 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

CHAPTER ELEVEN
Wilderness Table
While you are wandering around in the wilderness of deadEarth, you may stumble upon any
number of things. Your Game Master will probably have specific plans for your adventures, but
there are always those lull times when you need to find something new to do; this table should
help fill in the gaps. Note that this table does not, and should not, represent everything that could
happen while you are traveling through the wilderness.

01-23 Uneventful. - Absolutely nothing of interest happens.

24-28 Trouble knows thy name. - Roll D6 times on the Wilderness Encounters Table.

29-45 Uneventful. - Absolutely nothing of interest happens.

46-50 The lesser of two evils. - Roll twice on the Wilderness Encounters Table and take the one
which is more beneficial to the group.

51-67 Uneventful. - Absolutely nothing of interest happens.

68-72 The greater of two evils. - Roll twice on the Wilderness Encounters Table and take the
one which is least beneficial to the group.

73-85 Uneventful. - Absolutely nothing of interest happens.

86-00 Encounter. - Roll once on the Wilderness Encounters Table.

Wilderness Encounters
01 Hungry animals attack. - 2D6 animals attack the adventurers looking for food. The Game
Master should choose a wild carnivorous species that fits the locale.

02 Unpredictable storm. - A storm crept up on the unsuspecting the adventures without


warning. There is a 30% chance that this storm is highly radioactive. The storm will last for 4D6
hours.

03 Deadly illness. - One of the party members has come down with a deadly illness. Unless a
medical doctor can treat this person (beat average difficulty) they will die in D6 days. There is
only a 50% chance that the physician will have the medicine necessary to treat the illness. A
pharmacologist would have to beat simple odds to create the medication once the herbs are
found to create it.

04 Good Samaritan. - The adventurers happen upon a hermit who is willing to provide them with
shelter for the night. The next morning s/he gives each adventurer two rations before they leave.

05 Short cut. - If one of the adventurers can beat difficult odds with their navigation, they will
notice a shortcut. This shortcut will cut 1/3 of the adventurer's travel time off of their trip.

06 Left behind. - One of the adventurers just noticed that they left a piece of equipment (chosen
randomly) back at the camp D6 days ago.

Page 58 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

07 The flock. - The adventurers stumble upon a group of animals that would normally be
considered livestock (pigs, geese, cattle, etc.). There are D6 animals in this group.

08 Spawn. - The group runs into something from The Spawning Bed Database.

09 Swimming in broth. - The group is traveling through an area with high levels of radiation.
Every day there is an 85% chance that each member of the group will have to roll on the radiation
table. The group shall remain traveling through the broth for D6 days.

10 Stockpile. - The group finds someone's stockpile of goods. These goods should be
determined by the Game Master and are worth a combined value of 3D6 x 100 $tandards.

11 Military runabout. - The group encounters a patrol (2D6) of the local military force (whichever
is prominent in the area). Roll a D6, on a 1 the group was ambushed by the patrol; on a 2 or 3,
the group is stopped by the patrol and asked some questions; on a 4 or 5 the group has seen the
patrol but the patrol has not noticed the group; on a 6 the group has caught the patrol in a
compromising situation.

12 Thief. - If the group has not posted a guard for the night D6 group members will lose D6 items
each to a thief. If they have posted a guard, the guard must make a difficult senses or an average
search roll to detect the prowler, else the group still loses their stuff. The guard will have D6
chances to make the roll.

13 Fire. - As will happen in nature, a freak fire has been started in the area where the group is.
They can really only travel in one direction and the fire is advancing at 5 + D6 moves.

14 Village. - The adventurers stumble onto a small village. Nothing much to see, but there is the
possibility of getting re-equipped or finding shelter.

15 Weary travelers. - The group encounters D6 travelers headed in the same general direction
they are. They ask to join the party for the remainder of the trip.

16 Raided. - If the group has not posted a guard for the night half of the group's food supply will
be raided by hungry wildlife. If they have posted a guard, the guard must make an average
senses or a simple search roll to detect the animal, else the group still loses their food. The guard
will have D6 chances to make the roll.

17 Military entanglement. - The group encounters a brigade (2D6 x 10) of the local military force
(whichever is prominent in the area) on maneuvers. Roll a D6, on a 1 the group was ambushed
by the brigade; on a 2 or 3, the group is stopped by the brigade and asked some questions; on a
4 or 5 the group has seen the brigade but the brigade has not noticed the group; on a 6 the group
has caught the brigade in a compromising situation.

18 Whoa ugly! - The group has run into a group (D6 +3) of something from The Spawning Bed
Database.

19 Radiation warning. - The level of radiation in this area is incredibly high. Each of the group
members have 90% chance (minus shielding of course) of rolling on the radiation table for each
day that they spend here.

20 Biohazard. - Phew! Can you smell that? It smells like something died. Indeed it has. Some
sort of epidemic has affected all of the animal organisms in this area. For each hour that the

Page 59 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

group remains in this area they have a cumulative 5% chance of death, so if they stay for three
hours they have a 15% chance of death by the third hour. Roll once per hour.

21 Good misfortune. - Wow! It looks like these unfortunate souls were gorged by a vim dawg, or
worse. It's probably best not to stay too long around here just in case whatever did this comes
back. But, as long as you are here, you might as well help yourself; these guys won't need it.
There are D6 bodies, each with $D6 x 100 worth of goods on them.

22 Overheated. - An incredible heat wave has set in. The group must consume twice the usual
amount of water or beat a difficult resolve roll to keep from passing out each hour. Look up. Is
that a vulture?

23 Campers. - The adventurers have stumbled on someone's camp. Roll a D6, on a 1 the
campers are home and pissed off; on a 2 the campers have snuck up behind the adventurers; on
a 3 the campers are dead and whatever killed them is still here; on a 4 the campers have not
noticed the adventurers; on a 5 the campers invite the group to a meal; on a 6 the campers
appear to have some gear that the group "lost" a few days ago.

24 Klutz. - One of the group has tripped on something. If s/he does not beat an average
acrobatics roll his/her leg will suffer D6 damage regardless of stun.

25 Slave camp. - The adventurers have discovered a hidden slave camp. So far they are
unnoticed.

26 Flicker. - You see a glint (or perhaps smoke) off in the distance. For whatever reason, it
strikes you as particularly odd. It is approximately D6 miles away.

27 Distress. - The group stumbles upon a person in need of help. The person is complaining of
many wounds and pains. S/he says that s/he will reward the group handsomely if they will just
help him/her back to his/her camp. The delay will throw the group D6 days off course. There is a
40% chance that the victim is lying about something. A player would have to beat average odds
with their reason to detect the lie.

28 Hmmm..bears? - The group has discovered a cave. There is a 35% chance that the cave
houses an animal or group of animals.

29 It's a trap. - Randomly choose a player. That player has discovered a snare or a trap. Roll a
D6, on a 1 the player has destroyed the trap by walking into it; on a 2 their is a live animal stuck in
the trap; on a 3 there is a dead animal stuck in it; on a 4 the trap remains undisturbed; on a 5 the
player takes D6 damage to his/her foot from spikes in the trap; on a 6 the player trips over the
trap and takes 2D6 stun from the fall as they hit a rock on the way down.

30 Wild game. - The group has snuck up on some wild game (foxes, rabbits, pheasants, deer,
etc.). There are 2D6 animals in all.

31 The road less traveled. - The group has come upon a navigable trail. Roll a D6, on a 1 it is
an old highway; on a 2 it is a railroad; on a 3 it is an animal trail; on a 4 it is a hiking trail; on a 5 it
is a dirt road; on a 6 it is an old paved trail (like a bike trail).

32 Dead as doornails. - The adventurers have encountered a camp. Unfortunately all of the
camp members are dead. They sit resting around what looks like used to be a camp fire. The
bodies have obviously been here a while because they are half decomposed.

Page 60 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

33 Mommy. - The group has found a small child. Roll a D6, on a 1 the child tells them a sob story
group members may try to beat difficult odds with reason to resist the child's story. Those who
give in will want to keep the kid in the party until they can find a suitable home; on a 2 the child
will tell a sob story (same odds) and if the group keeps him/her, s/he will take off with D6 items
during the night; on a 3 the child will start screaming and run away calling for adults; on a 4 the
child will start running and try to hide. The adventurers will have to beat average odds with
senses or simple odds with search to detect the child's hiding spot; on a 5 the child will run up to
one of the group members and yell "daddy" or "mommy"; on a 6 the child will stare in awe as the
group approaches.

34 Mudslide. - It began raining a few hours ago and now hillsides are beginning to give way.
Lookout below!

35 Twister. - A massive windstorm brews into a tornado (or a hurricane if near the ocean). Roll a
D6, a 1=F1, 2=F2, and so on. An F1 is a enough to take the corner off your house. An F5 can be
as much as 2 miles wide and will destroy anything in it's path. F5's are so big that there have only
been a handful of them in recorded history. An F6 has never been recorded (and isn't even an
actual rating), but lets just say the group is killed because there would be no shelter to seek from
an F6.

36 Bungled navigation. - The adventurer leading the party just realized that s/he has been
reading the map/holding the compass/judging the sun backwards and upside-down. His/Her
bungling has added D6 days to the journey.

37 Hermit. - The group finds an old codger who has chosen to stay away from society. In fact,
s/he may not even know what caused the fallout sky. S/He is wise in many ways and could teach
the group much about the wilderness, if s/he isn't having a bad day.

38 Waterfall. - Can you hear that? The crash of a waterfall is rumbling up ahead. Questions fill
your head, one might be, will we be able to make it across?

39 Quicksand. - Forget about running and don't move too much. It will only pull you in deeper.
The only way out of quicksand is to pull yourself out, or to be pulled out. D6 of the group
members have fallen into the quicksand.

40 Impassible. - Impassible, more like impossible, or is it? Roll a D6, on a 1 the group has come
across a cliff and they are on top of it; on a 2 they are at the bottom of the cliff; on a 3 it is a river;
on a 4 it is a mountain; on a 5 it is a crevasse/canyon/ravine; on a 6 it is a geyser brook with
boiling water.

41 Ruins. - The group has uncovered some ruins. Roll a D6, on a 1 they are ancient ruins (like
Aztec); on a 2 they are the ruins of a pre-apocalypse town; on a 3 they are the ruins of a pre-
apocalypse village; on a 4 they are the ruins of a pre-apocalypse city; 5 they are the ruins of a
post-apocalypse battle (recent); on a 6 they are in the process of being ruined by an ongoing
battle.

42 Bridge. - Just across that gorge is the way the travelers were headed. Unfortunately the only
way across is that bridge. Roll a D6, on a 1 the bridge is old and will support the weight of 200
lbs. maximum at one time; on a 2 the bridge is completely out; on a 3 the bridge is completely
stable, though it doesn't look it; on a 4 the bridge is booby trapped roll spot trap and beat an
average difficulty; on a 5 the bridge looks completely solid, but isn't; on a 6 the players are
wishing there was a bridge about now because something chased them here and it is still behind
them.

Page 61 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

43 Town. - Hey look! It's a town. There might be some rations or even equipment in there; but will
they let us in?

44 City. - The adventurers have stumbled onto a fairly large city. There should be plenty of
opportunities for trouble here.

45 The hunted. - Don't you just hate it when something you have been hunting, all the sudden
starts hunting you. A pack of ravenous animals (or mutant animals) has decided that this group of
characters would make a nice snack. The characters are surrounded and must fight. There are
4D6 creatures waiting to pounce on the group. .......You can find more complete versions of
tables like this one in each of the Survival Guides.

Page 62 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

CHAPTER TWELVE
Civilization Creation
Just as it is with everything in the circle of life, civilizations rise and fall. deadEarth is no
exception, villages, towns, and cities have sprung up all over to replace some of what was lost in
the war. There are only two cities now that would be considered a metropolis; they are New
Frankfurt (just under one million) and Kansas City (just over 800,000). More commonly you will
find a town or village with a couple hundred people.

Civilization is spread very thin. You my travel days, weeks, or even months without seeing
another human or any sign of civilization. But when you find it, you'll know it. The smell in the air,
the noise of manufacturing, and voices talking; these things will often give away a nearby village
or town.

The deadEarth city builder will generate settlements for your campaigns. It draws from a
database of over 34,000 city names to ensure that each of your settlements has a unique name.
It also draws from many fragments, or amenities that a settlement may have. And finally, it will
even tell you the population of the civilization you have encountered.

Rules
Perhaps you'd like to create your own cities, and don't like the format of the online generator. For
that very reason we've created the rules for city builder in the traditional format as well.

First you must determine if you are building a village, town, or city. You can choose this if you
already know what you want. Roll percentiles. 8% or less, you're building a city; 9% to 30% you're
building a town; above 30%, you're building a village. A village will have a population of 100 or
less; a town will have a population between 100 and a thousand, and a city will have more than
1000.

Population, nearest settlement, and city name will all have to be determined by you.

Finally, you need to roll on the Fragment Table for everything on the list. If a fragment has a
percentage higher than 10, then you'll roll multiple times for that fragment; each time subtracting
10 from the percentage until you are less than zero. This process is how you determine if a city
has multiples of the same fragment. Also note that a settlement should not have more than one
fragment per population of 25 citizens.

Note: The numbers below (i.e.: (10-15-30)) represent the percentages for village, town, and city
respectively. (village-town-city)

Fragment Table
This list is updated regularly. If you haven't printed it out in a while, you should come back to the
site and get a fresh copy.

Abandoned Houses (10-10-10). There are some abandoned houses nearby, due to the local
population there probably won't be any good salvage, but it might be a good place to sleep for the
night.

Abandoned Nuclear Power Plant (1-1-1). This area has a nuclear power plant. It has been shut
down for almost 10 years, but with a lot of work, and even more knowledge, it could be restored.

Page 63 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

Arena (5-15-30). The people here have constructed an arena where they hold tournaments of
physical prowess. If you are a gambler, this is also a great place to try your luck.

Armorer (5-12-20). Creator of fine armor not available at a blacksmith.

Armorsmith Apprenticeship (5-10-15). Someone to show you the ropes in the field of
armorsmithing. It will be expensive, and very time consuming, but worth every $tandard.

Bakery (10-20-30). Breads, noodles, and other baked goods.

Bank (2-8-30). Though a little different than what you consider a bank today, this is a place you
can pay to store some of your stuff in a guarded lock box and keep it relatively safe.

Bath House (1-7-12). If you've been traveling or had a hard day, perhaps you should make a
stop at the local bath house for some relaxation.

Blacksmith (10-20-30). Maker of tools, solid metal weapons, and armor.

Blacksmith Apprenticeship (5-10-15). Someone to show you the ropes in the field of
metalworking. It will be expensive, and very time consuming, but worth every $tandard.

Bloodwing Cages (2-2-2). Criminals are obviously not tolerated in this area. The stench of the
decaying flesh in the bloodwing cages is proof of that. (Note: Bloodwing cages are elevated
above city streets, and criminal's entrails are pulled out through their back and left in the sun to
dry while the criminal is still alive.)

Boarding House (0-10-20). Though slightly less expensive than an Inn, boarding houses require
you to pay for a week or a month up front.

Boat Maker (5-13-25). Manufacturers of ships and boats. We are expensive, but we will get you
there.

Brothel (1-1-10). If your vice is sex, then you've come to the right place. It doesn't matter what
your fetish is, or your sexual preference, this place is sure to please.

Butcher (10-20-30). Procurer of meats.

Carpenter (5-15-25). Craftsmen of fine furniture, and other wooden goods.

Cartographer (6-17-20). At this store you will find maps and atlases of all sorts. Prewar atlases
may be out of date, but they are generally worth more than new ones because they are typically
more accurate.

Casino (0-0-20). Though most tavern's allow gambling, you won't find a full fledged casino
anywhere except a pretty good sized city.

Construction Detail (0-15-25). Need something built out of stone or wood? These guys can
handle any of your large jobs.

Electronics Fixit Shop (3-9-15). This store can sell you electronics and electrical gadgets, and
even repair them. Sometimes they'll even sell you batteries to power the gadget! But be warned,
batteries are very expensive.

Page 64 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

Executioner's Stage (2-2-2). The Executioner's stage has attracted a crowd, as someone is
about to be relieved of their head. Crime is obviously dealt with in a serious manner here.

Farmers Market (15-30-50). Everyone needs to eat, and fresh foods are cheap compared to non
perishables.

Festival (1-10-10). The locals are having a festival. It looks like a good source of entertainment
and food to a weary traveler such as yourself.

Food Pantry (5-5-30). These merchants specialize in non-perishable food items like canned
goods, dried foods, and rations. They will also usually have a good supply of purified water on
hand.

Forrest (2-2-2). This settlement is surrounded by a forest which provides good protection from
the elements and a stable supply of building materials.

Fresh Water Spring (5-5-5). This city was built around a fresh water spring.

Fruit Cart (1-2-3). A traveling vendor has a cart with fresh fruit (sometimes semi-fresh). This is a
rare find and the vitamin C and citric acid from these fruits will help fight off infection and scurvy.

Gadget Guy (18-12-6). Sort of a jack-of-all-trades, a local gadget guy can help you out when
there isn't a better alternative in a small village or town.

Gallows (2-2-2). You can tell that this area deals with criminals in a swift manner as you pass by
the gallows.

Gas Station (3-2-1). A local has discovered an old gas station which still has a quantity of fuel in
its storage tank. The fuel is old but with octane additives (which he also has for sale) it will power
a gasoline engine. He is now selling that fuel for 30% over the going rate. If you're thinking of
stealing from him, you may want to have a look at his guards first.

General Outfitter (9-20-35). This shop is reminiscent of the old general stores of the 1800's. It
carries a little of everything, but usually nothing too rare.

Geneticist (1-1-1). This person can not only tell you how the radiation has affected your body,
but may be able to reverse its effects; maybe.

Gold Mine (2-2-2). The ground here has a fair amount of gold deposits.

Government Building (1-20-40). Chances are, that if you're in a town or a city, that is not military
controlled, they will have some form of disorganized government.

Greenhouse (3-9-12). If you want to start growing something, you'll need to start by purchasing
some seedlings.

Guard House (1-20-80). From this distance you cannot tell if they are military or local police, but
as you approach the city, you see guard houses.

Hand to Hand Combat Trainer (5-10-15). Someone to show you the ropes in the field of hand to
hand combat. It will be expensive, but worth every $tandard.

Page 65 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

Herbalist (9-9-9). This cross-breed (figurative, not physical) of a pharmacist, astrologer, and spirit
healer just may have the cure for what's ailing you. Then again, she may simply have a putrid
smelling liquid that she wants to sell you.

Hospital (1-5-15). Usually you will only find a hospital in cities. If you have a bad illness or severe
wounds, a hospital may be the only thing that can save you.

Hydro Generator (7-7-7). This area has a limited amount of power due to the hydro-electric
generator built into a nearby dam.

Inn (5-18-45). Sometimes called a bed & breakfast, these establishments provide shelter and
food for the weary traveler.

Iron Mine (2-2-2). The ground is rich with iron deposits here.

Junk Yard (10-10-10). Though it's fairly common to find a junk yard, it usually takes some effort
to find anything of use in one, because people have been sifting through them for years.

Lead Mine (2-2-2). The ground is rich with lead deposits here.

Library (4-4-4). This is an incredible find. Libraries are incredibly rare, and this one has quite an
assortment.

Local Guide (30-30-30). Every type of terrain is different. The landmarks change, the hangouts
and hideouts are hidden, and you've never been here before. You're in luck. That's why we're
here to help you find your way around.

Logging Camp (0-8-8). A logging camp was established presumably to cut down trees and turn
them into useful items. Hmmm. Sounds suspicious to me.

Massage Parlor (2-5-35). Even in a post war wasteland, stress therapy is a economical
megalith.. But who has the equipment for cleaning acupuncture needles?... not the ladies you'll
meet at these places... After a long trek through the wasteland, you'll find no sweeter sight.

Mechanic (6-11-26). If you've got something mechanical in need of repair, these guys can be a
lifesaver.

Mechanical Trainer (5-10-15). Someone to show you the ropes in the field of mechanics. It will
be expensive, but worth every $tandard.

Medical Doctor (1-5-20). Though medical personnel is almost a must, most villages won't have a
doctor, but if they do, you can go to him/her to get yourself fixed up.

Medical Trainer (5-10-15). Someone to show you the ropes in the field of medicine. It will be
expensive, but worth every $tandard.

Military Hub (1-10-30). Common in areas of Military rule, these buildings serve as a staging area
for soldiers.

Military Training Facility (3-5-7). This area is used to train military troops for field combat.

Page 66 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

Military Uniform Manufacturing Center (3-5-7). Military uniforms and other textiles are
manufactured at this facility.

Military Weapons Manufacturing Facility (3-5-7). Guns and armor are manufactured for military
use here. Be warned, this facility is well guarded.

Oil Well (2-2-2). After taking a few samples, you might find out that there is an oil well under this
area.

Pharmacy (1-1-20). A store that specializes in the creation and sales of chemical and herbal
medicine. Sometimes the pharmacist will pull double duty and work with chemicals toward other
ends like polymers and explosives.

Pit Fights (1-2-3). Welcome to the most gruesome event in sports entertainment. The people
here have constructed a pit fighting arena. The fights in the pits are usually used to settle scores.
They are very bloody, and always to the death.

Pond (5-5-5). There is a good sized pond near here. Be careful though, standing water often
holds much radiation.

Rental Room (7-19-50). A local has a room for rent. It's not quite as nice as a room at an Inn,
and there is no breakfast, but it is only about half the price.

Restaurant (1-5-25). A place to get an inviting fresh cooked meal, unlike the grubs and rations
you've been surviving on these past few months.

River (5-5-5). A river runs through this area. Perhaps that's why civilization sprung up here.

Roughneck Store (3-9-15). The Roughneck Store is the store for the workin' man. We specialize
in tools and equipment for building, digging, and repairing just about everything.

Rubble (10-10-10). The wasted remains of a forgotten building.

Sail Car Maker (6-14-27). Wind is cheaper than gasoline.

Salt Mine (2-2-2). The ground is rich with salt deposits here.

School (1-1-10). Though schools for children were common in days past, they are not so
common in deadEarth. This city is fortunate to have one.

Secret Cache (3-2-0). You overhear some locals whispering about a cache of the village has
compiled... if you look hard enough, and don’t ask the wrong questions, you might be able to find
out where it is...

Shady Dealer (5-7-11). Everyone in deadEarth will seem shady at times. In fact, there's probably
no one you can trust. To make it even worse, there are Shady Dealers. These merchants
specialize in the sale of items and equipment that aid thieves.

Slave Labor Camp (3-3-0). You've stumbled upon a slave labor camp. Make sure you aren't
staring to obviously, or you may be forced into slavery yourself.

Page 67 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

Slave Trade (1-2-2). There's a serious slave trade here. Be careful not to get sold yourself.
Foreigners (people not local to this area) often become the slaves in a slave trade.

Small Library (9-9-9). This is an incredible find. Libraries are incredibly rare. Though this one
only has about 70 books, it can still be very useful.

Stables (1-1-10). Sometimes a settlement will have stables with horses, cows, moxen, donkeys,
or some other pack animal for rent. You're in luck, this settlement does.

Tailor (10-25-40). Artists of the cloth, tailors cloth those who have no domestics skill of their own.

Tavern (30-45-70). Whether they scrape the eyeballs off the floor after closing, or they entertain
only those of the highest stature, it seems like every town has at least one bar, and usually many.

Tavern with a Brothel (10-25-50). This tavern has an in-house brothel. Therefore, when you
have had your fill of liquor, you can go get your fill of a more pleasurable vice.

Tavern with a Gameroom (5-10-15). Ah, a very rare find indeed. This tavern has a game room.
Here you might find things like board games, cards, pool tables, darts, foosball, and perhaps
even a role-playing game or two.

Tavern with a Stage (10-25-50). This tavern has a stage where all sorts of entertainers may
perform. You may see jugglers, dancing girls, comedians, story tellers, plays, or even a concert.

Tavern with Casino (10-25-50). This settlement has a tavern that has a casino within for
entertainment. Though taverns are quite common, it is slightly more rare to find a tavern with this
kind of entertainment.

Theatre (15-28-50). Live performance is a great source of entertainment. All kinds of performers,
actors, musicians, and story tellers may be on showcase. Almost all forms of civilization have
some public forum like this, even if it is just a dirt circle with logs gathered around it for seating.

Tin Mine (2-2-2). The ground here has a fair amount of tin deposits.

Tournament of Firearms (0-2-7). You've discovered a tournament of firearms. Some of the best
shooters within 500 miles are at this tournament. Top prize is D6x1000 $tandards.

Tournament of Swords (0-2-7). You've discovered a tournament of swords. Some of the best
sword fighters within 500 miles are at this tournament. Top prize is D6x1000 $tandards.

Tournament of the Fist (0-2-7). You've discovered a tournament of the fist. Some of the best
hand to hand combatants within 500 miles are at this tournament. Top prize is D6x1000
$tandards.

Trade Depot (1-5-40). If you can't find it, that's cuz you haven't asked us. Dealer in arms, armor,
and military supplies.

Train Station (1-1-1). There is a nearby train station that is in good repair, which probably means
that it's in use. Beware, that's usually a good indication of a military presence.

Page 68 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

Traveling Vendor (10-10-10). You may find a traveling vendor anytime, anywhere. They deal in
basically everything, however they won't have a very large stock of anything. If they have
ammunition, it will only be a few rounds. If they have rations, there will only be a couple.

Valley (5-5-5). This berg is located in a valley, which offers excellent protection from harsh
weather. It hides the village away from sight to avoid attacks from bandits.

Water Well (7-7-7). A well with fresh ground water, great for drinking water. This type of well is
usually relatively free of radioactive particles. Careful, the owner of these wells usually charges a
pretty steep rate, but if the water is good, it's worth it.

Weapon Smith (1-5-25). A shop that specializes in the construction and repair of firearms and
sometimes explosive devices.

Weapons Trainer (5-10-15). If you've got the $tandards, then these guys will teach you how to
fight with instruments of destruction.

WeaponSmith Apprenticeship (5-10-15). Someone to show you the ropes in the field of
weapons engineering. It will be expensive, and very time consuming, but worth every $tandard.

Wind Generator (7-7-7). This area has a limited amount of power supplied by its wind generator.

Page 69 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Legends
First folklore, then myths, then Legends. Every culture has stories of people who seem larger
than life. So too does deadEarth. The following is a brief listing of some of the Legends in
deadEarth.

The Old Man


"Good morning old timer.", I said.

"Top of the mornin' to you too, ya little shit!" coughed the old man. "What's up with you on this fine
gray day?"

I responded, "Will you tell me another story?"

"No. No. Your gettin' to be a big lad now. It's time I showed you the ways of this world. You'll be
venturing out and exploring all too soon. No. No stories anymore."

"But I like your stories old timer." I pleaded.

"Well okay. The stories that I will tell you from now on will be a little different from the ones of the
past. You have to remember what I tell you from now on. It will apply later, I assure you. Promise
me that you will pay attention, and remember these stories."

"I promise."

I remember. That's how it all started. God I was naive, but I remembered every one of that old
man's stories from that day on. I couldn't have been more than 14 or 15 then, and he seemed so
old. Now I am a man of 27 years, but the way this world is going I won't live to see you to 14.

I went to see that old man starting with that historic day right up until the day he died, and he
would tell me these stories. He called them legends, which I initially thought to be myth, but soon
found them to be true, or at least partially true. It is only now that I am writing these stories for
you. So that as you grow, you will have the same advantages I had. You will have the old man's
knowledge as well as mine. With any luck, you will become a legend.

I am writing these stories in an old log book that I bought from ol' Jeb Delany. It is supposedly the
log of the events that led up to the creation of this world. I am unsure that I believe it, but it makes
for a great story.

The Log
ALPHA ONE: Night Eyes, this is Alpha One, do you read?

Page 70 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

NIGHT EYES: Copy that Alpha One, I read you loud and clear.

ALPHA ONE: Are you picking up a flicker at grid block 505 103 on a
heading for the Eastern seaboard?

NIGHT EYES: Yeah..uh..Alpha One I read a grouping of five bogeys..no


wait make that seven moving at terrific speed.

ALPHA ONE: Alpha One to Alpha Command, alert the M.S.A.D.T., they've
got some missiles to stop. I repeat, Alpha One to Alpha Command, alert
the M.S.A.D.T.

ALPHA COMMAND: Acknowledged Alpha One. M.S.A.D.T. is on route and..

NIGHT EYES: Holy shit! Night Eyes to Alpha Command! Night Eyes to Alpha
Command!

ALPHA COMMAND: Go ahead Night Eyes.

NIGHT EYES: Holy shit sir!..I mean..ah..sir..these


missiles...they..they're ours sir. I..I mean they have a WDI signature.
Sir!?!

ALPHA COMMAND: Alpha One, disarm those warheads; authorization India


November One Tango Niner!

ALPHA ONE: India November One Tango Niner. Confirmed. Authorization


verified, disarming the warheads, sir...Sir! We have a problem! The
warhead's disarm sequences have been removed. We can't shut it down
sir!

NIGHT EYES: The missiles are coming from Chelyabinsk, Samara, and
Khanty-Mansiysk. Russia sir!

ALPHA COMMAND: What the hell! Russia? Why Russia? Wake the President
and get me the WPC. Now!

NIGHT EYES: Sir, I have bad news. The first two are headed at D.C. The
White House and the Pentagon sir.

ALPHA COMMAND: Where the hell is M.S.A.D.T.?!

JOKER: Alpha Command, this is Joker, we are in the air and on route.
ETA four minutes.

ALPHA COMMAND: Alpha One, status?

ALPHA ONE: The missiles have split off sir..and..there's more...

ALPHA COMMAND: Spit it out man, what more?

Page 71 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

ALPHA ONE: ..more than seven sir. The seven blips must be cloaking
drones. There are at least 28 total missiles sir. We can't stop them
all.

ALPHA COMMAND: Shit! Joker, status?

JOKER: Attack range in 10 seconds sir....ooohhhh shit! Attack drones!


Sky, can you get my back?

REDSKY: I'm on 'em Joker.

ALPHA COMMAND: You've got 90 seconds to down those things or we're all
going to hell tonight. Do you read?

JOKER: Got it Alpha Command. I have lock..firing...That's one down!

NIGHT EYES: Yeehaa!

ALPHA COMMAND: Nobody get cocky!

REDSKY: I'm in trouble here Joker! I need your h...

JOKER: Sky? Sky! Alpha Command, Redsky is down, I repeat Redsky is


down.

ALPHA COMMAND: Alpha One, how are the other M.S.A.D.T. teams doing?

ALPHA ONE: Sir...Evacuate the first family. M.S.A.D.T. has failed. I'm
sorry sir.

ALPHA COMMAND: ......

ALPHA ONE: Sir?...shit! Night Eyes?

NIGHT EYES: ......

ALPHA ONE: Anybody?

General David Sime (s-I-m)


David Sime is a hardass, plain and simple. He is an old infantryman that used his awesome
presence to get people to back him. He started the Power just a few short years after the war
broke out, made up mostly of World Defense Initiative soldiers. He must have figured if he got an
early start, he would be able to take over the world before anyone noticed. He probably would
have too if the Raiders hadn't come out with its massive numbers. Not less than a year ago it
appeared as though the colossal prick was going to lose, but the tides have shifted. The Raiders
have too much internal strife and Sime trains his soldiers well. One of Sime's soldiers could
probably take out five or six Raiders.

Page 72 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

Sime lives at the Power's headquarters in New Frankfurt, Germany.

Hagi Christ (hay-guy kris-t)


Hagi Christ is a natural negotiator. He has a mental prowess that is unmatched except by one
person, Jebbidiah Delany. Many credit the success of the Power to General Sime, but it is not
that simple. True that Sime is a great leader, but you cannot build an army without equipment.
Hagi, under the protection of the Power, runs the largest trade depot in the world at New
Frankfurt, Germany. If you are looking for it, Hagi either has it, knows someone that can
manufacture it, or knows how to get it.

Unlike most of the traders I've run into, Hagi is fair, just, and polite. I remember the first time I met
Hagi. I was just a boy, maybe just eight years old. My mother worked for him doing a job called
"rolling", which basically meant that she sorted through piles of junk and trash that Hagi had
picked up on one of his trade deals. One day I asked to come to work with her, I was a big boy
and wanted to help out the family. We were sorting through a big pile of scrap metal and my mom
gashed her hand. Hagi was not one for loosing good workers, he saw this and immediately
bandaged the wound himself. He also went over to a nearby pile of clothing and pulled out a pair
of leather gloves for each of us. Hagi said, "These are yours, keep them." It doesn't seem like
much, but that is the first time I remember anyone giving us anything.

Also, unlike most of the powerful men in this world, Hagi is not a fighter. Don't get me wrong, he
can probably fight, but it doesn't seem to interest him. Instead his conquests lean toward the
feminine. He is known throughout New Frankfurt as a ladies man, and that probably gets him into
more trouble than it is worth. I remember hearing a story about a woman from Russia that he fell
for. She was quite beautiful and very charming. Unfortunately for him, that charm was used
against him. She apparently wiggled her way into his heart, and used her guile to extract strategic
information from him. Information that apparently lost General Sime a few battles. Word is that
Hagi is kept out of the loop these days when it comes to military policy and strategy.

If you are ever by way of New Frankfurt, you've got to stop and check out Hagi's trade depot. Just
don't touch anything unless you intend to buy. His guards are mostly former Power soldiers, and
they tend to have itchy trigger fingers.

Jebidiah Delany (dell-A-nee)


Jebidiah Delaney. He is first person the old man told me about, and has now become the most
powerful figure in the world. When I was a boy Jeb was famous, but now he's a god.

Jeb is probably the most ruthless and uncaring person one would ever care to meet, but he can
afford to be, because he is also the single wealthiest person on deadEarth. Some call him the
ghost keeper, because some that visit Jeb, never return. Those of us who trade with him know
that he doesn't keep anyone's soul, but he does bury their bodies. You don't ever want to piss
him off unless you consider yourself good in a fight. Anyone that he finds displeasing will find
themselves in his arena. That's where people fight to the death, gladiator style. Jeb doesn't
believe in killing people outright. After all, where is the profit in that? By sending people to the
arena, his soldiers get some entertainment. Good for the morale you know.

Page 73 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

Did I mention that Jeb is a trader. In fact, that is where he made all of his $tandards. If you want
it, Jeb has it. To think that a person could become so rich starting with only one piece of
merchandise. He sold an Apache helicopter that some fool gave him for the price of a trip. All I
gotta say is that it had better have been one hell of a trip.

I was lucky enough to be in the same room with Jeb while he was playing a game of Jacobs
Ladder. Jeb was winning, as he usually does, but this was more. He wanted to rule his opponent.
His opponent, who's name I can't recall, was a young cocky trader from Kansas City. The poor
fool had never dealt with the likes of Jeb, and thought he could cheat him. Jeb knew right away
what this kid was up to and invited him into the game. The kid didn't know when to quit, and Jeb
quickly sapped him of every $tandard he had. Somehow this kid thought he could pull it off and
bet Jeb his soul. Not in the sense of the devil and all that, more of a slave trade. Jeb laid down his
cards and the kid started crying. I didn't notice that I had started laughing, then Jeb began to
laugh. Jeb must have been feeling particularly giving, because he stripped the kid naked and sent
him into the wilderness. No arena, no iou, nothing--I couldn't believe it. After that night, I left his
complex and never saw Jeb as the ghost keeper again.

Jeb's complex is located just west of what used to be New Orleans. It covers a massive 12
square miles, and houses almost 180,000 troops. Even the Power won't go in there. Word is that
his guard leader is a machine, sort of a robot, I guess. I don't really know though, nobody I know
has ever seen it; or is it him?

Jeb used to control Kansas City, but the Brotherhood was able to take it from him. Must have
been back in the days when he was just a pup. There is no way he would let that happen now. In
fact, I hear tell that Jeb has his eye one Kansas City again. If you wander around just south of the
city you will see his soldiers, clad in the most vibrant orange you have ever seen.

My advice to you is, if you need something and can't find it anywhere else, your best bet is Jeb.
Get what you go there for and get out. Don't linger and don't beat around the bush. Jeb is a lot of
things, tolerant is not one of them.

Kansas City
Kansas City is easily the second largest city in the world. It started as a trading town run by Jeb
Delany. For whatever reason the town was never raided, but it was irradiated. Jeb would pay
people who dared to enter and come out with the goods. This sort of trading made Jeb a wealthy
man, and quickly grew Kansas City back into a city.

After a while the Brotherhood began making raids on Jebs stockpiles. Jeb had a giant wall built
up around the new city. I suppose if you were able to look at Kansas City from above, it would
look sort of like an egg with a dark spot in the middle, the outer ring where everyone does
business and lives, and the inner ring, where brave souls adventure in trying to make some quick
$tandards. Eventually the Brotherhood drove Jeb out of Kansas City all together. That would
have been a sight to see. I can't imagine anyone forcing Jeb to do anything.

Page 74 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

These days Kansas City is a booming metropolis. It contains almost 800,000 people; one-third of
which are Brotherhood soldiers. Kansas City also plays host to the largest military force in the
world--the Raiders. The Brotherhood of Freedom is the founding faction of the Raiders.

The city is divided into sectors. The outlying sectors contain farmland and farmers markets. The
northern sector is where the Brotherhood hangs out, doing whatever the Brotherhood does. The
western sector is where all the fun is. Business is booming and entertainment is everywhere you
look in sector 2. In sector 2 of Kansas City you will find just about anything you are looking for:
work, trade, or entertainment.

Kansas City has almost as many business start-ups as New Frankfurt. There are opportunities
around every corner and at every vendor's shop. You will find retailers that sell tools, military
equipment, food, electronics, chemicals, and weapons and armor of all sorts. You will also find
many service providers with such skills as construction, protection, seduction, and acquisition.
Any one of these merchants is constantly looking for skilled labor. If you don't mind hard work you
can make a lot of money.

Hortic Brine runs the Brotherhood controlled trade depot in Kansas City. Unlike most of the
famous traders of deadEarth, he's not looking to sell you anything. Rather, he wants to buy or
trade for whatever you've got. He gives fair prices and trades in each negotiation. You may ask,
"What's his motive for buying up everything around?" Very simple; he trades for the Raiders,
hence gains all of their technology and equipment by trade.

Everyone has a vice. You know, a habit or addiction that you just can't seem to shake. Paragon
runs a bar in Kansas City called The Itch. He is a master of knowing what a person's vice is, and
supplying them with the scratch for their itch. It doesn't matter what your vice is, Paragon will find

Page 75 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

it whether it be sex, gambling, drugs, collections, or something really sick. No matter, Paragon will
find your itch and scratch it.

Unlike Power influenced cities, the Raiders do not enforce a moonlight curfew, therefore the
nightlife in Kansas City is i-n-c-r-e-d-i-b-l-e. However, as with any organized government, the
Raiders do enforce many laws. One of the most important is citizenship. You can't do anything in
Kansas City without citizenship. You cannot own or carry a weapon inside city limits without
citizenship. You also may not join the Raiders or sell anything at the trade depot without it. Most
importantly, if a crime is committed, the Brotherhood will certainly hold a non-citizen responsible
over a citizen. Gaining citizenship is fairly simple. Register with the Brotherhood, live in Kansas
City for three months, then pay the $1000 fee and your in.

Kansas City is a great place to call home. I sincerely hope you find your way there someday.

Taunteen (tawn-tEEn)
Don't underestimate the radiation of this world. Everywhere you go you hear about and see
disfigurement caused by the elements. In many places, you will be executed on sight just for
having a visible mutation. Other places you will be distrusted and shunned.

There is a clan in the Rocky Mountains around Old California that is wickedly mutated. Some say
that a government lab was hit by a nuke out there that caused such deformity. It is said that the
people of that clan blink from left to right instead of up and down, and their knees bend the wrong
way. I've also heard that they do not have to have sex to replicate themselves.

Legend has it that there is a beast that lives in those same mountains. Her name is Taunteen.
Not much is known about her. The locals say that she is 16 feet tall, but I hear different. A man I
know named James Adams, who also lives up there, said that Taunteen is more like seven or
eight feet tall. He also says that the rumors about Taunteen looking for human flesh is all a myth.
There are so many rumors that go on in those mountains that you never know which are true and
which are drunken fairy tales.

About the only thing I can tell you about Taunteen is that she is incredibly strong. If you walk
through the forests up there you can see where she has ripped through small trees while running.
Best to stay away, I think. Far away.

Other Legends
There are many other Legends in the world of dE. Some will eventually get stories on the site and
the others will be discussed in the dE Atlases which will be released in paperback over the next
few years.

The following is a list of a majority of the Legends that we are willing to talk about. The remaining
Legends will remain undisclosed until a later date.

Gern Blythe:
- oldest living human

Page 76 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

- white male in his 90's


- located in Paris, France
- wiseman to the trogg tribes in the area
- librarian and artist, is keeping the library in the hope that pre-war knowledge won't be lost

Chachra Hauri: (shock-ra how-ree)


- cherokee/latin female in her 20's
- nomadic do-gooder
- been seen all over the world
- rides enormous dog named tinst
- expert in all forms of hand to hand combat
- expert negotiator

David Sime:
- white male in his 40's
- commanding general and founder of the power
- located in new Frankfurt, Germany
- expert in all forms of weaponry
- expert tactician

Misha Perminov:
- second in command of the raiders (aka brotherhood)
- white male in his 50's
- has a fascination with Australia
- located in California and Bahamas
- cyberneticist before the war

Hiro Ono: (hero oh-no)


- Asian female in her 30's
- created Xavier
- whereabouts unknown
- last seen in Japan before the war

Wesley Blake:
- white male in his 30's
- third in command of brotherhood
- founder of the brotherhood
- in command of Kansas city
- located in Kansas city

Paragon:
- dealer in vices
- white male in his 40's
- expert in enticement
- located in Kansas city

Xavier Series Z-11 Tactical Warbot:


- only six ever manufactured
- been seen in many parts of the world
- said to be sentient
- armed with a 50 caliber machine gun
- armored with titanium
- nuclear fission core

Hortic Brine:
- master trader/arms dealer

Page 77 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

- black/Latin male in his 20's


- trades arms for the brotherhood
- located in Kansas city
- said to have a weak spot for the finer things in life
- sailcar racer

Guile Herme:
- white male in his 30's
- third in command of the power
- located in Pennsylvania
- rumored to run the power slave camps

Anya Toslova:
- white female in her 20's
- located in eastern Europe (but travels everywhere)
- bounty hunter and assassin
- often hired by the power and the raiders

Kari Mortikai:
- Asian female in her 30's
- leader and founder of the largest raider faction order of the free republic
- first in command of the brotherhood
- located in menominee, Wisconsin
- runs the largest manufacturing center in the world for the raiders

Ian Holmes:
- black male in his 30's
- location unknown
- vigilante
- rumored to have beheaded a man with a stop sign
- has no sense for balance of justice. would just as soon kill someone for stealing a few $tandards
as murder

Insil Banes:
- south Africa (but almost no one knows that)
- white male in his 30's
- on the run from the power
- brilliant geneticist
- mr. nice guy
- very young for the depth of his knowledge

Victoria Mercules:
- latin female in her 20's
- located in Venezuela (but not commonly known)
- holds the key to cold fusion
- on the run from the power and the raiders

Anita Rjker:
- secretly works for the raiders
- latin/black female in her 40's
- location unknown
- working on a planetary reconstruction project (terraforming)
- hopes to unite the world by restoring it to its former glory

Solomon:
- white male in his 30's

Page 78 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

- one-legged ex-adventurer who helps outfit new adventurers


- lives in Pittsburgh
- expert metal refiner/metalsmith
Ughtecke:
- located somewhere in Russia
- white/asian male in his 40's
- is said to make the finest armor available
- rumored to have constructed a polymer/titanium armor weave

Beleh Mogue (beh-lay moh-geh):


- black male in his 20's
- lives in a hidden valley on the west coast of Africa, near the ivory coast
- draws on the life energy of the people there via psionics
- holds everyone there in a prison of bliss

Page 79 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Medical Mutations
Diseases are caused by microorganisms that have survived on this planet for billions of years.
Radiation has affected the planet's ecosystem and its macroscopic inhabitants, so too have the
microscopic inhabitants been altered.

Medical Mutations is all about the aberrations of viruses, fungus, and bacteria of deadEarth. In
some cases the cure is more deadly than the disease.

"The miserable have no other medicine,


But only hope."

- William Shakespeare
Measure For Measure

Airborne Disease
The most feared airborne pathogen causes the dreaded plague. The signs and symptoms include
the formation of buboes (your lymph nodes swell up), which cause extreme pain, chills, severe
headache, exhaustion, vomiting, and diarrhea. All these give you a minus three to all rolls and
take effect D6 hours after contact. After that initial phase you receive an additional minus five to
all rolls after two days from contact. The next phase is paralysis of your body. You must roll a D6
to find out your fate. One through four: You suffer a stroke because you are unable to breathe.
Your rescuer must beat a difficult odds roll for you to survive. Also you now have a permanent
minus two to all rolls if you are successful, if not you become a permanent fixture of deadEarth.
Five: You slip into a coma for 10D6 days. After your ordeal you find that you have beat the
disease that has killed millions of people. Six: You survive with a permanent minus two to all
agility and strength rolls. There are no other treatments or alternatives.

The Ebola virus infects you when you breathe it in your lungs, just like a cold virus. The signs and
symptoms are severe fatigue, severe weight loss, and a severe fever. The effects cause a minus
one for all agility and strength rolls for first D6 days. The recipient believes that they have just
caught a cold, though in actuality the body's immune system is staying in check with the progress
of the disease. After that time has expired, the disease over-powers the body's defenses and
starts to liquefy your organs. The result is that you suffer progressive deteriorations that double
each phase. For instance, the second phase results in a minus two for all skill rolls for 2D6 hours.
Then the third phase would succeed to a minus four to all skill rolls for 4D6 hours after the second
phase concludes. After that the disease continues to degrade your body's ability to fight off the
infection by causing a minus eight to all skill rolls for 8D6 hours after the end of the third phase,
and then on to the fourth phase. The fifth and final phase gives rise to major internal
hemorrhaging and you literally bleed uncontrollably from every orifice, in addition your organs
explode from your inside to the outside from all the built up gases of the anaerobic life activity.
This activity causes you to suffer a minus sixteen to all rolls and you fall to your knees as your
internal structure explodes and covers the ground beneath you. The only way you can avoid this
fate is based on luck. The player picks a number from one to six. The Game Master rolls a D6. If
the called number is the result you recover in that stage with a permanent minus that correlates to
the phase you are in. This scenario should be used for each phase you enter. If you are
unsuccessful in a phase you proceed into the next phase until you die in the fifth phase.

The AIDS virus or Alpha One has been killed off for the most part but a hybrid has emerged. This
disease doesn't need to be sexually transmitted. It can be given to another person just like giving

Page 80 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

a cold virus to them. One thing though this cold can kill you with ease. The signs and symptoms
are anorexia, chronic diarrhea, weight loss, fever, and severe fatigue. Within one day from
infection you start to feel the effects. These give you a minus two to all rolls for one week. After
that week you experience severe pain and cramping of your muscles. This gives you a minus
three to all rolls. At this time the Game Master must roll a D6, which indicates how many days to
have left before you slip into a comma. That means you are done playing until you receive some
type of treatment. The only treatment known to exist is owned by the Power and is kept in their
headquarters in New Frankfurt. This drug doesn't cure the person, but it allows them to survive
about D6 year(s) longer without being confined to a bed. If you don't receive treatment, your
future is being bedridden with a permanent minus ten to all skill rolls. Early diagnosis does not
help in this case.

Influenza for all purposes is the flu. It has changed via the radiation making it quite a bit more
deadly. Signs or symptoms include fever, headache, malaise, sore throat, and coughing. The
cough is severe causing a minus two to all rolls with a minus one to all body hit points. These
conditions last for 4D6 weeks. If no diagnosis (doctor beating a difficult odds) is administered, the
original organism that infected you will change making the doctor's job of diagnosis to improbable
odds. If not successful the person receives a minus five to all rolls for an additional 3D6 months.
Then if diagnosis is not successful the person slips into a coma until the proper diagnosis is
made. Treatment can be administered by beating average odds at any time when diagnosed
properly. Influenza is one of deadEarth disease's that is hardest to diagnosis, but one of the
easiest to treat.

The simple cold virus hasn't really gone through many changes except for the longevity of the
duration of infection. The signs and symptoms of a cold are headache, sore throat, tiredness,
nausea, and fever. If you contract a cold virus you attain a minus two to all skill rolls for 2D6
months. The duration from time of infection and when the signs and symptoms appear is D6 hrs.
There are no treatments, it must run its course. It is contagious so those nearby have a 70%
chance of contraction. No diagnosis is needed.

Measles is simply the most contagious disease on deadEarth and almost everybody contracts it
sometime in their life. It too is transmitted via respiratory secretions. It has a two-day incubation
period until you contract a sore throat, dry cough, headache, low-grade fever, and red patches on
your cheeks. The face breaks out first with the patches, then your trunk and limbs. This usually
takes D6 days to happen. You then receive a minus one to all rolls for an additional month.
Diagnosis can be done by any medical practitioner by beating an average odds roll. Any medical
doctor can determine infection without rolling odds. No treatment is available. The permanent
result is that you have scars in various parts of your body, Game Master can determine where.

Diphtheria is another disease that can contracted in the same manner as a simple cold virus.
Though you have the chance to contract two types of this bug. They both are airborne and have
the same effects, but that is where the similarity ends. The first type, regular diphtheria, is less
destructive than the second, Laryngeal diphtheria. The signs and symptoms of both are low fever,
malaise, slight sore throat, and a swollen neck. Now that booster shots are not as commonly
given to the populous the chance that infection will occur is high. There is no incubation period,
symptoms occur without notice, usually with in 4D6 minutes after exposure. The damage done to
you affects your nerves, liver, adrenal glands, kidneys, and heart muscle which translates into a
minus two to all physical related skill rolls for 2D6 weeks. If no treatment is administered death
will result in an additional 3D6 days for the first type. Diagnosis can only be administered if a
medical doctor qualified person beats difficult odds. Treatment is then successful with average
odds. The second type is less common but is more serious because the bug produces a
membrane that obstructs the air passage. The patient then suffocates unless a tracheotomy is
performed by a doctor. Success of the diagnosis is based on average odds by a medical doctor.
Suffocation happens D6 days after infection has occurred. Treatment is successful if the medical
doctor beats improbable odds. If medical person doesn't beat the odds, the person will receive a

Page 81 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

minus five for all agility and strength related skill rolls. After 2D6 months recovery is without
incident. This disease is not contagious.

Neisseria meningitidis is the next disease you might contract in your respiratory system. If
infection occurs the organism makes its way to the meninges (the membranes that cover the
brain and spinal cord). There the bug grows and produces a painful inflammation, which gives
you an initial two days with a minus two to all mental based skill rolls. The harmful by-products
made by the organism produces trouble in your vascular system as well. This bug has a two-day
incubation period. After the two days you receive a minus three to all rolls. These episodes go on
for 3D6 weeks and then the Game Master must roll a D6 to tell the outcome. One to four: nothing
and the person recovers without incident. Five or six: the person dies from cerebral
hemorrhaging. There is no diagnosis needed because there is no treatment available. The
disease must run its course. This meningitidis is not contagious so the disease only affects the
person infected.

Smallpox or Variola is transmitted first by the respiratory route, the viruses infect many internal
organs before their eventual movement into the bloodstream (viremia) leads to infection of the
skin and the production of recognizable symptoms. This disease is very common so a player
character comes into contact with an infected person they have a 70% of contracting the disease
also. The incubation period is only D6 days. The signs and symptoms include the formation of
macules (blisters), papules, vesicles, pustules (blisters filled with pus), and crusts. The crusts
form over the blisters. These erupt all over the body. Diagnosis of this disease requires an
average odds roll. Treatment requires a pharmacist to beat three consecutive improbable odds to
make it because the vaccine used to treat is very rare, but in great demand, therefore quite
expensive too. The effects cause an initial minus five to all skill rolls for 3D6 weeks. If no
treatment is obtained by this time the signs and symptoms become worse, which translates into a
minus seven to all skill rolls for the player character for another D6 month(s). If no treatment the
player character receives a minus ten to all rolls and has a 70% chance for death. If the player
character survives they brush with death, they have the minus ten until treatment is received.

Bloodborne Disease
Now lets talk about the serious bloodborne diseases. The first one will be Hepatitis B. This is
obtained from tainted blood, infected people via sexual contact, saliva, and infected objects such
as syringes. The signs and symptoms include anorexia, abdominal discomfort, nausea, vomiting,
fever, and jaundice. There is a D6 day incubation period. After one week you receive a minus one
to all rolls. Then you receive a minus two to all rolls at the beginning of the third week. Third, after
two months from onset you receive a permanent minus five to all physical related rolls from the
severe lack of nutrients. There are no treatments at this stage. Treatment, though, can be
rendered if diagnosis is made before the second week. The doctor must beat an improbable odds
roll for treatment and diagnosis needs to be a difficult odds roll.

Hepatitis C is also an infection that affects you when you receive blood products, for example a
blood transfusion. The incubation period is 5D6 days. You will experience the same signs and
symptoms as stated above in the Hepatitis B section. The same conditions will apply too.

Another blood borne disease causes the dreaded leprosy. The signs and symptoms include
atrophy of certain body parts, high fever, nausea and severe fatigue. These conditions give you a
minus two for all rolls for two weeks. The symptoms get progressively worse causing an
additional minus three for all rolls for another week. Roll on the body chart on the back of your
character sheet. The body part you roll falls off. If you lose a critical part, you die. The treatment
can only be obtained by a doctor, which must beat two consecutive improbable odds roll for
treatment to be successful. The result is that the patient is bed ridden for an additional month if
successful. The correct diagnosis must be made prior to the final stage. It is made by beating a
difficult odds roll. If the latter results the Game Master will tell you what is the result.

Page 82 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

Direct Contact Infections


One bacteria you are likely to encounter is Streptococcal infection such as Streptococcus
pyogenes which causes strep throat. This is the first direct contact bug you could come into
contact with on deadEarth. The warning signs that infection has occurred are fever, sore throat,
and inflammation of tonsils. Methods of transmission include direct contact with patients or
carriers, for instance being sneezed or coughed on by infected individuals. The damage that this
organism does is that you have a minus one to all skill rolls for one week. Also, the patient is
limited to the amount of speaking he/she can do (determined by Game Master). There is no
known treatment and must run its course. Another streptococcal infection one might encounter is
called Streptococcus pneumoniae, which causes one form of pneumonia. For the most part this
bug is not virulent, but for some reason this streptococcus has acquired a capsule which allows
the organism to survive in adverse conditions longer. If infection takes place the condition of the
host is the major issue if in deed the bug survives. Pneumonia has the same side effects as strep
throat. If infection takes place you will have the infection for D6 months without the chance for
treatment. It too must run its course.

The next direct contact infection comes from Staphylococcus organisms that could infect you
after surgery. They also cause acne. The warning signs that infection has occurred are redness
around the cut (surgery), boils, and pimples. The best way to transmit this organism is by direct
hand contact. The damage inflicted to you is that you have a minus one to all skill rolls for three
weeks. There is no known treatment. If the Staphylococcus infects your surgical wound you
receive a minus one to all rolls for two weeks (at Game Master's discretion).

Another direct contact/upper respiratory disease that you can contract is Pertussis or called
Whooping Cough, which is caused by a Bordetella pertussis. Signs or symptoms that you have
this disease are headache, nausea, drained feeling, diarrhea, and malaise. The disease starts out
with mild cold symptoms, which gives you a minus one to all rolls for three days. Then your throat
starts to close which causes a whooping sound when you breathe because of the lack of air being
brought into your lungs. This causes a minus two to all physical related rolls for three months.
There is a treatment available in some hospitals. The doctor must beat a average odds. If no
treatment is obtained the person recovers in three months. If the doctor is successful, patient
recovers fully in D6 days.

The next direct contact disease is tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Signs or
symptoms include fatigue, fever, weight loss, coughing, chest pain, and hoarseness. These
conditions give you a minus two to all agility and strength related rolls for first two months. The
next stage results in a minus four to all rolls. After four months the Game Master rolls D6. If the
number is a one through five the person recovers in an additional month with a permanent minus
two to running because the decreased lung capacity. If a six is rolled the person suddenly can't
breathe and expires. A doctor at which can beat simple odds can diagnosis the disease but can't
really give a medication because there are none. All they can do is put the patient in quarantine
and prevent others from being exposed or help prevent other diseases taking advantage of the
person's weaken condition. Tuberculosis is very contagious so if the patient is within a closed
room with uninfected people, they have a eighty percent chance they too becoming infected. If
the area is well ventilated the chance for infection is only forty percent.

Chickenpox or Shingles is another direct contact disease. The signs and symptoms include
headache, sore throat, anorexia, irritability, then a rash on scalp and trunk. Then rash turn into
papules and develop into weeping vesicles that are very contagious, this is the case of
chickenpox. These changes develop within D6 hours of infection. The results give you a minus
one to all rolls for two months and than they go away. There is no treatment. In the case of
shingles the signs and symptoms are the same but the outcome is much different. When the
vesicles weep a shearing pain with intense itching results. This causes you to receive a minus
three to all rolls for a month. The itching is so intense that you tear some of your flesh off. You

Page 83 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

must be prevented from scratching or you will continue to receive minus' until you are unable to
move. After that first month, each additional week you will receive another minus one to all rolls
until treatment or the latter is the result. Diagnosis can be made by a doctor who beats average
odds before the end of the first month after infection occurs. The doctor may treat this disease by
beating difficult odds. If treatment is unsuccessful odds worsen, so treatment can then be made
by beating a improbable odds and so on. When and if treatment is made, it will take the patient
D6 weeks to recover.

Another direct contact disease is Tinea capitis which causes athlete's foot. This fungus grows on
your feet and legs. The main signs and symptoms are itching, redness, and pain in the area. The
area also cracks and bleeds over time (D6 days). The result is a minus one to all physical rolls
until treatment is found. Treatment can be administered by a medic's roll by beating average
odds.

Psittacosis is a direct contact disease which is caused by the infection of Chlamydia psittaci. This
disease comes from being in contact with dried feces of an infected bird. Following the inhalation
of infected material the person will start to experience signs and symptoms in two days. The
onset of infection is sudden and insidious. signs and symptoms are chills, fever, headache,
intolerance of light, loss of appetite, sore throat, nausea, and vomiting. These conditions cause
the person to receive a minus four to all skill rolls for three weeks. After three weeks have passed
the person rolls a D6 and tries to beat the Game Master's D6 roll. Each day the person can roll
for a chance to recover and must keep rolling until h/she can beat the Game Master's roll. If not
successful, signs and symptoms will persist until the winds of fate smile on you.

Ear Infections
If you don't clean your ears out periodically you allow bacteria the chance to accumulate in the
ear wax, called cerumen, which could bring about an ear infection. If an infection occurs you will
suffer migraine headaches for D6 days that cause a minus two to all skill rolls until treatment is
administered. This condition is not contagious. Diagnosis requires a medic to beat average odd.
Treatment can then be administered by the medic by beating easy odds.

Another condition you can acquire by not cleaning your ear wax out is caused by the
accumulation of the bacteria staphylococcus. This condition is called furunculosis and causes
boils to form in your eye canal. The ear canal becomes swollen or totally blocked by the boils,
which translates into a minus four to all skill rolls involving the use of hearing. The bug keeps
growing in the ear and will eventually (4D6 weeks) cause permanent deafness in the individual.
To stop the growth of the organism a doctor must correctly diagnose the problem, which requires
beating average odds. If successful treatment requires beating simple odds. This condition is not
contagious.

One condition that you could contract while swimming in water is external otitis, normally called
swimmer's ear. This condition is just an inflammation of the ear canal. Pain is generally moderate
(roll percentiles, 01-75), but can be severe (76-00). There may be a fever associated with this
condition too (roll percentiles, 01-70 means none and 71-00 means a fever is present). If you
contract this condition you receive a minus one, for moderate pain, a minus two, for severe pain,
for all rolls. If you have a headache you receive an additional minus one to all physical rolls. This
condition continues for D6 weeks with no means of treatment available.

Otomycosis is another disease that you can contract while being in water. This condition is a
fungus infection in and around the ear canal. This infection is characterized by an intense itching
not pain from the infection. The person receives a minus one to all hearing related rolls for D6
days until the infection is cleared by the natural movement of the ear's wax. This condition must
run its course.

Page 84 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

Otitis media is a major ear disorder that affects the middle ear by a viral infection or bacterial
infection by strep, staph, or pneumococcus organisms. It can also develop as a complication of
scarlet fever, mumps, pneumonia, measles, flu, diphtheria, whooping cough, and tonsillitis. If you
have any of these diseases you receive an additional 30% of contraction of this condition. If you
contract a form of otitis media you have to find out what type. Roll a D6, on a 1 or 2 you receive
acute otitis media; on a 3 or 4 you receive the infection of chronic purulent otitis media; and on a
5 or 6 you receive the chronic secretory otitis media. Acute otitis media primary signs and
symptoms are a severe stabbing earache, which may be constant or intermittent and may radiate
over the side of the head. Other indications are fullness in the ear (which changes with a change
of position), tinnitus, tenderness over the mastoid process, and a high fever (up to 105 degrees).
These conditions mean that you have a minus two to all rolls. The infected person will begin to
have these difficulties D6 days after start of infection. The only treatment that can be done to cure
the condition is having the patient's ear surgically drained and have some drugs administered to
kill the infection. The only means of knowing that you have this disease is that it must be
diagnosed properly by having the doctor beat difficult odds. If the diagnosis is successful
treatment can begin when the doctor beats difficult odds again. The doctor can try to perform the
treatment as many times that is required but for every unsuccessful treatment the person suffers
an additional minus one to all rolls. If you have contracted chronic purulent otitis media the
earache may be present (roll percentiles, 01-60 you don't and 61-00 you do). The outstanding
sign or symptom is that there is a discharge of offensive pus from the ear. There is also a sense
of fullness in the ear with hearing loss (roll percentiles, 01-60 you have a hearing loss and 61-00
you don't).

The eardrum is almost always perforated (roll percentiles, 01-75 you have the previous described
condition and 76-00 you don't). The constant stream of pus can cause fatty tissue to grow
through the perforation into the middle ear. This condition is called cholesteatoma. You will have
a minus two for all rolls for D6 months with no hope of treatment. If you have the additional
condition of cholesteatoma you have an additional minus two for all physical related rolls for only
D6 weeks with no treatment available. Lastly, if you contracted chronic secretory otitis media you
have a sense of fullness in the ear and a loss of hearing is present. This is because there is a
congestion in the lining membrane of the eustachian tube. Pus may be present in the middle ear
too (same percentiles apply as above). This condition gives you a minus two for all rolls for 4D6
weeks, and then an additional minus four for all physical related rolls for an additional D6 months.
To by-pass these side effects a doctor must diagnose the problem correctly, which requires
beating difficult odds. If successful, treatment can be given if the doctor beats improbable odds.
The treatment will be accomplished in five days because surgery is required, so time to recover is
needed. This condition is not contagious.

Mastoiditis is the inflammation of the several small air spaces within the mastoid bone behind the
ear, is most often caused by chronic purulent otitis media. If you have or had chronic purulent
otitis media you have an additional 70% chance of contracting this disease. Mastoiditis is a very
serious condition. The signs and symptoms begin two days after infection with a sore throat, a
moderate earache, high fever, a red tenderness behind the ear, and a stiff neck. Diagnosis
requires a improbable odds roll. If successful the doctor can administer treatment, which takes D6
days to complete because surgery is involved. If unsuccessful in diagnosis the person has a 50%
chance of receiving a meningitis infection in addition to losing 50% of their hearing permanently.
The condition gives you a minus two for all skill rolls until the time that the diagnosis is made.
Then the above described effects come into play. This is not a contagious disease.

Motion sickness is caused by a disturbance in the sensitive nerve receptors of the inner ear as a
result of shifting fluid within the three semicircular canals. If the person has or have any chronic
infection of the eustachian tube, the sinuses, or the ears are more prone to this aliment giving
them an additional 40% chance of contraction. You receive a minus one to all skill rolls for 2D6
hours with no treatment available.

Page 85 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

Environmental Effects
Because of the rampant air pollution of deadEarth everyone is susceptible to emphysema, which
is a chronic lung condition in which the microscopic sacs (alveoli) become overstretched,
destroying the elasticity of the fibers that open and close the air sacs during breathing. This
means that the person's lungs don't function as well. The more time you spend on deadEarth,
your chances for infection increase. Starting with a 25% chance when you are born, you will
receive an additional 5% for each five years of growth. On your "creation date" you will receive a
chance for infection based on your age. Then, on every 5th birthday you will roll an additional 5%
chance. If you become infected (you won't know), the Game Master will determine when in the
next year you will start to develop the disease. If you smoke, you will have an additional 10%
chance each year. The signs and symptoms include a shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing
with scant sputum, edema (swelling) of the leg extremities. These conditions mean that for the
first D6 weeks you have a minus three to all rolls. After the time elapses, you will receive another
minus 3D6 for all skill rolls from the rest of your life. If you get a minus ten or higher you must be
bedridden for the rest of you days. There is no treatment.

A type IV reaction is a delayed type of reaction and is based on touch as a mode of infection. It
takes 2D6 hours after exposure to develop. Everyone has a 10% chance of developing this type
of reaction to any substance on deadEarth. This includes types of clothing, plants, fur, etc. The
Game Master will determine the odds. After infection has been occurred you start to develop
itching, erythema, and raised lesions on the areas of the body you touched the containment.
These conditions mean that you have a minus two for all rolls because mainly of the severe
itching that you develop for the first D6 hours. Diagnosis and treatment of the problem requires an
average odds roll by any medical personnel at this point. If triumphant, you will recover fully
except that your odds for another type IV reaction does up by 20% when you encounter the
substance that caused you difficulty. If unsuccessful the itch becomes worse in an addition the
infected part starts to feel burning pain, which gives you a five to all skill rolls. This is the result for
D6 hours until the last phase. Diagnosis and treatment is successful with a doctor beating difficult
odds. If successful you recover fully with same condition above but instead of the 20% you have
a 40%. The last phase means that the infection has penetrated into your bone and you have a
50% chance of sepsis in the bone, which means death in deadEarth. If you don't die, you have a
permanent minus four to all rolls. The last phase doesn't require a diagnosis or treatment odds
roll.

By the time a player character is 20 years of age bunions could be in their future. Because of all
the walking one must do, foot difficulties can be expected. A bunion is an inflammation, swelling
and protrusion of the base or side of the great (big) toe. When you attain the specific age you
have a 15% for developing bunion(s) that year. For each an additional year you acquire another
5% chance for developing bunions. If you are meticulous with your foot care the additional
percentage only goes up by 3% each year. The signs and symptoms include an inward-turned
great toe that may overlap the second-and sometimes the third toe. There is thickened skin over
the bony protrusion at the base of the great toe. Fluid accumulates under the thickened skin and
foot pain/stiffness results. The Game Master will determine how many, where, when, how they
develop on the player character. When bunions develop they will cause the player character a
minus one for all rolls because of the nagging pain. Diagnosis and treatment can be made by any
medical personnel by beating an 3D6 odds roll. You must roll for each bunion that is discovered.
Bunions will never become worse, they are just a nuance.

Chronic bronchitis is the chronic inflammation and degeneration of the bronchial tubes, with or
without active infection. Sputum is coughed up everyday, which is caused by repeated irritation or
infection in the bronchial tubes that makes them thicken, narrow and lose their elasticity.
Underlying irritants include allergens (if you have an allergy to something that is airborne you
have a 20% of developing this condition), and tobacco smoke (if you are constantly around this
you have a 15% of developing this condition). The Game Master will determine when and if you

Page 86 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

are susceptible. The signs and symptoms include frequent coughing or coughing spasms,
shortness of breath, chest pain, sputum that is thick and difficult to cough up, and a barreled
chest. These effects mean that you have five for all strength and agility based skill rolls for the
rest of your days. There is no treatment.

Fluid and electrolyte disorders. This disorder is an imbalance in the mixture of water and salts
needed for normal body function. Necessary salts include sodium, potassium, calcium,
bicarbonate and phosphate. The causes range from vomiting, severe diarrhea, heavy
perspiration, alcoholism, diuretics, unusual and extreme diets, and diabetes. If any player
character has any of these concerns, they have a 20% chance for developing this difficulty. The
signs and symptoms include dry mouth, wrinkled skin, increased/decreased/absent urination,
fatigue, puffy legs/hands/face/abdomen, lung congestion, weakness, confusion, heartbeat
irregularities, and being lightheaded. These effects mean that the player character has a minus
two for all skill rolls until 2D6 weeks past since the presence of the signs and symptoms. At this
time diagnosis and treatment are both average odds rolls. If unsuccessful, the player character
enters the second phase. This means that the player characters worsen and they generate a
minus five to all skill rolls because of the physical anguish. This phase requires a doctor to beat
average odds for diagnosis and difficult odds for treatment. If unsuccessful, the player character
becomes so "screwed up" via body chemistry they acquire a permanent minus six to all skill rolls.
You survive because your body adapts to your abnormal state.

Frostbite is temporary or permanent tissue damage from exposure to sub-freezing temperature.


The main areas that are affected: arms, fingers, legs, toes, face, nose and ears. Frostbite is
caused by the formation of ice crystals in the skin and blood vessels leading to tissue injury or
tissue death, depending on the temperature and the length of exposure. The signs and symptoms
during exposure include gradual numbness, hardness, and paleness in the affected area(s). In
this stage diagnosis and treatment are both average odds rolls. If successful, the player character
will experience pain and tingling and/or severe burning in the affected area(s), with a color
change from white to red, then purple. Blisters will form, shivering, slurred speech, and memory
loss will be experienced. The effects translate into a minus two to all rolls for minor, a minus four
for severe, and a minus six for most severe. These ratings depend on the time elapsed.
Diagnosis and treatment differ too. The diagnosis and treatment for minor frostbite requires a
doctor to beat average odds. Each additional stage requires the difficulty for treatment and
diagnosis go one level for each. If unsuccessful in any stage the player character loses the
functional ability of that part. Game Master will determine what attributes are acquired. The player
character has a 40% for the development of gangrene to the affected area for severe frostbite.

Tetanus is an infection in a wound or injury that causes severe muscle spasms. Tetanus is not
contagious from person to person. There have been many reports of this disease because of the
lack of immunization against Clostridium tetani. This organism enters the body by penetrating the
skin from a puncture wound. If a player character has puncture wound(s), they must roll for odds
of infection. There is a 25% chance of infection for each puncture wound. If infection takes place
there is a D6 hour(s) until symptoms begin to be apparent. The signs and symptoms include
having muscle pain, irritability and frequent severe spasms, severe swallowing difficulty, fever up
to 103 degrees, difficulty using the chest muscles to breathe, and stiffness in the abdominal and
back muscles. There is also a 50% chance that the player character will go unconscious. When
these symptoms occur, it is a medical emergency. If the player character is to survive, medical
assistance must be obtained within 5D6 minutes from the time the symptoms become apparent.
Diagnosis requires the doctor to beat difficult odds and treatment requires beating improbable
odds. If unsuccessful, the player character will be unable to breathe in D6 minutes with only a
20% of survival. If the player character survives, they require impossible odds for treatment. If
correctly done, the player character has a permanent minus three to all skill rolls. If unsuccessful,
the player character dies in another D6 hours.

Page 87 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

Kidney stones are small, solid particles that form in one or both kidneys and sometimes travel into
the ureter. Stones vary from the size of a grain of sand to that of a golf ball, and there may be one
or several. Having decreased urine volume caused by dehydration or hot, dry weather. This
concentrates the urine and allows it to crystallize making stones. The signs and symptoms
include episodes of severe, colicky pain every few minutes. The pain usually appears first in the
back, just below the ribs. Over several hours or days, the pain follows the stone's course through
the ureter toward the groin. The pain stops when the stone passes. The player character will have
frequent nausea, trances of blood in the urine, and the urine will appear cloudy or dark. There is
no diagnosis or treatment needed for this problem, it just must pass through the system.

Gangrene is the death of soft tissue from the loss of a blood supply. This loss of circulation to the
limb causes ischemia, which leads to necrosis, or death of the tissue. This condition can result
from diabetes too. If you have lost circulation to a limb, you have a 80% of developing an
organism called Clostridium perfringens, which causes the formation of gas gangrene. This
organism grows very well in any condition that lacks oxygen. As the "bug" grows, they ferment
carbohydrates in the tissue and produce gases (carbon dioxide and hydrogen) that swell the
tissue. The "bug" produces toxins that get into the bloodstream and necrose the tissue and cause
systemic illness. Enzymes produced by the bacteria degrade the collagen and proteinaceous
tissue, causing further damage. Diagnosis of the problem can be made by beating average odds.
Treatment requires three consecutive improbable odds. The player character has 2D6 weeks to
live. If no treatment is made, the bacteria kills you from the inside. By the way, the formal
treatment method is amputation of the affected part. If this the result, the Game Master will inform
you of the consequences that affect your life. There is a 75% that amputation is the treatment
method used. After treatment the player character will require D6 week(s) of rest.

Eye Infections
One cause of eye infection is caused by a virus called acute conjunctivitis, commonly known as
pinkeye. This bug infects the mucous membrane lining of the eyelids and the white part of the
eye. Pinkeye is very contagious so if you come into contact with a infected person you have a
65% chance of contracting the infection too. The signs and symptoms that infection has taken
place is that the eye tears and becomes red, itchy, and inflamed. There is no incubation period.
These conditions affects you by a minus one to all skill rolls. Diagnosis of the disease can be
successful if medical personal can beat easy odds. Then treatment can be obtained by any medic
or doctor that can beat easy odds. To help avoid other occurrences stay away from people that
have pinkeye.

Trachoma also affects your eyes. It is very contagious so the same conditions of pinkeye apply
here. If this disease is not diagnosed and treated blindness is the result. Trachoma is the result
from infection of the trachoma virus that is easily transferred via direct contact of infected objects.
The incubation period is three days. Signs and symptoms include swelling of the eyelids,
bloodshot eye, and photophobia. The eyelids droop, become painfully inflamed and itch. In an
additional during the three days the upper eyelids become marked with tiny cavities, which in a
few more days become granular and scarred. The cornea becomes ulcerated and overgrown with
scar tissue, which reduces and obstructs vision. Permanent scar tissue is the result on the inner
eyelids. These conditions cause you to have a minus three to all sight related skill rolls until
treatment is obtained. Diagnosis is successful if doctor beats average odds. Treatment can only
be obtained in a clinic/hospital. Medical personnel must beat difficult odds. Blindness is the result
if no treatment is obtained in D6 days after signs and symptoms have occurred and the patient
will the fail all sight related rolls. To help avoid infection by trachoma you must be concerned with
self-cleanliness. If you don't take care of yourself, you have a 60% of contraction.

Glaucoma is another disease that infects your eyes. This disease can also cause blindness if not
treated. Blindness is the result because there is extra pressure inside the eye that affects the
optic nerve. This disease is not contagious. The signs and symptoms of this disease are absent

Page 88 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

except for the loss of vision. It comes without any warning. The only way to pass by this condition
is to detect the disease and receive some treatment. Diagnosis is successful if doctor beats
difficult odds. Treatment can only be obtained in a clinic/hospital setting. Treatment is only
successful if doctor beats improbable odds. Roll a D6, if the result is 1 or 2 vision is lost in the left
eye, on a 3 or 4 you lose vision in both eyes, 5 or 6 means you don't have vision through your
right eye.

Cataracts are slowly growing opaqueness in the lens of the eye, and is apart of reaching great
ages in deadEarth. You receive a 30% chance at age 30 and attain an addition 5% every year of
age. You roll on your birthday for your present. If you receive a cataract you get a permanent
minus two to all sight related skill rolls. Then you must roll to see what eye is affected. Odd
numbers mean the left eye is the victim, and the even number indicates the right eye is affected.
There are no treatments for these cataracts. There are no signs and symptoms, they are just
apart of growing up on deadEarth.

Retinitis is an inflammation or swelling of the retina, in either one or both eyes. Retinitis may be
caused by a blood vessel spasm or injury to the eye. This condition is not contagious. The
characteristics of retinitis include eye discomfort, reduction of visual sharpness, distortion of form
and size of objects, and a narrowing of the visual field. These effects begin to show up two days
after injury to the eye has taken place. They begin with a minus two to all sight related skill rolls.
The following day you receive a minus three for all sight related skill rolls. These conditions
continue to deteriorate until you are blind. This is not temporary, it's for life. The hardest part to
treat this condition is discovering you have a problem. So diagnosis requires the doctor to beat
improbable odds. The doctor must make the roll at time of initial examination. If successful,
treatment can be applied, if not you will eventually become blind. Treatment requires the doctor to
beat easy odds.

Keratitis is an inflammation of the cornea and is most often caused by viral or bacterial infections
like herpes. So if you have a bacterial or viral infection you have an additional 20% chance of
contracting this disease. This is not contagious. The signs and symptoms show up one day after
infection has began and include pain in the eyeball, the feeling that something is in the eye with
heavy tearing, redness, a sensitivity to light, and blurred vision. The cornea becomes cloudy,
which is generally clear. A colored spot will appear on the eye too. You can encounter this
condition if something gets trapped in your eye. So quick removal of the foreign object is the best
preventive measure. Diagnosis can be made by a doctor beating easy odds within three days of
infection. Treatment is more difficult. The attaining physician must beat difficult odds three times
in consecutive order for success within three days after infection. On the day the condition began
you receive a minus one to all sight related skill rolls. The next day you receive a minus three to
those rolls. The third day you have a minus five to those rolls. By the fourth day, without
treatment, and you are blind suffering the consequences.

A condition called Optic Neuritis is the inflammation of the optic nerve and results from syphilis,
acute infectious diseases, multiple sclerosis, internal poisoning, and occasionally by extension
from meningitis and encephalitis. If you have any of these diseases you have an additional 30%
chance of contracting this condition. This is not a contagious condition. The signs and symptoms
of the patient include a sudden loss of vision, movement of the eye may cause pain, the adjacent
retina may be swollen, and some bleeding into the retina may take place. Diagnosis is not
needed because there is no treatment. The first month the person experiences a minus two to all
sight related skill rolls. The second month you receive a minus four to those rolls. This continues
until you are blind, which takes five months to happen.

The next condition is caused by the abuse of tobacco and alcohol. Abuse of these two
substances can cause blind spots in central vision and disturbances of color, especially red and
green. Chronic alcoholism also causes eye muscle palsies and often involves the nerves that
lead to the eye muscles. If you receive this difficulty a minus one to all rolls involving sight is the

Page 89 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

result. If by chance you have an unhealthy diet you have an additional 30% to contraction. You
can have this condition by abusing these two substances.

Blepharitis can be contracted when you have a staphylococcus infection. The results of this
disease are the scarring of the eyelids causing a loss of the eyelashes, causing an opening to the
eye for other diseases like Conjunctivitis. The signs and symptoms include a burning, smarting
feeling in the eye as well as a swelling and itching of the eyelids, the margins of which become
thickened, inflamed, and encrusted with tiny ulcers or blisters. The eyes tear, and the eyelashes
fall out. Crusts form, which are tenacious and are hard to remove. This is particularly bad upon
awakening; the eyelids are glued together and separating them is both difficult and painful. A
feeling of something being in the eye is very common too. These conditions cause you to have a
minus two to all sight involved skills. Diagnosis of this disease is successful by a doctor by
beating average odds. Treatment requires beating difficult odds. Person will be bed ridden for D6
days if successful treatment is given, if unsuccessful results of disease are permanent. This
condition is contagious so you have a 40% chance of giving this disease to others. The best
preventive measure requires you to pay attention to your personal hygiene, if you are a slob you
have an additional 30% chance of contraction.

Another condition that can become reality for an individual from an hit on the eye is
Exophthalmos, which is a protrusion of the eyeball from some sort of hemorrhage. This
hemorrhage causes a tumor to form that pushes on the eyeball. Diagnosis of this problem is
crucial and requires beating difficult odds for detection. If unsuccessful, the tumor will grow
causing the person great pain in that eye and an increased amount of vision impairment. You will
receive a minus three to all skill rolls regarding the need of vision and the difficulty will continue to
worsen each day by adding a minus one to the affected eye. This condition will continue until you
are blind in that eye, which means you suffer the consequences. To determine which eye is
affected roll a D6. One or two means the right eye is affected, three or four the left is, and five and
six you have both eyes affected.

Foodborne Disease
The worst foodborne bacteria causes botulism. The signs and symptoms include blurred or
double vision, dry mouth, vomiting, diarrhea, and respiratory distress. The foods most commonly
infected by this bug are those that have been canned, smoked, allowed to stand for a time, and
then eaten without cooking or without sufficient cooking. The initial effects are a minus two to all
rolls for two hours after consumption. After twenty hours you receive a minus four to all rolls.
Diagnosis is successful when a medical doctor beats a difficult odds roll. If you haven't received
some stabilizing treatment within twenty-four hours of contact you begin to feel your appendages
start tightening up, causing one damage to that appendage. Roll on the body chart located on
your character sheet. If you hit your heart you will have a heart attack and suffer a permanent
minus 2 to moves, strength, and resiliency. If you hit your head you will have a stroke and suffer a
permanent -D6 to all skill rolls. The treatment available can only be conducted by a medical
doctor. S/he must beat improbable odds for treatment to be successful, which means you only
suffer a minus five to all rolls for 6 months. If treatment is not successful, your new-found inability
is permanent.

The next food borne disease you can come into contract with is a staphylococcal bug. The most
common foods involved are salads, bakery products containing cream or custard, creamed
potatoes, canned or potted meat or fish, meat pies, and pressed beef like hamburger. Signs and
symptoms are sudden and violent (within two hours of eating the food item) with nausea,
vomiting, diarrhea, and fever. This causes you to have a minus four to all physical related rolls for
one week. There are no treatments. Infection must run its course.

The poliomyelitis virus can be contracted via infected food or you can inhale the virus like the cold
virus. The time required for the disease to establish itself is three days. After that the disease

Page 90 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

causes you a minus three to all agility and strength based rolls. The signs and symptoms include
fever, mild pharyngitis, headache, gastroenteritis, nausea, vomiting, and constipation for three
days. At the end of the three days roll a D6. One through four you recover without other incidents
in D6 days. If your number is five or six you begin to suffer from a CNS incident and so the
disease begins to destroy the motor nerve cells in your spinal cord. This means you receive a
new minus five to all physical related skill rolls for one year. After that the disease disappears.
The result is that you have a permanent minus three for all physical rolls skill rolls.

Hepatitis A is caused by an RNA virus of the enterovirus family. It is caused by eating


contaminated food. The disease affects your liver, kidneys, and spleen. There is D6 day(s) of
incubation until symptoms. signs and symptoms include anorexia, malaise, nausea, diarrhea,
abdominal discomfort, fever up to 103 degrees, and chills. These effects mean that the player
character has a minus three to all skill rolls for another D6 weeks. At this time diagnosis and
treatment requires a doctor to beat difficult odds. If unsuccessful, the next phase turns the person
yellow (jaundice) and make them have dark yellow urine. This phase is permanent until
treatment. Diagnosis and treatment require a doctor to beat improbable odds. If unable to do this
correctly, the player character will have a permanent minus five to all skill rolls.

Anthrax is caused by Bacillus anthracis, which affects player characters by affecting their food.
This "bug" reproduces by making a endospore that survives in times of adverse conditions. This
endospore forming organism can live in the soil for up to 100 years. The disease primarily lives in
the soil and can affect anything that comes into contact with affected areas. The Game Master
can determine if the area could be affected and make odds accordingly. People that handle
animal fur, hair, hides, or wool have a 25% chance of being affected by this disease. If contact is
made with materials containing anthrax endospores, the organisms can enter the skin through a
cut or abrasion and cause a pustule there. Infection takes D6 hours after contact. This pustular
infection has only a 40% chance of being localized by the defenses of the body. If unsuccessful,
the infection causes septicemia. The signs and symptoms sudden high fever (up to 104 degrees),
difficulty breathing, and chest pain. Diagnosis of the problem requires a medical doctor roll
against difficult odds roll and treatment is against improbable odds. If unsuccessful, the player
character dies in another D6 day(s).

Infection From Bites


Rabies is the most feared virus in deadEarth because the likelihood that you will encounter a
mutated animal is greatly increased. It is transferred via salvia from a bite or scratch. The signs
and symptoms are malaise, fever, chills, headache, anorexia, fatigue, and severe emotional
instability. The effects are felt D6 minutes after contact. They give you a minus three to all rolls for
three days. If you are not treated by a doctor (improbable odds) you go into the next and final
stage. You have D6 hours before you go into the final stage. The final stage causes you to go
insane. The Game Master rolls a D6 to tell your fate. On a 1 you run off in an uncontrolled
manner screaming; on a 2 you start to get better and will fully recover in D6 days; on a 3 you start
combat with the person that is to your right. You fight until the person is killed or you can't fight
any more; on a 4 you start combat with the person that is to the left of you with the same
conditions outlined above; on a 5 you experience a heart attack. You suffer a minus ten to all
rolls. You fall to your feet and a medic must beat an improbable odds roll to save you; and on a 6
you start combat with all the people in your group with the same conditions outlined above. There
is no other treatment or means of diagnosis.

Lyme Disease is transferred via a bite of a deadEarth tick. The organism that lives in the tick
inhabits you because you turn out to be a better food supply. The signs and symptoms show up
within D6 days after the bite and include a red, inflamed circle around the bite spot. This causes
the victim to have a minus one to all rolls because all the scratching you will do, for two days.
Next you suffer severe head pain which causes a minus five for all problems solving related skill

Page 91 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

rolls for one month. There is no treatment so the disease must run its course. This headache is
so bad that you can barely function. There is no diagnosis needed.

Another disease that inoculates you from a tick bite is called Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever from
the bug Rickettsia rickettsii. The incubation period for this bug is four days after the bite has
occurred. Onset of disease is abrupt, with severe headache, prostration, muscle pains particularly
in the back and legs, nausea, occasional vomiting, and fever reaching 104 degrees. You receive
a minus five to all rolls for three weeks. You are unable to move so you must spend most of your
time in bed. The main means for identification is the characteristic red rash that begins on your
ankles, soles of feet, palms, forearms and spreads inward. Diagnosis requires beating an
average odds roll and treatment is successful with a difficult odds roll.

Yellow fever is an arbovirus, which means it can reproduce in arthropods (mainly mosquitoes but
other insects too) and humans. After being bit by a insect, the virus spreads to the local lymph
nodes, where it multiplies; from the lymph nodes, it advances to the liver, spleen, kidney, and
heart, where it can persist for D6 days. At this time the signs and symptoms include slight fever,
chills, headache, and backache followed by nausea and vomiting. These affects translate into a
minus three to all skill rolls for D6 day(s). The next phase turns the player character yellow
(jaundice) from liver damage from the "bug." After this phase the player character must roll a D6.
One through three means that the damage was too much for the body and they die and agonizing
death in D6 hour(s). Four through six means that the player character survives with a permanent
minus D6 to all skill rolls because the disease makes you a permanent host instead of killing you.

Malaria is transmitted to a player character by an infected insect, usually a mosquito bite. There is
a D6 day(s) incubation period. The disease is characterized by severe chills and a high fever. The
organism that causes the disease is a sporozoan and called Plasmodium falciparum. The insect
carries the sporozoite form of the Plasmodium protozoa in its saliva. The sporozoite enters the
bloodstream of the bitten human and within about D6 minutes enters the liver cells. Once in the
liver, the disease causes the destruction of the cells, which affect the body systematically. The
effects cause the player character to have a minus five to all rolls and only a 25% of survival. Roll
percentiles to find what happens. If you survive, the result is a permanent minus D6 to all skill
rolls because the bacteria colonize you. If you come into direct contact with anyone else, they
have a 45% chance of becoming infected too. There is no treatment.

The Hunta Virus is another feared disease that is caused by being bit by an infected animal, like a
mouse though the Game Master can infect you by other creatures. The signs and symptoms start
D6 hrs. after contact and include being unable to breathe, high fever, nausea, and severe fatigue.
The result is that you receive a minus three for all rolls for 2D6 months. Next, you recover with a
permanent minus three to all rolls. There is no treatment.

Milkborne Disease
A disease that can contract from drinking tainted milk is Brucellosis. The signs and symptoms of
this infection are a high fever (101 to 104 degrees), muscular stiffness, gastric problems, and
neurological problems. These conditions cause a minus two to all rolls and a minus D6 physical
related rolls. These conditions result for D6 month(s). No other treatment is available.

Nose and Throat Infections


Chronic Rhinitis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nose. Chronic Rhinitis is a
recurrent upper respiratory infection caused by any one of a number of diseases--sinusitis, nasal
blockage from a deviated septum, bad climate, continuous exposure to dust and other noxious
materials, sensitivity to air pollution, and overuse of decongestants. If you encounter any one of
these conditions you receive an additional 30% chance of contraction. Smoking is the greatest
threat so if you have this habit you receive a 70% chance of contraction. The signs and

Page 92 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

symptoms include obstructed nasal breathing, constant nasal discharge, postnasal drip, mouth
breathing, sore throat, pharyngitis, some loss of smell and therefore loss of taste with intermittent
headaches. These conditions give you a minus two for all skill rolls and a minus D6 to all running
rolls. These stipulations begin one day after infection has taken affect and last for 2D6 weeks.
Diagnosis requires beating difficult odds by a doctor and treatment can be successful if medical
personnel beats difficult odds again. If triumphant the person will recover in D6 days. If the
treatment or diagnosis was not productive the person will suffer these effects until the right
treatment is given or diagnosed properly. This disease is not contagious.

Hay fever and allergic rhinitis is caused by an airborne pollen, fungus spores, and molds. Spring
hay fever is due to tree pollen such as oak, maple, cottonwood, and others. Summer hay fever is
due to grass pollen, including wheat and corn, as well as fungus spores, rusts, and smuts. The
other types like ragweed pollen, house dust, animal dander and furs, some foods, feathers, and
drugs can contribute to infection. The signs and symptoms include a profuse, thin watery nasal
discharge, violent sneezing, excessive tearing, and itching of the nose, roof of the mouth, and
sore throat. These conditions translate into a minus one to all rolls. These effects occur D6
minutes after person comes into contact with substance. Effects last for D6 hours and dissipate
without any complications. No treatment exists. You have an additional 50% chance of passing
infecting agent to other people by sneezing on them.

Page 93 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

APPENDIX ONE
Reference Materials
A list of available reference materials on radiation physics, nuclear war, survival skills, and other
topics related to deadEarth follows. This list is an ongoing effort; please feel free to contact us
with any additions you think are appropriate.

Radiation physics texts

• "The Physics of Radiology," 4th Ed. 1983, by Harold E. Johns and John R. Cunningham
• "The Physics of Radiation Therapy," 2nd Ed. 1994, by Faiz M. Khan
• "Introduction to Radiological Physics and Radiation Dosimetry," 1986, by Frank H. Attix

Radiation physics technical journals


• Medical Physics
• International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, and Physics
• Radiology

Nuclear war
These books on nuclear war may be available through amazon.com. Some are out of print.

Environmental effects

• "Ecological and Demographic Consequences of a Nuclear War," by U. M. Svirezhev


• "Environmental Consequences of Nuclear War : Ecological and Agricultural Effects," 2nd
Ed. 1989, by Mark A. Harwell and Thomas C. Hutchinson
• "Environmental Consequences of Nuclear War : Physical and Atmospheric Effects," 2nd
Ed. 1989, by A. Barrie Pittock and Thomas P. Ackerman
• "Nuclear Winter : The Human and Environmental Consequences of Nuclear War," 1986,
by Mark A. Harwell
• "The Aftermath : The Human and Ecological Consequences of Nuclear War," by Jeannie
Peterson (Editor)
• "The Effects of Nuclear War," by Peter Sharfman
• "The Effects of Nuclear War," 1979, by United States Congress Office of Technology
Assessment

Biological effects

• "Effects of Nuclear War on Health and Health Services," 2nd Ed. 1987
• "Medical Effects of Nuclear War," 1991
• "The Medical Implications of Nuclear War," 1986
• "Nuclear Weapons and Nuclear War : A Source Book for Health Professionals"
• "Radiological Effect of Nuclear War," (British Journal of Radiology 1983)
• "Psychological Aspects of Nuclear War," by James A. Thompson
• "The Human Cost of Nuclear War"

Survival skills

Page 94 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

• "Nuclear War Survival Skills," 2nd Ed. 1988, by Cresson H. Kearny


• "Unofficial Nuclear War Survivors Guide : Or How Toendure It Without Really Frying,"
1983, by R. James
• "What You Must Do to Eliminate the Danger of Nuclear War," 1984, by NWS Research
• "Survive the Coming Nuclear War," by Ronald Cruit
• "Nuclear War Survival," by Duncan Long

Others

• "Life After Nuclear War," 1982


• "Nuclear War: Scientists' Perception"
• "Nuclear War : The Facts on Our Survival," by Peter Goodwin
• "Nuclear War Atlas," by William Bunge
• "Risks of Unintentional Nuclear War," 1983, by Daniel Frei

Internet resources
Visit the deadEarth web site and from the menu choose site > link directory.

Page 95 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

APPENDIX TWO
Conversion Tables
It’s weird, but I know the metric measurement system almost as well as I know the
Imperial/United States system of measurement, but when it came time to write deadEarth, for
some reason I went with the Imperial/United States system of measurement. To help the rest of
the world cope with my idiocy, I’ve included a series conversion tables. These should more than
cover your needs for playing deadEarth.

Length

US/imp >> Metric Metric >> US/imp

1 Inch (US) 25.40005 mm 1 mm 0.03937 in (US)

1 Inch (imp) 25.39996 mm 1 mm 0.03937 in (imp)

1 Foot (US) 0.3048006 m 1m 3.28083 ft (US)

1 Foot (imp) 0.3047995 m 1m 3.28083 ft (imp)

1 Yard (US) 0.9144018 m 1m 1.093611 yd (US)

1 Yard (imp) 0.9143984 m 1m 1.093611 yd (imp)

1 Mile (US) 1.609347 km 1 km 0.6213699 mi (US)

1 Mile (imp) 1.609341 km 1 km 0.6213724 mi (imp)

1 Nautical mile (imp) 1.853181 km 1 km 0.5396127 n.mi (imp)

Area

US/imp >> Metric Metric >> US/imp

1 Acre (US) 0.4046873 ha 1 ha 2.471044 acre (US)

1 Acre (imp) 0.4046842 ha 1 ha 2.4711 acre (imp)


2 2
1 Square inch (US) 6.451626 cm 1 cm 0.1549997 sq. in (US)
2 2
1 Square inch (imp) 6.451578 cm 1 cm 0.1550 sq.in (imp)
2 2
1 Square foot (US) 0.09290341 m 1m 10.76387 sq.ft (US)
2 2
1 Square foot (imp) 0.09290272 m 1m 10.7639 sq.ft (imp)
2 2
1 Square yard (US) 0.8361307 m 1m 1.195985 sq.yd (US)
2 2
1 Square yard (imp) 0.8361245 m 1m 1.1960 sq.yd (imp)
2 2
1 Square mile (US) 2.589998 km 1 km 0.3861006 sq.mi (US)

Page 96 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

2 2
1 Square mile (imp) 2.589979 km 1 km 0.3861 sq.mi (imp)

Volume

US/imp >> Metric Metric >> US/imp

1 Cubic inch (US) 16.38670 ml 1 ml 0.06102509 cu.in (US)

1 Cubic inch (imp) 16.38698 ml 1 ml 0.0610241 cu.in (imp)

1 Cubic foot (US) 28.31702 l 1l 0.03531544 cu.ft (US)

1 Cubic foot (imp) 28.31670 l 1l 0.0353148 cu.ft (imp)


3 3
1 Cubic yard (US) 0.7645594 m 1m 1.307943 cu.yd (US)
3 3
1 Cubic yard (imp) 0.7645509 m 1m 1.307957 cu.yd (imp)

1 Bushel (US) 35.23829 l 1l 0.0283782 bu (US)

1 Bushel (imp) 36.36770 l 1l 0.02749692 bu (imp)

1 Gallon (US) 3.785329 l 1l 0.2641779 gal (US)

1 Gallon (imp) 4.545963 l 1l 0.2199754 gal (imp)

1 Liquid pint (US) 0.2731661 l 1l 2.113423 liq.pt (US)

1 Pint (imp) 0.5682454 l 1l 1.759803 pt (imp)

Mass

US/imp >> Metric Metric >> US/imp

1Grain (US) 64.79892 mg 1 mg 0.01543236 gr (US)

1Grain (imp) 64.79892 mg 1 mg 0.01543236 gr (imp)

1Ounce (US) 28.34953 g 1g 0.03527396 oz av. (US)

1Ounce (imp) 28.34953 g 1g 0.03527396 oz av. (imp)

1Pound (US) 0.4535924 kg 1 kg 2.204622 lb av. (US)

1Pound (imp) 0.4535924 kg 1 kg 2.204622 lb av. (imp)

1Short hundredweight
45.35924 kg 1 kg 0.02204622 sh.cwt (US)
(US)

1Cental (imp) 45.35924 kg 1 kg 0.02204622 ctl (imp)

1Long ton (US) 1.016047 t 1t 0.9842064 l.tn (US)

Page 97 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

1Ton (imp) 1.016047 t 1t 0.9842064 tn (imp)

Pressure

>>>> >>>>

1Pound force per -2


68.94758 mb 1 mb 0.01450377 lb in
square inch
-2 -2
1 mb 100 Nm 1 Nm 0.01 mb

Energy

>>>> >>>>

1 British thermal unit


0.25225 kcal15 1 kcal15 3.9643 BTUmean
(BTU)

1 cal15 4.1855 J 1J 0.23892 cal15

1 MJ 0.27 kWh 1 kWh 3.6 MJ

1 Horsepower 0.7354988 kW 1 kW 1.359622 HP

Heat Capacity

>>>> >>>>
o o o o
1 BTU/lb F 1.00065 cal/g C 1cal/g C 0.99935 BTU/lb F
o o
1 BTU/lb F 4186.8 J/kg*K(Kelvin) 1 J/g*K 0.2388 BTU/lb F

Miscellaneous

>>>> >>>>

1 Grain per gallon US 17.118424 ppm 1 ppm 0.05841659 gr/gal

1 Pounds per gallon


11.9828968 % 1% 0.083452274 lb/gal
US

1 Pound per square 2 2 2


0.070306685 kg/cm 1 kg/cm 14.22337 lb/in
inch US

Temperature

Kelvin Celcius Fahrenheit Reaumur

Page 98 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

273.15 0 32 0

283.15 10 50 8

293.15 20 68 16

303.15 30 86 24

313.15 40 104 32

323.15 50 122 40

333.15 60 140 48

343.15 70 158 56

353.15 80 176 64

363.15 90 194 72

373.15 100 212 80

International System of Base Units (The seven base units):

Time

The second is the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the
transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.

Mass

The kilogram is defined as a mass equal to that of the International Prototype Kilogram - a
platinum-iridium cylinder which in 1889 replaced the previous platinum protype matching the
mass of 1 cubic decimetre of pure water at the temperature of its maximum density (4.0° C/39.2°
F)).

Length

The metre was 1960 redefined as 1,650,763.73 wavelengths of the reddish-orange light emitted
by the isotope krypton-86. The metre was again redefined in 1983 as the length of the path
travelled by light in a vacuum during a time interval of 1/299,792,458 of a second.

Temperature

Since 1960 the temperature scale is based on the triple point of water. The triple point of a
substance is the temperature and pressure at which its solid, liquid, and gas forms are in
equilibrium. The temperature of 273.16 K (kelvins) was assigned to this point. The freezing point
of water was designated as 273.15 K, equalling exactly 0° on the Celsius temperature scale. The
Celsius scale has been redefined in terms of Kelvin temperatures, so that now absolute zero, 0 K,
is at -273.15° C. As a consequence the freezing and boiling points of water are at present
determined as 0° C and 99.974° C respectively.

Ampere

Page 99 8/19/00
deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

The ampere was defined as the constant electric current that, flowing in two straight parallel
conductors of infinite length, of negligible circular cross-section, and placed one metre apart in a
vacuum, would produce between these conductors a force equal to 2 × 10-7 newton per metre of
length.

Mole

In 1971 the mole was defined as the amount of substance of a system that contains as many
elementary entities—which may be molecules, atoms, ions, and so on—as there are atoms in
23
0.012 kilogram of carbon-12. This number, known as Avogadro’s Number, is about 6.022 × 10 .

Light

In 1979 the candela was redefined as the luminous intensity, in a given direction, of a source that
12
emits monochromatic radiation of frequency 540 × 10 hertz (cycles per second) and that has a
radiant intensity of (1/638) watt per steradian.

International System of Supplementary Units (Two supplementary units):

Radian

The radian is the plane angle between two radii of a circle that cut off on the circumference an arc
equal in length to the radius.

Steradian

The steradian is the solid angle that, having its vertex at the centre of a sphere, cuts off an area
of the surface of the sphere equal to that of a square with sides of length equal to the radius of
the sphere. The radian and the steradian are classed as derived units.

Derived Units (Nine common units derived from SI base units)

Area square meter m2


Volume cubic meter m3
Velocity meter per second m/s
Acceleration meter per second squared m/s2
Density kilogram per cubic meter kg/m3
Current density ampere per square meter A/m2
Magnetic field strength ampere per meter A/m
Specific volume cubic meter per kilogram m3/kg
Luminance candela per square meter cd/m2

Derived Units assigned special names (Units derived from SI base and supplementary units):

Frequency hertz Hz 1/s


Force newton N kg·m/s2
Pressure/stress pascal Pa N/m2
Energy/work/quantity of heat joule J N·m
Power watt W J/s
Quantity of electricity coulomb C A·s
Electric potential volt V W/A

Page 100 8/19/00


deadEarth Game Master’s Handbook

Capacitance farad F G/V


Electric resistance ohm W V/A
Conductance siemens S A/V
Magnetic flux weber Wb V·s
Magnetic flux density tesla T Wb/m2
Inductance henry H Wb/A
Luminous flux lumen lm cd·sr
Illuminance lux lx lm/m2
Activity of radionuclides becquerel Bq 1/s
Absorbed dose gray Gy J/kg
Dose equivalent sievert Sv J/kg

Page 101 8/19/00

Das könnte Ihnen auch gefallen