🔍 Scavenging & Artifacts Reference
The wasteland is littered with remnants of the old world. Some items are valuable, some are dangerous, and some are worthless junk. Knowing what to look for and where to find it can mean the difference between prosperity and starvation.
💰 Item Value Tiers
| Tier | Trade Value | Examples | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junk | 1-5 caps | Bent nails, broken glass, rusty cans, scrap cloth | Everywhere |
| Common | 5-25 caps | Scrap metal, duct tape, wire, basic tools | Very common |
| Uncommon | 25-100 caps | Working electronics, ammunition, clean water filters | Moderate |
| Rare | 100-500 caps | Pre-war weapons, medical supplies, functional tech | Uncommon |
| Very Rare | 500+ caps | Power armor parts, advanced technology, rare chems | Very rare |
💡 GM Tip: Value is relative. In a water-scarce region, a working water filter is priceless. Near a vault with purifiers, it's common.
Adjust values based on local scarcity and demand.
☢️ Radiation Levels
| Level | Rads/Hour | Effects | Safe Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Safe | 0-10 | None. Background radiation only. | Indefinite |
| Low | 10-50 | Minor nausea after prolonged exposure. Geiger counter clicks occasionally. | Several hours |
| Moderate | 50-150 | Headaches, fatigue, radiation sickness if unprotected. Visible contamination (green glow). | 1-2 hours |
| High | 150-500 | Severe radiation sickness, hair loss, vomiting. Hazmat suit required. Geiger counter screaming. | 15-30 minutes |
| Extreme | 500+ | Lethal without power armor or mutations. Permanent damage in seconds. Visible radiation (glow, particles). | Minutes |
⚠️ Warning: Many valuable items are found in highly radioactive areas. High-value scavenging requires protective gear, rad-away drugs,
or beneficial mutations. Risk vs. reward is the scavenger's constant calculation.
📍 Scavenging Locations
| Location Type | Common Finds | Rare Finds | Typical Radiation | Dangers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urban Ruins | Scrap metal, cloth, building materials, books | Safes, weapons, jewelry, electronics | Low | Structural collapse, raiders, feral ghouls |
| Military Bases | Ammunition, MREs, tactical gear, sandbags | Power armor, plasma weapons, classified documents | Moderate | Automated defenses, unexploded ordnance, security robots |
| Hospitals | Medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, surgical tools | Experimental drugs, rare medicines, cybernetics | Low | Disease, feral ghouls, medical experiments gone wrong |
| Shopping Malls | Clothing, consumer goods, food (spoiled), mannequins | Luxury items, electronics, jewelry stores | Safe | Raider camps, structural damage, rival scavengers |
| Industrial Sites | Chemicals, tools, machinery parts, fuel residue | Functional vehicles, industrial robots, rare metals | Moderate | Toxic chemicals, machinery accidents, contamination |
| Nuclear Sites | Irradiated everything, glowing waste, mutant creatures | Nuclear material, advanced tech, mutation samples | Extreme | Instant death without protection, super mutants, rad-storms |
| Residential Areas | Household goods, basic tools, furniture, photos | Hidden valuables, personal weapons, emergency supplies | Safe | Squatters, minor structural hazards, trapped doors |
| Vehicles | Scrap metal, tires, car batteries, seats | Fuel tanks (intact), vehicle computers, cargo contents | Low | Explosive fuel tanks, raiders using as shelter, booby traps |
🎲 Random Scavenging Tables
Junk Pile Contents (d20)
| 1-4 | Rusty scrap metal (common) |
| 5-8 | Broken electronics (parts salvageable) |
| 9-11 | Tattered clothing/fabric |
| 12-14 | Empty containers (bottles, cans) |
| 15-16 | Working tool (wrench, screwdriver, etc.) |
| 17-18 | Useful chemical (adhesive, solvent) |
| 19 | Ammunition (1d6 rounds) |
| 20 | Valuable find (GM choice, uncommon tier) |
Dangerous Finds (d12)
| 1-2 | Explosive trap (grenade rigged to box) |
| 3-4 | Highly irradiated (+100 rads) |
| 5-6 | Toxic chemical leak (poison gas) |
| 7-8 | Unstable structure (collapse risk) |
| 9 | Nest of mutant insects |
| 10 | Raider stash (they're coming back) |
| 11 | Diseased corpse (infection risk) |
| 12 | Active robot on standby mode |
🔧 Salvageable Components
Many seemingly worthless items can be broken down into useful components for crafting and repair.
| Component | Found In | Used For | Trade Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scrap Metal | Vehicles, appliances, buildings, furniture | Armor repair, building, weapon modification | 2-5 caps/pound |
| Circuitry | Electronics, computers, robots, appliances | Repairing tech, upgrading weapons, trading | 10-20 caps |
| Adhesive | Duct tape, glue, certain plants (mutated) | Crafting, repairs, modifications | 5-15 caps |
| Copper Wire | Electronics, motors, lamps, walls | Electrical repairs, traps, trading | 3-8 caps |
| Glass | Windows, bottles, lab equipment, mirrors | Optics, chemical containers, fiber optics | 1-5 caps |
| Plastic | Containers, toys, packaging, electronics | Crafting, insulation, lightweight repairs | 1-3 caps |
| Rubber | Tires, hoses, seals, boots, gloves | Sealing, insulation, crafting | 2-6 caps |
| Gears/Springs | Clocks, machinery, toys, weapons | Weapon mods, mechanical repairs, traps | 5-15 caps |
💡 Scavenging Tips
Check Everything: Seemingly worthless locations often hide valuable items. Toilet tanks contain clean water.
Desk drawers hide ammunition. Ovens protect documents from fire damage.
Weight vs. Value: A handful of screws (5 lbs) worth 10 caps is worse than one energy cell (0.1 lbs) worth 25 caps.
Consider carrying capacity.
Know Your Market: Items worthless in one settlement are priceless in another.
Water filters are cheap near vaults but valuable in desert settlements.
Timing Matters: Scavenge early morning (mutants sleep) or during rain (raiders seek shelter).
Avoid scavenging at night in high-danger areas.
Leave Markers: Mark picked-clean locations to avoid wasting time returning.
But don't mark them obviously - other scavengers will know you found something.
Containers Lie: First-aid boxes might contain duct tape. Military crates might hold toilet paper.
Pre-war people used whatever container was handy.
⚠️ Scavenging Dangers
Traps: Other scavengers protect their territories with traps. Raiders booby-trap valuable-looking containers.
Always check for tripwires, pressure plates, and unusual mechanisms.
Claim Jumpers: Finding something valuable attracts trouble. Other scavengers will kill for a working laser pistol. Be discrete about valuable finds.
Structural Hazards: Buildings are 200+ years old. Floors collapse. Stairs crumble. Roofs cave in. Test weight-bearing before committing.
Territorial Creatures: Mutants, ghouls, and animals make homes in ruins. Disturbing nests brings swarms. Recognize warning signs: bones, waste, unusual smells.
Claim Jumpers: Finding something valuable attracts trouble. Other scavengers will kill for a working laser pistol. Be discrete about valuable finds.
Structural Hazards: Buildings are 200+ years old. Floors collapse. Stairs crumble. Roofs cave in. Test weight-bearing before committing.
Territorial Creatures: Mutants, ghouls, and animals make homes in ruins. Disturbing nests brings swarms. Recognize warning signs: bones, waste, unusual smells.