Scavenging is the deliberate act of searching an area for useful supplies, materials, and valuables. It is a core survival mechanic — the Wasteland doesn’t hand you what you need, you have to find it.
Scavenging is distinct from exploration (the GM describing what’s in the environment) and looting (taking items from containers, bodies, or obvious sources that the GM has placed). Scavenging is what happens when a player says “I want to search this place for anything useful” — an active, time-consuming effort to dig through rubble, check hidden compartments, pick through wreckage, and identify valuables that aren’t immediately obvious.
Two Contexts for Scavenging
Quick Scavenge (During Play)
A Quick Scavenge is performed during normal gameplay when the party is in a location and a player wants to search for supplies.
Time Cost: The GM determines how long a Quick Scavenge takes based on the area being searched — a single room might take a few minutes, a whole floor might take 30 minutes, a small building might take an hour.
Scope: A Quick Scavenge covers a specific area — one room, one floor, one vehicle, one stretch of road. It’s a fast pass, not a thorough sweep.
Perk Bonuses: Scavenging perks apply at half their bonus during a Quick Scavenge (rounded down, minimum 1).
Rest Scavenge (Long Rest Activity)
A Rest Scavenge is a comprehensive search performed during a Long Rest. You spend the entire rest period (approximately 6 hours) systematically searching the surrounding area.
Time Cost: Your entire Long Rest activity. You do not Sleep — no HP recovery or injury mending.
Scope: A Rest Scavenge covers a wide area — the surrounding region of your camp, the world map tile you’re resting in, or a large fixed location. It is far more thorough than a Quick Scavenge.
Perk Bonuses: Scavenging perks apply at full effect during a Rest Scavenge.
How to Scavenge
Step 1: Declare Your Search
Tell the GM you want to scavenge. You may optionally declare a Focus Category — the specific type of loot you’re prioritizing. Declaring a Focus makes that category easier to find but makes all other categories harder.
| Focus Category | What You’re Looking For |
|---|---|
| Food & Water | Edible food, clean water, cooking ingredients, preserved goods |
| Medicine & Chems | Stimpaks, chems, medical supplies, first aid materials |
| Ammunition | Bullets, energy cells, fusion cores, missiles |
| Caps & Valuables | Caps, pre-war money, jewelry, trade goods, sellable items |
| Scrap & Components | Common/Uncommon/Rare Scrap for crafting and repair |
| General (no focus) | No DC adjustment. Search for everything equally. |
Focus Effect:
- -2 DC on your focused category (easier to find)
- +2 DC on all other categories (harder to find — you’re tunnel-visioning)
Declaring a Focus does not prevent you from finding other items. It shifts the DCs to favor your chosen category, but a high enough roll still qualifies you for other categories.
Step 2: Roll the Scavenge Test
Roll once:
d20 + PER mod + Survival
Compare your result against every Category DC at the location simultaneously.
Step 3: Determine What You Find
You receive loot from every category whose DC you met or exceeded.
A single roll unlocks multiple categories. The higher you roll, the more categories you qualify for — including scarcer, more valuable items.
| Roll Result | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Exceeds all Category DCs | You find items from every available category |
| Exceeds some Category DCs | You find items from each category you qualified for |
| Below all Category DCs | You find minimal scraps — 1 Common Scrap or 1d6 caps |
| CRIT | You qualify for all categories you beat, plus a bonus discovery — an item of unusual value or rarity not normally in the loot pool |
| CRITFAIL | You find nothing. Something bad happens — trigger a trap, disturb a creature, damage a tool, create noise, waste extra time |
Category DCs
Each location has a Category DC for each type of loot, determined by the location’s base quality and the abundance of each category at that location.
Category DC = Base DC + Abundance Modifier
Base DC by Location Quality
| Location Quality | Base DC | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Rich | 10 | Untouched pre-war building, sealed vault, military armory |
| Moderate | 13 | Partially looted ruin, settlement outskirts, abandoned camp |
| Poor | 16 | Heavily scavenged area, well-traveled road, picked-over building |
| Barren | 19 | Empty desert, irradiated wasteland, already scavenged by the party |
Abundance Modifier
| Abundance Level | DC Modifier | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Abundant | -4 | This place is full of this type of loot |
| Common | -2 | A reasonable amount can be found here |
| Standard | 0 | Neither easy nor hard to find |
| Scarce | +2 | Very little of this exists here |
| Unavailable | — | Cannot be found here regardless of roll |
Example: Abandoned Supermarket (Moderate Quality, Base DC 13)
| Category | Abundance | Category DC |
|---|---|---|
| Food | Abundant | 13 - 4 = 9 |
| Caps | Common | 13 - 2 = 11 |
| Medicine | Standard | 13 + 0 = 13 |
| Scrap | Scarce | 13 + 2 = 15 |
| Ammo | Unavailable | — |
A player rolls a 14. They beat Food (9), Caps (11), Medicine (13), but not Scrap (15). They find food, caps, and medicine — but no scrap or ammo.
A player rolls a 16. They beat everything available. They find food, caps, medicine, AND scrap.
A player rolls an 8. They don’t beat any DC. They find minimal scraps.
Example With Focus: Same Supermarket, Focused on Medicine
| Category | Base DC | Focus Adjustment | Final DC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food | 9 | +2 (not focused) | 11 |
| Caps | 11 | +2 (not focused) | 13 |
| Medicine | 13 | -2 (focused) | 11 |
| Scrap | 15 | +2 (not focused) | 17 |
A player rolls a 12. Without Focus, they’d only get Food (9) and Caps (11). With Medicine Focus, they also get Medicine (now DC 11). The Focus pulled Medicine into range of a mediocre roll — exactly what the player wanted.
But if they had rolled 16 without Focus, they’d get Food, Caps, Medicine, AND Scrap. With Focus, Scrap jumped to DC 17 and they miss it. That’s the tradeoff.
Loot Profiles by Location Type
The GM assigns abundance levels to each category based on the location. These suggested profiles can be used as-is or adjusted based on narrative context.
World Map Tile Types (for Rest Scavenge)
| Tile Type | Abundant | Common | Standard | Scarce | Unavailable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urban | Scrap, Caps | Ammo | Medicine | Food | — |
| Woods | Food | Scrap | — | Medicine, Ammo | Caps |
| Plains | Food | — | Scrap | Ammo, Caps | Medicine |
| Hills | Scrap | Food | — | Ammo | Medicine, Caps |
| Mountains | — | Scrap | — | Food, Caps | Medicine, Ammo |
| Wasteland | Scrap | Caps | — | Ammo | Food, Medicine |
| Swamp | Food | Medicine | — | Scrap | Ammo, Caps |
| River | Food | — | Scrap | — | Ammo, Caps, Medicine |
Fixed Location Types (for Quick Scavenge)
| Location Type | Abundant | Common | Standard | Scarce | Unavailable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supermarket | Food | Caps | Medicine | Scrap | Ammo |
| Hospital / Clinic | Medicine | Caps | — | Food, Scrap | Ammo |
| Military Base | Ammo | Scrap | Medicine | Caps | Food |
| Police Station | Ammo | Medicine | Caps | Scrap | Food |
| Factory / Workshop | Scrap | — | Caps | Ammo | Food, Medicine |
| Office Building | Caps | Scrap | — | Medicine | Food, Ammo |
| Residential | Food | Caps | Scrap | Medicine | Ammo |
| Gas Station | Scrap | Caps | Food | — | Medicine, Ammo |
| School / Library | Caps | — | Scrap | Food | Ammo, Medicine |
| Vault | Scrap, Medicine | Ammo | Caps | Food | — |
| Raider Camp | Ammo, Chems | Caps | Food | Scrap | — |
These profiles are guidelines. The GM should adjust based on narrative context — a hospital converted into a raider hideout might have Ammo as Common and Medicine as Scarce (the raiders used it all).
Group Scavenging
When multiple characters scavenge the same location, they split the searchable area between them. Each character searches a different section simultaneously.
How It Works
The GM determines the total loot pool for the location — the maximum amount of useful items that exist in the area, based on the location’s type, quality, and abundance profile. This is a rough estimate based on GM judgment, not a precise formula.
Each character rolls their own PER + Survival Test independently against the same set of Category DCs. This is not a Group Test — each character is searching a different section and gets their own result.
Distributing Finds
A character who beats a Category DC finds all available loot in that category from the location’s loot pool — not a fractional share. They searched the area thoroughly enough to locate those items. If three characters all beat the Food DC, the GM distributes the available food among them narratively, but the total food found is the same as if one person had searched.
If only one character beats the Medicine DC, that character finds all the medicine. The other characters weren’t skilled or perceptive enough to locate it in their sections.
Why Group Scavenging Matters
The advantage of multiple searchers is coverage across categories, not multiplied loot:
- Speed: A search that takes one character 30 minutes takes a group of 4 about 10 minutes
- Category coverage: One character might only beat Food and Caps. Another beats Food, Caps, and Medicine. A third beats everything. Together, the party unlocks every available category — something a single searcher would need a very high roll to accomplish alone.
- Perk coverage: Different characters’ scavenging perks pull bonus items from different categories simultaneously
Diminishing Returns
Having more than 2 characters scavenge the same location usually produces diminishing returns. The loot pool has a ceiling, and each additional searcher gives up time (during play) or a Long Rest activity that could be spent sleeping, repairing, or keeping lookout. One dedicated scavenger with high PER, Survival, and scavenging perks is usually enough to find most of what’s there.
Scavenging Perks
Scavenging perks provide bonus items on top of whatever the Scavenge Test yields. They trigger whenever you successfully qualify for loot in their relevant category.
| Perk | Effect (Rest Scavenge) | Effect (Quick Scavenge) |
|---|---|---|
| Can Do! (LUC 5, 3 ranks) | +1 random food item per rank | +1 food item (rank 1 only) |
| Pharma Farma (LUC 6, 3 ranks) | +1 random chem/medical item per rank | +1 chem/medical item (rank 1 only) |
| Scrounger (LUC 6, 3 ranks) | +additional ammo per rank | +some ammo (rank 1 only) |
| Fortune Finder (LUC 6, 3 ranks) | +1d6/1d12/1d20 caps per rank | +1d6 caps (rank 1 only) |
| Cap Collector (LUC 5, 3 ranks) | +1d6 caps per rank | +1d6 caps (rank 1 only) |
Perk bonuses only trigger if you qualified for that category. Can Do! doesn’t help if your roll didn’t beat the Food DC. The perks add extras to what you found — they don’t bypass the Category DC system.
Scavenging Milestones and Abilities
| Source | Effect |
|---|---|
| Wasteland Survivor (Survival +5) | Advantage on Scavenge Tests for Food & Water. Can identify edible plants and safe water sources automatically. Hunted/foraged food can be cooked for improved effects. |
| Appraiser’s Eye (Barter +10) | Once per Long Rest when scavenging, find one item of Uncommon or higher rarity that would not normally be found. Identify the most valuable item in any area at a glance. |
| Scrapper (Repair perk, 2 ranks) | Rank 1: Salvage Uncommon Scrap when scavenging. Rank 2: Salvage Rare Scrap. Without Scrapper, you can only find Common Scrap. |
Scrap Tiers
Scrap found through scavenging comes in three tiers. Access to higher tiers is gated by the Scrapper perk.
| Tier | Required Perk | Used For |
|---|---|---|
| Common Scrap | None | Basic repairs, simple crafting |
| Uncommon Scrap | Scrapper Rank 1 | Advanced repairs, weapon/armor mods |
| Rare Scrap | Scrapper Rank 2 | High-end crafting, rare modifications |
Without the Scrapper perk, you can only find and use Common Scrap. Higher-tier scrap may physically be present, but you lack the knowledge to identify and salvage it.
The Role of LUC in Scavenging
LUC affects scavenging through two mechanisms:
Perk access: Every scavenging perk requires LUC 5 or 6. A character with low LUC cannot invest in these perks, limiting their bonus item output.
Loot quality: When the GM determines specific items found, LUC can guide loot quality. A high-LUC character who qualifies for Medicine might find a Stimpak where a low-LUC character finds bandages. The GM uses LUC as a guide for “how lucky is this find?” without requiring additional rolls.
The ideal scavenger has high PER (pass the Scavenge Test reliably), high Survival (boost the Test), high LUC (access scavenging perks and better quality finds), and Scrapper (access higher scrap tiers). No single attribute makes a great scavenger — it requires breadth.
Scavenging vs Looting vs Butchering
| Action | What It Is | When It Happens | Mechanic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Looting | Taking items from containers, bodies, or obvious sources the GM placed | After combat, during exploration | No test — the GM tells you what’s there |
| Scavenging | Actively searching for hidden or non-obvious supplies | Player declares a search, or during Long Rest | PER + Survival vs Category DCs |
| Butchering | Harvesting materials from defeated creatures | After defeating a creature | END + Survival Test |
| Dismantling | Harvesting materials from defeated robots or vehicles | After defeating a robot or vehicle | INT + Repair Test |
GM Guidance
Setting Up a Location for Scavenging
When the party wants to scavenge, the GM needs three things:
- Location Quality (Rich/Moderate/Poor/Barren) → determines Base DC
- Loot Profile (abundance per category) → determines Category DCs
- Rough loot pool (what specific items are available) → determines what the players actually receive
The loot profile can be pulled from the suggested tables or customized. The loot pool is a rough mental list — “this supermarket has about 4 canned goods, 2 boxes of snack cakes, 20 caps in the registers, a Stimpak in the pharmacy, and some scrap from the shelving.” No need to write it all down — just have a sense of what’s here.
Narrating Results
A successful scavenge should feel rewarding and immersive. Don’t just say “you find 3 food and a Stimpak.” Describe WHERE they found it:
- “Behind a collapsed shelf in the back room, you find a dusty first aid kit with a Stimpak still sealed inside.”
- “Under the floorboards of the old house, you discover a pre-war cash box with 42 caps.”
- “In the engine compartment of a wrecked truck, you salvage enough copper wiring and screws for 3 units of Common Scrap.”
CRITFAIL Consequences
Suggested consequences for a CRITFAIL:
- Trigger a hidden trap (bear trap, tripwire grenade, rigged door)
- Disturb a creature nesting in the area (radroach swarm, mole rat den)
- Break a tool or damage equipment
- Create noise that alerts nearby enemies
- Waste significantly more time than intended
- Collapse unstable structure (minor damage, blocked exit)
Quick Reference
Scavenge Test: Roll PER + Survival once. Compare result to each Category DC at the location. You receive loot from every category whose DC you met or exceeded.
Category DC = Base DC + Abundance Modifier
Location Quality Base DC Rich 10
Abundance Modifier Abundant -4 Focus: -2 DC on focused category, +2 DC on all others.
Group Scavenging: Each character rolls independently against the same Category DCs. Loot pool is finite — more searchers means faster and more reliable, not more total loot. A character who beats a Category DC finds all available items in that category.