Scrap is the universal mechanical resource in the Wasteland. It abstracts all mechanical components into three tiers of increasing rarity and value.
Scrap Tiers
| Tier | Scarcity | Examples | Primary Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| ⚪ Common Scrap | Very Abundant | Screws, duct tape, cloth, wood, rubber, basic metal | Repair Kit refills, basic crafting, Bandages, Stimpaks, Fix (robots) |
| 🟢 Uncommon Scrap | Moderate | Springs, gears, circuitry, fiberglass, glass, screws | Toolkit refills, Jet, Mentats, advanced mods, Fix (robots) |
| 🔵 Rare Scrap | Scarce | Military-grade components, gold, nuclear material, ballistic fiber | RadAway, Antibiotics, Psycho, high-end mods |
Scrap Demand Summary
Common Scrap
| Use | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Repair Kit refill | 3 per charge (15 full) | Primary demand driver |
| Fix (robot repair) | 5 per use | Field repair without kit charges |
| Bandages (via Antiseptic) | 2 total | 1 Common → Antiseptic, 1 Common + Antiseptic → 5 Bandages |
| Stimpak crafting | 1 per batch | Produces 2-3 Stimpaks |
| Antiseptic crafting | 1 per batch | Produces 2 Antiseptic |
| Jet crafting | 1 per batch | Also requires 2 Uncommon |
| Basic weapon/armor mods | Varies | GM-determined per mod |
| Improvised crafting | Varies | GM-determined |
Uncommon Scrap
| Use | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Toolkit refill | 3 per charge (15 full) | Primary demand driver |
| Fix (robot repair) | 3 per use | Alternative to 5 Common |
| Jet crafting | 2 per batch | Also requires 1 Common |
| Mentats crafting | 2 per batch | Also requires Brain Fungus |
| Advanced weapon/armor mods | Varies | GM-determined per mod |
Rare Scrap
| Use | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| RadAway crafting | 2 per batch | Also requires Pure Water + Glowing Fungus |
| Antibiotics crafting | 2 per batch | Also requires 2 Glowing Fungus + Pure Water + Stimpak |
| Psycho crafting | 1 per batch | Also requires Stimpak + 2 Hubflower |
| High-end weapon/armor mods | Varies | GM-determined per mod |
Scrap Sources
| Source | Method | Yields |
|---|---|---|
| Scavenging | Exploring locations during 🏕 Long Rest or downtime | All tiers (location-dependent) |
| Dismantling items | Workbench, auto-success | Common (default), Uncommon/Rare with Scrapper perk |
| Dismantling robots | INT + 🔧 Repair Test | All tiers (robot quality-dependent, Scrapper for higher tiers) |
| Trading | Buy from merchants | All tiers (Rare is expensive) |
| Looting | Found on enemies, in containers | All tiers (Common most frequent) |
GM Guidelines for Scrap Availability
Common Scrap should be easy to find. Almost any location has junk that yields Common Scrap. A typical scavenging session should yield 5-10 Common. Players should rarely feel starved for Common Scrap — the tension comes from deciding what to spend it on, not whether they have any.
Uncommon Scrap requires effort. Technical locations (workshops, military bases, labs) yield more Uncommon. A typical scavenging session in a good location yields 3-5 Uncommon. Players should feel the cost of Toolkit refills and chem crafting — they need to actively seek out Uncommon Scrap or dismantle valuable items.
Rare Scrap is a find. High-tech locations (military installations, research labs, vaults) are the primary source. A typical scavenging session might yield 0-2 Rare Scrap. Players should celebrate finding Rare Scrap and agonize over spending it. The Scrapper perk (Rank 2) is the primary way to generate Rare Scrap reliably through dismantling.
Design Guidelines for New Recipes
When creating new recipes that consume Scrap, follow these guidelines:
| Recipe Power Level | Common | Uncommon | Rare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic (common consumables, simple repairs) | 1-3 | 0 | 0 |
| Moderate (useful chems, advanced consumables) | 0-1 | 1-3 | 0 |
| Advanced (powerful chems, rare items) | 0 | 0-1 | 1-2 |
| Kit refills | 3/charge | 3/charge | — |
Recipes should generally cost 2-5 total Scrap across all tiers. Recipes costing more than 5 total Scrap should be rare and produce proportionally powerful results.