The Manse: WASTED OSR Roleplaying Game

This is an OSR-ish dungeon crawling game based on the mechanics and setting of the Adult Swim Game WASTED- A post Apocalyptic pub crawler. Look, it even has Crawler in the name. Not only do I really enjoy this game on its own, but the system of gaining mutational hangovers from radioactive alcohol deep within Coolers fascinated me.

Oldschool Dungeons and Dragons had the similar concept, going into dungeons to become more powerful, and created a weird gameplay style where you might get involved in politics and warfare but the only way to get personally stronger is from dungeon delving. This game takes that idea and refines it for an in-universe reason for it.

In the 1980s, the world was consumed by nuclear war between the United States and the USSR, destroying all civilization. The smartest, richest, and most politically connected men and women sought to stay off the devastation by cryogenic freezing in the Cool-Air bomb shelters. Unfortunately, a radiation leak failure killed and mutated all within the Cooler's, and now only the stupid and violent wasters remain to carry on.

Welcome to the Western Wastes, the bombed out hell-hole that was once called California. There are many gangs and factions fighting for control of this place; trying to amass power in the form of wealth or might or influence.

But the most precious of all resources is locked up in the Cool-Air shelters; Booze. Radiation has infused the potent alcohol in the shelters, giving those who drink it mutational hangovers. Those who seek a drop of the good stuff are called Wasters. This is you, and what you're after.

Character Creation

First, roll your stats, then roll your character background. Stats are SHOTS

Shoot- Increases firearm damage and increases reload soak.

Hit- Increases melee damage and increases damage soak per combat encounter.

Oblit- Increases explosive damage and decreases explosive damage you take from traps.

Tinker- Increases energy weapons damage and increases your ability to craft and open locks.

Stealth- Increases the damage you deal on sneak attacks and how well you can sneak past enemies.

Roll 3d6 for each category. Each 6 is a +1, each 1 is a -1, the total is the stat's modifier.

Character Backgrounds

Your character has experience and a background from before they became a Waster. Roll 1d12

(1) Generic Raider

There are hundreds of tiny, insignificant raider gangs all over the Western Wastes. Mostly just an excuse to hang out and shoot at people, raiders are a common threat in the wastes to travelers and Cooler Runners alike.

Perhaps your gang was disbanded, absorbed by another you didn't agree with, or you just wanted to ditch your guys to find someone better to dive for Booze with.

Gain +1 Hit and choose a positive quirk for one of your starting weapons.

(2) Tater Farmer

Once, you tried to make an honest living. You farmed Taters, hunted mutants for their meat, crafted scrap and so on. Just to get your daily TP.

Your ranch was overrun by mutants, taken by raiders, maybe you lost your job or couldn't take the boring life anymore. You took your life savings, and became a Waster.

Gain +300 Starting TP

(3) Bartender

Alcohol is the lifeblood of the wastes, and you make it special. Most bartenders are from Barstown, and though the swill they create there isn't as good as the stuff deep in the Coolers, its still welcome to any strung out waster.

Perhaps you sampled too much from the tap over there and got kicked out, or maybe you're seeking some excitement or new tastes in the coolers.

You can attempt to identify the effects of a flask. The DM will secretly roll a 1d6. On a roll of 5 or 6, you'll know what the flask's buzz effect is. On a roll of 1 you'll get a misleading false positive. On a 2, 3, or 4, you won't learn anything.

(4) Culture Vultures

Some wasters value the old world more then others. The Culture Vultures are a gang of fashion-friendly raiders who like to collect, buy, and sell outfits and clothes from the past era, as well as anything else they happen to find.

You might have accidentally stained your leader's favorite shirt, or scavenging dead bodies for their clothing wasn't lucrative enough for you. You maybe just dreamed of finding a pristine outfit, wrinkle-free somewhere down in a Cooler.

You start with an outfit that grants +4 total stat points. It is ruined once you take damage to your health while wearing it. Plus start with +100 TP

(5) Road Couriers

The Road Couriers are a neutral gang all about delivering packages and mail throughout the western wastes.

You may have become too friendly with a gang that compromised your neutral position. Maybe you took something valuable from a package instead of delivering it, or maybe you just got thirsty after all that time delivering packages.

Gain +1 Oblit. and an unmarked brown box. Once per Cooler run you can open the box and declare what you had in it all along; limited to one supply item or a small amount of common ammunition.

(6) Cervezmen

Hailing from the South, in a land once called Mexico, the Cervezmen are conquers seeking to steal the military might of the old world and expand their reach into the Western Wastes. The Cervezmen are ruled by Coyotes; men who have been mutated by radiation in the military bases they raid. They wear luchadore masks, and are the most fearsome fighters of the Cervezmen.

Due to a distaste for war, greed, or maybe just looking one of the coyotes in the eye too long, You now fight for yourself.

Gain +1 to Shoot and you can speak in an Enchanted Tongue (Spanish)

(7) The Beez

When the bombs fell, a group of young girls called the Bella Scouts were trapped in Goner park, far away from the safety of the Coolers. They used their survival skills to scavenge and live after the bombs, and befriended the mutants of that place. Their rivals, the Dinner Party, have driven them to find new lands and a hive to call home.

You might have once fallen in love with a man, forbidden to the Beez. Maybe you tried to usurp the queen bee, or wanted to put your skills to your own use.

Gain +1 Stealth and +1 to reaction checks with mutant animals.

(8) Junk Dogs

The Junk Dogs are a gang who love technology and cheap electronics. They use energy weapons and are delving the Coolers for rare pre-war technology.

Perhaps you failed Saurabi training and were disgraced, or maybe you insulted the leader, Master Y. Maybe you stole some technology just for your own personal gain.

Gain +1 Tinker in the field and you speak a Heartless Tongue (Korean).

(9) New Skeleton Army

The New Skeleton Army, or just called the Skellies, is a loose organization of Raiders dedicated to wiping the S.O.B. presence from the Western Wastes once and for all. They operate in secrecy, most raiders gangs having a few agents as spies with true loyalty to the skellies.

Maybe your cover was blown and you left, or you just sort of are doing what you used to do- you never left the group. Skellies aren't exactly known for being principled.

Gain +1 Hit and you know a secret code phrase you can use to communicate to other skellies and ask them for aid. You're also expected to help others if they come to you.

(10) SOB Deserter

The SOB, or Syndicate of Buzzkills, is a religious, puritanical organization who wants to wipe out all Wasters and mutants. Anyone who drinks booze is considered only worthy of death.

The curiosity got the better of you. The moment the booze touched your tongue your time with the SOB was over. Or maybe you just didn't see eye to eye, either way you're dead to them.

Once per Cooler run you can summon forth the powers of Sobriety. You can do this to shrug off a negative buzz effect or to act lucid for one exploration turn once you get Wasted.

(11) Mutant
While not much of a background on its own, mutants aren't as common as they used to be due to less radiation in the more modern years of the Western Wastes. However, enough exposure can still make them.

You've mostly lived on your own already, perhaps you found a group of friends that can finally tolerate you, or you just seek the power of Booze. As a mutant, you have some kind of physical tell that is hard to hide, like a second head, a tail, strangely colored skin, and so on.

You are immune to, but not healed by, pools of radiation and radiation poisoning from mutant attacks. Plus start with +2 HP.

(12) The Chimps

Hailing from Patrolia, the Chimps are the remains of the pre-war police in California and still use modified versions of their armor and equipment. They have become a fierce and independent gang.

After being outed, losing your rank, or betraying the gang you may seek the wastes for your own benefit and a drink of that sweet Booze.

Once per Cooler run you can speak a command in an authoritative voice that weak willed raider or waster scum must obey. Plus, you start with a +1 piece of armor equipment.

Combat

Each round, you may make an attack. Roll your weapon's damage against the enemy you want to hit. Enemies have damage reduction in the form of armor (automatically reduces incoming damage by an amount equal to armor) and the rest goes to HP.

Whenever you take damage, you will also reduce damage taken if you're wearing armor and the rest of the damage can be soaked by using your HIT score. Each point of Hit you have, either naturally, from a buzz or hangover, or from equipment lets you absorb 1 point of damage per combat encounter. Once you run out of soak then the rest of the damage must go directly to health.

Your weapon and attack determines when you go in the initiative order;

1^st – Stealth Attacks

2^nd – Pistol-Type Weapons

3^rd – Mutant Animals

4^th – Rifle-Type Weapons

5^th – Melee Weapons

When using firearms, you can shoot 3 times before needing to reload. Whenever you do, you gain reload soak, which lets you soak damage only from ranged weapons equal to your Shoot score. This is because you always dive for cover when reloading. You can also choose to gain your reload soak any round you don't attack or run at enemies. Melee attacks are not effected by this, so when enemies reload that's the time to get in close.

Energy weapons instead only need to 'cool off' for a round after rolling maximum damage. You do not receive reload soak when using energy weapons, but energy weapons have high damage.

Equipment

To purchase starting equipment, each character begins with 50x1d6 TP to spend.

Attire

SHOOT clothes- Any western, cowboy, mexican or action hero themed clothing. Adds a bonus to your Shoot stat while worn.