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CINDERFALL FIELD MANUAL  ·  CURRENCY & EQUIPMENT

The Going Rate

Nobody minted a real currency after the Turning — they just kept stamping scrap until people agreed to pretend it meant something. Four tiers, one exchange rate that mostly holds, and a gear list built around what's actually common in a world where "unreliable" is the baseline.

Compatibility note: this currency maps 1:1 onto standard pricing math (10 Slag = 1 Scrip, 10 Scrip = 1 Mark, 10 Marks = 1 Old Bill) so any published price list can be used directly — just read the units as Slag/Scrip/Marks/Old Bills instead of copper/silver/gold/platinum. Starting wealth at 1st level is 15 Marks.

§1Currency

No central bank survived the Turning. What passes for money now is whatever the nearest Republic, corp, or Free Haven is willing to honor at the moment you're holding it out.


Slag
1 Slag
Stamped scrap-metal chips, made from whatever alloy was on hand that week. Small change — nobody counts these carefully.
Scrip
10 Slag
Standard paper or pressed-fiber notes, stamped by whichever authority controls the settlement. Most everyday trade runs in Scrip.
Marks
10 Scrip
Corporate-stamped credit chits, hologram-sealed against counterfeiting. Real gear, real weapons, real debts get settled in Marks.
Old Bills
10 Marks
Pre-Turning currency, mostly hoarded rather than spent. A handful of old-guard institutions and superstitious traders still honor them at a premium.

§2Weapons

Scrap-tier gear is what everyone actually fights with. Good-tier gear is loot, not shopping — treat anything marked rare as something a whole session might revolve around finding, not buying off a shelf.


Melee — Simple
WeaponDamagePriceNotes
Pipe Wrench1d6 B1 ScripDoubles as a tool; no penalty when used to Repair.
Rebar Shiv1d4 P6 SlagAgile, easy to hide.
Scrap Cleaver1d8 S2 ScripSweep trait against grouped foes.
Chain Whip1d6 S3 ScripReach 10 ft; can't be used to trip.
Melee — Martial
WeaponDamagePriceNotes
Salvaged Sword1d8 S5 ScripStandard martial blade, endless minor variants.
Sledge1d12 B6 ScripTwo-handed; can shatter cover/barricades.
Choir Blade1d10 S8 ScripCeremonial ash-iron edge favored by the Choir of Ash; unsettles the devout on sight.
Vibro-Axe2d6 S4 Marks (rare)Motorized edge; ignores 5 points of non-magical resistance. Loot-tier.
Ranged & Firearms
WeaponDamagePriceNotes
Scrap Sling1d6 B4 SlagAmmo is free if you're near rubble.
Scrap Pistol1d6 P3 ScripCommon firearm; misfires on a natural 1.
Pipe Shotgun2d6 P4 ScripShort range increment; misfires on a natural 1-2.
Scrap Rifle1d10 P6 ScripLonger range; misfires on a natural 1.
Combine Arms Sidearm1d8 P5 Marks (rare)Corporate-manufactured, smart-targeting assist; no misfire chance. Loot-tier.
Rail Carbine2d8 P2 Old Bills (rare)Pre-Turning railgun tech; ignores non-magical resistance and most cover. Campaign-arc-tier loot.

§3Armor


ArmorCategoryPriceNotes
Padded ScrapLight1 ScripLayered cloth and hammered plate scraps.
Plate ScrapMedium4 ScripStandard scavenger armor; ugly, functional.
Combine Flak VestMedium3 MarksCorporate-issue; better protection, worse Stealth.
Yankee Powered PlateHeavy (Exosuit)15 Marks (rare)Requires Ghost-Static fuel cells to move freely; without power, treat as immobilizing dead weight. Loot-tier.

§4Adventuring Gear

General kit, plus the setting-specific items every wasteland traveler actually carries.


ItemPriceNotes
Vault Ration Brick2 SlagA week's food, tastes like nothing, keeps forever.
Filter Mask1 ScripBasic protection against ash, smoke, and airborne contaminants.
Geiger-Tick Counter3 ScripClicks faster near radiation; standard-issue for Glasslands travel.
Rad-Ward Salve2 ScripOne use; treats early radiation sickness.
Salvage Kit2 ScripRequired tool for Crafting checks made on found scrap.
Signal Flare4 SlagVisible for miles; also draws whatever's listening.
Soul-Jar (empty)6 ScripUnbound vessel for capturing a lingering soul. Illegal-in-name-only almost everywhere.
Ghost-Static Battery3 ScripStandard fuel cell for ghost-machines, Emberforged, and exosuits alike.
Rope, 50 ft5 SlagSame as it ever was.
Bedroll3 Slag