Chapter 13: Rest, Recovery, and Town Leave
How Contractors recover between fights, through Breathers, Camp Actions, wound treatment, Town Leave, and healing timelines.
Recovery has three tiers: Breather, Camp, and Town Leave.
Breather
A 10-minute pause in a safe-ish location.
- Restore +3 Motivation.
- Does not restore HP.
- Does not treat Wounds.
- Limited to once per scene.
- Requires no ration or alcohol.
Camp
Camp is an overnight rest at a campsite, roadside inn, caravan stop, ruin shelter, or other safe-enough location. Each Contractor gets 2 Camp Actions by default. A secure inn, guarded caravan stop, or well-equipped base may grant 3 Camp Actions.
Camp Recovery
| Consumed at Camp | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 ration | Restore Current HP to maximum. |
| 1 alcohol | Restore Motivation to 50. |
| Both | Restore both HP and Motivation. |
| Neither | Sleep, but recover neither. |
Wound treatment remains separate.
During Travel, one ration consumed for the Travel Day also enables HP recovery at that night's Camp. Slow Pace replaces ration burn and counts as fed for this purpose. Alcohol is still required to restore Motivation.
Camp Action Procedure
A Camp Action that uses a learned action may be Pushed unless a rule says otherwise. A Camp Action using only raw Stat, improvised supplies, or untrained effort cannot be Pushed unless the Foreman rules the Contractor has learned the relevant action through play.
Rest applies recovery if the required supply is consumed. Treat Wound, Repair Gear, and Forage / Resupply usually require either supplies, a learned action, or a roll.
Repair supplies restore one broken mundane item automatically when consumed. Shape can repair one broken mundane item without consuming repair supplies, but requires a Shape Skill Check.
Forage / Resupply uses the method that fits the fiction: Commune or Spirit to read living systems, Consume or Spirit to process safe food and water, Move or Dexterity to hunt or snare, and Conceal or Dexterity to gather without attracting attention.
A Contractor standing watch does not gain Camp recovery benefits unless the watch is covered by a hired driver, safe guard rotation, or similar support.
Treat Wound Failure
A failed Treat Wound action usually means the wound remains. Do not automatically add a second wound unless the roll is a Critical Failure or the treatment was reckless.
On failure without a Crystal Shard, the wound remains and the Camp Action is spent. On failure with a Crystal Shard, the wound remains and the shard is consumed. On Critical Failure, the wound remains and worsens: choose bleeding, 1d5 HP loss, 1d5 Motivation loss, ruined treatment supplies, or disadvantage on tomorrow's first relevant check.
A Maimed wound cannot be removed by Camp treatment.
Camp Action
| Camp Action | Requirement | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Rest | Ration and/or alcohol | Apply Camp Recovery. |
| Treat Wound | Mend verb or 1 Crystal Shard | Spirit Skill Check. Success removes one non-Maimed Wound. Failure leaves the wound; if a shard was used, the shard is consumed. Critical Failure worsens the wound. |
| Repair Gear | Repair supplies or Shape | Repair supplies auto-succeed and are consumed. Shape requires a Shape Skill Check and consumes no supplies. |
| Forage / Resupply | Environment must allow it | Use the method that fits the fiction: Commune/Spirit, Consume/Spirit, Move/Dexterity, or Conceal/Dexterity. Success produces basic supplies. |
| Stand Watch | Someone gives up recovery benefits | Party is not surprised if attacked in camp. |
Town Leave
Town Leave is extended time in a settlement. It runs until the story moves the party onward.
Town Services
| Service | Use |
|---|---|
| Clinic / Healer | Restore HP, remove Wounds over time. |
| Prosthetics Workshop | Fit Basic, Advanced, or Coiltech prosthetics. |
| Smithy / Armorer | Repair broken gear for Scrip. |
| Market / Shops | Buy and sell at harsh prices. |
| Guild Hall | Pick contracts, report completions, gather rumors. |
| Odd Jobs | Earn small Scrip, contacts, or leads. |
| Tavern / Social Hub | Gather information, meet NPCs. |
| Faction Representatives | Build reputation and unlock exclusive work. |
Healing Timelines
| Issue | Town Leave Resolution |
|---|---|
| Current HP | Restored after one night at a clinic or safe lodging. |
| Non-Maimed Wounds | Days for simple wounds, weeks for severe wounds. |
| Maimed Wound | Requires prosthetic or Coiltech restoration. |
Chapter 12: Crystal Shards, Magcells, and Consumables
The five Core Consumables, how Crystal Shards trade between HP and Motivation, how Magcells power Coiltech, how to harvest shards from mutated creatures, and how to track ammunition by bundle.
Chapter 14: Pacas, Transport, and Cargo
Pacas as mounts, cargo capacity, care, and bonding.