BY
BRIAN NICHOL
CARTOGRAPHY:
DOMINIC COVEY
EDITING:
Chris Van Deelen
LAYOUT:
CHRIS DAVIS
WWW.RPGOBJECTS.COM
WWW.DARWINRPG.COM
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WASTELAND SETTLEMENT GENERATOR
The Twisted Earth is a big place. The development
of communities in the wasteland can be a daunting
challenge for a GM, whether the PC’s fail a navigate
check, or just decide to investigate a far off ruin like
Desemoines. Small communities eke out an existence
in various places in the Wasteland. Whether they
are fending off raiders and ghouls on the edges of
‘Apolis or tucked away out of the sight of slavers in
the Range of the Lost, they have managed to survive
the bitter Post-Fall world.
In a post-apocalyptic setting, it is likely that
communities would develop in a greater degree of
isolation than anything we are used to in the real
world. They would develop different dialects and
even whole new languages. Some would develop
different economies, governments, religions and
even cultures. Enclaves descended from invaders
would bring some of their culture to the Twisted
Earth. Artificial intelligence that survived the Fall
would also have an impact. Bits of Arcanum and
half-remembered legends of the community’s early
post-Fall days all play a role. The economic resources
and isolated flashes of genius unique to a particular
community would also have an impact on its
development. There is simply no end of possibilities.
The tables and guidelines below are intended to
aid Darwin’s World GMs in the development of small
wasteland communities, whether on the fly or as
part of the development of a key campaign location.
They do not replace the imagination, but rather give
it some direction and hopefully inspiration as well.
A GM may find it useful to have a handful of ready-
made locations for PCs to encounter when they
decide to go wandering. Of course, GM discretion
supersedes any dice roll.
The mechanics described below are intended for
use with the ‘Twisted Earth’ setting for Darwin’s
World. With a little work, it can be made to work for
other post-apocalyptic settings and systems.
The basis for any community in Darwin’s World is
the background options presented in the first chapter
of the Darwin’s World 2
nd
edition hardcover. Feral
communities are not considered here and GMs may
wish to treat a result of ‘Advanced’ as ‘GMs choice’.
The percentile roll on this table may be modified by
the specific region of the Twisted Earth or any other
factor according to the GMs preference. A modifier of
+/- 20 should be the largest applied. As a general rule,
the higher the die roll, the higher the tech level of the
community. Some regional examples follow.
RANDOM SETTLEMENT GENERATOR
I hadn’t seen a living creature in three days. It
was easy to get lost out here in the Far Desert. The
Ancient roads came and went with each passing
wind. I squeezed my waterskin for what may have
been the hundredth time today. It was still empty….
Some Suggested Modifiers:
Wilds of Desolation, Big Rocks, Cavern Country -20
Far Desert, Deserts of Nowhere
The tables presented here allow for the random
generation of five factors in the structure of a
Wasteland Community. They are background,
physical type, population demographics, economic
assets, and social structure. These tables provide a
framework for the GM to fill in with his or her own
ideas.
-10
Forbidden Lands
-5
Graveyard of Bone Cities
0
Lost Paradise, Sierra Gehenna
+5
Table 1: Settlement Background: (d%)
01-35 Tribal (-5)
36-45 Ritual Preservationist (-2)
46-55 Resentful (+6)
56-60 Radical (+4)
61-75 Degenerate (0)
76-83 Resurrector (+1)
84-90 Visionary Reinventor (+3)
91-93 Guardian (-1)
94-99 Hedonist (-6)
100 Advanced (-8)
SETTLEMENT BACKGROUND
I came to the top of the sand dune and I thought I
saw a wisp of smoke rising into the desert sky. Where
there was smoke, there was usually fire. Where there
was fire, there were usually people. If there wasn’t
there probably used to be. I just hoped that they were
the trading type and they wouldn’t look too hard at
the Ancient rifle slung over my shoulder. It was great
for popping ghouls, but not so good for keeping a low
profile.
The value beside the Settlement Background is the
Background modifier, which applies in determining
the population and other characteristics of the
generated community.
2
SETTLEMENT PHYSICAL TYPE
itself should be constructed in accordance with the
community’s background and available materials.
Semi-Nomadic
: A community of this type travels
to a number of set locations over the course of a
year. The primary advantage of a community like
this is defensive. It is hard for raiders to track down a
village that is never in the same place from one week
to the next. Groups like this may be quite territorial,
or warm and welcoming. When considering assets
(See below) for a community like this, remember that
their assets may be in various places within a loosely
defined territory.
Unwalled Village
: A wasteland community like
this has probably not been in existence for very long.
Given its lack of defenses, it will be vulnerable to
raiders and wasteland creatures. A community such as
this probably has one secure and defensible building
for times of trouble. An old bank vault, a non-
functioning tank or any sturdy structure could serve
this purpose.
Ruins (above ground):
The urban sprawl over the
countryside of the pre-Fall United States left ruins
in many places. This type of community likely lives
in a small cluster of ruined buildings. It could be
an old farm, a golf course, a truck stop or even an
outlet mall of big-box stores. Ruins like this provide
many places for a sparse population to hide and set
up defenses. Old vehicles and bits of rubble clog the
‘streets’ unless the community has been settled for
some time.
Ruins (underground):
An old sewer, deep
basement, missile silo or subway tunnel is an
advantageous place for a wasteland community to
reside in for two reasons. First, it is secure both in
solid structure and the fact that it is often hard to find.
Secondly, it provides shelter from the decidedly harsh
elements of the Twisted Earth. At the GMs discretion,
a community of this type may have a walled village
or above ground ruins as part of its physical setup.
Natural Cave:
The benefits of a deep natural
cave are the same as those of underground ruins.
In addition to these benefits, caves are more likely
to have a potable source of water, edible fungi and
evolved game. This game has moved underground to
escape the incredibly harsh conditions found on the
surface.
Vault:
The benefits of a vault community with its
own supplies and power source are obvious. These
remnants of Ancient society will often have a great
deal of ancient technology. Vaults can typically
support large populations unknown throughout
most of the Twisted Earth. Due to this, GM’s may
be hesitant to simply drop a vault randomly in their
campaign world. Of course, a vault could simply
be a particularly safe and secure ruin that a group
of tribals has stumbled into. For more suggestions
on dealing with vaults in the game, see the ‘Vault
Dwellers’ supplement.
I brought up my spyglass as I drew closer to the
smoke. I could make out four big square towers
built out of ancient and natural stones laid carefully
together. The walls between the towers were taller
than a mongoliant. Sand was piled up against the
walls and you could see that the locals had to dig out
their little town after bad sandstorms.
The physical layout of any given community will
clearly have an impact on its viability. In the violent
world of the Twisted Earth, defensibility will have
a direct impact on the viability of a settlement. An
open village in the middle of a desert will fare poorly
in a world with motorized raider gangs. Each type
of physical settlement is assigned a ‘Type Modifier’,
which combines with the ‘Background Modifier’ to
determine the other characteristics of the settlement
being generated. The modifier reflects the viability
and security of the community.
Table 2 Settlement Physical Type:
01-20 Walled Village (-2)
21-55 Semi Nomadic (+2)
56-70 Unwalled Village (-4)
71-80 Ruins (above ground) (0)
81-90 Ruins (underground) (+3)
91-99 Natural Cave (+3)
100 Vault (+4)
SETTLEMENT POPULATION DEMOGRAPHICS
There was a guy up on the wall, marching from
tower to tower without looking out too often. I smiled
at his laziness and took a good look. He seemed to be
pretty much human. Not a sign of the change on him
at all. I cursed my luck and hoped that these ‘pures’
were a bit more tolerant of freaks than the last few
places I had seen. As I drew closer, I could see inside
the place. There were maybe a dozen buildings inside
the walls. One was real big and another looking long
and low. I saw them walk a horse into it. I counted
the buildings again and figured that maybe fifty or a
hundred people lived here if it was full. Here in the
desert that wasn’t likely.
Walled Village
: A walled village will consist of a
post-Fall construction surrounding an appropriate
number of buildings. Walls typically provide half-
cover for defenders atop them. At least one gate
should be placed somewhere along the wall. The wall
3
In order to determine the base adult population of a
community, use the following formula:
Mixed Mutants
: This community consists of at least
90% mutants. While some mutations and defects
may be more common than others (i.e. Albinism
and sensitive sight in an underground community),
there is no uniform pattern. A community like this
may very well be a refuge for persecuted mutants.
Humans may be in a precarious position or a position
of strength.
Mixed Human and Mutant:
In a community like
this a visitor can find virtually any imaginable kind
of mutant or purebred human. Relations between
purebred humans and mutants may be strained or
harmonious, depending on a community’s tolerance
level (see Table 6) or the GM’s preference.
Mostly Human
: At least 80% of this community is
human without any discernible mutations. The local
mutants may be dominant or submissive or there may
be no tension at all. If the mutants are dominant it is
likely due to some kind of immense power.
Purebred Human:
No discernible mutants can
be part of a community like this. Evolution may
change this, as might migration. Tolerance should be
determined below.
In order to determine the cp value in total assets,
use the following formula:
Population =
(D20 + Type Modifier +
Background Modifier) x 10*
Assets cp value =
(Total Population / 50)* x (1d10 x 200)
*A result of less than 10 persons should be treated
as 1d10 persons.
* If you don’t feel like dealing with fractions,
round up this side of the formula.
This number will yield the total number of adults
present in a community. Roughly 5-50% (d10x5) of
this number will be fertile. Add one child per fertile
adult to the community.
In addition, 20% of the base adult population will
be combatants equipped with weapons and possibly
possessing hero levels.
Once the total number of persons has been
obtained, determine the degree of mutation in the
community, using table three. Given that mutation is
random by definition, this roll is unmodified.
This will generate the settlement’s total assets.
The settlement’s cp limit (the max value of selling
an item) is 20% of the total assets. Note that the cp
value is relative. It’s up to the GM to determine how
much actual corium the settlement possesses.
Each community will have a number of assets
that contribute to its survival. As a general rule,
each community should have one asset per fifty
adults. For the most part, GM’s should treat these
assets as a surplus to the community’s need beyond
the subsistence level required for the population
in question. For instance, a community with an
independent water source will not need to trade for
water and may even be able and willing to trade
some of its own. Any given asset can be generated
more than once. It should be noted that these assets
are fragile and protecting them could be the source
of many adventures. If the GM feels that a certain
asset would unbalance the community, then he or
she should feel free to ‘cripple’ the asset or choose
another. For example, a tribal community with an oil
well may be unable to actually drill or refine the oil,
but they should still derive some trade benefit from it.
Table 3 Population Demographics (d20)
1 Homogenous Mutants
2-7 Mixed Mutants
8-11 Mixed Human and Mutant
12-18 Mostly Human
19-20 Purebred Human
SETTLEMENT ECONOMIC ASSETS
Of course, I’ve been wrong before. I was wrong
again. I watched closely as one of the old women
walked into a low building with a big bucket and
came out struggling under its weight. She dropped it
and spilled a tiny bit of her cargo on the sand. One
of the larger men came and picked up the bucket. I
scratched my forehead at that one. I’d seen women
killed for less. Must be a lot of water in there.
Homogenous Mutants
: A community of this type
consists strictly of mutants of similar or identical
types. It could be an enclave of Winged Ones, ghouls,
sandmen, wild men or just mutants who all happen
to have horns and green skin. Ideally, the GM should
select or randomly determine one or two mutations
or defects and apply them to all members of the
community.
4
Table 4, Economic Assets (d%)
01-20 Livestock
21-30 Fertile Soil
31-45 Water source
46-65 Slaves
66-70 Entertainment
71-73 Extra breeders (d10)
74-75 Obscure tech/scavenged loot
76-80 Wise religious/philosophical leader
81-83 Strong military leadership
84-85 Above average weaponry of ancient vintage
86-88 Expert Juju Doctor
89-90 Vehicle of note
91-92 Manufacturing
93-94 Library
94-95 Electrical generation
96-97 Live Metal
98 Fossil fuel
99 Mining
00 Aircraft/GM’s choice
a community with enough water to trade would be
a wealthy one. The extent of the supply should be
determined by the GM and the number of times this
asset occurs. If the source is truly great, then the
relationship between the settlement and the powerful
water clans should be considered.
Slaves:
One of the darker aspects of the ‘Twisted
Earth’ is the re-emergence of slavery on a wide scale.
A community with slaves will have a number of
slaves available for trade and/or labor in a number
equal to 10-50% of the base adult population.
Each time this asset is generated, the GM should
add another 10-50% of the base population to the
total number of slaves. Slave labor allows for the
community to produce a small surplus of food and/or
goods for trade. This surplus will be minor.
Entertainment
: This could represent a gladiatorial
arena, a decent tavern, a considerable drug supply
or ‘furniture’. As always, these ‘resources’ bring an
economic boost to the community.
Extra breeders:
This asset adds d10 to the number
of adults who are capable of producing children. This
will add d10 to both the base adult population and the
number of children in the community.
Obscure tech/scavenged loot
: A community with
this asset has a functional artifact or artifacts of
the Ancients that is not generated by other rolls.
Examples could include an electro-optical spyglass
on the walls, a Geiger counter, a small reactor wired
to recharge Ancient power supplies or anything else
that the GM can imagine.
Wise religious/philosophical/technical leader
:
Throughout human history, people have sought
wise men and women to guide them. A leader of
this type may simply be a tourist attraction or an
extremely wise and charismatic individual who holds
the community together in times of trouble. This
leader is neither a soldier nor a juju doctor, but could
be a scientist, clergyman, teacher, librarian, judge,
repairman, storyteller or other respected person.
NPC’s that represent this asset will be of benefit to
the community, not a burden. Further occurrences of
this asset mean additional people.
Strong military leadership:
Communities with this
asset typically have one mid to high level guardian
who is capable of coordinating the settlement’s
defenses. Consider increasing the number of militia
or the quality of their weapons and tactics under a
leader like this.
Above average weaponry of ancient vintage
:
Depending on the GM’s needs and preferences,
this could be anything from a militia equipped with
M-16s to a tripod mounted Gauss Cannon situated
on a defensive wall. Of course, GM’s should use
discretion and caution when placing powerful items.
Expert Juju Doctor:
The community boasts a
competent healer who may even provide treatment
for outsiders. Presume that such a character will have
a treat injury check of at least +12 and will be able
to produce juju potions capable of healing d4+2 hit
points. This requires at least a Dedicated Hero 3/Juju
Doctor 2.
Vehicle of note:
This vehicle should be of use to
the community above and beyond the norm. It could
be anything from a tanker truck loaded with water
or fuel to a fully functional tank. Agricultural and
construction vehicles should also be considered. The
GM should choose the vehicle which best suits the
purposes of the campaign.
Manufacturing of note
: The community is able
to produce something of general use for the wider
trade market on a significant scale. Examples include
repacked ammunition cartridges, raw black powder,
salted meats, medicine, alcohol, metal goods, high
quality leather, salt tablets, cloth (fibers vary), soap,
Livestock:
A community with this asset will have
enough edible/working livestock to produce a modest
surplus for trade. The type of livestock should be
appropriate to the physical type of the settlement.
For example, there should not be large herds of
mutant cattle in a cave community. An underground
community is more likely to raise bats, lizards or
large edible insects.
Fertile Soil:
A community with fertile soil is
capable of growing significant amounts of food
for trade and consumption. This may be due to a
uniquely fertile piece of land, a large quantity of
edible fungi underground, a mutant strain of an edible
crop that has developed locally, a viable water source
or favorable weather patterns.
Water source:
Water has been the key to human
communities since the first cities were built along
the Tigris and Euphrates river. It is no different in
the Twisted Earth. Given the rarity of clean water,
5
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