One of the things I’ve always wrestled with in Rotted Capes is how hard do we lean into survival?
Because at its heart, this is a superhero horror game. You’re not random civilians with a baseball bat and a prayer. You’re enhanced. You’re dangerous. You can punch through a wall.
But two years after Z-Day?
Food still runs out. Water still runs out. Ammunition absolutely runs out.
So I built the Resource Scarcity Optional Module for groups that want a world that would make you miss the abundance of the past.
Optional. Always optional.
Because I don’t want bookkeeping to kill your momentum.
Why is this a Module?
Some tables want pure heroics.
Some want tension at a 7/10.
Some want 11/10 dread where every bullet matters.
Is that your table? This module is for you.
It adds a survival layer without turning the game into an Excel simulator. You’re not counting cans of beans. You’re not tracking every shell casing that hits the floor.
You roll when it matters, That’s it.
I didn’t write Rotted Capes to tell you how to play. I wrote it to give you tools.
If your table wants high-octane heroics, skip this.
If your table wants to feel the squeeze of a dying world closing in, turn it on.
It’s your apocalypse.
Run it your way.
Cue “Ba Da Ba Ba Ba” jingle
The Core Idea: Pressure, Not Paperwork
We track four core resources:
- Food (Group)
- Water (Group)
- Medical Supplies (Group)
- Ammunition (Individual)
Notice something?
Food, water, and meds are shared while ammo is personal.
Because that’s how it feels in the fiction.
If the team is running low on water, everyone feels it.
If you burned through your last mag trying to be a hero? That’s on you.
Below is a section from the Rotted Capes 2nd Bite Manuscript, an optional rules you can find in the Gear section.
Brutal Contrunity: Resource Scarcity
This is an optional rule for groups seeking a more survival-oriented experience, the resource scarcity module introduces a heightened focus on managing essential supplies. This optional rule set adds a layer of strategic decision-making, where players must carefully track and conserve their resources to survive.
Tracking Resources: With this optional rule, resources such as food, water, ammunition, and medical supplies are tracked more rigorously. The Editor-in-Chief can set resource thresholds and scarcity levels appropriate for the campaign’s tone. For example, after each scene, hiatus, or rest, players may need to make checks to see how their resources are depleted, adding a layer of tension to their decisions.
Resource Consequences: Running low on essential supplies has tangible consequences. Characters may suffer penalties to their physical and mental performance, and they might have to make tough choices about rationing or scavenging. This adds a survival-horror dimension, where players must constantly balance their actions with their available resources.
Sample Resource Table (Group & Individual):
| Resource | Die | Running Low |
| Food (Group) | d6 | 1-2 |
| Water (Group) | d6 | 1-2 |
| Ammunition (Individual) | d6 | 1-2 |
| Medical Supplies (Group) | d4 | 1 |
Rules for Resource Depletion:
- End of Scene Check: At the end of each scene, for each character’s ammunition. If the roll falls into the “Running Low” range, mark that resource as running low. If it’s already running low and the same result is rolled, that resource is now out.
- Rest Period Check: During a rest period, roll for each resource, If the roll results in a running low result it remais so untill the resource is restocked, if a roll results in a running low result when that resource is already running low, that resource is out until restocked.
Scavenging and Restocking Rules:
- Scavenging: The group can attempt a collective scavenging effort in suitable environments. There are several ways the editor in chelf may handel this, heroes with the apprporate feats and skill sets might be be able to spend a plot point if they succeed in a ability challenge to scavanage enough resoprces.
- Restocking: Restocking at the enclave or finding supply caches replenishes multiple resources.