Wasteland by Joseph Mohr is a role playing game supplement published by Old School Role Playing for use with Cepheus Engine. As such, it is covered by the Open Game License and some parts are considered to be Open Game Content as a result.
The supplement is available as a 34 page Pay What You Want PDF from DriveThruRPG. Two pages are the front and rear covers, three the front matter and three the Open Game License.
The opening paragraphs explain that the characters are hired by an insurance company to recover a briefcase of valuables from a transport that recently crashed in the Sonora sector – the adventure is set in the Frontiers of Space – on a planet reduced to a radioactive wasteland.
Patron has details on the employer.
Complications are things that aren’t known or which can go wrong.
Salsaos has details on the world.
Map Key covers the areas of interest.
The Shipwreck is the crashed transport.
Factions gives an overview of the different factions on planet.
Encounters has a 2d6 table of encounters.
SIPOL Kill Team has stats for a rival group.
Scavengers Roster gives an overview of these as well as a 4d6 table of them.
Knights of Valor Roster is similar for another faction, with a 2d6 table.
Mutants Roster is again similar with a 4d6 table of stats.
The Horde Roster is again similar with another 4d6 table of NPCs.
Mutated Animals has stats for six types of animals.
Mutated Plants is similar but has three plants, one of which is merely a hazard.
Relics and Artifacts of the Old World has a 6d6 table of things to find.
Shanty Towns gives brief overviews of these.
Mission Completion explains what’s needed to complete the mission, or possible alternative successes.
The final page of content has a map of the world.
Wasteland in Review
The PDF lacks bookmarks and is long enough with enough different sections that these would have been useful. Navigation could be better. The text maintains a single column format and some minor errors were noticed. Bar the map and covers, there are no illustrations. Presentation is okay.
The NPCs have the not uncommon problem with being covered in more than needed detail; in most cases, 2-3 standard stat blocks would suffice, as the characters are, in general, not going to be having conversations with them. The adventure itself is dangerous, thanks to the condition of the world, and success as hired to achieve has the potential to cause serious problems for the characters. Wasteland can be found by clicking here.
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