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Salvage Extraction and Exfiltration Procedure

Overview

Salvage procedures treat ruin loot as an extraction problem instead of a simple reward drop. Characters must identify what is worth taking, stabilize or package it, move it under pressure, and survive exfiltration.

The point is to make recovery, transport, and return part of play.

Core Pattern

The salvage loop has five phases:

  1. locate and identify salvage candidates
  2. classify value vs. burden
  3. stabilize or secure fragile items
  4. extract under hazard pressure
  5. deliver, appraise, and absorb consequences

Each phase can fail differently, creating meaningful tradeoffs.

Standard Procedure

  1. On site, identify salvage candidates by category (treasure, component, infrastructure part, data/objective, odd trinket).
  2. Assign each candidate three tags: value, bulk, and fragility.
  3. Decide what to carry now versus cache for later.
  4. Advance exposure/attention/supply pressure while moving salvage out.
  5. Resolve exfiltration route complications (patrols, collapse, contamination, rival claimants).
  6. On return, convert salvage into coin, favors, repairs, upgrades, or new obligations.

Why It Works at the Table

  • Makes encumbrance and route choice matter.
  • Turns partial success into interesting outcomes.
  • Supports repeat expeditions into the same ruin.
  • Connects treasure directly to infrastructure and faction play.

Salvage Tag Rule

Every recovered item should get three quick ratings:

  • Value: how much strategic or economic impact it has
  • Bulk: how hard it is to carry or protect
  • Fragility: how easily mishandling or hazard pressure can degrade it

These tags drive extraction decisions faster than full item writeups.

Exfiltration Pressure Rule

Extracting loot should advance pressure even without combat.

  • heavier loads increase exposure and delay
  • noisy or awkward cargo increases attention
  • longer extraction routes increase supply burn and stability risk

This creates a real cost curve for greed.

Return Conversion Rule

Salvage should convert into more than cash:

  • direct value sale
  • patronage leverage
  • infrastructure repair inputs
  • mission unlocks
  • rumor and faction interest

Conversion choice defines campaign direction after each expedition.

Referee Procedure

  1. Seed ruins with mixed salvage profiles, not only high-value singular objects.
  2. Telegraph bulk and fragility clues before commitment.
  3. Make carrying decisions visible through movement and hazard effects.
  4. Treat extraction failures as degradation, loss, or claim contests, not always total wipeout.
  5. Feed recovered salvage into world-state change between sessions.

Design Guidance

  • One heavy objective plus several minor salvage pieces creates better tension than one perfect treasure chest.
  • Cached loot should invite revisit play and rival competition.
  • Salvage economics should vary by settlement and faction demand.
  • If all salvage is instantly fungible cash, ruin identity and logistics disappear.

Practical Comparison Rule

Use salvage extraction procedures when campaigns center on ruins, weird-tech recovery, and hazardous logistics. Use traditional treasure awards when you want rapid reward pacing and minimal transport friction.

See Also