S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Setting for AFMBE

Artifacts (by effect then rarity): Bleeding: Slime (Fruit Punch spawn [R]: -1 bleed; +1 acid/fire) 1000ru Slug (Fruit Punch spawn [R]: -2 bleed; +1 acid/fire) 2000ru Mica (Fruit Punch spawn [VR]: -3 bleed; +1 acid/fire) 4000ru

Bulletproof Cap: Jellyfish (Springboard spawn [R]: -1bullet; +1 rad per hour) 1000ru Stone Flower (Springboard spawn [R]: -2 bullet; +1 rad per hour) 2000ru Night Star (Springboard spawn [VR]: -3 bullet; +1 rad per hour) 4000ru Mama's Beads (Burner spawn [ER]: -3 bullet) 5000ru

Burn: Flame Battery (Burner spawn [ER]: -3 fire) 5000ru

Chemical Burn: Pellicle (Fruit Punch spawn [ER]: -3 acid) 5000ru

Electric Shock: Electro Battery (Electro spawn [ER]: -3 shock) 5000ru

Endurance: Sparkler (Electro spawn [R]: +30% Endurance; +1 shock) 1000ru Flash (Electro spawn [R]: +60% Endurance; +1 shock) 2000ru Moonlight (Electro spawn [VR]: +100% Endurance; +1 shock) 4000ru

Health: Stone Blood (Whirligig spawn [R]: x2 Healing; +1 blunt/bullet/pierce/slash) 1000ru Meat Chunk (Whirligig spawn [VR]: x3 Healing; +1 blunt/bullet/pierce/slash) 2000ru Soul (Whirligig spawn [ER]: x4 Healing; +1 blunt/bullet/pierce/slash) 4000ru

Impact: Spring (Vortex spawn [ER]: -3 blunt) 5000ru

Max Weight: Bubble (Fruit Punch spawn [VR]: +15% carrying capacity; +1 rad per hour) 2500ru Snowflake (Electro spawn [ER]: +30% carrying capacity; +2 rads per hour) 5000ru

Radiation (endurance): Droplets (Burner spawn [R]: -2 rads per hour; -20% Endurance) 1000ru Fireball (Burner spawn [VR]: -4 rads per hour; -20% Endurance) 2000ru Crystal (Burner spawn [ER]: -6 rads per hour; -20% Endurance) 4000ru

Radiation (bleeding): Thorn (Burnt Fuzz spawn [R]: -2 rads per hour; +1 bleed) 1000ru Crystal Thorn (Burnt Fuzz spawn [VR]: -4 rads per hour; +1 bleed) 2000ru Crystal (Burnt Fuzz spawn [ER]: -6 rads per hour; +1 bleed) 4000ru

Rupture: Wrenched (Vortex spawn [R]: -1 pierce/slash; +1 rad per hour) 1000ru Gravi (Vortex spawn [VR]: -2 pierce/slash; +1 rad per hour) 2000ru Goldfish (Vortex spawn [ER]: -3 pierce/slash; +1 rad per hour) 4000ru Kolobok (Fruit Punch spawn [ER]: -3 pierce/slash) 5000ru

Explanation of Values: +/- listed damage; amount is added or subtracted from the die roll of damage BEFORE any multipliers are done +/-%; increase or decrease the listed attribute or trait by that % value Healing rate is multiplied by the listed multiple (non-cumulative) Rad level increased or decreased per hour by listed number (cumulative)

Rarity: [R: Rare]; check anomaly daily, spawn artifact on roll of 1 on d10 [VR: Very Rare]; On R artifact spawns, VR artifact spawns on roll of 1 on d10) [ER: Extremely Rare]; On VR artifact spawn, ER artifact spawns on roll of 1 on d10)

Note: Only 5 artifacts can be worn together next to the skin, any further artifacts disrupt the harmonic emanations rendering all artifacts non-functional while more than 5 are used. All artifacts weigh 0.5kg regardless of shape or size. Adjustment to Bullet/Slashing/Piercing Damage: To increase the cinematic quality of the game and also to adjust for the Bleeding rules the damage of bullets, slashing, and piercing weapons will be adjusted. Slashing/Piercing weapons will deal 1.5x damage for the remaining damage after armor (instead of 2x damage). Normal bullets will deal 1.5x damage for any damage getting past armor (instead of 2x damage). Hollow-point bullets will deal 2x damage for any damage getting past armor (instead of 3x damage). Armor-piercing bullet damage is not adjusted after armor is taken into account. As noted in the AFMBE book armor value is doubled vs. hollowpoint bullets and halved vs. armor-piercing bullets. Shotgun buckshot does normal damage (armor doubled), shotgun armor-piercing slugs do normal damage (armor halved), and standard shotgun slugs do 1.5x damage (armor applies normally).

Effects of Injury (Bleeding): A character damaged by a physical attack, fall, or other damage type of a kinetic source risks the possibility of bleeding. If the damage received after any armor or resistance is less than 3 points, then there is no bleeding of significance. Damage of 3 to 5 points will result in Minor Bleeding, inflicting an additional 1 point of damage at the end of each turn. Damage of 6 to 10 points results in Major Bleeding, inflicting an additional 2 points of damage at the end of each turn. Damage in excess of 10 points will result in Serious Bleeding, inflicting an additional 3 points of damage at the end of each turn. Multiple bleeding results of the same level do not stack but if the character takes damage that would inflict a higher bleeding result the bleeding defaults to the higher bleeding value. This damage from bleeding (internal or external, usually depending on the source of the original injury) will continue until treated. The bleeding can be treated with either the First Aid or Medical skill at no penalty for Minor Bleeding, -1 penalty for Major Bleeding, and -2 penalty for Serious Bleeding. Using supplies from one of the more advanced medical kits (Army or Scientist) provides a +2 bonus to the skill roll. Once the bleeding is controlled regular First Aid may be applied to try and restore Life Points.

Radioactive Contamination (Addition, after Disease): The dangers of radiation are a constant concern in the Zone. Many locations are still "hot" even 5 years after the last major blowout. When exposed to radiation, the character must make a Simple Constitution Test, adding in any levels of Resistance (Radiation). Each Success Level reduces the amount of radiation that enters his system by ten percent, up to a maximum of fifty percent. The test is made once upon being exposed to the radiation after which the character begins to accumulate rems at the rate listed for the source. Additionally if the character moves into a stonger area of radiation he must make another Simple Constitution Test as above. Certain types of armor or a radiation suit can dramatically decrease the amount of radiation reaching the body. After the character receives more than 100 rems, they must make a Simple Constitution Test (no Resistance here) every day to fight off symptoms of radiation poisoning. This Test is resisted by a Simple Strength Test of the radiation (Rem level reached). Failure indicates that the character is experiencing radiation poisoning, which can be very nasty. Radiation poisoning is cumulative: that is, the effect and penalties to the person increase dependent upon the number of rems absorbed by the body.

Rem Level Effect Penalties 0: 0-100 No noticeable effect None ------1: 101-150 Character feels slightly fatigued and -1 to Constitution, lose d4 experiences headaches. Endurance per hour until purged ------2: 151-200 Character is tired and experiences -1 to Strength, -1 to Constitution nausea with occasional vomiting. Endurance loss as above ------3: 201-250 Fatigue and strong nausea are constant. -1 to Strength, -2 to Constitution, Hair begins to fall out. lose 2d4 Endurance per hour ------4: 251-600 In addition to fatigue and nausea, the -2 to Strength, -2 to Constitution, character experiences uncontrolled lose 1 Life Point every hour, bleeding in the mouth, under the skin, Endurance loss as above and in the kidneys. ------5: 601-800 More of the same, with increased -2 to Strength, -2 to Constitution, Internal bleeding. lose 2 Life Points every hour, lose 3d4 Endurance per hour ------6: 801-1550 Bone marrow is often completely -3 to Strength, -3 to Constitution, destroyed, gastric and intestinal tissue lose 4 Life Points every hour, severely damaged . lose 4d4 Endurance per hour ------7: 1551-3000 Powerful fatigue and immediate nausea -4 to Strength, -4 to Constitution, fade quickly as the radiation damages lose 8 Life Points every hour, chemical pain receptors. After several lose 5d4 Endurance per hour days, massive diarrhea, intestinal bleeding, and loss of water normally lead to delirium and death. ------8: 3001+ Immediate disorientation and coma in -4 to Strength, -4 to Constitution, seconds. Death usually occurs after a lose 30 Life Points every hour and few hours by the total collapse of the make a Willpower (doubled) roll nervous system. every 12 turns to not slip into a coma

Radiation Source Rems Emitted Nuclear Power Plant Core 600+ per hour Zone "Hot Spot" 120-300+ per hour Toxic Waste Dump 60+ per hour Water in the Great Swamp 30+ per hour

Note: These sources are only a few of the possible radiation sources encountered in The Zone.

A character's Radiation Level drops naturally by 5 every 24 hours. In addition, there are certain chems and treatments that can diminish radioactive contamination in the body very rapidly. If any of these are applied and reduce a character's Radiation Level enough to drop the victim to a lower category, then the previous radiation penalties are removed and the penalties of the new category (if any) are applied. Also any character fortunate enough to have acquired one of the anti-radiation artifacts will have their Radiation Level decreased by a considerably more accelerated rate.

Armor (name then AFMBE parallel): Ballistic Cloth Suit (Provides d4+1 Armor Value, no additional protection) 1.5kg

Bandit Suit (Class IIa; 10% Acid, 10% Fire, 10% Shock) 3kg 5500ru

Berill-5M Armored Suit (Class IIIa; 30% Acid, 30 % Fire, 30% Rad, 30% Shock, GM, NV1) 7kg 12500ru

Exoskeleton (Class IV; 50% Acid, 50% Fire, 30% Rad, 50% Shock, +15kg Carrying, GM, NV1) 15kg 50000ru

Freedom Guard Suit (Class III; 50% Acid, 50 % Fire, 50% Rad, 50% Shock, GM, NV1) 7kg 15500ru

Leather Suit (Class I; 10% Acid, 10% Fire, 10% Shock) 3kg 3000ru

Mercenary Suit (Class II; 30% Acid, 30% Fire, 30% Rad, 20% Shock, GM) 5kg 9000ru

Monolith Suit (Class III; 50% Acid, 50% Fire, 40% Rad, 60% Shock) 6kg 14000ru

PSZ-9Md Universal Protection (Class III; 70% Acid, 80% Fire, 90% Rad, 90% Shock, GM, NV2) 9kg 26500ru

PSZ-9d Duty Suit (Class III; 50% Acid, 50% Fire, 50% Rad, 50% Shock, NV1) 7kg 16000ru Radiation Suit (Class I; 90% Acid, 90% Fire, 100% Rad, 90% Shock, GM) 25kg 45000ru

SEVA Suit (Class III; 70% Acid, 80% Fire, 90% Rad, 90% Shock, GM, NV2) 9kg 25000ru

Skat-9M Military Armored Suit (Class IV; 50% Acid, 60% Fire, 70% Rad, 70% Shock, GM, NV1) 12kg 40000ru

SSP-99 Ecologist Suit (Class II; 90% Acid, 90% Fire, 90% Rad, 90% Shock, GM, NV2) 6kg 15000ru

SSP-99M Suit (Class IIIa; 90% Acid, 90% Fire, 90% Rad, 90 % Shock, GM, NV2) 8kg 24000ru

Stalker Suit (Class III; 50% Acid, 50% Fire, 50% Rad, 50% Shock, GM, NV1) 6kg 15000ru

Wind of Freedom Suit (Class IIIa; 50% Acid, 30% Fire, 50% Rad, 50% Shock, GM) 5kg 11000ru

Notes on Armor: GM; Integrated/Detachable Gasmask/Breathing System (as Gas Mask in AFMBE book, penalty to Perception/Notice non-cumulative with Night Vision) NV1; 1st Generation Night Vision (as Night Vision Goggles in AFMBE book) NV2; 2nd Generation Night Vision (half Night Vision Goggle penalty to Perception/Notice) Resistance; % amount is taken off of the listed damage category

Firearms (grouped by category then ammo): Handgun (BLOC): 9x18 mm; Fort-12 (12 round clip) 1kg 800ru Makarov (8 round clip) 0.75kg 700ru PB-6P9 (noiseless, 8 round clip) 1kg (decrease range 20%, -1x to damage) 1000ru

Handgun (NATO): 9x19 mm; Beretta 92F (15 round clip) 1kg 1100ru Walther P99 (16 round clip) 0.65kg 1000ru

Handgun (NATO): .45 caliber; Colt M1911 (7 round clip) 1.1kg 1200ru H&K USP 45 Compact (8 round clip) 0.75kg 1500ru SIG Sauer P220 (7 round clip) 1.2kg 1275ru

High-Velocity Handgun (NATO): .44 magnum; Desert Eagle (8 round clip) 2kg 2500ru

Submachine Gun (NATO): 9x19 mm; H&K MP5A3 (30 round clip) 3.1kg 3000ru

Shotgun (NATO): 12 gauge; Franchi SPAS-12 (8 shots) 4.4kg 2500ru Mossberg 88 (6 shots) 2.7kg 2250ru Sawn-off Double-barrel (2 shots) 1.9kg 1200ru

Assault Rifle (BLOC): 5.45 mm; AKS-74 (30 round clip) 3.2kg 3000ru AKS-74U (30 round clip; range: 10/50/150/350/600) 2.7kg 2250ru AN-94 (30 round clip) 3.85kg 3500ru

Assault Rifle (NATO): 5.56 mm; Enfield L85A1 (30 round clip) 3.8kg 6000ru FN F-2000 (30 round clip; integrated scope; +3 to Aim tasks) 3.6kg 15000ru H&K G-36 (30 round clip; integrated scope; +3 to Aim tasks) 3.65kg 10000ru SIG SG-550 (30 round clip) 4.1kg 7000ru Z-M LR-300-ML (30 round clip) 3.1kg 5000ru

Assault Rifle (BLOC): 7.62x39 mm; AK-47 (30 round clip; range: 10/50/150/400/650) 4.3kg 4000ru AK-103 (30 round clip; range: 10/50/150/500/850) 3.4kg 4500ru

Assault Rifle (NATO): 7.62x51; H&K G3A4 (30 round clip) 4.7kg 12000ru FN SCAR (20 round clip) 3.6kg 12500ru

Assault Rifle (BLOC): 9x39 mm; AS Val (20 round clip) 2.5kg 9000ru OTs-14-4A Groza (20 round clip) 4kg 10000ru

Sniper Rifle (BLOC): 7.62x54 mm; Dragunov SVD (10 round clip) 4.3kg 15000ru

Sniper Rifle (BLOC): 9x39 mm; VSS Vintorez (10 or 20 round clip) 2.6kg 12000ru

Note: Because the 9x39 mm round is subsonic the range is reduced for assault rifles and sniper rifles that use it as follows; assault rifle: 10/50/125/250/400, sniper rifle: 15/75/200/400/550 (due to the mass of the round the damage done is D8x5) Also: The Dragunov SVD and VSS Vintorez come with PSO-1 Optical Sight already attached

Firearms Not Available: .22 caliber, .22 LR, .30-06, .32 caliber, .38 caliber, 10 mm, .357 magnum (for handguns and civilian rifles)

Firearm Accessories: BLOC: GP-25 Grenade Launcher 1.5kg (uses VOG-25 40 mm grenades) 1150ru Pistol Suppressor 0.5kg 500ru PSO-1 Optical Sight 0.6kg (+4 to Aim tasks) 1250ru SMG/Assault Rifle Suppressor 1kg 900ru

NATO: M203 Grenade Launcher 1.35kg (uses M203 40 mm grenades) 1275ru Pistol Suppressor 0.5kg 525ru SMG/Assault Rifle Suppressor 1kg 950ru SUSAT L9A1 Optical Sight 0.42kg (+4 to Aim tasks) 1100ru

Note: When using a suppressor decrease weapon range 20% and -1x to damage (9x39 mm weapons already have range and damage adjusted)

Ammunition: BLOC: 5.45 mm 14g, 0.42kg (30 round) 210ru, 0.7kg (50 round) 350ru 7.62x39 mm 30g, 0.9kg (30 round) 240ru, 1.5kg (50 round) 400ru 7.62x54 mm 38g, 0.38kg (10 round) 1000ru, 0.76kg (20 round) 2000ru 9x18 mm 7g, 0.21kg (30 round) 120ru, 0.35 kg (50 round) 200ru 9x39 mm 40g, 0.4kg (10 round) 150ru, 0.8kg (20 round) 300ru 40 mm Grenade (VOG-25) 250g, 2.5kg (10 round box) 1500ru

NATO: .44 magnum 16g, 0.48kg (30 round) 360ru, 0.8kg (50 round) 600ru .45 caliber 12g, 0.36kg (30 round) 300ru, 0.6kg (50 round) 500ru 5.56 mm 16g, 0.48kg (30 round) 330ru, 0.8kg (50 round) 550ru 7.62x51 mm 35g, 1.05kg (30 round) 390ru, 1.75kg (50 round) 650ru 9x19 mm 8g, 0.24kg (30 round) 150ru, 0.4kg (50 round) 250ru 12 gauge 72g, 0.72kg (10 round) 75ru, 1.44kg (20 round) 150ru 40 mm Grenade (M203) 230g, 2.3kg (10 round box) 1600ru

Hand Grenade: F1 Grenade (Defensive Grenade) 0.65kg 250ru RGD-1 Grenade (Offensive Grenade) 0.35kg 175ru

Note: All ammunition except shotgun is also available in armor-piercing and hollowpoint as well. Costs for either of those types of ammunition are 1.5x the listed price. Shotgun shells listed above are buckshot. Shotgun shells are also available in standard slug and armor-piercing slug for 1.5x the listed price.

Medical Gear: Anti-radiation Drug: Pre-loaded autoinjector (containing a cocktail of: prussian blue, potassium iodide, carbon nanotubes, amifostine, EUK-400 series, and CBLB502) that can dramatically enhance the body's ability to reduce radiation level, assist with cellular healing, and flush out free radicals. When injected into the body the person's Rem level immediately drops by 100. It also triples the person's natural radiation drop for the next 3 days. Multiple doses provide cumulative immediate Rem level decrease but do not increase the daily Rem level decrease. 0.1kg 350ru Army Medical Kit: As Medical Kit but increase First Aid/Medicine bonus to +4, also 1 use will restore 4 life points and double daily healing rate for 2 days (non-cumulative, 6 uses). 2.1kg 1500ru First Aid Kit: Identical to First Aid Kit in rulebook (6 uses). 1.8kg 300ru Medical Kit: Equivalent to First Aid Kit and Medic's Kit combined from rulebook except the +2 bonus is to any First Aid or Medicine Task. One use will also restore 2 life points but has no effect on daily healing rate (6 uses). 3kg 1080 ru Scientist Medical Kit: As Army Medical Kit but 1 use also restores 6 life points, reduces Rem level by 30, and doubles daily healling rate for 4 days (non-cumulative, 6 uses). 2.4kg 2100ru

Note: With the exception of Anti-radiation Drugs all other medical kits can be found and bought as single-use items; just divide the weight and the cost by 6.

Miscellaneous Gear: Binoculars: Provide 25x magnification 1kg 350ru Climbing Gear: As per AFMBE book 5kg 1000ru Cutting Torch: As per AMFBE book 1kg 400ru Gas Mask: Protects eyes/nose/mouth (as Gas Mask in AFMBE book) 2kg 650ru Gun Cleaning Kit: Contains everything needed to clean guns of all calibers 2.25kg 250ru Iodine Tablets: Treats 50 liters of water 0.2kg 100ru Lockpicks: Required to use Lockpick skill with no penalty 1kg 600ru Multi-Fuel Camp Stove: Can use any type of fuel 2.5kg 750ru Multitool: Multi-purpose tool with pliers, saw, knife, screwdrivers, etc. 1kg 200ru NV1: 1st Generation Night Vision (as Night Vision Goggles in AFMBE book) 1kg 3000ru Rope (16m): A coil of high tensile strength synthetic rope 1.5kg 250ru Sleeping Bag: Protects against heat, cold, water 3kg 500ru Survival Rations (1 day): Provides essential (if boring) nutrients and calories for 1 day 0.5kg 75ru Toolkit: Provides tools needed to use various Craft/Mechanic/Repair skills with no penalty 10kg 1200ru Water Purifier: Able to purify water from any source, even filters out radiation 1kg 800ru Water Purifier Filter/Power Supply: These need to be replaced monthly with heavy use 0.5kg 500ru

STALKER Starting Funds: All players start the game with 5000ru to spend on gear for their STALKER. This willallow people to possibly start with a Leather Suit in addition to weapons, ammo, and other necessary gear.STALKERs also begin with a combination geiger counter/anomaly detector (audible only, 0.5kg), a PDA containing a rough map of the Zone (0.2kg), a nylon backpack (1.5kg), a set of fatigues/boots, a head or shoulder mounted flashlight (0.15kg), comm radio (0.5kg), all-weather sleeping bag (3kg), and a ballistic cloth suit (1.5kg).

STALKER Mutants (created using AFMBE Zombie creation rules): Blind Dog: The blind dog is the mutated kin of dogs that had lived in the Zone when the meltdown happened. Over the generations the fur mutated away and the skin became leathery and looked like it had been burned. The dogs are no longer "alive" as normal physiology is concerned. They do have to eat occasionally but also are sustained by the low-level ambient radiation of the Zone. Even though they no longer have eyes they are able to "see" with a combination of scent, hearing, and the ability to sense life. Blind dogs are able to innately sense anomalies and stay clear of them whenever possible. STR: 3 CON: 2 DEX: 3 INT: 0 PER: 2 WIL: 2 DP: 30 SPD: 20 EP: 26 EsP: 12 Attack: Bite, d6x3 piercing (DEX+2 to hit), Armor Piercing Weak Spot: All Getting Around: Special Strength: Special Senses: Like The Living, Life Sense (20m), Scent Tracking Sustenance: Occasionally; All Flesh Must Be Eaten Intelligence: Animal Cunning (lvl 1) Spreading The Love: None Special: Dr. Doolittle, Tough Hide (d4 armor value) Power: 40 ------Bloodsucker: One of the almost-legendary horrors of the Zone, the bloodsucker is a force to be reckoned with. Easily able to move as fast as a human and able to make itself nearly invisible until it attacks it will rush in and slash at the target with its incredibly powerful claws that can even shred through armor. It is very observant and can also sense blood from a good distance. Even at night it can track its prey using infravision. The bloodsucker is highly resistant to almost all damage which coupled with its optic camoflage and powerful claws make it a formidable enemy and something to be avoided at all costs. Once it has slain its target it drags it away so it can feed on the target's blood with its feeding tentacles. No one in the Zone has determined what the bloodsucker was originally and how it evolved so quickly into its present form. STR: 7 CON: 7 DEX: 3 INT: 3 PER: 3 WIL: 3 DP: 66 SPD: 20 EP: 56 EsP: 26 Attack: Claw, d6x7 slashing (DEX+4 to hit), Armor Piercing Weak Spot: All Getting Around: Special Strength: Monstrous Strength, Damage Resistant, Claws Senses: Like A Hawk, Life Sense (30m), Infravision (30m) Sustenance: Weekly; Blood Intelligence: Problem Solving Spreading The Love: None Special: Optic Camoflage (can become almost invisible when not attacking, granting Stealth 7) Power: 80 ------Boar: The wild boar was a dangerous animal before being exposed to the massive radiation of the blowouts of the Chernobyl reactor. In the Zone it is now another creature that has been mutated by the radiation to be even larger and deadlier than its normal form. They are highly resistant to radiation, in fact at this point radiation can actually help sustain them when food is scarce. Like the blind dog the boar looks more dead than alive with most of the fur "burnt" away and the skin being leathery and scarified. When attacking the boar will charge its target headlong and gore it with its massive tusks as well as attempting to knock it down where it can attack the target more easily. STR: 8 CON: 6 DEX: 2 INT: 0 PER: 2 WIL: 2 DP: 90 SPD: 26 EP: 53 EsP: 20 Attack: Tusks, d4x8 slashing (DEX+2 to hit) Ram, 1x8 impact (DEX+2 to hit) If the ram hits then the target must make a Resistance Test vs. STR to avoid being knocked down (prone targets grant a +2 bonus to be hit) Weak Spot: All Getting Around: Special Strength: Special Senses: Like The Living Sustenance: Occasionally; All Flesh Must Be Eaten (boars eat plants as well) Intelligence: Animal Cunning (lvl 1) Spreading The Love: None Special: Dr. Doolittle, Tough Hide (d6+1 armor value) Power: 50 ------Burer: The Burer is the result of secret service genetic experiments on criminals under the program of human telekinetic abilities development. A humanoid-type creature of hypertrophied complexion clad in shreds of shabby overalls. Afraid of bright light, therefore dwells in dark and gloomy undergrounds and caves only. Feeds on dead bodies. Burers are stocky, almost dwarf-like monsters that tend to stick to underground sections, avoiding light. They can be mistaken for bandits at long ranges due to their propensity for wearing long black trenchcoats, but are a far greater threat, able to paralyze and break an opponent's armor and weapon at a whim. Definitely not an easy opponent for even experienced stalkers, made even more difficult due to their preference to travel in pairs or groups. STR: 4 CON: 7 DEX: 2 INT: 3 PER: 2 WIL: 4 DP: 54 SPD: 10 EP: 50 EsP: 22 Attack: Telekinetic Blast, d8x8 impact (WIL+2 to hit; 35m range) Stamina Drain, d8x8 Endurance Point drain (15m range, Resistance Test vs. WIL to resist) Weapon Pull, target must make a Resistance Test vs. WIL to avoid having their weapon yanked out of their hand and dropped d6m away (20m range) Weak Spot: All Getting Around: Life-Like Strength: Strong Like Bull, Damage Resistant Senses: Like The Living, Infravision (20m) Sustenance: Occasionally; All Flesh Must Be Eaten Intelligence: Problem Solving, Tool Use (lvl 3), Long-term Memory Spreading The Love: None Special: Burer are sensitive to bright light; when exposed to bright light the Burer must make a Fear test, Dr. Doolittle Power: 85 ------Chimera: The Chimera is a cerberus-like dog with no fur, large body, two heads and a broad tail. Chimeras are extremely strong and they are able to turn a car over alone. They are the most deadly mutant encountered, jumping incredible distances and doing extreme damage. The chimera is considered extremely deadly due to its fast speeds and aggressiveness. Once it has killed a target it drags it off to a secluded spot to devour at its leisure. STR: 10 CON: 8 DEX: 3 INT: 1 PER: 3 WIL: 2 DP: 110 SPD: 37 EP: 65 EsP: 27 Attack: Claw, d6x10 slashing (DEX+4 to hit), Armor Piercing Pounce, d4x10 impact (DEX+4 to hit, 12m range), halves target movement for 1 turn Weak Spot: All Getting Around: Special, Leaping Strength: Special, Damage Resistant, Claws Senses: Like A Hawk, Scent Tracking, Infravision (30m) Sustenance: Weekly; All Flesh Must Be Eaten Intelligence: Animal Cunning (lvl 2) Spreading The Love: None Special: Dr. Doolittle Power: 100 ------Controller: The Controller is rare mutant usually seen near to the center of the Zone. It bears a superficial resemblance of a humanoid with a disproportionately big head. Despite their appearance, they are highly intelligent, possess good perception and an ability to control the behaviors of less developed creatures. Mature specimens are capable of taking control of a human's mind. This is a ferocious enemy, even the most experienced stalkers are afraid of meeting it. The Controller's sole ability is to dominate the unfortunate prey's mind by forcing his will onto him in a form of a bolt. In addition, Controllers seem to generate a psy-field that affects the character's ability to aim and causes anyone close by to slowly lose their mind. A character may die if struck by a sufficient number of bolts or if they stay around the Controller for too long. The Controller prefers not to attack at melee range, but if pressed it will bludgeon with its arms, and will continue to generate the psy-field which makes it more difficult for characters to focus on attacking it. In general, Controllers are extremely dangerous and should be eliminated as soon as possible due to their abilities that can control others or massively damage minds. STR: 3 CON: 4 DEX: 2 INT: 5 PER: 7 WIL: 6 DP: 38 SPD: 12 EP: 41 EsP: 48 Attack: Fist, d4x3 impact (DEX+2 to hit) Mind Thrust, d4x6 psychic to Essence (WIL+2 to hit, 30m range; half that taken to Life Points), target may make Resistance Test vs. WIL to halve the damage taken. If the Essence is taken below 0 the target must make a Resistance Test vs. WIL or become dominated by the Controller. A dominated target takes d4 Essence damage each turn but can repeat the Resisted Test vs. WIL at the end of each turn. Weak Spot: All Getting Around: Life-Like Strength: Special, Damage Resistant Senses: Like Nothing You've Ever Seen, Life Sense (70m) Sustenance: Weekly; Soul Sucker Intelligence: Problem Solving, Tool Use (lvl 3), Long-term Memory Spreading The Love: Special (dominated victims reduced to -30 Essence become Zombified Stalkers) Special: Controllers emanate a psi-field with a 30m radius at all times (unless they dampen it). Any living creature in the field suffers -3 to combat tasks. Living creatures within 5m take d6 Essence damage every turn, those between 5m and 10m take d4 Essence damage every turn, and those between 10m and 30m take d2 Essence damage every turn. This can be halved by making a Resistance Test vs. WIL. Power: 95 ------Flesh: Like many other living creatures, domestic pigs in the Zone underwent serious mutation, which affected genes responsible for their metabolism causing the animal's phenotype to change significantly. A mutant pig of this type, known as "Flesh" among stalkers, is one of the clearest examples of the Zone's perversion of nature. The Flesh have developed a protective layer of scales and bones, their regeneration potential grew significantly and their nervous system became more complex. A side benefit of this mutation is their enlarged eyes, which can see in a greater spectrum of light and has olfactory receptors within (basically, the Flesh can smell things with their eyes).They are familial creatures and will form packs to travel the Zone, typically numbering five or six Fleshes. A pack is led by an alpha Flesh, most often the most experienced and long lived one. The "alpha pig" can be easily identified by its grayish skin and horrible scarring all over. Just like a normal pig, the Flesh is an omnivore and may attack a stalker if hungry. Flesh have been observed dragging corpses of small slain mutants such as Blind Dogs into a safe spot for consumption. Fleshes are generally weak and cowardly enemies. Their attack is a basic slash with their claws which is less harmful to characters than most of the wildlife in the Zone, however if surrounded by them and attacked simultaneously that would be a different scenario. Fleshes are also cowardly as they will normally retreat once they spot a stalker or if some of their pack members die. However if they are led by a leader, which is a either a boar, or a tougher Flesh with a more grotesque appearance and grayish skin, they will have better morale... until the leader is killed. STR: 5 (6) CON: 4 (5) DEX: 2 (3) INT: 0 PER: 2 WIL: 2 (3) DP: 60 (70) SPD: 22 (26) EP: 38 (47) EsP: 15 (19) Attack: Claw, d4x6 (7) slashing (DEX+2 to hit) Weak Spot: All Getting Around: Special Strength: Special Senses: Like The Living (Like A Hawk), Infravision (20m/30m) Sustenance: Occasionally; All Flesh Must Be Eaten (Flesh also eat plants) Intelligence: Animal Cunning (lvl 1) Spreading The Love: None Special: The statistics in parentheses are for Alpha Flesh, Dr. Doolittle, Tough Hide (d6+1 armor value) Power: 40 (45) ------Poltergeist: Supernatural to some, Poltergeists are invisible creatures that can be found only deep inside the Zone and live mostly inside ruined buildings. Nothing is known about their origins although rumors in circulation claim they are spirits of stalkers who were hit by a massive wave of radiation. The mechanism of their appearance corresponds to poltergeist legends (hence the name) and is quite diverse: from regular howls and laughter to dangerous fireballs appearing from nowhere. Unfortunately, all information about this phenomenon originates from unclear and contradictory stories of questionable validity. Poltergeists are extremely deceiving as they do not appear threatening; they only appear as a ball of electricity. However they can be killed with conventional weaponry just by shooting at the ball of lightning. Poltergeists will attack with anything that's not tied to the ground by telekenetically throwing objects (e.g., buckets, barrels,ammo boxes, crates, discarded firearms), though it can also be that they can manipulate gravity similar to that of Vortex anomalies. Poltergeists are relatively annoying, but pose no great threat to a character, the flying junk generally does light damage. However the Poltergeist is a real bullet absorber, capable of taking many shots from firearms before expiring. One tell tale sign of a Poltergiest in the area or near to you is the blueish fuzzy tint your view will have around it. STR: 2 CON: 6 DEX: 3 INT: 3 PER: 3 WIL: 5 DP: 42 SPD: 18 (flight) EP: 44 EsP: 44 Attack: Telekinetic Throw, d4x5 impact (WIL+2 to hit, 20m range) Weak Spot: All Getting Around: The Quick Dead, Flight (no ground movement) Strength: Dead Joe Average, Flame Resistant (lvl 2) Senses: Like A Hawk, Life Sense (30m) Sustenance: Who Needs Food? (subsists on radiation/cosmic rays) Intelligence: Problem Solving, Long-term Memory Spreading The Love: None Special: Bulletproof, Poltergeist appears as ball lightning but if slain body fully materializes Power: 60 ------Pseudodog: The Pseudodog is a relatively common type of mutant. Despite the name, they are actually descended from wolves and have longer, more ragged fur than the common Blind dog. Pseudodogs are often seen together with Blind dogs, though the former are faster, stronger and more aggressive than their blind relatives. Pseudodogs are viciously territorial and will not hesitate to attack intruders. They fight by lunging at a victim and then use their teeth to wound and incapacitate. A pseudodog is a serious threat, even to a well-armed Stalker. Strangely enough if the Pseudodog is killed and it is accompanied by a pack of Blind dogs, the blind dogs would most of the time back off and retreat, which might indicate that these creatures have a type of pack mentality. STR: 5 CON: 5 DEX: 3 INT: 0 PER: 3 WIL: 3 DP: 50 SPD: 26 EP: 44 EsP: 19 Attack: Bite, d6x5 piercing (DEX+2 to hit), Armor Piercing Weak Spot: All Getting Around: The Quick Dead, Leaping, The Lunge Strength: Special Senses: Like A Hawk, Scent Tracking, Infravision (30m) Sustenance: Occasionally; All Flesh Must Be Eaten Intelligence: Animal Cunning (lvl 2), Teamwork Spreading The Love: None Special: Dr. Doolittle, Tough Hide (d6+1 armor value) Power: 60 ------Pseudogiant: The Pseudogiant is one of the rarest and most fearsome mutants in the Zone. It has inherited incredible strength, inhuman resilience and an grotesque form which heavily deviates from human-based mutations. The pseudogiant resembles a massive, raindrop-shaped abdomen with a pair of disproportionately large limbs. These serve as both arms and legs to the creature, which uses them both to move around and grab its victims. An adult pseudogiant can weigh up to two tons and stand two meters tall. Their clumsy appearance is deceiving however, since they can move very rapidly when needed. Their muscles are exceptionally powerful and their bones are as hard as steel. The creature's brain is protected by a sturdy skull about ten centimeters thick, while its many complex functions are controlled by the spinal medulla. Another astonishing feature of the beast, is its ability to create localized shock waves, damaging anything in the vicinity. The Pseudogiant uses three attacks: a headbutt, a slashing attack with one of its clawed arms, and a ground pound 'stomp' that creates a damaging shockwave. STR: 10 CON: 8 DEX: 3 INT: 1 PER: 3 WIL: 2 DP: 120 SPD: 20 EP: 65 EsP: 27 Attack: Headbutt, d4x10 impact (DEX+4 to hit) Claw, d6x10 slashing (DEX+2 to hit due to balancing on the other arm), Armor Piercing Ground Stomp, d4x10 impact (Affects all targets within 10m; targets may make a Difficult CON Test to halve the damage taken and a Difficult DEX Test to avoid being knocked prone) Weak Spot: All Getting Around: Special, The Lunge Strength: Special, Damage Resistant, Claws Senses: Like A Hawk, Infravision (30m) Sustenance: Weekly; All Flesh Must Be Eaten Intelligence: Animal Cunning (lvl 2) Spreading The Love: None Special: Dr. Doolittle, Tough Hide (d6+1 armor value) Power: 110 ------Snork: The snork is a horrifically mutated human soldier, still wearing tattered remains of his uniform, boots and a gas mask. Exposure to radiation and anomalies in the wake of the second Chernobyl disaster has destroyed the human mind, leaving a feral, vicious beast psyche in its place and twisted the body, creating a dangerous predator. Overall, the snork is 90-95% similiar to a human, it has the same general shape and no drastic modifications like claws or tentacles. Its skin is dark gray, covered with lesions and open wounds, most notably an exposed spine on its back. However, despite the ragged appearance, the snork has incredibly powerful muscles and reflexes. On the downside, the snork has poor eyesight (his eyes are obstructed by cracked gas mask lenses), but a brilliant sense of smell (his nose is the filter hose for the gas mask), which it uses to locate its prey. When not attacking, it slowly crawls on all fours across the ground, its spine unable to support its weight when standing upright. However, when attacking, it is surprisingly fast, thanks to mutated tendons in its feet. A snork can make long leaps to reach its target and attack it with an incredibly fast series of kicks with their army boot-clad feet. The snork cannot talk, its vocal chords were destroyed beyond recognition. It communicates with growls, which vary in intensity and volume, the loudest being, of course, the one preceding an attack. STR: 5 CON: 4 DEX: 4 INT: 1 PER: 3 WIL: 3 DP: 57 SPD: 20 EP: 41 EsP: 20 Attack: Kick, d4x6 impact (DEX+3 to hit, may kick twice per turn with no penalty) Leaping Kick, d6x6 impact (DEX+4 to hit, 4m range) Weak Spot: All Getting Around: Special, Leaping, The Lunge Strength: Special Senses: Like A Hawk, Scent Tracking Sustenance: Occasionally; All Flesh Must Be Eaten Intelligence: Animal Cunning, Long-term Memory Spreading The Love: None Qualities/Skills: Hard to Kill (lvl 5), Brawling 3, Dodge 2, Notice 2, Stealth 2 Special: Dr. Doolittle, Tough Hide/Armor Remnants ((d6x2)+9) Power: 65 ------Tushkano: Determining the species from which the Tushkano developed has so far proved impossible although it can be said with certainty that their ancestors were gregarious mammals. Although these animals are similar to jerboas in appearance, there is no relation between them.The Tushkano is an quadrupedal animal reaching up to 40cm at the shoulder. They have large claws that can scratch big marks into Stalkers and their bite is proportionally as strong as a rat, able to penetrate armor. Having frail and boney bodies, any weapon will do in disposing of them. Almost all hair has fallen out and only tightly wrapped skin can be seen. Tushkano are more mobile, aggressive and ravenous than the normal desert animal. They live mainly in basements and destroyed buildings feeding on everything they can get their teeth in, from plants to careless stalkers. Sometimes Tushkano attack and kill big animals and mutants in a large group tearing them apart before they can escape. STR: 2 CON: 2 DEX: 3 INT: 0 PER: 2 WIL: 2 DP: 26 SPD: 18 EP: 23 EsP: 11 Attack: Bite, d6x2 piercing (DEX+2 to hit), Armor Piercing Claw, d6x2 slashing (DEX+2 to hit) Weak Spot: All Getting Around: The Quick Dead, The Lunge Strength: Dead Joe Average, "Claws" (bite) Senses: Like The Living, Scent Tracking, Infravision (20m) Sustenance: Occasionally; All Flesh Must Be Eaten Intelligence: Animal Cunning (lvl 1) Spreading The Love: None Special: Dr. Doolittle, Tough Hide (d4 armor value) Power: 35 ------Zombie: The Brain Scorcher strips its victim of mind and reason, leaving only an empty, mindless shell. The brainless bodies then turn into Zombies, following only the most basic instincts, wandering aimlessly around the Zone without weapons or clothing. Zombies are little more than sluggish walking corpses, caring only about eating flesh. They eat just about anything they can get their claws on. They are sometimes soaked in radiation and toxic waste. Usually they roam the Zone without any apparent purpose, or just lie corpse-like in abandoned buildings. However, as soon as they sense the presence of a living being, they attack immediately. Zombies wear tatters of civilian clothing either colored dark green or gray or sometimes fragments of military uniforms and armor. They are all barefoot, walk in a hunched posture and a slacked jaw. Upon being provoked by a loud noise in their vicinity or being attacked, they raise an arm in their chosen direction of travel and speed up to a rapid stumble. Being left with only the most basic instincts of finding and eating food, Zombies attempt to home in on the living, killing things with clubbing blows of their arms or grabbing their target and delivering a powerful bite. STR: 3 CON: 3 DEX: 2 INT: 0 PER: 2 WIL: 2 DP: 34 SPD: 10 EP: N/AEsP: 12 Attack: Bash, d4x3 impact (DEX+2 to hit) Grab, no damage (DEX+2 to hit), make Resistance Test vs. DEX to avoid being grabbed Bite, d6x3 slashing (target must be grabbed, automatic hit), Armor Piercing Weak Spot: All Getting Around: Life-Like, The Lunge Strength: Special, Iron Grip, Teeth (special) Senses: Like The Living, Life Sense (20m) Sustenance: Occasionally; All Flesh Must Be Eaten Intelligence: Animal Cunning Spreading The Love: Only the Dead (humans only) Special: Dr. Doolittle, Sticks Around (lvl 1), Tough Hide (d4 armor value) Power: 35 ------Zombified Stalker: Zombified Stalkers are made by the "Psi Field" given off by psi emitters such as the Brain Scorcher in Lab X10, the Miracle Machine in Lab X16, and long time exposure to the psychic emanations of a Controller. When unprotected Stalkers are exposed to Psi emissions for a sufficient period of time, they start "to lose their minds". This results from irreversible damage to the higher functions of the brain, eventually resulting in a Zombified Stalker. These Zombified Stalkers in turn rely on whatever remains of their purely animal instincts, such as hunting and feeding. Zombified Stalkers however, still retain their skills to operate mechanical devices, such as firearms although they can't aim it like regular stalkers where they often inaccurately spray-and-pray their weapons from the hip. Upon encountering Zombified Stalkers one can hear them murmuring bits of meaningless phrases, establishing that they are incapable of coherent speech. In combat Zombified Stalkers are most dangerous when they see a target, as their utter disregard for personal safety results in a relentless assault, giving a stalker no time to recover if ill-prepared. Zombified Stalkers however, are very inaccurate when shooting at long range and so it's most advisable to take them out from a distance. Although they are mindless zombies, Zombified Stalkers are actually quite capable with weaponry and can pose a significant threat, even when one is only facing several of them. Despite firing their weaponry from the hip zombie stalkers are quite accurate, especially in large numbers, thus making it inadvisable to get too close for a headshot unless you are undetected. They also seem to be tougher than their normal human counterparts, most likely because they do not feel pain. STR: 3 CON: 4 DEX: 4 INT: 2 PER: 3 WIL: 2 DP: 50 SPD: 16 EP: 32 EsP: 18 Attack: As per Firearm used (DEX+2 to hit) Weak Spot: All Getting Around: Special Strength: Special Senses: Like A Hawk Sustenance: Occasionally; Special Intelligence: Long-term Memory, Problem Solving, Teamwork Spreading The Love: None Qualities/Skills: Hard to Kill (lvl 4), All STALKER Gun Skills 2, Brawling 2, Dodge 2, Notice 2 Nerves of Steel, Resistance (Pain) (lvl 3) Special: Dr. Doolittle, Will be equipped as any non-Monolith Stalker (arms, armor, gear) Power: 70

STALKER NPC's: This is where the various "factions" of humans in the STALKER setting are listed along with the archetype they are associated with. Also included is their possible equipment and attitude towards each faction and the player's Stalker.

Bandit Archetype: (Bandit) Str: 3 Dex: 3 Con: 4 Int: 3 Per: 3 Wil: 4 LP: 47 EP: 38 Spd: 14 EsP: 20

Qualities/Drawbacks Skills Adversary (Factions) Brawling 3 Cruel (lvl 1) Climbing 2 Hard to Kill (lvl 3) Demolition 2 Insomnia Dodge 2 Jack of All Trades Driving (Car/Truck) 2 Nerves of Steel First Aid 2 Reckless Guns (Assault Rifle) 3 Resistance (Fatigue) (lvl 1) Guns (Handgun) 3 Resistance (Pain) (lvl 1) Guns (Rifle) 3 Situational Awareness Guns (Shotgun) 2 Strong Stomach Hand Weapon (Knife) 2 Intimidation 3 Notice 3 Persuade 2 Questioning 2 Scavenging 3 Stealth 2 Survival (Forest) 2 Swimming Traps 2 ------Military Archetype: (Duty, Freedom, Military, Monolith) Str: 3 Dex: 4 Con: 4 Int: 3 Per: 3 Wil: 3 LP: 53 EP: 35 Spd: 16 EsP: 20

Qualities/Drawbacks Skills Addiction (Alcohol) (lvl 1) (Monolith at lvl 0) Acrobatics 2 Addiction (Smoking) (lvl 1) (Monolith at lvl 0) Brawling 3 (Monolith lvl 2) Adversary (Factions) Climbing 1 Cruel (lvl 1) Computers 1 Fast Reaction Time Craft (Weaponsmith) 1 Good Luck (lvl 2) Demolition 2 Hard to Kill (lvl 5) Dodge 2 Nerves of Steel Driving (Military vehicle) 2 Reckless First Aid 2 (Monolith lvl 1) Recurring Nightmares (except Monolith) Guns (Assault Rifle) 3 Resistance (Fatigue) (lvl 1) Guns (Handgun) 3 Situational Awareness Guns (Machine Gun, Monolith only) 3 Zealot (Monolith only) Guns (Rifle) 3 Guns (Shotgun) 2 Hand Weapon (Knife) 2 Mechanic 2 Notice 2 Stealth 2 Surveillance 2 Survival (Forest) 2 Swimming 1 Throwing (Sphere) 2 Traps 1 ------Scientist Archetype: (Ecologist) Str: 2 Dex: 3 Con: 2 Int: 4 Per: 3 Wil: 2 LP: 29 EP: 23 Spd: 10 EsP: 16

Qualities/Drawbacks Skills Addiction (Alcohol) (lvl 1) Bureaucracy 1 Addiction (Smoking) (lvl 1) Computer Programming 2 Adversary (Factions) Computers 2 Contacts (Government) Driving (Car) 1 Hard to Kill (lvl 1) Electronics 2 Insomnia Engineer (Biological) 2 Photographic Memory Engineer (Electrical) 2 Weak Stomach Guns (Assault Rifle) 2 Guns (Handgun) 2 Humanities (Psychology) 2 Research/Investigation 3 Sciences (Biology) 3 Sciences (Chemistry) 3 Sciences (Mathematics) 2 Sciences (Physics) 3 Writing (Scientific) 2 ------STALKER Archetype: (Loner, Mercenary) Str: 3 Dex: 4 Con: 4 Int: 3 Per: 3 Wil: 3 LP: 50 EP: 35 Spd: 16 EsP: 20

Qualities/Drawbacks Skills Adversary (Factions) Acrobatics 2 Covetous (Greed) (lvl 1) Brawling 2 Curious Climbing 2 Fast Reaction Time Computers 1 Good Luck (lvl 1) Dodge 2 Hard to Kill (lvl 4) Driving (Car/Truck) 2 Insomnia First Aid 2 Nerves of Steel Guns (Assault Rifle) 3 Resistance (Fatigue) (lvl 1) Guns (Handgun) 3 Situational Awareness Guns (Rifle) 3 Strong Stomach Guns (Shotgun) 2 Hand Weapon (Knife) 2 Notice 3 Running (Distance) 2 Scavenging 2 Stealth 3 Survival (Forest) 2 Swim 2 Throwing (Sphere) 2 Traps 1

STALKER Factions: Bandits: Bandits are members of the criminal underworld who came to the Zone for different reasons; to make money by selling artifacts, hide from the law, or to trade in weapons. The Zone is full of Bandits, ranging from common thugs to serious criminals, most of whom are members of one gang or another. Although the Zone gangs frequently fight amongst themselves, the criminal element still poses a serious problem for normal Stalkers. Bandits are ruthless and generally hostile to anyone not in their gang. The majority of the Bandits are Tyros and Skilled, higher ranking Bandits are noteable for their black trenchcoats and generally better armament.

Bandits tend to have less effective or lower quality equipment than the other factions in the Zone. They compensate by setting traps and ambushes for other factions when they can. Armor: Leather Jacket (sometimes with gas mask), Leather Suit (higher ranking Bandits also wear a black trenchcoat), Some bandits will have scavenged better armor. Weapons: Makarov, Fort-12, Sawed-Off shotgun, H&K MP5A3, AKS-74U, AKS-74, Enfield L85A1

Enemies: Clear Sky, Duty, Ecologists, Loners, Military, Monolith ------Duty: The founding members of Duty, as well as many of its subsequent members, were originally Ukrainian Military troops and Special Forces units sent into the Zone and left to die there after being nearly killed by the Zone's mutants and anomalies. Other members are ordinary stalkers who have seen enough of the Zone's horrors, and have decided to do something about it. Duty sees the Zone as an ulcer in the world that must be purged at all costs, as they believe that if left unchecked, mutants will soon break out of the Zone and attack the outside world. They achieve this by killing all of the Zone's manifestations, namely Mutants, in the process bringing them into conflict with factions such as Freedom, who believe the Zone is something beneficial. Duty also fights against other factions such as the Bandits and Mercenaries, who extort Stalkers for personal gain. With superior equipment and fervently dedicated members, they fully intend to achieve their goal. Duty is at odds with everyone seeking to exploit the Zone and, as Duty sees it, spread its corruption. They opt for the complete destruction of the Zone through brute force, effectively attempting to "kill" the Zone. They are contrasted by other factions, such as Freedom or the Ecologists, who see the Zone as a miracle. They tolerate Loners, but are hostile towards Freedom faction members, seeking to undermine their efforts at every step. They also openly engage Bandits due to their hostility and extortion of free Stalkers. They are, however, openly cooperating with the Ecologists at Yantar, transferring all recovered artifacts to them; so that the Zone can be better understood (and, as Duty wishes, defeated). The faction has long been in fierce conflict with Freedom. Duty is primarily made up of the survivors of military expeditions into The Zone, sent to take its territory under governmental control in the wake of the very first stalker incursions in 2009. Anomalies and mutants caused many casualties, while those who managed to survive eventually made their way to the Rostok Factory, where they stayed, fighting off monsters and coping with hunger and deprivation.

Duty wears characteristic black hazardous environment suits with red elements, primarily on their bulletproof vests. Their weapons are usually those of the former Warsaw Pact. Overall, they are among the best equipped factions in the Zone. As former Ukrainian Military operators, they prefer to use Soviet weaponry, which is yet another example of how they oppose Freedom. Armor: PSZ-9d Duty Suit, PSZ-9Md Universal Protection Suit, Skat-9M Military Armored Suit, Exoskeleton Weapons: Fort-12, AK-47, AK-103, AKS-74U, AKS-74, AN-94, AS Val, OTs-14-4A Groza, Dragunov SVD

Enemies: Bandits, Freedom (currently hostile but holding a grudging stalemate), Monolith ------Ecologists: The Ecologists are government-founded researchers operating into the Zone. Operating under orders from the Ukrainian government, the Ecologists are a group focusing on researching the Zone, in order to properly harness its potential for the good of mankind. Their base of operations is a sturdy bunker at Lake Yantar, filled with scientific apparatuses and a steady supply of weapons and ammunition. The head researcher is Professor Sakharov, a veteran Ecologist, who participated in the first expeditions into the Zone in 2007. Originally the Ukrainian Military itself protected the scientist's bunker, but their garrison force was all but obliterated by emissions of the Miracle Machine in lab X16, turning the survivors into zombies. The scientists now greatly rely on stalkers and mercenaries looking for work, or Duty to do their field work, since most Ecologists aren't very combat-proficient. The Ecologists focus primarily on research of new energy sources, antigravity, genome modification and teleportation, spearheading revolutionary research by studying and dissecting artifacts and mutants. Another one of their key areas of research was X16 and the psi emitter located within. In order to be able to explore the area safely, they created a special Psi-Helmet, which can protect the wearer from low intensity psionic fields.

The Ecologists aren't great fighters, as their usual SSP-99 Ecologist Suits don't offer much in terms of protection. Coupled with their weak skills in firearms, they tend to pose little threat to anyone. For the most part, members of the Ecologist faction are found dead or wandering Yantar and the Wild Territory. Because of the poor weapons and armour these men have, they will most likely be killed by wild dogs or zombified stalkers. As such, they prefer to rely on Stalkers to gather mutant body parts and artifacts for them, paying handsomely for each item brought to their bunker. In addition, they have a selection of suits and weapons to offer to those working for them. Armor: SSP-99 Ecologist Suit, SSP-99M Suit, SEVA Suit Weapons: Walther P99, Enfield L85A1

Enemies: Bandits, Mercenaries (those hired against the Ecologists), Monolith ------Freedom: Freedom are Anarchists and daredevils who declare themselves to be fighting for free access to the Zone, and consequently find themselves in constant conflict with army units, military stalkers, and Duty. Freedom is a clan of stalkers who fight for free access to the Zone, and their views are somewhat communistic, believing in collective ownership of the zone and seeing it both as a scientific marvel that could answer the problems of the world, and a breakthrough to numerous technological achievements, similar to the view of the Ecologists. Because of their ideals they constantly find themselves in conflict with the Military and their long time nemesis, Duty. They view Duty as no more than a clan of dimwitted jarheads who see nothing, hear nothing, and only know how to pull a trigger, as instead of finding a way to co-exist with the Zone, they attempt to destroy it, whereby the Zone only retaliates with mutant attacks. Similar in size and manpower to Duty, they have the offensive strength and resources to wage a faction war against them and defend their beliefs. Freedom is one of the largest stalker clans in the Zone. In contrast to the regimented, highly disciplined atmosphere of Duty, the members of Freedom have a much more relaxed, informal attitude. They appear to have a more casual command structure, often referring to each other as "bro", with a number of members shown making regular recreational use of alcohol and marijuana. This further reflects their status as a clan of like-minded free spirits, unlike the ex-military soldiers of Duty. Regardlessly, Freedom members are able to function very effectively as an organized fighting force when necessary. Freedom, as viewed by Duty, is a volatile mix of anarchists and terrorists; in reality however, Freedom is composed of Stalkers who view the Zone as something that everybody is entitled to. Whereas Duty employs direct offensive techniques, Freedom soldiers prefer to use guerrilla and skirmish tactics more-so than direct attacks, which is referenced by their heavy field usage of sniper rifles and lack of heavy armor other than the Exoskeleton.

Members of the Freedom faction are easily recognizable in the Zone, as most of their armours are patterned with German flecktarn camouflage. Their primary color is green, supplemented by orange (exosuits). Freedom primarily employs NATO weaponry. It may be speculated that they are provided armaments by NATO itself, effectively making their conflicts a NATO proxy-war against the Ukrainian Military. Armor: Wind of Freedom Suit, Freedom Guard Suit, Exoskeleton Weapons: Beretta 92F, Colt M1911, H&K USP 45 Compact, SIG Sauer P220, Walther P99, H&K MP5A3, Mossberg 88, AKS-74, Enfield L85A1, FN F-2000, H&K G-36, SIG SG-550, Z-M LR-300-ML, Dragunov SVD

Enemies: Bandits, Duty (currently hostile but holding a grudging stalemate), Military, Monolith ------Loners: Loners are Stalkers that aren't from any main faction, and the name usually applies to smaller 'packs' of Stalkers. They are neutral to players and most will trade or offer missions for the player to accept. They are usually equipped with cheap weapons, hold few items and rarely have any artifacts but this can vary depending upon how deep in the Zone they are and what they have been able to scavenge. Their main rival factions are Bandits and the Military. They are also hostile to the Mercenaries and the Monolith although there are few encounters between either. They are neutral to the Freedom, Duty and Ecologist factions. Whilst not a proper faction of their own as per se, killing a Loner will earn the enmity of every other Loner in the game; it is implied that word spreads quickly among this nomadic group, and that they don't take kindly to murderers.

Loners will be armed with whatever arms and armor they are able to find, scavenge, or buy within the Zone. Armor: Leather Suit, Stalker Suit, SEVA Suit, Exoskeleton Weapons: Beretta 92F, Colt M1911, Fort-12, Makarov, PB-6P9, Walther P99, H&K MP5A3, Franchi SPAS-12, Mossberg 88, Sawed-Off shotgun, AKS-74U, AKS-74, AN-94, AS Val, Enfield L85A1, FN F-2000, H&K G-36, OTs-14-4A Groza, SIG SG-550, VSS Vintorez, Z-M LR-300-ML

Enemies: Bandits, Military, Monolith ------Mercenaries: Mercenaries are experienced fighters from all walks of life who offer their services as hired soldiers. They are perhaps ex-military soldiers, ex-special forces operators, underground fighters such as elite resistance/guerrilla troops or notorious terrorists of various nations who offer their services to the highest bidder. Having seen combat outside of the Zone the mercs are capable of dealing with virtually any kind of armed resistance using careful tactics, military precision and excellent equipment. However, they lack the extensive knowledge of the Zone that many Stalkers have. Mercenaries often charge their clients large amounts of money or anything of the same value (artifacts for example).They are usually hired by wealthy and powerful corporations to retrieve artifacts and other unique objects in the Zone. They prefer to avoid any complications with the Ukrainian government and the military, so as to not hinder their movements and connections within the Zone; as such they usually avoid all direct combat with the military or other government personnel, although if the money is worth the risk some might make exceptions.

In terms of equipment, the mercenaries employ a large variety of weapons in the Zone, often customized with scopes or silencers. Most often they will use NATO weapons, although they are not strangers to Warsaw Pact firearms. In terms of armour, they generally eschew stalker suits (although some may make exceptions) in favour of the more combat oriented mercenary suits and exoskeletons. However, there are a few mercs that employ a variant of the SEVA suit, distinguishable by the blue, rather than dark green vest decals. Armor: Mercenary Suit, SEVA Suit, Exoskeleton Weapons: Colt M1911, SIG Sauer P220, H&K USP 45 Compact, H&K MP5A3, Mossberg 88, Franchi SPAS-12, AKS-74, OTs-14-4A Groza, Enfield L85A1, Z-M LR-300-ML, SIG SG-550, H&K G-36, FN F-2000

Enemies: Bandits, Monolith (Mercenaries are neutral to other factions unless their job implies differently) ------Military: The Ukrainian government maintains the Zone's perimeter through troops of its State Security Service operating under the auspices of it's Ministry of Internal Affairs. The primary role of the military is securing the borders of the Zone, to prevent both unauthorized excursions by stalkers and distribution of artifacts to the outside world without government supervision. While the Military initially possessed a strong presence within the Zone itself, following the Zone's expansion and the subsequent annihilation of military personnel present there, further incursions into the zone were put on indefinite hold. In practice they are one of the most corrupt organizations operating within the Zone, shooting stalkers for sport, extorting them for money, and/or ignoring smuggling operations in exchange for bribes. In the early days of the Zone, the military were the major presence within the area. Although it is never directly established how much territory they controlled, in all likelihood they had a secure grip on Yantar and the Wild Territory pre-Emission. The first blowout's primary casualties were the military garrisons in Chernobyl and other areas around it, and the Second Emission further eroded their control.

The military generally uses Warsaw Pact weapons, generally the same used by the Ukrainian army. Special forces and military stalkers generally have access to a greater variety of weapons and equipment. Armor: Soldier Suit (equivalent to Bandit Suit), Berill-5M Armored Suit, Stalker Suit, Skat-9M Military Armored Suit Weapons: Makarov, Fort-12, AKS-74U, AKS-74, AN-94, AS Val, OTs-14-4A Groza, VSS Vintorez, Dragunov SVD

Enemies: All except Ecologists ------Monolith: A religious cult that is hostile to all but their own, the Monolithians believe in the power of the Wish Granter, rumored to be an alien artifact hidden in the center of the Zone. Members of this faction devote their lives to protecting the secret of the Great Crystal, ensuring that no one ever reaches the center of the Zone. A typical Monolithian is a former stalker brainwashed by one of the psychic emitters throughout the Zone into serving the will of the C-Consciousness, unflinchingly loyal and ready to sacrifice himself at a moment's notice. This extreme loyalty is achieved by creating intense religious fanatism in the mind of the stalker, directed towards the Monolith. While physically they are on par with other stalkers, their religious fervor sets them apart and allows them to ignore wounds and continue to fight, even after they run out of ammo. Stories abound of fanatical stalkers who, after running out of ammo, ditch their weapons and attempt to kill the enemy with their bare hands, no matter how grievous their wounds. This same fervor also prevents others from capturing a Monolith member - if taken into custody, he will commit suicide in any way possible (even by smashing his head against the wall). The Monolith also can uplink themselves to the C-Consciousness through something know as the Monolith statue, a radar antenna covered with garbage to form a statue. The Monolith kneel in front of it and enter a trance of prayer, and will ignore almost anything around them, even gunshots. The Monolith Fighter can sometimes be found in the same trance, but without the use of the Statue. Unfortunately, the same mind control that makes them fierce warriors also erodes their humanity. Rogue Monolithians have difficulty communicating and tend to speak in halting, jerky sentences. However the case of Strelok, who fully retained his personality and speech abilities even after being brainwashed by the Monolith might imply that Monolith soldiers do not instantly lose their humanity on the spot, but slowly as the Monolith continues to control them. It interesting to note that all Monolith stalkers are immune to the zombifying effects of Psi-Emitters like the Brain Scorcher, and still retain their combat skills as if they were normal stalkers. The Monolith clan was originally a group of stalkers, united by their fascination with the Zone. Fascination turned to obsession and obsession turned to fanatism; eventually, the stalkers became convinced that there is a massive artifact in the center of the Zone, a Monolith, and declared themselves its protectors, growing increasingly hostile to other stalkers. They disappeared in 2011, simply picking up all of their belongings and marching through the Barrier towards the Brain Scorcher, shortly before an emission. No one has heard from them since... or so they thought, as later in 2011, very aggressive stalkers began storming the Barrier. Fact is, they had been "recruited" as the guardians of the C-Consciousness to repel stalkers, since they (namely Strelok's Group) have and will find ways to reach the center of the zone. They are vastly superior guards than the Mutants or Zombified Stalkers since they retain most of their humanity, although they are completely under the control of the C-Con and will gratefully give their lives without question.

It is suggested that the Monolith faction is extremely well equipped, yet short on numbers compared to the other factions, putting them on level-footing with the Clear Sky faction. They use equipment developed by C-Consciousness or those acquired from the obliterated Clear Sky faction. The Monolith make use of nearly every weapon available, as well as high-end weaponry that most other factions either have no access to or can only field in small quantities. Armor: Monolith Suit, SEVA Suit, Exoskeleton, Radiation Suit (in highly irradiated areas such as Chernobyl NPP) Weapons: Colt M1911, Fort-12, H&K USP 45 Compact, Walther P99, H&K MP5A3, AK-47, AK-103, AKS-74U, AKS-74, AN-94, AS Val, FN F-2000, H&K G-36, OTs-14-4A Groza, SIG SG-550, Z-M LR-300-ML, DragunovSVD, RP-74 Heavy Machine Gun (as 7.62 mm machine gun in AFMBE), RPG-7 (range as assault rifle in AFMBE, damage as 40 mm grenade)

Enemies: Hostile to all factions

STALKER Anomalies: After the second Chernobyl disaster, the Zone was littered with spots where the laws of nature and physics had been corrupted. These small oddities are called anomalies. They are hazardous, often deadly, towards human beings and other creatures as they can deliver electric shocks or burn, corrode and distort physical objects. Most anomalies produce visible air or light distortions, so their extent can be determined by throwing anything that is made of metal, like bolts, to trigger them. The anomalies seem to emit a powerful magnetic field, so it is logical to assume that the anomalies are triggered by anything made of metal that enters the magnetic field. Because all life on earth is carbon-based which means that we have iron-based blood, those creatures with enough body mass are capable of triggering the anomalies.

Note: Any Strength or Dexterity Tests to escape, pass through or reduce damage from an anomaly are modified by any encumbrance penalties for armor or gear carried.

Burner: The Burner can be a bit difficult to see, even in daylight, as it's only revealed by a faint heat haze. If the anomaly is triggered by either a living being or an item, such as a metal bolt, it shoots out a tall pillar of flame in the air, burning everything in a roughly 5 meter radius. Though somewhat rare, the Burner anomaly is most often found in clusters. Being caught in the Burner fully is equivalent to being engulfed by several hits from a flamethrower, dealing d6x2 damage per Turn if not extinguished. Making a Difficult Dexterity Test allows the target to jump out of the Burner as it activates, only taking d6 damage. Armor worn does not decrease damage unless it provides resistance to fire.

Burnt Fuzz: The Burnt Fuzz anomaly is usually found outdoors. It resembles moss or vines, hanging down like curtains from its growing spot. Reacts to rapidly approaching living beings by discharging a cloud of projectiles severely injuring uncovered or lightly protected skin upon contact. Does not react to slowly moving targets. Burnt Fuzz is generally considered the least dangerous anomaly in the Zone since it can be easily spotted and avoided. Even so, players rarely seem to take damage when coming into contact with the anomaly. Touching a Burnt Fuzz curtain seems to elicit a reaction from the anomaly, but only players with little or no armor have reported being hurt by it. Burnt Fuzz is the only anomaly not to react to metal bolts. Attacks targets within 5 meters that are moving faster than Speed 4. The particle cloud deals d6x3 damage toanything within it. Armor does provide protection against the cloud. Touching the Burnt Fuzz curtain will deal d6x2damage to the target. Electro: An anomalous formation, roughly 10 meters in diameter, the Electro accumulates large quantities of static electricity. When triggered the anomaly bursts out in dozens of miniature lightnings, causing electric shock nearly always lethal to all unprotected living beings.It is recognizable by the bluish fog hovering above it in daylight. At nighttime, the Electro's bluish glow is easily visible. It can be activated by throwing metal objects into the anomaly. Electro deals d8x6 damage to any target within it, armor only decreases damage if it provides resistance to shock. Targets triggering Electro can attempt a Difficult Dexterity Test to leap away, halving the amount of damage taken. Once triggered Electro will begin gathering static, taking about 3 seconds to gather enough static to discharge again. While Electro is gathering static targets can attempt to pass through it (Simple Dexterity Test) before it can discharge.

Fruit Punch: The Fruit Punch is a puddle of green, lambent liquid roughly 5-10 meters in diameter that is easily visible in the poor lighting conditions of underground environment. On contact with creatures or objects such as bolts, a Fruit Punch lights up brightly and emits a sharp hissing sound. It is extremely corrosive, damaging creatures or objects on contact. An object left in a Fruit Punch will eventually dissolve, hinting at the anomaly's acidic nature and possible chemical origin. The Fruit Punch anomaly is found almost exclusively underground. Generally easily avoided if it can be gone around or leaped over the Fruit Punch will deal d6x2 corrosive damage to anything that comes in contact with it. Only armor that provides resistance to acid will give any protection against this damage (aside from certain artifacts).

Springboard: The Springboard was one of the first types of anomalies ever recorded. It is an unstable gravitational field limited to a pocket on ground level, about 5 meters in diameter. It reacts to the presence of creatures or objects by sending out a powerful shockwave that damages anything within radius. The damage caused by this changes throughout the anomaly's lifetime, ranging from minor bruises through serious wounds to instant death. The Springboard anomaly is very common and can be found almost anywhere in the Zone, both outside and in buildings. To the naked eye, the anomaly appears as a rippling heat haze or air fluctuation accompanied by dancing leaves and sometimes crimson-colored stains on the ground. Throwing a bolt into a Springboard causes it to send out its distinctive shockwave, making it easily identifiable. It is also one of the anomalies that are harmless to pass through for a split moment after having been triggered, making bolts very useful tools for navigating a Springboard field. When a Springboard is triggered roll d8 to determine the age level of that particular anomaly. Targets that trigger it take d8x(age level) of impact damage (armor defends normally). A successful Difficult Dexterity Test halves the amount of damage taken. The shockwave will also throw the target out of the anomaly. This deals d6 falling damage. Once the Springboard is triggered it takes about 1 second for it to gather energy to discharge again. A Simple Dexterity Test will allow a target to pass through it before it can discharge again.

Vortex: The Vortex is an anomaly of presumably gravitational nature. When triggered, the tremendous power of the Vortex drags everything within the radius of 10 meters towards the center. Victims drawn into the core usually have little chance of survival: their bodies are quickly constricted, only to be blown up in a powerful discharge of energy a moment later. The anomaly remains stationary throughout its lifetime (a week on average). Easily recognizable in daylight by the air fluctuation above, dancing leaves, fragments of dismembered corpses lying around and a distinctive dark stain in the center. Highly dangerous at night since it can be revealed only by means of a detector or by throwing metal objects into it. The difference between a Whirligig and a Vortex is pretty simple: size and strength. The Vortex has a much larger range, much harder to escape from than a Whirligig, and it deals a lot more damage. Escaping the Vortex anomaly, once dragged in, can range in difficulty from easy to downright impossible, depending on the strength of the anomaly. The type of armor worn is also very important, as the odds are that you will take at least one hit. One possible method of escaping, once drawn in, is to wait until the anomaly discharges, taking the hit. After discharging, the anomaly has no pulling power for approximately one or two seconds, allowing the character to sprint out and escape it. This method will usually only be possible with the stronger types of armor. When a Vortex is triggered the target can make a Difficult Strength Test to try and escape the anomaly. If this fails the target will be drawn in, constricted, then suffer an energy discharge all in a moment. The target takes d8x10 impact damage which can be reduced by armor. Once discharged the target (if it survives) can attempt a Simple Dexterity Test to escape the anomaly before it can discharge again.

Whirligig: The Whirligig is a common and dangerous anomaly with a roughly 5 meter radius, that snatches its victims up in the air and spins them at a breakneck speed. The exact nature of the Whirligig remains unknown. The anomaly can be recognized by a light whirlwind of dust above and by body fragments scattered in the vicinity. Victims caught on its outer rim - far enough from the maximum effect zone at the center - can escape the Whirligig with relatively minor injuries. When a Whirligig is triggered the target can make a Difficult Strength Test to avoid being pulled into the anomaly. If this fails the target is yanked in, pulled high in the air, spun around at high speed in an instant, then slammed into the ground. This deals d6x10 impact damage which can be reduced by armor. A Simple Dexterity Test if the target survives will allow it to escape the anomaly before it triggers again. If the target is moving quickly (Speed 12+) and just hits the outer edge of the Whirligig as it triggers it can make a Difficult Strength Test. Failing the test causes the target to be whipped around the outer edge and thrown clear, dealing d6x3 impact damage as it is thrown 3 meters away.

Emissions: When an emission is approaching there is a warning siren and communication can be heard over the comm radio telling people to seek shelter from the emission. An emission will slowly build after 1d4x10 minutes. During the emission the sky becomes almost unbearably bright and reddish and strange lightning strikes everywhere. An emission will last for 1d6x10 minutes and will expose anyone not sheltered within hard cover to (2d4)x10 rems of radiation per minute. Hard cover is defined as any building/structure/vehicle that does not expose the target to the radiation bombarding the area from overhead. Buildings and such with openings provide decreased protection depending on the level of exposure offered by the openings.

STALKER Locations: 100 Rads: A bar located underground in Rostok, in what's likely an old fallout shelter. It is run by the Barkeep and provides travelers with a place to rest, eat, drink and talk. The more adventurous can find jobs, usually given by the Barkeep. The bar is full of experienced stalkers, including Snitch, a shady intel dealer, as well as several other Stalkers offering jobs of varying difficulty.

Agroprom: A strange, heavily contaminated area, Agroprom is home to the Agroprom Research Institute and a factory, connected to the outside world via railway tracks. It's notable for it's extensive network of underground facilities, corridors and other areas. To the north-west lies a shallow lake, chock full of abandoned equipment and other debris. Following the 1986 incident, the Research Institute was created to analyze the possibilities of agriculture on radiated soil, apparently either as a sister facility to the Dark Valley science center or a replacement for it after the construction site was abandoned. The entire area is scattered with anomalies and with zones of radiation as well as a significant mutant presence. Bandits often scuffle with contingents of the Military trying to set up a foothold deeper in the Zone.

Army Warehouses: Dominated by an abandoned army base in the south where Freedom has set up shop, the Army Warehouses acts as the buffer between the flow of mutants and Monolith Zealots coming from the Red Forest. The abandoned houses west of the Army Base are host to both Dutyers and Loners. An eerily deserted village is located to the west of the center, where Bloodsuckers alone are legion. Stalker camps lie east and north of the village, with the Swamps even further east, and to the north west, Mercenaries have set up their camp. The Barrier, the only thing standing between the hordes of Monolithians and Mutants and the rest of the Zone, stands to the north-eastern edge of the region. Previously occupied by the Military, then by both Duty and Freedom in a joint endeavour, only Freedom now remains, left to hold back Monolith's advances alone.

Brain Scorcher: While at first it seems to be a massive radar installation, the Scorcher was, from the beginning, created as a massive mind-altering antenna, designed to suppress aggression (codenamed Rainbow). Its design was created in the X-8 lab, in Pripyat. After the Soviet Union's dissolution, the Group continued the research started in X-8 and adapted the installation at the Scorcher, most importantly, the X-19 lab located in an old bunker underneath the facility. When the Zone was created, the Brain Scorcher was activated by the C-Consciousness in order to obstruct the way into the center of the Zone. The psi- emissions generated by the installation were effective at mind controlling trespassers and subjecting them to the will of the collective, creating mindless zombified stalkers out of some and raw recruits for the Monolith faction. While the majority of Stalkers who came too close to the Brain Scorcher became zombies, a group of Stalkers, also known as Strelok's Group were able to slip past the Brain Scorcher, most likely with the help of Guide and reach the center of the Zone. The Path to the Scorcher and the installation itself was heavily guarded by the fanatical Monolith. In mid 2012, Strelok, using the psi- protection helmet given to him by Professor Sakharov, shut the Scorcher down. After the Brain Scorcher was deactivated, word spread quickly and many Stalkers of different factions, started to move to the center of the Zone, under the presumptions that there was a Wish-Granter or a treasure trove of artifacts waiting there. It seems that somehow the Brain Scorcher was turned back on by someone or something. Any unprotected creatures entering the Red Forest take d2 Essence damage every 10 minutes from the emanation of the Brain Scorcher and also take a penalty of -2 to all combat tasks because of the disorienting effect of the emanations. Similar to the effect a Controller has, once a human is reduced to -30 Essence its higher thought functions have been destroyed, turning it into a Zombified Stalker.

Cordon: The Cordon is the outermost edge of the Zone, guarded by the military and therefore quieter than most other areas. Stalkers often refer to the Cordon as the Zone's antechamber. Most rookies stay at the village North of the actual military cordon outpost until they have enough gear and experience to head deeper into the Zone. All Stalkers are careful not to approach too close to the military outpost at the south end as the military has taken a "shoot first and ask questions later" approach. Although the Cordon is overall "safer" than other areas in the Zone it still has areas of significant radiation, anomalies, or both.

Dark Valley: The Dark Valley is almost always gloomy, misty, and rainy. Stalkers venturing into the Dark Valley are likely to find valuable artifacts, instant death, or both. A place frequented by some of the most experienced old-timers, though you may also stumble upon some common bandits. There's supposed to be an underground lab around there somewhere, so it might be worth to look for a hidden entrance along the way. No one has returned from there alive though, and no one can tell for sure just what nasty surprises await you there.

Dead City: The Dead City is a Soviet-era town located between Yantar and Limansk that was abandoned by its inhabitants in the wake of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Over the years it fell prey to scavengers and elements, slowly falling apart. The city's central feature is the town square, with a statue of Lenin in the middle. This square also houses the city's culture/sports centre and party headquarters. A short distance to the south-east lies the school, complete with a basketball court. The rest of the city is occupied by block housing, dilapidated single homes and garages. Over the years, the city was stripped of most of its valuables and by 2012 it's practically an empty shell of its former self. The Dead City is frequently the scene of conflicts between Mercenaries and Bandits who fight for control of parts of it. It also has a fair amount of mutants in it, especially Zombies and Blind Dogs.

Garbage: The Garbage is described as a "vast machinery graveyard". It was in fact the main dumping ground for ruined machines and vehicles, as well as irradiated junk from after the 1986 disaster. Because of this, the area is dominated by huge, heavily irradiated piles of discarded objects among which useful items or the occasional artifact can be found. Loners and Bandits are always trying to lay claim to the best loot, most often leading to fighting and bloodshed. Notable sites within the Garbage area include an old train hangar, a fenced-in scrapyard, and a ruined office building.

Great Swamp: The Great Swamp consists mostly of murky irradiated water and tall reeds, with thin passages of safe land stretching like labyrinthine bridges all over. A few abandoned buildings and settlements dot the landscape. To the north lies the Agroprom Research Institute, just beyond the Hunter's Woods. To the east lies the Cordon. And to the west, the mysterious Tuzla tunnel. The swamps weren't always marshland. Before 1991, the area used to be a farming region, with villages and fields, several of which still remain in the area to this day. It was destroyed when the Soviet engineers, building a dam for the hydroelectric power plant nearby, flooded the area. Whether it was deliberate or an accident is unknown. What is known, however, that there were many casualties and the area was abandoned for years to come. The second Chernobyl incident, the birth of the Zone, has made the unpleasant experience of visiting the Swamps even more unpleasant. Apart from being almost completely inaccessible due to anomalies surrounding the area, it became a haven for renegades, bandits and mutants. Coupled with the amount of anomalies and irradiated swampwater, it was a location to steer away from. All that changed with the great emission of 2011, the one that changed the Zone and made the anomalies that blocked off travel to the swamps vanish. Despite or perhaps because of the easier access to the Great Swamps, it is still an area frequented by renegades and bandits and maintains a sizeable mutant population.

Lab X-16: Lab X-16 is located beneath the factory complex at Lake Yantar, in a secure underground bunker, sheltered from the outside world. Its structure is fairly uncomplicated, with the main, circular chamber (resembling a nuclear missile silo) housing the emitter's mechanisms; and the access halls and research facility, where test subjects were kept for study. Prior to the 2006 incident, X-16 received equipment from Lab X-18. The goal of X-16 was to create a radius in which they could control the minds of humans and other creatures. The emitter deep within Lab X-16 is still active causing all creatures to be affected as if being near the Brain Scorcher except the range is not nearly as far.

Lab X-18: Lab X-18 is a laboratory that was used during the Cold War, which studied the effects of radiation on living cells. After the 1986 Disaster, work in in the laboratory declined slightly, but that didn't stay that way for long. One day, after too much of a radiation dose, an experiment broke out and destroyed the most of X-18, it did this by primarily opening all the other containers, and releasing the other experiments. The surviving staff members locked themselves out of the main hall by a series of large coded doors. Eventually, the experiments reached them through the piping, and killed them all. After several decades of the lab being closed, Stalkers. started venturing into the laboratory to obtain any treasures that lay there. Few survived, many died from shock, whilst others were in the mercy of the Poltergeists.

Lab X-19: Lab X-19 is a hidden underground lab where the main components from Labs X-18 and X-16 were sent. It contains the psy-emitting device known as the Brain Scorcher. Lab X-19 is located deep within the Red Forest, a highly irradiated place filled with some of the most dangerous mutants as well as a very large number of Monolith soldiers. Its location is critical; being deep within a forest allows it to remain hidden, and being next to the powerful DUGA-3 Radar System allows the psychic radiation produced in Lab X-19 to be distributed over a very large area. See the Brain Scorcher listing for the effect caused on Stalkers by the emissions.

Limansk: Limansk was the stuff of legend, considered by many a non existent myth... but that was not true, Limansk was quite real. Located practically in the middle of nowhere, the city was built to house the Radiowave Institute and accomodate its researchers and staff. The inhabitants weren't popular with local residents, they were suspicious of strangers and trusted no one outside their city. According to the Forester, they constantly mumbled something to themselves and praised the Soviet regime even as supply shortages manifested themselves. Furthermore, should any outsider stay in the city, he suffered from headaches, probably caused by the massive radar. Available evidence suggests that Limansk was the research center focusing on manipulating the human consciousness through use of radiowaves... and also the first field test of the technology, indicated by Forester's statements. Curiously, despite its importance, the city was not evacuated in the wake of the Chernobyl catastrophe. After the second incident, when the first blowout happened, all the remaining citizens disappeared, as if they were burned instantly - only their shadows, dark silhouettes were left on the walls of the buildings and even they faded with time. In 2011, the town is completely abandoned, with Stalkers roaming the streets, avoiding deadly anomalies and fighting for dominance over the only route to the heart of the zone not affected by the Brain Scorcher.

Pripyat: Pripyat is a city that used to be for the engineers working at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. It was evacuated after the incident in 1986, leaving a ghost town in its place. When the Zone appeared in 2006, it became an unreachable area because of the Brain Scorcher, blocking access to the center of the Zone. In 2011, the Monolith faction marched through the Brain Scorcher to Pripyat and beyond. As a result, Pripyat became heavily populated with Monolith members as well as very dangerous mutants. All the long abandoned buildings make for good hiding places for Stalkers, but unfortunately also for mutants and Monolith. It is rumored there is a Monolith base somewhere in the central area of Pripyat that had been cleared out sometime back but odds are that the Monolith have re-occupied the base since the reactivation of the Brain Scorcher. There are areas of Pripyat that remain highly irradiated and that contain scattered clusters of different types of anomalies.

Red Forest: The Red Forest is a woodlands area north of the Army Warehouses. It got its nickname from the 1986 Chernobyl disaster which killed all the trees and turned their needles a bright red colour. It is a dangerous area as much of it is under the effects of the Brain Scorcher. The western half contains a route that leads to Pripyat and eventually to Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. In addition to the Brain Scorcher many mutants roam the Red Forest and there are many anomalies scattered about as well. There are also areas of significant radiation and Monolith members also patrol the area when not engaged in battles with the mutants. Large sections of the Red Forest are still massively contaminated, with radiation levels over 360 rems per hour. Due to the remoteness of those heavily irradiated areas they are generally avoided even by those with sufficient radiation protection.

Rostok: Rostok is an urban/industrial area located north of the Garbage, east of the Wild Territory and south of the Army Warehouses. It is notable for housing the 100 Rads Bar, the Duty headquarters and the Arena. Due to the heavy presence of Duty personnel, the Rostok area is almost completely secure with the occasional random groups of mutants threatening the peace and quiet. Bandits do try to raid the area once in a while but the heavily armed and fortified Duty positions have always been able to fend them off with minimal injury to Duty and other Rostol inhabitants. Experienced Stalkers often spend time in Rostok, drinking at the bar or betting on fights in the arena.

Vehicle Graveyard: Following the disastrous explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in 1986, many emergency, military and civilian vehicles were used in containing the disaster and radioactive fallout. Their service has earned them a doubtful reward: forever rusting in a scrapyard, as they were irradiated during the cleanup operation. Shortly after the crisis was contained, the vehicles became prey to scavengers, who sought spare parts and scrap metal to sell on the market. Their situation did not improve when the Zone was born - the scrapyard attracted anomalies and became a deathtrap for the unwary, although a tempting one, since artifacts have a tendency to appear in and around the scrapyard. The graveyard is a rectangular plot of land, surrounded from all sides by a barbed wire fence (with large holes) and filled with derelict vehicles, ranging from trucks, through buses to two Mi-24 Hinds. To the north lies a massive pile of irradiated dirt and debris removed from the nuclear power plant after the 1986 disaster, while the road cutting through the Garbage lies to the east. To the south lie small hills, offering cover, while to the west is a grass field. And anomalies. Lots of them.

Wild Territory: The Wild Territory used to be the site of a rather large manufacturing plant, currently in ruins. Many Stalkers met their death there, as the place is swarming with all sorts of monsters. The beasts are literally streaming over there from the entire Zone. It is said that something of great importance is hidden at this site, so there are always plenty of daredevils willing to try their luck. Mercs and bandits are also potential dangers in the Wild Territory and anomalies always need to be looked out for.

Yantar: Yantar wasn't always a swampy, desolate place. A long time ago it was a large lake, however, its fate was sealed when it was chosen as the perfect location for a factory. The construction crew caused an accident underground and the water drained from the lake, leaving a stinking swamp in its wake. It is not known when Lab X-16 was constructed underneath the factory and it's entirely possible that the factory itself was meant as an elaborate cover for the secret laboratory. What is known is that after breakthroughs in Lab X-18, a prototype Kaymanov emitter was set up in the lab, powered by a massive artificially grown brain, with the antenna hidden inside one of the factory buildings. After the Zone was born in 2006, the complex fell into disrepair and was abandoned, but the emitter was still active. This has proven disastrous, as many stalkers, lured by the prospect of scavenging an intact factory, fell prey to the emitter's disastrous influence and turned into zombified stalkers, almost feral creatures extremely aggressive towards anyone not zombified. Sometime after the Zone's appearance, the Yantar area was chosen as a prime location for the mobile science lab ran by Professor Sakharov and his Ecologists. Their bunker was air-dropped into the swamp under heavy protection of the Ukrainian military and they began studying the Zone and its inhabitants. The area proved to be a good choice, due to its relative calmness and remote location (the zombie infestation notwithstanding). However, the emitter's cooling systems malfunctioned in September 2011, increasing the output of the device and threatening the entire Yantar sector with its emissions. For this reason, Sakharov hired Lefty and his team to repair the cooling systems and make Yantar safe again (with major assistance from Scar). Sometime between 2011 and 2012, the area became a war zone again. Apart from zombified stalkers infesting the area, the Monolith conducted a major operation in the area (which included a BTR-70) and invaded Lab X-16 to reactivate the emitter to full power. The squad never made it out of the lab, but they did achieve their objective. Subsequently, a Spetsnaz unit conducted an operation in the factory and suffered major casualties. The emitter remains active and Stalkers approaching too close to the lab area are affected just like being near the Brain Scorcher.