The Nightbreakers
The Nightbreakers are a fearless faction of explorers, scavengers, and survivalists who call the fortified settlement of Dark Syde their home. Known for braving the Wasteland even during the dead of night, they’ve earned their name by pushing beyond the limits of what others dare. Equipped with customized gear and hardened by years of survival in a world teetering on the brink, the Nightbreakers are both revered and feared by those who depend on their daring expeditions to recover vital pre-Fall relics and technology. Venturing into the darkness comes at a cost, and as they delve deeper into the mysteries of the old world, they risk waking dangers long forgotten. Each Nightbreaker is driven by the same unyielding resolve: to break the night and seize the dawn for what remains of humanity.
This faction is comprised of individuals who thrive on chaos, mixing ingenuity with raw survival instinct. They value loyalty that is forged in blood and action, placing trust in their fellow Nightbreakers not because of some code of honor, but because they know firsthand what it means to risk everything.
Nightbreakers Characters
- Alignment: Usually Chaotic , often Neutral
- Suggested Races: Human, Other, Awakened
- Suggested Classes: Civilian, Marshal
- Suggested Archetypes: Brother of Blood, Path Finder
- Suggested Ladders: Survivor, Born Leader
You might enjoy playing a character who belongs to the Nightbreakers if one or more of the following statements are true:
- You want to play a character who thrives on the edge of chaos, blending ingenuity with survival.
- You enjoy weaving through shadows, scavenging from the past, and forging new tools to fight a corrupt system.
- You like characters who create their own solutions, viewing the wasteland as an opportunity for innovation rather than despair.
- You want to explore a morally complex world where loyalty is earned through action and trust is a rare commodity.
Background: Nightbreaker
If your character grew up in Dark Syde, you can choose this background instead of those listed in the Ultra Modern 5 Redux source book.
Life as a Nightbreaker means walking a fine line between resourcefulness and ruthlessness. You were raised in the shadows of a crumbling world, where survival required quick thinking, adaptability, and a willingness to risk everything. Every broken shard of technology held potential, and you learned to craft your destiny from the discarded relics of a forgotten age. Nightbreakers see the world as a shifting labyrinth of opportunities, never afraid to blur the line between right and wrong if it means staying ahead. Fiercely independent, they often scorn authority and value loyalty born of mutual survival over arbitrary rules.
- Skill Proficiencies: Intimidation and Survival
- Languages: One language of your choice
- Equipment: May purchase any equipment in the Ultra Modern Redux rule book with a total value of 500 credits or less.
- Renown: 1 and Rank 1 with the Nightbreakers
Feature: Edge Survivalist
You have a knack for finding unconventional solutions in the toughest situations. Once per a long rest, you can reroll any attack or damage roll. This does not count as having advantage and you must take the new roll. You may choose to reroll the die after you know if the roll is a success or not.
Suggested Characteristics
Nightbreakers are fiercely independent, cunning, and resilient, shaped by a harsh world where adaptability is key to survival. They have an undeniable luck allowing them to come through where most would falter. They often find solutions in places others would overlook. Their resourcefulness leans toward the unconventional, thriving in chaos and danger where others would falter. Nightbreakers respect those who act decisively and think creatively, valuing bold action over hesitation or rigid rules. Though they can seem distant or hardened by their struggles, they hold deep bonds with those who share their exploratory and fierce nature. Loyalty to their own comes first, and they live by a code of survival, innovation, and defiance.
Contacts
The Rust Keepers do not gain contacts from their faction. Instead, they gain access to the Rust Market through their connections within the Rust Keepers . This is how the Nightbreakers sell the things that they collect in the Wasteland. Through the Rust Market, a faction member can purchase any item that is listed in the Ultra Modern 5 Redux source book for it's listed price. They must be within Dark Syde to access the Rust Market.
Structure
Where Do I Fit In?
As a member of the Nightbreakers, you are part of a decentralized, yet tightly-knit collective of survivors, problem-solvers, and creative thinkers. Your role is fluid, ranging from a newcomer learning the ropes of resourcefulness and quick thinking, to a seasoned innovator who devises groundbreaking solutions. The Nightbreakers do not adhere to rigid hierarchies, but instead value the ability to think on your feet, adapt quickly, and contribute meaningfully. Whether you’re a scout exploring the unknown, an engineer turning scrap into something extraordinary, or a leader pushing the group’s survival forward with unorthodox tactics, there is always room to evolve. The Nightbreakers thrive on adaptability, creativity, and pushing the boundaries of what others might think is possible. Every day is a chance to invent new ways to survive, improve, and ultimately shape a new future from the wreckage of the past.
Rank and Renown: Nightbreakers
The Nightbreakers do not operate with rigid ranks but with a system based on one’s ingenuity, adaptability, and the contributions made to the group’s survival and evolution. The core value is creativity—whether you’re repurposing the most basic of objects or coming up with entirely new solutions to unsolvable problems. Advancement comes from your ability to contribute in meaningful, innovative ways and to ensure the group’s future success.
Rank 1: Newcomer
- Prerequisite: Renown 1 with the Nightbreakers, Level 1
As a Newcomer, you’re just beginning your journey with the Nightbreakers, learning how to think outside the box and find solutions where others see obstacles. You assist more experienced members with basic tasks and get hands-on experience in resourcefulness. You’re expected to observe, learn, and begin showing your value by contributing in new ways.
- You are issued a Nightbreaker’s Token, marking your membership.
- You gain an additional Ability Score called Luck. 4d6 and drop the lowest die value to determine your Luck.
- Once per a long rest, you can use your Luck ability score in place of any other.
- You gain the feat Tavern Brawler. (See side bar)
Rank 2: Adapted
- Prerequisite: Rank 1, Renown 5 with the Nightbreakers, Level 3
Adapted members are trusted with larger, more complex tasks. They use their ability to think on their feet to solve difficult problems, whether that’s repairing a broken piece of tech or designing a new approach to a challenging situation. They begin to shape their own projects and offer new ideas to the group. Adapted Nightbreakers are known for their creativity and outside-the-box thinking.
- +1 to your Luck Ability Score
- You are Brave. You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.
Rank 3: Innovator
- Prerequisite: Rank 2, Renown 10 with the Nightbreakers, Level 5
Innovators are the creative masterminds behind the Nightbreakers’ projects. They take what others would consider useless scraps and transform them into functional, and often surprisingly effective, tools or weapons. Innovators are called upon to solve the toughest problems and often lead teams of Adapted members on missions to find rare resources or unlock new ideas.
- +1 to your Luck Ability Score
- You are a protector of your allies. Protection: When a creature you can see attacks an ally that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll.
Rank 4: Visionary
- Prerequisite: Rank 3, Renown 15 with the Nightbreakers, Level 10
Visionaries are the leaders and forward-thinkers who define the direction of the Nightbreakers. They don’t just repair what’s broken—they design entirely new solutions that push the boundaries of possibility. Visionaries are tasked with directing larger projects, making critical decisions on how to evolve the faction, and securing resources for long-term survival.
- +1 to your Luck Ability Score
- You have a Relentless Endurance. When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
Rank 5: Mastermind
- Prerequisite: Rank 4, Renown 25 with the Nightbreakers, Level 15
Masterminds are the geniuses of the Nightbreakers. They create the faction’s most important and ambitious projects, whether that's building complex devices, designing new technologies, or formulating innovative survival strategies. Masterminds lead the most crucial operations and push the Nightbreakers’ influence beyond the immediate needs of survival, ensuring the group’s long-term resilience.
- +1 to your Luck Ability Score
- You are Lucky. When you roll a 1 on the d20 for an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll.
Rank 6: Pathfinder
- Prerequisite: Rank 5, Renown 50 with the Nightbreakers, Level 20
Pathfinders are the visionaries who not only innovate but also shape the future of the Nightbreakers. They are the architects of the new world, guiding the group to sustainable survival in ever-changing circumstances. Pathfinders lead the most ambitious, large-scale projects and are entrusted with ensuring the group's ongoing success, maintaining security, and defining the strategic direction of the Nightbreakers for generations.
- +1 to your Luck Ability Score
- You gain the Lucky Feat (see side bar for rules)
Break the night, take the dawn
Lucky Feat
You have inexplicable luck that seems to kick in at just the right moment.
You have 3 luck points. Whenever you make an attack roll, an ability check, or a saving throw, you can spend one luck point to roll an additional d20. You can choose to spend one of your luck points after you roll the die, but before the outcome is determined. You choose which of the d20s is used for the attack roll, ability check, or saving throw.
You can also spend one luck point when an attack roll is made against you. Roll a d20, and then choose whether the attack uses the attacker’s roll or yours.
If more than one creature spends a luck point to influence the outcome of a roll, the points cancel each other out; no additional dice are rolled.
You regain your expended luck points when you finish a long rest.
Tavern Brawler Feat
You gain the following benefits.
Enhanced Unarmed Strike. When you hit with your Unarmed Strike and deal damage, you can deal Bludgeoning damage equal to 1d4 plus your Strength modifier instead of the normal damage of an Unarmed Strike.
Damage Rerolls. Whenever you roll a damage die for your Unarmed Strike, you can reroll the die if it rolls a 1, and you must use the new roll.
Improvised Weaponry. You have proficiency with improvised weapons.
Push. When you hit a creature with an Unarmed Strike as part of the Attack action on your turn, you can deal damage to the target and also push it 5 feet away from you. You can use this benefit only once per turn.
General Biases
These are the biases that members of this faction typical hold.
Positive Biases
They favor those who are members of the Nightbreakers. This bias triggers if a character has any rank in the Nightbreakers.
Negative Biases
They dislike new people. This bias triggers for any character that they have just met and remains in effect until that character has done something to prove themselves valuable and worthy of trusting.
Culture
Survival of the Fittest
Nightbreakers thrive on their ability to adapt and improvise. The Wasteland is a ruthless and ever-changing environment, where anything can happen at any moment. Whether it's navigating through a ravaged cityscape, scavenging for valuable tech, or fighting off relentless zombies, Nightbreakers constantly find new ways to overcome obstacles. For them, there’s no such thing as a “safe bet”—they are masters of turning disadvantage into an opportunity.
Creative Problem Solvers
Nightbreakers approach the world with a knack for seeing opportunity in every obstacle. Rather than being bound by specialization, they thrive as versatile generalists, able to tackle any challenge with ingenuity and resourcefulness. They don’t rely on traditional methods or tools—instead, they find inventive ways to repurpose items, combining elements in unexpected ways to solve problems. Where others might see a dead end, they see a chance to adapt, improvise, and create something new. Their solutions are often unconventional, relying on creative thinking and a hands-on approach to make do with what’s available, surprising allies and enemies alike with their unexpected, out-of-the-box strategies.
Morally Ambiguous
Nightbreakers are not constrained by the moral rules that govern other factions. While they may fight for survival or the future of humanity, they are willing to bend or break those rules when the situation calls for it. They walk a fine line between right and wrong, often making difficult choices where the outcome justifies the means. This makes them allies and enemies in equal measure, as their willingness to do whatever it takes can alienate those with a more rigid sense of ethics.
Loyalty and Code of the Night
Nightbreakers share an unspoken bond with each other. Loyalty is not earned through promises or oaths—it is earned in action. Their creed of “Break the night, take the dawn” encapsulates their world outlook: conquer the darkness that threatens them, and in turn, seize control over the remnants of the day. This shared philosophy fosters an atmosphere of mutual respect, and despite their chaotic tendencies, the Nightbreakers are fiercely protective of their own.
When they finally stop a few paces away, you feel their gaze appraising you—measuring whether you’re a threat, an ally, or simply a waste of time. “Looking for something?” their voice is gruff, like someone used to speaking over the roar of machinery. You catch a glimpse of what they carry—a rifle patched together from salvaged parts, and a belt heavy with tools. Despite their rough demeanor, there’s a spark of ingenuity in their eyes, the unmistakable look of someone who sees possibilities in every pile of rubble. This is a Nightbreaker, one of the strange and resourceful souls who build the future from the bones of the past.
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