The characters in Tempest are stuck on a remote island with only limited access to a number of things that are necessary to survive. Some of these resources are functionally renewable, while others may become depleted as a result of player actions. Some resources serve as food or medicine, while others may be crafted into useful items.

Resource Gathering, Cooking and Crafting are all exhausting activites. As such, your character will have only one standard opportunity each turn to either gather a resource, cook, or craft. A specific utility action has been reserved for this purpose.

If at low or moderate stress, you may choose to convert one of your two major actions into a second utility action. This will automatically increase your character's stress level. For example, if at low stress, you might choose to spend two actions gathering resources, with the knowledge that you will automatically move up to moderate stress.

On any given turn, you may choose to use your utility action to gather resources. You should choose a specific type of resource to gather - this may be one of the materials from the list below, or a different resource of your choice. Please note, however, that if you choose to gather a resource without explicit knowledge that it is available on the island, you may return empty handed.

If choosing to use your utility action to gather a resource, you will need to specify the resource you wish to gather, where you intend to look, who is coming with you, and any talents, quirks and tools you intend to use.

For example:

I want to gather medicinal herbs from the cliffs on the south-east of the island. I'll go alone, relying on my own Scrambling and Grounding talents to help me safely obtain what I'm looking for.

The amount obtained of your chosen resource will vary according to circumstance.

The information below is intended to provide some indication of the kinds of resources available in play, but should not be considered exhaustive. You are welcome to search for any type of resource you can think of - just be warned that you may not always be able to find what you are looking for.

The Island's main source of meat is the herds of sheep which roam the craggy hillsides. Killing a sheep will provide you with meat, while its wool can be used for an assortment of things, from keeping warm to tying things up. If you intend to go after sheep, please specify whether you wish to gather meat or wool - each character will only be able to bring back one of these resource types at a time.
Suggested uses: Food, wool

The seas surrounding the island are filled with an abundance of small fish, as are the streams and loch. Not far from shore, basking sharks can occasionally be seen drifting just below the waves. Catching fish generally requires tools such as fishing spears and rods.
Suggested uses: Food

Among the thickets and the scrub is a variety of edible plants. Up on the cliff faces are puffin eggs, and in the rock pools are shellfish and seaweed. All of these things can make a nutritious meal if you know what you're looking for. Some herbs have medicinal qualities as well - yarrow, mint and thyme are all found on the island, along with other useful plants. People with medical talents can use these to heal the sick. You should specify whether you are looking for edible or medicinal forage.
Suggested uses: Food, medicine

A combination of sheep and climate have combined to make trees relatively scarce on this island, but the many wrecks mean that driftwood washes up fairly frequently. The few trees that are left on the island also make for decent sources of wood.
Suggested uses: Creating fire and shelter. Crafting tools such as fishing rods.

There is no natural source of metal on the island, and unlike wood it's unlikely to wash ashore. If you want to find metal, you may need to make a trip out to the rocks where the Bannatyne crashed and see what you can find there.
Suggested uses: Creating blades and other useful things. Conducting electricity.

The amount of any given resource at your disposal has been left intentionally vague. Rather than implementing a strict linear numerical system to describe how much of a given resource you own, our system uses a ranked system to indicate roughly how rich you are in any given resource. This information will be displayed on your character page. The ranks (in order of magnitude) are as follows:

• A pittance
• A batch
• An abundance
• A wealth

When you expend a certain amount of a resource, you may not immediately see its rank decrease. If, for example, you have a wealth of fish and choose to eat one fish, you will still have a wealth of fish. If, however, you continue to eat a fish every turn, you will eventually have a mere abundance of fish.

If you have a surplus of one type of resource, or are lacking in another and cannot find anyone with whom to trade, the crew of the ship have put a community pot system into place. You may put resources into the community pot (specify that you are doing this in your turnsheet). If you wish to take items out of the community pot, you may submit a proposal during session, which will then be voted upon in the same session.

Besides those resources used in crafting, food may also be placed in the communal pot. While many characters may prefer to make their own arrangements for food, you may turnsheet to eat whatever is made from the communal pot supplies on any given week. If the quantity of food in the communal pot is insufficient to feed everyone who turnsheets to make use of it, a short straw system will be implemented: the GMs will randomly choose who doesn't eat properly that week.

On any given turn, you may choose to use your utility action to cook or craft items using the resources at your disposal. You may only craft one type of item each turn, but by putting in a larger amount of relevant resources, you may be able to make large quantities of this item. For example, a stew made of loads of meat might be sufficient to feed a large group of people.

If choosing to use your utility action to craft or cook, you will need to specify what you intend to make and for what purpose, the quantities of any resources you intend to use as components¹⁾, who will be helping or contributing resources, and which talents, quirks, and tools you intend to use.

For example:

I want to make a permanent shelter on the hill above the cove at the east of the island. It should house three people. I'll use a batch of wood. Alice and Bob are helping and bringing resources of their own. I'll use my Woodworking talent and the rudimentary saw I made last turn.

There are no specific recipes for crafted items. The quality of the items you create may vary.