The One Rule Everything Orbits
If every player's vessel breaks during a run, all the loot you were carrying is lost for good. Not delayed — gone. As long as one vessel survives to extract, the run banks. Every extraction decision in GRAIN ROT is downstream of this rule.
How Extraction Works
- Loot is carried in inventories and as unprocessed scrap during the run.
- The cursed elevator is both your way down and your way out — call it, board it with your crew and cargo, and the run banks on arrival at the Outpost.
- Sparks can board too — but a Spark can't haul heavy loot, so a crew that's mostly Sparks is a crew about to lose its cargo.
- Watch for elevator modifiers like Fuse, which must be satisfied before the lift moves.
When to Extract: The Abort Thresholds
Decide these before descending, say them in voice, and honor them mid-run. Mid-argument is where crews die.
| Signal | Action |
|---|---|
| Loot value hits the session goal | Extract — greed is how banked runs die |
| Team rot meters hit the agreed cap (e.g. anyone symptomatic) | Cure if safe, otherwise extract now — never board while symptomatic without a plan |
| Two Corrupted vectors converge | Stop grinding; leave with unprocessed scrap |
| Two vessels already broken | Conservative mode — no new rooms, path toward the elevator |
| Real-world fatigue (60+ min sessions) | Tired crews troll themselves; bank and take a break |
| Harsh modifier stack (Trap + deep push) | Decline depth your Outpost power can't cash |
Greed vs. Caution: the Extraction Math
Every extra room is a bet: marginal loot against the probability of a wipe that zeroes the run. Beginners systematically over-bet. The demo-era wisdom holds at launch — a modest successful extraction beats an ambitious run that ends in flames, and extracting regularly, even a little, compounds into a stronger Outpost faster than heroic deep pushes that mostly wipe.
Extraction Callouts That Save Runs
- One player owns the extract call — no committee votes mid-chase
- Call rot checks at the elevator: anyone symptomatic stays behind the line until fire-cured or the crew agrees
- The Carrier boards first — loot survives only if the carrier survives
- Sparks board early and scout — never leave a Spark behind to "hold the hall"
Failed extractions still teach you. After each wipe, debrief three questions: did rot caps trigger before our abort rules? Which landmark did we miss on the elevator bearing? Was our inventory tier enough for the loot we tried to carry?
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if everyone dies in GRAIN ROT?
If every crew member's vessel breaks during a run, all loot being carried is lost permanently. As long as one vessel extracts, the run banks.
When should I extract in GRAIN ROT?
When you hit your loot goal, when any teammate shows Rot symptoms, when two Corrupted vectors converge, or when two vessels are already broken. Set abort thresholds before descending and honor them.
Can a Spark extract in GRAIN ROT?
Sparks can board the elevator, but they can't haul heavy loot — a crew of mostly Sparks effectively abandons its cargo. Possess a body before extracting a rich run.