SPACE Wrien by Peter Cakebread, Ken Walton and Adrian Jones Addional Material: Nick Clements Eding: Peter Cakebread Proong: Peter Cakebread and Ken Walton Layout: Gary Buckland Cover Painng & Design: Gary Buckland Interior Illustraons: Illustraons: David Powell, except for p.23 and 52 - Bob Brown and p.30, 35, 45, 46, 49, 87, 95, 101, 103, 104 and 126 - Gary Buckland With thanks to Dan Marrio
Copyright: OneDice Space ©2014-2017 by Peter Cakebread. All rights reserved. Reproducon of this work by any means without the permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United Kingdom.
SPACE Wrien by Peter Cakebread, Ken Walton and Adrian Jones Addional Material: Nick Clements Eding: Peter Cakebread Proong: Peter Cakebread and Ken Walton Layout: Gary Buckland Cover Painng & Design: Gary Buckland Interior Illustraons: Illustraons: David Powell, except for p.23 and 52 - Bob Brown and p.30, 35, 45, 46, 49, 87, 95, 101, 103, 104 and 126 - Gary Buckland With thanks to Dan Marrio
Copyright: OneDice Space ©2014-2017 by Peter Cakebread. All rights reserved. Reproducon of this work by any means without the permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United Kingdom.
Contents
Introducon About this book
3 3
The Age of Transcendence Uplied Animals Arcial Lifeforms Lifeforms
74 78 81
Chapter 1 – How to Play Making an Adventurer Abilies Skills Skill vs Skill Fights Iniave Death, Dying and Recovery Vehicle Combat Spaceship Combat Stunt Points Equipping your Adventurer Finishing Finish ing Touches Experience and Levels
7 7 8 12 20 22 24 27 27 28 36 38 48 48
Chapter 3 – Gamekeeper Gamekeeper Secon Game Styles Scale of Opposion Mooks and Minions Hazards Awarding Experience Spaceships Other Vehicles Psionics Psionic Equipment
88 88 90 91 92 94 95 105 106 114
Chapter 4 – Star Cluster and Planet Generaon Cluster Generaon Generaon Planetary Creaon Oponal Rules
115 116 124 132
Character Sheet Square Cluster Hex Cluster
136 137 138
Chapter 2 – Life Among the Stars The Age of Exploitaon Aliens Playing an Alien The Age of Federaon and Imperium
50 51 56 57 65
Introduction
OneDice Space is a game of space travel and adventure. If you want to play space games in a world of your own devising or adventure in the ready-made futures described within, all the rules you need are in this book. Whether you want to play shady traders in a beat-up cargo ship, the captain and crew of a massive exploraon vessel, rebels ghng against an evil galacc empire, or arcial intelligences downloaded into cyborg or uplied animal bodies, there’s something in here for you.
The Worlds of OneDice OneDice Space has plenty of material for playing roleplaying games in space – but if you fancy adding magic (OneDice Fantasy), net-running (OneDice Cyberpunk) or some other mash-up, it’s worth considering mixing in material from some of the other OneDice books – there is a growing collecon of tles and the rules are cross-compable with very lile adjustment needed.
ABOUT THIS BOOK This book contains everything you need to know to play or run OneDice Space games. The Introducon is what you are reading now! Chapter One tells you how to play the game and how to make a character
3
Introduction
- your character is the Adventurer you control in the OneDice Space world (or in your own future universe). Chapter Two is all about the default OneDice Space seng. How much of this background is made available to the players, is at the Gamekeeper’s discreon. Chapter Three has some handy notes for the Gamekeeper. Players should skip this chapter! Chapter Four contains ideas for generang your own solar systems. At the back of the book is a character sheet, which can be photocopied to use in the game.
MORE ON GAMEKEEPERS AND PLAYERS Perhaps the best way to describe the dierence between the Gamekeeper and the Players is to imagine it’s like a science con movie or series. The Gamekeeper writes and directs, as well as playing all the extras, villains, etc. The Players are the actors, who play the role of the main heroes (their Adventurers). But, unlike in the movies, there isn’t a set script that everyone has to follow – the Players decide what their Adventurers are going to say and do, and those acons will oen change the direcon the movie takes and the reacons of the Gamekeeper’s characters.
WHAT IS A ROLE-PLAYING GAME? Role-playing games (RPGs) are a kind of “Let’s pretend” – but you don’t need to dress up and run around, you all play around a table, using your imaginaons to tell the story. Players play an Adventurer in the imaginary OneDice Space world – and you describe what your Adventurer says and does. You can say exactly what you want to say (if it is the kind of thing your Adventurer would say!), get your Adventurer to aempt to do whatever you want him or her to do, and the Gamekeeper is there to tell you what happens next. When you want your Adventurer to act in the game, the Gamekeeper will somemes get you to roll a dice to see if your Adventurer succeeds or fails in what he or she is trying to do. The Gamekeeper is in charge – it’s only fair,
4
Introduction
they have to present a story, apply the rules and keep the game moving. A game can last as lile as two or three hours, but you might want to play a long adventure, that carries on week to week, like a TV series – the Adventurers gaining experience and skills as they go along, defeang old villains, meeng new ones and generally acng like heroes.
A Universe of Possibilities OneDice Space comes with a default seng – a history of the known universe that can be used to set your games in. However, as the rules are so simple, with just a lile bit of adapon, you might want to use these rules to play games based in your favourite movie, book or television science con seng.
WHAT WILL I NEED TO PLAY? This book; some friends to play with (two is enough for a game, but more is beer); some pens, pencils and paper; some tokens to represent Stunt Points (toy coins, poker chips, squares of cardboard - whatever really); and a six-sided dice (the sort you get in most board games).
5
Introduction
ROLLING THE BONES A six-sided dice is the only dice you need to play the game. When you want your Adventurer to do something that is risky (such as have a ght, climb a steep cli, teleport in a hurry, etc.), the Gamekeeper will give you a Target Number and ask you to roll a dice to beat it. You’ll roll a number between one and six – which you might get to add a bonus to. What you rolled, including bonuses, is compared to the Target Number. If you equal it or beat it, your Adventurer succeeds in what he or she was trying to do, if you don’t, your Adventurer fails. If you fail, you might need to spend some Stunt Points to save your Adventurer. Everyone has some Stunt Points at the start of each game session. You can use these to perform cool stunts or avoid disaster. So, it’s simple – you roll your dice, add any bonuses, and nd out if your Adventurer has had a success or failure.
6
Chapter 1
- How to Play
The rules for OneDice Space are simple. Somemes you will need to roll a six sided-dice to see if your Adventurer can do what you want him or her to do – mostly that’ that ’s it! Most of the game rules are presented alongside rules for making an Adventurer...
Making an Adventurer To make an Adventurer, you will need to: Decide your Adventurer’s abilies – the abilies are Strong, Clever and Quick. There is a fourth ability, Psi, which is only available in games using the oponal Psionics rules (see p.106). Calculate your Health, Defence and Move – These are calculated based on your Adventurer’s abilies. Decide your Adventurer’s Adventurer’s background ba ckground – this is the job that they do (or used to do). This will give your Adventurer some skills. Give your Adventurer some more skills – your Adventurer is allowed more Skill Points, to bring their total Skill Points up to 6. Give your Adventurer some stu – give your Adventurer some starng money and equipment and let them buy some extras. Give your Adventurer some nishing touches – including a name and 6 Stunt Points (more on them later!). As your Adventurer completes adventures, adventures, his or her skills and abilies rise. Experience and Levels, explains how this works.
7
Chapter 1 - How to Play
Aliens The rules here are designed for creang human Adventurers. If your Gamekeeper allows allows alien or AI Adventurers in the campaign, he or she will guide you to the appropriate alien or AI character creaon secon in Chapter 2 (for the default seng) or 3 (for other sengs).
Concept Before you begin creang a character , it is important to check with the Gamekeeper what opons they have decided to include in the game. There are rules for creang all sorts of Adventurer types (and ships) in this secon, but you must check with the Gamekeeper what lists you may choose from, to create characters that will work in the t he sort of game you are playing. playing . For instance, the Gamekeeper might want you to choose from the Adventurer types that nearest conforms to a science con seng they want to run. You You may start with no ship, a small scout or pirate vessel, or as the senior crew on a much bigger starship. You You might be in a seng which includes Adventurers with psionic powers or one that doesn’t, etc. These decisions need to be made by the Gamekeeper before Adventurer generaon, as they will have an impact on the kind of Adventurer you should be creang.
Abilities All characters and creatures have a set of abilies as follows: Strong – How strong your Adventurer is. This is good for when you want to li, carry, carry, push, pull, thump enemies with your sts or kick them with your foot, hit someone with an energy sword or axe, threaten someone to get what you want, etc. Clever – How clever your Adventurer is. This is good for when you want to read a map, follow a course, aim and shoot a gun, read a dicult book, work out how to use a weapon you’ve never seen before, negoate with someone to get what you want, etc. Quick – How quick your Adventurer’s reacons are and how nimble your Adventurer is. This is good for when you want to scramble outside a ship to do repairs, go rst in a ght, throw a grenade, scramble out of quicksand, sneak about, hide from an enemy, etc.
8
Chapter 1 - How to Play Psi – Your game may not have psionics. If your Adventurer does have psionics, this is a measure of his or her mental power. Each Player has six Ability Points to be divided between their Adventurer’s Strong, Clever and Quick (and possibly Psi). Each ability must be given a score between 1 and 3.* *(aside from Psi, if you are using it. Check with the Gamekeeper, as it is likely in a Psi seng that not every Adventurer will have the Psi Ability and he or she may let you have more Ability Points to share between your Adventurer’s venturer’s abilies at character creaon). Example 1 Ken wants to play someone who is strong, but sll reasonably fast. He uses his 6 points to give his Adventurer, Adventurer, Grey Asher: Strong 3, Clever 1, Quick 2. Example 2 Ella wants a good all-rounder, so she gives her Adventurer, Lady Eleanor Therese, the following: Strong 2, Clever 2, Quick 2. Example 3 Helen wants a clever and learned Adventurer, Adventurer, so she spends the 6 points on giving her Adventurer, Adventurer, Aphrodite Parsec: Strong 2, Clever 3, Quick 1. As Adventurers progress and gain Experience, they’ll have an opportunity to improve these starng scores. With your inial Abilies assigned, you can calculate three more aributes, Health, Defence and Move. Health – Shows how healthy your Adventurer is. If your Adventurer Adventurer has an accident or gets hurt in a ght, he or she will lose Health. Health can be restored, so you should always keep a note of your Adventurer’s maximum Adventurer’s Strength mulplied by 3 . Health. Maximum Health is your Adventurer’s Defence – The score an aacker needs to roll to injure you. Defence is three mes your Adventurer’s Strong or Quick (whichever is higher) . You can buy armour to raise this score. Move – How quick your Adventurer can run in metres in a single combat Adventurer’s Quick . round. Move is ten mes your Adventurer’s
9
Chapter 1 - How to Play So, let’s look again at our previous examples. Example 1 Ken chose Strong 3, Clever 1, Quick 2; so Grey Asher has Health 9, Defence 9 and Move 20. Example 2 Ella chose Strong 2, Clever 2, Quick 2; so Lady Eleanor Therese has Health 6, Defence 6 and Move 20. Example 3 Helen chose Strong 2, Clever 3, Quick 1; so Aphrodite Parsec has Health 6, Defence 6 and Move 10.
Your Adventurer’s Background Adventurers don’t usually start out as Adventurers, but they’re the kind of people that, deep down, have always craved excitement. Or perhaps they haven’t! Maybe they’ve found themselves dragged into adventure, against their insncts. Either way, they’ll probably have some skills (things they are good at) which they learned before seng out on their current heroic path. These skills are in part determined by the job they do.
Example Job Skill Sets Adventurers have jobs they do, which give them some inial skills, and even those who don’t work (such as dileantes) will have picked up something. Choose one of the following careers (or, with the Gamekeeper’s permission, make up your own). You’ll get to choose four more skills later, so if you don’t have everything you want from your job, don’t worry! Bodyguard – Bruiser 1, Security 1 Bounty Hunter – Dodgy 1, Shoong 1 Captain – Command 1, Pilot 1 Colonist – Cra 1, Survival 1 Dileante – Art 1, Pilot 1
10
Chapter 1 - How to Play Diplomat – Negoate 1, Psychology 1 Engineer – Engineering 1, Hyperdrive 1 Farmboy/girl – Engineering 1, Drive or Pilot 1 Medical Doctor – Medicine 1, Psychology 1 Military Ocer – Command 1, Shoong 1 Pilot – Pilot 1, Navigate 1 Primive – Blades 1, Survival 1 Prospector – Survival 1, Planetology 1 Scienst – Science 1, Research 1 Scout – Navigate 1, Planetology 1 Space Patrol – Bludgeon 1, Shoong 1 Space Pirate – Dodgy 1, Shoong 1 Spy – Invesgate 1, Disguise 1 Starship Trooper – Shoong 1, Zero-G 1 Thief – Sneaky 1, Security 1 or Pick Pocket 1, Dodgy 1 Trader – Negoate 1, Dodgy 1
As menoned previously, the Gamekeeper might decide to limit choices, according to the seng. For example, he or she might want to use the following list, if he or she wants the players to pick a command crew for a larger vessel: Sample Starship Adventurers: Large starships, such as the warships of the Federaon and Imperium era, will have numerous crew posions, and it is likely that the Players will want to ll the important ones. Here are some examples: Command – Command 1, Negoate 1 Engineering Ocer – Engineering 1, Hyperdrive 1 Security Commander – Inmidate 1, Invesgate 1 First Ocer – Pilot 1, Navigaon 1 Science Ocer – Science 1, Xenology 1 Technician, 1st Class – Sensors 1, Computers 1 Senior Medical Ocer – Medicine 1, Psychology 1 Weapons Ocer – Shoong 1, Arllery 1
11
Chapter 1 - How to Play Back to our example Adventurers, the players now pick a Job Skill set. They’re playing the crew of a small independent vessel, so pick accordingly.
Example 1 Grey Asher’s a Bodyguard, so his prole now looks like this: Grey Asher, Strong 3, Clever 1, Quick 2, Health 9, Defence 9 Move 20, Bruiser 1, Security 1 Example 2 Lady Eleanor Therese’s a Dileante, so her prole now looks like this: Lady Eleanor Therese, Strong 2, Clever 2, Quick 2, Health 6, Defence 6, Move 20, Art 1, Pilot 1 Example 3 Aphrodite Parsec’s a Scout, so her prole now looks like this: Aphrodite Parsec, Strong 2, Clever 3, Quick 1, Health 6, Defence 6, Move 10, Navigate 1, Planetology 1
Skills Every starng Adventurer receives 4 more skill points , which can be spent on buying skills. Like Abilies, skills are given a number (e.g. Climb 1, Climb 2, Climb 3, etc) – but no skill can be higher than 2 at the beginning of the game. It is possible to spend Skill Points to raise one of the skills your Adventurer already possesses (from their job or social staon) to 2, but the limit remains the same. The following is a list of example skills: Acrobacs (Quick) – Good at acrobac moves. Archery (Quick) – Good with bows. Arllery (Clever) – Good at ring arllery weapons. Art (Clever) – Good at creang art. Blades (Strong) – Good at hand-to-hand ghng with a bladed weapon (sword, axe, bayonet, etc.). Bludgeon (Strong) – Good at hand-to-hand ghng with a blunt weapon (hammer, club, cosh, etc.).
12
Chapter 1 - How to Play Bruiser (Strong) – Good at unarmed ghng (punching, kicking, head buing, etc.). Climb (Quick) – Good at climbing. Command (Clever) – Good at giving orders. Computers (Clever) – Good at building, repairing and using computers. Communicaons (Clever) – Good at operang communicaons systems. Cra (Clever) – Good at making and repairing things. Cryptology (Clever) – Good at creang and breaking codes. Cybernecs (Clever) – Good at designing, building and repairing cybernec technology. Disguise (Clever) – Good at carrying o a disguise. Dodgy (Clever) – Good at dealing with criminals and being streetwise. Drive (Quick) – Good at driving an automobile, hover-car, etc.* Engineering (Clever) – Good at building, repairing and understanding engines. Entertainer (Quick) – Good at entertaining others (by singing, dancing, juggling grenades, etc.). Equee (Clever) – Good at knowing the social rules of polite society. Gambling (Quick) – Good at gambling (and cheating). Hyperdrive (Clever) – Good at repairing and building hyperdrives. Inmidate (Strong) – Good at bullying others. Invesgate (Clever) – Good at looking for and analysing clues. Language (Clever) – Good at speaking a language (other than the character’s own). Each language is a separate skill.
13
Chapter 1 - How to Play Lore (Clever) – Good at knowing stu. Medicine (Clever) – Good at healing people. Only people with medicine ( or psionics) can restore Health. Navigate (Clever) – Good at reading maps and star charts and using navigaon computers. Negoate (Clever) – Good at talking their way out of trouble. Percepon (Quick) – Good at nocing and hearing things. Pilot (Clever) – Good at pilong aircra and spaceships.* Pickpocket (Quick) – Good at picking pockets. Planetology (Clever) – Good at understanding and surviving in extreme environments (extremes of gravity, toxic atmospheres, etc.). Psychology (Clever) – Good at reading people’s emoons and nocing when they are lying. Research (Clever) – Good at researching a topic (using libraries, computer archives, etc.). Resistance (Clever) – Good at not panicking when stressed or for resisng Psionics. Ride (Quick) – Good at riding horses and other riding animals. Robocs (Quick) – Good at designing, building and repairing robots and cyborgs. Science (Clever) – Good at science. Security (Clever) – Good at creang or picking locks; arming or disarming traps; etc. Sensors (Clever) – Good at working sensor systems Shoong (Clever) – Good at ring a gun. Sneaky (Quick) – Good at creeping up on people or hiding from them. Survival (Clever) – Good at surviving in the wilderness. Swim (Strong) – Good at swimming. Teaching (Clever) – Good at geng basic concepts over to others. Throw (Quick) – Good at throwing weapons (such as axes, daggers, etc.). Track (Clever) – Good at nding and following tracks. Trade (Clever) – Good at spong a bargain, selling and negoang a good price. Xenology (Clever) – Good at knowing about and understanding aliens. Zero-G (Quick) – Good at manoeuvring and performing tasks in low/zero gravity.**
14
Chapter 1 - How to Play *In OneDice Space, if you have Pilot, you don’t need Drive, as you can roll that instead. You cannot, however, use Drive for Pilot skill tests. **Zero-G has a skill cap of 2; i.e. Zero-G 2 is the highest you can have in this skill. Example 1 Ken chooses to add 1 to Grey Asher’s Bruiser (bringing it up to 2), 1 to Dodgy, 1 to Sneaky and 1 to Shoong – perhaps Grey has knocked about the less savoury parts of the galaxy... Grey’s prole now looks like this: Grey Asher, Strong 3, Clever 1, Quick 2, Health 9, Defence 9 Move 20, Bruiser 2, Dodgy 1, Sneaky 1, Security 1, Shoong 1 Example 2 Ella chooses to add 1 to Lady Eleanor’s Equee, 1 to Trade, 1 to Negoate and 1 to Percepon – she mixes business with pleasure. Lady Eleanor’s prole now looks like this: Lady Eleanor, Strong 2, Clever 2, Quick 2, Health 6, Defence 6, Move 20, Art 1, Equee 1, Negoate 1, Percepon 1, Pilot 1, Trade 1 Example 3 Helen chooses to add 1 to Aphrodite Parsec’s Planetology (bringing it up to 2), 1 to Xenology, 1 to Shoong and 1 to Sensors – Aphrodite likes to explore strange new worlds. Aphrodite’s prole now looks like this: Aphrodite Parsec, Strong 2, Clever 3, Quick 1, Health 6, Defence 6, Move 10, Navigate 1, Planetology 2, Sensors 1, Shoong 1, Xenology 1
All the Adventurers in the above examples are just about done. Next, they all get 6 Stunt Points, ready for the rst game session, then all they need is a name (if you haven’t already chosen one), some money and equipment (including, possibly, a ship) and they’re nished. The next secons detail the rules of the game, if you are already familiar with them, you might want to skip to p.39 and the equipment lists.
15
Chapter 1 - How to Play
Creating New Skills You might want a skill that is not listed above. New skills can only be created with the Gamekeeper’s permission. When coming up with a new skill there are two things to check: 1. Check it isn’t already covered by another skill. 2. Check it is reasonable – a skill should be useful, but not more powerful than the exisng skills.
Skill Use There are three occasions when you might be asked to roll your dice to make a skill check. When you want your Adventurer to perform an acon
Examples When you want your Adventurer to climb a rope, track a trail, navigate using a navcomp, etc. When your Adventurer is trying to perform an acon and someone is working against him or her Examples When your Adventurer enters an arm-wrestling contest, wants to sneak up on somebody, is negoang a trade, etc. When the Gamekeeper wants to see whether something happens to your Adventurer Examples When the Gamekeeper wants to see if your Adventurer has resisted a poi son, has spoed an object, has fallen unconscious, etc. Note: Stunt Points can be spent to gain an automac success on any non-combat skill check (see p.37).
16
Chapter 1 - How to Play
How To Use Skills To Perform Actions Most characters have various abilies and skills they can use to aempt to perform an acon (such as climb up a rope, nd a clue, etc.). The basic chance of carrying out an acon depends on how dicult it is. Roune everyday acons are considered so easy that they can be usually be done automacally - someone driving a hovercar (and who has the Drive or Pilot skill) doesn’t need to make a roll to go driving their hovercar on a wide well-maintained hover-causeway on a calm clear day. You don’t need to roll a dice to get your Adventurer to perform these roune acons. But if the condions are dicult and the causeway is crowded and crumbling, you will need to roll a dice for these more dicult acons.
The Gamekeeper always decides the diculty of any task. In the list below, the gure beside the diculty is the Target Number needed to succeed at an acon:
Difficulty
Target Number (TN)
Example
Roune
No roll needed
Driving sensibly on a quiet, clear day on a wide, main causeway.
Mildly Challenging
3
Driving fast in the pouring rain on a wide causeway.
Challenging
6
Driving fast in the pouring rain on a narrow, minor causeway.
Hard
8
Driving fast on a busy, narrow crumbling causeway in the driving rain.
Very Dicult
10
Driving at out through the mist on a crowded and narrow, crumbling causeway.
Near Impossible
12+
Driving recklessly, o the causeway system, along a slippery, cliop mud-track in a tempest.
17
Chapter 1 - How to Play To see whether your Adventurer succeeds at a task, roll one six-sided dice, then add to the result the relevant ability (the Adventurer’s score in Strong, Clever or Quick) and skill (if he or she has one). Compare the result to the Target Number – if you equal or beat it, you have succeeded. If you have failed to beat it, your acon has been unsuccessful (and there may be a consequence).
Skill Rolls Remember! When the Gamekeeper asks for a skill roll: Roll the dice + Ability (Strong, Clever or Quick) + Skill (if any) = result
Example Aphrodite Parsec is trying to nd Lady Eleanor’s locator beacon in the convoluted tunnels of an asteroid mine, using a navcomp. The Gamekeeper de cides the task is hard (Target Number 8). She has a Clever of 3 and Navigate 2. Her Player rolls a 6, adds the 3 and 2, for a total of 11. Aphrodite beats the target by 3 points and easily understands the navcomp.
Anyone can try almost anything, as everyone has at least 1 in each ability. You don’t need to have Navigate to try and puzzle out a navcomp – you just use your Clever score. Likewise, if you don’t have Climb, you will just have to use Quick on its own, etc.
Example 1 Gray Asher, the bodyguard, is eeing from an alien predator through the zero-g tunnels of an asteroid mine. The Gamekeeper decides it is a Chal lenging task to get through so quickly without injuring himself, and sets the diculty at 6. The Player controlling Grey rolls a dice – and gets a 4. Grey adds his Quick of two, for a total of 6. He doesn’t have Zero-G skill, so can’t add anything for that. He just makes it!!!
18
Chapter 1 - How to Play Example 2 Lady Eleanor is lost in an asteroid mine. The cold is intense, and the heater in her suit is running out of power. She needs to nd a way to keep warm while she waits for Aphrodite and Grey to nd her. The Gamekeeper decides that if she nds the right sort of rare rock, she’ll be able to heat it up with her laser gun to keep herself warm; it’ll be hard to nd what she needs so late in the day, so the diculty is 8. Lady Eleanor hasn’t got the Planetology skill, so can only add her Clever (which is 2) to the dice roll. She rolls a 4. Adding her Clever (2) she gets a total of 6. She misses by 2. As frost begins to form on her visor, she hopes Aphrodite and Grey will come get to her soon.
Exceptions To The Rule The Gamekeeper may rule that some tasks are just too dicult for an amateur to have a go at. It’s unlikely that an untrained Adventurer will be able to design a new type of hyperdrive without the Hyperdrive skill, even if he or she is exceponally lucky.
Healing Isn’t Easy Medicine is another skill which cannot be pracced untrained. Anyone can try and stop the bleeding, make a paent comfortable, etc., but only a character with Medicine can heal Health (their own or that of other character’s). A character wishing to use the Medicine skill must decide how much damage they wish to heal (on the table below), then roll against the appropriate Target Number – a failure means that no healing takes place.
Amount of Healing 1 dice divided by 2 1 dice 1 dice mulplied by 2
Target Number 6 8 10
Use of a Basic sickbay gives a +1 bonus to the roll; use of an Advanced sickbay gives a +3. A Medicine roll of 1 is always a failure – so even if the character combined his or her Clever and Medicine, for a starng total of 6 or above, a dice sll needs to be rolled – as a 1 would sll fail (and it would
19
Chapter 1 - How to Play be 24 hours before the Doctor could try again). Depending on the era and seng, other medical devices might exist which will provide further bonuses to the roll or that allow stabilisaon to occur unl proper treatment can be sought.
Healing Alien Species Depending on the style of game the Gamekeeper wants to run (and how common and integrated senent alien lifeforms are within known human space, etc.), the Gamekeeper might wish to impose no penalty if treang a commonly known, integrated friendly species; a -2 penalty if the medical character is unlikely to have specically studied the biology of given species; or only allow treatment of unknown species by characters with the Medicine skill and the Xenology skill (or if the Gamekeeper is feeling parcularly mean he or she might insist on a more specic Xenology skill, e.g., Xenology (Maran), etc.).
Skill Vs Skill Somemes your Adventurer will want to do something that another character wants to challenge. Whether arm-wrestling, compeng in a running race, sneaking up on someone who is trying to spot you, you’ll need to make a Skill vs Skill test for your Adventurer to see who succeeds. To make a Skill vs Skill test, the player rolls a dice and adds any bonuses. The Gamekeeper rolls dice for whoever is opposing (unless it is another Player’s Adventurer), also adding any bonuses. Whoever gets the highest total wins. If both the Player and the Gamekeeper get the same totals, it’s a draw (unless that makes no sense, such as when trying to sneak up on someone, in which case the Player wins).
Example 1 Aphrodite Parsec and Lady Eleanor are playing space-poker for money. Aph rodite’s Player rolls a 5 and adds her Clever of 3 for a total of 8. She doesn’t have Gambling, so can’t add it. Lady Eleanor’s Player rolls a 4, adds 2 for her Clever, for a total of 6. Lady Eleanor has lost and Aphrodite wins the game. Had Lady Eleanor also got a total of 8, it would have been a draw and nei ther character would have won.
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Chapter 1 - How to Play Example 2 Grey Asher is trying to sneak past a guard. His Player rolls a 4, adds his Quick of 2 and Sneaky of 1 for a total of 7. The Gamekeeper rolls for the guard he is trying to avoid, and gets a 3. He adds the guard’s Clever of 2 – unfortunately for Grey, the guard also has Percepon 2, so also gets a total of 7. As Grey is a Player’s Adventurer, while the guard is the Gamekeeper’s, Grey wins – but only just!
Having The Advantage Somemes one of the sides in an opposing skill test will have an advantage or disadvantage and the Gamekeeper will give an extra bonus or penalty to the dice roll.
Example Grey and Lady Eleanor are in a low bar on a grimy mining world. One of the other customers, who Grey suspects of being a spy working for the Bounty Consorum, is handed a data chip by another roguish customer. The sus pected spy slips the data-chip into his jacket pocket. Grey watches as his target drinks – the suspected spy is drinking a lot. Before long, the target is drunk and loudly recanng boring stories about his travels to all who will listen. Grey tries to pick the drunken boaster’s pocket. The Gamekeeper de cides to give Grey a +2 bonus to add to his dice – Lady Eleanor will create a distracon and no-one else is focussing their aenon on Grey. Grey’s Play er rolls a 5 and adds a bonus of 2 (his Quick, he doesn’t have Pick Pocket) and a further +2, for a total of 9. The Gamekeeper makes a roll to see if the drunken target spots the robbery – he rolls a 6 and adds the guest’s Clever of 1 for a total of 7 – the drunken spy won’t be happy later, when he nds that the important data-chip has gone!
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Chapter 1 - How to Play
Making A Difference Somemes the amount that the winner wins by makes a dierence. How much of a dierence is up to the Gamekeeper.
Example Aphrodite wants to sell a rare rock she found, while on an exploratory expedion, to a trader. The rare mineral should sell for 100. Aphrodite rolls a 2 and adds her Clever of 3 for a total of 5. The Gamekeeper gets a 5, adds the trader’s Clever of 2 and Trade of 3 for a total of 10. The dierence is 5 (The trader’s 10 minus Aphrodite’s 5). The Gamekeeper decides that the trader will pay a maximum of 50 (deciding a -10 penalty should be subtracted for every point of dierence between the two rolls).
Zero Gravity There will be mes when characters might need to space-walk to repair ship exteriors, sneak around a hull, their ship becomes depressurised, power systems fail, they make landfall on somewhere with no gravity, etc. Operaons in Zero Gravity will require a Zero-G suit for survival. Training in the Zero-G skill can oset the eects of Zero Gravity. Gamekeeper’s should also see p.93. Zero Gravity: -2 to all physical acvity related skill rolls. +20 to Move. Characters with the Zero-G skill can add it to their skill rolls to a maximum of +2 (i.e. completely cancelling out the eect), demonstrang their training and ability in this environment. Physical acvity skill rolls include any use of movement or dexterity such as, but not limited to, combat, acrobacs and pickpocket.
Fights Being at the centre of a space adventure, means sooner or later your Adventurer will get into a ght. Fights take place in combat rounds, each lasting just a few seconds. In a combat round, each ghter takes it in turns to try and hit and damage their opponent(s).
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Chapter 1 - How to Play Note: Don’t forget that Stunt Points can be used to perform special acons in combat, on top of those described in this secon.
Combat Basics Combat rounds basically work like this : Everyone rolls Iniave at the start the combat – to nd out who goes rst (roll the dice and add Quick - highest wins). Then, from highest to lowest Iniave, each character: Rolls to hit – Roll the dice and add any bonuses to beat the opponent’s Defence. A character can also try to move (charge into combat or run away) in this part of the round. Calculates damage – on a successful hit. Remove any damage from opponent’s Health.
Surprise And Distance Somemes one of the sides in a ght will be surprised – if one side is expecng an aack and the other isn’t; if one side has successfully sneaked up on opponents who have failed to spot them; a successful ambush, etc. If so, the side who is surprised doesn’t get to make aacks in the rst round of combat. If both or neither side is surprised, then it cancels out, so combat starts normally with Iniave. How far apart the opponents are at the start of combat depends on the terrain – if both pares turn a corner on a spaceship and bump into one another, then they can move instantly into hand-to-hand; if both pares spot each other at the other side of a valley, they won’t be able to start ghng unl someone moves into the range of the other side’s weapons (assuming they have ranged weapons); both sides clash in hand-to-hand ghng, etc. In this case, don’t roll Iniave unl someone can actually hit someone else.
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Chapter 1 - How to Play
Initiative Unless the Gamekeeper judges one side to be surprised (in which case the other side gets a free aack), each character in a ght must roll Iniave at the start of combat. Roll the dice and add your Adventurer ’s Quick. You only roll Iniave at the start of the ght – anyone joining the ght rolls Iniave when they enter the fray.
Example Aphrodite has a Quick of 1. She is ghng a spaceport low-life, who also has a Quick of 1. Aphrodite’s Player rolls a 1, adds Aphrodite’s Quick of 1 for a total of 2. The Gamekeeper rolls a 6 for the low-life and adds a further 1 for his Quick, for a total of 7. The low-life goes rst. What if there is a draw? If there is a draw, the Player’s Adventurer goes before the Gamekeeper’s character. If two Player’s Adventurers are aacking each other, and they draw on Iniave, they act at exactly the same me.
Roll To Hit In this part of a round the character can try to hit an opponent or try another sort of acon. He or she can try and hit using a ranged weapon (energy-bow, laser gun, etc), hand-to-hand weapon (laser-sword, wrench, etc), or unarmed aack (st, kick, tentacle, etc). In each case you roll the dice, adding the relevant Ability and Skill (if any). For hand-to-hand ghng (with or without a weapon): Roll dice + Strong + Skill (Blades, Bludgeon, Bruiser) = Total For guns and arllery: Roll dice + Clever + Skill (Arllery, Shoong) For ranged weapons other than guns: Roll dice + Quick + Skill (Archery, Throw)
If the total beats the target’s Defence, damage is done. Note: If your game includes them, rules for using psionics are on p.106.
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Chapter 1 - How to Play
Having The Advantage Like with skill rolls, somemes the Gamekeeper will judge that one side or another has a natural advantage (ghng an enemy who is climbing up a slippery slope, having cover from ranged aacks, etc.). The Gamekeeper can insist that one side receives a +2 Defence bonus unl they lose the advantage. If both sides are acvely using cover, to re from behind, then both sides might receive a +2 Defence bonus.
Other Actions Instead of trying to hit someone, a character can try to move or take another acon in this part of the round. Doing any of these acons lowers the character’s Defence by 2 for the duraon of the round.
Moving If a character isn’t in a hand-to-hand ght and wants to move, up to his or her Move in metres, they can (instead of aacking – you don’t get to do both). This includes moving into a hand-to-hand ght. Geng Out Of Hand-To-Hand Combat If a character tries to move out of hand-to-hand ghng, they risk their opponent geng a free aack. The opponent has a choice – take a free swing at the eeing coward or give chase. If he or she tries to give chase, both sides make a roll, adding their Quick. If the chaser wins, he or she catches up, and both pares are back in hand-to-hand ghng. If the person running away wins, he or she has escaped. If it is a draw, the chase connues next round (unless someone gives up). Non-Combat Acons Somemes a character will want to do something, not covered by the above, such as try to operate a keypad; une a hostage; etc. The Gamekeeper determines (secretly) how long such acvies take and while the character is working on them, he or she cannot ght back (although does sll have a Defence rang, with a -2 penalty).
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Chapter 1 - How to Play
Quick Actions Some acons are really quick and don’t cause the character to miss an attack – these include things like geng out a weapon, shoung an order, etc. You can do any one these things without a penalty.
Calculate Damage Take the total of the hit roll and subtract the target’s Defence. Then add any damage for the parcular weapon. The result is the amount of Health the injured party loses.
Example Aphrodite res her pistol at the low-life. The low-life has a Defence of 3 and Health of 6. Aphrodite’s Player rolls a 5, adds Aphrodite’s Clever (3) and Shoong (1), for a total of 9. The dierence is 6 (Aphrodite’s roll to hit of 9 minus the low-life’s Defence of 3). Aphrodite does 6 damage, +3 for the pistol, for a total of 9 damage! The low-life is no more.
Optional Damage Rule – Lucky Hits Some foes will simply be too tough to damage for an unskilled or weak ghter. If the Gamekeeper wants to give everyone a chance of inicng damage, he or she can use the following rule. When the aacker rolls a 6, he or she inicts damage, even if the total aer addions doesn’t beat an opponent’s Defence. Such damage is xed at the base weapon damage (as listed in the Equipment Secon on p.46) and removed from the target’s Health. When applying this rule, use common sense – if a target is invulnerable to a certain type of aack, then no amount of luck will help the aacker (that’s what Stunt Points are for!).
Non-Lethal Damage A character using Bruiser can decide to inict non-lethal damage when attacking. When non-lethal damage causes a character’s Health to drop to 0, the character is knocked unconscious for a dice worth of minutes. Non-lethal damage to Health recovers at the rate of 1 per hour, although the in jured party will usually feel sore and moan about his or her bruises for a few days. Someone with the Medicine Skill can also heal non-lethal damage.
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Chapter 1 - How to Play
Death, Dying And Recovery All the characters the Gamekeeper controls die when their Health reaches 0. Player’s Adventurers will also die when their Health reaches 0, unless somebody can stabilise and/or heal them (using Medicine or the appropriate equipment) within 3 combat rounds. If a character is injured, they naturally heal 1 Health for every 12 hours of complete rest (in addion to any medicinal help), unl their Health is back up to its starng level. Note: Don’t forget that Stunt Points can be used to help avoid damage.
Vehicle Combat In OneDice Space vehicle combat is generally handled dierently to spaceship combat. Vehicles (such as aircars, hover-bikes, etc.) have Strong, Quick, Health, Defence and Move scores, much like characters. (Note: You might noce the Health, Defence and Move of vehicles aren’t simply calculated from their Strong and Quick.) If characters in two vehicles are ghng each other, then combat order is as usual. Roll Iniave, roll to hit, roll to damage, etc.
Iniave – roll a dice and add the vehicle’s Quick. Roll to hit – usually using the Abilies and skills of the driver. If the total beats the Defence of the opposing vehicle (or driver of that vehicle), calculate damage. The Abilies and skills used will depend on the vehicle and the weapon used. If trying to ram, the vehicle’s Quick + the driver’s Pilot (or Drive); if ring a laser cannon, then the pilot’s Clever + Shoong. Some vehicles (e.g. hover-tanks), have inbuilt missile weaponry (use Clever + Arllery to re). Each weapon should be assigned a damage rang, if it hasn’t already got one (based on its lethality). If ramming, vehicles generally do their Strong divided by 3 in damage. Any vehicle involved in a collision also takes damage from the opposing vehicle (so ramming is only usually worth it when going against a weaker opponent).
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Chapter 1 - How to Play Calculate Damage – Add weapon’s damage (or vehicle’s Strong divided by 3, if ramming) to the dierence between the aacker’s to hit roll and the Defence of the opposion. Remove damage – From damaged vehicle’s Health (or driver’s Health, if the driver was hit). The consequences of a vehicle reaching 0 Health will vary according to the vehicle and environment – an aircar will probably crash; a naucal ship sink; while an armoured train might simply grind to a halt and the driver and passengers get out. Huge And Super Creatures Mostly individuals can’t aack vehicles – punching a aircar won’t make it go away! So, making an unarmed aack against a vehicle (or spaceship) is not usually allowed in the default seng in the next chapter (armed aacks are ne, oen characters will want to shoot at engines, aim at an opposing pilot, etc.). But in your space seng there might be huge, or super-strong, aliens and characters, who can pack enough of a punch to bulldozer a vehicle (or even a spaceship!) with a st or tentacle.
Spaceship Combat Spaceships have Strong, Quick, Health, Defence and Move scores, much like characters. Spaceship’s crew, where they are large enough to need one, also have scores; there is more on crews on below. (Note: You might noce the Health, Defence and Move of spaceships aren’t simply calculated from their Strong and Quick.) There are lots of sample spaceships for the game on pp.95-101 in the Gamekeeper’s Secon (Chapter 3); along with various suggesons for ship types for each era, for the default seng, throughout Chapter 2. Spaceships are generally split into a variety of categories – in parcular there are two main technical categories, basic and advanced; and four main size categories, small, medium, large and huge. The eects of these dierences are also discussed below. If two spaceships are ghng each other, then combat order is generally
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Chapter 1 - How to Play as usual, although range and surprise work a lile dierently, and combat rounds are much longer than a few seconds.
In a Nutshell Spaceship combat basically works the same as regular combat – with rounds comprising of Iniave; Roll to hit; Calculate Damage; and Remove Damage. There are, however some other things to consider: Range; Detecon; Chasing/Evading; Type of Aack; Boarding; and Crews. Rules for these are also covered in this secon.
Range There are four ranges – extreme, long, close and docking. At extreme range, spaceships are just close enough to be able to detect each other, if they have an appropriately advanced sensor system. This means that in some eras/sengs extreme range might be dispensed with, because no spaceships have the capability. At extreme range, aacks aren’t possible. A successful Sensors check using an advanced sensor array, will be needed for the spaceship computer or sensors ocer to detect a spaceship travelling at extreme range. At long range, it is possible to re advanced missiles at an enemy ship, using the Arllery skill of the direcng weapons ocer or crew member. Likewise, counter-measures may be deployed, such as counter-missiles, barrage clouds, etc. All spaceships (as long as they aren’t really rubbish or shot up) may also aempt to detect or hail each other at this range. At close range, crew or computers can re spaceship-mounted laser cannon at a target (using the Shoong skill). Advanced ships can get a visual of a target at close range. As at long range, missiles and counter measures can be deployed. Advanced spaceships can use tractor beams to draw in or repel ships at close range. At close range, spaceships can also: re missiles; re lasers; depending on the sophiscaon of communicaons and sensor arrays make visual contact; begin to use tractor beams; etc.
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Chapter 1 - How to Play At docking range, spaceships can also aempt to lock on to an access point on the enemy spaceship and board or aempt to ram an enemy vessel. If the lock-on aempt is successful, it is likely neither cra can connue to ght. Small and medium ships tend to have entrance and cargo hatchways, or at least some airlocks; large and huge ships will likely also have boarding decks for ghters, etc. The enemy spaceship will be visible at docking range (assuming it hasn’t managed to cloak itself). For more on moving between ranges, see the Chasing rules below.
Surprise It is possible to surprise another spaceship, usually if your sensors crew/ computer detects an opposing one and they fail to detect you, if one of the spaceships has a cloaking device, if the pilot of a small or medium ship is aempng to fool the sensors of a larger ship, etc. This means the spaceship doing the surprising can have a free aack or free move (to a nearer or more distant range). An aack will reveal the hiding ship, but a move might not. Surprise is not usually possible at visual range, although if the crew member or members are all away from their posts, or the spaceship has only a basic computer and basic sensor array or problems with their advanced array, it is possible for another spaceship not to be noced unl it is right next to yours and someone looks out the windows!!! Note: Spaceships with advanced computers will generally rely on them to make sensor sweeps at extreme and long distances – spaceship computers come in dierent models (see p.102, but basically the computer’s Clever is used for computer operated skill checks), which oer dierent bonuses to Sensor rolls. Whether surprise or hiding is possible, depends on detecon.
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Chapter 1 - How to Play
Detection If a spaceship is aempng to evade the sensors of other spaceships, an opposed roll is made, between the sensing ship’s crew member’s Clever + Sensors (or ship computer’s Clever) vs the evading ship’s crew member’s Clever + Sensors (or ship computer’s Clever). Note: If the Gamekeeper controlled ship is trying to be evasive, the Gamekeeper might secretly want to make the players’ sensor rolls on their behalf, aer all – the players shouldn’t know there is something out there if they fail to detect it! The following modiers apply to the opposed roll: Basic Sensors: +2 Docking; +0 Modier at Close and Long; Not able to sense anything at extreme ranges. Advanced Sensors: +2 Docking; +2 at Close; +1 at Long; no modier at extreme range. Advanced Cloaking Device: Modier depending on the device (see p.102). If the evading ship wins, then the searching ship is unable to detect them. If the searching ship wins, the evading ship comes up on the searching ship’s scanner (or monitors, or whatever). If it is a draw, then the Adventurers’ spaceship wins.
Chasing It’s likely that if two crews are aware of each other, one spaceship might try to get closer, while the other might try to run away. A lot of me might be spent running away – from pirates, from the Imperium, from hosle planetary defence forces, from aliens, etc.!!!
How do we run away or hunt another spaceship down? Both sides make a roll, adding their spaceship’s Quick + the Pilot of whoever is ying the ship. If the chasing spaceship wins , it catches up, and both pares are one range nearer – so extreme is reduced to long range; long range is reduced to close range; close range to docking range. If the eeing spaceship wins , it moves one range further away – so docking range becomes close range; close range becomes long range; long range becomes extreme range; and extreme becomes out-of-range and the eeing cra has escaped the scene completely. Note: A detected spaceship try-
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Chapter 1 - How to Play ing to ee is exposed to aacks from the chasing spaceship, unl out of aack range! If it is a draw, the range stays the same and the chase connues next round. Note: If neither ship wants to change the exisng range, then they don’t have to (both spaceships might just slug it out with torpedoes or lasers!).
Fighting Not all ships have torpedoes or similar missiles, and those that do will have a limited amount. For those that have them, torpedoes can be red at close and long range. Most ships are armed with laser cannon (or other similar energy devices). These can re at close and docking range (as long as the target hasn’t actually docked and joined with the aacking spaceship). Unlike torpedoes, unless there is some reason for a major power drain, such as excessive damage or sabotage, laser cannon tend to have what is in eect an unlimited amount of ammunion. Use the following order: Iniave – each side rolls a dice and adds their spaceship’s Quick + the Command of whoever is commanding the ship (or, in the case of small one or two-person ghters, the Pilot of the pilot). Roll to hit – roll the dice and add the spaceship’s Strong + the Arllery of whoever is commanding the ring of torpedoes or the Shoong of whoever is ring (or, on a larger vessel, in charge of ring) the lasers. If the total beats the Defence of the opposing spaceship, calculate damage. Calculate Damage – Damage is the dierence between the aacking spaceship’s total to hit roll and the Defence of the defending spaceship. Remove damage – From the damaged spaceship’s Health. Also, for ships with crews, for every spaceship Health point lost, remove 2 crew Health.
Docking Range At docking range, if both ships are of a size to carry crews, boarding can be aempted. (Note: Small and medium sized ship crews are not able to board large or huge ships in this way – although individuals may well be able to inltrate the larger vessel and sneak about, etc., if they have a cunning enough
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Chapter 1 - How to Play plan! Larger ships will probably send security patrols to invesgate small and medium, if they know they have been boarded, but this too should be role-played as usual, rather than resolved using the following crew combat rules).
Boarding Whoever wins Iniave can iniate boarding – if they cause damage to their enemy, they are considered to have successfully crossed over to the opposing ship, where the crew combat connues. If they fail to do any damage, they are stuck on their own ship (and may be boarded themselves, on their opponent’s turn). Once a ship has been boarded, crew combat is as usual (Iniave, roll to hit, etc.), but rather than being between individuals, it is between crews: Iniave – each side rolls a dice and adds their crew’s Quick + the Command of whoever is commanding the crew. Whichever side wins aacks rst. In the event of a draw, the Adventurers’ crew aacks rst. Roll to hit – roll the dice and add the crew’s Strong + the Command of whoever is commanding the crew. If the total beats the Defence of the opposing crew, calculate damage. Calculate Damage – Damage is the dierence between the aacking crew’s total to hit roll and the Defence of the defending crew. Remove damage – From the damaged crew’s Health.
Ramming Ramming is rarely a good idea in a spaceship, but in the last resort it can happen. To make a ram aack (or determine the eects of any collision), the aacking spaceship will need to make a successful opposed roll – someone rolls a dice for each ship, adding the ship’s Quick + the Pilot of whoever is ying the ship. If successful, the aacking ship makes contact and does its Ram damage (Strong divided by three) to the defending ship’s health. The aacking ship also takes damage – half the Ram damage of the defending ship (Strong divided by three and then halved) is removed from the aacking ship’s health.
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Chapter 1 - How to Play
Crews Crews have scores (Strong, Quick, Clever, Health and Defence, etc.) for the enre crew – in other words, they generally ght together, like one creature, but crew members do have an individual prole (to be used when there are not many of them, they’re ghng players’ Adventurers, etc.). The Strong of the crew is Crew Health divided by 10. The Health of a crew is a measure of the total number in the crew, i.e. a spaceship with crew Health 90 has 90 crew onboard when at opmum strength. Every me 10 crew are put out of acon (i.e. whenever the crew’s Health drops by 10), the crew’s Strong goes down by 1. If a spaceship’s crew falls to half or fewer of the opmum crew needed to run the ship, all ship rolls are at a -2 (unl the crew are healed or replaced).
HEALING CREW Aer a bale, some of the crew put out of acon might have suered minor injuries. For every 10 casuales, roll one dice – on a roll of 1-3 those 10 casuales have minor injuries and can get back to work immediately; on a roll of 4-6, those 10 casuales are seriously injured or dead. Note: Use common sense – if the crew were in a reght against another crew, use these rules – if they have been fried by a thermonuclear device, they are simply dead and can’t be healed. A medic can try to treat some of the seriously injured – roll his or her Medicine (with the usual bonuses for sickbays, etc.) – it is up to the medic’s discreon how many casuales he or she will try to save:
Amount of Crew Health Repaired 1 dice divided by 2 1 dice 1 dice mulplied by 2
Target Number 6 8 10
If the result is a success, then a number of crew will be healed as above, if the roll is a failure, then none of the seriously injured could be saved. Either way, the medic only gets one try – once the roll has been made, all seriously injured crew who have not been successfully treated are considered dead.
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Chapter 1 - How to Play
Players’ Adventurers And Crew Fights Crews might have just one set of scores when they are ghng each other, but when player’s Adventurers ght, they only ght individual crew members. The Gamekeeper decides how many of the crew are in direct combat with the player’s Adventurers, and the ght is run as an ordinary ght (rather than a crew vs crew ght), see p.22. The crew members in the ght have their own individual scores (each spaceship’s crew has two sets of scores – one which is used when they are ghng as a mass; the other which is used for when ghng as individuals. The Gamekeeper might decide some of the opponents are above average and some are below, rather than using the average score for every opponent the player’s crew are ghng with). The same method is used for when a major enemy is ghng the players’ crew (i.e. the Gamekeeper decides how many of the player’s crew can get to the major enemy and runs it as an ordinary ght, see p.22). When a crew is ghng a Huge Creature, they ght as a mass (i.e. as if they were ghng an enemy crew). For every crew member killed, remove 1 Health from the aected crew.
Damage, Repairs And Exploding! When a spaceship is reduced to half Health, all rolls (to aack, to run away, etc.) are at -2. (Note: Remember, when a crew is reduced to half Health, all rolls are at -2. When a crew is reduced to 0 Health, they are all out of acon.)
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Chapter 1 - How to Play When a spaceship is reduced to 0 Health it will only be a maer of me before it runs out of oxygen and is le an uninhabitable husk (one dice worth of rounds) – me to head to the escape pods or surrender and hope! A spaceship can fall below 0 Health and have a negave Health – if the spaceship suers twice its Health in Damage, it instantly explodes! An exploded spaceship cannot be repaired. A spaceship’s crew can aempt to repair a spaceship in combat – roll a dice and add 1 for every point of Strong used to make the repairs – crew repairing a ship cannot ght (or defend) and must fully concentrate on mending their ship (so if boarded, they cannot join in the resistance to the boarding). The Target Number is determined by how much spaceship Health the crew are aempng to repair (the players can choose how much Health to attempt to restore per round).
Amount of Health Repaired 1 dice divided by 2 1 dice 1 dice mulplied by 2
Target Number 6 8 10
Out of combat, repairs can be aempted in the same way, but only once every 12 hours. Note: Advanced spaceships usually have auto-repair systems. As long as the spaceship has suered no more than 25% of its Health in damage (or when it has been restored to 75% by crew and engineer repairs), it can fully auto-recover within one dice worth of hours.
Stunt Points Stunt Points are used to perform epic combat moves, save your Adventurer from certain death, hit a foe against the odds, etc. Every player starts each game session with 6 Stunt Points. As each game session progresses, the players play their Stunt Points to make good things happen for their Adventurers. It’s a good idea to spend all your Stunt Points, as they can’t be carried over to the next game and they’ll be replaced next session! Some of the characters run by the Gamekeeper might also have Stunt
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Chapter 1 - How to Play Points, which can be used in exactly the same way as the players’ Stunt Points. Only more major enemies will have them – more run-of-the-mill opposion never have Stunt Points. Stunt Points can be represented in the game by poker chips, or coins (real or chocolate!), toy money, etc.
Spending Stunt Points? Each of the following acons cost 1 Stunt Point: Succeed at a non-combat roll automacally – however dicult the task. Ignore an opponent’s Defence – no roll to hit, simply deliver a dice worth of damage + the weapon damage to your Adventurer’s opponent’s Health. Armour does not protect the opponent. Avoid damage – Turn a hit on your Adventurer into a miss. Avoid character death – If your Adventurer drops to 0 Health, they are merely unconscious, not dying. Perform two aacks in one round – you can roll to hit twice instead of once. Stunt Acon – You can combine an aack with a stunt (climb, swing on a cable or rope, run on a rolling barrel, etc.). You only need to roll to hit, and you get to add your Strong and Quick to the dice (plus one suitable skill if you have one, Acrobat, Climb, Blades, Bludgeon, Bruiser, Shooting, Throw, etc.). To cancel an enemy’s Stunt Point – If a Player has spent a Stunt Point to perform an acon, the Gamekeeper can spend a Stunt Point (if the character the Gamekeeper is running has one) to cancel the acon. Likewise, a Player can spend a Stunt Point to cancel a Gamekeeper’s Stunt Point acon against his or her own Adventurer. •
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•
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The following acons cost 2 Stunt Points: Advanced Stunt Acon – You can combine an aack with a stunt (climb, swing on a cable or rope, run on a rolling barrel, etc.). You only need to roll to hit, and you get to add your Strong, Quick and Clever to the dice (plus one suitable skill if you have one, Acrobat, Climb, Blades, Bludgeon, Bruiser, Shooter, Throw, etc.). •
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Chapter 1 - How to Play
•
Perform three aacks in one round – you can roll to hit three mes instead of once.
The following acon costs 3 Stunt Points: Ignore an opponent’s Defence – no roll to hit, simply deliver a dice worth of damage, mulplied by three, to your Adventurer’s opponent’s Health. •
Changing The Story (Optional) Here is an extra way of spending Stunt Points. Check with your group to see if they would like to add this opon. The following story change costs 1 Stunt Point: Minor Plot Change – Players can spend a Stunt Point to remove a minor obstacle (avoid a patrol, solve a clue, nd a dierent path, etc.). The following story change costs 5 Stunt Points: Major Plot Change – A Player can spend 5 Stunt Points to make a major change to events – escape the asteroid storm; cause a huge rock-slide, covering their retreat; cause a nearby enemy spaceship to lose all speed and be put temporarily out of acon; etc. •
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Equipping Your Adventurer Every Player’s Adventurer starts with some money to spend on equipment. Gamekeeper’s should give starng cash based on the seng and the social staon of an Adventurer. For example, a dileante or aristocrat might start with 10,000 credits x 1 dice; a small trader or crew member working on a decently sized Federaon vessel might start with 1000 credits x 1 dice; whilst a lowly pirate, soldier or farmboy/girl might start with 100 credits x 1 dice. This is your Adventurer’s starng wealth in credits. In addion, all Adventurers start the game with one Adventurer ouit suitable to their profession, and one weapon suitable for their Adventurer. In a space-faring game, it is possible the Adventurers may well have use of a spaceship; whether this is a baered old freighter passed down in the family, a massive star cruiser belonging to the Federaon, or even one of the Adventurers will depend on the campaign. Spaceships are discussed and listed in the Gamekeeper and Seng chapters later in this book.
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Chapter 1 - How to Play
Equipment In The Different Eras Not all equipment is available in every era, due to advances in technology over me. Due to the huge diversity of cultures in the galaxy, lower-tech items are sll available in higher-tech eras, though they may be expensive curios, or hard to obtain, at the Gamekeeper’s discreon. Any item not marked is available in all eras. If playing in the default seng, any item marked (FI) is only available in the Age of Federaon and Imperium or above. If playing in the default seng, any item marked (T) is only available in the Age of Transcendence, or above. If playing in a generic or other seng of your own choosing, items marked (Adv) are only available in advanced sengs/for advanced spaceships, but not in basic sengs/for basic spaceships. All other items might be available in Basic sengs/spaceships. •
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Note: Spaceships and spaceship upgrades are not listed in this secon. They are in the Gamekeeper Chapter, p.95.
Everyday Stuff Clothing Low Life Clothes: Anything from greasy overalls to cheap fashion knockos. Cost: 0-5 Respectable Clothes: Passable, but boring. Cost: 50 Rugged Clothing: Worn but hard-wearing. Cost: 50 Uniform: A decent work ouit, possibly provided by an employer. Cost: 80 Fine Clothes: Fashionable and well-made clothes, worn by the upper classes, corporaon bosses, nobles, etc. Cost 200+ Explorer’s Clothes: An ouit suited to exploring harsh but Earth-like environments. Includes internal heang/cooling properes, lter mask and goggles. +1 to Survival skill. Cost: 150 Standard Space/Zero-G Suit : Standard space suit for surviving in airless/ toxic/radioacve atmospheres. Not suitable for corrosive atmospheres. Provides air for 24 hours, has inbuilt food/water/waste facilies. Communi-
39
Chapter 1 - How to Play caons limited to nearby receiving relays or users. +1 to Survival Skill. Cost: 500 Advanced Space/Zero-G Suit: (FI/Adv) As above, but also provides protecon against corrosive atmospheres and equipped with a basic computer and long-distance (from surface to orbit) communicaons device. +1 to Survival and Planetology skills. +1 to Defence. Cost: 5000 Ablave Combat Armour: (FI) A hard shell military armour usually consisting of a breastplate, helmet, arm & leg greaves. Provides +1 to Defence and -1 to Move. Cost: 600 Personal Energy Shield: (T/Adv) A small device, usually worn around the neck, which generates a personal energy shield when acvated. The shield absorbs damage from energy weapons, such as lasers. It can be stacked with other protecve wear. They are only usually responsive to their owner’s bio-readings, to prevent the. +1/+2 to Defence. Cost: 1000/3000 Power Armour: (FI/Adv) As above, but is armoured and has power assist. +2 to all Strong-based skill rolls. +1 to Survival and Planetology skills. +2 to Move. +2 to Defence. Cost: 5000 Universal Suit: (T/Adv) A nanotech suit which can change shape to provide any style of clothing, as well as providing being able to provide all the funcons of Power Armour, above, which looking like a skin-ght mirrored forceeld. +2 to all Strong-based skill rolls. +1 to Survival and Planetology skills. +2 to Move. +2 to Defence. Cost: 10000
Accessories Audio Visual Recording Unit: Oen micro-sized, but also available in a rugged military format for combat units. In a military seng they are oen remotely monitored by senior ocers providing a live feed regarding the individuals status. These Units are also commonly linked to a soldier’s bio signs, advising of injuries or death. Cost: 100+ Backpack: Cost: 5 Bedroll: Cost: 1 Chem Lights: Handheld scks that produce heatless light when acvated. Lasts 12 hours. Cost: 10 for 5 lights Climbing Kit: Rope, pitons, safety equipment. Cost: 100/(FI/Adv)300 (Adds +1 to Climb skill rolls/FI and Adv kits +2.)
40
Chapter 1 - How to Play Communicator: For long-distance communicaon between people. Comes in many forms (phone, watch, badge, headset, etc.) and oen has other funcons such as camera, compung facilies, sensor suite, and the like. Cost: 50+ CredCard : A small plasc card containing a soware chip that when placed in a Cred Reader can perform all banking funcons. Bio linked to the owner perming its use only by them. In Advanced/Age of Transcendence setngs, smaller versions are oen implanted under the skin, and there are even chemical versions that can be integrated into the owner’s body readings. Cost: 10 Data Discs: Sealed units containing informaon about the size of a poker chip, that can be interfaced with Hand Computers or larger computer systems. Somemes called Scholar Chips, these units can hold data on star systems, alien species, star ships or any other subject. Prices vary depending on the informaon on them. Cost: 10+ Engineering Kit: A variety of tools. Cost: 250/(FI/Adv) 500 (Adds +1 to Engineering skill rolls/ FI and Adv adds +2.) Flares (Handheld): Produces a bright light and heat when acvated. Lasts 5 mins. Cost: 10 Geo-Locator: Small electronic navigaon unit that displays the users posion on a planet. Cost: 15 Goggles, Protecve: Standard eye protecon. These units may have addional features built into them such as infrared, low light or magnicaon enhancements. Each enhancement doubles the base cost. Cost: 40 Goggles, Strategy: (T/Adv) Vision enhancers, which do all that protecve goggles do, as well as giving the wearer +1 to Percepon. Cost: 300 Hand Computer: Powerful lightweight computer that can operate independently or link wirelessly to a network. In advanced sengs they tend to be full extensions of the ship’s computer network. Cost: 200+ Handcus: Adjustable wrist restraints that require a key. May be opened with the use of Security (Clever) Target Number: 8. Cost: 10 Hand Scanner: (FI/Adv) A portable sensor device with an eecve range of 10 kms. Provides informaon regarding life signs, atmospheric composion, geology, etc. Requires the successful use of a Sensors (Clever) roll with a Target Number set by the Gamekeeper. See also Med Scanner. Cost: 200+
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Chapter 1 - How to Play Lockpick Set: Electronic lockpicks. Cost: 300/(FI/Adv) 600 (Adds +2 to Security skill rolls to bypass locks/FI and Adv add +3.) Mask, Respirator: Allows survival in poisonous, low or zero atmosphere environments. Cost: 100+ Medi-Pack: (FI/Adv) Restores 2 Health. Only one medi-pack can be applied to each wound (each separate hit causing damage is an individual wound). Cost: 500 Med Scanner: A portable sensor device specically for use by medical personnel with a range of 1 meter. It can be used to diagnose illnesses via an inbuilt library and check life signs. Requires the successful use of a Sensors (Clever) roll with a Target Number set by the Gamekeeper. Cost: 600+ Medical Stabilisaon and Recovery Unit : (Fl/Adv) Medical stabilisaon and recovery units can treat the injured, even growing back lost limbs. They vary in appearance from uid-lled upright tanks to horizontal single-beds with treatment arrays set above and to the side. The paent recovers at a rate of 1 Health per day, but as long as there is a torso and a head, there is a chance that if placed on one of these devices before brain death a recovery can be made. Cost: 50,000+ Medi-Freeze : A quick x to stabilise a character who has reached 0 Health Points or below. It literally freezes the paent, stabilising them in a rigid state unl they can receive proper treatment. Unfortunately, the drug is horrible, which means that future Medicine rolls on the paent are at -2 and only 1 Health is restored every 24 hours through natural recovery (rather than every 12 hours) unl the paent is restored to full Health. Cost: 100 Reinforced Rope: Cost: 2 for 10 metres Tent (Standard): Only usable in Earth-like atmospheres. Cost: 30 for 2-person tent Tent (Atmospheric): Provides a sealed, pressurised, protecve area for the users. Includes a heat and atmosphere regulator. Cost: 1000 for 2-person tent Ulity Belt: Useful for carrying small tools, such as laser cuers and ashlights. Cost: 15 Watch (Chronometer): For keeping track of the passing of me, usually aached to the wrist but, like the Communicator above, oen has other funcons. Cost: 50+
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Chapter 1 - How to Play Water Bole: Cost: 1 for a bole containing enough water for 1 person for 1 day Water Puricaon Straw: (FI/Adv) Allows the consumpon of possibly contaminated water. Cost: 20
Travel- Example Prices Space Flight, First Class: 100 per Light Year Space Flight, Standard Class: 50 per Light Year Space Flight, Cold Sleep: 10 per Light Year Space Flight, Inter System: 5000 per jump/hyper-jump Journey, Planetary, Public Transport : 10 per 100 miles Journey, Planetary, Private Hire : 25 per 100 miles
Food And Drink Synthi Beer: Bleurgh!!! Cost: 2 for 4 boles Beer: Cost: 1 for a bole Space-Brandy: Cost: 4 for a bole Meal Out: Cost: 1-50+ Space-Rum: Cost: 3 for a bole Travel Raons: Basic and horrible. Cost: 4 for one day’s raons for one person
Accommodation Low Quality: Cost: 20+ Medium Quality: Cost: 100+ Luxury Hotel: Cost: 300+
Prosthetics/Enhancements Prosthecs and enhancements might feature in your seng, although not all cultures embrace them. Surgery, Facial Reconguraon : (FI/Adv) Recongures the owner’s face to look like somebody else. Cost: 2000+ (+4 to appropriate Disguise rolls). Bio-Body Enhancement, Quick : (T) Genecally improves co-ordinaon, reexes and speed. Cost: 3000 +10 Quick/10000 +20 Quick Bio-Body Enhancement, Resistant: (T) Genecally modies ability to live in
43
Chapter 1 - How to Play toxic environments. Cost: 5000 +2 to rolls vs poison, radiaon, etc./20000 +4 to rolls vs poison, radiaon, etc. Bio-Body Enhancement, Strong : (T) Genecally alters muscle mass. Cost: 5000 +1 Strong/20000 +2 Strong Bio-Enhancement, Tough : (T) Genecally alters skin to increase toughness and protecon. Cheaper versions are obvious (skin appears thicker and rigid), while more expensive versions are not detectable to the naked eye. Cost: 2000 +1 Defence/4000 +2 Defence/20,000 +3 Defence Bio-Enhancement Vaccine: (T) Introduces an intelligent vaccine into the owner – which can adapt to ght most illness and disease, including new strains. Doubles natural healing rate to 1 Health for every 6 hours of rest and gives immunity to most diseases and infecons. Cost: 100,000+ Cyber-Body Enhancement, Arms : (FI/Adv) Surgically ed cybernec arms. Cost: 5000 +1 to the wearer’s Strong when using his or her arms/15000 +2 to the wearer’s Strong when using his or her arms Cyber-Body Enhancement, Eyes, Intricate : (T) Surgically ed cybernec eyes. Cost: 15000 +1 to Percepon; also gives night vision; the ability to record what has been seen; and magnicaon abilies/40000 +3 to Percepon along with the other abilies belonging to the cheaper version. Cyber-Body Enhancement, Eyes, Standard : (FI/Adv) Surgically ed cybernec eyes. Cost: 5000 +1 to Percepon /15,000 +3 to Percepon Cyber-Body Enhancement, Legs : (FI/Adv) Surgically ed cybernec legs. Cost: 6000 +10 to the wearer’s Move/20000 +20 to the wearer’s Move
Ammunition Standard Ammunion: Cost: 10 for 30 rounds Shotgun Ammunion: Cost: 20 for 30 rounds Standard Rie Grenade: Cost 10 for 1 round ACR Ammunon: Cost 30 for 100 round magazine Plasma Rie Grenade: Cost 25 for 1 round Gyro Rocket Ammunion (High Explosive or Armour Piercing): Cost 90 for 30 rounds Gauss Ammunion: Cost: 10 for 100 round magazine Laser Power Pack: Cost 10 for 50 rounds/200 for Adv or FI rechargeable (aer 1 dice x minutes) packs Anmaer Sealed Magazine: Cost 1000 for 100 rounds
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Chapter 1 - How to Play
Close Combat Weapons Weapon
Damage
Cost
Cosh, Cudgel, Hatchet, Sta
2
5
Cutlass, Sword, Sabre, 3 Axe, Spear
30
Chain Sword/Axe**
4
200
Dagger
2
10
Vibro Dagger**
3
100
Electro Whip**
3
100
Great Sword, Huge Axe
4
100
Hook
2
10
Improvised*
1
-
Laser Sword**
5
500
Brass Knuckles, Knife
1
5
Unarmed
0
-
Whip
1
10
*Chair leg, tea tray, etc. ** Only available in the Age of Federaon and Imperium or above/Advanced sengs.
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Chapter 1 - How to Play
Ranged Weapons
Guns Weapon
Damage
Range
Cost
Auto Shotgun
5
35
2000
Pump Acon Shotgun
4
35
1000
Revolver Pistol
3
20
50
Auto Pistol (9mm)
3
25
100
Heavy Pistol
4
25
500
Light Machine Gun (LMG)
3
30
400
Heavy Machine Gun (HMG)
6
300
2500
Energy-Bow
5
100
2000
Hunng Rie (Civilian)
5
300
2000
Combat Rie
6
350
1500
Rie Grenade
9
100
-
Advanced Combat Rie (ACR)*
7
400
5000
Plasma Rie Grenade
10
200
-
Gyro Rocket Pistol*
5
1000
2000
Gyro Rocket Rie*
6
1000
3500
Gauss Rie**
7
500
6000
Laser Pistol*
4
50
1000
Laser Carbine*
5
150
1500
Laser Rie*
6
300
2000
Anmaer Pistol**
7
100
10000
Anmaer Rie**
9
500
25000
* only available in the Age of Federaon and Imperium or above. **only available in the Age of Transcendence, or above/Advanced sengs.
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Chapter 1 - How to Play
Weapon Modifications Magnifying/Targeng/Laser Sights: Cost: 300 (Adds +2 to Shoong skill. Can be aached to any rie or sniping rie.) Smart Link (FI/Adv): Prevents targeng of friendly units. Cost: 1000 (Can be aached to ACR, Gauss, Laser & Anmaer weapons.) Gyro Stabilizer Unit (FI/Adv) : Cost 500 (Adds +1 to Shoong skill. Can be aached to ACR, Gauss, Laser & Anmaer Weapons.)
Other Ranged Weapons Weapon
Damage
Range
Cost
Blowpipe
-*
5
2
Crossbow
3
40
40
Dagger
2
Sx3
10
Hatchet
2
Sx2
5
Bow
3
25
15
Spear
3
Sx2
15
Knife
1
Sx1
5
Rock
1
Sx3
-
Sling (one handed)
2
15
1
S = Thrower’s Strong * On a successful to hit roll, depending on poison used, does lethal or stunning poison damage. Lethal = one dice of damage; Stunning = Stunned for a dice of rounds.
Cargo The following price guide for cargo is only a rough guide. Obviously the market and necessity decides what prices are charged for imporng goods, and most planets impose an import duty (unless they are really desperate or forced not to!). Most traders don’t bother with cheap cargo, as it isn’t worth their while when transportaon costs are taken into account. Cheap (Basic materials): Buy 500/Sell 1000 per Cargo Unit Standard (Necessies): Buy 2000/Sell 5000 Expensive (Luxuries): Buy 5000/Sell 12000 Specialist (Technical Equipment and rare minerals, etc.) : Buy 20,000+/Sell Varies, 40,000+
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Chapter 1 - How to Play
Finishing Touches If you haven’t picked a name for your Adventurer, do so now. Also, give your Adventurer 6 Stunt Points, ready for the rst game session. Now is the me to make a few notes, if you want to, about your Adventurer’s personality (kind, mean, greedy, happy-go-lucky, etc.) and earlier life (family, previous job, criminal past, etc.). You should also decide how old your Adventurer is (usually somewhere between 17-28 years old).
Experience And Levels As your Adventurers complete missions, they learn new skills and increase their abilies. In game terms, this means the Gamekeeper will award you Experience for good roleplaying and for your Adventurer reaching adventure goals and defeang foes. You need to always keep track of the total Experience you have been given. When your Adventurer gets enough Experience, he or she will go up levels. Your Adventurer might gain some new things at each level: Ability Points – You can spend these to increase Strong, Clever and Quick (and Psi, if it is an opon). Remember, your Adventurer’s Health, Defence or Move might also rise because of this increase. Health – Increases your total health. Skill Points – To increase a skill your Adventurer already has or to learn a new one.
48
Chapter 1 - How to Play All Player Adventurers begin at 1st Level. The Experience you need to increase your Adventurer’s level, and the rewards for doing so, are as follows:
Level
Ability Points
Health
Skill Points
1
0
2
+1
3 4
+1 +1
800 +1
6
+1
6000 +1
8
10 11
1500 3000
+1
9
200 400
5 7
Experience
+1
10,000 15,000
+1
22,000 +2
+1
49
30,000+
Chapter 2 - Life Among the Stars
Chapter 2
- Life Among the Stars
The following chapter gives an overview of the OneDice Space world, a default meline and seng for you to use in your games, if you so choose. It is a universe of adventure, intrigue, exploraon, war, and wonder among the stars. The future is divided into three eras, represenng dierent types of space adventure:
The Age of Exploitaon, when governments and corporaons rst leave the solar system to reap the harvest of new worlds. The Age of Federaon and Imperium begins with a me of peace and plenty, as alien races come together in a great galacc union and massive starships explore the fringes of known space – and ends as a corrupt admiral declares himself Emperor and a mighty empire rises and falls into chaos and the Long Night. The Age of Transcendence rises from the ashes of the Old Imperium and reaches heights never dreamed of before – intelligent starships, brain uploads, genec modicaon, uplied animals, and psi chips lead to life, but not as we know it. Addionally, included in Chapter 3 is an oponal secon on Psionics, to be used to add a dierent emphasis to your games – but there is nothing to stop Gamekeepers developing ideas of their own, to make OneDice Space power their own version of a star-spanning civilisaon.
50
Chapter 2 - Life Among the Stars
Another Way It is perfectly possible to set your OneDice Space games in another slightly, or very, dierent universe. Perhaps star travel has not been invented, and polical and corporate facons play out their rivalries only across the planets and moons of our solar system. Perhaps the Victorians discovered space travel, and the Great War is being fought on a galacc scale. Maybe star ships can only be piloted by a parcular species of aliens, who ask strange favours for their services. Or you might simply have a favourite science con book, tv series or movie which you want to draw your inspiraon from. The rules in the previ ous chapter are designed for just that, to be quick and exible, for use in whatever space universe you want to explore. But if you don’t have a ready thought out seng to place your adventures in, this chapter will give you a good place to start; and even if you want to use a dierent seng, some of the spaceship and character examples in each secon may be useful in other games.
Timeline Dates in the following eras have deliberately been le out – does the Age of Exploitaon last y years, or ve hundred, before the jump drive is superseded by the warp drive? If the former, maybe only a dozen star systems have been colonised, if the laer, there may be hundreds. Is the collapse of the Star Imperium sudden or a long slow decline, hardly noced in the core worlds unl the barbarians blast down the palace doors? Making these sorts of decisions will aect the avour of your game – and as it is your game now, it is best you make them!
The Age Of Exploitation The Jump Drive The Age of Exploitaon begins with the invenon of the jump drive. Naon states and corporaons have already spread out across the solar system, colonising the Moon and Mars, seng up mining colonies in the asteroid
51
Chapter 2 - Life Among the Stars belt, building huge space staons where products are manufactured and trade ships, large and small, come and go. By the me the jump drive is invented, several generaons of humans have grown up in space habitats and never visited Earth – for them, the idea of seng up new space staons in orbit around other stars holds no fears. But the jump drive comes at a price – exposure of the human brain to the strange condions of hyperspace is apt to incapacitate a person. The rst few interstellar cra are lost this way. Eventually, a cocktail of drugs is developed to protect the human mind – known to one and all as Jaydee (aer JD for Jump Drug). Journeys taken while on the drug seem to take a few dreamy minutes, though the ship actually takes a month to travel a light year. Those without the drug will experience that me without being able to move at all – this is very like sensory deprivaon and can lead to strange dreams and visions, which make it hard to adjust to reality when the desnaon is reached.
Jump Without Drugs Anyone foolish enough to travel through hyperspace without Jaydee suers from -5 to all skill rolls for 1 dice hours aer coming out of hyperspace. Or, you may want to use the insanity rules provided in some of the other OneDice releases (such as OneDice Universal Revised ). If so, each jump causes a Bad sanity loss – but there is no limit to the number of mes the eect is applied for space jump travel without drugs, you never get used to the sensaon. Psychotherapy and drug treatments may be used to restore sanity lost this way.
Cyberpunk The Age of Exploitaon could be considered a connuaon of the world described in OneDice Cyberpunk , in which case, much of the material from that book could be included in your OneDice Space games.
52
Chapter 2 - Life Among the Stars
Casting Loose From Earth While major naonal governments have many scienc bases and a few small colonies in the solar system, it is the major space corporaons (see Organisaons, p.55) that lead the way in exploring and seling new star systems. In these early years, no Earth-like planets have been found, and life is lived in orbital habitats – huge space staons (rotang to provide arcial gravity), on which manufacturing takes place and from which miners go out to exploit the riches of asteroid belts and minor moons. Life on these space staons is regimented, communal, and somewhat bleak. Most workers sign on for ve or ten-year contracts, but few manage to save enough to pay for the journey back to Earth and most end up signing on for another term. The very lucky ones save up enough to put a down-payment on a ship of their own – either a trading ship or a prospecng ship – and scrape a living in the cracks between space corporaon business, transporng specialist cargoes, prospecng outlying areas for minerals and the like. It is one such prospector who discovers the Precursor site, known as Grand Central, in orbit around a dying red dwarf star, 20 light years from Earth.
Grand Central Grand Central is an abandoned space staon created by an alien race known as the Precursors, half a million years ago. It takes the form of a hol lowed-out asteroid, the exterior of which is covered with alien ships. The controls of these ships are incomprehensible to humans (it may be something akin to Transcendence Age psi chip technology), but it is possible to get a ship to go to its previous desnaon and (about 50% of the me) return. The ships use an advanced form of warp drive (p.96), but since the ships have no windows or navigaon readouts, it’s impossible to tell where they are going. They may take the voyagers to a city of alien wonders, a Dyson sphere, the wreckage of a solar system destroyed by war, the edge of a black hole, or somewhere completely lethal. Those prepared to gamble on such a voyage may come back with discoveries which will make them millionaires, others nd nothing of any interest, and half do not come back at all. The space corporaons have all set up oces and research labs in the asteroid and pay groups of volunteers to go out in the alien ships, promising a massive royalty fee on any major discoveries made.
53
Chapter 2 - Life Among the Stars
The Outworld War Far from Earth, the star corporaons have lile reason to take noce of planetary governments. Most of their workers live outside the Sol system, their resources come from outside the Sol system, and most of the goods they make are sold to other out-system colonies. When Exospace declares that its systems and staons are outside government control, there is up roar on Earth. A eet of warships under the umbrella of the United Naons Star Command (UNSC) are hasly put together, to show their muscle in the Outworld colonies. But Exospace and the other space corporaons are ready for them – they have been planning this move for years, and secretly building up their own forces. In the Bale of Gliese 876, the UNSC forces are routed and scaered in all direcons. Many never make it back to Earth, but lurk on the fringes of known space, raiding merchant shipping for food and supplies, press-ganging their crews, and ghng intermient bales with other ex-UN ships over old Earth hatreds.
The Hub For many years, no habitable planets are found (outside of those found by Precursor ships from Grand Central). A few Mars-like planets are seled, and there is even talk of terraforming one of them, but all that changes with the discovery of the Hub. When an independent exploraon ship drops into a previously unexplored system, 60 light years from Earth, they are surprised to nd space teeming with ships. The rst humans have stumbled upon the Hub, a massive space staon, on the fringes of space between ve alien species – the Halu, the Skri, the Chor, the Ba’len, and the Temberain (see Aliens, p.56). Aer inial communicaon dicules, diplomac relaons are set up, and vast new areas of space
54
Chapter 2 - Life Among the Stars opened to trade. New secons are built onto the Hub (a huge sprawling complex orbing on the edge of the rings of a Saturn-like gas giant), and various corporaons and Earth governments set up oces there. Trade ships large and small go out into the territories of the various alien races and nd adventure, intrigue, piracy and prots a-plenty. There is suspicion between the races, and occasionally war, in the years to come – but even tually the Hub will form the capital of the Federaon...
Pioneers! An interesng campaign could make the Adventurers the rst humans to nd the Hub during a scoung mission.
Organisations Here are a number of the large organisaons known throughout human space during the Age of Exploitaon:
Dawson Transtellar – a large merchant shipping company, owned and largely run by members of the extended Dawson family, who live on their ships. EarthForce – a remnant of the UNSC le over aer the Outworld War, the self-styled EarthForce is a small eet of warships who claim to represent the interests of Earth. In reality, they are lile more than a parcularly wellarmed group of pirates. They have been disowned by the United Naons, and their leader, Admiral Elaine Conway, is wanted for war crimes. Happy Habitats – one of a number of corporaons who build and run franchised space staons throughout the Outworld colonies. All staons built by the company are idencal and provide the same food and services for workers, in no maer what star system they live. Exospace – a large mulstellar corporaon, specialising in starship con strucon, but with ngers in lots of other construcon pies, including the Happy Habitats space staon franchise. Trilithium Pharmaceucals – a large drug manufacturing company, which has made its fortune supplying Jaydee (see p.52) under the trade name Eezijump. Also makes the andepressant Smyle, taken rounely by many people living on corporate space staons.
55
Chapter 2 - Life Among the Stars UZGAW – The Union of Zero-G and Allied Workers – a union championing the rights of workers against the exploitave pracces of the major corporaons. UNSC – United Naons Star Command – an Earth-based interstellar security force, largely discredited and shaered by the end of the Outworld War.
Aliens The following is what is commonly known about aliens, by humans, in the Age of Exploitaon (aer the discovery of The Hub):
Ba’len – Ba’len ships are organic, while the Ba’len who visit the Hub appear to be metallic cylinders on wheels. Whether these are aliens in some sort of pressure suit, or the Ba’len ships are actually space-living life forms and the cylinders are their roboc representaves, is not known by humanity or the other known alien species at this point, and the Ba’len are not saying. Chor – are a spider-like race with ten legs, who have been known to eat opposing diplomats and traders if negoaons fail. They are beginning to see that other races consider this impolite, but can’t quite understand what all the fuss is about. Halu – are lion-like humanoids with a matriarchal society. Males are considered too emoonal and violent to be trusted in space, and stay on the Halu homeworld, while the females explore and trade. Ru’sell – Smallish furry canine-like pack animals, who live in clans. They oen run criminal enterprises. Skri – dark-furred, weasel-like humanoids, with ny pink eyes, long snouts and lots of teeth, the Skri have a complex code of honour and hierarchical social structure, which they also apply to other races. A Skri may treat you with respect and deference at one meeng, only to try to kill you a month later, because he or she has risen up the Skri hierarchy and now considers you worthless. Temberain – a humanoid race who bear a remarkable resemblance to Earth humans, but for their dead-white skin and large protuberant eyes. On their homeworld they live in underground cave complexes beneath a surface which is uninhabitable. It is theorised that they are some sort of experiment of the Precursors, who took them from Earth millennia ago and seeded them in the caves. In games which use the Psionics rules (p.106), all Temberain have at least 1 in Psi.
56
Chapter 2 - Life Among the Stars
Playing An Alien The Gamekeeper may allow players to play an alien Adventurer. This sec on gives details on the various playable species, as well as a lile more detail on the Ba’len.
The Ba’len The Ba’len are not playable in this era. They are a rarely encountered enigmac and mysterious race. Those Ba’len who seemingly interact with other races look like tall, metallic cylinders on wheels. They communicate via some form of telepathy, that is at least gen erally understood by other senent species they meet. The actual contents of the cylinders are unknown, as they resist any type of scan and vaporise should they become disabled. The Ba’len ships are also a mystery in this era. They are clearly organic in nature, but beyond this nothing is really known about them. What are thought to be airlocks, or entrances to the vessels, seem to appear at will, then all trace of them vanish once they have served their purpose. Some Xenobiologists have suggested that the spaceships are actually the Ba’len and the cylinders are lile more than roboc servitors. They are onto something, but at this stage the informaon is fairly useless. Where they come from is unknown and they arrive at The Hub without warning, interact and then leave as soon as their business is concluded. Their trading is errac and as unpredictable as their arrival, but to date have been non-hosle, withdrawing rather than adopng a confrontaonal stance whenever trouble is brewing.
The Chor Chor – The Chor are a medium-sized spider-like race with ten legs and four eyes, known for some unusual social customs, such as eang a trader or diplomat should they not reach an outcome seen as fair for all sides. For a Chor, this is seen as a main part of the bargaining process to ensure balance and to discourage unequal social and economic results. They have just begun to realise that this acvity is frowned upon by the other senent species they have met, but do not fully understand the reasons why.
57
Chapter 2 - Life Among the Stars Chor are quite charismac, despite their appearance, with a highly developed interest in the sciences and engineering. Their constructs tend to quite breath-taking and detailed, in addion to being well built and prized for their reliability. They produce some of the best starship drives in the universe.
Chor Character Creaon All Chor start with the following: They have 7 rather than 6 starng Ability points. 3 of their starng ability points are assigned to Quick due to the agility their extra limbs give them. They have an addional starng skill of Engineering 1, due to natural aptude. They sll get the usual six more skill points (2 for job and four to choose as the player desires) to assign. Addionally: Their Strong can never increase above 2. They can never have more than 4 Hero Points at any one me. Addional points are automacally lost. All other Character Creaon rules are used as set out in Chapter 1. •
•
•
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Halu The Halu bear some resemblance to lions, with a disncve feline look. Their bodies are covered in fur, which varies in colour from dark browns through to red and golden. They are as tall as humans and stand erect on their hind legs. Socially, they are an inherently matriarchal based society, with the females controlling most aspects of it and the males being resigned to the lower military ranks and basic labouring roles. Because of this, males are very rarely encountered away from their homeworld and are never le unsupervised by a female overseer. Due to the nature of their own social system, Halu tend to treat females from other species with a
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Chapter 2 - Life Among the Stars higher regard than they do their male colleagues. Halu females are noted for their skilful trading negoaons, while the males are regarded as fearsome warriors. However, both sexes are equally good in combat should the need arise. For some reason, in games with Psi, psionics seem to be completely absent in the Halu, despite the advanced mental capability of their females.
Halu Character Creaon All Halu Adventurers are female and start with the following: They have 7 rather than 6 starng Ability points. 2 of their starng ability points are assigned to Quick due to their feline agility, plus a further 2 to Clever (the other three can be distributed at the player’s discreon). They have an addional starng skill of Trade 1 due to natural aptude. They sll get the usual six more skill points (2 for job and four to choose as the player desires) to assign. They can never start with, nor later gain, Psi or Psi Skills. Addionally: They can never have more than 4 Hero Points at any one me. Addional points are automacally lost. All other Character Creaon rules are used as set out in Chapter 1. •
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Ru’sell These small to medium sized furry canine-like humanoids are found in family units or clans throughout known space. Fur colours vary from white through to browns and black, with their coats oen comprising of several diering shades or tones. Addionally, Ru’Sell switch from using two limbs for walking to all four limbs when moving at speed, making them quite fast. They are renowned for their pack mentality and oen gravitate towards crime related careers, such as freebooters or pirates and fences, with the whole clan being involved in the same venture. That said, they have a high innate sense of honour and are very loyal to any they regard as a friend. Social structures are simple, with the eldest of the clan taking on the role of leader (whether male or female). Challenges to a leader are very rare.
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Ru’Sell Character Creaon All Ru’Sell Adventurers start with the following: They have an addional starng skill of Dodgy 1. They sll get the usual six more skill points (2 for job and four to choose as the player desires) to assign. Movement is 15 x Quick. Addionally: They can never have more than 4 Hero Points at any one me. Addional points are automacally lost. If set a task to do by a Clan Leader, if it will not directly hurt a friend, they are compelled to do it. All other Character Creaon rules are used as set out in Chapter 1. •
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Skriff The Skri are bipedal, dark-furred aliens, with ny pink eyes and elongated bodies and snouts. Originally a hunter species, they’ve retained their vicious sharp teeth and improved sense of smell (to compensate for their poor eyesight), and they sll follow a completely carnivorous diet. Socially, the Skri have a very complex hierarchical social code and struc ture, which they expect all other senent species to adhere to, when they deal with the Skri. This means that at one meeng, a Skri may defer to you and treat you with respect, while at the next meeng they might attempt to kill you for daring to speak to them, because they have increased their status, rising up the hierarchy, meaning you are now a lesser being with no right to address them directly.
Skri Character Creaon All Skri Adventurers start with the following: They have addional starng skills of Bruiser 1 and Track 1. They sll get the usual six more skill points (2 for job and four to choose as the player desires) to assign. Addionally: They can never have more than 4 Hero Points at any one me. Addional points are automacally lost. •
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Temberain A human-like race. Temberain bear a remarkable resemblance to Earth humans, but for their dead-white skin and large protuberant eyes. On their homeworld, they live in underground cave complexes beneath a surface which is uninhabitable. It is theorised that they are some sort of experiment of the Precursors, who took them from Earth millennia ago and seed ed them in the caves. In games which use the Psionics rules (p.106), all Temberain have at least 1 in Psi.
Temberain Character Creaon All Temberain Adventurers start with the following: They have an addional starng skill of Cra (Mining) 1. They sll get the usual six more skill points (2 for job and four to choose as the player desires) to assign. If playing in a game with Psi, Temberain get 7 Ability points at charac ter creaon, rather than the usual 6, 1 of which must automacally be spent on Psi. Addionally: They can never have more than 4 Hero Points at any one me. Addional points are automacally lost. Temberain usually worship the Precursors and revere their ancient sites. Temberain wear special glasses when not in the near darkness. They allow them to see normally. If for some reason they are not wearing them, and they are in light surroundings, they suer a -2 penalty when aempng to do anything that requires them to use their eyes. All other Character Creaon rules are used as set out in Chapter 1. •
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Ships Of The Age Of Exploitation Note: In the early part of the period, most ships will not be armed, but once the Outworld War begins, even traders and execuve yachts bear at least some defensive weaponry. Most alien vessels (except for the Ba’len) will t into these same categories, though they will dier cosmecally and their controls will be unfamiliar to people not of the same species. Ship stascs are explained on p.95.
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Chapter 2 - Life Among the Stars Baleship, S 13 Q 5 H 30 D 10 Mv 4 Ju -/2 Ca 500 Cr 50/500 Sz huge Wp 40 Convenonal Torpedoes/Convenonal Weapon Array/18 ghters A heavily armed war spaceship of the type used by EarthForce and the various corporate war eets. Ba’len Ship, S 11 Q 6 C 7 H 50 D 10 Mv 4 Ju 6 Ca 50,000 Cr n/a Sz huge Wp Sonic Torpedoes/Electric Beams A huge, whale-like creature, which might be intelligent, or may just be a biomechanical construct. Stats for their servitors, the space-remora, are as follows: Space-Remora , S 2, C 2, Q 2, H 6, D 18*, Mv 20, Sk Negoate 1, Computers 1, Trade 1, Bludgeon 2 X 30 *It is prey hard to damage a space-remora, and if you do, they simply dis solve themselves. In fact, even a reasonably serious aempt to molest one results in it self-destrucng. They only ever ght if they are protecng their “mother-ship” – for more on space-remora and the Ba’len, see p.84. Execuve Yacht, S 5 Q 11 H 15 D 9 Mv 4 Ju -/1 Ca 30 Cr 2/20 Sz med Wp 2 Convenonal Torpedoes and Convenonal Weapon Array A small, luxurious spacecra, suitable for a rich businessman/woman, plus guests and servants. Fighter, S 4 Q 6 H 10 D 10 Mv 3 Ju – Ca - Cr 1/2 Sz small Wp 2 Convenonal Torpedoes/Convenonal Weapon Array A one or two-person aack spaceship, usually carried in large numbers aboard a baleship. Frigate, S 11 Q 6 H 25 D 10 Mv 5 Ju -/3 Ca 100 Cr 10/100 Sz large Lv Basic/E Wp 24 Convenonal Torpedoes/Convenonal Weapon Array/6 ghters A small war spaceship, oen used to escort traders in mes of war or in areas where piracy is rife.
Lone Trader, S 5 Q 5 H 15 D 8 Mv 3 Ju -/1 Ca 50 Cr 4-10 Sz med Lv Basic/E Wp 2 Convenonal Torpedoes/Convenonal Weapon Array A small freight cra, usually with a crew of 4-6, which trades goods be tween staons.
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Chapter 2 - Life Among the Stars Megatrader, S 6 Q 2 H 22 D 8 Mv 2 Ju -/2 Ca 5000 Cr 2/20 Sz large Wp 4 Convenonal Torpedoes and Convenonal Weapon Array Cost 12 Million+ A huge freight cra, equivalent to a container ship, usually crewed by the members of an extended family.
Precursor Ship, S 8 Q 11 H 20 D 11 Mv 6 Ju 6 Ca 20 Cr 6 Sz med Wp 3 Energy Torpedoes/Energy Weapon Array A small ship, which ts six people, and has no visible means of propulsion. Found at Grand Central. Prospector/Explorer, S 6 Q 10 H 18 D 10 Mv 5 Ju -/2 Ca 20 Cr 4-12 Sz med Wp 3 Convenonal Torpedoes/Convenonal Weapon Array A small ship with a crew of 4-6, designed to spend months in deep space, exploring new star systems or looking for minerals in asteroid belts, etc. Roboc Mining Ship, S 15 Q 1 H 80 D 6 Mv 2 Ju -/1 Ca 50,000 Cr - Sz huge Wp Chewer (Damage 20) A huge, automated ship which chews up asteroids, extracts the valuable minerals, and spews dust and gravel out the other end. Wise not to get too close!
Typical Adventurer Types And Adventuring Options Character opons in this era are at the discreon of the Gamekeeper, but the era oen works well with the Adventurers being the sole crew and owners of a Lone Trader; the sole crew of a Precursor or Prospector spaceship; or as the senior crew of a Frigate. If the senior crew of a frigate, they will not own the spaceship, but probably work for one of the corporaons (assuming the ship is mostly owned by a human run company) or the remnants of the UNSC. Character opons will be much like those in the example on p.11. Adventures might focus on security, rst contacts, diplomacy, peace-keeping, ghng with one of the facons (such as a rival corporaon, a hosle sect within one of the alien species, etc.
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Chapter 2 - Life Among the Stars If they are sole traders, they will probably owe a debt on their ship. Adventures might revolve around trying to make money, avoiding space pirates, carrying passengers, smuggling, hustling traders, avoiding bounty hunters, etc. If they are prospectors or explorers, with their own ship (again, probably bought on credit or loaned by a corporaon), they might be paid for their discoveries by one of the corporaons. Adventures might revolve around planetary surveys, rst contacts, corporate rivalry and espionage, and ex ploraon.
Typical Gamekeeper-Controlled Characters The following list includes some examples of gamekeeper controlled characters from the Age of Exploitaon. They might be human, Chor, Temberain, Skri, Halu or Ru’sell (adjust Ability scores accordingly):
Bartender S 2, C 2, Q 2, H 6, D 6, Mv 20, Sk Bludgeon 1, Cra 1, Dodgy 2, Trade 2 X 18 Company/Hub Bureaucrat S 2, C 2, Q 2, H 6, D 6, Mv 20, Sk Computers 2, Percepon 1 X 18 Corporate Assassin S 3, C 3, Q 3, H 9, D 10, Mv 30, Sk Bludgeon 1, Shoong 3, Bruiser 2, Security 3, Inmidate 2 X 80 Corporate Security Grunt S 3, C 1, Q 1, H 9, D 9, Mv 10, Sk Computers 1, Percepon 1, Security 1, Bludgeon 2, Shoong 1, Bruiser 1 X 50 Dock Worker S 2, C 2, Q 2, H 6, D 6, Mv 10, Sk Bludgeon 1, Engineering 1 X 15 Engineer S 2, C 2, Q 2, H 6, D 6, Mv 10, Sk Bludgeon 1, Engineering 2, Computers 1, Science 1 X 18 Gambler S 2, C 2, Q 3, H 6, D 8, Mv 30, Sk Gambling 3, Percepon 2, Sneaky 1, Psychology 1 X 40 Hustler S 2, C 2, Q 3, H 6, D 8, Mv 30, Sk Security 2, Percepon 2, Negoate 2, Psychology 2, Pickpocket 3, Sneaky 3 X 50 Miner S 2, C 2, Q 2, H 6, D 6, Mv 10, Sk Bludgeon 1, Bruiser 1, Cra (Mining) 2, Engineering 1 X 25 Spaceport Low-life Thug Boss S 4, C 1, Q 2, H 10, D 8, Mv 20, Sk Bludgeon 2, Bruiser 3, Dodgy 2, Inmidate 2, Shoong 1 X 70
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Chapter 2 - Life Among the Stars Space Marine (USCN/EarthForce) S 4, C 2, Q 2, H 10, D 11, Mv 20, Sk Bludgeon 1, Shoong 3, Bruiser 2, Spacer 1 X 70 Thief S 2, C 2, Q 3, H 6, D 8, Mv 30, Sk Security 3, Percepon 2, Blades 1, Pickpocket 3, Sneaky 3 X 40 Trader (Criminal) S2, C 3, Q 2, H 6, D 6, Mv 20, Sk Trade 2, Negoate 1, Pilot 1, Dodgy 2, Sneaky 1 X 25 Trader (Legal) S 1, C 3, Q 2, H 3, D 6, Mv 20, Sk Trade 2, Negoate 1, Pilot 1 X 15 Wealthy Corporaon Boss S 2, C 2, Q 2, H 6, D 6, Mv 20, Sk Negoate 2, Inmidate 3, Trade 3 X 40
The Age Of Federation And Imperium Although this age can be divided into four disnct periods (Federaon, Imperium, Fall, Long Night), it is treated as one age, as there is very lile technological change throughout the whole period. A character from the late Imperium can understand and use devices from the early Federaon with no trouble. During the long night, pockets of civilisaon remain using Federaon and Imperium technology, while huge areas of the galaxy revert to Age of Exploitaon tech levels or below – all the way back to the stone age in places!
The Warp Drive The warp drive is the great game changer that begins the age of Federaon and Imperium. A new method of faster-than-light (FTL) travel, it brings travel mes down from a month per light year to less than a day per light year, and does away with the need for jump drugs. Suddenly, alien worlds which were once visited only by professional star-farers are open to all on a luxury cruise or an uncomfortable but bearable economy voyage.
The Federation The Hub, from being a trade and meeng point for various alien races, be comes merely a stopping-o point on the way to voyages deep into alien space. Traders, tourists, diplomats (and more than a few ne’er-do-wells)
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Chapter 2 - Life Among the Stars visit and inhabit the staon, which connues to expand. The alien races who visit the Hub slowly become more familiar with each other – and more trusng (though there is always some distrust, especially for the Skri and the enigmac Ba’len) and over a period of years a loose alliance turns into the Federaon. The Federaon’s exploraon/military arm, UnitedSpaceOrg, ventures out beyond known space to visit strange new worlds. Though dominated by humans, the massive UnitedSpaceOrg ships are also populated by Halu, Skri and Temberain, though the less humanoid Ba’len and Chor tend to have ships of their own. All goes well in the Federaon for many years, and an era of peace and plenty seems to open for the galaxy. Then the Federaon meet the Mands. An insectoid race who inhabit the core worlds toward the centre of the galaxy, the Mands (who call themselves Skr’kk’kki) believe that they are desned to rule the universe and see all other senent life as an infestaon to be wiped out, so that all resources can be managed by the Mand Hive Mind. And so begins the long Galacc War. The whole of Federaon civilisaon is put onto a war foong, as the Mands capture planet aer planet on the Federaon froner, slaughtering their civilian populaons. Diplomats sent to negoate with the Mands have their heads sent back via unmanned drones. At rst, the war goes very badly for the Federaon. The democrac processes which work well for a star-spanning civilisaon at peace are not easily adapted to a situaon of all-out war. People become increasingly dissatised as star systems fall to the alien menace; protests turn to riots and uprisings throughout the Federaon. Finally, along comes a “saviour”. Admiral James Tiber, fresh from an unex pected victory over a Mand eet, returns to the Hub and declares himself Emperor James I of the Star Imperium. With the military support of the eet, and the popular acclaim of a majority of the civilian populaon of the Federaon, the old democrac systems are swept away and a new system, based largely on military might and patronage, takes its place.
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Rise Of The Imperium From the rst, the Imperium is dominated by the military. Dissent is quickly quashed. Prominent gures from the Federaon era either “disappear” or are given peerages in the new semi-feudal hierarchy. Soon, a system of Dukes, Barons and the like dominate the polics of the Imperium, while the lower orders work in the munions factories and on the agricultural worlds on the Imperium, or are press-ganged for the Imperial Star Corps. Pro-Federaon uprisings on a number of worlds are crushed mercilessly and news of their existence kept secret, while the drive to win the war against the Mands connues – a drive which has turned from a desire to ght the Mands to a truce, to a war of genocide. Eventually the Mand homeworld, and what is believed to be the last surviving, and the most powerful, Mand queen, the Grand Mother, is destroyed, and peace falls over the Imperium. It doesn’t last.
Psi Corps If you are using the psionics rules in your OneDice Space campaign, the Imperium develops the Psi Corps, a secret service dedicated to roong out opposion to the Imperial government. At rst, most agents are Temberain, but aer a number of an-Temberain pogroms, and following extensive secret research, it is discovered that other species, especially humans, can be taught psionic techniques. Any “wild talents”, if discovered, are either recruited or killed. The opposion inevitably form their own psionic orders too, to combat the Imperium.
An empire which has been geared up for war for such a long me can not easily return to a peace foong. Important people will lose their jobs, important corporaons will lose their prots. And so, excuses are found to keep war going – minor ashpoints between federaon rebels and the empire are turned into major incidents, aided by an Imperium-wide news network under the tacit control of the Imperial Department of Propaganda. The unfortunate consumpon of an Imperial diplomat by a hungry and absent-minded Chor is turned into an excuse to start an all-out war with
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Chapter 2 - Life Among the Stars the spider-like aliens, and prejudice against “bugs” in the Imperium leads to small wars of conquest and/or their exterminaon on newly discovered worlds. In order to keep feeding its incessant need for war, the Imperium must connue to expand. But it is geng decadent – the nobles in the Imperial capital of the Hub are far away from the constant border wars, lost in their pleasures. Meanwhile, the competent leaders, the innovators, are on the front line. And not everyone wants incessant war. In the outlying Imperial sector of Carter’s Dri, the military, stuck in a bor der war with a race of turquoise water-breathing octopoids (for no read ily apparent reason) and badly supplied by the Earth government, rebel against the Imperium. They make peace with the octopoids and declare themselves a republic. The Imperium begins to take noce, and sends a eet to retake the Dri – but the Driers are made of sterner stu, the “un beatable” Imperial Navy is vanquished and for the rst me in a long me, the once mighty galacc empire begins to shrink.
Fall Of The Imperium Soon, other parts of the galaxy are throwing o the Imperial yoke. Alien races such as the Halu and the Skri, long seen as second-class cizens within a human-dominated Imperium, exert their independence. Finally, a Skri “terrorist” smuggles a ship-sized nuclear device aboard the Hub and destroys the enre space complex, killing the Emperor and most of his advisors. No less than eleven pretenders, represenng the surviving leaders of the noble Great Houses, claim the throne. Each of these claimants to the Imperial throne sets up their own “Imperial” government, in various parts of the galaxy, leading to a long and fule mul-sided civil war. While the Great Houses decimate the former Imperium and each other – laying waste to whole worlds, making and breaking alliances, killing countless billions – star systems on the edges of known space gain their inde pendence, either through rebellion or neglect. For some worlds, it is a relief to be free of the Imperial yoke. For others, as the last star legions y away (promising a return that will never happen), it seems like the end of civilisaon, the beginnings of barbarism. It is.
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The Long Night For most worlds, cut o from the manufacturing centres of the Imperium, kept in ignorance of the scienc theories behind the technology they use every day, decay is inevitable. Most manufacturing planets have been destroyed, and so, as spaceships outlive their useful lifespans, commerce – and eventually even contact – between the worlds collapses. A few primive civilisaons hang onto their spacecra for longer than others, ying them by rote learning, sending out legions of cavalry from their spaceship holds to conquer unsuspecng worlds. But for most, the age of space is dead – the ruins of once great cies, the crashed spacecra, the mysterious devices which no longer work, are seen as the incomprehensible artefacts of the Star Lords, who le, promising to return. On many worlds, various alien species live together, their dierences seen as normal. Legends abound, but few remember the truth.
Ships Of The Age Of Federation And Imperium Many of the ships available in age are the same as those from the Age of Exploitaon – just replace their jump drive with a warp drive. However, their systems can now include advanced style technology – so energy weapons replace convenonal weapons, ship opons are more advanced, etc. See the improved models on p.97-103. New ships, specic to this era include:
Mand Fighter S 5 Q 10 H 12 D 9 Mv 5 Ju 1 Ca - Cr 3 Sz small Wp 1 Energy Torpedo/Energy Weapon Array A small spaceship, carrying a crew of three, they look quite like giant metal wasps. Mand Hive Ship S 9 Q 6 H 25 D 11 Mv 5 Ju 4 Ca 3,000 Cr 10/100 (+1000 potenal hive members) Sz large Wp 10 Energy Torpedoes/Energy Weapon Array A large nest-ship, these spaceships usually carry a Queen. The Queen is ca pable of choosing to birth waves of warriors to conquer or waves of workers to construct and colonise.
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Chapter 2 - Life Among the Stars UnitedSpaceOrg Deep Survey Ship S 11 Q 10 H 30 D 12 Mv 7 Ju 6 Ca 200 Cr 30/300 Sz large Wp 12 Energy Torpedoes/Energy Weapon Array/4 ghters A large, well-armed ship, designed to spend years out in space, exploring new worlds, boldly going and the like...
Typical Federation Era Characters And Adventure Options The type of Adventurers the players should choose, depends on the adventures you wish to create. In the early part of the era, the Adventurers might be the senior crew on a UnitedSpaceOrg Deep Survey Ship. They will likely be involved in peacekeeping and diplomacy, but mostly exploring the fringes of known space. Later in the same part of the era, they might be involved in keeping the Mand threat at bay and trying to keep together the fragmenng Federa on. If playing as senior crew, the guidelines on p.11 will be a useful starng point. Alternavely, while the corporaon aspect of the Age of Exploitaon has receded, there are sll the usual small crew with own ship opons from the previous era.
Typical Imperium Era Characters And Adventure Options Adventurer opons in the Imperium part of the era might be as a crew of rebels opposing the Imperium; a crew of rogues or smugglers trying to get by; or, as civilisaon starts to collapse, the crew of an old vessel trying to nd a new home for the inhabitants of a dying planet. As well as the usual lists, players might want to play a droid in this era; or one of the order of psionic knights, resisng the Imperium.
Droids Character creaon for Droids works a lile dierently. Droids tend to have xed Ability scores and pre-set skills according to their funcon. Sample funcon sets are as follows: Navigator Droid Strong 2, Clever 3, Quick 2, Navigate 2, Computers 1, Pilot 1, Lore (Known Universe) 1 Comes with uploaded star charts.
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Chapter 2 - Life Among the Stars Bale Droid Strong 4, Clever 1, Quick 2, Shoong 2, Bruiser 2, Inmidate 1 (Armoured-plang +2 to Defence) Comes with ed gun (appropriate to era). Engineering Droid Strong 2, Clever 3, Quick 2, Engineering 2, Science 1, Hyperdrives 2 Comes with advanced tool-set. Protocol Strong 1, Clever 4, Quick 2, Equee 2, Linguiscs 2, Lore (Known Universe) 1 Comes with ed translaon device and uploaded diconaries. Medi-droid Strong 2, Clever 3, Quick 2, Medicine 2, Science 1, Research 1, Xenology 1 Comes with ed medical equipment. All Adventurer droids may put just 1 point into an addional skill. Note: Although droids come as standard, because they are player’s characters, Adventurer droids can gain levels and level-related bonuses. This represents a combinaon of their personality chips learning as they interact and upgrades. Droids only receive 3 Stunt Points at the start of each game session.
Psi-Knights An order of warriors who bale against the evil of the Imperium. Any of the known playable species can be Psi-Knights (aside from the Halu, who never have any Psi or Psi-related powers). Psi-Knights must put at least 1 Ability point into the Psi Ability. They start with Blades 1, 2 Psi skills at 1 (see p.106) and they have an addional 4 skill points to spend as the player pleases.
Typical Gamekeeper-Controlled Characters The following list includes a few examples of gamekeeper controlled char acters from the Imperium part of the Age. They might be human, Chor, Temberain, Skri, Halu (not Psi-Corp) or Ru’sell. Adjust Ability scores accordingly:
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Chapter 2 - Life Among the Stars Bounty Hunter S 4, C 3, Q 2, H 12, D 12, Mv 20, Sk Arllery 1, Bludgeon 1, Shoong 2, Bruiser 1, Pilot 2 X 100 Psi-Corps S 2, C 3, Q 2, Psi 2 H 6, D 6, Mv 20, Sk Inmidate 1, Psychology 1, Blades 2, Spacer 1, Shoong 1, Percepon 2 + Any 3 Psi Skills at 2 X 250 Imperium Soldier S 2, C 1, Q 2, H 6, D 8*, Mv 20, Sk Shoong 2, Bruiser 1, Bludgeon 1 X 40 *Armoured protecve suit Imperium Ocer S 2, C 2, Q 2, H 6, D 8*, Mv 20, Sk Inmidate 2, Shoong 1, Bruiser 1, Command 3 X 70 *Armoured protecve suit Imperium Pilot S 2, C 2, Q 2, H 6, D 6, Mv 20, Sk Arllery 2, Shoong 2, Pilot 2, Spacer 2 X 80 Imperium Technician S 1, C 3, Q 2, H 6, D 8*, Mv 20, Sk Computers 2, Security 1, Engineering 1, Hyperdrives 1, Being hit over the back of the head by Adventurers 3 X 15
Aliens Mantid (Skr’kk’kki) Mands are ant-like humanoids, who usually work for their hive (planetary) and grand (inter-galacc) hive. They are thought to be irredeemably hosle by many.
Another Kind Of Insect In the default seng, the mands are an aggressive hosle species. However, they don’t all have to be. The Grand Mother of all Mands is ulmately responsible for the general mand philosophy – which is to kill threats to the hives and colonise as much of space as possible. There is no reason that some hives might not have broken free from the Grand Mother of all Mands hive mind (the over-arching mind which controls the acons of
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Chapter 2 - Life Among the Stars individual mand hive mothers and hive members across the known galaxy). There might be some individual hives, led by independent Queens who value trade, diplomacy and ideas other than eang enemies and colonising planets. There are also individual mands who break free (intenonally or accidentally) from the hive consciousness. These individuals usually simply go insane, but one in six of them manages to retain their abilies, and be able to learn new skills. These individuals might be playable as player characters – but they will have to nd a tolerant crew to take them on and will be treated with hoslity by most species (parcularly other hive-controlled mands, who will try to kill them on sight!). Such “awoken” mands can never rejoin a hive or hive mind again.
The fearsome Mand are the scourge of the coreward worlds and are con sidered the biggest threat to all other intelligent races. Insectoid in nature the Mand, or Skr’kk’kki as they call themselves, are aggressive, territorial and expansionist, controlling a large empire made up of numerous conquered star systems. From what can be understood the Mand are a caste based society with the Leaders at the top overseeing Workers and Soldiers. Within each caste are yet further divisions with specic roles such as pilot or constructor de pending on the nature of the jobs required. It appears that the individuals within the caste can be “reprogrammed” for another role as required. Addionally, it has been conrmed that each Mand is connected to every other Mand through some form of telepathy although there is no evidence of any other Psionic or Psi Skill being used by them (although see below). This “Hive Mind”, as it is called, allows a fast response to any threat or any other combined acon. There are rare instances where this telepathic link has somehow been broken and it is those few individual Mands that have become free which can be found as Adventurers. However, even those fortunate to break free from the Mand link are viewed with suspicion at best. Addionally, due to their alien nature, Mands are naturally resistant to any Psi based skills being used against them.
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Chapter 2 - Life Among the Stars Mand Character Creaon All Mand Adventurers start with the following: Mands start with 7 Ability Points. 3 of their starng ability points are assigned to Strong due to their physiology. They have an addional starng skill of Bruiser 1 (as well as the 6 usual skill points). They must spend 1 point on Psi (this leaves 3 to share between Clever and Quick), but they can only use the Empathic, Psi-Sense and Telepathy powers. They are resistant to Psi-based aacks or aempts to ma nipulate them (-2 penalty to those trying to use such powers against a Mand). Addionally: They can never have more than 3 Hero Points at any one me. Addional points are automacally lost. They have a -2 on all social rolls when dealing with any other senent species. Use all other Character Creaon rules, as set out in Chapter 1. •
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The Age Of Transcendence If the previous age was about the rise and fall of humanity, the next is about the transformaon of humanity and the rise of the post-human. The Age of Transcendence is an age of contradicons. Technological advancement is incredible in this era, yet some planets and systems choose isolaon and museum-like, arcially stunted, technological and social arrangements. Some non-transcendent planetary populaons choose to be inter-connected with transcendent beings, (whether transcendent or non-transcendent themselves), others demand (and usually get) complete autonomy. Fully blown inter-galacc warfare is seemingly a thing of the past, but strict rules govern the limits of transcendent interference among non-transcendent populaons – and invasion by powerful outsiders or aggressive empire building in local systems, might bring transcendent species into real dilemmas over the extent to which they should intervene to protect the less-powerful.
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Chapter 2 - Life Among the Stars Whereas old organisaons have largely faded away to become nothing more than sets of quirky tradions exercised in isolated systems, a new organisaon, the Transcendent Council (comprised of delegates, called the “Enlightened”) has formed – not to intervene in non-transcendent maers, but more to police such intervenon – aempng to prevent the transcendent from exploing the non-transcendent.
Great Leaps Forward While it is possible to talk of the Age of Transcendence, transcendent beings and sociees are very diverse and species have found a variety of ways to transcend their former existences. Some use more than one method, others a variety – and these methods might include drug treatments; bio-en gineering (remodelling DNA, etc.); uploading an individual’s consciousness into a shared or individual arcial (be it ship, data node, robot construct, etc.) or biological (natural or bio-engineered) host; accessing some form of alien “bridge” to transcendence; technological breakthroughs in the understanding and applicaons of post-quantum theory and experimentaon; etc. While some of the drive to post-human abilies comes from private capital and vested interests, most comes from a desire to live in a more en lightened way. Transformaon is seen as a way of leaving more mundane shackles behind by the most powerful and truly transformed. Arcial devices designed to enhance abilies are one thing, enre populaons being uploaded to a shared intelligence or individuals driing from host receptor (organic or arcial) to host receptor to gain a multude of lives and experiences, are quite another – through new technology, the usage of ancient Pre-Cursor technology, etc., individuals have the capacity to understand and a depth of knowledge, previously impossible (at least, in the meline provided).
The Hypernet The hypernet allows instant communicaon between users. Whereas, in the age of Federaon and Imperium, Way Staons were once used to allow relavely fast communicaon, now anyone with the right device or enhanced psychic ability can instantly communicate to anyone else in the
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Chapter 2 - Life Among the Stars galaxy. The Q-municator, the device which allows this instant communicaon, was not without its teething troubles. Some of the original research team were caught in a me-loop, and sll haven’t been recovered from sub-space. The early roll-out of sub-standard devices caused much distrust, as several fatal cases of me malady were clearly connected to the intro ducon of the system. But now, the devices feel prey much safe, all ships are ed with them and most individuals have one. Psychic “boosters” are available, mini-versions of the device, worn as a small chip on the temple (or whatever the species of the wearer has that passes for a temple) in systems which accept psi powers; and usually hidden in the inner ear, in those places where it is best to keep psi powers a secret. Populaons across the galaxy, aside from on those planets which ban the hypernet, for cultural or ideological reasons, can now receive news from the borders of known space instantly. They can tap in to the best entertainment in the galaxy (much of which is intensely addicve, causing populaons of “Q-dozers” to waste away, too engrossed to even feed themselves). And they can stay in touch with loved ones, however remote their staon.
Life In The Age Of Transcendence Life in the Age of Transcendence varies considerably, according to wheth er one’s home planet is inhabited by a more or less advanced populaon. Many planets demand complete isolaon, whether advanced or completely technologically backward, but most allow for at least some communica on and possibly even a space or starport, to keep in the loop. Others are lled with very advanced populaons, whether leisure planets, experience centres, communing hubs, or whatever. The tyranny of huge empires is over – but that is not to say the galaxy has been cured of conict. Some planets are run by despots – whether organ ic or AI. Trading is sll important, although post-Empire self-suciency, or ways to achieve self-suciency, has become more the norm, rather than specialised worlds. As many worlds seek isolaon, markets are a lot more limited and many planets ban a wide range of products for a host of rea sons. A lack of a centralised military has seen an upsurge in piracal acvity and local wars between planets in a system, but there is sll an undercur-
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Chapter 2 - Life Among the Stars rent of peace, running across the enre galaxy, a lasng reacon to the uer devastaon of the previous age.
Challenges While many beings are more inward-looking, there are sll plenty of challenges (and adventures) to face. The more isolated systems have, if anything, become quirkier in this era, developing unique customs and cultures, which oen become more bizarre the nearer one is to the fringes of ex-Imperium seled space. There are sll plenty of local conicts. This again is parcularly true in what were once the fringes of the old Imperium. Mostly these local conicts are between facons who do not have the resources to pose a threat outside a local system, but they are no less devastang for populaons caught in the crossre. There are also conicts caused by rogue transcendents and AIs; possible incursions from new aliens from outside known space; possible hosle enes, formally dormant, now awoken by the increase in psychic acvity or post-quantum travel and communicaon; bier ex-Imperium nobles who decide to take back what was once theirs. There are also the consequences of peace and, for some, enlightenment. Living through non-biological or biologically engineered hosts means life can be extended for millennia – which might cause existenal angst or madness for those who have not thought through a failsafe to avoid such a situaon. Likewise, peace can create an over-condence and complacency. People no longer want to countenance war, and might want to pretend that dicult situaons will resolve themselves, rather than require acon. What’s more, the dictum of non-interference will constantly prove challenging. And although those Mands that are le might no longer be con trolled by a hosle Grand Mother, there might well be a Hive Mother with grand ambions plong for a return to the old ways.
Ships Of The Age Of Transcendence Ships from the previous era sll exist, although the larger military vessels have mostly faded from use. Transcendents tend to use ships according to their precise nature. Some use organic vessels, like the Ba’len style ships
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Chapter 2 - Life Among the Stars (although in this age the Ba’len have revealed themselves to be what was thought of as their ships – they are in fact like giant space whales, but more on that below). Others jointly control a ship via an uplink and advanced AI. Some transcendents take no form aboard their vessel, merely hopping into biological constructs when meeng with other beings. Due to post-Quantum advances, transcendents have found ways to speed up warp travel. The drives are no longer even recognisable to non-transcendent engineers – warped fragments of reality containing immense power, enclosed in strange devices, completely incomprehensible to all aside from those that have developed them. Likewise, while weaponry is mostly the same, transcendents have also de veloped an array of weapons which rather than destroy an enemy, might transport them away, hold them in stasis, hold them in a me loop, etc. Arguably, these weapons might somemes be crueller than the convenonal array!
Uplifted Animals The rst type of uplied animal is the “true” type, who are usually creat ed as the result of experimentaon. On some planets transcendents have uplied animals, usually bio-engineering them so that they have full senence. This is usually done out of some form of altruism – the theory being that such animals can reach a fuller potenal once uplied. The animals are usually happy enough with their new bodies and bigger social brains, though some species experience more dicules in adjusng than others – their hard-wired insncts run too deep. This is parcularly a problem with apex predators (who sll display a lot of aggression) and mid prey animals (who connue to be nervous wrecks!). Tellingly, despite the claim that such experiments are “speeding up” evoluon, the resulng animals are usually somewhat humanized – anthropomorphic assumpons leading to the uplied usually taking bipedal and humanoid body shapes and vocal chords and mouths capable of using human (or whoever else created them) sounds. Their creaon has since been discouraged by the Council, as undue interference – an unacceptable form of “playing god” with animal life. The rights of those already uplied are also defended. There have been some legal dicules, where (usually
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Chapter 2 - Life Among the Stars small) minories of a species have sought a right to be regressed to their true forms. Unfortunately, some rogue transcendent individuals have used the upliing process, oen alongside some other psychic, genec or mental restraining codes, to create slaves. These slaves may be employed in labouring, war fare, as worshippers or for whatever nefarious purpose the rogue creator wishes. There also exist animals and humanized animals who are mere hosts for the consciousness of a transcendent being. The being can either create an up lied animal especially for the purpose of being used as a vessel by the host intelligence, or an already uplied animal can be used to host a transcendent intelligence (somemes having to enrely submit to the conscious mind of the transcendent being; or being allowed to communicate and act in co-operaon, in a more symbioc relaonship). Uplied animals are mostly a feature of the Age of Transcendence (when some beings have decided to “elevate” animal life to full senence), although there might be examples of planets in other eras where such things have been trialled on an isolated planet. Likewise, uplied animal templates might simply be used to represent other alien life forms. Here, they are not arcially uplied animals at all, they are simply a local bear-like species, etc., who have evolved to become the dominant (or subservient, or whatever role you want for them) species on their home planet.
Sample Uplifted Animals The following is certainly not a denive list, and Gamekeepers are encouraged to create their own unique types of uplied animals. Also, the examples below are of Earth-type animals. Of course, other planets might have their own forms of local fauna that resemble nothing on Earth, and these might also evolve into, or be created by technologically advanced visitors as, uplied animals. Depending on the seng, Gamekeepers may allow uplied animals to be used as player Adventurers. Bear-like, Large Large bear-like creatures who enjoy space travel. Good engineers, but their paws are a bit big for really ddly jobs.
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Chapter 2 - Life Among the Stars Min Strong 3; Engineering 1, Bruiser 1 + 4 skills. Example: S 4, C 2, Q 1, H 12, D 9, Mv 10, Sk Arllery 1, Bruiser 3, Shoong 1, Pilot 1, Spacer 1, Engineering 2, Hyperdrives 2 X 80
Bear-Like, Small Small furry bear-like creatures who live in primive clan groupings. Max Strong 2; No scienc technological skills allowed at character generaon; Base Skills: Sneaky 1, Ancient Engineering (Primive) 1 + 4 non-scienc skills. Example: S 1, C 2, Q 2, H 3, D 6, Mv 20, Sk Climb 3, Claw 1 (Damage 2), Ar chery 2, Ancient Engineering (Primive) 2, Sneaky 3 X 30 Bird-Like, Chicken Style Easily startled and, despite the upli, usually stupid. Popular as hosts on children’s vidcasts. Max Strong 2; No combat skills, aside from pecking; Base Skills: Entertainer (Chicken Dance) 2 + 4 other non-combat skills. Example: S 2, C 2, Q 2, H 6, D 6, Mv 20, Sk Chicken Dance 3, Peck 1 (Damage 2), Geng in a ap 2, Negoate 2 X 10 Cetacean-Like Dolphin-like, with legs. Peace-loving, except to sh. They make excellent dip lomats and negoators, although they’re usually a bit smug. Minimum Clever 2; Maximum Quick 1 (on land). In sengs with Psi, they have Psi 1 and the usual 6 other Ability points at character creaon; Bite 2 (damage 2) for free, then Negoate 1, Psychology 1 + 4 other skills. Example: S 2, C 4, Q 1, H 6, D 6, Mv 10, Sk Psychology 2, Negoate 3, Trade 2, Lore 3 X 12 Cephalopod-Like Octopus-headed creatures, who are usually obsessed with science. Minimum Clever 2, Maximum Quick 1, Engineering 1, Science 1, Computers 1 + 3 other skills. Example: S 2, C 4, Q 1, H 6, D 6, Mv 10, Sk Science 3, Computers 2, Engineer ing 3, Hyperdrives 2, Lore 1 X 12
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Chapter 2 - Life Among the Stars Horse-Headed Other than having horseheads, they are just regular guys and gals. No special rules – aside from the horse-head, use standard character creaon. Lion-Like Lion-headed uplied animals, they oen get mistaken for the Halu, which really annoys the Halu. They tend to work as mercenaries. Minimum Strong 3 and Quick 2 (so Clever is 1 for a starng character); Bite 2 (Damage 3), Claw 2 (Damage 2) + 3 other combat-related skills. Example: S 4, C 1, Q 2, H 12, D 9, Mv 20, Sk Bite 2 (Damage 3), Claw 2 (Dam age 3), Shoong 2 X 45 Snake-Like With snake-like heads, despite having arms and legs and being a varied and sociable bunch, they creep out most other senent species. No special rules – aside from the snake-head, use standard character creaon – aside from their Bite 2 (Damage 2), which they get for free (so they sll have 6 skill points to spend).
Artificial Life Forms Various types of arcial intelligences now inhabit the galaxy. Robots sll do a lot of the work on many worlds, but there are far more variees of AI’s than coded robots and computers. Robots and computers exist with senence and full independence, some living in their own sociees. Robots are oen bio-blends – not humans transformed into robots, but with a human brain, but rather robots transformed into humans (and other species), with a robot brain. Some AI’s rule over biological enes, whether arcially engineered or another senent species – including people, uplied animals and aliens.
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Chapter 2 - Life Among the Stars There are also humans and aliens who have ceased to live in their own bodies. These groups have found a way to upload or transfer their con sciousness. Somemes they will ascend to a higher hive consciousness – becoming a part of the code which makes up an enre planet’s worth of consciousnesses. Other mes, the individual will remain an independent consciousness, which might become a part of a technological being (computer, robot, etc.), another being (either in symbiosis with or dominang over a host consciousness), a bio-engineered construct, or whatever. The Transcendent Council is mainly made of these consciousnesses – and they are keen that hosts should always be willing, as should the transcendent themselves (it is not unknown for a dominant consciousness to oer transcendence to another consciousness, only to dominate any newly up loaded idenes, for nefarious reasons – being able to access the new arrival’s thoughts, memories and skills, whilst depriving them of all free will).
Organisations The Transcendent Council Composed of delegates from many of the transcendent populaons and enes, the Council’s main goal is summed up in their main mission statement, “That transcendent beings should never interfere with non-transcendent sociees, unless threats to those sociees are on a galacc scale or a threat originates from the acons of another transcendent. If a threat is posed by a transcendent or group of transcendents, then only powers of equal measure should be brought to bear on the situaon, to negate the interference of the interloper.” The wording is vague enough to cause Council meengs to oen descend into lengthy ethical soul-searching and prevent the consensus-building that the Council is meant to be built on. The Transcendent Council is very powerful, but not every transcendent society or individual has to be a part of it – if they do not break the code of the Council (usually through widespread exploitaon), unaliated transcendents are allowed to retain their independence. What’s more, the Council can make swi decisions on one issue (e.g., such as taking acon over a tyrannical transcendent, who has just started acng as a god, creang her own kingdom on an isolated Moon), but reach irre solvable impasses on another (e.g., whether to interfere where a peaceful
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Chapter 2 - Life Among the Stars non-transcendent group has a longer-standing symbioc relaonship with a transcendent species, and removing transcendent involvement would vastly change the local culture). It is not unknown for small enforcement and invesgaon forces, usually small teams of transcendent and non-transcendent beings, to be sent to gather more informaon, informaon, so that Council decisions can be beer informed. Another ethical dilemma is how far the Transcendent Council should enen courage courage non-transcendent species and populaons to achieve more knowlknowledge, skills and technology, technology, in order for them to also become transcendent. While some planets intenonally avoid progress, others have merely been cut o by war and isolaon and crave parity with the transcendent popu laons. Oen the Council will be divided on how much, if any, assistance they should give. The Council see enlightenment as a posive thing, but will be anxious to avoid simply making a populaon powerful; especially when it is merely power, not enlightenment, they seek. This is another me that an exploratory mission might be sent, to observe and assess a planet (or a populaon on a planet) and report their ndings back to the Council. The Council members (the enlightened) are generally very respecul, popo lite, cauous and paent. Their belief in reaching a consensus among the enlightened on any decision, can cause them to seem distant and concon servave. Oen the enforcement and invesgaon teams develop a more pragmac view – and as well as having to negoate with local planetary authories, develop clever ways of manipulang the Council into acon to protect the vulnerable. Some Council members acvely encourage this and will help protect such a team (as long as they act for the best), while others are scklers for the rules, and will try to cause trouble to keep invesgaon invesgaon teams operang within a ghter mandate. Generally, Generally, though, the th e main mismission statement always applies.
Aliens Most of the aliens in this era are the same as in the previous one, although there may well be new unknown threats to encounter. The Ba’len reveal their true natures in this era, to those they consider truly enlightened, and send representaves to the Council.
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The Ba’len The Ba’len are a part of the Transcendent Council. They have been waing for the other known species to evolve to a point where they deemed it safe to communicate, beyond their servitors conducng trade and (more rarely) diplomacy. The Ba’len are in fact a kind of space-whale, although that is really a far too simplisc term to describe their unique lifestyle and the symbioc relaonrelaonship they have with their servitor “bots”. “bots”. The Ba’len start life as a small, but bu t sophiscated, cluster of cells, which have adapted to the vacuum of space. Their original homeworld was destroyed not long aer the Age of the Precursors, ancient mes beyond the scope of this book. The cell clusters would quickly grow into the spaceship-sized leviathans, while another species (also escapees from the homeworld), which had survived by piggy-backing onto (actually, into) the Ba’len, lived by “maintaining” the Ba’len. The servitors do have an organic centre in the heart of the cylinders they inhabit – they are a kind of space remora (cleaning sh). The secret to this successful partnering, is that while the Ba’len can survive on a relavely small mineral intake (mostly space debris), the cleaning sh live on and in the Ba’len’s poop. The metal that is defecated by the Ba’len gathers towards towards the rear of the bebe ing, and the space-remora eat it, very slowly. slowly. Over the millennia, the Ba’len have developed, becoming cleverer (partly learning because of their innate telepathy, which has allowed them to accrue informaon from everyone they have ever encountered). encountered). They are actually a social species, although they rarely meet up as a pod, clan or people, most of their me is spent in solitary travel, only broken every 1,000 years, when they come together as a clan, in the esh. But they can sing their thoughts across the void, and pick up the mind-songs mind -songs of othother Ba’len (although these mind-songs are oen from ancient mes, such is the distances that the thoughts must travel). If two Ba’len are in the same system, they will spend me catching up, both with each other, and on all the other informaon they have heard since they last met. This telepathy is a form of psionic power, power, but no roll is required to successfully communicate in this way.
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Chapter 2 - Life Among the Stars Over me, the metal (Ba’len poop) encased space-remora have been upup lied by the Ba’len (such as the addions of mechanical legs and a boost to their Clever and training to work the metal they live in). The Ba’len can communicate with the Remora telepathically, although the range of this communicaon is limited to a few hundred kilometres. The space-remora acted on behalf of the Ba’len, while the Ba’len spent the Age of Exploitaon and of Federaon Federaon and Imperium pretending they could not communicate (and that they were lile more than ships). Now they have found their (slow and ponderous) mind-voices in the Council, and will do anything they can to help the Council achieve its goals. They are always always interested in new informaon and always try to be helpful towards their new allies, whilst trying to avoid too much contact with the non-transcendnon-transcendent (although they nd it hard to resist trading for certain mineral delica cies). The metal they produce as poop, is actually an amazing substance – and they are open to the possibility of exchanging some with other species (al though the space-remora aren’t pleased at this!). The cylinders containing space-remora self-destruct if threatened, the space-remora exploding and instantly dissolving the poop carapace. The Ba’len are never purposely crucru el to the space-remora, and appreciate that the space-remora obey their host Ba’len, but they aren’t overly aached to them – they will be upset if the space-remora are mistreated, mistreated, but they don’t really have any emoonal bond with them. They could actually expel the metal they poop without the space-remora’ space-remora’s help, but for some reason never choose to do so.
Typical Age Of Transcendence Characters And Adventure Adventure Options The character opons might seem too vast, but a sensible choice would be a mixture of the usual character types, working as a crew of a small, but powerful, Transcendent Council ship. As such, the Adventurers would be trouble-shooters – exploring and invesgang the situaon on the ground on behalf of the Council. Alternavely, depending on the style of game you want to play, perhaps they are transported in a Ba’len.
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Chapter 2 - Life Among the Stars They could also be the senior crew in a colony ship – having ed a planet in the previous age, they need to nd a new home for their (probably mostly cryogenically frozen or in some other stasis) people.
Typical Gamekeeper-Controlled Characters Transcendent Council Member M: S 5, C 4, Q 0.5, Psi 4, H 10, D 3, Mv 5, Sk Engulf 4 (Damage 3 per round), Negoate 3, Psychology 2, Lore 2 X 60 M is a transcendent being, who takes the natural form of a giant blob of gelanous jelly. M works hard for the council. If M is destroyed, if its data chip remains intact, it can be uploaded to another form. Alternavely, M can choose to abandon its body (which it will only do if there is a safe stor age space) and share another’s body (which M will only do if invited). A kind soul, M is a lile naive in its dealings with others – it isn’t stupid and has enough psychology to understand what is going on, but it has a lot of faith (some would say too much) in redempon and change. Representave of the Android Collecve : S 3, C 6, Q 3, H 9, D 9/11*, Mv 30, Sk Computers 3, Spacer 2, Engineering 2, Hyperdrives 4, Shoong 3 (Damage 6 from laser cannon), Negoate 3, Percepon 2, Lore 4 X 300 *Personal Energy Shield The representave of the Android Collecve sits on the Transcendent Coun cil, her contribuons are aggregated uploads from all her people, so even though she is very Clever, she somemes takes a while to answer a ques on. Her combat abilies are not always available – most of the me she eschews weaponry, but if she decides she needs to “wear” her cannon, she will. Monkey God: S 8, C 3, Q 3, Psi 3, H 20, D 10, Mv 30, Sk Bite 3 (Damage 5), Rend Limb 1 (Damage 8), Shoong 2, Sneaky 1, Science 1, Spacer 1, Percepon 1 X 550 The Monkey God lives on a large connent on a planet inhabited by uplied monkeys and apes. The uplied monkeys and apes are not too much bigger than in their original forms, but they have rudimentary language (Clever 1) and use primive tools and weapons. They worship their “god”. Unfortu -
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Chapter 2 - Life Among the Stars nately, the monkey god (an insane transcendent being who has uploaded his personality into a bio-constructed giant gorilla) is a cruel tyrant. While he has Psi powers and is super strong, he is not the best at science, but sll spends a lot of me experimenng on his “sacrices” – he wants to con struct an army of “super-soldiers”, to spread his insane rule further aeld, but his experiments are usually messy failures.
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Chapter 3 - Gamekeeper Section
Chapter 3 - Gamekeeper Section
This secon is designed to help Gamekeepers to run OneDice Space. First there’s a brief look at running games, ps on style and playing OneDice Space. Then there are a few more rules covering how to handle hazards and award Experience. There are also more rules for handling combat using Mooks and Minions. There are details on some vehicles and spaceships for using in the game. Finally, there are some oponal rules for using psionics in your games.
Game Styles Before running your adventures, it is worth thinking about what kinds of games you and your players would most enjoy. Are you thinking of running a single adventure or a longer campaign? Single adventures are designed to be played over one or two sessions. They only have a few scenes, a few tasks (e.g. aend the diplomat gathering and nd out the corporaon’s secret) and only one or two twists (the corpo raon is wanng to start a war on a planet, so they can sell arms to both sides). Campaigns usually run over several sessions and oen consist of a number of “chapters”. Each chapter might have several scenes (or one big scene), and oen there are side-goals (e.g. stealing some secret spaceship papers or recruing some allies) that need to be achieved along the way to telling a
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Chapter 3 - Gamekeeper Section much bigger story (e.g. aempng to deliver the news of a new spaceship’s secret design to the dastardly Ambassador’s enemies, avoiding his troopers all the way; ying through hosle space; nding somewhere safe to repair a ship; following a trail to locate the Ambassador’s hidden research staon in a remote part of a faraway system; and, traversing a hosle alien plane tary environment, to nd the place where the Ambassador’s sciensts are developing the deadly new ship class, helped by a previously unencoun tered (by the player’s Adventurers) alien species, who have deeper plans to spread inter-galacc war throughout, currently friendly, systems.
Warning! Whatever style you choose, story-planning is needed – if you just make it up as you go along, it can easily zzle out. You need to have some idea of where the game might go, and some ideas for grand nales.
Do your Players want to follow an excing trail or leave the path whenev er they want? Ploed adventures have a structure, much like a book or a movie, and the players are taken through a number of scenes leading to an excing grand nale. Sandbox adventures do not start o with a pre-determined plot – the Games Master decides on a few themes, some locaons and a number of characters and lets the story go where it will.
Stories What style of adventure your players would enjoy? Lots of ghng, invesgang mysteries on various planets or diplomac in trigue? A romanc adventure or trade and smuggling? A long journey to distant systems or a whole series of stories linked to one locaon? A back drop of war and resistance or of peace and advancement? They’ll probably appreciate a mixture, and as long as there are plenty of opportunies for heroics, betrayal and discovery, you’ll be on the right track.
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Recurring Characters Every hero needs a nemesis, and in OneDice Space there are plenty to choose from. From hosle rst encounters, to polical and military rivalry (on a local and galacc scale), from fanacs adhering to peculiar ideologies and lifestyles on planets in far-ung isolated regions, to criminal enterprises and brutal space pirates, or from social rivals within an Adventurer’s own facon, to a traitor on the Adventurers’ own ship – and that’s just for starters! As well as enemies, there should be plenty of allies to choose from – and somemes an ally can become an enemy, or vice versa. Whatever the circumstances, and whether friend or foe, recurring charac ters oen make a story stronger and a nal victory sweeter.
Scale Of Opposition When designing adventures, Gamekeepers should always take account of the abilies of the players’ Adventurers compared to the opposion they are going to face. If the players’ Adventurers are always confronted with weak opposion, the game will quickly get boring; likewise, it will become frustrang if they are faced with overwhelming opposion (against whom they have no chance of winning). Check that opponents, aliens and other creatures are selected for your adventure that can be beaten (whether by overcoming their Defence, use of Stunt Points, or some other logical weakness, etc.). Creatures and other Gamekeeper controlled characters do not have to be designed in the same way as players Adventurer characters – you can simply assign them Health and Defence scores, rather than base their Health and Defence on their Strong and Quick.
The Experts If you are intending for your players to take the parts of senior crew on a ship, they are probably the best available. If so, it is worth considering al lowing starng characters an extra couple of Skill Points; and even allowing a higher allocaon of Stunt Points to be given at the start of each game session. This will make them more powerful, and the challenges they face should reect that.
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Getting By In a more grim and griy game, the tone should be more desperate. In a more dystopian universe, where everyone is out to get the party, it is likely they will be struggling to get by on a small free-trader, smuggling vessel or as independent explorers hoping to discover something that will let them “strike-it-big”.
Mooks and Minions If wanng to run a more over-the-top game, you might decide that stand ard enemy troops are no match for the Adventurers, except in overwhelm ingly large numbers. If so, then treat them as mooks. These rules are parcularly handy if you want to run a bale between the Adventurers and a bunch of bumbling security guards or some lousy local planetary enforcement agency. Likewise, if you want the Imperium soldiers to drop like ies, use these rules. The cannon fodder may sll be led by beer trained leaders, be they more dangerous mooks or individually staed characters. Mooks have only 2 states - unhurt and out of the ght. A single blow that beats their Defence threshold takes them out. When you’re ghng a single mook, it doesn’t really maer what weapon you have - any hit takes down the mook. Mooks do not have Abilies or Skills. Instead they have Combat, and Everything Else. These numbers are what you add to the dice roll to resolve tasks for them. The Combat rang is used for all types of combat, and the Everything Else rang is used.... for everything else!
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Chapter 3 - Gamekeeper Section Ordinary Mooks have Combat 3, inept Mooks have Combat 2 and dangerous Mooks have Combat 4 (or higher). Ordinary Mooks have Everything Else 3, stupid Mooks have Everything Else 2, and specialist Mooks have Everything Else 4 (or higher). As Mooks have no abilies, their Move and Defence are gured dierently. Ordinary Mooks have a Move of 20, slow Mooks have a move of 10, and fast Mooks have a Move of 30. Ordinary Mooks have a Defence of 6, weak Mooks have a Defence of 3, and tough Mooks have a Defence of 9. Mooks do not use armour and weapons like ordinary characters, this should simply be reected in their Abilies. Mooks oen ght in groups. If a character is ghng more than one mook, you can speed up combat by using these rules: The mooks aack as a single group, with only one roll. They get a +1 to their aack for every two mooks in the group. When the Adventurer aacks, on a successful hit add weapon damage as usual, but take out a mook for every 2 you beat their Defence by. So, for example, if you beat the Defence by 1 or 2, you take out 1 mook. If you beat the Defence by 3 or four, you take out two mooks, and so on. This does not necessarily mean they are dead, but they are out of the ght.
Hazards Most hazards in OneDice Space can be handled through asking for a straightforward skill check. If you want to see if a character can get out of a smoky control room, you can ask for a roll (perhaps adding Strong, if they are going to just try to walk through the smoke, or Quick, if they are making a dash for it, to the roll). The diculty should be adjusted by the scale of the threat – a large raging inferno is harder to escape than a small blaze. To help you judge the level of hazard and the possible consequences of failure, check this table:
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Hazard
Difficulty/Target Damage Number to avoid
Examples
Minor
Mild, 3
1 Dice divided by 2 (round down)
Small re, weak poison, falling up to a metre, hing thumb with a hammer.
Moderate
Challenging, 6
1 Dice
Moderate poison, falling up to three metres, hing hand with chisel.
Major
Very Dicult, 10
1 Dice mulplied by 2
Strong poison, falling up to 7 metres, caught in a collapsing building.
Deadly
Near Impossible, 12+
1 Dice mulplied by 3+
Falling into a volcano, deadly poison, falling over 7 metres, squashed by a falling city.
As usual, oer Defence bonuses or penales (+2/-2) if there are other fac tors that might make a dierence to the outcome for the character.
Optional Rule - Skills And Gravity Depending on the style of seng, the Gamekeeper might decide local gravity aects characters. In OneDice Space, there are four grades of gravity: High Gravity: -2 to all physical acvity related skill rolls. -20 to Move. Standard Gravity: No penales. Low Gravity: -2 to all physical acvity related skill rolls. +20 to Move. Zero Gravity: -2 to all physical acvity related skill rolls. +20 to Move. Char acters with the Zero-G skill can add it to their skill rolls to a maximum of +2, demonstrang their training and ability in this environment. Physical acvity skill rolls include any use of movement or dexterity such as, but not limited to, combat, acrobacs and pickpocket. Characters who have grown up in High gravity will not suer any penales in their own gravity. Addionally, they can have a +20 Move bonuses and +1 Strong bonus in lower gravies.
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Awarding Experience Experience is usually awarded at the end of each game session. You might want to award Experience for the following:
Good roleplay: 10-20 Experience mulplied by the Adventurer’s current Level Defeang Characters and Creatures : Characters and creatures usually have an Experience amount listed – any Adventurer who was in a ght with the character or creature (and won) gets Experience. Total the Experience of all characters or creatures defeated and divide by the number of Player’s Adventurers who were in the bale. Solving/Reaching a Minor Adventure Goal : 20-30 Experience Example Finding the secret study in the Ambassador ’s apartment and locang all the other clues that are hidden there. Solving/Reaching a Major Adventure Goal: 50-100 Experience Example Searching every locaon on the Ambassador’s satellite and defeang vari ous guards, disarming some cunning traps and stealing the Ambassador’s secret plans. Solving/Reaching the end of a Campaign : 200-300 Experience Example Discovering the Ambassador is developing a secret spaceship, which will change the galaxy for the worse; stealing the plans for the spaceship from the Ambassador’s research staon; travelling across various star systems to recruit allies; while allies engage the Ambassador’s eet, inltrang the Ambassador’s secret base and nding a way to destroy the Ambassador’s new eet forever; exposing the dangerous new alien species behind the plot to destabilise galacc peace and sending them packing (for now!).
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Spaceships All the ships in OneDice Space are presented in this format:
Spaceship Type, S (Strong), Q (Quick), H (Health), D (Defence), Mv (Move), Ju (jump ability in hexes/squares), Ca (Cargo Capacity), Cr (Opmum Number of Crew Strong/Health), Sz (Size of the ship: small, medium, large and huge), Lv Basic or Advanced/Age of Exploitaon (E), Federaon and Imperium (FI) and Transcendent (T), Wp Weapons (torpedoes and/or lasers), Cost (Cost of spaceship in Credits) Descripon. Remember : Generally, only Huge creatures or another spaceship (or arl lery/vehicle-mounted arllery, etc.) can aack a spaceship – individuals and smaller creatures can’t (although they can aack individual crew mem bers, but not enre crews, if they get the chance; sabotage; etc). Remember : When a spaceship has half the opmum crew, or fewer, all spaceship rolls are at -2 . Remember : Cost is the cost to buy a spaceship – selling a used spaceship is much harder! Note: Move for spaceships is not the same as for characters (so not in me tres!) and is listed for the purposes of determining relave speeds when not in hyperspace! Note: Costs are only listed for small and medium spaceships. Large and huge spaceships are unlikely to be purchased (even wealthy dileantes tend to only be able to buy medium ships, plush, but medium), but will be in the ownership of a planet; mighty corporaon; or, more likely, a larger associaon of planets.
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Technological Backdrop It is for the Gamekeeper to decide what technology should and shouldn’t be included in spaceships, but broadly speaking there are two ways of han dling this. The rst is to simply decide whether the technology level is basic or ad vanced – this doesn’t have to be the same for every species or sector, but should give a rough guide to the kind of spaceships that might be encoun tered and the technology they employ. Basic systems tend to have rudi mentary jump drives, if they have them at all. Advanced have warpdrives. Basic spaceships tend to use more convenonal rocket-missiles. Advanced used energy torpedoes and lasers. Secondly, in the default seng, you can be guided by the era you set the game in. The Age of Exploitaon ships will not have an advanced sensor array; nor will any small or medium spaceships from the Age of Exploita on and/or the Age of Federaon and Imperium; larger and giant space ships in the Age of Federaon and Imperium and most ships in the Age of Transcendence will have an advanced sensor array capable of detecng spaceships, and other anomalies, at extreme ranges. Ships with advanced sensor arrays can also hail ships at extreme range (those with basic systems may not). Jump gures are presented as “-/number” for Age of Exploitaon designs – whether they have a jump drive at all depends on precisely when your game is set – if the jump drive has been discovered, then the gure af ter the hyphen is the amount of squares or hexes that can be jumped (basic one-person ghters cannot jump, they have to be carried by a larger ship through hyperspace). Nearly all ships have arcial gravity, aside from the most rudimentary of basic ships. Moving in a Solar System As a rule of thumb, a ship from the Age of Exploitaon (or another basic setng) can move in a solar system from planet to nearest planet at 1 dice x 2 days, divided by the ship’s Move. In more advanced ages, replace days with hours; and in transcendent eras this may even be speeded up to minutes! It is worth nong the resulng distances, if you are building your own solar system maps for repeated use (although you may want to adjust mes for repeat journeys, to reect changes in posions since the last journey was made, depending on how much detail you want to add).
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Sample Ships The following list of ships is not exhausve, but rather a generic list of ships by size and type. More specic examples of ships can be found in Chapter 2.
Basic One-person Fighter , S 4 Q 7 H 10 D 10 Mv 3 Ju – Ca - Cr 1 Sz small Lv Basic/E Wp 2 Convenonal Torpedoes/Convenonal Weapon Array Cost 1 Million+ Basic space ghter, usually launched from a larger ship or employed as part of a planet’s defences. Advanced One-Person Fighter , S 6 Q 9 H 15 D 12 Mv 4 Ju – Ca - Cr 1 Sz small Lv Adv/FI Wp 2 Energy Torpedoes/Energy Weapon Array Cost 2 Million+ A more developed version of a space ghter cra. Advanced One/Two-Person Hyper-Fighter , S 6 Q 10 H 16 D 13 Mv 5 Ju 2 Ca - Cr 1 or 2 Sz small Lv Advanced/T Wp 4 Energy Torpedoes/Energy Weapon Array Cost 3 Million+ A ghter equipped with a small, but powerful, hyperdrive engine. Basic Medium Military Spaceship, S 7 Q 7 H 20 D 10 Mv 4 Ju -/1 Ca 10 Cr 1/15 Sz med Lv Basic/E Wp 4 Convenonal Torpedoes/Convenonal Weapon Array Cost 10 Million+ A workhorse type military cra. Many of these have been made, and de stroyed, over the ages. Advanced Medium Military Spaceship, S 9 Q 10 H 20 D 12 Mv 5 Ju 3 Ca 10 Cr 3/30 Sz small Lv Adv/FI/T Wp 6 Energy Torpedoes/Energy Weapon Array Cost 15 Million+ A much-improved version of the medium military spaceship, but really cramped. Basic Medium Trade Spaceship , S 5 Q 4 H 15 D 8 Mv 2 Ju -/1 Ca 50 Cr 4-10 Sz med Lv Basic/E Wp 2 Convenonal Torpedoes/Convenonal Weapon Array Cost 2 Million+ Too small to make big prots, but cheap enough that shmucks can aord to take a loan out on them.
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Chapter 3 - Gamekeeper Section Advanced Medium Trade Spaceship , S 7 Q 5 H 20 D 9 Mv 3 Ju 5 Ca 60 Cr 4-12 Sz med Lv Adv/FI/T Cost 10 Million+ Mostly used to oer bespoke services, such as transporng important items and people. Basic Medium Exploraon Spaceship, S 6 Q 8 H 18 D 10 Mv 4 Ju -/2 Ca 20 Cr 4-12 Sz med Wp 3 Convenonal Torpedoes/Convenonal Weapon Array Lv Basic/E Cost 6 Million+ You’d have to be a bit crazy to go into deep space in one of these, but people do. Advanced Medium Exploraon Spaceship , S 8 Q 10 H 20 D 11 Mv 6 Ju 6 Ca 20 Cr 4-15 Sz med Lv Adv/FI/T Wp 3 Energy Torpedoes/Energy Weapon Array Cost 12 Million+ Oen used by prospectors, explorers, and those on the froners of known space, to delve into the fringes, but most deep space exploraon is now carried out by larger vessels. Basic Large Military Spaceship, S 11 Q 6 H 28 D 10 Mv 3 Ju -/3 Ca 100 Cr 10/100 Sz large Lv Basic/E Wp 24 Convenonal Torpedoes/Convenonal Weapon Array/6 ghters The frigates of space, these large ghng ships pack a punch, and usually comprise the backbone of military operaons. Advanced Large Military Spaceship, S 12 Q 8 H 35 D 11 Mv 5 Ju 4 Ca 100 Cr 12/120 Sz large Lv Adv/FI/T Wp 24 Energy Torpedoes/Energy Weapon Array/12 ghters The frigates of space, these large ghng ships also pack a punch, and sll comprise the backbone of military operaons, with the added bonus of blowing up less oen. Basic Large Trade Spaceship, S 6 Q 5 H 22 D 8 Mv 2 Ju -/2 Ca 2000 Cr 2/20 Sz large Lv Basic/E Wp 4 Convenonal Torpedoes/Convenonal Weapon Array Cost 12 Million+ Usually employing a small crew, these are like space tankers, carrying large
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Chapter 3 - Gamekeeper Section cargoes huge distances. They are oen poorly maintained, and the crews are usually sparked for most of the journey.
Advanced Large Trade Spaceship , S 8 Q 6 H 30 D 10 Mv 3 Ju 4 Ca 3000 Cr 2/20 Sz large Lv Adv/FI/T Wp 4 Energy Torpedoes/Energy Weapon Array Cost 20 Million+ Far more reliable than the basic versions, these ships travel further, faster, and at least provide a modicum of comfort for their crews. The econom ic and mescale changes wrought by faster hyper-travel mean that while space is sll at a premium, crew aren’t just dumped into whatever stasis is available to sleep through enre voyages. Basic Large Exploraon Spaceship, S 9 Q 8 H 25 D 11 Mv 5 Ju -/4 Ca 100 Cr 12/120 Sz large Lv Basic/E Wp 6 Convenonal Torpedoes/Convenonal Weapon Array/2 ghters An example of the early cra, sent out to explore deep space and push the froners of the known galaxy. Advanced Large Exploraon Spaceship, S 11 Q 10 H 30 D 13 Mv 7 Ju 6 Ca 200 Cr 30/300 Sz large Lv Adv/FI/T Wp 12 Energy Torpedoes/Energy Weap on Array/4 ghters These vessels are responsible for expanding the explored universe more than any other. They are well-armed, self-sucient and comfortable. They are also used for peace-keeping. Basic Huge Colonist Ship, S 10 Q 2 H 40 D 7 Mv 2 Ju -/1 Ca 200,000 Cr 4/40 (populaon 20,000+) Sz huge Lv Basic/E Wp 10 Convenonal Torpedoes/ Convenonal Weapon Array/20 ghters These ships crop up throughout the ages, many of them are very old and crewed by out-of-touch folk, who wake up every hundred years or so, to carry out maintenance and check the life supports of the sleeping colonists. They have no means of jumping, so their journeys into deep space are (rel avely) painfully slow.
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Chapter 3 - Gamekeeper Section Advanced Huge Colonist Ship, S 12 Q 3 H 60 D 9 Mv 3 Ju 2 Ca 300,000 Cr 2/20 (populaon 30,000+) Sz huge Lv Adv/FI/T Wp 40 Energy Torpedoes/ Energy Weapon Array/30 ghters Used by advanced populaons to relocate, as necessary. Advanced Huge Bale-staon, S 20 Q 1 H 120 D 12 Mv 1 Ju 2 Ca 500,000 Cr 100/1000 (populaon 5,000+) Sz huge Lv Adv/FI/T Wp 100 Energy Torpedoes/Energy Weapon Array/100 ghters A small arcial world in its own right, built for the purpose of destroying other worlds. Unless you can nd a weakness, a combinaon of its own de fences and the eets of ghters it makes it virtually unbeatable. Advanced Huge Bale Spaceship, S 15 Q 4 H 60 D 12 Mv 6 Ju 6 Ca 100,000 Cr 200/2000 Sz huge Lv Adv/FI/T Wp 40 Energy Torpedoes/Energy Weapon Array/24 ghters These huge spaceships are the ulmate in grand eet technology. Basic Shule, S 2 Q 2 H 5 D 5 Mv 1 Ju - Ca 1 Cr 1-8 Sz small Lv Basic/E Cost 5,000 A small shule to get passengers from A to B. Used mostly to take people from orbit to planet and the like. Advanced Shule, S 3 Q 4 H 6 D 7 Mv 2 Ju - Ca 1 Cr 1-12 Sz small Lv Adv/ FI/T Cost 10,000 A less shoddy shule, that is more useful than the basic version, and that can even be ed with a hyperdrive (at 10x the cost). Most advanced large or huge ships carry a number of these. Basic Escape Pod, S 1 Q 1 H 3 D 3 Mv 1 Ju - Ca - Cr 1-4 Sz small Lv Basic/E Cost 3,000 Beer than a big n can. Just. Fied with the equivalent of an airplane’s black box ight recorder, so it can be tracked. Basic escape pods auto-y to “safety” or end up driing and eming a distress call, if there is no safe place to go!
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Chapter 3 - Gamekeeper Section Advanced Escape Pod, S 2 Q 2 H 6 D 6 Mv 2 Ju - Ca - Cr 1-5 Sz small Lv Adv/ FI/T Cost 5,000 Fied with some sensor and communicaons, as well as basic ight con trols. Most advanced spaceships carry at least one of these.
Spaceship Details And Improvements Escape pods and shules are not built to be adapted, but there are various details and improvements that can be added to spaceships, depending on the current state of technology when your games are set.
Counter Barrage: (Basic/Advanced) Used to confuse an enemy torpedo. A Basic counter barrage is no use against energy weapons, but adds 2 to De fence against rocket-guided missiles for 1 dice of combat rounds. An ad vanced counter barrage is eecve against convenonal and energy tor pedoes, and adds 4 to Defence for one dice of combat rounds. Small ships don’t have counter barrages, medium ships can carry material for two, large for 6 and Huge for 20 – when red, they cannot be simply recharged, thy have to be replaced. Cost: 1000 per counter-barrage. Convenonal Weapon Array: (Basic) A convenonal weapon array is all that is available in basic sengs (such as the Age of Exploraon). They use
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Chapter 3 - Gamekeeper Section sophiscated magnec and rocket technology, but their range is very limited. Cost: One tenth of the standard spaceship cost.
Energy Weapon Array: (Advanced) The classic laser burst is used in the standard energy weapon array in advanced sengs. Cost: One h of the standard spaceship cost. Rocket Torpedoes: (Basic) Cost: 100,000 per torpedo; each tube costs 100,000 to t. Energy Torpedoes : (Advanced) Rechargeable (takes 1 dice of minutes for each tube to rell). Cost: The unit itself costs 300,000 per tube to t. Fast: (Basic/Advanced) The whole line of the spaceship is improved to in crease manoeuvrability. Add +1 to Quick. This upgrade may be taken twice. Cost: Quarter of standard spaceship cost. Advanced Computers: (Advanced) Advanced computers can operate the ship systems. They usually have a Clever of 4 or 6 (although in the Age of Transcendence, some computers far exceed these scores). Cost: 100,000/250,000 Shields: (Advanced) Energy Shield. The energy shields can soak up 5/10/20 damage (but can only recharge at 1 point per combat round). Cost: Quarter/Half or double of the standard spaceship cost. Cloaking Device: (Advanced) Makes detecon roll of opposing cra be at -2/-4. Some advanced species are rumoured to have devices that are even beer. Cost: Quarter of standard spaceship cost/Half of standard spaceship cost. Auto-Repair: (Advanced) Advanced ships are ed with auto-repair as standard, so there is no extra cost. Auto-repair allows the ship to repair itself, as long as it is not too badly damaged. See p.36.
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Chapter 3 - Gamekeeper Section Tractor Beams: (Advanced) Most Advanced ships are ed with tractor beams. See p.29. Cost: Small: 100,000, Med: 300,000, Large: 1 Million, Huge: 5 Million. For tractor beams giving a +2 to the opposed roll, double the prices. Strengthened Hull: (Basic/Advanced) Adds 1 Defence. Can be taken a maximum of twice. Each me the spaceship loses 1 Move. Cost: Quarter of spaceship cost. Basic Sensors: (Basic) Can detect at +2 Docking range; +0 Modier at Close and Long ranges; Not able to sense anything at extreme ranges. Cost: Included in ship build. Advanced Sensors: (Advanced) Detects at +2 Docking range; +2 at Close range; +1 at Long range; no modier at extreme range. Cost: Included in ship build. Fuel Extractor: (Basic) A means of collecng fuel from gas giants, etc. This is a slow way of collecng fuel, but at least it is free (aside from the other running costs needed to keep a spaceship going). It takes 1 dice worth of days to ll up (smaller spaceships have smaller extractors). A full tank can normally keep a ship going for about a month or its maximum jump in hy perspace (with enough in the tank to get to a fuel source once the jump h as been made). Cost: 1000 Credits per point of Strong of spaceship. Warp Reactor: (Advanced) Powerful warp reactor that recharges itself and should last about forty years, before needing to be replaced. Cost: Quarter of cost of spaceship.
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To Teleport Or Not To Teleport Some sengs will include the ability to use teleportaon devices, others won’t – as usual, such a decision is at the discreon of the Gamekeeper. The following is a rough guide, for if you are intending to use teleportaon devices in your game.
Teleportaon Slots: (Basic) A limited number of slots in a teleportaon bay, the slots are usually operated by an (usually sensors trained) ocer. The teleportaon usually only works at Close or Boarding ranges (if ship-toship) or not much further than orbit to planet surface (if ship-to-planet, or vice versa). Cost: 40,000 per slot Teleportaon Device: (Advanced/Federaon) Allows the teleportaon of individuals as far away as the other side of a planet, long range (if in space), etc., or to another place of a similar distance (such as back on to the ship). Cost: One Tenth of ship cost. Improved Teleportaon Device : (Advanced/Transcendent) Can teleport individuals from one end of a solar system to another (or, if you want such a game, one side of the galaxy to another!). Cost: Fied as standard in such an ad vanced ship – if galaxywide, then probably part of an over-arching system. Whether the teleportaon is carried out via a device, via biological signatures, or whatever, again depends on the seng. Like wise, there are always reasons that teleportaon might not work – jam ming, systems being down, natural in terference, etc.
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Alternative Spaceship Damage Rules This oponal rule allows for more specic damage to be inicted in space ship vs spaceship combat. If using the rule, the table should be rolled on every me the spaceship loses 25% or more of its Health. Roll a dice and check table 1 to see what happens. The eect lasts unl the damage is re paired enough to take it above the amount that prompted the roll on the table. Table 1 1: Jump/Warp-Drive – Jump/Warpdrive is out of acon. 2: Fire – A re breaks out (major hazard level). A quarter of the crew will take one dice of rounds x 2 to put it out. 3: Sensors – Sensors don’t work. 4: Communicaons – Communicaons don’t work. 5: Engines – Reduce Move by 1. 6: Other – roll on table 2 below.
Table 2 1: Weapons – 1-3 – torpedo tubes damaged/4-6 weapon array (convenonal or energy) damaged 2: Hull – -2 to Defence 3: Life Support – Get those suits on, air will run out in 4: Cargo – 10% of cargo is lost. 5: Hangar – A ghter, shule or escape pod is lost (the most expensive of whatever is being carried). 6: Crew – 10% of the crew are out of acon unl crew healing can take place (then determine as normal, see p.34).
Other Vehicles Other vehicles are presented in the following way: Vehicle Type, S (Strong), Q (Quick), H (Health), D (Defence), Mv (Move), Cr (Opmum Number of Crew/Passengers if relevant), Cost (Cost of Vehicle)
Remember : Only another vehicle (or a spaceship, arllery, etc.), capable of making an aack, can aack a vehicle (and possibly Huge creatures, if they exist in your version of the game) – individuals can’t (although they can
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Chapter 3 - Gamekeeper Section aack individual opposing vehicle crew members, if they get the chance, or bring arllery and the like to bear). Vehicle scores are simply not on the same scale as character scores.
Ground-Level And Low-Level Flying Vehicles Airboat, S 3 Q 4 H 10 D 5 Mv 50 Cr 1/8 Cost 30,000+ Hover Car, Small, S 4 Q 7 H 8 D 5 Mv 120 Cr 1/4 Cost 50,000+ Hover Car, Large, S 5 Q 6 H 9 D 6 Mv 100 Cr 1/7 Cost 100,000+ Hover Carrier, Armoured Personnel , S 6 Q 5 H 12 D 7 Mv 90 Cr 1/11 Cost 120,000+ Hovertank, Large, S 10 Q 3 H 20 D 10 Mv 60 Cr 16 Cost 10 Million+ Hovertank, Small, S 7 Q 5 H 15 D 10 Mv 90 Cr 6 Cost 2 Million+ Hovercra, Small, S 3 Q 4 H 9 D 5 Mv 55 Cr 1/3 Cost 30,000+ Skateboard (Hover), S 1 Q 5 H 3 D 4 Mv 50 Cr 1 Cost 800+ Snowmobile, S 2 Q 6 H 8 D 4 Mv 100 Cr 1/1 Cost 10,000+ Snowmobile, Armoured , S 3 Q 5 H 14 D 7 Mv 80 Cr 1/3 Cost 60,000+ War-Trike, S 3 Q 8 H 7 D 5 Mv 100 Cr 1/1 Cost 6,000+
Ocean-Going Warship, S 12 Q 3 H 45 D 12 Mv 55 Cr 120 Cost 1 Billion+ Yacht, Gin Palace, S 6 Q 9 H 20 D 7 Mv 45 Cr 20/12 Cost 100 Million+ Gunboat, S 7 Q 3 H 9 D 9 Mv 50 Cr 4/40 Cost 5 Million+ Ra, Small, S 1 Q 1 H 3 D 3 Mv 5 Cr 1 or 2 Cost 0 *1 or 2 individuals.
Rowboat, S 1 Q 2 H 6 D 4 Mv 10 Cr 6 or less Cost 2000 *6, or fewer, individuals.
Psionics Psionics are the ability to use the power of the mind to create extraordinary eects and are only available to Adventurers with the “Psi” Ability. Whether there are psionics in your games is at your discreon. There are only two ways for Adventurers to get psi powers: To put points into the Psi Ability during Character Creaon (see p.9). •
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•
Get the permission of the Gamekeeper to purchase the Psi ability during play. This would only usually be granted if the player comes up with a good reason for their Adventurer to be able to learn or gain psionic ability. This could be due to it being latent or possibly because of an unusual event.
Psionic abilies are like skills and can be learnt in the same way but, because they are closely linked to the mind, some aempts to use them can have a serious eect on the Adventurer. Such a problemac aempt is called a Backlash.
Backlash The acvaon of a Psionic skill is inherently risky due to the mental strain it places on the user. Any me a “1” is rolled on the skill check, this strain has a detrimental eect on the Adventurer or NPC aempng the Psi use.
Psi Backlash Dice Roll
Result
1
Fail
Skill aempt fails – No other eect
2
Fail
Skill aempt fails – No other eect
3
Stun
Stunned for 1D6 rounds
4
Stun - Major
Stunned for 1D6 rounds + Psi Stun*
5
Backlash
1D6 Damage Unblockable + Psi Stun*
6
Backlash - Major 1D6 Damage Unblockable + Major Psi Stun**
*Psi Stun: Unable to use any Psi related skills for 1D6 hours **Major Psi Stun: Unable to use any Psi related skills for 24 hours
Spending a Skill Point can prevent a Backlash – but rolling a 1 will sll count as an automac failure and another aempt to use the skill will be needed. Note: If you are feeling really mean, and that Backlash isn’t enough to worry Psi Adventurers, you could limit the use of Psi powers to Psi Ability + 1 dice worth of uses per day. This would not apply to every situaon (neither does Backlash – for instance, Ba’len and Mand telepathy use doesn’t re quire a skill roll).
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Example Psionic Job Sets Just like everyone else, Adventurers with Psionics have jobs that give them some inial skills. The following are a few Psi-based careers. Choose one of them or, with the Gamekeeper’s permission, make up one of your own. Un like the example Job Skill Sets listed on p.10-11, Psionic Job Sets have three Skills listed and you get to choose an addional three later, rather than the usual 4 (see p.12).
Astrogator*: Enhanced pilot who controls their vessel using their mind – Interphasic 1, Navigate 1, Pilot 1 Interphasor*: Programmer who links into and talks to computers – Com puters 1, Cybernecs 1, Interphasic 1 Diplomat: Diplomac team member and translator – Equee 1, Negoate 1, Telepathy 1 Psi Corps: Imperial secret security agent – Security 1, Shoong 1, Psi Sense 1 Psi Police: Detecve or criminal invesgator – Dodgy 1, Invesgate 1, Psy chometry 1 Super Marine: Specialist Psi Marine Trooper – Blades 1, Shielding 1, Zero-G 1 Super Soldier: Specialist Combat Trooper – Resistance 1, Psychic Strike 1, Shoong 1 * Only available The Age of Transcendence.
Psionic Skills The available Psi skills are listed below with descripons.
Empathic Usable vs: Living creatures Base Target Number: Opposed Roll vs Targets Clever + Resistance Range: Sight Addional Cost: None The ability to sense emoon and intent from the target rather than to read their mind. This works exceedingly well when used with the Telepathy skill to provide and overall sense of the targets thoughts and feelings.
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Chapter 3 - Gamekeeper Section Restore Usable vs: Living creatures Base Target Number: 8 Range: Touch only Addional Cost: 1 Health damage to Psi User per aempted 4 Health to be healed Allows the Psi User to mend broken bones and repair damaged ssue of their target by amplifying and channelling their lifeforce. Use of this can bring recently dead subjects back to life but cannot be used to heal yourself. Before the roll, the Psi User must state how many Health they will sacrice and this is lost even if the skill aempt is unsuccessful. Note: Self-preservaon will stop a Psi User from killing themselves by sacricing Health. Psi Sense Usable vs: Psi Users Base Target Number: 7 Range: Sight Addional Cost: None Allows the user to recognise other Psionic users within visual range by ana lysing brain waves. A success with a TN 7 will alert the Psi User to others with the ability in the area and idenfy who they are, but will not provide an indicaon of their Psi Skills. Suggeson Usable vs: Living creatures Base Target Number: Opposed Roll vs Clever + Resistance Range: Close Addional Cost: None This Psi Skill lets the user give the target a hypnoc suggeson such as “I am your friend,” “I have the correct idencaon so I may pass” or “You will forget the conversaon we have just had.” More complex suggesons that involve mulple acons such as “Go inside the command centre, access the network, copy the les and bring them out to me,” carry an addional +1 to the TN for each addional acvity aer the rst.
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Chapter 3 - Gamekeeper Section Interphasic (Transhuman Era only) Usable vs: Computers/Machinery/AI Base Target Number: 8 (or Opposed Roll if target is an AI and wants to try to prevent the link using their Clever + Resistance) Range: Touch only Addional Cost: None This skill allows the Psi User to link directly with a computer, piece of ma chinery or Arcial Intelligence (AI). The aempt can be resisted by the AI if it requires. Once successfully linked the Psi User can access any informaon located in the computer or network. Addionally, the Psi User can control systems such as pilot controls, environmental, engineering, etc., if part of the computer network. Psychometry Usable vs: Non-living objects Base Target Number: 8 Range: Touch only Addional Cost: None When touching an object, the Psi User may connect with it in such a way a piece of informaon relang to it and/or a previous user of it will be re vealed. The Psi User has no control over what the informaon, if any, is revealed and it is solely at the Gamekeeper’s discreon. Some opons in clude, but are not limited to: whoever last used it or held it; what someone has done with it or who made it; what they or another person felt. The informaon should be given in such a way to include a level of emoon such as: pleased, scared, murderous, etc. This can be very useful in inves gaons, but Psychometry should provide feelings rather than an explanaon. Example: Krakegg picks up a knife at a murder scene and uses his Psychometry Skill, succeeding with a total of 9. He feels the user is a very assured and logical person who is interested in an inheritance of some sort rather than a pro fessional assassin.
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Chapter 3 - Gamekeeper Section Pyrokinec Usable vs: Any ammable material Base Target Number: 9 Range: Sight Addional Cost: None With this Psi Skill the user can set re to any ammable material by concentrang upon it. On a success, the damage inially is 1. If not exnguished on the next round the damage is 2, plus a further 1 on each addional round unl the re is put out or target destroyed. Note: This can be used against living maer. Remote Sensing Usable vs: A Distant Target Base Target Number: 8 Range: Planetary Addional Cost: None This skill permits the Psi User to view a locaon or event out of the normal sensory range as if they were present. The locaon must be known to the user and if they have good personal knowledge of the locaon the TN is reduced by 1. Conversely, if the locaon is only known due to secondary contact (via photographs or similar descripon) the TN is increased by 1. If successful, the User can hear and see any acvies at the locaon. Concen traon must be maintained by making a Clever check with a TN 6 for every minute of Remote Sensing under normal condions or with a TN 8 if under combat or other stressful condions. The User may carry out no other ac ons while using this skill. The locaon being viewed must be on the same planet or spaceship as the Psi User. Shielding Usable vs: Any Physical Aack Base Target Number: Opposed Roll Range: N/A Addional Cost: None This skill protects the Psi User from an Aack if successful. Make an Op -
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Chapter 3 - Gamekeeper Section posed Roll of Psi + Shielding versus their opponent’s Aack Roll. The De fender must roll higher than the Aacker. If they do the Aack bounces o the Psi User without eect.
Psychic Strike Usable vs: Any intelligent being Base Target Number: Opposed Roll versus Targets Clever plus Resistance Resistable: No Range: Sight Addional Cost: None This skill causes damage to the Target that manifests itself as a release of swirling energy from the Psi User doing 1 damage for each skill point the aack is successful by, plus an addional point because of the success. Example: Commander Leiani is in combat with Psi Trooper Kask. Kask announces he is making a Psychic Strike against Leiana. He has Psi 2 with a Psychic Strike skill of 2 and rolls a 4 giving him a total of 8. Leiana has Clever 2, Resistance 1 and rolls a 2 for a total of 5. Kask won the Test by 3 points (8-5=3) so Leiani takes 3+1 damage for a total of 4. Had she also got a total of 8, it would have been a draw and Leiani would have successfully resisted the aack.
Telekinesis Usable vs: Any Object Base Target Number: See Below Resisble: No Range: Sight only Addional Cost: None This skill allows the Psi User to move objects using only their mind. The User must concentrate just on the object they wish to move. If the concentraon is broken then either the object will fall or it simply won’t move. The di culty depends on the size of the object:
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Chapter 3 - Gamekeeper Section
Telekinesis Target Table TN
Size
6
Small – Handheld-sized item
8
Medium – Object the size of a person
10
Large – A family land vehicle or boulder
12
Very Large – Shulecra or aircra
14
Huge - Spaceship
Telepathy Usable vs: Living creatures Base Target Number: Opposed Roll vs Targets Clever + Resistance Range: Sight Addional Cost: None The ability to read the thoughts of the target as well as sending them al lowing a two-way communicaon. This works exceedingly well when used with the Empathy skill to provide and overall sense of the targets thoughts and feelings. Teleportaon Usable vs: N/A Base Target Number: Varies Range: Varies Addional Cost: None This skill allows the Psi User to instantly transport themselves from one place to another. The Diculty depends on the Range as per the table be low:
Teleportation Difficulty Table TN
Range
6
Up to 1 mile
8
Up to 10 miles
10
Up to 100 miles
11
Up to 1000 miles
12
Up to 10000 miles
14
Up to 100000 miles
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Chapter 3 - Gamekeeper Section Modiers (Cumulave): Visual Range -1, Previously Visited Locaon -1,
Psionic Equipment The following are pieces of equipment that can either counter, aid or sim ulate Psi Skills.
Psycoradicator This piece of equipment looks like a handheld uorescent tube encased in a metal housing with a cable that leads to a baery pack usually located in a belt pouch. It emits an arcially created psi beam with a range of 10 meters that duplicates the eect of the Psi Skill Suggeson when acvated with a combined Psi + Suggeson skill roll of 6. Cost: 6000 A baery pack lasts for 5 uses before it needs recharging. Example: Fragegg uses his psycoradicator against a security guard and rolls a 3 on the dice for a total of 9 (Roll of 3 + 6 for the psycoradicator). The guard has a Clever of 2 and a Resistance of 1. Kate, the Gamekeeper rolls for the guard and gets a 3 for a total of 6. Fragegg uses the psycoradicator to make the security guard “forget” he should be on duty and sends him home. Psi Detector A 12” cylinder that picks up the use of any Psi Skills within a 100 and sounds an alarm on a roll of 4,5 or 6. Cost: 1200 Psi Dampener A gadget that increases the TN of any Psi Skills used against the owner by +2. Cost: 10,000 Psi Booster A helmet that helps focus the wearer’s Psi, providing a +1 to any Psi Skill rolls. Cost: 20,000
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Chapter 4
- Star Cluster and Planet Generation
Introduction The following rules are guidelines for creang a random space cluster and lling it with stars and planets. Gamekeepers should feel free to change and adapt anything that does not t in with how they want to build their cluster. These rules are not meant to be sciencally accurate, but to be helpful in creang an excing area of space for the Adventurers to explore. Regions of space are split into clusters, which for simplicity can be ed into a grid of 6 x 6 six squares, with a grouping of 36 clusters making an enre sector of the galaxy. Alternavely, use groups of 7 hexes, with 7 x 7 hexes (49) making a cluster. The order for generang clusters, stars and planets is as follows: •
•
•
Cluster Generaon: Determine where stars and other objects are located in the Cluster Star Generaon: Determine what types of stars are present and what orbits them Planet & Populaon Generaon : Create the details of the main world in the star system, including basic social data
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Chapter 4 - Star Cluster and Planet Generation Many gamers enjoy creang star systems and planets as much as they do creang Adventurers. This is to be encouraged and can make up an entertaining solo game to play in-between group games. Make up your own Star Clusters and populate them with systems and planets you name yourself. Create trade routes, boundaries between power groups vying for control and alliances. Write them down and enjoy the imaginary worlds that you create.
Cluster Generation As menoned above, a Cluster is a 6 x 6 grid of 36 squares or a 7 x7 hex grouping that covers a region of space, with the possibility of something being present in each square. The order for creang a Cluster is as follows: •
•
•
•
Idenfy what, if anything, is present in each square. If something is present, determine what it is For each Star System, determine whether it a solo, binary or trinary system Idenfy all star types and sizes Oponal Step: Work out how many orbits exist in the system and what occupies them
1. For each square in the grid Roll 1D6 and record the result:
Table 1A: Grid Content DIce Roll
Result
1
Special Locaon
2
Empty
3
Empty
4
Empty
5
Star System
6
Star System
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Chapter 4 - Star Cluster and Planet Generation 2. Next, nd out what is located in any square idened as a Special Loca on.
Table 2A1: Special Locations 1 Dice Roll
Result
1
Deep Space Staon
2
Meteoroid Shower
3
Nebula
4
Navigaon Beacon
5
Space Cloud
6
Roll on Table 2B
Table 2A2: Special Locations 2 Dice Roll
Result
1
Space Storm
2
Alien Artefact
3
Special Star
4
Nova
5
Black Hole
6
Roll twice on Table 2A ignoring duplicates and repeats of this roll
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Chapter 4 - Star Cluster and Planet Generation
Special Location Descriptions Deep Space Staon – This might be for trading, scienc research, a mili tary fortress or simply a way staon. Choose whatever ts in with the locale. Meteoroid Shower – The locaon is subject to constant meteoroid storms which pose a danger to any vessel entering it. All pilong TNs are increased by 1 in this square, with any failure resulng in one dice of damage to the ship from a meteoroid impact. Nebula – This is a locaon where new stars are created over millions of years. A combinaon of dust and radiaon increases the diculty of any Sensor or Communicaons rolls by 3. Navigaon Beacon – A deep space locaon that has a navigaonal aid for vessels in the grid squares immediately surrounding (and including) it. Any Navigaon skill rolls in these squares gain an addional +2 bonus to the dice roll. Space Cloud – This square is occupied by a giant cloud of dense space dust which, like the Nebula, aects Sensor and Communicaons rolls, increasing their diculty by 2. Addionally, for every day spent in the Cloud a vessel will suer 1 automac damage (no save, shield or defence roll) due to the concentraon of dust geng into sensive systems. Space Storm – A mix of dust and raw plasma inhabits the square. It aects Sensor and Communicaons rolls, increasing their diculty by 2. Addion ally, pilong TNs are increased by one dice, with any failure resulng in one dice worth of damage to the ship from a hit by a plasma stream. Alien Artefact – Somewhere within this grid square is an ancient artefact of alien origin. It could be large, such as a whole Ringworld, or much smaller, like a oang Space Hulk, possibly hiding numerous secrets. Special Star – A type of star that is very unusual – precisely what type is the Gamekeeper’s choice. It could be a Neutron Star, a Pulsar, A Black Dwarf (a dead star), etc. Will it hold any secrets from long exnct civilizaons? Maybe the system is rumoured to be haunted or it could be the site of a hidden pirate base. Black Hole – A serious danger to any vessels entering the square. All ship related TNs are increased by 4, with a 2 in 6 chance of the gravitaonal pull of the hole dragging the vessel closer to it. Every me this happens, TNs are increased by an addional 1.
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Chapter 4 - Star Cluster and Planet Generation 3. Next, nd out the nature of the Star System System and the type of stars present.
Table 3A : Nature of Star System Dice Roll
Result
1
Solo
2
Solo
3
Solo
4
Binary
5
Binary
6 Trinary Note: Solo systems have one star present, Binary have two and Trinary have three.
Example: Chris is creang a Cluster to set his OneDice Space game in. He has already idened there is a Star System in the grid square he is currently working on, so he rolls to nd out the nature of it and gets a 5. This means a Binary System (so two stars).
Then, nd out the type of star (and its colour based on its type). For Binary and Trinary Systems roll for each star present.
Table 3B: Star Type & Colour Dice Roll
Type
Colour
1
B
Blue
2
A
Blue
3
F
Blue to White
4
G
White to Yellow
5
K
Orange to Red
6
M
Red
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Chapter 4 - Star Cluster and Planet Generation Aer that, roll for the type and size of the star. Again, if there is more than one present in the system, system, roll for each.
Table 3C1: Star Size (Standard) Dice Roll
Size
Comment
1
V
Main Sequence Star (Most common type)
2
V
Main Sequence Star (Most common type)
3
V
Main Sequence Star (Most common type)
4
V
Main Sequence Star (Most common type)
5
Other
Roll on Table 3C2
6
Other
Roll on Table 3C2
Table 3C2: Star Size (Uncommon/Rare) DIce Roll
Size
Comment
1
I
Luminous Supergiant Star
2
II
Luminous Giant Star
3
III
Giant Star
4
IV
Sub Giant Star
5
VI
Sub Dwarf
6
VII
White Dwarf
Example (connued) : So, Chris knows that it is a Binary System so he needs to create two stars. For the rst he rolls a 3 for Type Type and 4 for Size which gives a “F” Blue White coloured Main Sequence (or common sized) star which is noted down as “FV”. V”. For the second Chris rolls a 6 and 5. The 6 indicates indicates a “M” Red coloured star and the 5 means it is unusual, so he makes another roll, this me on the Uncommon/Rare Star Size table, and gets another 6 – a White Dwarf. The second star in the system is a White Dwarf with a reddish glow to it. Quite unusual, so this is noted down as “M-VII” and the full System is noted as “F-V / M-VII”.
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Chapter 4 - Star Cluster and Planet Generation At this point, you can name the star, if you haven’t already. Then move straight onto creang the main occupied planet, moon, asteroid or space staon located within it. Alternavely, if you want more detail, you can cre ate more informaon about the Star System using the steps below. 4. Oponal Step: Next, work out the number of orbits that surround the star. These may be planets, gas giants, asteroid belts or even empty. In the case of Binary or Trinary systems, choose the biggest star as the main star with I being the largest and VII the smallest.
Table: 4A Number of Orbits Around Star Main Star
Number of Orbits
I
20 + 1D6
II
15 + 1D6
III
10 + 1D6
IV
5 + 1D6
V
5 + 1D6
VI
1D6
VII
1D6 – 4 (Any negave result counts as zero)
Now see what occupies each orbit, recording your results.
Table: 4B Orbit Occupation Dice Roll
Result
1
Empty – The orbit is completely empty
2
Planet – A standard planet occupies the orbit
3
Planet – A standard planet occupies the orbit
4
Planet – A standard planet occupies the orbit
5
Gas Giant – A Gas Giant, maybe with habitable moons, occupies the orbit
6
Asteroid Belt – Potenal navigaonal hazard with mining potenal
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Chapter 4 - Star Cluster and Planet Generation Finally, idenfy which planet, asteroid or moon will be the main world of the star system. Roll on Table: 4C Main World and using the result choose an appropriate orbit in the star system.
Table: 4C Main World Dice Roll
Result
1
Asteroid
2
Planet
3
Planet
4
Planet
5
Moon
6
Space Staon
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Chapter 4 - Star Cluster and Planet Generation
Main World Descriptions Asteroid : If no Asteroid Belt is present in the Star System, use Planet in stead. Planet: Main World planets tend to be in the rst 4 orbits, but place them wherever you wish. If you want to place it randomly then roll 1D6 and use the planet in the orbit closest to the dice roll. Moon: A satellite orbing either a Gas Giant or a Planet (ID6: 1-4 Gas Giant, 5-6 Planet). Space Staon: No main seled planet. All main acvity is located around a Space Staon, situated at the Gamekeeper’s discreon. Due to this, there is no requirement to use Planetary Creaon rules. Example (connued) : Chris now has the data regarding his binary star system: “F-V / M-VII”. He decides that this will be an important locaon in his game and therefore needs more detail. The rules state that with a binary system, you roll for orbits based on the larger of the stars, which in this case is F-V. From Table 4A it says that for Type V stars you roll 1D6 and add 5 for the number of orbits around it. Chris rolls a 3 which when added to 5 is 8 possible orbits. He writes down the numbers 1 through to 8 in a column on his paper, then begins to nd out what’s in each locaon by rolling the dice 8 mes, geng a 3,5,1,6,5,2,1 and 2. This gives the following result for the system:
1 – Planet 2 – Gas Giant 3 – Empty 4 – Asteroid Belt 5 – Gas Giant 6 – Planet 7 – Empty 8 – Planet An interesng combinaon. He next rolls to nd out what the Main World is and gets a 1 – an Asteroid. That places it in Orbit 4, as that is the only
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Chapter 4 - Star Cluster and Planet Generation Asteroid Belt in the system. Chris names the star system “Excalibur”, simply because he likes the sound of it, then moves on to creang the main planet within it.
Planetary Creation These rules are intended to be used to help create main worlds within a star system. As always, feel free to change any results you don’t like or which appear to contradict other outcomes. Note: Unless stated otherwise, the dice roll result is recorded as the Space Index Reference.
Space Index Reference (SIR) The SIR is an oponal way of recording Planetary data. It gives the Star System Square Locaon, System Name, Star Data, World Size, Atmosphere, Water, Moons, Port Classicaon, Populaon, Civilizaon Index, Govern ment Index & Security Rang. Finally, any specic data, facilies, restric ons and trade classicaons are noted. A typical SIR is wrien in this format: 024 - Excalibur - F-V / M-VII 4401-1-244 Scout Base, Metal Ore
Planetary creaon is split into several secons. •
•
•
•
•
Determine the World Size, Atmosphere & Water Presence Idenfy the presence of satellites orbing the Main World Determine the Populaon, Civilizaon, Government Index & Security Rang Determine the Space Port & Facilies Idenfy any unusual features or cultural quirks
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Chapter 4 - Star Cluster and Planet Generation
1. World Size If the World is an Asteroid, then Size is automacally set as “0”, otherwise roll on the table below. The roll is recorded as the SIR value for Size.
Table 5: World Size Dice Roll
Size
Diameter
0
Asteroid
Under 500km
1
Small
1000km to 4999km
2
Medium
5000km to 9999km
3
Medium
10000km to 14,999km
4
Medium
15000km to 20999km
5
Large
21000km to 50000km
6
Giant
50000km to 150000km
2. Atmosphere If the World is an Asteroid, then Atmosphere is automacally set as “0”, otherwise roll on the table below. The roll is recorded as the SIR value for Atmosphere. If an Exoc atmosphere is rolled, add the specic type to end of the SIR alongside the specic data, facilies, restricons and trade clas sicaons.
Table 6: Atmospheres Dice Roll
Type
Comment
0
Vacuum
No atmosphere – Requires Space Suit or similar
1
Thin
Requires the use of respirator
2
Standard
Within normal oxygen levels
3
Standard
Within normal oxygen levels
4
Dense
Breathable oxygen level
5
Dense
Breathable oxygen level
6
Exoc
Roll on the Exoc Atmosphere table
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Chapter 4 - Star Cluster and Planet Generation
Table 6a: Exotic Atmospheres Dice Roll
Type
Comment
1
Vacuum
No atmosphere – SIR is “0”
2
Exoc
Unusual gas mix- Requires use of a respirator
3
Corrosive
Protecve or Vacuum Suit use required
Insidious
As Corrosive, but protecon compromised in 4+1D6 hours
5
High
Breathable at extreme/high level only
6
Low
Breathable at sea level or lower only
4
Optional Rule: Tainted Atmosphere For any atmosphere other than Vacuum, Corrosive or Insidious, roll 1D6. If the result is a 1 or 2, the atmosphere is addionally “Tainted” and requires the use of a lter mask. The taint can, for example, be polluon, an addi onal gas that has been introduced to the atmosphere or maybe a disease, at the Gamekeeper’s discreon. In any case, a lter mask will be required to prevent any non-nave from suering any harmful eects caused by the taint. Use of a fully enclosed protecve suit also negates these eects.
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3. Water Presence If the World is an Asteroid, then the presence of water is automacally set as “0”, otherwise, roll on the table below to determine the SIR water clas sicaon.
Table 7: Water Presence Dice Roll
SIR Value
Comment
1
0
Barren World - No Water present
2
1
Dry World - 1% to 19% Coverage
3
2
20% to 39% Coverage
4
3
40% to 59% Coverage
5
4
Wet World - 60% to 79% Coverage
6
5
Water World - 80% plus Coverage
4. Presence of Moons If the World is an Asteroid, then there will be no moons present, so the SIR is automacally set as “0”. In all other cases, roll one dice and for Small or Medium sized planets subtract 3, for large planets subtract 2 and giants 1. Treat all negave results as zero. If the total is 1 record on the SIR as “A”, 2 as “B”, 3 as “C”, etc.
5. Population To generate the world populaon SIR result, roll: (1D6 – 2) + World Size SIR Code Treat any negave results as “0”. The SIR rang can be translated using the following table. Note: Any planet with a World Size SIR Code of 5 or 6 will normally be so massive that it’s crushing gravity would prevent anyone living there. If you want to have such a large planet populated, make it a wonder of the uni verse – with Precursor gravity surpressors, a completely hollow interior, etc. Bear in mind its surface area might be hundreds of mes that of the Earth!
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Chapter 4 - Star Cluster and Planet Generation
Table 8: Population SIR
Populaon
0
Low – Less than 10
1
Low – Between 11 and 99
2
Low – Between 100 and 999
3
Low – Between 1,000 and 9,999
4
Medium – Between 10,000 and 99,999
5
Medium – Between 100,000 and 999,999
6
Medium – Between 1,000,000 and 9,999,999
7
High – Between 10,000,000 and 99,999,999
8
High – Between 100,000,000 and 999,999,999
9
High – Between 1,000,000,000 and 9,999,999,999
A (10)
Very High – Over 10,000,000,000
6. Civilization Index This is the average technological level of the world’s populaon. Within any Space Port facilies, the Civilizaon Index will stand at 5 or 6 – but once the Port has been exited the tech level may be considerably dierent. To generate the SIR Civilizaon Index roll 1D6 and apply the following modiers: •
•
•
If the Main World is size “0” (Asteroid) OR has an Atmosphere rang of “6” (Exoc) add 1 to the result If the Main World has no water present add 1 to the result If the Main World has a populaon of “0” or “1” subtract 2 from the result
Treat any negave results as “0” The SIR Rang for Civilizaon can be interpreted using the following table:
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Chapter 4 - Star Cluster and Planet Generation
Table 9: Civilization Index SIR
Comment
0
No Civilizaon of note (Stone Age or lower)
1
Pre-Industrial
2
Industrial
3
Pre-Stellar
4
Stellar
5
Stellar (Higher)
6
High Stellar
7
High Stellar
8
Extreme Stellar (Maximum known level of Civilizaon)
Note: Civilizaon levels beyond 8 are rumoured to exist and occasionally strange ancient technology is found that is incomprehensible when exam ined.
7. Government Index The types of localised governments are simply organised into six broad are as. To generate the SIR make a random roll on the table below.
Table 10: Government Index Dice Roll
Comment
1
Anarchy – No external government outside of the Spaceport
2
Feudal – Government by specic individuals
3
Balkanizaon – Mulple government types/countries exist
4
Democracy – Rule by elected representaves
5
Dictatorship – Rule by non-elected representaves
6
Oligarchy – Rule by a select minority
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Chapter 4 - Star Cluster and Planet Generation
Optional Rule: Additional Governmental Information This oponal rule is for Gamekeepers requiring more informaon about the Government structure present on the world. To nd out the nature of the main government, roll on the table below.
Table 10A: Government Nature Dice Roll
Comment
1
Religious – Government is based around religious ideals
2
Bureaucrac – Government overseen by Agencies
3
Charismac – Leader(s) are popular and visible
4
Capve – The Government is controlled by an external body
5
Corporate – Government is controlled by a business venture
6
Impersonal – Leader(s) are insulated from those they rule
Should you wish to note it, record the outcome at the end of the SIR.
8. Security Rating This provides an insight as to the strictness of the law on the planet with respect to weapons, along with how proacve the security forces present are. Local laws, for once Adventurers leave the designated Spaceport area, should usually be made available before landing, and certainly aer touchdown, to prevent unnecessary complicaons. To generate the SIR Security Rang roll 1D6 and apply the following modi ers: •
•
•
If the Main World has a Government Index of “1” (Anarchy) subtract 5 from the result If the Main World has a Government Index of “5” (Dictatorship) Add 3 to the result If the Main World has a Government Index of “6” (Oligarchy) Add 1 to the result
Treat any negave results as “0” and any result above 6 as “6”.
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Chapter 4 - Star Cluster and Planet Generation The SIR Rang for Civilizaon can be interpreted using the following table:
Table 11: Security Rating SIR
Comment
0
No acve legal enforcement – No weapon prohibions
1
Low Law – Heavy Weapons, Explosives, Bio/Gas Weapons prohibited
2
Low Law – Fully Automac Weapons/Assault Ries prohibited
3
Mid Law – Personal concealed weapons prohibited
4
Mid Law – Bladed weapons prohibited
5
High Law – No weapons permied outside of the home
6
Extreme Law – No weapons of any type permied
9. Spaceport & Facilities Spaceports and the facilies they oer can vary dramacally, even in well-travelled clusters. To generate the SIR Space port & Facilies roll 1D6 and apply the following modiers: •
•
•
If the Populaon SIR is “0” or “1”, subtract 3 from the roll If the Populaon SIR is “6” or higher, add 1 to the roll If the Civilizaon Index is “6” or higher, add 1 to the roll
Treat any negave results as “0” and any result above 6 as “6”
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Chapter 4 - Star Cluster and Planet Generation The SIR Rang for Spaceport & Facilies can be interpreted using the fol lowing table:
Table 12: Spaceport & Facilities SIR
Comment
0
None
1
Froner – Unmanned – Emergency repair facilies only
2
Poor – Unmanned or Limited Personnel. Basic facilies only
3
Standard – Staed – Minor repair facilies – Fuelling facilies
4
Good – Staed – Major repair facilies – Fuelling facilies
5
Very Good – Staed – Basic Shipyard construcon – Fuelling facilies
6
Excellent – Staed – Full Shipyard construcon – Fuelling facilies
Optional Rules The following are some addional tables to add even more avour to the SIR and to provide adventure hooks for the Gamekeeper. There are no spe cic explanaons and they are intended to be developed as the Gamekeeper requires.
Additional Facilities Roll 1D6 – if the result is a 5 or 6, this indicates there are addional facil ies present in addion to the Spaceport already created. These may be aached to the port or may even be in a separate locaon on the planet or even on a moon orbing the main world.
Additional Facilities Present Dice Roll
Comment
1
Scout Base
2
Space Navy Base
3
Military Base
4
Science/Research Facility
5
Orbital Staon (Civilian or Military)
6
Roll twice on this table ignoring this result
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Chapter 4 - Star Cluster and Planet Generation
Trade Index This provides an indicaon of what exportable goods or services are avail able for vising merchants. It is up to the Gamekeeper to ignore and re-roll any inconsistent results. Note: Asteroid-sized worlds have their own table, as indicated below. Record the results in the SIR.
Asteroid Trade Index Generator (Roll on this table twice ignoring duplicate results) Dice Roll
Comment
1
Natural Resources – Metal Ore
2
Natural Resources – Metal Ore
3
Natural Resources – Radioacve Ore
4
Natural Resources – Crystals/Gems
5
Natural Resources – Hydrocarbons
6
Processed Resources – Processed output of the other result
Trade Index Generator (Roll on this table twice per Main World) Dice Roll
Comment
1
Roll on the Natural Resources Table
2
Roll on the Processed Resources Table
3
Roll on the Manufactured Goods Table
4
Roll on the Agricultural Goods Table (if Water SIR 1 or 2 re-roll)
5
Roll on the Informaon Table
6
Roll on the Noveles Table
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Chapter 4 - Star Cluster and Planet Generation
Natural Resources Table Dice Roll
Comment
1
Metal Ore
2
Radioacve Ore
3
Raw Crystals/Gems
4
Nitrogen Compounds
5
Raw Hydrocarbons
6
Chemical Compounds
Processed Resources Table Dice Roll
Comment
1
Petrochemicals
2
Texles
3
Polymers
4
Precious Metal
5
Processed Ferrous Metal
6
Processed Non-Ferrous Metal
Manufactured Goods Table Dice Roll
Comment
1
Pharmaceucals
2
Alcoholic Beverages
3
Clothing
4
Weapons
5
Electronics
6
Tools
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Chapter 4 - Star Cluster and Planet Generation
Agricultural Goods Table Dice Roll
Comment
1
Grains
2
Vegetables
3
Meat
4
Spices
5
Timber
6
Livestock
Information Resources Table Dice Roll
Comment
1
Art
2
Video Recordings
3
Data Records
4
Currency
5
Computer Soware
6
Starship Soware
Novelty Resources Table Dice Roll
Comment
1
Alien Artefacts
2
Unique Manufactured Goods
3
Unique Natural Resource
4
Anques
5
Pets
6
Illegal Products (e.g. Drugs, Weapons, Slaves, etc.)
135
Square Cluster
