Core #

Fundamentals #

A collection of rules and procedures for creating and playing interstellar adventure campaigns.

For one referee and any number of players. Two to four players at one time is best.

The referee creates several worlds stocked with opportunities to pursue, dangers to surmount, and organizations pursuing their own ends. During play, the referee describes environments and the actions of non-player characters and creatures. The players describe their characters' actions, and the referee adjudicates outcomes. If a disagreement comes up and the rest of the table thinks the referee is full of it, the referee is wrong.

To play, you will need at least three six-sided dice (d6), a few index cards, pencils, and paper.

Certain rules call for a 3-sided die (d3). In these cases, roll 1d6. A roll of 1–2 is 1, 3–4 is 2, 5–6 is 3.

Some tables call for a “d66.” Use 2d6, designate one die for the tens digit and the other for the ones digit. Read a roll of 3 and 4 as 34.

Task Throws #

When a player character takes a dangerous or uncertain action, their player rolls 2d6. If the total is greater than or equal to 8, the character succeeds. Otherwise, they fail..

If an action is impossible, or if the PC lacks necessary tools or knowledge, they fail automatically.

Task Throws are best reserved for actions with too many variables or too much complexity to be easily adjudicated by discussing the imaginary situation. Quickly hot wiring a grav-cycle or winning a rapier duel, for example.

Impact #

Successful throws can have additional effects, measured in Impact. A throw has an Impact equal to the total result minus 7. For example, if a player throws 10, the throw’s Impact is 3.

Advantage & Disadvantage #

If there are elements of a situation that make a task significantly easier or more difficult, the referee may grant Advantage or Disadvantage to the throw. An Advantaged Throw is rolled with 3d6, discarding the lowest die. A Disadvantaged throw is rolled with 3d6, discarding the highest die.

Examples of Advantages: Wielding a longer weapon than your opponent in melee combat, climbing a cliff on a planet with low gravity, spreading a damaging rumor about someone already mistrusted by their community.

Examples of Disadvantages: Swimming against a current, firing a weapon beyond its ideal range, spreading a rumor in a community where you are mistrusted, repairing an anti-gravity field emitter while someone is shooting at you.

Skills #

If a character has a Skill applicable to the task at hand, they add their Rank in the Skill to the total of the roll. If a task is highly specialized or technical, a skill rank of at least 1 may be required to make the attempt. For example, a character with no medical training is not going to succeed at brain surgery, no matter how lucky they are.

Endurance #

Endurance measures a character’s physical stamina and resilience. Track a character’s current and maximum endurance. They’ll have 7/9 or 5/5 Endurance, for example.

Luck #

PCs have a resource called Luck. Like Endurance, players track their current and maximum Luck. If a PC’s current luck reaches 0, they reduce their maximum luck by 1. If a character’s maximum luck ever reaches zero, they burn out and retire from adventuring at the next opportunity.

Pushing Your Luck #

After making a throw, spend one point of Luck to re-roll one of the dice, using the new total for the throw. You may keep re-rolling, spending 1 luck each time. If a re-rolled die shows a value of 1, the throw automatically fails, the task goes wrong in the worst possible way. The PC reduces their maximum luck by the total number of rerolls.

Status #

A PC’s Status is a combination of their reputation, prestige, and rank within an organization or subculture. PCs can add their Status to find people and adjust reactions among NPCs who share a similar background.

Conditions #

Bad things happen to PCs. They might get drunk, or poisoned, or get a broken leg, or a chest wound. These are Conditions. Write Conditions on a PC’s character card. A condition imposes Disadvantage on any relevant throws. For example, if a PC has the Condition “Broken Leg”, any throws to run, jump, climb, etc are Disadvantaged.