Game Setup - The Ship and Your Truths
- your ship (player ships)
- ship-list
- ship crews
- spacefaring and exploration
Before you get stuck in to the nitty-gritty of character creation and your first mission, it’s important
to have an idea about what sort of world your playing in. It’s also important to discuss what sort of
focus you’d all like to have for the game. In Away Team, thinking about your Truths and your Ship
is how you accomplish this. Ideally, this should be done as a group during session 0.
Your Truths are a chance for you to world-build together. They help you define the setting you’ll be
using for the game. They will also help to guide and inform other calls you may need to make about
how to interpret the fiction you use in game. They include questions like, how does space travel
happen? and do aliens exist?, among others.
The ship, or whatever narrative device you are using (space station, planetary settlement, mercenary
company etc.), is a central character in Away Team. This is because it helps to support a lot of the
narrative and world of your game. Firstly, before you make characters and go on your first mission,
it’s where you’ll decide on the scope and condition of the galaxy, along with some of the Truths that
you’ll use during your game.
Secondly, when you have finished setting up the game and you’ve started running missions, the ship
acts as a central group character; Somewhere to call home and come back to, something central to
the fiction around which you can connect the independent missions and episodes.
The Truths
The Truths used in Away Team are essentially world building questions. They help to define the
environment in which the fiction takes place. The Truths decided upon here will help to guide the
sorts of choices that are made when you think about your ship and characters. Conversely, if
someone has a particularly strong concept of the ship or a character in mind, see if the truths can be
made to fit that concept. All of the questions and options presented below are only suggestions,
useful as pointers and for inspiration. If you feel like you have a more interesting or fitting idea,
you’re encouraged to use it.
What is the universe like? (politics, wars, factions)
----- war-torn or peaceful
----- corporate, state led or independents.
----- zoned or not (core, inner, outer etc.)
Do aliens exist?
----- do non-humans exist
----- is anything non-earthlike or has it all been spread and seeded.
----- only humans, non-earth lifeforms
----- robots and synthetics
----- humanoid aliens
----- non-humanoid aliens
How does space travel happen?
----- sub light
----- gate travel
----- go anywhere hyperdrives
----- blinking (gate drives)
Is money a thing?
----- capitalsim
----- credit system (capitalism in a different hat)
----- requisitioned with credits/favour/rank
----- designated by need
----- resource trading and barter
----- is there a different system on ship to the world at large?
technological level and space magic?
----- not far past now
----- retro-futurist
----- far future
----- space magic
precursors and space magic?
----- has anything come before you?
The Ship
- how big is the ship? (size and crew numbers)
- what sort of ship is it?
- who does the ship belong to?
- who is captain/leader of the ship?
- what is the ships mission focus?
- trade / mercantile
----- ruler of our own destiny
----- soon, we can retire
- combat / security
----- survive the war
----- keep your honour intact
----- end of watch
- science / exploration
----- where no-one has gone before (continual, small)
----- the great discovery (singular, big)
- colony
----- a way home
----- find a new home
- gives a choice of trial, contacts (friend/ally and enemy/rival) and xp trigger.
- ship abilities and modules.
Spacefaring and Exploration
Travel in space
Away team works on the premise that, whilst it can be fun and interesting, travelling and the
mechanics of travelling aren’t the focus of interest. It’s not so much about the wind in the sails and
the parting of the waves, per se, as action on deck or the encounter at your intended destination. It’s
about dealing with the pirate raid that knocks you out of hyperlight (and stops you travelling), the
infection that was brought on board during your last stop or what to do with the rare minerals found
on a planet (destination) you’ve just discovered.
During Session 0, you should decide on how space travel works when thinking about your Truths.
This is because it can have an impact on the fiction. You’re not going to be knocked out of
hyperlight if space travel doesn’t happen by hyperdrive. If travel happens by use of gates, are they
good places to aim for as you’re likely to find a space station. Alternatively, are they dangerous
places where you should be wary of ambush. Theses are interesting points in the fiction that could
be used as narrative hooks. They don’t need potentially limiting mechanical considerations. If
you’re using ‘spacelanes’, just set them up as is most interesting or useful for the game and in line
with the fiction.
If, during the course of your game or a mission, it does seem that travel or navigation is an
important element that requires a move, the general moves (starting pg. xxx) can be used. The
‘Look into It’ move can be used if planning or study is required, such as for planning navigation
routes. Otherwise, either of the overcoming an obstacle moves can be used. ‘Face adversity’ suits
situations where the characters have a chance or moment to think. ‘Quick thinking’ is the best
choice if the characters have to improvise or think on their feet.
(Please feel free to either choose one, roll a d6 to generate one randomly, or use them as inspiration
to create your own.)
Action in Space
----- have an ‘office’, a mechanical archetype and narrative role that they fill on the ship.
---------- security,
---------- science, (physics and biology)
---------- medical, (including counselling)
---------- engineering,
---------- ambassador
---------- weird
---------- operations
---------- specialist (piloting/helmsperson, navigator)
