Space Cowboys

Who would have imagined that fate would conspire to bring

this group of misfits together? But in the darkness of space the
crew is the closest thing you have to family, and your ship is
the only place you have to call home.

You’re a ragtag crew tearing around the sector in a plucky little starship,
making ends meet by taking on any work which comes your way. Trading,
shipping, passenger transport, even bounty hunting - if it keeps you
flying, you’ll give it a shot. And that’s just the legal stuff...

Deep in the hole with the folks who fronted you the cash to buy this
glorious piece of junk, it’s a good month when you scrape together
enough credits to keep fuel in the engine and protein mulch on the table.

The factions who control the sector carry on their disputes and back-
room dealings, just like they always have. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to
make a buck without pissing off too many of them. Maybe one day you'll
even pay off your debts and be truly free.

But nothing ever stays simple…

INSPIRATION v0.7.0
Games: Blades in the Dark, Lasers and Feelings, Maze Rats, Apocalypse
World, FU RPG, Stars Without Number, FATE, Elite, Star Control
TV/Movies: Firefly, Red Dwarf, Star Wars, Star Trek, Planetes, Cowboy Bebop
Books: Stanislaw Lem, Pohl & Kornbluth, Isaac Asimov

SPECIAL THANKS
Chris, Carol, Kat, Mike, Jay, Cryo "Emmit", Cole, Derin, Jacob,
Anders, Alec, William, Matt, The folks at /r/rpgdesign
Art: Maciej Zagorski @ The Forge Studios and Miska Fredman

A game by Jason Davey - WORK IN PROGRESS

 GETTING STARTED The Crew
The rest of the players will take on the roles of members of the
HOW TO PLAY
crew, who are the main protagonists of the game's story. Each
Space Cowboys is a collaborative storytelling game. You will player's job is to create a single character and describe the The basic flow of the game is to repeat the following:
create a sprawling sector of space, populate it with interesting actions of this character in the world. They respond to the O The GM describes the situation, letting the players know
characters and then play to find out what happens to them. challenges the GM presents, taking into account the where the crew are and what is going on around them.
personality, means and motivations of this fictional person. Sometimes there will be an immediate threat or opportunity
The game is designed for a total of 3-6 players, and is best
played over several sessions, each lasting 3-6 hours. developing, which they need to react to
As a player, you are free to create any kind of character you
want, as long as they are motivated to cooperate with the rest O The GM prompts the players by asking “what do you do?”.
The Game Master of the crew, and engage in a life of risk and adventure. This question can be opened to the group as a whole, or
One player will take on the role of the Game Master (GM), who Regardless of whether or not the characters you create directed at a single player as the flow of the action dictates
is both the lead storyteller and impartial referee. It’s the GM’s succeed in their own goals, you’re playing the game right if the
O Players respond, freely describing what their characters say
job to describe the settings and situations in which the crew find story which emerges at the table is entertaining, and everyone
or do, as well as asking the GM for more details about the
themselves, listen to the other players’ input, and then fairly is engaged.
environment in which they find themselves
adjudicate the results of their actions. They also take control of
every character we encounter who is not a member of the crew Everybody should read through the character and ship sheets O The GM adjudicates by describing how the situation has
- referred to as non-player characters (NPCs). (found at the end of this document). Then sit together as a changed as a result of the crew’s actions. Sometimes the
group and work through the instructions on the following pages outcome will be uncertain, and a roll of the dice will be called
The GM should be rooting for the crew, just like they would for to first create each player's character, and then to customize for to determine if the crew succeed or fail. Some actions
the main characters in their favourite TV show. But also, like a the crew's ship, filling in the sheets as you do so. Feel free to (like navigating through space, or engaging in starship
TV show, it’s not interesting if there is no conflict or challenge print these sheets, or make copies. combat) will trigger special rules, which include instructions
for the protagonists to overcome. The GM has the power to put on how to proceed. The rest of this document explains all of
the crew in impossible situations, or situations where there is no The GM may need to clarify or give context to some decisions
these rules, and has tools and practical tips for the GM
real risk of harm or failure at all - neither is much fun. made during the character and ship creation process if the
other players haven’t read the entire document.
While the GM is ultimately the final adjudicator, the other Making the game your own
players should not feel discouraged from feeding them ideas As you’re creating your characters and ship, throw around This is a game about a handful of skilled individuals who live
and suggestions about things which might be encountered in ideas for the kinds of adventures you’d like to get involved in, aboard a small ship, scraping together an income by flying
their adventures, or how a given situation might unfold. people you might meet, and places you’re excited to explore. around in space and engaging in a series of missions, jobs
and other adventures. But beyond this, many aspects of the
The GM should read through the rest of this document - there
tone and setting are left up to the players to decide for
are a few pages of rules and guidelines, and resources to help
What you need to play
themselves. You can discuss this stuff before you begin, or
The GM will need a set of polyhedral dice (4, 6, 8, 10 and 12-
to populate the game with interesting content. You may want to
play to find out:
sided), or an app which simulates dice rolling. They also need
spend time preparing the setting ahead of the first session. Or
a way to make notes and keep track of the NPCs, locations, O How gritty or comedic is the story we are telling?
you can delay this, waiting to see what kind of crew you come
and other content which is introduced during the game. O Are humans the only intelligent life in the sector?
up with before creating a fitting backdrop for their adventures.
O What kind of work do the crew specialise in?
Aside from their sheets, the other players will need a pencil, O How advanced is the technology? Lasers? Teleportation?
After reading the document, you should be ready to help the
paper, and a few six-sided dice (referred to hereafter as d6). Hard-light holograms? Artificial gravity? Sentient AI?
other players create their characters and design their ship.
 CREATING A 5. Write traits
Choose a single short descriptor for each category of MIND,
9. Select starting ability
The first SPECIAL ABILITY listed on your character sheet is

CHARACTER BODY, BACKGROUND and EXPERTISE. These represent the

most important and identifying things about you. Good traits
already unlocked for free. Choose one additional ability to
unlock, and mark the circle next to it.
are single adjectives, or sometimes short phrases. You’re more
likely to succeed when attempting something supported by
1. Choose an archetype 10. Establish relationships
one of your traits, but in some situations they may hinder you.
Each player should pick a different character sheet. Sheets Take turns answering questions of your choosing from the
correspond to character archetypes, and each is suited to a e.g. MIND - Quick-witted, Book-smart, Streetwise following list, until you have each answered 2-3. You can
different broad role on board the ship. BODY - Lithe, Agile, Really damn strong, Imposing discuss and collaborate on the answers to establish
BACKGROUND - Mob ties, Born on a ship, Street rat relationships and shared history amongst the crew:
Sheets only differ in the Special Abilities in the top-left of the EXPERTISE - Medic, Gymnast, Pilot, Career merc
page. Don't get too hung up on the name of the archetype -
O Who are you suspicious/wary of?
just pick the one with the abilities most in line with to the kind of
O Who will you protect at all costs?
character you would like to play. You will flesh out the details
6. Create specialisation O Who do you respect/admire?
and unique personality of your character next.
Create one SPECIALISATION in each of the four categories O Who has something you want?
(Mind/Body/Background/Expertise). A specialisation should O Who do you want to impress?
relate to the trait you have chosen for its category, but is more O Who is an old buddy?
2. Come up with a concept narrow and specialised. They represent activities at which you O Who saved your life?
Come up with a one-line CONCEPT to summarise your are particularly talented, or unique abilities you can pull off. O Who nearly got you killed?
character, and write it on the sheet.
e.g. Streetwise: Know a shortcut O Who is a former enemy, turned friend?
e.g. Out-of-his-element doctor, Exiled scientist, Ex-soldier Really damn strong: Physically restraining O Who needs to be taught how to act properly?
turned pirate, Disgraced Imperial navigator O Who knows something incriminating about you?
Only one specialisation (total, across all categories) will be
unlocked right now. Choose one and mark the box next to it.
3. Decide what you are fleeing 11. Create contacts
You can add new (locked) specialisations whenever you like.
Nobody chooses a dangerous life as a freelancer without good Note down the names of two CONTACTS - people you know,
reason - something pushed you into this lifestyle. Decide what and can try to call on for help or to find work. Give the GM a
you are FLEEING to make a new life on board the ship. 7. Add a flaw short description of each indicating who they are, how you
Choose a FLAW. It can be personality-related or physical, and know them and what they do. One is a friend, and you are on
e.g. Criminal past, Corporate debts, A life of mediocrity
must be something which might get you into trouble. rivalrous or uncertain terms with the other.

e.g. No impulse control, Addict, Useless in a fight

4. Set initial goals
12. Pick a name
Choose three GOALS for your character. Try to create a mix of
8. Sanity check This is the hardest part...
ambitious, life-long goals, and more immediate, short-term
objectives. Your goals will guide your decisions, and pursuing Discuss the traits, specialisations and flaws which you have

these goals is one of the ways in which your character can chosen, to ensure that they are not too ambiguous or general.

become more powerful and ultimately unlock new abilities. You should all have an idea of contexts in which they might be
relevant. Traits like "genius" or "unstoppable" are too broad, as
e.g. Buy a bigger gun, Find my brother, Get revenge
they apply to practically every situation you might encounter.
 BUILDING 4. Choose weapon type
Choose one WEAPON SYSTEM to have installed, and mark
KEEPING HER
YOUR SHIP the box next to it. It will be possible to purchase additional
weapons in the future, but for now you will have to rely on this.
FLYING
You may opt to forgo installing a weapon system, and choose a
1. Fill in the floor plan second Ship Upgrade instead. Bear in mind that running That's everything you need to get started. But you will have to
Choose rooms from the list on the ship sheet to fill the empty without any weapons makes you a particularly juicy target... keep your ship stocked up, too. Fuel and Supplies
slots on the floor plan, writing in the names of the chosen (standardised packages of food, water and life support) are
rooms. readily available at most population or trading hubs:
5. Record starting resources
If you are feeling artistic, you might want to draw up your own The crew starts with the following resources, which you can O Fuel typically costs 500 credits per unit
floor plan, instead of using the one provided. Just make sure record in the corresponding sections of the ship sheet: O Supplies typically cost 25 credits per unit
you stick to the same number of rooms.
O Supplies: 20 x crew size
O Fuel: 10 Ship upgrades
This is your opportunity to decide what kind of work your ship
O Credits: 10000 As you stack up credits and begin to take on more ambitious
is built for - will you devote a lot of space to cargo, to carrying
jobs, you will want to make improvements to your ship. Ship
passengers, or to making sure you are as well-armed and
In addition, you're a cool million credits in debt to the people system and weapon upgrades, along with their typical prices,
equipped for battle as possible?
who financed the ship. It will cost 25000 credits per month just are listed on the ship sheet.
to keep up the interest payments...
O Upgrades are purchased from population or trading hubs
2. Write traits
Decide who it is exactly who loaned you the money, and what O The GM may decide that particular upgrades are more
Choose one positive trait which tells us a fact about the ship.
kind of trouble might you get in if you default on your readily or cheaply available in particular locations (usually
Like the traits you chose for your characters, these descriptors
payments. Did you borrow from a bank? A criminal gang? A ±25%)
will affect your chance of success whenever they are relevant
shady loan shark?
to something you are trying to do involving the ship. O Social dynamics, and the crew's ability to be persuasive can
e.g. “manoeuvrable”, “imposing” or “full of hidey-holes” also influence the price
6. Name it!
O There may be opportunities to take on a contract or self-
Choose one broadly negative trait which might get you into What is the ship's make and model? Does it have an official
directed mission in order to obtain a particular upgrade
trouble or become a source of complications from time to time. designation? More importantly, what do the crew refer to her
as?
e.g. “noisy”, “sticks out like a sore thumb”
or “held together by tape” Now is also a good time to talk about the general look and feel
of your ship. Is it sleek and aerodynamic, or is it a leaky rust-

3. Select starting upgrade bucket? Does it cut through space like a blade, or does the

Choose one SHIP UPGRADE from the right-hand part of the whole thing vibrate whenever the air conditioning is turned on?

sheet to unlock and have available from the start.

Mark the box next to your chosen upgrade.

 ACTION ROLLS What factors affect a roll?
The manner in which a character attempts an action is the
Interpreting and narrating results
Understanding the player's intended outcome is key to
most important thing to consider when determining which interpreting the result of a roll. This intent (whether it's to cause
The Action Roll is the core of Space Cowboys - it's our main factors are relevant. Often there will be some back-and-forth some kind of situational effect, inflict Harm, or to apply or
tool for moving the game forward in moments of uncertainty. here, as the player clarifies their character's approach, or remove a Condition), must be made clear before rolling.
First we consider any characters and environmental factors makes the case for why they feel certain factors increase or
Yes - Things turn out broadly how the player intended them to
involved in the situation, then we roll dice to see if the crew decrease their chance of success. Ultimately, the GM makes
members' actions play out as they intended. the final call. Consider the following: No - Failure doesn’t always mean that an action fails outright,
or that we describe the failure in a way which makes the crew
Unless there's a special rule listed for handling a particular
OA character's primary Traits (Mind / Body / Background /
seem incompetent. It simply means that things don’t pan out
Expertise). A character with a trait of "bodybuilder" who
situation, we always fall back to an action roll to resolve things. as intended. A player who says “I shoot to incapacitate, so I
attempts to lift a heavy object would count this in their favor.
can question him” and rolls “No” may hit their target, but leave
If the same character attempts to squeeze through a tight
them in no fit state to talk
Calling for an action roll space, however, the same trait would count against them
The GM calls for a roll if a player describes their character “Yes, and” and “No, but” - As above, but with a positive twist:
attempting something risky or difficult, the outcome is
O Specialisations, but only if the primary trait also applies.
O The effect is increased: The medic heals 2 harm instead of 1
Someone with an “imposing” trait for their body may have a
uncertain, and there are potentially interesting consequences O A condition which benefits the players is applied: The goon
specialisation of “intimidation”, but the specialisation only
for both success and failure. Sometimes it may be best to forgo is "Off-balance" / You are "Alert" / The room is "Smoke-filled"
kicks in when attempting to intimidate using their imposing
calling for a roll, allowing the player to succeed and moving on O The situation or positioning of things ends up favouring the
physical presence. So when a specialisation triggers it's
- particularly when the situation is such that a failed action player: In the ensuing chaos, you spy an opportunity to flee
parent trait does too, and we add a total of +2 to the modifier
could simply be retried without consequence, or if failure just O Useful information is revealed: You spot a concealed weapon
doesn't make sense given the tone and genre of the story. O Conditions. The GM is generally the person who introduces as you sneak up behind the guard
conditions during play, and it is also up to them to make the
The GM does not make rolls against the players. If an NPC or “No, and” and “Yes, but” - There is a negative twist:
ruling on when they affect a character's actions. A "wounded
something in the environment threatens the crew, the GM O Like a positive twist described above, but favouring an
leg" condition may hinder a character attempting to run, but
should describe the unfolding threat and allow the players to opponent: You dodge, but they're all up in your face now /
help somebody trying to pass themselves off as a hospital
react. Make it clear what is at stake if they fail to avoid or They’re "Enraged" by your insult / The space-feds arrive
patient. See the "Harm+Conditions" page for more details
neutralise the danger. The crew's reaction will likely trigger an O The adversary or environment counters with a new threat -
Action Roll to see if they successfully handle the threat. O Traits and Conditions belonging to any relevant NPCs, She ducks, throwing a left hook your way - what do you do?
objects or the environment itself. Sneaking past a guard with O We build towards a more serious consequence in the future:
When a player attempts an action, they roll two six-sided dice a trait of "perceptive" or a condition of "on high alert" will be They continue patrolling, but a couple more slip-ups and the
and add a modifier to the total. The modifier is equal to the difficult. Avoiding detection is easier in a "smoke-filled" room guards will trigger the alarm (see "Progress Bars", next page)
number of factors which increase their chance of success,
minus the number which hinder them. The modifier may be Simply count the number of factors which are helpful in
attempting the action as described by the player, and subtract Low-stakes rolls
negative after all factors have been considered. The final total
the number of factors which are unhelpful to determine the final Sometimes it's amusing or interesting to see how well a crew
indicates whether, and to what degree, the action succeeds:
modifier to add to (or subtract from) the roll. member can perform, even in situations where failure would

4 or less 5 6-7 8-9 10 11 or more have no significant consequence. If the GM decides that it's a
"low-stakes" situation then the player can make an Action Roll
No, and... No No, but... Yes, but... Yes Yes, and...
as normal, but may not gain 1 FP by volunteering to fail.
 PROGRESS BARS Ticking clocks
The GM can create a bar to represent events unfolding in the
Acting in rounds
Often we introduce a progress bar to "zoom in" on a situation
moment. Boxes can be filled in periodically to create a sene of where there are several things going on at once, and the

When the GM decides that a challenge the crew is facing is urgency (see "Acting in rounds", on the right). This is perfect progress of time has become particularly significant. Do you

particularly involved, and will require several steps to for the giant death ray charging before it fires, or the fraying help to distract the security guards, or try to assist the hacker

complete, they can create a progress bar. They can be used rope holding the swinging ship's captain above a ravine. in getting the vault door open more quickly?

for tracking everything from in-the-moment tasks like hacking a

Often the GM is called upon to Introduce a negative twist when In this kind of scenario it usually makes sense for the GM to
security system, to grander things like influencing an election.
a player rolls a "no, and" or "yes, but" result. But perhaps there have the crew members act in informal 'rounds', where each

O Create the bar by drawing a row of boxes. Bars are typically is no direct and immediate consequence of the crew member's player has an opportunity to declare a single action per round.

between 2 and 6 boxes - the GM decides, based on the action which comes to mind. Introducing or filling in a bar At the end of each round ticking clocks will fill up, and NPCs

nature and complexity of the task. If created in response to which represents a looming threat like "cover blown" or "the will make thier moves. This creates time pressure, requiring the

an action already underway, it may be partially filled initially cops arrive" is a good fallback option for the GM. players to think carefully about where each crew member will
focus their attention.
Cut the support rail
Opposing forces
O Fill a box with each success. Generally a "yes" result in an Often it will make sense to create several bars, tracking the Machinations
action roll will fill a single box. The GM may opt to fill two Progress bars can also be used to model the progress of NPC
progress of forces opposed in a (literal or figurative) race. The
boxes on a "yes, and" result, or if they feel that the crew's factions and individuals towards their goals. Whether a faction
crew's actions will usually be filling one of these bars. A poor
approach would be particularly effective is amassing an army of robot warriors, or an NPC is wresting
result in a player's roll may help fill an opposing bar, or it might
If the bar represents something on a grander scale, then fill a fill automatically like the "ticking clocks" described above. control of a local mafia group from its ageing patriarch,
box not for each successful action roll, but for every progress bars provide a simple way for the GM keep track of
A single progress bar doesn't provide a way to fail entirely in
significant task or mission completed in pursuit of the goal forces at play behind the scenes.
a task - it just determines how long it takes, and perhaps
O Once all boxes are filled, the task is complete allows negative complications to be accrued during the The GM can steadily fill in boxes for all of these bars between
process. Introducing a second bar, and filling a box for every sessions. Or, if they want to leave it to fate, they may make

When to use progress bars failed Action Roll, can be used to model the possibility of Action Rolls on behalf of the NPCs involved. The actions of the

Progress bars are useful in situations where gradual progress outright failure. crew may affect these progress bars, too. If the crew take out a

towards a goal has dramatic significance, but where the gang enforcer in a shoot-out, then perhaps the bar the GM is
Hack the system
players don't want to deal with the fine details. They also allow using to track the attempts of a rival gang to gain control of the
Caught by the firewall
the whole crew to collaborate in a single task. turf will have a box or two filled in.

Using a progress bar to track the cracking of a safe can help

Gated progress bars
to create tension - will they succeed before being discovered?
It may be the case that progress beyond a certain point cannot
But if the crew aren't under any kind of time pressure then a
be made by pure effort alone. In this situation, the GM can
single action roll may be sufficient. And if the players happen
mark points on the bar to indicate that some specific
to have a real-world interest in safe-cracking, and can talk
requirement must be fulfilled before filling in further boxes. This
concretely about the process? They may prefer to play it out
might represent a material component or piece of information
action-by-action, without the abstraction of a progress bar.
which is required in order to progress.
HARM+CONDITIONS Hitting the harm limit
When a character takes their third box of harm, the GM should
Recovering from conditions
Conditions applied to the crew, NPCs or the environment are
discuss with the player how they would like to proceed. If the not always static. The GM can decide that a condition fades
A life spent among the stars as a freelancer or bounty hunter situation allows, the player is presented with option of having away or is counteracted by something else which has occured.
may be romantic, but there is no denying that it is a dangerous their character be incapacitated instead of killed outright. Short-lived conditions (like "off-balance") can be removed
and often short-lived existence. We use Harm and Conditions simply by taking a moment to focus on shaking them off.
If incpacitated, the rest of the crew will need to band together
to track the crew's accumulation of battle scars over time.
to pull their teammate back from the brink of death. This is not A progress bar can optionally be introduced alongside a more
without consequence. If they are saved, the GM should impose seriious condition to track its recovery, or progression over
Harm
some kind of lingering condition on the character - they will time. Depending on the nature of the condition, there are a few
Harm represents significant injury. You can think of harm as a
have to work hard if they are to eventually shake it off. different ways to implement this:
progress bar, tracking progress towards a character being
incapacitated or killed. Crew members each have the capacity
O Gradual recovery. If a character has a lingering injury
to incur up to three points - three strikes and you're out! Catastrophic injury
requiring prolonged medical care, or significant work is
If everybody at the table agrees that a character has reached
required to repair a damaged piece of technology, then a
A point of harm is incurred when a character is faced with a a point where death is logically inevitable, there is no choice
progress bar box can be filled each time a deliberate action
serious threat (such as from a hostile NPC or something in the but to acknowledge this. Potentially a character can die
is taken in an attempt to remedy the condition
environment), and fails in their attempt to react to it. Or, when a instantly, even if they haven't incurred any Harm previously.
character fails an attempt at a particularly risky action. O Windows of opportunity. Often the players will create some
Exactly where the line is here depends on the tone the players kind of condition in order to give them a situational
The GM decides when the situation is dire enough that there is are collectively aiming for in the game. Often such a situation advantage, fleeting and temporary in nature. This might take
a possibility of harm. If harm is on the table, the GM must arises when a crew member makes a heroic sacrifice. the form of causing a guard to be "Dazed", for example. One
inform the player before they commit to a course of action.
way to handle this is to create a progress bar with a couple
Not only negative... of boxes, and fill a box each time a player exploits the
Conditions Conditions are not only used to track injury and affliction. They situation, or the NPC takes time to try to shake it off
Conditions are used to track temporary states or afflictions are also a general tool for tracking any kind of temporary state themselves. Once all boxes are filled, the condition
affecting a character. There is no pre-defined list of conditions. affecting a character. This extends to conditions affecting the dissipates
Instead, the GM creates a condition by choosing a word or state-of-mind of a character, and includes positive effects as
O Exacerbation. A minor or temporary Condition may get worse
short descriptive phrase. For example, a character might be well as negative.
if not tended to. For example, if a character is "Bleeding out",
"Concussed", "Bleeding out" or "Sedated".
Other possible conditions include "Alert", "Distracted", "Drunk", then a bar can be created and filled automatically over time

The GM may decide to apply a condition to a crew member if "Tied up", "Malnourished" and "Disguised as a cop". (see the secion on "ticking clocks" under Progress Bars). If

they fail to avoid some imminent threat, or as a negative twist action is not taken before the bar is filled then the character

after an Action Roll. As conditions often represent unexpected Not only the crew... may be Harmed, or the condition can be upgraded to

consequences, the GM is not required to warn a player in Conditions can be applied to NPCs as well as the crew. They something more severe

advance that they risk causing or incurring one. can even be extended to inanimate objects or the environment.

Once applied, the GM must also make judgement calls about In fact, stacking up advantageous conditions before a crucial
when each condition has an effect on a character's attempt to Action Roll is one of the most effective ways for the crew to set
perform a particular action (see the Action Roll rules). themselves up for success in a difficult task.
 SHOOTING IT OUT Enemies and allies
Other ships in combat are controlled by the GM, acting once
FACE TO FACE
per round, after all of the players have taken their turn. Each
round they can move and either shoot or activate special gear.
If the crew ends up in a ship combat situation, the game There are no special rules for interpersonal combat. Whether
continues in the same fashion as usual, with a few exceptions: NPC ship actions are handled just like other threats during you're fighting with weapons, hand-to-hand, or engaged in a
play. The GM doesn’t roll to hit - players roll to evade or battle of words, everything continues according to the normal
O Characters act in turns / rounds, with each crew member otherwise react. NPC ships may have Traits or Conditions flow of the game, calling for Action Rolls where appropriate.
taking one turn each round (in their preferred order) which are considered when the players roll. Generally give
NPC ships 2-3 Traits, a mix of positive and negative. When an NPC is on the offensive, the GM describes the
O Characters perform actions as normal - on their turn, crew
impending threat to the crew, and then the players react by
members may perform any action which could reasonably
describing how they respond to the situation. The GM will
be completed within a few seconds. They are free to Taking a hit
consider this response and either describe the natural
improvise ways to Harm their opponents, create or remove If the crew fail to react to them, NPCs’ actions may result in
outcome, or call for a roll when the outcome is uncertain. If an
Conditions, or affect any kind of situational advantage situational changes, Conditions being created, or Strain / Harm
NPC throws a punch at a crew member, and the player fails to
being dealt to a ship's hull or one of its modules.
dodge, block or otherwise react, then the blow lands.
O Crew members can use special abilities or trigger special ship
In addition, the GM is encouraged to create complications for
actions, as described on their respective character sheets,
When a player is the instigator, they describe their action and it
the crew to deal with inside the ship when "yes, but..." or "no,
and the Ship Combat Actions sheet. These generally require
either succeeds automatically, or a roll is called for if it seems
and..." results are rolled - the table below gives suggestions.
a whole turn to activate, although they don’t prevent the
risky or difficult. If a crew member throws a punch at an NPC,
Consider using progress bars to track these complications -
character from speaking or other minor interactions
and they roll poorly, the blow is evaded, blocked or absorbed.
this forces the crew to work together to overcome them quickly.
O Distance between ships is tracked in abstract bands: Very
Alternatively, a player’s failed roll may provide an opportunity Whether it's the GM or a player making an attack, they should
Close, Close, Mid, Far and Very Far. Ships which choose the
for an NPC ship to perform a free action out of turn (e.g. an indicate when they are intending to cause Harm, add or
Manoeuvre action can travel up to one band per round. To
enemy might open fire after a “no, and…” result is rolled). remove a Condition (e.g. stunning an NPC) or achieve some
flee a battle, you must move beyond the Very Far range band
situational effect (e.g. adopting an advantageous position).
Weapons have different bonuses and penalties specified for
Complication
each range band. When firing weapons, add (or subtract) Any relevant Traits or Conditions of an NPC or the environment
1 Electrical feedback causes a console to explode
the relevant modifier to the roll to hit. When rolling to evade count for or against players' rolls as appropriate. For example,

weapons fired by NPCs, the inverse of the modifier is used 2 Steam vents into a hallway it will be harder to hit or avoid an attack from an NPC who is a
3 Turbulence jostles anybody not strapped in "martial arts expert", or who has a condition of "on high alert".
O Ship system Strain and Harm are tracked, using the Ship
Sheet for the players’ crew, and in rough note form by the 4 Freezing coolant leaks onto the floor There is no strict turn order. Initiative flows between characters
GM for NPC ships. When one party intends to Harm the 5 Micro-fracture - loss of air pressure in a random room in a scene as the action dictates. If a crew member is under
other, and their opponent fails to evade or counter, roll to 6 threat, then they probably have a chance to react, or perhaps
A fire breaks out in a random room
determine which module is hit (default to Hull if destroyed): a nearby ally has an opportunity to step in. If a crew member
7 An external pipe is ruptured - fuel is leaking
fails when attacking an NPC, the NPC may seize the
Once the hull harm track
1 Engines 4 8 Knocked into a spin - need to regain control
is filled, each subsequent opportunity to counter-attack. The GM controls the flow by
2 Weapons 5
Hull point of harm breaches a 9 Major cosmetic damage to the hull choosing who to ask "what do you do?". Try to ensure that each
random room, exposing it crew member gets more-or-less equal time in the spotlight.
3 Comms 6 10 Internal lighting knocked out
to the vacuum of space
 TECH + GEAR Using and activating items
In Space Cowboys, our attention is generally focused on the
TRADE + ECONOMY
characters themselves - items are just props which support
No sci-fi universe is complete without its own array of high-tech them in the action. If your crew wants to play a trade-focused game, or if you just
gear, weapons and miscellaneous equipment. It's up to you want to add a bit more depth to the universe, you can keep
and your group to decide exactly how advanced the Items don’t directly provide a bonus to a player's Action Roll, track of the resources which are available and in demand in
technology in your sector of space is. During the first session, but they should be considered when working out which certain locations.
you might want to discuss the following: Factors are relevant to a roll. Items may also open up entirely
different approaches to solving problems. Roll on this table a couple of times when you create a system
O Communications tech. Is the crew able to stay in constant or population hub to determine its primary imports and exports:
contact? What is the equivalent of the internet? Is messaging Insulated gloves mean that the "electrified" trait of a fence won't
between distant star systems instantaneous, or do messages count against you as you try to break through it. A high- Resource and base price (credits/tonne)
move slowly as they piggy-back on ships travelling around? powered gun allows you to attack from a distance, and 1 Crafts - 4000 7 Staple Food - 2000
probably to ignore an "armoured" trait of your target.
O Artificial gravity. Does the crew float around in zero-g when 2 Electronics - 4000 8 Narcotics - 10000

on their ship? Do large stations rotate to simulate gravity, or 3 Munitions - 8000 9 Medicine - 5000
There are times, however, when a particular item or piece of
do some of them have fancy gravity generators installed? 4 Minerals - 5000 10 Water / Ice - 2000
equipment becomes the focus of a scene. Therefore:
O Weapons. Do guns in this universe go "bang bang", or is it 5 Luxuries - 4000 11 Livestock - 4000
O Players can spend 1 FP to “activate” an item - until the end
more of a "pew pew"? Has anyone ever seen a laser sword? 6 Industrial Materials - 5000 12 Textiles - 3000
of the scene or encounter, any rolls making use of the item
Available to buy Price
O Faster-than-light travel. When you head to another system, receive a +1 bonus. It’s no longer just a prop - it's now the
do you enter a glowy hyperspace tunnel, or just switch to a center of the action 1 None 1 Base price -25%

high-speed cruise mode of some kind? 2 1 tonne 2 Base price -10%

3 2 tonnes 3 Base price

Guns and ammo
Items and equipment In Space Cowboys, a gun jamming or running out of 4 10 tonnes 4 Base price +10%

Players don't pick gear from a list and keep track of it in detail. ammunition is a dramatic / narrative complication, rather than 5 20 tonnes 5 Base price +25%

Assume access to tools, weapons and equipment which make the result of keeping detailed track of bullets or battery level. 6 As much as you can carry 6 Base price +50%

sense, especially when it's tied to the identity of a character. If This kind of thing might come up when a player rolls a "No,
you're a grizzled merc, there's no doubt that you have a gun and" result as they attempt to shoot at something, for example. O Finding buyers and sellers for some items may require
stashed in your quarters... and it's probably a pretty big one.
legwork. But also, the crew may be able to haggle or cut a
deal
If a crew member attempts to whip out something too far-
fetched, they may spend 1 FP to trigger a flashback and O Carrying valuable or contraband cargo may attract unwanted
explain why they are carrying it - have them recall the moment attention from pirates or the authorities
they anticipated the need and decided to bring it with them.
O You can allow prices and availability to fluctuate in response
Once precedent for the tools the crew have at their disposal to unfolding events. Flooding the market will reduce prices

has been established through play, obtaining new gear may locally, and a changing political situation will also have an

become relevant in the story. Acquiring something may form effect

the basis for a mission, or a long-term project in downtime.

 NAVIGATION Critical jump failures
When a jump goes really wrong, you might be dropped into a
Mixing it up
There are many ways to add flavour and variety to the random
dangerous or awkward situation within a system: encounters and navigation complications generated by the
tables on this page:
O Each day spent travelling costs 1 unit of supplies per person.
Situation
If they cannot or do not consume them, they are first afflicted O Consider the factions and characters in the area, and the
with a "dehydrated" condition, then a "starving" condition,
1 On a collision course with debris crew’s friends and enemies, and plug them into the
and will ultimately begin incurring Harm 2 Too close to the star - the hull is heating up... encounter in the way which makes the most sense

O Within a star system, travel takes anywhere from a couple of 3 Drifting, days away from the system centre O Scale the power of hostile ships to create a reasonable
hours (between a planet and its moons) to 2 days (between 4 Deep in unfriendly territory challenge. To tweak an NPC ship’s power you can add
more distant planets or to the edge of the system). In-system Traits, add more weapons, or alter the number of module
5 Heading for a planet / moon - emergency landing!
travel doesn’t use a significant amount of fuel Strain and hull Harm slots. As a rule of thumb, the players will
6 Knocked out of warp by a pirate ambush
have a decent chance of victory against two enemy ships
O To travel between star systems (hexes on the sector map), a 7 Fuel is vented, and we can't perform a jump outfitted similarly to their own
jump drive is necessary. Jumps move one hex, consume two
8 Flight assist systems fried - switch to manual controls
units of fuel and take four days. Make a normal Action Roll to O Sometimes you may want to create a very formidable
attempt the jump, considering traits, conditions etc of the
9 Re-entry caused a radio burst - so much for stealth... opponent, such that avoiding combat is the best option
pilot and the ship. Jumps need to be performed near the 10 A random ship system is damaged
O Not every fight is to the death. Enemies might surrender or
edge of the system, away from the gravity well of the star, or offer to cut a deal. It may be possible to talk your way out of
a -2 penalty is applied. Interpret the results as follows: a fight entirely
Running into trouble
Jump Result
Whenever the crew is travelling within a system and things
Jump succeeds, and player chooses one of:
need to be shaken up a bit, or if the crew fail an attempt to
Yes, and O The fuel cost is halved move quickly or stealthily, the GM can introduce an encounter:
O The travel time is halved
Yes Jump succeeds as normal Encounter
Jump succeeds, and GM chooses one of: 1 An armed patrol ship at the edge of scanner range
Yes, but
O The fuel cost is increased by 50%
2 Convoy of d6+1 ships passing, with d4-1 guard ships
O The travel time is increased by 50%
O A random ship system is damaged 3 A homing beacon / distress call is detected

Dropped into a random adjacent hex, 4 A small ship is being chased by d4 pursuers
but player chooses one of: 5 A large ship is detected - seemingly abandoned
No, but
O The fuel cost is halved 6 d4 pirates (or other hostiles) are concealed nearby
O The travel time is halved
7 Something valuable is just floating here - a trap?
No Dropped into a random adjacent hex
8 Nav comp hacked - we’re being steered somewhere!
Dropped into a random hex within 2 of
No, and current location, and the GM rolls or chooses 9 Something has latched on to the ship’s hull

a bad situation from the table to the right 10 Discover an escape pod - looks like someone’s inside...
 GM's GUIDE How do i handle...?
The Action Roll mechanic, along with Progress Bars, should
Group rolls
O Players can assist in actions by attempting to create
allow you to handle any situation which arises during play: Conditions which help their ally in an upcoming roll (usually
As the GM, your role is to portray a galactic sector filled with by weakening the opposition, or boosting the ally somehow)
conflict, challenge and opportunity. You will create people, O A crew member attempting to scale a mountain - You might
play this out in detail, with a series of Action Rolls to
O Sometimes the crew must act as a unit, and a single failure
places and things with which to fill any spaces the crew decide
would spoil things for everyone (like when sneaking past a
to poke their noses into, and then bring them to life. overcome specific obstacles along the way. Or, you might
guard). In such situations, the crew member with the lowest
create a bar to track progress towards the summit
Your task is not to defeat the other players, or to steer them Modifier makes the Action Roll, and their result applies to the
OA crew member attempting to hack a door - This can be
group as a whole
along a preordained path. Your goal is to create a stage where
resolved with a single Action Roll. If the scene is more
their adventures can play out, and join them on their journey as O Some characters can unlock special group action abilities
chaotic, you could create a progress bar to "zoom in" on the
you find out what happens, together.
action, interleaving hacking with other actions in the scene

O A courtroom battle of wits - You might play this out entirely by Grit and difficulty
Introducing Traits and Conditions As the GM, the game often calls upon you to use your
speaking in-character, without ever making a roll. Or, create
When the crew interact with an NPC or some kind of obstacle, judgement in deciding how things are resolved. This means
progress bars for "Guilty" and "Not Guilty" verdicts, filling
or enter a new environment, you should generally assign it up that you have a great deal of control over the grittiness and
boxes based on arguments, evidence or acts of coercion
to 3 Traits, and any Conditions which make sense. By default, difficulty of the game. You can tune your decisions to help
be open and write them down somewhere visible to everyone. O A bar fight - Nameless combatants might be dealt with in a create the kind of tone which appeals most to your group:
single Action Roll. You could even model an entire mob of
You may decide to require investigation from the crew before them as a single entity, with shared Traits and Conditions, O How often do you call for a roll? Requiring a roll more often
revealing certain traits or conditions. If you count a hidden Trait and perhaps a bar tracking progress towards defeating means more chances to fail, incur negative Conditons or
or Condition when determining the modifier for an Action Roll, them all. To create a formidable, named NPC antagonist, Harm, and generally increased difficulty. More Harm
write down question marks ("???") as a placeholder. give them the capacity to endure several points of Harm capacity for NPCs, and longer progress bars for tasks, also
increase the number of rolls required
O A no-holds-barred hovercar race - Create a progress bar for
Fiction first the crew, and one for each notable opponent. The GM O What Traits and Conditions do you introduce for NPCs and
Before we attempt to engage the rules, an action and its describes various terrain obstacles encountered along the the environment? These directly affect the modifier (i.e.
intended outcome need to make sense in the fictional context. track, and ways in which the other racers attempt to derail difficulty) of the crew’s Action Rolls, as well as signalling to

the crew. The players will need to describe how they tackle the players what kind of approach might be effective
If a player's intended action does not make sense to you, then
these in order to fill the crew's progress bar. Every "round" O How harshly do you apply Harm or negative Conditions? It’s
stop to clear up any confusion about the in-game situation
each crew member may take one action, and each opponent up to you whether a failed attempt to juggle knives results in
(and the world's internal logic) before dice hit the table.
fills a box of their own progress bar (unless, of course, a immediate Harm, a Condition, or even just a situational shift.
It's common for there to be some negotiation between the GM crew member finds a way to slow them down somehow) Generally speaking, it's recommended that you escalate
and the player, and you can use this to present interesting towards the threat of harm, rather than turning to it
O Fleeing a chasing starship - In open space? Use the Ship
choices and trade-offs - "Firing blindly from here, you could immediately. If the players escalate, feel free to match them
Combat rules (the crew escapes by moving beyond Very Far
create a 'pinned down' condition on the security squad. If you
range). But if the chase weaves through an asteroid field or a O Rate of recovery. There are specific rules for recovering from
want to cause them Harm you'll need to peek out from cover,
wrecked space-hulk, then using a progress bar ("escape") Harm. But you can decide how quickly negative Conditions
perhaps getting harmed yourself if the roll doesn't go well...".
and throwing a series of obstacles at the crew is a better fit fade away, or even become worse if not attended to
 CAMPAIGN PLAY After each session
Award XP to the players based on these criteria:
Breaking the mould
The basic formula presented here is just a starting point -
eventually you will want to branch out:
O Participation - 1 XP for turning up
The game is structured around job s, missions and other
O Hardship - 1 XP if the character's Flaw ended up putting O The galaxy will feel more alive if the crew bump into an old
adventures, punctuated with periods of downtime on-ship. The
them in a dangerous situation, or resulted in them getting acquaintance from time to time. Plug these into the random
crew must do whatever they can to make ends meet, never
into trouble at least once stuff to create a cast of recurring characters and locations
basking in the glow of success for too long before the next job.
O Overcoming - 1 XP for success in a major group task/mission O Throw in complications, creating diversions or additional
The game's economy, and the monthly debt repayments the
O Goals - 1 XP for each character goal achieved, or milestone hurdles in addition to the core mission/downtime cycle
crew are obligated to make, are designed to enforce this.
reached in pursuit of a more lofty goal
The basic formula is to repeat these steps: O Discovery - 1 XP if they helped us to learn at least one O Scarcity is a common theme in space, and can be a useful
interesting thing about the world or the characters in it (let narrative tool. A vital ship component may break and need
O Get a mission. This could be as simple as a message from a replacing before the next jump - the crew will need to figure
the other players recall such a moment)
friend asking for help, a contract job, or the crew may be
out how to deal with the situation
proactive and decide to pusue something on their own Players can then spend 10 XP to do one of the following:
O Allow the crew’s motivations, and the relationships they have
O The crew gets to where they need to be. Generally travelling O Unlock a Special Ability or Specialisation established, to lead to self-directed jobs and scores. If they
some distance across the galaxy, with a good chance of O Change a Trait or Flaw want to obtain something, let them figure out a way to do it
getting into trouble along the way
Gaining XP in Space Cowboys is not supposed to be difficult. O Make sure the consequences of the crew’s actions catch up
O The crew does the mission. Perhaps they first need to do
So as long as players are engaging whole-heartedly with their with them. Keep track of the friends and enemies they make,
some investigation or legwork. After the basic approach has
characters, and with the group's shared story, don't be too and debts they leave unpaid - maybe this week’s routine job
been decided, try to cut to the action and rely on flashbacks
hesitant to hand out XP. Use the XP checklist as an opportunity is complicated by a ghost from the past...
in lieu of exhaustive planning. Maybe they succeed, or
to remind each other of the cool character interactions and
maybe they need to cut and run...
O Listen to what the crew reveal about their goals, relationships
action-packed moments you all enjoyed in today's session.
and backstories - they will no doubt provide inspiration
O Downtime. Rest and recovery on board the ship. Improving
The end of a session is also a good time for the crew to update
themselves and their spacecraft. Getting to know each other
their goals. They should let the GM know about any changes Beyond what's on the sheet
they have made, so that they are able to draw inspiration from There are various upgrades and abilities listed for ships and
Running a one-shot these goals when planning for the next session. characters. These are explicitly listed as they interact with the
For games intended to be played over just one or two
rules in special ways, manipulating things like XP, FP, Strain or
sessions, you can skip most of the structure presented here.
Harm. But the fact that they are listed doesn't mean that they
Just create a single mission, and any NPCs or locations which
necessarily represent the players’ only options.
you expect the crew to interact with. You may let the crew start
with some additional upgrades and abilities unlocked, since Allow the crew to invest in improvements of their own devising.
there won't be enough time to unlock anything during play. Perhaps they install stealth plating on their ship, or convert
crew quarters into a brig to prevent bounties from escaping.
You only have a few hours, so cut to the action quickly! Maybe
The GM should try to consider the fictional implications of the
you're en-route to meet a contact to secure a job when the
crew's choices, and use the tools provided by the game
game starts, but the crew get jumped by pirates. Or maybe a
(Traits, Conditions, Progress Bars etc) to let them play out.
mission is already underway.
 MISSIONS What makes a mission?
At their core, missions are made up of the following:
Generating a mission
If the crew's story doesn't naturally lead into the next mission,
you can use the table on the following page to generate one.
O An objective. Each mission is undertaken with some kind of
In order to keep themselves fed and their ship flying, the crew
goal in mind - the central conflict or challenge which the The random table will provide the seeds of inspiration, but you
will need to acquire credits and foster relationships with the
crew are contending with. This might be something explicit will need to give concrete form to some of the details yourself
movers and shakers of the sector. This means taking on
like "recover the stolen prototype", or something implied by in order to tie the mission into your game's world:
missions of one kind or another.
the situation, like "get out of the station before it explodes"
O Specific objectives. If the mission calls for escorting a
We use the word "mission" as a shorthand here, but the crew O A set of obstacles. The hurdles which must be overcome or "celebrity", this might be "Zapp McKinnley, famed hover-
might prefer to describe what they do as "jobs", "runs", "quests", circumvented if the crew are to achieve thier goal. These can jockey", or perhaps "Mallory de Sousa, four-armed TV chef"
"scores", "contracts" or "sticky situations". In any case, they're take many forms, often including security systems, natural
engaging in daring adventures, with a particular goal in mind. hazards, and information which must be acquired
O Locations. Where exactly are the people and things refered
to as part of the mission located? You can opt to roll a
Some missions will be straightforward, but the most interesting random coordinate on the sector map, or choose a location
Finding a mission ones tend to include some, or all, of the following: yourself if you have somewhere fitting in mind
Missions can take many forms, and can start in equally varied
ways. Here are some common examples:
O Conflicting interests. Who has opposing goals to the crew, O NPCs and factions. Missions often require incidental
and what will they bring to bear in order to get their way? characters and organisations to fill the role of client or
O Job / bounty boards. Local or sector-wide organisations may
O Unexpected complications. Will new information come to light opposition, or to be involved as a complicating factor
offer listings of available missions, wanted criminals or
which changes the objective of the mission, or the nature of
assasination targets which the crew can sign up for
the opposition faced by the crew? Callbacks and reintegration
O NPC contacts. Players define NPC contacts during character When you are designing a mission, look for opportunities to
creation, and new acquaintences will naturally emerge
O Tests of character. Just like in the best stories in other media,
we want to see moments where characters have not just their create continuity by re-introducing NPCs and other elements
during play. One of these people might offer a lucrative
abilities, but also their principles and values challenged. If a which have previously been established in the story. Might an
opportunity, or call in a favour owed by the crew
character is a self-professed pacifist, will they take a life in old friend or rival plausibly be involved with the mission? Is
O Right place, right time. The crew might "coincidentally" find order to save a an innocent? If they are in hiding, will they there a location which the crew have already visited which
themselves embroiled in a situation which demands their reveal their true identity if it furthers a worthy cause? Will they would make a suitable backdrop for this job? How might this
attention. There could be a mystery or conflict which double-cross a friend for cash, or to save their own hide? location have changed as a result of their previous exploits?
prevents them from going about their business, or presents
Also consider the backstories and goals of the crew - these will
an opportunity for profit too good to pass up
Plan scenarios, not outcomes often imply the existence of various characters, locations and
O Self-directed. As the game progresses, crew members are As the GM, it can be tempting to plan out the crew's path to factions which you may be able to integrate in some way.
increasingly likely to set their sights on things without the completing a mission. Try to avoid this - just set up a situation
GM's encouragement. Let them propose their own missions! laced with challenge and conflict, and let the crew loose to see
Mission payoff
It helps to start a campaign with some structure in place which how they engage with it. You should always be open to the
Accounting for fuel costs and expenses, appropriate mission
allows the GM to "feed" missions to the crew. Perhaps they're unexpected plans which they will inevitably come up with. But
rewards range from around 20k credits (for a "straightforward"
signed up with a job agency, or affiliated with a government or feel free to brainstorm ideas for flavourful NPCs, obstacles,
delivery to a nearby system) to 200k (for a prolonged, risky
underground organisation. Over time the story will build its own locations and set piece events which they might encounter
operation). Alternatively the crew might be offered a favour,
momentum, and this structure may become vestigial. along the way, and drop them in if the opportunity ever arises.
piece of information, or item of equivalent value.
 MISSION Roll d6 to determine mission type, then work down the column
GENERATOR 1: Locate
and "acquire"
2: Capture
without harming
3: Escort
and protect
4: Eliminate
or discredit
5: Destroy
or disrupt
6: Investigate
or cover up
Roll d10 to determine who/what
1 Item of sentimental value Soldier / Cop Missionary Criminal Incriminating evidence Corruption
Odd Jobs 2 National treasure/artefact Criminal Diplomat Politician Stockpile Theft / Embezzlement
1 Collecting / disposing of orbital debris Valuable data Bounty hunter Spy Corporate type Building / Facility Lucrative resource
3
2 Causing a diversion Large / unwieldy object Aristocrat Assassin Merchant / Trader Ship Trade opportunity
4
3 Temporarily looking after an object Hazardous material Corporate suit Celebrity Spouse Place of business Murder
5
4 Mapping part of the sector Pet / creature Robot / AI Researcher Celebrity Geographical feature Disappearance (person)
6
5 Testing some prototype equipment Weapon Scientist / engineer Runaway Witness Alliance Disappearance (ship)
7
6 Acting as security for an event 8 Ship / Vehicle Ex-lover / spouse Entrepreneur Researcher Satellite / Probe Mysterious artefact
7 Taking part in an illegal street race Luxury goods Heir Robot / AI Trade route
9 Religious figure Scientific anomaly
8 Tailing and keeping tabs on a ship / person Food / Medicine Witness Child Journalist Valuable data (Apparent) accident
10
9 Showing somebody around the area Roll d10 to determine where
10 Acting as a mediator in a dispute Adrift in space Personal ship Across the entire sector In hiding On the crew's doorstep Urban centre
1
2 Public display / museum Estate / Home Into hostile territory Whereabouts unknown A public place Frontier community
Sticky Situations 3 Player's contact has it Bounty hunter's captivity In hiding on a hub On tour of sector In transit Criminal underworld
There is a string of unexplained life-support 4 Abandoned station Workplace From prison / captivity Penal colony Other side of the sector High society
1 failures. It turns out the station's computer is
trying to kill an anti-AI researcher on board 5 Criminal's lair Party / Public event Out of hostile territory On holiday Harsh environment The crew's home turf
Leaving port, a local hardass undocks and Train / Convoy / From a planet / moon Under protection of A crew member's Well-travelled
2 gives chase, convinced a crew member 6 Station / Port
Space-Elevator they're stranded on local authority place of origin port / station
stole something from them (did they?)
7 Corporate lab Passenger freighter To an inhospitable place On a long space journey Secret location Volatile region
While travelling in a remote area of space,
3 something causes the crew to begin 8 On board a ship Safehouse Through off-limits zone Living in isolation Deep space Tourism hot-spot
experiencing strange shared hallucinations
9 Private collection Prison Touring several systems Workplace Abandoned place The middle of nowhere
There is a hull breach, and management
4 have sealed the section - sacrificing the 10 Government facility On the run To a secret location On a long ground journey Hostile faction's territory A harsh environment
people in here to save the rest of the station
Roll d10 to add a complication (or two...)
Due to a recent high-profile assasination,
5 security is ramped up. How will this affect the 1 It's a perilous journey They're sneaky / slippery They're wanted They can really fight It's well guarded They're fed false intel
crew's "perfectly legitimate" business?
2 Another team is looking They're violent They're a terrible guest They have bodyguards It's hardy / durable It's a set-up
Leaving a planet, the crew realise they have
6 picked up an infection. If they return to look 3 The owner deserves it They offer a payoff Bounty posted for them It's a trap for the crew It belongs to a friend Witness / contact is killed
for an antidote, ports are all quarantined
4 Buyer will use it for evil Another team is looking Destination inaccessible Must look like accident It's tricky to find Info / evidence destroyed
The crew pass through a region of temporal
7 anomolies, and time seems to loop and skip 5 It's extremely fragile They want to join crew They're not at the pickup Race to do it first It's a beautiful thing Crew offered a payoff
unpredictably - how will they break out?
6 Contains homing beacon They're an innocent They're being pursued Target has stashed cash It's worth more intact Crew under suspicion
Something's up with the batch of supplies
8 the crew picked up... An aggressive mould is Item / key is always kept Somebody else offers They're not what you Crew's friend doesn't Destroying it will harm Chance to screw crew's
spreading, and doesn't seem like it will stop 7 on somebody's person more for them were told they are want them harmed innocent people enemy at expense of job
The crew encounter thousands of tiny craft, 8 It's contraband They're dying They try to seize the ship They're in the public eye Somebody else wants it Contact is uncooperative
9 drifting in formation. They seem inert, except
for constant radio chatter within the swarm. A 9 Somebody got there first They're well guarded They steal from the crew They're a decent person It never really existed An old friend is involved
forgotton alien weapon or sensor array?
Another buyer offers They've altered their They notice the crew's Nobody knows what It has been moved Must step on the toes
Arriving in-system, the locals are pissed! 10 more for it appearance illegal activity they really look like elsewhere of powerful people
10 Somebody has been spoofing the crew's
ship ident and causing all manner of trouble
 DOWNTIME Recharge
Everyone tops up their FP to at least 3. If they already have 3
Recovering from injury
Given enough rest, you're able to shake off some of the harm
or more, this has no effect. Characters may have special from which you are suffering. If there is a Medic on board, they
After each mission, the crew spends some time on board their abilities listed on their sheet which affect this. Next, check the may be administering aid, but it is the patient who must give up
ship resting, recovering, and preparing for the next challenge. description for Crew Quarters on the ship's sheet - crew may their time, spending a downtime action to focus on recovery.
lose or gain additional FP according to the rules listed there.
During downtime we do the following, in this order:
Long-term projects
O Recharge. The crew regain FP spent during the mission Downtime actions Generally these are tasks of the players' own devising,

O Choose Downtime Actions. The crew select from a menu of After recharging, every crew member chooses 2 of the actions significant enough in scope to require several days or weeks of

special actions which they are able to perform in downtime below. You can choose in a round-robin fashion, or go player- work to complete. If the crew want to undertake smaller tasks
by-player. Flesh out these choices with short vignettes, during downtime, the GM may choose to simply let them do so
Don't simply rush through the downtime process in a cold, descriptions or montages to illustrate what the characters are without requiring them to spend a downtime action.
mechanical way. You might choose to intersperse downtime doing. Players are free to choose the same action twice:
Some examples of possible long-term projects:
with scenes where the day-to-day interactions of the crew are
played out. This could include running errands, resupplying,
O Training or practising a skill to gain 1 XP O Prototyping a new tool, weapon, or other piece of equipment
keeping up with NPC contacts, or attempting to line up the
O Reflecting on or discussing your situation to gain 1 FP O Fabricating an item according to a known design
next mission. Just make sure that you wrap up downtime
O Repairing 1 harm level of a damaged or disabled system, or O Scientific research
patching a breached room (costs 5 supply)
before engaging in earnest in any risky or perilous activity. O Digging up information on a target or person of interest
O Recovering 1 harm level of personal injury (costs 5 supply) O Gaining a foothold in a well-protected corporate network
O Working on a long-term project. GM decides if supplies are O Spreading propaganda or rumours
When does downtime start? consumed, if rolls are necessary and how long it takes
It's the GM's job to decide when it begins. If you imagine the
O Integrating some newly acquired technology with the ship
crew's adventures as a TV show, then downtime is something Opportunities for these kinds of projects tend to emerge
Training / practicing
which happens between episodes. A particular mission may naturally as a result of the crew's skills, goals and the
This might take the form of physical training, mental exercises,
involve fast-forwarding over prolonged periods of travelling or challenges they face. It only makes sense to start a long-term
or receiving tuition from another character. You may describe
laying low, but official "downtime" only begins when the task at project if everyone (or at least the GM and player concerned)
training a specific kind of skill here, but the XP gained can be
hand is resolved - typically once every 1-2 sessions. has some idea of what a successful project will result in.
spent freely when the time comes to upgrade your character.

In reality this is often a grey area, and a judgement call the GM When starting a project, the GM needs to consider the scope

needs to make. Particularly ambitious missions might be Reflecting / discussing and difficulty, and decide how much work is required to

separated into several phases, with downtime in-between. This could be a discussion about your next objective, or a complete it:

Sometimes the crew will decide to temporarily abandon a general chat about your lot in life. Perhaps recalling a moment O Some projects are straightforward, and simply spending one
mission in order to pull back and regroup - the GM may allow in the shared history of the crew. In any case, this leaves you downtime action will be enough to complete them
downtime if they do this, but there should be consequences or mentally prepared to go the extra mile in your next mission. O Bigger projects will use up Supplies or other materials
complicating factors introduced as a result of the delay. O For more ambitious projects, the GM starts a Progress Bar to
Repairing the ship track it. When a downtime action is spent on the project,
The main point here is that the crew may not trigger downtime
The hard graft of repaiing significant damage incurred to the make an Action Roll. A "yes" result will fill one box, and a
whenever they feel like it, as this would mess with the game's
ship. You might need to disassemble the engine to fix a part, or "yes, and" result will fill two. Failed results will not fill the bar,
balance and challenge level.
suit up in order to permanently patch a hull breach. and complications might include wasting additional materials
 PEOPLE + PLACES Factions and other forces
Between sessions, you can flesh out the factions you anticipate
Antagonists and allies
The crew's backstory and the contacts they come up with
interacting with. Start with the random tools, then make brief during character creation will imply the existence of certain
On the following page you will find a Sector Generation tool, notes on the following. This model also works for more abstract people. Often a character will be introduced on the spur of the
which will provide the seeds of inspiration to help you map out forces which are at play in the sector, such as disease, famine moment, as the crew look for somebody who can offer them
and populate the sector. The boxes on this page provide or a spreading ideology. work or provide information. When creating missions, you will
examples of how you can spin these random prompts into be devising NPCs to fill the roles of incidental characters.
O What are their goals/principles, and available resources? Use
something concrete which fits the flavour of your campaign.
this information to decide how they react as the story unfolds It's up to you how you generate and keep track of all of these
O Begin by defining things in broad strokes. Then, when the
NPCs, but noting down their name and the following pieces of
O What relationships do they have with other factions?
crew head towards a particular location, try to create NPCs
information is a good starting point:
and events which illustrate and exemplify what the place is O Who are the major NPCs? Who are a couple of street-level
like. For example, what does it mean to be a “volatile” place NPCs who the crew are likely to bump into? O What are their primary motivations? This should inform the

ruled by an “isolationist” faction? What kind of people live way they act and react to the crew in conversation
O What are their plans? If nobody intervenes, what is the
here? What would be a common occurrence on the street? timeline of key events, and the outward indicators of each O What is their basic physical description? A couple of

O Join the dots by considering the factions and resources at stage of progression? Allow this stuff to tick along in the prominent features or mannerisms are often enough to

play in a system (or its neighbours), and what trade links, background - the crew can observe the changing world and create a lasting image in the memory of the other players

rivalries or other relationships this might imply. Militaristic choose to challenge, exploit or ignore it as they see fit O What are their Traits? It is often sufficient to list 2-3, some
faction near to a moon with a large Munitions supply? I bet positive and some negative. Don't worry about sticking to
there’s a connection... Dusk-Star Dynamics - Corporation categories (Mind/Body etc.). For major NPCs you can add
Technological / Secretive
O The major faction in a territory may not be the only one with more detail, as if filling out a crew member's character sheet
Became successful after contributing a key innovation to the
power and influence. You can also generate local factions, O Any facts or secrets about them or their relationships
current generation of faster-than-light drives. Your ship probably
tweaking and re-theming them to better fit the location has at least a handful of Dusk-Star components installed...

O Goals: Amoral profiteering. Independence from regulation Cotter Whezal - Drunk. Former racing promoter
Deron - G-type Star / Trading hub O Resources: A whole lot of cash. Advanced/experimental tech Former canyon racing bookie / promoter. Was discovered to be
O Exports: Machinery O Imports: Luxuries (Black-market) O NPCs: Owner/founder Elias Fisque. Research head Vann Nix fixing a match (or, as he would claim, was made a scapegoat by
O Relationships: Notable rivalry with Delean Exostellar. Supplier the local mob), and forced to flee. Now drinks away his days
Population Hubs:
of ships/weapons to the Kingdom of Lyre aboard Homestead - a station hidden in the atmosphere of a
O Scion (planet): Mega-city / Communistic. Citizens have
O Plans: Purchased a moon in a system at risk of supernova
implanted screens in their wrists which relay orders from the gas giant, which serves as a neutral bolthole and is home to all
explosion. Attempting to move this moon into deep space, manner of runaways, exiles and outlaws.
master AI. It assigns jobs to citizens based on an inscrutable
giving them a permanent base in the sci-fi equivalent of
algorithm. Some lead double lives. Private trade is illegal
"international waters". Also, trying to weaponise gravity waves
O Characteristics: Goatee; short, greased/spiked hair; twitchy
O Terrox Trench (mining colony): Downtrodden. Huge, eyes. Nervous leg shake if he hasn't had a drink. Fast walker
dirty mining facility on an uninhabited patch of Scion O Goals: Befriending the strong. Avoiding unquantifiable risks
O Fyria (planet): Low-gravity / Communistic. Dedicated to O Traits: Observant / Shrewd / Fast
farming facilities for Scion. People "automatically" assigned to
work here might wonder if it is actually a punishment
O SCA "Scion Commercial Array" (station): Corporate.
Government authorized orbital trading hub. Handles
imports/exports on behalf of the people of Scion. Secret
trades in unauthorized items take place here
SECTOR GENERATOR System details:
Star type System quirk
Faction generation:
Roll for faction type, choose a name
1,2 G-Type (like ours) 1 Sparse / widely-spread 1 Criminal 5 Movement
Redwall Group, Deronian Mafia, The Alamar Alliance, The Praxis,
3 Red giant 2 In a nebula
Greenwood Cartel, Outland Pirates, The New Moon Group, Terpsichore,
4 Binary (2 star) system 3 Well-travelled Kaldonese Triad, Red Hook Gang, Nahil Movement, Avaran Separatists,

5 Dying / burnt-out 4 Dust / debris-filled Quall Syndicate, Elios Collective The People’s Rebellion
The League of Veracity
6 Black hole 5 Little space traffic

7 Ternary (3 star) system 6 Trading hub 2 Government 6 Religion

Kal’tar Representative Council Church Of The Golden Eye
8 Unstable - nova risk 7 Resource rich United Realms, Federated Worlds, The Ninth Commune

Names: Celestra, Alpha Talega, 8 High military value The Denizens’ Republic The God-Emperor’s Conclave
Vendross, Calibri, Mennox, Kal’tar, Zendar, Kaldon Democratic Sovereignty The Holy Unification Initiative
Neo-Sol, Kunnigan, Maldish, Tethra, Krob, 9 Blockaded Arrixian People’s Democracy Blue Spire, The Anointed Few,
Ek’rel, Pentaal, Kudo, Ceros, Taldrik, Jia, Contested
10
Andersaal, Ghar, Noxx, Deron, Arosep, 3 Corporation 7 Monarchy
Vega, Dagos, Proxima, Malus, Akari, Vaal Blackstone Industries The Last Imperial Khanate
Dealan Exostellar, The Essen Group New Kagan Principality
Vikram Corporation Kingdom of Lyre, Empire of Hyland

Population hub: Dusk-Star Dynamics The Aegean Dynasty,

Basilisk Fabrications Carith Lineage, Fidean Sultanate
Roll for hub type, choose a name
Planet - Aetis, Plao, Epra, Atromia, Cyrrus, Theron, Ofriea, Marus, Pendor, 4 Guild 8 Autocracy
The Amenable Trade Alliance The Ladzian Empiree, Naal’gish
1-3 Jipheus, Ocravis, Eos, Lithios, Galba, Valinor, Monument, Fidea, Arrix, Knara,
Windfall, Laconda, Oculi, Hermes-4, Cerule, Athena, Koshi, Svarog, Bomeer Interstellar Freight Guild Empire of Deltia, Chomian Empire,
Moon (add planet if needed) - Folia, Mal, Baluin, Muk, Jhol, Vennix, Iota, Travellers’ League, Mercers' Guild, The Sutaal Hegemon, The Brood,
4,5 Roma, Capulus, Gorran, Slov, Vierix, Lomia, Yeo, Ig, Soprion, Droth, Vaal, Merv, Bounty Hunters’ Union The Thados Domain
Kaldon, Herc, Ladza, Minix, Opia, Kappa, Eldoret, Nimiset, Maxia, Bomol, Inua Independent Trade Alliance The People’s Union of Renar
Orbital Station (add planet/moon if needed) - Emmett Station, Amity,
Allied Trade Hub, Bluth Starport, Epsilon Prime, New-Haven, Nara Skylink,
6 Mutiny, Malix Commercial Array, The Nexus, Anchorage Station, The Exchange, Pick a trait from each column
Cutlass Skycove, Newport Orbital, Neutral Confluence, Mao-yi Terminus

Deep-Space Station - Nelix Supply Post, Sacrarium, Frozen Ark, Deep-6, 1 Altruistic 1 Scientific
7 Fuelhub Theta, Independence, Kappa Remote Observatory, The Dark Chancel
2 Greedy 2 Entrenched
Mining Colony - Novus Homestead, Gratian Industrial Colony, Wellspring,
8 Terrox Trench, Sheridan Outpost, Tycho Iceyards, Ichor Commune, JMC-16 3 Logical 3 Itinerant
1. Choose locations for 10 systems:
4 Passionate 4 Expansionist
O Roll 2d6 for coordinates Enviro-tag Socio-tag Regimented Isolationist
5 5
O Place a mark in the corresponding hex (or a neighbouring hex, 1 Earth-like 1 Anarchic
6 Diplomatic 6 Xenophobic
if it’s already occupied) Icy Feudal
2 2 7 Commercial 7 Fractured
2. Manually place another 0-3 systems: 3 Wet 3 Pleasure / tourism 8 Technological 8 Violent
O Ensure each territory (coloured area) contains at least one 4 Arid 4 Corporate
9 Wealthy 9 Secretive
O Create interesting shapes (clusters, corridors, isolated systems) 5 Low oxygen 5 Militaristic
10 Impoverished 10 Dogmatic
6 Toxic 6 Frontier 11 Ancient 11 Manipulative
3. Generate system details and add d6 population hubs to each
7 Terraformed 7 Volatile Nascent Straightforward
(either do this for all systems, or just one in each territory for now) 12 12
8 Mega-city 8 Separatist
4. Create four major factions, assigning one to each territory and 9 Low gravity 9 Peaceful Determine relationship (link pairs of factions)
choosing the hub which will be their seat of power. They’re the 10 Biodomes 10 Controlled 1 Openly hostile 4 Indifferent
big movers and shakers, at least as far as sector politics are 11 Subterranean 11 Downtrodden 2 Rivalrous / Competitive 5 Allied
concerned, but other factions coexist and compete here too 12 Desolate 12 Communistic 3 Strained 6 Harmonious
 GLOSSARY Factor - A Trait, Specialisation, Flaw or Condition which is
taken into account when making an Action Roll. We count up the
NPC - Non-player character. These are controlled by the GM,
and may represent antagonists, allies, or any incidental characters.
Factors which affect a character's chance of success, and apply a
Action Roll - A roll of the dice used to decide whether a Modifier to the roll accordingly. Progress Bar - A tool for tracking tasks, threats, or
crew member succeeds or fails in an action they are attempting. unfolding events which play out over an extended period of time,
Flaw - A negative Trait which each crew member struggles with as opposed to resolving in a single moment.
Advantage - Rolling three dice instead of two for an Action in some way. Embracing and playing along with a Flaw is one of
Roll, and discarding the lowest-valued die before calculating the the ways of gaining XP and allowing your character to grow. Sector - The region of space in which the entire game takes
result. This significantly boosts the probability of success. place. Contains around a dozen separate star Systems.
Focus Points (FP) - The player's characters each have a
Campaign - A series of game Sessions played over an pool of points which they can choose to spend to boost their Session - A single period of a few hours spent playing the
extended period of time (weeks, months or even years). If each chance of success in an Action Roll, or to trigger Special Abilities. game. This is often enough time to complete a single Mission.
Session is an episode, the Campaign is the whole TV series. These represent the reserve of heroic effort which the crew
members (the main characters of our story) can draw upon to push Ship Combat - A special "mode" of the game, which we
Condition - An (often temporary) state affecting a character, beyond their normal limits during critical moments. switch to whenever the crew's ship is directly under threat.
an object in the world, or the environment itself. Conditions are
created and removed frequently during play. Goal - An explicitly stated goal of a crew member. Achieving Special Ability - Abilities listed on character sheets
these goals is one of the ways of gaining XP and allowing your which, when unlocked, allow crew members to bend the normal
Contacts - Special NPCs connected to the crew members. character to grow. A character may have all sorts of motivations, rules of the game in various ways.
Introduced by the players as part of creating their own characters. but their Goals are the most important things to them right now,
and the game rewards you for working to achieve them. Specialisation - A word or short phrase which describes
Crew Members / The Crew - The protagonists of an area of particular expertise which a character has.
the game's story, controlled by the players. Contrast to NPCs, who Harm - A method of tracking wounds or injuries which may Specialisations are more specific and narrowly defined than Traits.
are the minor characters, antagonists etc. controlled by the GM. ultimately lead to the death of a character.
Strain - How much the Systems of a ship are being pushed
Disadvantage - Rolling three dice instead of two for an Mission - Any kind of significant excursion, job, task or during Ship Combat. Various special actions taken during combat
Action Roll, and discarding the highest-valued die before problem which the crew engage in - not necessarily a formal can add or remove Strain from a System. Accumulate too much
calculating the result. This significantly reduces the probability of "mission" or contracted job. Strain and a System will overload and be damaged or disabled.
success.

Modifier - A number which is added to or subtracted from System - A star system, and it's associated planets, moons,
Downtime - Time spent on-ship between Missions. Used for the total number shown on the dice during an Action Roll. It is space stations and other bodies. A system is represented by a
recovery, training and work on personal projects. calculated by counting up the number of relevant Factors which single hex on the Sector map.
help or hinder the action which is being attempted.
Experience Points (XP) - Points awarded to players Trait - A word or short phrase which describes the nature of a
at the end of each session for playing in a way which embraces Module - A ship's Engines, Comms or Weapons. Modules character, an object in the world, or the environment itself. We can
the flaws and motivations of their characters. These points can be can be damaged, disabled or destroyed. Damaged Modules make use all sorts of words to describe things during play, but Traits are
spent to unlock additional Special Abilities and Specialisations. the ship less effecitve in some way. Disabled or destroyed the most important, permanent and identifying aspects of a thing,
modules prevents certain actions from being attempted at all and as such are given special weight in the rules of the game.
Pilot Keeping this junk-heap pointed
in the right direction...
Name Harm FP /6 XP
• When all of your harm boxes are filled, you are incapacitated
Concept • You can accept death, or pull through and take on a serious Conditon
Special Abilities
Fleeing Conditions
Gambit- During ship combat, describe how you push the ship to its
limit and perform an aggressive run against a chosen target:
O GM and player each bid 0-3 tokens (e.g. by holding out coins/chips in Goals
a closed hand). Both reveal bids at the same time
O Highest bid wins. Winner takes engine strain equal to their bid, and
has a +1 bonus to all rolls to hit the loser for the remainder of the round
O Loser is in a compromised position, unable to fire at winner this round Specialisations
O On a draw, both take engine strain equal to their bid
Mind
Punch it- During ship combat, may attempt to manoeuvre two
range bands instead of one. Causes 2 points of strain to the engines

Hold course- May reuse the result of a successful navigation Body

roll to continue moving in a fixed heading, paying the same fuel and time
cost for each hex (as if repeatedly rolling that result)

Show 'em your good side- When hit by enemy weapon Background
fire, may spend 1 FP to choose which room or module is harmed

Watch this!- When you attempt a reckless stunt or manoeuvre in

a vehicle, you may describe how you push it to the extreme - make your
Expertise
Action Roll with advantage (roll 3d6, keep highest 2), but guarantee
Harm to the vehicle or yourself if the result is a "No, but" or lower

Coordinated action- May spend 1 FP to coordinate a

group action - everybody rolls, and the best result applies to everybody Flaw

Action roll Focus points (FP)

O During play, just describe what your character does. Sometimes the GM will ask you to Focus Points represent your ability to grit your teeth and apply heroic effort in a tough situation.
roll in order to determine whether an action you are attempting succeeds or fails New characters start with 3 FP. You can use chips or tokens to represent them.
O Before you roll, clarify how you plan to act, and the intended outcome
During an Action Roll, you may do the following. Each can be invoked no more than once per roll:
O Count the total number of factors which are in your favour, and subtract the number O Spend 1 FP before an action to roll three dice instead of two (keep the best two)
which hinder you. This includes any relevant conditions, traits and specialisations O Spend 1 FP after rolling to reroll both dice (you must keep the new result)
O The GM will list any external factors which count for or against your action O Spend 1 FP after an ally rolls, describing how you step in to help them - reroll the lower of their two dice
O Roll 2d6, sum the two numbers shown, and then add the total number of factors O Forgo rolling and suffer an automatic "No, and" result, but gain 1 FP (except in a "low-stakes" situation)
O Check the table below to see whether things turn out as you intended: At any time:
O You can spend 1 FP to trigger a flashback - play out a short scene where you prepared something to give
you an advantage in the current situation. This ability means you can jump into action without spending too
Result 4 or less 5 6-7 8-9 10 11 or more
long planning and preparing ahead of time
No, and No No, but Yes, but Yes Yes, and O You can spend 1 FP to 'activate' an item until the scene ends. Action rolls using this item have a +1 bonus.
Success? (not only that...) (it's not all bad...) (there's a catch...) (even better...)
You may possess all sorts of items and equipment, but they don’t provide a direct bonus unless activated
 Fixing, building,
Greasemonkey and keeping the
ship in the sky...
Name Harm FP /6 XP
• When all of your harm boxes are filled, you are incapacitated
Concept • You can accept death, or pull through and take on a serious Conditon
Special Abilities
Fleeing Conditions
Something from nothing- Roll an extra die when you
Reroute Power
Goals
Force of will- When you Reroute Power, you may carry one
unspent power die for use next round. Also, you have access to a new
option when redistributing power: Re-roll one power die
Specialisations
Master mechanic- Repair two rooms or modules as a Mind
single Downtime action. You only pay the Supply cost for one repair

Hot fix- During ship combat, describe how you apply improvised
repairs. Spend 5 supplies and reactivate a module which has been
Body
disabled (reducing its harm to the “damaged” state, with full strain)

Hard graft- Through extreme effort, you may push yourself

beyond your normal limit. Take 1 Harm in exchange for gaining 2 FP
Background
Synchronisation- May spend 1 FP to act in perfect unison
with an ally against an opponent, forcing them to split their attention:
O You and your ally both describe what you would like to achieve
O Each make your action roll with advantage (roll 3d6, keep highest 2) Expertise

Flaw

Action roll Focus points (FP)

O During play, just describe what your character does. Sometimes the GM will ask you to Focus Points represent your ability to grit your teeth and apply heroic effort in a tough situation.
roll in order to determine whether an action you are attempting succeeds or fails New characters start with 3 FP. You can use chips or tokens to represent them.
O Before you roll, clarify how you plan to act, and the intended outcome
During an Action Roll, you may do the following. Each can be invoked no more than once per roll:
O Count the total number of factors which are in your favour, and subtract the number O Spend 1 FP before an action to roll three dice instead of two (keep the best two)
which hinder you. This includes any relevant conditions, traits and specialisations O Spend 1 FP after rolling to reroll both dice (you must keep the new result)
O The GM will list any external factors which count for or against your action O Spend 1 FP after an ally rolls, describing how you step in to help them - reroll the lower of their two dice
O Roll 2d6, sum the two numbers shown, and then add the total number of factors O Forgo rolling and suffer an automatic "No, and" result, but gain 1 FP (except in a "low-stakes" situation)
O Check the table below to see whether things turn out as you intended: At any time:
O You can spend 1 FP to trigger a flashback - play out a short scene where you prepared something to give
you an advantage in the current situation. This ability means you can jump into action without spending too
Result 4 or less 5 6-7 8-9 10 11 or more
long planning and preparing ahead of time
No, and No No, but Yes, but Yes Yes, and O You can spend 1 FP to 'activate' an item until the scene ends. Action rolls using this item have a +1 bonus.
Success? (not only that...) (it's not all bad...) (there's a catch...) (even better...)
You may possess all sorts of items and equipment, but they don’t provide a direct bonus unless activated
Tech-head Hacking shit, scanning shit,
and knowing what's up Name Harm FP /6 XP
• When all of your harm boxes are filled, you are incapacitated
Concept • You can accept death, or pull through and take on a serious Conditon
Special Abilities
Fleeing Conditions
Jam targeting- During ship combat, you may use your turn
to disrupt the targeting sensors of an enemy ship, giving advantage to
rolls to evade their weapons fire this round (roll 3d6, keep highest 2). Goals
Causes 2 points of strain to comms

Countermeasures- During ship combat, you may react to

incoming missiles with a comms burst, foiling their tracking and avoiding Specialisations
a hit. Causes 2 points of strain to comms Mind

Comms wiz- When you Scan, you may flip one scanner die to
show the result on the opposite side

Body
Target lock- During ship combat, may use your turn to make
an action roll to attempt to lock onto a ship. When locked on to a target,
all weapons rolls against them have a +1 bonus. You remain locked on
until you change targets, or the target spends a turn shaking the lock
Background
Tech support- When a crew mate is attempting a tech-related
action (e.g. dealing with computers or security systems), you may first
make an Action Roll to attempt to provide verbal instructions. If you
succeed, your crew mate rolls with advantage (roll 3d6, keep highest 2)
Expertise
Dial in- Boost the effectiveness of a single piece of electronic
equipment carried by an ally. There must be some way for your signal to
reach the item. While you are devoting your full attention to it, the item is
considered Activated - Action Rolls made using it have a +1 bonus Flaw

Action roll Focus points (FP)

O During play, just describe what your character does. Sometimes the GM will ask you to Focus Points represent your ability to grit your teeth and apply heroic effort in a tough situation.
roll in order to determine whether an action you are attempting succeeds or fails New characters start with 3 FP. You can use chips or tokens to represent them.
O Before you roll, clarify how you plan to act, and the intended outcome
During an Action Roll, you may do the following. Each can be invoked no more than once per roll:
O Count the total number of factors which are in your favour, and subtract the number O Spend 1 FP before an action to roll three dice instead of two (keep the best two)
which hinder you. This includes any relevant conditions, traits and specialisations O Spend 1 FP after rolling to reroll both dice (you must keep the new result)
O The GM will list any external factors which count for or against your action O Spend 1 FP after an ally rolls, describing how you step in to help them - reroll the lower of their two dice
O Roll 2d6, sum the two numbers shown, and then add the total number of factors O Forgo rolling and suffer an automatic "No, and" result, but gain 1 FP (except in a "low-stakes" situation)
O Check the table below to see whether things turn out as you intended: At any time:
O You can spend 1 FP to trigger a flashback - play out a short scene where you prepared something to give
you an advantage in the current situation. This ability means you can jump into action without spending too
Result 4 or less 5 6-7 8-9 10 11 or more
long planning and preparing ahead of time
No, and No No, but Yes, but Yes Yes, and
Success? (not only that...) (it's not all bad...) (there's a catch...) (even better...)
O You can spend 1 FP to 'activate' an item until the scene ends. Action rolls using this item have a +1 bonus.
You may possess all sorts of items and equipment, but they don’t provide a direct bonus unless activated
Bruiser Kicking ass and taking names.
Also, guns
Name Harm FP /6 XP
• When all of your harm boxes are filled, you are incapacitated
Concept • You can accept death, or pull through and take on a serious Conditon
Special Abilities
Fleeing Conditions
Volley- During ship combat, may use your turn to fire a volley:
O Weapons take 1 strain immediately
O Roll a d6. You can choose to push your luck and continue rolling Goals
additional dice, one-by-one, or stop at any point
O If the total exceeds 9, you have pushed too far - weapons take 2 strain
O Fire weapons once for each die rolled (excluding any die which
pushed you over the limit) Specialisations
Mind
Called shot- When you successfully hit a target during ship
combat, you may spend 1 FP to designate which of your target’s
rooms or modules is damaged

Tenacity- If you miss during combat (ship or in-person), you gain Body
a +1 bonus towards subsequent rolls to hit that target. This lasts until
you land a hit, or your attention shifts away from them (even briefly)

Tough nut- You can endure 4 harm instead of 3 Background

Reckless- Before making a roll with the intent of inflicting Harm,

you may describe how you daringly up the stakes. Deal +1 Harm to your
target if you succeed, but incur +1 Harm yourself if the result is a "No,
Expertise
but" or lower. This Harm is in addition to any normal outcome of the roll

Peer pressure- May spend 1 FP to push an ally, allowing

them a single use of any special ability on their sheet (including those
which they have not yet unlocked). Any FP cost for their ability is ignored Flaw

Action roll Focus points (FP)

O During play, just describe what your character does. Sometimes the GM will ask you to Focus Points represent your ability to grit your teeth and apply heroic effort in a tough situation.
roll in order to determine whether an action you are attempting succeeds or fails New characters start with 3 FP. You can use chips or tokens to represent them.
O Before you roll, clarify how you plan to act, and the intended outcome
During an Action Roll, you may do the following. Each can be invoked no more than once per roll:
O Count the total number of factors which are in your favour, and subtract the number O Spend 1 FP before an action to roll three dice instead of two (keep the best two)
which hinder you. This includes any relevant conditions, traits and specialisations O Spend 1 FP after rolling to reroll both dice (you must keep the new result)
O The GM will list any external factors which count for or against your action O Spend 1 FP after an ally rolls, describing how you step in to help them - reroll the lower of their two dice
O Roll 2d6, sum the two numbers shown, and then add the total number of factors O Forgo rolling and suffer an automatic "No, and" result, but gain 1 FP (except in a "low-stakes" situation)
O Check the table below to see whether things turn out as you intended: At any time:
O You can spend 1 FP to trigger a flashback - play out a short scene where you prepared something to give
you an advantage in the current situation. This ability means you can jump into action without spending too
Result 4 or less 5 6-7 8-9 10 11 or more
long planning and preparing ahead of time
No, and No No, but Yes, but Yes Yes, and O You can spend 1 FP to 'activate' an item until the scene ends. Action rolls using this item have a +1 bonus.
Success? (not only that...) (it's not all bad...) (there's a catch...) (even better...)
You may possess all sorts of items and equipment, but they don’t provide a direct bonus unless activated
Medic Making sure these idiots
make it back alive Name Harm FP /6 XP
• When all of your harm boxes are filled, you are incapacitated
Concept • You can accept death, or pull through and take on a serious Conditon
Special Abilities
Fleeing Conditions
Field medicine- May spend 1 FP to attempt medical care at
any time (except during Downtime). Make an Action roll, and reduce a
character’s Harm level by 1 if you succeed Goals

Patient care- Once during each Downtime phase you may

spend 5 supplies to reduce the Harm level of any crew member
(including yourself) by 1. This does not consume a Downtime Action Specialisations
Mind
Triage- Even under pressure, with one good look at a person you
can get a sense for their current and maximum Harm level, as well as
any physical Traits, Flaws and Conditions they may have

Body
Veteran- You have advantage in any rolls made with the intent of
reducing Harm or curing a physical Condition (roll 3d6, keep highest 2)

Narcotise- May spend 1 FP to medicate yourself or an ally. This

allows the effects of any medical or injury-related Conditions which they Background
are suffering from to be ignored for the duration of a scene or encounter
(within reason - they can ignore pain, but not physical reality)

Sideline- When you unlock Sideline, choose a special ability from Expertise
another character sheet to learn. You now have access to that ability

Flaw

Action roll Focus points (FP)

O During play, just describe what your character does. Sometimes the GM will ask you to Focus Points represent your ability to grit your teeth and apply heroic effort in a tough situation.
roll in order to determine whether an action you are attempting succeeds or fails New characters start with 3 FP. You can use chips or tokens to represent them.
O Before you roll, clarify how you plan to act, and the intended outcome
During an Action Roll, you may do the following. Each can be invoked no more than once per roll:
O Count the total number of factors which are in your favour, and subtract the number O Spend 1 FP before an action to roll three dice instead of two (keep the best two)
which hinder you. This includes any relevant conditions, traits and specialisations O Spend 1 FP after rolling to reroll both dice (you must keep the new result)
O The GM will list any external factors which count for or against your action O Spend 1 FP after an ally rolls, describing how you step in to help them - reroll the lower of their two dice
O Roll 2d6, sum the two numbers shown, and then add the total number of factors O Forgo rolling and suffer an automatic "No, and" result, but gain 1 FP (except in a "low-stakes" situation)
O Check the table below to see whether things turn out as you intended: At any time:
O You can spend 1 FP to trigger a flashback - play out a short scene where you prepared something to give
you an advantage in the current situation. This ability means you can jump into action without spending too
Result 4 or less 5 6-7 8-9 10 11 or more
long planning and preparing ahead of time
No, and No No, but Yes, but Yes Yes, and
Success? (not only that...) (it's not all bad...) (there's a catch...) (even better...)
O You can spend 1 FP to 'activate' an item until the scene ends. Action rolls using this item have a +1 bonus.
You may possess all sorts of items and equipment, but they don’t provide a direct bonus unless activated
Mediator I'm just here to make sure
nobody gets shot... Name Harm FP /6 XP
• When all of your harm boxes are filled, you are incapacitated
Concept • You can accept death, or pull through and take on a serious Conditon
Special Abilities
Fleeing Conditions
Serendipity- Start downtime with at least 5 FP, instead of 3

Pep talk- May spend 1 FP to encourage or reassure a crew Goals

member, increasing their FP by 1

Cold read- When you meet a person, you get an immediate Specialisations
sense for any Traits, Flaws or Conditions they have which relate to
their personality or state of mind Mind

Straight face- May spend 1 FP to ignore the effects of any

one Condition which you are suffering from, for the duration of a scene
or encounter (within reason - this cannot negate physical reality, but can Body
push through pain, distraction, fear or distress)

Rehearsal- May spend time preparing for an upcoming social

action (e.g. blending in, convincing or deceiving). When the time comes, Background
this gives advantage (roll 3d6, keep highest 2) in a single relevant action
roll of your choice. Can be used in preparation for an action you will
make yourself, or to coach a crew-mate

Expertise
Words of wisdom- Even if you're not nearby, you may
spend 1 FP after an ally rolls an undesirable result. Your ally recalls
some sage advice you once gave them, and may re-roll all of their dice

Flaw

Action roll Focus points (FP)

O During play, just describe what your character does. Sometimes the GM will ask you to Focus Points represent your ability to grit your teeth and apply heroic effort in a tough situation.
roll in order to determine whether an action you are attempting succeeds or fails New characters start with 3 FP. You can use chips or tokens to represent them.
O Before you roll, clarify how you plan to act, and the intended outcome
During an Action Roll, you may do the following. Each can be invoked no more than once per roll:
O Count the total number of factors which are in your favour, and subtract the number O Spend 1 FP before an action to roll three dice instead of two (keep the best two)
which hinder you. This includes any relevant conditions, traits and specialisations O Spend 1 FP after rolling to reroll both dice (you must keep the new result)
O The GM will list any external factors which count for or against your action O Spend 1 FP after an ally rolls, describing how you step in to help them - reroll the lower of their two dice
O Roll 2d6, sum the two numbers shown, and then add the total number of factors O Forgo rolling and suffer an automatic "No, and" result, but gain 1 FP (except in a "low-stakes" situation)
O Check the table below to see whether things turn out as you intended: At any time:
O You can spend 1 FP to trigger a flashback - play out a short scene where you prepared something to give
you an advantage in the current situation. This ability means you can jump into action without spending too
Result 4 or less 5 6-7 8-9 10 11 or more
long planning and preparing ahead of time
No, and No No, but Yes, but Yes Yes, and O You can spend 1 FP to 'activate' an item until the scene ends. Action rolls using this item have a +1 bonus.
Success? (not only that...) (it's not all bad...) (there's a catch...) (even better...)
You may possess all sorts of items and equipment, but they don’t provide a direct bonus unless activated
 THE SHIP Traits Supplies /100 Ship upgrades Cost: ~200k credits each

Fuel /10 Hull plating- Additional heavy plating increases the

number of boxes in the Hull Harm track to 5
Credits
Conditions Cargo Capacity: Cargo refit- Doubles capacity of all cargo bays,
and allows safe storage of hazardous materials

Mk II jump drive- Jumps require one less day of

travel time than they normally would

Rooms Cost: ~100k credits to refit Secondary tank- Increases fuel capacity to 20
If installed and in a usable state, rooms provide these benefits:
Amphibious operation- Your ship is outfitted with
O Crew Quarters: During downtime, crew members without special underwater equipment and propulsion systems
quarters must spend 1 FP or gain an Exhausted condition.
May be occupied by multiple people, but a crew member with Boarding hook- Specialised grappling hook allows
attempts to board hostile vessels, even while their engines
their own quarters gains an additional 1 FP during downtime
are still operational. Also useful for towing
O Galley: You dine together and have more efficient facilities.
Total supply cost when travelling is halved (round up to Magnetized Hull- When enabled, attracts nearby
scrap and metallic debris to the hull. Acts as temporary
nearest unit)
camouflage and shielding (+1 box to Hull Harm track)
O Cargo Bay: Allows storage of up to 5 tonnes of cargo. Other
rooms can always be temporarily repurposed to hold up to 2 Hardening- Aftermarket components increase the
number of boxes in the corresponding module's Strain track to 5
tonnes, but no longer provide their usual benefit
Engines Comms Weapons
O Medical Bay: Rolls to administer medical care have a +1
bonus. Actions taken during downtime to recover from Harm Weapon Systems Cost: ~200k credits each
(including a Medic's Patient Care) now consume no supplies
Missiles Cannons Flak Launcher
O Armoury: Stocked sufficiently to equip the crew with any
common personal weapons and ammunition

O Workshop: Performing repairs during downtime now consume Downtime actions

no supplies. Rolls to work on technical long-term projects When you spend downtime on the ship after a mission or major
Strain
Engines have advantage (roll 3d6, keep highest 2) excursion, everyone tops up their FP to at least 3, and chooses
Harm Damaged Disabled Destroyed
2 of the actions below (you may choose the same twice):
Strain O Shuttle Pod: With enough fuel and life support for 2 people to
Comms comfortably make short journeys between the planets of a O Training or practising a skill to gain 1 XP
Harm Damaged Disabled Destroyed
typical solar system. Able to shuttle the whole crew down to O Reflecting on or discussing your situation to gain 1 FP
Strain
Weapons the surface of a planet, at a stretch. No weapons or armour O Repairing 1 harm level of a damaged or disabled system, or
Harm Damaged Disabled Destroyed
patching a breached room (costs 5 supply)
• When a strain track overflows, harm increases and strain resets O Docking Clamp / Airlock: Allows docking to and boarding
O Working on a long-term project. GM decides if supplies are
• Strain resets when the ship is no longer in danger other ships in a vacuum. Without this you’ll need to use the
consumed, if rolls are necessary and how many steps it takes
Hull Harm main hangar doors, which require you to land
O Recovering from personal injury (1 harm level, costs 5 supply)
• When hull harm is maxed out, subsequent hits will breach into rooms
Ship combat actions
Cut or tear, so players
can easily reference Scan
Must be performed from the Bridge. Requires Comms system to be working.
Manoeuvre
O Pick a target ship, and roll 3d6 scanner dice (or 2d6 if comms are damaged)
Must be performed from the Bridge. Requires Engines system to be working.
O Lock in at least 1 die by placing it into the box matching its value. Reroll the rest
O Pick a target ship, and describe how you attempt to manoeuvre closer or further away
O Repeat, locking in and rerolling the remaining dice until they are all locked in
O Make a normal action roll, factoring in relevant Traits / Conditions of the environment,
ships and pilots involved. An additional -1 penalty is applied if engines are damaged O At any time during the current round, spend a die to ask the corresponding question.
Dice not spent this round are wasted.
O If successful, you are able to move one range band towards or away from the target
(and any other ships which are clustered next to it)

1 2
Where is its
What is the ship weak point?
You can mark or place tokens into this table to track range during combat:

5/6
equipped with? (+1 bonus to the next
roll attacking this target)

No

3 4
Is it preparing to question
What are the Harm
move or fire?
and Strain level of
(+1 bonus to the next
the ship's systems?
roll reacting to this)
Very Close Close Mid Far Very Far

Reroute power Fire weapons

Must be performed from the Engine Room. Requires Engines system to be working. Must be performed from the Bridge. Requires Weapons system to be working.

O Roll 3d6 power dice (or 2d6 if engines are damaged) O Pick a target ship, and choose a weapon which is installed on your ship
O Do up to 3 of the following now to redistribute power (may repeat the same action): O Each weapon type has a different modifier when used at different ranges - look it up on
(a) Split a die into two dice which add up to the same total the table below. An additional -1 penalty is applied if weapons are damaged
(b) Increase a die's value by one, and reduce another by 1 (discard if it drops to 0) O If you choose to aim for a particular module of the target ship, an additional -2 penalty
O You may spend a power die at any time during the current round (however if comms is applied. If you don't aim for a particular module, one will be chosen randomly
are disabled, you must allocate them all now). Dice not spent this round are wasted. O Make a normal action roll to attempt to hit the target. The modifier for the weapon/range
(a) Give a die to a teammate, who may use that result in place of any one d6 they’re is included in addition to any normal modifier (based on your character's traits etc.)
about to roll when using one of the ship's systems this round
O If the roll is successful, deal the amount of Harm specified on the table below
(b) Spend a die showing 4 or 5 to reduce a system’s strain by 1
(c) Spend a die showing a 6 to reduce a system’s strain by 3 V. Close Close Mid Far V. Far
Missiles -1 0 0 -1 -3

Power
harm: 2

Flak Launcher +1 0 -1 Ineffective Ineffective

harm: 2
Cannons 0 +1 0 -1
harm: 1 +2
 Rooms Cost: ~100k credits to refit

Quick
If installed and in a usable state, rooms provide these benefits:

O Crew Quarters: During downtime, crew members without quarters must spend 1 FP or
gain an Exhausted condition. May be occupied by multiple people, but a crew member

Reference
with their own quarters gains an additional 1 FP during downtime

O Galley: You dine together and have more efficient facilities. Total supply cost when
travelling is halved (round up to nearest unit)

O Cargo Bay: Allows storage of up to 5 tonnes of cargo. Other rooms can always be
temporarily repurposed to hold up to 2 tonnes, but no longer provide their usual benefit

Action roll O Medical Bay: Rolls to administer medical care have a +1 bonus. Actions taken during
O During play, just describe what your character does. Sometimes the GM will ask you to roll in order to downtime to recover from Harm (including a Medic's Patient Care) now consume no
determine whether an action you are attempting succeeds or fails supplies
O Before you roll, clarify how you plan to act, and the intended outcome O Armoury: Stocked sufficiently to equip the crew with any common personal weapons and
O Count the total number of factors which are in your favour, and subtract the number which hinder you. This ammunition
includes any relevant conditions, traits and specialisations
O Workshop: Performing repairs during downtime now consume no supplies. Rolls to work
O The GM will list any external factors which count for or against your action
on technical long-term projects have advantage (roll 3d6, keep highest 2)
O Roll 2d6, sum the two numbers shown, and then add the total number of factors
O Shuttle Pod: With enough fuel and life support for 2 people to comfortably make short
O Check the table below to see whether things turn out as you intended:
journeys between the planets of a typical solar system. Able to shuttle the whole crew

Result 4 or less 5 6-7 8-9 10 11 or more down to the surface of a planet, at a stretch. No weapons or armour

Success? No, and No No, but Yes, but Yes Yes, and O Docking Clamp / Airlock: Allows docking to and boarding other ships in a vacuum.
(not only that...) (it's not all bad...) (there's a catch...) (even better...)
Without this you’ll need to use the main hangar doors, which require you to land

Focus points (FP)

Focus Points represent your ability to grit your teeth and apply heroic effort in a tough situation.
Downtime actions
New characters start with 3 FP. You can use chips or tokens to represent them. When you spend downtime on the ship after a mission or major excursion, everyone tops up
their FP to at least 3, and chooses 2 of the actions below (you may choose the same twice):
During an Action Roll, you may do the following. Each can be invoked no more than once per roll:
O Spend 1 FP before an action to roll three dice instead of two (keep the best two) O Training or practising a skill to gain 1 XP
O Spend 1 FP after rolling to reroll both dice (you must keep the new result) O Reflecting on or discussing your situation to gain 1 FP
O Spend 1 FP after an ally rolls, describing how you step in to help them - reroll the lower of their two dice O Repairing 1 harm level of a damaged or disabled system, or patching a breached room
O Forgo rolling and suffer an automatic "No, and" result, but gain 1 FP (except in a "low-stakes" situation) (costs 5 supply)
O Working on a long-term project. GM decides if supplies are consumed, if rolls are
At any time:
necessary and how many steps it takes
O You can spend 1 FP to trigger a flashback - play out a short scene where you prepared something to give
you an advantage in the current situation. This ability means you can jump into action without spending too
O Recovering from personal injury (1 harm level, costs 5 supply)
long planning and preparing ahead of time
O You can spend 1 FP to 'activate' an item until the scene ends. Action rolls using this item have a +1 bonus. Fuel and supplies
You may possess all sorts of items and equipment, but they don’t provide a direct bonus unless activated
Typical costs: O Fuel = 500 credits / unit O Supplies = 25 credits / unit