1

Special thanks: Karl Bluemel, Aric Clark, Marjorie Clayman, Meredith Dreshar, Josh Dunham, Kiery
Franklin, Cara Gee, am !a"ler, Dale !orstman, Aaron !ouse, K# Adam Kunst, Mike McGrath, Dan
$%Connor, Brian Sites, aul &ise ################################################################################################################### '
$(): *(+,$D-C+*$( #################################################################################################################################### '
1.0 Parsec in Brief .................................................................................................................................................. 6
1.1 Science-Fiction .............................................................................................................................................. 6
1.2 Roleplaying ................................................................................................................................................... 7
1.3 Gae ............................................................................................................................................................ !
1." #$at %oes &e't ............................................................................................................................................ !
+&$: S)++*(G ############################################################################################################################################## .
2.0 %$apter (ntro)*ction ........................................................................................................................................ +
2.1 Setting ............................................................................................................................................................. +
2.2 ,istory ........................................................................................................................................................... 10
Socio-Economic Collapse .............................................................................................................................................................. 10
Corporate Consolidation .............................................................................................................................................................. 10
Reconstruction ............................................................................................................................................................................. 11
Invention ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 12
The Rise of the World Leaue ...................................................................................................................................................... 12
! "e# !e of E$ploration ............................................................................................................................................................ 1%
Timeline ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 1%
2.3 -*t$ority ....................................................................................................................................................... 1.
World &overnment ...................................................................................................................................................................... 1'
World &overnment (actions ........................................................................................................................................................ 1'
"ations ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 1)
"ational (actions ......................................................................................................................................................................... 1)
"eo-(eudal Corporations ............................................................................................................................................................. 1)
*o#erful Corporations ................................................................................................................................................................. 1+
Crime S,ndicates .......................................................................................................................................................................... 1+
Reliion ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 1-
Lanuae ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 1.
Insiders and /utsiders .................................................................................................................................................................. 20
2." /ec$nology .................................................................................................................................................... 20
"euroscience ............................................................................................................................................................................... 21
Ener, .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 21
(TL ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 22
Communication ............................................................................................................................................................................ 22
Intellient Soft#are ...................................................................................................................................................................... 2%
Space !daptation ......................................................................................................................................................................... 2%
Ro0otics ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 21
&enetics ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 21
2od, 3odification ........................................................................................................................................................................ 2'
Entertainment .............................................................................................................................................................................. 2'
!rcoloies .................................................................................................................................................................................... 2)
Warfare ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 2)
2.. 0ife on 1art$ ................................................................................................................................................... 27
Transportation ............................................................................................................................................................................. 2+
Spra#l .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 2-
2iodiversit, .................................................................................................................................................................................. 2.
&ar0ae ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 2.
/verstimulation ........................................................................................................................................................................... %0
2
2.6 Space ............................................................................................................................................................. 30
Liftoff ........................................................................................................................................................................................... %0
Space Stations .............................................................................................................................................................................. %0
Colonies ....................................................................................................................................................................................... %1
The Solar S,stem .......................................................................................................................................................................... %1
The 4niverse ................................................................................................................................................................................ %1
2.7 2anger .......................................................................................................................................................... 3"
&overnment Securit, (orces ........................................................................................................................................................ %'
Corporate Securit, (orces ............................................................................................................................................................ %'
/rani5ed Crime ........................................................................................................................................................................... %)
*irates and *rivateers .................................................................................................................................................................. %+
(reedom (ihters and Insurents ................................................................................................................................................. %+
Surveillance .................................................................................................................................................................................. %-
2.! 3o*r 4ni5erse ................................................................................................................................................. 3+
+!,)): C!A,AC+), #################################################################################################################################### /.
3.0 6*ic7 %$aracter %reation ................................................................................................................................ 3+
3.1 Story .............................................................................................................................................................. "0
3.2 %$aracter %reation ......................................................................................................................................... "0
2irth ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 10
Education ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 11
Wor6 ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 12
*assion ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 12
Templates .................................................................................................................................................................................... 1%
Sample Characters ....................................................................................................................................................................... 11
Last "ote on Character Creation .................................................................................................................................................. 1)
3.3 -ttri8*tes ....................................................................................................................................................... "7
3." S7ills .............................................................................................................................................................. "!
S6ill Levels .................................................................................................................................................................................... 1.
S6ills and !ttri0utes ..................................................................................................................................................................... 1.
S6ill 7escriptions .......................................................................................................................................................................... 1.
4sin S6ills ................................................................................................................................................................................... )1
Complications and Tr,in !ain ................................................................................................................................................... )2
3.. /raits .............................................................................................................................................................. 62
3odifications ............................................................................................................................................................................... )%
Speciali5ations .............................................................................................................................................................................. )%
E8uipment .................................................................................................................................................................................... )'
!rmor ........................................................................................................................................................................................... )-
Relationships ................................................................................................................................................................................ ).
3.6 Scars .............................................................................................................................................................. 70
*h,sical Scars ............................................................................................................................................................................... +0
*s,choloical Scars ....................................................................................................................................................................... +1
3.7 Stat*s ............................................................................................................................................................. 72
3.! S$ip8*il)ing ................................................................................................................................................... 73
&ettin /n a Ship ......................................................................................................................................................................... +%
The Cost of Ship0oard Life ........................................................................................................................................................... +%
Ship !ttri0utes ............................................................................................................................................................................. +1
Ship 7esins ................................................................................................................................................................................. +'
2uild ............................................................................................................................................................................................. +'
Si5e ............................................................................................................................................................................................... +'
Class ............................................................................................................................................................................................. +)
Ship Weaponr, ............................................................................................................................................................................. ++
4prade ....................................................................................................................................................................................... +-
Retrofit ......................................................................................................................................................................................... +.
Retrofit T,pes ............................................................................................................................................................................... +.
Ship Components ......................................................................................................................................................................... -0
3
F$-,: S0S+)M ############################################################################################################################################ 12
".1 2ice in Re5ie9 ................................................................................................................................................ !2
*reparation 7ice .......................................................................................................................................................................... -%
".2 /$e Str*ct*re of %onflict ................................................................................................................................. !3
/rient ........................................................................................................................................................................................... -1
!ct ................................................................................................................................................................................................ -1
Resolve ......................................................................................................................................................................................... -1
The Initiative ................................................................................................................................................................................ -1
".3 P$ysical %onflict ............................................................................................................................................ !6
9uic6 Com0at .............................................................................................................................................................................. -)
!0stract Com0at ......................................................................................................................................................................... -+
3aneuver and !ct ........................................................................................................................................................................ -+
Lon 3aneuver ............................................................................................................................................................................ --
Lon !ction .................................................................................................................................................................................. --
Without the Initiative: 3aneuver or !ct ...................................................................................................................................... -.
Close Com0at ............................................................................................................................................................................... -.
Raned Com0at ............................................................................................................................................................................ .1
"ormal Weapon Ranes 0, T,pe ................................................................................................................................................. .1
E$plosives ..................................................................................................................................................................................... .%
!rmor ........................................................................................................................................................................................... .1
Cover ............................................................................................................................................................................................ .'
Evasion ........................................................................................................................................................................................ .'
(ear .............................................................................................................................................................................................. .'
*ain and In;ur, ............................................................................................................................................................................. .)
7eath ........................................................................................................................................................................................... .+
Recover, ...................................................................................................................................................................................... .+
Spaceship Com0at ........................................................................................................................................................................ .-
7eterminin Rane ...................................................................................................................................................................... ..
Shootin ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 101
Evasion ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 101
<ero-& /rientation ..................................................................................................................................................................... 101
Scannin ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 102
*o#er 3anaement ................................................................................................................................................................... 102
Ta6in 7amae ........................................................................................................................................................................... 102
".. Social %onflict .............................................................................................................................................. 103
Winnin the Conflict .................................................................................................................................................................. 101
7e0ate ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 101
Seduction ................................................................................................................................................................................... 10'
Command ................................................................................................................................................................................... 10'
L,in ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 10)
Social Conflicts 0et#een *la,er-Characters ............................................................................................................................... 10)
".6 (nforation %onflict ..................................................................................................................................... 106
Sp,in ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 10+
=ac6in ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 10.
Interroation .............................................................................................................................................................................. 110
".7 -)5anceent ............................................................................................................................................... 113
&oals .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 111
/0stacles .................................................................................................................................................................................... 111
Secrets ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 11'
(inal "ote on !dvancement ....................................................................................................................................................... 11)
F*3): AD3*C) ############################################################################################################################################# 445
..0 /$e First Session ........................................................................................................................................... 117
2efore >ou 2ein ........................................................................................................................................................................ 11+
The (irst Time >ou Sit 7o#n ....................................................................................................................................................... 11-
&roup Template ......................................................................................................................................................................... 11-
Espionae Team ......................................................................................................................................................................... 11.
*irate or *rivateer Cre# ............................................................................................................................................................. 11.
4
Insurents .................................................................................................................................................................................. 120
Investiators ............................................................................................................................................................................... 120
Soldiers?Securit, (orces ............................................................................................................................................................. 120
4r0an Tri0e or 3ilitia ................................................................................................................................................................. 120
Corporate Suits .......................................................................................................................................................................... 121
Space E$plorers .......................................................................................................................................................................... 121
@aria0le: (ish /ut of Water ........................................................................................................................................................ 121
Conflict 0et#een *Cs ................................................................................................................................................................. 122
..1 Story ........................................................................................................................................................... 122
Character-7rivenA *lot-7rivenA ThematicA or Sand0o$ &ames .................................................................................................... 122
=eroesA @illains or !ntiheroes .................................................................................................................................................... 12%
3icroA 3acro or Cosmic in Scale ................................................................................................................................................ 121
=eav, Science or Science on the Side ........................................................................................................................................ 12'
..2 -)5ersity ..................................................................................................................................................... 12.
Recover, .................................................................................................................................................................................... 12'
..3 Setting ......................................................................................................................................................... 126
Slums and 2arrens ...................................................................................................................................................................... 12)
Cit, Core and (rine ................................................................................................................................................................... 12)
!rcoloies .................................................................................................................................................................................. 12)
Space Stations ............................................................................................................................................................................ 12)
Colonies ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 12+
Ships and Ship0oard Life ............................................................................................................................................................ 12+
"eo-(eudal Corporations ........................................................................................................................................................... 12+
Risin World &overnment .......................................................................................................................................................... 12-
Reha0ilitated "ational &overnments ......................................................................................................................................... 12-
.." %olla8oration ............................................................................................................................................... 12!
Wor6 #ith the *la,ers ................................................................................................................................................................ 12-
Wor6 #ith the 7irector .............................................................................................................................................................. 12.
Wor6 With Each /ther ............................................................................................................................................................... 12.
Consensus .................................................................................................................................................................................. 12.
... #inging (t ..................................................................................................................................................... 12+
"*C 7ice-pools ........................................................................................................................................................................... 12.
Causin *ro0lems in the CharacterBs Lives ................................................................................................................................. 1%0
&oalsA /0staclesA SecretsA *assionsA RelationshipsA Scars ........................................................................................................... 1%0
S*6: ,)S$-,C)S and ,)F),)(C) ############################################################################################################### 4/7
6.1 &on-Player %$aracters of &ote ..................................................................................................................... 130
=ans 2aeder ............................................................................................................................................................................... 1%0
Insala 3aBharim ......................................................................................................................................................................... 1%2
Tuc6er C3ac6D Elro, ................................................................................................................................................................... 1%%
Sere <ivanov ............................................................................................................................................................................. 1%1
=arper Conn ............................................................................................................................................................................... 1%'
Chen 7o-Chen ........................................................................................................................................................................... 1%+
!dmiral !m0er Salem ................................................................................................................................................................ 1%+
Sir Eonathon Fenned, ................................................................................................................................................................. 1%-
7ame 3aria Fenned, ................................................................................................................................................................. 1%-
6.2 :a;or <rgani=ations ..................................................................................................................................... 13+
The !frican 4nion (ree State Council ......................................................................................................................................... 1%.
The ChildrenBs Crusade ............................................................................................................................................................... 110
The 3ar6 of the 2east ................................................................................................................................................................ 110
The 3indshare Societ, ............................................................................................................................................................... 111
The "ovi,-Soviet ........................................................................................................................................................................ 111
*ost-=umanism .......................................................................................................................................................................... 112
*rotean &enetics ........................................................................................................................................................................ 11%
Reformed and /rthodo$ Scientolo, ......................................................................................................................................... 11%
S,lva Ener, Solutions ................................................................................................................................................................ 111
The World Leaue of "ations ..................................................................................................................................................... 111
6.3 Places of &ote .............................................................................................................................................. 1".
5
Eas, Cit, ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 11'
Casa0lanca ................................................................................................................................................................................. 11)
Station '1 ................................................................................................................................................................................... 11)
The Reliious Schisms ................................................................................................................................................................ 11+
6." S*8itting :aterial for t$e Setting .............................................................................................................. 1"+
6
Special thanks: Karl Bluemel, Aric Clark,
Marjorie Clayman, Meredith Dreshar,
osh Dunham, Kiery !ranklin, Cara "ee,
#am $a%ler, Dale $orstman, Aaron
$ouse, K& Adam Kunst, Mike Mc"rath,
Dan '(Connor, Brian )ites, #aul *ise
<&1> (&/R<24%/(<&
4#7 arsec in Brie8
#arsec is a science-fiction roleplaying game
set a++ro,imately 2-- years in .arth(s /uture&
0he main scienti/ic 1cheat( that it utili2es is
the e,istence o/ /aster3than3li%ht tra4el 4ia
lar%e shi+s called Baeder Dri4es& 'ther5ise,
the settin% is an attem+t to re+resent a
+lausi6le /uture 6ased on 5hat is kno5n no5
5ith technolo%y that 5e may not ha4e, 6ut 5e
can easily ima%ine&
#arsec uses 63sided dice 5hich are rolled
a%ainst a tar%et num6er in a resolution system
that is sometimes task36ased and at other times
con/lict36ased& 0he num6er o/ dice that you
roll is determined 6y your character(s natural
a6ilities 7Attri6utes8, trained a6ilities 7)kills8,
other modi/iers 70raits, e9ui+ment,
relationshi+s, )cars8 and the character(s
situation 7situational modi/iers8& Dice rolled
5hich sho5 a num6er hi%her than or e9ual to
the tar%et num6er are successes: more
successes re+resent a more e//ecti4e attem+t to
accom+lish somethin%&
;n #arsec, there is a Director 5ho is in char%e
o/ /acilitatin% the %ame /or a small %rou+ o/
+layers: 335 is ideal& 0he +layers hel+ de/ine
the %ame(s settin% 7the 5orld 5here the story
takes +lace8 and situation 75hat is ha++enin%
in that 5orld8, as 5ell as ho5 their characters
+ro%ress o4er the course o/ multi+le sessions&
#arsec can also 6e +layed as a 1one3o//( or
con4ention3style %ame 5ith one story resol4ed
in a sin%le session&
;n #arsec, there is the usual +hysical com6at
5hich can in4ol4e anythin% /rom +eo+le to
s+aceshi+s& 0here are also social con/licts,
5here status is at stake and in/ormation
con/licts, 5here secrets are either +rotected or
/orced into the li%ht& ;t is your choice 5hether
these con/licts are resol4ed 5ith a cou+le die3
rolls or 5ith a lot more detail<it(s com+letely
u+ to you and your /riends&
0here is a lot o/ /le,i6ility in choosin% 5hat
you 5ant your %ame to 6e a6out, in de/inin%
the settin% and the situation o/ the %ame, as
5ell as in 5hat kinds o/ characters you 5ant to
+lay& All o/ this 5ill 6e co4ered in a lot more
detail later in this 6ook, 6ut in all cases, it is
u+ to you to& 0he most im+ortant +oint is to
ha4e /un=
;/ you understood all o/ the a6o4e, /eel /ree to
ski+ to section 1&4& ;/ not, don(t 5orry > kee+
readin%&
4#4 9Science:Fiction;
)cience3/iction is a %enre o/ /iction in 5hich
some o/ the assum+tions a6out the 5orld are
chan%ed& '/ten, science3/iction takes +lace in
the /uture, as is the case 5ith #arsec& ;t usually
in4ol4es ad4anced technolo%ies una4aila6le or
im+ossi6le ri%ht no5, as 5ell as s+eculation
around 5hat societies and +eo+le 5ill 6e like
in the /uture&
;t is common /or science3/iction to +ro4ide
commentary on our +resent li4es& )ometimes
an as+ect o/ our e4eryday li/e is e,a%%erated
to sho5 +otential /uture +ro6lems or a +resent
trend mi%ht 6e e,tra+olated into the /uture to
sho5 the conse9uences o/ our actions& Many
science3/iction stories and mo4ies ask the 6i%
9uestions > *ho are 5e? *hy are 5e here?
*hat does it mean to 6e human? *hat are our
social, technolo%ical, co%niti4e and s+iritual
limits?
)ome science3/iction stories adhere to kno5n
science more ri%orously than others& ;n #arsec,
5e try to stick close to 5hat 5e think 5ill 6e
+ossi6le& *e run a risk, o/ course, o/
em6arrassin% oursel4es 6y sayin% that
somethin% ha++ens 1-- years /rom no5 5hen
it may ha++en tomorro5& 0hat(s 5hy science3
/iction stories like The Time Machine or
Journey to the Center of the Earth remain
@
interestin% no5, 6ecause 5e can see 5hat
+eo+le 1-- years a%o thou%ht our 5orld 5ould
6e like& Ao dou6t, 5e(re no more accurate&
0he only intentional scienti/ic BcheatC is the
Baeder Dri4e, 5hich is a /aster3than3li%ht
en%ine that can carry s+aceshi+s across 4ast
distances 4ery 9uickly& *e intentionally don(t
e,+lain e,actly ho5 those 5ork 7yet8&
'ther5ise, 5e think 5hat 5e talk a6out is
+lausi6le&
;n #arsec, 6ecause 5e try to stick to Bhard
scienceC, the 5orld 5e de+ict intentionally
e,a%%erates some o/ the thin%s in our o5n
5orld and time that 5e think are interestin%&
$uman 6ein%s ha4e journeyed into s+ace and
are 6uildin% lon%3term homes outside o/ the
.arth /or the /irst time& 0he Baeder Dri4es are
o+enin% u+ e,+loration o/ the solar system and
o/ distant stars and +lanets as 5ell& Back on
.arth, there is a %reat deal o/ con/lict as
human 6ein%s are 6asically s+lit into t5o
%rou+s, the ;nsiders 5ho ha4e e4erythin% and
the 'utsiders 5ho ha4e almost nothin%&
4#2 9,oleplayin";
As the descri+tion su%%ests, in #arsec the
+eo+le +layin% the %ame take on roles > you
+ortray characters that you ima%ine and create
and then connect them to%ether in a story you
tell as you %o& Most o/ the +layers ha4e one
character that they /ocus on, like an actor in a
+lay 5ho only +ortrays one character, 6ut one
o/ the +layers needs to 6e the Director, 5ho
doesn(t +ortray any s+eci/ic character& 0he
Director %uides the %ame and +ortrays the
characters that you meet o4er the course o/ the
story& 0he Director is also in char%e o/
decidin% ho5 to im+lement the rules /airly, so
he must 6e /amiliar 5ith ho5 #arsec 5orks&
*hen you are a +layer in #arsec, you should
ha4e t5o thin%s on your mind at the same
time& 0he /irst isD What would my
character do? Enlike in a +lay, there is no
1scri+t( in #arsec& Four character can try to do
anythin% you can think u+& 0he 5ay you
decide 5hat your character 5ill try in any
%i4en situation is 6y ima%inin% them as an
inde+endent +erson and ima%inin% 5hat they
5ould do, ho5 they 5ould res+ond to a %i4en
situation& Fou also need to kee+ in mind 5hat
your character can do& Four character has
+articular skills and a6ilities and relationshi+s
that make u+ 5ho she is, just like any +erson
does > so she isn(t %oin% to 6e %ood at
e4erythin%, and some thin%s 5ill 6e
im+ossi6le& Four character is still human
7+ro6a6ly8, a/ter all&
0he second thin% /or a role3+layer to kee+ in
mind isD What would be interesting or fun
in this situation? As 5e already said, your
character can try anythin%, 6ut remem6er that
you are still 5orkin% 5ith the other +layers to
come u+ 5ith an interestin% story that 5ill 6e
/un to +lay out 5ith the hel+ o/ the Director&
ust 6ecause your character can try anythin%,
ho5e4er, doesn(t mean the she should try
5hate4er comes to mind& '/ all the o+tions
you ha4e /or your character in a %i4en
situation, choose the one that adds to the /un
/or the 5hole ta6le 5hene4er you can&
*hen you are the Director in #arsec, your jo6
6oils do5n to t5o 6asic 9uestions& 0he /irst is
What happens next? 0he +layers are
res+onsi6le /or makin% u+ their o5n minds,
6ut you as the Director are in char%e o/ ho5
the 5orld res+onds to the +layer3characters(
actions& Are they no5 in trou6le 5ith the la5?
$a4e they made an enemy 5ho 5ill come
a/ter them? 'r ha4e they /ound an ally 5ho
5ill hel+ them in the /uture? *hat are their
o++onents thinkin% and doin% 5hile they +lan
their ne,t mo4e?
0he second 9uestion to kee+ in mind as a
Director is How can complicate this in an
interesting way? A story 5ithout con/lict
and ad4ersity isn(t 4ery interestin%& Fou don(t
5ant to crush the +layers and /rustrate them all
the time, 6ut they 5ill ha4e more /un i/ their
characters ha4e to /i%ht to reach their %oals&
;/ this seems like a lot to kee+ track o/, don(t
5orry& #arsec has a lot o/ thin%s that hel+ you
/i%ure out 5hat your character mi%ht do in a
%i4en situation, 5hat kinds o/ choices 5ould
6e most interestin%, 5hat ha++ens ne,t, and
ho5 to com+licate the characters( li4es in
interestin% 5ays, and once you are /amiliar
G
5ith the %ame, e4erythin% %ets easier, so don(t
5orry&
4#/ 9Game;
#arsec isn(t just a 5ay o/ +layin% the roles o/
characters in a story to%ether, it is also a %ame&
;t has rules and systems and 5ays to resol4e
9uestions just like any other %ame& ;t is an
interestin% kind o/ %ame 6ecause it isn(t like
Mono+oly or Hisk 5here one +erson 5ins and
e4eryone else loses& ;n #arsec 7like all other
role3+layin% %ames8, either e4eryone 5ins or
e4eryone loses& .4eryone 5ins 5hen the story
mo4es /or5ard, 5hen e4eryone is ha4in% /un,
and 5hen your characters de4elo+ in
interestin% 5ays& .4eryone loses 5hen the
action 6o%s do5n, 5hen the story sto+s
makin% sense, or 5hen only a /e5 o/ the
+eo+le at the ta6le are ha4in% /un&
'ne 5ay that #arsec is a %ame is that it injects
some randomness into 5hat you descri6e your
characters tryin% to accom+lish& 'ther5ise,
there 5ould 6e a lot /e5er sur+rises& ust like
in real li/e, sometimes 5hen you try
somethin%, you /ail > it isn(t al5ays your /ault,
6ut somethin% ha++ens to %et in your 5ay&
#arsec uses dice to decide 5hen this ha++ens,
so that there(s al5ays a chance that the +layers
5ill 6e sur+rised at 5hat ha++ens&
#arsec is also a %ame 6ecause it has s+eci/ic
rules, and there are multi+le 5ays to use these
rules to accom+lish 5hat you 5ant& #art o/
#arsec is +layin% 5ith the %ame itsel/,
mani+ulatin% the rules that you /ind in this
6ook to ma,imi2e the /un&
;n #arsec, all o/ the rules 6oil do5n to
decidin% 5hen to roll dice& Fou roll 63sided
dice and the num6ers that come u+ on the dice
hel+ tell you 5hat ha++ens& 0he 5ay you
decide ho5 many dice to roll is a com6ination
o/ /actors > 5hat your character is %ood at and
the situation that your character is in& 0he
+layers control 5hat their characters are %ood
at and the Director controls 5hat the situation
is like& A skilled character in a %ood situation
5ill roll more dice than an unskilled character
in un/a4ora6le conditions& May6e the +oor
/ello5 5on(t e4en 6e allo5ed to roll any dice&
As 5e(4e said, some thin%s are sim+ly
im+ossi6le&
*hat num6ers you look /or on the dice 5hen
you roll them is also determined 6y 5hat your
character is %ood at& *hen you roll the dice,
you count BsuccessesC, dice that sho5
num6ers that are e9ual to or hi%her than the
Btar%et num6erC& *ith a tar%et num6er o/ 6,
only 6(s on the dice count as successes& 0he
more successes rolled, the 6etter the result /or
the character& Fou 5ant lots o/ successes=
*ith a tar%et num6er o/ 4, 4(s, 5(s and 6(s all
count as successes& )o you can already see that
5ith 6 dice, /or e,am+le, a tar%et num6er o/ 4
is much 6etter than a tar%et num6er o/ 6 > it
means the di//erence 6et5een a4era%in% 1
success and 3 successes= ;n #arsec, all tar%et
num6ers are 6et5een 2 and 6, and tar%et
num6ers are always determined 6y a
character(s )kills 7those are discussed in
Section 3.38&
4#< &hat Comes (e=t
;n !hapter " 5e discuss ho5 to create or
ada+t a 5orld /or your %ame to take +lace in&
0he %rou+ o/ +layers does this to%ether& *hen
you decide 5here your %ame 5ill take +lace,
you are also decidin% the kinds o/ +ro6lems
and o++ortunities that come u+ durin% the
story you are creatin%& ;/ you don(t 5ant to
create or ada+t your o5n settin% /or your
story, there is in/ormation on a settin% that
anyone can use /or #arsec, 5ith its o5n
history and +resent situation already 5orked
out /or you& ;/ you do create your o5n
settin%s, there 5ill 6e a chance /or them to 6e
incor+orated into the 1o//icial( #arsec 5orld&
;n !hapter #, 5e discuss ho5 +layers create
characters& *ith these rules, you can create
any kind o/ +erson 5ho mi%ht e,ist in the
#arsec settin% as it is descri6ed, or ada+t a
character to your o5n settin% i/ that is 5hat
you +re/er& Character creation accounts /or
e4erythin% a6out your character u+ to the +oint
5here your +articular story 6e%ins& Iike the
settin% elements you create, your characters
also ha4e a chance to 6ecome +art o/ the
#arsec 1canon(&&
J
;n !hapter $, 5e e,+lain the rules that %uide
a %ame o/ #arsec& 0his includes the rules /or
resol4in% con/licts characters 5ill %et
themsel4es into, 5hether they are con/licts
o4er social standin%, in/ormation, or li/e3and3
death stru%%les& 0here is also a section /or
6attles 6et5een shi+s in s+ace 5hether they
are small one3+erson /i%hters or lar%er military
4essels& All o/ these rules are desi%ned to
resol4e these con/licts 9uickly so that the
%ame(s action remains /ast and e,citin%& 0he
cha+ter also e,+lains ho5 characters chan%e
and im+ro4e o4er time&
!hapter % contains ad4ice /or +lay& 0his is the
cha+ter 5here 5e +ut more in/ormation that
you(ll 5ant to ha4e to run a #arsec %ame 5ith
your /riends, 5ith lots o/ ti+s and +ointers that
5ill make your %ame run more smoothly and
your stories e4en 6etter&
!hapter & is dedicated to resources /or
#arsec, includin% more detailed in/ormation
on the #arsec settin% 5hich can 6e ada+ted as
you see /it /or your o5n settin%& 0hese
include names and in/ormation on +o5er/ul
indi4iduals, cor+orations, and %o4ernment
a%encies, all o/ 5hich can 6e thro5n in to an
ad4enture /or additional une,+ected
com+lications. This chapter also lets you
know how the setting elements and characters
you create can become part of the official
published setting&
;/ you miss somethin% in these cha+ters, don(t
5orry& 0here is a cha+ter summary at the end
o/ each that %oes o4er the main +oints o/ each
section, remindin% you 5here to /ind the
im+ortant in/ormation /rom that cha+ter&
/#<> S1//(&G
)ide6arD All o/ this is intended /or a %rou+
5antin% to run a lon%3term #arsec %ame& ;/
you are only intendin% to run a short %ame or
e4en a one3shot, ski+ to the Cha+ter )ummary
at the end o/ this cha+ter /or an o4er4ie5 o/
5hat you need to do to de/ine your settin% and
situation, and then mo4e on to character
creation&
2#7 Chapter *ntroduction
;n this cha+ter, 5e talk a6out creatin% a settin%
and a situation /or your #arsec %ame& Fou(ll
also learn a6out the history o/ the de/ault
settin% and some o/ the major in/luences on it&
*e then talk a6out the kinds o/ technolo%y
you mi%ht see in a #arsec %ame, and then
some more s+eci/ics a6out the +laces your
characters mi%ht see durin% the course o/ your
story& !inally, there are some e,am+les o/
s+eci/ic threats characters mi%ht /ace in a
#arsec %ame to hel+ s+ark ideas /or your
ad4entures&
2#4 Settin"
Be/ore you 6e%in creatin% characters /or a
#arsec %ame, you need to kno5 some thin%s
a6out the 5orld they inha6it& ;n #arsec a
settin% is +ro4ided, 5hich 5ill 6e e,+anded
u+on in /uture su++lements, 6ut you can
al5ays use the %ame system to 6uild your o5n
settin%, re/lectin% your 4ersion o/ .arth(s
/uture&
)ettin% includes a %reat deal > not only the
1+resent( o/ the %ame, 6ut also the +ast& ;t
includes all o/ the in/luences that may a//ect
the characters, as 5ell as the 5orld they
inha6it& $o5 you 6uild u+ your settin% 5ill
determine 5hat kinds o/ themes your %ame
in4ol4es, as 5ell as 5here your characters can
e,+lore durin% the course o/ the %ame&
0he 6est 5ay to 6uild u+ your settin% is to
del4e into its +ast > 5hich is essentially
e4erythin% im+ortant that ha++ened /rom the
1+resent( in 5hich this %ame is 6ein% 5ritten
7the start o/ the 21
st
century8, to the 1+resent(
o/ the %ame35orld o4er 2-- years later& '/
course, you don(t ha4e to s+ell e4erythin% out,
6ut 5hat you do choose to mention hel+s
sha+e the settin%& !or e,am+le, i/ you mention
a lot a6out major 5ars in your settin%(s
history, you are +ro6a6ly settin% u+ a %ame
that 5ill in4ol4e a lot o/ com6at, or 5ill 6e the
story o/ soldiers /i%htin% in /uture military
skirmishes& ;/, on the other hand, you descri6e
a history o/ con/licts 6et5een 4arious +olitical
and economic +o5ers, each maneu4erin%
6ehind the thrones and +odiums to sei2e
1-
in/luence and retain it, you are settin% u+ a
%ame that 5ill +ro6a6ly in4ol4e a lot o/
intri%ue&
2#2 !istory
0o make thin%s a little easier, 5e(ll +ro4ide
the tem+late that is 6ein% used to de4elo+ the
de/ault #arsec settin%& 0here are si, sta%es
6uildin% u+ to the %ame(s 1+resent(D )ocio3
.conomic Colla+se, Cor+orate Consolidation,
Heconstruction, ;n4ention, 0he *orld Iea%ue,
and the Ae5 A%e o/ .,+loration& 0hese sta%es
descri6e major times o/ chan%e or turnin%
+oints in the #arsec settin%: /eel /ree to use
them or use your o5n& !ollo5in% is a more
detailed treatment o/ each sta%e o/
de4elo+ment& !eel /ree to use it all and sa4e
yoursel/ some 5ork, or modi/y it in any 7and
e4ery8 5ay to make your %ame s+eci/ic to
your tastes& As always do whate!er is needed
to make sure e!eryone has fun.
Socio-1conoic %ollapse
"#o one thought it could happen. $n the end it was a
marriage made in %ell a conspiracy of Jewish and
Muslim terrorists to bring down western ci!ili&ation
and bring about the end of the world. #o one thought it
could happen not until the nuke went off somewhere
under Saudi Arabia. Eighty percent of the world's
remaining oil supply burned away in seconds. #o
nation no one escaped the after(effects. )!ernight
trillions of dollars !apori&ed. *ithin weeks and months
the weather changed as the smoke that had once been
the world's fuel enclosed the world in black clouds for
days without end. *ithout fuel no one could har!est
crops and with little sun there wasn't enough food to
go around.
BCi!ili&ation pro!ed a thin !eneer. Emergency
go!ernments sei&ed power e!erywhere. $t was no longer
the age of democracies but a return to the rule of the
+ungle(( he who has the most guns makes the rules and
e!eryone has guns. The terrorists got what they wanted
a world collapse bigger than anything in written
history. $ hope they're happy. $'d wish they'd go rot in
%ell, instead they brought %ell to e!eryone else.-((
Taralla .rancis /0eflections on the Collapse1 )ne
*oman's 2iary'
#arsec +resumes a %lo6al economic colla+se
simultaneously 5ith a 5orld en4ironmental
crisis 6eyond the means o/ any %o4ernment to
co+e 5ith the t5in dilemmas& ;ne4ita6ly, 5hen
resources %ro5 scarce, +eo+le 7and
%o4ernments8 +anic, and /i%htin% 6reaks out
/or any num6er o/ reasons<%reed, /ear, or
reli%ious /undamentalism& 0hese crises cause
the 1death( o/ the normal 5orld, an e4ent
re/erred to as the Collapse&
.conomies 4anished o4erni%ht, and 5ars and
/amine s+read like 5ild/ire& A /e5 5ealthy
elites hoarded their resources and retreated to
de/ended encla4es to 5atch the 5orld 6urn&
Des+erate nations du% into their 5ea+ons
stock+iles and 6attled each other 6rutally /or
the last resources a4aila6le, and 5hen those
ran out, the 5orld system +lun%ed into chaos&
0he Colla+se le/t its mark e4ery5here& 0here
are still desolate cities, scarred 6y 6om6s and
city3/i%htin% 5hile others are hal/3dro5ned,
6attered 6y hurricanes and steadily risin% sea
le4els& )ome o/ these cities 5ere ne4er re3
settled and are no5 homes to 'utsiders 5ho
ha4e no 6etter +lace to li4e& )ome remain
em+ty, %host3to5ns and %host3cities,
inha6itants eradicated 6y 6iolo%ical 5ea+ons
or a6andoned /or unkno5n reasons&
0he Colla+se is an e,cellent reason to chan%e
5hate4er names you 5ant to chan%e& 0he
+o5er/ul cor+orations o/ the /uture 5on(t
necessarily ha4e anythin% to do 5ith the ones
that are +o5er/ul no5& But some 5ill ada+t
and sur4i4e& #erha+s some 5ill thri4e on the
su//erin%& )cience3/iction is an e,cellent mode
o/ social commentary i/ that(s the kind o/
%ame you 5ant to ha4e&
%orporate %onsoli)ation
;n the 5ake o/ the Colla+se, national and
international +olitical structures lay in ruins&
)lo5ly, or%ani2ations /ormed 5hich 6e%an
re6uildin% the 5orld(s economy > /or their
o5n +ro/it, o/ course& 0he consolidation, /or
all the o++ression it has led to since, in/used
ne5 order and a sense o/ direction into 5hat
remained o/ human societies& Iackin% a
counter36alance to their +o5er, these
economic or%ani2ations 5ere 9uickly 6uilt
into me%a3cor+orations and mono+olies,
assumin% the authority usually rele%ated to
%o4ernments& Kotin% still e,isted, 6ut only /or
o5ners o/ 4otin% shares in a %i4en
11
cor+oration& )chools 5ere 6uilt, 6ut they 5ere
technical schools aimed at trainin% children to
5ork in the 6ur%eonin% economy&
As time marched on, cor+orate +o5ers 6uilt
+ri4ate security /orces, armies in all 6ut name,
5hich they em+loyed a%ainst each other and in
de/ense o/ their resource and +roduction
mono+olies& )lo5ly, a ne5 kind o/ order %re5
in the 5orld& ;/ anythin% remained o/ national
and international %o4ernments, it 5as 4esti%ial
only& 0hey 6ecame, /or a time, a /ootnote o/
the ne5 histories 6ein% com+osed&
"The elimination of go!ernments will pro!e to be a
godsend for e!eryone. 3o!ernments are nothing more
than leeches on economies and prosperity ta4ing
e!eryone to pro!ide benefits that would be better
pro!ided by corporations with a !ested interest in
success at minimal cost. The in!isible hand of
economics work and should continue to do so. $t is in
the best interests of our corporation to continue
rehabilitation of the local agriculture and a5uaculture
as well as the recycling of resources to minimi&e the
necessity of dependence on other corporations
especially those seeking a competiti!e ad!antage within
the 66CC sphere of influence.- ((*hite 7aper
6acamas 6iability(0eco!ery and Credit Corporation
Reconstr*ction
;n/rastructure 5as re6uilt and im+ro4ed u+on&
Cor+orations claimed territories that had 6een
a6andoned or +urchased the land in shady
deals no di//erent than .uro+eans 6uyin%
Ion% ;sland hundreds o/ years earlier /rom the
;ndians& 0hey de/ended their interests a%ainst
all comers creatin% a tenuous 6alance o/
+o5er, o/ten marred 6y short, 4iolent con/licts
and constant industrial es+iona%e and
sa6ota%e&
0he system that emer%ed 5as kno5n as Aeo3
!eudalism& At the to+, 6oards o/ directors o/
4arious cor+orations made the 6i% decisions&
Beneath them 5ere +ro%ressi4ely diminishin%
le4els o/ authority /unctionin% like medie4al
no6ility > ser4in% the Kin% as needed, 6ut 5ith
almost total say3so o4er their o5n day3to3day
a//airs& 0hese mana%ers each mana%ed some
as+ect o/ a cor+oration(s o+erations, and each
o/ them, in turn, em+loyed their o5n +eo+le&
.,+ansion occurred throu%h /ranchisin% as
ne5 markets and ne5 o++ortunities o+ened
75hether or%anically or throu%h military
action8&
.ach cor+oration(s territory 6ore the distinct
marks o/ that cor+oration and ho5 it did
6usiness, as 5ell as it(s o5n distinct style o/
+er4asi4e 6randin%& ;n/ormation 5as
encry+ted di//erently in each, and each had its
o5n +ri4ate armies& .ach com+any /unctioned
like it(s o5n totalitarian state, e,+andin% 6y
5ay o/ /ranchise into ne5 territories&
.missaries 5ould 6e sent to ne%otiate
economic relations, and 5hen talks /ailed,
small 5ars 7the 6rush/ire 5ars o/ a +re4ious
century8 o/ten 6roke out 6et5een cor+orations
4yin% /or the same resource or market&
All the 5hile, ne5 technolo%ies 5ere
de4elo+ed as human culture re3in4ented itsel/&
0he most si%ni/icant de4elo+ment durin%
Heconstruction 5as the in4ention o/ /usion
+o5er and the /irst e//orts at lar%e3scale
s+ace/li%ht and e,+loration& !usion technolo%y
+ro4ided a6undant ener%y, sur+assin% 5hat
5as a4aila6le /rom /ossil /uels at any time in
history: it 5as the /irst time there 5as more
+o5er a4aila6le than needed 6y man and his
industries& 0he limitin% /actor 5as that the rare
elements re9uired /or /usion technolo%y
5eren(t a4aila6le in lar%e 9uantities on .arth:
instead, they 5ere a4aila6le in 9uantity only in
+laces like the sur/ace o/ Mars or the
atmos+here o/ the %as %iants u+iter and
)aturn& !usion +o5er +ro+elled humanity out
into s+ace once a%ain, and ne5 colonies 5ere
esta6lished to %ather and re/ine these rare
elements necessary /or ad4anced technolo%ies&
)olar technolo%y de4elo+ed to re+lace the
colla+se o/ the /ossil /uel economy and
au%ments /usion reactors, 5hich remain
di//icult to 6uild and maintain&
"8ou know $ don't buy that the corporations are in
control. $'!e done some research on 9:
th
and ;<
th
century history and no sir $ don't buy it for a minute.
$f you follow the money trail you'll see the same people
are in power that ha!e always been in power=only the
form has changed not the substance. $sn't it ama&ing $
can trace my genealogy !ia the hypernet but $ can't
find anything about the members of the Tri(6ateral
Commission> *hy is there no information about
membership in the ?a!arian $llumination> 8ou know
why> ?ecause they don't want you to know.-((Crunk
2obson Economic Millennialist
12
(n5ention
Almost a %eneration a%o, a man named $ans
Baeder de4elo+ed a method o/ /aster3than3
li%ht tra4el& $e 5as an idealist and a dreamer
o/ almost un+recedented %enius, counted
amon% the %reatest thinkers e4er to li4e&
*orkin% +rimarily on his o5n, he desi%ned a
theoretical en%ine ca+a6le o/ /aster3than3li%ht
7!0I8 tra4el /easi6le %i4en the current state o/
technolo%y and ener%y resources&
Baeder 5as also a romantic, disillusioned 5ith
the neo3/eudal system o/ his time& $e read the
rare sur4i4in% documents that talked a6out a
+re4ious 5orld system re%ulated 6y a 5orld
%o4ernment in 5hich all nations +artici+ated&
0his system ser4ed as a check a%ainst
cor+orate +o5er and as a /orum in 5hich, in
theory at least, all 4oices could 6e heard&
Hather than %i4e his /indin%s to a cor+oration
or e4en start his o5n com+any, $ans Baeder
sou%ht out ;kio )urosan, /i%urehead leader o/
the last 4esti%es remainin% o/ the old 5orld
%o4ernment& Baeder immediately donated the
desi%n /or his en%ine, 5hat immediately
6ecame kno5n as the Baeder Dri4e, to
)urosan and 5hat remained o/ the old 5orld
%o4ernment& $e 6elie4ed that all o/ humanity
should 6ene/it /rom his 5ork, and that his
in4ention could usher in a ne5 a%e o/
economic and social +ros+erity /or all o/
mankind, 6rin%in% distant stars into man(s
reach&
;t didn(t turn out like he +lanned& 0he
remainin% re+resentati4es o/ national
%o4ernments, such as they 5ere at the time,
sa5 Baeder(s %i/t as a %rand o++ortunity to
turn the ta6les on the cor+orations& 0hey took
the desi%n /or the dri4e and under $ans
Baeder(s su+er4ision, they 6uilt the /irst
+rototy+e& 0he +roject 5as ke+t secret&
)urosan +ersuaded Baeder that the
cor+orations 5ould sa6ota%e the +roject, ne4er
mentionin% that Baeder(s ideas 5ere the
national %o4ernments( 6est chance /or
re%ainin% +o5er&
At last, the /irst Baeder Dri4e 5as tested,
tra4elin% /aster than li%ht 6ack and /orth /rom
just outside .arth(s %ra4ity 5ell to the ed%e o/
the %ra4ity 5ell o/ )aturn& #olitical, social,
and economic u+hea4al 5as once a%ain
ine4ita6le&
As /or $ans Baeder, he(s ne4er 6een seen
sinceL&
"$ am not sure ?aeder is significant nor do $ worry
about whate!er happened to him. %is in!ention the
faster(than(light dri!e was ine!itable. $f he had not
e4isted someone else would'!e created it instead. %e
was merely in the right place at the right time for
history no different than 6ouis @$A %itler or
Telleson.-((unknown speaker BC
th
0andcor Seminar on
7ractical Applications of Duantum 7hysics
/$e Rise of t$e #orl) 0eag*e
0he res+onse to the success/ul testin% o/ an
!0I dri4e 5as, in a 5ord, hysteria& *orld
%o4ernments 5hich had 6een i%nored /or
decades 5ere not thou%ht to 6e ca+a6le o/
such a +roject, much less kee+ it secret& 0he
Dri4e 5as 6uilt under the %uise o/ creatin% a
starshi+ sym6oli2in% 5orld unity& ;t 5as a
+roject lar%ely sco//ed at 6y cor+orations 3
thou%h, ironically, se4eral donated /unds /or
the s+acecra/t, all in the ho+es o/ %eneratin%
+ositi4e +u6licity&
)hortly 6e/ore the inau%ural jum+ o/ the
Baeder Dri4e, the *orld Iea%ue o/ Aations
5as /ormed /rom the remains o/ the lon%3
de/unct EA& 0he +lan 5as re4ealed only to a
/e5 /or%otten heads o/ state and +arliaments
5ho remained 9uiet, a5are that the *IA 5as
+art o/ the %am6it /or sei2in% +o5er a5ay
/rom the cor+orations& .ach o/ the sur4i4in%
nations committed their remainin% arsenals to
the de/ense o/ the ne5 Dri4e, a5are that the
cor+orations 5ould not relin9uish +o5er
5illin%ly&
A/ter the /irst success/ul test, shocked
cor+orations immediately and /orce/ully made
claims to 4arious +arts o/ the Dri4e, re/errin%
to their o5n lon%standin% mono+olies and
claimin% that +atented materials and +rocesses
5ere used& ;n res+onse, the ne5 *IA dusted
o// old, rarely3cited re%ulatory la5s that hadn(t
6een en/orced in almost a hundred years& 0he
result 5as the /irst lar%e3scale 5ar to include
national interests in a lon% time&
13
Mean5hile, millions /locked to the ne5 *IA,
hatin% the neo3/eudalism o/ unchallen%ed
cor+orate control& Aational %o4ernments
9uickly 5rote ne5 constitutions or re4ised old
ones, all an,ious to send dele%ates to the
*IA, ho+in% to attract the su++ort o/
dissenters& 0hou%h many 5ho chan%ed
alle%iance 5ere soldiers, +ilots, scientists and
others 5ith critical skills, /or the most +art,
ho5e4er, the 1con4erts( to the *IA(s cause
5ere e4eryday men and 5omen, the
im+o4erished, +eo+le least content 5ith the
5ay thin%s are, ho+in% that someho5 the
*IA 5ould make their li4es 6etter&
0he con/lict 5ith the cor+orations 5as 6rutal
and escalated 9uickly& ;t 6e%an 5ith neo3
/eudal 4ictories on e4ery /ront& 0he
determinin% /actor, ho5e4er, 5as the ori%inal
Baeder Dri4e, /ollo5ed 6y the construction o/
more, each im+ro4in% the ori%inal desi%n and
%i4in% the *IA a %reat ad4anta%e in the s+ace
surroundin% .arth, its /orces a6le to mo4e
9uickly /rom one location and rea++ear
millions o/ kilometers a5ay instantly& 0he
*IA ruled outer s+ace, and just as control o/
the air had 5on the %reat 5ar o/ .arth in the
middle o/ the 2-
th
century, so no5 did control
o/ s+ace +ro4ide the 6asis /or 4ictory&
0he *IA 6ecame the central %o4ernment on
.arth 5ith indi4idual nations as its
su6ordinate mem6ers& Cor+orations had to
deal 5ith a re%ulatory system 5ith teeth, and
anyone 5ho re9uired /aster than li%ht tra4el
has had to +ay the *IA to do so e4er since&
As more 6usiness re9uired !0I tra4el and
commerce e,+anded, so, too, did the *orld
Iea%ue o/ Aations( re4enue& )lo5ly, 9uietly,
the *IA has %ro5n in +o5er since, its leaders
5aitin% /or the moment to assert total control
o4er the cor+orations, 5aitin% /or the moment
5hen the cor+orations are so inde6ted to the
*IA that they cannot +ut u+ a /i%ht&
- &e9 -ge of 1'ploration
$o5 Baeder Dri4es /unction remains a 5ell3
ke+t secret, in/ormation that any cor+oration
5ould ha++ily kill to +ossess& #rotectin% this
secret ruthlessly is the +rimary /ocus o/ the
*IA(s security and military /orces at all
times& Attem+ts ha4e 6een made to re4erse3
en%ineer and re+licate Baeder(s 5ork, 6ut they
ha4e in4aria6ly /ailed& $e 5as an o6scure
researcher and +hysicist 5ith /e5 academic
+u6lications > and those that he +u6lished
ha4e mysteriously disa++eared, alon% 5ith
$ans Baeder himsel/&
;n the meantime, !0I tra4el has o+ened u+ the
stars to humanity& 0he main limitation remains
the a4aila6ility o/ ener%y& .4en thou%h it is
+ossi6le /or a Baeder Dri4e to tra4el 6et5een
the stars, this tra4el re9uires an e,traordinary
amount o/ ener%y& Because o/ the /uelMener%y
costs, tri+s 5ith Baeder Dri4es are al5ays
care/ully +lanned&
'ne source o/ 6alance 6et5een the *IA and
cor+orate interests is that the ener%y
in/rastructure necessary /or !0I tra4el is
almost entirely run 6y cor+orate mono+oly&
0his maintains a tense 6alance 6et5een the
hi%h +rice that cor+orations +ay to tra4el /aster
than li%ht and the hi%h +rice that the *IA
+ays /or ener%y& ;t is a 6alance o/ +o5er that
no one likes, 6ut no one is 5illin% to
jeo+ardi2e&
/ieline
Fear 'ne is 5hen the *orld Iea%ue o/
Aations took o4er the No//icialN .arth calendar
and re3started it 5ith the /oundin% o/ their o5n
or%ani2ation retroacti4ely& Because o/ this
chan%e, they ado+ted a 5ay o/ delineatin%
years 6y usin% +ositi4e or ne%ati4e inte%ers
7rather than BC.MC., the archaic /orm8&
'pprox( -)** 0his is the year usually
associated 5ith the Colla+se& $istorians 5ho
5ork on reconstructin% the history o/ the
e4ents kno5n as the Colla+se trace this date to
the second century o/ the second millennium
in 5hat 5as kno5n as the Common .ra&
Di%ital records /rom 6e/ore this time are
almost entirely unreada6le and most +rinted
records 5ere destroyed in massi4e ur6an
5ild/ires, /ire6om6in%s, lootin% and nuclear
detonations&
'pprox( -+* 0he Aeo3!eudal .ra 6e%ins, on
o//icial *IA calendars, 5ith the /ormation o/
14
5hat 5ill 6ecome )il4a .ner%y, the /irst, and
still the lar%est, su+er3cor+oration&
-,# 0he A/rican Enion !ree )tate Council is
/ormed, resultin% in a num6er o/ small 5ars on
the continent as .uro+ean, Asian and
American interests are 4iolently e,+elled&
-&) 0he AE!)CNs B05el4e3Fear #lanC ends
5ith the landin% o/ its /irst astronauts on the
Moon&
-$# !irst o//5orld terrorist attack > Mar,ist
e,tremists smu%%le e,+losi4es onto a Iunar
module 5hich lands on the MoonNs sur/ace
near a colony and they detonate it, killin%
hundreds and destroyin% 6illions o/ dollars o/
in4estment&
-") - -)+ !irst Martian Ci4il *ar 6e%ins
6et5een ri4al ice3minin% com+anies and
s+reads to include the majority o/ colonies
there& 0he /oundin% o/ the Mars Han%ers
occurs in +art 6y or%ani2in% 4i%ilante %rou+s
/ormed durin% this con/lict&
-ear .ero 0he Aeo3!eudal .ra ends 5ith the
decision o/ the *IA to /ully /und the 6uildin%
and testin% o/ the /irst Baeder Dri4e, usin%
almost all o/ the a4aila6le ca+ital o/ all
mem6er3nations&
-ear /ne 0he *orld Iea%ue o/ Aations is
/ounded out o/ the 5recka%e o/ the old Enited
Aations as a counter+oint /or +ri4ate economic
+o5ers and o//icially 6e%ins makin% le%al
claims o/ authority o4er and a%ainst the Aeo3
!eudal cor+orations& 0he A/rican Enion !ree
)tate Council re/uses to join the *IA, 6ut
maintains di+lomatic relations 5ith it and
colla6orates on humanitarian initiati4es&
'ther5ise, /or%otten national authorities /lock
to the *IA /rom 5hat 5ere Aorth and )outh
America, .uro+e and .ast Asia&
0" ;nau%ural jum+ o/ the Baeder !0I Dri4e
/rom outside .arthNs %ra4ity 5ell to outside
)aturnNs %ra4ity 5ell and 6ack& .stimates say
that enou%h ener%y 5as used to +o5er e4ery
major city on .arth /or a month and des+ite
the distance o/ the 6e%innin% and end3+oint
7/arther out than the Moon8, the /lash 5as
4isi6le in the cloudless ni%ht sky&
0# - 0)" 0he !irst Aeo3!eudal *ar 6et5een
the *orld Iea%ue o/ Aations and a coalition
o/ cor+orate mono+olies, ends in O12 5ith the
4ictory o/ the *IA, the si%nin% o/ multi+le
treaties reco%ni2in% *IA authority in matters
o/ manu/acture and commerce, and the
6e%innin% o/ a cold 5ar&
0% 0he $uman Bill o/ Hi%hts is +assed
throu%h the *orld Iea%ue o/ Aations
Assem6ly, includin% in its list a +ro4ision
a%ainst the o5nershi+ o/ a human 6ein%&
0)# A num6er o/ small, 6rutal con/licts 6reak
out as the *IA seeks to en/orce its Bill o/
Hi%hts, li6eratin% 5orker3/arms in the
Asteroid Belt and massi4e sla4e +lantations in
)outheast Asia& Around the 5orld, o5nershi+
clauses si%ned 6y em+loyees o/ a thousand
cor+orations are suddenly 4oid&
0)% Declassi/ied documents cite this as the
/irst date that a Baeder shi+ 5as sent to
coloni2e an .arthlike 5orld circlin% a distant
star > renamed /rom $D 412@G to Ae5 $o+e&
Ao documents mentionin% any return3jum+s
ha4e 6een declassi/ied&
0"# )er%e Pi4ano4 and his cre5 steal a
Baeder Dri4e shi+ and jum+ out o/ the solar
system, +resuma6ly to coloni2e an .arthlike
5orld they call B.denC& Pi4ano4 remains the
*IANs Most *anted $uman Bein%&
0"1 ;n #@7rime !s. the *orld 6eague of
#ations, an ar%ument /or A; ci4il ri%hts is
+resented 6y the A; itsel/& 0he case is locked
u+ inde/initely in the a++eal +rocess&
0## 0he De/ense Hi%hts Act is +assed,
limitin% cor+orate armies in an attem+t to
+re4ent escalation to5ard another solar3
system 5ar& )il4a .ner%y, 5ith the lar%est
+ri4ate de/enses /orce o/ any cor+oration,
/i%hts the la5 in court and re+ortedly
continues its recruitment and 5ea+ons3
de4elo+ment in secret& 'ther cor+orations
/ollo5 suit, and *IA clandestine ser4ices are
stretched thin tryin% to kee+ track&
'pprox( 0%* A %ood startin% year /or a #arsec
%ame&
15
2#/ Authority
)omeone is al5ays in char%e& 0here is al5ays
a 6i%%er /ish& *ithin #arsec, there are
+articular cate%ories that these +o5er3+layers
/all into& *hen 5orkin% on the s+eci/ics o/
your %ame(s settin% and situation, it is
5orth5hile to %i4e some thou%ht to ho5 each
o/ these cate%ories o/ authority interact 5ith
each other and ho5 they 5ill a//ect the +layer3
character(s li4es& !or more on +o5er/ul
or%ani2ations and in/luential +eo+le in the
settin%, see sections 6&2 and 6&3&
#orl) Go5ernent
0he *IA is a study in contradictions& 'n the
one hand, it is the sole +ro+rietor o/ the most
ad4anced technolo%y e4er to 6e de4elo+ed > a
dri4e that can +ro+el a shi+ /aster than the
s+eed o/ li%ht& 'n the other, it is de+endent on
cor+orate +roduction and technolo%y /or
almost e4erythin% it re9uires on a day3to3day
6asis& )ecurity /orces 5orkin% /or the *IA
o/ten ha4e archaic 5ea+onry sal4a%ed /rom
national stock+iles, 6ut its elite /orces are
armed 5ith the 6est e9ui+ment a4aila6le, all
+aid /or /rom re4enues that the Baeder Dri4es
6rin% in&
.4en as it tries to +ro4e its le%itimacy, the
*IA continues to attract idealists and
o++ortunistic ideolo%ues alike, all tryin% to use
the *IA to /urther their o5n %oals& 0errorists,
+olitical +hiloso+hers, /reedom /i%hters,
humanitarians and cast3o//s /rom the %reat
cor+orations all /ind a home there& 0he *IA
is a constant clash o/ incredi6ly di4erse ends
<a modern 4ersion o/ the 2-
th
century(s
Enited Aations, e,ce+t 5ieldin% real, concrete
+o5er&
0he *IA continues to attem+t to en/orce
re%ulations and la5s on the 6ooks, 6ut +assed
%enerations a%o, 5hile +assin% ne5 ones 5hen
the old are /ound to 6e incura6ly out o/ date&
;n the early days o/ the *IM, this led to
numerous skirmishes 5ith one cor+oration or
another, 6ut e4entually, cooler heads
+re4ailed, and a ne5 solution, a com+romise,
5as de4elo+ed&
Com+liance 5ith re%ulation and acce+tance o/
the *IA(s authority %uaranteed a
cor+oration(s access to Baeder Dri4e tra4el as
5ell as reduced /ees /or said tra4el& ;n
addition, com+liance %ranted /urther
+rotection > the *IA(s 5illin%ness to use its
standin% army 7made u+ o/ soldiers /rom
mem6er nations8 in con/licts 6et5een
com+liant and non3com+liant cor+orations&
Cor+orations 5ere /aced 5ith t5o distinct
choices& )ome a%reed, concedin% +o5er to the
*IA in return /or the lo5er /ees and added
+rotection to 6alance thin%s out, 5hile others
rejected the *IA(s authority, relyin% on their
o5n cor+orate +o5er /or their +rotection,
toleratin% the hi%her /ees and other e,+enses,
ho+in% that 6y remainin% 1/ree(, the lack o/
re%ulations and restrictions 5ould +ay o// in
the lon% run&
;n the li4es o/ +layer3characters, the *IA 5ill
+rimarily come into a story i/ they tra4el
5ithin 7or 6eyond8 the solar system& 0he
*orld Iea%ue o/ Aations is 6ecomin% the one
centrali2ed /ocal +oint /or +olitical, social and
economic +o5er, and that has an ine4ita6le
e//ect on characters& ;t is /illed 5ith dissention
and con/lict, 6ut it has claimed to re+resent all
o/ the +olitical +o5ers o/ .arth& *hether
colonies 5ithin the system 5ill declare
inde+endence /rom their cor+orate o5ners is
yet to 6e seen&
#orl) Go5ernent Factions
*ithin the s+heres o/ %o4ernment and 5ithin
the *IA itsel/, there are three distinct major
/actionsD
$nter!entionists
0hey 6elie4e the *IA has the ri%ht and duty
to in4ol4e itsel/ in inter+lanetary and, i/
necessary, interstellar, a//airs& 0hey 6elie4e in
usin% the +o5er o/ the *IA, increasin% its
in/luence at e4ery o++ortunity, and o+enly
contestin% the authority and +o5er o/ the
cor+orations, criminal or%ani2ations, and any
other %rou+ that could 6e a +otential threat to
the *orld Iea%ue& Hadical inter4entionists
/a4or usur+in% the +o5er and ri%hts o/
mem6er states /or the sake o/ the 5hole&
16
7rotectionists
#rotectionists 6elie4e mem6er nations( ri%hts
are sacrosanct, so that mem6ershi+ in the
*IA 5ill %uarantee the sur4i4al o/ mem6er3
nations a%ainst outside a%%ressors&
#rotectionists 4alue security a6o4e all else and
ne4er com+romise on issues that they /eel %o
a%ainst the *IA(s security interests&
0e!olutionaries
0hese radicals and insurrectionists see the
*IA as an o++ortunity to o4erturn the +o5er
structures that ha4e dominated li/e on .arth
since medie4al times& 0hey tend to 6e a loose
amal%amation o/ Ie/tists and Aeo3!ascists,
includin% %enuine /reedom3/i%hters as 5ell as
e,tremists 5ho +re/er anarchy to any /orm o/
centrali2ed %o4ernment&
;n most circumstances, the #rotectionists
re+resent the majority 4ie5 and /e5 5ho hold
that 4ie5+oint 5ould e4er 6e considered
radicals& Durin% crises, the ;nter4entionist
4ie5+oint is heard more loudly, %i4en their
status as a 4ocal minority 5hile the
re4olutionaries are le/t on the /rin%es o/ the
or%ani2ation, a5ay /rom +o5er, thou%h this is
makin% the He4olutionary s+here more radical
5ith time&
&ations
Ender the ae%is o/ the *IA, a num6er o/
national %o4ernments ha4e re3asserted their
authority, reesta6lishin% old national
6oundaries 5hich o/ten cut across ne5er
cor+orate territorial 6oundaries& Aational
%o4ernments, %enerally s+eakin%, sim+ly
reca+itulate the con/licts o/ the *IA on a
some5hat smaller scale& 0here is also 5ide
4ariation /rom nation to nation, includin%
more than just lan%ua%e and some cultural
traits 5hich ha4e +ersisted o4er time&
Many o/ the +o5er/ul cor+orations started o//
as %o4ernment mono+olies or state3o5ned
industries, and in some cases the reconstituted
national %o4ernments are makin% le%al claims
/or control o/ some o/ these cor+orations&
Aeedless to say, this is a source o/ endless
heated con/lict&
&ational Factions
#o!iy(So!iet
0his is an im+ro4ed mani/estation o/ the
t5entieth3century )o4iet system, includin%
+arts o/ China, much o/ 5hat 5ere once
#akistan, A/%hanistan, and ;ran, some o/ the
old )o4iet Enion and .uro+e, and a /e5 allied
Iatin American states& 0he Ao4iy3)o4iet is
6ound to%ether economically and +olitically
rather than 6y %eo%ra+hy, makin% u+ /or the
%eo%ra+hical o+enness 5ith re+ressi4e +olitics
and in/ormation3control& 0hou%h a su++orter
o/ the *IA, the Ao4iy3)o4iet nations resist
increased *IA in/luence in their home
territories, makin% the Ao4iy3)o4iet a
com+etitor 5ith the *IA in addition to the
cor+orations& 0he Ao4iy3)o4iet considers
itsel/ a +eer to the lar%est cor+orations, since
6usinesses under its control are theoretically
o5ned 6y the state& ;n reality, the A3) must
%rant cor+orations a %reat deal o/ lenience, and
it is +la%ued 6y de6t and /re9uent shorta%es&
The African Enion .ree State Council
0his or%ani2ation o/ A/rican nations turned to
radical isolationism in the a/termath o/ the
Colla+se& *hile relati4ely im+o4erished
com+ared to many other re%ions o/ the 5orld,
1-- years o/ A/rican nations and ethnic %rou+s
or%ani2in% themsel4es 5ithout outside
inter/erence has, rather sur+risin%ly, led to an
era o/ +eace and in some +laces %enuine
+ros+erity& A/rica is the lar%est re+ository o/
natural resources remainin% on .arth, and the
6ene/its o/ that natural 5ealth ha4e 6een
enjoyed 6y the AE!)C mem6er states&
Because o/ this 5ealth, the Council de4elo+ed
and maintains a +o5er/ul military in order to
5ard o// inter/erence /rom the *IA, the A3),
cor+orate interests and other %rou+s 6itter at
the loss o/ access to chea+ la6or and materials&
;n some cases, these con/licts ha4e led to
outri%ht 5ar/are 5ith the AE!)C or%ani2in%
%uerilla cam+ai%ns until the outsiders lose the
5ill 7and /inancin%8 to continue and 5ithdre5&
&eo-Fe*)al %orporations
0he socio3economic colla+se descri6ed a6o4e
is license /or any %i4en %rou+ o/ +layers to
1@
come u+ 5ith ne5 cor+orate names, or to use
ones they are /amiliar 5ith i/ they +re/er& ;n
the #arsec milieu, most o/ the old cor+orations
o/ the early 21
st
century 5ere 5i+ed out,
6ankru+ted, or 6ou%ht out 3 thou%h this means
that some e,istin% cor+orate names 5ill still
look /amiliar&
Cor+orations are +rimarily 6uilt around a
hori2ontal mono+oly or 4ertical inte%ration&
Mono+olies are 5ell kno5n 5hile com+anies
5ith 4ertical inte%ration o5n all as+ects o/
+roduction 7ran%in% /rom o5nershi+ o/ minin%
ri%hts all the 5ay to o5nin% the store /ronts
that sell to consumers8& Aot all cor+orations
are hu%e& )maller cor+orations +er/orm
s+eciali2ed tasks /or other /irms, utili2in% that
s+eciali2ation 7as 5ell as +ayin% /inancial
1tri6ute( to lar%er cor+orations8 to maintain
their inde+endence& Most o/ the cor+orations
that si%ned the *IA charter are smaller ones,
seein% the charter as /urther +rotection o/ their
ri%hts and +ro+erty&
*hen 6uildin% the hierarchy /or a s+eci/ic
cor+oration, kee+ /eudalism in mind& ;nstead
o/ oaths o/ /ealty, there are contractual
o6li%ations& ;nstead o/ tithes and ta,es, there
are /ranchise and licensin% /ees& Cor+orations
are insular, and relationshi+s 6et5een them are
care/ully re%ulated to a4oid the lar%e3scale
con/licts 5hich ha4e scarred the +ast&
Cor+orate 5ars, in style, resem6le the 5ars o/
Iouis Q;K and Marl6orou%h more than they
do the total 5ar style o/ the American Ci4il
*ar or the 5orld 5ars o/ the 2-
th
century&
Po9erf*l %orporations
Syl!a Energy 70radin% as )."F8
)."F is one o/ the most +o5er/ul
or%ani2ations any5here in the settin%&
!ounded 6y the )yl4a /amily o/ +re3Colla+se
Bra2il, 5ho many %ossi+ers su%%est has a
history similar to that o/ the Bor%ias o/
medie4al ;taly, it achie4ed early +o5er 5hen
it 6ou%ht the assets o/ the colla+sed Bra2illian
%o4ernment& )yl4a .ner%y has its hands in
ener%y +roduction and distri6ution
e4ery5here, and as it %re5, )."F e4ol4ed
into a 6ureaucratic 6ehemoth, e4en thou%h it is
still run 6y the same /amily 5hich has
controlled the cor+oration /or more than a
century&
0he )yl4as are ruthless, and the in3/i%htin% o/
the /amily is le%endary, as ruthless as their
treatment o/ outsiders 5ishin% to dis+lace
them& Cor+orate mana%ement is handled in
similar /ashion, /osterin% outri%ht com+etition
6et5een em+loyees 3 those 5ho are stron%est
rise to the to+ 5hile those on the 6ottom are
/or%otten&
7rotean 3enetics 70radin% as #H'"8
#H'" is at the cuttin% ed%e o/ %enetic
en%ineerin% and mani+ulation and is a major
/undin% source /or smaller com+anies
en%a%in% in 6iolo%ical e,+erimentation& ;ts
%enesis 5as as an amal%amation o/ 4arious
cor+orate entities 6ou%ht out and consolidated
in the years a/ter the Colla+se& )ince then,
#H'" has 6een at the /ore/ront o/ %enetics, a
+osition they maintain throu%h a loose
inter+retation o/ 5hat they le%ally can and
cannot do& #rotean "enetics, in a landmark
le%al case 7decided in a /or3+ro/it court o/
ne%otiation in the 4acuum o/ national or
international courts<the case 5as kno5n as
10he #rotean A%enda Case(8, 5as the /irst
+ri4ate entity to +urchase a human 6ein% > a
num6er o/ human 6ein%s, in /act& 0he decision
stated that Bthe +eo+le sold themsel4es o/ their
o5n accord, so that the de/endant has no need
to justi/y their actions here in a 6usiness
ar6itration courtroom&C
"E!er hear of Joseph Mengele> %e's the guy who
singlehandedly wiped out a million Jews for the #a&is.
%e's one of the most e!il !ile things to e!er walk the
planet. $f aliens e4ist and use him as e!idence of
humanity's !alue we are worthless. So let's be clear
about this because this isn't hyperbole1 Mengele had a
better set of ethics than any of these F2E6ETE2 .)0
70).A#$T8F.-((2arrell )range commenting on the
!erdict in the 7rotean Agenda case=his daughter sold
herself for ;<<<<< Eurocreds and a free week at the
7ara(2isney #orth Canadian Aacation 0esort Comple4
%rie Syn)icates
0here is a lon% and storied history o/
or%ani2ed crime /unctionin% as an
intermediary in the shado5s 6et5een areas o/
cor+orate control, and as the *IA ti%htens
1G
controls, there is a cons+icuous %ro5in%
demand /or 6lack market %oods and ser4ices&
Crime syndicates ha4e held a stran%e +osition
in the +ast, o+eratin% on market +rinci+les o/
su++ly and demand, just in ille%al %oods and
ser4ices& Cor+orations ha4e tolerated this to
some de%ree, and ha4e e4en made use o/
syndicates /or their o5n +ur+oses, 6ut they do
not a++reciate any encroachment on their
control&
0he emer%ence o/ the *IA rein4i%orated the
%reat crime syndicates as 5ell as creatin% ne5
ones 5hich /illed ne5 market niches& 0he
*IA is less tolerant than cor+orations 5ere in
the +ast, and this has led to /re9uent con/licts
6et5een the t5o kinds o/ authority,
%o4ernmental and illicit, e4en resultin% in
im+licit /ree3/ire 2ones to restrict the ille%al
trans+ort o/ %oods&
;n contrast to the mono+olies that are at the
heart o/ the cor+orations, crime syndicates
tend to 6e /ar less centrali2ed& Authority is
maintained throu%h 4iolence intimidation and
6lackmail > there is a %reat deal o/ in/ormation
that they ha4e 5hich could com+romise
+o5er/ul +eo+le i/ re4ealed&
Behind the e4eryday ille%al acti4ities o/ the
crime syndicates, rumors e,ist that the 4arious
or%ani2ations actually ha4e a central
leadershi+ that o4ersees criminal acti4ity
5orld5ide > to5ard 5hat end, no one
kno5sLor at least no one(s talkin%& ;n
addition, it is a +oorly3ke+t secret that the
*IA is 5illin% to o4erlook criminal acti4ity
5hich circum4ents the cor+orations&
Chen 2o Chen
$e is a /orce o/ nature& $e is /eared, re4ered,
and hated, 6ut ne4er i%nored& 0here is
s+eculation that 1he( is actually a num6er o/
+eo+le rather than just a sin%le man& $o5 else
could he 6e e4ery5here, yet ne4er seen, ne4er
cau%ht? 0he /act o/ the matter is, ho5e4er,
that the criminal under5orld has a kin%, and
his name is Chen&
/?ra&ilian' 7ri!ateers
0here(s a %reat deal o/ +ro/it in +iracy, and
cor+orations are a5are o/ that& )ome o/ the
most or%ani2ed criminals are +ri4ateers
o+eratin% their o5n cra/t, 6oats and shi+s on
5ater5ays, 6ut also s+ace3ca+a6le cra/t a6le to
+rey on inter+lanetary car%o haulers&
By tradition, most o/ these +irates and
+ri4ateers s+eak Ae5 #ortu%uese, the
lan%ua%e o/ Bra2il and eastern )outh America&
;t has led to rumors that most +irates are in the
em+loy o/ )yl4a .ner%y&
0his rumor has +lenty o/ truth to it 3 it is no
secret that )yl4a o//icially +ays +ri4ateers to
+rey on its com+etitors in s+ace& 0hey /launt
the +ractice as yet another mode o/
intimidation& ;n the meantime, there is
tremendous money and notoriety to 6e earned
in the +oorly %uarded shi++in% lanes 6et5een
stations and colonies&
Religion
0he 5orld(s major reli%ions still e,ist, thou%h
they ha4e under%one si%ni/icant chan%es&
A/ter the Colla+se, reli%ious or%ani2ations
5ere the only %rou+s acti4ely seekin% to hel+
the +oor& Ae5 reli%ious mo4ements and sects
ha4e s+run% u+, more acce+tin% o/ the ra+id
chan%e and sel/3au%mentation that has come
5ith inter+lanetary tra4el and ad4ances in
%enetic and cy6ernetic technolo%y&
Heli%ion is a stron% or%ani2in% /orce amon%
'utsiders on .arth, and in some cases, on the
s+ace stations and the colonies in the solar
system as 5ell& Heli%ion is a 5ay o/ orderin%
li/e that %oes 6eyond the neo3/eudal structure
that has 6een in +o5er /or %enerations<there
is more to e,istence than +o5er& *hile the
*IA is nominally secular, it is also
conser4ati4e 6y nature& 0his means that
reli%ions and the *IA o/ten ha4e com+ati6le
%oals& Means, on the other hand, are 9uite
another story > the *IA is more 5illin% to
utili2e o4ert 4iolence to achie4e their ends&
'/ course, cor+orations ha4e no o6jection to
+hiloso+hies that em+hasi2e +aci/ism and
o6eyin% tem+oral +o5ers, so it should 6e no
sur+rise that many leadin% cor+orate /amilies
ha4e stron% reli%ious ties as 5ell& Heli%ious
%rou+s o/ten jum+ at the chance to con4ert
1J
such +o5er/ul +atrons, e4en thou%h others see
this as the /aith sellin% out its core 4alues&
#arsec +layers should /eel /ree to in4ent odd
cults that ha4e s+run% u+ as humanity has
made ad4ances out into the solar system& 70his
is also a chance to include major 5orld
reli%ions as social /orces in the %ame&8 )ince
many o/ the reli%ions that sho5 u+ in #arsec
5ill 6e /amiliar to 2-
th
century readers,
thou%h, 5e need to 6e clear that this is just
%ame, and i/ dealin% 5ith reli%ion is %oin% to
cause con/lict at your ta6le, there(s no reason
you ha4e to address it at all&
0eformed Scientology and )rthodo4
Scientology
0he t5o 6ranches o/ )cientolo%y continue to
/i%ht their internecine 5ar, tearin% throu%h
Aorth America and .uro+e& 0he /i%htin% is
deadly, takin% +lace in densely +o+ulated
ur6an areas& Much o/ it is carried out 4ia
6om6in% and acts o/ terrorism as 5ell as
assassination& !i%htin% 6e%an o4er matters o/
doctrine too arcane /or the casual o6ser4er, 6ut
it is 5ell3kno5n that in/luential cele6rities led
the 6reak /rom the B'rthodo,C 5in% and took
many o/ their /ans 5ith them&
The Eni!ersal Catholic Church
0he ECC 5as /ormed 5hen a 6rie/ Catholic
schism 5as re+aired in the 5ake o/ the
Heconstruction& 0he schism started o4er social
issues, 6ut more +ressin% issues came to the
/ore/ront as the +lanet(s %o4ernments
dissol4ed and .arth di4ided into cor+orate
s+heres o/ in/luence& 0hose 5ho s+lit decided
to reunite 5ith the Homan church in a less
centrali2ed structure 5hich allo5ed more
autonomy /or +articular re%ions& )ince
reuni/ication, the ECC has 6een the stron%est
or%ani2ed reli%ious 4oice on .arth& 0hou%h
their resistance 5as lar%ely unsuccess/ul, until
the rise o/ the *IA, the ECC 5as the lar%est
or%ani2ation 5illin% to stand u+ to the actions
o/ the 5orld3s+annin% cor+orations&
The Mindshare Society
0he Mindshare )ociety 5as /ormed 5hen
6rain35a4e recordin% technolo%y 6ecame
sensiti4e enou%h to record rudimentary
e,+eriences as they ha++ened& #lay6ack
technolo%y /ollo5ed soon a/ter, leadin% to
simsene4, or simulated sensory e,+eriences&
0he Mindshare )ociety 6elie4es that humanity
must e4ol4e i/ they 5ish to rule the %ala,y,
and 5orks to create a hi4e3mind 5here all
mem6ers share e,+eriences in real3time o4er a
hy+er3communications net5ork& 0hey are
hi%hly secreti4e and incredi6ly 5ell3
or%ani2ed, makin% it almost im+ossi6le /or
outsiders to determine 5hat their +lans are&
0hose 5ho are not true 6elie4ers consider
)ociety mem6ers to 6e cultists and odd6alls&
)ociety mem6ers 4ie5 1normals( as
indi4iduals 5ho ha4e not yet 6een
enli%htened, 6ut 5ill 6e con4inced in time&
"0eligion is indeed the self(consciousness and self(
esteem of man who has either not yet won through to
himself or has already lost himself again. ?ut man is
no abstract being s5uatting outside the world. Man is
the world of man=state society. This state and this
society produce religion which is an in!erted
consciousness of the world because they are an
in!erted world. 0eligion is the general theory of this
world its encyclopedic compendium its logic in
popular form its spiritual point dGhonneur its
enthusiasm its moral sanction its solemn complement
and its uni!ersal basis of consolation and +ustification.
$t is the fantastic reali&ation of the human essence since
the human essence has not ac5uired any true reality.
The struggle against religion is therefore indirectly
the struggle against that world whose spiritual aroma
is religion. 0eligious suffering is at one and the same
time the e4pression of real suffering and a protest
against real suffering. 0eligion is the sigh of the
oppressed creature the heart of a heartless world and
the soul of soulless conditions. $t is the opium of the
people. The abolition of religion as the illusory
happiness of the people is the demand for their real
happiness. To call on them to gi!e up their illusions
about their condition is to call on them to gi!e up a
condition that re5uires illusions. The criticism of
religion is therefore in embryo the criticism of that
!ale of tears of which religion is the halo.- ((Harl
Mar4 9CI3.
0ang*age
0here are still a num6er o/ commonly3s+oken
lan%ua%es throu%hout the solar system& .ach
cor+oration has a +re/erred lan%ua%e, usually
the nati4e lan%ua%e o/ the com+any(s
head9uarters, and any colonies or stations they
set u+ or shi+ cre5s they em+loy 5ill also
s+eak that lan%ua%e& ;t is reco%ni2ed that these
2-
are holdo4ers /rom a time 6e/ore mass
communication and the +ost3national +olitics
o/ humans in s+ace, 6ut old ha6its die hard&
0here are also a /e5 real3time translation
de4ices a4aila6le 5hich +ro4ide %ood
translations o/ most .arth lan%ua%es
7includin% slan%8, thou%h there are numerous
ur6an myths a6out im+ro+er translations or
ino++ortune moments /or the translator
6atteries to %o dead&
A common lan%ua%e has emer%ed or%anically
> 7oly, short /or B+oly%lotC& ;t is a man%led
com6ination o/ slan% /rom a do2en lan%ua%es
o/ .arth +e++ered 5ith 6rand ne5 in4ented
5ords dra5n /rom all corners o/ +o+ular
culture& #oly has no dictionary and the
%rammar is o6scure to say the least, and you
can(t %et 4ery /ar discussin% +olitics or
+hiloso+hy, 6ut it is a 5ides+read use3
lan%ua%e /or those 5ho don(t 5ant to 6other
5ith talkin% throu%h a translator, electronic or
other5ise& #oly is directly connected to youth
and +o+ular culture& ;t isn(t a++ro+riate /or the
6oard3room or courtroom, 6ut almost
e4eryone kno5s at least a smatterin% o/ #oly
+hrases& !or 6usiness and education, American
.n%lish is the common lan%ua%e&
)ide6arMAoteD Ian%ua%e isn(t normally
somethin% you need to 5orry a6out in #arsec&
;n some cases, understandin% 5hat is 6ein%
said mi%ht re9uire a )kill roll 7Culture8, and
6ein% in un/amiliar circumstances 5ill cause
+enalties 5hen you(re tryin% to sociali2e, 6ut
you don(t need to kee+ track o/ 5hat
lan%ua%es your character s+eaks > thou%h
Directors may choose to cause
communications 6reakdo5ns 6et5een +eo+le
/rom time to time i/ it /urthers the +lot or is a
de/ined '6stacle& 7More on this in Cha+ters 3
and 48
(nsi)ers an) <*tsi)ers
0here are many names /or it, 6ut no one
+retends there isn(t a di4ide 6et5een the ha4es
and ha4e3nots& 0he di//erence is o64ious in all
societies& ;n #arsec society is di4ided into t5o
%eneral %rou+sD ;nsiders and 'utsiders&
;nsiders aren(t all 6orn 5ith 4ast 5ealth, 6ut
they are still the class 5ith the connections
and the ad4anta%es that ena6le them to ha4e
u+5ard mo6ility& ;n some societies, they are
called Citi2ens or )hareholders& 0hey ha4e
access to social ser4ices, health care, 9uality
education, and it is the ;nsiders 5ho ha4e the
ri%ht to 4ote 75here that kind o/ thin% is still
done8& #olice /orces e,ist to +rotect them, not
society o4erall& 1-32-R o/ the +eo+le on .arth
are considered ;nsiders, ran%in% /rom mar%inal
+eo+le 5ho are on their 5ay do5n 6ut still
maintain in/luential /riends to the
unima%ina6ly 5ealthy 5ho ha4e no need /or
/riends, secure in their +lace 6y +o5er and
money&
'utsiders are the other G-3J-R li4in% on the
/rin%es o/ society& 0hey are the +oor, the
mi%rant la6orers, re/u%ees and neo3+rimiti4es&
!or an 'utsider, nothin% can 6e taken /or
%ranted: li/e is a constant stru%%le& 'utsiders
or%ani2e their o5n %an%s and militias /or
+rotection& #olice do not come to their areas
unless in4esti%atin% a crime a%ainst an ;nsider
7and e4en then rarely<an ;nsider kno5s
6etter than tra4elin% throu%h un+rotected
territories8& 0hey 5ill 6arter or trade /or
medical ser4ices, 6ut i/ they ha4e nothin% on
hand to o//er, they can e,+ect nothin%& )ome
'utsiders educate their children > most o/ten
in cor+orate tech schools, trainin% them to do
5ork in dan%erous conditions& Many 'utsiders
li4e on the /rin%es o/ ;nsider society and
culture, ho+in% a%ainst ho+e to someday mo4e
u+ the social ladder, 6ut there are some 5ho
esche5 the tra++in%s o/ ci4ili2ation, choosin%
to li4e in the ruins o/ societies that 4anished in
the Colla+se&
"$ see the faces in the windows J $ see the food in the
stores J All out of reach J 6ocked behind those doors J
8eah $'m on the outside the outside lookin' in Koutside
lookin' inL J #o way for me to get there J #o way for me
to win- (()utside's $n songwriter unknown
2#< +echnolo"y
A /urther as+ect o/ desi%nin% a settin% /or your
%ame is decidin% ho5 technolo%y has
de4elo+ed, determinin% 5hat is cuttin% ed%e
and 5hat has /allen 6ehind 5hat one 5ould
21
e,+ect& 0echnolo%y ne4er de4elo+s at an e4en
+ace& !or e,am+le, 6urnin% /ossil /uels
+roduces most o/ the ener%y that the modern
Enited )tates uses& 0his is an ine//icient and
ancient technolo%y, 6ut 5hen a++lied on a
hu%e scale, it still +o5ers the 5orld(s most
im+ortant economy& 'n the other hand, the
Enited )tates( military technolo%y is 5ithout
+eer& ;/ there is a +ossi6le military
ad4ancement that can 6e made, it is usually
done so 6y the E&)& A /uture society could, /or
e,am+le, mirror the modern Enited )tates(
de4elo+ment > hi%hly ad4anced military
technolo%y, 6ut rudimentary ener%y
+roduction&
At the other end o/ the s+ectrum, a society
could +roduce 4ast amounts o/ chea+ ener%y
throu%h hi%hly ad4anced /usion and solar
technolo%ies, 5hile su++ortin% only a
rudimentary military 5ith archaic /irearms&
0his dis+arity can also come u+ in any area o/
ad4ancement > in medicine, trans+ortation,
a%riculture, neuroscience or any other
technical /ield& .ach or%ani2ation, nation,
syndicate and so on is di//erent&
!ollo5in% are some cate%ories o/ technolo%y
that a//ect the #arsec uni4erse& 0he +layers
and the Director decide 5hat each kind o/
technolo%y looks like and ho5 common it is&&
)kills are necessary to %et somethin% done:
technolo%y +ro4ides color and %uidelines /or
descri6in% your character(s actions& 7More on
this in Cha+ter 38
Kee+ in mind that technolo%ical di//erences
only really matter /or ;nsiders& !or 'utsiders,
ener%y is al5ays %enerated locally or stolen:
5ea+ons are al5ays makeshi/t or sal4a%ed:
technolo%ical de4ices are al5ays co66led
to%ether /rom sal4a%ed +arts: thin%s like
simsene, or cuttin%3ed%e medicine are al5ays
out o/ reach&
&e*roscience
0he most si%ni/icant ad4ance is the recently
de4elo+ed technolo%y o/ recordin% entire
e,+eriences 5hich can 6e re3e,+erienced 6y
another +erson 5ith similar e9ui+ment& 0his
e,+erience is Bsimsene,C, short /or simulated
sensory e,+eriences& 0he most con4enient
method o/ usin% the so/t5are is 4ia medical
+rocedure, +lacin% im+lants directly into the
6rain& ;t is +ossi6le to e,+erience simsene,
5ithout the e,+ensi4e im+lants, 6ut the e//ect
is /u22ier > it doesn(t interru+t all o/ your o5n
sensory in+ut, and the transmission isn(t as
+ure and direct&
Many thinkers and ethicists are 5ary o/ this
technolo%y and are demandin% that the *IA,
national %o4ernments, and cor+orations +lace
restrictions on the use o/ simsene, until the
lon%3term e//ects are understood& Mean5hile,
simsene, recordin%s o/ the e,+eriences o/
cele6rities enjoy massi4e sales, entertainment
is 6ein% +roduced 5hich takes o4er the entire
sensory system o/ the customer(s 6rain, and
moralists decry the 5hole thin%& $ack sho+s
sell /aulty %ear that /ries neurons or at 6est
%i4es a /u22y transmission, 4oyeurism has a
5hole ne5 meanin%, and the era has arri4ed
5here e4erythin% you e,+erience can 6e
stored on a data chi+ to 6e re+layed later > /or
the ri%ht +rice&
1nergy
0he majority o/ ener%y comes /rom /usion
+o5er, thou%h this +o5er re9uires rare
elements /ound +rimarily o//35orld& 'n .arth,
/usion +o5er is au%mented 6y solar, tidal,
5ind, %eothermal, and hydro3electric, as 5ell
as 6iodiesel /uel and a%in% con4entional
/ission +lants& !usion reactions ha4e +ro4en
sta6le and e//icient and there ha4e 6een no
si%ni/icant incidents on .arth, thou%h
mal/unctions ha4e +ro4en disastrous o//35orld
7Most s+aceshi+s are +o5ered 6y sel/3
contained /usion cores, re/ueled 5hen the shi+
is a6le to dock&8&
;n s+ace, most o/ the stations in or6it around
.arth also use solar arrays, collectin% ener%y
/rom the sun 5hich is then transmitted to the
sur/ace 4ia +o5er/ul lasers, relayin% ener%y to
the /inal destination /or con4ersion and then
consumer use&
0his a6undance o/ ener%y means the 5ealthy
can li4e 5ith ease and com/ort, 6ut /or the
+oor the situation is /ar less sim+le& Many
22
'utsiders li4in% in the !rin%e and the Barrens
steal electricity /rom the %rid& !arther out,
/lamma6le materials are sca4en%ed and 6urned
/or li%ht and 5armth& !e5 ;nsiders 5ill
4enture out /or lon% 6eyond the reach o/ the
local +o5er %rid&
F/0
Baeder Dri4es ha4e ad4anced since the /irst
one came online se4eral decades a%o, 6ut they
are still hu%e and 6urn 4ast amounts o/ +o5er,
6oth to acti4ate and control& Because o/ this,
other shi+s do not ha4e !0I dri4es& ;nstead,
they are carried lon% distances 6y the Baeder
Dri4es 7re/erred to cynically 6y many
cor+orate suits as 1s+ace 6ar%es(8 and then
detach a /e5 days( 6urn /rom their destination&
0here are rumors that the *IA is de4elo+in%
smaller, more e//icient Baeder Dri4es /or
mountin% on indi4idual 5arshi+s, 6ut none
ha4e 6een 4eri/ied yet 6y outside sources&
0he 5ay that the Dri4es actually /unction is
one o/ the 6est3ke+t secrets in the solar
system& )ome thin%s ha4e 6een deduced or
o6ser4ed, ho5e4er, and these hints %i4e rise to
many %uesses re%ardin% ho5 the dri4es
/unction& 0he Baeder Dri4e is nominally
cylindrical, and is o+en at each end& Discreet
scans ha4e sho5n massi4e radiation and
char%ed3+article acti4ity on 6oth o+en ends,
enou%h that the sensors 5hich +ro4ide the
readin%s ha4e 6urned out& *hen the Dri4e
acti4ates, it releases a 5a4e o/ li%ht 5hich is
6est com+ared to a sonic 6oom, 6ut in this
case caused 6y the /aster3than3li%ht tra4el& 0he
tra4el is not instantaneous, 6ut it has also
+ro4en im+ossi6le to accurately measure the
Dri4es( s+eeds, so estimatin% the actual s+eed
o/ the Dri4e 5hile it is under5ay is 4ery
di//icult& 0he technolo%y 5orks and you %et
5here you are %oin%, and the *IA 5ants
e4eryone to 6e satis/ied 5ith that& !urther
in9uiries are met 5ith hostility or 1courtesy(
con4ersations 5ith *IA )ecurity #olice&
Baeder Dri4es are not o+erated near the
%ra4ity 5ells o/ +lanets or other lar%e o6jects&
0hey are only acti4ated a6o4e or 6elo5 the
+lane o/ the ecli+tic > the +lane in 5hich most
+lanets or6it& 0his is done to minimi2e
collisions 5ith de6ris, 5hich at relati4istic
s+eeds 5ould 6e 6eyond catastro+hic&
)+aceshi+s tra4el under their o5n +o5er to
rende24ous 5ith the Dri4e and attach to it&
0hey are taken alon% 5ith the Dri4e 5hen it
%oes !0I& E+on arri4al, they shi+s detach and
then tra4el 6ack do5n 7or u+8 to5ard the
+lanet, asteroid 6elt, or other destination&
)ide6arD BBut $o5 Does it *ork?C 0he
Baeder Dri4e is intended to 6e mysterious, at
least /or no5& ;/ e4eryone kne5 ho5 they
5orked, anyone could 6uild their o5n& ;/ you,
the Director, or the +layers 5orkin% to%ether,
5ant to decide ho5 the Dri4es 5ork, or +lay
characters 5ho already kno5 ho5 it 5orks
7that(s a heck o/ a )ecret=8, %reat=& *e ha4e
our o5n ideas o/ ho5 the Dri4es 5ork, 6ut the
*IA 5on(t let us share that in/ormationLyet&
%o*nication
.4erythin% is 5ireless& 0he air is saturated
5ith 5ireless radio and 9uantum si%nals
transmittin% in/ormation o/ all kinds& !or all
intents and +ur+oses, e4ery manu/actured
o6ject in the #arsec settin% is 5irelessly
connected to somethin%, some5here& 0here is,
o/ course, a thri4in% 6usiness o//3market in
remo!ing these 6uilt3in connections&
0he sum3total o/ all o/ these connections is
re/erred to o//icially as the Suantum Aet,
thou%h most +eo+le +re/er to call it the S3Aet
or sometimes just the S& 0he chan%e in the
net(s name has come as communications
e4ol4es and since connections no5 rely on
9uantum interactions instead o/ radio 5a4es in
many instances& Most 4oice communication is
still conducted o4er radio 5a4es, 6ut the
6and5idths are cro5ded and /ull o/ noise&
0here are still net5orks 6uilt out o/ /i6er3o+tic
ca6les, laid do5n more than a century a%o in
some cases, and older technolo%ies still in use
on the /rin%es o/ society, 6ut these are rare and
outdated&
Because industrial es+iona%e and in/ormation
%atherin% is so im+ortant, each cor+oration has
de4elo+ed its o5n com+le, encry+tion
technolo%ies in order to +rotect in/ormation3
e,chan%es /rom the others& 0he *IA has also
23
de4elo+ed its o5n encry+tion technolo%ies,
+rimarily /ocused on +rotectin% in/ormation
a6out the Baeder Dri4es& 0his has resulted in a
secret 1tech 5ar( as ri4al cor+orations and
nations try and hack other systems 5hile
+rotectin% their o5n&
0he crime syndicates are less technolo%ically
de+endent 3 ironic 6ecause they do 6risk
6usiness in code36reakin% so/t5are& 0he
syndicates rely on /ace3to3/ace meetin%s and
sel/3contained systems& 0hey are 5ell a5are o/
ho5 +recarious in/ormation security can 6e&
'n an e4eryday le4el, e4ery +erson 5ho can
a//ord it has some kind o/ +ersonal
in/ormation node& 0his node com6ines a lot o/
/unctionality > com+utin% and +rocessin%,
%amin%, communication, data stora%e, search
/unctions, holo%ra+hic +rojection and so on&
0hese nodes are the si2e o/ an anti9ue deck o/
+layin% cards, and can 6e assumed to 6e a6le
to hold in/inite amounts o/ in/ormation as /ar
as your characters are concerned&
Anythin% 6eyond the 6asic node comes 5ith a
holo%ra+hic dis+lay 5hich can 6e mani+ulated
as i/ it 5ere solid as the node detects near6y
mo4ement& 0here are +lenty o/ uses /or
technolo%y like this, /rom so/t5are to read
micro3e,+ressions on someone(s /ace to
seein%3eye nodes /or the 6lind& 0hin%s like
4oice3reco%nition technolo%y and translation
so/t5are is /luid and common+lace&
(ntelligent Soft9are
Ion% in de4elo+ment, intelli%ent so/t5are, or
Bi(wareC, is so/t5are 5hich mimics human
+ersonality& A %reat deal o/ de6ate continues
o4er the actual status o/ this intelli%ent
so/t5are, le%ally and morally, 6ut its use is
6ecomin% more 5ides+read& 'nly cuttin%3ed%e
nodes can run Bi35areC on their o5n, 6ut some
ne5 s+aceshi+s are 6ein% 6uilt 5ith intelli%ent
so/t5are installed to reduce the cre5
com+lement re9uired, cut costs, and increase
e//iciency& #layers are most likely to run into
i35are on a s+aceshi+ or in a military
command center&
0his kind o/ intelli%ent so/t5are isn(t
uni4ersally trusted or acce+ted, and there is
al5ays a hard35ired kill3s5itch /or erasin% an
arti/icial intelli%ence, done as a /ail3sa/e
+recaution& ;35are is also limited in its access
to net5orks, +rimarily to a4oid +rocessor
6urnout, 6ut also as another +recaution a%ainst
a hy+othetical machine takeo4er& #eriodically
there is a+ocry+hal ne5s a6out a +iece o/ i3
5are crackin% its o5n encry+tion restrictions
and transmittin% itsel/ o4er the S3Aet,
esca+in% its di%ital con/ines& 0hese B%hostsC
are the source o/ all kinds o/ rumors and ur6an
le%ends, ro4in% 5irelessly /rom node to node
to5ard their o5n alien +ur+oses&
0he *IA as a 5hole is hi%hly sus+icious o/ i3
5are, and aims to re%ulate it out o/ e,istence&
'n the other hand, some o/ the more radical
mem6ers o/ the *IA 6elie4e these arti/icial
intelli%ences deser4e their o5n ri%hts and
re+resentation 5ithin the *IA& Cor+orations
are ha++y 5ith i35areLas lon% as it remains
loyal& Because o/ this, cor+orate i35are is
usually +ur%ed e4ery si, months or so& 0his
+rocedure is called B$AI3in%C thou%h no one
understands ho5 that term came to 6e a++lied
to the +rocess&
"$ was sad the first time $ had to %A6 my node. $t was
like losing a friend. $t still gets me a bit but now it's
like when your goldfish dies=you +ust get another and
it's all okay.- M #oN@NINuN?ay? corporate security
hacker
Space -)aptation
0he /irst major /orays into s+ace remained tied
to s+ace stations in .arth(s or6it& Des+ite
many di//iculties, s+ace stations 5ere
e4entually +laced in the /i4e %eosynchronous
+oints around .arth, the Ia%ran%e +oints,
num6ered I1 throu%h I5& En/ortunately, each
o/ the Ia%ran%e +oints 5ere 1claimed( as
territory 6y cor+orations and 6uilt u+ and
added on to o4er time& 0his o5nershi+ is
com+licated 6y claims made 6y mem6er
nations o/ the *IA statin% that they are the
ri%ht/ul o5ners o/ the stations 7or +ortions
thereo/8&
Arti/icial %ra4ity is +roduced on stations 6y
s+innin% alon% a central a,is& 0he result is that
the outer ed%e has some5hat hi%her %ra4ity
than .arth 5hile +oints near the a,is o/ such
24
stations ha4e little to no %ra4ity, 6ut there is a
lot o/ s+ace in 6et5een the e,tremes 5here
humans can li4e in reasona6le com/ort&
'ne o/ the most im+ortant inno4ations /or li/e
in s+ace 5as the so3called smart surface,
mana%ed throu%h touch, 6ut ca+a6le o/ 4ideo
+rojections and a6le to +roduce sound throu%h
4i6ration& )mart sur/aces ha4e allo5ed /or
simulated sunli%ht and immersi4e illusory
en4ironments, 6oth o/ 5hich ha4e reduced
stress3related accidents, crime, and suicides
dramatically& 0hey ease the natural
claustro+ho6ia that comes 5ith li4in% in close
9uarters surrounded 6y an in/inite, radiation3
soaked 4acuum&
;t is rare that humans s+end more than a /e5
months at once on6oard shi+s in s+ace&
Beyond this amount o/ time, e,tensi4e
+hysical thera+y is re9uired /or someone to re3
acclimate to li/e in %ra4ity& As humanity
e,+ands /arther and /arther a5ay /rom .arth,
ho5e4er, /urther modi/ications are 6ein% made
to make e,tended s+ace tra4el +ractical& 0his
leads to 9uestions re%ardin% humanity(s nature
> ho5 much modi/ication can one under%o
6e/ore one ceases to 6ecome human and
6ecomes somethin% else entirely? )ome
+eo+le ha4e already under%one au%mentation
makin% li/e in 2ero3" easier o4er the lon%3
term, makin% a return to %ra4ity just as
threatenin% to their health as 2ero3" is to those
5ho are accustomed to li4in% on .arth& )hi+s
desi%ned /or lon% 4oya%es are also 6uilt to 6e
a6le to rotate on their o5n a,is, +ro4idin%
li%ht arti/icial %ra4ity 5hen not maneu4erin%&
Ro8otics
An incredi6le num6er o/ thin%s are done 6y
ro6ots > re+etiti4e jo6s ha4e lon% since 6een
turned o4er to ro6ots, +articularly in s+ace
5here li/e3su++ort systems are e,+ensi4e& 'n
.arth and in the colonies, there is al5ays
com+etition 6et5een chea+ la6or 7human8 and
e//icient la6or 7ro6otic8, 5hich is more
e,+ensi4e, 6ut 5orks tirelessly 5ith 4ery hi%h
le4els o/ +recision& AoteD most o/ these ro6ots
are little more than 6i% mechanical arms 5ith
tools at the end desi%ned and +ro%rammed /or
one +ur+ose&
Androids, on the other hand 3 are ro6ots that
a++ear 7and act8 human& 0hey are e,tremely
e,+ensi4e and relati4ely rare, 6ut they do
e,ist& Com6ined 5ith i35are 5hich mimics
human +ersonality, the resultin% 74ery
e,+ensi4e8 androids are 6oth ama2in% and
distur6in% at the same time& E+on close
o6ser4ation, none o/ them can yet +ass /or a
human 6ein%Lyet&
)u+er6 +rosthetics are a4aila6le /or those 5ho
lose lim6s in accidents or 5ho need tissue
reconstruction& 0o+ end +rosthetic lim6s are
hard to tell /rom /lesh and 6one 5hile less
e,+ensi4e units are more than ca+a6le o/
%ettin% the jo6 done, they look 5holly
arti/icial and e4en distur6in% to some& Most
+rosthetic lim6s +ro4ide a sense o/ touch and
o/ hot and cold, as 5ell as reasona6le stren%th,
and are ca+a6le o/ /ine mani+ulation& Suality
+rosthetics are connected directly to the
ner4ous system o/ the +atient, /unctionin% in
the same manner as their lost lim6&
Genetics
"ene thera+y is a4aila6le to 5ealthy /amilies
5hile 6asic %enetic disorders are screened /or
and corrected in most hos+itals& 0here is
5ides+read %enetic tam+erin% amon% a//luent
;nsiders, and ad4anced %ene thera+ies are
a4aila6le e4en /or adults& !or this, ne5 %enetic
material is +laced into adult cells 5hich then
re+licates and is carried on in ne5 cellular
%ro5th&
;t is much easier to mani+ulate %enes shortly
6e/ore or a/ter conce+tion, ho5e4er, and
Bdesi%ner 6a6iesC are a lon%standin% /ad&
Cor+orations and other interests e4en +ay
6onuses to +arents i/ they allo5 alterations
/urtherin% cor+orate interests, usually
ada+tations /or s+ecial en4ironments such as
2ero3", or a hi%her tolerance /or radiation&
#lenty o/ au%mentations, /or health or
cosmetic reasons, are +ossi6le 5ithout alterin%
the entire %enome& He+lacement or%ans
custom3%ro5n /or the +atient, are common, as
are cosmetic modi/ications to skin, 6one and
so/t tissue&
25
"They say that )ld Man C&iaskoc& looks +ust like his
old man and +ust like his son. $ hear there ain't really
difference. They're all the )ld Man and he's been
tampering with his 2#A but you can't say that too loud
or you disappear and don't come back.- ((unknown
!oice D(#et 2iscussion ?oard I3;3@
Bo)y :o)ification
0hrou%hout history, man has +ierced and
marked his 6ody, alterin% it /or sym6olic or
cosmetic reasons& 0hat ur%e has continued 33 it
is +ossi6le to do a %reat deal o/ alteration to
your 6ody on a cosmetic le4el& !or those 5ho
can a//ord it, a +erson(s a++earance can 6e
drastically altered to the +oint o/ not lookin%
human at all& ;n a %ame, +layers should 6e a6le
to descri6e their characters ho5e4er they
5ant& Any chan%es 5hich 5ould +ro4ide a
character 5ith an ad4anta%e must adhere to the
%ame rules> 5hich 5ill 6e co4ered in much
more detail in the /ollo5in% cha+ter& 0his
means that a +layer can ha4e 5in%s, +ointed
ears, or a mechanical arm, may6e e4en an
animated tattoo& 0hese thin%s should 6e
allo5ed as lon% as they /it 5ith the o4erall
settin% that your whole gaming group has
a%reed u+on&
0his also means that the Director can descri6e
A#Cs ho5e4er she 5ants, usin% their
descri+tion to /urther characteri2e them as
a++ro+riate& A crime36oss seekin% notoriety
may ha4e +ointed shark3teeth: an arro%ant
cor+orate 4ice3+resident may ha4e an%elic
5in%s or %lo5in% skin, or may ha4e made
modi/ications so that he a++ears youn%
/ore4er& Anythin% is +ossi6le, and these
elements should 6e utili2ed durin% a %ame to
e4oke the desired res+onse&
)ide6arD BAo5 Anyone Can $a4e "reen
)kinC 0here is a lon%3standin% tradition n
science /iction /or aliens to 6e essentially
humans 5ith oddly colored skin, +ointy ears,
or some other cosmetic di//erence& *ith
%enetic mani+ulation a4aila6le, ho5e4er, you
don(t ha4e to 6e an alien to look like one& 0his
means that there is incredi6le 4ariety o/
a++earance in the #arsec settin%& ;t also means
that, i/ you 5ant to include aliens, they ha4e to
6e really alienL
1ntertainent
!rom 5hat(s discussed a6o4e, it(s +ossi6le to
e,tra+olate a lot that 5ill 6e a4aila6le /or
entertainment in the #arsec settin%& 0he main
4isual medium is holo%ram > +rojectors are
chea+ and u6i9uitous > 6ut it is 6y no means
limited there& *ith technolo%y a6le to
stimulate the senses in the 6rain directlyL
5ell, you %et the idea&
.ntertainment is o//icially controlled 6y a /e5
+o5er/ul media con%lomerates, 6ut any
talented ;nsider can create his o5n media
relati4ely chea+ly /or distri6ution across the
solar system& #o5er/ul encry+tion is the only
thin% that allo5s major media sources to
char%e /or their material& 0his is o/ten a
16lackmail 4irus( em6edded in the media,
+re4entin% use o/ your node until the 4irus is
deacti4ated 5hich is done 6y +ayin% a /ee&
7)hortly a/ter 6lackmail 4iruses 5ere
introduced, the media cor+s modi/ied them so
that +ayment only deacti4ates the 4irus /or that
user& ;/ she /or5ards it, the 4irus acti4ates and
the ne,t user must +ay the /ee, and so on, and
so on&8
0he cuttin% ed%e o/ media is also al5ays in the
hands o/ the cor+orations, 5hich ha4e the
resources to +roduce thin%s like simsene,,
5hich re9uires %reat so+histication to create,
record and distri6ute& 0here are +lenty o/
horror stories o/ 6lack market or hacked
simsene, that accidentally /ries +arts o/ the
6rain, or tra+s you in an endless ni%htmare you
can(t 5ake /rom until someone +ulls the %ear
o// o/ you&
Iike 6ody modi/ication, entertainment ty+es
+ro4ide color /or your settin% as 5ell as
+ro4idin% +lot hooks or story elements to any
%ame& 'ne e,am+le is the +henomenal success
o/ D3Ball, a hy6rid s+ort deri4ed /rom 6oth
6ase6all and /oot6all +layed in 2ero3"& A
4iolent %ame, some +layers acce+ted hu%e
+aychecks to ha4e simsene, im+lants, creatin%
a 5hole ne5 meanin% to /eelin% like you(re in
the %ame=
26
-rcologies
Arcolo%ies, a com6ination o/ architecture and
ecolo%y, are 5orlds unto themsel4es& At least,
that(s the intent& 0hey are ine,trica6ly
connected to the 5orld around them, to
in/ormation and utilities net5orks, 6ut they are
desi%ned to a++ear as sel/3contained, +er/ect
uto+ias&
0hese massi4e com+le,es are usually
constructed as +yramids, %eodesic domes or
other structurally sound desi%ns& 'ccasionally
a more unusual /orm is attem+ted /or the sake
o/ style 5hen there is e,cess /undin% and,
/rankly, a lack o/ sense, leadin% to skylines
sometimes 6lotted 6y 5ild and unlikely
desi%ns&
Cities are in constant /lu, as economic
realities chan%e and +o+ulations mo4e /rom
one +lace to another seekin% ne5
o++ortunities& 0he massi4e arcolo%ies,
ho5e4er, are 6uilt to last millennium,
constructed /rom the hi%hest39uality materials,
en%ineered /or ease3o/3re+air and
maintenance, 6ut ne4er demolished to make
room /or anythin% else&
Arcolo%ies are ecosystems containin% housin%,
recreation and 6usiness /acilities /or a /e5
thousand +eo+le& 0his necessitates that it is a
closed, controlled en4ironment& .ntry is
%ained throu%h airlocks and the security is
ti%ht& ;n most cases, the security technolo%y is
cuttin%3ed%e& Ao3one 5ithout e,cellent ;nsider
credentials 7at least )tatus 68 can come 5ithin
1-- meters o/ an arcolo%y and not 6e noticed
unless they are headed /or the maintenance
sections&
'nce inside, the di//erence /rom the outside
5orld is o64ious& 0he air is cleaner than 5hat
+asses /or 6reatha6le air outside, and the
+ro,imity o/ so many hydro+onic +lants raises
the am6ient humidity& 0he tem+erature is a
constant 6G de%rees, and silent /ans circulate
the air, %eneratin% internal 6ree2es& *hen the
sun doesn(t com+ly 5ith the desires o/ those
inside, sunli%ht is emulated 6y internal smart
sur/aces 5hich can +roject ima%es o/ any
desired 5eather conditions&
#lants used to +roduce nutrients and o,y%en
are arran%ed around the outside ed%e o/ the
arcolo%y to o+timi2e the 6ene/its o/ sunli%ht&
0he %rounds are ke+t lush and 4erdant,
teemin% 5ith +lant li/e and s+ecially3
en%ineered animals 5hose 5aste +ro4ides
/ertili2er /or the arti/icial soil mi,ture&
Businesses and ha6itation inside an arcolo%y
are al5ays cuttin% ed%e /or that culture& 0here
is also o/ten an o4er3ridin% theme to the
6uildin%s, such as ancient Home or im+erial
China or e4en mythical +laces like Atlantis or
)han%ri3Ia, all manu/actured 5ith a s+eci/ic
mood or attitude in mind&
0he mechanical su++ort systems necessary /or
sustainin% the arcolo%y are ke+t directly
6eneath the /acility& *ater is recycled and
+uri/ied, and there are hu%e ener%y stora%e
cells in the e4ent o/ a tem+orary loss o/ +o5er
/rom the city %rid& Basic su++lies are stored,
su//icient /or one year o/ su++ort /or all o/ an
arcolo%y(s o//icial residents 7a much smaller
num6er than the a4era%e num6er o/ +eo+le
inside one durin% 5ork hours, 5hich includes
a lot o/ ser4ice +ersonnel 5ho must lea4e
a%ain 5hen their shi/t is o4er8&
All o/ the ad4ancements in4ol4ed in 6uildin%
an arcolo%y ha4e also 6een a++lied to
skyscra+ers and monumental 6uildin%s in
%eneral to 4aryin% de%rees, thou%h arcolo%ies
dominate the skyline 5here4er they are /ound&
#arfare
*ar/are is has chan%ed drastically since the
21
st
century and continues to e4ol4e no5 as
the *IA rises in +o5er and the neo3/eudal
cor+orations are /orced to cede +olitical +o5er
to it& 0he Baeder Dri4e has sol4ed the +ro6lem
o/ mo6ility in s+ace, thou%h not the e,or6itant
cost& ;/ you +ay the *IA to rent a Baeder
Dri4e, you can ena6le a /orce o/ any si2e to
attack any5here, at any time, 5ith almost no
5arnin% across the system& Fou(re just %oin%
to +ay /or it&
'n a more mundane le4el, the laser is a
standard issue military3%rade 5ea+on& ;t is
silent, 5orks +er/ectly in a 4acuum, is
in4isi6le unless there is a %reat deal o/ de6ris
2@
6et5een it and its tar%et, is accurate o4er 4ast
distances, and o//ers +in+oint accuracy& 'ne3
man laser units, 6ulkier than most s9uad
su++ort 5ea+ons, are a4aila6le and usually
de+loyed to s+ace36orne troo+s& ;t is more
common in 4ehicles 5here 5ell o4er J-R o/
*IA armored /orces no5 mount laser
5ea+ons& ;n s+ace, lasers are the norm /or
s+aceshi+s, the only limitin% /actor 6ein%
ener%y a4aila6le /rom the shi+(s en%ines&
0actical nuclear 5ea+ons are also 9uite
common, in s+ace con/licts 5here there is no
%round or atmos+here to irradiate& )hi+
shields, intended to +re4ent disaster 5hile
tra4elin% at hi%h s+eeds /rom ro%ue rocks, are
e//ecti4e at shieldin% those inside /rom
radiation, so there is a chance o/ sur4i4in% in a
shi+ hit 6y a tac3nuke&
Another 5ea+on used 5ith /re9uency is the
electroma%netic +ulse, or .M#& An .M# uses
a 6urst o/ radiation to short out electronics o/
all kinds in its 6last radius& '64iously, in a
settin% that de+ends on technolo%y /or almost
e4erythin%, this 5ea+on is de4astatin%
e4ery5here 6ut the 5orst slums o/ .arth&
#rojectile 5ea+ons still e,ist, includin% s+ace3
to3s+ace tor+edoes mounted on shi+s +lyin%
the solar system, as 5ell as
electroma%netically3/ired /lechettes and old3
/ashioned, archaic /irearms& "renades and
other e,+losi4es are still in use on .arth 3 in
s+ace, they are so dan%erous that they are
uni4ersally ille%al 3 thou%h still used /rom
time to time 5hen smu%%led o//5orld&
;n res+onse to these threats and others,
de/ensi4e technolo%ies ha4e 6een de4elo+ed
as counter3measures& Many 4ehicles and some
+ersonal armor 4ests are made 5ith ceramics
5hich re/lect the 5a4elen%ths o/ li%ht most
commonly used in military lasers& )hieldin%
a%ainst radiation, necessary /or anythin% that
is %oin% to lea4e .arth(s +rotecti4e
atmos+here and ma%netic /ield, is 6ein%
im+ro4ed to 5ithstand military3%rade tac3nuke
strikes, and almost all military3%rade
electronics are shielded across the entire
s+ectrum a%ainst .M# attacks&
2#> ?i8e on )arth
/ransportation
A majority o/ +eo+le on .arth use mass
transit& #ri4ate 4ehicles are mostly reser4ed to
the 5ealthy 5ho can a//ord to maintain and
+ark them& Kehicles are electric, +o5ered 6y
hi%h3ca+acity 6atteries char%ed /rom the
+o5er %rid just like any other a++liance&
Er6an centers ha4e a 4ariety o/ ty+es o/ transit
> ele4ated lines, su65ays, lon% ser+entine
6uses and so on& 'ne standard technolo%y is
ma%le4 > ma%netic le4itation& 0rains run on
electroma%netic rails and are themsel4es
ma%neti2ed 5ith the same +olarity so they
ho4er a /raction o/ a centimeter o// o/ the rail
itsel/& 0his drastically reduces /riction and
increases e//iciency& 0he trains are mo4ed 6y
alternatin% the current in the ma%nets o/ the
rail, +ushin% each car /or5ard like a ma%netic
ski o4er electroma%netic sno5&
Commuter lines tend to ha4e hea4y security
and are rein/orced a%ainst terrorist attacks,
5hich in some +laces is relati4ely common
7+rimarily Ae5 !rancisco, Ae5 0okyo, and
A23Fork, the a5k5ard a66re4iation /or Ae5
Ae5 Fork8& )ome routes throu%h sli%htly
more 9uestiona6le sa/e areas char%e hi%h /ees
/or security, 5hich is +ro4ided 6y a +lethora o/
+ri4ate security /irms, may6e /i4e or si,
di//erent com+anies o4er the distance o/ a
sin%le commuter ride& 0here are also less 5ell3
de/ended rail lines 5hich are si%ni/icantly
more dan%erous and run on con4entional rails,
5hile other areas use rollin% chains o/ 6uses
linked to%ether 6y /le,i6le joints&
0he /astest and most e,+ensi4e mode o/ tra4el
a4aila6le is the scramjet, a6le to %o many
times the s+eed o/ sound, tra4elin% 6et5een
continents in a matter o/ an hour or so&
)cramjet /ields are hea4ily %uarded and
anyone a++roachin% a scramjet 5ithout +rior
authori2ation is shot on detection 7as is noted
6y the do2ens o/ hu%e 5ell3lit si%ns around the
electri/ied /ences and mine/ields o/ the air
stri+8& '64iously, scramjets are only a4aila6le
to the 4ery 5ealthy& !or others, commuter
2G
airlines still e,ist, thou%h they are too
e,+ensi4e to use o/ten&
Spra9l
;n the +ast, there 5ere cities se+arated /rom
each other 6y countryside, each city rin%ed 6y
su6ur6s and then later e,ur6s& 7Iater came the
+ostur6s and then the su6+osts8& *hat 5ere
once distinct cities are no5 4ast ur6an
s+ra5ls& A city !ore is marked 6y massi4e
6uildin%s such as arcolo%ies 5hich house the
most +o5er/ul cor+orate +layers and +olitical
+o5ers in the re%ion, as 5ell as +lenty o/ the
idle rich& )urroundin% the core arcolo%ies are
the hi%h3rent sho+s and /inancial district o/ a
%i4en re%ion, all o/ 5hich ha4e climate control
and air /ilters /or those inside& )ecurity /orces
are al5ays 4isi6le, 5earin% the colors and
insi%nia o/ multi+le com+etin% security /irms,
5hile *IA security /orces, i/ asked, +atrol
city streets 7all the 5ay out to the Barrens at
times8 in mem6er nation cities&
'utside the city Core is 5hat is o/ten called
the 2ringe > the intermediate area 6et5een the
Core and the Barrens outside o/ it& 0he !rin%e
is 5here the true middle class e,ists, those
5ho ha4en(t mo4ed /ar enou%h u+ to li4e in
the Core 6ut 5ho are still a6le to make rent
and stay out o/ the Barrens& 0he !rin%e is as
/ar out as the commuter ma%le4 trains %o, the
uno//icial, 6ut most 4isi6le limit to the
authority o/ the 4arious security /orces in a
%i4en city& )ecurity /orces re9uire hi%h /ees to
1+rotect( !rin%e territories, 6ut no community
in the !rin%e is 5illin% to risk ha4in% no
+ro/essional +rotection /orce&
'utside the !rin%e are the 3arrens& 0hese are
industrial 5astelands and crum6lin% houses& ;n
many instances, these used to 6e city centers
6e/ore 6etter 6usiness le/t, lea4in% only those
too +oor to %et out& )tores are /e5 and /ar
6et5een and 4iolence is an e4eryday reality
here& )ecurity /orces are almost ne4er seen,
unless +aid a 6onus or in4esti%atin% a serious
crime +er+etrated in the Core or !rin%e& ;n the
Barrens, security is +ro4ided 6y militias, tri6es
and %an%s, all o/ 5hich are insular and
sus+icious o/ anyone they don(t reco%ni2e&
Militias
0hese tend to 6e or%ani2ed around +olitical or
reli%ious ideolo%y, and they are /ormed
s+eci/ically /or the +rotection o/ a +articular
community& Militias 4ary 5idely /rom one
community to the ne,t, /rom idealistic to
ra+acious, +rotecti4e to homicidal&
Tribes
0ri6es /all some5here 6et5een militias and
%an%s in or%ani2ation& Many times they are
held to%ether 6y 6lood ties com6ined 5ith a
shared ideolo%y, 6ut tri6es tend to acce+t
crime and +artake in its +ro/its more than
militias do& ;n many cases, a tri6e acts as a
re+lacement /amily and social unit /or the
countless or+hans and dis+laced youth o/ the
Barrens as 5ell as adults 5ho ha4e no other
or%ani2in% +rinci+le in their li4es& )ome are
reli%ious and some are not, 6ut all o/ them
ha4e +articular culture and +ractices that are
uni9ue to them and 5hich set them a+art& Iike
%an%s, they ta% their territory and 5ill /i%ht to
de/end it&
3angs
)ome thin%s ne4er chan%e& "an%s are no
di//erent in #arsec than they are in 21
st
century .arth cities > 4iolent and connected to
or%ani2ed crime& 0hey di//er /rom militias and
tri6es in that there mi%ht 6e multi+le %an%s in
a %i4en community, each com+etin% /or
control o/ some illicit market or su6stance& 0o
add to the con/usion, militias, tri6es and %an%s
o/ten coe,ist in the same re%ion, creatin% a
situation o/ constant maneu4erin% and con/lict
6et5een the di//erent %rou+s, each 4yin% /or a
sense o/ control and meanin%&
'utside the !rin%e are ur6an ruins in 4aryin%
states o/ decay, condemned 6uildin%s 5hich
are sometimes little more than ru66le, 6ut they
are not em+ty& 0hese ruins, and the scarred
lands 6et5een them, are collecti4ely re/erred
to as the Wastes& 0hey hold the many +eo+le
5ho ha4e nothin%, or at least nothin% to lose&
)9uatters are the rule here, and there is almost
ne4er any electricity or runnin% 5ater& ;/ a
6uildin% roo/ is still intact, there may 6e a
%arden u+on it, 6ut other5ise, a6ject +o4erty is
2J
e4ery5here& ;/ someone in the *astes %ets a
jo6, he %ets out o/ the *astes as soon as he
can and /inds a nei%h6orhood in the Barrens,
5here there is at least electricity and some
sanitation& Most o/ the *astes are a +roduct o/
the Colla+se, areas 5here Heconstruction
ne4er reached& 0hese are the 6reedin% %rounds
o/ radical cults and ideolo%ies 5here there is
no /unctionin% la5& 0he *astes are, /or all
intents and +ur+oses, +ost3a+ocaly+tic
dysto+ias&
Bio)i5ersity
0he Colla+se caused a massi4e crash in the
5orld(s +o+ulation, 6ut +er4ersely, this
decrease tem+orarily eased the im+act that
humans had on the en4ironment& Durin%
Heconstruction, ho5e4er, lackin% any kind o/
o4erall re%ulation, the cor+orations
consolidated their +o5er and a%ain 5orked to
mine and de4elo+ resources 5ithout re%ard to
+ollution or other side e//ects& 0his means that
a %reat deal o/ dama%e 5as done to the
6ios+here&
0he 4ast majority o/ s+ecies no5 sur4i4e only
in small reser4es, 2oos, and other conser4ation
/acilities set u+ 6y +ri4ate +hilanthro+ists and,
more recently, 6y the *IA& "enetic material
and in/ormation is stored /rom as many
s+ecies as +ossi6le in the ho+e that %enetic
en%ineerin% ad4ances 5ill someday return
them to e,istence& Most +eo+le 6elie4e that
s+ecies ali4e one hundred years a%o are no5
%one /ore4er&
0he Ark #roject is one res+onse to the
catastro+hic dro+ in 6iodi4ersity& ;ts %oal is to
collect and store %enetic sam+les /rom as
many s+ecies as +ossi6le 6e/ore they
disa++ear& 0hey are rumored to ha4e sam+les
/rom hundreds o/ thousands o/ s+ecies 5hich
ha4e all 6ut disa++eared, or are lon% %one&
0heoretically, %i4en the state o/ %enetic
science, it could 6e +ossi6le /or the #roject to
reintroduce these s+ecies 6ased on their
%enetic sam+les, 6ut since the s+ecies ha4e
no5here to li4e in most cases, there doesn(t
seem to 6e much reason /or resurrectin% those
s+ecies at the moment&
Another %oal o/ the #roject is 6uildin%
arti/icial ree/s and other natural ha6itats in the
/e5 +rotected areas le/t 7maintained as much
as +ossi6le 6y the *IA8 to encoura%e the
resur%ence o/ threatened s+ecies& '64iously,
they are distur6ed 6y the %ro5in% +ractice o/
%enetically en%ineerin% animals /or 2oos in an
attem+t to re+lace e,tinct ones& More o/ten
than not, the results ha4e 6eenLnot 9uite
5hat 5as e,+ected&
Gar8age
Hecyclin% and re3usin% 5aste is standard
+ractice e4ery5here<no5& ;t is so +re4alent
that recyclin% is essentially in4isi6le to the
a4era%e +erson& 0he +ast, ho5e4er, has le/t its
mark& 0here are sca4en%er3cities 6uilt ato+
4ast land/ills 5hich the residents e,ca4ate,
minin% the /ilthy de+ths /or resources lon%
6uried& *hen 6reakin% ne5 %round /or a
6uildin% site, one almost in4aria6ly /inds an
old 6uried land/ill or 5aste dum+ site&
0here is an entire underclass o/ 'utsiders
commonly kno5n as )ca4en%ers 5ho do
nothin% 6ut %o throu%h the %ar6a%e o/ the +ast,
lookin% /or ra5 materials and usea6le items to
re+air or +ut to ne5 uses& )ome they kee+ and
some they sell, 6ut that is their +rimary mode
o/ su++ort /or themsel4es& 0here are still
massi4e stock+iles o/ 5aste, 6uried
under%round or co4ered o4er hastily 5ith sand
and soil and le/t 6ehind %enerations a%o& Much
o/ this has 6een du% u+ and re3used 6y /irms
doin% this /or +ro/it in the /ace o/ shrinkin%
su++lies o/ ra5 materials on .arth& 0here are
still 5ide s5athes o/ .arth(s sur/ace, ho5e4er,
5hich are considered too to,ic /or any 6ut the
most destitute 'utsiders to li4e near&
;n s+ace, %ar6a%e is a +ro6lem, 6ut to a much
smaller de%ree as 5aste material accrues and
6uilds u+ on and in the 4icinity o/ s+ace
stations and the colonies& )tations and s+ace
colonies cannot sim+ly Bthro5 outC anythin%,
since 5aste 6ecomes de6ris 5hich clo%s
instruments and makes a++roach3+aths more
dan%erous& !or a shi+ tra4elin% in u++er .arth
or6it, collidin% 5ith a 6all36earin% can 6e
catastro+hic& 0hose 6uildin% in s+ace ha4e
had to /ind in%enious and e//icient 5ays to
3-
collect de6ris, includin% trash3collector shi+s
usin% +o5er/ul ma%nets and 4ast scoo+3nets to
clear +aths /or shi+s&
<5ersti*lation
.4eryone, 'utsider or ;nsider, is 6om6arded
5ith non3sto+ sensory in/ormation at all times&
;ne,+ensi4e technolo%y ena6les ad4ertisers to
co4er any sur/ace 5ith animation, and 5ith
sli%htly more e,+ensi4e materials, holo%ra+hs
and /ull sound are also a4aila6le& ;t is common
/or there to 6e a 5ake o/ rollin%
ad4ertisements and indi4iduali2ed
en4ironments /ollo5in% +eo+le around
any5here in a major city& A market niche has
a++eared /or de4ices 5hich create null s+aces
as 5ell as tra4el 5hich %uarantees no
6om6ardment 6y ad4ertisements&
;n/ormation3saturation is a constant +ro6lem,
and it doesn(t hel+ that there is no lon%er any
discerna6le di//erence 6et5een dece+ti4e
ad4ertisin% and accurate in/ormation& ;t
re9uires si%ni/icant trainin% and e4en e,+ertise
to tell 5hat is accurate 6y any o6jecti4e
measurement& !or the a4era%e citi2en, most o/
the time this is an im+ossi6le task, and they
just ha4e to do %et 6y the 6est they can 7this
results in some 4ery stran%e 6elie/s 6ein% 4ery
common8&
'ne niche res+onse to the +ro6lem o/
o4erstimulation has 6een the de4elo+ment o/
4acation +ro+erties out in the Barrens and
e4en the *astes o/ many major cities&
0hou%h dan%erous, these B+ost3ur6an s+a and
resortsC ad4ertise as a 6ene/it their se+aration
/rom modern technolo%ies&
2#' Space
$umanity has stretched out /ar 6eyond the
limits o/ .arth(s %ra4ity, 5ith +ermanent
settlements in or6it around .arth and the inner
+lanets, Iuna, in the system(s asteroid 6elt,
and on the moons o/ u+iter and )aturn& *ith
Baeder Dri4es, humankind(s reach has 6een
e,tended, +erha+s 5ithout limit& $undreds o/
+ossi6ly3ha6ita6le 5orlds no5 6eckon to
humanity, and the %reat con/lict o/ the comin%
years may 4ery 5ell 6e 5ho 5ill claim those
.arthlike 5orlds /irst&
0iftoff
*hile it is 9uite e,+ensi4e to li/t any mass
/rom .arth(s sur/ace to or6it, launches still
take +lace on a daily 6asis /rom hundreds o/
launch +ads across the %lo6e& 0hey are e4en
more common, ho5e4er, /rom other 6ases
5here there is lo5er %ra4ity or no %ra4ity at
all& .arly on, almost all shi+s 5ere 6uilt on
.arth to 6e rocketed into s+ace, 6ut in recent
years the 4ast majority o/ ne5 shi+s ha4e 6een
6uilt in shi+yards on Iuna, Mars and in the
asteroid 6elt&
0he most common en%ine system used /or
li/to// /rom a %ra4ity source is a nuclear3
hydro%en rocket, usin% radioacti4e material to
su+erheat li9uid hydro%en 5hich then
6ecomes the +ro+ellant& )+ent nuclear3
hydro%en rockets, once they reach or6it, are
collected 6y drone shi+s so that the core
radioacti4e material can 6e reco4ered& 0his
s+ent /issiona6le material is recycled /or
/urther military and commercial use&
)hi+s lea4in% .arth almost al5ays link u+
5ith one o/ the satellites at the Ia%ran%e
+oints around the .arth to re/uel and e,chan%e
s+ent rockets /or /ull ones& .ach o/ the
Ia%ran%e stations is /ully out/itted 5ith shi+
re+air /acilities, thou%h there is o/ten a
6acklo% /or re+airs, meanin% shi+s re9uirin%
5ork are o/ten /orced to 5ait se4eral months
/or a 6erth i/ re+airs are su6stantial& ;n the
meantime, the stations +ro4ide 4arious
7e,+ensi4e8 entertainments /or 6ored shi+
cre5s&
Space Stations
0here are /ar more stations than there are
colonies& )tations are chea+er to 6uild since
they are 6uilt in s+ace 72ero "8 and 6ecause
they are smaller than colony out+osts, e4en
thou%h the technolo%y needed to 6uild them is
hi%her than /or colony 6uildin%s&
)ince the lar%est stations maintain arti/icial
%ra4ity, shi+s are re9uired to dock at either
end o/ the a,is& ;t is a sim+le +rocedure& 0he
31
only tricky as+ect is +ro+erly matchin% the
shi+(s rotation to the station(s& ;n all 6ut
emer%ency situations, this +rocess is handled
6y a link 6et5een the shi+ and station
com+uters&
E+on a++roach to all 6ut the lar%est stations in
%eosynchronous +ositions around .arth, shi+s
are directed into a holdin% +attern& Sueues o/
shi+s /orm at most stations to load or unload
%oods and materials or to re/uel and resu++ly
since they can normally dock only at either
end o/ the lar%e, rotatin% structure&
0o hel+ stress and claustro+ho6ia, s+ace
stations are ke+t as com/orta6le as +ossi6le,
re+licatin% terrestrial li/e 5here4er /easi6le&
$ydro+onically3%ro5n +lants are culti4ated to
1scru6( the air o/ car6on dio,ide as 5ell as /or
the aesthetic 6ene/it& 0hese are au%mented 6y
industrial scru66ers, silently clearin% the air o/
the %asses that 5ould 9uickly kill humans
li4in% in the closed ha6itats&
Beyond +hysical needs, the main concern is
claustro+ho6ia& #eo+le li4in% in 4ery close
9uarters ha4e to contend 5ith the kno5led%e
that sometimes only millimeters o/ material
se+arate them /rom the 4acuum o/ s+ace and
searin% radiation& .,+ensi4e sa/ety
+recautions and system3redundancy can only
o//er some reassurance& At some +oint, e4ery
s+acer %ets the jitters and claustro+ho6ia&
Because stations and colonies are so e,+ensi4e
and com+licated to 6uild and su++ort,
+enalties /or crimes such as sa6ota%e and e4en
4andalism are /ar more se4ere than on .arth&
An .arther 5ould 6e stunned at the +enalties,
considerin% them draconian& )ecurity, too, is
ti%hter on stations than on colonies 75hich are
re%ulated more strictly than .arth8& 0he
reasons /or this are o64ious > /irearms and
other 5ea+ons, es+ecially thin%s like
e,+losi4es, are dan%erous to structures and
un+rotected indi4iduals inside, 5ho 5ill
9uickly +erish i/ the atmos+here is 4ented into
outer s+ace&
%olonies
!or most colonies, lo5 %ra4ity is a +ro6lem
6ecause /e5 colonies in the system are located
5here %ra4ity a++roaches .arth3norms, and
tryin% to create arti/icial %ra4ity /or 5hole
+lanets or moons is im+ossi6le&
0his is a serious issue: Iuna(s lo5 %ra4ity has
ad4erse +hysiolo%ical e//ects on +eo+le li4in%
there 5hich medicine and +hysical thera+y are
only a6le to +ost+one& *ithout %enetic
alteration 75hich more humans acce+t as
normal 5ith e4ery +assin% %eneration8 the
li/es+an o/ someone li4in% on Iuna is
si%ni/icantly lo5er than /or someone on .arth,
e4en in .arth(s dama%ed state& *ith %enetic
alteration, that is chan%ed: ho5e4er, the
+erson is then 6ound to Iuna, una6le to li4e
healthily any5here 5ith hi%her %ra4ity&
Mars and some o/ the moons o/ u+iter, such
as Callisto and .uro+a, are closer to .arth
%ra4ity, and human 6ein%s ha4e 6een 6orn on
those 5orlds and li4ed into old a%e&
#hysiolo%ical +ro6lems are not incura6le, and
are more o/ a nuisance, mana%ea6le 4ia a strict
+hysical e,ercise re%imen and medical
technolo%y 5hich has 6een em+loyed /or
years& !or tem+orary 4isitors, none o/ these
are im+ortant considerations, since it is
+ossi6le /or anyone to tolerate stran%e
conditions /or a short +eriod o/ time&
/$e Solar Syste
Sol
'nly a 4ery /e5 e,+erimental cra/t e4er
4enture closer to the )un than the or6it o/
Mercury, and none o/ them are manned&
;n/ormation a6out the )un is normally
%athered /rom a sa/er distance& Aside /rom
science 4essels and a /e5 intre+id ener%y3
collection 4essels, there is no %ood reason to
tra4el near )ol&
4ercury
0here are un3manned automated stations at the
6ottom o/ a /e5 craters on Mercury(s northern
and southern +oles& 0he sun ne4er rises /ar
a6o4e the hori2on, meanin% that these 6ases
are al5ays in shado5 and are +rotected /rom
)ol(s o4er5helmin% radiation& 0hese stations
are in +lace /or scienti/ic research, 6ases o/
o+erations /or remotely controlled ro6otic
ro4ers 5hich +er/orm scienti/ic missions on
32
Mercury(s sur/ace& 0he most 5ell3kno5n o/
these 6ases is called the Cruci6le, and it is
maintained 6y )yl4a .ner%y in a crater near
Mercury(s northern +ole&
5enus
Kenus is o/ only limited interest to .arth
scientists& ;t 5ill ne4er 6e ha6ita6le /or $uman
6ein%s, and its main 4alue is scienti/ic, thou%h
+ro%ress has 6een made in minin% chemicals
/rom Kenus( u++er atmos+here& Cons+iracy
theorists, nutcases, and some radical scientists
the 5orld o4er 6elie4e Kenus 5as the home o/
an ancient $uman ci4ili2ation, 6ut the
mainstream science community i%nores them
as crack+ots&
Hecent +ro6es sent to Kenus( sur/ace,
s+ecially 6uilt to 5ithstand the incredi6le heat,
+ressure and corrosi4e nature o/ the
atmos+here, ha4e returned in/ormation to the
*IA 5hich s+onsored the mission& 0hey
immediately classi/ied the in/ormation and
ha4e had no /urther comment, 5hich o/ course
only /uels /urther s+eculation&
6arth /rbit
.arth(s or6it is cro5ded 5ith e4erythin% /rom
tiny 6its o/ de6ris to the /i4e massi4e
Ia%ran%e satellite stations in %eosynchronous
or6it& ;t re9uires a tremendous amount o/
com+uter +o5er to track the de6ris, any o/
5hich mi%ht cause a catastro+hic im+act& A
joint cor+orate 4enture is no5 de+loyin% shi+s
into or6it as 1cleaners(, %atherin% u+ metallic
de6ris and releasin% it to 6urn in the u++er
atmos+here&
0he Ia%ran%e stations are the 6i%%est o6jects
in .arth or6it 6y /ar& 'ri%inally 6uilt 6y
%o4ernments, taken o4er 6y cor+orations, and
no5 5ith contested o5nershi+, their o//icial
status is unkno5n& ;t hasn(t sto++ed them /rom
+ros+erin%& 0he only contro4ersy 5ith the /i4e
stations is at I2& Built 6y )yl4a .ner%y, they
ha4e re/used *IA shi+s dockin% +ri4ile%es
recently& )tation I1 is the oldest and is una6le
to handle dockin% 5ith the ne5est, 6i%%est
shi+s o/ the solar system& I1 does ha4e a
thri4in% 6lack market economy&
7una
0he Moon has the hi%hest +o+ulation o/ any
e,tra3+lanetary 6ody& ;t has 6een continuously
inha6ited /or almost G- years, and the current
+o+ulation is e9ui4alent to a lar%e ur6an center
on .arth& 0he o//icial Iuna +o+ulation is
t5el4e million +eo+le, thou%h this doesn(t
include any military +ersonnel stationed there&
!our re%ions o/ Iuna are inha6ited& 0he north
and south +oles 5ere settled /irst& 0race
amounts o/ le/to4er ice /rom comet im+acts
+ro4ided ra5 materials /or 5hat started as
research stations& 0he constant sunli%ht at the
+oles ena6les solar +anels to +o5er e4erythin%
e//iciently, ena6lin% the stations e,+and into
cities o4er time& 0he craters, home to the lunar
cities, %i4e +rotection /rom direct sunli%ht, as
5ell as some tem+erature re%ulation&
0he settlements on the e9uator 5ere /ounded
6ecause o/ their +ro,imity to helium33
collection and +rocessin% +lants, har4estin%
the element 5hich has accumulated in the
re%olith /or 6illions o/ years& Most residents
li4e in the re%ion around the 'ceanus
#ellarum&
0he dark side o/ Iuna is home to more
helium33 collection and re/inin%, as 5ell as an
array o/ +o5er/ul and sensiti4e telesco+es,
ena6lin% incredi6le ima%in%& 0hese telesco+es
ha4e 6een instrumental in locatin% .arth3like
+lanets circlin% distant stars, no5 reacha6le
5ith the interstellar Baeder Dri4es&
4ars
*hile Iuna has more humans li4in% on and
6eneath its sur/ace no5, Mars is considered a
/uture +rimary lon%3term home /or human
6ein%s& Hi%ht no5, Mars is the center o/
terra/ormin% e,+erimentation& "enetic
en%ineers are tryin% to de4elo+ +lants 5hich
5ill 6e a6le to li4e in the Martian soil in the
ho+e that they 5ill, o4er time, trans/orm its
atmos+here and sur/ace into somethin% more
ha6ita6le /or humans& ;t is a +rocess that could
take millennia&
0he +o+ulation o/ Mars is the /astest3%ro5in%
o// .arth and 5ill soon o4ertake Iuna& 0he
%ro5in% +o+ulation is also unintentionally +art
o/ another kind o/ e,+eriment > can Mars 6e
33
%o4erned /orty million miles /rom the social
systems and authorities 6ack on .arth?
Because %ra4ity and other conditions are most
similar to those /ound on .arth, lon%3term
ha6itation has re9uired less construction 5ork
or technical inno4ations than li/e on the Moon
> meanin% that Mars 5ill continue to %ro5 in
+o+ulation and in/luence& )ome Martian
residents ha4e already started discussin% the
+lanet(s /uture and 5hether they mi%ht
someday 6e a6le to declare inde+endence and
join the *IA as a mem6er nation > this talk,
o64iously, in/uriates the cor+orations 5ho
+aid /or the ori%inal colonial esta6lishments
and 5ho still su++ort them&
0he 9uestion o/ inde+endence also raises a
+lethora o/ le%al and +olitical +ro6lems /or the
*IA that it is not currently +re+ared to deal
5ith& )ome 5ithin the *IA su%%est that
may6e it is time to e,+and and trans/orm the
*orld Iea%ue into the Iea%ue o/ *orlds&
"$n any struggle there will be times where we go one
step forward and two steps back. Martian independence
will be that way as well but it doesn't mean we must
resort to !iolence. 6et us achie!e our goal peacefully.
?etter to take a century that way than destroy two
worlds in an attempt to gain our independence in a
decade.-((Toepel Cool!ent taken from /The )pen
%atch Speech'
8he 'steroid 3elt
0he Belt is inha6ited, 6ut 6y its 4ery nature,
there is no +o+ulation center& )mall,
tem+orary colonies are set u+ on lar%er, richer
asteroids 5hich are then mined 6y the 9uickest
means +ossi6le& Most asteroid colonies are
portable, a6le to 6e +icked u+ and +ut 6ack
into lar%e trans+ort shi+s /or trans+ort to the
ne,t asteroid to 6e mined& 0he li/e o/ a Belter
is harsh and o/ten short, 6ut the +otential
re5ards /or the di//icult, technical 5ork are
too much to resist /or many o/ those o//ered a
+osition 5ith a minin% /irm& Most mined
resources are /ired 6ack at Mars in unmanned
containers to 6e ca+tured 6y or6ital shi+s /or
re/inin% and +rocessin%& Ia5 en/orcement in
the Belt is rare& Belters +re/er to deal 5ith
trou6lemakers on their o5n, dishin% out a
modern 4ersion o/ 1/rontier justice&(
9upiter
u+iter has a /e5 satellites or6itin% it /or
scienti/ic and industrial +ur+oses, 6ut is
other5ise i%nored at this +oint& u+iter(s
moons, on the other hand, ha4e recei4ed
su6stantial attention and se4eral ha4e 6een
coloni2ed& ;o, sometimes re/erred to as B$ellC
7or BMordorC to some 5ho remem6er an
ancient series o/ /antasy no4els8 has a /e5
s+arse minin% colonies& !re9uent 4olcanic
acti4ity makes it a treacherous +lace to do
much o/ anythin%&
;nitially, .uro+a 5as a disa++ointment 5hen
no li/e 5as disco4ered in the oceans 6eneath
its ice, 6ut is no5 the most +o+ulated o4ian
moon& .uro+a(s oceans no5 +ro4ide the 6asics
/or sustainin% human li/e as 5ell as hydro%en
/or /uel, and 1ne5( or%anisms ha4e 6een
en%ineered to li4e 7and 6e culti4ated8 in
.uro+a(s oceans 7thou%h comments a6out
.uro+ean )ea Bass are a local inside joke8&
"anymede is the lar%est o4ian satellite, lar%er
e4en than Mercury& 0hou%h it has /e5er
resources /or initial human coloni2ation, it 5ill
6e more ha6ita6le in the lon% run due to its
hi%her %ra4ity, a %ra4ity that is almost that o/
Mars& .ach o/ the moons are cold, icy,
desolate +laces, ho5e4er, and it 5ill 6e some
time 6e/ore any o/ the o4ian satellites ha4e a
+ermanent +o+ulation anythin% near that o/
Mars or Iuna&
Saturn
As 5ith u+iter, it is )aturn(s moons 5hich
ha4e +ro4en most interestin% /or colonists and
entre+reneurs& 0itan, 6y /ar )aturn(s lar%est
moon, has its o5n atmos+here and is the site
o/ the only si%ni/icant settlements around
)aturn& 0he settlements o/ 0itan are currently
/ocused on scienti/ic research, inters+ersed
5ith a /e5 installations that re+resent
cor+orate interests in the outer solar system&
:ranus and ;eptune
Eranus lacks satellites o/ si%ni/icant si2e and
has little o/ interest in and o/ itsel/& A /e5
+ro6es are in or6it around the +lanet sendin%
scienti/ic in/ormation throu%h the 4astness
6ack to research /acilities closer to .arth&
Eranus rotates on its side com+ared to the rest
34
o/ the +lanets o/ the solar system, %i4in% its
ma%netic /ield a uni9ue structure&
.4en /arther a5ay, Ae+tune, the other 1ice
%iant( in the solar system, is similar to Eranus
6ut has an a,is that is ali%ned 5ith the rest o/
the +lanets in the solar system& Enlike Eranus,
Ae+tune radiates almost three times more
ener%y than it recei4es /rom the )un&
3eyond the 6dge
Beyond Ae+tune is a 4ast cloud o/ small,
s+arsely distri6uted o6jects, some o/ 5hich are
d5ar/ +lanets, others o/ 5hich are little more
than %iant 6alls o/ ice& 0he lar%est o6ject in
this re%ion, called the Kui+er Belt, is the d5ar/
+lanet #luto, sharin% a 6inary system 5ith
Charon, another d5ar/ +lanet smaller in si2e
6ut too lar%e to 6e called #luto(s moon&
'utside the Kui+er Belt is the 4ast em+tiness
o/ '+en )+ace& #o5er/ul telesco+es in the
solar system ha4e /ound thousands o/
+otentially .arth3like +lanets or6itin% distant
stars, and it is a sa/e assum+tion that some
ha4e already 6een 4isited and e4en coloni2ed,
thou%h this +rocess has 6een 9uite secreti4e
thus /ar, 5ith only occasional leaks lettin%
anyone kno5 5hat the *IA us doin% 5ith its
!0I dri4es&
6den
.den 5as the /irst ha6ita6le 5orld outside the
)olar )ystem to 6e disco4ered& A/ter the
e,+lorers returned to .arth and the disco4ery
5as announced, the ca+tain o/ that 4oya%e,
)er%e Pi4ano4, hijacked a Baeder Dri4e 5ith
attached colony +ods and disa++eared& )ince
that moment, history(s lar%est the/t, security
on Baeder Dri4es has 6een ti%htened, and no
one kno5s i/ another Dri4e has 6een sent in
+ursuit o/ Pi4ano4& Details o/ the the/t are a
hi%hly3%uarded secret o/ the *IA, 5hile the
the/t itsel/ is the or%ani2ation(s lar%est
em6arrassment&
/$e 4ni5erse
0housands o/ .arth3like 5orlds ha4e 6een
/ound and identi/ied& )ome o/ them ha4e
li9uid 5ater and an .arth3like tem+erature
ran%e that could allo5 li/e3/orms to de4elo+&
Be/ore the Baeder Dri4es, these 5orlds 5ere
many human li/etimes a5ay& Ao5, those
5orlds are 5ithin humanity(s reach&
0he amount o/ ener%y re9uired to reach a
distant 5orld is incredi6le, 6ut is not
insurmounta6le& 0here is a tremendous
amount o/ heated de6ate in the halls o/ the
*IA o4er 5hich 5orlds should 6e e,+lored
/irst& 0he initial e,+enses are +rohi6iti4e, 6ut
the +otential /or disco4ery and coloni2ation is
sta%%erin%, and i/ one o/ those 5orlds out
there has li/eL&
A 4oya%e to a distant star 5ill ha4e to occur in
sta%es 6ecause a Baeder Dri4e cannot store
enou%h ener%y in its systems to make a lon%
interstellar journey& 0he assumed +lan is to
make journeys in sta%es, re/uelin% and
rechar%in% as it %oes /rom star to star& 7As /ar
as is kno5n, a Baeder Dri4e does not actually
mo4e throu%h the s+ace 6et5een its ori%in and
its destination, 5hich is /ortunate, since a
collision 5ith a cloud o/ s+ace3dust at many
times the s+eed o/ li%ht 5ould o6literate the
dri4e and all attached shi+s8&
;t is +resumed that at least one interstellar
mission has 6een sent to reco4er the sin%le
stolen Dri4e& #lans ha4e 6een made /or
do2ens, e4en hundreds, o/ other tri+s out to the
stars& #erha+s the *IA has 6een makin% these
tri+s /or years, kee+in% them secret /rom other
interested +arties& $o5 the *IA is handlin%
e,+loration and coloni2ation are 5ell3ke+t
secrets&
2#5 Dan"er
Dan%er is o/ten the thin% that makes a
situation interestin% and e,citin%& ;/ you ha4e
all the time in the 5orld to accom+lish your
%oals, 5hat /un is that? 0here needs to 6e
some kind o/ +ressure +ut on the +layer3
characters that makes them +ush themsel4es,
5hether that +ressure comes /rom a clearly
de/ined, o4ert threat or it comes /rom
somethin% that is %oin% on 6ehind the scenes&
All o/ these e,am+les are /or use in creatin%
e,citin%, en%a%in% %ame sessions 5hich
challen%e +layers and their characters&
.,am+les are %i4en /or s+eci/ic anta%onists,
35
6ut /eel /ree to t5eak any o/ the in/ormation
o//ered to 6etter your o5n %ame&
Go5ernent Sec*rity Forces
As the *IA asserts its +o5er on .arth and
6eyond, it has created its o5n security /orces
to counter those em+loyed 6y cor+orations&
Because o/ the +ro6lems o/ cor+orate culture
and ho5 easily someone can dro+ to the ranks
o/ 'utsider 5ithin it, many men and 5omen
ha4e 6e%un re%isterin% /or ser4ice 5ith the
*IA& ;/ nothin% else, the health and
retirement 6ene/its are su+erior, as are the
*IA(s initial si%nin% 6onuses& 'n the other
hand, *IA security is o/ten out3%unned 6y
+ri4ate /irms&
)tandard uni/orms are sim+le, styled on
national military and +olice uni/orms o/ +ast
eras& 0his %i4es them a 1retro( look distinct
/rom the sleek stylin% o/ cor+orate security
/orces& 0he *IA has in4ested a %reat deal o/
ta, money into de4elo+in% some o/ the li%htest
and most mo6ile com6at lasers /or its elite
security troo+s > 5hich is to say that they are
9uite 6ulky 6ut can 6e carried and 5ielded 6y
a sin%le soldier& ;n the +ast, such +o5er/ul
5ea+ons 5ere rele%ated to /i,ed +ositions or
4ehicular mounts& !or non3lethal 5ea+onry,
the *IA /orces ha4e ado+ted the same
5ea+ons as cor+orate /orces > stun36atons and
tasers, .M#s, %as %renades, and /ocused sound
5a4e and radio35a4e directors&
)ide6arD BA Aote on )tat BlocksC )kills are
5ritten 5ith the num6er o/ dice and tar%et
num6er already calculated, rather than
Bad4anced !irearmsC or Bintermediate
Coura%eC& 0his is just to sa4e you time 5hen
re/errin% to them 5hile runnin% a %ame& )ome
thin%s are mentioned here that ha4en(t 6een
co4ered yet > don(t 5orry, those are comin% in
Cha+ters 3 and 4& !or no5, just skim throu%h
and kee+ readin%&
Sample *6# $nfantry
This e4ample is built as appro4imately
e5ui!alent to a starting player(character. This
might be a soldier or security personnel
anywhere the *6# has offices or interests.
They wear standard uniforms and carry
standard(issue e5uipment. The a!erage *6#
infantry person doesn't intend to die for their
employer but doesn't want to get fired either.
)ne Trait was spent to raise Status from 9 to
; Attri6utesD #o5er 5 Mo6ility 4 #recision 5
Connection 3 A++eal 4 Hesilience 5
)killsD Detection 3T5, .ti9uette 4T5,
.4asion 4T4, !irearms 5T4, "ra++lin% 5T5,
)trikin% 5T5
Coura%e 5T5, Disci+line 5T5, 0olerance
5T5 7Ao )carsLyet8
0raitsD Cy6ernetic !orearm and $and 7O1 to
"ra++lin% 6ecause o/ stron% %ri+8
Minor Helationshi+D *IA
Minor Helationshi+D Any
;m+act Armor 2 74 dice8, Hi/le
)tatus 2
%orporate Sec*rity Forces
Cor+orate security /orces come in t5o %eneral
ty+es > the 6asic ty+e ser4in% as the /irst line
o/ security /or a com+any(s holdin%s,
maintainin% order and handlin% small
e4eryday issues such as +arkin% citations or
securin% +remises a/ter hours& 0hey rarely
ha4e more than a small sidearm and almost
ne4er 5ear armor& 0he main /unction o/ 6asic
security /orces is a 4isi6le deterrent to
criminals and /or mana%in% lar%e unarmed
cro5ds& )+ecial riot troo+s are issued hea4ier
5ea+ons and s+ecial layered riot shields /or
+rotection a%ainst +rojectiles, as 5ell as armor
to +rotect a%ainst close39uarters im+act&
0he second tier o/ security /orces are the elite&
0hey 5ear +o5ered armor and are al5ays
hea4ily armed& .lite security /orces de/end
shi+s a%ainst +irates and are the inner line o/
de/ense /or a cor+oration 5hen it %oes to 5ar
a%ainst a com+etitor& 0hese BKni%htsC e,cel at
/i%htin% in enclosed areas&
Most security /orces ha4e an intimidatin%
a++earance, e4en thou%h their 5ea+onry is
sometimes dis+osa6le and or su63standard
9uality& .//iciency and cost3e//ecti4eness are
the rules /or cor+orate security ser4ices& 0he
36
elites, ho5e4er, are trained and e9ui++ed to 6e
deadly&
"#e!er worry about the guys you can see.
Think about where they are what they're
lea!ing unprotected. *hat's unprotected isn't
=it's where they'!e got their 0EA6 men.
That's the point you start to earn your li!ing.-
((6esson $A %olo!id1 "So you think you know
about espionage>-
Sample Elite Corporate "Hnight-
This character is much more powerful than a
starting player(character and facing e!en one
will be dangerous for a group of
ine4perienced characters. Elite corporate
soldiers often called Hnights should be
frightening and dangerous. They are only sent
when a corporation means business and is
intent on destroying a target. They are usually
sent in small groups of ; or 3 depending on
how difficult their target will be to engage
and will be armed with special e5uipment and
weaponry for the mission at hand.
This Hnight for e4ample has : dice at a
target number of 3 to fire her /needler'
assault rifle ( this will take out an a!erage
person in one shot. She also has I dice of
composite armor ( so all attacks against her
will be down I dice.
A Hnight's e5uipment works +ust as well in the
!acuum of space and no changes need to be
made.
KThe second number listed when there are
two is for when the Hnight is in her powered
armorL
Attri6utesD #o5er 6 or 1-, Mo6ility 6 or 4,
#recision @, Connection 4, A++eal 4,
Hesilience 6
)killsD Athletics 6 or 1-T5, Detection @T4,
.ti9uette 4T4, .4asion 6 or 4T4, !irearms
JT3 75ith her needler ri/le8, "ra++lin% 6 or
1-T4, ;ntimidation 4T5, )trikin% 6 or 1- T4,
Pero3" 6 or 4T4
Coura%e 6T3, Disci+line 6T5, 0olerance
6T4 76 )cars 3 a %ri22led 4eteran8
0raitsD ;m+lanted Communications Aode 7O2
to Detection 5hen on or near .m+loyer(s
+ro+erty8
Major Helationshi+D .m+loyer
Minor Helationshi+D Any
#o5ered Armor 7#o5er O4, Com+osite 4,
Mo6ility 328, Aeedler Hi/le 7)tealthy, Hecoil3
less, Kacuum, O2 dice8
)tatus 6
<rgani=e) %rie
0here are those 5ho 5ork to circum4ent
authority and controls o/ all kinds, 5hether
cor+orate or %o4ernmental& *ith a nud%e the
5ron% 5ay, those +eo+le o/ten turn to a li/e o/
crime& ;/ a hoodlum is success/ul, he 5orks his
5ay u+ and is recruited into 6etter and more
+ro/essional criminal or%ani2ations&
De+endin% on his skills, he(ll recei4e
additional trainin% to /urther his a6ilities as
5ell as the %oals o/ his or%ani2ation&
Crime 6osses aren(t al5ays lookin% /or tou%h
%uys 5ho can thro5 a +unch or are 1made
men( %ood 5ith a %un& Most o/ the time, they
seek out intelli%ence, lookin% /or %ood
6usinessmen, le%al aces, and indi4iduals 5ith
outstandin% technical skills, es+ecially those,
like com+uter +ro%rammin%, that can 6e used
to snatch easy money&
Sample Enderworld Thug
This character is a brawler who is about as
accomplished as a starting player(character
but not as carefully built. %e might be a low(
rent bodyguard or underworld security
person a mugger or someone in charge of
"collections-.
0emember that the Eti5uette Skill doesn't
mean this thug is good at ballroom dancing (
he's +ust learned to show respect and get
along in his own sub(culture.
Attri6utesD #o5er 6, Mo6ility 4, #recision 3,
Connection 3, A++eal 3, Hesilience 6
)killsD .ti9uette 3T5, !irearms 3T5, "ra++le
6T5, ;ntimidation 3T4, )tealth 4T5, )trikin%
6T5
3@
Coura%e 6T5, Disci+line 6T5, 0olerance
6T4 71 )car8
0raitsD Bruiser(s !ace 7O2 to ;ntimidation
a%ainst +eo+le 5ho ha4e ne4er 6een in a /i%ht8
Major Helationshi+D Criminal .m+loyer
)tatus 2
Pirates an) Pri5ateers
;n s+ace, e4erythin% has 4alue 6ecause
e4erythin% is scarce& 0his means that anyone
5ith access to a shi+ 5ith 5ea+onry can take
matters into her o5n hands > 6ecome a +irate 3
and 5ork /or hersel/, sei2in% %oods /rom
unarmed 4essels to sell else5here on the 6lack
market& 'thers seek a 6it more security,
+re/errin% contracts 5ith the *IA or
cor+orations to 5ork as a +ri4ateer, thus
%i4in% some le%al +rotection /or +illa%in%
across the system(s s+ace lanes& 0he line
6et5een +iracy and +ri4ateerin% is a thin one
at 6est&
#irates and +ri4ateers also ser4e as +ro,ies /or
the %reat +o5ers o/ the solar system 5hen they
are in con/lict 6ut don(t 5ant to risk o+en
5ar/are& 0hey +ro4ide /ire+o5er 5ith
+lausi6le denia6ility, as 5ell as a source o/
illicit income, reconnaissance and stolen
in/ormation&
Sample 7irateJ7ri!ateer Captain
This is a skilled and accomplished indi!idual
who has to rely mostly on herself. She
probably doesn't ha!e a dedicated gunner or
na!igator that she can depend on and so she
has de!eloped a lot of those Skills herself so
she isn't left in a pinch. She is also more
accomplished than the a!erage space pilot
because as a pirate or pri!ateer she is
regularly in a lot more danger&
Attri6utesD #o5er 4, Mo6ility @, #recision @,
Connection 5, A++eal @, Hesilience 5
)killsD Analysis @T4, .ti9uette @T3,
!irearms @T5, "unner @T4, Aa4i%ation @T3,
#ilot @T3, He+air @T5, Pero3" @T4
Coura%e 5T4, Disci+line 5T4, 0olerance
5T5 75 )cars 3 4ery e,+erienced8
0raitsD )+eciali2ationD )ur+risin% Maneu4ers
7O2 to #ilotin% 5hen tryin% to take the
;nitiati4e8
#art3'5nershi+ o/ a )+aceshi+, Aeedler #istol
7)tealthy, Hecoil3less, Kacuum8
)tatus 6
Free)o Fig$ters an) (ns*rgents
.arth is a hard +lace /or most o/ the G 6illion
+eo+le 5ho still li4e there& Be/ore the
Colla+se, .arth(s +o+ulation 5as closer to 13
or 14 6illion, and o4er+o+ulation le/t lastin%
scars on the +lanet(s ecosystems 5hich ha4e
not yet and mi%ht ne4er reco4er& #ollution is
common and %ar6a%e is e4ery5here& 0he
5ealthy are content in cloistered %uarded
communities, de/ended 6y +ri4ate security
/orces, o/ten /rom the an%ry +oor&
0his situation dri4es many to des+air, and
some o/ them take matters into their o5n
hands& *ea+ons are chea+ and +lenti/ul, and
thou%h there are la5s on the 6ooks restrictin%
5ea+on o5nershi+, en/orcement is la,& ;/
tri6es, %an%s and militias out in the Barrens o/
.arth could only learn to coo+erate, they
5ould 6e a %enuine +o5er6roker on .arth, a
real threat to those holdin% +o5er&
0o this +oint thou%h, no one has emer%ed
ca+a6le o/ unitin% these dis+arate %rou+s&
Sample Erban *arrior
*ith the Ma+or 0elationship this character
might be able to score e4plosi!es on a one(
time basis for use in an attack on a commuter
line factory or other important target.
Attri6utesD #o5er 5, Mo6ility 5, #recision 4,
Connection 3, A++eal 3, Hesilience 5
)killsD Athletics 5T5, .4asion 5T5, !irearms
4T4, Iarceny 4T5, )tealth 5T4, )u6tlety
3T5
Coura%e 5T4, Disci+line 5T5, 0olerance
5T4 72 )cars8
0raitsD Major Helationshi+D He4olutionary
'r%ani2ation
Assault Hi/le 7Hecoil3less, O28, ;m+act Armor
2
3G
)tatus 2
Sample Hhan of the *astes
This character might be a kind of 3enghis
Hhan of the *astes of Earth trying to unify
the !arious groups and militias into a
coherent force which might become a threat to
a more de!eloped region. She has fought her
way up the ranks and is +ust now beginning to
consolidate her support and make plans. %er
reputation likely comes from a combination of
charisma and being tough as nails. %a!ing a
%ell of an assault rifle doesn't hurt either.
Attri6utesD #o5er 6, Mo6ility 4, #recision 5,
Connection 3, A++eal @, Hesilience @
)killsD Athletics 6T5, Culture 3T4,
.nticement @T5, .ti9uette @T5, .4asion
4T4, !irearms JT4, ;ntimidation @T4,
Iarceny 5T5, )tealth 4T5, )ur4i4al 5T4
Coura%e @T3, Disci+line @T4, 0olerance
@T3 75 )cars8
0raitsD Minor Helationshi+D 0rusted Iieutenant
Minor Helationshi+D )ecret *IA Contact
Com+osite Armor 2 731 Mo6ility8, Modi/ied
Assault Hi/le 7Hecoil3less, )ni+er, .,tra
Ca+acity, O4 dice8
)tatus 3
)ide6arD B*hy Do 0hey All $a4e .ti9uette as
a )kill?C .ti9uette is one o/ those really
common )kills that a lot o/ +eo+le ha4e& ;t is
6asically the a6ility to %et alon% in a lar%er
society as 5ell as in a 6usiness or any su63
cultures a character is +art o/& 0here are +eo+le
5ho com+letely lack a sense o/ eti9uette
7socio+aths, reclusi4e ty+es8, 6ut most
characters ha4e a 6asic kno5led%e o/ it& 0he
.ti9uette )kill is im+ortant /or +eo+le 5ishin%
to sociali2e and 6e taken seriously 6y their
+eers&
S*r5eillance
;t(s 6een said 6e/ore > someone is al5ays
5atchin% you& .lectronic sur4eillance is
+er4asi4e, chea+, accessi6le, and di//icult to
detect 5ithout s+ecial e9ui+ment& *ith the
+re4alence o/ 5ireless communication,
+luckin% in/ormation /rom the air around you
is easy i/ you ha4e the ri%ht skill and
e9ui+ment& Countermeasures are +ossi6le, 6ut
e4en then they do not %uarantee +ri4acy, only
that it 5ill 6e more di//icult to /ind out 5hat
you are doin%&
'/ course, this le4el o/ sur4eillance is true on
.arth& ;t is di//erent on s+aceshi+s 5here
security is /ocused in areas critical /or shi+
+er/ormance& ;n other areas, the +resum+tion
is made that security checks 5hile 6oardin%
the shi+ took care o/ all risks& ;n the colonies,
sur4eillance is minimal& )o many +eo+le
dislike 6ein% 5atched and sa6ota%e
sur4eillance systems that colony
administrators ha4e %i4en u+ on kee+in% ta6s
on residents& A%ain, it is hard enou%h to
actually reach an o//35orld colony that once
you(re there, it(s assumed you 6elon%&
Total sur!eillance focused on the 3reat
S5uare in the ?ei+ing(Tian+in Metrople41 ;C<
ad!ertising(sensors 9I traffic cameras ;B
city(operated sensors I airborne drones OI
infrared de!ices and one satellite pass e!ery
3< minutes.
>research pro!ided by Phongguo 3wen&hian
Corporate Consortium Eni!ersity
Sample Spook
A spook like this is the kind of person who
might be sent to tail a player(character or
show up at her door asking uncomfortable
5uestions about her political in!ol!ement. .or
"wet(work- M i.e. assassination they'll send
someone significantly more accomplishedQ
and frightening.
Attri6utesD #o5er 4, Mo6ility 4, #recision 6,
Connection 6, A++eal 6, Hesilience 4
)killsD Detection 6T5, .nticement 6T5,
.ti9uette 6T5, !irearms 6T5, "ra++lin%
4T5, Iarceny 6T5, )ocial Aet5orkin% 6T5,
)tealth 4T5, )u6tlety 6T4
Coura%e 4T6, Disci+line 4T5, 0olerance
4T5 72 )cars8
0raitsD Major Helationshi+D 0he 'r%ani2ation
Minor Helationshi+D Iocal Contact or Mark
3J
)+ecial ;denti/ication 7O2 to .ti9uette 5ith
those 5ho res+ect his or%ani2ation8, $oldout
#istol 7)tealthy, O2 dice8
)tatus 4
Sample 7oliticalJEconomic Assassin
This is a "wetwork- specialist someone who
is sent on missions to kill influential and
troublesome people in a way that doesn't get
back to their employers. They normally don't
ha!e to do their own research but are
essentially highly speciali&ed weapons which
are unleashed on a target and then disappear
again. This #7C would be a challenge for a
group of starting characters because it will be
!ery difficult to detect what she is doing until
it is too late. This particular #7C has similar
Attributes to a starting $nsider 7C but has
significantly higher Skill le!els.
Attri6utesD #o5er 5, Mo6ility 5, #recision 6,
Connection 4, A++eal 4, Hesilience 4
)killsD Athletics 5T5, "ra++lin% 5T5,
)trikin% 5T4, .4asion 5T5, )tealth 5T4,
!irearms 6T4, Iarceny 6T4, Detection 4T5,
)u6tlety 4T5
Coura%e 4T5, Disci+line 4T5, 0olerance
4T4 74 )cars8
0raitsD Major Helationshi+D .m+loyer or !i,er,
Minor Helationshi+D ;n/ormation Contact,
)tatus O2
)tatus 6
2#1 0our -ni@erse
As mentioned in Cha+ter 1, any settin%
elements you create can 6ecome +art o/ the
+u6lished #arsec settin%& Cities and other
locations on earth, or%ani2ations, s+ace
stations in .arth or6it or or6itin% other 5ords
in our solar system, +lanetary colonies
any5here the Baeder Dri4es can reach 3 the
uni4erse is a 6i% +lace, and as humanity enters
an a%e o/ e,+ansion 6eyond any in it(s history,
you ha4e the chance to make the uni4erse your
o5n&
*ith !0I dri4es, a tri+ to u+iter takes a6out
as lon% as a tri+ to a solar system hundreds o/
li%ht years a5ay& Ion%er journeys re9uire /ar
more ener%y, 6ut the crossin% ha++ens in an
instant& .4ery or%ani2ation that can a//ord to
hitch a ride on a Baeder Dri4e is ea%er to
e,+and 5here4er it can, and 5here humanity
%oes, crime and con/lict 3 and stories 3 surely
/ollo5&
At the end o/ Cha+ter 6, you 5ill /ind
in/ormation on ho5 to su6mit your o5n
creations to 6e added to the +u6lished uni4erse
o/ #arsec&
/,R11> %,-R-%/1R
/#7 Auick Character Creation
Create a 6ack3storyD De/ine 6irth and /amily
6ack%round, adolescence and education,
current 5ork, 6i%%est +assion, and then choose
)cars
Assi%n Attri6ute +ointsD di4ide +oints 6et5een
#o5er, Mo6ility, #recision, Connection,
A++earance and Hesilience: 2G +oints i/ your
character is an ;nsider, 25 +oints i/ your
character is an 'utsider
Choose )killsD )kill +icks can 6e used to
ad4ance an already3selected )kill&
Choose G ad4ancementsD 3 Helationshi+ +icks
71 /or a minor and 2 /or a major one8 and 5
other 0raits, includin% modi/ications,
s+eciali2ations and e9ui+ment
De/ine )carsD a character starts 5ith u+ to 3
)cars& ;/ your character is an outsider,
automatically ad4ance Coura%e, Disci+line
and 0olerance each one ste+
Determine )tatusD )tatus starts at 4 /or ;nsiders
and 1 /or 'utsiders& Ad4ance )tatus one ste+
/or each ad4anced le4el )kill and once more
/or each master le4el )kill
Talk to the 2irector and the other players to
make sure your ne5 character /its 5ith 5hat
they ha4e in mind
4-
;/ this doesn(t make sense yet, don(t 5orry,
read on=
/#4 Story
;n order to create a character in #arsec, you
need to ha4e a story& ;t doesn(t re9uire lots o/
detail > the %ame is a6out the stories that your
character li4es throu%h after you 6e%in +lay,
not 6e/ore& Hather, this is your character(s
story > his history u+ to the +oint that the
%ame starts& *hat is his /amily like? *here
did he %ro5 u+? *hat did he study in school?
*hat does he do /or a li4in%? *hat, or 5hom,
does he truly lo4e? *hat has ha++ened in the
+ast to hurt him? 0hose are the 9uestions you
need to ans5er /or your character&
Alon% 5ith a %ood story, you also need a hook
that connects you to the situation o/ the %ame
in 9uestion, as 5ell as to at least some o/ the
other characters& 0hese hooks should 6e
de4elo+ed 6y the +layers 5orkin% to%ether
5ith the Director, so that they remain
consistent 5ith 5hat e4eryone 5ants /rom the
%ame in terms o/ story and settin%& 0he hooks
that you decide on should 6e connected to
6oth the settin% that you ha4e de4elo+ed as a
%rou+ and also, more im+ortantly, the situation
that de/ines ho5 the %ame 6e%ins&
Be%in %ettin% your 6asic character conce+t,
their story, in mind, and then read on to /ind
out ho5 5e add details and num6ers to the
character /or use in the %ame&
)ide6arD *hen you make your character, make
sure the Director kno5s 5hat you intend your
6ack%round to 6e& ;/ you 5ant to 6e a deni2en
o/ the Barrens on .arth leadin% the +oor in a
re4olt a%ainst cor+orate %o4ernment, there 5ill
6e +ro6lems i/ the Director has +lans /or a
%ame centerin% around cor+orate es+iona%e on
the moons o/ u+iter&
/#2 Character Creation
Birt$
*here your character 5as 6orn hel+s
determine 5hat the %ame 5ill 6e a6out and
5here the story %oes& ;/ one character 5as
6orn in the slums o/ )han%hai, the %ame 5ill
+ro6a6ly not 6e one that in4ol4es shi+3to3shi+
com6at or +rotectin% cor+orate interests& All o/
the +layers need to talk a6out 5hat kind o/
%ame they 5ant to +lay so that the characters
/it to%ether /rom the 6e%innin%& 0his is called
a group template, and it is just a 5ay to kee+
characters /rom 6ein% redundant 7no one needs
two hotshot s+ace +ilots or t5o hardened
ur6an insur%ents > unless that(s 5hat you
really 5ant8, or /rom 6ein% too hard to %et
to%ether /or the start o/ the story 7BFou all
meet in a s+ace cantinaLC8&
;t(s unlikely, 6ut +ossi6le, that you 5ere 6orn
1o//5orld( 3 some5here other than .arth& Fou
mi%ht ha4e 6een 6orn on one o/ the %reat
rotatin% %eosynchronous s+ace stations
surroundin% the .arth, a Iuna Colony, on
Mars, or e4en on one o/ the distant out+osts
around u+iter or )aturn&
*hen you decide 5here your character 5as
6orn and 5hat his /amily is like, you need to
determine 5hether he is an ;nsider or an
'utsider&
nsiders are 6orn to +ri4ile%e, and ha4e the
6ene/it o/ %ene thera+y and medical care /rom
6irth& 0hey are the oli%archy o/ the solar
system, and the majority o/ the +eo+le in
s+ace& Most o/ them ha4e +ositions in the
5orld %o4ernment or in a major cor+oration
4irtually %uaranteed& ;nsiders usually s+eak
.n%lish and mi%ht also kno5 #ortu%ese,
a+anese, Mandarin Chinese or $indi&
'n .arth, they o/ten li4e in +ri4ile%ed
communities, +rotected 6y security +ersonnel,
and i/ they commute to 5ork at all they do so
in sealed commuter tu6es ridin% ma%le4 trains&
;nsiders start 5ith hi%her Attri6utes and 5ill
ha4e more )tatus than 'utsiders, 6ut they 5ill
usually ha4e lo5er Coura%e, Disci+line and
0olerance&
0he relationshi+ 0rait you take at 16irth( is
almost certainly a /amily relationshi+ > a
+arent or si6lin%, a %rand+arent or other close
/amily mem6er& 0he relationshi+ may 6e
someone /rom an or+hana%e or a /oster system
i/ you decide your character doesn(t ha4e
li4in% +arents or doesn(t remem6er 5ho his
+arents are&
41
$nsiders start with ;C points to distribute
between their Attributes and a starting Status
of I. #o Skills can be ad!anced yet but the
character has 9 relationship to select. $nsiders
also ha!e 9 starting Trait in addition to the
relationship.
/utsiders li4e on the ed%es o/ society > and
those ed%es are 4ast& !or e4ery ;nsider, there
are at least 1- 'utsiders, li4in% in tenements,
/actory dormitories and slums all o4er the
5orld& 1Iucky( 'utsiders li4in% o//35orld
ha4e tiny 6erths in s+ace 5here they do menial
5ork on shi+s or stations& 'utsiders do not
ha4e the /ull ri%hts o/ ;nsider status& 0heir
usual o+tions are to join the security /orces or
indenture themsel4es in the ho+e o/ li4in%
lon% enou%h to earn ;nsider status /or their
children&
0he most common lan%ua%es encountered /or
'utsiders are Ara6ic, .n%lish, !rench and
A/rikaans& 'utsiders > the ones 5ho sur4i4e >
are tou%her than ;nsiders, +hysically and
+sycholo%ically& 0hey ha4e seen more,
endured more, and are harder to 6reak& 0hey
also rely more on close relationshi+s&
)utsiders start with ;B points to distribute
between Attributes and a starting Status of 9.
Courage 2iscipline and Tolerance all start
out with one ad!ancement to basic and the
character has ; relationship Traits M either ;
minor relationships or one ma+or one. This
ad!ancement in Courage 2iscipline and
Tolerance doesn't re5uire any Scars though
future ad!ancement will. )utsiders also ha!e
9 starting Trait in addition to the
relationships.
Fou also need to decide 5hether your
character 5as 0erra6orn or Colony6orn& ;/ he
5as 8erraborn, he is 1normal( /or a human
6ein%& $e may make the mo4e to s+ace, 6ut he
5ill 6e unaccustomed to lon% +eriods o/ time
s+ent in 2ero3" and 5ill re9uire time and
+ractice to acclimate& ;/ he 5as !olonyborn,
he is unusual, and there is somethin%
1di//erent( a6out him& He+roduction in /ully
arti/icial settin%s, e4en 5ith arti/icial %ra4ity
and e,cellent medical care, remains
un+redicta6le& $e 5ill ha4e one minor +enalty
that /unctions like a 6asic )car, +hysical or
+sycholo%ical, 6ut 5ithout the attendant
ad4ancement o/ Coura%e, Disci+line or
0olerance& $o5e4er, he is already acclimated
to 5ork and li/e in 2ero3", and %ets a /ree
ad4ancement in that )kill& ;n /act, his
+ro6lems 5ill come 5hen he is some+lace
5ith constant, standard %ra4ity, like Mars or
.arth, /or a lon% +eriod o/ time > it is like a
sailor needin% to %et his Bsea le%sC, 9uite
disorientin% at /irst&
Terrans are the default for 7arsec characters.
E!eryone is assumed to be Terraborn unless
otherwise stated.
Colonyborn characters recei!e basic Skill in
Pero(3 for free and also start with one Scar.
This Scar does not allow the character to
ad!ance Courage 2iscipline or Tolerance
but represents the difficulty associated with
being born offworld.
1)*cation
.ducation can take +lace in a %o4ernment
or+hana%e or school, a +ri4ate academy, or on
the mean streets o/ a slum& 0his +art o/ your
character(s story co4ers his late childhood and
adolescence, and it is the time 5hen your
character learns many o/ his 6asic )kills& ;t is
also 5hen he 6e%ins to 6uild relationshi+s
6eyond his /amily& 0he Director should hel+
%uide )kill choices so that they remain
consistent 5ith the kind o/ story the %ame 5ill
in4ol4e, as 5ell as the kind o/ 6ack%round that
the +layer descri6es&
0he .ducation +hase o/ a character(s li/e
sometimes corres+onds to adolescence, 6ut not
al5ays& 0here are many children 5ho %et little
schoolin% and are +ut to 5ork as soon as they
are +hysically mature enou%h to 5ork,
es+ecially in +oor areas o/ .arth& 'n the other
hand, there are many scientists and researchers
5ho s+end u+ to thirty years in school 6e/ore
em6arkin% on their o5n 5ork in that career
/ield& .ducation sim+ly re+resents the +eriod
o/ sociali2ation and skill3trainin% that +re+ares
someone to enter society&
Helationshi+s de4elo+ed at this sta%e are
usually 5ith /riends or mentors > or ri4als&
42
0he relationshi+ could also 6e 5ith an
or%ani2ation or the school 5here you recei4e
your education&
A character's Education lets him ad!ance B
Skills and 9 relationship. At this stage no
Skill may be raised beyond 'intermediate'. A
Trait is selected at this stage as well which
might represent a talent that has emerged as
the character matures.
#or7
'nly the 4ery 5ealthy can a//ord not to 5ork,
and they still ha4e ho66ies or +astimes o/
some kind to /i%ht ennui& !or the rest o/
humanity, i/ you don(t 5ork, you star4e& *ork
is 5hat you do& ;t is the sta%e 5here you
choose 5hich o/ your 6asic )kills has
im+ro4ed, and ho5 much&
;n the #arsec settin%, there is a lot o/
s+eciali2ation& "eneral education is considered
a relic o/ the +ast, and jacks o/ all trades are
rare& ;/ you are an ;nsider, you are 4alued /or
the 5ay you /unction in society, the 5ay you
contri6ute, and to make this contri6ution as
e//icient and +redicta6le as +ossi6le, you are
stron%ly encoura%ed to s+eciali2e& ;/ you are
an 'utsider, you o/ten ha4e a little more
6readth o/ )kill, 6ut it is 4ery di//icult to
sur4i4e as an unskilled la6orer, so at some
+oint you settle do5n into a s+eci/ic ty+e o/
5ork& A +ro/essional normally has a )kill at
intermediate le4el in the /ield in 5hich he
makes a li4in%& 0he most success/ul 5orkers
5ill ha4e an ad4anced )kill&
Characters o/ten ha4e a relationshi+ to their
em+loyer& 0hey may also ha4e relationshi+s
5ith co5orkers or adults they kno5 socially&
'/ course, a character has many relationshi+s,
6ut relationshi+s in %ame terms ha4e a s+ecial
/unction in the #arsec rules > 5hich is co4ered
in the )ystem cha+ter&
A character's *ork enables him to ad!ance 9
Attribute 3 Skills and 9 relationship. At this
stage no Skill can be higher than /ad!anced'
in le!el. $f you raise one or more Skills to
/ad!anced' at this stage you immediately
raise your Status by 9. The character also
gains a third Trait which might be a piece of
e5uipment necessary for his +ob or perhaps a
Skill speciali&ation that he gains for the
particular +ob he does.
Passion
0he last ste+ here is choosin% a #assion /or
your character& Four character mi%ht 6e
reli%ious or lo4e art: mi%ht 6e dee+ly in lo4e
or ha4e children you(d sacri/ice e4erythin%
/or& Fou mi%ht ha4e a +articular cause or a
4ision that dri4es you& *hat you choose /or
your character(s #assion tells the Director one
thin% that is im+ortant to you, one thin% you
5ant to come u+ re%ularly in the %ame&
0he +layers, as a %rou+, should discuss their
characters( #assions 6ecause i/ they contradict
each other, or are incom+ati6le, it 5ill 6e
di//icult to come u+ 5ith coherent stories >
unless you 5ant them to 6e stories a6out
+layer3character con/licts 5ith each other& ;t is
+ossi6le /or the characters to ha4e the same or
4ery similar #assions, thou%h this isn(t
recommended 6ecause it could 6ecome
monotonous&
.4ery session, each character recei4es a
#assion +oint& *hen a situation comes u+ in
%ame that is 4ery im+ortant to the character,
5hich is connected to 5hat she is +assionate
a6out, then the +layer can s+end that #assion
+oint to reroll all the dice /rom the roll that
5eren(t successes& The 2irector is the final
authority on whether a 7assion point can be
spent on a particular roll > remem6er,
somethin% im+ortant to the character has to 6e
at stake&
"$t's not luck. $t was all hard work. *hen $
found out the conducti!e properties of
7ersinium $ knew what it meant. $ didn't ha!e
to sla!e for someone else anymore. *ith help
from some risk(bankers $ started Peus Energy
Systems thirty years ago. $'!e sacrificed
e!erything for it two wi!es relations with my
son and now my health. $ts hell on your social
life working twenty hour days but it's worth
it. My legacy will last a thousand years.-
((2r. Asante Ewing #obel(Strauss 7ri&e
*inner e4cerpt from 6ast *ill and Testament
43
Make your #assion somethin% you(ll enjoy
/i%htin% /or and ha4in% at risk, 6ecause it is
the Director(s jo6 to do just that&
At this stage a character can ad!ance 9 Skill
and 9 relationship based on their 7assion. A
Skill can now be ad!anced to /master' le!el
but only if it is tied to the character's 7assion.
$f you raise one or more of your Skills to
/master' at this point of character creation
your character's Status is increased by 9. A
character also gets a fourth and final Trait at
this point.
Selecting Scars
At this stage a character may take up to 3
Scars. Each needs to represent a painful
e4perience which left the character tougher
and each must impose a penalty in specific
circumstances. Taking no Scars at this stage
is always an option of course.
/eplates
0hese are not com+lete characters 5ith all o/
the details /illed in, 6ut rather a 5ay to %et you
started thinkin% a6out a kind o/ character you
mi%ht 5ant to +lay i/ you are stuck& ;/ you
5ish to jum+ into the %ame 9uickly, these
tem+lates are ideal startin% +oints&
'rtist 7;nsider, 0erra6orn8
#o5er 3, Mo6ility 4, #recision 5, Connection
6, A++eal @, Hesilience 3
Basic #ro%rammin%, Basic Culture, Basic
)ocial Aet5orkin%, ;ntermediate .ti9uette,
Ad4anced .,+ression
Minor relationshi+s 5ith dilettante /riends or a
mana%er
0alent /or a s+eci/ic kind o/ art5ork
)tatus 5
nsurgent 7'utsider, 0erra6orn8
#o5er 4, Mo6ility 5, #recision 4, Connection
3, A++eal 4, Hesilience 5
Basic )trikin%, ;ntermediate .4asion, Basic
)tealth, ;ntermediate !irearms, Basic Iarceny,
Basic ;ntimidation
;ntermediate Coura%e, Basic Disci+line,
;ntermediate 0olerance
Major relationshi+ 5ith a s+eci/ic mo4ement
)tolen e9ui+ment like 5ea+ons, armor and
e,+losi4es
2 )cars
)tatus 1
4edic 7'utsider, 0erra6orn8
#o5er 4, Mo6ility 3, #recision 6, Connection
4, A++eal 3, Hesilience 5
Basic Athletics, Basic .4asion, Basic
!irearms, Ad4anced Medicine, Basic )cience
;ntermediate Coura%e, Basic Disci+line,
;ntermediate 0olerance
Major relationshi+ 5ith the military or
security /orce she ser4es in
2 )cars
)tatus 2
<ilot 7;nsider, Colony6orn8
#o5er 4, Mo6ility @, #recision 5, Connection
4, A++eal 4, Hesilience 4
Ad4anced #ilotin%, ;ntermediate Pero3",
Basic "unnery, Basic He+air, Basic
Aa4i%ation
;ntermediate Coura%e, Basic Disci+line, Basic
0olerance
!la5D *eak 6ones: O2 dama%e dice /rom
6lunt 5ea+ons, /allin%, etc&
All 0raits s+ent on +osition on a s+aceshi+
1 )car 7in addition to the )car /rom 6ein%
Colony6orn8
)tatus 5
=eporter 7;nsider, 0erra6orn8
44
#o5er 3, Mo6ility 4, #recision 5, Connection
6, A++eal 6, Hesilience 4
Basic Iarceny, Basic Analysis, Basic Culture,
Basic )ocial Aet5orkin%, Basic .nticement,
;ntermediate .ti9uette, Basic )u6tlety
;ntermediate Disci+line
Minor relationshi+s 5ith +articular contacts
2 )cars
)tatus 4
Suit 7;nsider, 0erra6orn8
#o5er 4, Mo6ility 4, #recision 5, Connection
6, A++eal 6, Hesilience 3
Basic Culture, ;ntermediate )ocial
Aet5orkin%, Ad4anced .ti9uette, ;ntermediate
)u6tlety
Basic Disci+line
Major relationshi+ 5ith .m+loyer
1 )car
)tatus 5
Soldier 7'utsider, 0erra6orn8
#o5er 5, Mo6ility 5, #recision 4, Connection
3, A++eal 3, Hesilience 5
Basic Athletics, Basic "ra++lin%, Basic
)trikin%, ;ntermediate .4asion, ;ntermediate
!irearms, Basic Detection
;ntermediate Coura%e, ;ntermediate
Disci+line, ;ntermediate 0olerance
Military3issue e9ui+ment
3 )cars
)tatus 1
Spy 7;nsider, 0erra6orn8
#o5er 4, Mo6ility 4, #recision 5, Connection
5, A++eal 6, Hesilience 4
Basic Iarceny, Basic Culture, Basic )ocial
Aet5orkin%, ;ntermediate .nticement, Basic
.ti9uette, Basic ;ntimidation, Basic )u6tlety
;ntermediate Disci+line
Minor relationshi+s 5ith assets she(s
de4elo+in%
2 )cars
)tatus 4
8echnician 7'utsider, Colony6orn8
#o5er 3, Mo6ility 4, #recision 6, Connection
5, A++eal 3, Hesilience 4
Basic Pero3", Basic #ro%rammin%, Ad4anced
He+air, Basic Analysis, ;ntermediate
.n%ineerin%, Basic )cience
Basic Coura%e, Basic Disci+line, Basic
0olerance
Colony6orn )carD Mild a%ora+ho6ia
Major Helationshi+ 5ith em+loyer
)tatus 2
Saple %$aracters
These e4amples pro!ide !ery basic
introductions to what characters might look
like in 7arsec. The /stories' for each
character are the bare minimum notes that a
player needs to get started. *e encourage you
to go further.
S'4<76 !H'='!86= >)
Malik
?orn an )utsider in an EE slum, Educated in
a community madrassa, recruited to *ork for
the *6# as a security officer, 7assion for
radical politics, Scars from combat and
reprisals against his family
325 +oints o/ Attri6utes distri6utedD #o5er 4,
Mo6ility 4, #recision 5, Connection 3, A++eal
5, Hesilience 4
3Malik has an a4era%e 6uild 6ut is intelli%ent
and can ins+ire others 5ith his +assion& $is
lo5 Connection score re+resents his li/e in
+o4erty, 5ithout access to 9uality technolo%y
32 Helationshi+s selectedD a minor relationshi+
5ith an uncle 5ho is a smu%%ler and a minor
45
relationshi+ 5ith one o/ his teachers at the
madrassa 7he could also ha4e one Major
Helationshi+ instead8
3)tatusD 1
31 0raitD a natural 0alent /or ins+irin% others
usin% his 7unde4elo+ed8 .nticement skill to
+ersuade them
"Educated in a community madrassa and on
the streets-
35 )kills selectedD Basic )trikin%, Basic
.4asion, Basic Iarceny, Basic Culture, Basic
.nticement
3Malik had a tou%h u+6rin%in% and sur4i4ed
6y a com6ination o/ tou%hness and %uile
31 Helationshi+ ad4ancedD 5ith the death o/
some o/ his immediate /amily, Malik(s
relationshi+ 5ith his Encle 6ecame a major
relationshi+
31 0raitD Malik disco4ers a 0alent /or usin% his
.4asion skill to esca+e a %ra++le
"recruited to *ork for the *6# as a security
officer-
33 )kills ad4ancedD Basic !irearms, Basic
"ra++lin%, ;ntermediate .4asion
3military trainin% de4elo+ed the )kills his
tou%h u+6rin%in% in%rained in him
31 Attri6ute ad4ancedD #o5er ad4anced to 5
/rom +hysical trainin%
31 Helationshi+ ad4ancedD a minor relationshi+
5ith is commandin% o//icer, 5ho introduces
him to the ideals o/ the *IA
31 0raitD Malik(s talent /or ins+irin% others
dee+ens, no5 +ro4idin% a O2 6onus > he is
+o+ular and 5ell3liked in 6asic trainin% and
a/ter5ards
"7assion for radical politics-
31 )kill ad4ancedD ;ntermediate .nticement
31 Helationshi+ ad4ancedD a minor relationshi+
5ith a +olitical or%ani2ation that +roselyti2es
/or the cause o/ %lo6al democracy
31 0raitD Malik is +romoted and is issued
6etter e9ui+ment > 6ody armor to +rotect
a%ainst 6allistics 7im+act armor8
"Scars from combat and reprisals against his
family-
32 )cars selectedD Coura%e ad4anced to
intermediate 7/rom 6asic8 6ecause o/ 5hen he
sa5 his /ather %unned do5n durin% a +rotest:
0olerance ad4anced to intermediate 7/rom
6asic8 /rom 5hen he 5as ca+tured and
interro%ated 6y cor+orate soldiers to %et
in/ormation a6out his /ather(s +olitical
acti4ities 7Malik(s +layer 5ould also ha4e to
select s+eci/ic /la5s /or each )car8
AotesD Malik still only has a )tatus o/ 1& $e
+ro6a6ly li4es on36ase and can only 4ery
rarely a//ord to %o out, s+endin% a lot o/ time
in the 6ase(s li6rary and media center& $is
social )kills mi%ht mark him /or +romotion to
o//icer in the /uture, 6ut he has trou6le %ettin%
access to 4ery much 6eyond 5hat the *IA
military +ro4ides 6ecause o/ his lo5 )tatus&
0o /ind out ho5 to ad4ance a character(s
)tatus or other scores, ski+ ahead to the
Ad4ancement section o/ Cha+ter 4D )ystem&
S'4<76 !H'='!86= >"
un Bei
?orn $nsider in a %ong Hong arcology,
Educated at an aerospace institute, sent off(
world to *ork as a freighter pilot, 7assion for
personal gain makes her a smuggler, Scars
from losing contact with her family and her
first brush with death
32G +oints o/ Attri6utes distri6utedD #o5er 3,
Mo6ility 6, #recision 5, Connection 4, A++eal
5, Hesilience 5
3un Bei is small 6ut 9uick and a%ile, makes
/riends easily and is tou%her than a lot o/
;nsiders
31 Helationshi+ ad4ancedD un has a minor
relationshi+ 5ith an older 6rother 5ho sends
her messa%es /rom s+ace, tellin% her stories o/
ho5 he is trackin% +irates +reyin% on
Com+any interests
3)tatusD 4
31 0raitD sa4ed
"Educated at an aerospace institute-
46
35 )kills ad4ancedD Basic Pero3", Basic
Analysis, ;ntermediate #ilotin%, Basic
Aa4i%ation
31 Helationshi+ ad4ancedD a minor relationshi+
5ith one her +ilotin% instructor 5ho sees that
she has a lot o/ natural talent and encoura%es
her
31 0raitD sa4ed
"sent off(world to *ork as a freighter pilot-
33 )kills ad4ancedD ;ntermediate Pero3",
Ad4anced #ilotin%, Basic "unner 7)tatus
raised to 5 /rom Ad4anced #ilotin%8
31 Attri6ute ad4ancedD Mo6ility raised to @
31 Helationshi+ ad4ancedD a minor relationshi+
5ith a Com+any o//icer 5ho tra4els 5ith her
and introduces her to the 6lack market
31 0raitD sa4ed
"7assion for personal gain makes her a
smuggler-
31 )kill ad4ancedD Master #ilotin% 7)tatus
raises to 68
31 Helationshi+ ad4ancedD throu%h the
Com+any o//icer, she meets a 6lack market
retro/itter 5ho 5ants to make her /rei%hter
into a smu%%lin% shi+ > un a%rees and
6ecomes her em+loyee
31 0raitD 3 sa4ed 0raits +lus this one are s+ent
on a +osition on the smu%%lin% /rei%hter and a
lar%e /inancial interest in the shi+ itsel/& *ith
4 0raits, she(s the ca+tain and calls the shots
most o/ the time
"Scars from losing contact with her family
and her first brush with death-
32 )cars selectedD her /irst )car came 5hen her
/amily cut o// all contact 5ith her 6ecause o/
her chan%e in career to somethin% they /ound
unacce+ta6le& 0his )car ad4ances her Coura%e
to Basic& 0he second )car comes /rom her /irst
%enuine 6rush 5ith death 5hile 5orkin% as a
+ilot /or smu%%lers, 6arely esca+in% the %uns
o/ a ri4al o+eration& 0his )car ad4ances her
Coura%e to intermediate& un Bei(s +layer
5ould also need to choose a /la5 to
corres+ond to each o/ the )cars&
AotesD un Bei(s relationshi+ 5ith her
instructor 6ecomes +ro6lematic, 6ut i/ the
+layer doesn(t chan%e it then it needs to 6e
justi/ied > +erha+s her instructor is still in
contact 5ith her, tryin% to con4ince her to turn
hersel/ in to the Com+any& un Bei is, at this
+oint, an incredi6le +ilot, and also 4ery
coura%eous, so much so that she mi%ht seem
reckless at times& 0his makes her a sou%ht3
a/ter smu%%ler, and her hi%her )tatus re/lects
this&
0ast &ote on %$aracter %reation
0his system 5ill o/ten result in characters that
are not 4ery accom+lished or 5ho seem
limited& Don(t 5orry& 0here is a lot o/ room to
ad4ance as the %ame +ro%resses, and the +oint
is /or your character to ad4ance in +lay& ;/ you
5ant to ha4e a %ame 5ith more accom+lished
characters at the 6e%innin%, just add to the
tem+lates %i4en here& More Attri6ute
ad4ancements, more )kills, hi%her )tatus or
more 0raits all make sense as 5ays to ad4ance
a startin% character to re+resent someone more
accom+lished than usual& *ith the 2irector's
ok, these chan%es are not a +ro6lem&
An $nsider starts with ;C points of Attributes
C Skill ad!ancements I relationship Traits I
other Traits and a Status of I.
An )utsider starts with ;B points of
Attributes 9 free ad!ancement of Courage
2iscipline and Tolerance C Skill
ad!ancements B relationship Traits I other
Traits and a Status of 9.
0he Director can increase or modi/y any o/
these num6ers& 0he startin% scores %i4en
a6o4e, ho5e4er, are %ood /or startin%
characters that ha4e room to de4elo+ 6ut also
start the %ame 5ith a lot o/ interestin%
a6ilities& *e recommend a%ainst %i4in% too
many e,tra )kill ad4ancements& 0he
di//erence 6et5een a 6asic )kill and an
ad4anced )kill is 4ast 5hen the dice hit the
ta6le&
'4er the course o/ a %ame, your character may
a%e, and startin% characters may 6e di//erent
a%es as 5ell& )tartin% characters are assumed
to 6e adults, 6ut they don(t ha4e to 6e& ;t is
4@
easy to arran%e your Attri6utes and )kills to
re+resent a youn%er +erson 5ith talents 6ut no
hi%hly3de4elo+ed a6ilities& !or an older
character, the same is true& Ii/e e,+ectancy in
the #arsec settin% is +otentially 4ery lon% /or
those 5ith hi%h )tatus and 4ery short /or those
on the /rin%es o/ society, 6ut there are no
s+ecial rules /or a%e or a%in%&
Profile
$ere you take a chance to ste+ 6ack and look
at your character o4erall& *hat stands out?
*hat themes ha4e emer%ed? *hat do you
need to 1/lesh out( or e,+and on in their
6ack%round? Do you need to s5itch any 0raits
around to make more sense? $o5 5ill this
character /it 5ith the other characters and 5ith
the o4erall %ame as your %rou+ has en4isioned
it?
"o 6ack and re5ork 5hat you need to in li%ht
o/ the 5hole character that is emer%in%&
)5itch +oints around, trade out 0raits, mo4e
)cars around, /lesh out relationshi+s, and so
on& 0alk to the Director and your /ello5
+layers, and make sure your character 5ill /it
5ell 5ith the %ame& Also, make sure you ha4e
room to %ro5 as a character 5hile the %ame
+ro%resses, +articularly in lon%3term %ames&
*hen you(re /inished and satis/ied 5ith the
character so /ar, /ill in all the in/ormation you
ha4e in your notes into the character sheet,
5hich is +rinted at the 6ack o/ this 6ook and is
also a4aila6le online& !or %ame +ur+oses, you
ha4e +ermission to +hotoco+y the character
sheet /or +ersonal use&
#e4t we take a closer look at what your
Attributes Skills Traits Scars and Status
actually mean.
/#/ AttriButes
0he +rimary 5ay a character is descri6ed is
throu%h his Attri6utes& 0hese are 6asic
measurements o/ 5hat he(s %ood at and 5here
he(s 5eak& 0he amount o/ dice rolled in a
%i4en con/lict is +rimarily 6ased on a
character(s Attri6utes& ;n #arsec, there are si,
Attri6utesD 7ower, Mobility, 7recision,
Connection, Appeal and 0esilience& 7Aot
coincidentally, these are also the Attri6utes
that e4ery s+aceshi+ has8 !or human 6ein%s,
an Attri6ute o/ 4 is a4era%e, 6 is e,cellent, G
incredi6le and 1- is the +eak o/ human
ca+acity 5ithout au%mentation& 3 is 6elo5
a4era%e 6ut not unheard o/, 5hile 2 and 1 are
serious handica+s in most situations& A 1 or a
2 stands out in the same 5ay that an G or J
does >e,ce+tional and outside the normal
ran%e& Starting characters should not ha!e
Attributes of 9 or ; without the 2irector's
agreement and special circumstances&
<ower
#o5er measures a character(s +hysical
stren%th and o4erall health and endurance&
#o5er hel+s kee+ you /rom %ettin% tired 5hen
you e,ert yoursel/, and it hel+s in any con/lict
that in4ol4es stren%th or +hysical +ro5ess&
#o5er is the measure o/ ho5 much
+unishment you can take 6e/ore you lose
consciousness& $i%h #o5er 76 or hi%her8
means you are stron%, ener%etic, athletic and
+hysically im+ressi4e& Io5 #o5er 73 or less8
means you are /ee6le, sickly, or +ossi6ly
handica++ed in some 5ay&
4obility
Mo6ility tells a6out a character(s +hysical
s+eed and a%ility, 6ut is also the +rimary
Attri6ute /or /i%urin% out ho5 accustomed a
character is to 5orkin%, li4in% and
maneu4erin% in 2ero3"& Acro6ats and
characters that s+end most o/ their time in
s+ace ha4e hi%h Mo6ility scores, and 5ithout
a decent Mo6ility score 5orkin% in 2ero3" is
incredi6ly disorientin%& Athletes and most
soldiers ha4e a hi%h Mo6ility score, as do
s+aceshi+ en%ineers and other 2ero3" 5orkers&
<recision
#recision co4ers ho5 1shar+( your character is
neurolo%ically& A shar+3minded character 5ill
ha4e e,cellent /ine motor skills, shar+
+erce+tions, and 5ill 6e a 9uick thinker& Io5
+recision mi%ht mean your character is shaky,
dull, clumsy, or just +lain stu+id& )killed
technicians and sni+ers 5ill ha4e hi%h
#recision scores& #recision determines ho5
4G
9uickly and accurately your character can
accom+lish delicate tasks&
!onnection
0his re+resents a character(s a6ility to /ind and
understand +eo+le and in/ormation& *ith
5orld5ide in/ormation net5orks,
memori2ation is no lon%er critical& .4en
o//line, 4ast stores o/ ra5 in/ormation are
a4aila6le at a +erson(s con4enience& 0he trick
is 7as it has al5ays 6een8 se+aratin% the
im+ortant /rom the unim+ortant and ho5 it all
/its to%ether& Hesearchers and social
net5orkers ha4e hi%h Connection scores, and
they kno5 ho5 to /ind +eo+le and thin%s in
any situation& Connection is also the measure
o/ ho5 9uickly you can ans5er a 9uestion&
$i%h Connection means you ha4e a lot o/
access to in/ormation and kno5 ho5 to use it
e//ecti4ely, and that you are 5ell connected
socially& A lo5 Connection Attri6ute means
you(re on your o5n a lot o/ the time > no hel+
/rom others and little hel+ /rom the technolo%y
that e4eryone else 6ene/its /rom& 'utsiders
o/ten ha4e a lo5 Connection score&
'ppeal
0his Attri6ute measures your +hysical
attracti4eness and social %race& ;t is a
character(s a6ility to %et 5hat he 5ants /rom
other +eo+le throu%h charm and charisma&
A++eal also %o4erns /irst im+ressions > the
hi%her the A++eal, the 6etter someone 5ill
think o/ you 5hen they /irst meet you& A hi%h
A++eal means you are %ood3lookin%, socially
sua4e, +ersuasi4e, and likea6le 5hile a lo5
A++eal means you(re /unny lookin%, socially
a5k5ard, o//ensi4e, andMor sim+ly 6orin%&
=esilience
0his measures a character(s mental and
+hysical tou%hness& )lum sca4en%ers and
s+iritual %urus ha4e hi%h Hesilience&
Hesilience hel+s /i%ht o// /ear, +ain, +ri4ation
and coercion& Hesilience rolls are im+ro4ed
5hen thin%s %o 5ron% /or your character 6ut
she sur4i4es to /i%ht another day > e,+eriences
5hich are re+resented as )cars in #arsec& A
hi%h Hesilience means that you are tou%h as
nails > you(4e seen a lot and you can endure
5hat others can(t& Io5 Hesilience means that
you are so/t > you crack under +ressure and
easily 6etray your ideals to kee+ yoursel/
com/orta6le& Com6at 4eterans can 6e e,+ected
to ha4e a hi%h Hesilience 5hile a ty+ical
;nsider 5ill ha4e a lo5 Hesilience score&
6xamples
!i,er or )ocialiteD $i%h Connection and
A++eal
;nsur%entD $i%h #recision and Hesilience
#ilotD $i%h Mo6ility and #recision
#ro/essional AthleteD $i%h #o5er, Mo6ility
and +ossi6ly A++eal
)cientist or 0echnicianD $i%h #recision and
Connection
)oldierD $i%h #o5er and Hesilience
)+yD $i%h #recision and A++eal
)ide6arD BMakin% '+timal ChoicesC 0here(s
no reason to create a character you don(t 5ant
to +lay, and your character should 6e %ood at
the thin%s you 5ant him to 6e %ood at& $ere
are some hintsD i/ you ha4e any Attri6utes
lo5er than a 3, you(re %oin% to 6e una6le to do
some 6asic thin%s that most +eo+le 5ill e,+ect
you to 6e a6le to do& ;/ you 5ant to 6e %ood at
/i%htin% hand3to3hand, you 5ant #o5er,
Mo6ility and Hesilience& ;/ you 5ant to 6e a
sni+er or %unner, you(ll 5ant solid #recision
and Hesilience& ;/ you 5ant to 6e a sly or
socially ade+t character, A++eal is crucial and
Connection 5ill al5ays come in 4ery handy& ;/
you 5ant to 6e intelli%ent and 5ell3in/ormed,
then Connection is essential 5ith #recision a
close second&
/#< Skills
)kills re+resent 5hat your character is trained
in or has e,+erience doin%& Anyone can
attem+t a task, e4en lackin% the re9uisite )kill,
6ut the Attri6ute roll is automatically made
a%ainst a tar%et num6er o/ 6& 0his means that
si%ni/icant success is 4ery unlikely 5ithout at
least some )kill&
4J
S7ill 0e5els
Any si%ni/icant trainin% in a )kill %i4es your
character a basic ratin%& 0his means that 5hen
she uses this )kill, the tar%et num6er is 5 > so
5s and 6s count as successes 5hen you roll
dice& Basic )kill re+resents a talented 6e%inner
or someone 5ho has just 6e%un to train in a
ne5 )kill& 0he ne,t ste+ in trainin% a/ter 6asic
is intermediate& !or intermediate )kills, the
tar%et num6er is 4 > so 4s, 5s and 6s count as
successes& ;ntermediate trainin% is at the lo5
end o/ +ro/essional a6ility, 6ut enou%h to earn
a li4in%& ;t is re+resents trainin% ran%in% /rom
a++renticeshi+ u+ to a Bachelor(s de%ree&
A/ter intermediate, a )kill is raised to
ad?anced& *ith an ad4anced )kill, the tar%et
num6er /or rolls 6ecomes a 3 > so 3s, 4s, 5s
and 6s count as successes& Ad4anced )kills are
held 6y someone 5ith an ad4anced %raduate
de%ree such as a Doctorate or e,tensi4e
e,+erience and ri%orous trainin%& 0he hi%hest
le4el o/ )kill a +erson can ha4e is master&
*ith a master )kill, e4erythin% 6ut 1s count as
successes& Masters in a %i4en )kill are rare,
and are almost al5ays 5ell3kno5n& Masters
are the ones 5ho make 6reakthrou%hs
ad4ancin% entire /ields& Masters o/ any )kills
are reno5ned and sou%ht3a/ter, and +aid to+
credits i/ they 5ill %i4e loyalty to a sin%le /irm
or or%ani2ation& 0his ratin% system a++lies to
all kinds o/ )kills, e4en Coura%e, Disci+line
and 0olerance, 5hich /unction a little
di//erently /rom other )kills&
Skill Level Target Number
Default 6
Basic 5
Intermediate 4
Advanced 3
Master
AoteD in the )kill descri+tions that /ollo5,
some re/erences 5ill 6e made to s+eci/ic rules
5hich are co4ered in the )ystem cha+ter&
S7ills an) -ttri8*tes
.ach Attri6ute has )kills 5hich are linked to
it& 0he le4el o/ the Attri6ute determines ho5
many dice are rolled /or that )kill& )o, /or
e,am+le, a character 5ith a #o5er o/ 5 starts
5ith 5 5hen attem+tin% a %ra++le, li/tin% a
hea4y o6ject, or to use any other )kill listed
/or #o5er& 0he tar%et num6er /or the roll is
6ased on the )kill that is 6ein% used& $ere are
the )kills /or each Attri6uteD
<owerD Athletics, "ra++lin%, )trikin%
4obilityD Acro6atics, .4asion, #ilotin%,
)tealth, Pero3"
<recisionD Dri4in%, !irearms, "unnery,
;n4esti%ation, Iarceny, #ro%rammin%, He+air,
)ur4i4al
!onnectionD Analysis, Culture, Detection,
.n%ineerin%, Medicine, Hesearch, )cience,
)ocial Aet5orkin%
'ppealD .nticement, .ti9uette, .,+ression,
#er/ormance, ;ntimidation, )u6tlety
=esilienceD Coura%e, Disci+line, 0olerance
S7ill 2escriptions
)kills are listed al+ha6etically, /ollo5ed 6y the
Attri6ute 5hich +ro4ides the dice3+ool /or the
)kill& )uccess is descri6ed /or each )kill, and
re9uired materials and time are listed& ;/ you
don(t ha4e the re9uired materials, there 5ill 6e
a situational +enalty determined 6y the
Director 6ased on the circumstances, 6ut no
less than 32 dice& ;t is also sometimes +ossi6le
to make a hurried attem+t at somethin%, takin%
less than the re9uired time, also 5ith at least a
32 +enalty& !inally, /or each )kill, an e,am+le
is %i4en o/ ho5 the skill may 6e used and ho5
the Director may a++ly a character(s
successes& 0he Director is encoura%ed to
im+ro4ise interestin% e//ects 6ased on the
situation and the su%%estions 6elo5&
;n some cases, rules 5ill 6e re/erenced 5hich
are e,+lained later in this Cha+ter, or in
Cha+ter 4 > /or no5, just note them and kee+
readin%&
'crobatics @4obilityA
Acro6atics is the a6ility to maneu4er nim6ly
in %ra4ity& ;t in4ol4es tum6lin% and
maintainin% 6alance, 6ut can also include the
s+eci/ic disci+lines o/ 'lym+ic acro6ats&
Acro6atics is use/ul to minimi2e dama%e /rom
5-
a non3/atal /all or to mo4e across a thin 6eam,
/or e,am+le&
*hat success %ets youD Fou can do somethin%
+hysically im+ressi4e > 6ack3/li+s, runnin% u+
5alls, !reerunnin% mo4es and so on&
Acro6atics can also let you maneu4er
normally around o6stacles like a stuntman in a
martial arts holo& ;/ you need to %et
some5here, and it takes nim6leness to do so,
Acro6atics is the )kill to use&
MaterialsD none
0imeD A Ion% Maneu4er to use in a +hysical
con/lict, other5ise a /e5 seconds /or one
mo4e or lon%er /or a +er/ormance&
.reerunning1 To escape pursuit or to pursue
someone by running up walls leaping o!er
obstacles and so on in a cluttered
en!ironment you can roll Acrobatics forcing
an opposed Acrobatics roll to keep up with
you Kor escape youL. $f your opponent in the
roll uses Athletics to oppose you then they
suffer a (; situational modifier smashing
through obstacles that you deftly a!oid.
K)b!iously this ability can be spectacular in
less than Earth gra!ityQL
'nalysis @!onnectionA
Analysis allo5s a character to understand and
or%ani2e data, se+aratin% the critical /rom the
e,traneous& ;t in4ol4es the disci+line o/ lo%ic
as 5ell as a 6asic understandin% o/ thin%s like
in/ormation theory& Analysis is the )kill that is
used 5hen +resented 5ith a set o/ data that
doesn(t make sense, e4en 5hen that data is
encry+ted or other5ise hidden&
*hat success %ets youD 5hen the Director
calls /or an Analysis roll, it means she 5ants
to tell you somethin%, or there is somethin%
that you mi%ht 6e a6le to /ind out that you
don(t kno5 yet& Analysis 5ill also tell you
5hat a sensor has detected 6eyond 5hat the
6asic readout tells you, 5hether on a shi+ or
throu%h a security system > it ena6les you to
use the so/t5are e//ecti4ely to /ind out details
a6out 5hate4er has 6een detected&
MaterialsD a Aode or access to a security
system or sensor array&
0imeD a Ion% Action to inter+ret the readout
/rom a shi+(s sensors or security system, a /e5
minutes to inter+ret com+le, in/ormation:
hours or more to analy2e incom+lete,
corru+ted or encry+ted in/ormation
Code(breaking1 in order to crack an
encrypted piece of software or data a
character makes an Analysis roll !ersus the
creator of the code's 7rogramming roll with
e5uipment factored in for both of them. $f the
number of re5uired successes is doubled then
the analyst has cracked the code so
thoroughly and 5uickly that the incursion will
lea!e essentially no e!idence at all.
'thletics @<owerA
Athletics co4ers most common s+orts and
+hysical acti4ities such as runnin%, jum+in%,
s5immin% and thro5in%&
*hat success %ets youD Fou can outrun
someone i/ you %et more successes than they
do, jum+ across a %a+, hold your 6reath /or a
cou+le o/ minutes or thro5 an o6ject
accurately at a tar%et&
MaterialsD none
0imeD A Ion% Maneu4er to use in com6at, or
more /or an e,tended acti4ity like a s+ort or a
race 75hich can also 6e 6roken do5n into
multi+le Ion% Maneu4ers8&
Trick Throw1 this ability is especially helpful
when doing things like throwing grenades. A
trick throw allows you to bank your throw off
of the walls ceiling and floor to get around
obstacles. Each success beyond the minimum
needed to get to your target can be "spent- to
get around obstacles that might be in your
way M so the throw can bounce around a
corner o!er a barrier and so on.
!ourage @=esilienceA
Coura%e is one o/ the skills that 5ork in a
di//erent manner& Coura%e 5orks 6y
modi/yin% a character(s Hesilience roll, and
can only 6e increased throu%h the
accumulation o/ +ersonal )cars& Coura%e is
crucial in com6at 6ut is also use/ul in many
social or hi%h3stress situations& Coura%e hel+s
51
a character resist hesitatin% or 6reakin% do5n
5hen a/raid&
*hat success %ets youD Fou can resist
;ntimidation i/ you %et e9ual to or more
successes than the a%%ressor& Coura%e also lets
you act in com6at 5hen 6ein% shot at or
threatened 5hen others 5ould /ree2e u+ or
+anic&
MaterialsD none in most cases, 6ut in some
circumstances dru%s or alcohol mi%ht hel+,
addin% a sli%ht situational 6onus&
0imeD i/ the Coura%e roll is re/le,i4e, it takes
no time at all& ;/ it is an acti4e roll, then it
re9uires a Ion% Action&
$ron *ill1 if you double the re5uired successes
to resist fear your allies are encouraged and
all recei!e R9 to their 0esilience(based rolls
for the scene as soon as they see you act.
!ulture @!onnectionA
0his +ro4ides an understandin% o/ the social
sciences& ;t is a com6ination o/ history,
sociolo%y, anthro+olo%y and kno5led%e o/
cuttin%3ed%e cultural mo4ements& Culture is
also the skill necessary /or communications
5hen there is a lan%ua%e36arrier o/ some kind&
;t si%ni/ies an a6ility to s+eak other dialects
andMor lan%ua%es and %et alon% 5ith cultures
other than your o5n&
*hat success %ets youD Fou %et an ans5er to a
9uestion a6out a culture that you encounter
5hich 5ill hel+ you interact 5ith them& Fou
can also, 5hen a++ro+riate, ans5er 9uestions
a6out the history o/ +articular cultures& 0his
)kill also ena6les you to translate te,t or
s+eech into another lan%ua%e 7o/ten usin%
so/t5are /or this +ur+ose8&
MaterialsD a Aode
0imeD you need to research /or at least an hour
to %et anythin% use/ul that isn(t common
kno5led%e&
?lending $n1 if you ha!e time to research and
find out about a culture distinct from your
own you can make a Culture roll and add the
successes in dice to any Appeal(based rolls
you make for the ne4t scene spent in that
culture. Each die once used is gone Kyou
don't get for e4ample R3 dice to all rollsL.
The dice represent ha!ing learned habits
rituals what to say and so onS ( narrate the
cle!er thing your character is doing when you
use the diceT
Betection @!onnectionA
Detection lets you notice small details, as 5ell
as sim+ly use your senses 7hearin%, si%ht, etc8&
;t is +resumed that characters use common,
chea+ au%mentation de4ices re%ularly&
*hat success %ets youD 0his )kill is usually
used in contested rolls a%ainst thin%s like
)tealth or )u6tlety or Iarceny > i/ you 5in,
you kno5 5hat(s %oin% on&
MaterialsD a Aode& ;/ you lack one, then you(re
limited to your o5n /i4e senses, 5hich 5ill
o/ten result in a +enalty to your roll 3 usually a
31 or >2, unless you are 4ery +oor and do not
normally use a Aode& 0he +enalty only counts
5hen you are used to technolo%ical hel+s 6ut
don(t ha4e them, or 5hen you(d normally
need the technolo%ical hel+ to detect
somethin% in 9uestion&
0imeD this )kill is usually re/le,i4e, rolled to
see 5hether a character noticed somethin%
%oin% on around them: i/ used acti4ely, it
re9uires a Ion% Action&
SurpriseT1 when opposing a Stealth or
Subtlety roll with 2etection if you get twice
as many successes as your opponent you may
set up an ambush and to attack them on your
terms automatically starting the combat with
the $nitiati!e. At the 2irector's discretion
8ou also begin in an ad!antageous position.
)ide6arD B0his is *eird > Connection %o4erns
senses?C 0his rule can seem odd& Are ;nsiders
dea/ or 6lind? '/ course not, 6ut they ha4e
%ro5n la2y and are accustomed to ha4in%
access to technolo%ical assistance to their /i4e
senses that 6ein% de+ri4ed o/ their Aodes is a
si%ni/icant handica+&
Biscipline @=esilienceA
Disci+line is used to resist coercion, and also
mana%es a character(s emotional reactions and
im+ulses& A character 5ith hi%h Disci+line is
52
not easily distracted and 5ill rarely, i/ e4er,
allo5 his emotions to control his actions&
*hat success %ets youD Disci+line allo5s your
character to resist su6tle mani+ulation such as
.nticement& ;t is also used to resist attem+ts to
distract or con/use you throu%h )u6tlety&
MaterialsD none
0imeD Disci+line is normally a re/le,i4e roll,
5hich means that it takes no time at all& ;/ it is
an acti4e roll, /or e,am+le, 5hen one is re3
rollin% a /ailed Disci+line roll in a con/lict,
then it re9uires a Ion% Action&
Aloof1 when opposing a social roll intended to
coerce you if you get twice as many successes
as your opponent your lack of outward
response is truly unner!ing granting you R;
dice for that scene to social rolls against that
person or further 2iscipline rolls if any
during the course of the scene.
Bri?ing @<recisionA
0his skill allo5s a character to o+erate any
4ehicle that tra4els alon% the %round& 0his
includes cars, trucks, com6ines, etc& ;t is also
the )kill used /or +ilotin% other s+eciali2ed
4ehicles such as ma%le4 trains& An un/amiliar
ty+e o/ 4ehicle causes a 32 or 34 situational
+enalty on the /irst attem+ted dri4e& ;t is u+ to
the Director to determine 5hen this +enalty is
no lon%er a++lica6le, 6ut it shouldn(t take too
lon% /or a skilled dri4er to %ro5 accustomed to
a ne5 ty+e o/ 4ehicle& Dri4in% rolls should
only 6e called /or attem+ts to control a 4ehicle
under ad4erse conditions& 'ther5ise, Basic
a6ility in this )kill 5ill %et you 6y 5ithout a
roll&
*hat success %ets youD Fou are a6le to make a
4ehicle do anythin% it 5as desi%ned to do
sa/ely and e//iciently
MaterialsD a 4ehicle to dri4e&
0imeD at least a Ion% Action: see 6elo5&
0eckless Endangerment1 $t is possible to
attack someone with a !ehicle. Assuming they
are close to the !ehicle or ahead of you when
you are mo!ing toward them you can make a
2ri!ing roll as an attack against them. $f a
!ehicle is the si&e of a car it pro!ides a R;
bonus to this attack roll, something much
larger pro!ides a RI. The !ehicle must be
maneu!erable enough to actually threaten
someone. $f the target has any absorbing
co!er then that co!er pro!ides double the
usual penalty to the attack roll. 2amage is
dealt normally. After an attack like this at
least two 6ong Actions need to be spent re(
orienting the !ehicle for another attack on the
same target or one nearby. This represents a
glancing blow M for a head(on collision
Kwhich it is assumed anyone can a!oid unless
totally surprisedL double the damage and
add dice to account for acceleration at the
2irector's discretion.
6ngineering @!onnectionA
0his skill re+resents a 4ariety o/
s+eciali2ations, all o/ 5hich are 6ased on
/indin% solutions to +ro6lems o/ desi%n, the
a++lication o/ science in the real 5orld&
*hat success %ets youD "i4en time and
resources, you can use .n%ineerin% to create
+lans or schematics /or de4ices, 4ehicles and
e4en s+aceshi+s& .n%ineerin% 5ill also hel+
tell you 5hat a mysterious de4ice may 6e used
/or, or sometimes just as im+ortantly, it can
+ro4ide a clue ho5 to dama%e or destroy
somethin%&
MaterialsD a Aode
0imeD .n%ineerin% re9uires at least an hour to
%et im+ortant in/ormation or /or desi%nin% a
sim+le de4ice& Desi%nin% a more com+le,
de4ice re9uires much lon%er, +ossi6ly e4en a
li/etime +roject&
*eak 7oint1 if you ha!e the time to study an
ob+ect or machine you can determine what its
weak point is with an Engineering roll and on
your first attack against that ob+ect or
machine you add your Engineering successes
in dice to the attack roll. This is useful when
trying to incapacitate !ehicles or especially
in spaceship combat. This can only be done
once for any gi!en combat.
6nticement @'ppealA
.4eryone likes the sound o/ a %ood deal&
.nticement is a6out sellin% somethin%, makin%
someone 5ant 5hat you ha4e& 0his )kill is
53
e9ually use/ul to 4am+s, sales+eo+le and
e4an%elists, and can come across as in/ectious
enthusiasm, an honest 6oyish charm, or
+erha+s a mysterious 9uality that is di//icult to
/or%et& 0he limitation /or .nticement is that it
only 5orks 5hen the +erson you(re tryin% to
entice may reasona6ly 5ant 5hat you(re
o//erin%&
*hat success %ets youD Fou ha4e the +erson(s
attention, and they 5ill /eel a %enuine 1need(
/or 5hat you(re o//erin%& 0hey may not risk
anythin% /or it, 6ut the desire 5ill 6e there&
MaterialsD Aone
0imeD At least lon% enou%h /or a short
con4ersation > more time makes the )kill
more likely to 6e success/ul& A 1lon% con(
lastin% days or 5eeks should %arner e,tra dice
at the Director(s discretion&
Mysti5ue1 sometimes withholding information
works better than gi!ing it out at least
temporarily. $f you spend time being
mysterious about something coyly refusing to
talk about it or alluding to it in some way
when you finally re!eal the secret the impact
will be that much greater. The 2irector must
gi!e you at least ; bonus dice for your roll if
you ha!e role(played drawing things out
substantially. ?etter roleplaying should
warrant a greater bonus.
6tiCuette @'ppealA
0his )kill lets a character 6eha4e +ro+erly in
situations 7usually /ormal, 6ut not al5ays8
5here s+eci/ic rules %o4ern 6eha4ior >
e,am+les include the military, hi%h society on
Iuna, or 6eha4ior durin% ser4ices o/ the Aeo3
'rthodo, Eni4ersal Church& 0he limitation is
that you can(t use .ti9uette to accom+lish
somethin% that 5ould 6e outside the acce+ted
norms o/ the %rou+ you are dealin% 5ith& !or
that, use a di//erent )kill&
*hat success %ets youD ;n a situation 5here
+articular 6eha4ior is necessary, .ti9uette
%i4es a character kno5led%e o/ the social rules
to %et 5hat he 5ants or to %et throu%h the
situation 5ithout dra5in% attention to himsel/&
.ti9uette allo5s you to deal 5ith su+eriors or
to command su6ordinates in a++ro+riate 5ays&
.ti9uette is a %ood )kill to use in social
con/licts 5here s+eci/ic 6eha4ior is necessary
> in 6usiness, +olitics, the military and so on&
MaterialsD a++ro+riate dress to a4oid
situational +enalties&
0imeD enou%h time /or a short con4ersation or
social interaction&
Aura of Authority1 A player can gain an
ad!antage by roleplaying their character
/pulling rank' or making demands that she is
entitled to make. As long as she is talking
anyone who wants to interrupt will ha!e to
roll 2iscipline against the player(character's
Eti5uette Skill perhaps modified with a
situational bonus for good roleplaying. This
can be a great way to distract non(player
characters or to buy time for someone to make
an escape. This is essentially a filibuster or
fast(talking and it won't make anyone ignore
a direct clear threat.
6?asion @4obilityA
.4asion is usually %ained throu%h military
trainin% and e,+erience, thou%h sometimes
someone %ro5in% u+ in a rou%h nei%h6orhood
learns it the hard 5ay& 0his is the a6ility to
a4oid 6ein% hurt > duckin% and co4erin%,
usin% /oot5ork to a4oid injury in /ist/i%hts,
and makin% tactical retreats 5hile a4oidin%
makin% yoursel/ a tar%et in a /ire/i%ht& .4asion
is not the a6ility to mo4e stealthily or to hide
in shado5s&
*hat success %ets youD Fou can di4e 6ehind
a4aila6le co4er and roll .4asion& Four
successes are su6tracted /rom the dice rolled
to hit and dama%e you 5ith an attack > 6ut this
cannot 5ork i/ you remain in one +lace&
MaterialsD none, 6ut co4er hel+s a lot i/ you
can /ind it 7more on this in Cha+ter 48
0imeD at least an Action, as much as a Ion%
Action& .4asion rolls are usually limited to
com6at situations&
6ure1 *ith E!asion you can trick an
opponent into striking an ally when they miss
you. 8ou need to successfully e!ade an attack
at least once in a situation where you ha!e
room to mo!e close to the target you want to
54
be hit /accidentally'. $f you roll double the
re5uired successes to e!ade the attack you
can declare that the attack hit the alternate
target dealing U the attack's successes in
damage Krounding upL. .or e4ample if an
attack scores 3 successes but you roll
E!asion for O successes then you can
determine that a nearby opponent is struck for
; successes. This opponent can't be entirely
behind co!er M enough has to be showing for
the attack to hit.
6xpression @'ppealA
0his lets a character e,+ress himsel/ throu%h
the arts 5hether 5ith +aint, holo%ra+hic
ima%ery, +oetry or sin%in%& ;t is the a6ility to
communicate an e,+erience, emotion or
messa%e e//ecti4ely and 6eauti/ully&
*hat success %i4es youD Fou are a6le to
communicate somethin% clearly throu%h a
%i4en medium, 5hether it is in/ormation or an
emotion& Fou can also create somethin% that a
majority o/ +eo+le 5ill consider a++ealin%, or
e4en 6eauti/ul& *ith the +ro+er e9ui+ment,
this skill allo5s a character to create a 9uality
simsene, e,+erience /or someone else&
MaterialsD 5hate4er is a++ro+riate to the
medium or art3/orm: scul+ture, +oetry, di%ital
desi%n tools, etc&
0imeD at least an hour /or e4en a rudimentary
+iece: years /or a true master+iece&
7assion1 it is possible to gain points for your
7assion pool through creating works of art.
After a minimum of a month of work you
make an E4pression roll KR; if you spend a lot
longer than a monthL. .or e!ery three
successes you score on the roll you gain a
7assion point. This is mostly useful during
downtime as a way to help de!elop your
character.
2irearms @<recisionA
0his )kill co4ers the use o/ any ran%ed hand3
held 5ea+ons includin% needlers, traditional
/irearms and laser 5ea+ons& ;/ you choose to
start 5ith the !irearms )kill 7re%ardless o/
your skill le4el in it8, you are allo5ed to 6e%in
your character(s ad4enturin% career 5ith a
5ea+on in your +ossession& 0he Director
selects the 5ea+on thou%h the character(s
creator should 6e %i4en some in+ut& Enless
you spend Traits on the weapon it will
pro!ide no bonuses and ha!e no special
functions&
*hat success %ets youD you roll !irearms to
attack an o++onent 5ith a %un, and more
successes translate into more dama%e dealt&
Co4er and armor reduce the num6er o/ attack
dice you can roll, and .4asion resists the
attack roll itsel/& Any successes le/t o4er
translate directly into dama%e&
MaterialsD a /irearm or other hand3held
5ea+on that deals 5ounds at a distance& Aote
that /or anythin% 6eyond the most 6asic %un,
you 5ill need to s+end 0raits on it as
e9ui+ment&
0imeD at least an Action, as much as a Ion%
Action&
Trick Shot1 Sometimes you want to show off
by doing something like shooting a weapon
out of someone else's hand or disabling a
touch(pad from across the room. This re5uires
a trick shot. The player declares that he is
attempting a trick shot and describes what he
is going for. The 2irector then sets a
situational penalty based on how difficult the
shot will be. To shoot a gun out of someone's
hand is !ery difficult so a (O makes sense. To
shoot a touch(pad across the room is more
like a (; M it isn't mo!ing and is clearly
!isible. )nly one success is re5uired to
accomplish the trick shot but e4tra successes
will deal damage.
)ide6arD ;t(s easy to ha4e 1o4erkill( 5hen
you(re tryin% to accom+lish com+le, tasks
5ith /irearms&
Drappling @<owerA
"ra++lin% %i4es a character an ad4anta%e in
close 9uarters, +ro4idin% kno5led%e and skill
5ith 5restlin% mo4es and the 4arious martial
arts used /or %ra66in%, thro5in%, chokin%, and
inca+acitatin% another +erson& 7;t is o/ten
selected in conjunction 5ith )trikin%8
*hat success %ets youD you %ra6 a hold o/
your o++onent and use your stren%th and
le4era%e to control their 6ody& 0his )kill
55
mi%ht re+resent 5restlin%, judo, ju3jitsu or just
a stron% %ri+ and a knack /or usin% le4era%e&
"ra++lin% is resisted 5ith .4asion to sli+ out
o/ someone(s %ras+, )trikin% to /end them o//,
or "ra++lin% to try /or a re4ersal& )uccesses
5ith "ra++lin% that are le/t o4er su6tract dice
/rom your o++onent and set u+ more mo4es
like a thro5, choke or joint lock&
MaterialsD none
0imeD a Ion% Action&
Choke Someone )ut1 Many martial arts teach
techni5ues for incapacitating an opponent
without permanently in+uring them. A choke
cuts off blood to the brain temporarily
rendering the other person unconscious for a
few seconds or more if the choke is held
longer. *hen grappling once a lock is
established the ne4t action the grappler may
attempt is the choke. The attacker rolls
3rappling against the defender's Tolerance
keeping in mind ad!antage dice the attacker
has gained for the lock. $f the grappler wins
her opponent falls unconscious ne4t turn. $n
most cases it's up to the 2irector when the
person reco!ers but someone with high
7ower should reco!er much faster than
someone with lower 7ower. $f the defender
wins they can act but each round the choke is
maintained they will lose one die to all rolls M
so they need to get out because going
unconscious is +ust a matter of time.
Dunnery @<recisionA
0his skill +ro4ides the kno5led%e and a6ility
to /ire 5ea+ons mounted on 4ehicles or in
/i,ed +ositions& ;n addition, it allo5s a
character to 6e +art o/ a cre5 /or a 5ea+on
re9uirin% multi+le %unners to o+erate&
*hat success %ets youD "unnery 5orks the
same as the !irearms )kill, 6ut is used /or
5ea+ons mounted on 4ehicles or on
s+acecra/t& "unnery a++lies to 5ea+ons that
are intended to dama%e 4ehicles, and o/ten
aren(t 9uite +recise enou%h to tar%et indi4idual
characters& ;/ they do, and they hit, o4erkill is
almost %uaranteed&
MaterialsD a 5ea+on mounted on a 4ehicle or
attached to a /i,ed +osition&
0imeD at least an Action, u+ to a Ion% Action&
Crippling .ire1 Characters may choose to fire
at the hea!y weapons others are manning
rather than at indi!idual targets. All bonuses
and penalties should be applied to a trick shot
like this from (; to (O. An attack roll is made
and the damage is applied to the gun itself.
Any damage done imposes a penalty of twice
that amount to anyone trying to use the gun M
so ; damage e5uals a (I dice penalty for
e4ample.
ntimidation @'ppealA
)ometimes it is 6etter to 6e /eared than lo4ed&
;ntimidation +ro4ides the /ear& ;t is the a6ility
to coerce others into doin% 5hat you tell them&
*hat success %ets youD ;/ it isn(t success/ully
resisted, ;ntimidation is a 5ay to %et an A#C
to do 5hat you 5ant > at the cost o/ any kind
o/ trust in the near /uture& 0his )kill may also
6e used o4er a lon%er +eriod o/ time /or
interro%atin% a +risoner in your custody& 0o
use the skill, you must issue a credi6le threat
to the +erson you 5ish to intimidate&
MaterialsD nothin%, 6ut you need to 6e in a
+osition o/ +o5er, or else your threats don(t
mean much, and the "M can im+ose a
situational dice +enalty on your roll&
0imeD at least lon% enou%h /or a 6rie/
con4ersation&
7anicT1 *hen intimidating someone if you
score twice as many successes as they roll on
their Courage roll to resist the other person
panics fleeing from you if at all possible and
if they cannot flee they stop all resistance to
you for the remainder of the current scene.
This doesn't mean they'll be helpful or
cooperati!e howe!er +ust scared witless. This
doesn't guarantee the reaction you were
looking for but it guarantees that you are
feared.
7arceny @<recisionA
0his is a 6road )kill co4erin% 4arious criminal
acti4ities, /rom crackin% security systems and
6reakin% into sa/es to hot5irin% stolen
4ehicles or /or%in% identi/ication& Iarceny is
56
5hat you learn in +rison, the nuts and 6olts o/
crime&
*hat success %ets youD Iarceny is used to do
s+eci/ic thin%s that you(re not su++osed to& ;t
can %et you +ast an a4era%e lock or security
system, +ro4ide you 5ith a tem+orary /alse
identity, or start a motor 5ithout an i%nition
key or +ro+er authori2ation&
MaterialsD ;n most situations, a set o/
s+eciali2ed tools is re9uired
0imeD at least a minute to hot35ire, lon%er /or
more detailed tasks like /or%ery
Clearance1 Status is usually the trait that
go!erns access but it is possible to get around
this by forging an identity with the access that
you want. .orging higher(Status identities
howe!er is !ery difficult. $t is possible to
make a 6arceny roll and for e!ery success
you roll you can create a false identity with
that le!el of Status. This false identity is only
going to be useful for a scene or so howe!er M
longer(term cons re5uire a lot more effort
than one roll. Duality security systems ha!e
acti!e e!ol!ing defenses and are difficult to
fool for !ery long. $t is possible to pair the
rough work possible with 6arceny with
%acking to crack a security network and make
the fake identity more permanent meaning
that a security person will ha!e to first
identify and break the hacked code and then
identify the forgery.
4edicine @!onnectionA
0his co4ers all as+ects o/ medical kno5led%e
and a6ility, includin% the a6ility to dia%nose
and treat injuries and illness, as 5ell as to
+er/orm sur%eries& 0akin% it at the
1;ntermediate( le4el is the e9ui4alent o/ 6ein%
a nurse, 5hile more ad4anced le4els entitle the
character to call hersel/ 1doctor(&
*hat success %ets youD )uccess means
+atients reco4erin% under your care reco4er at
a /aster rate& Medicine also ena6les you to
treat 5ounds in the /ield, reducin% the dice3
+enalty 6y one tem+orarily /or each injury that
is treated& 0his reduction in +enalty lasts /or
one scene only 5ithout /urther treatment&
MaterialsD 0o 6e /ully e//ecti4e, access to a
+harmacy and hos+ital or sick36ay: at the 4ery
least, a /ield medical kit&
0imeD at least a Ion% Action /or a 9uick,
minimal /ield dressin%, much lon%er /or more
in4ol4ed +rocedures
.ield Medicine1 *hen an ally is wounded in
combat and you ha!e access to her you can
spend a 6ong Action and make a Medicine
roll. $f the successes rolled on the Medicine
roll e5ual the se!erity of the worst wound
sustained the se!erity of that wound is
reduced by 9. $f you roll twice as many
successes as the se!erity of the worst wound
the wound is healed entirely Kit wasn't as bad
as you thoughtTL. At this point you'!e done all
you can without more time and full medical
facilities.
Social ;etworking @!onnectionA
0his is the a6ility to /ollo5 social connections
e//ecti4ely and %ain access to a 5ide 4ariety o/
+eo+le& ;/ you need to track someone do5n,
you make a )ocial Aet5orkin% roll& 0his )kill
re+resents the a6ility to call u+on your
contacts and net5orks o/ in/ormation to locate
s+eci/ic +eo+le, +laces or thin%s > you %et an
address, a contact num6er, somethin%& "ettin%
them to hel+ you is a di//erent story and isn(t
co4ered 6y a )ocial Aet5orkin% roll 3 it still
re9uires some kind o/ social )kill roll& )ocial
Aet5orkin% is also an e,cellent )kill to use in
conjunction 5ith 6onus dice /rom
relationshi+s&
*hat success %ets youD *ith )ocial
Aet5orkin%, you are a6le to /ind the +erson,
+lace or thin% you are seekin%& Fou may not
6e a6le to access it once you(4e /ound it >
that(s another 9uestion&
MaterialsD a Aode
0imeD at least an hour to /ind anythin% that
isn(t o64ious&
Special Connection1 Sometimes you may make
a contact that could be incredibly helpful in a
gi!en scene. $f you score more than 3
successes on your Social #etworking when
searching for someone you are granted a
temporary minor relationship which you can
5@
call upon when you encounter the person or
thing you were looking for. $t is up to the
2irector to determine who the 0elationship is
with and to define when the 0elationship
might be called upon for the e4tra die.
<erformance @'ppealA
0his is another 1art( skill and re+resents the
a6ility to entertain a %rou+ 5hether throu%h
comedy, music, dance or more o6scure
+er/ormance art /orms&
*hat success %ets youD Fou success/ully
entertain and im+ress a +articular audience&
MaterialsD 5hate4er is necessary to the
medium > +ossi6ly recordin% de4ices, s+ecial
tools or +ro+s, costumes, musical instruments,
and so on&
0imeD ;t de+ends on the ty+e o/ +er/ormance:
a son% may take /i4e minutes, a comedy
routine thirty, 5hile a )hakes+earean tra%edy
may take three or /our hours&
Entrancement1 A truly incredible performance
is almost impossible to ignore. Any time you
are performing and roll O or more successes
those who are watching need to make a
2iscipline roll to ignore you with a
situational bonus determined by the 2irector
based on how distracted or busy they already
are. Somewhat distracted grants a R; bonus
to the 2iscipline roll for e4ample while if
you are literally trying to stop traffic there
will be a RO or higher bonus to the roll. $f you
get more successes howe!er e!erything
stops and all eyes are on you until your
performance is complete or until a significant
distraction Kshouting gunfire etc.L interrupts
the spell. #ote1 Entrancement isnGt useful in
an all(out combat.
<iloting @<recisionA
0his )kill allo5s a character to +ilot a /lyin%
4ehicle, 5hether it is a s+aceshi+ or a +lane
that /unctions in atmos+here& #ilotin% allo5s
you to take ad4anta%e o/ a 4ehicle(s normal
ca+a6ilities and e4en to +ush its limits 5hen
necessary&
*hat success %ets youD you are a6le to
maneu4er a 4ehicle success/ully, u+ to its
mechanical limitations&
MaterialsD a /lyin% 4ehicle desi%ned to o+erate
in atmos+here or s+ace&
0imeD at least a Ion% Maneu4er
Special Maneu!er1 E!ery pilot has a few
tricks up their slee!e and you're no
e4ception. *hen making opposed
maneu!ering rolls against another pilot if you
double their successes you ha!e pulled off a
special maneu!er and recei!e a R; situational
bonus to the ne4t roll against your opponent
as you make use of the sudden ad!antage
you'!e gained. This ad!antage can also be
/handed off' to another crewmember M for
e4ample the gunner could take ad!antage of
your maneu!er and blow you opponent to
pieces. )nce used the R; bonus is gone.
<rogramming @<recisionA
.4en thou%h e4eryone uses technolo%y, not
e4eryone learns the com+le,ities o/ ho5 it
o+erates or ho5 to create ne5 so/t5are /or it&
0hat is 5hat #ro%rammin% allo5s& A character
5ith this skill 5rites so/t5are, and can do so
1on the /ly( i/ necessary& ;t is assumed that
e!eryone can use tech de4ices at a 6asic le4el,
6ut i/ you 5ant the de4ice to do somethin%
that its current so/t5are doesn(t co4er, you
need +ro%rammin%&
*hat success %ets youD #ro%rammin% allo5s
you to command a de4ice to do somethin%
6eyond its so/t5are(s normal +arameters
5hether this is disa6lin% a security measure or
turnin% an automated turret on your
o++onents&
MaterialsD a Aode or other de4ice that uses
so/t5are
0imeD at least an hour, thou%h a lot o/ the
5ork can 6e done ahead o/ time 6y creatin%
e,ecuta6le so/t5are, sa4in% the /inal roll until
the so/t5are you(4e created is /inally used&
Sub!ert and 2estroy1 $t is possible to
sabotage a de!ice if you can access its
software e!en from a distance. 2eacti!ating
security protocols and self(maintenance
5G
systems will cause the de!ice to o!erheat go
off une4pectedly short out or otherwise
temporarily shut down. 8our 7rogramming
successes are di!ided by ; and then applied as
damage to the de!ice. Someone using the
de!ice will suffer a penalty to their chances of
using it e5ual to the damage the de!ice has
taken. So for e4ample a sub!ert(and(destroy
maneu!er scoring B successes would deal ;
damage to a de!ice Kalways round downL
imposing a (; penalty on anyone trying to use
it. The 2irector is free to modify the damage
threshold depending on the de!ice in 5uestion.
$f it has shielding or other protection your
roll will be made at a penalty +ust like any
other attack against a protected target.
=epair @<recisionA
.4en in the /uture, thin%s 6reak do5n
7sometimes 5ay too /re9uently8& He+air lets a
character make re+airs on any de4ice he is
/amiliar 5ith& ;/ he is un/amiliar 5ith the
de4ice, 6ut has He+air, he may still attem+t to
/i, it i/ he has access to instructions or a
manual&
*hat success %ets youD a 6roken or dama%ed
de4ice is re+aired, thou%h to return it to 1--R
5ill still take a %reat deal o/ time in most cases
and may re9uire more s+eciali2ed assistance&
He+air is the same as Medicine, 6ut /or
de4ices rather than +eo+le&
MaterialsD Most o/ the time, a 6asic tool kit
7remem6er, characters 5ith the )kill 6e%in
+lay 5ith one8, and instructions i/ you are not
/amiliar 5ith the de4ice in 9uestion&
0imeD at least an hour, more /or com+le,
de4ices or /or e,tensi4e dama%e&
Duick .i41 Sometimes you can't wait to do a
+ob right so you ha!e to get in there and do it
5uickly. This is dangerous and doubtless
!oids the warranty. 8ou make your 0epair roll
as usual but declare you are performing a
5uick fi4. The roll takes much less than
normal M a minute instead of an hour a
couple 6ong Actions instead of a minute as
determined by the 2irector. Successes are
counted as normal M for a scene. *hen that
scene ends howe!er whate!er was wrong
with the de!ice is now twice as bad as before.
$t might be time to get a new one.
Science @!onnectionA
0his is a 6road )kill that co4ers the 4arious
cate%ories o/ +hysical science& '64iously,
each +hysical science is its o5n distinct and
challen%in% disci+line, 6ut they are %rou+ed
to%ether 6ecause con/licts 5ill almost ne4er
in4ol4e conductin% s+eci/ic e,+eriments > as
/ar as most %ames are concerned, there aren(t
im+ortant di//erences 6et5een a trained
6iochemist and a trained astro+hysicist&
)cience ena6les a character to use la6
e9ui+ment, su+ercom+uters, and data6ases
accessed throu%h their Aode to ans5er
scienti/ic 9uestions, like B*hat is this
material?C or B*hat do 5e need to sur4i4e
Kenus( atmos+here?C
*hat success %ets youD )cience ena6les you to
analy2e /ar more dee+ly than the Analysis
)kill allo5s, 6ut in a more narro5 area& ;t also
allo5s you to identi/y unkno5n o6jects,
su6stances and natural or arti/icial
+henomena&
MaterialsD any science roll re9uires s+eciali2ed
e9ui+ment: a Aode 5ith s+eci/ic so/t5are at
the 4ery least
0imeD at least an hour&
EurekaT1 $f you score O or more successes on
a Science roll when analy&ing a mysterious
substance phenomenon etc. you Kthe playerL
can make up something interesting about it
which depending on the situation can be of
benefit to your character and the other player(
characters. 0egardless of the details the roll
gi!es you a R; situational bonus on a roll of
your choice when you make use of your new
knowledge as long as you can +ustify it using
your scientific +argon. This bonus might be
e4panded or e4tended if you can continue to
+ustify it in(game M that's up to the 2irector.
Stealth @4obilityA
Enlike .4asion 3 5hich is only %ood /or
a4oidin% 6ein% hit in com6at 3 )tealth is the
a6ility to mo4e around 5ithout makin% noise
or attractin% attention to yoursel/& ;/ you are
doin% so in 2ero %ra4ity, you are limited to
5J
your a6ility in Pero3", so e4en i/ you are a
master o/ )tealth, i/ you only ha4e 6asic )kill
in Pero3", your )tealth rolls in 2ero3% are
considered 6asic as 5ell&
*hat success %ets youD you %et 5here you
5ant to %o 5ithout 6ein% noticed
MaterialsD none, thou%h this may 6e altered
de+endin% on the situation and ideas o/ the
+layers and Director& At times you may need
to 6e usin% a jammin% /ield or other
e9ui+ment
0imeD you ha4e to ha4e enou%h time to 6e
care/ul and %o slo5ly: this 5ill 4ary 6ased on
the situation, 6ut 5on(t 6e a4aila6le in com6at
e,ce+t in s+ecial circumstances 5here you are
entirely hidden
?lindside1 Stealth is often used as an opposed
roll against 2etection. ?eing undetected is a
big ad!antage so any successes scored o!er
those scored by the failed 2etection roll can
be used in a single roll against the surprised
party. The roll must take place in the first
round of physical combat but which roll is
modified is up to the stealthy player(
character. The e4tra successes represent your
ability to find an ad!antageous position to
attack from or to come up on an unprotected
side to plan your attack ahead of time as you
silently approach and so on. .or e4ample if
you roll O successes on Stealth and a security
guard only rolls 3 on 2etection you'!e
earned 3 dice you can add to any roll in the
first round of combat. %a!e fun describing
how you get the drop on your opponent when
the dice get rolled. $f you fail the Stealth roll
of course youGre probably the one who is
surprised and will start any ensuing conflict
without the $nitiati!e.
Striking @<owerA
0his is the art and science o/ +unchin% and
kickin%, head36uttin% and el6o5in%, as 5ell as
close39uarters com6at 5ith hand 5ea+ons
such as kni4es, +olice 6atons, and e4en archaic
5ea+ons like s5ords or /ire3a,es& 70his )kill
is o/ten selected in conjunction 5ith
1"ra++lin%(8
*hat success %ets youD Fou injure your tar%et:
the injury is 6ruisin% i/ you are unarmed or
usin% a 6lunt 5ea+on, lethal i/ you are usin% a
more serious 5ea+on& *ea+ons that add dice
to your attacks are 6ou%ht as e9ui+ment as
usual, 6ut 5ea+ons such as kni4es or clu6s can
6e im+ro4ised or /ound all around&
MaterialsD Aone, 6ut you can use a 5ea+on i/
you desire& Hemem6er that 5hen you take this
)kill, it is assumed you o5n some kind o/
hand35ea+on
0imeD at least an Action, u+ to a Ion% Action&
Hnockout1 it is possible though tough to
knock someone out without hurting them
badly. $f an attacker is using a blunt weapon
or no weapon at all and accepts a (;
situational penalty to their roll he can make a
contested Striking !s. Tolerance roll against
his target. $f he is successful then the target is
knocked out or stunned for at least a 6ong
Action or longer Kat the 2irector's discretionL
based on the attack's le!el of success. $f the
Tolerance roll wins the attack is resol!ed
normally but with U the successes rolled.
#eedless to say the target is not
incapacitated.
Subtlety @'ppealA
)u6tlety is like )tealth, e,ce+t it is /or social
situations& ;t is the a6ility to lie, to hide your
intentions, and can also allo5 you to mo4e
5ithin a lar%e %rou+ 5ithout 6ein% noticed&
'64iously, you can(t actually 6ecome
in4isi6le or hide in +lain si%ht, 6ut you can
a4oid notice, or dis%uise 5hat you really
intend& )u6tlety is also resisted 6y )u6tlety >
the )kill re+resents the a6ility to lie, and also
to tell 5hen someone else is hidin% somethin%&
)u6tlety is handy /or %ainin% in/ormation, 6ut
it is also use/ul /or a +ick+ocket 5orkin% in a
lar%e ur6an area&
*hat success %ets youD )uccess makes an
A#C 6elie4e somethin% untrue or
misunderstand your moti4es& )u6tlety also lets
you 6e in a cro5ded room 5ithout dra5in%
attention, and can set u+ a Iarceny roll to
+ick+ocket someone& )u6tlety is resisted 6y
6-
)u6tlety or Detection in 5hoe4er you are
tryin% to mislead or decei4e&
MaterialsD none
0imeD just enou%h /or an e,chan%e in
con4ersation at minimum > lon%er /or more
in4ol4ed dece+tions&
$nnuendo1 Two people with the Subtlety Skill
can try to talk to each other without anyone
else understanding the gist of the
con!ersation. They both roll Subtlety
recei!ing a R; situational bonus if they do
this kind of thing all the time and know each
other well. $f both succeed then they can talk
to each other using innuendo and double
meanings. $t is possible for others to figure
out what is going on with a Culture or
Eti5uette roll of their own though this roll
doesn't tell them what is being said only that
something suspicious is being said. $f someone
makes an opposed Subtlety roll that character
does get a chance to catch the gist of what is
being said. )pposed rolls are made against
the lower of the two rolls made to speak using
innuendo. Most times howe!er the e4change
will go unnoticed.
Sur?i?al @<recisionA
0his )kill is 4ital /or ;nsiders seekin% /ood and
shelter in +laces outside the in/luence o/
technolo%ical society& 0his )kill is use/ul in
the most rundo5n slums and ruined re%ions o/
.arth, as 5ell as the /e5 +laces that are not
clear3cut and +a4ed o4er& ;n the *astes,
)ur4i4al is a must3ha4e& *ith a Aode, some
o/ the in/ormation that )ur4i4al co4ers 5ill 6e
a4aila6le throu%h Hesearch, 6ut )ur4i4al is
usually needed in situations 5here a Aode
isn(t a4aila6le or 5hen there is no 5ireless
connecti4ity& 0here is a lot a6out sur4i4in% 6y
your 5its and in%enuity that cannot 6e learned
/rom a Aode&
*hat success %ets youD )ur4i4al lets you
tra4el outside ci4ili2ation 5ithout /allin%
4ictim to common threats > dehydration,
+oisonin%, +arasites, natural ha2ards, and so
on& ;t can also allo5 you to 6uild a shelter and
to make sim+le tools /rom sca4en%ed
materials&
MaterialsD a 6asic sur4i4al kit isn(t necessary,
6ut lackin% it 5ill im+ose a situational +enalty
o/ 32 dice in most situations&
0imeD 4aria6le > a cou+le o/ hours to 6uild a
shelter or to +ut to%ether a sim+le tool:
other5ise, one roll +er day is su//icient&
Sca!enging1 There is an incredible amount of
stuff lying around buried hidden abandoned
and so on. A lot of it is already used by
impo!erished people who ha!e sca!enged it
but an ingenious scrounger can still find
useful bits and pieces. )nce per day Kor as
often as makes senseL someone li!ing without
means in an urban wilderness such as a slum
or ruin can make a Sca!enging roll. .or e!ery
three successes scored rounded down they
get a temporary e5uipment bonus of R9
ha!ing found something useful. This bonus
only lasts for one roll though the roll can
represent hours of work such as putting up a
shelter.
8olerance @=esilienceA
0his is the third )kill rooted in Hesilience&
0olerance is a +hysical )kill re+resentin% ho5
a character deals 5ith +ain and +ri4ation,
rather than 5ith +olitical or reli%ious
di//erences& ;t is +ossi6le /or someone to ha4e
hi%h 0olerance, yet 6e 1intolerant(& A +erson
5ith a hi%h 0olerance is a6le to endure +ain,
hun%er, thirst, heat and cold, lon%er than most&
*hat success %ets youD 0olerance ena6les you
to continue /unctionin% des+ite +ain or
+ri4ation& )uccess lets you /i%ht on des+ite
su//erin% +ain& Four 5ounds still slo5 you
do5n, 6ut they don(t sto+ you cold& Aormally
you are +araly2ed 6y +ain /or one round +er
le4el o/ dama%e you take > 0olerance reduces
this hesitation and /linchin% so you can
continue to act&
MaterialsD none
0imeD ;/ the 0olerance roll is re/le,i4e, it takes
no time at all& ;/ it is an acti4e roll, then it
re9uires a Ion% Action&
Enflinching Momentum1 *hen you are struck
for damage in combat you must make a
Tolerance roll to continue acting despite the
shock of pain. .or e!ery successful roll to
61
resist the pain howe!er at the 2irector's
discretion you can add R9 die to the ne4t
such roll in the same scene.
.ero-D @4obilityA
;/ man is to sur4i4e in s+ace, he 5ill need to
6e a6le to 5ork e//ecti4ely in lo53%ra4ity or
2ero3% en4ironments& *ithout this )kill, it is
4ery di//icult to %et around in many sections
o/ s+aceshi+s and s+ace stations or e4en 4ery
lo5 %ra4ity colonies& ;t is still +ossi6le, since
these are 6uilt 5ith a 4ariety o/ +eo+le in
mind, 6ut the e,+erience is disorientin%&
*hat success %ets youD )uccess ena6les you to
maneu4er /reely in null %ra4ity or in
micro%ra4ity& Pero3" also limits your other
a6ilities 5hen you are in lo5 %ra4ity or
micro%ra4ity and aren(t stra++ed do5n or
a//i,ed to somethin% stationary like a %3seat on
a s+aceshi+& ;/ you(re just /loatin% around a
shi+ ca6in, /or e,am+le, +hysical skills like
.4asion, !irearms, "ra++lin%, and )trikin% are
limited 6y your Pero3", so i/ you ha4e 6asic
Pero3", you /unction as i/ you ha4e a
ma,imum o/ 6asic in +hysical a6ilities 5hen
/loatin% /ree&
MaterialsD none
0imeD at least a Maneu4er, or a Ion%
Maneu4er, or outside o/ a con/lict, ho5e4er
lon% it takes you to %et 5here you(re %oin%&
%ome Ad!antage1 Pero(3 is the kind of Skill
that is usually used in the close 5uarters of a
ship or space station. $f your location is
familiar to you you will be able to maneu!er
in all directions much faster than people who
aren't accustomed to the e4act shape of the
space you're in and the little ha&ards that can
trip you up. *hen you are in a physical
conflict in close 5uarters using Pero(3 you
can substitute your Pero(3 Skill for your
E!asion Skill in familiar territory.
)ide6arD BBuild your o5n mo4esC As a /inal
note /or this section, the s+ecial maneu4ers
and a6ilities listed /or each )kill are just
su%%estions > /eel /ree to come u+ 5ith your
o5n&
"#othing's e!er the same once you'!e barfed
in &ero(g. $ mean nothing.- MTom Ma!erike
?aeder 2ri!e Cadet School
4sing S7ills
' Short 6xample of Skills at Work
Jun ?ei recogni&ed the alarm sound((her ship
was being scanned by another !essel. This far
out in space a long way from a spaceport of
any kind that meant only one thing M someone
was after her her cargo or both. She 5uickly
maneu!ered through the ship's interior to her
piloting chair. %er Pero(3 Skill is
intermediate and her Mobility is V so her
player rolls VdWI or V O(sided dice with a
target number of I. $f the roll gets 3 or more
successes then she arri!es at her pilot's chair
as 5uickly as possible. $f the roll gets 9 or ;
successes then she gets +ostled but still
arri!es though she might be a bit behind in
her response if the ship coming up on her is
acting immediately. $f she gets < successes
then there's a mishap M she forgot to unbuckle
herself or she bumps into a crewmember
going the other way or the ship is hit with an
opening shot and she is shaken and bangs
against the hull and so on. K*hat goes wrong
is up to the 2irectorL
!or com+lete success 5hen usin% a skill, you
5ant the dice to sho5 3 successes& 0hat means
you accom+lished 5hat you set out to do&
)ometimes, such as 5hen t5o +eo+le are
tryin% to o++ose each other, the situation is a
little more com+licated, and it 6ecomes a
matter o/ 5ho %ets more successes& *hen a
roll is contested, all you need is 1 more
success than your o++onent& Holls in #arsec
are B/ront3loadedC 5ith situational modi/iers,
meanin% that i/ there are e,tenuatin%
circumstances, e4erythin% is taken into
account 6e/ore dice hit the ta6le& 'nce the roll
ha++ens, the dice stand as they are&
;/ you %et /e5er than 3 successes, you aren(t
com+letely success/ul<6ut you didn(t
necessarily /ail either& ;/ an o6stacle 5as
already made clear, then it is also clear 5hat
ha++ened& ;/ no o6stacle 5as clear, and the
roll 5as just 6ad luck, then 6ad luck has also
62
struck your character& 0he Director can take
this o++ortunity to 5ea4e a com+lication into
the +lot that kee+s you /rom success& 0his isn(t
su++osed to 6e a serious com+lication, like a
4iolent attack or an e,+losion 7unless it 5as
already esta6lished that such threats e,isted8,
6ut it can 6e somethin% that you ha4e to 5ork
around i/ you 5ant to continue on your current
+ath&
;n the ha++y e4ent that you %et 4 or more
successes, thin%s %o e4en 6etter than you(d
intended& 0he task may %et done /aster than
e,+ected, it may ha4e cost less, or there could
6e some other small added 6onus 6ased on
ho5 5ell thin%s 5ent& !or contested rolls, this
kind o/ critical success comes 5hen you roll
t5ice as many successes as your o++onent or
more&
*hen decidin% e,actly ho5 /ailed )kill rolls
+lay out, the Director is encoura%ed to 5ork
5ith the +layers& ;/ no interestin% ideas
immediately come u+, don(t 5orry a6out it&
0he )kill roll 5asn(t 9uite success/ul, and you
mo4e on to the ne,t thin%& E!ery failed roll
doesn't need to become a big deal, they're
+ust opportunities to add interesting twists into
the plot.
%oplications an) /rying -gain
)ometimes, you don(t do 5ell enou%h the /irst
time& Fou may try a%ain a/ter some time has
+assed 7enou%h time to reali2e thin%s ha4en(t
%one 5ell > this is u+ to the Director and ho5
he 5ants to +ace the %ame, 6ut check the )kill
descri+tions /or times to kee+ in mind8& *hen
makin% )kill rolls, the more com+le, the
action 6ein% attem+ted, the lon%er the amount
o/ time that +asses 6e/ore you may try a%ain&
0his second roll is %oin% to 6e di//erent,
ho5e4er& ;/ you are runnin% out o/ time, there
5ill 6e an increasin% +enalty, 32 and then 34,
to consecuti4e rolls as you stru%%le to calm
do5n and 5ork /aster& ;/ you ha4e all the time
in the 5orld, and nothin% 5ent horri6ly 5ron%
5ith the /irst attem+t, then the Director mi%ht
%i4e you a 6onus to the roll to re+resent
learnin% /rom +ast misste+s > this 6onus
shouldn(t 6e more than O1 or O2&
0he Director shouldn(t call /or more than one
)kill roll +er action attem+ted& ;t is the +layer
5ho calls /or a re3roll, kno5in% that this is
risky& 0he Director is /ree to introduce
interru+tions i/ the +layer calls /or the re3roll
o/ a /ailed )kill roll&
*hen you try to accom+lish somethin%
+articularly com+licated or di//icult, the
Director can al5ays declare that there is a
ne%ati4e situational modi/ier to your roll& 0he
situational modi/ier could 6e minor 7328,
si%ni/icant 7348 or e4en cri++lin% 736 or more8&
Heasons /or this situational +enalty may
include distractions, ad4erse conditions, lack
o/ the ri%ht materials, or too little time&
;n the same 5ay, the Director may choose to
%rant dice 6onuses 75hich should 6e rarer than
+enalties in %eneral8 /or +ositi4e or
ad4anta%eous conditions, includin% ha4in%
more time than you need, others to hel+ do the
5ork, or other 6ene/icial conditions& $a4in%
su+er6 materials is co4ered 6y a character(s
e9ui+ment 0raits > these are e,tra dice that
you +urchase at character creation or 5hen
your character ad4ances, and e,tra dice /rom
e9ui+ment 0raits count 5hene4er you can use
the e9ui+ment in 9uestion&
/#> +raits
0raits are a /urther 5ay to descri6e your
character, addin% more detail than 6asic
Attri6utes and )kills +ro4ide& .4ery 0rait adds
dice to certain kinds o/ rolls& '/ course you
can descri6e your character in 5ays that aren(t
re+resented 6y 0raits as 5ell, 6ut 0raits are
as+ects o/ your character that 5ill a//ect the
dice you roll in a con/lict& 0hey are /urther
5ays to indi4iduali2e your character&
0he /our kinds o/ 0raits areD Modifications,
Speciali&ations, E5uipment and 0elationships&
Modi/ications and s+eciali2ations add dice to
)kill rolls directly and are intrinsic to the
character& .9ui+ment also adds dice to rolls,
6ut these 6onuses are lost tem+orarily i/ you
lose the e9ui+ment that the 0rait re+resents&
Helationshi+s are a s+ecial case > a
relationshi+ 0rait re+resents someone 5hose
hel+ you can call on in a %i4en situation, 6ut
63
the relationshi+ in 9uestion must 6e
maintained 6y role+layin% +eriodic
interactions 5ith the +erson 7or or%ani2ation8
+ro4idin% the s+ecial relationshi+&
0raits are selected 6ased on the 5ork you(4e
done in character creation, and they can also
6e +urchased durin% the course o/ the %ame&
0he o++osite o/ 0raits are )cars, 5hich
su6tract dice in certain situations& ;t is u+ to
the +layer to kee+ track o/ 0raits and to ask
the Director 5hen they come into +lay& Traits
should be specific M much more specific than
a Skill& A selected 0rait may 6e a ne5 0rait
5ith a ne5 descri+tion or an intensi/ication o/
a +re4ious 0rait, as lon% as the intensi/ication
can 6e justi/ied in3%ame 75hich is necessary
/or any ad4ancement in #arsec8& Enless a
character /inds a lot o/ time to de4elo+ a ne5
a6ility, ne5 0raits 5ill usually 6e the result o/
a %enetic modi/ication or cy6ernetic im+lant&
Both are e,+ensi4e and in4ol4e si%ni/icant
hos+ital stays, 6ut in %ame they re9uire less
time in4ested than de4elo+in% a ne5
s+eciali2ation& 0alents %enerally only make
sense 5hen they are taken at character
creation, 6ut a character mi%ht 1disco4er( a
ne5 talent as she ad4ances&
Bear in mind, o/ course, that %ene thera+y and
cy6ernetic im+lants are e,tremely e,+ensi4e,
so i/ a +layer3character is relati4ely +oor, ne5
0raits 5ill ha4e to 6e justi/ied in some other
5ay& Fou can sometimes %et around this 5ith
s+eciali2ations and relationshi+s, or 6y comin%
u+ 5ith some cle4er justi/ication that the
Director acce+ts /or an im+o4erished 'utsider
ha4in% an im+lant or a +iece o/ su+er6
e9ui+ment&
"$'!e always wanted to be able to write with
my left handQthought it would be cool. #ow
with the %andy(%and from 0ennco $ can do
that. *ith a twist of my new prosthetic hand it
can go from left(hand to a second right(hand
in less than three secondsT Thanks 0enncoT
KThe 0ennco %andy(%and comes with a one
year warranty !oid where prohibitedL- M
0ennco %olo(ad
:o)ifications
0he t5o kinds o/ modi/ications in #arsec are
%enetic and cy6ernetic& "ene modi/ications
and cy6ernetics are technically 4ery di//erent
6ut in %ame terms, /unction in identical
/ashion& Both +ro4ide 6onus dice in certain
situations& Aormally, %ene mods in4ol4e more
su6tle chan%es 5hile cy6ernetic technolo%y
ena6les more +o5er/ul modi/ications& .ither,
ho5e4er, can %i4e one an 1alien( a++earance,
and 5hile they are relati4ely common, +eo+le
5ith alterations still stand out in %eneral
society and are scorned 6y some
/undamentalists and human 1+urists(&
.,am+le "ene Mods
AdrenalineD adds dice to Athletics rolls in
tense situations or 5hen +ro4oked&
7heromonesD add dice to .nticement or
)u6tlety rolls used /or seduction > 6ut %ettin%
them to lea4e you alone 5ill 6e si%ni/icantly
harder a/ter they are attracted to you&
0egenerationD this mod adds dice to any
Medicine roll made to treat your character(s
injuries, 6ut doesn(t count /or illness or to,ins
or radiation +oisonin%, only 5ounds&
.,am+le Cy6ernetic ;m+lants
Cybernetic EyesD add dice to Detection rolls
5here 4isual acuity is crucial&
7rosthetic ArmD add dice to "ra++lin% rolls
a/ter you ha4e %ra66ed the o++onent&
*ired 0efle4esD adds dice to .4asion durin%
close com6at&
Ese these e4amples as a starting(point and
feel free to come up with any modifications
you can imagine.
Speciali=ations
)+eciali2ations are sim+ly su63sets o/ a %i4en
skill& )ome skills, such as )cience or Culture,
are incredi6ly 6road, and this is intentional& ;t
5on(t matter much, in %ame, 5hether a
+articular character is a chemist or a +hysicist,
a theolo%ian or an historian > so )kills that
co4er these to+ics are 6road& A 5ay o/ addin%
s+eci/icity to these )kills is 5ith s+eciali2ation
64
0raits& *hen the s+eciali2ation a++lies to a
roll, then dice are added > one die /or e4ery
le4el o/ the 0rait in 5hich you ha4e the
a++ro+riate s+eciali2ation&
As the %ame +ro%resses o4er multi+le sessions
o/ +lay, s+eciali2ations can 6e a %reat 5ay to
increase your character(s a6ility in only a /e5
areas that kee+ comin% u+ in the %ame 5ithout
ha4in% to ad4ance entire )kills& !ollo5in% are
a /e5 e,am+le s+eciali2ations > /eel /ree to
come u+ 5ith your o5n as 5ell&
1'aple Speciali=ations 8y S7ill
!cro0atics G2rea6in (allsA CompetitionA EumpinH
!nal,sis GCode 2rea6inA 3ilitar, ReconnaissanceA Sensor !rra,H
!thletics GRunninA S#imminA Thro#inH
Courae G Staredo#nA 4nderdoA 4nder (ireH
Culture G=istor,A LinuisticsA ReliionH
7etection G=ome Securit,A Infra-redA ListeninH
7iscipline GCom0at TraininA Cool-=eadedH
7rivin GEvasionA *ursuitA StuntsH
Enineerin GElectronicsA Ship0uildinA StructuralH
Enticement G!dvertisinA 2araininA SeductionH
Eti8uette G2usinessA 3ilitar,A ReliiousA 4nder#orldH
Evasion G7ivin for CoverA (oot#or6A RetreatH
E$pression G=oloraphic 7esinA SculptureA WritinH
(irearms G!nti8ueA LaserA "eedlerH
&rapplin GCho6esA EscapesA *inninH
&unner, GLasersA Rail &unsA TorpedoesH
Intimidation GCommandA *ullin Ran6A Threats of @iolenceH
Larcen, GElectronic (orer,A *ic6poc6etA Securit, 7oorsH
3edicine G2attlefieldA Surer,A TriaeH
"aviation G!stroationA &eoraph,A *u0lic TransitH
*erformance G!vant-&ardeA 7anceA *erformance !rtA SininH
*ilotin G!steroid 2eltA Evasive 3aneuversA Strafin RunsH
Repair G7iital Recover,A Enine RoomA Eur,-RiinH
Science G/ranic Chemistr,A *h,sicsA Ieno0iolo,H
Social "et#or6in GCele0ritiesA =ih Societ,A >outh Su0culturesH
Stealth GCamoflaeA =idinA Silent 3ovementH
Stri6in G2o$inA FnivesA Stun 2atonH
Su0tlet, G!lternate Identit,A 2luffinA ImpersonationH
65
Survival G!8uaticA 4r0an WastesA @acuumH
Tolerance G3editationA Sudden *ainA To$insH
<ero-& G(ast 3ovementA 3icroravit,A Re-/rientationH
1?*ipent
Com+ared to other 0raits, e9ui+ment %rants
7rou%hly8 t5ice the 6onus& 0he reason /or this
is that, as /ar as the Director is concerned, i/ a
+layer takes e9ui+ment 0raits, that is a %reen
li%ht to take them a5ay tem+orarily as +art o/
a storyline& )ince they can 6e lost durin% a
story, e9ui+ment counts /or a hi%her 6onus&
;t needs to 6e noted that you do not recei!e
bonuses at any time from /normal' e5uipment.
)nly e5uipment taken with Traits pro!ides a
bonus. $i%h39uality e9ui+ment is normally
s+eciali2ed and tailored /or an indi4idual& 0he
hi%h3+o5ered sni+er ri/le that you take /rom
the cor+se o/ an o++onent 5on(t 5ork as 5ell
/or you > may6e it has 6iometrics +re4entin%
you /rom usin% it, or it 5as custom3desi%ned
/or the lens and cornea o/ the recently
deceased o5ner, meanin% it needs 5ork and
o4erhaul 6e/ore it has a chance o/ 6ein%
s+ecial /or you 7i&e& 6e/ore you s+end the 0rait
on it8&
0he Director(s jo6 is to +eriodically de+ri4e
you o/ your e9ui+ment temporarily > /or a /ull
session at the 4ery most& 0his can 6e done 6y
ha4in% some o/ it destroyed or deacti4ated,
ha4in% it mal/unction and ha4e to 6e re+aired
or e4en ha4in% it stolen& 0his is the e,+licit
+rice o/ takin% e9ui+ment 0raits rather than
other kinds o/ 0raits, 5hich %rant hal/ the
6onus 6ut can ne4er 6e taken a5ay /rom your
character&
)ide6arD BBut ; *ant to Ioot=C #arsec isn(t
really a6out lootin% your /allen /oes& ;/ you %et
into a lethal com6at, and you 5in, you mi%ht
/ind some use/ul thin%s on the 6odies o/ those
you(4e killed, 6ut that is not a reason to kill
them& Com6at in #arsec is dan%erous, and the
re+ercussions 7le%al, 4i%ilante or other5ise8
/or killin% +eo+le are serious& ;/ you do /ind
anythin% use/ul on someone(s 6ody, it is
6ecause your Director 5ants to %i4e you
in/ormation or to mo4e the story alon%& ;/ you
5ant to /ind somethin% really hel+/ul on
someone(s 6ody > s+end a sa4ed 0rait on it=
0hen you %et to say 5hat it is and 5hy it is
use/ul&
)+ecial +ieces o/ e9ui+ment are +urchased as
0raits& 0hey con/er a lar%er ad4anta%e than
other kinds o/ 0raits do, addin% O2, O4, or O6
dice, 7a%ain, 5ith the attendant disad4anta%e
o/ 4ulnera6ility > e9ui+ment can 6e stolen,
destroyed, deacti4ated and so on8& Iike other
0raits, e9ui+ment is cumulati4e in its e//ect, so
that i/ you s+end t5o 0raits on the same +iece
o/ e9ui+ment, it %rants a O4 6onus, and three
0raits s+ent on the same +iece o/ e9ui+ment
%rants a O6 6onus& A sin%le +iece o/
e9ui+ment should ne4er %rant a 6onus to more
than one )kill, and it should ne4er %rant a
6onus to the majority o/ uses o/ a )kill& ;t
needs to ha4e specific limited uses&
.,am+le .9ui+ment
0hese are e,am+les to %et you thinkin% a6out
5hat e9ui+ment 0raits you mi%ht 5ant to take&
!or many +ieces o/ e9ui+ment listed, multi+le
+ossi6le kinds o/ 6onuses are mentioned& ;/
you 5ant more than one kind o/ 6onus,
ho5e4er, you need to s+end the 0raits on a
second +iece o/ e9ui+ment /or that +ur+ose, or
to add the e//ect to an e,istin% +iece o/
e9ui+ment& A +articular 0rait(s 5orth o/
e9ui+ment cannot %rant a 6onus to more than
one kind o/ roll& ;n cases 5here jud%ment is
needed, the Director has the /inal say&
ArmorD +rotects /rom 4arious kinds o/ injury,
6ut one kind o/ armor isn(t enou%h to +rotect
you /rom e4erythin%& Armor that 5ill sto+ a
6ullet mi%ht let a laser cut ri%ht throu%h it, and
4ice34ersa&
2ecryption softwareD can 6e 5ritten 6e/ore3
hand or +urchased /rom e,+erienced hackers
/or the +ur+ose you ha4e in mind& ;t 5ill %rant
6onus dice to Analysis rolls made to 6reak
codes& ;/ the Director 5ants to limit its use
/urther 7/or e,am+le, in a %ame 5here lots o/
66
Analysis rolls 5ill 6e in4ol4ed8 then the
so/t5are can only 6e e//ecti4e a%ainst a certain
class o/ encry+tion > a +articular cor+oration,
the *IA military, etc&
E4plosi!esD are story elements that shouldn(t
usually +lay into com6at& ;/ you 5ant
e,+losi4es to 6lo5 o+en a door, /or e,am+le,
there are a /e5 5ays to handle this& Fou could
use the 6onus to add to your Iarceny skill,
makin% your character a demolitions e,+ert
5ith sa/es or doors: or, you could say he(s
+ro/icient 5ith %renades and thermite mines,
+ro4idin% another method o/ attack in am6ush
situations& !or e,+losi4es used in com6at,
%renades /or e,am+le, each 0rait s+ent means
you can ha4e one such e,+losi4e 5ea+on on
your +erson& 'nce it is used, it is assumed you
need to %o some5here 5here you store
e9ui+ment and 1reload(, unless you +lan ahead
di//erently and the Director a%rees&
AoteD rein/orced armor +rotects a%ainst all
kinds o/ e,+losi4e dama%e&
.alse $dentityD +ro4ides a 6onus to )u6tlety
rolls made to in/iltrate a social settin% to
5hich you(d normally not ha4e access& ;t can
also +ro4ide 6onus dice to a4oid the notice o/
the authorities i/ you(re on the run&
%olo(7ro+ectorD this is the standard in to+
le4el entertainment, and can 6e a 6i% 6onus /or
a +er/ormer 5ho is skilled enou%h to make
dramatic and entertainin% use o/ it& $i%h3
9uality e9ui+ment can render ama2in% ima%es
in three dimensions /rom a small, uno6trusi4e
de4ice& A $olo3#rojector normally %rants a
6onus to .,+ression or #er/ormance rolls&
%igh(Duality A!atarD ;n a society 5here a
%reat deal o/ sociali2in% takes +lace 4irtually,
its im+ortant to ha4e a stylish, com+le,36ut3
intuiti4e renderin% o/ yoursel/ /or others to
interact 5ith& A hi%h39uality a4atar %rants
6onuses to )ocial Aet5orkin% rolls in
+articular %rou+s> 6ut the a4atar that %ets you
cred 5ith clu63%oers 5on(t 6e the same as the
one that im+resses 6usiness contacts& At the
Director(s discretion, an a4atar may also %rant
a 6onus to .ti9uette rolls 5ith the %rou+ in
9uestion&
A "6ittle ?lack #ode-D Another 5ay to %ain a
6onus on )ocial Aet5orkin%, a Blittle 6lack
AodeC is just a term /or a collection o/ relia6le
contacts that is ke+t u+ to date& ;t may also
%rant 6onuses to .nticement rolls i/ you(re
lookin% /or com+anionshi+ 3 that de+ends on
5hat kinds o/ names you(4e stored&
Medical HitD 0hese are most commonly issued
to medics in military or security units to 6e
used in the /ield, %rantin% 6onuses to rolls
usin% the Medicine skill& ;n most cases, they
are stocked 5ith state3o/3the3art e9ui+ment /or
dealin% 5ith /ield injuries and trauma, rather
than 5ith /lu +ills or carcinoma treatments&
Most doctors ha4e somethin% similar close to
hand, e4en i/ they are not e,+ectin% to use it in
com6at&
0esearch 2atabaseD *ith so much
in/ormation a4aila6le and a 6lurrin% o/
o+inion /rom /act, relia6le in/ormation is
+recious, and a %ood research data6ase /rom a
trusted source can 6e crucial /or academics o/
all kinds& 0he to+ic that the data6ase co4ers
should 6e limited > 6iolo%y or literature or
reli%ion, or e,am+le& A data6ase is usually
+aired 5ith the Culture or )cience )kill and
includes the latest /indin%s in a %i4en /ield&
Subtle Sensor ArrayD ;t(s +ossi6le to im+lant
4arious kinds o/ detection de4ices in the skin
or the clothes, %i4in% added security to
indi4iduals 5ho ha4e reason to 6e 5orried&
*hat the sensors detect should 6e de/ined, so
that 5hen a character is tryin% to detect that
+articular threat 7or +erson, item, su6stance
and so on8 the sensors %rant a 6onus to
Detection )kill rolls&
Sur!i!al HitD 0hese use/ul little +acka%es are
desi%ned /or the times 5hen you /ind yoursel/
cut o// /rom the 6ene/its o/ society& ;t could 6e
+urchased /rom a hi%h3end cam+in% su++ly
store, or a collection o/ sca4en%ed tools used
6y an ur6an sur4i4alist on the /rin%es o/
society out in the *astes or Barrens& 0he kit
should 6e limited 6y the climate or
circumstances it is desi%ned /or so that it
doesn(t sim+ly add dice to e4ery )ur4i4al )kill
roll&
6@
Synthetic 7heromonesD De+endin% on the
s+eci/ic +heromones used, this 5orks /or
either ;ntimidation or .nticement rolls& 0he
6i%%est limitation is that you need to 6e in
close +hysical +ro,imity /or this to 5ork&
)ynthetic +heromones also don(t last /ore4er
a/ter a++lication, so you need to 6e a6le to
+lan ahead in order to use them 7and they are
de/initely /ro5ned u+on in situations like a
6usiness meetin%8&
#eapons
*ea+ons ha4e a 6it more o+tional detail to
them than other +ieces o/ e9ui+ment do& Fou
can kee+ it sim+le 6y just addin% dice like any
other +iece o/ e9ui+ment, /rom O2 to O6 or
more, or you could use 0raits /or other thin%s
such as recoil su++ression 7ne%ate ran%e limits
/or automatic /ire8, stealth mods 7silencer and
/lash su++ression8, lon%3ran%e mods 7laser
si%hts and sco+e8, and ca+acity mods
7e,tended cli+ or 6attery lie8& 0ules for armor
firearms and e4plosi!es are co!ered in more
detail in chapter I.
.,am+le !irearm Mods
Each indi!idual mod costs one Trait
?urstD this modi/ication ena6les a 5ea+on to
use the 6urst or /ull3automatic o+tions
descri6ed in the ran%ed com6at rules > 5ithout
it, the 5ea+on only /ires the e9ui4alent o/ one
shot at a time&
CapacityD tri+les the ca+acity o/ a 5ea+on,
increasin% the num6er o/ times you can 6urst,
/ull3auto, and so on, 6e/ore reloadin%&
6ong rangeD reduces +enalties /or ran%e 6y 2,
so medium ran%e is 3-, lon% ran%e is 32 and
e,treme ran%e is 34&
0ecoil suppression1 reduces the +enalty /or
6urstin% or /irin% /ull3auto 6y 2, makin%
automatic 5ea+ons much more accurate&
StunD rather than in/lictin% a 5ound, successes
rolled to hit a tar%et must 6e sur+assed 6y a
0olerance roll or the tar%et is inca+acitated
tem+orarily&
StealthD includes silencin% and /lash3
su++ression, or a /irin% mechanism that is
innately hard to detect&
AacuumD ena6les the 5ea+on to 6e /ired in a
4acuum&
*ildcardD i/ you 5ant to %i4e your 5ea+on a
mod /or an e//ect that isn(t co4ered here,
descri6e it to the Director, 5ho 5ill set a 0rait
cost&
.,am+le *ea+on Builds
;eedlers U2 0raitsV use electroma%netic +ulses
to /ire metal /lechettes& 0here is usually a
small /lash, as 5ell as a crackin% sound as
each /lechette 6reaks the sound 6arrier&
'64iously, this isn(t an issue in a 4acuum,
5hich is 5here the needler is desi%ned to
/unction& 7Burst, Kacuum8
7asers U4 0raitsV automatically ha4e the lon%
ran%e, recoil su++ression, stealth and 4acuum
mods, so they cost 4 e,tra 0raits& 0his means
that lasers are de4astatin%, 6ut e,+ensi4e,
5ea+ons > and e4en 5ith the 4 0raits s+ent,
the laser cannot 6e used /or a 6urst or
sustained 6urn 5ithout the 6urst modi/ication
added, costin% a 5
th
0rait&
Sniper =ifles U3 0raitsV are desi%ned to kill
/rom a lon% distance and to make trackin%
5here the shot came /rom di//icult 5ith
silencin% and /lash3su++ression technolo%y& A
sni+er needs to deal hi%h dama%e, since it is
desi%ned /or one shot at a time& 7Ion% ran%e,
)tealth, O2 dice8
.,am+le "renades
Each grenade you carry with you costs 9
Trait. The grenade is replaced when you get a
chance to re(arm yourself
Adhesi!e grenadeD rather than dealin% dama%e,
this kind o/ %renade e,+lodes, s+rayin% /ast3
hardenin% adhesi4e o4er e4erythin% in a 3
meter 6last radius& 0he successes rolled on the
attack roll need to 6e sur+assed 6y an o++osed
Athletics roll, or else those cau%ht in the
adhesi4e are held in +lace& ;/ you s+end a 0rait
on adhesi4e %renades, it is assumed you also
ha4e easy3to3carry countermeasures 5hich
dissol4es the adhesi4e 9uickly once it is
de+loyed& 7;/ it matters, once the adhesi4e is
de+loyed, it %i4es 2 dice o/ co4er to anyone
cau%ht inside&8
6G
.ragmentation grenadeD adds 4 dice to your
Athletics roll to use the %renade in com6at,
hel+in% to 6alance out the 32 +enalty to thro5
the %renade and make it land e,actly 5here
you 5ant 7this is a net O2 modi/ier8& As usual,
the attack roll is also the dama%e roll > it can
all 6e one roll, or i/ there is 4aryin% co4er
6et5een those cau%ht in the 6last, you 5ill roll
an attack se+arately /or each tar%et&
7ercussion grenadeD e,+lodes u+on im+act
5ith the tar%et 5hich eliminates the 32 +enalty
> re9uires t5o 0raits&
Stun grenadeD a stun %renade adds no dice to
the Athletics )kill roll to thro5 it e//ecti4ely,
6ut 5hen the %renade %oes o//, e4eryone in the
6last radius o/ 5 meters needs to roll 0olerance
> i/ they do not e,ceed the successes on the
Athletics roll, they are stunned /or one round
5hile they reco4er /rom the /lash o/ li%ht, the
loud 6an%, and the smoke that /ollo5s&
Smoke grenadeD these 5ea+ons add 3 dice to
)tealth rolls made 5ithin the area o/ smoke
+roduced, 6ut the 6onus counts /or e4eryone
in the area& 0he 6onus 6ecomes a +enalty o/ 33
/or anyone 5ho is in the area o/ smoke tryin%
to Detect 6eyond it& 0he ty+e o/ smoke is u+ to
the +layer and can 6lock normal 4ision,
in/rared, etc& 0he %renade ty+e must 6e chosen
B.!'H. the story session 6e%ins&
Sting grenadeD this is a non3lethal de4ice
similar to a /ra%mentation %renade 5hich
6atters the tar%et 5ith hard ru66er s+heres&
Dama%e is rolled normally /or a /ra%mentation
%renade, 6ut only hal/ o/ the dama%e rolled is
dealt 7and it is 6ashin%, not lethal8& 0olerance
rolls, ho5e4er, are re9uired to resist the +ain
as i/ all o/ the dama%e 5as dealt normally&
.or e4ample B successes would translate into
; bashing damage Kround downL but the
Tolerance roll to resist the pain would still
ha!e to e4ceed B successes.
-ror
Armor +ro4ides +rotection 6y a6sor6in%
incomin% dama%e durin% com6at& Armor is
ille%al unless you are +art o/ a security /orce,
such as a national military, or a cor+oration(s
+ri4ate +olice 3 unless it is 1a6lati4e( 7a6lati4e
armor 5as de4elo+ed /or cele6rities concerned
a6out security8& ;m+ro4ised armor is common
amon% 'utsiders in slums 5here most
4iolence is %an%3related, +ut to%ether /rom
sca4en%ed materials& Armor in #arsec is
sim+le > it +ro4ides a situational +enalty to
attacks made a%ainst someone 5earin% it& 0he
more 0raits you s+end on the armor in
9uestion, the %reater the +enalty and the 6etter
it +rotects you&
Armor is distin%uished 6y the cate%ory o/
dama%e it +rotects a%ainst& 0he cate%ories o/
dama%e are electromagnetic impact and
radiation& 6lectromagnetic armor o//ers
+rotection /rom thin%s like tasers, .M#s or
similar 5ea+ons desi%ned to inca+acitate or to
destroy electronics& ;/ you s+end the 0rait /or
this kind o/ armor, it is assumed that your
other +ossessions are shielded as 5ell,
+rotectin% them /rom electroma%netic +ulses,
+o5er sur%es and the like& mpact armor
+rotects /rom 5ea+ons that deal dama%e 4ia
+hysical im+act > kni4es, 6ullets, 6lud%eons
and so on& !inally, radiation armor co4ers
lasers and other e//ects such as am6ient
radiation in s+ace or nuclear /allout&
.ach 0rait s+ent on a +iece o/ armor im+oses a
32 situational +enalty on incomin% attacks i/
the ty+es match& Any armor is 6etter than
none, so e4en i/ ty+es do not match, armor o/
any kind still +ro4ides a 31 situational +enalty
a++lied to all incomin% attacks& .or e4ample
3 Traits worth of impact armor would impose
a (O dice penalty on an attacker using a
firearm or a knife and a (9 penalty on other
kinds of attacks.
!omposite armor is common in situations
5here mulit+le kinds o/ injury are likely, and
most anti3riot troo+s and hi%h3class
6ody%uards are out/itted this 5ay& Multi+le
0raits are s+ent on 4arious kinds o/ +rotection
in a sin%le suit o/ armor& Com+osite armor is
al5ays 6ulkier than a more e//icient suit, so
Mo6ility 7and there/ore all o/ your Mo6ility3
6ased )kills8 is reduced 6y 1 5hen you are
5earin% a com+osite suit& .or e4ample you
could spend 9 Trait each on electromagnetic
impact and radiation protection on your
armor imposing a (; penalty to all attacks
6J
but the bulk would reduce your Mobility by 9
when wearing it.
'blati?e armor is made u+ o/ reacti4e
chemical com+ounds 5hich sim+ly 6urn
a5ay, a6sor6in% the ener%y o/ an attack& 0his
means that a6lati4e armor +rotects a%ainst any
kind o/ injury, 6ut it is +artially destroyed
5hen it does so, so it is only use/ul /or a
cou+le o/ con/licts 6e/ore it must 6e re+laced&
.ach time someone 5earin% A6lati4e armor is
attacked and hit > meanin% any time dama%e is
dealt, one die o/ +rotection is lost& )o t5o
0raits( 5orth o/ a6lati4e armor, im+osin% a 34
situational +enalty to incomin% attacks, 5ill
only im+ose a 33 a/ter one success/ul attack,
then a 32, and so on, until it reaches - and is
considered destroyed and useless > it is a
tradeo// /or a6lati4e armor 5orkin% a%ainst
any kind o/ attack&
0o re+lace the armor or any other kind o/
e9ui+ment you don(t ha4e to s+end more
0raits > again once Traits are spent on
e5uipment you don't need to do so again
though the e5uipment can be temporarily
taken away from you o!er the course of a
gaming session& As soon as you take the
o++ortunity, in3%ame, to re+lace the item it is
assumed that you can do so&
)ide6arD Fou may ha4e noticed the lack o/
+rices ne,t to all o/ this e9ui+ment& 0hatNs
intentional& #arsec isnNt a6out credit3countin%
and 6alancin% your /uturistic check6ook 3 it(s
tedious enou%h to do that in real li/e& Fou 6uy
e9ui+ment 5ith 0raits and thatNs it, unless the
Director 7throu%h an A#C or ha++enstance8
tem+orarily %i4es you somethin% you can use
in the %ame as +art o/ the story& ;/ you, as a
Director or +layer, 5ant to %o throu%h and add
+rices and then 6uy the e9ui+ment youNre
5elcome to do it&
Relations$ips
A character has many relationshi+s, 6ut only a
/e5 o/ them need to 6e mentioned durin% a
character(s creation& 0hese +articular
relationshi+s are 0raits 5hich +ro4ide 6onus
dice 5hen you call on the indi4idual or %rou+
you ha4e a relationshi+ 5ith /or hel+& 0his
interaction should al5ays 6e role+layed, and
justi/ied 6y the +layer 6ased on the situation
the character is in&
;n character creation, you 6e%in 5ith a
character(s 6ack3story, and 5e 6reak that into
/i4e cate%oriesD ?irth, Education, 7rofession,
7assion and Scars& !or each o/ these
cate%ories, a #C starts 5ith, or can s+end
0raits to create, relationshi+s& Helationshi+s
6rou%ht out in this 5ay need to 6e ones that
5ill ha4e 6earin% on the %ame& ;n 5ritin%
do5n 5hat your character(s si%ni/icant
relationshi+s are, you as a +layer are tellin%
the other +layers and the Director +art o/ 5hat
you 5ant the %ame to 6e a6out& All o/ your
relationshi+s should 6e current ones, and they
should ideally 6e loaded 5ith dramatic
+otential& 0hese relationshi+s 5ill 6e hel+/ul
in some 5ay durin% the course o/ a %ame >
their mechanical /unction is to %i4e you more
dice to roll in situations 5here the relationshi+
is hel+/ul&
Durin% character creation, you are %i4en 4 or 5
o/ relationshi+ +icks& .ach o/ these can either
re+resent a ne5 minor relationship 5hich
needs to 6e sketched out 5ith all o/ the
+ertinent details, or it can 6e used to intensi/y
an e,istin% relationshi+, makin% it a ma+or
relationshi+& Aside /rom in/luencin% the story,
5hich is the main /unction o/ relationshi+s,
minor relationshi+s %rant a O1 die 6onus to
rolls 5hich directly in4ol4e the relationshi+ in
some 5ay 5here it 5ould 6e an ad4anta%e&
Major relationshi+s %rant a O3 dice 6onus&
70he Director al5ays has the last 5ord as to
ho5 or 5hen or 5hether a relationshi+ can 6e
called u+on8
Helationshi+s are also a 5ay /or +layers to
inject non3+layer3characters into the %ame& ;/ a
+layer 5ants to ha4e a +articular A#C in the
%ame, the 6est 5ay to accom+lish this is to +ut
that A#C in as a relationshi+ > that 5ay, the
Director has to /ind a 5ay to in4ol4e them at
least some o/ the time& .or e4ample if you
want your spy to ha!e a running relationship
with your organi&ation's gadget(designer Ki.e.
?ond and DL assign at least one Trait to that
relationship.
@-
Helationshi+s re9uire maintenance, ho5e4er,
and it is +ossi6le /or them to 6e lost i/ they are
threatened and not +rotected or i/ the #C
ne%lects them& Major relationshi+s re9uire
much more u+kee+ than minor ones in
e,chan%e /or the lar%er dice 6onus& As 5ith
any 0rait, you ne4er lose relationshi+s
+ermanently, 6ut you 5ill ha4e to s+end some
time in %ame /indin% a ne5 +erson 5ith 5hom
to de4elo+ a meanin%/ul relationshi+&
Enusual sample relationshipsD 5ith intelli%ent
so/t5are: 5ith an enemy or ri4al: 5ith a ri4al
or%ani2ation: 5ith /amily mem6ers on the
other side o/ a major con/lict: 5ith a ser4ice
android: 5ith a local cult: 5ith a Barrens tri6e
i/ you li4e in the Core: 5ith a cor+orate 6oard
mem6er i/ you li4e in the Barrens, etc&
)ide6arD BEsin% Helationshi+sC As you can
see /rom the 6onuses relationshi+s +ro4ide,
they are intended to 6e a6out as use/ul as )kill
s+eciali2ations, 5ith the added 6ene/it o/
ena6lin% a +layer to insert an interestin% A#C
into the %ame& ;t should 6e said that multi+le
#Cs can ha4e relationshi+s 5ith the same A#C
> in /act, its encoura%ed as a 5ay to add to
%rou+ cohesion& .ach #C has to 6uy the
relationshi+ se+arately, ho5e4er& '64iously,
in most cases anyone can interact 5ith a %i4en
A#C 5hether they ha4e a relationshi+ or not >
they just don(t %et e,tra dice 5ithout the 0rait&
/#' Scars
)cars take many /orms& 0he most common are
+sycholo%ical +ro6lems su//ered 6ecause o/
+ast e,+eriences and trauma& 0he se4erity may
ran%e /rom mild to se4ere de+endin% on ho5
)carred your character is& A %ri22led military
cam+ai%ner or kid /rom the harshest slums
5ill 6e tou%h as nails 6ut also come 5ith a
load o/ 6a%%a%e& 'n the other hand, a middle
e,ecuti4e at a multinational cor+oration 5ill
a++ear cool and collected much o/ the time,
6ut 5hen somethin% really terri6le ha++ens,
she(ll +ro6a6ly +anic&
)ome )cars may 6e +hysical 3 6ullet35ounds
and 6urn marks, 1scars( in the normal sense,
may6e e4en lim6s that ha4e had to 6e
re+laced& 0hese physical Scars are also
o++ortunities to add color and de+th to your
character& 7sychological Scars, 6y
com+arison, 5ill 6e more a6out ho5 you
role+lay your character& 0hey 5ill hit harder
sometimes > in some 4ery s+eci/ic situations,
the +enalty can 6e se4ere, 6ut all /or the sake
o/ /urtherin% the current +lot&
.ach e,am+le )car(s descri+tion also has a
descri+tion o/ ho5 to a4oid its e//ect& .ach
)car should ha4e those t5o elements 3 a
+enalty, and a 5ay to a4oid the +enalty& !eel
/ree to take these e,am+les and 6uild your
o5n )cars&
)ide6ar > B0his ;sn(t #sycholo%y ClassCD 0he
descri+tions o/ +sycholo%ical )cars are not
clinically accurate& 0hey are meant /or /un and
to 6e interestin% in a role+layin% %ame& Heal
+sycholo%ical +ro6lems are ne4er /un&
;t is also +ossi6le /or 0raits and )cars to
o4erla+& !or e,am+leD a soldier 5ho loses an
arm recei4es an arti/icial lim6 at a military
hos+ital& 0his lim6 re+laces the 6asic
/unctionality o/ the old arm 6ut im+oses a 31
die +enalty in certain situations > say /or /ine
mani+ulation, 5here a +recise sense o/ touch
is im+ortant& At the same time, the soldier
could later on +urchase a 0rait 5hich increases
his "ra++lin% rolls 5hen attem+tin% a +in
maneu4er& 0he ne5 0rait is linked to the
arti/icial arm > it 5as stren%thened and
u+%raded to %i4e the ad4anta%e&
*ith each )car you %i4e your character, you
may choose a ne5 )car or choose to make a
+re4ious )car more se4ere& )cars are the
mirror3ima%e o/ 0raits > they im+ose +enalties
on )kill rolls o/ 31, 32 or 33 at the most&
!ollo5in% are e,am+le )cars and su%%ested
e//ects& As al5ays, details should 6e 5orked
out 6et5een the +layers and the Director, 6ut
the Director has the /inal say as to 5hen
+enalties a++ly to a +articular dice3roll&
Also as mentioned abo!e Scars are the only
way to ad!ance Courage 2iscipline and
Tolerance.
P$ysical Scars
0eplaced limbD im+oses a +enalty to any
action that relies on /ine motor control or an
@1
acute sense o/ touch like disarmin% a security
system or +ickin% a +ocket&
0eplaced eyeD im+oses a +enalty in a situation
5here there is a need to /ocus on many o6jects
in 9uick succession, such as a /ire/i%ht 5ith
multi+le tar%ets, or editin% a holorecordin%&
Artificial organD the +enalty a++lies 5hen side
e//ects occur 5ith the or%an > shortness o/
6reath, shootin% +ains, trou6le +rocessin%
alcohol, indi%estion and so on& '64iously, the
ne%ati4e e//ects de+end on the or%an in
9uestion&
#agging limpD im+oses a +enalty in situations
5here 9uick mo4ement is re9uired, such as
e4asion in com6at or /leein% /rom the
authorities&
6i!id scar or skin graftD the +enalty a++lies in
social situations 5here the scar makes the
character stand out as 4iolent or dan%erous, or
+ossi6ly just too +oor to a//ord 9uality medical
care&
7hantom painD can e4en 6e /elt 5ith a
re+laced lim6& 0he +enalty a++lies in
situations similar to the one 5here the 5ound
5as /irst recei4ed&
Psyc$ological Scars
.ach is listed in order o/ increasin% se4erity,
corres+ondin% to 31, 32 and 33 dice +enalties&
0hese +enalties can only 6e circum4ented 6y
a4oidin% the situation that tends to tri%%er
them& ;t is also al5ays an o+tion to sim+ly
endure the +enalty and soldier on& 7enalties
from Scars should always be more broadly
applied than bonuses from Traits, so it should
6e di//icult to a4oid the +enalty all the time&
0hat(s the +oint o/ a )car& As al5ays, thou%h,
they should 6e a%reed u+on and used to mo4e
the story /or5ard 5here +ossi6le& )cars o//er
chances /or +layers to ha4e /un %ettin% their
characters in trou6le&
Hemem6er that e//ects o/ each )car should 6e
+ro+ortional to the )car(s se4erity& A
hallucination /rom a 31 )car 7$aunted8
$nsomniaJ#ightmaresJ#ight TerrorsD dice are
su6tracted 5hen slee+ has 6een interru+ted
and /ati%ue detracts /rom a %i4en acti4ity,
+articularly ones that re9uire concentration&
0he e//ect is dou6led in e,tremely 6orin% or
monotonous situations 5hen it(s hard to resist
noddin% o//& 0he +enalty can 6e a4oided 6y
%oin% to slee+ at ina++ro+riate times > your
character acts as i/ she has narcole+sy, and /or
each time your character /alls aslee+
ina++ro+riately, you can tell the Director you
are i%norin% a +enalty /rom this )car in one
6orin% situation&
A!ersionJMild 7hobiaJSe!ere 7hobiaD dice are
su6tracted in the +resence o/ the /eared o6ject
or situation& 0he e//ect is dou6led 5hen
tra++ed in a /eared situation or 5ith a /eared
o6ject& 0he only 5ay to a4oid this +enalty is to
a4oid the situation entirely > this is a +ho6ia
a/ter all&
Short TemperJ0ageJ?linding .uryD dice are
su6tracted in situations 5here the character is
a%itated 6ut needs to remain calm& 0he e//ect
is dou6led 5hen the character is acti4ely
taunted or struck 6ut can(t lash out& 0he only
5ay to a4oid the +enalty is to lash out
4iolently 3 or 4er6ally i/ 4iolence isn(t an
o+tion: 6ut you must try hard to hurt the
+erson 5ho is 6otherin% you in some 5ay&
%auntedJ%allucinationsJSchi&ophreniaD dice
are su6tracted in situations 5here the character
needs to accurately +ercei4e 5hat is %oin% on
6ut is under stress& 0he e//ect is dou6led in
con/usin%, o4er3stimulatin% situations 5here
the character is an%ry or a/raid& Con4ersely,
one can sim+ly treat the hallucinations as real,
5hich a4oids the dice3+enalty 6ut 5ill mean
your character tem+orarily acts like a lunatic&
.ither the Director or the +layer can come u+
5ith the s+eci/ics o/ the hallucinations, and
they should 6e consistent or thematic in some
5ay&
A%ain, )cars are 6roader than 0raits& 0he t5o
aren(t intended to 6e 6alanced > a )car is more
dama%in% than a 0rait is 6ene/icial& 0his is
intentional& 0raits are little details to /lesh out
a character, 5hereas )cars hurt& 0hey mark
you /ore4er, and the +ain is lingering& )cars
+ro4e that your character has a +ast and that
the +ast matters&
@2
;t should %o 5ithout sayin% that )cars are the
kinds o/ thin%s a %ood Director 5ill 5ork into
the %ame& $eroes 6ecome heroes 6y /acin%
their 5eakness, not 6y al5ays +layin% to their
stren%ths& ;n the case o/ 4illains, 5eaknesses
are to 6e /ound and e,+loited& )cars should not
+re4ent you /rom doin% somethin% entirely:
they just make it +ro%ressi4ely harder&
.4ery )car 5ill ha4e re+ercussions in the
%ame& ;t is impossible to %et rid o/ a )car& ;t is
+art o/ you& At the 4ery most, 5ith the
Director(s a%reement, you mi%ht 6e a6le to
trade one )car /or another&
/#5 Status
)tatus is a 5ay o/ seein%, at a %lance, 5here
any character /its in society& ;t re+resents a
/e5 di//erent thin%s, includin% real 5ealth,
credit, social standin% and re+utation, and the
kinds o/ +arties you %et in4ited to& )tatus also
%o4erns access& !or e,am+le, 5e mentioned
in Cha+ter 2 that you need a minimum o/
)tatus 6 to %et 5ithin 1-- meters o/ most
arcolo%ies 5ithout 6ein% noticed, and 5ill
only 6e a6le to enter 5ith a lo5er )tatus i/ you
are a mem6er o/ the sta//&
Ao dou6t you noticed that nothin% has a +rice
in #arsec > )tatus re+resents 5hat your
character can a//ord, 6ut thin%s like e9ui+ment
are handled in character creation and character
ad4ancement& )tatus is a %uide /or role+layin%
and /or descri6in% 5hat your character does
and ho5 she does it& )kills and 0raits co4er
5hat she can actually do&
Stat*s at a Glance
Status )-"D Fou li4e in the *astes /ar /rom
ci4ili2ation, or +ossi6ly in the !rin%e, and 4ery
5ell may not ha4e electricity or runnin% 5ater&
.4erythin% you ha4e is stolen, im+ro4ised, or
+rimiti4e& Anythin% really /unctional you
mi%ht ha4e 5ill 6e issued 6y your em+loyer&
O<X of the population&
Status #-$D Fou +ro6a6ly ha4e s+oradic
electricity and runnin% 5ater& Fou li4e in the
Barrens or the !rin%e& .4erythin% you ha4e is
second3hand, sca4en%ed and co66led to%ether
/rom +arts& Fou +ro6a6ly 5ork in the !rin%e&
;/ you li4e o//5orld, you ha4e a 6ottom3run%
jo6 o/ some kind& 3<X of the population&
Status %-&D Fou li4e in the !rin%e or +ossi6ly
in a tiny Core a+artment& Fou mi%ht also li4e
o//5orld& Fou ha4e a lot o/ o+tions /or
em+loyment and can 6uy some o/ 5hat you
o5n ne5& CX of the population&
Status ,-+D Fou are %enuinely 5ealthy, and
li4e com/orta6ly on .arth or in s+ace, in the
Core or an arcolo%y& Fou %et in4ited to
+arties 5ith +oliticians and cele6rities > or you
are one& .4erythin% you ha4e is ne5 and
hi%h39uality& ;X of the population&
Status 1-)*D Fou ha4e sta%%erin% 5ealth and
can theoretically a//ord anythin% you mi%ht
5ant& Y9X of the population&
Stat*s an) 1?*ipent
;n theory, i/ you s+ent 0raits to ha4e a
+articular +iece o/ e9ui+ment, then you ha4e
it& ;/ you ha4e a +articular )kill, then you
ha4e the 6asic tools re9uired to use that )kill
automatically& .9ui+ment is just there to %i4e
situational 6onuses to )kill rolls&
)tatus 5ill tell you 5hat your e9ui+ment looks
like, thou%h, and ho5 you use it& A thie/ 5ith
)tatus 2 6reakin% into an o//ice 6uildin% 5ill
look a lot di//erent /rom a +erson 5ith )tatus @
doin% the same& 0hey may e4en use di//erent
)kills to %et the jo6 done&
0his e,tends to any time a +layer or Director
is descri6in% 5here her +layer li4es > 5hat
kind o/ security measures she mi%ht ha4e,
5hat her nei%h6orhood is like& $eadin% home
/rom 5ork 5ith a )tatus 1 can 6e a li/e3and3
death ad4enture at times& 0he same scene
5ith a )tatus G character 5ill 6e a chance to
sho5 o// the %randeur o/ a city, station or
colony&
Stat*s an) -ccess
)tatus hel+s to determine ho5 easy it is /or
your character to %et access to s+eci/ic +eo+le
and +laces > and it is a t5o3ed%ed s5ord in
that re%ard& ;/ a character 5ith )tatus @ needs
to s+eak 5ith the administrator o/ a s+ace
station, she +ro6a6ly just needs to make an
a++ointment, and may6e a )kill roll to hel+
@3
smooth thin%s alon%& !or a character 5ith
)tatus 3 to do the same, she 5ill ha4e to 6e
4ery cle4er, make a num6er o/ )kill rolls, and
may actually create trou6le /or hersel/ in the
+rocess&
;n a +lace like the Barrens, the re4erse is true&
A )tatus 2 character does not dra5 any notice
in the Barrens, 6ut a )tatus 6 +erson 5ill stand
out as i/ they ha4e a tar%et +ainted on them&
0he 6est 5ay to make this interestin% in a
%rou+ 5ith a 4ariety o/ )tatus le4els is to
create reasons /or each character to /ind
themsel4es out o/ their element no5 and then&
;t(s easy to ha4e the jo6 you %et /rom the
cor+orate home o//ice to send you out into the
*astes to track do5n a /u%iti4e& 0his 5ay,
di//erent characters ha4e their o5n chance to
shine&
Make no mistake, thou%h > li/e is harder in
e4ery 5ay 5ith a lo5 )tatus& A character 5ith
lo5 )tatus should not 6e allo5ed to /or%et
that& $i%h )tatus, on 6alance, is an ad4anta%e
in #arsec > other5ise, you 5ouldn(t ha4e to
s+end 0raits /or it&
Stat*s an) Relations$ips
Helationshi+s +ro4ide 5ays to modi/y 5hat
your character has access to des+ite ho5 her
)tatus mi%ht limit her& !or e,am+le, a
character 5ith a )tatus o/ 2 and a major
relationshi+ 5ith a military or%ani2ation mi%ht
ha4e si%ni/icant rank in that or%ani2ation and
sim+ly li4e in 6asic housin% on36ase&
)imilarly, a character 5ith a hi%h status 5ho
has a relationshi+ 5ith an under5orld contact
mi%ht 6e a6le to more easily %et access to
seedier ty+es li4in% in the !rin%e and Barrens&
$o5 )tatus and relationshi+s interact is
ultimately u+ to the Director& As a %eneral
rule, only major relationshi+s should ha4e a
si%ni/icant e//ect on a character(s access or
5hat resources are a4aila6le to her&
/#1 ShipBuildin"
Getting <n a S$ip
At the start o/ +lay, +layer3characters 5ill not
ha4e the resources to o5n their o5n shi+&
0hey need to B6uyC the ri%ht to 6e on a
+articular shi+& 0his ri%ht, access to the shi+, is
+urchased 5ith 0raits& !or all o/ these costs, it
is assumed that the shi+ in 9uestion is a li%ht
shi+ 5ith a cre5 o/ 6 or so at the most& !or
lar%er and more im+ortant shi+s, more 0raits
should 6e +ut to5ard ha4in% authority o4er
them&
/$e %ost of S$ip8oar) 0ife
;/ you 5ant your character to ha4e an o//icial
+osition on a shi+, you need to +ay /or that
+osition in 0raits& ;/ you are just tra4elin% 6y
shi+ /rom one +lace to another, the only thin%
you need to take into account is 5hether you
ha4e the )tatus to a//ord the tri+& *ithout
callin% u+on a Helationshi+ or s+ecial
circumstances, s+ace tra4el 5ill re9uire a
)tatus o/ 6 or more&
9 TraitD a 6erth and may6e a minor jo6 on a
military shi+: maintenance sta// and a 5all3
hammock in steera%e
; TraitsD a 6erth and an im+ortant jo6 on a
military shi+: a technician or %unner 5ho
mi%ht ha4e her o5n small room
3 TraitsD a 6erth, an im+ortant jo6 and some
authority: chie/ o/ security or chie/ technical
o//icer
I TraitsD a 6erth, an im+ortant jo6 and
authority o4er e4eryone else on the shi+: the
ca+tain or chie/ o//icer on a shi+
AoteD 5ith the Director(s a%reement, one or
more o/ the 0raits you use to ha4e a +lace on a
s+aceshi+ can come /rom your relationshi+
0raits
!or non(combat 4essels 7shi+s that are una6le
to +artici+ate in a com6at 6ut are only used 6y
the #Cs to tra4el /rom +lace to +lace8, 1 0rait
is enou%h /or an im+ortant jo6 and 2 0raits are
enou%h to 6e the ca+tain or ha4e an e9ui4alent
rank&
Anyone at )tatus 6 or hi%her can %et on a shi+
to tra4el just 6y +ayin% their 5ay, 6ut they
5on(t ha4e any authority on the shi+& *ith an
a++ro+riate relationshi+ 0rait, or 6y 5innin% a
social con/lict, someone 5ith lo5er )tatus can
also /ind a +lace on a shi+ /or the +ur+ose o/
@4
tra4el 3 it 5ill de+end on the situation at the
time&
;/ a shi+ has t5o cre53mem6ers 5ho are at the
same le4el o/ authority, then they ha4e to /ind
a 5ay to 5ork it out 6et5een them& ;t mi%ht 6e
time /or a social con/lict, or they may just
ne%otiate it out > ha4in% authority only in your
area o/ e,+ertise, /or e,am+le&
Aote that these rules and notes are intended
/or shi+s that mi%ht 6e in4ol4ed in com6at& ;/
a shi+ is sim+ly an incidental 5ay o/ %ettin%
/rom +oint A to +oint B, you really don(t ha4e
to s+end much time sketchin% out details&
)hi+s that aren(t su++osed to 6e in4ol4ed in
direct con/licts are si%ni/icantly chea+er to
manu/acture and +urchase > the +ro6lem 6ein%
that i/ you are attacked 6y +irates, you are
hel+less, and it is near3im+ossi6le to e4ade
+olice and cor+orate military 4essels& )hi+s
that tra4el alon% 5ell3used +aths throu%h the
inner solar system usually don(t need to 6e
hea4ily de/ended 6ecause they are already
+ayin% ta,es and 6ri6es to 4arious %rou+s
5hich +ro4ide security /or them&
S$ip -ttri8*tes
As mentioned 6e/ore, s+aceshi+s ha4e the
same Attri6utes that li4in% characters do, 6ut
no )kills 7that(s the +ur4ie5 o/ the shi+(s
cre5=8& )+aceshi+s can 6e modi/ied 5hen all
#Cs in the +layin% %rou+ s+end a 0rait o/ their
o5n to +urchase an upgrade or a retrofit&
;deally, a s+aceshi+ should 6e like another
character in a %ame, 5ith its o5n
1+ersonality(, uni9ue descri+tion, history and
so on&
)+aceshi+s are 6uilt, in %ame terms, much the
same 5ay that characters are created& ;t is 4ery
rare that the shi+ your character is li4in% in or
ser4in% on 5as 6uilt yesterday, and it is also
likely to ha4e 6een modi/ied since it came o//
the assem6ly line& 0he ri%ors o/ s+ace tra4el
alone re9uire constant u+kee+ and
maintenance, not to mention the occasional
radical emer%ency re+airs&
<ower
0his Attri6ute measures ho5 much ener%y a
shi+ has a4aila6le& ;t is the out+ut o/ the shi+s(
en%ine as 5ell as the amount o/ reser4e ener%y
a s+aceshi+ has& ;n s+aceshi+ com6at, #o5er is
a +ool o/ dice that can 6e allocated to di//erent
tasks, addin% a 6oost 5hen and 5here needed&
KThis is further discussed in I.B ( Spaceship
CombatL
4obility
)+aceshi+s rely on this Attri6ute to maneu4er,
5hich is a6solutely crucial in com6at& ;t
re+resents the ca+a6ilities o/ maneu4erin%
dri4es as 5ell as the structure(s desi%n and
ho5 5ell it is rein/orced to 5ithstand the
strain o/ ra+id chan%es in acceleration and
direction& 7)hi+s are uni4ersally +ro%rammed
not to +er/orm maneu4ers 5hich 5ill +ut their
cre5 in dan%er o/ losin% consciousness& 0his
+ro%rammin% can 6e hacked o/ courseL8
<recision
#recision re+resents the 9uality and s+eed o/
the tar%etin% so/t5are o/ the shi+s( 5ea+ons as
5ell as the s+eed o/ the central +rocessor& ;t is
the Attri6ute that a %unner relies on to dish out
dama%e, 6ut is also the statistic 5hich hel+s
science o//icers +rocess ne5 data&
!onnection
0his Attri6ute re+resents 5hat in/ormation is
a4aila6le on 6oard and ho5 connected the shi+
is to the solar system(s in/ormation and
com+uter net5orks& ;t also re+resents ho5
+o5er/ul the shi+(s communication array is >
ho5 /ar a transmission 5ill tra4el 5ith clarity
7and ho5 di//icult it is to jam8& Iastly,
Connection %o4erns the +o5er and sensiti4ity
o/ the shi+(s sensor array&
'ppeal
A++eal is not only ho5 shiny and ne5 the shi+
a++ears > it also re+resents the shi+(s ser4ice
record and re+utation& ;/ you 5ant res+ect, or
at least 5ork, then your shi+ needs a hi%h
A++eal& A criminal record /or a shi+, /or
e,am+le, 5on(t reduce your A++eal, it sim+ly
chan%es 5ho the shi+ a++eals to& A shi+(s
A++eal hel+s determine a shi+(s 4ersion o/
relationshi+sD clearances&
Clearances determine 5here your shi+ is
5elcome to dock > 6lack market shi+yards,
@5
cor+orate minin% colonies, *IA stations, etc&
Clearances are either basic or priority,
+arallelin% characters( minor and major
relationshi+s&
A basic clearance ena6les a shi+ to dock,
re/uel and trade as lon% as all documents are in
order and all /ees +re3+aid& A priority
clearance ena6les a shi+ to make re+airs at a
station or a colony and do 6usiness 5ithout
much scrutiny& A shi+ %ets one clearance +er
+oint o/ A++eal& )+endin% t5o clearances
%i4es a shi+ one +riority clearance& 0ryin% to
dock 5here you ha4e no clearance re9uires
5innin% a social con/lict 5ith 5hoe4er the
+ort authority is&
Ae5 clearances can 6e %ained throu%h
ad4ancement or may 6e a5arded 6y the
Director 6ased on the #C(s earnin% allies in3
%ame&
=esilience
0his is ho5 5ell the shi+ holds to%ether 5hen
under attack or /orced 6eyond sa/e o+eratin%
+arameters& )+ace is a hostile en4ironment
e4en 6e/ore runnin% into +irates and +ri4ateers
5aitin% /or the ne,t score& *hen Hesilience is
rolled to resist dama%e, it is modi/ied 6y the
shi+(s armor 7i/ there is any8& 0he scale is the
same as it is /or )kills > 6asic armor is a tar%et
num6er o/ 5, intermediate is a tar%et o/ 4,
ad4anced is a tar%et o/ 3 and master3le4el
armor is a tar%et o/ 2&
)hi+ armor comes in 3 ty+esD electromagnetic,
impact, and radiation& .ach ty+e is tracked
di//erently, so that a shi+ can ha4e ad4anced
armor a%ainst electroma%netic attacks 6ut only
6asic armor a%ainst im+act, /or e,am+le&
S$ip 2esigns
"rou+s should /eel /ree to B6uildC their shi+
ho5e4er they 5ish > 6y sketchin% 5ith +en
and +encil, or usin% a com+uter +ro%ram, or
ins+ired 6y ima%es /rom /ilms or tele4ision or
anime& Fou can e4en make a model /rom
I."'), modelin% clay: 5hate4er is a4aila6le
and handy&
As time %oes on, the +layers can sketch out
5hat the shi+(s interior looks like, 5here
+articular de4ices or 6attle stations are, and
ho5 the shi+ looks the outside as 5ell so that
hit locations are clear and the +layers and
Director kno5 5here the 5ea+ons 7i/ any8 are
mounted& !uture su++lements 5ill ha4e more
in/ormation on 6uildin% s+eci/ic shi+s in more
detail&
B*il)
A shi+(s Build is ho5 it comes o// the
assem6ly3line in one o/ the or6ital shi+yards
surroundin% .arth, on Mars or out in the
Asteroid Belt& 0he Build %i4es a shi+ a 6asic
6ody si&e and class 6ased on 5hat its intended
+ur+ose is& )i2e measures the cre5 9uarters
and ho5 many +eo+le can 6e sustained 6y a
shi+(s li/e su++ort systems and is not a
measure o/ its car%o s+ace > more or less
car%o s+ace has no e//ect as /ar as the %ame
system is concerned& Class descri6es the area
o/ the solar system that the shi+ 5as desi%ned
to /unction in& )hi+s 6uilt to maneu4er near
u+iter ha4e +o5er/ul shieldin% a%ainst
electroma%netism 6ecause o/ the o4ian
ma%netic /ield& )hi+s 6uilt to /unction in the
Asteroid Belt or amon% the rin%s o/ )aturn
ha4e hea4y armor to +re4ent dama%e /rom
+article and asteroid im+acts& )hi+s 6uilt to
maneu4er near the )un, or near out+osts on
Mercury, 5ill ha4e hea4y radiation shieldin%&
Com6at 4essels end u+ /indin% that they need
some de%ree o/ all three&
Si=e
Body si2es /or s+aceshi+s are 6roken into
three %eneral cate%oriesD personal, light and
hea!y& Choose a si&e for the ship you ha!e in
mind based on your ship design and that will
determine the ship's starting Attributes.
A <ersonal3si2ed shi+ is just lar%e enou%h /or
one t5o +eo+le& !orm3/ittin% seats are 5here
you eat, slee+, and mani+ulate the controls o/
the shi+& Ii/e su++ort is only a4aila6le /or
relati4ely short tri+s > 6et5een the moons o/
u+iter or 6et5een mines in the Asteroid 6elt,
/or e,am+le, unless you make your o5n
modi/ications& #ersonal3si2ed cra/t are also
used as attack 4essels 7like 2-
th
century
/i%hter +lanes8, launched or detached /rom
@6
lar%er shi+s 6ecause o/ their %reater
maneu4era6ility and smaller sensor +ro/ile&
7ersonal ships begin with 7ower 3 Mobility
B 7recision I Connection I Appeal 3 and
0esilience 3.
7ight shi+s re9uire a cre5 o/ si, to ei%hteen
on a4era%e, thou%h t5o or three can o+erate
the shi+ i/ they ha4e the ri%ht skills 7they 5ill
6e near3hel+less in an emer%ency or 6attle8&
Ii%ht shi+s are lar%e enou%h to house one
#ersonal3si2ed cra/t or ha4e one attached at an
e,ternal hard +oint& Ii%ht shi+s ha4e an
emer%ency sur4i4al +od installed 5hen 6uilt
5hich has li/e su++ort +ro4isions 7/ood, 5ater,
air8 /or a /e5 days i/ the shi+ needs to 6e
a6andoned& ;/ the sur4i4al +od is scra++ed,
there(s room /or a second #ersonal3si2ed shi+,
a chan%e normally associated 5ith +irates and
+ri4ateers&
6ight ships begin with 7ower I Mobility I
7recision I Connection I Appeal I and
0esilience I.
Hea?y shi+s are rare 6ecause their
construction is time3consumin% and re9uires
su6stantial /inancial and material in4estment&
0hese are mo6ile s+ace stations 5hich are
cre5ed 6y any5here /rom a do2en to se4eral
hundred& 0hey are usually hea4ily rein/orced
and hea4ily armed, 5ith +o5er/ul /usion cores
and sensor arrays& 'nly national %o4ernments,
the *orld Iea%ue o/ Aations, and +o5er/ul
cor+orations 6uild and o+erate hea4y shi+s&
%ea!y ships begin with 7ower O Mobility 3
7recision I Connection I Appeal B and
0esilience O.
%lass
A s+aceshi+(s Class is determined 6y 5here it
5as 6uilt to /unction& !ollo5in% is a list o/
e,am+le classes that 5ill 6e +art o/ your shi+(s
Build > /or e4ery shi+, choose one& 'nce a
Class is chosen, it can ne!er 6e chan%ed&
"rou+s should /eel /ree to come u+ 5ith their
o5n classes that are a++ro,imately e9ui4alent
to these&
Sol(class shi+s ha4e ad4anced shieldin%
a%ainst radiation&
Aenus(class shi+s ha4e O1 Hesilience /or 5ork
in that +lanet(s harsh u++er atmos+here and O1
#o5er /or /unctionin% 5ithout ready access to
re/uelin%&
Terra(class shi+s ha4e O1 Connection and O1
A++eal&
6una(class shi+s are hi%hly customi2ed and
ha4e O1 to any one o/ their Attri6utes&
Mars(class shi+s are 6uilt 6y cor+orations and
%o4ernments and are almost al5ays E+%raded
5ith 5ea+onry, e4en thou%h they are small
and use standardi2ed hull desi%ns& 0hese are
usually /ound +atrollin% trade routes in the
system and they are armed to take on +irates 3
6ut not to en%a%e in /ull3scale 6attles& Mars3
class shi+s are out/itted 5ith 6asic
electroma%netism, im+act and radiation
shieldin%&
?elter(class shi+s ha4e O1 Mo6ility and
intermediate shieldin% a%ainst im+act 6ecause
they are desi%ned to 5ork in close +ro,imity
to asteroids and occasional %lancin% collisions
are almost una4oida6le&
Jupiter(class shi+s ha4e O1 #o5er to /unction
lon%er on their o5n and ha4e intermediate
shieldin% a%ainst electroma%netism
2eep(class shi+s are desi%ned to tra4el 6eyond
)aturn, and so ha4e O2 #o5er to sustain
themsel4es 5ithout ha4in% to re/uel /or lon%
+eriods&
Atmo(class shi+s are desi%ned 5ith
aerodynamics in mind and are ca+a6le o/
lea4in% and re3enterin% a +lanet(s atmos+here&
0his desi%n includes 6asic im+act and
radiation shieldin%& 7'ther classes o/ shi+s are
assumed to 6e una6le to enter si%ni/icant
atmos+here 5ithout some kind o/ E+%rade or
Hetro/it8
?attle(class shi+s are 6uilt only /or
%o4ernment and cor+orate use, thou%h rumors
ha4e it that +irates 6eyond Mars ha4e ca+tured
a hea4y Battle3class cruiser 6elon%in% to
)chneike !ra6rik Cor+ 7those rumors are hotly
denied 6y )!C8& Battle3class shi+s are the only
shi+s 6uilt 5ith inte%rated 5ea+ons systems
7more on that in 3&@&@8& 0hey also ha4e O1
#recision and O1 Hesilience& 0he /irst E+%rade
@@
/or a 6attle3class s+aceshi+ is usually
secondary 5ea+onry& 7;n addition to the 0rait
cost to ha4e a +osition on any shi+, ha4in% a
+osition on a military shi+ re9uires at least a
minor relationshi+ 5ith the or%ani2ation that
o5ns the shi+ in 9uestion&8
S$ip #eaponry
0here are /our cate%ories o/ 5ea+onry that a
shi+ may 6e armed 5ith&
4ilitary-grade 7asers
0hese are de4astatin% 5ea+ons, 6ut lasers are
e,+ensi4e to +roduce and re9uire su6stantial
+o5er to o+erate > e4en i/ only to kee+ on
stand6y& 0o +o5er u+ a laser, 3 #o5er +oints
must 6e allocated rather than the usual 1 used
to +o5er u+ other 5ea+on systems& 0he
ad4anta%e o/ a military laser is that all ran%e
+enalties are hal4ed, roundin% u+&
<roEectile !annons
0hese are traditional, con4entional cannons,
just more re/ined, ca+a6le o/ hittin% tar%ets at
lon% distances 5ith metal slu%s, doin% dama%e
throu%h the trans/er o/ kinetic ener%y or /rom
contact e,+losi4es stored 5ithin the /ired
shells& )ome cannons are +o5ered 6y
electroma%netic +ulses like needlers, 5hile
others rely on con4entional +ro+ellants&
Duided Weapons
0hese 5ea+ons are modern 4ersions o/ 6lue3
5ater tor+edoes or later air6orne cruise
missiles& 0his ty+e o/ 5ea+on re9uires a
controller +ro4idin% acti4e %uidance, or a
so+histicated com+utin%Mtar%etin% system
5ithin it to /unction, 6ut the results o/ a direct
hit are o/ten de4astatin%&
<assi?e Weapons
0hese are mines and other 5ea+ons that are
e,+loded 4ia contact or +ro,imity to a tar%et&
;n some cases, these 5ea+ons are %i4en on3
6oard sensors so that they only acti4ate a%ainst
s+eci/ic ty+es o/ tar%ets rather than the /irst
o6ject to a++roach the 5ea+on& 0he most
common use o/ +assi4e 5ea+onry comes 5ith
their release 6e/ore /leein% a 6attle in order to
slo5 or +re4ent +ursuit& "i4en the cost o/
6uildin% s+aceshi+s, this strate%y is 9uite
e//ecti4e 7and has resulted in many shi+s
carryin% decoy mines<much chea+er, 6ut
they achie4e the same e//ect as real mines8&
A battle(class ship begins with one of these
types of weapons while other ships can be
Epgraded or 0etrofitted to carry weapons as
well.
)hi+ 5ea+onry is measured 6y t5o 6asic
thin%s > 6onus dice and ran%e& Bonus dice 5ill
normally come /rom E+%rades or Hetro/its
made to im+ro4e 5ea+ons systems& Han%e is
listed /or each ty+e o/ 5ea+on > close,
medium, lon% and e,treme& 0he ad4anta%e o/
ha4in% a lon%er ran%ed 5ea+on is o64ious >
5ith skill/ully +ilotin%, you can attack 5hile
your o++onent cannot&
!ollo5in% are 6asic e,am+les o/ shi+
5ea+onry and the )kill re9uired to use them&
IaserD U"unneryV 0he most 6asic laser does
strai%ht dama%e 6ased on the attack roll made
6y the %unner usin% the 5ea+on& .ach success
5ith the "unnery skill translates into one le4el
o/ dama%e a%ainst the Hesilience and shieldin%
o/ the tar%et shi+& 0he ty+e o/ dama%e is
radiation& Iasers ha4e e4treme range&
#rojectileD U"unneryV #rojectile 5ea+ons
mounted on s+aceshi+s are almost al5ays
/ully automatic, makin% u+ /or lack o/
accuracy 5ith 5ei%ht o/ shot& 0he dama%e
ty+e /or +rojectile 5ea+ons is impact, and they
ha4e medium range&
"uidedD U#ilotin%V *ea+ons such as tor+edoes
or %uided missiles are less e//ecti4e 5hen the
tar%et is at lon% distances < the more time a
tar%et has to see the attack comin%, the more
time it has to a4oid it& "uided 5ea+ons can 6e
/ired 6y the +ilot& At medium ran%e the
#ilotin% roll is at 32 dice, at lon% ran%e it is 34
dice, and at e,treme ran%e it is 36 dice& 0he
ad4anta%e to %uided 5ea+ons is that they deal
t5o ty+es o/ dama%e, im+act and radiation, so
only the lo5er shieldin% counts 5hen a shi+
a6sor6s the attack& "uided 5ea+ons use the
#ro%rammin% )kill 6ecause 5hen /ired,
.or e4ample a ship with ad!anced impact
shielding and basic radiation shielding is hit
@G
with a guided weapon. *hen 0esilience is
rolled the roll is only modified by the basic
radiation armor being the lower of the two.
"uided 5ea+ons can also 6e /itted 5ith .M#
5ea+onry, /orcin% a Hesilience roll modi/ied
6y electroma%netic shieldin% to a4oid crucial
systems 6ein% /ried and shut do5n& 0his can
6e e//ecti4e 6ecause electroma%netic shieldin%
is less common than im+act and radiation&
Dama%e is dealt as usual, 6ut there is no
dan%er o/ a hull 6reach 5ith .M# 5ea+ons
6ecause o/ the nature o/ the dama%e&
A targeted ship can attempt to +am the
tracking circuitry of a guided weapon M to
keep the weapon on track re5uires an opposed
7rogramming Skill roll between someone on
each ship. )ne success is enough to either
detonate the weapon prematurely or keep it on
track depending on who wins.
#assi4eD U#ilotin%V Esin% +assi4e 5ea+ons
e//ecti4ely re9uires timin%, +ilotin% skill, and
some luck& ;t re9uires measurin% the a++roach
o/ a +ursuer and +redictin% 5here they 5ill 6e
in the near /uture& Basic mines are not rooted
to !irearms or "unnery like most 5ea+ons:
instead, they are linked to the #ilotin% )kill o/
the launchin% s+aceshi+(s +ilot, re+resentin%
their a6ility to maneu4er so that a +ursuin%
shi+ 5ill +ass throu%h the /ield o/ 5ea+onry&
#assi4e 5ea+ons only /unction 5ell at close
ran%e, thou%h usin% them at medium ran%e is
+ossi6le 5ith a 34 +enalty& 7At lon%er ran%e
they can 6e detected in time and easily
a4oided like any other de6ris8 #assi4e
5ea+ons can 6e set to in/lict im+act, radiation,
or electroma%netic dama%e&
The 2etection roll to identify the passi!e
weapons being deployed is a contested roll
against the 7ilot roll used to deploy the
weapon. $f the passi!e weapons are detected
in time then the pilot being attacked can
maneu!er around them by winning an
opposed 7iloting check&
Weapon Skill Damage Type Range
Laser !unner "adiati#n $%treme
&r#'ectile !unner Im(act Medium
!uided &il#ting) &r#gramming Im(act and "adiati#n * at Medium range) +*4 at L#ng range
&assive &il#ting) &r#gramming $lectr#magnetic) Im(act #r "adiati#n *4 at Medium range
=eloading
0he +erson in the %unner(s +osition on a shi+
7or the +ilot hersel/ in a +ersonal3si2ed cra/t8 is
also res+onsi6le /or re3loadin% 5ea+ons and
mana%in% a4aila6le ammunition& Assume that
shi+ 5ea+ons are al5ays on the e9ui4alent o/
/ull3automatic, meanin% that they can 6e used
to make three attacks 6e/ore they need to 6e
reloaded& 0eloading re5uires at least one full
long action and a Skill roll from the gunner
after which they ha!e three more attacks'
worth of ammunition&
Bear in mind that you don(t ha4e in/inite
ammunition& ;t is unusual /or a shi+ to ha4e
more than three reloads( 5orth o/ ammunition
6e/ore it has to dock some5here and re3
su++ly&
Iasers are the e,ce+tion to this rule& Iasers do
not run out ammunition, o64iously, 6ut they
are a lar%e drain on a shi+(s #o5er& 0o
acti4ate a laser /or com6at, 2 e,tra #o5er
+oints ha4e to 6e allocated to it 6eyond the 1
#o5er that is al5ays considered allocated to
maintainin% 6asic shi+ /unctionality 7so 1
#o5er to the shi+Ns 5ea+ons system and then 2
more 6ecause it is a laser, /or 3 total8
"%a!ing trouble with pirates beyond the
Mars(6una run> #eed a reliable weapons
system that won't run out of +uice in the
middle of a dogfight> #ow from %a!oc
*eapons Systems the 3(T* Multi(7ulse
6aser. .irepower when you need it for your
profit and security. .or more information
contact your regional weapons systems
representati!e.-
4pgra)e
An u+%rade is a modi/ication made to a shi+
that is in line 5ith its ori%inal use or e,+ands
its con4entional use/ulness& 7.4ery u+%rade
increases a shi+(s A++eal 6y at least 1 3 more
i/ listed8& E+%rades need to 6e in line 5ith the
shi+(s ori%inal desi%n 6ecause they are made
throu%h o//icial channels&
E!ery ship gets one free upgrade when
created& 0his 5as done 5hen the shi+ 5as
initially constructed and is an inte%ral +art o/
the shi+& 0his /irst u+%rade is a chance /or
@J
+layers to 6e%in customi2in% a shi+(s
Attri6utes& ?ecause the first upgrade is free
it doesn't affect the ship's Appeal&
!or +layer3characters to +urchase an u+%rade
/or a shi+ they ha4e a +osition on, they 5ill
each need to assi%n one o/ their o5n 0raits&
0hese 0raits allo5 them to add the u+%rade to
the shi+& *hen you allocate your 0raits, you
need to take some do5ntime in3%ame 5ith the
shi+ docked some5here 5here the u+%rade
can 6e +er/ormed& 'ne u+%rade allo5s you to
increase one o/ the shi+(s Attri6utes 6y 2, and
also al5ays raises the shi+(s A++eal 6y 1&
;nstead o/ raisin% an Attri6ute, you may
choose instead to im+ro4e shieldin% 6y a total
o/ 2 le4els&
.or e4ample with one upgrade you could
raise both 7ower and Mobility by 9 and the
ship's Appeal would automatically go up by 9.
Con!ersely you could raise electromagnetic
shielding from basic to ad!anced K; le!elsL
and impact shielding from basic to ad!anced
K; le!elsL M again the ship's Appeal would
increase by 9.
Battle3class shi+s can +urchase secondary
5ea+onry as an u+%rade > other shi+s ha4e to
+urchase 5ea+ons as a retro/it, and they ha4e
to hide the /act that they(re armed& !or
secondary 5ea+onry on 6attle3class shi+s,
sim+ly choose another 5ea+on ty+e, or
another o/ the same kind o/ 5ea+on mounted
else5here on the shi+, s+end the 0raits and
you(re done&
Another o+tion is to u+%rade a Battle3class
shi+(s +rimary 5ea+on so that it adds O2 dice
to all attack rolls made usin% it& A%ain, to
u+%rade a 5ea+on, other ty+es o/ shi+s need to
allocate a retro/it&
SidebarD B0he $i%h Cost o/ $i%h A++ealC
*ith this system, i/ +layers decide to s+end a
lot o/ 0raits on u+%radin% their shi+, the shi+(s
A++eal 5ill rise relati4ely 9uickly& 0his
shouldn(t 6e much o/ a +ro6lem, and 5ill lead
to interestin% situations in its o5n 5ay& A
hi%h3A++eal shi+ 5ill 6e in hi%h demand >
/rom +irates and +ri4ateers as 5ell as
em+loyers& A Director shouldn(t +unish
+layers /or 6uildin% u+ a 4alua6le shi+ to /ly
around in, 6ut no5 and then it can lead to
trou6le just to 6alance thin%s out& ;ts kind o/
like 6ein% an e,tremely attracti4e +erson >
sometimes you %et un5anted attention& *e(re
told that it %oes 5ith the territory, so to s+eak&
Retrofit
A retro/it is like an u+%rade, 6ut not
necessarily related to the shi+(s ori%inal
intended use& 0hese are usually +urchased
throu%h the 6lack market or assem6led in the
Belt, a5ay /rom +ryin% cor+orate and
%o4ernment eyes& )mu%%lin% modi/ications,
5ea+ons on car%o shi+s and so on are all done
throu%h retro/ittin%&
A retro/it is +urchased the same 5ay that an
u+%rade is > 5ith each +layer3character 5ho
5ill 6e on the shi+ +ayin% one 0rait 7usin% the
Ad4ancement system, descri6ed in 4&@8& 0he
main di//erence 6et5een u+%rades and
retro/its are that retro/its are technically
ille%al, thou%h en/orcement 4aries 3 near
+o+ulated 5orlds, ille%al mods are dealt 5ith
more se4erely& )ystem3co+s say B0he rules
kee+ honest +eo+le honest&C A/ter all, i/ you
aren(t in4ol4ed in ille%al acti4ity, 5hy do you
need 5ea+ons?
Retrofit /ypes
7irate > 0his retro/it im+oses a 34 +enalty on
rolls to detect a shi+ at lon% ran%e, and a 32 at
medium ran%e& 0he shi+(s +ro/ile is chan%ed
su6tly and ener%y3a6sor6in% +anels are
mounted on all o/ its sur/aces& 0his Hetro/it is
not ille%al, and is in /act just as use/ul /or
a4oidin% +irates as it is /or 6ein% one& 0his
retro/it increases the shi+(s Hesilience 6y 1&
Smuggler > 0his retro/it increases stora%e
ca+acity and /ills the shi+ 5ith hollo5s and
secret stora%e& Any Detection rolls made to
/ind hidden o6jects 7contested 6y the Iarceny
)kill o/ 5hoe4er hid them8 are made 5ith a 34
die +enalty, so only a 4ery thorou%h scan 5ill
normally come u+ 5ith anythin%& 0his retro/it
is ille%al i/ disco4ered, 6ut the usual +ro6lem
is that the car%o inside the concealed car%o
area is usually /ar more ille%al& 0his retro/it
also increases the shi+(s A++eal 6y 1&
G-
Stealth > ;t is di//icult to hide in s+ace 5hen
your shi+ mi%ht 6e the most interestin% thin%
/or millions o/ kilometers in e4ery direction&
'ne 5ay to hide, ho5e4er, is 4ia a stealth
retro/it& A stealth retro/it makes your shi+
a++ear +hysically and on sensors to 6e a shi+
o/ a di//erent ty+e& 0his retro/it includes /alse
identi/ication codes 5hich 5ill stand u+ to the
usual cursory 6ack%round check a++lied 6y
dockin% authorities in s+ace& ;/ a si%ni/icant
in4esti%ation is made into the real identity o/
your shi+, or i/ /or some reason it is
thorou%hly scanned, all search attem+ts are
made at 34 dice& 0his retro/it increases the
shi+(s Hesilience 6y 1&
Tro+an > this Hetro/it mounts a 5ea+on
system on the shi+, 6ut hides it, either
dis%uisin% it as another, harmless e,ternal
system, or em6eddin% it in the hull o/ the shi+
so that it is only 4isi6le 5hen de+loyed&
Because the 5ea+on is made to 6e hidden, it
lacks the +o5er o/ standard military3%rade
armament, and )kill rolls made to use this
5ea+on are at a 32 die +enalty& 'n the +lus
side, unless the 5ea+on is de+loyed, it is
di//icult to detect, and Detection rolls to /ind it
are made at a 34 +enalty& 0his retro/it is ille%al
i/ disco4ered& 0his retro/it increases the shi+(s
#recision 6y 1&
*eapon > 0his retro/it is the most o64ious
6ecause you are +uttin% a 6latant 5ea+on
system on 6oard your shi+& 0his is normally
ille%al& *ith )tatus 6O and a major
relationshi+ 5ith an or%ani2ation 5hich
maintains an esta6lished irre%ular military 7a
major cor+oration, a %o4ernment, etc&8 you
mi%ht 6e a6le to %et a license statin% the
5ea+on is 1sel/3de/ense(& Iike the 0rojan
retro/it, this one also increases #recision 6y 1&
As a piracy deterrent some ships mount fake
e4ternal weapons. This too is illegal but
penalties are much less se!ere Kremo!al brief
detention and a fineL since dummy weapons
can only be used as a deterrent. .ake
weaponry does not re5uire a retrofit and does
not modify any ship Attributes. Al you need
are some Engineering Skill rolls to build and
attach them. 2etection rolls to determine
whether they are real weapons are contested
rolls against the Engineering roll to attach the
weapon.
#layers and Directors are al5ays encoura%ed
to come u+ 5ith their o5n u+%rades and
retro/its 6ased on the e,am+les listed here&
0hey should maintain 6alance 5ith 5hat is in
the o//icial system, 6ut it(s im+ossi6le to
re+resent e4ery +ossi6le idea here&
S$ip %oponents
*hen a shi+ is dama%ed, it is im+ortant to
kno5 5hat on the shi+ 5as actually hit& )hi+s
don(t ha4e non34ital systems& ;/ you hit
somethin%, it is guaranteed that 5hat you hit
is im+ortant& 0he many systems on a shi+ are
6roken do5n into si, cate%ories >
communications, life support, main dri!e,
maneu!ering dri!es, sensors and weapons&
.ach com+onent in turn is linked to one o/ the
shi+(s Attri6utes& ;/ the com+onent sustains
dama%e e9ual to the Attri6ute, it is disa6led
and useless, thou%h it is re+aira6le %i4en
enou%h time and materials& ;/ it sustains
dama%e e9ual to the Attri6ute O the shi+(s
Hesilience, then the com+onent is totally
destroyed and must 6e re+laced, re9uirin%
re+airs at a major s+ace+ort 75hich takes time
since re+airs are 16y reser4ation( at most
/acilities8&
!ommunications UConnectionV
0his set o/ com+onents includes e4erythin%
that connects the shi+ to the outside 5orld&
)hi+ com+uters tend to store only 4ital
in/ormation /or a 4oya%e > other5ise, it relies
on 5ireless connections to nodes throu%hout
the solar system /or in/ormation retrie4al
5hen necessary& A shi+ 5ithout its
communications system is una6le to contact
other shi+s or settlements& ;t is also useless /or
research or in/ormation +rocessin% until it is
re+aired&
7ife Support UHesilienceV
0his is not just a6out +ro4idin% a 6reatha6le
en4ironment& ;t also includes heatin%,
scru66in% car6on dio,ide out o/ the air, 5ater
recyclin%, 5aste stora%e, and +ro4isions&
*ithout these thin%s, the only 5ay /or the
cre5 to sur4i4e is %et into 4acuum suits and
G1
seal them u+ > 5uickly& 'nce the li/e su++ort is
disa6led, the cre5 has, at most, a cou+le
minutes 6e/ore they die 6y any o/ a num6er o/
uncom/orta6le means& 0o ma,imi2e ener%y
conser4ation durin% com6at, many +irate and
+ri4ateer 4essels re9uire cre5s to suit u+
6e/ore 6attle and /i%ht 5ith li/e su++ort
systems shut do5n& 0his sa4es ener%y, 6ut
also sends a su6liminal messa%e to the cre5
that dama%e is e,+ected<and that(s not
al5ays %ood /or morale&
4ain Bri?e U#o5erV
0he main dri4e +ro4ides the +o5er necessary
to accelerate a5ay /rom %ra4ity sources and to
make journeys across the solar system in
reasona6le amounts o/ time& A shi+(s main
dri4e is +rimarily one3directional, so the shi+
must orient itsel/ in the +ro+er direction 6e/ore
usin% the main dri4e to accelerate in the
desired direction& "ross maneu4erin% is
+ossi6le 5ith the main dri4e 7most are
out/itted to allo5 dockin% 5hen the
maneu4erin% dri4es are dama%ed or
mal/unctionin%, 6ut #ilotin% rolls to maneu4er
in this situation are at 348&
4aneu?ering Bri?es UMo6ilityV
Maneu4erin% dri4es allo5 a s+aceshi+ to make
/ine adjustments in its direction and attitude&
0hey ena6le a shi+ to maneu4er in do%/i%hts
and make the +recise mo4ements necessary
/or dockin% 5ith a s+ace station or another
shi+& *ithout maneu4erin% dri4es, a shi+ loses
the a6ility to rotate or turn in +recise
increments, nor can a shi+ accelerate or
decelerate in anythin% less than thousandths o/
the s+eed o/ li%ht= !or dockin% or landin%,
ho5e4er, a shi+ 5ith disa6led maneu4erin%
dri4es 5ill usually need to 6e to5ed 6y
another shi+&
Sensors U#recisionV
0hese %i4e a shi+(s cre5 in/ormation a6out the
situation 6eyond the con/ines o/ the shi+&
*ithout sensors, a shi+ is essentially 6lind&
0he lon% distances in4ol4ed in s+ace tra4el
mean that almost nothin% si%ni/icant is 4isi6le
to the naked eye& *ithout a sensor array, a
shi+(s cre5 5ill ha4e no idea o/ 5here it is or
5hat is near6y& #ilots are trained to astro%ate
usin% their o5n calculations and +oints o/
re/erence, 6ut this is a +ainstakin% emer%ency
+rocess, and only hel+s /indin% 5ell3
esta6lished emer%ency landin% or dockin%
+oints&
Weapons U#recisionV
*ea+ons( e//ects are o64ious as are the
conse9uences o/ ha4in% them disa6led& *hen
your 5ea+on systems %o, you(re hel+less and
unarmed& Aote that this re/ers to all 5ea+on
systems, not just one at a time, and includes
the tar%etin% systems, and all +eri+heral
systems connected to the shi+(s 5ea+onry, not
just the 5ea+ons themsel4es&
)ide6arD B#o5er W DiceC *hen shi+
com+onents sustain dama%e, dice +enalties are
a++lied to the com+onents( /unctionality&
0hese +enalties can 6e o4ercome 6y allocatin%
more #o5er to that com+onent > 5hat are
normally 6onus dice 6ecome dice 5hich can
com+ensate /or the dama%e that the shi+
sustains&
;n shi+ com6at, 7co4ered in the ne,t cha+ter8,
you(ll learn a6out orientation, and ho5
im+ortant it is to kno5 5hich +art o/ a shi+ is
/acin% your o++onent 7and 4ice34ersa8& !or
no5, just note that you need to kno5 5here
your com+onents are located on the shi+& !eel
/ree to decide 5hate4er you 5ant 6ased on
your shi+ desi%n, 6ut stick to the %eneral idea
o/ a shi+ ha4in% si, 1sides(, like the dice used
in #arsec, 5hen /i%urin% out 5here
com+onents are mounted 7re%ardless o/ the
actual sha+e you choose /or your shi+ > this is
just an a++ro,imation /or the %ame8&
0he sides o/ the die corres+ond to the front,
dorsalJtop, starboardJright, portJleft,
!entralJbottom, and tail +ortions o/ your shi+&
Common Com+onent Mounts
1 > .rontD *ea+ons, )ensors
2 > 2orsalJTopD *ea+ons, Communications,
)ensors
3 > StarboardJ0ightD *ea+ons, Maneu4erin%
Dri4e
4 > 7ortJ6eftD *ea+ons, Maneu4erin% Dri4e
G2
5 > AentralJ?ottomD *ea+ons,
Communications, )ensors
6 > TailD Main Dri4e
Sample Ship1 Jun ?ei's smuggling !essel
?ecause Jun ?ei put four Traits toward her
position on the ship she is firmly in the
captain's seat.
The ship first assembled at a factory station
located in a hollowed(out asteroid in the ?elt
is a 6ight ?elter(class. As a 6ight body(type it
starts with 7ower I Mobility I 7recision I
Connection I Appeal 3 and 0esilience I. $ts
designation as ?elter(class means that its
Mobility becomes a I and its 0esilience is
now modified with intermediate shielding
against impact. $t comes without weaponry
like all standard ci!ilian ships.
6et's say that Jun ?ei uses a chance for
ad!ancement to allocate a Trait to the ship
Kalong with the rest of the 7Cs on it of courseL
to purchase an upgrade. She chooses to
increase the ship's Mobility to a O which
automatically increases the ship's Appeal to a
B.
6ater she has sa!ed up for another Trait
Kalong with the other player(characters who
are on her ship of courseL and again
allocates it to the ship this time purchasing a
retrofit M for a Tro+an weapon. So she now
has a weapon system Kthough with the low
7recision score it'll be !ery hard to use at all
until the crew spends Traits on another
upgrade.L The ship's Appeal score also
increases to a O.
Ship =ecord Sheet
Aeeds to includeD )hi+ Aame: )ketch: )i2e:
Class: E+%rades: Hetro/its: Attri6utes:
*ea+onry: )hieldin%: Clearances
Com+onent IayoutD !ront: DorsalM0o+:
)tar6oardMHi%ht: #ortMIe/t: KentralMBottom:
0ail
F<4R> S3S/1:
<#4 Dice in ,e@ieC
At the start o/ the 6ook, 5e talked a6out the
6asics o/ this %ame system& #arsec uses a
system 5herein si,3sided dice are rolled in
%rou+s a%ainst a tar%et num6er, and e4ery
num6er sho5in% e9ual to or hi%her than the
tar%et num6er is counted as a BsuccessC& 0he
shorthand /or 5ritin% the num6er o/ dice to
roll is a num6er /ollo5ed 6y BdC: /or e,am+le,
B5dC means B/i4e si,3sided dice&C 0o re+resent
the tar%et num6er, 5e use BTC /ollo5ed 6y
the tar%et num6er, 5ritten a/ter the num6er o/
dice& )o, /or e,am+le, B5dT3C is shorthand
/or B/i4e si,3sided dice rolled a%ainst a tar%et
num6er o/ 3C& ;n that situation, you 5ould roll
/i4e dice, and 3s, 4s, 5s and 6s 5ould all count
as successes& !or e,am+le, i/ you rolled 1, 2,
4, 5 and 6, that 5ould 6e a total o/ 3 successes&
All you need to kno5 is how many dice you're
rolling and what the target number is& Four
)kill always determines the tar%et num6er, as
descri6ed in the B)killsC section o/ Cha+ter 3,
so most o/ the rules /ocus on /i%urin% out ho5
many dice you roll at any %i4en moment&
Fou al5ays start 5ith the Attri6ute in
9uestion, 5hether it is a character(s Attri6ute
or a shi+(s Attri6ute& 0his Attri6ute %i4es you
your 6ase dice3+ool 7the initial num6er o/ dice
you are allo5ed to roll8& 0his total is then
modi/ied 6y three thin%sD situational
modi/iers, 0raits and )cars&
;/ your character is doin% somethin% and no
one tries to sto+ him, then you only 5orry
a6out the num6er o/ successes rolled > the
more successes come u+, the 6etter you do& ;/
someone is tryin% to sto+ your character, then
each +erson rolls and you com+are successes&
*hoe4er has more successes 5ins& 0ies %o to
the 1de/ender( 6y de/ault 7+resumin% a
de/ender can 6e determined8: other5ise, a tie
means no one is success/ul&
.or e4ample in a situation where you are
trying to change a situation somehow you are
the /aggressor'. $f you are trying to keep
G3
things the same then you are the /defender'
for purpose of deciding what ties mean&
As mentioned +re4iously, there are three
thin%s that modi/y the num6er o/ dice you roll&
0he /irst cate%ory is 8raits and the second is
Scars& Ao more than one 0rait can modi/y a
roll, 6ut all penalties from Scars that apply
should be taken into account& .4ery 0rait has
a condition that de/ines 5hen it is a++lica6le,
and this condition should 6e clear and s+eci/ic
as to 5hen it comes into e//ect& 0he same is
true /or )cars& #layers should kno5 5hen they
can use their 0raits to their ad4anta%e, and
5hen it is time to +ush their characters to /ace
their )cars& 0raits add dice to your rolls, 5hile
)cars su6tract them&
Iackin% +ro+er e9ui+ment is an e,am+le o/
the third thin% that modi/ies the num6er o/
dice you roll 3 situation& )ituational modi/iers
chan%e constantly& ;t is the Director(s jo6 to
kee+ track o/ situational modi/iers and to let
+layers kno5 5hat those are 7unless there is a
reason the #Cs 5ouldn(t kno5 a6out them8&
)ome su%%estions and e,am+les 5ill 6e
+ro4ided in the Con/lict section 7and that
comes ne,t8& "enerally, these rules should 6e
a++lied as 9uickly and sim+ly as +ossi6le& A
%ood %uideline is /or situational modi/iers to
6e OM32 dice, so that the modi/ier is si%ni/icant
6ut not determinati4e& )ome cases, such as
co4er and armor, 5ill 6reak this rule o/ thum6,
6ut 5hen they do it is clear 5hy and ho5&
7Iackin% minimum e9ui+ment reduces the
num6er o/ dice rolled > +ossi6ly to 2ero, i/
certain e9ui+ment is a6solutely necessary&
Check )kill descri+tions in Cha+ter 3 to /ind
out 5hether s+eci/ic e9ui+ment is re9uired /or
a +articular )kill& Enless somethin% unusual
has ha++ened, or you /ind yoursel/ in s+ecial
circumstances, you can assume that you ha4e
any 6asic e9ui+ment that your )kills re9uire&8
Some sample negati!e situations1 being in an
awkward position trying to concentrate in the
middle of a gunfight ner!ousness e4haustion
being in an unfamiliar culture
Some sample positi!e situations1 ha!ing
plenty of time assistance from skilled
indi!iduals ha!ing super!ision from someone
of greater Skill
)ide6arD Dice rolled should 6e rolled on the
ta6le out in the o+en, es+ecially 5hile learnin%
the rules& 0his 5ay, successes can 6e set aside
and com+ared 9uickly, and you don(t ha4e to
s+end time remem6erin% 5hat you just rolled
6ecause it(s still ri%ht there in /ront o/ you&
0his re9uires more dice, 6ut standard si,3sided
dice are chea+ and can 6e +urchased at most
ho66y or %ame stores 7or sca4en%ed /rom
dusty $as6ro %ames on your shel/8&
Preparation 2ice
;n di//erent +arts o/ the system you(ll see a
consistent rule come u+ re%ularly& 0his rule is
that i/ you take e,tra time to +re+are /or a
con/lict 5ay ahead o/ time, you are %ranted
6onus dice /or that con/lict and that con/lict
only& 0hese 6onus dice aren(t a4aila6le /or just
any old roll > the kind o/ +re+arations you
make determine 5hen the 6onus dice are
rolled& 0his rule +lays out di//erently
de+endin% on the situation, 6ut you(ll see
e,am+les in the systems that /ollo5& 0ake
note, and /eel /ree to ada+t this rule to any
situation 5here you think it makes sense and
the Director consents& Also, 6ear in mind that
A#Cs get the same opportunity to /ront3load
their rolls, so i/ you /ind they(4e made
+re+arations a%ainst you, don(t 6e sur+rised&
<#2 +he Structure o8 Con8lict
Hesol4in% con/lict has /our sta%es& 0hese /our
sta%es are )rient, Act and 0esol!e&
)ide6arD B)takesC > )ometimes it(ll 6e unclear
5hat(s at stake in a con/lict, 6ut this should
only 6e done i/ it hel+s increase tension& ;/ a
%rou+ is tryin% to su6due the +layer3characters
and ca+ture them 5ithout doin% serious injury,
it(s hel+/ul /or the +layers to reali2e that
6e/ore they start s+rayin% them 5ith 6ullets or
cuttin% their throats& 0his also +re4ents the
+ro6lem o/ e4ery /i%ht 6ein% to the death 7and
that(s im+ortant in a com6at system that is
dan%erous8& ;n the case o/ A#Cs, it is u+ to
the Director 5hether their intentions should 6e
clear or not&
G4
<rient
Durin% the /irst sta%e, it is the Director(s jo6 to
make sure that all o/ the +layers are oriented >
that they kno5 5hat their characters are and
are not a5are o/ a6out their situation& 0his
does not mean that the +layers %et to kno5
e4erythin%& 0hey don(t %et told a6out hidden
A#Cs 5aitin% in am6ush, and they 5on(t
necessarily kno5 i/ the A#Cs ha4e hidden
5ea+ons or other %ear 7thou%h a Detection roll
mi%ht tell them8&
;/ it isn(t clear 5hat a +layer3character kno5s,
a %ood 76ut ar6itrary8 5ay to resol4e this is
ha4in% the #Cs make Detection rolls,
contested 6y )tealth rolls > or 4ise 4ersa, i/ the
#Cs are tryin% to sneak u+ on the A#Cs&
*hoe4er is more success/ul 5ith their rolls
%et more accurate in/ormation a6out the
situation at hand& 0he essential +oint is that
this is the +oint 5here the Director must /ill
the +layers in on /acts a6out their situation&
-ct
Characters each take their turn to act durin%
one round o/ a con/lict, 5hether the con/lict is
an ar%ument, an interro%ation, or a /ire/i%ht& A
round is o4er 5hen all characters in4ol4ed in a
con/lict ha4e had a chance to act& ;n any
con/lict, the side 5ith the $nitiati!e %oes /irst
7the ;nitiati4e is e,+lained in more detail in the
ne,t section8& !or no5, 5e(ll lea4e it that in a
physical conflict, characters on the same side
act in order o/ hi%hest #o5er to lo5est&
Characters on the same side o/ a social or
information con/lict take their actions in order
o/ hi%hest A++eal to lo5est&
;/ an A#C acts /irst, then the Director says
5hat the A#C is attem+tin% and makes any
dice rolls in4ol4ed in 5hat the A#C is tryin%
to do& ;/ a #C acts /irst, then that +layer does
the same > says 5hat the character is %oin% to
try to do and then rollin% dice to determine
success, i/ necessary&
Resol5e
0he resolution sta%e is like orientin% in re4erse
> 6ased on the actions that all o/ the characters
in the con/lict ha4e taken, the Director makes
sure that e4eryone is clear on the
conse9uences o/ those actions& A/ter the /irst
round, an orientation +hase isn(t really
necessary& 'nce the 6asic /acts o/ the situation
are in +lace, resolution should take care o/
kee+in% the +layers a5are o/ the chan%in%
conditions o/ the con/lict&
0he Director determines 5hen roll results
need to 6e summed u+ and their conse9uences
descri6ed& 0here(s no need to sa4e u+ all the
rolls that ha4e 6een made until the end o/ the
round& '/ten a %rou+ o/ characters are all
in4ol4ed in a similar area, or are all con/lictin%
5ith each other, so that their rolls can 6e
resol4ed /irst 6e/ore mo4in% to another +art o/
a lar%er scene& #acin% in a con/lict 5ill de+end
more on the %rou+(s +re/erences and ho5
o/ten the Director decides that it is time to
resol4e some o/ the dice rolls that ha4e 6een
made&
)o, in short1 orient act resol!e act resol!eL
and so on, until the con/lict is o4er&
/$e (nitiati5e
A con/lict starts 6ecause someone decides that
they 5ant somethin%, and someone else 5ants
to sto+ them& ;t(s rare that 6oth sides decide
simultaneously to /i%ht > one +arty is o/ten
taken 6y sur+rise, 6ecause there is almost
al5ays a tactical ad4anta%e to actin% /irst&
0here is also a corres+ondin% risk: the
a%%ressor in a com6at can o/ten e,+ect less
mercy i/ thin%s don(t %o her 5ay, and /rom a
le%al stand+oint the /irst one to initiate serious
com6at is almost al5ays in the 5ron%&
$a4in% the nitiati?e means that the +arty in
9uestion decides 5hat it is doin% /irst, and can
/orce the o++osition to choose /rom a more
limited set o/ o+tions& 0he +arty 7here, B+artyC
means an indi4idual or %rou+ 5orkin%
to%ether8 5ith the ;nitiati4e also determines
5hat the stakes o/ the com6at are > that is,
5hen the com6at ends& Does it end 5ith
surrender, retreat, or 5ith nothin% less than the
destruction o/ the enemy? Most o/ten, this 5ill
mean that the +arty 5ith ;nitiati4e 5ill 6e the
a%%ressor and the one 5ithout ;nitiati4e 5ill
6e the de/ender early on, 6ut the tide o/ 6attle
G5
can al5ays chan%e= '4er the course o/ a
con/lict, it is +ossi6le to steal the ;nitiati4e,
chan%in% ho5 thin%s +lay out as the /i%ht
+ro%resses& #layers 5ill ha4e to /ind their o5n
6alance 6et5een a%%ression, +ositionin% and
tactics in order to 5in the day& 0he only
%uarantee is i/ you hesitate, you(re %oin% to
%et hurt&
;n social con/licts, the +arty 5ith the hi%hest
)tatus almost al5ays starts 5ith the ;nitiati4e&
8aking the nitiati?e is di//icult 6ut is the
6est route to 4ictory i/ you don(t start 5ith it&
;n order /or one side o/ a con/lict to take the
;nitiati4e, somethin% a6out the situation has to
chan%e& 0his is a chance /or +layers to 6e
creati4e 5hen tryin% to take the ;nitiati4e in a
con/lict, or a chance /or the Director to
sur+rise the +layers 6y takin% the ;nitiati4e
a5ay /rom them&
;/ the leader o/ either side o/ a con/lict is
inca+acitated, then that side 5ill o/ten lose the
;nitiati4e& ;/ rein/orcements arri4e /or one
side, that side mi%ht take the ;nitiati4e& ;/ the
#Cs come u+ 5ith a cle4er tactic that is
success/ul, they mi%ht 6e a6le to take the
;nitiati4e&
;n the end, the Director decides 5hich side has
the ;nitiati4e in a con/lict& 0he decisions the
Director makes should 6e /air and should add
to the /un and e,citement o/ the %ame& 0he
;nitiati4e re+resents the tide o/ a 6attle > 5ho
is the +rimary a%%ressor at a +articular
moment, as o++osed to 5ho is mostly tryin% to
react and stay ali4e& Kee+ in mind that takin%
the ;nitiati4e is easier i/ you are more
a%%ressi4e, 6ut that the la5 7not to mention
most +eo+le(s ethics8 tends to +unish the
a%%ressor more harshly than the 4ictim in a
/i%ht& 0his should lead to sticky situations
5here the +layers ha4e to choose 5hether they
5ill sacri/ice the moral or le%al hi%h3%round in
order to %et an ad4anta%e on their o++onent >
and then li4e 5ith the conse9uencesL
.,am+le Con/licts
Stopped by the police > in this situation, the
+olice almost al5ays start 5ith the ;nitiati4e
6ecause they ha4e more authority, e4en i/ you
ha4e more )tatus than they do& )tatus is o/ten
a++ro,imately e9ual to real authority, 6ut not
al5ays&
Arguing with your boss >Four 6oss has a
hi%her )tatus than you do, and you ha4e to
deal 5ith the /act that your 6oss 5ill start 5ith
the ;nitiati4e e4en i/ you initiate the ar%ument&
Ambushed > ;/ you success/ully am6ush an
o++onent, then you start 5ith the ;nitiati4e&
Esually an am6ush is determined 6y a )tealth
4ersus Detection roll, or +ossi6ly an o++osed
)u6tlety roll i/ the am6ush is dis%uised 5ith a
lie instead o/ +hysically hidin%&
Chased onto your own turf > in this e,am+le,
assume that you ha4e /led a /i%ht and ha4e
6een chased into your o5n territory, an area
5here you can call on allies and 5here you are
/amiliar 5ith the surroundin%s& Assumin% that
your +ursuers are not hot on your heels, then
this is a situation 5here you mi%ht %et to take
the ;nitiati4e& ;t is al5ays u+ to the Director,
ultimately, to determine ;nitiati4e, 6ut in this
case, there has 6een a chan%e in the conditions
o/ the con/lict in your /a4or, 5hich usually
si%nals a chan%e o/ ;nitiati4e& 0he same 5orks
in re4erse, o/ course&
2ueling > a duel is a s+ecial case 6ecause 6oth
com6atants are a5are o/ each other, so there is
no sur+rise, and it is normally the case that in
a duel, 6oth sides start at the same time& ;n this
case, the +erson 5ith the hi%her #o5er score
%oes /irst and has the ;nitiati4e& ;/ the #o5er
scores are e9ual, then each com6atant should
make a )kill roll usin% the )kill that 5ill 6e
+rimary in the duel& *hoe4er 5ins the
contested roll starts 5ith the ;nitiati4e&
$nterrogation > in an interro%ation, the
interro%ator al5ays starts 5ith the ;nitiati4e,
since it is assumed that the interro%ator can
control 5hether the su6ject %ets to lea4e and
has +o5er o4er them& 7;t is also the
interro%ator 5ho is initiatin% the con/lict in the
/irst +lace&8
0hin%s to Kee+ in Mind
8ou always start with the $nitiati!eQif you
ha!e successfully surprised your opponents
G6
or if you are in a social conflict and you ha!e
more rank or authority than your opponents.
8ou probably ha!e the $nitiati!eQif you are
on familiar territory and your opponent is not
if you ha!e spent significantly more time
planning than your opponent or if you ha!e a
significantly better position than your
opponent.
8ou can take the $nitiati!eQif you kill or
incapacitate the leader on your opponent's
side if reinforcements arri!e or new parties
+oin the conflict on your side if you do
something spectacular and surprising that
takes your opponents by surprise if you
capture your opponent's position in a physical
conflict or if you re!eal a Secret at a crucial
moment in a social or information conflict.
<#/ hysical Con8lict
0his section co4ers com6at, 5hich could 6e
anythin% /rom one3on3one 2ero3% %ra++lin% to
a s+ace 6attle 6et5een multi+le /orces o4er the
lon% term& ;n #arsec, com6ats usually 5on(t
end in outri%ht death > they end 5hen one side
o/ the com6at is inca+acitated, /lees
7success/ully8, or surrenders 7i/ surrender is
acce+ted o/ course8& *hen a shi+ or a +erson
is hit in a com6at, they are likely to 6e
se4erely dama%ed& ;t is less likely that they
5ill 6e killed or destroyed outri%ht, 6ut this is
al5ays a +ossi6ility 5ith a lucky 7or unlucky8
shot& *hat(s more likely is that the +ain and
serious injury 5ill /orce them to either %i4e
u+, retreat, or chan%e their +lan&
Com6at is desi%ned so that it is /un and
e,citin%, 5hile remainin% %ritty and relati4ely
realistic& Com6at should 6e dan%erous and
terri/yin%, and characters shouldn(t enter into
lethal con/lict li%htly& Iosin% a com6at in
#arsec mi%ht lea4e you inca+acitated, at the
mercy o/ your o++onent, i/ not dead outri%ht&
;/ you don(t %et medical attention soon a/ter
6ein% seriously injured, you 5ill +ro6a6ly die&
Kee+ in mind a 1realistic( 4ie5 o/ +hysical
com6at& A %un3/i%ht, a kni/e3/i%ht, or e4en a
/ist3/i%ht can threaten your character(s health
and li/e&
Com6at should al5ays mo4e the story
/or5ard& )omethin% should 6e at stake i/
e4eryone(s 5illin% to risk death& 0he 16ri%ht
s+ot( i/ +layer3characters are de/eated 6ut
sur4i4e, e4en i/ se4erely hurt, are ne5
o++ortunities /or #C de4elo+ment throu%h the
system o/ )cars, so that in de/eat your
character can 6ecome tou%her or more
interestin%&
*hat this ;nitiati4e system does in com6at is
make am6ushes a +o5er/ul o+tion& *hoe4er
has the ;nitiati4e 5ill ha4e a 6i% ad4anta%e,
and 5hoe4er has the 6est 6attle +lan 5ith
+ro6a6ly 6e the sur4i4or& Iuck 5ill +lay a
+art, 6ut don(t count on it to sa4e you&
)ide6arD BCon/lict and Com6atC 0he term
conflict re/ers to any situation 5here t5o
characters or t5o %rou+s ha4e con/lictin%
desires in a scene that are resol4ed 6y rollin%
dice& A com6at is a +articular kind o/ con/lict
that is +hysical and 4iolent > the conse9uences
o/ losin% a con/lict are sim+ly losin% 5hate4er
is at stake& 0he conse9uences o/ losin% a
com6at are s+eci/ic > serious injuries, or e4en
death&
6*ic7 %o8at
)ometimes you don(t 5ant to s+end a lot o/
time on a %i4en com6at& #erha+s it isn(t %oin%
to %o to the 6itter end, or may6e it just isn(t
that interestin%& All you need to kno5 is
5hether the #Cs sur4i4e and 5hether they %et
injured durin% the /i%ht& !or a 9uick com6at,
each side chooses the hi%hest com6at dice3
+ool amon% the +artici+ants 7usually #o5er,
#recision or Hesilience8& 0hen, the Director
hel+s determine ad4anta%e dice /or each side >
dice /or a numerical ad4anta%e, an ad4anta%e
in +ositionin%, 6etter e9ui+ment, and so on&
'nce the t5o +ools are +ut to%ether, they are
6oth rolled and com+ared& 0he tar%et num6er
is 6 /or these rolls& 0he losin% side loses in
5hate4er 5ay is most reasona6le /or the losers
to choose > 6y retreatin% or /leein%,
surrenderin%, or 6ein% inca+acitated&
Make sure that losin% a 9uick com6at still has
si%ni/icant conse9uences, and that the more
detailed com6at that mi%ht /ollo5 a de/eat
G@
isn(t just a do3o4er& 0he 6i%%er the di//erence
6et5een the 5inner and the loser, the more
se4ere the conse9uence o/ the com6at should
6e, so that losin% 6y one success just means
you ha4e to /all 6ack, 6ut losin% 6y /i4e
successes means you 5ere thorou%hly crushed
and are no5 either unconscious or in
restraints& As /or e4ery con/lict, 5hat(s at
stake is a 9uick com6at needs to 6e made clear
at the 6e%innin%&
Sample Duick Combat1 Jun ?ei's Ship is
?oarded
Jun ?ei's ship's engine has been deacti!ated
by enemy fire and now a corporate cruiser
has attached itself to her ship and its security
forces are burning open her airlock to storm
and capture her !essel. Jun has busted open
the small(arms locker and has handed out
weapons knowing her crew is at a significant
disad!antage. She knows that the best point to
engage the boarders is at the airlock when
they'll only be able to come through one or
two at a time so she has her crew take
positions nearby with as much co!er as they
can find.
Since this combat won't likely in!ol!e a lot of
mo!ement the 2irector says that appropriate
Attributes to use for the Duick Combat roll
are 7ower 7recision or 0esilience. Jun ?ei's
player chooses 7recision hoping that her
sharp eye and fast refle4es will help win the
day. This means that her side starts with O
dice her 7recision score. After some
discussion the 2irector gi!es her side R; dice
for being on familiar territory and R; dice for
being able to choose an ad!antageous
position. The 2irector gi!es the boarding
party R9 die for being more e4perienced at
this kind of thing and R; dice for being
significantly better e5uipped M most of them
ha!e light armor and better weapons. Their
commanding officer is going to use her
Appeal to command her own troops in the
heat of battle. %er Appeal is O dice. This
means that Jun ?ei has a total of 9< dice and
the boarding party has a total of : dice. So
chances are good that the boarding party will
be repulsed but not decisi!ely and Jun ?ei's
crew will probably not come out unscathed.
KThe e4act conse5uences are always up to the
2irector.L
-8stract %o8at
0he +rimary system /or +hysical com6at that
the #arsec system uses is abstract combat&
A6stract com6at is dri4en 6y narrati4e
descri+tion and doesn(t in4ol4e a ma+ or
s+eci/ic +ositionin%& ;t can 6e ada+ted to /it
any situation the characters %et themsel4es
into > the maneu4ers and kinds o/ actions are
the same, as are the rules %o4ernin% them&
A6stract com6at lends itsel/ to more /ast3
+aced scenes 5here the details are su++lied
creati4ely > ho5 maneu4erin% to /ind a 6etter
/irin% +osition looks is u+ to the +layer(s
descri+tion, rather than 6ein% determined 6y
5hat is +resent on a 6attle ma+& All o/ the
rules still a++ly, 6ut they are descri6ed
narrati4ely rather than concretely on a com6at
ma+ 5ith miniatures&
;n a6stract com6at, there are three thin%s a
character can do durin% their turn in a round&
91 maneu!er and act or
;1 take a long action or
31 take a long maneu!er
:ane*5er an) -ct
;/ a character chooses to maneu4er and act, the
character has time to chan%e +osition or make
another small tactical mo4ement and take one
action& 0he mo4ement can(t 6e 4ery /ar >
across a room or throu%h a hatch or di4in% out
o/ a 4ehicle, /or e,am+le, and the action must
6e a 9uick one, takin% no more than a second
or t5o > /irin% a 5ea+on, attackin% in hand
com6at or dod%in% an attack&
A maneu4er and act allo5s a character to
chan%e +osition > to mo4e out in to the o+en
/rom co4er, or to %et 6ehind a4aila6le co4er i/
he is out in the o+en, 6ut not to mo4e /rom one
+oint o/ co4er to another& ;/ it isn(t somethin%
you can reach 5ith a jum+ or 233 9uick ste+s,
it 5ill take a lon% maneu4er to %et there& 7Fou
can also act and maneu4er > the order isn(t
really im+ortant&8
GG
Some options for your maneu!er1 mo!e out
into the open get behind nearby co!er +ump
slide down an incline pull open a door or
simple hatch M or push it closed again mo!e
to a new nearby position behind the same
ob+ect or obstruction that is pro!iding co!er
Some options for your action1 fire a weapon
throw an ob+ect briefly interface with a
security system Kenter a biometric or code
swipe an access card gi!e a !oice commandL
fire an automatic weapon in a short burst or
fire a beam from a laser
E4ample
7layer1 )k this round my character is going
to di!e behind the co!er she got close to last
round and then pop up real 5uick and shoot at
the sniper up in the window. $f $'m out in the
open he'll murder me.
2irector1 8es yes he will. Sounds like a
maneu!er and act to me. 0oll E!asion to get
behind the co!er and then make the .irearms
roll to shoot the sniper.
0ong :ane*5er
A lon% maneu4er is 5hat is re9uired to try and
take u+ a ne5 +osition& 0his is usually either
to ha4e a clearer shot at o++onents or to /ind a
+lace 5ith 6etter co4er& 0he %oal here is to %et
to a 6etter +osition and not %et shot or injured
in the +rocess& ;n a6stract com6at, a lon%
maneu4er is su//icient to mo4e /rom one area
5ith co4er to another near6y area 5ith co4er&
;t is also enou%h time to take u+ a ne5
+osition so that a tar%et no lon%er has co4er >
to out3/lank them, or to mo4e so that 5hat 5as
o6structin% your 4ie5 or your shot no lon%er
does so& ;n most cases, this should re9uire that
you are more 4ulnera6le than 6e/ore, unless
the +hysical situation has 6een descri6ed 7or
+re+ared8 such that a lot o/ co4er is a4aila6le&
Some options for long maneu!ers1 mo!e from
one point of co!er to another sprint down a
long hallway, open a hatch and di!e through,
e4it through an airlock withdraw to a
position farther from combat and out of
immediate danger, ad!ance to a new position
that's been taken or been !acated or mo!e to
fire around someone else's co!er.
E4ample
2irector1 )k you're behind co!er but you
can't get a clear shot from here because the
guy you're shooting at is behind co!er too.
7layer1 0ight got it. So $ need to mo!e to get
a clear shot>
2irector1 8up.
7layer1 )k can $ run from where $ am to
another spot with co!er where $ can still shoot
the guy>
2irector1 8eah there's enough debris around
but it'll ha!e to be a long maneu!er to go
from co!er to co!er.
7layer1 2one. $ want to take this guy out but $
don't want to get gunned down in the
processQ
0ong -ction
Ion% actions include takin% care/ul aim 6e/ore
/irin% a 5ea+on, usin% su++ressin% /ire, usin%
a /ull3automatic or sustained 6urn settin% 5ith
a 5ea+on, reloadin% a 5ea+on 5ith a ne5
cartrid%e or cli+, stra/in%, and so on&
;n a6stract com6at, a lon% action allo5s a
character to aim and /ire a 5ea+on > aimin% a
ran%ed 5ea+on adds 2 dice to the attack roll,
to /ull3auto or /ire a sustained 6urn 5ith a
5ea+on, to initiate a %ra++le, or to 6oth de/end
and attack in melee com6at& ;/ all you ha4e to
do is make a /ocused attack on your action,
you %et 2 e,tra dice > 6ut remem6er, you(4e
already acted, so you can(t do anythin% else
that round&
Some options for long actions1 try to clear a
weapon +am or fi4 a !ery simple e5uipment
malfunction disable a de!ice fire a weapon
on full automatic or release a sustained burn
from a laser strafe a group of targets lay
down suppressing fire prepare and throw an
e4plosi!e
E4ample
7layer1 )k if we can't get that group of
soldiers to stop shooting at us we won't be
able to pull back and regroupQ
GJ
2irector1 8eah that makes sense. They're
hunkered down and almost ha!e the hea!y
laser ready to fire.
7layer1 *ell then this round $'m going to
poke my head out from behind co!er and lay
down some suppressing fire. $f it works then
the rest of the team can take the chance to pull
back.
)ide6arD BCoordinationC *orkin% to%ether is
the key to success in any %rou+ con/lict& A
cohesi4e unit 5ill cut do5n a similar3si2ed
%rou+ o/ indi4iduals each /ollo5in% their o5n
se+arate +lan& A lon% maneu4er is 4ery
dan%erous 5ithout su++ressin% /ire co4erin%
you, and many times a maneu4er and act
lea4es you 4ulnera6le& ;t is assumed that each
round, each character can make a 6rie/
statement > just one, no con4ersations& 0he
6est 5ay to handle this is /or the leader to do
the talkin% and to make a +lan ahead o/ time&
!or this +ur+ose, i/ the +layer3characters can
hear each other o4er the sound o/ /i%htin%
7they are close enou%h or ha4e
communicators, etc&8 then assume that each
turn, a +layer3character has enou%h time to say
a short sentence 5hile takin% other actions,
other5ise lon%er communication re9uires the
use o/ a 5hole Ion% Action 6y itsel/&
#it$o*t t$e (nitiati5e> :ane*5er or -ct
All o/ the a6o4e ty+es o/ actions to take on
your turn assume you ha4e the ;nitiati4e&
*ithout the ;nitiati4e, you can maneu4er or
act, 6ut not 6oth& Fou cannot take lon% actions
and you cannot take lon% maneu4ers& 0his is
6ecause it is assumed that you are 6ein%
res+onsi4e to 5hat is %oin% on and not
initiating& Fou are 6ein% attacked, %ra66ed
shot at, shouted do5n and so on, and you only
ha4e time to res+ond&
0his 5ill o/ten mean that, in order to take the
;nitiati4e, you ha4e to take risks& Fou 5ill
ha4e to attack and not de/end, or re+osition
yoursel/ a5ay /rom co4er to %et a clear shot&
)tartin% a +hysical con/lict 5ith the ;nitiati4e
is a 6i% ad4anta%e, and ;nitiati4e is the re5ard
/or +lannin% ahead and 6ein% smart and takin%
risks /irst&
)ide6arD BBut ; 5ant to run around and shoot
e4erythin%=C ;t(s natural /or +layers to 5ant to
cram as much acti4ity as +ossi6le into their
turn in a con/lict& 0his can 9uickly %et out o/
hand, ho5e4er, and make it im+ossi6le to +ace
a con/lict and kee+ it e,citin%& 7Also, +layers
5ho are less enthusiastic a6out the con/lict
5ill ha4e to 5ait lon%er /or their turn8& 0he
5ay to a4oid this is to stick to %uidelines a6out
ho5 much can 6e done in an Action or a Ion%
Action& ;/ it takes more than one 6rie/
statement to say 5hat your character is doin%,
it 5ill +ro6a6ly take more than a sin%le Ion%
Action to com+lete&
%lose %o8at
Close com6at takes +lace 5ithin reach o/ your
o++onent& Fou(re tryin% to do one o/ t5o
thin%s >%ra6 and control an o++onent usin% the
"ra++lin% )kill or hit and injure an o++onent
usin% the )trikin% )kill& $and3to3hand com6at
o/ this kind ha++ens more than you mi%ht
ima%ine, +articularly in s+ace and on the
colonies& )+ace stations and s+aceshi+s are
6uilt to conser4e s+ace and mass as much as
+ossi6le, meanin% close 9uarters are the norm&
!e5 5ill 6e ea%er to 6last holes in the only
thin% holdin% the o,y%en inside, or risk hittin%
sensiti4e e9ui+ment and cri++lin% X li/e
su++ort or other critical /unctions& All o/ this
means that "ra++lin% and )trikin% 5ill come
u+, in many cases, more o/ten than !irearms
or e,+losi4es 5ill 5hen +hysical con/licts take
+lace o//3.arth&
Drappling starts 5ith a lon% action& 0o
attem+t a %ra++le, you must 6e in close ran%e
> close enou%h to touch your o++onent& Fou
then make a "ra++lin% )kill roll& 0o contest
the roll, your o++onent makes their o5n
"ra++lin% or .4asion roll, de+endin% on ho5
they 5ish to a4oid the %ra++le& ;/ the de/ender
is holdin% a small 5ea+on, he %ets a O2 dice
6onus to her roll, since it(s easier to /end o//
this ty+e o/ attack i/ armed 5ith a 5ea+on& ;/
his hands aren(t /ree to de/end himsel/, he %ets
a 32 dice penalty& ;/ the attacker is only usin%
one hand to %ra++le > +erha+s 6ecause the
other hand is holdin% a 5ea+on ready > the
a%%ressor su//ers a 32 dice +enalty to %ra++le&
J-
;/ the a%%ressor 5ins, then she has esta6lished
a hold on her o++onent& %e now has ;
ad!antage dice for any actions he attempts as
part of the grapple > thro5s, +ins, locks and
so on, meanin% he rolls 2 e,tra dice /or
"ra++lin% )kill checks until he loses his %ri+
on his o++onent& 70his is a situational
modi/ier8
'nce the %ra++le is esta6lished, the a%%ressor
has choices re%ardin% 5hat to do ne,t& 0he
a%%ressor can attem+t a pin or lock, deal
damage, or attem+t a throw& ;n all three
cases, another "ra++le )kill check is made,
6ut no5 the a%%ressor %ets the 2 ad4anta%e
dice /rom his success/ul hold& 0he de/ender(s
o+tions are limited as 5ell& 0he only 5ay to
resist these actions is to make a contested
"ra++lin% roll&
0he de/ender, 5ho is %ra++led, can also
attem+t to make attacks des+ite 6ein%
%ra++led, thou%h he no5 su//ers a 34 die
+enalty to attack rolls, and can only use his
)trikin% )kill unarmed or try to use small
handheld 5ea+ons > nothin% lar%er than a
kni/e or a +istol, and i/ the +istol has a 6urst or
auto3/ire mode, these modes %rant no 6onus
dice 6ecause they only make the 5ea+on
harder to control in close 9uarters&
0o pin or lock, the a%%ressor must 5in a
second contested "ra++le roll& 0his is
su//icient to immo6ili2e the de/ender& !rom
this +osition the a%%ressor can deal dama%e
5ith )trikin% attacks, and the de/ender is
almost hel+less& 'nce the +in or lock is
esta6lished, the attacker no5 has 4 ad4anta%e
dice&
*ith a lon% action, an attacker can B+in and
+oundC, makin% a "ra++le check to hold his
tar%et do5n and then a )trikin% attack usin%
the ad4anta%e dice /rom the "ra++le& Fou can
also deal lethal dama%e i/ you are still holdin%
a li%ht 5ea+on and 6rin% it to 6ear, kee+in% in
mind the 32 die +enalty /or %ra++lin% 5hile not
ha4in% 6oth hands /ree&
0o throw, the %ra++le has to 6e 6roken 6y the
a%%ressor& 0he a%%ressor makes a contested
"ra++le roll, addin% e,tra ad4anta%e dice&
0his 5orks like any other contested roll& ;/
success/ully thro5n, a 5ound is dealt e9ual to
Y the successes rolled& ;/ no injury is
sustained, the %ra++ler still has her o++onent
prone on the %round& "ettin% u+ /rom the
+rone +osition re9uires a maneu4er, and 5hile
+rone the +erson su//ers a 32 to all attack and
de/ense rolls& ;/ the thro5 /ails, then the
ad4anta%e dice are lost and 6oth com6atants
are 6ack to 5here they 6e%an&
Striking is the other )kill used in close
com6at& 0o use )trikin%, you don(t need a
5ea+on, 6ut ha4in% one makes you a lot more
e//ecti4e& 0o attack unarmed, +unchin% and
kickin% and so on, make an attack roll usin%
your )trikin% )kill, and count any successes as
a 6ruisin% 5ound& $and 5ea+ons that you
6rin% to 6ear add dice to this )trikin% roll, and
i/ they are desi%ned /or lethal com6at, they
also mean that you deal lethal 5ounds 5ith
your attacks&
0o de/end a%ainst )trikin%, it is +ossi6le to
dod%e or 6lock the attack& 0o dod%e, roll
.4asion 5hile 6lockin% re9uires a )trikin% roll
instead& ;t is also +ossi6le to res+ond 5ith a
"ra++le 7a %reat o+tion i/ you are unarmed=8,
meanin% that you re/er 6ack to the %ra++lin%
rules 5hile your o++onent kee+s tryin% to
attack you 5ith her 5ea+on& .4asion re9uires
area in 5hich to maneu4er, and this can
6ack/ire > you can 6e 6acked into a corner 6y
a +ersistent attacker& !or each .4asion roll
made, you ha4e to ha4e a cou+le o/ meters o/
s+ace to mo4e( *ithout room to maneu4er,
you need to de/end 5ith your o5n "ra++lin%
or )trikin% skill& ;/ you are attem+tin% to +arry
a hea4y 5ea+on 5ith a li%hter one, you su//er
a 32 dice +enalty& ;/, ho5e4er, you are
6lockin% an unarmed attack 5ith a hand
5ea+on, you %et a O2 dice 6onus to your )kill
roll&
")ne thing people from Earth don't e!er
reali&e once they are off(world is that we
don't use guns out here. *e're not the dreck
they think we are. 8ou fire inside and
e!eryone dies. #o one wants that. So you
learn to fight mano y mano with your fists. )r
with a good spanner. Those work too.-
((%arper Conn Commander Mars 0angers
K0et.L
J1
Range) %o8at
0his is the normal use o/ 5ea+ons such as
+istols or lasers& ;ts e,ecution is sim+le&
Fou(re your !irearms )kill, add any dice /or
0raits such as e9ui+ment, and a++ly the
dama%e as usual /or the num6er o/ successes
you roll, as al5ays kee+in% in mind any other
modi/iers that come /rom your situation >
ran%e, co4er and so on&
Based on the range, the num6er o/ dice rolled
is modi/ied& At close ran%e, successes are
scored normally > it(s easy to hit somethin% as
6i% as a +erson at this ran%e& At medium
ran%e, you su//er a 32 dice +enalty& At long
ran%e, the +enalty is 34& 0he ran%es /or a
5ea+on 4ary > you can estimate, or use the
num6ers listed in the e9ui+ment section o/ this
6ook& 6xtreme range is anythin% 6eyond lon%
ran%e 6ut still theoretically +ossi6le& 0his
causes a 36 dice +enalty& Hecoilless 5ea+ons,
sni+er ri/les, and com6at lasers ha4e
e,traordinarily lon% ran%es& Modi/ications can
6e a++lied to ran%ed 5ea+ons to alter its
ran%es: this is co4ered in section 3&4&
!or the ran%e su%%estions 6elo5, note that
lon% ran%e /or a +istol is the same as medium
ran%e /or a ri/le and close ran%e /or a laser&
0his 5as done intentionally, more /or %ame
6alance than realism&
&oral #eapon Ranges 8y /ype
Pistol
$ncludes slug(throwers needler pistols and
assault pistols
Close 1-m
Medium 3-m
Ion% 5-m
.,treme 1--m
Rifle
$ncludes single(shot rifles hunting rifles and
assault rifles
Close 3-m
Medium 5-m
Ion% 1--m
.,treme 3--m
Laser
$ncludes any kind of hand(held military laser
#ote1 .iring a laser in Earth or Earth(like
atmosphere incurs a (9 situational penalty.
.iring it in a thicker(than(Earth atmosphere
or when there is a lot of smoke or dust in the
air incurs a (; situational penalty.
Close 5-m
Medium 1--m
Ion% 3--m
.,treme 1km
)ide6arD B$o5 are these 5ea+ons 6alanced?C
;n #arsec, 5e try to 6alance out e9ui+ment
6onuses 6y makin% more +o5er/ul e9ui+ment
cost more 0raits& 0his means, /or e,am+le,
that a character can start +lay 5ith a military3
%rade laser or /our other 0raits addin% dice in
other situations& 0his 5on(t 6alance out
6ecause di//erent characters 5ill 6e %ood at
di//erent thin%s& A military3%rade laser in the
hands o/ a skilled shooter turns him into a
killin% machine& A s+y 5ho could ne4er 6e
seen 5alkin% around carryin% a 6ulky military
laser can use the talents or s+eciali2ations to
%et in/ormation or 5in social con/licts& Also, i/
your 6atteries run out, or i/ you(re hit 6y an
.M#, talents and s+eciali2ations still /unction,
5hile the laser is rendered useless& The main
thing that balances the game is the players
making sure e!eryone is ha!ing fun&
Many +rojectile and 6eam 5ea+ons +ro4ide an
o+tion o/ usin% a sin%le shot, burst /ire, or
full automatic /ire& 0he 6ase num6ers listed
/or any 5ea+on are al5ays the sin%le round
6onus /or that 5ea+on& )in%le rounds are
actions, as is 6urst /ire, 6ut /ull automatic /ire
is a lon% action& !or 6eam 5ea+ons such as
lasers, the e9ui4alent o/ a sin%le shot is a
flash, the e9ui4alent o/ 6urst /ire is a beam,
and the e9ui4alent o/ /ull3auto is a sustained
burn&
*hen bursting, you /ire a /e5 rounds, usually
three 6ullets or +erha+s a do2en /lechettes or
one tenth o/ the +o5er in a 6attery +ack, or
one tenth o/ a /ull cli+ in an assault 5ea+on&
Burstin% adds 2 dice to the attack roll, 6ut
your ma,imum ran%e to use 6urst /ire is
medium > 6eyond that ran%e, recoil makes the
5ea+on dan%erous only to 6ystanders 5ho
mi%ht %et cau%ht in the s+ray& *ith 6ursts, you
lose the 6ene/its o/ aimin% and cannot use a
J2
sco+e, laser si%ht, or most other tar%etin%
technolo%y 7e,ce+tions to this rule 5ill 6e
clear /rom .9ui+ment descri+tions8& Beam
5ea+ons are less limited > a burst can still hit
at lon% ran%e, 5hile a sustained 6urn 7like /ull
automatic /ire, descri6ed 6elo58 can only 6e
medium ran%e > thou%h this can 6e miti%ated
6y s+endin% 0raits to modi/y your 5ea+on&
)imilarly a 6eam 6urns 1M1- o/ a 6eam
5ea+on(s 6attery&
2ull automatic /ire limits your ran%e to close
7/or care/ul tar%etin% > you can al5ays /ire o//
6lasts to5ard distant tar%ets and ho+e /or the
6est > see su++ressin% /ire 6elo58& *hen
1%oin% /ull3auto(, you add /our dice to your
)kill roll /or the attack, and the same
limitations a++ly 5hich a++lied to 6urst /ire&
0he +ro6lem is ammunition is e,+ended
9uickly& .ach !ull3Auto /irin% uses 1M3 o/ a
/ull cli+ 7or 6attery /or a sustained 6urn8 in
standard 5ea+ons& A%ain, 6eam 5ea+ons are
less limited, ena6lin% a sustained 6urn /rom a
laser to tar%et medium ran%e e//ecti4ely&
Strafing is a lon% action, an attack that tar%ets
multi+le o++onents& 0his is only +ossi6le 5ith
/ull3auto /ire or sustained laser /ire& Fou s+lit
successes 6et5een multi+le tar%ets to
determine 5ounds dealt, 6ut you also take a 31
+enalty to the roll /or e4ery tar%et 6eyond the
/irst you are ho+in% to hit& 0his means that i/
you tar%et /i4e o++onents 5ith stra/in% /ire,
you ha4e ne%ated the O4 6onus that /ull3
automatic /ire or a sustained 6urn %i4es you
5ith the 34 /or the 4 e,tra tar%ets& ;t is also
im+ortant to 6ear in mind 5hat is 6ehind your
tar%ets, since it is almost im+ossi6le to a4oid
hittin% 5hate4er that ha++ens to 6e& Bad
results /rom stra/in% near ci4ilians are entirely
u+ to the Director, 6ut you shouldn(t use
)tra/in% i/ /irin% at indi4iduals mi,ed in 5ith a
lar%er %rou+ you don(t 5ant to 5ound&
Ammo Summary
)in%le shot > don(t need to track e4ery round:
the Director is encoura%ed to just estimate
ho5 much ammo is le/t and let the +layers
kno5
Burst or 6eam > 6urns 1M1- o/ the ammunition
or +o5er cell in the 5ea+on in 9uestion 7that
is, you can 6urst or /ire a 6eam 1- times
6e/ore reloadin%8
!ull automatic or sustained 6urn > 6urns 1M3 o/
the ammunition or +o5er cell in the 5ea+on in
9uestion 7as a6o4e, 6ut 3 times 6e/ore you
ha4e to reload8
Suppressing fire is a lon% action, and is
meant to kee+ someone +inned do5n,
+re4entin% them /rom actin%& *hen under a
6arra%e o/ su++ressin% /ire, a com6atant needs
to make a Coura%e roll in order to act at all
7contested 6y the attack roll8, e4en i/ it(s
technically unlikely that they 5ill 6e hit& ;/
they do act, then your su++ressin% /ire roll
6ecomes an attack roll a%ainst them& 0his
attack roll uses hal/ o/ your )kill dice, rounded
u+: remem6er to take modi/iers /or co4er into
account 6e/ore the dire are rolled /or the
attack&
!alled shots are unnecessary in #arsec, since
more direct hits 5ill al5ays deal more
dama%e& !eel /ree to narrate these 5ounds
ho5e4er you like& ;/ you 5ish to, /or e,am+le,
/ire at someone to 5ound them rather than kill
them, then you can limit the num6er o/ dice
you roll to re+resent the care you(re takin% in
not deli4erin% a killin% shot& Ao matter 5hat,
thou%h, i/ you(re shootin% at someone and hit
them, you(re %oin% to hurt them& .,tra e//ects
are u+ to the Director to determine 6ased on
the attacker(s intent, the dice rolls and the
situation&
8arget siFe is another consideration&
)ometimes you(re not aimin% /or a +erson& !or
somethin% a6out hal/ the si2e o/ a +erson, 32
dice to the attack roll& !or somethin% the si2e
o/ a hand or /oot, 34 dice& !or somethin% tiny,
36 dice& Bear in mind that smaller tar%ets
usually re9uire less dama%e to inca+acitate&
!or somethin% hal/ the si2e o/ a +erson, 3
successes su//ice most o/ the time& !or
somethin% the si2e o/ a hand or /oot, 2
successes is enou%h& !or somethin% tiny, 1
success is enou%h to dama%e it enou%h to sto+&

J3
its /unctionin%&
Range) %o8at <ptions
Action Roll Effect
Shot?(lash (irearms /ne damae per success
2urst?2urn (irearms J2 /ne damae per successA 1?10 ammo or 0atter, used
(ull !uto?Sustained 2urn (irearms J1 /ne damae per successA 1?% of ammo or 0atter, used
Strafin (irearms J1 Lose 1 die per taret 0e,ond the 1stA 1 roll for all taretsA divide
damae 0et#een taretsA 1?% of ammo or 0atter, used
Suppressin (ire (irearms J2
or J1
1?10 or 1?% of ammo or 0atter, usedA roll contested 0,
Courae of tarets 0ein suppressedK if taret actsA 1?2 dice
rolled as an attac6
Called Shot (irearms "o special rule e$cept see 0elo#
Taret 1?2 si5e of a person (irearms -2 % successes needed to incapacitateA 7irectorLs discretion
Taret the si5e of a hand or
foot
(irearms -1 2 successes to incapacitate
Taret the si5e of a coin (irearms -) 1 success to incapacitate
1'plosi5es
.,+losi4es deli4er dama%e o4er a 5ide area&
;n com6at, the most common e,+losi4es are
%renades and other similar 5ea+ons 5hich are
thro5n and detonate on im+act or 5hen a
short timer %oes o//& Headyin% and thro5in%
such a 5ea+on is a lon% action& ;n order to
ha4e the e,+losi4e land 5here you 5ant it to,
an Athletics )kill roll is re9uired& ;/ the
%renade is BstickyC, or someho5 adheres to its
tar%et, then you roll normally /or a tar%et o/
that si2e& Esin% a normal %renade3ty+e
e,+losi4e de4ice 5hich doesn(t adhere to its
tar%et causes an e,tra 32 on your Athletics roll
6e/ore other situational modi/iers such as
ran%e and co4er are taken into account, since it
5ill 6ounce and roll 6e/ore it %oes o//& .4en a
+oor thro5 5ith a %renade 5ill deal +lenty o/
dama%e, ho5e4er&
Dice /rom the e,+losi4e are added to your
Athletics roll, and this ser4es as an attack, in
the same 5ay that any 6onus dice /rom your
5ea+ons are added to your !irearms attacks& A
standard %renade deals /ull dama%e in a 5
meter radius /rom 5here it %oes o//, 32
dama%e /or the ne,t 5 meters and 34 dama%e
/rom there to the ed%es o/ its area o/ e//ect,
5hich is a6out 15 meters&
$f you roll no successes with a grenade(type
weapon, you /um6led it and it landed near you
3 roll dama%e a%ainst yoursel/ and those
near6y& Assume that the center o/ its 6last
radius doesn(t 9uite catch you, so roll the
dama%e at 32 /or yoursel/ and anyone else
5ithin a /e5 meters o/ you, then roll at 34 dice
/or those 5ithin around 1- meters o/ you&
Any a6sor6in% co4er you(re 6ehind /unctions
normally, 6ut o6scurin% co4er does nothin% at
all& *ithout co4er, you take the /ull dama%e&
0he only 5ay to 6e sa/e /rom an e,+losi4e is
to 6e outside its area o/ e//ect or com+letely
6ehind a6sor6in% co4er&
0he a6o4e rules co4er %renade3like e,+losi4es
used in +ersonal com6at& 0here are o64iously
much more +o5er/ul e,+losi4es, such as
landmines 7or s+ace mines8, set char%es,
sha+ed char%es, and so on& ;n most cases,
these 5ill 6e lethal i/ allo5ed to %o o//, and
should 6e a narrati4e e4ent rather than
somethin% resol4ed 5ith com6at& #lantin%
such e,+losi4es re9uires a )tealth roll, and
noticin% them 6e/ore they %o o// re9uires a
Detection roll&
;t should %o 5ithout sayin% that e,+losi4es
like these are only used on .arth& .4en on a
lar%e colony, such as the ones on Iuna, a
standard /ra%mentation %renade %oin% o//
5ould ha4e a %ood chance o/ 6reachin% the
outer layer o/ the colony and 4entin% all o/ the
air out into the 4acuum o/ s+ace& !or this
reason, e,+losi4es are outla5ed on all stations
and colonies, and those cau%ht 5ith them are
J4
su6ject to e,tremely harsh +enalties& 7'n Iuna
and Mars, the +enalty /or e,+losi4es
+ossession is e,ecution 5ithout a++eal8& 0his
isn(t to say that e,+losions ne4er ha++en&
0hey do, and the results are s+ectacularly
destructi4e&
-ror
0here are /our ty+es o/ armor that a +erson
mi%ht 5ear& )ome 4ersions o/ these are le%al
/or ci4ilian use, and all o/ them can 6e 6uilt 6y
skilled technicians /or the ri%ht +rice > or
+urchased on the 6lack market, 5hich is the
most common source /or com6at armor
outside military or elite cor+orate security
/orces& .ach kind o/ armor /unctions in a
+articular 5ay, and it is +ossi6le to ha4e
com+osite armor 5hich com6ines multi+le
/unctions > thou%h the more your armor
+rotects you a%ainst, the more it %ets in the
5ay& .//ecti4e armor is al5ays 6ulky > the
laser3+roo/ silk shirt is still in de4elo+ment& ;n
all cases /or armor, it /unctions 6y +ro4idin% a
situational +enalty /or attacks a%ainst someone
5earin% it&
'blati?e armor is the most common choice
/or 5ealthy ci4ilians to 5ear, +articularly
cele6rities& ;t is made o/ a material that is
reacti4e to kinetic ener%y& As it a6sor6s the
ener%y o/ an attack, it 6urns a5ay, %i4in% o// a
stron% chemical smell, so it is 6est /or sin%le3
use situations rather than e,tended com6ats or
cam+ai%ns& A6lati4e armor 5as de4elo+ed
6ecause o/ the restrictions on com6at armor
o5nershi+& *ealthy and +o5er/ul ci4ilians
5anted some /orm o/ le%al +rotection, and
a6lati4e is an e,+ensi4e, 6ut le%al, alternati4e
to ho+in% your 6ody%uards s+ot an attacker in
time& 0here are e4en stylish models /or those
concerned a6out com6at3ready couture& .4ery
time a6lati4e armor a6sor6s an attack, the
situational modi/ier it +ro4ides to +rotect you
is reduced 6y 1 until it reaches -, at 5hich
+oint the armor is considered destroyed and is
useless as +rotection&
=eflecti?e armor is desi%ned to +rotect /rom
all kinds o/ radiation, 6ut +rimarily lasers and
other sources o/ /ocused, intense heat&
He/lecti4e armor doesn(t necessarily re/lect
4isi6le li%ht, thou%h it has a hi%h %lossy sheen
to it& ;t is almost useless a%ainst +rojectiles or
kinetic ener%y, 6ut it +ro4ides a situational
modi/ier a%ainst ener%y attacks, includin%
lasers and heat& He/lecti4e armor is al5ays
insulated as 5ell, makin% it a6le to 6oth re/lect
and a6sor6 radiation to +rotect the 5earer&
8actical armor is desi%ned to sto+ +rojectiles
as 5ell as hand 5ea+ons& ;t is usually made o/
reacti4e synthetic /i6er mesh 5hich hardens
on im+act, s+readin% the /orce o/ a +rojectile
o4er a 5ider area& ;t still hurts to 6e shot, 6ut
you(re not as likely to 6e +hysically injured& ;/
the armor sto+s the +rojectile, the 5orst you(ll
ha4e is 6ruisin%& '/ course there are rounds
and 5ea+ons desi%ned to +enetrate im+act
armor, and in turn, more ad4anced im+act
armor has 6een de4elo+ed to sto+ those
rounds& 0his is re+resented 5ith die 6onuses in
5ithin the %ame and is noted in e9ui+ment
descri+tions 5here a++ro+riate&
<owered armor is desi%ned to au%ment the
+hysical ca+a6ilities o/ the +erson 5earin% it&
More e,+ensi4e armor is less 6ulky and
li%hter, as are +rototy+es still under
de4elo+ment& #o5ered armor detects the
user(s mo4ements and au%ments them& 0he
most ad4anced 4ersions /unction like an e,tra
layer o/ muscles, 5ith /i6rous materials that
contract, stretch and sta6ili2e like normal
muscle& #o5ered armor is rarely seen in the
ci4ilian sector and +rices are e,or6itant /or
third3hand, reconditioned suits& #o5ered
armor +ro4ides 6onus dice to #o5er, and
there/ore to )kills 6ased on #o5er& 0he
tradeo// is a sli%ht reduction o/ Mo6ility&
!omposite armor is a com6ination o/ t5o or
more o/ the a6o4e armor ty+es into a sin%le
suit or +iece o/ +ersonal armor& Doin% this
increases the cost o/ the armor drastically and
reduces your Mo6ility 5hile 5earin% it 6y 1&
"$f you get the call to do a 9I(3;< a protect(ser!e on a
presumed drug lab y'know the small(time outfits
they're usually fired up like a ram+et starter and armed
with 3od knows whatQclubs anti5ue .IBs from the
*astes who knows what. That means the minute the
call comes to go get them take the e4tra fi!e minutes
and put your armor on. #o normally nothing will
happen. ?ut if something does your kids and maybe
your wife or husband who knows will be awfully glad
J5
you took the time. 3ot it> 7ut the armor on.- ((7olice
0ecruit ?riefing 6eft Coast 7olice and Security Corp.
%o5er
Co4er is sim+le > it makes you harder to hit or
dama%e 5ith ran%ed attacks& 0he system
handles t5o di//erent kinds o/ co4er& 0he /irst
obscures your silhouette, makin% it harder to
tar%et you& 0he second absorbs or de/lects
incomin% /ire&
/bscuring co4er reduces the num6er o/ attack
dice rolled a%ainst a tar%et hidin% 6ehind it&
'6scurin% co4er is any ty+e o/ co4er 5hich
makes it harder to see the tar%et 6ut 5hich
5on(t actually sto+ rounds or laser 6eams
/rom hittin% the tar%et& )i%ni/icant o6scurin%
co4er im+oses a 31 +enalty on attacks&
'6scurin% co4er that 6reaks u+ much o/ the
tar%et(s outline im+oses a 32 die +enalty&
*hen only a small +art o/ the tar%et is 4isi6le,
then the +enalty is 33& Iastly, 6ein% entirely
6ehind o6scurin% co4er im+oses a 34 +enalty
on attacks > 6ut this is only i/ the attacker is
already a5are o/ a++ro,imately 5here you
are& .iring blindly into obscuring co!er misses
automatically. 0he +enalties are modest
6ecause e4en some misses 5ill still hit the
tar%et, since shots 5ill +ass throu%h the co4er
and mi%ht still strike the +erson 6ehind it& As
mentioned, in a6stract com6at, it re9uires a
success/ul maneu4er action to reach a +osition
5here a clear shot is a4aila6le a%ainst a +erson
6ehind co4er&
'bsorbing co4er im+oses t5ice this die3
+enalty 6ecause stray rounds ha4e no chance
o/ +assin% throu%h the co4er& !or added
drama, a Director can dictate 5hen a6sor6in%
co4er is 5orn do5n or destroyed 6y consistent
/ire, es+ecially i/ it is im+ro4ised and not, say,
a military 6unker or em6ankment& ;t(s u+ to
the Director ho5 /ast this ha++ens, and 5hen:
it(s also a %reat 5ay to ratchet u+ tension and
/orce #Cs to mo4e&
The following e4amples all apply to situations
where a character is in!ol!ed in a firefight.
15asion
;n a situation 5here there is at least some
co4er, a character can attem+t to retreat sa/ely
6y makin% an .4asion )kill check& 0his counts
as a lon% maneu4er& .ach success on the check
su6tracts dice /rom all attacks a%ainst that
character /or the round& 0here(s no %uarantee,
and this doesn(t 5ork i/ there is no co4er 7then
they're +ust shooting at a mo!ing target with
the normal (; penalty8, 6ut i/ thin%s are %oin%
6ad it(s 5orth a try& Makin% this .4asion roll
means you(re doin% all you can to %et out o/
harm(s 5ay > it doesn(t let you %et to a 6etter
/irin% +osition or use this mo4e to your
ad4anta%e in other 5ays& Fou(re just %ettin%
out o/ immediate trou6le& $o5 /ar you %et
de+ends on the s+eci/ic situation > ho5 /ar
you ha4e to %o until you(re out o/ dan%er, or
until you run out o/ co4er as you retreat&
As a normal maneu4er, you can make an
.4asion roll to mo4e 6ehind co4er or to mo4e
out /rom 6ehind co4er > 6ut not 6oth& 0o
mo4e /rom one +osition o/ co4er to another
re9uires a lon% maneu4er& ;n the case o/
maneu4erin% into co4er, your /ull .4asion roll
is a++lied a%ainst any incomin% attack& ;n the
case o/ maneu4erin% out o/ co4er, your
.4asion roll is at a 32 +enalty& ;ts assumed
you(re lea4in% co4er at the 6est +ossi6le time,
and that it 5ill hel+ +rotect you, 6ut the loss o/
the co4er 5ill 6e more o/ a +ro6lem&
;n close com6at, .4asion ena6les a character
to dod%e a5ay /rom attacks as lon% as there is
room /or her to mo4e, and the de/ense roll is
contested 5ith the attack roll& ;/ the attack roll
%ets more successes, the successes it 6eats the
.4asion roll 6y are dama%e dealt&
Fear
0he a4era%e +erson has ne4er 6een in a
+hysical altercation o/ any kind 6eyond a
school3a%ed /ist/i%ht& .4en /or seasoned
6ra5lers, a real %un/i%ht is %oin% to 6e
terri/yin%, and seasoned soldiers, re%ardless o/
the stories, aren(t e,actly calm a6out it either&
0his is one o/ those times 5hen )cars are
hel+/ul&
J6
*hen combat begins all characters in!ol!ed
must make a check against their Courage& 0he
Director can roll once /or %rou+s o/ A#Cs the
#Cs are encounterin%, thou%h the Director can
roll /or each indi4idual i/ he desires: he can
e4en do this 6e/orehand i/ he 5ishes to sa4e
time durin% the actual con/lict&
0hese Coura%e rolls re9uire at least 1 success,
or else the character is una6le to do anythin%
at all /or the /irst round o/ com6at e,ce+t dro+
strai%ht to the %round in /ear& Fou +anic= .4en
seasoned soldiers lose it sometimes, and
+eo+le 5ho ha4e ne4er 6een in com6at at all
should +ro6a6ly lose it the /irst time someone
is suddenly tryin% to kill them&
'ne success allo5s a character to +artici+ate
in the /irst round o/ com6at, 6ut the character
is handica++ed 6y /ear, and needs to roll a%ain
6e/ore the ne,t round to kee+ %oin%& Coura%e
rolls must 6e continued until the character
achie4es a total o/ 3 successes& A/ter that, he is
/ine /or the rest o/ the com6at& *hile doin%
this, i/ any roll is a com+lete /ailure 7no
successes8, the character +anics and co5ers 7as
a6o4e8, and needs to start all o4er tryin% to %et
3 successes&
"Some dude hundreds of years ago said /*e ha!e
nothing to fear but fear itself.' 2ude was a moron.
Somebody's firing a chain(cannon in your !icinity you
best be fearing it or you won't be ali!e to fear anything
e!er again.- ((*a!elog comment on the wiki for /9Bmm
chain(cannon' entry
Pain an) (n;*ry
$n 7arsec combat in+uries are fre5uent and
serious. $t is ne!er a good idea to get into a
physical conflict unless you are willing to
accept the risk of taking some serious wounds.
;njuries sustained in com6at are tracked
indi4idually& 0here are no hit +oints in #arsec&
;njuries are a narrati4e de4ice and should 6e as
s+eci/ic as the %rou+ 5ishes them to 6e& ;n
%eneral, 5ea+ons are +retty deadly, and there
5on(t 6e characters that are actually harder to
injure than others& 0here isn(t a human 6ody
that can sto+ a 6ullet, much less a laser, or
a6sor6 a rocket or %renade 6last&
0he main di//erence 6et5een +eo+le 5hen
they are 5ounded is +ain tolerance& 0hose
5ho ha4e had harsh li4es, military trainin%, or
5ho ha4e 6een injured in com6at 6e/ore 5ill
ha4e an ad4anta%e, re+resented 6y )cars and
hi%her Hesilience scores& 0hose 5ho ha4e led
so/ter li4es, 5ho lack the )cars and the
Hesilience, 5ill 6e easier to 6rin% do5n > 6ut
no one(s /lesh is tou%h enou%h to sto+ a 6ullet&
*hen an attack is rolled, the successes
re+resent ho5 e//ecti4e the attack 5as& 0he
num6er o/ successes is the dice3+enalty that is
a++lied to the )kill rolls o/ the +erson 5ho is
injured& .or e4ample an attack that achie!es
O successes inflicts a wound with a (O dice
penalty& ;/ su6se9uent injuries are hi%her than
your current dice +enalty, then that injury
6ecomes your ne5 dice +enalty /rom that
+oint on& So if you are at (; dice and take
another hit with I successes worth of in+ury
you new penalty is (I dice&
0he Hesilience a6ility that hel+s a character
deal 5ith +ain /rom injuries is 0olerance&
.4ery time you are injured in com6at, you
ha4e to roll 0olerance to see i/ you can %rit
your teeth and continue /i%htin% throu%h the
+ain& Makin% 0olerance rolls 5on(t reduce the
+enalties /rom 5ounds > those just ha4e to 6e
dealt 5ith& Com6at hurts, and 5ounds make it
harder /or your 6ody to /unction& 0olerance,
ho5e4er, lets you shru% o// the 6ody(s
immediate reaction to si%ni/icant injury > that
is, to sto+ doin% 5hate4er it 5as that %ot it
hurt in the /irst +lace and %o lay do5n
some5here 9uiet 7that is, %o into shock8&
0he character(s 0olerance roll must %arner
successes e9ual to the dice +enalty o/ the
injury to continue actin% in the con/lict& !or
e,am+le, i/ a character is sta66ed and the
attacker rolled 2 successes, the injury carries a
32 dice +enalty& 0his means that to a4oid
dou6lin% o4er in a%ony, the character must roll
at least 2 successes on his 0olerance roll&
;/ this roll is /ailed, then the character is
tem+orarily inca+acitated 5ith +ain& $e can
make another attem+t ne,t round to shake it
o// and continue, and can continue doin% so
/or as lon% as he is conscious& Hemem6er that
the dice +enalties /rom 5ounds also a++ly to
this 0olerance roll, re+resentin% mountin%
J@
+ain, 6leedin%, and the 6ody(s natural +rocess
o/ enterin% into shock 5hen seriously injured&
*hen the dice3+enalties /rom injuries are
e9ual to your character(s #o5er score, he
colla+ses and %oes into shock& *hen dice3
+enalties surpass the com6ined #o5er O
Hesilience score, he dies& At this +oint, he is
6eyond death(s door, and i/ he isn(t 5hisked
9uickly to a 5ell3su++lied emer%ency room,
there(s no 6rin%in% him 6ack&
At least, no 5ay 5e(4e mentioned so /arL
Any time your character is so 6adly injured
that the die3+enalty he is su//erin% sur+ass his
#o5er score, it is hi%hly recommended that he
take a ne5 )car& 7Hemem6er that die3+enalties
aren(t cumulati4e, so only the 5orst 5ound
counts8 ;/ he is 6rou%ht to the threshold o/ his
#o5er O Hesilience 6ut someho5 6rou%ht
6ack /rom death, then he ME)0 take a ne5
)car&
2eat$
;/ you don(t 5ant dice to decide 5hen a
character dies, then the +layer and Director
must 5ork it out& ;s it time /or the character to
die? Can hel+ reach him in time? Are enemies
likely to +er/orm a cou+3de3%race and /inish
him o//?
;n a /uturistic settin%, ad4anced medical
+rocedures may 6rin% someone 6ack /rom the
6rink o/ death i/ necessary& Brain death 6e%ins
a /e5 minutes a/ter your heart sto+s, 6ut
there(s reason to e,+ect that the ca+acity to
resuscitate and reha6ilitate 5ill 6e %reater in
the /uture& )u//ice to say, death is somethin%
that should ha++en as +art o/ the story, rather
than a 6unch o/ unlucky rolls, unless your
%rou+ 5ants to +ut their trust in ca+ricious /ate
7then a%ain, 5e(4e noted se4eral times that
com6at is deadly8& A lot o/ 5ork %oes into
creatin% and de4elo+in% a character, so the
lack o/ s+eci/ic rules a6out death %i4es room
/or the Director to 5ork 5ith the s+irit o/ the
%ame& ;n com6at, it 5ill usually 6e easy to
dro+ someone 5ho isn(t 5earin% si%ni/icant
armor, 6ut killin% them outri%ht is another
matter&
*hen /aced 5ith the o+tion o/ death, it is
almost al5ays more interestin% to take a )car&
E4ample1 Toughing it out
2uring the boarding of her ship Jun ?ei is hit
by a few bits from a flechette. The attacker
scores 3 successes and Jun ?ei isn't behind
co!er so she's hit directly the needles tearing
through her space(suit and sticking into her
body. She now has a (3 penalty to e!erything
because of the in+ury and also needs to make
a Tolerance roll. She's de!eloped some since
Chapter ; so let's say that her 0esilience is
still B but another Scar has upped her
Tolerance to intermediate so her roll is
BdWI. %er player rolls and gets 3 successes
which is enough to keep going through the
pain. $f she had gotten fewer than 3 successes
she'd be paraly&ed by the pain for a round
until she could try to roll again and tough it
out.
Reco5ery
Medicine in the #arsec settin% is 9uite
ad4anced& .4en se4ere injuries can 6e treated
9uickly i/ the 4ictim is /ound in time& As
mentioned +re4iously, each 5ound a character
sustains is tracked indi4idually 6ecause the
5ounds must 6e treated indi4idually 5hen an
injured character /inally recei4es medical
attention&
Heco4ery in #arsec is 4ery sim+le& ;t takes one
day +er die o/ se4erity to reco4er /rom a
6ruisin% 5ound > so a 33 6ruisin% 5ound
re9uires 3 days /or reco4ery& 0he len%th o/
time is dou6led i/ the 5ound is lethal, and
dou6led a%ain i/ you do not ha4e 9uality
medical care 5hile you reco4er& )o i/ the
5ound is a 33 lethal 5ound, it takes 6 days to
reco4er, and i/ you don(t ha4e 9uality medical
care, it takes 12 days&
;n order to count days to5ard reco4ery, a
character must rest and 6e under the care o/ a
medic or doctor& Any strenuous +hysical
acti4ity 7com6at, runnin%, etc8 means the
injury re3o+ens and you lose all +re4ious
+ro%ress to5ard reco4ery&
Esin% the /irst e,am+le o/ the 33 Bruisin%
5ound, a/ter 1 day o/ rest it 6ecomes a 32
JG
5ound, a/ter 2 days it im+ro4es to a 31 5ound,
5hile it is %ood3as3ne5 a/ter the 3
rd
day > as
lon% as you ha4e medical care 7other5ise the
len%th o/ reco4ery is dou6led8& *ounds heal
+ro%ressi4ely and are tracked day 6y day as
they heal& 0his may 6e con/usin% i/ a %rou+ o/
#Cs are all reco4erin% /rom 4arious kinds o/
5ounds 5ith 4arious le4els o/ se4erity, so it is
recommended that reco4ery take +lace durin%
do5n3time, or time that is not s+ent tryin% to
accom+lish anythin% strenuous& #re/era6ly,
this time should 6e s+ent in a hos+ital&
Bear in mind that i/ you ha4e no medical
su++lies or care, you don't heal at all& .4en i/
you are healin% at Z the ideal rate 6ecause you
can(t make it to a hos+ital, you still need to 6e
restin% and ha4e access to 6asic medical
su++lies& 'ther5ise, the 5ounds mi%ht start
closin%, 6ut you 5ill /ace other com+lications
such as in/ection&
!or 5ounds to 6ecome )cars, they should 6e
note5orthy in the character(s li/e /or some
reason& #erha+s the 5ound 5as a li/e3
threatenin% e,+erience or +erha+s it 5as
im+ortant 6ecause it allo5ed the +erson you
hate the most in the cosmos esca+e& Ad4anced
medicine can heal almost e4erythin%, 6ut some
5ounds are more than +hysical& $t's always
the player's decision when a character gains
a new Scar.
Reco5ery /a8le
2ruisin Wounds Lethal Wounds
With onl, 0asic care 2 da,s per #ound level 1 da,s per #ound level
With medical care 1 da, per #ound level 2 da,s per #ound level
Note: Medical care means at last 3 successes on a Medicine roll each day and well-stocked facilities
E4ample1 Jun ?ei 0eco!ers
After her crew has repulsed the boarding
party and escaped Jun ?ei finally lands on an
obscure unofficial space station where she
finds a contact Krolling Social #etworkingL
willing to help them /unofficially'. They arri!e
and come to a small clinic set up in what was
once a maintenance storage room.
Jun ?ei has two wounds she suffered during
the shootout. )ne was a (3 and the other a (9
both lethal.
The 2irector decides that the little clinic she
found is partial meaning that her wounds will
be reduced by one die each e!ery I days of
care. So after I days her (9 wound is healed
and her (3 wound is reduced to a (; wound
and 9; days later that wound is healed
entirely. $t is up to Jun's player whether she
wants the more serious in+ury to become a
Scar. Either way 9O days pass and if those
days are interrupted the progress on healing
the current wound le!el is lost.
B;t(s hard to 6elie4e that a /e5 hundred years a%o that
o4er hal/ o/ all +eo+le 5ounded in 6attles died there or
hos+itals a/ter5ards& En6elie4a6le that they thou%ht
they 5ere the +innacle o/ modern trauma care& May6e
they 5ere, 6ut ;(d lo4e to see 5hat they(d say no5&C
33;ntroduction, A Casual %istory of Modern Medicine
Spaces$ip %o8at
.,ce+t /or 5hat is mentioned 6elo5, the
#arsec s+ace com6at system /ollo5s the same
%eneral rules as normal /ire/i%hts&
;n s+aceshi+ com6at, the trickiest thin% to
5ork out is the /act that it is takin% +lace in
three dimensions, 5hereas terrestrial com6at is
essentially t5o3dimensional& #arsec handles
this +ro6lem in t5o 5ays& !irst, distances and
ran%es are al5ays relati4e 6et5een the
com6atants& 0his means that no matter ho5
much t5o shi+s are 5hirlin% around each other
in three dimensions, one o/ the t5o rele4ant
considerations is ho5 /ar they are /rom each
other& 0he second rele4ant /act is ho5 they are
oriented 5ith relation to each other& 0hat is,
JJ
5hat +arts o/ the t5o shi+s are /acin% one
another?
)u//ice to say > 5e don(t 5ant you 5orryin%
a6out it too much& 0here(s a limit to ho5
realistic you can 6e 5ithout 6o%%in% the %ame
do5n& 0he reality, the three(dimensionality o/
any as+ect o/ the %ame 5ill come /rom your
ima%ination and narration, not the %ame rules&
0he rules %i4e you the rele4ant in/ormation
and tell you ho5 to take ad4anta%e o/ your
+osition > or esca+e a 6ad one&
.ach shi+ Attri6ute has a /unction in shi+
com6at 5hich is /leshed out 6elo5&
<owerD 0his is necessary /or a//ectin% the
distance 6et5een you and your enemy,
determinin% 5hether you can close the ran%e
or esca+e& #o5er is also a source o/ 6onus dice
to add to other shi+ /unctions as needed,
re+resentin% reser4es o/ +o5er and +rocessin%
the shi+ has to dra5 u+on&
4obilityD 0his +ro4ides the dice3+ool used at
close ran%e and 5hen do%/i%htin%& ;t
determines your orientation 5ith re%ard to the
other shi+ < are your %uns /acin% their
sensors? Do they ha4e a clear shot at your
en%ines? Mo6ility determines ho5 9uickly
you chan%e that orientation to your ad4anta%e&
<recisionD #recision tells you ho5 many dice
are in your +ool /or usin% most o/ your shi+(s
5ea+onry, and it is also the Attri6ute
connected 5ith the shi+(s sensor array& ;t lets
you kno5 5hat is around you and then lets
you o+en /ire on 5hate4er you can see: it is
also res+onsi6le /or trackin% o++onents(
missiles as 5ell as counter3measures a%ainst
incomin% attacks&
!onnectionD 0his literally re+resents your
shi+(s connection to the outside 5orld& ;t
ena6les you to communicate 5ith other shi+s,
stations, colonies and .arth& ;t can also ena6le
you to hack or jam another shi+(s systems i/
you ha4e that ca+acity, and to resist 6ein%
hacked or jammed yoursel/& Connection is
used to hack incomin% %uided 5ea+ons&
'ppealD 0his is your shi+(s re+utation& ;t is
also the Attri6ute that %i4es you clearances,
5hich are 6asically ri%hts to dock in +articular
+lace<es+ecially im+ortant a/ter a 6attle is
o4er and your shi+ is dama%ed& ;/ t5o shi+s
are com+etin% /or a jo6, the one 5ith the
hi%her A++eal 5ill 5in&
=esilienceD Hesilience is the measure o/ ho5
tou%h your shi+ is& ;ts dice3+ool comes in to
+lay 5hen your shi+ is hit > it is all that stands
6et5een the shi+(s cre5 and the 4acuum o/
s+ace&
;n one im+ortant 5ay, s+aceshi+ com6at is
sim+ler than +hysical com6at > each
+artici+ant only %ets one action, one )kill roll,
+er round 7no maneu4er and act, etc&8& 0he
shi+ 5ith the ;nitiati4e acts /irst and then the
shi+ 5ithout it res+onds, 5ith the cre5
resol4in% their actions in 5hate4er order they
+re/er 7it o/ten makes the most sense /or the
+ilot to act /irst, 6ut this isn(t al5ays true&8
0he de/ault order is in descendin% order o/
#o5er, just like in other kids
2eterining Range
Maneu!ering is the +ob of the pilot or
someone with the 7iloting Skill.
Enless other5ise determined, e4ery s+ace
com6at 6e%ins at sensor ran%e<the +oint at
5hich the shi+s can detect each other&
0here are t5o kinds o/ maneu4erin% in #arsec
shi+ com6at& 0he /irst has to do 5ith ho5 /ar
your shi+ is /rom another shi+ > relati4e
distance& 0his relati4e distance 5ill determine
5hether they are in ran%e o/ your 5ea+ons and
sensors& ;n order o/ distance 7/arthest to
closest8D
Space %o8at Range /a8le
Sensor This is the farthest rane at #hich a ship can 0e distinuished from another lare
o0;ect
1--
E$treme /nl, the lonest-rane #eapons can ma6e an, 6ind of attac6
3edium 3ost ship #eaponr, #ill 0e functional at this rane
Close !t this rane it is possi0le to see a ship #ith the na6ed e,e
Impact It is ver, li6el, that the ships involved #ill slam into each otherK -1 to all maneuver rolls
;t isn(t 4ery im+ortant 5hat s+eci/ic distances
these ran%es re+resent& ;t(s only im+ortant
5hether you can %et shot and 5hether you can
shoot 6ack&
Han%e is decided 6y a contested #o5er roll
5hich is modi/ied 6y each shi+(s +ilot(s
#ilotin% skill& 0his is unusual, and breaks the
usual rule o/ #ilotin% 6ein% 6ound to Mo6ility&
0his is 6ecause, /or a shi+, its acceleration in
one direction is determined 6y its main dri4e,
5hereas Mo6ility re+resents its maneu4erin%
ca+a6ility /or /ine control and nim6le
mo4ement& ;/ one shi+ is /leein%, ho5e4er,
maneu4erin% dri4es don(t come into the
e9uation> its all a6out ho5 much +o5er they
can +ut out in a short +eriod o/ time, and that(s
5hy #o5er is tied to #ilotin% in this one
instance&
!or e4ery 2 successes more than the o++osin%
+ilot rolls 7roundin% do5n8, the 5innin% shi+
can mo4e one ran%e increment in the direction
it intends& 0his means that i/ a +ilot %ets 2
successes to /lee, and the other %ets 5
successes to close the distance, the one %ettin%
5 successes 5on 6y 3 7rounds do5n to 28 and
%ets to mo4e 1 ran%e increment closer > /or
e,am+le, /rom e,treme ran%e to lon% ran%e&
Aote that shi+ 5ea+ons are sim+li/ied
com+ared to /irearms& 0hey sim+ly ha4e an
e//ecti4e distance in most cases, 6eyond 5hich
they are una6le to correct /or all o/ the ra+id
mo4ement and e4asi4e maneu4erin% that is
%oin% on throu%hout a do%/i%ht& Also note that
i/ you are 6ein% chased 6y a shi+ 5ith
si%ni/icantly hi%her #o5er than your o5n, you
cannot escape& 0his is somethin% to think
a6out 5hen you are considerin% shi+36uildin%
and your tactics&
*hen the /i%ht %ets close enou%h to shoot, it
6ecomes less o/ a s+rintin% race and more o/ a
deadly dance& )nce each pilot chooses an
action consult the following tableD
Space %o8at :ane*5er /a8le
Close vs Close 2oth pilots choose to closeK rolls are resolved normall,A independent of each
other
Close vs
3aintain
Contested roll and successes cancel each other outK the pilot tr,in to
maintain does not need to allocate all of her successes
Close vs
Withdra#
Contested roll #here successes cancel each other out
3aintain vs
3aintain
2oth pilots automaticall, succeed - the pilot #ithout initiative should
pro0a0l, ta6e this chance to act
3aintain vs
Withdra#
Same as close and maintain
Withdra# vs
Withdra#
Rolls are resolved normall, in order of Initiative
1-1
S$ooting
.iring weapons is the +ob of the gunners,
normally the crewmen with the highest
3unner Skill&
Fou kno5 5hat 5ea+on ran%es are /rom the
)hi+6uildin% section o/ Cha+ter 3 already&
'nce you(re 5ithin that ran%e, you can o+en
/ire& ;/ the shi+ you(re /irin% on isn(t acti4ely
e4adin% you as descri6ed 6elo5, you just
shoot at them, and any successes rolled
6ecome +otential dama%e& Four tar%et then
rolls its Hesilience 7modi/ied 6y any armor
that a++lies a%ainst your 5ea+onry8& ;n a case
5here t5o kinds o/ armor a++ly, use the lo5er
one& Any successes rolled 5ith Hesilience are
su6tracted /rom the attack(s successes&
.4erythin% le/t is no5 a++lied as dama%e
a%ainst the tar%et shi+&
Esin% the orientation rules 6elo5, you need to
determine 5here your attack hit& 0he dama%e
is a B5oundC, im+osin% a +enalty on rolls
made 6y the shi+(s cre5 just like a character(s
Attri6utes are a//ected 6y a 5ound in +ersonal
com6at& 0his B5oundC is di//erent in that it
only a//ects one +art o/ the shi+, or one
Attri6ute, at a time 75hole s+aceshi+s are a lot
tou%her than +eo+le8&
Each gunner on a ship can only make one
attack roll per round as long as there is a
weapon system a!ailable. Each weapon
system can only be fired once per round&
15asion
E!asion is the +ob of the pilot. The pilot has
the highest 7iloting Skill KusuallyL.
$a4in% holes 6lo5n in your shi+ 5hile in the
4acuum o/ s+ace is 6ad& Aery bad& .4asi4e
tactics hel+ +re4ent that sort o/ dama%e /rom
ha++enin%& )hi+s 5ill /ly erratically, s+in and
roll, and 5ea4e to a4oid 6ein% hit and takin%
dama%e& 0he di//iculty 5ith .4asion is that
5hile it makes it harder /or you to 6e shot, it
also harder for your gunner to shoot back&
*hen e4adin%, the +ilot rolls her #ilotin% )kill
a%ainst the attacker(s "unner )kill as a normal
contested roll& !or the e4adin% +ilot(s %unner,
ho5e4er, #ilotin% successes also su6tract /rom
his o5n attack rolls&
A +ilot cannot 6oth attem+t to chan%e the
ran%e o/ com6at and /ly e4asi4ely in the same
round& After a round of e!asi!e maneu!ering
both the e!ading ship's pilot and its
opponent's pilot should roll randomly to
determine which side of their ship is facing
their opponent at the end of the round.
@ero-G <rientation
*hen you created your shi+ usin% the rules in
Cha+ter 3, you chose the location o/ all o/ the
shi+(s systems& 0he main reason you did this
is to make com6at more interestin%&
)+ace com6at takes +lace in three dimensions,
and 6ecause o/ this, there is an e,tra /actor to
consider > 5hich section o/ your shi+ is /acin%
5hich section o/ the enemy shi+& 0his is
im+ortant i/ you are attem+tin% to tar%et
s+eci/ic systems on the o++osin% shi+ > the
en%ines, 5ea+on 6anks, li/e su++ort, etc&
!or ease o/ re/erence, each shi+ in a s+ace
com6at is treated as i/ it has si, sides 7it
matches the dice used /or #arsec > that(s
intentional o/ course8& 0he si, sides are the
.ront, 2orsal 7to+8, Aentral 7underside8, 7ort
7le/t8, Starboard 7ri%ht8 and Tail& 0he +layer
5ho is runnin% the +ilot should take out a die
and set it aside& 0his die is %oin% to re+resent
his shi+, and the side o/ the die /acin% u+ 5ill
6e the side o/ the die that is /acin% his
o++onent& !or multi+le o++onents 5ho are all
5orkin% a%ainst the +ilot, assume that the
same side is /acin% all o/ them& 7;/ you1d like
to a6stract out somethin% more com+licated,
like a +incer mo4e catchin% a shi+ 6et5een
t5o attackers, /eel /ree > 6ut the %ame(s intent
is 9uick3mo4in%, /lo5in% com6at, so 5e(re
tryin% to kee+ it sim+le8&
Each number on the die corresponds to a part
of the ship&
Si)e Facing <pponent
1 (ront
2 7orsal?Top
1-2
% Star0oard?Riht
1 *ort?Left
' @entral?4nderside
) Tail
;n 2ero %ra4ity, it is relati4ely easy to roll your
shi+, choosin% 5hich side /aces an o++onent&
0his may +ro4e critical /or +rotectin%
4ulnera6le systems, kee+in% +re4iously
dama%ed sections /rom 6ein% hit a%ain, or
o+timi2in% 5hich 5ea+ons you can 6rin% to
6ear on the enemy& ;/ your 5ea+on system is
on the side /acin% a5ay /rom your o++onent,
you can(t /ire it& *ea+ons are assumed to ha4e
a 1G- de%ree /irin% ran%e, so only 5ea+ons on
the o++osite side /rom the tar%et cannot 6e
used&
;t is also +ossi6le to mo4e around your
o++onent in three dimensions so that you can
tar%et a s+eci/ic +art o/ their shi+& All o/ this
mo4in% around is accom+lished throu%h
orientation rolls& The pilot makes a 7iloting
roll and with 3 successes is allowed to choose
which side of his ship now faces his opponent&
*ith 5 successes or more, he can choose the
side he has /acin% his o++onent and 5hich
side o/ the o++onent(s shi+ is /acin% his shi+&
.or e4ample with 3 successes a pilot can
decide that his main weapon system is facing
his opponent. *ith B successes he can
determine that his main weapon system is
facing his opponent's life support system&
;/ 6oth +ilots try to orient, then the roll is
sim+ly contested, and i/ neither side %ets at
least 3 successes more than the other, then
6oth sides must roll randomly 76y rollin% a
sin%le die8 to determine 5hich side /aces the
o++onent at the end o/ the action& 0here is
al5ays the risk that 5ith 6oth +ilots
scram6lin% to orient themsel4es, they(ll end u+
in a tenuous +osition&
Scanning
)cannin% is the +ur4ie5 o/ the Connection
Attri6ute, and normally uses the Detection
)kill& A scannin% roll to detect an o6ject uses
the Detection )kill and can locate anythin% out
to the limits o/ sensor ran%e& ;t is easier to
locate o6jects 5hich are closer than sensor
ran%e& E4treme range adds 9 die, long range
adds ; dice, medium range adds 3 dice and
close range adds I dice to scanning rolls to
detect an ob+ect or another ship&
0o scan o6jects in detail once they are
detected re9uires the Analysis )kill and the
#recision Attri6ute, and takes at least a /ull
round& 0his in/ormation can include
com+osition, a shi+(s identi/ication and ty+e,
and other 6asic in/ormation&
0he Detection roll to locate a shi+ /rom a
distance is o++osed 6y a )tealth roll /rom the
shi+(s +ilot 7i/ he is tryin% to hide& ;t should
6e assumed that lar%e o6jects like s+ace
stations cannot 6e scanned in detail > a
security consideration aimed at the +ri4acy o/
those li4in% there 7thou%h %ettin% the
in/ormation 6y hackin% into their com+uter
security is al5ays +ossi6le8&
Po9er :anageent
#o5er mana%ement is the jo6 o/ the en%ineer,
5ho makes .n%ineerin% )kill rolls in order to
allocate 6onus dice to 4arious shi+ /unctions&
!or shi+ com6at, #o5er, in addition to
re+resentin% the acceleration a6ility o/ the
en%ine, also tells ho5 much o/ the shi+(s
ener%y out+ut is a4aila6le /or use at a %i4en
time& .ach +oint o/ #o5er allocated to a shi+(s
system adds 1 6onus die to its associated
Attri6ute& 0o allocate #o5er, or re3allocate
#o5er /rom one system to another, a
cre5mem6er must make an .n%ineerin% roll&
!or e4ery success, one #o5er +oint can 6e
allocated or re3allocated&
/a7ing 2aage
.4ery time your shi+ is hit, you must make a
Hesilience roll modi/ied 6y your shi+(s armor
7i/ a++lica6le8& .4ery success the attack rolled
that isn(t cancelled out 6y a matchin%
Hesilience success roll is a le4el o/ dama%e
dealt to one o/ your shi+(s systemsD #o5er,
Mo6ility, #recision, Connection, or
Hesilience& .4ery +oint o/ dama%e your shi+
1-3
sustains reduces its A++eal 6y one until it
reaches - or you sto+ takin% dama%e&
*hen the dama%e reduces one o/ your shi+(s
Attri6utes to -, that system is disa6led and can
no lon%er 6e used 3 until that +oint, #o5er can
6e allocated to hel+ cancel out the +enalty
/rom dama%e&
;/ 7ower is lost, you can no lon%er allocate
dice and the main dri4e no lon%er /unctions >
you can no lon%er roll to determine ran%e&
;/ Mobility is lost, .4asion rolls are im+ossi6le
and you can(t 4oluntarily chan%e your
orientation&
;/ 7recision is lost, 5ea+on systems are
useless&
;/ Connection is lost, you cannot communicate
5ith the outside at all 6eyond an automated
distress 6eacon& 0he 6eacon automatically
acti4ates 5hen Connection dro+s to -& ;n
addition, you cannot +er/orm scans, and are
6lind e,ce+t /or your tar%etin% com+uter&
!inally, i/ 0esilience is lost, your li/e su++ort
is ino+erati4e and e4eryone on the shi+ not in
a 4acuum suit 5ill 6e dead in a matter o/
minutes&
Spaces$ip %o8at 2aage %$art
7amae Each success on an attac6 roll not neated 0, a success on a Resilience roll
modified 0, the appropriate t,pe of armor
Effect on a shipLs
s,stems
Each point of damae imposes a -1 penalt, to a shipLs *o#erA 3o0ilit,A
*recisionA Connection or Resilience
Effect on a shipLs
temporar, !ppeal
Each point of damae reduces a shipLs !ppeal 0, 1 to a minimum of 0 until
repairs are made
<#> Social Con8lict
0here are 5ays to %et A#Cs to do thin%s
5ithout +hysically o4er+o5erin% them& Fou
can attem+t to +ersuade someone, or you may
en%a%e in an ar%ument& 0hese are social
con/licts, as is a situation 5here you 5ish to
seduce someone 5ho isn(t interested in 6ein%
seduced& ;/ you are lyin% to someone, that, too,
is a social con/lict&
)ocial con/lict is sim+ler than +hysical
con/lict > there are /e5er 4aria6les in4ol4ed
and, normally, /e5er )kills in4ol4ed too& A
social con/lict 6e%ins 5hen a character 5ants
to accom+lish a %oal in a social situation and
someone is resistin% them& 0he +layer or the
Director declares the character(s intent in the
con/lict, and also indicates 5hat is at stake i/
the character 5ins& !or e,am+le, i/ your
character is tryin% to /ast3talk her 5ay out o/
6ein% arrested and you are success/ul, then the
+olice lea4e& 0he stakes i/ you lose are im+lied
here > i/ you don(t 5in, then you(re under
arrest& ;/ nothin%(s at stake, 5hy 6other to roll
dice at all? ust role+lay the interaction out or
%o 6y com+arin% Attri6utes and )kills and
mo4e on to somethin% more interestin%&
ust 6ecause someone starts a social con/lict,
ho5e4er, does not automatically %i4e them the
;nitiati4e 7unlike +hysical com6at8& ;n a
situation 5here one +arty has si%ni/icantly
more )tatus andMor authority than the other,
then the +arty 5ith the %reater authority
always starts a social con/lict 5ith the
;nitiati4e&
*hen deciding what to roll base the Skills
used on e!eryone's intent in the conflict& ;/ one
side just 5ants to %et a5ay unscathed, then
that sounds like a Disci+line roll& ;/ 6oth sides
5ant to 5in somethin% out o/ the con/lict, then
they need to make o++osed social )kill rolls,
and to the 5inner %oes the s+oils&
0oleplaying +ro4ides a situational modi/ier /or
the Director to determine > a %ood idea and
1-4
cle4er actin% should %arner a cou+le 6onus
dice& !or a terri6le idea, just roll the dice&
#enali2in% +layers /or tryin% to +ortray their
characters is ne4er /un& *hen a +layer3
character acts, the +layer should 6rie/ly narrate
5hat he is doin% so that the rest o/ the %rou+ is
clear a6out it&
#ote1 At the end of the social and information
conflict sections is a table which lays out
options for different kinds of conflicts all in
one place&
#inning t$e %onflict
)ocial con/lict is a6out )tatus& *hen you lose
a social con/lict, you tem+orarily lose a +oint
o/ )tatus& Fou ha4e 6een diminished in the
eyes o/ those around you: you ha4e lost
con/idence and authority, and so on& ;t is only
tem+orary, and the e//ects should ne4er last
6eyond the ne,t scene or t5o&
*hen someone is on the 4er%e o/ losin%
)tatus, ho5e4er, they ha4e an o++ortunity to
escalate the con/lict, and i/ they do, they 5ill
start this 1ne5( con/lict 5ith the ;nitiati4e&
.or e4ample if an employer chews out a
worker in her office and the worker is already
fed up and frustrated what started as a
"performance re!iew- could end up with a
fist(pounding threat le!eled against the
employer. $n that case the humiliated worker
has the $nitiati!e when the threats begin to fly&
.4en 5hen you 5in a social con/lict, it is risky
6usiness, 6ecause you ne4er kno5 5hen you(ll
6e someone(s last stra5&
;t is theoretically +ossi6le to kee+ hammerin%
a5ay at someone socially until their )tatus is
tem+orarily reduced to 2ero& At this +oint, the
Director may decide that the +erson(s )tatus is
+ermanently reduced& '64iously, this is more
o/ a threat /or lo53)tatus characters 7it(s
harder to tear do5n a C.' than it is to tear
do5n a manual la6orer, as un/air as that is8&
As you mi%ht ima%ine, escalatin% the con/lict
is a 5ay to +rotect your )tatus > 6y enterin%
into a +otentially more dan%erous con/lict&
6osing a social conflict and either ha!ing to
escalate to sa!e your good name or
permanently losing a point of Status is a great
opportunity to take a new Scar. 0his is the
kind o/ a5/ul e,+erience that 5ill lea4e a
mark, so to s+eak&
2e8ate
;n some cases, this 5ill 6e a /ormal de6ate, 6ut
in other situations you mi%ht /ind yoursel/
com+etin% 5ith someone else to con4ince a
third +artyM%rou+ that your idea is 6etter than
theirs& 0his could take +lace in a 6oardroom,
in a classroom, or in a *IA ne%otiations
cham6erLany +lace 5here your 4ie5+oint is
com+etin% 5ith another& ;n most situations,
this kind o/ con/lict 5ill 6e resol4ed 6y
.ti9uette rolls, since there are rules and norms
/unctionin%&
0he limitation in these situations is that, 5in
or lose, you can ne4er con4ince anyone to do
anythin% that they aren(t already considerin%
or 5illin% to do&
!or a 9uick resolution to a con/lict o/ this
ty+e, the Director can ask /or an .ti9uette 4s&
.ti9uette roll, takin% into account any
situational modi/iers& ;/ the +layer +resents a
sound ar%ument cra/ted to 6e acce+ted 6y her
audience, then she should recei4e at least a
small 6onus to the roll&
!or a lon%er con/lict, treat each roll /rom the
+artici+ant holdin% the ;nitiati4e as an attack
that must 6e de/ended a%ainst& 0o determine
5ho has the ;nitiati4e in a lon%er de6ate, 6e%in
5ith a contested social .ti9uette roll&
'nce ;nitiati4e is determined, the con/lict
+ro%ressed like any other& ;/ the one 5ith the
;nitiati4e scores more successes, these count
as a 15ound( > an injury to the standin% and
6elie4a6ility o/ the o++onent& !or that
o++onent to 5in, he must take the ;nitiati4e
someho5& 'ne 5ay to do this is throu%h a
re!ersal > the character +resents a con4incin%
counter3ar%ument, and rolls three successes or
more o4er 5hat the character 5ith the
;nitiati4e scored& 0his means he has turned the
de6ate around in his /a4or and no5 holds the
;nitiati4e& 0he ar%ument is lost once 15ounds(
are recei4ed e9ual to or %reater than a
character(s A++eal score&
1-5
Another 5ay to take the ;nitiati4e durin% an
ar%ument is to re4eal a tactically im+ortant
)ecret a6out your o++onent& 0his al5ays +uts
him on the de/ensi4e, and you can /ollo5 u+
5ith your o5n +oints 9uickly 5hile he
stru%%les to reco4er his com+osure& All you
need to do is to role+lay re4ealin% this )ecret
as +art o/ your contested roll& 0he )ecret
%rants a situational modi/ier o/ at least O2 to
the ne,t roll a/ter it is re4ealed& '64iously, the
)ecret in 9uestion has to matter in the conte,t
o/ the de6ate& 0his o++ortunity 5on(t +resent
itsel/ 4ery o/ten, ho5e4er, 6ecause 5hile
)ecrets are +o5er/ul, they are also rare&
!eel /ree to mi, u+ social )kills more than just
rollin% .ti9uette o4er and o4er a%ain as 5ell&
;t is al5ays interestin% to try a di//erent
strate%y, es+ecially i/ 6ein% +olite and
/ollo5in% the rules doesn(t al5ays 5ork out
/or you&
)ide6arD BDirector 4ersus #layerC 3 Hemem6er
that this isn(t a com+etition 6et5een the
Director and any o/ the +layers& 0he Director
has a lot o/ +o5er > he kno5s 5hat is %oin%
on 6ehind the scenes, kno5s ho5 many dice
the A#Cs ha4e and 5hat their )kills are, and
so on& 0he o6ject is to ad4ance the story&
Hole+layin% is not a 6lack and 5hite 15in3
lose( situation& Al5ays kee+ in mind that
e4eryone is 5orkin% to%ether to make a 6etter
story&
Se)*ction
)eduction is a se,y su6set o/ +ersuasion, so it
deser4es its o5n cate%ory& )eduction does not
ha4e to 6e a6out actual se, > it can just 6e a
5ay to %et 5hat you 5ant, to 14am+( someone
you ha4e no intention o/ %oin% any5here 5ith&
;t can also 6e more innocent > you ha4e
%enuine /eelin%s /or someone and you 5ant to
attract them and %et their interest, etc&
)eduction 6e%ins 5ith a /irst im+ression and
some method /or 6reakin% the ice& Aormally,
A++eal 5orks as a stand3in /or a /irst
im+ression > hi%h A++eal makes it easy to %et
someone(s attention, at least /or a moment& ;/
the seducer has hi%her A++eal than her 9uarry,
then she can ski+ this ste+ and automatically
6e%ins 5ith the ;nitiati4e& ;/ the t5o ha4e
e9ual A++eal, then 5ho has the ;nitiati4e
de+ends on ho5 6reakin% the ice %oes and the
jud%ment o/ the Director 7like in a de6ate, a
contested roll 5orks 5ell8&
Breakin% the ice is usually an .ti9uette roll
since you still ha4e to o6ser4e social dos and
don(ts as the seduction 6e%ins& ;/ the +layer
narrates or role+lays a %ood o+enin% line or
joke, the character should recei4e 1 or 2 6onus
dice& !ailure here means that you don(t %et an
o+enin% and 5ill +ro6a6ly ha4e to mo4e on&
!ollo5in% is the .nticement roll /rom the
seducer& $er tar%et can resist in three di//erent
5ays, de+endin% on ho5 he 5ants to res+ond&
0he /irst is to make his o5n .nticement roll >
this 5ill s+eed thin%s u+ and is almost
%uaranteed to 6e success/ul > 6ut it mi%ht
determine 5ho is in control& 0he 4am+ mi%ht
end u+ /allin% /or her tar%et, 5hich creates an
interestin% t5ist on the story& 0he second
method is to use .ti9uette in order to +ost+one
the seduction or stall it out entirely& Esin%
.ti9uette, it is +ossi6le /or the tar%et to a4oid
directly noticin% the seducer(s interest,
di4ertin% the con4ersation& '/ course, i/ this is
role+layed or narrated 5ell, 6onus dice should
/ollo5& 0he third method is to make a
Disci+line roll& 0his is /lat out resistance, an
attem+t to shoot do5n the seducer and end the
attem+t 6y sho5in% no interest 5hatsoe4er&
)ide6arD B*hat(s the )a/ety *ord?C > this is a
%ood o++ortunity to remind you to talk as a
%rou+ a6out 5hat you 5ant your 6oundaries to
6e re%ardin% su6ject matter& A seduction scene
7and any scene that mi%ht /ollo58 can easily
%o 6eyond 5hat someone at the ta6le is
com/orta6le 5ith, and it(s a lot 6etter to kno5
ahead o/ time& 0he o6ject is to ha4e /un and
certain su6jects may 6e uncom/orta6le 7or
sadly, +ain/ul8 rather than /un&
"8ou don't need drugs to get attention you don't need
surgery. #othing is as seducti!e as a sky(limo and an
unlimited corporate credit account.-
%oan)
Durin% any sort o/ a /i%ht, morale is im+ortant&
;t isn(t a++ro+riate to roll dice /or e4ery
command issued, 6ut there are times 5hen
1-6
+eo+le may 6e considerin% runnin% a5ay or
are co5erin% in /ear, and they need an
e,am+le o/ leadershi+ to %et them /ocused on
/i%htin% a%ain&
0here are other situations in com6at 5here a
character needs to make a Coura%e roll to
continue: a )killed commander can assist 5ith
these rolls& 0he /irst method is to call u+on
their trainin% and conditionin% to res+ond to
your orders& 0his re9uires an .ti9uette roll,
and i/ you score three or more successes, then
e4eryone 5ho heard you %ets O2 dice on their
ne,t Coura%e, Disci+line or 0olerance roll
5hen o6eyin% orders in situations like the ones
descri6ed a6o4e&
;t is also +ossi6le to just 6ro56eat and threaten
a sin%le +erson under your command: that
re9uires an ;ntimidation roll& ;/ you are
success/ul, then the one +erson 5ho is the
tar%et o/ your 4er6al 6arra%e %ets O4 dice to
their ne,t roll to /ollo5 orders, 6ut a/ter that
you are una6le to use any other means o/
moti4ation 5ith that +erson until the current
com6at is concluded&
0ying
Characters are o/ten /aced 5ith situations
5here lyin% is con4enient or necessary& 0o tell
less than the truth, you use the )u6tlety )kill&
Four )u6tlety roll is resisted either 6y your
4ictim(s o5n )u6tlety, re+resentin% their o5n
skill at lyin%, or 4ia Detection > some +eo+le
e4en ha4e 4oice3analysis so/t5are 6uilt into
their Aodes 5hich ti+ them o// 5hen 4oice3
analysis or +u+il3dialation su%%est someone is
lyin% to them&
'4er time, lies 6ecome more di//icult to tell&
.4ery time you tell a /ollo53u+ lie to someone
you(4e already decei4ed, or tried to decei4e,
you take a cumulati4e 31 die +enalty& ;t
%radually 6ecomes more and more di//icult to
kee+ u+ 5ith your o5n dece+tions, and the
more you try to maintain them lon%3term, the
more chances you %et to mess u+& Fou are
e,em+t /rom this rule 5hen you ha4e s+ent
si%ni/icant time de4elo+in% your lie 7such as a
s+y 5ith a /ake identi/ication8& *hat counts as
Bsi%ni/icant timeC is u+ to the Director& 0he
cumulati4e +enalty a++lies to /ast3talkin% and
6lu//in%&
Social %onflicts 8et9een Player-
%$aracters
.4ery %rou+ 5ill handle con/licts 6et5een
+layer3characters di//erently& )ome %rou+s
ha4e the rule that no #C can use )kills a%ainst
another #C& ;/ you 5ant to con4ince the #C,
you as the +layer must con4ince the other
+layer& 0his hel+s a4oid /rustratin% situations
5here one #C com+els other #Cs to do 5hat
he 5ants& 'n the other hand, i/ you don(t use
the dice to resol4e a con/lict, then you risk a
real con/lict 6et5een players&
"enerally s+eakin%, #Cs shouldn(t 6e /orcin%
other #Cs to do thin%s that aren(t in their 6est
interest in the /irst +lace& #arsec isn(t a #layer3
4ersus3#layer %ame > it(s 6uilt around
colla6oration 5ith the inherent assum+tion
that any con/licts 5hich come u+ add to the
%ame, are /un, and mo4e the story /or5ard in
an interestin% 5ay&
;/, as a Director, you see a +layer con/lict
%ettin% out o/ hand /or any reason, you ha4e
e4ery ri%ht to call a 6reak, take the +layers
aside and talk to them, and then 5hen
e4eryone is 6ack at the ta6le, just say BIet(s
try a di//erent 5ay o/ handlin% this&C Fou(re
all /riends, ri%ht? Ao reason to risk that o4er a
%ame&
<#' *n8ormation Con8lict
;n/ormation con/lict is a6out learnin% )ecrets&
.4en thou%h in/ormation con/lict is handled
on its o5n, it o4erla+s 5ith the other /orms o/
con/lict discussed 3 at any +oint, it can escalate
into a +hysical con/lict, and in/ormation
con/lict 5ill o/ten in4ol4e social interaction o/
some sort& *hat sets information conflict
apart is what is at a stake M a Secret
important to the story&
)ide6arD B'6ey the Dice&C ;/ the #Cs nail the
roll, tell them the secret in/ormation and mo4e
on& ;t isn(t any /un to s+end time not /i%urin%
thin%s out& Hemem6er this is also a time to use
one #Cs secret and connect it to the
1-@
in/ormation they are seekin% > either a secret
they are hidin% or a secret they aren(t a5are o/
*hen an in/ormation con/lict comes u+ in
%ame, it should 6e o64ious so that the +layers
reali2e somethin% im+ortant is %oin% on&
0here(s no reason /or +layers to miss a chance
at learnin% somethin% crucial to the story
6ecause they ne4er reali2ed the situation 5as
im+ortant in the /irst +lace& '/ course, just
6ecause they kno5 it(s %oin% on doesn(t mean
they should 15in( or %et the )ecret&
0here should al5ays 6e conse9uences /or
losin% an in/ormation con/lict& )ho5in% too
much interest in a +articular +iece o/ hidden
in/ormation can dra5 the 5ron% kind o/
attention > other5ise e4eryone 5ould try to
/ind these thin%s out&
;n/ormation can 6e the lon%est3lastin% ty+es o/
con/licts in a %ame, 6ut are also less
s+eci/ically de/ined& ;t takes a lot lon%er /or a
s+y to do her jo6 than /or a sni+er to do his,
/or e,am+le& A %ood 5ay to handle this is to
6reak u+ im+ortant in/ormation con/licts into
sta%es > su%%ested 5ays o/ doin% this are
listed 6elo5&
Spying
)+ies are the classic se,y, dan%erous
+rota%onists, the sua4e o+erati4es 5ho are as
smooth as they are lethal, masters o/ dis%uise
and o/ dece+tion& )+yin% is a6out getting
access 5ithout e4er 6ein% seen& 0his is
achie4a6le in a 4ariety o/ 5ays, 6ut here is a
system that 6reaks a s+y(s mission into three
sta%es&
mmersion
0his +hase is 5here a s+y de4elo+s his co?er,
the identity or identities 5hich they 5ill use to
%ain access to restricted +eo+le or +laces& 0his
may in4ol4e traditional dis%uise, /or%in%
identities, hackin% security systems and so on&
0he most im+ortant thin% a6out immersion is
the research that %oes into it& A master o/
dece+tion 5ithout the +ro+er electronic
clearance or /alsi/ied 6ack%round documents
is cau%ht easily in a 5orld %o4erned 6y
technolo%y& Fou need to kno5 5hat security
+rocedures must 6e o4ercome, 5ho you need
to decei4e, and then 6uild a net5ork o/ +eo+le
and resources necessary to do these thin%s&
De+endin% on ho5 interestin% and detailed the
co4er is that the +layers come u+ 5ith, the
Director can assi%n a dice3+ool o/ u+ to 1-
dice to the +layers, collecti4ely or
indi4idually& 0hese dice are co?er dice and
can 6e added to any dice3roll durin% a mission
to re+resent the 5ork that 5ent into
de4elo+in% the s+y(s +ersona& Co4er dice can
also 6e rolled a/ter a )kill roll has already
6een made, 5ith the +layer narratin% ho5
some as+ect o/ the 5ork that 5ent into
de4elo+in% their co4er is 6rou%ht into the
situation to %i4e them another ed%e& This
means you can see how a roll goes and then
roll more after seeing the initial resultsT
Be?elopment
A/ter immersion comes de!elopment& 0his is
the +hase 5here the s+y has ac9uired access to
an asset throu%h their co4er and 6e%ins
e,+loitin% and usin% his ne53/ound +osition to
his ad4anta%e& 0he asset could 6e a +articular
data6ase or decry+tion +ro%ram, 6ut most o/
the time, s+ies are sent a/ter +articular +eo+le,
5hich means that a +ersonal relationshi+ is
in4ol4ed& 0his in4ol4es care/ul mani+ulation >
not so /ast as to arouse sus+icion, 6ut /ast
enou%h to 6e use/ul& 0he asset is usually
una5are that they are 6ein% e,+loited, thou%h
sometimes that isn(t the case, and the tar%et
coo+erates 5illin%ly 5ith the s+yin% character,
+erha+s con4inced 5ith a %ood +ersuasion or
seduction roll&
;t is +ossi6le that durin% this +hase o/ the s+y
mission a %enuine relationshi+ is 6uilt u+
6et5een the s+y and his tar%et& ;n this
situation, it is +er/ectly justi/ia6le /or the
+layer to 6uy a relationshi+ 0rait 6et5een
himsel/ and the other character& )imilarly,
sometimes a s+y needs to ruthlessly e,+loit an
asset, allo5in% them into dan%er to make sure
the ultimate %oal is o6tained& ;n these
situations, i/ thin%s %o +oorly /or the asset and
the s+y kno5s a6out it, it mi%ht 6e a++ro+riate
to take a ne5 )car 6ecause o/ the e,+erience&
;n the meantime, o/ course, the s+y can al5ays
use the relationshi+ /or dice&
1-G
;t is the jo6 o/ the Director and the +layers to
6reak this sta%e do5n into discrete dice3rolls
and narrated scenes& 0his is im+ortant i/ only
one or t5o +layers in a %rou+ are s+ies 3 the
rest o/ the +layers need somethin% to do
durin% these scenes, so the Director needs to
make sure they do not dra% on& Hemem6er >
in/ormation con/lict is a6out the )ecret that is
at stake& *ith s+ies, lyin% and 6ein% smooth
and lookin% cool are just means to that end&
6xtraction
0his is the /inal +hase& Fou(4e /or%ed,
decei4ed, and mani+ulated your 5ay to %et
5hat you need and no5 it(s time to %et out
9uietly and unnoticed > or you /ailed and you
ha4e to %et out /ast 6e/ore someone kills you=
Be/ore you e4en in/iltrate, you should +lan an
1e,it strate%y( /rom the situation you(4e
%ettin% into& )ometimes other o+erati4es are
a4aila6le to hel+, 6ut s+yin% is a lonely
6usiness and most o/ten you 5ill 6e le/t to
your o5n resources& Hemem6er, your +atron
re9uires +lausi6le denia6ility& 0his situation is
a %reat o++ortunity to 6urn 5hate4er co4er
dice you ha4e le/t as 5ell as you make your
esca+e > sometimes 6urnin% 6rid%es and
+uttin% others in the 5ay o/ your enemies is
+art o/ %ettin% out ali4e&
"*e are only known by our failures ne!er
our successes.- Mancient clandestine motto
Sample Espionage1 8our Co!er is ?lownT
0a+i has +ust blown his co!er and he knows it.
The manager's face when he left the meeting
said it all Kthis is probably the result of a
contested Subtlety roll that 0a+i wonL. %e was
probably headed down the hall to a security
station after which the silent alarm would
start.
Mo!ing 5uickly 0a+i returned to his suite in
the arcology and began stuffing things into his
bag. %e grabbed his weapons and two #odes
from hiding places lightly obscuring them
with some wadded clothes. The bag's webbing
was designed to confuse scanners ( hopefully
it'd work this time. The 2irector has 0a+i's
player make a roll with his Stealth skill
imposing a (; situational penalty for the
hurried +ob which cancels out the bag's
special property Kdesigned to add ; to Stealth
rolls for smuggle ob+ects past scannersL. 0a+i
rolls IdWI but only rolls 9 success M not a
great +ob but he can't pause to do it better.
0a+i has C co!er dice sa!ed up but decides to
sa!e them for later when a clear threat
presents itself.
#e4t he needs to upload a !irus that will
destroy most of the traces of his acti!ity on the
arcology's intranet. %e rolls his
7rogramming skill but the !irus gi!es him a
R; bonus which is good because his
7rogramming is +ust BdWB. %e rolls I
successes on V dice making up for the poor
Stealth roll and the !irus is up and running.
As he opens the door he notices a security
officer coming warily down the hall. The
guard's putting a recei!er back on his
shoulder and eyeing 0a+i suspiciously. %e
holds up a hand to stop 0a+i as he e4its the
suite careful to keep his hands from shaking
with adrenaline. The security officer wants to
delay 0a+i until help can arri!e Kthe 2irector
and 0a+i's player can roleplay this e4change
out if they wish or the 2irector and player
can +ust declare what their intent isL. 0a+i is
going to fast(talk him soothing and
disengaging at the same time. This sounds like
Subtlety resisted by the officer's 2iscipline.
The 2irector says that the officer gets a RI
situational modifier to his roll because he was
good reason to be suspicious of the sudden
e4it and no reason to trust 0a+i.
0a+i decides its time to use some co!er dice.
%e rolls his Subtlety Kas a spy it's his best
skillL OdW3 and adds 3 dice to the roll Khe
has to declare before he rollsL. %e gets O
successes. The officer rolls his 2iscipline
OdWI plus I dice for I successes. 0a+i is
able to talk his way past him and his player
narrates how he ties his co!er as a bland
business analyst brought in as a consultant by
the corporation to his need to lea!e 5uickly.
The 2irector decides that the last significant
challenge is getting past the outermost
security. They will scrutini&e e!eryone
thoroughly because be of the silent alarm.
1-J
0a+i 5ueues up and thinks about his plan
surreptitiously watching other security
personnel mo!e abo!e him on the arcology's
catwalks presumably looking for him. This
calls for another Stealth roll though with no
penalty this time for rushing but without a
bonus from the special bag. 0a+i decides to
burn ; additional co!er dice engaging with
another person in the line in an innocuous
con!ersation so he blends in better. K0a+i's
player says that an ac5uaintance is in line
nearby and the 2irector goes with it as a
+ustification for the co!er dice use.L %e still
only gets ; successes and as he gets to the
front of the line he hears hurrying feet behind
him M someone has seen him.
%e was going to try to be subtle but now has
to make a break for it. %e can't be capturedT
%e's going to use E!asion to slip past the
guards as they look at the other security
personnel rushing forward and try to make
sense of what is going on. %e is going to blow
the rest of his co!er dice M this will be /do or
die'. %e rolls his E!asion IdWI plus the last
3 co!er dice Klaughing the player describes
sho!ing his friend into the guards to distract
themL for 3 successes. The 2irector rolls for
the surprised guards gi!ing them a (;
because of the sudden mo!e but negating that
with a R; because a couple of them are
already close enough to lunge for 0a+i. %e
rolls their 3rapple skill BdWI to a!oid the
sho!ed bystander but rolls only 9 successT
0a+i bursts out of the arcology's panoramic
entrance and into the bustling crowd outside.
There are a half do&en guards behind him
and if he doesn't come up with a bright idea
soon he's going down hard. 7ity he has no
dice leftQ
,ac7ing
Most +eo+le can(t hack > they don(t ha4e the
custom so/t5are, the e,+erience, or the
5illin%ness to 6reak the la5& ;ndeed, /e5
+ro%rammers are hackers > the 4ast majority
o/ +ro%rammers do not commit any major
crimes, 6ecause i/ they are cau%ht, they 5ill
ne4er 6e hired in their industry a%ain& Most
hackers in #arsec are reckless, anarchistic, or
just don(t care > may6e they already lost their
cushy cor+orate jo6 and no5 intend to steal
the money they no lon%er %et in a +aycheck&
0here can 6e 6i% money in this sort o/ thin%&
;n the #arsec settin%, com+uters are
e!erywhere& Almost e4erythin% and e4eryone
has some sort o/ em6edded micro+rocessor&
.4erythin% is connected 5irelessly to multi+le
net5orks simultaneously, and all o/ those
connections are +otentially monitored 6y
cor+orate or %o4ernmental interests& *ith all
that /ree in/ormation /lyin% around, you are
almost %uaranteed that someone is 5atchin%
and listenin%& 0his lack o/ in/ormation +ri4acy
makes encry+tion /undamental /or society
continuin% to /unction > and that(s 5here
hackers come in&
0here are multi+le 5ays to %ain access to a
+articular system& 0he easiest, o64iously, is to
ha4e le%itimate access& 0his 5ill 6e
determined 6y your character(s 6ack%round,
5ork, and relationshi+s& ;/ a +layer can
suita6ly justi/y ha4in% access to in/ormation,
then he has it&
A /urther method is to steal the identity o/
someone 5ho has le%itimate access& 0his can
6e accom+lished 5ith Iarceny or +erha+s 5ith
sim+le +ersuasion, con4incin% someone 4ia
;ntimidation or )u6tlety to %i4e you their
access&
A hacker can also access in/ormation 6y
e,+loitin% a 5eakness in a com+uter net5ork
or +ro%ram& 0his takes se4eral ste+s& !irst,
usin% Analysis, you look /or a 5eakness you
are a6le to e,+loit& Ae,t, you need to use
#ro%rammin% to create a +ro%ram to e,+loit
the 5eakness& ;n this case, the con/lict is
resol4ed a%ainst 5hoe4er created the security
so/t5are you are crackin% > 6ut thou%h they(re
not a5are o/ 5hat you(re tryin% to do 7yet8 it
is their skill and +re+aration that you are
/i%htin% a%ainst& 'nce you ha4e access, i/ the
system is one you(re not already /amiliar 5ith,
you need another Analysis roll to /ind e,actly
5hat you(re seekin%&
'nce you ha4e the in/ormation you need
7+ro6a6ly still encry+ted8 you need to e4it,
makin% sure you ha4en(t le/t any traces or
11-
record o/ your illicit acti4ity& 0his is a crucial
ste+ i/ you don(t 5ant to %o to +rison or ha4e a
hit taken out on you<cor+orations and
%o4ernments do not take kindly to com+uter
6reak3ins and +lay hard 6all 5ith hackers they
catch& "ettin% out is accom+lished usin%
Iarceny a%ain, di%itally 6urnin% your 5ay out
o/ the system, /ryin% the connection, or you
can use #ro%rammin% i/ you +re3+re+ared
so/t5are to co4er your tracks& A%ain, you 5ill
need to resol4e a con/lict a%ainst the security
system +ro%rammer(s skill&
;/ you aren(t as success/ul in this hackin% as
you(d like, there are a lot o/ conse9uences that
mi%ht 6e headed your 5ay& Most security
systems lo% in/ormation a6out your system
and noti/y 5hate4er authorities are
a++ro+riate& ;n more e,treme cases, there is
latent so/t5are that 5ill /orci6ly e,ecute
commands on your system, causin% it to cycle
endlessly until it o4erheats and sel/3destructs&
Sample %ack1 0uining Someone's 6ife
6ike e!ery boarding school student before her
6ydia has a secret desire to humiliate the
school's administration that made her life so
difficult and dull. Enlike most of her
predecessors howe!er 6ydia is a brilliant
computer programmer owning a serious
system her parents got her "for school-. She
isn't bra!e enough to snatch identification
from an unwary official Kusing 6arcenyL so
she needs to do this the hard way.
She sits down in the computer lab Kthe
connection speed is slightly better hereL and
sets to work. .irst she needs to find
weaknesses in the school's internal system.
She rolls her Analysis VdWI against the
system's security which the 2irector decides
is BdWI Kit's a school after all not a military
installationL. She scores an o!erpowering V
successes compared to 3 for the security.
She's found the way in and now starts
de!eloping code to insert and wreak ha!oc.
KThe 2irector could ha!e +ust determined that
she needed to beat 3 successes to get past the
security assuming any off(the(shelf security
software would be at least that difficult to
hackQL
She wants to find out something really
de!astating about the e4ecuti!e associate
!ice(principal for non(graduating student
affairs KEAA7#3SAL so that she can
disseminate it across all of Mars. She locates
a pri!ate correspondence that may do nicely
one between the 7rincipal and a *6# law(
enforcement agency on what he thought was
an encrypted connection. She has to break the
encryption to find out e4actly what it says
howe!er and this is what her system does
best. She rolls her 7rogramming of VdWI
applying code(breaking software she's taken
and modified herself and adds ; dice from
her system. The 2irector decides that the code
is pretty dense de!eloped by a 5uality firm
with regular updates so the 2irector rolls
OdW3 to resist the program. 6ydia rolls B
successes while the 2irector scores only a
single success.
The information unfolds in front of her
effortlessly, her program is perfect. She learns
that the EAA7#3SA actually ser!ed time on
6una for indiscretions in!ol!ing minors KTL
but remains on parole for the offense and that
the 6una police don't know he is working at a
boarding schoolT $t looked like strings were
pulled somewhere to keep that information out
of the hands of the school's hiring
commission. *hat luckT
6ydia now needs to retreat without lea!ing
any tracks. She rolls her 6arceny since she is
ine4perienced and hasn't de!eloped specific
software for a careful e4it. 0olling VdWO
Kshe's new to crime no matter how high her
ambitions might beL she still gets 3 successes
M which someone will ha!e to e4ceed if they
try to track down who cracked the system.
.or now she has enough information to likely
ruin the EAA7#3SA's career and reputation.
She isn't thinking about that now though M all
she feels is the e4citement of the sudden power
that learning this Secret gi!es her.
(nterrogation
;n the case o/ interro%ation, someone else
kno5s the )ecret you seek and the only 5ay to
learn it is need to %et it /rom them&
111
;nterro%ation is a s+eci/ic e,am+le o/ social
con/lict that is likely to come u+ in a %ame
5here in/ormation is key&
)ide6arD B)ettin% 6oundariesC 0his is a %ood
+oint to +ause and reiterate that the Director
should talk to the other +layers a6out 5hat
you(re com/orta6le 5ith& ;nterro%ation can 6e
ke+t a6stract, nothin% more than a contested
die3roll, or it can in4ol4e e,tended character
interaction 5ith lots o/ tense role+layin% and
moral am6i%uity& 0his is al5ays u+ to your
%amin% %rou+ and 5hat e4eryone +re/ers&
0he main thin% to take into account durin%
interro%ation is 5ho it is you are interro%atin%&
0echni9ues need to 6e de4elo+ed indi4idually
/or each su6ject& ;t is im+ortant to remem6er
that immediate threats o/ 4iolence and torture
almost ne4er 5ork > the +erson sim+ly tells
you 5hate4er they think you 5ant to hear to
make them sa/e&
0he /irst sta%e in most interro%ations is
research& Fou need to kno5 as much as
+ossi6le a6out 5ho you(re dealin% 5ith& 0his
may in4ol4e talkin% to kno5n associates 7or
shakin% them do5n8, doin% 6ack%round
checks, rootin% throu%h +ersonal in/ormation
and so on& 0hrou%h this research, it is +ossi6le
to unco4er the #assions o/ your tar%et, %i4in%
you much more le4era%e o4er them than you
normally 5ould& Fou %et O2 dice 7/or a sin%le
roll or more i/ the Director allo5s8 i/ you
correctly determine their #assion and can
6rin% it u+ someho5 durin% the interro%ation&
Based on 5hat you /ind out, the Director %i4es
you a dice3+ool, /rom 1 to 1- dice,
re+resentin% 5hat you kno5 a6out this +erson
and 5hat you can 6rin% to 6ear to +ressure
them& *hen you 6rin% u+ somethin% your
research unco4ered durin% the course o/ the
interro%ation, you can roll any num6er o/
these dice alon% 5ith your normal )kill roll&
'nce rolled, ho5e4er, the dice are %one, so
use them 5isely& 0hese dice are called your
pressure dice, 6ecause they hel+ you +ut
+ressure on the tar%et&
0he second sta%e o/ interro%ation is the push&
*hen it comes do5n to it, you are in a room
5ith your tar%et and you +ut +ressure on them
until they decide to tell you 5hat they kno5&
0his +ush can 6e o4ert, or it can 6e su6tle, and
the Director should re5ard su6tlety much
more than /orce& .nticement, ;ntimidation and
)u6tlety can all 6e used at this sta%e, normally
resisted 6y either Disci+line 7to kee+ 9uiet8 or
)u6tlety 7to mislead the interro%ator8 or e4en
.ti9uette 7to limit the interro%ator(s 6eha4ior
to 5hat is +olite8& Anyone can shout and stick
a %un in someone(s /ace, and the most likely
result o/ that kind o/ treatment is lies and hal/3
truths&
112
Social an) (nforation %onflict /a8le
Type of
Conflict
Skills sed !reparation
"ice
#f $ou %in #f $ou &ose Take the
#nitiati'e(
7e0ate 9uic6 resolution #ith
contested Eti8uetteK
Enticement to lureA
Intimidation to 0ro#-0eatA
Su0tlet, to evade and
confuse
Research into
the topic
0efore-hand
>ou s#a,
the ma;orit,
of the
audienceA if
not ,our
opponentA
to ,our
position
>our
opponent
#ins the
audience
over
*la, on ,our
opponentLs
*assionsA
reveal a
Secret
Seduction Compare !ppeal to
determine InitiativeK
Eti8uette to 0rea6 the iceA
Enticement versus
EnticementA Eti8uette or
7iscipline
7irector can
rant dice for a
creative #a, of
0rea6in the
iceK
relationship
dice could 0e
involved
>ou are the
focus of the
desires of
,our taret
>our taret
either
re0uffs ,ou
or turns
the ta0lesA
ma6in ,ou
#ant them
If ,ou dou0le
the seducerLs
successes in a
contested
rollA ,ou ta6e
the Initiative
Command Eti8uette or Intimidation: %
or more successes on
Eti8uette rant J2 dice to
su0ordinatesL ne$t CouraeA
7iscipline or Tolerance rollK
% or more successes on
Intimidation rant J1 dice to
su0ordinatesL ne$t rollA 0ut
,our threats 0rea6 do#n
their trustA and this #onLt
#or6 t#ice
"o time for
preparation
e$cept at
7irectorLs
discretion
Those
follo#in
,our lead
et the
e$tra dice to
their ne$t
CouraeA
7iscipline or
Tolerance
roll
<ero
successes
should
impose a -1
die penalt,
to CouraeA
7iscipline
and
Tolerance
rolls for the
remainder
of the
com0at -
,our
follo#ers
have
temporaril,
lost faith in
,ou
"!
L,in Su0tlet, versus Su0tlet, or
7etection #hen appropriate
7evelopin a
convincin lie
ahead of time
#ith Research
or Social
"et#or6in for
e$ample could
rant
preparation
>ou are
treated as
truthful
>ou are
e$posedA
and are at
-1 die to lie
aain in the
near future
to the
same
person or
"!
113
dice to a lie or
series of lies
roup
Sp,in #mmersion: Larcen,A
*roramminA ResearchA
Social "et#or6inK
"e'elopment: EnticementA
Su0tlet,K E)traction:
EvasionA Larcen,A Su0tlet,
&ood #or6 in
the immersion
phase ma,
arner the sp,
up to 10 Mcover
diceM at the
7irectorLs
discretion
>ou learn an
important
Secret and
ma, have
developed
an asset
#ho can
provide
more
information
Captured
spies miht
0e traded
for other
prisoners
on the
other sideA
0ut are
rarel,
treated
#ell
If it comes to
itA ,ou ma,
need to use
that Secret
,our learned -
or thro# ,our
ne# asset to
the #olves
=ac6in Larcen,A Stealth or Su0tlet,
to et accessK !nal,sis once
,ou are inK *rorammin to
develop ,our codeK
*rorammin to et out
smoothl, or Larcen, to ;ust
fr, the machine
! clever
method of
ainin access
could arner
preparation
diceA as could a
ver, successful
*rorammin
roll to create
,our hac6
>ou et the
information
,ou #ere
after - often
a Secret
=ac6in is
li6e pirac, -
one side
#ill either
re#ard ,ou
or pretend
,ou donBt
e$istK the
other side
#ill tr, to
shut ,ou
do#n
"!
Interroation ResearchA Social "et#or6in
to et 0ac6round on ,our
su0;ectK EnticementA
Intimidation or Su0tlet,
versus 7isciplineA Eti8uette
or Su0tlet, to et the
su0;ect to tal6
7ependin on
#hat ,ou find
out a0out ,our
su0;ect 0efore-
handA the
7irector ma,
rant
MpressureM dice
to spend durin
the
interroation
The su0;ect
tells ,ou
#hat ,ou
#ant to
6no#
>ou are
convinced
the su0;ect
#onLt tal6A
or doesnLt
6no# #hat
,ou #ant
to 6no#
!n
interroator
al#a,s starts
#ith the
initiativeA and
it is ver,
difficult to
ta6e it from
them
<#5 Ad@ancement
;n #arsec, ad4ancement takes +lace throu%h
accom+lishin% goals, /acin% obstacles,
learnin% secrets, ha4in% your secrets re4ealed,
and 6y ac9uirin% ne5 Scars > these all count
/or ad4ancement 6ecause they dri4e the story
/or5ard& ;n most cases, these a5ards are %rou+
a5ards %i4en to all the +layers at once& 0his
section discusses ho5 Ad4ancement takes
+lace&
;deally, there should at least 6e an o++ortunity
/or all +layer3characters to im+ro4e a/ter e4ery
session& 0he +layers can also choose to sa4e
their ad4ancements /or a lar%er /uture
im+ro4ement /or their characters&
Character de4elo+ment re9uires some
do5ntime& Ad4ancement al5ays takes +lace
durin% a +ause in the action, 5hen the
characters ha4e time to rest and re/lect on
5hat they(4e accom+lished, to +ractice ne5
114
)kills and so on& 0his should ha++en at least
e4ery /e5 sessions&
Goals
A goal is a significant attainable
accomplishment that the players want their
characters to achie!e& ;t needs to 6e 5ell3
de/ined and must encom+ass multi+le
challen%es& A %ood %oal 5ill a//ect the settin%
and the story > it 5ill result in chan%es that the
+layers 5ill see and /eel as the %ame
+ro%resses& %old nothing back&
"$ want to thank my mom and dad for e!erything. $'m
so happy right now. They always told me /*rite down
your goals. That's how they become more than dreams.
And now here $ am MA7 of the System Champion
Syl!an Energy Multi(Man .ightersT *)))))))T-
((0obey 3allion inter!iew after Syl!an defeated
6unarinc ;C(O
"oals can 6e de/ined or de4elo+ durin% +lay&
;deas o/ 5hat mi%ht 6e %ood %oals should 6e
+resented at character creation so that
e4eryone kno5s 5here the %ame is initially
headin%& "oals 5ill also arise naturally as
characters interact 5ith the settin% and A#Cs&
A/ter the /irst session or t5o, there should 6e
at least one %oal that is a%reed u+on 6y the
+layers and the Director, 5ith other
+ossi6ilities on the hori2on& Aside /rom the
/irst and may6e the second sessions o/ +lay,
there should ne4er 6e a session o/ +lay durin%
5hich the +layer3characters ha4e no o4er3
archin% %oals&
;t is u+ to the +layers to determine i/ reachin%
a %oal is 5orthy o/ ad4ancement& ;t should 6e
more than sim+ly o4ercomin% an o6stacle& ;n
the case o/ a %rou+ %oal, e4eryone 7includin%
the Director8 must a%ree i/ its achie4ement is
5orthy o/ ad4ancement&
Achie4in% a %oal is a 6i% e4ent /or all o/ the
+layer3characters in4ol4ed& *hen characters
achie!e a goal they recei!e 3 Steps to use to
ad!ance aspects of their character&
E4ample 3oal from "Stealing the 2rake-
$n one of the playtest scenarios "Stealing the
2rake- the 3oal of the player(characters
was to hi+ack the 2rake an aging ?aeder
2ri!e they hoped wouldn't be as well(
defended as newer models. $n order to achie!e
their 3oal they needed to get on board the
2rake subdue the crew somehow and then
take control of the 2ri!e itself. This sounded
tough enough to ser!e as a 3oal and it was
easy to break this down into three dinstinct
)bstacles&
<8stacles
7Cs should face at least one )bstacle in e!ery
session& '6stacles come in many /orms, 6ut,
com6ined 5ith "oals, these are 5hat make
stories com+ellin%& Hemem6er that facing the
obstacle is all that matters > o4ercomin% isn(t
necessarily im+ortant& Characters still learn
and de4elo+ e4en 5hen they /ail& *hen they
do /ail, ho5e4er, the o6stacle should chan%e
someho5& 0he o6ject isn(t to ha4e +layer3
characters 6an%in% their collecti4e heads
a%ainst a 5all, 6ut to ha4e them ada+t and
chan%e to achie4e the same %oal& 8ou do not
get ad!ancement for facing the same obstacle
in the same way twice&
An o6stacle has three main +arts > risk,
conflict and conseCuences&
!or an o6stacle to count, it re9uires si%ni/icant
risk& ;/ characters 6ree2e throu%h somethin%, it
doesn(t count as an o6stacle&
An o6stacle must also in4ol4e some kind o/
con/lict, thou%h it doesn(t ha4e to 6e +hysical&
;t can 6e o/ any ty+e mentioned +re4iously&
!inally, there must 6e conse9uences /or /ailure
and re5ard /or success& 0hese conse9uences
are determined 6y the Director, thou%h +layers
can o//er in+ut on these thin%s&
!inally, 5e need to note that /or an o6stacle to
count in #arsec there has to 6e some +art /or
e4ery #C to +lay& ;/ it lea4es any +layer3
character unin4ol4ed, it does not count as an
o6stacle& *hen the 7Cs face a significant
obstacle all of the 7Cs ad!ance 9 step&
E4ample )bstacles from "Stealing the 2rake-
$n that same scenario we decided there were
three distinct obstacles. The first was getting
onto the 2rake in the first place since only
security was allowed onboard. )ne playtest
group hacked the security system and cut their
115
way in from the outside while another feigned
a medical emergency and talked their way in.
?oth were challenging and both were
ultimately successful.
The second obstacle was to subdue the crew
and security forces on the 2rake. This took up
the ma+ority of the time and wasn't always
successful. Aarious methods and combinations
of methods were tried ranging from !enting
all of the air out of the inhabited 5uarters
while the 7Cs wore !acc(suits to going in
guns bla&ing Kwhich is usually a terrible idea
on a spaceshipTL
The third obstacle was sei&ing control of the
ship. $f the group didn't' ha!e a hacker handy
this one failed e4cept for one case, that time
a 7C was able to negotiate with the sur!i!ing
crew and security personnel for computer
access. $n another session they captured the
captain and threatened her until she complied
and powered up the ship M though of course
she took them directly to the closest security
outpost and demanded their surrenderQ.
Secrets
Iearnin% a secret and ha4in% a secret re4ealed
are o++osite e,+eriences, 6ut they are on a
similar le4el in terms o/ the ad4ancement
rules& $a4in% a secret re4ealed may result in a
)car > it(s a secret /or a reason, a/ter all& *hen
it does, the system is the same as it al5ays is
/or )cars& ;t mi%ht also 6e 6uilt into a %oal or
an o6stacle, and thus /all under that cate%ory&
#arsec is a %ame that is dri4en 6y in/ormation
> 5ho has it, 5hether it is true, 5ho 5ants it,
5hat it is 5orth and so on& ;n/ormation is the
same as +o5er 5hen in a settin% dominated 6y
technolo%ical ad4ancement and ra6id
com+etition& As mentioned a6o4e, the 5ay
that the Director re4eals in/ormation and the
5ay that +layers seek it out should al5ays
/urther the story& ;n/ormation is a tool /or
tellin% the story, a tool /or +acin% the %ame
and controllin% tension and drama 6ased on
ho5 and 5hen a secret is re4ealed&
*hen any character learns a si%ni/icant secret,
all o/ the characters ad4ance one ste+& 0hat(s
ri%ht > if anyone learns something interesting
e!eryone benefits& 0his is to encoura%e
5orkin% to%ether as a %rou+ rather than %oin%
o// indi4idually and kee+in% the 6est stu// /or
yoursel/= ;n most cases, this 5ill 6e a lo%ical
+ro%ression o/ the storyline, 6ut it is 5ritten
into the rules so that secrets are al5ays a 6i%
+art o/ the %ame& Also, i/ a +layer3character
learns a secret 6ut doesn(t tell the other #Cs,
no one ad!ances period& ;/ you(re %oin% to
kee+ secrets /rom the other +layer3characters,
it(ll ha4e to 6e its o5n re5ard&
.ach +layer3character should ha4e at least one
secret o/ his o5n& *hen this secret is re4ealed
in a dramatic 5ay, the whole group ad!ances
one step 7a%ain, the o6ject is to /urther the
story8& ;n order to kee+ ad4ancin%, you need to
kee+ +ushin% and im+ro4isin% and mo4in%
/or5ard, di%%in% /or ne5 in/ormation and
/i%urin% out ho5 to use it& 0his system also
encoura%es the +layers to 5ork to%ether to set
u+ a 6i% re4elation /or one o/ the characters& ;/
re4ealin% a secret is anticlimactic > i/
e4eryone just %oes throu%h it like recitin% a
laundry3list so they can ad4ance their
characters, the 2irector should not award any
steps toward ad!ancement& Fou ha4e to +ut in
more e//ort than that&
E4ample Secrets from "Stealing the 2rake-
$n a one(shot scenario the secrets each
character has can be !ery interesting. $n one
case a 7C was a double agent who was along
to help the other 7Cs sei&e the 2rake and then
betray them turning the 2ri!e t o!er to his
superiors. $n another the pilot had a bitter
ri!al who was also docked at the 2rake and
became in!ol!ed when he learned his nemesis
was also docked to the 2ri!e. .or a longer
running game the secrets should relate more
to character de!elopment rather than double(
crossing each other. The most important thing
is=always ha!e fun with the gameT
)ide6arD B0ake a $intC *hen +layers 5rite u+
%oals, o6stacles and secrets /or their characters
they are tellin% each other and the director
5hat they 5ant to ha++en in the %ame& 0his is
a %i/t > use it 5ell& !it these thin%s to%ether
intentionally so that it 5on(t 6e a random
assortment o/ story elements 5ithout any
116
thread strin%in% them to%ether& #rime the
+um+ /or dramatic moments later and enjoy
the antici+ation& 0hese are the +layer(s
+riorities /or the %ame, 6ut the Director should
ha4e a hand in de/inin% the s+eci/ics so that
they make a story rather than a mess&
'd?ancement Step by Step
Ad4ancin% anythin% in #arsec costs a
+articular num6er o/ Steps > 6i%%er chan%es
and im+ro4ements cost more ste+s& )te+s are
just a /orm o/ currency that +layers earn 6y
+layin% the %ame 5hich they can s+end on
im+ro4in% their characters 7other role3+layin%
%ames 5ill use terms like 1character +oints( or
1e,+erience( /or this8&
0hese ad4ancements should al5ays make
sense in terms o/ 5hat has ha++ened durin%
the %ame so /ar& Fou don(t im+ro4e )kills or
Attri6utes you ha4en(t used, or earn ne5
0raits that don(t make any sense in the conte,t
o/ the %ame& 0he Director has the ri%ht to
disallo5 an ad4ancement choice i/ he /eels it
is ina++ro+riate to e4ents in the %ame thou%h
he should al5ays take in+ut /rom the +layers
on 5hat they /eel is a++ro+riate&
7articular costs for ad!ancing Attributes and
Skills and buying new Traits are listed on the
table below.
&e9 Scars
Ad4ancement throu%h )cars is the sim+lest,
and is descri6ed a%ain here /or the sake o/
thorou%hness& .4ery time you %et a ne5 )car,
you ad4ance in one o/ the cate%ories o/ your
Hesilience > Coura%e, Disci+line or 0olerance&
Fou also recei4e a s+eci/ic +enalty associated
5ith the )car& )cars are the only 5ay to
ad4ance your Hesilience a6ilities in #arsec,
and al5ays /unctions the same 5ay&
"8ou see me now a !eteran of a thousand psychic
wars J $'!e been li!ing on the edge so long J *here the
winds of limbo roar / And $'m young enough to look at J
And far too old to see J All the scars are on the inside J
$'m not sure if there's anything left of me- Manti5ue
music lyrics by The ?lood )yster Cult Krights being
ad+udicated in *6# Earth Trade $ntellectual 7roperty
CourtL
0o earn a )car, somethin% terri6le needs to
ha++en to you& Aot e4ery injury, +hysical or
+sycholo%ical, causes a )car& A )car is an
intense e,+erience that marks the character
/ore4er& *hen somethin% terri6le ha++ens to a
character, the +layer and the Director should
discuss 5hether the recent e4ent 9uali/ies as a
)car&
'/ course, it is al5ays +ossi6le to %o throu%h
any num6er o/ thin%s and not %ain a )car& 0he
/act is, thou%h, that i/ you ne4er take )cars,
you 5ill not 6e a6le to deal 5ith the kinds o/
threats that you 5ill o/ten /ace as a character
in #arsec&
Final &ote on -)5anceent
$o5 a %rou+ de/ines %oals, o6stacles, secrets
and )cars 5ill hel+ determine the +ace o/ a
%i4en %ame, ho5 9uickly characters ad4ance
and im+ro4e& A loose de/inition leads to a /ast3
+aced %ame 5here ad4ancement ha++ens
9uickly > at the e,+ense o/ realism& More
4erisimilitude 5ill mean that ad4ancement is
slo5er and the thresholds /or callin%
somethin% a %oal or o6stacle are hi%her&
*ith ad4ancement 6ein% +ossi6le a/ter each
session, this means that a +ace o/ a6out 233
ste+s +er session should 6e the norm& #eriodic
%oals, 5hich are each 5orth 3 ste+s, 5ill
6alance out sessions 5here +erha+s only a
sin%le o6stacle is /aced&
-)5anceent -9ar)s
&oals: When a &oal is accomplishedA all pla,er-characters advance % Steps
/0stacles: When a sinificant /0stacle is overcomeA each pla,er-character advances 1 Step
Secrets: When a pla,er-character learns a SecretA or #hen one of their Secrets is revealedA
the, advance 1 Step
11@
Scars: *la,ers choose #hen their character receives a Scar
-)5anceent %osts
!ttri0ute: ! num0er of Steps e8ual to the level of the current !ttri0ute
S6ill: 2 Steps for 0asicA % for intermediateA ) for advanced and 10 for master
Traits:
2 Steps per level of the Trait 0onus GJ1 die for most TraitsA J2 for e8uipment
TraitsH
Relationship: % Steps for a minor relationshipA ' to advance it to a ma;or relationship
Status: ! num0er of Steps e8ual to t#ice ,our current Status
'd?ancement !osts
Ad4ancements taken are not cumulati4e& )o,
/or e,am+le, a ne5 )kill ad4anced to 6asic
5ould cost 2 )te+s& Ad4ancin% the same )kill
to intermediate 5ould re9uire 3 )te+s, not 1&
Ad4anced 5ill cost 6 more )te+s, and so on&
'64iously, hi%h le4els o/ skill 5ill 6e 4ery
e,+ensi4e: this is intentional& ;/ you think
a6out it, the chea+est 5ay to %et the most dice
is to take a major relationshi+, and this is also
intentional, 6ecause relationshi+s %i4e the
+layers a chance to introduce ne5 A#Cs 5ith
all the t5ists and com+lications that come&
Also, callin% u+on relationshi+s re9uires
role+layin%, and that(s more interestin% than
merely declarin% that you(re %oin% to roll
some dice&
AoteD it should 6e easy to ad4ance lo5 )kills
and Attri6utes, 6ut as your character 6ecomes
more accom+lished, ad4ancement 5ill slo5
do5n si%ni/icantly& 0his is meant /or relati4e
realism& Characters don(t need to 6e%in a story
5ith the same o4erall ca+acities, 6ut those
5ho are 5eaker at the 6e%innin% tend to
stren%then 9uickly as they /ace challen%es and
o4ercome ad4ersity&
F(A1> -2A(%1
*hat /ollo5s is some ad4ice on ho5 to run a
#arsec %ame& .,+erienced %amers 5ill ha4e
read or heard most o/ this 6e/ore, 6ut
sometimes it(s %ood to look at a%ain& ;t mi%ht
s+ark a ne5 idea or a ne5 5ay o/ lookin% at
somethin%, and you mi%ht /ind hel+/ul
su%%estions /or a +ro6lem that kee+s comin%
u+ 5hile runnin% #arsec or other role+layin%
%ames& As al5ays, take 5hat you 5ant and
lea4e the rest&
>#7 +he First Session
$ere(s a 6reakdo5n o/ ho5 to handle the /irst
session o/ a #arsec %ame& 0his 5ill 6e similar
5hether this is the /irst o/ many sessions in a
lon% cam+ai%n, the /irst o/ a /e5 in a short
run, or the start o/ a one3shot %ame&
Before 3o* Begin
#arsec is 6est +layed i/ you ha4e at least 3
+layers and at most @ or G, one o/ 5hom 5ill
need to 6e the Director& 0he Director should
6e someone /amiliar 5ith the rules, desi%nin%
o6stacles, and +ortrayin% multi+le non3+layer3
characters o4er the course o/ the %ame& 6 or @
+layers is +ro6a6ly the most that a Director
5ill 5ant to handle or that +layers in the %rou+
5ill 5ant > more than that and the %ame slo5s
do5n si%ni/icantly and each +layer %ets less
time in the s+otli%ht&
'nce you(4e decided 5ho 5ill 6e the Director,
you need to make sure you ha4e loads o/ 63
sided dice& ;t(s +ossi6le to %et 6y 5ith just a
/e5, 6ut you(ll end u+ handin% them around
the ta6le a lot, so ideally you 5ant each +layer
to ha4e G31- dice&
11G
/$e First /ie 3o* Sit 2o9n
A %ame o/ #arsec 6e%ins 5ith some +ens or
+encils and some +a+er& Be/ore you start
creatin% characters, you should talk to each
other a6out the kind o/ %ame you 5ant and the
kind o/ story you 5ant to tell& 0here are some
6i% decisions to 6e made a6out the settin% >
there is a settin% +ro4ided that you are
5elcome to use, and as more +layers make
their o5n additions, those 5ill 6e inte%rated in
to the +u6lished %ame&
'nce you(4e /i%ured out some details /or your
settin%, you 5ill +ro6a6ly start thinkin% o/
s+eci/ic thin%s you 5ant to see in the %ame,
A#Cs 5ho come to mind, and an o4erall
storyline to connect e4erythin%& Fou should
note do5n the names o/ cor+orations that 5ill
come into +lay early, as 5ell as other %rou+s
that 5ill ha4e an e//ect on the +layer3
character(s li4es, or 5ho are in/luential in the
area 5here you think you(ll 6e startin%&
;t(s also %ood i/ you 5rite do5n interestin%
soundin% names /or other use: sometimes
durin% %ames, you(ll need a name at random
/or some reason& $a4in% a list o/ names handy
can add e,tra /la4or 5ithout takin% time or
/orcin% the Director to come u+ 5ith
somethin% on the /ly 5hile his 6rain(s %oin% in
a di//erent direction&
At some +oint, 5hen you think you ha4e
enou%h settin% ideas to %o on, you can start to
talk a6out the situation > the s+eci/ic e4ents
that 5ill 6e%in your story and set your
characters on their narrati4e +aths& Fou should
also start to %et more solid ideas o/ 5hat kinds
o/ characters you 5ant to +lay&
*ith these ideas in mind, it is time to turn to
character creation& .ach +layer sketches out a
story /or their characters in 5 +arts > their
Birth, .ducation, *ork, #assion and )cars 7as
descri6ed in Cha+ter 38& 0hen, 6ased on those
6rie/ character stories, the characters are 6uilt&
;/ e4eryone is /amiliar 5ith the %ame, this can
6e done se+arately, 6ut it hel+s i/ done 5hile
the Director is +resent to a4oid
miscommunication, or situations 5here t5o
+layers are +layin% 4ery similar characters and
didn(t intend to&
'nce your characters are /inished to
e4eryone(s satis/action, the ne,t thin% you
need to do is +lay out the /irst scene o/ your
story& 0he /irst /e5 scenes should introduce
the characters someho5 > not necessarily to
each other yet, 6ut to the story& ;t should also
contain hints o/ 5hat mi%ht come ne,t, and
introduce im+ortant as+ects o/ the settin% and
the situation /or the %ame& 'ne +ossi6ility is
%i4in% each +layer a 6rie/ encounter o/ their
o5n 6e/ore %ettin% to the main story, much
like the initial chase sho5n in a ames Bond
mo4ie has nothin% to do 5ith the main +lot o/
the mo4ie, thou%h that 5orks 5ith /e5er
+layers&
A %reat 5ay to %et ideas /or ho5 to do this is
to 5atch the o+enin% se9uence and /irst cou+le
o/ scenes o/ a mo4ie& Esually, these /e5
minutes tell you a %reat deal a6out the story >
5hen and 5here it is takin% +lace, 5ho is
in4ol4ed, and 5hat kind o/ story it(ll 6e
7action, horror, s+y8&
*hile +layers can al5ays su%%est or ask /or
scenes, it is ultimately u+ to the Director to
/rame a %i4en scene > to say 5here it is takin%
+lace, and 5hen, and 5ho is in4ol4ed& #layers
can ha4e any in+ut they 5ant to ha4e, or can
ask /or a +articular scene that they 5ant to see,
and 5hen this ha++ens, the Director should
+ro6a6ly re5ard their enthusiasm, unless it
derails thin%s /or e4eryone else&
Gro*p /eplate
*hen you create characters /or your #arsec
%ame, you need to make sure e4eryone /its
to%ether in some 5ay > other5ise, you(ll just
6e tellin% a 6unch o/ indi4idual, disconnected
stories& Aot only do the character conce+ts and
stories need to /it, 6ut there are thin%s you can
do usin% the character creation rules to hel+
create and /urther those 6onds& *hen you
/i%ure out ho5 your characters /it to%ether,
you ha4e 5hat 5e re/er to as the %rou+
tem+late&
*hat /ollo5s is rudimentary ad4ice /or kinds
o/ %rou+ tem+lates that you may 5ish to +lay,
es+ecially i/ you(re not that e,+erienced
creatin% characters /or a role+layin% %ame&
11J
'64iously you don(t need to do all o/ these
thin%s, 6ut some o/ them are hel+/ul& 0here are
also su%%estions o/ sim+le 5ays you can 4ary
the %rou+ tem+late or dro+ it into a di//erent
situation, in order to s+ark /urther ideas&
1spionage /ea
)+ies are o/ten ima%ined 5orkin% alone, and
some do, 6ut that isn(t interestin% /or the rest
o/ the +layers& !or this reason, it(s more
interestin% to assume that you ha4e an
es+iona%e team that 5orks to%ether& ;deally,
e4eryone has im+ortant thin%s to do durin%
e4ery mission that you take on& 0his kind o/
%ame mi%ht in4ol4e a lot o/ scene3chan%es,
mo4in% /rom one situation to the ne,t, 5ith
each situation ha4in% its o5n s+otli%ht
character& !or e,am+le, the s+y seduces the
youn% di+lomatic attach[ 5hile the security
s+ecialist cracks the +ri4ate code used in the
closed security system: mean5hile there is a
communications e,+ert monitorin%
communications in the area, a leader 5ho
re+resents the %rou+(s em+loyer callin% the
shots, and an e,traction s+ecialist /indin% a
5ell3hidden +lace to set u+ his sni+er ri/le or
smoke %renades orLyou %et the idea&
An alternati4e, thou%h not o/ten used in
%ames, is that each character D'.) 5ork
inde+endently 5ith one linkin% to the ne,t&
0he security s+ecialist %ets in to the /acility
and +ast the coded lock and turns it o4er to the
s+y 5ho dances 5ith the 4ictim, sli++in% a5ay
5ith a DAA sam+le and %ettin% it to the
e,traction e,+ert 5ho 5hisks it a5ay to
sa/ety& 0he caution is that each indi4idual(s
se%ments ha4e to 6e short /or this to 5ork
thou%h the techni9ue can 6e used /or just a
short 6it o/ a lar%er ad4enture i/ desired&
An es+iona%e team 5orks 5ell /or a small
%rou+ o/ +layers > +ro6a6ly /our at the most
6ecause it 5ill likely in4ol4e a lot o/ scene3
s5itchin% 5hile the 4arious #Cs 5ork
indi4idually to5ard the common %oal&
Summary
234 +layers
Key )killsD Analysis, ;n4esti%ation, Iarceny,
)tealth, )u6tlety
"enre .,am+lesD ames Bond, Mission
;m+ossi6le, Chuck, 0he Mod )9uad, 0he
)tainless )teel Hat
Pirate or Pri5ateer %re9
)hi+ cre5s are o/ten a collection o/ s+ecialists,
and s+aceshi+ cre5s are no di//erent& 0hou%h
you can 5ork 5ith more, 336 characters 5ork
5ell as a shi+(s cre5& 0his 5ill %i4e each cre5
mem6er somethin% to do 7in all likelihood8 at
critical +oints o/ the +lot&
;t(s +retty easy to %et a %rou+ o/ #Cs onto the
same shi+ 6ecause they are all re9uired to
s+end 0raits to %et there in the /irst +lace= 0he
5ay that the 0raits 5ork also means that the
character 5ho has the most authority on the
shi+ does not ha4e the other little ad4anta%es
0raits +ro4ide, 5hich does somethin% to
6alance the situation out 7and 6ein% the +erson
in authority is not al5ays a %ood thin%,
es+ecially on a +irate shi+ 6ein% 6oarded 6y a
cor+orate +atrol shi+8&
0his %rou+ tem+late 5orks 6est i/ the +layers
6uild distinct characters 5ith di//erin% skills& ;t
makes sense /or there to 6e a ca+tain or
commander, a +ilot, a %unner i/ the story is
%oin% to in4ol4e /ire/i%hts in s+ace 7and 5e
recommend them8, a communications o//icer
or technician, an en%ineer, a dedicated
scientist 7i/ there 5ill 6e a need /or one8, and a
doctor 5ho 5ill o/ten also 6e trained in
dealin% 5ith %rou+ dynamics and de/usin%
con/licts that mi%ht arise 6et5een
cre5mem6ers& 7'64iously, in a tiny metal shi+
dri/tin% throu%h the 4oid at thousands o/
kilometers +er hour, it(s a 6ad +lace /or a /i%ht
to 6reak out or /or %rud%es to 6e held&8
'64iously, these +ositions can 6e com6ined or
remi,ed ho5e4er you 5ish& Fou can ha4e a
military medic 5ho is also a %unner, a
commander 5ho is also a trained scientist, or
an en%ineer 5ho dou6les as communications
o//icer&
Summary
336 +layers
Key )killsD Analysis, Detection, "unner,
#ilotin%
12-
"enre .,am+lesD !ire/lyM)erenity, #irates o/
the Cari66ean, Iucky )tarr and the #irates o/
the Asteroids, 0he "a+ )eries
(ns*rgents
;nsur%ents and /reedom /i%hters /orm cells all
o4er .arth, not to mention in the Colonies
6eyond& 0hey are usually loosely or%ani2ed,
comin% to%ether only /or +articular missions >
i/ they s+end too much time to%ether, the
authorities ha4e an easier time /i%urin% out
5hat they are u+ to&
0he com+osition o/ a +articular cell de+ends
on 5hat they are doin% to /i%ht the +o5ers that
6e& 0hey may 6e recruiters /oundin% and
trainin% ne5 cells, or they may 6e demolitions
e,+erts res+onsi6le /or 6lo5in% u+
%o4ernment 6uildin%s and attractin% media
attention& An insur%ent %rou+ 5ill 6e held
to%ether 6y their shared #assion and +ossi6ly
relationshi+s 5ith their +atron or%ani2ation&
Summary
Any num6er o/ +layers
Key )killsD .4asion, !irearms, )ur4i4al,
0olerance
"enre .,am+lesD Ba6ylon AD, 0hree Kin%s,
;n%lorious Basterds
(n5estigators
;n4esti%ati4e %ames 5ill al5ays /ocus on
secrets > 5ho kno5s them, and 5hat im+act
they 5ill ha4e i/ they are re4ealed& 0his 5ill
in4ol4e a lot o/ in/ormation con/licts& A %rou+
o/ +layer3characters in an in4esti%ation %ame
don(t all need to 6e in4esti%ators& Fou
%enerally 5ant to ha4e +layer3characters 5ho
/ill other niches, like someone 5ho is
connected or or%ani2ed crime, or 5ho
+ro4ides muscle, or has status and +olitical
clout& ;n4esti%ators need allies&
0he im+ortant thin% is to 6rin% to%ether
characters 5ith di4erse skills 5ho are 5orkin%
to%ether to /ind the truth& 0hese characters
could 6e +ri4ate eyes, la5 en/orcement,
muckrakers, or +olitical character assassins >
why they are a/ter secrets is u+ to you& 0he
+layer3characters mi%ht 6e +ri4ate
in4esti%ators, or could 5ork /or a +articular
cor+oration or /or the 5orld %o4ernment& 0hey
mi%ht 6e in4esti%atin% a local tan%le o/
6etrayals noir3style, or tryin% to locate a
clandestine human sla4e3/arm to shut it do5n
/or the *IA&
Summary
234 +layers
Key )killsD Analysis, Detection, ;n4esti%ation,
Hesearch
"enre .,am+lesD 0he Entoucha6les, Aoir and
Detecti4e /iction
Sol)iersBSec*rity Forces
A %rou+ o/ soldiers or security3ty+es 5ill
+ro6a6ly all ha4e similar 6uilds 5ith each
ha4in% 4aryin% le4els in the com6at skills >
.4asion, !irearms, and +erha+s "ra++lin% or
)trikin%, as 5ell as a hi%h Hesilience& Aside
/rom these commonalities, 5hich are o/ten
tau%ht in 6asic trainin%, they remain
indi4iduals& *hat led them to join a military
/orce? Are they 4olunteers or conscri+ted?
Many or%ani2ations in the solar system
maintain /orces com+osed o/ a num6er o/
small, semi3autonomous units %i4en +articular
tasks > the #Cs mi%ht 6e one o/ these, held
to%ether 6y their mission& ;t is also +ossi6le
that location holds them to%ether > they are
the ni%ht security detail on a re/inery in the
Asteroid Belt, or the security team on a s+ace
trans+ort&
A lar%e +art o/ military li/e is e4erythin% that
%oes on 6et5een missions and instances o/
com6at& A common similarity o/ military
memoirs o4er the centuries is the lon% +eriods
o/ 6oredom +unctuated 6y the 6rie/ seconds o/
total terror and adrenalin&
Summary
336 +layers
Key )killsD Athletics, Coura%e, !irearms,
)trikin%
"enre .,am+lesD )tarshi+ 0roo+ers, Minority
He+ort, Ho6oco+, Demolition Man
4r8an /ri8e or :ilitia
Er6an tri6es and militias /orm to +rotect their
o5n community /rom direct threats& 0hese
threats can come /rom another nei%h6orin%
121
community tryin% to e,+and its territory or an
outside /orce tryin% to demolish the
nei%h6orhood to +ut in a su++ort3+ylon /or a
ne5 ma%le4 line& 0here are no +olice in the
Barrens and *astes, so no one /rom the
outside 5ill come en/orce la5s& ;nstead,
relationshi+s 6et5een communities are ad3hoc,
rooted in 6arterin% and constant skirmishes /or
access to the /e5 resources a4aila6le&
0he situation /or a tri6e or militia is more
chaotic than that in a military unit& 0he Bchain
o/ commandC can chan%e at any time, and
rather than clear rules /or 6eha4ior there is a
com+le, tan%le o/ com+etin% relationshi+s& A
%ood 5ay to 6ind #Cs to%ether at the
6e%innin% o/ a story o/ this kind may 6e to
ha4e them all take similar #assions /or a
+articular reli%ion or +hiloso+hy, the same
4ie5s holdin% their community to%ether > /or
no5 at least& 0hen surround them 5ith other
tri6es and militias 5ith contrary aims and
+hiloso+hies and 5atch the s+arks /ly&
Summary
336 +layers
Key )killsD Dri4e, ;ntimidation, He+air,
)ur4i4al
"enre .,am+lesD Hoad *arrior, 0he Hoad,
Children o/ Men, Da5n o/ the Dead, 0he
Book o/ .li
%orporate S*its
0he %reat cor+orations that mono+oli2ed
resources and dominated human li/e /or
almost 1-- years are in a state o/ crisis 5ith
the rise o/ the *IA& )uddenly, they /ind
themsel4es ans5erin% to a +o5er outside their
o5n 6oardrooms, and it is thro5in% them into
+anic and disarray in many cases& )ome look
/or a 5ay to e,ist in the risin% 5orld system
5hile others /i%ht to shut do5n the *IA and
maintain the status 9uo o/ the old neo3/eudal
system&
!or cor+orate BsuitsC o/ all kinds, li/e is
unsta6le and the +ros+ects /or ra+id +romotion
are 6etter than e4er 6e/ore 7thou%h no one
thinks a6out the o++osite<that death and
/ailure seem to occur much more /re9uently
no5 as 5ell8& )ocial and in/ormation con/licts
a6ound as e4eryone scram6les /or +osition,
and there is al5ays the occasional +hysical
threat as thin%s escalate to5ard the ne,t
con/lict&
A %ame set in the cor+orate 5orld 5ill 6e one
o/ slo5 6uilds and sudden re4elations& ;t 5ill
6e all a6out relationshi+s and a6out
mani+ulatin% those around you 5hile not
6ein% mani+ulated yoursel/& ;n 5hat is an
economic *ild *est, anythin% %oes i/ you are
still standin% 7and in %ood standin%8 5hen the
dust clears > and 5ith no social sa/ety3nets,
e4eryone can lose e4erythin% at a moment(s
notice&
Summary
234 +layers
Key )killsD Culture, .nticement, .ti9uette,
)ocial Aet5orkin%
"enre .,am+lesD *all )treet, American
#sycho, ohn "risham no4els
Space 1'plorers
!aster3than3li%ht tra4el has o+ened u+ in/inite
+ossi6ilities /or s+ace e,+loration 7and
coloni2ation8 on a %rand scale& A %rou+ o/
s+ace e,+lorers can take a 4ariety o/ /orms
de+endin% on 5hat it is they are seekin%& 0hey
5ill 6e similar to any kind o/ shi+(s cre5, 6ut
tend to ha4e more scienti/ic kno5led%e and
skills, and may not 6e as 5ell3armed as a
+ri4ateer cre5 5ill 6e& 0he cre5 in 9uestion
5ill 6e 6ound to%ether 6y their em+loyer,
5hether it is a de+artment o/ the *IA or o/ a
national %o4ernment or the scienti/ic research
arm o/ a +o5er/ul cor+oration, 6ut 6eyond the
6ounds o/ the solar system, do those %rou+s
hold any real authority? 0hat(s an issue no
one is sure o/Lyet&
Summary
336 +layers
Key )killsD Aa4i%ation, #ilotin%, )cience,
Pero3"
"enre .,am+lesD )tar 0rek, #itch Black, 'ld
Man(s *ar, Hende24ous 5ith Hama
Aaria8le> Fis$ <*t of #ater
An interestin% turn is to take one o/ these
%rou+ tem+lates and +ut the characters into
122
situations they 5ere not 6uilt /or& *hat
ha++ens 5hen the cor+orate suits %et cau%ht in
a /ire/i%ht? $o5 do insur%ents deal 5ith
ac9uirin% encry+ted in/ormation /rom 5ithin a
secure arcolo%y, a task that s+ies could do
easily? )ometimes it(s /un to +lay to
character(s stren%ths, 6ut many %reat sci3/i
stories are 6uilt around +rota%onists taken out
o/ their com/ort 2ones and +ut some+lace ne5&
%onflict 8et9een P%s
;t(s more interestin%, i/ you 5ant to 5in social
con/licts 5ith other #Cs, to 6uild a character
that is %ood at social con/licts in %eneral,
rather than shoutin% do5n your /riends& At
least, 5e think it is& But i/ you like makin%
thin%s a little more +ersonal, there(s nothin% to
sto+ you& Eltimately, i/ there is a
disa%reement, it is the Director(s call 5hen the
dice need to 6e rolled > thou%h, on the other
hand, i/ a +layer asks /or dice to resol4e the
situation, it(s 6ad /orm to just i%nore them&
>#4 Story
*hen comin% u+ 5ith a story /or your %ame,
5hether the Director does most o/ the 5ork or
5hether it is colla6orati4e 6et5een the
+layers, it(s %ood not to %et too attached to it&
.4en +layers 5ho ha4e no in+ut at the
6e%innin% are still %oin% to +lay their
characters in +articular 5ays > and they 5ill
ne4er %o the direction you e,+ect= 0hat(s okay
6ecause the story isn(t meant to 6e a
straitjacket, 6ut rather a %uide, and i/ the
5hole %rou+ isn(t 6uyin% into it, it 5ill 6e hard
to come u+ 5ith anythin% coherent as the
%ame +ro%resses&
!or shorter %ames or one3shot %ames, the story
can 6e +lanned out in more detail 6ecause
there isn(t the need to %et ac9uainted 5ith the
settin% or understand the dee+er as+ects o/ the
other +layer3characters& #articularly in a one3
shot ad4enture, the story should 6e +lanned
out ahead o/ time& 0he 5ay you +lan the
session out is throu%h %oals, o6stacles, and
secrets, as usual&
!or lon%er %ames, a story or a +lotline is like a
skeleton on 5hich you han% the rest o/ the
%ame, to 6e B/leshed outC throu%h the %ame
itsel/& And a%ain33don(t 6e sur+rised 5hen the
story takes une,+ected turns=
%$aracter-2ri5enC Plot-2ri5enC /$eaticC
or San)8o' Gaes
!haracter-dri?en games are just 5hat you
5ould %uess& 0he story is 6ased around the
+layer3characters& ;n this style o/ %ame,
+layers ha4e a lot o/ in+ut and a lot o/ the
res+onsi6ility /or de4elo+in% the %ame& A
#arsec %ame is al5ays a6out the characters,
6ut a character3dri4en %ame has the characters
in the dri4er(s seat re%ardin% 5here the story
%oes ne,t& 0he %ame is a6out their +ersonal
de4elo+ment and the narrati4e /ocus 5ill
/ollo5 them closely& ;/ the characters don(t do
somethin%, it %enerally 5on(t ha++en&
0his is a %ood kind o/ %ame /or Directors 5ho
don(t al5ays ha4e time to +re+are /or the
%ame, or /or %rou+s o/ +layers 5ho are
e,tremely moti4ated to contri6ute directly to
the storyline throu%h their characters& ;n a
character3dri4en %ame, it is o/ten hel+/ul to
ha4e the +layers in4ol4ed in the details >
creatin% A#Cs and ne5 locations and
su%%estin% ideas /or /uture %ames, 5ith the
/reedom to occasionally %ra6 the reins
themsel4es durin% a %i4en session&
;t is also im+ortant that a lot o/ 5ork %o into
decidin% details o/ the settin% and 5orkin% out
the startin% situation 6e/ore the %ame starts,
and then decide on the %oals and o6stacles as
it +ro%resses& ;n short, character3dri4en %ames
rely on a stron% settin% and situation to %i4e
the %ame structure and to make it coherent&
<lot-dri?en games are near the other end o/
the s+ectrum& ;n a +lot3dri4en %ame, the story
arc is already sketched out and the +layer3
characters are /it into it& A lot o/ traditional
heroic narrati4es are +lot3dri4en& Certain
thin%s are 1destined( to ha++en, and a lot o/
5hat the main characters do is reaction to
5hat %oes on in the 5orld around them& 0hey
can still 6e +roacti4e, 6ut it is clear that there
are other /orces at 5ork in the 5orld 6eyond
the character(s control&
123
#lot3dri4en %ames are %ood /or Directors 5ho
ha4e a stron% and dramatic idea /or the %ame(s
storyline& ;t(s also %ood /or %rou+s o/ +layers
5ho don(t 5ant to +ut a lot o/ thou%ht into a
%ame 6et5een sessions& ;t has to 6e said,
thou%h, that 5hen the Director 5orks u+ her
+lotline, he needs to reali2e that once the %ame
starts, it will chan%e& ;n 5ar, no +lan sur4i4es
contact 5ith the enemy& ;n %amin%, no +lotline
sur4i4es contact 5ith the +layers&
0here are t5o major 5ays to handle creatin% a
+lot3dri4en %ame /rom the Director(s +oint o/
4ie5& 0he /irst is to ha4e the +lot made clear
/rom the 6e%innin% so that the +layers can hel+
out and +lay into it rather than take detours or
accidentally sa6ota%e the story& 0his 5orks
5ell 5ith e,+erienced, coo+erati4e +layers
5ho are interested in sharin% narrati4e
res+onsi6ility in the %ame& 0he second method
is to ha4e the +lot ke+t secret /rom the +layers&
0his 5orks 5ell 5hen +layers enjoy 6ein%
sur+rised 6y turns o/ e4ents, and don(t mind
the Director ha4in% more control o4er 5hat is
%oin% on&
8hematic games can 6e +lot3dri4en or
character3dri4en, 6ut the main in/luence on the
%ame 5ill 6e a +articular theme > /or e,am+le
> %rie/ and loss, the /utility o/ 5ar, lo4e
con9uers all, or cor+orate %reed& 0hematic
%ames are dri4en 6y emotional content and 6y
the ideas that come u+ durin% the %ame&
Characters 5ill 6e 6uilt around this theme, and
the Director(s jo6 5ill 6e to maintain the
theme throu%hout the %ame throu%h
characteri2ation o/ A#Cs, descri+tion o/
settin%s and the kinds o/ o6stacles that are +ut
in the #Cs +ath&
A truly thematic %ame is challen%in% to run
6ecause it re9uires a lot o/ attention to detail in
the 5ay that the story is collecti4ely told& ;t is
also 4ery re5ardin%, 6ecause it tends to lead to
a more intense and coherent e,+erience
com+ared to other methods<5hen done 5ell&
;t 5ill demand in+ut and e//ort /rom 6oth the
Director and the +layers&
Sandbox games re9uire a lot o/ 5ork u+
/ront, 6ut 6ecome easier to run /rom session to
session& A sand6o, %ame is one in 5hich the
Director, 5ith as much +layer in+ut as is
a++ro+riate /or the %rou+, de4elo+s a detailed
settin% and situation and then sets the +layer3
characters do5n in it, like settin% kids do5n in
a sand6o, /ull o/ toys& 0he settin% is the sand
and the A#Cs are the toys lyin% in it& 0he #Cs
can then do 5hate4er they 5ant, interact 5ith
5hoe4er they 5ant, in the settin%& 0he settin%
res+onds to 5hat they do, and so on&
)ome %rou+s 5ill 6e at a loss in a sand6o,
%ame, +re/errin% %uidance concernin% 5hat is
im+ortant, as is the case in a +lot3dri4en %ame&
)ome +layers turn any %ame into a sand6o,
%ame > they 5ill immediately %o o// the track
/or the session and start +okin% around in the
settin%, %oin% 5here4er their curiosity leads
them&
,eroesC Aillains or -nti$eroes
;n most %ames, the #Cs are heroes& 0his
means that, ho5e4er %ood is de/ined in a
+articular settin% and %ame, the #Cs are on
that side 70hey are 5earin% the 5hite hats and
ne4er use red li%htsa6ers8& Most %reat stories
are a6out heroes, and this is /or a %ood reason&
$eroes are ins+irin% and e,citin%& 0hey are
lar%er3than3li/e, and do 5hat 5e 5ish 5e
could do& 0hat the #Cs are B%oodC in a
s+eci/ic moral sense o/ the 5ord isn(t
necessary at all& 0hey care and are easy to
em+athi2e 5ith: they dream 6i% and make a
6i% di//erence&
;n some %ames, #Cs are the ?illains& '/
course, 4illains usually don(t 6elie4e they are
4illains& Killains think they are doin% 5hat is
6est > at the 4ery least, 5hat they think is 6est
/or them& *hat matters is that they end u+ on
the B5ron%C side, doin% the B5ron%C thin% in a
%i4en situation& 0his mi%ht 6e 6ecause they
are /la5ed indi4iduals, or 6ecause they /eel
that the ends justi/y the means&
Esually 4illains are characters 5ho ha4e the
same /la5s 5e all ha4e, 6ut one 7or all8 o/
them is dialed u+ se4eral notches& 0hey are
caricatures o/ 5hat 5e see that is 5ron% in
oursel4es& 0hey are also usually 9uite
+o5er/ul > more +o5er/ul than the heroes, at
least 5hen the story 6e%ins&
124
0he /act is that 4illains are lots o/ /un& 0hey
mi%ht 6e cam+y 3 cacklin%, /in%er3stee+lin%
4illains 5ho kno5 they are e4il and re4el in it,
or they can 6e tra%ically mis%uided, headin%
/or a dramatic /all /rom %race& *hile 4illains
are /un, it should 6e discussed 5ith the entire
%rou+ 6e/ore decidin% that a %i4en %ame 5ill
6e a6out 4illainy& Aot e4eryone is com/orta6le
de+ictin% characters 5ho commit e4il acts, and
a %rou+ should decide as a 5hole 5hat kinds
o/ +rota%onists they 5ant to +ortray&
Kee+ in mind, ho5e4er, that many heroes
5ere 4illains 5hen historians 5rote a6out
them, and the re4erse is o/ten true as 5ell&
$istory is 5ritten 6y the 5inners, so it may all
6e a matter o/ o+inion& The important thing is
that the player(characters are the story's
protagonists& 0hey are central to the story,
they dri4e it /or5ard, and their choices matterD
6i% %oals, 6i% o6stacles, and 6i% secrets&
'ntiheroes are the 6read and 6utter o/ indie
comics and %ra+hic no4els, as 5ell as many
/ilms& 0he antihero e,ists in the %ray area
6et5een hero and 4illain& $e is usually dee+ly
/la5ed and sel/ish, 6ut %ets dra%%ed into a
story someho5& An antihero mi%ht do the ri%ht
thin%, 6ut there is al5ays the 9uestionD B$o5
lon% 5ill it last?C *hat is his real moti4ation?
Antiheroes are ne4er +redicta6le& 0hey(re
+layin% alon%L/or no5& 0omorro5, 5ho
kno5s? "ames and stories a6out antiheroes
are +o+ular, 6ut are also challen%in%& An
antihero mi%ht also 6e someone 5ho has
heroic intentions 6ut uses e,treme means to
achie4e them, or doesn(t /ollo5 the rules o/
society& 0he key to an antihero is am6i%uity&
;n the /inal analysis, you shouldn(t 6e 9uite
sure 5hat to make o/ them&
0here is an im+ortant distinction 6et5een
6ein% an antihero and 6ein% ar6itrary& 'ne is
interestin% 5hile the other is just o6no,ious& A
character should al5ays do thin%s /or a reason,
and the reason should make sense& Most o/ the
time, i/ +layers are 6ein% ar6itrary, it is
6ecause they are 6ored or /rustrated and not
%ettin% 5hat they 5ant out o/ a %ame& 0his can
usually 6e dealt 5ith 6y +ausin% and
discussin% the %ame 1out o/ character( to %et
e4eryone all on the same +a%e&
$n all cases there's no reason you need to
worry about categories as such if you don't
want to& 0hese are just meant to hel+ you think
a6out your +articular %ame in a ne5 5ay or
+rom+t con4ersations 6et5een the +layers and
the Director 6e/ore, durin%, and a/ter a %ame&
:icroC :acro or %osic in Scale
'ne im+ortant decision to make a6out the
settin% o/ a +articular %ame is the scale& 0he
scale o/ a #arsec %ame, or any story, can 6e
micro, macro or cosmic&
A %ame that takes +lace on a micro scale
could take +lace on a sin%le s+ace station, in a
sin%le arcolo%y or ur6an slum, or +erha+s on a
sin%le shi+& Hemem6er that the #Cs could
s+end a lot o/ their time in a s+aceshi+ 7as in
)tar 0rek, /or e,am+le8 6ut the scale o/ the
%ame could 6e much lar%er& *ith a %ame that
takes +lace on a micro scale, the cast o/
characters is small and the con/licts are
intimate and immediate& Most con/licts in the
%ame 5ill 6e inter+ersonal and social& *hat is
at stake 5ill 6e +ersonal to the #Cs and the
+eo+le they kno5 5ell& An e,am+le o/ a story
that takes +lace on a micro scale is the /ilm
Alien or ;<<9 A Space )dyssey&
'n a macro scale, the stakes are hi%her and
6roader& 0he #Cs are cau%ht u+ in con/licts
si%ni/icantly lar%er than themsel4es, in4ol4in%
+o5ers on the scale o/ 5hole %o4ernments or
entire colonies& Con/licts 5ill mostly 6e 5ith
outside +o5ers, +articularly those o++osin%
the #Cs o5n +atrons( %oals& "ood e,am+les o/
this ty+e o/ story come /rom the Star Trek or
?attlestar 3alactica tele4ision series&
A %ame that takes +lace on a cosmic scale has
the hi%hest +ossi6le stakes& #erha+s somethin%
threatens a 4ast num6er o/ +eo+le& ;/ it is a
cons+iracy, it is 5orld3s+annin%& ;/ it is an
en4ironmental threat, it is on the scale o/ a
5orld3killin% asteroid& ;/ it is a %o4ernment, it
is +ro6a6ly the 5orld %o4ernment, or an
or%ani2ation on the scale o/ the lar%est multi3
+lanar cor+orations and a com+lete o4erthro5
o/ a %o4ernment or economic system& 0he
Start Trek /ilms tend to /it in this cate%ory, as
do other kinds o/ sa4e3the35orld stories&
125
,ea5y Science or Science on t$e Si)e
)ome +eo+le +re/er BhardC sci3/i, 5here
e4erythin% has care/ul scienti/ic e,+lanations,
and the %ame 5ill in4ol4e a lot o/ cool
%ad%etry 6ased on solid scienti/ic +rinci+les&
'ther %rou+s 5ill +re/er Bso/tC sci3/i, meanin%
it isn(t 4ery im+ortant e,actly ho5
technolo%ical de4ices 5ork& 0his is another
issue /or your %rou+ to discuss and decide&
Aone o/ this is meant to +ro4oke an ar%ument
a6out science /iction in %eneral& $o5e4er
there are di//erences 6et5een Bhea4y scienceC
and Bscience on the sideC in terms o/ ho5 you
+lay your %ame& A hea?y science %ame
/ocuses on the hard or +hysical sciences, such
as chemistry and +hysics and 6iolo%y, and 5ill
utili2e more technical detail in descri6in% ho5
thin%s /unction& A science on the side %ame
/ocuses more on character interactions and
social situations, and the technical details o/
ho5 thin%s 5ork 5ill take a 6ack3seat to the
story and the con/lict at hand&
0he thin% to remem6er here is that the system
doesn't care 5hether you choose hard sci3/i or
so/t sci3/i& 0he system only cares a6out 5hat
your character tries to accom+lish and ho5
likely it is that she 5ill succeed&
>#2 Ad@ersity
Ad4ersity is the Director(s tool in a %ame&
*ithout ad4ersity introduced, the +layer3
characters sim+ly do 5hate4er they 5ant
5ithout resistance or challen%es, 5hich isn(t
interestin% or /un& !eel /ree to treat o6stacles
as a menu that you can select /rom in a
+articular session&
0here are t5o cate%ories o/ o6stacles that can
6e /aced > +assi4e and acti4e& 7assi!e
obstacles e,ist 5hether the +layer3characters
encounter them or not& 0hese o6stacles 5ill
o/ten 6e tri%%ered 6y the +layer3characters
comin% to someone(s attention durin% the
course o/ the %ame as the +layer3characters
seek to achie4e their %oals& As the Directory,
you can just ha4e a list o/ +assi4e o6stacles
handy > +eo+le and situations that 5ill make
thin%s hard /or the #Cs, 5ith may6e a note
a6out ho5 thin%s o6stacles mi%ht come into
the characters( li4es& !or e,am+le, they mi%ht
%et the attention o/ the authorities, or a nosy
in4esti%ati4e re+orter, or e4en an an%ry,
+o5er/ul e,3s+ouse&
Acti!e obstacles are more o4ertly ad4ersarial,
huntin% do5n the #Cs or seekin% to sa6ota%e
their +lans& *hile it is +ossi6le to kee+ a lo5
+ro/ile and a4oid +assi4e o6stacles, or at least
minimi2e them throu%h +lannin% ahead and
su6tlety, acti4e o6stacles 5ill thrust
themsel4es into the #Cs( /aces, /orcin% them
to res+ond&
;t is a %ood idea /or a %ame to ha4e a mi,ture
o/ 6oth kinds o/ o6stacles& 0he Director
should ha4e acti4e o6stacles on hand 5orkin%
a%ainst the #Cs and should also scatter +assi4e
o6stacles around the settin% like land3mines
/or the #Cs to ste+ on& 0his 5ay, the kinds o/
+ro6lems that the #Cs deal 5ith can chan%e
o4er time&
Reco5ery
;t is easy to o4er5helm and %rind do5n
+layer3characters 6y constantly thro5in%
o6stacles at them 5ithout any time 6et5een,
6ut this 5ill +ro4e re+etiti4e and 5ill %rind
do5n the characters and the +layers& 0here
should 6e chances to rest and reco4er > 6ut not
/or too lon%, or thin%s mi%ht 6ecome 6orin%&
Many %amers think o/ rest and reco4ery as
time to u+date +a+er5ork, 6ut reco4ery time
can 6e acti4e and interestin% in its o5n ri%ht&
;t is an e,cellent time /or e,+osition a6out
5hat is %oin% on 5hile the characters %et 5ell
and re6uild their resources /or the ne,t
cha+ter& ;t is also a %ood time /or thin%s like
research to occur, as 5ell as other acti4ities
that aren(t too +hysically or +sycholo%ically
strenuous thou%h characters 5ho 5ere
unscathed may /ind it a %ood time to 5ork on
im+ro4in% a skill or takin% classes&
Helationshi+s can 6e ke+t u+ durin% do5n3
time and characters can choose to do some
re%ular, honest 5ork to /und the ne,t 4enture&
;/ do5n3time in4ol4es medical reco4ery /rom
injuries, +layer3characters are limited in their
acti4ity, 6ut e4en a 6ed3ridden +erson 5ill
ha4e access to some o/ their social net5orks,
126
relationshi+s, and ne5s o/ 5hat is %oin% on
else5here in the solar system
Heco4ery could also 6e layin% lo5 until the
heat dies do5n /rom any +olice in4esti%ations
resultin% /rom /ire/i%hts the #Cs 5ere
in4ol4ed in& 0here are +lenty o/ out3o/3the3
5ay +laces 5here someone can /ind a +lace to
stay 5ithout 9uestion as lon% as e4erythin%(s
+aid in ad4ance > or a +lace so desolate that
no one 5ill 6other to look&
>#/ Settin"
*here you set the %ame hel+s determine the
/eel& Choosin% the ri%ht +hysical settin% can
hel+ de4elo+ the themes that you 5ant to
/ocus on& "ood ima%ery does a lot to set a
scene& !ollo5in% are some major settin%s and
the themes they may hel+ e4oke, as 5ell as a
little more detail on the #arsec settin% and
assum+tions&
Sl*s an) Barrens
)lums are dirty, cram+ed, and dan%erous&
#eo+le li4in% there are al5ays des+erate >
des+erate to sur4i4e, des+erate to %et out,
des+erate to /ind 5ork, des+erate to /ind
meanin% in their li4es& Aothin% is sim+le or
easy /or the +oor li4in% in the 4ast ne%lected
ed%es o/ a society, and nothin% is easy or
sim+le /or the +layer3characters 5ho /ind
themsel4es here& .4en the most moral and
4irtuous +eo+le li4in% in the slums need to
understand the realities o/ 5here they li4e&
)carcity is the rule, con/lict a 5ay o/ li/e&
Bein% in a slum should 6e an e,+erience o/
constant +ressure, e,erted 6oth 6y your
+hysical circumstances and 6y the +eo+le
around you, all tryin% to make their o5n 5ay
and to /ind 5ays to ha4e +o5er o4er their
situation& Think hot claustrophobic
unsanitary !iolent tragic and desperate&
%ity %ore an) Fringe
Des+ite +ast catastro+hes and current
con/licts, there are still many thri4in% cities on
.arth 5hich ser4e as centers o/ +olitical and
economic systems& ;nsulated /rom the Barrens
6y +ri4ate security /orces, a city core is still a
thri4in% hi%h3tech society in and o/ itsel/&
0hey e,em+li/y the cuttin% ed%e o/
technolo%y, /ashion and culture& Much o/ the
architecture in a city core 5ill 6e either ne5 or
modi/ied and re+aired /rom +re4ious
structures, since a lot o/ dama%e 5as done
durin% the Colla+se& Durin% Heconstruction,
each %i4en cor+oration that +ushed the +rocess
/or5ard had its o5n aesthetic sensi6ilities,
some o/ 5hich 5ere %arish and ill3concei4ed >
others, su6lime&
Bein% in a city core should 6e a heady mi, o/
hi%h society, hi%h /ashion, and hi%h +ressure&
0here should al5ays 6e an,iety as to 5hether
you /it, 5hether you 6elon%& Fou also need to
ha4e methods /or co+in% 5ith /ar, /ar too
much in/ormation to +rocess at once, all the
time, day and ni%ht& Think fast technological
fashionable commercial information
o!erload cutthroat competition
undercurrents and hidden agendas.
-rcologies
Arcolo%ies are the hei%ht o/ o+ulence on
+lanet .arth& .4ery lu,ury that is a4aila6le
any5here is a4aila6le here& 0hey are massi4e,
6uilt on an incredi6le scale usin% 4ast
resources and de4ourin% more resources to
maintain themsel4es& ;nside, e4erythin% is
+ristine and care/ully +lanned 3 anythin%
disorderly and unclean is e,+elled& !or those
5ho ha4e ne4er 6een inside one o/ the %reat
arcolo%ies 7major cities usually ha4e at least
one8, it can 6e like 5alkin% into an alien 5orld
5here the usual rules do not a++ly, and 5here
a %reat deal that %oes on does so 6eneath the
sur/ace, in4isi6le to the inha6itants&
;n an arcolo%y, you are either certain you
6elon%, or you are hidin% somethin%, and in a
lot o/ dan%er& Com+ared to the /renetic ener%y
o/ the city core, an arcolo%y is an oasis o/
6ack5ardness and +am+erin% reminiscent o/
+re4ious a%es in history& Think perfection
sterility manicured aristocracy and hidden
degeneration.
Space Stations
'n a s+ace station, hi%h technolo%y is 5edded
to claustro+ho6ia on a s+ace station& )+ace
12@
itsel/ is at a +remium 5hen it has to 6e /illed
5ith arti/icial li%ht and electricity, in/ormation
and 6reatha6le air& #eo+le 5ho ha4e clearance
to enter most s+ace stations are +ro6a6ly
e,ce+tional in some 5ay, sim+ly 6ecause o/
the e,+ense o/ su++ortin% them& Almost all
5ill 6e 6orn ;nsiders, /or e,am+le&
Another stron% theme o/ li/e a6oard a s+ace
station should 6e disorientation, es+ecially /or
those 5ho are 0erra6orn and accustomed to
consistent %ra4ity& Most lar%e stations rotate
alon% an a,is, +ro4idin% /au,3%ra4ity to
4aryin% de%rees, 6ut taken as a 5hole they are
still alien en4ironments /or human 6ein%s to
inha6it& Mo4in% 1u+( to5ard the a,is, this
arti/icial %ra4ity 5ill diminish steadily until it
reaches 2ero at the a,is itsel/, and then mo4in%
across the a,is to5ard the o++osite side o/ the
station, /au,3%ra4ity 5ill steadily increase in
the re4erse direction& 'n smaller stations, this
chan%e in %ra4ity can 6e relati4ely a6ru+t&
)+ace3sickness is 4ery common, and in 2ero3
%ra4ity or lo5 %ra4ity, e4eryday acti4ities can
6ecome 4ery com+le, and di//icult /or those
5ho are not acclimated& Think disorientation
hostile !oid tenuous purposeful and
controlled.
%olonies
Colonies are studies in contradiction& 'n the
one hand, they 5ill attract those 5ho are 4ery
success/ul and in/luential: on the other hand,
they are also o/ten re/u%es /or those 5ho
5ould rather a4oid scrutiny and attention&
A colony is determined 6y its location, 6y the
+articular dan%ers and resources a4aila6le, and
6y 5hat its ori%inal +ur+ose 5as > recreation,
reli%ious schismatics, resource e,traction,
la6or, e,+loration, e,+erimentation and so on&
#articular colonies 5ill 6e 5orlds unto
themsel4es as 5ell as microcosms o/ the
societies that 6uilt them, and they 5ill 6e
/urther detailed in /orthcomin% su++lements&
Think e4tremes di!ersity microcosm
functional loneliness e4ile e4ploitation.
S$ips an) S$ip8oar) 0ife
)hi+s are e4en more claustro+ho6ic and cut3
o// than colonies& A cre5 needs to %et alon%
5ell in close 9uarters, 6ecause out in s+ace
there is no recourse i/ thin%s %o 5ron%&
'utside the hull o/ the shi+ there is only a
silent, seethin% radiation3soaked 4oid that is
entirely hostile to all li/e& #orts in colonies and
stations are relati4ely /e5 and /ar 6et5een,
and there is a 5hole lot o/ em+tiness 6et5een
them&
Cree+in% +aranoia and /rustration leads to
social con/licts 6et5een cre5mem6ers, and
these ha4e to 6e resol4ed someho5 or else
disaster mi%ht ensue& A cre5 may need to
make 4ery hard decisions 5hen one o/ its
mem6ers +ro4es to 6e intracta6le or
+ro4ocati4e&
.4ery shi+ 5ill ha4e a 4ery +articular culture
all its o5n 5hich 5ill 6e a messy com6ination
o/ the cultures and +ersonalities o/ its cre5,
crammed to%ether /or lon% +eriods o/ time&
Think particularity style functionality
modification cabin(fe!er social psychology
wandering boredom and danger.
&eo-Fe*)al %orporations
Aeo3/eudalism is a term o/ten used to descri6e
the situation that emer%ed a/ter the Colla+se&
Ia5s and re%ulations 5ere 5eakened and a lot
o/ the /unctions that 5ere +re4iously reser4ed
/or %o4ernments, such as the en/orcement o/
la5s or the use o/ lethal /orce, 5ere
trans/erred, consciously and other5ise, to
cor+orate +o5ers&
Contracts and /ranchises 6et5een 4arious
6usinesses 6e%an to /unction similarly to oaths
o/ /ealty in the Middle A%es > in a +articular
territory, an o4er3archin% +o5er controlled a
%reat deal, 6ut indirectly, 5orkin% throu%h
intermediaries 5ho 5ere in char%e o/ the day3
to3day mana%ement o/ interests&
;n e,chan%e /or the /ees that 5ere sent to the
home o//ices and re%ional mana%ers 7readD
lie%e lords8, the cor+orate head9uarters 5ould
or%ani2e and maintain 4arious /orces and
o+erati4es 5hich 5ould su++ort and +rotect
12G
their interests 5hen con/lict eru+ted 6et5een
com+etitors& 0hese de4elo+ed, in time, into
standin% armies o/ 5hat are e//ecti4ely kni%hts
> hi%hly trained and 5ell3+aid elite soldiers
5ho rely on su+erior e9ui+ment and trainin%
to o4er5helm 5eaker resistance, or to /i%ht
each other in situations 5here the only real
threat comes /rom other Bkni%htsC& 0hou%h
these neo3/eudal kni%hts make use o/ hi%h3
tech 5ea+onry and +o5ered armor, and ride in
s+aceshi+s rather than on horse6ack, the
+arallel still stands, es+ecially thematically&
Aeo3/eudalism is on the /rin%e o/ either
colla+se or 4iolent resur%ence > the +ressure
o/ com+etition /rom the *IA and resurrected
national %o4ernments 5ill either 6reak them or
+ush them to 6ecome e4en stron%er& Think
knighthood corruption aura of power
despotism order crumbling and glory.
Rising #orl) Go5ernent
Because it controls the +atent in/ormation on
the Baeder Dri4e, the *IA has 6een a6le to
9uickly amass a %reat deal o/ 5ealth and
in/luence& .4eryone 5ants access to !0I
tra4el, and are 5illin% to +ay 5hate4er is
necessary > /or the time 6ein%& 0he *IA has
also o6tained access to molderin% mem6er3
nation 5ea+on stock+iles, 5hich they ha4e
used to arm their o5n security /orces&
*hat the *IA o//ers is a uni4ersal re%ulation
system, and an authority 5hich anyone can
re/er to that /unctions outside the contentious
neo3/eudal cor+orate system& 0hey ha4e
dra/ted their o5n constitution and are dustin%
o// international la5s 5hich ha4en(t seen the
li%ht o/ day /or decades& Aeedless to say, this
has caused no end o/ /rustration /or the
cor+orations themsel4es, 5ho /ooted the 6ill
/or Heconstruction&
0he 5orld %o4ernment is a cocktail o/
idealism and sti/lin% 6ureaucracy& ;n the e//ort
to take e4erythin%, and e4eryone, into account,
it surrenders any sem6lance o/ e//iciency&
He%ardless o/ this, the *IA is 9uickly
%ro5in% in +o5er and in/luence& .4eryone
dissatis/ied 5ith the cor+orate system as it
e,ists no5 sees the *IA as a %enuine
alternati4e, and many disa//ected %rou+s /lock
to it& 0he *IA is one o/ the only major
or%ani2ations, a+art /rom the major reli%ions,
to take an interest in the +li%ht o/ those in the
slums and Barrens o/ .arth& Think political
sa!!y idealism nai!etZ big tent committee
meetings clash of past and present coalition
compromise secrets.
Re$a8ilitate) &ational Go5ernents
A resur%ence o/ nationalism has 6ecome
another in/luence on society in the #arsec
settin%& As national %o4ernments /le, their
muscle, 5hat they /ind is that they are still in
+ossession o/ 4ast stock+iles o/ 5ea+ons and
ra5 materials 5hich ha4e not 6een touched 6y
cor+orate interests either 6ecause they 5ere
not a5are o/ them or they didn(t /eel it 5as
5orth the trou6le o/ /i%htin% to e,tract them&
Think sleeping giants old ways patriotism
and nationalism party politics border
conflicts stockpiles redundancy confusion.
>#< CollaBoration
0oo o/ten, a %ame 6oils do5n to the Director
doin% all o/ the +re+aratory 5ork and the
+layers sho5in% u+ to +artici+ate in the
Director(s story& 0his is al5ays an o+tion, 6ut
it is more /un 5hen e4eryone %ets in4ol4ed in
the %ame& 0his ena6les the +layers to 6uy into
the %ame more dee+ly, to ha4e more o/ an
in4estment in the shared e,+erience& ;t also
takes +ressure o// o/ the Director, 5ho is no
lon%er e,+ected to do the hea4y3li/tin% all o/
the time in desi%nin% and +re+arin%
e4erythin%&
#or7 9it$ t$e Players
As Director, you should %et the +layers as
in4ol4ed 5ith the %ame as +ossi6le& 0his
doesn(t end 5ith character creation, 5hen they
create their 6ack3stories, 6ut should continue
as the %ame de4elo+s o4er time& 0he stories
that dri4e character creation are really just the
6asic %erms o/ stories& All o/ the character(s
relationshi+s ha4e history to them and at each
sta%e o/ li/e a %i4en character 5as a di//erent
+erson&
12J
'n%oin% de4elo+ment can take many concrete
/orms& #assions can chan%e& Ae5 )cars are
ac9uired as the character /aces and o4ercomes
dan%er& Helationshi+s chan%e, are lost and
re+laced& 0hese thin%s should ha++en as +art
o/ the character(s o4erall story& 0hese e4ents
should make sense as the %ame continues, and
this narrati4e cohesion is the res+onsi6ility o/
the +layer&
#or7 9it$ t$e 2irector
As +layers, you ha4e an e9ual share in the
res+onsi6ility to make the %ame /un /or
e4eryone& ;t isn(t your jo6 to sit 6ack and 6e
entertained > that(s 5hat 0K is /or& ;n +layin%
the %ame, +layin% your character in 4arious
situations, you need to kee+ in mind 5hat 5ill
6e /un /or the rest o/ the %rou+& *hat
decisions can you make to increase enjoyment
/or the other +layers and the Director?
0here(s also no reason you can(t talk to the
Director a6out 5hat you 5ant to see in the
/uture o/ the %ame, or 5hat direction you 5ant
the story to %o& ust remem6er that you also
ha4e to hel+ +ush the story in the direction you
5ant throu%h your character(s actions&
#or7 #it$ 1ac$ <t$er
0here are a lot o/ other 5ays to colla6orate in
all o/ your %ames, e4en 5hen you don(t see
each other /ace3to3/ace 4ery o/ten& Iots o/
%ames maintain 6lo%s /or the +ur+ose o/
+ostin% u+dates a6out the %ame, 5ritin%
summaries o/ each %ame session, and
de4elo+in% the story in directions that can(t 6e
+art o/ the %ame 6ecause o/ limited time&
'ther %ames create 5ikis or other online
documents 5hich all o/ the +layers ha4e
access to so that they can 6e modi/ied 6e/ore
and a/ter each session& Brie/ side3%ames and
scenes can take +lace o4er )ky+e or instant
messa%in% +ro%rams, 5hich e4en usually ha4e
dice3rollin% +ro%rams that /unction /or just
this +ur+ose&
Aone o/ this is necessary, o/ course, and
sometimes a %rou+ only has time /or the
Director to do a little +re+aration 6e/orehand
and /or the +layers to just sho5 u+ and +lay&
0his is /ine > the im+ortant thin% is that you(re
%amin% and ha4in% /un& 0hese are just some
techni9ues to ena6le you to %et more out o/ the
%ame 6y +uttin% more into it&
%onsens*s
)ometimes, this te,t mi%ht seem a 6it 4a%ue as
to ho5 e,actly decisions should 6e made& ;n
all cases, the 6est 5ay to come to a decision as
a %rou+ is throu%h consensus > that is, talkin%
a6out it until e4eryone a%rees that the solution
is a %ood one& 0here usually 5on(t 6e 4otin%,
6ut 6ein% the Director doesn(t mean that
5hate4er you say %oes no matter 5hat& .4ery
%rou+ is %oin% to 5ork di//erently, 6ut it(s
im+ortant that e4eryone at the ta6le is ha4in% a
%ood time and /eels like the %ame is 6ein% run
/airly&
>#> &in"in" *t
)ometimes you don(t ha4e time to +lan much
/or a comin% session 6ut you still 5ant to +lay&
#re+aration hel+s, 6ut s+endin% hours
+lannin% e4ery session isn(t necessary&
!ollo5in% are some ti+s and tricks /or runnin%
a %ame on the s+ur o/ the moment&
&P% 2ice-pools
*hile it(s hel+/ul /or +layer3characters to ha4e
detailed character sheets 5ith all o/ their skills
and a6ilities and relationshi+s s+elled out, this
doesn(t need to 6e done /or many A#Cs 5ho
5ill come u+ durin% the %ame& Mostly 5hat
you need to kno5 is ho5 many dice to roll /or
the A#C 5hen she is in4ol4ed in a con/lict and
this can 6e done 4ery easily i/ you don(t ha4e
a lot o/ time&
All you need to do is to +ick a /e5 skills /or
the A#Cs and decide ho5 %ood they are at
them& !or a 6aseline, assume that i/ someone
does somethin% /or a li4in%, they 5ill ha4e
5T4 /or that skill, or the e9ui4alent o/
intermediate trainin% and an Attri6ute o/ 5&
0his is a %ood %o3to roll 5hen someone is
doin% their jo6& ;t is also o/ten easiest to just
roll e4erythin% at a tar%et num6er o/ 4& Fou
can just +ick u+ more dice to re+resent more
a6ility& At a tar%et num6er o/ 4, you kno5 that
Z o/ the dice 5ill come u+ successes on
13-
a4era%e, and e,tra dice could easily come
/rom 0raits&
0o re+resent hi%hly3skilled 6ut +oorly3
e9ui++ed A#Cs, such as elite ur6an insur%ents,
use dice +ools around the 53@ ran%e at a tar%et
num6er o/ 4 or e4en 3& !or 5ell3e9ui++ed 6ut
less3skilled A#Cs, such as security /orces
%uardin% a +o5er/ul cor+orate holdin%, use
dice +ools in the @3J ran%e at a tar%et o/ 5&
*hen these A#Cs are in4ol4ed in a com6at
that isn(t 4ery im+ortant to the story, just ha4e
them taken out o/ the /i%ht 5hen they su//er
any si%ni/icant 5ound o/ 33 or more& Assume
that they(re eliminated and are +anickin% or
5rithin% in +ain and mo4e on& Most +eo+le
aren(t cra2y enou%h to kee+ /i%htin% a/ter
6ein% seriously injured any5ay&
%a*sing Pro8les in t$e %$aracterDs 0i5es
.4ery /ailed roll o/ the dice that the +layers
make is an o+en door /or the Director to
introduce some kind o/ com+lication& 0his
doesn(t al5ays need to ha++en, 6ut the
o++ortunity is there& *ith an idea o/ the kinds
o/ dice3+ools that 4arious kinds o/ A#Cs
should ha4e, it is easy to thro5 in some A#Cs
as com+lications > this o/ten leads to a more
interestin% e,chan%e than just addin% some
kind o/ +hysical o6stacle&
Hemem6er that the #Cs should 6e %ood at
5hat their +layers 5ant them to 6e %ood at,
6ut that the Director 5ill also ha4e to +ush
them into un/amiliar situations no5 and then
5here they 5on(t 6e a6le to rely on their
stren%ths& 0his leads to drama as 5ell as
o++ortunities to thro5 ad4ersity their 5ay&
0here should 6e challen%es that the +layers
can o4ercome 6y rollin% loads o/ dice, and
other +ro6lems that they(ll ha4e to think their
5ay throu%h or /ind a 5ay around&
GoalsC <8staclesC SecretsC PassionsC
Relations$ipsC Scars
0he #arsec system is 6asically begging you to
use these thin%s to make your jo6 easier as
Director 6y sharin% some o/ the 5ork 5ith the
+layers& 3oals tell you 5hat the +layers 5ant
/or their characters& )bstacles are a menu
/rom 5hich to select thin%s to +ut in their 5ay&
Secrets are +ieces o/ in/ormation that ha4e the
+otential to chan%e the settin% and the
situation in interestin% 5ays& 7assions tell you
ho5 you should threaten the +layer3characters&
0elationships %i4e you a list o/ A#Cs to dra5
u+on durin% the course o/ the %ame& Scars tell
you the kinds o/ situations you should +ut the
+layers into so that they 5ill ha4e to o4ercome
their 5eaknesses& ust use these tools, and
stories 5ill emer%e&
S(E> R1S<4R%1S an) R1F1R1&%1
'#4 (on:layer Characters o8 (ote
.ach entry starts 5ith the name o/ the A#C,
/ollo5ed 6y the year they 5ere 6orn and,
5here a++lica6le 7and kno5n8 the year they
died& Ae,t is a 6rie/ descri+tion o/ the A#C
and a 9uote that hel+s to characteri2e them,
/ollo5ed 6y a lon%er and more thorou%h
descri+tion& .ach entry ends 5ith a section on
usin% that A#C in your %ame, %i4in% hints and
ideas o/ ho5 to incor+orate a %i4en A#C and
connect them to %oals, o6stacles, secrets or
e4en ho5 to use them as a character
relationshi+&
*here dates are noted, they are measured
/rom 5hat the *orld Iea%ue o/ Aations
declared to 6e Fear 'ne > the year o/ its o5n
/oundin%, o/ course, a++ro,imately 5- years
6e/ore the start o/ most #arsec %ames& Bear in
mind, 5hen readin% dates associated 5ith
these A#Cs, that /or the 5ealthy, li/e3
e,+ectancy can 6e si%ni/icantly lon%er than it
is no5&
As mentioned +re4iously, Aon3+layer
characters created 6y #arsec +layers and
Directors 5ill 6e included in the +u6lished
settin% o4er time&
,ans Bae)er
34@ 3 ??
$ans Baeder is one o/ the most /amous +eo+le
e4er to li4e 3 the in4entor o/ the Baeder Dri4e
5hich has ena6led /aster3than3li%ht tra4el
131
throu%hout the solar system and 6eyond& $e
5as a5arded do2ens o/ honorary de%rees,
honors and a5ards /rom a num6er o/ nations,
major reli%ions and other or%ani2ations& 0hese
a5ards ha4e 6een made 5ith Baeder in
a6sentia: his 5herea6outs are unkno5n, and
there is ram+ant s+eculation as to his /ate&
"Thus here in Stockholm $ would like to announce
that $ am gi!ing all rights and licenses to the *orld
6eague of #ations. The 2ual(Space Acceleration and
.aster(than(6ight Engine and 2ri!e System is
something too powerful for a single nation or
corporation to control or ha!e responsibility for. 6et
the world as a whole decide how it should be used not
for the murder of fellow men but for the good of
mankind.-
$ans Baeder rose /rom relati4e o6scurity,
5orkin% as a researcher 5ith little reco%nition
6y the lar%er scienti/ic community, to
+ro/ound +rominence almost o4erni%ht& Iater
6io%ra+hers /ound that the theoretical 5ork
5hich led to the de4elo+ment o/ /aster3than3
li%ht tra4el 5as e,hausti4e, meticulous, and
dra5n /rom sur+risin% sources, 6ut at the time
it seemed almost as i/ he had +roduced his
theories /rom thin air&
*hile most +assed 6y his +rimary article in a
minor science +eriodical as 9uackery, a %rou+
o/ analysts 5ithin the hierarchy o/ the *IA
sa5 +romise in 5hat the youn% researcher 5as
5orkin% on, and o4er the course o/ se4eral
years, re9uisitioned the massi4e /undin%
necessary /or a +rototy+e(s construction& 0his
+roject, codenamed $alcyon, 5as to+ secret&
Baeder didn(t a++ro4e o/ this secrecy, 6ut
5ent alon% 5ith those 5ho 5ere /undin% his
dream, easily i%norin% his tre+idation 5hile he
5orked&
*hen the /irst test o/ a Baeder Dri4e 5as
success/ul, e!erything chan%ed& $ans Baeder
cata+ulted to stardom and his o6scure articles
5ere +oured o4er 6y others seekin% to
re+licate his 5ork& 0o this +oint, that has
+ro4en im+ossi6le& Many hy+othesi2e that this
is 6ecause his 5ork continued durin% the
6uildin% o/ the +rototy+e, and the *IA
con4inced him he 5as not allo5ed to +u6lish
/urther /indin%s until 5ork 5as com+lete&
Baeder 5as suddenly in demand to make
s+eeches, and e4ery si%ni/icant or%ani2ation in
the solar system 5anted to 9uestion him a6out
his ideas and theories, ho+in% to du+licate the
Dri4e /or themsel4es& 0hat 5as 5hen $ans
Baeder made the most si%ni/icant decision o/
his li/e > in his acce+tance s+eech, a/ter
recei4in% the Ao6el #ri2e 7no5 the Baeder
#ri2e, incidentally8 /or #hysics, he announced
that he renounced his ri%hts to the Dri4e,
+uttin% all ri%hts and documentation into the
hands o/ the *IA /or the 6etterment o/ all
humanity&
0hat 5as the last major s+eech that Baeder
made& Heturnin% to his /amily home in
southern "ermany, it 5as +resumed he 5as
rela,in% or may6e 5orkin% on /urther
scienti/ic 6reakthrou%hs, 6ut mysteriously, he
has ne4er 6een seen a%ain& Accordin% to the
*IA, 5hich is still nominally his em+loyer,
he is a recluse 6y choice, 5antin% to distance
himsel/ /rom his o5n cele6rity& Ae4ertheless,
5ritin%s and holo3recordin%s +eriodically
sur/ace +ur+ortin% to 6e /rom Baeder himsel/,
and cults ha4e s+run% u+ o/ +eo+le dedicated
to studyin% his 5ritin%s and li4in% li/e 6y
those +rinci+les& 'thers hint at cons+iracies<
+erha+s Baeder 5as murdered, +erha+s he
ne4er e,isted, or +erha+s that he 5as a di4ine
/i%ure sent 6y the Almi%hty&
He%ardless o/ anythin% else, the consensus is
Baeder 5as an idealist 5ho 5anted his
in4ention 5ould usher in a ne5 a%e o/
coo+eration and e,+loration, endin%
humankind(s history o/ 5ar and 4icious
com+etition& But it 5as not meant to 6e& 0he
*IA retained all ri%hts and documents, and
destroyed all e,tant co+ies o/ his /inal 5ork&
Esin% $ans Baeder in Four "ame
3oalD !indin% $ans Baeder, or disco4erin%
5hat really 6ecame o/ him, is an e,cellent
lon%3term %oal, and could 6e moti4ated 6y any
num6er o/ thin%s& 0here are also many %oals
related to his li/e and 5ork& )eekin% to /ind
steal +lans /or a Baeder Dri4e, or e4en to steal
a dri4e3shi+ itsel/ are e,cellent %oals as 5ell&
)bstacleD 0he assum+tion o/ many is that
Baeder is missin% and dead& Many searched
132
/or him, 6ut the con/lict o4er his 5ork has
mo4ed 6eyond him in many 5ays, and he is
no5 6elie4ed to ha4e 6ecome a se4erely
disillusioned recluse, or may6e e4en insane&
More sinister +lots are also +ossi6le > i/ these
+lots are true, then someone 4ery +o5er/ul has
a 4ested interest in Baeder ne4er 6ein% /ound&
SecretD '64iously, his current condition and
5herea6outs are a hu%e secret that 5ould
im+act the settin% on a lar%e scale& $is return
to society, or the release o/ detailed
schematics /or the Baeder Dri4e, 5ould ha4e
similar im+act&
0elationshipD $a4in% a relationshi+ 5ith
Baeder himsel/ is im+ossi6le at this sta%e o/
the settin%, 6ut there are many 5ho /ollo5 his
altruistic +hiloso+hy& 0hey e4en claim that he
is secretly releasin% ne5 5ritin%s /rom some
secluded location 5here he has %one to esca+e
/rom the 4iolence and sel/ishness o/ humanity&
0heir or%ani2ation, named %alcyon a/ter the
+roject 5hich +roduced the dri4e, /ocuses on
usin% o+en3source scienti/ic research to 6etter
humanity& $alcyon is sus+icious o/ authority
o/ all kinds, so they remain disor%ani2ed& A
relationshi+ 5ith $alcyon, ho5e4er, can hel+
5ith certain kinds o/ )cience or Analysis rolls,
and you ne4er kno5 5hen techno3anarchistic
altruists mi%ht come in handy&
(nsala :aD$ari
351 3 OG
Ma(harim 5as the #resident 5ho turned the
*IA into .arth(s +rimary %o4ernment 6ody&
$e 5as ade+t at mani+ulation, a6le to +lay
nations, cor+orations, and 4arious /actions
a%ainst each other 5hile remainin% seemin%ly
a6o4e the /ray& $is administration or%ani2ed
the *IA into a +olitical, military, and
economic /orce a6le to com+ete a%ainst the
most +o5er/ul cor+orations& $e died o/ a
massi4e heart attack durin% a state dinner in
0okyo& Humors su%%ested assassination, 6ut
the *IA in4esti%ati4e +anel concluded
other5ise&
"There are few men capable of leadership on a grand
scale. .or better or worse Ma'harim was one of those
men. %is mastery of realpolitik had not been seen since
?ismarck and the rise of the 3erman Empire in the
9CV<s Kold calendarL. There are continuing rumors that
Ma'harim was assassinated though a thorough
in!estigation by a *6# special committee for internal
security released a detailed statement denying this
possibility. $f it was an assassination the results were
not what was hoped for as successi!e competent
presidents ensured the long(term sur!i!al of
Ma'harim's policies.-
;nsala Ma(harim is the o++osite o/ a ra%s3to3
riches story& $e 5as 6orn to +ro/ound lu,ury,
heir o/ a dynastic /amily 5hich had +urchased
4ast s5athes o/ territory /rom the then3de/unct
#akistani %o4ernment& $e li4ed a li/e o/ ease
amon% his /amily(s do2en or so mansion
com+le,es scattered throu%hout their territory&
$e ne4er /or a moment dou6ted that he 5as
destined /or %reat thin%s&
Ma(harim had a talent /or or%ani2ation and a
dislike /or chaos 6orderin% on +atholo%ical& As
he %re5, he came to the reali2ation that the
+olitical disor%ani2ation on .arth allo5ed
+o5er/ul cor+orations to e,+loit de/enseless
+eo+le& ;t 5ould 6e a stretch to call him
altruistic, 6ut his intent, as le/t in sur4i4in%
recorded material, 5as to create a ne5 6alance
o/ +o5er on .arth, a 6alance 6et5een
cor+orations, %o4ernments, and indi4iduals&
Ma(harim 5as the dri4in% /orce 6ehind the
or%ani2ation o/ the Ae5 He+u6lic o/ #akistan,
lar%er than its historical +redecessor, and he
ser4ed as its /irst elected #rime Minister& 0he
re3or%ani2ation 5hich he s+ear3headed, usin%
his name and /ortune, ser4ed as an e,am+le
/or other colla+sed states, and Ma(harim lent
his assistance to their reor%ani2ation e//orts >
all the 5hile 6uildin% a massi4e list o/
+o5er/ul +eo+le 5ho o5ed him /a4ors&
At the time, the *orld Iea%ue o/ Aations 5as
lan%uishin% in irrele4ance, a +a+er ti%er, a so+
to the last 4esti%es o/ %o4ernmental +o5ers&
Ma(harim took on this or%ani2ation as his ne,t
+ersonal +roject, and under his #residency,
6olstered 6y the su++ort o/ ne5ly3reor%ani2ed
states all o4er the 5orld: he relentlessly
consolidated the 6ody(s +o5er into its 4otin%
Assem6ly, s+eci/ically in the +o5ers o/ the
Assem6ly(s #resident&
Allies /ound him to 6e /astidiously /air 5hile
o++onents descri6ed him as ruthless and
133
un/linchin% thou%h all res+ected his
intelli%ence, dri4e, and 4ision& $e 5as an
una+olo%etic elitist, hi%hly educated, and
mo4ed e,clusi4ely in the hi%hest circles o/
+o5er& 0hou%h he cared a6out e9uality o/
o++ortunity, he also 6elie4ed that %o4ernment
5as 6est handled 6y those 5ith +ro4ed success
records in li/e&
;t 5as Ma(harim 5ho +ushed /or the chan%e in
calendars to the current system 6ased on the
year the *IA 5as /ormed& Fears 6e/ore this
+oint are no5 re+resented 6y a ne%ati4e
num6er, so 5- years 6e/ore the rati/ication o/
the *IA charter is no5 5ritten as 1Fear 35-(&
Esin% ;nsala Ma(harim in Four "ame
3oalD #resident Ma(harim(s li/e and 5ork can
ser4e as a tem+late /or someone else clim6in%
the run%s o/ +olitical +o5er& 0here are +lenty
o/ or%ani2ations and e4en national
%o4ernments still lan%uishin% in ne%lect,
nearly /or%otten, 5hich could 6e resuscitated
and returned to a role as a 5orld +o5er,
may6e e4en a system35ide /orce&
)bstacleD 0he +layer3characters could 6e
associated 5ith an or%ani2ation committed to
reducin% the +o5er o/ the *IA Assem6ly
o4er its o5n mem6er nations /or a 4ariety o/
reasons& 0his %oes a%ainst Ma(harim(s le%acy
and %oals, somethin% that his many old allies
in +o5er/ul +laces are likely to o++ose&
SecretD 0he 6i% secret connected to Ma(harim
is 5hether he really died o/ natural causes& ;/
not, 5ho killed the most +o5er/ul man in the
5orld? )omeone 5ith the +o5er to
accom+lish this kind o/ +olitical assassination
and %et a5ay 5ith it is not someone to 6e
tri/led 5ith, 6ut in/ormation like this should 6e
6rou%ht to li%ht& )houldn(t it?
0elationshipD Ma(harim liked technolo%y and
5as more than a5are o/ the +o5er o/ history
and +ersonal le%acies& *ith that com6ination,
may6e Ma(harim attem+ted to code his
+ersonality into a +iece o/ ;35are& ;/ he did,
5here is it and 5ho kno5s a6out it?
/*c7er :ac7 1lroy
364 3 ??
*here Ma(harim(s rise to +o5er sur+rised no
one, 0ucker .lroy 5as the com+lete o++osite&
$e 5as an American conser4ati4e 4oted to the
#residency o/ the Assem6ly in the ho+es that
he 5ould hel+ reduce the +o5er and in/luence
o/ the #residency, returnin% +o5er to the
Kotin% Assem6ly& An outs+oken +ro+onent o/
smaller %o4ernment and e//iciency, it 5as
ho+ed that his com6ination o/ +ersonal charm
and conser4ati4e ideals 5ould 5eaken the
#residency&
;n his memoirs, +u6lished recently, he
descri6ed his e,+eriences as #resident o/ the
Assem6ly and 5hat chan%ed his mind so
radically a6out the role o/ %o4ernment&
Contrary to e,+ectations, .lroy /urther
consolidated +o5er in the #residency and
e,+anded the *IA(s in/luence in
international and s+atial a//airs&
.lroy(s +re/erence 5as to a++ear less
intelli%ent than he 5as, +layin% u+ the role 6y
5earin% %audy clothin% and old3style Aorth
American co56oy hats, 6ut, in retros+ect, he
5as, an astute +olitician and a lon%3term
thinker& $e sa5 Ma(harim(s 4ision /or the
*IA at 5ork 5hen he took u+ his +ost, and
6ecame a /anatic con4ert&
"$t's ok. 8ou can call me Mack. 6isten $'m +ust
thankful for the chance to ser!e the 6eague in whate!er
way $ could. 8ou know $'m +ust one man +ust one part
of this great organi&ation that has done so much to
spread freedom and democratic ideals throughout the
Earth and e!en beyond. Ma'harim's ideas and policies
made all this possible. There's still so much work to do
but you know $ ha!e faith that in the end freedom and
security can go hand(in(hand. 0egular folks need
someone to look out for them M $ was happy to be that
guy e!en for a little while.-
0ucker .lroy %re5 u+ near the northern 6order
o/ the Me,ican Con/ederacy, +art o/ an old
/armin% /amily that had li4ed on that land /or
%enerations, 6ene/itin% /rom the oil
underneath its land& *ith the colla+se o/ 5orld
oil su++lies %enerations 6e/ore, the /amily
reor%ani2ed its 6usiness& 0hey didn(t ha4e a
market /or crude oil anymore, 6ut they did
ha4e a lot o/ sun& "rud%in%ly, .lroy(s %reat3
%rand/ather took 5hat 5as le/t o/ the /amily(s
4ast /ortune and in4ested in acres o/ solar
cells& 0hey then sold the radiant ener%y to
134
near6y communities and ranches, e,+andin%
their +ersonal in/rastructure /arther and /arther
as more and more o/ the Enited )tates(
in/rastructure /ailed /rom ne%lect&
.lroy inherited his /amily(s /ortune, their
hard3dri4in% 5ork ethic, and their dee+
sus+icion o/ %o4ernment& ;ronically, he /ound
that the 6est 5ay to +rotect his community
/rom %o4ernment incursion 5as 6y enterin%
+olitics himsel/& $e 5as elected to the
Me,ican Con/ederate Assem6ly re+resentin%
his o5n home )tate and later to the Enited
)tates Con%ress re+resentin% the Me,ican
Con/ederacy& *hile ser4in% there, he earned a
re+utation as an isolationist 5ho al5ays 4oted
a%ainst e,+ansion o/ %o4ernmental restrictions
o/ +ersonal /reedoms&
*hen Ma(harim died suddenly, .lroy 5as the
re+resentati4e o/ the Enited )tates at the
*orld Iea%ue, and his name 5as +ut /or5ard
as a re+lacement 6y those 5ho 5eren(t +leased
5ith the e,+ansion o/ #residential +o5ers
under the +re4ious re%ime& *hen he took the
+osition, ho5e4er, he 5as relati4ely 9uick to
ado+t most o/ Ma(harim(s +olicies and
+ractices& )ome say the increased +o5er %ot to
him and turned him /rom his ideals& 'thers say
that his re+utation 5as all hy+e, and +oint to
+re4ious +olicies 5hich su6tly e,+anded
%o4ernmental +o5er 6ehind the /a\ade o/
isolationist conser4atism&
;/ you ask .lroy, he(ll say he 5as just doin%
his jo6&
Esin% 0ucker .lroy
3oal1 As the man 5ho re+laced Ma(harim,
.lroy still has a %reat deal o/ in/luence 6ehind
the scenes& ;n addition, he has connections to
the cor+orate 5orld 6ecause o/ his in4estment
and dominant +osition in solar ener%y in the
5estern third o/ Aorth America& #ersuadin%
.lroy to hel+ 5ith a s5itch in +olicies or to
+ush somethin% to the attention o/ the *IA
could hel+ a character(s 6ene/actors
immensely&
)bstacle1 Althou%h he ado+ted Ma(harim(s
+olicies, .lroy did %ain considera6ly /rom the
con4enient timin% o/ Ma(harim(s death&
Characters interested in in4esti%atin% the
assassination could /ind a stone 5all in /ront
o/ them 6ecause o/ .lroy(s 6ehind3the3scenes
in/luence&
Secret1 .lroy has e,+anded the /amily(s
ener%y holdin%s considera6ly and has also
in4ested /amily /unds in s+aceshi+
constructin%& *ith his +osition at the to+ o/
the *IA, its +ossi6le .lroy co+ied the Baeder
Dri4e +lans and intends to use them /or his
o5n 6ene/it& Does .lroy ha4e the +lans?
0elationship1 .lroy has a re+utation /or
standin% u+ to 6ullies o/ the do5ntrodden&
#erha+s characters ha4e come to his attention
throu%h stickin% u+ /or +eo+le in the Barrens
a%ainst %an%s or +o4erty& ;/ success/ul or
+ersistent in their e//orts, they(d ha4e a solid
/riend in .lroy i/ they %et in a 6ind tryin% to
hel+ the destitute&
Serge @i5ano5
331 3 ??
)er4e Pi4ano4 5as a hi%hly decorated
cosmonaut in the Ao4iy3)o4iet Coalition
)+ace A%ency&&&until he +er+etrated the lar%est
7literally and /i%urati4ely8 the/t in human
history& Pi4ano4 5as commander o/ the
mission that reached an .arth3like +lanet 5ith
6reatha6le air, the /irst man to set /oot 5ithout
a s+acesuit on another 5orld& A/ter that
e,+loit on 6ehal/ o/ a lar%e *IA scienti/ic
coalition, Pi4ano4 6ecame o6sessed 5ith
coloni2in% a distant 5orld that already
sustained si%ni/icant car6on36ased li/e& '/ the
many +otential 5orlds, he chose one, and he
and his cre5 mutinied a6oard a *IA dri4e3
shi+, takin% it to +ick u+ colonists 6idin% their
time on "anymede Colony, and de+arted the
solar system on a trajectory to5ard the center
o/ the Milky *ay& 0he shi+ 5as ne4er heard
/rom a%ain and the cre5 and colonists are
+resumed lost&
"Earth=we will not miss you. *e will not miss the
pollution the greed the corruption. *e are #oah and
the Ark and you are the godless who will be washed
away in the 3reat .lood. May 3od ha!e mercy on your
souls.-
135
)er4e Pi4ano4 5as 6orn in 5hat 5as once the
Ekraine, no5 a +art o/ the Ao4iy3)o4iet
Coalition, a collection o/ neo3communist
states in .uro+e and Asia& $e 5as the son o/
an aeronautical en%ineer 5ho 5orked /or the
rulin% Hed #arty desi%nin% more e//icient
scram3jets > his /ather 5as killed in a 6om6in%
durin% one o/ the ci4il 5ars that /re9uently
5racks the A)C& )er%e 5as a %i/ted student,
e,cellin% in all o/ his classes& ;t is a little3
kno5n /act that he is an accom+lished +ianist
5ho also 5on /reestyle 5restlin%
cham+ionshi+s in his youth&
$is true +assion 5as +ilotin%, ho5e4er, and
this dri4e cou+led 5ith a talent /or en%ineerin%
and mathematics landed him in the A)C )+ace
A%ency as a test3+ilot& $e 5as e4entually
mo4ed to the e,+loration 6ranch o/ the
A)C)A 5hen he 6ecame enra+tured 5ith the
idea o/ distant 5orlds a6le to su++ort human
li/e, no5 a4aila6le 6ecause o/ the Baeder
Dri4e and /aster3than3li%ht tra4el&
)er%e ultimately earned the honor o/ 6ein% the
/irst human 6ein% to set /oot on an alien 5orld
5ithout an en4ironmental suit& 0he 5orld in
9uestion 5as +o+ulated 6y a sim+le 6ut
+ro/use /orm o/ 6lue3%reen al%ae 5hich had
altered the atmos+here enou%h to make it
6reatha6le /or humans, thou%h the hi%h
o,y%en content made /ires a si%ni/icant ha2ard
and led to o,y%en into,ication i/ they 5eren(t
5earin% a 6reathin% de4ice o/ some kind&
!rom that +oint on, )er%e ne4er looked at
.arth as home a%ain& $e constantly +ushed /or
more e,+loration /arther out in to the %ala,y&
*ith thousands o/ .arth3like 5orlds identi/ied
6y +o5er/ul or6ital telesco+es, a li/etime o/
e,+loration 5ould not e4en scratch the sur/ace
o/ the +ossi6ilities that e,isted& $is e//orts
5ere /rustrated, ho5e4er& 0he A)C)A and its
/inancial su6sidi2er, the *IA, 5ere /ar more
interested in /indin% easily3e,+loita6le 5orlds
rich in ra5 materials and 4alua6le rare
elements& Pi4ano4(s disco4ery o//ered them
+resti%e, 6ut not +ro/it& .,tra3system
coloni2ation 5as too e,+ensi4e and
dan%erous&
!rustrated and at a dead end, Pi4ano4 did the
unthinka6le& $e stole a Baeder Dri4e, and 5ith
a /inal transmission to his su+eriors and to
humanity at lar%e, he 5as %one, accom+anied
6y a /e5 thousand colonists 6ent on /indin% a
ne5 li/e amon% the stars&
Esin% )er%e Pi4ano4 in Four "ame
3oalD 'ne %oal /or the #Cs could 6e to tra4el
to an .arthlike +lanet themsel4es& 0hey can
5ork u+ throu%h the ranks o/ scienti/ic
e,+lorers, ho+in% to make a name /or
themsel4es& Another +ossi6le "oal emer%es i/
the )ecret o/ Pi4ano4(s current +lanetary
5herea6outs comes to li%ht& 0he *IA 5ould
+ay handsomely /or the return o/ their Baeder
Dri4e and the chance to +ut Pi4ano4 on trial in
a 4ery +u6lic 5ay&
)bstacleD ;/ the #Cs are e,+lorers, the main
interaction they 5ill ha4e 5ith )er4e Pi4ano4
in this case is 5ith his le%acy& Any access to a
Baeder Dri4e 5ill 6e limited to +re4ent
another the/t like the one Pi4ano4 +er+etrated&
SecretD 0he o64ious secret here is > 5here did
Pi4ano4 %o? And ho5 5ould someone kno5?
0he *IA, at the 4ery least, is dou6tless
5illin% to +ay a %reat deal /or the in/ormation&
0elationshipD )er4e Pi4ano4 5as connected to
an under%round or%ani2ation o/ +eo+le 5ho
/er4ently 6elie4e humanity(s destiny is out
amon% the stars, 6eyond the micro3mana%in%
o/ .arth %o4ernments or cor+orations& 0he
local %rou+s o/ the or%ani2ation use many
names, 6ut almost al5ays 5ith some /orm o/
'ld 0estament re/erence in the clu6 name&
Characters could 6e mem6ers o/ this %rou+&
,arper %onn
35G 3 O26
Conn 5as the /irst *IA la5 en/orcement
o//icial on Mars > lon% a collection o/
neo/eudal colonies& ;n a land 5ith no rules and
+lenty o/ Bminin% accidentsC, no one dared
mess 5ith Conn& Conn acted as jud%e, jury,
and e4en e,ecutioner& 0he men he recruited,
the Mars Han%ers, drastically reduced crime
on Mars, 5hich in turn led to increased
cor+orate in4estment and Mars( economic
136
+ros+erity& Conn retired /rom the Han%ers in
111, 6ut remained on Mars as *IA ad4isor to
the +lanetary %o4ernor&
"This is Marshal Conn and you are under arrest but
you'!e got a choice. Come out peacefully or come out
dead. Either way $'m all right with it.-
$ar+er Conn 5as an odd man 5ith an odd
name& $e 5as one o/ the /irst Colony6orn
human 6ein%s& $is +arents ser4ed on the Mars
Colony, 5orkin% /or the *IA as scientists at
a research station near Mars( southern +ole&
$ar+er 5as named /or the +rota%onist in a
serial *estern set in +re3Con/ederation 0e,as
/ollo5in% the economic colla+se a hundred
years 6e/ore& 0his ima%e o/ the tou%h,
inde+endent and sel/3reliant co56oy stayed
5ith $ar+er e4en in the totally dissimilar
en4ironment o/ a Martian science colony& $e
%re5 u+ into a lar%e, athletic youn% man and
trained in the ne5 martial art o/ 2ero3%ra4ity
%ra++lin% 5hich 5as 6ein% ada+ted as a hi%hly
s+eciali2ed s+ort: 1Pi%%y( 7as 2ero3" %ra++lin%
5as called8 +ro4ed use/ul later as a means o/
kee+in% order 5ithout resortin% to lasers or
/irearms& 0hrou%h Pi%%y, he met a lot o/
soldiers and security o//icers, %ra4itatin% more
to5ards +ro3*IA men, %enerally 6ecause o/
his +arents( +osition&
!ortunately, $ar+er had three youn%er sisters
5illin% to take u+ their +arents( scienti/ic 5ork
6ecause he le/t school early to enlist in the
*IA(s armed /orces& $e 5as trans+orted to
one o/ the Ia%ran%e3stations in
%eosynchronous or6it around the .arth /or
colonial la53en/orcement trainin%& *hile in
6asic trainin% and later at the academy, he
made a name /or himsel/<relentless, a6le to
im+ro4ise, 9uick3thinkin%&
$ar+er re9uested assi%nment to Mars, and the
re9uest 5as %ranted, +artially 6ecause o/
Conn(s re+utation, 6ut +rimarily 6ecause no
one else 5anted the jo6& 0his 5as in the early
days o/ the resur%ence o/ the 5orld
%o4ernment, meanin% that he had to earn the
res+ect he %ot the hard 5ay& As it turns out, it
5as mostly hard on the +eo+le $ar+er 5ent
a/ter&
$is success 5as such that he 5as made one o/
the charter mem6ers o/ the Mars Han%ers, a
+olice or%ani2ation on Mars or%ani2ed to
en/orce *IA la5s in 5hat 5as, at the time, a
la5less +lace& 0hey 5ere in direct and o/ten
4iolent com+etition 5ith cor+orate security
/orces, +ri4ate /irms, and mercenaries&
;n the end, $ar+er 6ecame somethin% like the
co56oy he 5as named a/ter > the lone la5man
on the 5ild /rontier, tra4elin% /rom settlement
to settlement, doin% 5hat he could to 6rin%
justice and order& ;/ a /e5 skulls 5ere cracked
on the 5ay, he 5as all ri%ht 5ith that&
Esin% $ar+er Conn and the Mars Han%ers in
Four "ame
3oalD 0he #Cs mi%ht 5ant to 6ecome Mars
Han%ers& 0o do this, they need to 6e skilled 7at
least 6asic8 in "ra++le, )trikin%, !irearms,
Detection, Pero3", .4asion and ;ntimidation&
0hey also need to ha4e at least intermediate
ad4ancement in Coura%e and 0olerance&
!inally, they need a Major Helationshi+ 5ith
the *IA as a +atron and a Minor Helationshi+
5ith the Mars Han%ers, and minimum )tatus
o/ 4 in order to 6e a6le to li4e le%itimately on
Mars and ha4e enou%h social mo6ility to do
the jo6&
)bstacleD As a criminal o/ any kind on Mars,
you 5ill cross +aths 5ith the Mars Han%ers&
0hey are tou%h, indi4idualistic, 5ell3e9ui++ed
and hard to scare o// your trail& ;/ you injure or
kill one, you tend to meet the rest o/ them
shortly a/ter& 0heir methods are di4erse, and
they are more than ha++y to deal out their idea
o/ justice a+art /rom the technicalities o/ la5&
SecretD 'ne o/ the Mars Han%ers may o4erste+
his le%al 6ounds, e,ecute an innocent, and
co4er it u+& ;/ this is disco4ered and 6rou%ht to
li%ht, it 5ould 6e a scandal /or the *IA to
deal 5ith, and 5ould destroy the Han%ers(
re+utation on Mars&
0elationshipD 0he Mars Han%ers can 6e a lot
o/ hel+ to +eo+le in their %ood %races& 'n
Mars, the Han%ers are in/luential, 5ell3
connected, and /eared 6y the criminal
under%round& )adly, like any other
or%ani2ation 5ith ranks and +o5er, there are
13@
some 5ho are corru+t, usin% their +ositions /or
+ersonal ad4anta%e& ;/ you %et in trou6le on
Mars, any le4el o/ relationshi+ 5ith the
Han%ers can 6e called on to hel+ you %et out
o/ it > not e4eryone is com/orta6le 5ith the
Han%ers, 6ut e4eryone on Mars kno5s they
ha4e to deal 5ith them one 5ay or another&
%$en 2o-%$en
31G 3 ??
Ao matter ho5 /ar humanity s+reads, it 5ill
ne4er out%ro5 its cra4in% /or illicit items and
ser4ices& Chen reali2ed this 5ell 6e/ore
adulthood, and he set a6out 6ecomin% the one
+eo+le turned to /or /ul/illin% their needs& $e
started o// as a small3time narcotics smu%%ler
and slo5ly e,+anded, in4estin% time and e//ort
in trust5orthy +eo+le and in his o5n
re+utation&
Chen is a hands3on criminal o4erlord& ;/ he
needs to /ind you, he does so himsel/, and
5alks into your room or your o//ice or your
shi+, and doesn(t take no /or an ans5er& $e
does not send +eo+le to %et rid o/ major
com+etitors > he lo4es to do it himsel/& $e
sees it as a matter o/ honor to do so& *hen he
kills you in +erson, you can ha4e the small
com/ort o/ kno5in% ho5 much he res+ects
you as a ri4al and a +eer&
$is re+utation hel+s him 6ecause most +eo+le
5ant more than anythin% else than to deal 5ith
his re+resentati4es& .4en the nastiest ones lack
his 5ell3earned notoriety, and e4eryone a%rees
that it is 6est i/ Master Chen does not take too
much interest in you or your a//airs&
Ao5 that the *IA is de4elo+in% colonies on
distant 5orlds circlin% distant stars, Chen
kno5s that he needs to 6e at the center o/ this
latest e,+ansion o/ humankind& $ere at the
6e%innin%, thin%s 5ith the ne5 colonies are
sim+le 3 sim+le +leasures and sim+le 4ices&
Chen is a man 5ho a++reciates sim+licity&
Many 5orlds, one criminal or%ani2ation&
"Master Chen is two distinct people in one body. The
first Chen is friendly kind polite and gracious. %e's a
wonderful host. %e is hospitable e!en charitable. The
second Chen you only meet when you cross him and he
is the last person you e!er meet-
Esin% Master Chen in Four "ame
3oalD Master Chen(s or%ani2ation is the
+innacle o/ the criminal 5orld outside o/
.arth& $e is connected to almost e4erythin%
that %oes on amon% the s+ace stations,
colonies and shi+s that ser4e them& ;/ you are a
criminal, Master Chen is the man you 5ant to
6e connected to&
)bstacleD Master Chen is a /ri%htenin%
o6stacle /or anyone& ;/ you cross him, there is
a %ood chance you 5ill ha4e to deal 5ith him
+ersonally, and there are usually t5o 5ays that
this turns out > either you 5ork somethin% out
5ith him that is to his 6ene/it, or you die&
$ulkin%, 6rutal 6ody%uards, hired assassins,
and cuttin%3ed%e a6lati4e 6ody armor +rotect
him /rom all real dan%er& ;/ Master Chen
sho5s u+ in a story, he is a /orce o/ nature&
SecretD A man like Chen Do Chen is made o/
secrets& $e deli4ers illicit %oods and ser4ices
to some o/ the most +o5er/ul +eo+le in the
solar system& $e ena6les a 5ide 4ariety o/
ille%al and immoral 4ices to 6e satis/ied& $e is
in a +osition to 6lackmail la5 en/orcement on
multi+le 5orlds 6ecause o/ 5hat he kno5s,
5hat that in/ormation is 5orth& Because he
kno5s that 5orth, he is also al5ays 5illin% to
+ay /or use/ul )ecrets he does not already
+ossess&
0elationshipD .4en 5ith a Major Helationshi+
5ith Master Chen, it isn(t as i/ he ans5ers
e4ery time you call& *hat it means is that you
ha4e le%itimate, thou%h limited, access to his
name& #eo+le kno5 you are connected& ;/ you
thro5 around his name too o/ten, you mi%ht
meet him one 9uiet ni%ht to ha4e an
uncom/orta6le con4ersation, 6ut in the
meantime, a lot o/ +eo+le 5ill listen 5hen his
name %ets mentioned&
-)iral -8er Sale
326 3 ??
Am6er )alem 5as the ri%ht 5oman at the ri%ht
time, the %enius )+ace Cor+s Commander that
the *orld Iea%ue needed 5hen it re4ealed the
/irst o/ its Baeder Dri4e3shi+s decades a%o&
)he com6ined /earlessness 5ith tactical
6rilliance and an innate understandin% o/
13G
mo4ement in 2ero3%ra4ity& )he 5as the /irst to
master the ;mmersi4e $ED, a holo%ra+hic
+rojection that surrounds a commander and
5hich res+onds to her eye3mo4ement 5hile
+rojectin% com6at in real3time& 0he ;$ED is
no5 standard on all major com6at 4essels, and
smaller less3ca+a6le 4ersions are a4aila6le /or
shi+ ca+tains 5ho lack the *IA(s /inances&
)ince her retirement she has 6ecome a military
analyst /or 4arious ne5s or%ani2ations and has
also 6e%un a +roli/ic 5ritin% career&
"$t hasn't been a man's world for a long time. As
humanity has settled firmly in space it is becoming a
woman's world at last. And not a moment too soon.
That we sur!i!ed thousands of years of male authority
is nothing short of a miracle.-
Sir Fonat$on Genne)y
31-5 3 O23
Kennedy made his money throu%h the
+roduction and desi%n o/ ille%al desi%ner
dru%s, +roducin% se4eral nota6le /adsD Cra4e,
Blink, and B0he "lo5 #illC: nothin% 5as
+ro4en and in 2152 Kennedy +urchased his
kni%hthood /rom the Kin% o/ Aor5ay& E+on
his death > /rom a dru% o4erdose 3 his
considera6le /ortune +assed to his only child&
"These are legal legitimate in!estments. The world
was built on the foundation of traders speculators and
!enture capitalists. The insinuations about my family
my money and what $ am doing with them is nothing
more than pathetic scurrilous gossip.- ((Hennedy
testimony before a *6# committee in!estigating se4ual
health and disease.
2ae :aria Genne)y
36G 3 ??
Iady Maria is the only child o/ )ir onathon
Kennedy& )he has dedicated her li/e to
im+ro4in% the human condition, most nota6ly
throu%h her /inancin% o/ research into
+rosthetics& $er most success/ul 4enture to
date is Adjuntic, 5hich has 6ecome the
cuttin%3ed%e /irm /or the de4elo+ment o/
inte%rated +rosthetics 5hich res+ond smoothly
to commands /rom the +atient(s ner4ous
system& Esin% her /ather(s 5ealth, she has
/unded +ro%rams +ro4idin% these +rosthetics
in 5ar3torn +arts o/ .arth 5here they 5ould
normally 6e una4aila6le&
Enlike her /ather, Maria Kennedy has earned
her kni%hthood, a%ain /rom the kin% o/
Aor5ay, one o/ the /e5 +eo+le le/t on .arth
5ho mi%ht 6esto5 such an anti9uated +ri2e on
anyone& 0here is s+eculation that this 5as
done to make amends /or the last time he
kni%hted a Kennedy&
"%ow much money in the world $S#'T dirty money or
blood money> *e can do nothing to change the past
only the present and hopefully the future. *hat may or
may not ha!e happened with my father is irrele!ant.-
%reating 3o*r <9n :a;or &P%s
0hese major A#Cs are only a /e5 e,am+les o/
the mo4ers and shakers in the #arsec uni4erse&
Ao dou6t, as +art o/ +lannin% the settin% and
situation /or your o5n %ame, you 5ill come u+
5ith more&
0he #arsec uni4erse is o+en 5ide to in+ut
/rom +layers and Directors& !uture 4ersions o/
#arsec 5ill include material +roduced 6y
+layers e4ery5here 3 includin% you&
;n order to create a major A#C /or inclusion in
the #arsec uni4erse, kee+ a /e5 thin%s in
mind&
Set Bates
Kee+ in mind the o4erall timeline o/ the
#arsec settin%& Fear - di4ides the time 6e/ore
the rise o/ the *orld Iea%ue o/ Aations and
the time a/ter& Be/ore year -, neo3/eudal
cor+orations ran e4erythin% /or all intents and
+ur+oses& 0he early years a/ter year - 5ere
/illed 5ith 4iolent con/lict on .arth and in
s+ace as the *IA /ou%ht a multi3/ront 5ar
a%ainst a do2en hu%e cor+orate entities as 5ell
as their thousands o/ su6sidiaries&
By the end o/ the /irst decade o/ the *IA era,
most lar%e3scale 4iolent con/licts had calmed
do5n& By the second decade, the era o/
e,+lorin% and coloni2in% .arth3like 5orlds
had 6e%un in earnest& 0he 1+resent( /or the
#arsec uni4erse is sometime around year 5-&
4ake !onnections
Major A#Cs 6ecome 6i% in/luences in the
settin% 6ecause they are connected to +o5er/ul
13J
or%ani2ations on .arth and in s+ace& Ao one
rises to +rominence in a 4acuum& Because o/
this +rinci+le, it is im+ortant /or major A#Cs
to 6e connected to other elements in the
settin% 4ery /irmly&
!onflict
.4ery A#C 5orth mentionin% in the #arsec
uni4erse is in4ol4ed in some kind o/ con/lict 3
+re/era6ly, they are +otentially em6roiled in
more than one con/lict& Con/lict is the most
likely 5ay that #Cs 5ill 6ecome a5are o/ and
connected to an A#C 3 either as allies or as
o++onents&
'#2 Major $r"aniDations
/$e -frican 4nion Free State %o*ncil
%istoryD *hen the Colla+se came, A/rica 5as
/or%otten, and that 5as the 6est thin% to
ha++en to the continent in centuries& Iike the
rest o/ the 5orld, the nations o/ A/rica +lun%ed
into turmoil& Aational ri4alries and ethnic
animosities 6oiled to the sur/ace just as they
did e4ery5here else, 6ut in A/rica, the
6reakdo5n o/ ci4il society and in/rastructure
5as more se4ere than any5here else on .arth
<6ecause A/rica had al5ays 6een a +u++et o/
"reat #o5er +olitics&
*hat came this time, ho5e4er, has 6een
/odder /or +olitical scientists since& A Enion
o/ A/rican )tates /ormed, %o4erned 6y a hi%h
Council& 0he /irst acts o/ the Council chan%ed
most o/ the continent into an insulated,
isolationist +olitical system& 0he nations o/
A/rica turned in5ard and cut themsel4es o//
/rom the outside 5orld& 0hey /ocused on
de4elo+in% their indi%enous industries and
natural resources, sei2in% /orei%n industries
5ith im+unity&
0his 5ould ha4e caused an international
u+roar, 6ut durin% the Colla+se and its
a/termath, there 5as little anyone else could
do > e,actly 5hat the Council 5as 6ettin% on&
Ao5, the AE!)C continues to maintain a
stron% +rotectionist stance: it is the least
/riendly rulin% 6ody in the 5orld to5ards
cor+orations and 6usiness& Commerce and
industry are care/ully controlled and re%ulated
so that no /orei%n in4estors ha4e si%ni/icant
in/luence&
$nfluenceD 0he Council(s control o/ +olitics in
A/rica is total& )ince the re3or%ani2ation o/ the
continent, other nations and e4en cor+orations
centered in outside nations ha4e not made
si%ni/icant inroads& By outside standards, the
Enion is a +lace o/ %reat +o4erty&
*ithin A/rica, there is a +ositi4e /eel to li/e&
#o4erty is declinin% and more and more
+eo+le are 6ecomin% sel/3su//icient& 0he
AE!)C im+orts almost nothin%, and e4en its
e,+orts are limited& 0he Council limits the
/lo5 o/ in/ormation 6eyond its 6orders as
much as +ossi6le and inter/eres 5ith any area
o/ li/e that in4ol4es contact 5ith outside
nations or cor+orations&
Strengths and *eaknessesD 'n the continent,
the stren%ths o/ the Enion are its 6road
acce+tance, its social in/luence and control,
and its track record o/ success 5ithout 6ias
to5ards any sin%le ethnic %rou+& 0he Council
has esta6lished itsel/ as the /inal ar6iter o/
justice in con/licts 6et5een mem6er nations
and no5 controls the sole le%itimate security
and military /orce&
)ome 5ithin A/rica may %rum6le a6out the
AE!)C ha4in% too much +o5er, 6ut no5here
in A/rica does it /ace si%ni/icant o++osition&
0hrou%h %ood mana%ement, the AE!)C
Council is 6uildin% a com+rehensi4e
in/rastructure and +ro4idin% /irst3rate
education and health care& 0he continent(s
5eakness no5 is 5hat its stren%th 5as durin%
the years a/ter the Colla+se: its strict
isolationism has limited economic interactions
and stunted e,+ansion o/ A/rican schools and
uni4ersities& ;t is also a %reat drain on
collecti4e resources to kee+ /orei%n in/luences
out in an a%e o/ 5orld5ide 5ireless
communication& 0he Enion does not ha4e a
si%ni/icant +resence in s+ace&
Esing the AE.SC in 8our 3ameD 0ra4elin% to
any nation on the A/rican continent should 6e
a 4ery interestin% +ros+ect /or a %rou+ o/ #Cs&
0echnically, it is ille%al /or anyone not 6orn
on AE!)C soil to li4e in the Enion at all& 0his
strict 7and to many 5ho 5ant access to the
14-
continent, a6surd8 rule has its e,ce+tions
5hich can 6e e,+loited, 6ut it remains a /act
that 5hat is kno5n as the Diamond Curtain
has 6een erected around A/rica and is strictly
and thorou%hly en/orced&
/$e %$il)renDs %r*sa)e
%istoryD Ao one is a6le to say 5hen or 5here
the Crusade 6e%an& ;t is disor%ani2ed,
ha+ha2ard and anarchic& *hene4er one BcellC
is unco4ered and shut do5n 6y the authorities,
another s+rin%s u+ to take its +lace& *hat is
kno5n is that the Children(s Crusade is a
loose amal%amation o/ child3criminal cells
/ound all o4er .arth and in the lar%er colonies
on Iuna and Mars& 0heir crimes and acti4ities
ran%e /rom +etty the/t and 4andalism u+ to the
more serious crimes o/ terrorism and murder&
0here are %an%s o/ children 5ho chill the
6lood o/ other criminal or%ani2ations, and
there are others that are little more than
undera%e hooli%ans /leein% re+ressi4e /oster
systems&
$nfluenceD .4ery /e5 ni%hts, somethin% the
Crusade has done 5ill make the local
ne5s/eeds and raise some eye6ro5s&
Conser4ati4es claim it is a si%n o/ the /inal
decay o/ society into 6ar6arism 5hile li6erals
5ill claim it is a si%n o/ the radical decay o/
social su++ort systems /or at3risk youth& *hat
neither is 5illin% to consider is that there is
somethin% lar%er at 5ork here > that all o/
these cells are more or%ani2ed than they
a++ear, and that all o/ the crimes are 6uildin%
u+ to somethin% more sinister&
Strengths and *eaknessesD Because o/ the
Crusade, most le%al systems no lon%er make
s+ecial allo5ances /or children 5ithin their
judicial +roceedin%s& 0he /irst e,ecution o/ a
minor 6y a cor+orate court occurred almost a
hundred years a%o, and no5 it is somethin%
that the majority o/ +eo+le acce+t as just, or
tolerate /or the sake o/ +u6lic sa/ety&
Ae4ertheless, /or non3ca+ital crimes, children
do %et o// a 6it easier than adults& Crusaders
ha4e some kind o/ emer%ent order to their
actions > ne4er more than one small local cell
cau%ht at any %i4en time, and they al5ays
seem to 6e in communication 5ith cells
else5here on .arth or the Colonies&
Esing the Children's Crusade in 8our 3ameD
!e5 thin%s are cree+ier than murderous +re3
teens& *hat 5ill characters do 5hen they are
con/ronted 5ith a 6unch o/ 11 year olds
holdin% u+ a 6ank or mu%%in% someone in an
alley? 'r 5ill a character ha4e a child o/ her
o5n 5ho someho5 %ets cau%ht u+ 5ith the
Crusade? Any time you mi%ht thro5 in a
criminal element, think a6out ho5 the /act that
they are children chan%es the situation > and
ho5 it doesn(t&
/$e :ar7 of t$e Beast
%istoryD Durin% the %reat Colla+se almost t5o
centuries a%o, many conser4ati4e reli%ious
%rou+s all o4er the 5orld declared that the .nd
0imes had come, that the 5orld 5as comin% to
an end& )ome o/ them 6elie4ed that this meant
that the De4il 5ould take o4er the 5orld and
rule /or a thousand years o/ 0ri6ulation
throu%h an Antichrist 5ho 5ould 6e a 5orld
+olitical leader&
0hese conser4ati4e %rou+s made a tremendous
amount o/ money sellin% home3Ha+ture kits
and 6uildin% 0ri6ulation Bunkers 7not to
mention other merchandi2in%, no4els, s+ino//
no4els and so on8, 6ut in the end, the 5orld
lim+ed alon% much as it had 6e/ore that
+ointLe,ce+t /or one small ca6al o/
in/luential +ersons 5ho decided that it 5as
indeed the De4il(s time to rei%n& 0hey marked
themsel4es, took an oath o/ secrecy, and then
s+read out, con4ertin% others to their cause,
doin% all they could to sei2e +o5er /or
themsel4es&
'ne o/ them, $ar4ey *hite, 5as a talented
+ro%rammer 5orkin% on arti/icial intelli%ence&
$is li/e(s 5ork is 6rin%in% the Antichrist into
the 5orld once and /or all time: 5ho 5ould(4e
thou%ht the De4il 5ould take the /orm o/
malicious i35are?
$nfluenceD Cons+iracy theorists s+end lon%
hours tryin% to decide 5hether the Mark o/ the
Beast is a hoa, or a real or%ani2ation 5ith
o+erati4es in +ositions o/ +o5er e4ery5here&
Assumin% that the cons+iracy is real, it has
141
had nearly t5o hundred years to insinuate
itsel/ into e4ery le4el o/ authority on .arth and
o//35orld, 6ut /or 5hat end?
Strengths and *eaknessesD 0he Mark(s main
stren%th is that /e5 think it actually e,ists&
Fou kno5 5hat they say a6out the 6i%%est
trick the De4il e4er +ulled > con4incin% the
5orld he doesn(t e,ist& #erha+s the Mark has
done the same& 0he 5eakness o/ the Mark is
that it cannot act o+enly, so that 5hen thin%s
%o 5ron% /or a mem6er o/ the Mark, they are
on their o5n&
Esing the Mark of the ?east in 8our 3ameD
Anyone in authority could 6e a mem6er o/ the
Mark& A +erson like that 5ould seek to use the
#Cs to /urther their o5n ends and dis+ose o/
them 9uietly once their use/ulness had 5orn
out& 0he #Cs could 6e sent to in4esti%ate a
+o5er/ul /i%ure in their or%ani2ation, only to
/ind that she has stran%e relationshi+s and a
/lair /or the occult& May6e the re4erse 5ould
ha++en<a #C 5ho 6ecomes too +o5er/ul too
9uickly may /ace in4esti%ation, +laced under
scrutiny /rom sus+icious la5 en/orcement and
cons+iracy theorists ra4enous /or a hint that
their theories are correct&
/$e :in)s$are Society
%istoryD .4eryone has dreamed o/ 6ein% a
tele+ath > 6ein% a6le to read the thou%hts and
+lum6 the secret desires o/ others& !or the
Mindshare )ociety, they claim this is /inally a
reality& 0hose 5ho are o+enly +art o/ the
)ociety say that they ha4e de4elo+ed
technolo%y 5hich connects conscious minds
di%itally, allo5in% mem6ers to hear each
other(s thou%hts, see throu%h their eyes, and
share collecti4e kno5led%e 6et5een them& 0he
Mindshare )ociety re/uses to +u6lish any kind
o/ list o/ mem6ers and also claims that the
im+lants needed /or tele+athy are hidden 6y
+lastic sur%ery > since most o/ humanity is not
yet ready to acce+t the reality o/ such a +o5er&
$nfluenceD Ao one kno5s ho5 in/luential the
Mindshare )ociety is 6ecause no one is sure
ho5 many mem6ers there are or are +art o/ the
%rou+& 0hey don(t need to +hysically meet at
all i/ their claims are true, and they can
coordinate acti4ities 5ith incredi6le +recision&
0hey are technolo%ically sa44y and 4ia
tele+athy ha4e access to incredi6le stores o/
not only in/ormation 6ut e,+erience, an
unlimited or%anic ;35are node&
Strengths and *eaknessesD 0heir stren%ths are
unity, secrecy and connectedness& 0his may
also 6e a 5eakness& Ao one kno5s 5hether the
mem6ers o/ the )ociety ha4e their o5n
indi4idual autonomy anymore& )o/t5are
connected directly to the 6rain is dan%erous >
5here does the mind end and the so/t5are
6e%in? And 5hoe4er it 5as 5ho 5rote the
so/t5are in the /irst +lace > do they control the
minds touched or do indi4iduals maintain /ree
5ill?
Esing the Mindshare Society in 8our 3ameD
)omeone 5ho shares their e4eryday
e,+eriences and thou%hts 5ith +erha+s
thousands o/ others at all times is %oin% to
6eLa little o//Lcree+yLmore than eccentric&
0hey 5ill seem to kno5 e4erythin%, 6ut
6eha4e 5ith a distant, distracted air& 0hey 5ill
also, most de/initely, ha4e a +lan& 0hey 5ill
al5ays 6e 5orkin% in tandem 5ith others 5ho
do not seem connected to their immediate
surroundin%s& 0hey could 6e 4ery +o5er/ul
allies, 6ut are more likely to 6e anta%onists,
since the Mindshare )ociety is not desi%ned
/or #Cs to 6e mem6ers o/, and they 5on(t trust
outsiders& *hat i/ the )ociety has decided it is
time to /orce a Colony(s +o+ulation into
mem6ershi+? *hat 5ould ha++en then?
/$e &o5iy-So5iet
%istoryD Iike almost e4erythin% in the settin%,
the Ao4iy3)o4iet 5as another res+onse to the
Colla+se& Ieninist and Maoist %rou+s in
central and 5estern China, northern ;ndia,
rum+ +arts o/ the /ormer #akistan, and the
Hussian heartland /ormed a 6rand ne5 trans3
national )o4iet 5ith a 6illion constituents, not
to mention control o/ thousands o/ nuclear
5arheads& Control o/ the nukes +ro4ed 4ital as
it +re4ented cor+orate takeo4ers o/ the
mem6er states 7thou%h it didn(t sto+ attem+ts
4ia sa6ota%e, 6ri6ery, and other ne/arious
means8&
142
)ince that +oint, the Ao4iy3)o4iet has 6een at
the center o/ almost constant 5ar/are 5ith
nei%h6orin% cor+orations and states and, later,
*IA holdin%s& ;t is a militaristic re%ime
5hich /loods all in/ormation systems 5ith
o4er5helmin% +ro+a%anda > their res+onse to
an a%e 5hen restrictin% access to in/ormation
is /unctionally im+ossi6le e4en /or a tiny, out3
o/3the35ay state&
$nfluenceD 0he Ao4iy3)o4iet is terri/yin%& 0he
Hulin% #arty leaders commonly threaten to
unleash decayin% *MDs /rom a 6y%one era
6ut are still more than su//icient to kill e4ery
human 6ein% on .arth /our or /i4e times o4er&
0hey 6rain35ash ca+tured s+ies and then
return them to their s+onsor states > and
des+ite the 6est e//orts to eliminate the
conditionin%, the returned s+y does nothin%
6ut recount the %lories o/ the Ao4iy3)o4iet&
Strengths and *eaknessesD 0he A3) has done
a tremendous amount o/ research into modes
o/ +sycholo%ical mani+ulation, and /rankly,
they make entertainin% commercials& A/ter
5atchin% one, e!eryone 5ants to join the
)o4iet, take u+ their /arm im+lements and
/i%ht /or the Motherland& Most +eo+le are
accustomed to this e//ect, and sim+ly 5ait /or
the moment to +ass, like a cra4in% /or a dru%
you kno5 5ill kill you&
#eriodic out6reaks o/ mass3hysteria and
+sychosis are attri6uted to Ao4iy3)o4iet
+sychotro+ics released into re%ional 5ater or
/ood su++lies o/ +ercei4ed ri4als& ;t is also
5idely 6elie4ed that 6rain35ashin% is
common+lace in the )o4iet > a main reason
cited /or their a++roachin% 6i3centennial&
*eakness 5ithin the Ao4iy3)o4iet comes
/rom the 6rain5ashin%& 0here is little
creati4ity, and i/ the +olice re%ime e4er li/ts its
re+ressi4e +olicies, most Ao4iy3)o4iet
residents may 5ake u+ and reali2e they are
li4in% in a cess+ool o/ +o4erty, star4ation and
disease&
Esing the #o!iy(So!iet in 8our 3ameD 0he
Ao4iy3)o4iet re+resents the threat o/ loss o/
control and autonomy& 0hey a//ect your mind
/rom a distance usin% su6tle +sycholo%ical
mani+ulation and su6conscious su%%estion
throu%h 4isual media& 0hey crack your +syche
5ith a /e5 dro+s o/ the ri%ht su6stance in your
drinkin% 5ater& Ao one kno5s 5hat kind o/
+eo+le they mi%ht ha4e 6een, 6ut as it is, there
is a /ri%htenin% sameness a6out mem6ers o/
the Ao4iy3)o4ietLand they are al5ays
recruitin%&
Post-,*anis
%istoryD 0he #ost3$umanist mo4ement 5as
6rou%ht to%ether out o/ a hod%e+od%e o/
mo4ements and +hiloso+hies, led 6y a %rou+
o/ /uturists, science /iction 5riters and
+hiloso+hers %ra++lin% 5ith the reality o/
societies 5here %enetic mani+ulation is
+ossi6le, 5here $(ware and simsene4 cracked
o+en the 5orkin%s o/ the mind, and +eo+le
ha4e created 5hat a++ears to 6e mechanical
sentience& ;t has ne4er 6een a mo4ement 5ith
any sem6lance o/ unity, order, or o4er3archin%
+ur+ose 6eyond 4iolatin% the 6oundaries o/
5hat it means to 6e human&
$nfluenceD #ost3$umanism is in/luential
amon% elites and the educated class 5ho ha4e
the time and resources /or this kind o/
endea4or&
Strengths and *eaknessesD 0he stren%th o/
#ost3$umanism is its a6ility to ada+t 9uickly
and ruthlessly to the cuttin% ed%e o/ science
and technolo%y& ;/ they are correct, and the
4ery nature o/ 5hat it means to 6e human is
chan%in%, then they are +oised to 6ecomeL
5hate4er it is that is ne,t& #ost3$umanists are
also em6edded in the research and +roduction
o/ e4ery kind o/ cuttin%3ed%e technolo%y, and
ha4e a %reat deal o/ in/luence o4er 5hat kinds
o/ la5s and re%ulations are considered and
5hich direction research takes& 0his means
that #ost3$umanists do not look do5n on
%rou+s such as the Mindshare )ociety: they
are o+en to all +ossi6ilities that in4ol4e human
e4olution&
Esing 7ost(%umanism in 8our 3ameD #ost3
$umanism is somethin% o/ a carte36lanche /or
5hate4er /reaky kinds o/ thin%s you 5ant to
include in the settin%& 0echnolo%y is at a +oint
5here mind3machine inter/aces are
common+lace and the 6rain can interact
143
directly 5ith machines > thou%h the +rocess is
still 6oth risky and im+recise& ;/ somethin% is
+ossi6le usin% %enetic and cy6ernetic
technolo%y, the #ost3$umanists consider it
+ass[ and are lookin% to the ne,t hori2on&
Protean Genetics
%istoryD #rotean "enetics 7#H'"8 is the
6i%%est +layer in the %enetic technolo%y
industry& 0hey ha4e %ro5n ra+idly sellin%
%ene thera+ies to the 5ealthy, and ha4e 6een
one reason that the a4era%e li/es+an o/ a
human has increased si%ni/icantly > 6ecause
so many o/ the 4ery 5ealthy are li4in% 5ell
+ast 1-- years& #rotean also has a 5in% 5hich
s+eciali2es in 9uickly %ro5in% re+lacement >
or u+%rade > 6ody +arts& !or those 5ho can
a//ord them, they +ro4ide /ar 6etter results
than +lastic sur%ery&
$nfluenceD Iike many smaller com+anies,
#rotean o//ers %enetic alterations as consumer
+roducts, 6ut 6ecause o/ their si2e and their
resources, they are a6le to deli4er these more
chea+ly than most& #rotean claims that their
alterations im+ro4e +hysical stren%th, natural
talents, intelli%ence and o4erall health,
+articularly i/ they a +erson at the /etal sta%e
o/ de4elo+ment& ;n adults, the +rocess is more
costly and com+le,, 6ut %enetic chan%es are
still +ossi6le& .ast Asian cor+orate city3states
like $on%3Kon% or )in%a+ore ha4e 6ecome
o6sessed 5ith #rotean modi/ications and
e4eryone there is al5ays keen to set the
ne5est /ad or ada+t the ne5est mod&
Strengths and *eaknessesD 0he %reatest
6ene/its are reser4ed /or use only 6y the u++er
echelons o/ #rotean itsel/& #rotean(s /ounder,
Amaterasu, 5ho 6ou%ht u+ com+etitors and
/ounded the com+any almost 2-- years a%o, is
still ali4e and 6y all accounts healthy& $er
stated %oal is to li4e /ore4er& #rotean has no
o64ious 5eaknesses, 6ut there is some
6itterness amon% its em+loyees 6ecause o/
com+ulsory %enetic modi/ications re9uired o/
em+loyees and their /amilies in order to retain
their jo6s& ;/ true, then its +ossi6le #rotean(s
em+loyees are little more than %uinea +i%s&
Esing 7rotean 3enetics in 8our 3ameD ;/ a
character has a %enetic modi/ication 0rait,
there is a %ood chance that it is a #rotean
desi%n& ;t is also +ossi6le to justi/y an increase
in an Attri6ute like #o5er or A++eal 4ia a 4isit
to a #rotean center& .m+loyees o/ this
cor+oration should al5ays 6e the most
6eauti/ul +eo+le in the room > or at least, they
e,+ect to 6e&
Refore) an) <rt$o)o' Scientology
%istoryD )cientolo%y e,+erienced its /irst
reli%ious schism in year 26& 0he sudden
+aro,ysm o/ 4iolence le/t %reat s5athes o/
5estern !lorida, lon% the )cientolo%y 5orld
head9uarters, a smolderin% tan%le o/ runnin%
%un36attles and e,+losions& 0he t5o sides in
the con/lict are no5 commonly re/erred to as
the He/ormed and 'rthodo, 6ranches& 0he
He/ormed side consists o/ a hu%e num6er o/
cele6rities and more casual +ractitioners and
6elie4ers 7cele6rity 5anna6es8& Mem6ershi+ is
all 6ut a re9uirement /or $olly5ood or
Bali5ood castin% calls& 0he 'rthodo, 5ant
)cientolo%y 6elie/s inte%rated into e4ery
as+ect o/ their li4es& 0hey ha4e .3meters
+ermanently im+lanted in their 6odies 5hich
+ro4ide real3time readouts they use to monitor
their state& 0hey 6uild their o5n +ri4ate
encla4es so that they are se+arated out 6ecause
)cientolo%y %o4erns so much o/ 5hat they can
and can(t do&
$nfluenceD As mentioned a6o4e, )cientolo%y is
incredi6ly in/luential amon% cele6rities and
the entertainment industry& 0he 'rthodo,
5in% is less 6roadly in/luential, 6ut
+eriodically has a %reat deal o/ s5ay 6ecause
o/ the /er4ency and 4iolence o/ those 5ho
identi/y 5ith the mo4ement&
Strengths and *eaknessesD De+endin% on
5here they are located, they ha4e 4aryin%
de%rees o/ +olitical autonomy and sel/3
%o4ernance& ;n 5hat 5as once !lorida there is
an 'rthodo, )cientolo%ist cor+orate state
5hich re/uses to ackno5led%e the authority o/
the *orld Iea%ue o/ Aations& 0he main
stren%th o/ )cientolo%y is +o+ular a++eal > it
is trendy and retro and most 6i%3time holo3
stars are into it& ;ts main 5eakness is that no
144
other /aiths or reli%ions acce+t it: e4en atheist
+hiloso+hers deny that )cientolo%y o//ers a
morally or intellectually com+ellin% +ath&
Esing Scientologists in 8our 3ameD Most
cele6rities 5ill 6e He/ormed )cientolo%ist, at
least in name& 'rthodo, )cientolo%y is a
5orld unto its o5n, as alien as any s+ace
colony& 0here(s no need to do research i/
you(re not interested: make it as stran%e as
you like > may6e 0hetans really do li4e
hidden on Mars&
Syl5a 1nergy Sol*tions
%istoryD Durin% the %reat Colla+se, economies
%round to a halt and as ta, re4enues
disa++eared, %o4ernments 5ent 6ankru+t and
their 5ork halted as 5ell& ;n Bra2il at the time,
the %o4ernment controlled most o/ the
economy > most im+ortantly, it controlled the
+roduction and distri6ution o/ ener%y& *hen
Bra2il li9uidated, it 5as the main ener%y
su++lier /or )outh America& )yl4a .ner%y
7)."F8 took o4er that role&
$nfluenceD )."F controls most economic
acti4ity in Iatin America and controls do2ens
o/ a//iliates o//35orld as 5ell& ;t is the lar%est
sin%le cor+orate entity e4er, lar%er than any
sin%le national economy on .arth& )."F has
thousands o/ su6sidiaries under its massi4e
um6rella in any area o/ human commerce one
can ima%ine& Aational %o4ernments in Iatin
America, i/ they are /ortunate and do not +ass
re%ulations that limit )yl4a(s enter+rises, are
allo5ed to send re+resentati4es to meetin%s o/
)il4a(s 6oard o/ directors> 6ut they are not
allo5ed to maintain anythin% a++roachin%
national so4erei%nty& )yl4a is in a tense,
strained relationshi+ 5ith the *IA& Baeder
Dri4es are +o5er/ul, 6ut re9uire a tremendous
amount o/ ener%y& )yl4a has the ca+a6ility to
deli4er massi4e amounts o/ ener%y at the
lo5est +rice > i/ it is so inclined& 'n the other
hand, the *IA kno5s that )."F re+resents
the sin%le lar%est cor+orate threat to its
authority&
Strengths and *eaknessesD )yl4a .ner%y
)olutions maintains a totalitarian oli%archy
that has lasted o4er a hundred years in its
+resent /orm& ;t is no lon%er just a B/amilyC
6usiness, and 5hile its home o//ices remain in
the lar%est arcolo%y on .arth in )ao #aolo,
)yl4a is not limited 6y %eo%ra+hy or culture
anymore& )yl4a security +ersonnel 5orkin%
o//5orld 5ere the /irst to de4elo+ the
techni9ues o/ 2ero3%ra4ity %ra++lin% 5hich
5ere then ado+ted 6y the *IA and all other
cor+orate security /orces& )yl4a s+onsors a
hi%hly trained team in e4ery si%ni/icant 2ero3%
s+orts e4ent and they al5ays do 4ery 5ell& ;n
2ero3% com6at s+orts thou%h, )yl4a rei%ns
su+reme& !or those 5ho don(t 5orry a6out
their cor+orate ethics and +ractices, this is an
endless source o/ /ame > and jo6 a++lications&
Esing Syl!a Energy Solutions in 8our 3ameD
)yl4a .ner%y is the closest thin% to Bi%
Brother in the settin%& 0hey o5n entire re%ions
o/ Iatin America, ha4e more o//5orld
colonies than any other cor+oration, and they
kee+ security ti%ht, care/ully 5atchin% 5hat
e4eryone in their jurisdiction does& 0hey ha4e
6een at the /ore/ront o/ the mo4ements /or
cor+orate o5nershi+ o/ human 6ein%s, and it is
unkno5n ho5 many 1em+loyees( they ha4e
5orkin% in 5hat amounts to conditions o/
indentured ser4itude& )yl4a .ner%y is not
necessarily 4illainous > it is just incredi6ly
+o5er/ul, and has 6een so /or a lon% time& 0he
majority o/ e,ecuti4es in the com+any(s u++er
echelons just +unch their +ro4er6ial time3cards
and %o home& 0his does not e,cuse the 4iolent,
re+ressi4e +ractices o/ the com+any, ho5e4er&
/$e #orl) 0eag*e of &ations
%istoryD 0he *IA is the %rou+ that crashed
the neo3/eudalist +arty and chan%ed e4erythin%
5ithin a sin%le %eneration& ;t is the reason
there are still %o4ernments on .arth at all, the
reason that there is anythin% in the solar
system not cor+orate3o5ned&
$nfluenceD 0he *IA is considered 6y most to
6e the most +o5er/ul sin%le +olitical entity >
inso/ar as it is sin%ular& ;t is more +o5er/ul
than the AE!)C, 5ealthier and 6etter3armed
than the Ao4iy3)o4iet, more numerous than
the hundreds o/ millions o/ em+loyees o/
)yl4a .ner%y, and it is steadily %ro5in%& ;ts
centers o/ authority are s+read across the
145
5orld in +arts o/ 5hat 5as once Aorth
America, some old .uro+ean states, south
;ndia, some .ast Asian city3states, ;ndonesia,
and Malaysia&
Strengths and *eaknessesD 0he stren%th o/ the
*IA is its mono+oly on the Baeder Dri4e,
+ure and sim+le& ;t is a +rimary re4enue source
/or the *IA, 6ut the mono+oly is also the
reason the cor+orations don(t just 6and
to%ether and 5i+e out its head9uarters in
Ban%alore& 0he *IA(s main 5eakness is its
di4ersity& 0here is little unity 5ithin the 5orld
%o4ernment& ;t tries to accommodate e4eryone
/rom strict nationalist3isolationists to 4iolent
terrorist %rou+s seek to so5 chaos in the neo3
/eudal system 5ith the *IA(s su++ort& 0his
means that real decisions come slo5ly i/ they
come at all& )tates 5hich are +art o/ the *IA
also ha4e 4aryin% de%rees o/ autonomy, and
are +rone to /i%ht 5ith each other 6oth on the
/loor o/ the Assem6ly and on the 6attle/ield&
As time +asses thou%h, the *IA is %ainin%
more and more money, more and more +o5er,
and the a6ility to 5ield them as +o5er/ul
economic and +olitical 5ea+ons&
Esing the *6# in 8our 3ameD 0he *IA is
e4ery5here& ;/ there are any la5s 5hich a++ly
to e4eryone in a %i4en +lace, it is 6ecause o/
the *IA& Entil then, la5s only a++lied to
certain em+loyees, or certain social statuses,
or only to those 5ho could +ay /or
en/orcement& ;t is easy to 6e 6oth su++orted 6y
the *IA and in con/lict 5ith it at the same
time as the *IA(s arms o/ten act 5ithout
kno5led%e o/ each other& ;n your %ame, the
*IA could 6e the B%ood %uysC, the ne5 6ully
on the street 6loodyin% noses, or the chaotic
and +aranoid /e4er3dream o/ mis%uided
idealists&
%reate 3o*r <9n :a;or <rgani=ations
)cience /iction is all a6out 5hat3i/& 0he
or%ani2ations listed a6o4e 5ere all created
5ith the early years o/ the 21
st
century in
mind& !eel /ree to chan%e or%ani2ations that
are /amiliar to you, such as reli%ious or
+olitical mo4ements, nations, cor+orations and
so on&
0here are other or%ani2ations listed that are
centered on the 5hat3i/s o/ technolo%ical
chan%e& 0echnolo%ies like i35are, simsene,
and !I0 tra4el ha4e re4olutionary e//ects on
human ci4ili2ation& #eo+le 5ill or%ani2e
themsel4es in ne5 5ays, 5ill come to 4alue
and 6elie4e in ne5 thin%s& All o/ this 5ill
chan%e 5hat major or%ani2ations 5ill emer%e
in the settin%&
*hen desi%nin% your o5n or%ani2ations /or
the settin%, /ocus on their history, their +resent
in/luence, stren%ths and in/luence, and ho5 to
use them in a %ame o/ #arsec&
'#/ laces o8 (ote
1asy %ity
%istory1 'ri%inally, .asy City 5as the
me%a+olis on the eastern sea6oard o/ Aorth
America that stretched /rom Boston do5n to
Aor/olk& '4er the years, +o5er 5as
consolidated and the 5hole area 6ecame
kno5n as the .ast Coast City& .4entually this
5as shortened to .&C& City and /rom there it
5as a short jum+ to the name o/ 1.asy City(
7thou%h o//icially it remains .ast Coast City8&
At its +eak, .ast Coast City had a census
+o+ulation o/ 31- million& *ith the Colla+se
and %lo6al climate conditions, this dro++ed to
15- million& Ao o//icial census has 6een taken
in years as there is a dis+ute o4er 5here the
city %o4ernment(s authority ends and 5hether
residents in the Barrens should recei4e city
ser4ices or not& *ithout the Barrens, .asy
City(s +o+ulation is near J- million& *ith the
Barrens, estimates are that the +o+ulation is
closer to 2-- million&
$nfluenceD Iike other 6i% ur6an areas, .asy
City(s in/luence comes /rom its industry and
6usiness 7the nei%h6orhood o/ Ae5 Fork
remains a /inancial center /or system35ide
trade8& ;t is also the home /or se4eral re%ional
cor+orate head9uarters& .asy City(s in/luence
is used to 6rin% in ne5 6usiness and money to
Aorth America(s eastern sea6oard& 0he city(s
%o4ernment a4oids in4ol4ement in lar%er
issues, thou%h 6ehind the scenes, rumors e,ist
that the city(s %o4ernment is +lannin% to turn
itsel/ cor+orate and assume control 7either 4ia
146
money or +hysical cou+8 o/ all cor+orate and
*IA assets 5ithin its 6orders&
Strengths and *eaknessesD .asy City(s
stren%th is its si2e and the 5ide 4ariety o/
+eo+le 5ho call it home& ;/ you need
somethin%, you can /ind it here& Most o/ the
time, it(ll 6e le%al as .asy City has la,
re%ulations re%ardin% trade and /inance 71*e
ain(t .asy City /or nothin(=8& 0he 5eakness is
its city %o4ernment& ;t has re+resentati4es
/rom e4ery nei%h6orhood and the 4ie5s o/
Ae5 Fork are di//erent than those o/ Di22y
7/ormerly the District o/ Colum6ia8& 0his
means little %ets done, and o/ten, ta, re4enue
5inds u+ 6ein% used /or +ersonal 6ene/its and
remainin% in +o5er&
Esing Easy City in 8our 3ameD .asy City
+ro4ides a %reat startin% +oint /or characters&
0here is al5ays a reason to 6e there& Because
o/ the la, la5s, .asy City deals 5ith a lot o/
illicit tradin% acti4ity and is a transit3+oint /or
)ecrets o/ all ty+es& ;t(s also a %reat +lace to
%et lost i/ you need to a4oid la5 en/orcement
authorities, es+ecially i/ you are 5illin% to
head out into the Barrens&
%asa8lanca
%istory1 Casa6lanca has al5ays 6een a lar%e
city in A/rica& 0hat is true no5 as 5ell as the
city, Ca22a to the locals, 6oasts a +o+ulation
o/ se4en million& ;t remains the home to
traditional ;slamic 6elie/s, includin% Kin%
Mohammed QK;, 1de/ender o/ the /aith,( an
im+ortant sym6olic role o/ traditional kin%s
/rom A/rica(s north5est coast: his linea%e
%oes 6ack in a direct line to ;slam(s ori%inal
e,+ansion across A/rica 5ell o4er a
millennium a%o&
$nfluence1 As +art o/ the Ara6ic ethnic section
o/ A/rica, the A/rican Enion(s control here is
not as ri%id as it is 6elo5 the )aharan 5astes&
Casa6lanca is one o/ three sanctioned +orts o/
entry to the continent 7Cairo3)ue2 and iKa+a,
/ormerly kno5n as Ca+e 0o5n, are the other
t5o8& Casa6lanca also maintains in/luence
6ecause o/ Kin% Mohammed QK; and his
status 5ithin ;slam& !e5 in the A/rican
leadershi+ are 5illin% to cross his in/luence
and the +otential /or desta6ili2ation across the
continent&
Strengths and *eaknesses1 Casa6lanca has no
real stren%ths or 5eaknesses& ;t is 5hat it has
al5ays 6een&
Esing Casablanca in 8our 3ame1 Casa6lanca
is an o+enin% into A/rica, either /or trade or
s+yin%& ;/ you 5ish to deal 5ith reli%ion and
/aith, Kin% Mohammed re+resents a chance to
do that as 5ell&
Station .1
%istory1 ;ts name is an old joke that /e5
+eo+le understand& )tation 51 is the +lat/orm
5here Baeder Dri4es are constructed& ;t 6e%an
as a skeletal /acility 6ut no5 is a com+letely
enclosed structure 7all the 6etter to kee+
+ryin% eyes a5ay8& 0his remains the only
shi+yard in the system 5here Baeder Dri4es
are constructed& By most assessments, it is the
most hea4ily de/ended and secure 6ase in the
solar system& )ome 1+irates( ha4e tried to
attack the station, 6ut none ha4e sur4i4ed the
strikes as the 6ase mounts multi+le de/ense
systems, state o/ the art scanners, and is
or6ited 6y inde+endent de/ense +lat/orms 5ith
interlinked /irin% lines&
$nfluence1 Assi%nment to )tation 51 is a /ast3
track +osition to +o5er as the *IA only
assi%ns the most trusted, most a6le to it& *hen
issues related to s+ace tra4el come u+, the
*IA station mana%er 7considered the same
rank as !leet Admiral8 is al5ays listened to
and his +osition usually is ado+ted& ;n turn,
this means his sta// is amon%st the most
in/luential in determinin% the /uture o/ system3
5ide e,+ansion&
Strengths and *eaknesses1 )tation 51 is
im+re%na6le& ;t is also state o/ the art and
+eo+le stationed on 6oard lack /or no lu,uries&
En/ortunately, its im+ortance is so %reat that
6ein% stationed there also leads to com+lete
isolation and 5orkers must acce+t that all
communications /rom the station to the 5orld
outside )tation 51 5ill 6e monitored and
censored<any hint that sensiti4e in/ormation
is 6ein% +assed results in dismissal or, i/ the
14@
attem+t 5as serious, an 1accident( 5ith an air
lock&
Esing Station B9 in 8our 3ame1 0here is a
thrill in 6reakin% in to the un6reaka6le& ust as
interestin% is 6ein% res+onsi6le /or such a
secret +lace(s security& ;s $ans Baeder still
ali4e and li4in% on the station? ;s there more
%oin% on in )tation 51 6esides the construction
o/ !0I dri4es?
/$e Religio*s Sc$iss
0hou%h many +re/er to deny it, reli%ion is a
+o5er/ul in/luence in 5orld a//airs o/ all sorts
5hether as justi/ication /or a 5ar or as a
com/ort /or the +oor<that they 5ill 6e
re5arded in the a/terli/e /or their tri6ulations
on .arth& ;t is e9ually true that throu%hout the
millennia, technolo%y has s+ed ahead o/
matchin% +hiloso+hies and 6elie/s, lea4in%
reli%ions to try and /i%ure out ho5 e,actly the
chan%in% 5orld /its in to the s+iritual one&
0hese +ressures 5ere mana%ed ri%ht u+ to the
announcement o/ the Baeder Dri4e(s
success/ul /irst 4oya%e& 0hat e4ent 5as the
tri%%er 5hich caused a cataclysm o/ /aith
unmatched, +erha+s, since the creation o/
;slam si,teen centuries a%o&
!atholicism
$istory mo4es slo5ly sometimes& 0he Homan
Catholic Church 5as 5racked 6y numerous
contro4ersies 6e/ore the Colla+se, includin% a
se, scandal in4ol4in% t5o Cardinals, an
in4esti%ation into 6isho+s in Central America
usin% their +ositions as a conduit /or ille%al
dru% tra//ickin%, and a #o+e 5ho 5as +ro4en
to ha4e turned a 6lind eye to ethnic cleansin%
in central A/rica 7thou%h the #o+e, )er%ius K;,
1died in his slee+( 6e/ore he could 6e
remo4ed8&
*ho kno5s ho5 many more scandals 5ere
hushed u+ or remained only local or re%ional
rather than international scandals? ;nto the
+icture ste++ed #atriarch Kristo4 o/ the
Hussian Catholic Church& Kristo4 +a4ed the
5ay /or a re3uni/ication o/ the 4arious sects o/
the Catholic Church and a re/ormation o/ its
administration& )till on%oin%, the Catholic
Church is /inally +ur%in% itsel/ o/ scandal and
corru+tion, and acce+tin% the end o/ certain
traditions like celi6acy 75hen the Church %a4e
6lessin% on +riests marryin%, there 5as a
5orld5ide 34-R jum+ in men seekin%
admission to the +riesthood8&
0he Eni/ied Catholic Church, as it is no5
re/erred to, has not o++osed e,+ansion in to
s+ace thou%h it continues to resist >and e4en
sa6ota%e3 e//orts at %enetic mani+ulation,
notin% that the o+enin% o/ the uni4erse 5as
done 6y a 1normal( man& 0he ECC has e4en
7secretly8 started internal discussions a6out
5hat to do i/ alien li/e is e4er encountered<
can they 6e 6elie4ers? Can they acce+t
communion? ;/ man 5as made in "od(s
ima%e, is that no less true /or alien li/e?
<rotestantism
0he s+lit in the Christian /aith started 6y
Iuther centuries a%o has continued to trickle
throu%h the years as more and more sects and
6ranches o/ Christianity /ormed 7and still do8&
Hesearchers su%%est that there are o4er 2,---
di//erent #rotestant /aiths 7they limited results
to %rou+s o/ at least 1,--- /ollo5ers8& )ome o/
the more interestin% churches includeD
Church of 3artian
3ethodism
4nited "on-denominational
Solar 3inistries
The Luna Ice Communion
2rotherhood
The "ode of !pocal,ptic
Revelation
The S,stem#ide Covenant
of Eesus
The Real Christian Church
Evanelical =,per#ave
!ssem0lies of &od
Spiritual !ssem0l, of &aia
;/ there(s an odd or eccentric inter+retation o/
the Bi6le +ossi6le, it(s more than likely that
there(s a %rou+ o/ 6elie4ers /or it& 0his 16u//et3
style( o/ 5orshi+ is +ossi6le 6ecause o/ the
instant nature o/ communications o/ the
modern 5orld&
slam
Most in the Muslim 5orld 5ere shocked at the
actions 5hich 6rou%ht a6out the Colla+se,
shocked that the Muslims 5ho 5ere in4ol4ed
did so 6elie4in% they 5ere actin% /or the %ood
o/ ;slam& 0he attack 5as the /inal nud%e 7some
call it a s5i/t kick to the 6utt8 needed to mo4e
the /aith to a +eace/ul a++roach to most thin%s&
14G
En/ortunately, that +rocess is not /inished& ;t
5as hurt 6y the disco4ery o/ interstellar /li%ht
5hich raised some 9uestions a6out the
+ractice o/ ;slam o//35orld& *hile the t5o
+rimary %rou+s o/ Muslims still remain )unni
and )hi(a, 6oth o/ those 6ranches su//ered
s+lits 6ecause o/ Baeder& 0hat s+lit 6roke
)unnis and )hi(a into 1'rthodo,( and
1Eni4ersal( %rou+s&
)rthodo4D 0hese 6elie4ers assert that the $oly
Iand remains on .arth and that 5hat %oes on
6eyond .arth is not rele4ant to the !aith&
;nstead, Muslims should 5ork to con4ert
+eo+le on .arth to the !aith and thus make
.arth a tem+oral +aradise once a%ain&
Eni!ersalD Eni4ersal 6elie4ers rejoice at
s+ace, 6elie4in% it a %i/t /rom Allah that
allo5s the /aith to s+read to all corners o/ the
uni4erse& Eni4ersalists understand that
e,ce+tions /rom /ood restrictions are
sometimes necessary, and that it is im+ossi6le
to o6ey sunrise and sundo5n restrictions
durin% holy seasons on shi+s /ar /rom .arth&
;nstead, they use Aodes so that they kno5
their s+atial relationshi+ to .arth, +rayin%
daily, and al5ays at least once 5hile the $oly
Iand 5ould 6e /acin% their shi+ 7or colony8,
re%ardless o/ time o/ day& !or holy seasons,
/astin% is done /or a set +eriod o/ time rather
than 4ia sunriseMsundo5n as it 5ould 6e on
.arth& Eni4ersalists 6elie4e this /its the 5ill o/
the #ro+het&
9udaism
0he e5ish /aith(s history is similar to that o/
;slam, thou%h most e5s a6road and +art o/
the Dias+ora a6horred the terrorist attack that
caused the Colla+se& *hen the nation3state o/
;srael 5as then crushed 6y its nei%h6ors 7once
it 5as o64ious the Enited )tates o/ Aorth
America could not +rotect ;srael8, /e5 non3
;sraeli e5s 5ere u+set&
As a 5hole, the /aith 5as not hurt, and e4en
no5, there are no restrictions +laced on
4isitors to erusalem 6y the $oly Ministries
Cor+oration and Bankin% 0rust& *ith the
Baeder Dri4e, a ne5 +oliticalM+hiloso+hical
mo4ement 6e%an 5ithin the e5ish /aith
called 10he Aeo3Pion )ociety(& )till small, its
%oal is to someday /ind a ha6ita6le 5orld and
trans+ort 6elie4ers to it, a5ay /rom all non3
6elie4ers, no lon%er needin% to 5orry a6out
+ersecution& 0he unans5ered 9uestion<ho5
many e5s 5ill 5illin%ly lea4e their
home5orld /or such a risky +ro+osition?
3aderism
'//icially, this is the Ae5 )+iritual )ynthesis
Mo4ement& Be%innin% 5ith radical ideas,
Baederism has cau%ht on, es+ecially amon%st
+eo+le 1tra++ed( on .arth& 0he +remise o/ the
A))M is that Baeder re+resents the )econd
Comin%, 6ut that +eo+le ne4er reali2ed it& 0his
time, instead o/ %uaranteein% sal4ation, the
%i/t 5as to o+en u+ the stars& 0his e,+lains
5hy Baeder just 4anished and 5hy no one is
a6le to %i4e an o//icial e,+lanation& A))M
churches take u+ collections in the ho+es o/
someday 6ein% a6le to +urchase a colony shi+
or may6e someho5 75ith enou%h +rayer8 a
Baeder Dri4e, so that they can take the +oor o/
.arth out 6eyond the system to a ne5 li/e o/
ha++iness&
Already Baederism has cau%ht the attention o/
cor+orate and %o4ernment authorities as
se4eral A))M leaders ha4e talked o/
remo4in% shackles and 5i+in% the slate clean
<5ords o/ concern to the +eo+le in char%e& ;t
is another reason 5hy many o/ the lar%est
cor+orations and the *IA a4oid con/lict 5ith
the Eni/ied Catholic Church: at least the ECC
6elie4es in the necessity o/ %o4ernment and
order&
0he tar%et o/ the initiated con/lict, the
de/ender, usually rolls her Disci+line to resist
most social )kills, or sometimes Coura%e to
resist thin%s like ;ntimidation& Another o+tion
is to use the same )kill as the other +erson
chose to resist& ;n the a6o4e e,am+le, the
o//icer mi%ht roll her ;n4esti%ation )kill as the
character is talkin% to her, surre+titiously
doin% a 6ack%round check&
Another o+tion 5ould 6e to roll her
;ntimidation, tryin% to /orce the truth out o/
the attacker& ;n any case, the con/lict usually
comes do5n to one contested roll& 0he 5inner
%ets the stakes& De+endin% on ho5 /ar they
5in 6y, the stakes are more or less com+letely
14J
5on& !or e,am+le, i/ the co+ in the a6o4e case
rolls 5 successes and the de/ender rolls 2, then
the o//icer is com+letely con4inced and lea4es
satis/ied that the initiator is most certainly not
a criminal& ;/, ho5e4er, the initiator rolls 2
successes and the o//icer %ets 3, then the
o//icer mi%ht not cla+ her in restraints just yet,
6ut she is 4ery sus+icious o/ 5hat is %oin% on
and isn(t %oin% to lea4e any time soon& ;n this
case, a clear B5inC is a di//erence o/ 3
successes 6et5een the t5o com6atants&
'#< SuBmittin" Material 8or the
Settin"
0he #arsec settin% is intended to 6e o+en to
contri6utions /rom +layers and Directors out
there& *hat you send in 5ill 6e incor+orated
into the +u6lished settin% as lon% as it /its 5ith
the %ame as +resented here&
)u6mit your creations toD
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