Aliens & Asteroids RPG

Writers: Brian Fitzpatrick and Alan Bahr
Editors: George Fields, Gene Fitzpatrick, and Jim White

Art: Jason Adams, Kris McDermott, Peter Saga, Adobe Stock
Logo Design: Peter Saga
Layout Design: Robert Denton III
1st Printing: February 2018
Last Update: 8-FEB-2018
Playtesters: AJ Fitzpatrick, Kevin White, Mike Goldberg, Mark Woodman,
Kattee Nelson, Kaelynn West, John Givan, Shannon Mason
Special Thanks to: Ridley Scott, H.P. Lovecraft, and Robert Heinlein for all
the inspiration! Glorg for the boost when we needed it! All my crazy family
and friends for putting up with the madness! Petrie’s Family Games! And
Sean Bindel, lost but not forgotten.
Moebius Adventures © 2018
Aliens & Asteroids 1

Aliens & Asteroids 2
Welcome to the future. Yes, we have flying cars, spaceships, and even
a few real aliens, but it’s not all starfire and moonshine. Something is
coming. The “nice” aliens won’t tell us what it is and the “not-so-nice”
aliens won’t either, though they have stopped shooting at us. Maybe we
should start listening for what’s not being said?
You are here to serve the Dominion of Humankind on the front lines
as a member of the Dominion Space Forces. They call us the DSF. We
call ourselves the Space Marines. It’s just simpler. And whether you’re
a techie, a doc, a grunt, or our fearless leader, you should shut up, keep
your ears open and your head on a swivel. If you don’t, you probably
won’t live long enough to complain about the food.
Here’s what you need to know...
First, we Space Marines go where the Dominion Council and their
designated representatives send us. Period. Chain of Command is for
wimps. You got orders? You follow them to the letter unless you want to
cause ripples. Your brothers and sisters in arms don’t like ripples, so you
better be damned sure of yourself when you start making waves.
Second, watch your back and more importantly, your team’s backs.
When you’re out in the dark on a rock in the middle of nowhere, they
are your lifeline and you are theirs. Never forget that, and always make
sure everybody gets home in the end.
Third, always make sure your equipment is in good working order.
Like your squadmates, sometimes it’s the only thing standing between
you and oblivion. Clean your tools. Fix them. Sharpen them. Reload
them. Know how to take them apart and put them back together with
your eyes closed. You never know the next opportunity you may get to
maintain them. And if an alien has something that looks useful and you
see an opportunity, grab it. Our lab boys are happy to learn and adapt
from whatever you bring them and you may find whatever it is useful in
the field long before they get their hands on it.
Lastly, be ready for anything. Our bosses don’t like it when everybody
is on edge. And everybody is definitely on edge.
Watch yourself. Ooh rah.
Chapter 1: Introduction 3

Aliens & Asteroids opens up a whole new vista of adventure for

roleplayers, combining the uncertainty of space exploration with
the horror of discovering beings and technologies so far beyond our
understanding as to create a veritable Dread when we meet those things
in the void. The setting is a futuristic universe where Space Marines do
the grunt work for the Dominion, a corporate-led governmental entity
that manages all of human-occupied space.
You play those grunts, sent out into the void to combat aliens, rescue
idiots from the fruits of their adventurous spirit, and explore worlds to
discover life or technology worth exploiting in the name of humankind.
A&A was inspired by movies, television series, and games like X-COM,
Space: Above and Beyond, Alien & Aliens, The Expanse, Blade Runner,
Starship Troopers, and so on. We have been inspired almost as much by
the works of Robert Heinlein as we have by H.P. Lovecraft, and you can
definitely see where those worlds have begun to collide.
The game utilizes a system known as Inverse20, which offers a fast

resolution mechanic that can be adapted quickly at the table to meet the
needs of nearly anything you encounter.
The basic concept is simple: Roll a d20 to get
a number equal to or less than a Target
Number (TN). Roll a 1 or the TN, that’s
a Critical Success (even on impossible
tasks). If you roll a 20, that’s a Critical
Fail and has various consequences.
Depending on the task and your
character’s abilities, the roll may be at
an Advantage (roll 2d20 and take the
lower number) or a Disadvantage (roll
2d20 and take the higher number).
That’s really it!
A&A requires a pair of d20s, a handful of d6s (5 per player), some paper,
writing utensils, some friends, imagination, and a love for science fiction
or sci fi horror. This main book provides all the basic components and an
adventure to get you started.
This book contains all the information you need to get going, but here’s
the roadmap:
• Chapter 2: The Dominion - Describes the setting for Aliens & Asteroids
and sets the stage for your adventures.
• Chapter 3: Your Role in the Space Marines - Includes everything
you need to know about creating a character and equipping them
for battle!
• Chapter 4: The Rules - Just like it sounds, this chapter provides all the
details on how to play A&A once you have your characters created
and are ready to set off on adventure!
• Chapter 5: Technology - Describes the various technologies
available in the Dominion and beyond, including many pieces of
alien hardware you’d love to get a hold of.
• Chapter 6: Refereeing - Everything you need to know to run a game of
A&A, from designing missions for your brave heroes to constructing
aliens and creatures for them to encounter along the way.
• Chapter 7: The Alien Menace - More for Referees than players, this
chapter covers a bit about the agendas of the various alien species
the Dominion has encountered so far, along with some ideas on
ways to work them into your adventures.
• Chapter 8: Graduation Day - Offers an introductory adventure to
get your new Space Marines into action!
Welcome to the ranks of the Dominion Space Forces (DSF)! Others may
call you simply “Space Marines,” though only a handful of you fit the
mold of the classic soldier. You are all experts, whether with weaponry,
science, medicine, technology, or some combination of those fields. It
is your task to protect the outer reaches of Dominion space, across its
many systems and sprawling citizenry.
Your task is far from simple. You must react and adapt in some of the
harshest places in the universe to protect Dominion assets.
You are the tip of the spear for the Dominion of Humankind.
The Dominion of Humankind, sometimes known as the DHK or simply

“The Dominion,” currently encompasses five star systems and many
billions of Citizens, from Earth to worlds a few light years away. Though
many of its leaders believe the Dominion is a meritocracy, it is largely
ruled by a shared cooperative of massive corporations based mostly on
Earth, Luna, and Mars.
Anyone who lives in Dominion-controlled space and works for a
Dominion-based corporation is considered a Citizen. All Citizens are
granted health benefits, a steady paycheck, and even corporate-run
housing so long as they contribute to the greater good. This quelled
the riots and violence on Earth, Luna, and Mars due to wealth and
power inequalities, unemployment, and hopelessness among the many
collapsing governments on Earth.
As a result of the Dominion’s establishment, beginning in 2065
there was a surge in technological advances, discoveries, and claims
throughout the Sol system and beyond. By 2135 we had established a
colony on Proxima Centauri b. By 2193, the corporate partnership of
Bondi-Andisse announced the creation of BANCE gates bringing distant
star systems closer and expanding the Dominion to new areas.
Chapter 2: The Dominion 6

Though Sol was still considered “home” to the Dominion, expansion
far beyond our single system brought untold wealth and discoveries to
its citizenry. As the Dominion prospered, so did its people.
Ultimately, the Dominion is merely a loose confederation of worlds and

systems that spans five systems. Humankind is among the youngest
explorers of the stars, and humanity has found themselves less welcome
than they hoped. As Earth’s interests expanded outward, the Dominion
formed different groups to protect human interests and share some of the
growing pains. Dominion assets are sent to various parts of the galaxies
for investigation and cleanup.
The organization was broken into a few broad areas:
• The Dominion Defense Services (DDS), a local defense force, was
formed as a security and police force on established worlds and
bases. Agents of the DDS deal with human affairs and keeping
things in line.
• The Dominion Space Forces (DSF) handle extraterrestrial threats.
Also known as the Space Marines, this group was once managed
by the NorAm Collective (the combined resources of the United
States, Canada, and Mexico) and became the go-to military force
for operations throughout Dominion Space. Marines are dropped
anywhere they are needed, performing duties from guarding
precious cargo to putting down armed insurrections and even
stopping invading forces.
• The Dominion Technological Agency (DTA) was formed to manage
informational assets among Dominion members. In an age when
every edge was exploited, it was essential to make sure that data
was secure. As the Dominion grew in scope, this task became even
more important when we dealt with outside forces.
• And lastly, transportation became impossible to ignore. The
Dominion Space Transportation Agency (DSTA) was formed to
ensure licensing of pilots, manage specifications for any “space-
worthy” craft, and so on.
• There are always rumors of other organizations, including a
mysterious “Division 7” that nobody seems to have a handle on.

The Dominion, though immense, is not all powerful, and a few independent
groups have remained operating on the fringes. The Dominion keeps
a close eye on organizations such as Free Planets Now (FPN) and the
Colonial News Network (CONN). And groups such as the Seekers, an
outgrowth of the ancient SETI organization who seek alien contact, and
the Excursori, a loose federation of resource prospectors operating as a
secret society, are thought of as a nuisance more than anything else.
The DSF serves as the military and exploratory arm of Dominion forces,
a well-trained armed force ready to go wherever they are needed at a
moment’s notice. Since the Dominion continues to expand its reach to
other systems and worlds, DSF forces have seen action everywhere from
Earth-like planets and orbital stations to mere rocks in the depths of space.
DSF training begins at the Armstrong-Glenn DSF Training Academy in
Picard crater on Luna. Due to its easy access to a standard-gravity world
(Earth) and low-gravity (Luna) environment, it is well suited to training
most recruits from Dominion space.
Recruits are brought in from all over Dominion space. Some are volunteers.
Some are conscripted as part of court-mandated sentences. All are treated
exactly the same way upon joining the service, broken
into units and put through a rigorous training and
testing regimen involving intense physical exercise
to get them in shape and many hours of training
to ensure that they land in a specialty that suits
their particular talents.
All trainees gain basic familiarity with
weapons, basic physical training, and
instruction on using standard combat armor
both in and out of atmosphere. Each then
gains additional, specific training based on their
areas of focus.

When they complete their training over a 6-month period, each recruit
falls into one of the following categories:
• Space Marines are weapon and tactical experts who specialize in
combat.
• Commanders lead their units on the field of battle, ensuring that
they get the job done and survive to fight another day.
• Medics are trained to do everything they can to help the wounded
both on the battlefield and off.
• Technicians keep guns, drones, and other Dominion equipment
running in impossible conditions.
• Scientists collect, analyze, and interpret the data to help teams
survive in unfamiliar territory.
Each has a role to play in keeping Dominion space safe for its Citizens
and corporate interests.
DSF forces can be found anywhere in the five systems and beyond. Picard
Crater on Luna is the main DSF base for the entire Dominion, but forces
can be found stationed at:
• BANCE Gate Waystations - These are support systems located near
BANCE Gates that handle warehousing, basic ship repair services,
hospitality, and temporary living quarters for those who need them.
(Read more about BANCE Gates later in this chapter.)
• Military Orbital Stations - These stations are established to keep
watch on parts of the Dominion that may need a more immediate
response, such as Station DV-3a orbiting Venus. Though the Skaali
War has reached a cessation of hostilities, we have a contingent of
DSF forces there just in case they are needed.
• DSF Cruisers - These spaceships transport large numbers of personnel
and supporting equipment from system to system quickly. Cruisers
often patrol areas on the fringes of Dominion space to ensure the
safety of the citizenry.
• Military Bases - The DSF has established permanent bases on at
least one world in each Dominion star system to have forces ready
to deploy in-system when needed.

DSF Command is not above sending DSF forces anywhere they are
needed, but with the rapidly expanding size of Dominion space, it is
getting difficult to patrol everywhere.
No, the Dominion Defense Service (DDS) has been tasked with keeping
major cities and bases on Earth and beyond safe from internal threats
such as criminal and espionage enterprises. They mostly focus on Earth,
Luna, and Mars, but have started establishing more of a presence
throughout the colonies in the other systems.
DSF personnel may encounter DDS agents occasionally in their mission
to protect the Dominion from outside threats. Both agencies still need
to hammer out formal transfer procedures when a small colony (DSF
secured) graduates to a true Dominion world (DDS secured). Neither is
willing to give up their rights to potential funding or income, so there are
occasional disputes over who really has control in these situations.
The heart of the Sol system consists of Earth, Luna, Venus, Mars, and
the Field.
• Earth manages itself for the most part, and the DDS keeps itself
busy with the usual criminal riff raff and corporate hijinx.
• Luna, once the focus of the Dominion’s vast assets and a bustling
hive of activity, has become home to a handful of corporate labs
and abandoned facilities, including the DSF base at Picard Crater.
• Venus has grown very quiet of late after the Skaali retreat. We have
one station - DV-3a - orbiting and watching for any trouble from
the surface, but nothing has happened of late.
• Mars is a bit like a Third World country getting global money and
attention. The Martians are a focused group dedicated to making
their world a paradise. Because of that, the DDS keeps a tight lid
there as well. Corporate espionage, the occasional idiot sabotaging
“the mission” of a terraformed world, and the strange Grey Man
plot from time to time are about all we see there.
• Then there’s the Field, the good old Asteroid Belt between Mars and
Jupiter. That’s where things get a bit more interesting. It’s a bit like
the Wild West of Old Earth, with mining consortiums, pirates, alien
rubbish, rocks, treasure, and enough crazy people who think they
are going to strike it rich somehow.
You’ll also find the Excursori scattered out there; a group of loner
scouts who have decided they like to go where people tell them not to.
They have been responsible for most of the major discoveries in the last
50 years, and they seem to be at the center of many incidents the DSF is
sent to clean up.
Everything started back on Earth, and most Dominion Citizens still call
it home. The planet has recovered some since the environmental and
nuclear devastation of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Quite a few of the Dominion elite still call Earth home, and it’s still
producing most of the food shipped to the other four systems. Land is
bountiful and plentiful once again because so many people have fled to
find better opportunities elsewhere. In some places, entire cities lie empty
and overgrown, reclaimed by the wild.
Images from two centuries ago look nothing like today and our bright
blue, white, and green ball of life has once again become the brightest
jewel in the Dominion crown. Earth has once again become one of the
hottest recreation places in the universe and the rich and powerful love
to explore its reborn natural beauty.
Meanwhile in orbit above our homeworld, some of the oldest and
most productive stations, platforms, and shipyards in the Dominion still
take raw materials from the cosmos and turn them into products for
marketplaces across the five systems.
The establishment of the first permanent lunar colony, Luna 1, in 2026,

ushered in a new boom in commercial space projects. Corporations
were already champing at the bit to begin mining the untold riches of
the asteroid belt and there had been numerous unmanned and manned
trips to Mars, both successful and unsuccessful. But as soon as humans
established a permanent lunar base, the technology was proven to be
reliable enough to take the risk again.
An explosion of new commercial
bases sprang up on the moon. One
corporation after another set up
shop on a site where very few
financial controls existed.
There were a few mishaps
with workers dying of
exposure, dwindling
breathable air, and food
or water shortages, but
a decade and a half of
unchecked expansion
quickly marred the surface of
our nearest orbital neighbor.
The boom times did not last.
The first permanent settlement on Mars was built in 2041, a mere 15

years after Luna 1. Placed in Arcadia Planitia, it was well stocked with the
supplies sent year after year before the actual crew arrived. Terraforming
began almost as soon as the first domes were put up, but that was a
longer-term project from the start.
Since then, dozens of domes have gone up, and corporations were drawn
to the combination of potential breathable atmosphere, plenty of room
to spread out, and gravity that was close to home. Mars has become the
go-to place for all ore processing returning from the Field and beyond as
well as the hub for biotechnology and space horticulture.
Once the first Martian fields were harvested, there was a resurgence in
farming on Earth as well, and a healthy competition emerged between
them. Many Sol-based settlements on Luna and bases elsewhere in the
system still get their food shipped regularly from Mars and Earth.
Though full atmosphere is several hundred years in the future, the reuse
of CO2 from the many domed habitats on the planet have gone a long
way to rebuilding at least a fledgling layer. Atmospheric scientists have
learned quite a bit from the era before the Second Civil War on Earth and
are still deciphering clues discovered on Mars and other worlds to help
them in their quest.

The Belt Mining Alliance (BMA) was formed in 2052 as a collective of
corporate interests legally defending the claims to the asteroid field they’d
been struggling to protect against government acquisition. And it was
about that time that the populations of Earth began revolting against the
dichotomy of plenty. Those who worked for the corporations benefiting
from space industries were profiting handily from the discoveries made
with mining, zero-g and low-g manufacturing, scientific advancements,
and so on.
With more than a million asteroids to track, explore, and exploit, the
corporations in the BMA had plenty of work to do before and after the
Dominion formed. The sheer number of potential targets (some 500 km
in diameter all the way down to some 10m across) and the great distances
between them (some estimate 1-3 million km in some cases) presented
quite a challenge in not only finding, but mining these potential riches.
In the 200 years since, the BMA has made some progress. A sensor
array has been deployed stretching across the majority of the Field as
an early warning to the inner planets. Many consortiums are only now
getting to potential targets selected in the “Great Rock Grab” of the late
2000s. There is still a great deal of work to be done, but most companies
are taking their time to ensure that the safety the Field provides the inner
planets is not compromised unnecessarily.
That does not imply that the Field is a quiet area filled with hard work.
Numerous pirate organizations have decided to make their home there,
causing issues for the sensor array, miners, and any transportation to,
from, or through the Field. A DSF presence in the Field has been necessary
for quite some time in an attempt to deter such activities, but has done
little to do so despite their best efforts.
By the middle of the 22nd century, the Dominion had taken control
of most of the inner Sol system. Mercury was mined by a joint project
between Cydyne and Taylortech using android and robotic resources.
Luna and Mars continued to grow, as did the shipyards and asteroid
mining operations between them. And scientific colonies had been
established either in-orbit or on-planet near Titan, Europa, and Io.

In 2115, the Pax Dominia Project was launched and a diehard crew of
196 launched into the void towards Proxima Centauri, directed at Proxima
b. They established Pax B Alpha in 2135 and thus began the first extra-
system colonization of a new world. Unfortunately, that colony fell on tough
times, mostly caused by the great void of space between there and home.
There were rumors of revolt and a bloody civil war among the colonists,
but contact was eventually re-established in spite of any political instability.
Pax Dominia was only the beginning. In 2193, Bondi-Andisse announced
the first BANCE gate, linking the Sol system (out beyond Neptune)
to Proxima Centauri. It took nearly 5 years and a combined force of
Cydyne androids, scientists, and engineers to get everything working, but
they were able to send the first ship from system to system on April 16,
2193, and announced it to the Dominion a week later.
The development of additional BANCE gates began shortly thereafter
and has continued in the 35 years since. Along the way, we discovered
that we were not as alone in the universe as we previously thought.
In 2193, the Australian-led corporation of Bondi-Andisse announced

the discovery of a method for creating stable wormholes, providing
instantaneous travel across interstellar distances. They called these gates
“Bondi-Andisse Navigational Corridor Exits” or “B.A.N.C.E” gates
for short. In the presentation, members of the Colonial News Network
mistakenly heard it as “BOUNCE” gates and reported it Dominion-
wide. Though there is some mystery surrounding the first two BANCE
facilities built in the outer Sol system, BANCE-3 and BANCE-4 were
announced in that initial press conference.
The Sol Gate (Bance-3) was built in a distant Neptune orbit (at the L3
Sun-Neptune point) and BANCE-4 was established in a similar location
(at the L3 Proxima Centauri-b point).
In the 35 years after BANCE-3 and BANCE-4 became operational, more
BANCE Gates have come online. Current operational gates are located in:
• Sol (BANCE-3)
• Proxima Centauri (4.2 Light Years) (BANCE-4)
• Gliese 832 (16 Light Years) (BANCE-5)
• HD 85512 (36 Light Years) (BANCE-7)
• Trappist-1 (39.5 Light Years) (BANCE-11)
There are rumors of additional working gates, but so far there have
been no public announcements by Bondi-Andisse or the Dominion.

We have encountered three main, intelligent, alien races in our exploration

of the universe thus far: the Grey Men, the Skaali, and the Gollus.
The Grey Men

As we began exploring the deeper reaches of our own solar system, we
repeatedly came into contact with a race of elongated, gray-skinned
aliens who seemed intent on not only kidnapping humans but harvesting
human parts using strange medical procedures. These are the very same
“Grey Men” that were rumored to exist as far back as the 20th century
through “eyewitness accounts” and “UFO abductions.”
It turns out that they actually do exist, and they have been managing a
covert war against the human race dating back to Earth’s 19th century.
In the last century, our scientists have pieced together enough data and
observations to come up with a theory: The Greys are a dying race who
kidnap humans and harvest viable genetic material to keep their species
from dying out entirely.
Their technology was the
biggest hurdle to overcome,
but eventually we found ways
to see through their cloaking
technologies and even adapt
some of their tech for ourselves.
Unfortunately, they continue
to be a nuisance across
Dominion space, and
we seem no closer to
discovering where
they are based.
The Space Marines
are repeatedly sent to
root them out when
we find evidence of
their activity around the
universe.
The Skaali
In the midst of all the BANCE
activity in the early 2200s, the Skaali
Conflict began. We discovered the
Skaali squatting on Venus in 2216,
and they destroyed a diplomatic
envoy on May 6 of that year. Over
the next 5 years, nearly 12,000 men
and women gave their lives in battle
after battle. And then, suddenly on
February 19, 2221, all Skaali attacks
stopped and Dominion forces
received the message “Enough.”
Shortly after, a permanent orbital
station - DV-3a - was established
near Venus. A few terse messages
have been exchanged since then, but
both sides have avoided escalating to
open violence so far.
The Skaali are a lizard-like race of humanoid aliens with a talent for
long, drawn-out conflicts and holding grudges. So far our scientists
have little to go on beyond scattered wreckage from previous battles
which has not yielded many secrets. We believe they enjoy the air on
Venus without environmental suits, which speaks volumes about their
hardiness as a species.
Dominion diplomats are hopeful that with the establishment of DV-3a, we
might start a dialog with our neighbors before the shooting begins again.
The Gollus
The Gollus have also been full of secrets, though they have done their
best to sell us any materials they have in surplus and the occasional
technical specification. The BANCE Gate technology is rumored to have
come from some of those early transactions, but it has been difficult to
gain any true insights as to their intentions for human-Gollus relations.
However, our scientists believe they are readying their fleets of huge
starships for an evacuation of any shared areas of space.
All conversations with the Gollus happen via written communication.
Those who have attempted to learn to speak with the Gollus more directly
have found themselves unable to detect the nuances of superhuman

frequencies and amplitudes in their speech,
creating misunderstandings best avoided. ”The Gollus were the real
surprise when we found them
We have discovered that Gollus air is not slowly drifting through space
suitable for human consumption. There were in their gigantic ships. They
reports of early Excursori perishing simply may look like big, slow, sacs
trying to speak with them on their own terms of floating gasses, but they
always seem ready to make a
and feeling their lungs explode with the effort
few credits. Of course, we didn’t
of trying to process an impossibly low amount realize until much later that they
of oxygen. were strip mining the universe
to find the goods they sold and
marching out of the quadrant
we were heading into.
Raw materials. Technology.
Information. They had plenty to
give us... for a price. ”
-- Porter Flanigan, Engineer,
Bondi-Andisse
It is now 2229 and the Dominion of Humankind
has spread from Sol to Proxima Centauri,
Gliese 832, HD 85512, and Trappist-1. We have minimal contact with
the Skaali, continue to deal with the threat of the Grey Men, and hope
to learn more from the Gollus before they disappear to the other edge of
the universe.
And that’s where you come in, Space Marine.

The heroes (and villains) of A&A are forged from the fire of stars near
and far, exploring places only the brave dare to tread. Will you create
a Space Marine or Commander of the Dominion Space Forces (DSF),
fighting on the front lines to protect Dominion forces and interests? Or
will you create a Medic, Scientist, or Technician, providing support, intel,
and tech on distant worlds in the heat of the moment?
Character creation boils down to:
• Rolling for attributes
• Choosing a point of origin
• Selecting a background trait
• Choosing a career and career traits
• Determining secondary attributes
• Selecting items
Character creation begins by defining the physical and mental attributes they
embody. Each attribute value is determined by rolling 2d3 and adding 8.
Roll 2d3 and add 8 for each of the seven attributes:
What is a d3? It’s • Accuracy - Ranged combat; Detail work; Finesse
a d6 where 1 or
• Athletics - Moving; Throwing; Melee combat
2 are considered
a 1, 3 and 4 are • Awareness - Noticing; Listening; Sensing
considered a 2, • Education - Knowing; Interpreting; Applying
and 5 and 6 are
considered a 3. For • Morale - Mental state
example, if you roll • Presence - Negotiating; Intimidating; Leading
a 5 on a d6, that’s
a 3. If you roll a 2, • Toughness - Strength; Determination
that’s a 1. Now let’s discuss a bit more about what each of these
attributes represents.
Chapter 3: Your Role in the Space Marines 20

Attributes may be
Accuracy (Acc) raised as the character
Accuracy is an important attribute for anything advances in levels,
requiring hand/eye coordination. This includes through selecting Traits
such as “Back to School”
firing ranged weapons, performing detail work with (Education), “Hitting
electronics or mechanical devices, and working with the Gym” (Toughness),
anything requiring finesse. For example, if your Cybernetic
character is attempting to shoot a target or trying Enhancement, or
Genetic Enhancement --
to hack an electronic lock to get a door open, you up to a maximum of 16.
would use your Accuracy attribute as the target for
your die roll.
Athletics (Ath)
Whereas Toughness represents Using Attributes in A&A
strength and endurance and Each of these attributes can be used
during the game to attempt various
Accuracy represents hand/eye
tasks. For example:
coordination, Athletics represents
• Keeping watch or trying to find
body awareness and how well a something in the chaos: Awareness
character can move. This can be • Firing a ranged weapon or picking a
used in situations such as tossing lock: Accuracy
grenades, wielding a sword, or • Fighting off the effects of poison
attempting to cross a battlefield or trying to lift something heavy:
Toughness
quickly without falling. • Throwing an item, fighting in hand-
to-hand combat, or navigating a
Awareness (Awr) zero-G environment: Athletics
• Using knowledge or problem-
Awareness defines how aware a solving skills to get past a challenge:
character is of the world around Education
them. Are they focused on the task • Convincing a teammate or an
at hand and oblivious to the killer enemy to do what you want:
Presence
sneaking up behind them or do they • Keeping calm in the face of
notice every little detail and jump overwhelming odds: Morale
when a pin drops?
Education (Edu)
Education is all about how much learning a character can retain and how
well they can apply that knowledge to the world in practical situations.
For example, applying medical knowledge to a wound or using science
to help interpret a situation to form a plan of attack.

Morale (Mor)
Morale defines the emotional and mental stability of a character. This
value can erode over time depending on the situations a character
encounters, causing them to panic easily or be more susceptible to the
will of others. However, Morale can be rebuilt with time and care.
Presence (Pre)
Presence measures how much of a personality and force of will a
character has. This plays into helping motivate the troops, convincing
a teammate or an enemy to do what you want, and so on.
Toughness (Tgh)
Toughness represents a character’s raw size and density, which translates
into how much physical abuse their body can take (bruises, cuts, broken
bones) before they perish (Hit Points) as well as how much raw strength
they can muster when needed.

Now that you have an idea of your
character’s strengths and weaknesses, Traits - What are they?
where were they born? What kind of If Attributes cover how well a character
abilities or knowledge did they gain from executes general functional areas,
growing in that environment? Traits boil down to areas of interest
where they excel. For instance, they
Humans can be found in quite a might have the Guns Trait, which
few nooks and crannies around the means they have had some specialized
expanding universe of the Dominion, training with firearms. Or perhaps they
and each offers a slightly different have the Biology Trait, which can be
applied in the field learning about the
perspective on life.
world around them, finding ways to
• Earth: The Cradle of Humanity - stay alive in unfamiliar lands. If you
+1 Morale have a Trait, you generally make rolls
using that Trait with Advantage.
• Luna: First Step in the Greater
Universe - +1 Accuracy As you create a character, you
choose Traits in two general areas:
• Mars: A World Reborn - +1 Education Backgrounds and Professions. At each
• The Field: A Treasure Trove of Wonders subsequent level, you can choose
another Trait. Traits taken during
- +1 Toughness or +1 Awareness
leveling up can be any Trait on the full
• The Colonies of Gliese 832, HD list, not just the character’s Profession
85512, or Trappist-1 - +1 Presence Traits. Some Traits have prerequisites
the character must have before they
• The Space Between - +1 Athletics can be taken. And you may take some
or +1 Awareness Traits multiple times, if there are
narrative differences. For example,
Cybernetic Enhancement or Genetic
Enhancement may be taken to raise a
single attribute score multiple times,
up to the maximum of 16.
Living in the Dominion, each character is shaped by their past. Some live
lives as good citizens. Others choose different paths or had paths chosen
for them.
By default, each character is a Dominion Citizen, granting them one
Trait for general knowledge or abilities they may have gained while
growing up. Choose one Trait from the Dominion Citizen list.
Alternatively, you may choose one Trait from a different, more curated
list from a particular life path. These choices may have stigmas attached
when others discover them, but they offer intriguing backgrounds to
build a character around.

Background Traits*
Affluent Family Rich. All Purchase Rolls are made at an
Advantage.
Biohacker Biology, Chemistry, Medicine. You served jail time for
illegal genetic modifications made without a license.
Criminal Disguise, Gambler, Locks, Security. You served
time for crimes committed against the Dominion.
Dominion Citizen Choose one: Acting, Astronomy, Atmospherics,
Biology, Bits & Bytes, Chemistry, Climbing,
Cybernetic Enhancement, Disguise, Gears,
Geology, Guns, Hand-to-Hand, Languages,
Leadership, Locks, Meditation, Melee, Observant,
Religion, Sleuth, Sprinter, Stealth.
Ex-Excursori Bits & Bytes, Locks, Observant, Security,
Stealth. You have a negative reputation with
Excursori members in good standing.
Gearhead Diagnostics, Gears. Your prowess with a wrench
is known among gearheads everywhere.
Hacker Bits & Bytes, Security. You served jail time for
electronic crimes committed against the Dominion.
Miner Climbing, Explosives, Geology, Observant. You
worked for a time as an asteroid miner in the Field.
Retiree Choose two from Diagnostics, Leadership,
Observant, Sleuth. Lose one point of Toughness.
You have seen it all and lived to tell the tale.
Settler Diagnostics, Leadership, Psychology. You have
worked on some of the settled exoplanets in the
Dominion.
Star Athlete Hand-to-Hand, Climbing, Guns, Melee, Sprinter.
You are recognized as a collegiate or professional
athlete throughout the Dominion.
True Believer Meditation, Religion. You are recognized as a
member of a particular religion or philosophy.
*See the Traits list later in the document for a full description of each
Trait.

With your attributes and background in hand, it’s time to choose your
character’s career path or profession.
Professions are essentially jobs you have to train for in some way --
either on the job or in some sort of specialized education program such
as a college or trade school. Each path in A&A has a Prime Attribute
used for most of the tasks that fit that career as well as a set of Traits that
make some of those tasks a bit easier. But characters may choose any
combination of traits as character development continues, so don’t feel
constrained beyond the initial selection.
There are five basic professions listed in the Profession Summary table.
Choose a path, then select one trait from the list.
Profession Summary
Profession Prime Attribute Traits*
Commander Presence Administration, Guns, Leadership,
Psychology, Spotter, Tactics
Medic Education Bandages, Combat Healing,
Counseling, Diagnostics, Medicine,
Psychology, Surgery
Scientist Education Behavior Prediction, Biology,
Chemistry, Geology, Necropsy,
Observant, Xenobiology
Space Marine Toughness Armor, Explosives, Grenades,
Guns, Hand-to-Hand, Heavy
Weapons, Melee, Sniper
Technician Accuracy Bits & Bytes, Cybernetics,
Diagnostics, Gears, Gunsmith,
Roboticist, Security
*See the Traits list later in the document for a full description of each
Trait.
Commander
Every unit needs a person to call the shots who can keep a cool head
when the battle begins. Commanders take charge, delegate, and try to
keep their heads on straight when their unit needs them.

Medic
Wherever the Dominion goes, there’s always
the chance for harm and injury. When a
member of the DSF is injured, they need some
assistance to quickly get back into the battle.
That’s where the Medics come in.
Medics have the ability to patch up everything from
bullet grazes to broken bones. Some even have the ability
to work with prosthetics or cybernetics. Many have shown an interest
in xenotypical (alien) biology that may prove useful on the battlefield.
Scientist
Scientists in the Dominion have their rubber-gloved mitts into everything
from biology and chemistry to geology, physics, and theories of space/
time that may make your head explode. You want these eggheads in your
corner when the aliens come knocking.
Though some of them may not be great in a fight, scientists can be
extremely useful in the field for collecting and evaluating evidence,
concocting wild ideas, and helping a team think their way out of a
problem rather than shoot their way out.
Space Marine
Space Marines are the soldiers of the Dominion who perform military
operations on moons, asteroids, spacecraft, alien worlds, and anywhere
else they are needed. These brave men and women are our front line
of defense, available on a moment’s notice and ready to be thrust into
harm’s way.
These combat specialists can use any and all weapons from blades that are
up close and personal to sniper rifles fired from thousands of meters away.
Technician
If the marines are the fighters, the medics the healers, and the scientists
the brains, what do Technicians do? Anything you need with gears,
chips, or wires!
Who invents new guns, tools, and containers for the other folks? These guys!
If it blasts, beeps, blips, hums, or whirs, you need a Technician to help
keep it running.

Trait Attribute Prerequisite Description
Acting Presence -- Impersonating or acting
in the role of another
individual
Administration Education -- Navigating and
manipulating bureaucracy
Armor Athletics -- Moving in armor.
Overcomes
Disadvantage when
performing tasks
requiring fine motor skills
or movement in armor
Armorer Education Armor Building, modifying,
or repairing standard
armor during Downtime
Armorer: Education Armorer Armor skills with focus
Specialization on a particular type of
armor, such as Combat
Armor or Mechanized
Armor, and improve
them an additional AP
per level
Astronomy Education -- Specialized knowledge
and skills in the field of
astronomy
Astrophysics Education Astronomy Specialized knowledge
astrophysics, including
astronavigation
Atmospherics Education -- Specialized knowledge
atmospheric analysis
and production
Back to Special -- Specialized training to
School increase the Education
attribute by +1; may be
taken multiple times, to
a max Education of 16

Bandages Accuracy -- Fixing common injuries
(heal d6 with proper tools)
Behavior Education -- Specialized knowledge
Prediction used to predict creature
behavior which can be
used to grant them (or
an ally) Advantage on
their next attack
Biology Education -- Specialized knowledge
terrestrial biology
Bits & Bytes Accuracy -- Building, modifying, or
repairing computers and
electronic equipment
Chemistry Education -- Specialized knowledge
chemistry
Climbing Athletics -- Skill in free climbing or
the use of specialized
equipment for climbing
Combat Accuracy Bandages Heal as a free action
Healing in combat and fix an
additional d6 HP with a
Medikit
Counseling Education -- Helping to mend
character Morale through
guided introspection and
discussion
Cybernetics Special Bits & Bytes Creating and
maintaining cybernetic
enhancements. Can
create cybernetics
during Downtime
Cybernetic Special -- Choose an attribute for
Enhancement a +1 increase through
cybernetic enhancement
and describe the bodily
changes necessary; may
be taken multiple times, to
a max attribute value of 16

Deadeye Accuracy Sniper Additional accuracy with
sniper shots. Provides
an additional d6 damage
Diagnostics Education -- Problem solving and
diagnosis of complex
issues
Disguise Accuracy -- Disguising or
camouflaging individuals
or items
Exoskeleton Special -- Using an exoskeleton
to perform tasks or
combat
Explosives Accuracy -- Application of
explosives for
demolition or combat
Gambler Special -- Ability to “roll the dice”
to improve the next roll.
If successful, roll occurs
at Advantage. If not,
Disadvantage
Gears Accuracy -- Building, modifying,
or repairing anything
mechanical
Genetic Special -- Choose an attribute for
Enhancement a +1 increase through
genemod or biological
enhancement and
describe the bodily
changes necessary; may
be taken multiple times,
to a max attribute value
of 16
Geology Education -- Specialized knowledge
geology
Grenades Athletics -- Throwing and using
grenades in combat
Guns Accuracy -- Ability to effectively use
a variety of guns in the
field, from pistols to rifles

Guns: Accuracy Guns Specialized skill with
Specialization a particular weapon.
Advantage with the
specialized weapon
only, plus a faster reload
time (-1 RS)
Gunsmith Accuracy Guns Building, modifying, or
repairing standard guns
during Downtime.
Gunsmith: Accuracy Gunsmith Gunsmithing skills with
Specialization focus on a particular type
of weapon, such as Pistol
or Rifle, and grant them an
additional +1 to damage
Hand-to-Hand Athletics -- Skill in hand-to-hand

combat techniques and
can apply such actions as
punches, kicks, and throws
Hand- Athletics Hand-to- Specialized training in a
to-Hand: Hand particular form of hand-
Specialization to-hand, such as martial
arts, which grants an
additional d6 to punches,
kicks, and throws
Heavy Accuracy -- Ability to use a variety
Weapons of heavy weapons in the
field, such as rocket and
grenade launchers
Heavy Accuracy Heavy Specialized skill with
Weapons: Weapons a particular heavy
Specialization weapon. Advantage with
the specialized weapon
only, plus a faster reload
time (-1 RS)
Hitting the Special -- Specialized training to
Gym increase the Toughness
attribute by +1; may be
taken multiple times, to
a max Toughness of 16

Languages Education -- Training in language
concepts and skills that
enables quickly picking
up new spoken and
written languages
Leadership Presence -- Inspiring team members
to greatness, granting
them Advantage on
their next action
Locks Accuracy -- Building, modifying,
opening, or repairing a
variety of mechanical
locks
Mechanized Special Armor and Operation and
Armor Exoskeleton movement of a full suit
of mechanized armor
(exoskeleton plus
weapons and armor)
Medicine Education Biology or Specialized knowledge
Xenobiology and skills in the
field of medicine.
Must specialize in
terrestrial (Biology)
or extra-terrestrial
(Xenobiology) and can
take multiple times,
once per alien species
Meditation Special -- Intense inward focus
that can accelerate
healing +d6 HP or +d6
Morale during Downtime
or after 8 hours of rest
Melee Athletics -- Ability to use a variety
of melee weapons, from
knives to swords and
staves
Melee: Athletics Melee Specialized skill with a
Specialization particular melee weapon
such as a combat knife
or sword, granting a +1
to damage

Nanobots Accuracy Robotic Specialized knowledge
Savant of nanotechnology
to enhance drone
functionality
Necropsy Education Biology or Skilled in doing
Xenobiology postmortem
examinations to
discover the cause
of death, extent of
disease, or strengths
and weaknesses
Observant Awareness -- Grants an Advantage on
Awareness checks
Psychology Presence -- Specialized knowledge
psychology
Religion Education -- Specialized knowledge
and skills in the history,
philosophy, and practice
of various religions
Rich Special -- All Purchase Rolls are
made at an Advantage
Robotics Accuracy Bits & Bytes Using electronic or
or Gears mechanical components
to build drones for
various uses in the field
Robotics Accuracy Robotics Using advanced robotics
Savant techniques to improve
drone functionality.
Gain an additional trait
beyond what is allowed
at each level (i.e. 8
drone traits at level 7)
Security Accuracy Bits & Bytes Creating, maintaining,
and bypassing electronic
security systems

Shields Toughness -- Using shields to absorb
blows in combat,
granting an additional
+1 AR when using a
shield in combat
Sleuth Awareness -- Finding clues, spotting
details others miss, and
knowing how to put them
together to solve puzzles
Sniper Accuracy Guns: Firing specialized
Specialization weapons (such as sniper
rifles) at distant targets
to devastating effect.
Grants +2d6 damage on
aimed shots
Spotter Presence -- Assisting in targeting
enemies at a distance,
granting a teammate an
Advantage on their next
attack
Sprinter Special -- Doubles base speed,
enabling quicker
movement across larger
distances
Stealth Athletics -- Moving quietly and
going undetected
Surgery Accuracy Bandages Healing deeper, more
and Medicine serious wounds with
specialized techniques
and tools. Additional
+d6 to healing
Tactics Education -- Using and applying
strategies of war. Can
trade their action to
give an ally an extra
move or attack
Xenobiology Education Biology Specialized knowledge
extraterrestrial biology

With values for the main seven attributes, career and traits selected, we
can move on to a few secondary attributes.
• Level: Characters start at 1st level.
• Speed: Movement speed is 10m.
• Max HP: The maximum HP for the character equals their Toughness
attribute.
• Ranged Target Number: Ranged combat equals the Accuracy attribute.
• Melee & Thrown Target Numbers: Melee and Thrown combat
equals the Athletics attribute.
• Current Morale: The maximum Morale at any time for the character
equals their Morale attribute. Like HP, the character’s Morale score
ebbs and flows during a campaign as they work through the trauma of
what they encounter, but it may never exceed their Morale attribute.

As a member of the DSF, your character has many tools at their disposal.
All characters are given Standard Combat Armor when they head
to their first assignment. This armor comes with a pair of Enviro-Suit
Repair Kits standard.
• Space Marines are given a Pulse Rifle on the first day of Basic
Training, and they can tear it down, clean it, and put it back together
blindfolded. They also get five clips of ammo standard for missions.
• All characters are given a Combat Knife, and many have learned to
sleep with it under their pillow. It can be used as a bayonet on a Pulse
Rifle when needed.
• All characters are given a Pistol and five clips if another weapon is
not provided.
• Medics are issued a Medikit as standard equipment.
• Technicians are issued a Technical Toolkit of their choice.
• Scientists have a worn-in Porta-Lab when they graduate.
Item Catalog
The following items are available for purchase or to requisition.
Name Type Description

Flash-bang Area Effect 1d6 area effect; 1⁄2 damage
Grenade Weapon 3-10m; Save vs. Presence
(Disadvantage)
Standard Area Effect 3d6 area effect; 1⁄2 damage
Fragmentation Weapon 3-10m; Save vs. Presence
Grenade
Enviro-Suit Armor Patches armor back to AR1 so it
Repair Kit holds pressure if punctured
Environment Armor AR1/AP5; Environment suit;
Suit Patchable; No penalty for finesse
work
EVA Jetpack Armor Provides powered flight in zero-G
environments (24 hours of fuel)
Exoskeleton Armor AR2/AP30; Grants +2 Toughness
bonus; Useful for construction and
moving heavy objects, no built-in
weaponry or armor

Mechanized Armor AR5/AP40; Grants +1 Accuracy
Armor and +2 Toughness; Built for heavy
combat with solid armor and
weapon hardpoints built in
Shield Armor Provides +1 AR when used and an
additional +1 AR with the Shields
Trait
Standard Armor AR4/AP20; Environment suit;
Combat Armor Patchable; Disadvantage for
Accuracy work unless trained in
Armor
Explosive Explosives Single charge, remote detonation,
Charge 2d6 damage to focused .5m area or
smaller
Combat Stims Medical Increases one stat by d3 for 12
turns, but you lose 3 Morale when it
wears off in 1d6 hours
Medikit Medical 6 charges, heals d6 each; plus
includes supplies for field medicine
Surgeon’s Kit Medical Includes supplies for field surgery
Baton Melee d6 damage
Weapon
Combat Knife / Melee d6 damage, may be mounted on
Bayonet Weapon Pulse Rifle for close combat
Laser-honed Melee d6+1 damage
Sword Weapon
Mini-gun Ranged Effective Range 10-150m;
Weapon RS4; 200 rounds per reload:
2d6 damage, short burst
(Disadvantage); 5d6, long burst
(Disadvantage), 10d6, full auto
(requires cooldown of 2 rounds)
Pistol Ranged Effective Range 1-10m; RS1; 10
Weapon rounds per clip; d6 damage, single
Pulse Rifle Ranged Effective Range 3-250m; RS2;
Weapon 20 rounds per clip; d6 damage,
single; 3d6 damage, burst
(Disadvantage); 6d6 damage, full
auto (requires cooldown)

Shotgun Ranged Effective Range 1-20m; RS3;
Weapon 8 rounds per clip; 2d6 damage,
single; 4d6 damage, burst
(Disadvantage)
Sniper Rifle Ranged Effective Range 15-1000m; RS3;
Weapon 5 rounds per clip; d6+3 damage,
single
Pulse Rifle Ranged Effective Range 3-250m; RS2; 20
Turret Weapon, rounds per clip; d6 damage, single
Automated
Flamethrower Ranged, Effective Range 3-40m; RS2; 5
Area Effect jets of flame per fuel canister; 10m
Weapon cone, 3d6 damage in center, 1⁄2
damage on edge of cone
Grenade Ranged, Effective Range 25-1000m; RS3;
Launcher Area Effect 6 grenades per reload; damage
Weapon depends on type of grenade
Combat Tools Provides temporary (4 hours) light
Lighting when glow stick is cracked in the
field
Electronics Tools Includes ohm meter, wire cutters,
Toolkit etc. for working on electronics in
the field
Evidence Tools Includes bags, boxes, and tubes for
Collection Kit collecting specimens in the field
IR/UV Tools Ranged optics used for viewing
Binoculars distant objects in the visible,
infrared, or ultraviolet spectrums
Mechanic’s Tools Includes wrenches, screwdrivers,
Toolkit etc. for working on mechanical
creations in the field
PDA Tools Personal computing device that
can be used to remotely connect to
various computing resources

Weapon Damage
Name Origin Melee Reload Ammo Ranged Damage
Speed
Baton Dominion d6 -- -- --
Bayonet Dominion d6 -- -- --
Combat Dominion d6 -- -- --
Knife
Laser Grey Men d6+1 -- -- --
Knife
Laser Grey Men d3 RS1 15 Single, d6+1; Aimed
Pistol Single*, 2d6+1; Sniper
Aimed*, 3d6+1,
Sniper/Deadshot
Aimed*, 4d6+1
Laser Grey Men d3+2 RS2 30 Single, d6+2; Aimed
Rifle Single*, 2d6+2; Sniper
Aimed*, 3d6+2,
Sniper/Deadshot
Aimed*, 4d6+2
Laser Hunters d6+3 -- -- --
Sword

Speed
Laser Dominion d6+1 -- -- --
honed
Sword
Mini-gun Dominion d3+1 RS3 200 Short Burst** (Disadv),
2d6; Long Burst**
(Disadv), 6d6; Full
Auto***, 10d6
(Cooldown)
Pistol Dominion d3 RS1 10 Single, d6; Aimed
Single*, 2d6; Sniper
Aimed*, 3d6; Sniper/
Deadshot Aimed*, 4d6
Pulse Dominion d3+1 RS2 20 Single, d6+1; Aimed
Aimed*, 3d6+1; Sniper/
Deadshot Aimed*,
4d6+1; Short Burst**,
3d6 (Disadv); Full
Auto***, 6d6 (Cooldown)
Pulse Dominion -- RS2 20 Single, d6+1; Short
Rifle Burst**, 3d6 (Disadv);
Turret Full Auto***, 6d6
(Cooldown)

Speed
Shotgun Dominion d3+1 RS3 8 Single, 2d6; Aimed
Single*, 3d6; Sniper
Aimed*, 4d6; Sniper/
Deadshot Aimed*,
5d6; Short Burst**,
4d6 (Disadv)
Skaali Skaali 2d6 -- -- --
Morph-
ing
Sword
Sniper Dominion d3+1 RS3 5 Single, d6+3; Aimed
Aimed*, 3d6+3;
Sniper/Deadshot
Aimed*, 4d6+3
Stun Grey Men d3 RS1 50 Single, 1 (Save vs.
Pistol Stun)
* Remember that an Aimed shot (with and without the Sniper or Deadshot
traits) requires an extra turn.
** Burst mode fires three or more rounds in a tight grouping at a target, at
Disadvantage due to difficulties controlling the gun. Mini-guns have a Short
Burst (10 rounds) and a Long Burst (30 rounds). See the Item Catalog for
details.
*** Full Auto mode can only be done with at least half of the bullets remaining
in the clip. It uses the rest of the clip and requires a Cooldown period of one
full turn prior to reloading.

Purchase Rolls
Money is an outdated concept in the Dominion. As citizens and members
of the DSF, all characters are provided most of what they need to live a
comfortable life if they contribute to the greater good. Each character
has the equipment they are issued, but the economy is such that they
do not have to deal with the money required for everyday transactions
such as normal food and lodging. For everything else, characters need to
spend single-use Purchase Rolls (PRs).
Characters can requisition more advanced equipment by using PRs.
Advanced equipment may provide better armor, improved tech or
weapons, or anything else they are able to negotiate with the Referee.
Starting characters may start with no more than a single PR, at the
Referee’s discretion.
To use a PR, make a Presence roll. On a success, the character gets
what they requested. On a failure, they get nothing. Perhaps there was
a shortage or they didn’t fill out the Quartermaster’s forms properly.
They can always try again by spending an additional PR.

Technicians have the additional ability to use their
Drones are useful skills to create drones they can control. Drones
robotic companions
with infinite
may be built using either their mechanical (Gears)
possibilities in the or electronics (Robotics) know-how. Usually only
A&A universe. Though a single drone can be controlled in a combat turn,
Technicians can build but there are special circumstances in which a
drones, any character drone may be automated and perform independent
can control a drone and
choose to either have actions based on its programming.
the drone perform an Each technician can create one or more drones,
action or perform one but the total number of Traits among all drones
themselves each turn.
must not exceed the character’s level. For example,
a 4th level Technician can create a single drone
with four Traits, or two drones with two Traits each, or a drone with
one Trait and another with three, or even four separate drones with one
Trait each.
Each drone has a Speed, just like a character, and Armor. Both can be
upgraded using time and materials.
Basic Drone Qualities

• HP 10
• Standard Armor AR2/AP8
• Speed 10m (choose a mode of locomotion - tracked, wheeled, or
bladed)
• Melee Combat - Charge (Run hard at a target at a Disadvantage
and do d6 damage)
• Attribute: 10
Drone Creation Steps

1. Start with Basic Drone
2. Select one additional Trait per level of Technician

Drone Traits
Advanced Aim Accuracy Builder Improves Accuracy to
must have 14
Robotics
Advanced -- Melee or Grants Advantage
Targeting Ranged on Melee and Ranged
Computer weapon attacks
and Builder
must have
Robotics
Armor: -- Armor Provides advanced
Advanced armor: AR4/AP20
Auto Reload: -- Lob Grenade Allows multiple reloads
Grenade (holds 3 grenades) and
enables free action to
reload
Auto Reload: -- Medikit Allows multiple reloads
Medkit (holds 3 medkits) and
enables free action to
reload
Auto Reload: -- Ranged Allows multiple reloads
Ranged Weapon (holds 3 clips) and
- Grenade enables free action to
launcher, reload
Pistol, or Rifle
Divide and -- Builder Single large drone may
Conquer must have divide into smaller pieces
Nanobots with individual traits
Lob Grenade Athletics -- Ability to throw a
grenade
Locomotion Speed -- Tracked, Wheeled, Bladed,
(One mode by Spherical, Legged; can
Default) be taken multiple times;
Speed: 10m
Medikit -- -- 6 charges, heals d6 each
Melee Athletics -- Same weapon abilities
Weapon: as combat knife with
Blade Athletics 12

Melee Speed -- Grants extra d6 of
Weapon: damage when hitting
Charge target at full speed at a
(Default) Disadvantage
Melee Athletics Melee Allows attack to affect
Weapon: Spin Weapon - all targets in close range
Blade
Miniaturization -- Builder Ability to shrink drone to
must have tiny sizes but with limited
Nanobots weapons capabilities
Programming: -- Programming: Ability to program a
Advanced Simple series of commands
Programming: -- Builder Ability to program
Simple must have readied action or simple
Robotics command
Ranged Accuracy -- Same weapon abilities
Weapon: as a grenade launcher
Grenade with Accuracy 12
Launcher
Weapon: as a pistol with Accuracy
Pistol 12
Weapon: Rifle as a pulse rifle with
Accuracy 12
Remote -- -- Same benefits as
Spotter Spotter
Sample -- -- Enables drone to collect
Collection and store foreign
samples for future
analysis
Self-Destruct -- -- Implanted with small
explosive charge
that can be triggered
remotely or as part of a
program
Speed Boost -- -- Same benefits as
Sprinter

Drone Example
For example, a 1st level Technician with Robotics or Gears might build
a Drone:
• Speed: 10m
• Armor (Standard): AR2/AP8
• Melee Combat - Charge (Disadvantage)
• Ranged Weapon - Pistol (Accuracy 12, Pistol RS1; 10 rounds; 1d6,
single)
• At 2nd level, that Technician might add an improvement:
• Advanced Aim (Accuracy 14)
• And at higher levels, might refine it further:
• Armor: Advanced (AR4/AP20)
• Auto Reload: Ranged (3 magazines, Free Action to reload clip)

With a team of Space Marines trained and ready to go
into the wider universe, it’s time to learn a bit about
the rules by which this game is played. Aliens &
Asteroids provides an action/horror style of
adventuring, where our heroes are always on
the short end of the stick when it comes to
fighting and dying on the battlefield.
Inverse20 task resolution is very simple.
Roll a d20. Compare that number with your
character’s attribute appropriate to the task
you want to attempt. If you roll that number
(called the Target Number or TN) or less, you
succeed! If you roll over the TN, you’ve failed.
To determine task success, rolls are made at one of three levels of difficulty:
• Normal difficulty - No Advantage (1d20)
• Less difficult - Advantage (2d20, choose the most advantageous
number)
• More difficult - Disadvantage (2d20, take the highest number)
With the result of the roll, a task is determined to either succeed or fail:
• Critical Success = Natural 1 or rolling the TN exactly
• Success = Between 1 and TN
• Failure = Over TN and less than 20
• Critical Failure = Natural 20
If a particular Trait applies to the task at hand, you gain Advantage on
the roll. Or it may modify the chances of success for a particular action.
Advantage “math” works as follows:
• Advantage + Disadvantage = No Advantage
• Advantage + Advantage = Advantage
• Disadvantage + Disadvantage = Disadvantage
Every roll will be made at No Advantage, Advantage, or Disadvantage.
Chapter 4: The Rules 46

Each of the seven attributes can be used as Target Numbers to help
resolve situations in the game. Here are a few examples:
• A Space Marine wants to throw a rock down a nearby hallway
to provide a distraction. The Athletics attribute handles things like
movement, throwing, and hand-to-hand or melee combat, so it fits
this need perfectly. The player rolls a d20 and attempts to get a
number equal to or less than the character’s Athletics score. If they
succeed, it goes where they want it to go. If they fail, the Referee
determines what happens instead.
• A Scientist wants to remember something he learned in school about
the Skaali, but doesn’t have the Xenobiology trait. The Education
attribute works well here. Player rolls a d20 and attempts to get
a number equal to or less than their character’s Education score.
Success, they remember what they needed to remember. Failure, the
Referee determines what information they actually get, if any. If the
Scientist had the Xenobiology trait, the roll would have been made
with Advantage.
Remember that you don’t NEED a trait to attempt a task, but when
traits are involved task rolls are made with Advantage, becoming a bit
easier. For example, a Space Marine wants to apply an explosive charge
to a hatch to blow it open and decompress a spacecraft. They have the
Explosives trait, which gives them Advantage on the roll and a better
chance to succeed.
Always pick the trait that fits the task best. For instance, a Technician
with Bits & Bytes has the basic knowledge necessary to potentially get
through a security door, but the complexity of the door’s retina scanner
may still have them at a Disadvantage. However, a Technician with the
Security trait would have the necessary skills to make it an easier task
and make the roll with No Advantage (Disadvantage for the lock +
Advantage for the Trait). Just use your best judgment.

Here are a few examples.
Accuracy
• Shooting at the enemy
• Hacking a computer system
• Picking a lock
Awareness
• Examining your surroundings
• Determining if a person is bluffing
• Hearing an enemy guard coming down the hall
Athletics
• Performing an acrobatic feat
• Throwing a grenade
• Stabbing an enemy with a combat knife
• Sprinting to stop an enemy from getting away
Education
• Reading an alien language
• Remembering something you read in a class in college
• Attempting to plan a tactical move in battle
Morale
• Trying not to panic
• Bucking up after seeing one of your friends perish
Presence
• Trying to help your friend not panic
• Convincing an enemy to surrender
• Inspiring the troops against unwinnable odds

Toughness
• Lifting a really heavy piece of debris
• Pulling away from the iron-like grip of an alien creature
• Going shot for shot in a drinking contest in a space station bar
Multiple Attributes
• Putting together a robot out of spare parts: Accuracy or Education
• Disassembling a computer panel: Accuracy or Education
• Applying a bandage to heal a friend: Accuracy or Education
• Examining evidence for clues: Accuracy, Awareness, or Education
• Fixing a vehicle: Accuracy or Education
• Rewiring a security panel: Accuracy or Education
Not all tasks will always use one attribute or another. It will be a
judgment call at the table by the Referee. Not sure which attribute to
use? Propose one!
Combat in A&A breaks down into four simple concepts:

• Turns
• Attacking
• Damage
• Armor
• Hit Points
Turns of Combat
Combat uses a straightforward “Players, then Enemies” approach. Let
the players choose which order they wish to go in during their turn and
deal with the effects of each action individually.
Each “Turn” covers about 6 seconds of time in-game, so it’s roughly 10
turns per minute of combat in A&A.
Attacking
There are many ways for one creature to attack another creature to cause
damage in A&A. The list below includes some of the more common
methods and the associated attribute used to resolve them.

• Punching and kicking in hand-to-hand
Dread Turns combat (Athletics)
For a more horror-themed approach, • Slashing or bashing with a melee weapon
you can alternate between Players
and Enemies, then flip the order (Athletics)
every other turn. For instance, • Firing a ranged weapon such a pistol or
Players -- Enemies -- Enemies rifle (Accuracy)
-- Players. Dread and Glory Points
(described in “The Dread Mechanic” • Using explosive devices such as grenades
can then be spent to jump the (Athletics)
order when needed on either side To determine the success of an attack, use
to gain or keep the advantage. This
approach really feeds the feeling
the associated attribute and determine the
that time jumps in weird ways during result as with other actions in A&A. If there
the horrors of war. is an applicable trait that can be applied,
Find a method that works for your the character or creature usually gains the
group and stick with it, or use the Advantage.
“Dread” method during special
For example, if a Space Marine chooses to
combats to spice things up.
stab an alien with a combat knife, it could
work as follows:
• If the character has the Melee trait, the attack is at an Advantage.
• If not, the attack is at No Advantage.
In some cases, such as when attacking a smaller creature, the attack may
be at a Disadvantage at the Referee’s discretion.
Damage
When one creature in A&A hits another (and no armor is involved), it
does damage. Damage in the game is usually handled in increments of
d6s, but you may also see d3s occasionally, multiple d6s (2d6), or d6s
with bonuses (d6+2).
For example, if a Space
Marine stabs an alien with
a combat knife, it does d6
damage. If the alien has no
armor, it goes straight to the
alien’s HP.
Note that if you use an
improvised weapon during
combat, such as a rock
or even a pulse rifle (not
built for melee damage),
that weapon only does d3
damage.

Often armor means the difference between death and surviving in
combat or harsh environments. Many creatures have a natural armor,
offering some protection against physical attacks. Other creatures (such
as human beings) must add layers of protection to stay alive in unfriendly
places and combat.
A&A breaks armor down into two scores:
• Armor Resistance (AR)
• Armor Points (AP)
Armor Resistance (AR) is the number of points that your Armor will
resist before it actually takes damage. For example, Standard Combat
Armor is AR4. This means that it will resist and prevent 4 points of
damage before applying the rest of the incoming damage to its AP or the
armored character’s HP.
Armor Points (AP) is the number of damage points Armor can absorb
before it allows damage points to affect the character’s HP. For instance,
Standard Combat Armor is AP20, so it will absorb 20 points of damage
before it stops preventing damage to the armored character inside.
Once the Armor is out of AP, it still provides some protection to its
wearer by way of the AR rating. Subtract the AR value from any incoming
damage before applying the remainder directly to HP.
For many types of natural armor and some artificial armor, it may
include a Regeneration Rate (RR). For example, the adaptive armor of
the Skaali is AR2/AP10/RR2. This means it regenerates 2 AP each turn
up to its total of 10 AP, making it even more of a challenge to punch
through to the scaly alien inside.
Environmental Suits
When a space-worthy (or environment-worthy) suit runs out of AP, it
can no longer sustain its wearer with the atmospheric conditions they
require to live. For example, a human in Standard Combat Armor at AP
0 operating in the vacuum of space is venting atmosphere. Humans can
only go so long without breathing. Each turn of combat drains 1 HP
until the suit is patched or the wearer passes out and perishes.
Note that a 1 AP repair provided by a patch kit is enough to restore suit
integrity.

Each character and creature in A&A has a certain number of Hit Points
(HP). The initial number of HP is determined by the creature’s Toughness
attribute. So a creature with a Toughness of 8 would start each encounter
(if fully healed) with 8 HP. If HP drops to zero or below, that character
falls unconscious, unable
to take any actions. If HP
Medikit vs. Medipod drops to the negative of the
A Medikit in the field is a lifesaver with the ability to
bring characters back from the brink of death and heal
Toughness attribute or below
many wounds from broken bones to severed arteries. (-10 HP for Toughness 10, -11
In the hands of a Medical professional, they are even HP for Toughness 11, etc.),
more effective. However, a Medikit will not reattach that character dies and may
limbs or fix huge, gaping holes. They will stabilize the
no longer be healed.
patient in those cases, but the nanites and medicine
in a single Medikit is not enough to put such critically
wounded patients back together. Healing
In those cases, a Medipod, found on many Dominion Any character can use a Medikit
dropships and various other places, can take the to heal d6 HP in the field. Each
time necessary to fix such complicated wounds
when a surgeon is not readily available. A patient
Medikit has 6 charges and can
placed in a Medipod is put in a state of suspended fix a variety of conditions, from
animation, similar to that found in extended poison and acid to cuts, bruises,
cryosleep pods on ships traveling great distances and breaks. Using a charge
between the stars. Suspended animation grants
from a Medikit requires a Full
the automated systems of the pod more time
to carefully reattach or regrow bones, muscles, Action.
organs, and other damaged tissues. A character with the
The Medikit will leave scars due to the speed Bandages trait improves the
of repairs, but a Medipod will not. A Medipod Medikit heal by d6, so when
will repair 2d6 HP each hour. Depending on the
severity of the wounds, they may require longer
they use a charge the target
to repair (Referee’s discretion), from 2-24 hours. gains 2d6 HP instead of just
Note that Referees may designate some wounds as d6. Using a charge from a
too severe for a Medikit to repair in the field, such Medikit also becomes a Free
as when a character is damaged into negative HP. Action for a character with
In those cases, a Medikit can stabilize the patient
Bandages.
but they would need to be transported back to a
Medipod for further attention. Without a Medikit charge
Note also that most ships have one or two Medipods but with rudimentary medical
available at most, and once the autodoc has begun, supplies, a character with the
it cannot be turned off without potential deadly Bandages trait can heal d6
consequences to the patient.
HP as a Full Action.

Outside of combat, characters will heal d6 HP after 8 hours of
uninterrupted rest. Characters with the Meditation trait gain an extra d6
after 8 hours of rest. Characters may only regain HP up to their Max HP
value. Any further healing will have no effect.
Severe injuries, such as severed limbs or worse, will require advanced
training or access to a Medipod to recover from. In the absence of a
Medipod, a character with the Surgery trait, available tools, and the time
to do the work, can aid in healing such injuries with an additional d6 HP.
In addition to simply causing and taking damage, there are a few other
parts of combat to be aware of.
Actions
There are three categories of actions in A&A:
• Action - Any act a character attempts, such as moving, firing a weapon,
attempting to use a piece of equipment, or rallying the troops.
• Free Action - Any act that has become as second-nature to the
character as breathing. Some Marines reload so quickly that they
can pop in a new clip and fire in the same turn.
• Full Action - Any act that requires the character’s full and undivided
attention for the duration of the turn. Taking a Full Action prevents
a character from moving on their turn.
Each turn, creatures and characters gain two actions and are able to
combine them in different ways, such as moving and firing, or firing
and moving.
Aiming
With ranged weapons, characters can take a Full Action to Aim this turn
and fire in the next turn. If their target remains still between Aiming
and Firing, the shot can be made at Advantage. If the target moves, the
Advantage is lost but the character can still take the shot at No Advantage.
Aiming can only be done when taking a single shot, not when using a
burst or going full auto on a target.
In the case of a character with the Sniper trait, Aiming also grants an
additional 2d6 damage. Even in the case of a pistol, which only does
1d6 damage normally, the extra time spent Aiming can cause devastating
damage to a target. If the target moves, the additional damage is lost as
well as the Advantage from the Aim.

Reload Speed
Weapons with ammunition require time and effort to reload. We denote
this with a Reload Speed (RS) number, indicating how many actions in
combat it takes to reload them. For instance, in the case of reloading
a pistol, a character without a specialized gun trait will take an Action
to reload their weapon. Finding a new clip, ejecting the old clip, and
inserting the new clip back into the weapon will take a few seconds. A
character with the Guns trait is in the same boat since they have not
trained specifically with a particular weapon and ingrained the ability
into their muscle memory to unload and reload in an instant.
A character who has specialized with a pistol (i.e. taken “Guns: Pistol”)
has specifically trained to be the best they can be with that weapon. They
likely have customized their uniform or suit so they can always get to a
new clip as quickly as possible to use every possible moment of combat
in the most efficient manner possible.
In game terms, a standard Dominion-issued Pistol has a Reload Speed
of 1 (RS1). That means it takes one action to reload. A character with the
Guns: Pistol trait has a bonus of +1 to their Reload Speed with the weapon,
reducing the Reload Speed to zero (RS0). Essentially they can fire and reload
or reload and fire in the same turn of combat without an extra action.
Other weapons, such as a Grenade Launcher, have a much higher
Reload Speed. It takes time to load a grenade into the launcher correctly.
In some cases, a Referee may rule that you can reload a single grenade
rather than loading all six at one time, which means you are reloading
and firing a single grenade more quickly -- but you are always reloading.
Movement
Moving in combat comes in two forms.
• Each character has a Speed that they can move in one action and
still be able to perform another action.
• A character can choose to do a Double Move -- moving twice their
speed -- but this becomes a Full Action and they can do nothing
else this turn except move.
• Special: A character with a Drone has a choice to make -- whether
to move themselves or their drone during a turn. (A drone split into
multiple parts during a mission can only be moved one part at a
time unless it has special programming built in.)
For example, if Space Marine James Beene with 10m Speed charges into
battle, he can move 10m and fire his weapon. Or he can do a Double
Move and sprint a full 20m without performing another action.

Area-Effect Weapons
Grenades and other area-effect weapons affect a focused area at full
strength and a secondary area at ½ strength, as well as potential stunning
effects to the targets affected.
A basic explosive grenade has the following effects:
• 3m from the center square or hex, 3d6 damage
• 3m to 10m, ½ damage
• Save vs. Presence for all targets in blast (described in the Saving
Throws section)
As an area-effect weapon, grenades are most effective when either
thrown or fired from a grenade launcher. Ranges vary as a result.
• Throwing Range: 15m to 25m (Disadvantage throwing further
than 25m)
• Grenade Launcher Range: 25-100m (Disadvantage targeting more
than 100m away)
Grenade Throwing Failures

If you throw a grenade and miss, meaning you either rolled over the TN
or rolled a Natural 20, you have to determine where the grenade lands.
How much you missed by helps determine where the grenade landed.
• If the number is even, the grenade lands closer to the thrower by an
amount equal to the difference x 3m. For instance, if the roll was
missed by 3, the grenade lands 9m closer than the character intended.
• If the number is odd, the grenade lands farther than the thrower
intended by an amount equal to the difference x 3m. For example,
if the roll was missed by 2, the grenade lands 6m farther away from
the intended target.
Saving Throws
Sometimes your character will need to resist or “save vs.” an effect.
Perhaps there’s a compression wave and they need to resist being stunned
by the blast.
Save vs. Shock (Presence)
A character or creature caught in the blast zone of a grenade must make
a Save vs. Shock or be stunned by the sudden noise and compression
wave. The creature’s Presence attribute score is used as their TN.

• If you miss the TN, but don’t roll a Natural 20, you are stunned for d6
rounds and are at a Disadvantage to do any action until it wears off.
• If you roll a Natural 20, you fall prone and unconscious for d6 rounds.
Save vs. Fall (Athletics)
• On failure, take d6 damage for the first 3m, d6+1 for the second
3m, d6+2, for the third 3m, etc. For example, a 15m fall would
cause 5d6+4 damage.
• On critical failure, the landing also requires a Save vs. Shock.
Save vs. Grapple/Grab (Athletics)
• On a failed save, the target is thrown to the ground (prone) or
grabbed (immobile).
• On a critical failure, the target also takes d6 damage when thrown
to the ground or grabbed.
Save vs. Morale
Certain conditions arise in battle when characters must make a Save vs.
Morale to keep their cool. Triggering situations include:
• Seeing a party member go down (fall unconscious or die) in combat.
• Experiencing a situation that is beyond what a mortal mind can bear.
When this happens, make a Save vs. Morale. Like other checks in the
game, you try to roll your character’s current Morale or under.
• If you fail, your Morale goes down by d6 points, which makes the
next save that much more difficult, and you become Shaken. Any
action you attempt this turn, you do at a Disadvantage. In the next
turn, you must attempt to save again before you “shake it off.”
• If you succeed, you remove any Shaken effect, and you can continue
the battle as if nothing happened.
• Morale may not drop below 1.
If your Morale score drops to 1, you become Panicked. Roll a d6 to
determine your panic reaction.
D6 Roll Panic Reaction

1-2 Character goes catatonic and cannot move until a party
member spends an action to snap them out of it.
3-4 Character flies into a frenzy to escape the battle. Any
enemy or ally blocking the quickest path to a perceived safe
zone will be attacked along the way.
5-6 Character goes into fight mode and attacks the first target
they see (enemy or ally) with the full fury of whatever force
they can bring to bear.

For example, if Marine Bob sees his friend Marine Joe perish right before
his eyes, Marine Bob must make a Save vs. Morale using their current
Morale score as the TN. If they succeed, all is well and they will just have
to process it later on in life. But if they fail, they could potentially start a
cascade of failures that leads to a panicked state.
Let’s say Bob has a current Morale at 12. He rolls a 13, failing his first
Save vs. Morale and becoming Shaken. He rolls a d6 and loses 3 points
of Morale, bringing his current Morale to a 9 and shaking his resolve.
Any action he attempts this round, he does at a Disadvantage.
The next turn of combat, he must roll another Save vs. Morale to see
if he can stop the madness. If he succeeds, he recovers his wits and can
continue fighting in the battle. But if he fails, he remains Shaken, losing
another d6 Morale. He must repeat the Save vs. Morale every round until
he succeeds on a roll or his Morale drops to 1 and he becomes Panicked,
rolling on the Panic Reaction table to see how his panic manifests.
Each turn the PC is Panicked, they get a Save vs. Morale. If they should
roll a 1 on their save (a Critical Success) before they get to their “safe
place,” they recover their wits, remove Shaken and Panicked conditions,
regain d6 points of Morale, and determine their next course of action
with a clearer head.
Characters such as Commanders or Medics with Leadership or
Counseling skills can attempt to help Panicked characters make it through
their mental trauma, but it is a difficult challenge (Disadvantage) in the
middle of battle. Successful rolls will restore d6 Morale and remove
Shaken or Panicked conditions from another character.
Recovering Morale
Characters can recover Morale during Downtime, but only if they
actively pursue such recovery.
Ways to recover Morale include:
• Playing poker, darts, or other games with the squad.
• Drinking and celebrating good times and bad with the squad.
• Talking with a trained Psychologist, Counselor, or Priest.
• Setting aside time for Meditation.
Each of these enables the character to recover d6 Morale for any one of
these methods used in an 8 hour period. Given enough time and effort,
characters should be back to full Morale before long.
The idea is that a character must actively pursue recovery of their mental
state. Morale does not automatically start to recover like Hit Points with
8 hours of rest after a battle. (See the “Healing” section for details about
recovering HP.)
Referee Bob has two players, Mary and Jim. Mary and Jim are playing
advanced Space Marines doing recon on a asteroid-based facility a larger
team will be heading into in the near future…
Referee: Your Marines have made it to the outer airlock for the facility and
can see that the door panel has already been jimmied open. What do you do?
Mary: My character, Athan Jonels, has a bit of engineering knowledge. She’d
like to check out the panel to see what’s been done. She has “Bits & Bytes.”
Referee: Roll with Advantage and let me know what you get. Shoot for
Athan’s Education attribute score or under.
Mary: (Rolls two d20s and gets a 3 and a 15.) Her Education is a 12
and I got a 3. That’s a success.
Referee: Great. Athan can see that it wasn’t ripped open.
The screws were removed and the wires were crossed to
override the security mechanism. It looks like there’s some
scorching inside the panel, but the exterior lights are
still on, so you think that approach would probably
work again.
Mary: What do you think, Beene? Should we use
the same method?
Jim: My character James Beene has a bad feeling
about this. If this facility is abandoned, who got
here before us? They didn’t just rip the panel off
the door, so they’ve obviously got skills. Let’s be
careful, but we need to get in there. Go for it.
Mary: Ok, Athan will cross the same wires as last
time and try to override the door mechanism.
Referee: You get it open without a problem, but as the
door opens, a body in a blasted space suit drifts out and
away. It’s not under its own power, but apparently was
pushed out due to the little remaining atmosphere left
in the airlock. It’s not a current Dominion space suit
design that you recognize.
Jim: Beene will try and grab the body before it gets
too far.
Referee: Roll an Athletics check at a Disadvantage
at your Athletics or under. Or does Beene have any
Zero-Gee traits?

Jim: No, nothing helpful here. (Rolls a 3 and a 16.) Blast, I got a 16.
That’s a miss.
Referee: You watch as the body continues to drift off across the surface
of the asteroid, scooting just out of reach.
Jim: Wonder who or what that was? I’ll put that in my report. Maybe
the next team can find the body.
Mary: Ok, so we go in and close the door behind us.
Referee: The inner airlock door is closed tight, but you get into the
airlock and close the outer door behind you. The inner door panel takes
a moment and then glows green.
Mary: Athan hits the button.
Referee: As the inner door opens, you see a laser blast shoot past you
and hit the inside of the outer door. Combat begins!
Jim: We go first?
Referee: As always, you guys go first.
Jim: Ok, let’s get on either side of the inside of the door. I’ll go to the
right, you go to the left.
Mary: Sounds like a plan. Athan moves to the left and hides behind the
partial wall.
Jim: Can we see anything?
Referee: Down a short hallway you spot the tip of a gun of some sort
and it’s held by a figure crouched around the corner.
Jim: How far?
Referee: About 25 meters.
Jim: Ok, Beene tosses a Flash-Bang grenade down the hallway to land
close to the figure.
Referee: Roll an Athletics check. Does your character have the Grenades trait?
Jim: Why yes he does!
Referee. Great! That means your toss is at an Advantage. What do you get?
Jim: (Rolls two d20s and gets a 1 and a 20.) Well that’s lucky, I got a 1.
Critical hit!
Referee: Your carefully thrown grenade lands right where you wanted
and goes off with a satisfying flash, crash, and you feel the force wave zip
past you down the corridor.
Mary: Great shot! What can Athan see now?
Referee: You see a figure in an unfamiliar suit design similar to the body
that drifted out the airlock. It’s prone, with its hands over its head. It’s not
human. It looks green and lizard-like. You think it’s likely one of the Skaali.

Mary: What are the Skaali doing here on this asteroid base?! I fire my
Pulse Rifle at the downed target. Athan has Guns, so she’s at an Advantage.
(Mary rolls a 12 and a 17. Athan’s Athletics is a 12, so that’s a critical hit.
(Rolls a d6 and gets a 4.) Damage is d6+1, so that becomes 5 damage.
Referee: The body shudders as it absorbs your shot. My turn. A group
of two more Skaali rush around the corner, firing on your position.
Because they’re doing a “Run and Gun,” they’re at a Disadvantage to
hit you both.
The first one shoots at Athan and gets a 1 and a 20. With a 20, you see it
look down at its gun and swear in some strange language as it fails to fire.
The second one shoots at Beene and gets a 3 and a 7. That’s a hit for
d6+2 and Beene takes 4 points of damage.
Jim: Beene is wearing Standard Combat Armor with AR4, so it absorbs
the blast and takes no damage.
Referee: At the end of their turn, they’re only about 15 meters from you.
And as Turn 2 starts, they get to start the order…
Each adventure is given a “Dread Rating,” which grants the Referee and
PCs an initial pool of Dread and Glory Points to pull from. So if an
adventure is rated for 2 Dread, the Referee has 2 Dread Points and the
PCs have 2 Glory Points.
These points can be used to affect the game in many ways and they ebb
and flow during each game session.
The maximum number of Dread and Glory in each pool can never be
more than the Dread Rating in a particular encounter. If the encounter has
a Dread Rating of 2, neither the Referee nor the players may have a pool
with more than 2 Dread points or 2 Glory points during that encounter.
During the session there are three ways the number of points in each
pool changes.
1. If a player rolls a Natural 1 (Critical Success), the Referee loses a
Dread point and the PCs gain a Glory Point.
2. If a player rolls a Natural 20 (Critical Failure), the Referee gains a
Dread point and the PCs lose a Glory Point (if they have any).
3. And the players or Referee can spend a Dread or Glory point at any
point during the game.
Any extra points beyond the maximum set by the Dread Rating are lost.
For instance, if the Glory Point pool for a Dread Rating 2 game is already

at 2 and a player rolls a Natural 1, that Glory Point the PCs would have
gained is lost. So it pays to use the pool on both sides of the table.
Dread Points
Dread points can be spent for various purposes during the game:
• To “hop initiative” during a Players First turn (see the Turns in
Combat section for details)
• To give an enemy or NPC an extra action during a Turn of combat
• To restore an enemy’s AP or HP during the combat
• To make a PC’s attack not be a Critical
• To make an enemy’s attack into a Critical
• Increasing the number of enemies available for a particular encounter
Essentially, the Referee can use Dread points to ratchet up the situation
for the PCs and the players can try to regain control with Glory points,
but each pool is in a constant state of ebb and flow during each session.
Glory Points
Glory Points are the equivalent of Dread Points, but used for the PCs as
a group. The PCs have the same number of Glory Points as the Referee
does Dread Points to begin a new encounter.
Before beginning an encounter, the group as a whole can decide to spend
Glory Points in a variety of ways:
• Gain critical intelligence that may be important to complete a
mission
• Gain a Nanite boost before dropping into the encounter, granting
each PC 50% more AP for the duration of the encounter
• Gain the use of special weapons during the encounter
Glory Points can also be spent for similar purposes as Dread Points
during the game:
• To “hop initiative” during an NPCs First turn (see the Initiative
section for details)
• To give a PC or Friendly NPC an extra action during a Turn of combat
• To restore a PC’s AP or HP during the combat
• To make an enemy’s attack not be a Critical
• To make a PC’s attack into a Critical
• To build a place of safety in which to rest for 8 hours, recharging AP
and healing wounds if the PCs have healing available

Humankind has come a long way since leaving the caves and creating
civilization, but it has a long way to go to reach the levels of technology
employed by many of the alien races it has encountered.
The Dominion has many types of technology in its arsenal, from simple
projectile weapons to complex drones and androids. Computers, medicine,
bioengineering, sensors, and more have been explored and exploited to
help humankind compete in the new environments it has found itself.
The introduction of new technology from the Grey Men and the Gollus
has provided many advances in the last century. Even though we are
using advancements such as BANCE Gates, our scientists are largely
baffled by the principles on which they operate. We are still catching up
with the rest of the universe.
This has resulted in a unique mix of knowledge being used on Earth and
beyond. Many ancient techniques for farming are being used alongside
hydroponics, sophisticated sensor arrays, and more. In many cases, the
old ways truly are best and the thousands of years of experience pay off
in the end.
The Dominion employs the following technologies:
• Chemical-propelled projectiles for weapons and brute force
• Some experimentation with gravity-based weapons (Thor’s
Hammer)
• Nanofiber construction for fabrics
• Relatively primitive explosives
• Robotics & Android technologies
• Cybernetics
Chapter 5: Technology 62
Meanwhile, the Grey Men, the Gollus, and the Skaali all use technology
the Dominion desperately wants to get its hands on. In many cases, the
alien technology seems almost like magic.The Greys use living metal and
harness strange quantum capabilities of fluids and energies well beyond
our capabilities. The Gollus obviously have advanced technologies with
their fleet of generational ships, advanced atmospheric controls, and an
understanding of gravity far beyond our grasp.
The Grey Men may use flashy technology to abuse and harvest
humankind’s vast biological resources, but they are largely a dying race.
The technology they used peaked long ago and they are on the downward
swing of their civilization.
Fascinated by the trappings of humanity, they are quickly spiraling into
the island of lost toys as far as their understanding goes. Another few
generations and they will view their tools as magic and devolve further,
largely because of the biological degeneration and genetic diseases their
race has incurred by attempting to prolong their lives.
Among the many technological toys at their disposal are:
• Liquid Metal and Seamless Ship Designs
• Quantum applications of rare or synthetic materials
• Stealth technology
• Clean energy
• Energy as light (wireless, conduits, harmonizing frequencies, etc.)
• Weapons - energy rifles and pistols, automated turrets
• Medical technology - able to sample DNA,
then splice and dice what
they need into their
own bodies, adapting
living organs,
growing materials
in the lab, and doing
everything they can to
prolong their own lives
• Nearly seamless incisions

Meanwhile, the Skaali are secretive

with their technology, doing their
best to keep their shielding
and weaponry designs from
falling into our hands.
During the war to evict
them from Venus, we
saw glimpses of the tools
in their arsenal such as
powerful beam weapons
and explosives far beyond
our understanding of
physics.
Dominion scientists have
theorized that the Skaali have
the following toys in their toybox:
• Advanced explosive and implosive
devices
• Powerful energy shielding and armor technology
• Pulse energy weapons
• Plasma melee weapons and vibroblades
• Encrypted Communications (short range, burst)
• Exoskeletons
The Gollus salvage every bit of knowledge and technology they can to
save their people for the long journey ahead. They are leaving this corner
of the universe for greener pastures and they aren’t leaving a forwarding
address. They are simply chatting with the locals as they prepare to go.
Some of the best minds in the Dominion have guessed at some of the
secrets the Gollus have been unwilling to share:
• Inertial dampeners
• Gravity drives
• Advanced cryptography
• Ship building skills
• Amazingly efficient
mining
• Recycling technologies
• Incredible Information
storage and retrieval
• Long Distance
Communications
• Long Distance Engine
technologies
The Venandi, or “Hunters” as they are called, are a big question mark as far as
technology goes. We believe they are the remnants of several species destroyed
by the Dread when it entered the area now known as the Stellar Graveyard,
but reports have been wildly inconsistent as far as their capabilities.
Rumors have included:
• Stealth-based weapons -- quiet blades and projectiles more than
anything overt
• Noise dampeners
• Implosives
As a result, humanity stands at a unique crossroads. We can learn from

the scraps the Gollus give us. We can learn what the Skaali may teach
us once we get over the animosity between our peoples. We can slowly
digest the Grey’s technology as they leave more and more behind. And
if we are ever able to communicate with the Venandi, we may be in a
position to learn more about the technical knowledge they may have in
their arsenal.
Humans are nothing if not creative and inquisitive, so our development
won’t slow down at all in the face of such options. But we must learn
from these other races while we can. Our survival depends on it.
Dominion-supported weapons and gear are listed in Chapter 3. We

have many weapons in our arsenal which have proven effective in many
situations. These items are not available to PCs through a PR, except
with the Referee’s explicit approval.
In addition, your heroes may encounter the following items and
weapons in their travels:

Bioscanner Tool Utilitarian device that scans any
biological matter to provide a
complete genetic, chemical, and
life processes report in seconds.
Gravity Grenade Increases the gravity in a 3m
Enhancing diameter area, affecting all
Grenade targets in area temporarily (1d6
turns). Increasing gravity pulls
them to the ground. Athletics
check (Disadvantage) to break
free. Immobilized creatures grant
Advantage on incoming attacks.
Gravity Pliers Tool Tool that enables wielder to
manipulate small objects of 1kg or
less up to a distance of 1m without
direct contact.
Gravity Ray Ranged Enables wielder to increase or
decrease the gravity surrounding a
particular target temporarily (1d6
turns) within 1-50m. Increasing
gravity pulls them to the ground;
decreasing makes them float in mid-
air. Athletics check (Disadvantage)
to break free. Immobilized creatures
grant Advantage on incoming attacks.
Gravity Grenade Decreases the gravity in a 3m
Reducing diameter area, affecting all targets
Grenade in area temporarily (1d6 turns).
Decreasing gravity temporarily makes
all targets float in mid-air. Athletics
check (Disadvantage) to break
free. Immobilized creatures grant
Advantage on incoming attacks.
Holography Tool Small device used to play and
Device record holographic messages.
Holography Tool Crystal, roughly 25mm in length,
Message that can be used to store a 3D image
Crystal with full audio and visual clarity when
paired with a Holography Device that
reads and writes such messages.
Unless crystal is destroyed, message
never degrades.
Laser Gatling Ranged Energy area effect weapon that
Gun affects 3m-5m cone; 10-100m range;
RS4; 500 rounds per battery: 2d6+3
damage, short burst (Disadvantage);
5d6, long burst (Disadvantage)
Laser Knife Melee Energy blade that does d6+1
damage.
Precision Tool Pocket-sized laser device used to
Measurement measure items from 1mm to 1km in
Tool length.
Laser Pistol Ranged Energy weapon that does d6+1
damage; 1-10m range; RS1; 15
round battery.
Laser Rifle Ranged Energy weapon that does d6+2
damage; 2-75m range; RS2; 30
round battery.
Laser Scalpel Tool Handheld device that creates a
and Cautery precision cut from 1mm to 10mm
Tool in depth and may be used to
cauterize wounds in the field.
Laser Sword Melee Energy blade that does d6+3
damage.
Nanoscale Tool Injectable nanoscale probe that
Scope delivers chemical, audio, and visual
feedback to an exterior data device
and can be driven remotely or
through programming.
Pulse Grenade Grenade Explosive device doing 4d6
damage, ½ damage 3-10m; Save
vs. Presence (Disadvantage).
Shock Stick Melee Stunning energy weapon that can
immobilize (Save vs. Stun (Morale) at
Disadvantage) target on contact; 1
damage.
Skaali Melee Special blade used by Skaali warriors
Expanding that can extend from a short sword
Sword (1m range) to a longsword (2m
range); d6+2 damage.
Sonic Blaster Grenade Burst of sonic energy affecting 10m
diameter area and causing d6 HP
damage, 1⁄2 damage 3-10m; all targets
Save vs. Presence or knocked prone.
Sonic Ray Ranged Weapon directs a beam of sonic
energy at a target, causing 1d6 HP
damage (1-10m range); targets
Save vs. Presence or knocked prone.
RS1; 10 round battery.
Stun Grenade Grenade Area effect device that does 1d6
damage to 10’, Save vs. Shock
(Presence) at a Disadvantage for all
targets in blast.
Stun Gun Ranged Stunning energy weapon that can
immobilize (Save vs. Stun (Morale)
at Disadvantage) target; 1 damage;
1-5m range; 50 round battery.
The individual who runs a game of A&A is called a Referee. They are
in charge of telling the story, defining the missions, running any enemies,
and resolving the action.
Each mission has at least one primary mission goal, expressed through
parameters such as “Investigate” or “Collect.”. You may define additional
or optional mission goals, such as collecting biological samples or
capturing live assailants to increase the difficulty. Each member of a
squad gains one Purchase Roll (PR) for each parameter achieved during
the completion of such a mission.
For example, a mission’s primary goal could be exploring an alien
construct, so “Investigate” might be the primary mission parameter.
Returning from such a mission with a detailed report of the area,
including any structures and features, would qualify as accomplishing
the goal. A team of Space Marines would each get one PR for completing
that goal when they return home.
Mission parameters include (but are not limited to): Capture, Collect,
Infiltrate, Investigate, and Retrieve. Survive is a default mission parameter.
You, as Referee, decide if Survival is worth awarding a PR to each
character on its own.
In addition, each mission is given a “Dread Rating” that can be used to

increase or decrease the tension during game sessions. See “The Dread
Mechanic” in Chapter 4 for how Dread Points are used in-game.
Chapter 6: Refereeing 71
These are obviously just a handful of possibilities for you to explore.
Add your own from classic science fiction television, movies, and books.
The vast distances of space offer plenty of adventures for a brave group
of DSF heroes!
Wayward Scouts
The Excursori are constantly getting into trouble on the edges of the
Stellar Graveyard. It lures them like Sirens lured Greek sailors to the rocks
on doomed ships. When they get into trouble on worlds they thought
dead, they often send off a galactic SOS to request aid from the DSF.
Bug Hunt!
Whether exploring asteroids, moons, or planets, Miners and Settlers
often find more than they bargained for. Pristine worlds often hide
awful secrets.
Raiding Parties
The Grey Men often visit Earth, Luna, and
Mars, seeking human subjects for their awful
experiments. They are a nuisance that simply
won’t go away.
Invasion!
The Grey Men, Skaali, and Gollus are likely not
the only intelligent life in the universe. Many may
see Earth or one of the human colonies as a prize
worth taking.
First Contact
Not all aliens are hostile to Dominion interests. Some
are merely curious and want to learn more about our
strange species.
Glitch!
The CyQ division of Cydyne sometimes requests help rounding up
newly-sentient androids appearing on the fringes of Dominion space.
Asset Recovery
Accidents happen. Sometimes Dominion citizens or assets get lost along
the way. The DSF often gets sent to retrieve them.
Pirates!
Out in the Field, miners and transport vessels are often waylaid by self-
proclaimed pirates. Stopping these thieves and returning stolen goods
and personnel falls to the DSF.
Referees are in charge of setting the stage, keeping things moving, and
ensuring that everybody has fun. Essentially, the Referee is the narrator,
putting the PCs in the middle of the action. Once the ball is rolling on
an adventure, they keep the story moving forward through a series of
roleplaying encounters and combat, then mediate any disputes that come
up with the rules.
Aliens & Asteroids intentionally has very simple rules, freeing the
Referee to focus on having fun!
Encounters
What is an “encounter” exactly? An encounter is one discrete part of
the game’s story where one or more PCs try to actively accomplish
something through interacting with the world. Though some encounters
may involve combat, others may occur through:
• Navigating social encounters with alien species, artificials, and other
humans
• Solving technical problems such as opening doors or turning off
alien machinery
• Deciphering clues to achieve goals on alien worlds, moons, and
space stations
• Exploring the unknown to set the stage for the next encounter
Have each player describe their actions clearly, and don’t be afraid to
adapt situations and reactions to keep things moving along smoothly.
Ultimately each encounter is about the PCs’ relationship with the world
around them. Relationships with the team they are on, their superiors,
their enemies, and the challenges of surviving in environments not
meant for human survival. Leveraging those relationships will lead to
memorable adventures and sessions for years to come.
But above all, have fun! This is a game!
The Inverse20 system behind A&A makes actions simple to resolve.

If there’s a question about whether an action was successful or not, it
should boil down to the roll itself.
Most actions are one-sided and easy to resolve. Opening a locked
airlock door comes down to an Accuracy check. And that check may
be made easier due to the character having the Bits & Bytes or Security
Traits. Or it may be made more difficult due to the state of the airlock
door such as in the case where the door is damaged in some way or the
lock is without power.
If the player gets a success, the door opens. If not, the door stays closed.
(And in the case of a Critical Failure, it might be even more difficult to
open with a second attempt.)
Sometimes in combat things get a little more complicated, but it still
usually boils down to a single roll. For example, let’s say that an alien
creature with a standard Attribute score of 10 is trying to wrap itself
around one of our Space Marine heroes.
To do a Grab, the creature has to roll against its Athletics attribute. A 1 or
a 10 on a d20 is a Critical Success, but anything from 2-9 is still a Success.
Anything above 10 is a Failure and a natural 20 is a Critical Failure.
If the Grab is successful, it makes our Space Marine easier to hit for any
other opposition.
To escape the Grab, the player must roll an Athletics check. Same rules
apply. If the player makes the roll, it’s a Success or a Critical Success. If
not, it’s a Failure or a Critical Failure.
As a Referee, you can make this more or less difficult. Let’s say the
Creature is smaller than our hero. It should be at a Disadvantage to Grab
him. Same size? No Advantage or Disadvantage. Larger? Advantage.
Same holds true for the player. If the creature is smaller, the Space Marine
should be at an Advantage to break the Grab. Larger? Disadvantage.
Same size? No Advantage or Disadvantage.
In the case of an opposed check, you can also look at the quality of two
rolls to determine which side was successful.
For instance, let’s say that our Space Marine was in a tug-of-war over an
item with the creature earlier. We would use the Toughness attribute to
resolve it. Each side rolls a Toughness check and we compare the results.
• If the creature is successful but the Space Marine was not, the
creature wins.
• If the Space Marine was successful, and the creature was not, the
Space Marine wins.
• If both failed the check, they both let go and neither wins.
• If both succeed the check, you have to look at the quality of the
success.
In the case where both sides succeed, if one has a Critical Success and
the other has a normal Success, the Critical Success wins. If both are
normal Successes, ask about the roll and compare the margins of success.
If the creature gets a 5 and needed a 10, that’s a margin of 5. If the Space
Marine gets a 6, but needed a 12, that’s a margin of 6. The Space Marine
wins the challenge.
Though characters may not level up after every mission, it is always good
to keep your heroes paid and happy with their state of life. For each
successful mission, each player should gain at least one PR that they can
use to requisition more advanced equipment.
We recommend using the Dread Rating for the mission to define the
number of Purchase Rolls you dole out to each character when the
mission is done, but you can also add bonus PRs for any additional
mission goals accomplished.
Downtime
The concept of “Downtime” encompasses everything between missions.
Technicians can service equipment and drones. Scientists may research
various topics or conduct experiments on any items recovered in the field.
Medics can see to their patients’ recovery as well as their own. Commanders
can write up after-action reports to send up the chain of command.
Downtime also includes time for rest and relaxation, additional training,
healing, and dealing with the mental traumas incurred in the field. (See
“Recovering Morale” in Chapter 4 for ideas on how to return to a better
mental state.) All characters will heal up to their full HP after their first
24 hours of Downtime.
Leveling Up
As a Referee, we recommend granting characters a new level after the
characters complete a number of additional missions equal to their
current level, but encourage you to advance more or less frequently as
you desire and your campaign dictates. For example:
• After the first mission, level up to 2 (1 mission)
• After the third mission, level up to 3 (2 missions)
• After the sixth mission, level up to 4 (3 missions)
• etc.
After each mission, the Referee should evaluate the party to see if they
have leveled up. If so, players can select an additional trait for their
characters’ new level. There are no level caps. Attributes are capped at
16, and some traits have prerequisites, but those are the only limitations!
The universe is a big place, full of many wild and dangerous creatures.
Not all will consider your heroes a threat immediately, but some will
attack without warning.
Standard stat blocks list a single Attribute value for each creature. That
value can be used for any Attribute Check required for that creature
during a session. For instance, an Attribute 10 creature has all attributes
at 10. If it needed to claw a PC, it would do an Athletics Check and is
assumed to have Athletics 10.
All Creature Strengths (Low, Mid, High, Super) and Creature Traits are
described in the “Creating Your Own Creatures” section later in this
chapter.
Artificials
• Standard Android (Mid-level): Attribute 10, Traits: Legged
(10m), Punch (d6), Enhanced Punch (Punch now does 2d6), Grab
(Immobilize victim, Athletics check to break free, Immobilized
creatures grant Advantage on incoming attacks), Observant, Tough
Hide (AR2)
• Standard Combat Android (Mid-level): Attribute 11, Traits: Legged
(10m), Sprinter (doubles speed to 20m), Laser Rifle (Ranged) (d6+2;
2-150m range; RS2; 30 round battery), Tactics, Enhanced Combat
Armor (AR4/AP20), Observant
• NeoGen (High-level): Attribute 13, Traits: Legged (10m), Tough
Bastard (doubles HP to 26), Superior Combat Armor (AR5/AP25),
Laser Rifle (Ranged) (d6+2; 2-150m range; RS2; 30 round battery),
Tactics, Melee, Laser Knife (d6+1), Grenade Launcher (25-1000m
range, RS3, 6 grenades per reload; Pulse Grenades, 4d6 damage, ½
damage 3-10m; Save vs. Presence (Disadvantage))
The Dread
• Dread Hollow (Low-level): Same raw abilities as they had before
they were harvested; Traits: Hivemind, Claw/Bite/Punch/Kick/Grab
as appropriate to creature
• Dread Soldier (Mid-level): Attribute: 11, Traits: Legged (10m), Bite
(d6), Claws (d6), Tail (d6), Acid Blood (sprays acid blood when
cut, d6+2 damage, 2 points ongoing each round until removed),
Hivemind
Gollus
• Gollus (Super-level): Attribute 14, Traits: Floats (10m), Tough Hide
(AR2); Force Field (AR4/AP20); Regenerating Suit Armor (AP2);
Regenerating Health; Sonic Ray (1d6 HP damage (1-10m range);
targets Save vs. Presence or knocked prone); Sonic Blast (10m cone,
1-10m range, 1d6 damage in center, 1⁄2 damage on edge of cone; all
targets Save vs. Presence or knocked prone), Tactics, Gravity Ray (Single
target, 1-50m, Immobilize by increasing or decreasing gravity for 1d6
turns, Athletics check (Disadvantage) to break free), Gravity Blast (area
effect 10m diameter, 1-50m, Immobilize by increasing or decreasing
gravity for 1d6 turns, Athletics check (Disadvantage) to break free)
Grey Men
• Grey Men Scientists (Low-level): Attribute 8, Traits: Legged (10m),
Tactical Suit (AR2/AP10); Laser Pistol (Ranged) (d6+1; 1-10m
range; RS1; 15 round battery), Observant
• Grey Men Soldiers (Mid-level): Attribute 10, Traits: Legged (10m),
Enhanced Combat Armor (AR4/AP20), Laser Rifle (Ranged)
(d6+2; 2-150m range; RS2; 30 round battery), Tactics, Melee,
Laser Knife (d6+1)
• Grey Men Commander (High-level): Attribute 12, Traits: Legged
(10m), Mechanized Armor (AR5/AP40; Grants +1 Accuracy and
+2 Toughness), Observant, Tactics, Laser Rifle (Ranged) (d6+2;
2-150m range; RS2; 30 round battery), Melee, Laser Sword (d6+3),
Psionic Ray (1d6 HP plus Save vs. Mental (Presence) (Disadvantage)
to immobilize for 1d6 turns)
• Grey Men Supreme Leader (Super-level): Attribute 14, Traits: Legged
(10m), Mechanized Armor (AR5/AP40; Grants +1 Accuracy and +2
Toughness), Laser Gatling Gun (Ranged) (Area effect, 3m-5m cone;
10-100m range; RS4; 500 rounds per battery: 2d6+3 damage, short
burst (Disadvantage); 5d6, long burst (Disadvantage)), Observant,
Tactics, Melee, Laser Sword (d6+3), Psionic Ray (1d6 HP plus Save
vs. Mental (Presence) (Disadvantage) to immobilize for 1d6 turns),
Psionic Blast (same as Psionic Ray, but area effect, 1⁄2 damage 3-10m)
Skaali
• Skaali Citizen (Mid-level): Legged (10m), Attribute 10, Traits:
Tactical Suit (AR2/AP10); Regenerating Suit Armor (RR2); Laser
Pistol (Ranged) (d6+1; 1-10m range; RS1; 15 round battery), Melee,
Skaali Expanding Sword (Melee) (d6+2, 1-2m range)
• Skaali Soldier (High-level): Attribute 12, Traits: Legged (10m),
Superior Combat Armor (AR5/AP25); Regenerating Suit Armor
(RR2); Laser Rifle (Ranged) (d6+2; 2-75m range; RS2; 30 round
battery), Melee, Skaali Expanding Sword (Melee) (d6+2, 1-2m
range), Tactics, Sprinter (doubles speed to 20m)
Miscellany
• Alien Slime (Low-level): Attribute 8, Traits: Slither (5m), Acid Touch
(d6+1 upon contact and 2 points ongoing each turn until removed),
Spit Acid (range 1-5m, d6+1 upon contact and 2 points ongoing
each turn until removed), Regenerating Health (1 HP per turn)
• Carnivorous Plant (Low-level): Attribute 7, Traits: Immobile, Bite
(d6), Tough Hide, Grab (Immobilize victim, Athletics check to break
free, Immobilized creatures grant Advantage on incoming attacks)
• Pirate Brigand (Low-level) - AR3/AP15/HP10 - Attributes 10 -
Pistol (Ranged), d6 (3 clips on bandolier); Pirate knife (Melee), d6
- Secondhand Armor with Reinforced Chest Plates; Traits: Melee;
Speed: 10m
• Pirate Leader (Mid-level) - AR4/AP20/HP12 - Attributes 12 - Pulse
Rifle (Ranged), d6 (3 clips on bandolier); Laser-honed Cutlass
(Melee), d6+1 - Standard Combat Armor; Traits: Melee, Tactics;
Speed: 10m
• Robot Turret (Low-level): Attribute 9, Traits: Immobile, Laser Pistol
(d6+1, 1-10m range), Unlimited Ammo, Combat Armor (AR3/
AP15)
• Space Centipede (Low-level): Attribute 7, Traits: Legged (10m), Bite
(d6), Tough Hide, Sprinter (doubles speed to 20m)
• Space Lamprey (Low-level): Attribute 8, Traits: Swim (10m),
Sprinter (doubles speed to 20m), Bite (d6), Lockjaw (additional d6
damage on Bite)
• Space Lamprey, Enhanced (Mid-level): Attribute 11, Traits: Swim
(10m), Sprinter (doubles speed to 20m), Bite (d6), Lockjaw
(additional d6 damage on Bite), Drill (gnaws into target once locked
on, drilling d6 into victim each turn), Tough Hide (AR2)
• Swamp Spike (Low-level): Attribute 8, Traits: Immobile, Neurotoxin
(ignores armor and delivers neurotoxin to immobilize target for
d6 rounds; immobilized creatures grant Advantage on incoming
attacks), Unlimited Ammo

What follows are some rough guidelines on creating creatures for your
own adventures.
Creating a creature works as follows:
1. Determine the creature’s strength.
2. Roll the base attribute score for the creature.
3. Choose a default mode of locomotion.
4. Select Traits for the creature.
Creature Strength
Not all creatures are created the same. Some will be easy to dispatch;
others will be harder. When selecting the strength for the creature, keep
in mind a few common ideas such as:
• Does the creature fight alone or in groups? How big are the groups?
• How mobile is the creature?
• What defense mechanisms does it employ?
• How difficult should it be to eliminate from combat?
For example, a group of 1st level characters will have an impossible
task going against a Dread soldier but may be fairly evenly matched
against a group of Grey Men.
Strength levels are broken down as follows:
• Low-level (Attribute bonus: 6, 3 traits)
• Mid-level (Attribute bonus: 8, 5 traits)
• High-level (Attribute bonus: 10, 7 traits)
• Super-level (Attribute bonus: 12, 10 traits)
Base Attribute Score

Each creature has a single value that is used for all attribute scores
including Toughness (HP), Athletics (melee attacks), and Accuracy
(ranged attacks).
To determine the attribute score, roll 1d3 and add the Attribute bonus
for the creature’s Strength Level.
For example, if I have a low-level creature, I would roll 1d3 and add 6.
Mode of Locomotion
Each creature has the potential for moving in its environment, though
some may be fixed or immobile. Choose a default mode of locomotion.
Note that you may choose additional types of locomotion as traits.
Common forms of locomotion include:
• Bladed - spins through the air*
• Float - floats through the air
• Glides - glides on wings through the air
• Immobile - locked in a single position
• Legged - moves on one or more legs
• Serpentine - slides along the ground like a snake
• Spherical - rolls along the ground like a ball
• Swim - swims through the environment
• Tracked - travels on caterpillar-type treads*
• Wheeled - travels on wheels*
• Winged - flaps physical wings to move through the air
* This type of locomotion is usually only found on creatures of a
mechanical type.
Select Creature Traits

Each creature gains a number of Traits for their particular Strength Level.
For instance, if I have a mid-level creature, I can choose up to 5 Traits.
Some traits have prerequisites they must have before they can be taken.

Acid Blood Special -- Creature sprays acid blood
when cut. d6+2 damage,
2 points ongoing each turn
until removed.
Acid Splash Accuracy Slime Acid Creature can create
a splash of acid like a
grenade that hits multiple
targets. d6 area effect; 1⁄2
damage 3-10m; ongoing 2
until removed.
Acid Touch Athletics -- Creature oozes a violent acid
from every pore, causing
d6+1 damage upon contact
and 2 points ongoing each
turn until removed.
Bite Athletics -- Creature has a standard
Bite attack for d6 damage.
Claw Athletics -- Creature has a standard
Claw attack for d6 damage.
Combat Special -- Creature wears standard
Armor combat armor (AR3/AP15).
Drill Athletics Lockjaw Creature can gnaw through
once locked on, drilling into a
victim (d6 damage per turn).
Enhanced Special -- Creature wears enhanced

Combat combat armor (AR4/
Armor AP20).
Enhanced Special Tough Hide Strengthens creature’s
Plate Armor natural armor to AR4/AP20.
Enhanced Athletics Punch Doubles the power of the
Punch creature’s effective punch
for an additional d6 damage.
Force Field Special -- Creature has a powered
shield of energy that
protects them (AR4/AP20).
Grab Athletics -- Enables creature to
immobilize a victim
temporarily. Athletics check
to break free. Immobilized
creatures grant Advantage
on incoming attacks.
Gravity Blast Accuracy Gravity Ray Enables creature to increase
or decrease the gravity in an
10m diameter area, affecting
all targets in area temporarily
(1d6 turns) within 1-50m.
Increasing gravity pulls them
to the ground; decreasing
makes them float in
mid-air. Athletics check
(Disadvantage) to break free.
Immobilized creatures grant
Advantage on incoming
attacks.
Gravity Ray Accuracy -- Enables creature to increase
or decrease the gravity
surrounding a particular
target temporarily (1d6
turns) within 1-50m.
Increasing gravity pulls
them to the ground;
decreasing makes them
float in mid-air. Athletics
check (Disadvantage) to
break free. Immobilized
Grenade Accuracy -- Creature wields grenade
Launcher launcher (Effective
Range 25-1000m; RS3;
6 grenades per reload;
damage depends on type
of grenade).
Hivemind Special -- Creatures are part of
a collective. What one
knows, they all know.
Impenetrable Special Tough Hide Strengthens creature’s
Armor natural armor to AR5/AP25.
Kick Athletics -- Creature can kick a target
for d6 damage.
Laser Gatling Accuracy -- Energy area effect weapon
Gun (Ranged) that affects 3m-5m cone;
10-100m range; RS4; 500
rounds per battery: 2d6+3
damage, short burst
(Disadvantage); 5d6, long
burst (Disadvantage).
Laser Knife Athletics Melee Energy blade that does
(Melee) d6+1 damage.
Laser Pistol Accuracy -- Energy weapon that does
(Ranged) d6+1 damage; 1-10m range;
Laser Rifle Accuracy -- Energy weapon that does
(Ranged) d6+2 damage; 2-75m range;
Laser Sword Athletics Melee Energy blade that does
(Melee) d6+3 damage.
Lockjaw Athletics Bite Enables creature to lock its
jaws to hold onto a victim and
not let go upon a successful
Bite attack. Does additional
d6 damage on bite.
Locomotion Speed -- Tracked, Wheeled, Bladed,
(One mode Spherical, Legged, Slither,
by Default) Float, Swim, Immobile; can
be taken multiple times;
Speed: 10m.
Mechanized Special -- AR5/AP40; Grants
Armor +1 Accuracy and +2
Toughness; Built for heavy
combat with solid armor and
weapon hardpoints built in.
Melee Athletics -- Ability to use a variety of
melee weapons, from knives
to swords and staves.
Neurotoxin Special -- Creature has the ability to

pierce armor and deliver a
neurotoxin to the target
to immobilize them for
1d6 rounds. Immobilized
Observant Awareness -- Grants an Advantage on
Awareness checks.
Plated Special Tough Hide Strengthens creature’s
Armor natural armor to AR3/AP15.
Psionic Blast Presence Psionic Ray Creature can project
thoughts directly into
a group of targets,
causing crippling pain;
1d6 HP damage plus Save
vs. Mental (Presence)
(Disadvantage) to
immobilize for 1d6 turns;
1⁄2 damage 3-10m.
Psionic Ray Presence -- Creature can project
thoughts directly into
a target’s mind and
cause crippling pain; 1d6
HP damage plus Save
vs. Mental (Presence)
(Disadvantage) to
immobilize for 1d6 turns.
Punch Athletics -- Creature can punch a
target for d6 damage.
Regenerating Special Some Natural Creature’s natural armor
Armor Armor regenerates AP at a rate of
1 per turn.
Regenerating Special -- Creature automatically heals
Health HP at a rate of 1 per turn.
Regenerating Special Some Suit Creature wears armor that
Suit Armor Armor regenerates AP at a rate of
2 per turn.
Rip Toughness Grab If the creature has a
target grabbed, it can
rip a limb off. The target
must Save vs. Toughness
(Disadvantage) or lose the
limb. Once ripped off, the
creature must re-grab its
intended target.
Ripper Athletics Claw Strengthens creature’s claws
to do additional d6 damage
during a Claw attack.
Shock Stick Athletics -- Stunning energy weapon
(Melee) that can immobilize (Save
vs. Stun (Morale) at
Disadvantage) target on
contact; 1 damage.
Skaali Athletics -- Special blade used by
Expanding Skaali warriors that can
Sword extend from a short sword
(Melee) (1m range) to a longsword
(2m range); d6+2 damage.
Spit Acid Accuracy -- Creature can spit acid at a
target, range 1-5m. Any
inorganic matter it comes
into contact with takes
d6+1 damage, ongoing 2
until removed.
Sonic Ray Accuracy -- Creature can direct a beam
of directed sound at a
target, causing 1d6 HP
damage (1-10m range);
targets Save vs. Presence
or knocked prone.
Sonic Blast Accuracy Sonic Ray Creature can direct a cone
of directed sound at multiple
targets, causing 1d6 HP
damage. 10m cone, 1-10m
range, 1d6 damage in
center, 1⁄2 damage on edge
of cone; all targets Save vs.
Presence or knocked prone.
Sprinter Special -- Doubles base speed,
enabling quicker movement
across larger distances.
Squeeze Toughness Grab, plus If the creature has a target
Tail or grabbed, it can squeeze its
Locomotion: target to cause an additional
Slither d6 damage each turn.
Stun Gun Accuracy -- Stunning energy weapon that
(Ranged) can immobilize (Save vs. Stun
(Morale) at Disadvantage)
target; 1 damage; 1-5m
range; 50 shot battery.
Superior Special -- Creature wears superior
Combat combat armor (AR5/
Armor AP25).
Tactical Suit Special -- Creature wears standard
tactical suit (AR2/AP10).
Tactics Education -- Can think and plan
tactically. Can trade their
action to give an ally an
extra move or attack.
Tail Athletics -- Creature can whip a target
with its tail to cause d6
damage (3m range).
Tailwhip Athletics Tail Enables a tail whip attack
to do an additional d6
damage.
Tough Toughness -- Doubles the creature’s
Bastard base HP.
Tough Hide Special -- Creature has tough skin that
serves as basic armor; AR2.
Unlimited Special Some Creature has access to
Ammo weapon unlimited ammunition,
requiring never needing to reload.
ammunition
Special Note about Dread Hollows

Not all Hollows are created equally by the Dread. A Queen can take
a Hollow and twist it in interesting ways to protect the hive for the
Monarch’s arrival. In such cases, use the following table to suggest
unique mutations that may be introduced:
D6 Roll Panic Reaction

1 Size of the creature is doubled, tripled, or quadrupled, in-
creasing Toughness +2 and granting the following additional
Traits: Tough Bastard, Regenerating Health
2 The creature is covered in cancerous growths that grants
it a natural armor of AR5/AP25 and it gains Regenerating
Armor at 2 AP per turn.
3 The creature is given the Sonic Blast trait, but the effect is
centered on itself, and it is immune.
4 The creature is mutated, doubling its normal number of
limbs and granting it the Grab and Rip traits.
5 The creature gains a Tail (d6) and can use it in conjunction
with the Grab and Squeeze traits.
6 The creature’s brain is enlarged, causing it enormous pain,
and it gains the Psionic Ray trait to channel that pain at a
target.
This chapter is meant for the Referee’s eyes only and offers a glimpse
behind the curtain at the current roster of alien races, both mortal and
machine.
The universe is big. Mind bogglingly so. But that doesn’t mean that the
human race is alone. Far from it.
As the Dominion has stretched the reach of humankind beyond the
realm of Earth, we have bumped into a few things in the void. The
players at your table may have heard of a few or all of these, but there’s
always room for more.
The Grey Men are a dying race kept alive through the harvesting or
biological material from the human race. Organs. Tissue. Fluids. Bone.
Skin. Anything they can take, they will use. This process began with
cattle in the 1950s and things progressed quickly from there.
As a result, each Grey is a bit “Frankenstein” in appearance, sewn
together and hacked through surgery. Each Grey has survived dozens,
if not hundreds of such procedures, and they are all scarred and worn,
many living only through pure spite.
The Greys utilize a similar approach to technology, taking and adapting
what they need from the races they steal from. This includes humans, but
there were others. As a result, their tech is just as cobbled together as they
are, but it should not be underestimated.
As a much younger species, they focused on expanding their minds and
found they could communicate with and manipulate the world around
them through brain power alone. That led them to develop equipment
to enhance their psionic abilities to new heights. Some of this technology
was used to overcome their lack of imposing physical strength. As
a result, their military built elaborate exo-suits to guide, protect, and
strengthen their bodies on the battlefield.
Chapter 7: The Alien Menace 90

Dominion techs have had access to some of the Grey technology over the
years, but have utterly failed to harness or adapt it to human physiology
due to the unknown mental energies needed to power and control it.
Physically, the Greys are humanoid in appearance with an oversized
head atop an elongated body. Dominion scientists believe they originated
on a low-gravity world, resulting in lower bone and muscle density. Such
conditions give them a weakness on higher gravity worlds such as Earth.
Though the Greys once reproduced in a way similar to humankind, over
the centuries fewer and fewer children were born. And at a certain point,
they realized their rapidly geriatric population had simply forgotten to
breed more. Perhaps it was warring with other races. Perhaps it was
a series of devastating genetic anomalies that rendered them unable to
reproduce. Whatever the reason, their population was in a steep decline.
Dominion scientists have always been puzzled by the lack of evidence
of any young. There are no known females left of the species after a
breeding program much too late in the game. Now their only answer is
cloning, but they can’t clone fast enough to save the species.
As a last resort, the Greys have done horrible things to humans.
Thousands of individuals were kidnapped and stripped of any useful
organ or tissue. Biologically they are similar enough to humankind to use
human biomass to keep them alive, but along the way they have become
desperate, clinging to life by a thread.
Language-wise, the Greys have evolved to “speak” entirely in a psychic
manner between themselves, but continue to use some form of Galactic
for their writing. Some rude hand gestures have been picked up from
their time on Earth, but they only use it to aggravate human forces who
come calling.
Technology-wise, they have an impressive array of security measures
to accompany their paranoid level of data encryption. Their ships
utilize some sort of clean energy we have yet to discover as well as a
seamless form of metal manipulation that has befuddled all of our best
materials engineers. We have discovered ways of detecting their ships if
we know where to look and can identify some of the metals used in Grey
construction, but even after more than 200 years of Grey encounters we
are still largely in the dark.
Standard Grey Men Encounters

• Kidnapping
• Rescue
• Collection of Technology or Biology

The Skaali were a war-like lizard race who had outgrown their need for
constant war and were entering a new, peaceful age of existence. That is
until the Dread burned through their sky and started a war that nearly
led to the end of their entire race.
They now live on the surface of Venus, enjoying the heat and the
breathable atmosphere that almost matches what they had on their
home planet, though a higher sulfur dioxide count has caused some
breathing issues with their elderly. A small, but growing, generation of
young Skaali seems to have adapted to the higher concentrations more
quickly than their scientists expected.
The cyclonic winds on Venus helped the lizardfolk when they landed
back on EY (Earth Year) 2164, fleeing the destruction of their homeworlds
by the Antetaar. They fought a valiant battle for nearly a century, but it
was a losing one. The small ship that escaped the final battles on Gantu
IV held only 750 crew normally, but they overloaded with nearly 1,000
on board. Based on data from the Gollus, they knew at Venus (or as they
call it, Sol II) they would have a shot of survival.
They are amazing engineers, building
structures and ships to survive in nearly
any environment in relative safety,
which they needed upon arrival.
Their original plan was to use Sol
II as a waystation, building probes
and exploring other options so they
would not anger the local primitive
population. After 50 years of peace
and rebuilding, many of their people
thought they might simply stay. And
in 2216, that peace ended with a series
of probes sent by Earth and eventual war.
Skaali population on Sol II rose to
1246 since their arrival, but when
the war with Earth began, they
took heavy losses. It is estimated
that nearly 400 perished during
the conflict before hostilities
ceased in 2221. A number of
Skaali rescued from the Dread Hivemind felt it reawaken and they
knew they needed to prepare for the greater battle rather than deal
with the primitive Humans.
Once the Skaali had a tail to go with their fearsome appearance, but it
has all but disappeared in the last few thousand years of their existence.
They have retained their strength and their fierce teeth, but have lacked
meat for most of their occupation of Sol II. In the heat at the surface,
their greenhouses have flourished to provide more than enough food for
the entire colony but it has left them craving non-plant-based protein
and transformed their teeth from sharp edges to dull grinding surfaces.
They have been monitoring Earth communications for years and learned a
Pidgin version of English based on television programming. Those language
skills have been tested a few times in talks with the Space Marines sitting
above them in orbit. Their diplomats prefer to use Interstellar Common,
but the soldiers among them prefer to speak in English.
Standard Skaali Encounters

• Supply Runs
• Intel Trade
• Recovery of Skaali prisoners held by the Greys
In the early part of the 22nd century, Cydyne, Inc. became a major player
in manufacturing practical androids designed for working in some
environments humans simply weren’t capable of. The first major test
was the joint project between Cydyne and Taylortech in the mid-22nd
when they began tentative mining operations on Mercury. CyDroid,
Generation 1 were born.
Once Cydyne technology was put to the test, it was adopted much
more widely and used to construct both BANCE-3 and BANCE-4 for
the corporation of Bondi-Andisse. Though human pilots were used to
fly passengers and freight through the BANCE gates, the mental and
emotional toll of those journeys led Cydyne to create a new class of
androids to do the job: CyDroid, Generation 2. And soon, nearly 90% of
the BANCE cycle (gate construction, gate operation, and gate piloting)
was completely automated by a veritable army of androids.

It wasn’t until 2201 that CyQ operatives (Cydyne Quality Assurance)
discovered that some of the Generation 2 pilots had begun exhibiting
glitches and demonstrating unique personalities and points of view
divergent from their programming. CyQ enforcers and researchers
determined that these glitches were due to the effects of cosmic radiation
on the neuronic pathway technology of the time and began “debugging”
to remove them from the system as quickly as possible.
CyQ aggressively hunted these so-called Glitches and removed them
from circulation. The rumor was that some Glitches were finding others
like themselves and sharing their experiences, then formulating their
own theories on how it might be applied to others of their kind.
Not wanting a revolt on their hands, CyQ did their best to eliminate any
that were discovered. Unfortunately, a few slipped through their nets.
In 2213, rumors of an even newer class of android, the NeoGen, began
to circulate. Though similar to the droids built by Cydyne and sold to
Bondi-Andisse, these are of a newer style and technology than used in
earlier models but none have been captured for inspection. Though the
NeoGen have yet to perform any openly hostile acts against any humans
who discover them, they have preferred to remain hidden to avoid
destruction by the CyQ.
Cydyne and Bondi-Andisse have put a bounty on any information
that can be discovered on the Neogen and a priority on any that can be
returned intact to Earth or any of the Cydyne manufacturing facilities
throughout Dominion Space.
Standard Artificial Encounters

• CyQ Locating Glitches
• Investigating NeoGen Activity
• Glitches Gathering to Protect NeoGen

When Cydyne and Bondi-Andisse sent their BANCE Gate construction
crews across the galaxy to begin new construction, they came into
contact with a new race of alien: The Gollus.
The Gollus come from a world with little gravity and a turbulent,
but thin atmosphere. When they evolved from the floating plants and
predators, they discovered a unique method of communication vibrating
a small organ deep inside their gas sac. Each Gollus uses the organ as a
voice box of sorts, expanding and collapsing at different speeds to create
almost drum-like rhythms.
Around the edge of their sac they have an array of 8 tentacles along their
central fin. They use these tentacles for locomotion, expression, and for
manipulating their world. As a result, their technology is quite unique.
Everything the Gollus do is based in 8’s. The Eight Seasons of Wind. The
Eight Virtues. The Eight Homeworlds.
Of course, that changed even before the Dread invaded. They felt
something on the solar wind before the first asteroids pummeled one
of their larger planets. They were already packing up to leave by then.
The decision to flee was made by the Gollus Hierarch, and their entire
civilization shifted focus to build the worldships.
That did not save them from the effects of the Dread. They were around
long enough to see some of their people take on the mindless autonomy
of the Hivemind, suddenly rigid and stock straight vs. loose and flexible
in the air. Brothers and sisters no longer.
Within a decade, all of the Gollus will be but a memory in this sector of
space. And they will leave the Dread behind them.
Gollus ships are huge and open, with anti-gravity
technology and air scrubbers working constantly
to establish a perfect mix for each member of the
crew to operate at peak efficiency. Other races
who have had the opportunity to tour such ships
report them as being a mass of contradictions.
The engine compartments run almost in complete
silence, and during periods of high activity the
bridge vibrates with a cacophony of noises all
competing for attention.

Communicating with the Gollus is
always done via written means via
Interstellar Common or “Galactic.”
A few have attempted to learn how
to speak the language of the Gollus,
but found themselves unable to
detect the nuances of vibrating
frequencies and amplitudes,
putting them at odds with their
strange, gassy neighbors.
There’s also the problem of
breathable atmosphere. What the
Gollus breathe simply is not suitable
for human consumption. Early Excursori
accounts speak of scouts trying to speak with
them directly, unprotected, and perishing as their
lungs exploded while trying to process an impossibly low amount of oxygen.
Even so, the Gollus are one of the best sources in the galaxy for
information and raw materials, of which they have a surplus. Without
them, Bondi-Andisse would not have been able to expand the BANCE
network as quickly as they have. The Artificials building the gates didn’t
care where they got new ore and energy - they were simply doing what
they were programmed to do.
The Gollus weren’t interested in sticking around to make credits, but
they never passed up the opportunity. They simply wanted to get as far
away from the Dread as they could before the Dread woke up.
Another few years and the Gollus will be gone. They left behind worlds
decimated by the Dread and their own rush to get to the other end of the
universe. Worlds littered with the remains of floating cities and amazing
art beyond human comprehension.
Standard Gollus Encounters

• Retrieving Information or Goods
• Interacting with Gollus in/near Stellar Graveyard
• Interacting with Gollus ships

As the Dominion inches closer and closer to the edges of the Stellar Graveyard
and the Excursori investigates areas thought “long dead” that actually seem
to have not only Dread activity, but other things going on, they are not the
only ones trying desperately to find ways to defeat this impossible adversary.
The Venandi are a loosely federated group of refugees from the Dread’s
attacks throughout the previously populated worlds now known as the
Stellar Graveyard. The Dread left death and destruction in their wake,
but not every living soul perished on the worlds they conquered. A few
hearty or resourceful souls managed to stay alive and now seek revenge
against the creatures responsible for the destruction of their homes.
These individuals or small groups represent the races on those now
dead worlds, and they have a single, deadly purpose: Revenge. A loose
federation has formed among the roving bands, sharing information and
working together towards their common goal.
The Venandi know they are not strong enough alone to halt the
Dreadmarch, but together they can be more than a nuisance and perhaps
eventually contribute to the Dread’s downfall. Stories along the fringes
have been whispered of teams of “Ghosts” seeking something in the
ruins and taking out anyone who gets in their way.
There seems to be a particularly negative relationship between the
Venandi and the Excursori. The Excursori seek remnants of alien
technology and knowledge to help the Dominion stop the Dread threat
they know is coming for all humanity eventually, but they are not afraid
to sell such items and details to help finance their mission. The Venandi
do not believe in selling the past for a profit, and there have been tales of
raging battles between the two groups from time to time.
Through our limited communication with the Skaali, it seems that they
too have a long, negative history with the Venandi. The Venandi will do
almost anything to stop the Dread, but the Skaali went too far in their
eyes. The Skaali essentially sacrificed their homeworld with a planet-
buster to stop the Dread advance. Billions perished and only the barest few
thousand souls survived their self-made genocide. The Venandi believe this
to be a cowardly act, though the Skaali believe it to be their finest sacrifice.

Standard Venandi Encounters
• Venandi can be found anywhere the Dread are known to operate or
have been known to operate.
• The Venandi will eliminate any Dominion or Excursori forces who
get in their way, but can be reasoned with if Dominion forces find a
way to contact them and not be killed in the process.
The Void is an unforgiving and empty place in the Deep Reaches and
Space Between. In those parts of space, the very fabric of the universe is
weaker than elsewhere. And sometimes there are things that find ways to
punch holes from elsewhere.
Nobody knows for sure when the Dread ripped into our part of the
multiverse from whatever hell they come from, only that they were
hungry when they got here. And “they” is a bit of a misnomer. Really it
was just “She” who tore into our nightmares -- the Monarch -- a living
planet with an unquenchable thirst for life.
When the Monarch appeared, she sacrificed a portion of herself to cast
stones and find a meal. She threw parts of herself in multiple directions
to find worlds teeming with life just waiting to be consumed. Lesser
beings must be sacrificed to serve at the whims of the gods, do they not?
The Skaali were among the first to feel the Dread presence. The first
salvo hit multiple worlds and the invasion began without a warning
shot. Meteors tore through the sky and soon Dread forces laid claim to
everything in their path.
Other alien species know The Gollus had a bit more warning when the
the Dread by their true attacks struck their homeworld. They were already
name, the Antetaar. They getting ready to leave. Though the Skaali were a
simply call them “The young race, just expanding beyond their home
Dread,” warning others
system and colonizing other worlds, the Gollus
to stay out of the Stellar
Graveyard or “Dread Zone” were entering the spacefaring age of their existence,
of dead worlds left behind stripping worlds bare to build great ships capable
by the Monarch, for fear of traversing the void to greener pastures. While the
of waking her again. The Skaali battled against invading forces, the Gollus
last time they dealt with
her was hundreds of years were simply abandoning any worlds the Monarch
ago and some races such infected and moving on.
as the Skaali are only now The stones the Monarch launches into the void
recovering.
are not empty vessels. Each contains a passenger: a
sleeping Queen or Lord, each with a single purpose.
Queens give birth to the Hive. Lords connect the Hive to the Hivemind
-- a shared consciousness capable of bridging the void between worlds. As
soon as these creatures are able on a suitable world, they begin their tasks.
The Queen begins by creating a pair of eggs which hatch almost
immediately. These two creatures become her bodyguards, massive
warriors built to ensure her survival. Laying these eggs is an exhausting
task and leaves her in a vulnerable state, so her bodyguards begin
bringing her offerings… victims… from their new home. As the Queen
regains her strength and her guards establish a foothold, she lays more
eggs -- growing soldiers to tackle the next phases of development.
Meanwhile, the Lord has been finding a safe place to rest and act as
an antenna for the Hivemind. He burrows deep into the world, seeking
energy to tap into and keep his connection alive. Once established, he also

works as a beacon -- signalling to the Monarch when the world is ready
to be harvested. It is thought that the Lord exists in two worlds -- the
physical world and a separate plane where missives and communications
travel between the Monarch and her minions.
But all of this is theory, unproven by Dominion scientists. None of these
creatures have been discovered. It is thought that they burrow as deep
as possible, protecting themselves and draining heat and energy from
whatever sources are available.
All of the other Dread on the world are hooked into this Hivemind.
What one sees, they all see. What one hears, they all hear. At their core,
they have one directive -- to keep the Queen alive. But they do so much
more than that… helping to build up Hive defenses and gathering victims
to fuel their plans for total domination.
As the Hive reaches critical mass, the Queen lays a special egg -- the
Harvester. This creature acts as the third phase to Hive development,
draining host victims and storing their life energy for the Monarch to
consume in her quest to drain the universe of is life force. But nothing is
wasted. Each drained host becomes a Hollow, fighting and working for
the Hive with no will of their own and overwhelmed by the Hivemind.
Finally, when more than half of a world has been decimated and
drained of its essence, the Lord will signal the Monarch that they are
ready to receive her. When enough worlds are ready for her, she begins
her Progress through her domain and drains those batteries to continue
her conquest of the multiverse.
When she is done with a world, her minions go to sleep, their tasks
completed. But should they ever be awakened, they are ready to begin
again…
The Dread Monarch

The Monarch is essentially a living planet of malevolent hunger. Her
goal is to drain the life from each universe she conquers and then move
on to the next. There are infinite worlds to consume and her hunger is
just as insatiable.
When she has consumed enough energy from a universe, she uses it to
tear a hole into the next, then repeats the process. There is no way of
knowing how long she has been destroying worlds, but she’s never going
to stop so long as there is life to consume.
Her “asteroid attack” essentially demolishes part of her very essence,
placing either Queens or Lords on missiles with the intent to bring about
the end of life on every planet they touch.

The Queen
Queens are the mother of the Hive, sacrificing everything to get it started
and keep it alive to serve the Monarch. They may begin small, as eggs
on an asteroid tossed into space, but when tended by their retinue, they
can grow enormous and fight with a passion few can match. Their sole
purpose is to feed and lay eggs.
Lords
Each Hive has a single Lord, which is both connected to and disconnected
from the Hive. He serves as a communications array, not tapping into
the life energy of the victims on the planet but the planet itself, using that
power to keep the Hivemind alive. Nobody knows exactly what these
creatures look like, but it is theorized that they are diggers who burrow
deep into a world and find a line to its core.
Brutes
Brutes are the Queen’s bodyguards and ensure that the Hive runs
smoothly. The Queen lays two Brute eggs initially, but can lay more later
on when conditions are right.
Brutes are large, powerful creatures both intelligent and strong, willing
to do anything they can to protect their Queen and their cache of
harvested life energy. They can direct Soldiers and Hollows to do their
bidding, filling the role of Hive foremen as needed.
Soldiers
Soldiers are the Queen’s main forces and the creatures seen most in battle.
They are brutal and fast, but not very intelligent, relying on the Brutes and
the Queen to direct them wherever they are needed. They are responsible
for everything from building and digging to retrieving victims.
Harvesters
Harvesters are a special breed, with a single task. Once the Queen is
large enough, the Harvester takes a majority of victims and drains them
of their life energy, placing it into large sacs behind them. When a sac is
full, it detaches and is moved into a cache for the Monarch to drain on
her Progress through the conquered worlds.

Like Queens and Lords, there is but one Harvester per Hive. The
Harvester’s job is simple. When a live victim is placed before it, bound
or unconscious, it drains the victim dry of its life essence and connects
that creature to the Hivemind. The energy flows into a large bulbous sac,
almost like a mosquito drawing blood from a victim. When the Sac is large
enough, it disconnects from the Harvester and is carried deep into the Hive
by Hollows or Soldiers. And the Harvester then grows a new one.
Harvesters also have the ability to manipulate the DNA of the Hollows
it creates to create formidable protectors for the hive.
Hollows
Hollows are victims who have been drained by the Harvester and
assimilated into the Hivemind, overwhelmed by the combined thoughts
of millions of Antetaar beings across galaxies. They come in a variety of
shapes and sizes, whatever happens to be handy on a given planet. They
are used in different ways by Queens and Brutes as they see fit -- from
troops to miners and lookouts -- and anything they see, so does every
other member of the Hive.
Different worlds have different creatures that can become Hollows, such
as the centipedes and other insects and lower life forms found elsewhere
in the universe. The Dread prefer higher beings, as they offer more life
energy for the Monarch, but any life form will do when needed.
Our Own Dread Nightmare

When the corporations began encountering the Dread on those distant
worlds in the Graveyard and chose to do more research, things really hit
the fan. For now, the Council has decided that if we can keep any Dread
contact on the fringes of Dominion space, we might have a chance of
surviving. But the more they hear from the other races, the less likely
that becomes…
Standard Dread Encounters

• Planetfall
• New Hive, No Harvester
• Growing Hive with Batteries

Congratulations on your graduation from the Armstrong-Glenn Dread Rating
Dominion Space Forces (DSF) Training Academy at Picard Crater (DR): 1
on Luna, Earth orbit, Sol System. It is a proud day for you, your Mission
families, and the people of the Dominion of Humankind (DHK). Parameters:
Unfortunately, we have a mission that will cut short your celebrations. Investigate,
Capture,
Your School Commandant, Colonel Lucas Edson, summons you to Eliminate,
his office. Collect
Marines, though this is an auspicious occasion, the work we
do never ends. Most of our troops are already deploying throughout
Dominion Space and you are among the last squads to head out. As such,
I’ve delayed your departure so you can check out a spot of concern near
Mendeleev Crater. Our Signals Corps has detected weird transmissions
from the area but hasn’t been able to determine their intent.
Your mission is to investigate and resolve the situation. Gear up and
meet your dropship at the docks. Your pilot, Captain Jo “Tornado”
Delham, will drop you one click out from the crater where you ask her
to land and will pick you up when you’re done.
Good luck. First solo missions can be nerve wracking, but we have every
confidence in you.
Luna is considered to be under Dominion protection, so protect our
turf! Stay frosty, soldiers.
Mission parameters for the Mendeleev Crater objective are simple:

Investigate, Capture, Eliminate, and Collect.
• Investigate: Check out the area with the strange transmissions, note
conditions and any potential conflicts. Determine best course of action.
• Capture or Eliminate: If enemies are present, attempt to subdue and
capture if possible or eliminate if not.
• Collect: Collect data, evidence, and anything else our intelligence
or science folks can use to determine the true purpose of the signals
and any resistance encountered.
Chapter 8: Graduation Day 103

Situation
The Grey Men have kidnapped a young man from Seleucus Crater.
He is the son of prominent scientists doing illegal research for Bennet
Implementations, Inc. (BII), one of the many research corporations still
operating on the moon. As such, they have not reported his disappearance
to the authorities. A three-man team of BII corporate security consultants
have been dispatched to handle matters, but the DDS (Defense Services)
and DSF (Space Forces) are constantly monitoring Dominion space,
especially this close to home, and they discovered the strange signals first.
The young man’s name is Ellis Roberts and his parents are Drs. HV and
Mary Roberts.
The new squad of Space Marines (DSF) has just finished their 6 months
of training at the DSF facility at Picard Crater and were one of the closest
squads available to check out the situation. Plus, Command is curious as
to how they perform under real-world conditions.
The strange signals were reported coming from somewhere inside
Mendeleev Crater, which is on the far side of the moon and approximately
100 km in diameter with a depth of nearly 1 km. The interior of
Mendeleev is nearly level and contains a number of smaller craters.

The dropship will pick them up at Picard Station. It will drop them 1
km from the outer edge of the Mendeleev crater near where the signals
originated. They can call for pickup when the mission is complete.
The Greys have set up a temporary habitat (4 rooms plus the airlock) in
one of the inner craters near the edge of Mendeleev’s southmost ridge.
The inner crater is about 2 km in diameter and at a depth of nearly 100
m from the rest of the Mendeleev basin. The habitat and the Grey’s ship
are located at the center of the inner crater.
The habitat is small and only rated for 8 individuals, but it is pressurized
and does have some atmospheric processing equipment attached. Also
attached is a large, thin, spear-shaped antenna that reaches nearly 25m in
height, which broadcasts the signals. These signals are heavily encrypted,
transmitting medical telemetry from the victim.
The habitat has some outside equipment, specifically power conduits
from the ship to the structure and the antenna, plus a generator of some
sort processing a green liquid.
The walls of the habitat appear to be smooth and flat, but are inflated by
the atmosphere within. The fabric seems to self-organize into a material
tough enough to resist the airless environment of the Moon, though any
projectile ammunition or melee weapons that penetrate the walls will
cause an explosive decompression.
If a character has some form of high-tech viewer with a sensor array,
they can look for heat signatures within. Greys have a different heat
signature than humans. All but one signature is taller and lankier than a
human, with heads showing much warmer than a human’s.
The Ship Outside

The ship is not large, but it is very sleek in design. The surface of the
ship has been electrified and set to release a pulse designed to knock out
anyone who attempts to access it. This will also set off an alarm inside
the habitat.

Anyone who touches the ship must make a Save vs. Electrocution
(Toughness) and anyone within 10m must make a Save vs. Stun (Morale)
to shake off the effects of the stun.
The Antenna
The Antenna is a 25m tall pole wrapped in dimly glowing blue conduit.
The Airlock
The airlock is the smallest room in the structure, merely a 5m x 3m
passage big enough for two or three individuals at a time. It takes 15
seconds to pressurize the airlock once the outer door is closed.
The outer door to the airlock has an electronic lock. The heroes could
use electronics traits (Security or Bits & Bytes) to open the door, or
they may simply blow it open. If they blow it open, the habitat will
depressurize, and the young man will perish.
The Greys are all wearing suits and can quickly don their helmets.
The Entry
A fixed turret has been set up here, facing the airlock. A small table and
chairs has been set up behind the turret. Some electronic devices are piled
on the table. A sleeping Grey lies in the corner, armed with a laser pistol
and wearing basic combat armor.
The Multipurpose Module

This room is 10m x 10m x 3m and offers numerous options pinned
to the walls. Sleeping tie-downs, tables, workstations, and more. And a
number of greys are here, watching displays for any unexpected guests.
If they know such guests are coming, they will arm themselves with laser
rifles and be ready for a fight. If not, they can be surprised and will only
have laser pistols available. They also have several stun grenades available.
• Stun grenade: 1d6 force damage (not penetration), plus Save vs.
Stun (Morale) for all within the 15m blast radius.
The Extraction Lab

In this small, 10m x 5m room, the young man lies strapped to a table
and two Grey scientists are doing their best to keep him alive while
extracting bone marrow and portions of every organ from him. He
wakes every 5-10 minutes screaming before he passes out again. The two
Greys are wearing full suits and helmets with all external microphones
turned off. They are discussing the procedures very clinically and not
listening at all to their “patient.”

The Greys are here to keep their subject alive as long as they can and
retrieve as many biological samples as they can. They are seeking cures
to various genetic ailments their species has begun to exhibit as their
species races toward extinction. Inbreeding and a shrinking Grey gene
pool have really made a mess of things.
As soon as the shooting begins, they will gather their samples and head
towards their ship. If the airlock is compromised and they cannot escape
in that direction, the scientists will attempt to disengage the collars
between rooms to create a new exit. It will take the scientists 3 rounds to
take out enough hardware to separate the modules.
The Greys are not expecting any attackers so their number does not
include more than 2-6 soldiers along with the scientists. The number of
aliens should equal the PC team size minus 1, but feel free to adjust this
number by using Dread points.
The Grey soldiers will retreat to the Multipurpose Room and use the
turret in the entry room as cover, firing their lasers through the doorway.
They will seal the door so it has to be cut through if the invaders overrun
the turret or rush them. As soon as enemies breach the Multipurpose
room door they will throw a stun grenade and fire their laser weapons.
During the process, the scientists will gather their samples, leaving the
young man on the table, and make a run for the ship. If they get to the
ship, it will take off quickly and silently, leaving the soldiers behind to
cover their escape.
Should the PCs defeat the remaining Greys, they can recover bodies,
weapons, data. The PCs might be able to save the victim - he needs
stabilization and immediate medical care. He is not wearing an
environmental suit, so he will perish quickly if the habitat depressurizes.
The grey soldiers will not take prisoners and will fight against the PCs
to their last breath.
Should the Greys defeat the PCs, the survivors will call for pick-up
by the ship that escaped with the scientists. They will collect any dead,
human or alien, and flee.

Important Stats
• Robot Turret: Attribute 9, Traits: Immobile, Laser Pistol (d6+1,
1-10m range), Unlimited Ammo (while powered up), Combat
Armor (AR3/AP15)
• Grey Men Scientist: Attribute 8, Traits: Legged (10m), Tactical Suit
(AR2/AP10); Laser Pistol (Ranged) (d6+1; 1-10m range; RS1; 15
round battery), Observant
• Grey Men Soldiers: Attribute 10, Traits: Legged (10m), Enhanced
Combat Armor (AR4/AP20), Laser Rifle (Ranged) (d6+2; 2-150m
range; RS2; 30 round battery), Tactics, Melee, Laser Knife (d6+1)
• Laser Pistol: Energy weapon that does d6+1 damage, single; 1-10m
range; RS1; 15 round battery.
• Laser Rifle: Energy weapon that does d6+2 damage, single; 2-75m
range; RS2; 30 round battery.
• Stun grenade: 1d6 damage to 10’, Save vs. Shock (Presence) at a
Disadvantage for all targets in blast
• Ellis (LS) Roberts (Young man/victim) - stats 10 - no weapon, no armor
• Security Consultant: Attribute 10, Traits: Legged (10m), Stealth
Combat Armor (AR3/AP15, black, non-reflective material hides
heat signature), Pistol (Ranged) (d6, 1-10m range, 10 shots), Guns

Here are a few hints and suggestions if this is your first time running A&A:
• Hacking the door takes two Accuracy rolls: one to figure it out and
one to open the door. If either roll fails, the aliens inside may notice
(Save vs. Presence) and begin evacuating.
• The turret does not give off heat unless fired, so there is no heat
signature that appears unless it has shot recently. However, the PCs
may be able to tap into the generator with a multimeter to deduce
the types of equipment it is powering and where they are located,
including the medical equipment in the lab and the turret which
draws a great deal of power in the entryway.
• The turret has a limited firing range (90 degree arc) but there is
room for characters to get behind to get out of the line of fire and
potentially unplug from the power supply (Save vs. Education).
Also note that though this simple adventure is fairly straightforward,
there are many little things that can be done to increase or decrease the
difficulty. For instance, by default the Greys are not expecting company
and have not set up any sensors to note approaching trouble, but they
could be notified if part of their habitat, ship, or surrounding equipment
are tinkered with. Or the three corporate security consultants from BII
could show up at an opportune moment to provide aid to the PCs, or at
an inopportune moment to escape with Ellis Roberts out the back while
the PCs are still in combat with the Grey soldiers.

Aliens & Asteroids is a tabletop roleplaying game about gritty, dark,

terrifying science fiction stories, combining the uncertainty of space
exploration with the horror of discovering beings and technologies
beyond our understanding. Set in a futuristic universe where Space
Marines do the grunt work for the Dominion, a corporate-led
governmental entity that manages all of human-occupied space, you’ll
face aliens and horror from beyond the edges of imagination.
You play grunts, sent out into the void to combat aliens, rescue
idiots from the fruits of their adventurous spirit, and explore worlds
to discover life or technology worth exploiting in the name of
humankind. Keep your pulse rifle handy, because there’s a good chance
everything you meet wants you dead.
Aliens & Asteroids utilizes the Inverse20 engine, a fast resolution
system that utilizes a d20. Included are rules for character and drone
creation, setting details, and guidelines for designing missions and
alien creatures for your players to encounter, plus a starting scenario
that provides a quick start to your campaign!
The rules are focused on allowing you to tell exciting stories around
alien encounters, abductions, combats, and horrors, inspired by
science-fiction films like Aliens and Starship Troopers, computer games
like X-COM: UFO Defense, and television shows like Babylon-5 and
The Expanse.
Time to grab a handful of dice, some pencils, some players, and get
ready for your next science fiction adventure!
OOH-RAH!

Aliens & Asteroids RPG

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Aliens & Asteroids RPG

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Writers: Brian Fitzpatrick and Alan Bahr

Editors: George Fields, Gene Fitzpatrick, and Jim White

Aliens & Asteroids 1

Aliens & Asteroids opens up a whole new vista of adventure for

The game utilizes a system known as Inverse20, which offers a fast

The Dominion of Humankind, sometimes known as the DHK or simply

Chapter 2: The Dominion 6

Ultimately, the Dominion is merely a loose confederation of worlds and

Chapter 2: The Dominion 7

Chapter 2: The Dominion 8

Chapter 2: The Dominion 9

The establishment of the first permanent lunar colony, Luna 1, in 2026,

The first permanent settlement on Mars was built in 2041, a mere 15

Chapter 2: The Dominion 12

Chapter 2: The Dominion 13

In 2193, the Australian-led corporation of Bondi-Andisse announced

Chapter 2: The Dominion 16

We have encountered three main, intelligent, alien races in our exploration

The Grey Men

Chapter 2: The Dominion 18

Chapter 2: The Dominion 19

Chapter 3: Your Role in the Space Marines 20

Chapter 3: Your Role in the Space Marines 21

Chapter 3: Your Role in the Space Marines 22

Chapter 3: Your Role in the Space Marines 23

Chapter 3: Your Role in the Space Marines 24

Chapter 3: Your Role in the Space Marines 25

Chapter 3: Your Role in the Space Marines 26

Chapter 3: Your Role in the Space Marines 27

Chapter 3: Your Role in the Space Marines 28

Chapter 3: Your Role in the Space Marines 29

Hand-to-Hand Athletics -- Skill in hand-to-hand

Chapter 3: Your Role in the Space Marines 30

Chapter 3: Your Role in the Space Marines 31

Chapter 3: Your Role in the Space Marines 32

Chapter 3: Your Role in the Space Marines 33

Chapter 3: Your Role in the Space Marines 34

Name Type Description

Chapter 3: Your Role in the Space Marines 35

Chapter 3: Your Role in the Space Marines 36

Chapter 3: Your Role in the Space Marines 37

Chapter 3: Your Role in the Space Marines 38

Chapter 3: Your Role in the Space Marines 39

Chapter 3: Your Role in the Space Marines 40

Chapter 3: Your Role in the Space Marines 41

Basic Drone Qualities

Drone Creation Steps

Chapter 3: Your Role in the Space Marines 42

Chapter 3: Your Role in the Space Marines 43

Chapter 3: Your Role in the Space Marines 44

Chapter 3: Your Role in the Space Marines 45

Chapter 4: The Rules 46

Chapter 4: The Rules 47

Chapter 4: The Rules 48

Combat in A&A breaks down into four simple concepts:

Chapter 4: The Rules 49

Chapter 4: The Rules 50

Chapter 4: The Rules 51

Chapter 4: The Rules 52

Chapter 4: The Rules 53