N

ME
LU
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SPENCER CAMPBELL
 To my incredible wife, Kate,
flying by my side through life.

To the amazing flock that

supports the NOVAverse.

And of course, you.

Writing & Design:

Spencer Campbell – Gila RPGs

Cover & Layout:

Mike Rieman – TwoPancakes.com

Interior Art:
Galen Pejeau – @GPejeau

GILARPGS.COM
@GILARPGS
SPENCER CAMPBELL
 C O N T E N T

The
5. Setting
The
7. Campaign
The
9. Rules
The
13. Birds

25. Combat
The
31. Aerie
 +

33. Missions

61. ENEMIES

71. GM SECTION

74. AERIE
SHEET

75. CHARACTER
SHEET
Assemble
the
Flock.
Bring
murder
to our
enemies.

Take
flight.
-CORVUS WARCRY
In NEST, a group of agents of the Corvus
Dominion have been assigned the task of
eliminating a threat lurking in the Dusk. Over
a series of missions, these agents will
reinforce their base and forces, weaken
their enemy, and eventually attempt to take
out a Hellion warlord.

To play, you’ll need a group of 3-5 people.

One player will be the GM, while the
remaining players will be the Corvus agents,
known as Birds. Each player will need a
character sheet, and the group will need an
Aerie sheet to track their mission progress
and Flock upgrades. The GM may want some
paper for notes and drawing out battles. No
dice are used in this game.

This game takes place in the setting of the

NOVA RPG. You do not need to have played
NOVA in order to play NEST. You will find a
brief description of the setting and major
players on the following page.

++++ 4
5

THE

SETT
NEST takes place on the planet
of Obron, the setting of NOVA,
a post-apocalyptic sci-fi
TTRPG. A long time ago, the
sun above Obron exploded,
raining down pieces of itself
onto the planet.

The surface of Obron was

annihilated, and has been
warped and corrupted
over the centuries since
its fall. Humanity has
begun to rebuild
itself around these
sunshards, harnessing
their near infinite
energy and warmth.

But not everyone lives within that light.

Beyond the protection of the sunshards is
the Dusk, the twisted world of Obron set
underneath an eternally dark night’s sky.
And the inhabitants of the Dusk are
not to be trifled with.

CORVUS COMMANDER
TING The Corvus are a militant
avian alien species, trapped
on the planet after being
caught up in the wave of
destruction following the
nova event. Experts in
stealth, sabotage, and
hit-and-run tactics, the
Corvus have been slowly
reassembling their forces,
though to what end,
nobody knows.

Some members of
humanity fled the
sunshards, realizing
they were a glowing
target for the very
worst the planet had
to offer, and so they
fled to the nearby
ruins of their world. There, they have begun to
band together in massive raiding war parties,
lead by fire-obsessed warlords who want to
see Obron brought to its final destruction.
One of these warlords has encroached onto
Corvus territory, and must be dealt with.

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THE
C A M P A I G N

This game is
played out over five
sessions, including a
session zero, with the
campaign concluding after
the final confrontation with the
Hellion warlord.

As such, NEST is not designed as a

sandbox campaign. You are not being
dropped into a world to explore.
Instead, you will be presented with a
series of missions, with the players
making choices of which they want
to pursue, until they reach the
concluding mission.
In total there are four full missions the players will
complete during the campaign. In addition, there
are rules for Session 0 in order to create
characters, establish some setting details,
and an introductory mission for the players
to learn the mechanics and get their first
base upgrade.

It is important to establish the

“on rails” element of the game
with the table from the
beginning. There are no tools
or rules for creating new
missions. If you as a table
decide you want more,
I leave it to you to
create that.

RAPTORS

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R U L E S

As the Birds go on their various missions, they will

encounter a number of obstacles and challenges along
the way. When the GM presents these challenges, the
Birds will describe how they attempt to overcome them.

The Corvus Dominion only sends its most highly

trained agents on missions like this, and so the Birds
are capable of a great many things. Whenever a Bird
attempts to do something, and failing that attempt
would have important consequences, they must use
one of their Approaches. The GM will determine which
Approach fits what the Bird is doing. The Bird must
mark one use of that Approach in order to complete
the action.

If a Bird has used up all of their uses of an Approach,

or wishes to describe their attempt with a different
Approach instead, they can do one of the following:
▪ Complete the action without marking an Approach,
with a major complication added
▪ Complete the action by marking a different
Approach, with a minor complication added

+++
Approaches
All Birds use three Approaches to describe how they
attempt to accomplish their mission. These
Approaches are Sun, Moon, Shade.

SUN is used when taking actions that use

strength or power, anything that would have
sweeping or massive impact.
Brute forcing your way through a barrier,
lifting or hurling a great weight, enduring
an overwhelming force.

MOON is used when speed is of the essence,

quickly acting and reacting in the world, and
accomplishing tasks with unnatural timing.
Running down a fleeing foe, avoiding an
incoming hazard, appearing at a moment’s notice.

SHADE is used for slow, patient, and precise

actions, those that require a methodical approach.
Unlocking or hacking a device, acting with
precision, providing invaluable insight.

Every Bird has a score for each Approach. This score

determines the number of times that Approach can be
used with the core mechanic described earlier.

Think of Approaches as the limitations of these agents.

Years of training and surviving on the blasted world of
Obron have honed their minds and bodies, but such a
dangerous mission will test them. Over time their
bodies will falter, their minds will fog, and the mission’s
success will begin to slip through their talons.

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Complications
Complications are consequences to the actions of the
Birds as they push themselves to the limit. There are no
specific complications that the GM must use. Instead,
think of complications as an opportunity to create new
twists to the story.

Major complications put the Birds immediately back into

danger or with a new obstacle to deal with, while minor
complications reduce the success of the Bird, diluting
its effect or adding a cost.

Here are some examples of complications:

• An enemy takes notice of the Bird’s actions

• Your intel was incomplete and things

are not as they seem

• The Bird takes Harm or drains

Battery as a result

• Gear must be sacrificed or lost

• Alarm systems go off

• Patrols begin actively hunting the Birds

++
+
Each mission includes a number of obstacles the GM
may use as inspiration for complications that are
tailored towards that particular session.

Talents
Each class has a collection of Talents, which represent
their specialized training and role among the Dominion.
These Talents are second nature to the Birds, and can
be called on at any time.

Whenever a Bird describes an action and it would be

covered by one of their Talents, they do not need to
spend an Approach.

What About Combat?

The core mechanic and Talents are primarily used
outside of combat scenarios. However, the Birds will
inevitably run into threats throughout their missions,
and fights will break out. When that happens, the
combat rules are used. The full details of these rules
are found on p. 25.

12
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THE BIRDS

+
THE BIRDS

H E +

T
BIR
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 +
+++
+++++
+++++++

When you are ready to play, each player will need to

create their Bird. In order to do so, read through the
class options in this section. Character creation is
covered as part of Session 0 (p. 39).

Each class has the following characteristics:

• T ALENT S: Abilities representing a special
set of skills.
• WEAPON: Tools of war and assassination used
by the Corvus.
• POWERS: Powerful abilities the Corvus call on
during combat scenarios.

Rules for how weapons and Powers are used can

be found in the Combat section (p. 25).

In addition, all Birds have Health and Battery, as well

as access to Gear, all of which are explained in the
Combat section (p. 25).
+

14
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THE BIRDS
THE BIRDS
Lasher
The Corvus deploy Lashers when infiltrating highly
defended locations. Their talonwhips allow them to
quickly scale walls, acting as rope and grapple. It is
common for Lashers to have their talons either
sheathed in metal, or replaced entirely with
mechanical appendages in order to more easily
grip the surfaces they scale.

TALENTS WEAPON
Pull a small object towards you Talonwhip:
RANGE
Cling to a wall CLOSE
Assess the best point of entry
2 Harm.

POWERS
Whirlwind: Launch: Tangle:
Spin the Grab a piece Leash your
talonwhip in of nearby enemies, opening
a wide circle debris and them up to attacks.
around you. hurl it. RANGE

RANGE RANGE
CLOSE
CLOSE NEAR
Target takes +1
Deal 1 Harm 2 Harm to Harm until the start
to all Close target and 1 of your next turn,
enemies. Harm to and cannot move
everyone further than Close
Close to them. from you.
 The talonwhip
serves as a
dangerous weapon
as well as a traversal
tool. Capable of
wrapping up enemies,
shredding them
with the talons, or
flinging nearby
debris, a Lasher is a
terror when up close.
+ 16
 17

THE BIRDS
THE BIRDS
Shrike
Shrikes are oftentime the first and last to act in a Corvus
kill team. Their corvex rifles have powerful scopes that
not only allow them to spot targets, but to mark and
track them, sharing the locations with the rest of the
flock. Built in sensor systems allow the Shrike to listen
in on their target, though they rarely take the time to
listen to the words of dead men.

TALENTS WEAPON
Track a target seen through scope Corvex Rifle
RANGE
Blend into your environment, FAR
momentarily
3 Harm, can’t be
Pick out the biggest threat
used if you
in an environment
moved this turn.

POWERS
Shock Traps: Weaken: Slip:
Lay down a Hurl a knife to Activate
protective line of knock a foe off your camo
electricity. balance. cloak and
RANGE RANGE disappear.
CLOSE NEAR
Until the end
Until the start of your 1 Harm to target. of the round,
next turn, any enemy The next time you cannot
that gets Close to they would take be targeted
you is locked up and Harm from any by enemy
cannot act this round. Bird, they take +2 actions.
additional Harm.
The corvex rifle fires a single,
massive metal spike at its
target. Capable of piercing
most armor, and even some
walls, the rifle is a killer. It takes
time to prep and line up the
perfect shot, but with the right
support a Shrike can eliminate
any enemy of the Dominion.
+

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THE BIRDS
THE BIRDS
Haunter
When the soldiers of the Corvus Dominion show
exceptional promise, they are given a chance to enter
the Haunter program. Haunters are the core of the
Dominion’s spec-ops branch. They are capable of
breaching and clearing a location before the enemy
is even aware of their presence.

TALENTS WEAPON
Move silently while undetected Strigid Rifle:
RANGE
Spot hidden threats NEAR
Baffle nearby detection
1 Harm,
equipment, for a moment
makes no noise.

POWERS
Feather Run and Gun: Explosive
Grenade: Move quickly Round:
Explosion of tiny across the field Load a powerful
microfeathers taking out explosive into
that blind targets. your rifle.
enemies. RANGE

RANGE Make a free NEAR

NEAR move action,
Deal 1 Harm to
and then use
All enemies at all targets at a
your weapon
target location location, or
against everyone
deal -1 Harm this 3 Harm to a
now in range.
round. single target.
Enhanced vision is provided by
their optical lenses, allowing
them to pick out targets and
eliminate them with their
nearly silent strigid rifles.
+

Pinion cloaks provide

temporary bafflement of enemy
senses, giving Haunters the
opportunity they need to slip
away without a sound.
+
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THE BIRDS
THE BIRDS
Cuckoo
The technological skills of the Corvus outpace everyone
on Obron, including the Sparks of humanity. Whenever
they come across someone who might threaten this
dominant position, they send in Cuckoos to simultaneously
steal and sabotage the enemy tech. In addition, Cuckoos
are the first to field test new Corvus advances, eager to
get their talons on the bleeding edge.

TALENTS WEAPON
Read the electromagnetic fields of the room Strangler:
RANGE
Temporarily drain the power of small machines CLOSE
Override a locked door or panel
1 Harm, stuns
target.

POWERS
Weapons Jam: Recharge: Reboot:
Lock down the Drain enemy Activate auto-
primitive weapons resources and recovery systems
of your enemies. turn them into fuel. in nearby Birds
RANGE RANGE RANGE
NEAR CLOSE NEAR CLOSE NEAR
Choose up to two Until the start of All Birds within
enemies within range. your next turn, range Heal 1. If a
They cannot use any anytime an enemy Bird is already at
actions that would use unit within range is full Health, they
firearms or mechanical killed by a Bird, that may instead
weapons during the Bird recovers 1 recover one use
GM Turn this round. Battery. of any Approach.
 +
In a pinch, a Cuckoo can
quickly choke out an
enemy with their
strangler cable, stunning
them and giving the
Cuckoo time to flee with
their ill-gotten goods.

When deployed
alongside other Corvus
agents, Cuckoos play a
supportive role. They
have found novel ways to
convert the tech of fallen
enemies into valuable
energy their fellow flock
members can use.
+ 22
 23

THE BIRDS
THE BIRDS
Gunner
While the Corvus Dominion prefers to wage war
through stealth and sabotage, there are times when
a bigger threat needs a bigger gun. Gunners are
sent in when a fight is inevitable. Wielding the falcon
cannon, these agents fire high speed projectiles that
explode into a terrifying spray of metallic
microtalons, ripping apart everyone in the blast zone.
Those that survive the first volley quickly retreat
after seeing the carnage left behind.

TALENTS WEAPON
Determine the weak point Falcon Cannon:
of a structure RANGE
NEAR
Punch a hole through
steel or stone 2 Harm to target and all
characters Close to them, cannot
Hover momentarily be used two rounds in a row.

POWERS
Strafing Sonic Overheat:
Run: Boom: Wreckless? Yes.
Fly-by murder Recalibrate Effective? Absolutely.
spree. the falcon
cannon to You may spend more than
Move to a Far “stun.” one point of Battery when
location. Deal 1 activating this. When you
Harm to every All enemies activate Overheat, use
enemy you move Close to your Falcon Cannon and
Close to along you cannot increase the Harm by the
the way, including move this amount of Battery you
when you land. round. spent. Then, take 1 Harm.
+
When the fighting breaks
out, Gunners take to the sky
and bring death from above.

+
Gunners serve as
demolition experts
and frontline fighters
when deployed alongside
other agents. Their
cannon has an alternative
mode that lets it punch
holes clean through the
toughest surfaces,
providing points of
entry for the flock.

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C O M B A T

WHEN FIGHTING BREAKS OUT

DURING A MISSION, THE
COMBAT RULES ARE USED.

Rounds & Turns

Combat takes place over a series of rounds. During a
round, each Bird will take a turn. The Birds may decide
the turn order between the players as they wish. Once
each Bird has had their turn, the GM Turn (p. 30)
occurs. After that, the round is complete, and starts
anew with the Birds all taking turns in an order of their
choosing, followed by the next GM Turn. This repeats
until the fight is over.

Actions
During their turn, a Bird can take any two actions they
would like. They may choose to do the same action
twice in one turn, but cannot activate the same Power
twice in a single turn. The actions are:
• Move
• Use Weapon
• Use Power
• Use Gear
• Maneuver
Movement & Distance
Range is abstracted out, with no specific distances
being measured. Instead, all locations and potential
targets are one of four possible ranges away:

RANGE
CLOSE Within melee, or a few steps away.

RANGE
NEAR Within throwing distances, or a
short sprint away.
RANGE
FAR Within aimed shooting distance, or
a long run away.
RANGE
EXTREME Well beyond the reach of weapons,
a very long run away.

Whenever a character moves, they choose a

target or location, and can move one distance
closer or further away. Here are some examples:

The Shrike player wants to clear some

distance between them and some marauding
Hellions. They are currently at Near range
from them. The Shrike player uses the move
action to get to a location at Far range.

The Lasher player is currently at Far range,

way too far for them to use their melee
weapon or Powers. They use the move action
twice on their turn to move from Far to Close
range to a particular Hellion, getting ready to
smash them during the next round.

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Weapons
Every Corvus agent is equipped with a weapon fitting
their role. Weapons have the following characteristics:
• Range: The range they can be used at.
• Harm: Amount of Harm they deal when used.

When a Bird uses the Weapon action during their turn,

they choose a target that is at their weapon’s range, and
deal the weapon’s Harm to the target. Health, Harm, and
killing characters is covered on p. 29.

Powers & Battery

Powers represent the dangerous abilities of the Corvus
that are deployed during combat scenarios. These
powers are helpful at wiping out enemies, though they
come at a cost.

Most Powers have a range, just like weapons, which

determine who or what can be targeted by the Power.
Powers have special effects, such as dealing Harm,
Healing others, and changing up the fight in some way.

In order to use a Power, the Bird must have the

necessary Battery. Battery is a resource that fuels
the technology allowing the Corvus to call upon their
Powers. All Birds start each mission with 4 Battery.
Each time a Power is used, 1 point of Battery is spent.
If a Bird ever has 0 Battery, they may use a Power, but
must take 1 Harm to do so.
+
Battery is spent throughout a mission to use Powers,
and can be recovered with some Gear. Otherwise it is
always fully recovered after a mission is completed.

When a Bird uses the Power action, they mark a point

of Battery, choose one of their Powers and resolve all
of its effects.

Gear
Corvus agents are equipped with specialized gear
that allows them to complete any mission. Some
Gear can be used in combat, providing the Bird
with a one time effect.

When a Bird uses the Gear action, they choose a piece

of Gear they have, resolve its effect, and remove the
piece of Gear from their character sheet. Some Gear
can be used multiple times, however, and are noted in
their description when this is the case.

Maneuver
Most actions the Birds will take are handled by the
previously described sections. However, there may be
times when a Bird wants to attempt to do something
beyond the scope of moving, or using weapons, Powers,
or Gear. In these instances, the maneuver action is used.

The Bird describes what they want to attempt, conferring

with the GM that it is possible and what the effect of that
action might entail. Once it has been agreed upon, the
Bird marks an Approach, just as if they had used the core
mechanic described on p. 10.

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Health, Harm, & Death

As characters take damage throughout a mission, it is
marked as Harm. Whenever a character takes Harm,
that amount is removed from their Health.

Enemy units that hit 0 Health are considered dead,

unless the Bird who caused the Harm wishes for it to
be non-lethal, instead knocking the enemy out.

When a Bird hits 0 Health, they are at risk of dying.

Before the end of the next round, another Bird must
be at Close range with the dying Bird and use one of
their actions to revive them. If they do so, the dying
Bird gets back up at half Health. If a Bird is not
revived, they have died on the mission. That player
should make a new Bird and deploy them immediately
into the mission after the current fight is over,
representing reinforcements arriving.
GM Turn
After each Bird has taken their turn, the GM Turn
begins. During this time, the GM will activate enemy
units, and then update the fight in a meaningful and
interesting way.

During the GM Turn, the GM may activate a number of

enemy units equal to the number of Birds plus one. For
example, if the game has 3 Birds deployed, the GM may
activate 4 enemy units during the GM Turn. Rules for
how enemies work are found on p. 61.

After activating enemies, the GM ends their turn by

updating the battle. This is their opportunity to
introduce a twist, obstacle, new threat, or any other
challenge to the fight.

Some examples include:

• Enemy reinforcements arrive
• T he terrain of the battle changes
• T he enemy deploys a new strategy
• A defense is deployed to foil the Birds

30
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A E R I E

On important campaigns, the Corvus deploy one of their

Aeries. These mechanical walkers are mobile bases that
Dominion agents deploy from and return to over the
course of their missions.

The Birds of this campaign have been granted an Aerie,

and it will be their homebase between missions. At the start
of the campaign, the table will establish some facts about
the Aerie together during Session 0 (p. 39).

The Aerie hosts a variety of specialist Corvus agents who

will help the Birds throughout their campaign. These agents,
called the Flock, have special abilities that they grant to
the players. These abilities may provide ongoing benefits to
the Birds, or may be called upon during a mission to get a
helpful bit of backup in a desperate situation.

Over the course of the campaign, the Birds may find

members of the Flock during their missions, which will allow
them to be added to the Aerie, increasing the number of
benefits they have access to in future missions. The Birds
will choose their first members of the Flock during Session 0.

The Aerie sheet (p. 74) is used to track the Flock, missions
completed by the Birds, and the Gear that is available to
them during missions.
++++
 Gear
At the start of the campaign, the Birds have access to the
Aerie’s collection of Gear that they may choose from at the
start of each mission. Multiple Birds may take the same
piece of Gear. The Gear available in the Aerie never runs
out, and the selection available will grow with time as the
Birds secure certain members of the Flock, or as a reward
for completing some mission objectives. All Gear can only
be used one time during a mission, unless noted otherwise.

THE ARMORY STARTS WITH THE

FOLLOWING GEAR:
++
• EMP: Momentarily shuts down
non-Corvus electronics in an area.
• Cuckoo Claw: Overrides any system
it comes in contact with, giving full
control to the Corvus.
• Spybird: Silent drone that will mark
all enemies in an area, allowing the
Corvus to know their exact locations.
• Battery Pack: All Birds recover 1 Battery.

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M I S S I O N S

Throughout the campaign, the Birds

will choose a number of missions to
go on as they attempt to bolster
their forces, weaken the enemy, and
eventually take out their target.

+++
EACH MISSION OF NEST HAS THE
FOLLOWING INFORMATION:

Briefing Note:
Flavor text describing what the mission is
about, and what the Birds might accomplish if
they choose it.

Primary Objective:
Must be accomplished to complete the mission.
Secondary Objective(s):
Additional goals the Birds can accomplish,
though they are not required, and the Birds are
not always aware of them.

Rewards:
What the Birds get for completing the primary
and any secondary objectives. Typically comes
in the form of new Flock members or effects
that weaken the target in the final fight.
Forces:
Enemy unit types that are present during the
mission. Specific unit counts are not provided,
and the GM should make use of enemy units as
fits the situation the players are in.

Locations:
Points of interest that the Birds might visit
throughout the mission, that the GM can use
when describing and framing scenes.

Obstacles:
Optional complications the GM may choose
from in order to challenge the Birds.
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The campaign takes place over the course of five

sessions, including a Session 0 (p. 39). As the Birds
move through the campaign, they will make choices
between which mission they want to pursue next. Once
they have made that choice, they will not be able to go
back, and so they will need to choose which missions
best fit their plans.

Here is a visual depiction of what the flow of the

campaign looks like.

2a
1a 3a
0 2b
1b 3b
2c
A session of NEST involves playing out a mission.
There are three steps to this:
1. Briefing & Choosing
2. Deploying
3. Debriefing & Recovery

Briefing & Choosing

The Birds will need to choose which mission they want
to go on. In order to do that, the GM briefs them on
their options, and the Birds decide which to pursue.

Once the Birds have made their choice, each Bird may
choose one piece of Gear from the Aerie to bring with
them (p. 32). In addition, take note of any benefits the
Birds gain from their existing Flock.
Deploying
Most of the session is spent in this step. This is when
the Birds are out on the mission, facing the challenges
set forth by the GM, taking on fights, and pursuing
whatever the objective of the mission is. Use the core
mechanic and combat rules to play out the mission.

Debriefing
After the mission has been completed, the Birds
always return to the Aerie. Any rewards they earned
for completing mission objectives are noted on the
Aerie sheet.

The Birds should briefly describe what it looks like

when they recover at the base. All Approaches,
Health, and Battery are restored, and the Birds have
time to socialize with one another and the Flock. Take
as much time in this part as you’d like, as this is the
opportunity to see the Birds outside of the mission.

Session 0
During this session the players will come together,
discuss the nature of the game, and ensure everyone
understands the rules. Afterward, the players will make
their Birds, establish the Aerie, and complete their first
mission to recruit the first members of the Flock.

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Getting Together
Session 0 exists to make sure that everyone at the
table is on the same page before the campaign game
begins. The GM should go over the structure of the
campaign with the players, so they understand the
linear aspect of the game as opposed to a “sandbox”
approach they might be familiar with in other systems.

The rules of the game don’t need to be fully

understood before play, but it is always helpful to allow
anyone at the table to ask for clarifications or
explanations before the game begins. The players and
GM will have an opportunity to test out the mechanics in
the small mission at the end of this session.

Creating Characters & The Aerie

Each player needs to make their Bird. To do so, they go
through the following steps:
1. Choose a class. Write down your Talents, weapon,
and Powers onto your character sheet.
2. Set Approaches. All Birds start with a value of 1
for each Approach. You have 4 points to increase those
Approaches as you see fit. These values will remain for
the entire campaign, unless a Flock member or mission
effect would alter them.
3. Note Health & Battery. All Birds start with 6
Health and 4 Battery. These values will remain for the
entire campaign, unless a Flock member or mission
effect would alter them.
After creating their Birds, each player should go around
and answer the following questions:
• What is your Bird’s name or callsign?
• What does your Bird look like?
• What was the last mission they were
deployed on?
Players and the GM are encouraged to ask each other
more questions, or follow-up questions, to help flesh out
their characters.

Once the Birds have been established, the players

should answer the following questions about their Aerie:
• What does the interior of the Aerie
look like?
• How does the Aerie move undetected
through the Dusk?
• How familiar are the Birds with one
another?
When the table is ready, they should complete the
following mission to recruit their first Flock members
and familiarize themselves with the rules of the game.
Afterward, the players and GM should spend some time
going over any questions that come up before they go
on their first mission during the next session.

If the table decides not to complete the session 0

mission, they should jump to selecting their first
members of the Flock (p. 41). There are three options
at the end of the mission, and the Birds will select two
to join their Aerie.

38
39

NS
IO
SS 2a
MI
S
N

1a 3a
O
I

SESSION 0
S
S
I
M

0 2b
MISSION 1b 3b
2c

You have been selected to be the talon of the

Dominion, to strike down a foe that threatens fellow
Corvus in this area of the Dusk: a Hellion warlord. In
order to do so, you will need to secure access to an
Aerie mobile base that was recently overrun by
Hellion raiders. Locate the raiders, take them out,
and rendezvous with the first of your Flock.

GM Note:
This mission is meant to be quick, and is an
opportunity to practice the mechanics as a table.
Take time when challenges arise to discuss them
as a table so that everyone understands how to
mechanically resolve player and GM actions.

Part 1: Locate the Aerie

The Birds will need to navigate a short distance of the
Dusk in order to locate the downed Aerie walker.
During this time they should face a number of
environmental hazards and challenges, as an
opportunity to practice using their Approaches.

The first part of this mission should be focusing on

using the core mechanic, rather than the combat
rules. A fight will happen later on.
 +
Challenges to consider using:
• A massive canyon must be crossed
• Dangerous Dusk beasts prowl the area
• Violent flash storms appear
• T he walker is being hidden somehow
Once the Birds have had a chance to use a couple
Approaches, let them discover the walker’s location so
they can move onto Part 2.

Part 2: Eliminate the Hellions

In this part, the table will complete a small combat
scenario to practice those mechanics. The Birds have
an opportunity to scout out the area, deciding how
they want to handle the fight, and may use Approaches.
Once the fight begins, switch to the combat rules.

A small group of Hellions is protecting the captured

walker. They have formed a perimeter and are on
lookout for anyone that would take their plunder.
Some Hellions are moving in small patrol groups in
the surrounding area.

There are always 1 Firebug, 1 Sniper, and 1 Trooper

present. There is also 1 additional Trooper for each
Bird in the group.

After taking out the Hellions, the Birds have secured

their Aerie base. They may begin to form their Flock,
selecting two from the following options:

Raptor | Pelican | Robin

40
 NS
IO
S
41

IS
NMS
IO
SS
IM
OINS
S
S
SI
NM
O
I
S
S
I
M

Raptor
Raptor squads are small groups of Corvus foot
soldiers who can rapidly appear on the battlefield and
employ hit-and-fly tactics. While not elevated to agent
status, Raptors are loyal and always looking for ways to
impress the Corvus Flock leaders.

Once per mission, you can call on the Raptor squad to

assist you in eliminating enemies. Outside of combat,
they can eliminate any single enemy, other than the
Warlord and Cindereye, without detection. If used
during combat, the Raptors will deal 1 Harm to all
enemies in the fight, as they fly by with devastating fire.

Pelican
Pelican knows the fastest routes through the Dusk,
and is able to help usher Corvus agents quickly
across large distances. As a result, Pelican is called
on when the Flock needs to rapidly redeploy and take
advantage of every opportunity.

When choosing your next mission, you may choose

another mission in the current tier you are in, instead
of moving forward. For example, if you just completed
Mission 3A, you may instead choose Missions 3B or
3C as your next mission, instead of moving on to 4.
This can only be used once during the campaign.
Note that choosing Pelican will extend your campaign
to a sixth session.
 ++++
Robin
Robin is an expert at crafting Corvus tech, and helps
create various pieces of Gear that the Birds can
choose from before a mission.

ADD THE FOLLOWING GEAR TO THE ARMORY:

• Veil: Causes nearby enemies to temporarily
perceive one another as threats.

• Mobile Medic: Used to recover a downed Bird to

full health instead of half.

With the Aerie secured, Session 0 is now complete and

the group is ready to start the campaign. When you
play again, you’ll begin with briefing the Birds on
Mission 1A and 1B, and the Birds will decide which they
want to pursue.

42
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NS 2a
IO
SS
MI

1a 3a
S
N
O

MISSION 1A
I

0 2b
S
S
I
M

1b 3b
2c

A Hellion armory has been discovered in the

area, and is responsible for providing most of
the munitions and armor that our target and
their raiders use. Seek it out, and shut the place
down, permanently.

Primary Objective: Shut down the armory.

Reward: The armor plating used by the Hellions is
seriously damaged. Troopers have -1 Health for the
rest of the campaign.
Secondary Objective: Secure the stolen Corvus tech.
Reward: Add the Flight Suit as a piece of Gear
added to the Aerie.
▪ Flight Suit: Silent boosters allow for temporary flight.

Forces
• Troopers, Snipers, Firebugs

Locations
• Makeshift troop barracks • Supply room
• Factory and • Ammunition storage vault
production floor • Multiple guard towers
 Obstacles
• Transport caravan arrives to pick up
a shipment
• Increased number of snipers
deployed due to recent attacks on
the depot
• Ammunition vault is locked, requiring
multiple steps to access it
• Crude alarm systems have been
hastily wired up

CORVUS PREENER

44
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NS
IO 2a
SS
MI

1a 3a
S
N
O
I
S

MISSION 1B 0 2b
S
I
M

1b 3b
2c

A Hellion caravan is moving through the area,

and intel reports they have one of our agents
on board. Find the caravan, and liberate your
fellow agent before they are sent off to a
Hellion prison camp.

Primary Objective: Recover Magpie from Hellion security.

Reward: Add Magpie to the Flock.
Secondary Objective: Discover the Hellion base location.
Reward: You now know detailed patrol patterns
of the Hellions in the final mission, allowing for
easier infiltration.

Forces
• Troopers, Firebugs

Locations
• Fueling station • Supply truck
• Hellion held checkpoint • Dangerous
switchback road
• Artillery van
 Obstacles
• The truck the agent is being on a held is rigged
with explosives, in case of trouble
• A rival Hellion crew attacks the caravan
• Dusk storms begin to unravel reality
• Several buggies circle the caravan, on patrol

Magpie
Magpie is responsible for resupply and logistics for
Corvus operations. Their network of agents have
scattered supplies across the planet in order to
reinforce Birds that are out on missions. They are
familiar with this region of the world, and are always
eager to share what they know.

Once per mission, Magpie will reveal a supply cache

hidden in the area. All Birds can recover 1 Health, 1
Battery, and 1 Approach of their choice.
++++
+++
++
+

46
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S
IO
N 2a
SS
MI

1a 3a
S
N
O

MISSION 2A
I

0 2b
S
S
I
M

1b 3b
2c

Gear up, Birds, this one is going to be loud.

We have reports that another Corvus cell is
operating in the area, and they are currently
under fire deep in Hellion territory. They’ve
called for assistance, and could be convinced
to join our Flock if you get there in time.

Primary Objective: Eliminate the Hellion assault

before it overwhelms the hidden Corvus cell.
Reward: Add Owl to the Flock.
Secondary Objective: Turn the Hellion
turrets against their own people.
Reward: Add the Flock member you didn’t choose
during session 0 to the Flock.

Forces
• Troopers, Firebugs, Shellers
• Hellion Turrets
◦ Hellion Turrets do not move. During the mission, they
will shell any Corvus agents that have been marked by
a Sheller, dealing 2 Harm. Turrets cannot be destroyed
with conventional Corvus weaponry, and require
heavier ordinance or will need to be overridden.
Locations
• Reinforced ruins, with • Hellion officer
Corvus hunkered down tents

• Ridge overlooking the area, • Tunnel system

with Hellion Turrets in place leading to
an unknown
• Twisting wasteland between
location
the ruins and ridge

Obstacles
• Turrets fire on anything detected in the wastelands
• Hellions deploy more tactical approaches than usual
• Mines have been hidden throughout the area
• Hellion forces split their attention between the ruins
and wastes

Owl
Owls are expert silent hunters. Using the cover of
night and a specially fabricated pinion cloak, they
swoop through the sky and dive down on their
unsuspecting foes. This Owl is thankful for the
rescue, and willing to provide the blueprints for
their tech to you and the rest of the Flock.

When Owl joins your Flock, they improve your

personal cloaking technology. Birds can no longer
be targeted by enemy actions at Far range.

44
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NS
IO 2a
SS
MI

1a 3a
S
N
O
I
S

MISSION 2B
S

0 2b
I
M

1b 3b
2c

Ready to crash a party? The warlord’s right

hand, a Hellion known as Cindereye, is hosting a
bonfire this evening. Hellions do these sorts of
celebrations after securing a massive victory.
We don’t know what they’re celebrating, but we
know Cindereye will be in attendance, and this is
our chance at weakening the warlord’s forces
when they are vulnerable. Kill Cindereye.

Primary Objective: Kill Cindereye.

Reward: The objective “Eliminate Cindereye, the
warlord’s second in command” for the final mission is
considered complete.
Secondary Objective: Obtain the Spark
suit for analysis and scrap.
Reward: Add Eagle’s Talon to the armory. In addition,
each Bird can increase any Approach of their choice +1.
◦ Eagle’s Talon: Incredibly sharpened carving tool that
can cut through any surface.

Forces
• Troopers, Snipers, Firebugs, Guards
• Cindereye
Locations
• Massive blazing pyre • Cage containing a Spark suit
• Twisted and razor • Cindereye’s personal tent
sharp defenses • Ritual and performance
surrounding the area platform

Obstacles
• The Spark suit is being prepped to be hung
over the pyre to burn
• The Hellions become more dangerous the
longer the bonfire goes on
• Cindereye is closely guarded while out and about
• The bonfire will soon start to spread and consume the area

P.67
CINDEREYE HEALT H: 12 +
SPECIAL
Any Bird that is at Close range to Cindereye at the
start of their turn takes 1 Harm.
ABILITIES
Inferno Grenade: Blanket the ground with fiery death.
RANGE
NEAR Effect: 1 Harm to anyone at targeted
location. Fire spreads at the end of every
round, dealing 1 Harm to anyone in its path.

War Ax: Rend. Crush. Tear.

RANGE
CLOSE Effect: 3 Harm

Fire Up: Light the fire within your troops.

RANGE
ANY Effect: Choose two Hellion units to take
an additional turn. These do not count
towards your GM Turn actions. Each
Hellion unit takes 1 Harm afterward.
46
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S
IO
N 2a
SS
MI

1a 3a
S
N
O

MISSION 2C 2b
I

0
S
S
I
M

1b 3b
2c

While the Corvus have been able to identify the

location of the Hellion warlord’s base, any attempt
to gather information about its layout has resulted
in failure. One of the lead engineers of this
warhost is onsite at a nearby outpost, and likely
has information about the base. Find out what they
know, or just grab them, but do it quietly. Intel
indicates the Hellions will execute the engineer
if they think they are in danger. They’d rather
the engineer die than be in our talons.

Special Rule: Stealth must be employed during

this mission. Every time a Corvus agent is discovered,
the Hellions are that much closer to killing the engineer.
If the Corvus are discovered three times and do not
cover their tracks, the engineer will be executed.

Primary Objective: Discover the plans for the

warlord’s base, and/or kidnap the engineer.
Reward: You have detailed information about the
ventilation and maintenance tunnels of the warlord’s
base for the final mission.
Secondary Objective: The engineer had one of our
own scientists captured, Hummingbird. Find them,
and recover them.
Reward: Add Hummingbird to the Flock.
Forces
• Troopers, Snipers, Guards

Locations

• Engineer’s personal • Makeshift

armored vehicle perimeter
• Construction site for fence
Hellion outpost • Armored
• Nearby ruins, mined for lookout post
scrap and resources

Obstacles

• The engineer is rarely left alone, always with

guards nearby
• Defenses and layout of the outpost are
labyrinthine
• There are multiple engineers onsite
• The entire outpost is rigged to explode if
it is under threat

Hummingbird
The boundless energy of Hummingbird has driven
them to research ways that they can distribute
this fuel throughout the Flock. Over time they
realized that their energy could be trapped within
Corvus energy cells, allowing agents to endure
longer out in the field.

Hummingbird improves the capacity of Corvus

energy cells, increasing the Battery of all Birds +1.

52
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NS
IO 2a
SS
MI

1a 3a
S
N
O
I
S

MISSION 3A 0 2b
S
I
M

1b 3b
2c

A strange opportunity has presented itself. It seems

a rival Hellion force is rapidly moving to attack one
of our target’s patrols. If they succeed, the warlord
will be greatly weakened. Not only that, but this rival
force has reached out and asked for assistance with
the assault…Use their siege as a shield to strike
a massive blow against our target’s forces.

Primary Objective: Destroy the perimeter defenses

of the Hellion force so the rival raiders can
come in and finish the job.
Reward: Donated Hellion tech gives more longevity to
our armory. All Gear can be used twice during a mission.
Secondary Objective: Secure the Hellion vehicles on
site for the rivals to collect and add to their warforce.
Reward: The rival Hellion force releases a Corvus
prisoner they were holding. Add Dove to the Flock.

Forces
• Troopers, Snipers, Firebugs, Shellers
• Hellion Turrets
◦ Hellion Turrets do not move. During the mission,
they will shell any Corvus agents that have been
marked by a Sheller, dealing 2 Harm. Turrets
cannot be destroyed with conventional Corvus
weaponry, and will require heavier ordinance or
will need to be overridden.
 Locations

• Massive reinforced • Base defenses

perimeter wall control room
• Armored bunkers, • Small break in the
filled with Hellions perimeter wall
• Ridges with sniper
support, and a bird’s
eye view of the base

Obstacles

• Hellion forces will deploy from the base and

break the siege soon
• A Hellion commander is coordinating the
Hellion defense
• Siege weapons from the rivals threaten to
harm the Corvus as well
• Snipers are focusing on watching the base
rather than the siege

DOVE
Corvus agents rely on stealth and hit-and-run tactics in
order to succeed, knowing that their hollow bones make
them vulnerable if they get caught. Dove scientists work
on ways to improve the armor systems of the Corvus so
that they can take a bit more punishment before
needing to be pulled off the field.

When Dove joins the Flock, all Birds increase their

maximum Health +1.
54
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NS 2a
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SS
MI

1a 3a
S
N
O

MISSION 3B
I

0 2b
S
S
I
M

1b 3b
2c

A Hellion research facility is working on new tech for

the raiders. Don’t underestimate them. Get in there,
destroy the lab, and cut the warlord off from any
new advances these madmen can come up with.

Primary Objective: Destroy the lab.

Reward: The warlord’s Elite Guards during the
final mission are just Guard units instead.
Secondary Objective: Sabotage the warlord’s
armor before it gets shipped to him.
Reward: The warlord starts the final fight
with -2 Health.

Forces
• Troopers, Snipers, Firebugs

Locations Obstacles

• Precarious cliffs • Access to the most secure

overlooking the hidden lab areas requires multiple
keycards and codes
• Winding, labyrinthine
hallways, designed • Most of the base is
toconfuse reinforced to withstand
extreme punishment
• Prototype testing hall
• Experimental flame technology
• On-site Hellion barracks is being live tested everywhere
• Shipping depot filled • A conflict between
with Hellion vehicles researchers is escalating
coming and going to factional violence
 2a
1a 3a
0 2b WARLORD
1b 3b MISSION
2c

It has all led to this moment. Each mission along

your path here has moved you closer to an
opportunity: killing a Hellion warlord.

The warlord’s base has been made vulnerable,

and your Flock is restored. It’s time to take
flight, agents, and bring down this threat to
the Corvus Dominion.

Objective: Kill the Hellion warlord.

Unlike other missions, there is only one objective
here, the elimination of the target. In order to do that,
the Birds will need to overcome a series of obstacles.
In previous missions, obstacles were opportunities
for the GM to add complications for the Birds to
overcome, but in this mission they are requirements.
The Hellion warlord will remain in safe hiding until these
three objectives have been completed:
Eliminate Cindereye, the warlord’s second in
command.
Destroy the Hellion communications tower.
Shut down life support systems for the base’s bunker.

Once these three objectives have been completed,

the Hellion warlord will emerge from hiding, and the
Birds can have their shot at taking him out. For
details on the warlord fight, see p. 59.
56
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NS
IO 2a
SS
MI

1a 3a
S

WARLORD
N
O
I
S

0 2b
S
I
M

MISSION 1b 3b
2c

Forces
◦ Troopers, Snipers, Firebugs, Elite Guards
◦ Cindereye
◦ Warlord

• Locations & Points of Interest

• Hellion officer’s • Ventilation system
command station connecting the
entire base
• Large, open courtyard for
marshaling raiding forces • Artillery array
protecting the base
• Communications tower,
surrounded by guard posts

P.64
ELITE GUARD HEALT H: 6 +
SPECIAL
Can take on incoming Harm of any Close Hellion units.
ABILITIES
Firelance: Focused beam of righteous fire.
RANGE
NEAR FAR Effect: 3 Harm

Mobile Cover: Deploy a makeshift defensive barrier.

RANGE
CLOSE Effect: No Bird can get within Close
of this barrier until the end of the
next round. In addition, all Hellions
within the barrier take -1 Harm.
 P.67
CINDEREYE HEALT H: 12 +
SPECIAL
Any Bird that is at Close range to Cindereye at the
start of their turn takes 1 Harm.

ABILITIES
Inferno Grenade: Blanket the ground with fiery death.
RANGE
NEAR Effect: 1 Harm to anyone at targeted
location. Fire spreads at the end of
every round, dealing 1 Harm to
anyone in its path.

War Ax: Rend. Crush. Tear.

RANGE
CLOSE Effect: 3 Harm

Fire Up: Light the fire within your troops.

RANGE
ANY Effect: Choose two Hellion units
to take an additional turn. These
do not count towards your GM
Turn actions. Each Hellion unit
takes 1 Harm afterward.

58
 59
NS
IO
SS
MI
S
N
O
I
S
S
I
M

Warlord Fight
When the warlord emerges from hiding, they will initially
wait for the Birds, challenging them to approach in the
marshaling courtyard. The Birds can either engage the
warlord there, or try and lure them to a location of their
choosing.

When the fight begins, the rules for combat are the
same as any other fight in previous missions. The war-
lord is accompanied by two Elite Guards at all times, and
they will join him during the encounter. In addition, the
warlord has some unique options for the GM to choose
from during the GM Turn, though they are not required.

GM Turn Options:

• Summon reinforcements: Add a Trooper

to the fight.
• Activate base defenses: A 1 Health flame
turret pops out of the ground, dealing 1
Harm to any Birds that get Close.
• Warcry: All Hellion units Heal 1, take -1 Harm
and deal +1 Harm during the next round.
 P.69
WARLORD
HEALT H: 16 +
SPECIALS
Warlord cannot take more than 2 Harm at a time from a
single weapon or Power.

The GM takes one additional action during the GM Turn.

ABILITIES

Shoot: Every bullet, a battlecry.

RANGE
NEAR FAR
Effect: 1 Harm to all Birds within range.

Ram: Up close and personal with your killers.

RANGE
CLOSE
Effect: Move up to two ranges. Then, deal 2 Harm
plus 1 for each range moved.

Quake: Smash the blasted land and leave your mark.

RANGE
CLOSE NEAR
Effect: All Birds within range cannot use the move
action during their next turn.

60
61

E n e m i e s

Enemy units have the

following characteristics:
+
HEALT H: Amount of Harm they take
before dying.

SPECIAL: Any special rule or effect the

unit might have.

ABILITIES: Collection of abilities the

unit chooses from during combat.

Enemy units are activated during the GM Turn

of combat. When an enemy unit is activated,
they can move and take one of their actions, in
any order. Enemy actions work similarly to Bird
weapons or Powers, and have a specific range
and effect.

Some enemy units have special rules, or may be

able to take more actions during their turn.
When this is the case, it is noted in the enemy
unit’s description.
+++
Trooper
HEALT H: 2 +
ABILITIES
Shoot: Fire your rifle Knife: Gut your enemies
at anything that moves. with a serrated blade.
RANGE RANGE
NEAR CLOSE
Effect: 1 Harm Effect: 1 Harm

62
63

Firebug
HEALT H: 3 +
SPECIAL
When a Firebug dies, they deal 1 Harm to everyone
within Close range of them.

ABILITIES

Melt: Spit fire at Ring of Fire: Covers the

your enemies. area in towering flames.
RANGE
NEAR Effect: Choose a location at
Near. Roaring flames fill the
Effect: Deals 1 Harm to
space between Firebug and
target and everyone
that location, dealing 1 Harm to
Close to them.
anyone who enters them.

++
 ++
Guard
HEALT H: 4 +
SPECIAL
Can take on incoming Harm of any Close Hellion units.

ABILITIES

Firelance: Focused beam of righteous fire.

RANGE
NEAR FAR
Effect: 2 Harm

Mobile Cover: Deploy a

makeshift defensive barrier.
RANGE
CLOSE
Effect: No Bird can get
within Close of this
barrier until the end of
the next round.

Elite
Guard
HEALT H: 6 +
SPECIAL
Can take on incoming Harm of any Close Hellion units.
ABILITIES

Firelance: Mobile Cover: Deploy a

Focused beam of makeshift defensive barrier.
righteous fire. RANGE

RANGE CLOSE
NEAR FAR Effect: No Bird can get within Close
Effect: 3 Harm of this barrier until the end of the
next round. In addition, all Hellions
within the barrier take -1 Harm.
64
65

Sniper
HEALT H: 3 +
ABILITIES

Paint: Mark a target Fire: Breath.

for incineration. Pull the trigger.
RANGE RANGE
FAR FAR
Effect:Target Bird is marked, Effect: 2 Harm
and will take +3 Harm on the
next enemy action against them.
Sheller
HEALT H: 2 +
SPECIAL
Hellion Turrets fire once per deployed
Sheller during the GM Turn.
ABILITIES

Mark: Spot a target for Self-Immolate: Never

the big guns to handle. let them take you alive.
RANGE RANGE
NEAR FAR CLOSE
Effect: Target is marked, Effect: 2 Harm to self
and will get hit by a Hellion and all characters
Turret during the GM Turn. within range.
66
67

Cindereye
HEALT H: 12 +
SPECIAL
Any Bird that is at Close range to Cindereye at the
start of their turn takes 1 Harm.

ABILITIES

Inferno Grenade: Blanket the ground with fiery death.

RANGE
NEAR
Effect: 1 Harm to anyone at targeted location. Fire
spreads at the end of every round, dealing 1 Harm to
anyone in its path.

War Ax: Rend. Crush. Tear.

RANGE
CLOSE
Effect: 3 Harm

Fire Up: Light the fire within your troops.

RANGE
ANY
Effect: Choose two Hellion units to take an additional
turn. These do not count towards your GM Turn actions.
Each Hellion unit takes 1 Harm afterward.
68
69

Warlord
HEALT H: 16 +
SPECIALS
Warlord cannot take more than 2 Harm at a time from a
single weapon or Power.

The GM takes one additional action during the GM Turn.

ABILITIES

Shoot: Every bullet, a battlecry.

RANGE
NEAR FAR
Effect: 1 Harm to all Birds within range.

Ram: Up close and personal with your killers.

RANGE
CLOSE
Effect: Move up to two ranges. Then, deal 2 Harm
plus 1 for each range moved.

Quake: Smash the blasted land and leave your mark.

RANGE
CLOSE NEAR
Effect: All Birds within range cannot use the move
action during their next turn.
70
71

G M
S E C T I O N

Linear Campaigns & Holes

Running a linear campaign can be both exciting and
difficult. As a GM, I love to prep, and if you’re like me you
might be nervous about using only prewritten missions.
But, you’ll see that there is a great amount of looseness
to these missions, that there are a lot of holes for you |
and the table to fill.

I see those holes as a gift. The best stories are those that
you make with your specific group. But starting a story
with a blank piece of paper is really hard! My hope is that
you and your players see this “on rails” campaign as an
opportunity to really explore your collaborative storytelling
skills in a confined space, using the premise as a
foundation to build on rather than a box holding you in.
Running Combat
NEST is a game that is focused on hit and run tactics,
infiltration, and sabotage. While combat is an
inevitability for the Birds, fights should be quick and
impactful, rather than long dragged out encounters
fighting wave after wave of Hellion soldiers. It is better
to do many small skirmishes than one big war.

As the GM, you have a great degree of creative

freedom in how you design and play out these
encounters. Specific numbers of enemy units present
in a mission aren’t provided, so that you can shape the
encounters to the preferences of your table. If your
players are really enjoying combat, then throw a few
more units their way each fight to really give them a
challenge. If the players prefer to hit hard, fast, and
then retreat, sprinkle units around so they can be
easily picked off by the agents.

Use the GM Turn as a tool to adjust a fight, one round

at a time. If you find that the players are using the same
strategies over and over, implement a twist in the GM
Turn that shuts that strategy down. If you realize you’ve
not brought nearly enough enemy units to this fight
as the Birds wipe them out, bring on reinforcements.
Think of the GM Turn as a tool for you to make small
adjustments to combat, so that you don’t have to
have it all perfectly planned out ahead of time.

72
73

Running a Diceless Game

Many people struggle to understand how a diceless
game works, where the challenge is. That’s because
they’ve grown accustomed to relying on chance and
randomness to determine outcomes of the fiction,
rather than player skill and roleplaying.

NEST focuses more so on those abilities, rather than

chance. Players need to be crafty with how they use
their Birds. This is because NEST uses a resource
management engine, instead of a dice engine, to make
the game run. Guaranteed success seems so nice at
first. Players will eagerly burn through Approaches
to accomplish anything they want. However, once
they realize they burned too quick, and weren’t
careful with how they spent those points, you will
have the opportunity to crank up the challenges
and complications.

It can be hard for us to move away from using dice

in our games, especially if it is all we’ve ever used.
But I encourage you to embrace this as an
opportunity to craft really interesting challenges
for the players to overcome, and watch them try
and figure out the best way forward with the
Approaches they have left. This opens up the
roleplaying opportunities, and leaves it in the
hands of the table, rather than the whims of a
rolled piece of plastic.
 FLOCK AERIE SHEET
GEAR

2a
1a 3a
0 2b
1b 3b
2c
CURRENT MISSION

PRIMARY
OBJECTIVE:

NOTES

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 CALLSIGN:
CHARACTER SHEET
CLASS

HEALTH: MAX
+ LASHER SHRIKE HAUNTER CUCKOO GUNNER

BATTERY: MAX
TALENTS

POWERS

APPROACHES GEAR

SUN SHADE

MOON

NOTES

MAX MAX

MAX
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