The basic system is dead easy. Take an appropriate attribute, add an appropriate skill, add any appropriate Qualities and things, add any other modifications the GM tells you and roll a d10 and add that.
9 is a success. It's an adequate success.
11 is decent
13 is good
15, very good
etc -- These are written on the character sheet.
Sometimes, instead of giving a modifier, the GM will ask you for a type of success, so instead of saying 'That's -6 for the flying cow!' he will say 'You need a very good success.' It's the same difference.
Sometimes if there isn't really an apprpriate skill to use, you either just roll and add to the attribute, or you add it to two attributes (or double a single attribute), it's up to the GM. For Example initiative is simply Dex +1d10.
So a person of average Intelligence (2), barely skilled in computers (1), needs to roll pretty average (6) to solve a computer problem. A total of 9 brings an adequate success.
The tables below just show typical items. If you want to design your own custom weapons and armour based on the tables then do so, but the GM has to approve it, of course. 'It's just like a normal Plasma Gun but does double damage and never runs out of ammo,' doesn't work.
Rare(N) items you must take as a Technology Quality with N cost.
Many people in the verse carry a gun, especially on the outer worlds. They usually carry pistols like the ubiquitous 'Peacemaker.' High tech weapons are not so popular and usually belong to the Alliance military and the very rich.
Walking around with any weapon in the Core worlds is frowned upon, and will get you in trouble with the authorities. Walking around without a pistol in the outer worlds might look strange too. Walking around there with lasers might get you in trouble, if you looked like a fancy-dan core worlder just begging to have his expensive toy stolen.
Gun Type | Damage | Shots | Notes |
Pistol | 16+4 | 12 | |
Small Pistol | 12+3 | 6 | Often Concealed |
Plastic Pistol | 12+2 | 8 | 'Undetectable', Rare(2) |
Heavy Pistol | 20+4 | 6 | -2 Recoil |
Rifle | 20+4 | 20 | |
Heavy Rifle | 24+4 | 20 | |
Sniper Rifle | 20+6 | 12 | Double Range |
Assault Rifle | 16+4 | 60 | Single, Automatic |
Light Machine Gun | 18 | 120 | Automatic |
Med. Machine Gun | 20 | 120 | Automatic |
Shotgun | 18+4 | 12 | Pump Action |
Sawed-off Shotgun | 20+2 | 12 | Pump Action |
Hand Laser | 20+5 | 30 | Rare(3) |
Light Laser | 25+5 | 24 | Rare(3) |
Medium Laser | 30+4 | 30 | Rare(4) |
Plasma Gun | 25+5 | 18 | Area affect, Rare(4) |
Stun Gun | 30+5 | 20 | Stun Damage, Rare(2) |
Armour is widely worn in the setting, from cool looking leather jackets and big flight suits to Alliance military spec. battle suits. pretty much anything heavy you wear will give you a small amount of protection.
The Independents often wore chain vests beneath their uniforms, whereas the Alliance forces wear more expensive, and effective, high tech plastic armour. Civilians don't wear the stuff, so anyone with more than a big jacket on is going to attract attention.
The armour value is simply subtracted from any damage incurred.
Armour Type | Armour Value | Notes |
Leather/Jacket | 2 | + Heavy clothing in general |
Spacesuit | 5 | + Heavy industrial protection |
Chain | 8 | - |
Light Armour | 10 | Military spec, Rare(2) |
Medium Armour | 15 | Military spec, Rare (4) |
Life Points (or less) | Effect |
10 | -2 to all actions |
5 | -4 to all actions |
0 | Test WP+Con or go unconscious |
-10 | Test WP+Con or die |
You start with 10 Drama Points. You can get more over time at the GMs discretion. Essentially, the more fun the game is (for me, anyway), the more points you'll get. The more 'livestock introduced to cold vacuum' scenarios you create, the less DPs you'll get. You can spend them on the following stuff.
1 point will buy you +10 on a single roll.
1 point gets back half the Life Points you have lost.
For a variable cost you can introduce a thing or two into the game, a handy fire-extinguisher, that concealed weapon you concealed last week but forgot about, an extra clue to help you work out what's going on, you suddenly recoginise the guy in the store as one of your friends from school, stuff like that. The GM must approve, and set the cost.
If you have a very good reason, and 2 DPs, then you can have +5 for every roll for an entire scene/fight.
I don't think I'm going to allow this one.