Character Creation#

Use an index card to keep a record of your character.

1. You are 20 years old, with 20 maximum Endurance.
2. Roll a birth month.
3. Select a background or roll 1D to leave it to fate. Your status is 0. Gain two Skills from that background’s Skill lists at rank 1. Roll on one of the tables for the first Skill, then choose one other Skill from the background. Players take turns developing their characters’ backgrounds to gain Skills and find out about their characters’ lives before play begins. Take the following steps on each background turn:
   1. Roll 2D on the Background Events table. On any result other than death, apply the results.
   2. Roll for one or two Skills, as prompted. Choose one of the Background’s skill lists, or the Personal Development skill list, which all backgrounds share. Roll 1D. On a 1-5, gain the indicated Skill at Rank 1, or increase its Rank by 1 if you already have the Skill. On a 6, choose one of the five Skills to gain or increase. Italicized words are equipment. Add equipment to your possessions if you don’t already own it.
   3. Age 1D years.
      1. If you enter a new decade (30s, 40s, etc), lose 1 Endurance, then roll 1D. If the result is less than the tens digit of your age, roll a misfortune and finish character creation.
   4. Decide if you will take another turn. If not, roll a misfortune and finish character creation.
4. Get starting credits. Add your status plus the tens digit of your age. Roll that many dice, add them together, and begin with that many credits.
5. Get a terminal. A terminal is a portable personal computer that enables a user to connect to local networks. Terminals vary wildly across cultures and tech levels. Terminals can be embedded in jewelry or clothes, implanted in the body, or be a more obvious piece of hardware with a screen. Decide what yours looks like.
6. Consipire. Before the game starts, discuss goals with the other players to help drive the initial action. Give the referee something to respond to. If you start with a ship (and a mortgage on it), you may want to figure out how to make next month’s payment.

Skill ranks may not be raised higher than 4. When you would raise a skill to rank 5, select a different skill from the same list instead.

Skill list items in brackets are other lists, either weapon types or personal development. Roll on those tables as indicated.

If a list item has a skill followed by a slash and a bracketed skill list name, gain the listed skill if you don’t already have it. If you do have the skill, either increase its rank by 1 or roll on the list in brackets.

Instead of providing a skill rank, some results increase Endurance.

Birth Months#

Based on the Commonwealth calendar. The traditional zodiac signs are based on constellations visible from Heimat [H6 P7 A6 T6 AC-0001].

Background Events#

Backgrounds#

1. Laborer#

Most of humanity’s trillions never leave the system of their birth.

Salt Mining#

1. +1 Endurance
2. Pistol / [Gun Combat] Pistol
3. Strength
4. Mechanic Mechanic Kit
5. Medical Medical Kit

Ship Breaking#

1. Helm
2. Agility Vacc Suit
3. +1 Endurance
4. Mechanic Mechanic Kit
5. Scattergun / [Gun Combat] Scattergun

The Harvest#

1. Strength
2. +1 Endurance
3. Medium Melee / [Melee Combat] Machete
4. Outdoor Survival Survival Kit
5. Long Rifle / [Gun Combat] Long Rifle

2. Scout#

Though now much atrophied, the Commonwealth Survey Corps still deploys its adventuring academics to worlds beyond and between charted clusters.

Applied Planetology#

1. +1 Endurance
2. Outdoor Survival Survival Kit
3. Long Rifle / [Gun Combat] Long Rifle
4. Drive
5. Flyer

Study & Research#

1. Computer
2. Medical Medical Kit
3. +1 Status
4. Mechanic Mechanic Kit
5. Field Tech Field Tech Kit

Interplanetary Travel#

1. Agility Vacc Suit
2. Mechanic Mechanic Kit
3. Helm
4. Computer
5. Field Tech Field Tech Kit

3. Soldier#

As power atrophies, new conflicts arise, and very old resentments reignite.

Surface Operations#

1. Carbine / [Gun Combat] Carbine
2. Drive
3. Strength
4. Agility
5. +1 Endurance Combat Armor

Boarding Actions#

1. Scattergun / [Gun Combat] Scattergun
2. Medium Melee / [Melee Combat] Cutlass
3. Agility Armored Vacc Suit (Armor 4)
4. Gunnery 1D Hullmelt Charges
5. Helm

Special Training#

1. Field Tech Field Tech Kit
2. Medical Medical Kit
3. Computer
4. Mechanic Mechanic Kit
5. Flyer

4. Merchant#

Instability begets opportunity.

Doing Business#

1. Speculative Trade
2. Etiquette
3. Rumor Monger
4. Pistol / [Gun Combat] Pistol
5. Computer

Dodging Pirates#

1. Pistol / [Gun Combat] Pistol
2. Agility Vacc Suit
3. Helm
4. Gunnery
5. Medium Melee [Melee Combat] Cutlass

Spending The Profit#

1. Strength
2. Agility
3. Flyer
4. Drive
5. Gambling

5. Noble#

Your parents, or more distant forebears, eased your home world’s transition into the Commonwealth. For their efforts, they were awarded a modicum of power and your world a quantum of sovereignty.

At Court#

1. Medium Melee [Melee Combat] Rapier
2. Riding Spurs
3. Scattergun / [Gun Combat] Scattergun & 1D clay pigeons
4. Etiquette
5. Rumor Monger

Dragoon Service#

1. Lasergun / [Gun Combat] Laser Gun
2. Agility Armored Vacc Suit (Armor 4)
3. Strength
4. Epic Poetry Notebook
5. Long Melee [Melee Combat] Collapsible Halberd

Leisure#

1. Gambling
2. Drive
3. Agility
4. Strength
5. Flyer

6. Underworld#

Those who thumb their noses at the rule of law, despite all the law has provided for them.

Starport Scum#

1. Pistol / [Gun Combat] Pistol
2. Brawling / [Melee Combat] Wood Club
3. Short Melee / [Melee Combat] Knife
4. Gambling
5. +1 Endurance

Smuggling & Piracy#

1. Computer
2. Forgery
3. Pistol / [Gun Combat] Pistol
4. Helm
5. Agility Vacc Suit

Confidence & Carousing#

1. Forgery
2. Etiquette
3. Gambling
4. Drive
5. Rumor Monger

Personal Development & Combat Skills#

Personal Development#

1. Strength
2. Agility
3. +1 Endurance
4. +1 Status
5. Etiquette

Gun Combat#

1. Pistol
2. Scattergun
3. Carbine
4. Long Rifle
5. Laser Gun

Melee Combat#

1. Strength
2. Brawling
3. Short Melee
4. Medium Melee
5. Long Melee

Misfortunes#

The reason why the life you have led is over now.