Logistics & Ports #

Time #

Play proceeds in one-week turns. It takes one week to make a gate core jump between adjacent star systems. It takes one week to perform a significant action in a port or other settlement.

One month is four weeks, and one year is 12 months. The referee keeps a calendar of the current week, month, and year.

Zoom in on a particular moment in time as needed to resolve an action or encounter, or for an extended period for a detailed adventure. If you need to determine on which day of the week an event occurs, roll 1d6 + 1.

Communications #

Worlds with a Tech rank of 6 have access to Ansible technology and can communicate instantly, regardless of distance. Otherwise, information moves at the speed of interstellar travel, one parsec per week. For example, if a sender 1 parsec from a Tech 6 world sends a message to a recipient 3 parsecs from a more distant Tech 6 world, the message will take 4 weeks to arrive.

Worlds with a Tech rank of 3 or higher have a communications network accessible from any terminal

Money #

One Commonwealth Credit (cc) is enough money for basic food and lodging in port for one week. Costs of less than 1cc are ignored, and assumed to be included in lifestyle spending.

Ports & Settlements #

Worlds with a Technology characteristic of 3 or higher have a dedicated starport. At Technology 5 or higher, the port may be an orbiting highport, a city in its own right dedicated to interstellar travel and trade. On worlds with Technology 2 or lower, only rudimentary landing areas and basic services are available.

Use the following procedures when a group of PCs arrives at a port or spends a weekly turn in a starport or other settlement.

Port Arrival #

When the PCs arrive in a port, take these steps.

1. If docking a ship, the PCs pay a 2cc docking fee.
2. Check for an authority encounter. Throw 2d6 and add the world’s Authority. On a 12+, a group of 1d6+1 local law enforcement personnel accosts one or more of the PCs at the least convenient time, including during the following week if the players stay in port. They request identification, cargo manifests, and other documentation. If the PC’s are not up to anything illegal, these encounters are usually routine. However, a negative reaction roll may result in mistaken identities, overreach, or harassment. Officers are equipped with light armor and weapons appropriate to the Tech rank of the world.
3. Sell any trade goods, if desired.
4. Purchase trade goods, if desired.
5. Leave port and continue traveling, if desired and if the PCs have access to a starship. Otherwise, begin a weekly turn.

Weekly Turn #

1. If berthing a ship in port, the PCs pay a 2cc berthing fee. Includes basic ship maintenance.
2. Each PC pays for their lifestyle costs: 1cc for basic, 5cc for comfortable, 10cc for luxury.
3. For each week after the first, check for an authority encounter, as above. The encounter may occur at any point during the week.
4. Check for a port encounter. An encounter occurs on a 1d6 roll of 1-3. Roll on the port encounters table. The encounter may occur at any point during the week.
5. Commission any starship repairs.
6. Each PC may perform one of the following tasks for the duration of the week:
   • Find a patron or opportunity
   • Gather information
   • Find a person or specialist
   • Receive medical care
   • Train a skill
   • Another appropriate activity
7. Purchase trade goods, if desired.
8. Book passage on a ship, if desired. See Interstellar Travel.
9. The PCs recover Endurance based on their lifestyle spending.
   • Basic: 1d6 Endurance
   • Comfortable: 2d6 Endurance
   • Luxury: 3d6 Endurance
10. The referee updates the campaign calendar by one week.

Starship Repair Costs and Durations #

Berthing fees are waived for the duration of ship repairs.

• 5 credits per rating of each damaged component (e.g., it costs 10 credits to repair Guns 2). All damaged components are repaired within one week.

• Per disabled component: 10 x rating in credits. 1 week per disabled component

• Damaged gate core: 50 credits. + 1 week

• Disabled gate core: 75 credits.+ 2 weeks

Finding Patrons & Opportunities #

PCs may throw 8+ to hear about an opportunity or meet a Patron. A Patron is any NPC interested in hiring the PCs for a job.

Opportunities can be anything from rumors about derelict ships to wealthy Patrons willing to pay for a dangerous task. Multiple PCs may make the throw each week to increase their chances of finding an opportunity. Appropriate skills, such as Rumor Monger, can be applied to this throw. The referee can use the tables in People & Opportunities to create an opportunity ahead of time or on the fly, if needed.

Opportunities need not be local to the current world; the PCs may get information about an opportunity elsewhere.

Finding People #

A PC can throw 8+ to seek out a specific NPC or a type of person, including specialist professionals, additional crew, and buyers or sellers of illegal goods. The throw’s Target is 10 if the local Population is 1-2, and 6 if it is 5-6. The referee may impose additional situational bonuses or penalties. For example, when searching for a field tech expert on a low-tech world.

When hiring for a specific skill, a successful throw will find an NPC with a maximum Skill Rank equal to half the Impact of the throw, rounded up. An Impact 0 grants Skill Rank 1. The NPC’s Skill Rank cannot be higher than 4.

Hired NPCs will, at a minimum, expect their Skill Rank squared in credits each week. For very unusual or dangerous tasks, they may demand as much as triple.

Healing & Recovery #

At the end of each week in port, PCs regain Endurance, up to their maximum. Restored Endurance is dependent on lifestyle: Recover 1d6 for a basic lifestyle, 2d6 for a comfortable lifestyle, and 3d6 for a luxury lifestyle.

Minor wounds heal on their own after a week, during which the PC may engage in other activities. Serious wounds require medical care to heal. While being treated for a serious wound, a PC is unable to engage in activities in port or strenuous adventures.

Most worlds do not provide free care to offworlders. Care cost and healing times for serious wounds are based on the local Tech rank:

Tech 1-2: 1 month, 1cc

Tech 2-4: 2 weeks, 3cc

Tech 5: 1 week, 5cc

Tech 6: 1 day, 8cc. The PC may heal early in the week and still engage in a port activity.