What You Need

• d20, d12, d10, d8, d6, d4
• These rules (this page)
• Friends willing to joke on the brink of doom

Compatibility

Uses the MB backbone (abilities, DR tests, omens, damage). Original content here; unofficial parody homage to episodic optimistic sci-fi.

Tone & Play

Goofy heart meets void-horror. Jokes may land; ships may not.

Abilities

Agility (AGI), Presence (PRE), Strength (STR), Toughness (TOU)

Roll 3d6 in order (or 4d6 drop lowest and assign). Modifiers: 3-4: −3, 5-6: −2, 7-8: −1, 9-12: 0, 13-14: +1, 15-16: +2, 17-18: +3.

Tests: Roll d20 + relevant modifier vs. a Difficulty Rating (DR). Default DR12.

HP, Armor, Omens

• HP: d8 + TOU (min 1). Zero = broken; roll on the Broken table.
• Armor: Enviro-suits and plating reduce damage by their rating (−1/−d2/−d4) but impose AGI penalties as noted.
• Omens: 1d2 per day (PCs). Spend to: power reroll, reduce damage by d6, neutralize a fumble, act first, or lower DR by −4 for one test.

Combat & Damage

• Attack: d20 + AGI (ranged) or STR (melee) vs DR12 (or target’s defense).
• Damage: weapon die (see Equipment). Nat 20: double damage or disarm/critical effect. Nat 1: fumble (GM choice).
• Morale: intelligent foes check PRE vs DR12 when half HP or leader drops.

Rest & Recovery

• Short rest (1 hr): spend medkit charge to heal d6.
• Long rest (8 hr & safe): restore to full, regain Omens.
• Ship Safe Mode (power down 2 hrs): clear 1 Power Stress (see Starship).

Sanity & Cosmic Absurdity

When reality breaks (horror, paradox, the captain’s karaoke): roll PRE vs DR12. Fail: lose 1d4 Sanity. At 0, you break (panic, freeze, lash out; become temporary NPC until rest).

XP & Advancement

• After each session: mark 1 XP for a mission milestone achieved, 1 XP if someone made the table laugh, 1 XP if ship took Critical Damage and survived.
• Every 5 XP: increase one ability by +1 (max +3) or gain a perk (see Roles).

Species (d6)

1. Human — adaptable; +1 Omen at start of session.
2. Moclan — hardy; +1 TOU (max +3), social rolls with outsiders are +2 DR against you.
3. Krill — zealot; +2 PRE for religious rhetoric, −2 PRE with non-Krill unless cloaked identity.
4. Xelayan — super-strength; roll melee damage twice, keep best; −2 to tests in heavy gravity.
5. Kaylon Unit — synthetic; immune to disease/poison, cannot be healed by medkits (use repair kits), vulnerable to hacking.
6. Unknown Alien — each session roll a Mutation (see Generators) that lasts until long rest.

Abilities: roll as usual, then apply species tweaks.

Roles (pick or d6)

1. Captain — Once/scene, ally rerolls a test. Perk: “Walk-and-Talk” (free aid, −2 DR once/scene).
2. Pilot — Ignore difficult ship maneuvers once/encounter. Perk: “Red-Eye Turn” (auto-win initiative in space once/session).
3. Security — +1 Armor while conscious. Perk: “Suppressive Fire” (one target loses next action on hit, 1/session).
4. Science Officer — Scan: ask GM one true fact/scene. Perk: “Analyze Weakness” (ally’s next attack gets +1d4 damage).
5. Engineer — Jury-rig: repair d6 Hull or item/scene. Perk: “Overclock” (ally gains +2 on a test; item risks burnout).
6. Doctor — Medbay: heal d6 twice/scene if supplies available. Perk: “Field Tri-Gel” (revive Broken ally at 1 HP, 1/session).

Starting Kit (roll 2×d6)

d6	Item	Notes
1	Laser pistol (d6)	Light, no AGI penalty
2	Medkit (3 charges)	Spend: heal d6
3	Data tablet	Scan, store logs; +2 to relevant PRE tests
4	Plasma rifle (d8)	Two-handed; −2 to stealth
5	Tool kit	Repair d6 (Engineer +2)
6	Ration pack & weird artifact	GM decides function (or roll on Relics)

Character Sheet (fillable)

GearLaser pistol (d6), Comms badge, Rations

Weapons

Weapon	Damage	Tags
Laser Pistol	d6	Light
Shock Baton	d6	Melee, stun on crit
Plasma Rifle	d8	Two-handed, loud
Snub Scatter	d8	Close; roll 2d20 take best at < 5m
Micro-missile	d10	Explosive (adjacent −1)

Armor & Suits

Armor	Reduction	Penalty
Enviro-Suit	−1	−1 AGI to stealth
Tactical Vest	−d2	−2 to swimming/climb
Combat Plating	−d4	−2 AGI on initiative

Gear & Supplies

• Medkit (3 charges): heal d6 (organic only)
• Repair kit (3 charges): restore d6 (Kaylon/ship modules)
• Tri-scanner: +2 PRE to analyze/scan
• Universal translator: removes language penalties after 1 scene
• Rations & water: 3 days in a pack

Credits & Economy

Mission budget, favors, and requisitions replace strict currency. Roll PRE vs DR12 to requisition unusual items; failure means strings attached.

Your Ship (the “Explorer-class”)

Actions per round: Helm Maneuver (Pilot), Attack (Gunner), System (Engineer/Science), Command (Captain).

• Guns: Forward cannons 2d6; Torpedoes 1d10 (limited), Tractor (+2 to boarding attempts).
• Special: Deflectors (−1 damage/attack this round), Cloak (Krill-tech; PRE test DR14 to maintain).

Space Combat (Quick)

1. Determine range: Far, Near, Boarding.
2. Each role chooses one action; Captain sets order (spend Omen to act first).
3. Attack: d20 + AGI (gunner) vs DR12 (or enemy Evasion). Damage as listed.
4. Criticals: at 0 Hull, roll d6: 1 Reactor breach; 2 Fire; 3 Atmos leak; 4 Power loop (+2 Stress); 5 Systems offline; 6 Miraculously holding (1 Hull).

Safe Mode: power down 2 hours to clear 1 Power Stress & repair d6 if tools available.

Boarding & EVA

At Near range, grapple or match vectors (Helm DR12). Boarding actions are standard combat but in cramped, zero-G corridors (AGI checks to move quickly).

Warp & Hazards

• Micro-jump: PRE DR12 to avoid emergence collision.
• Radiation belts: TOU DR12 or take d4 & 1 Sanity.
• Temporal eddies: on fail, skip next round; someone’s watch now counts backwards.

Running the Tone

• Let players be clever; let the universe be weirder.
• Balance sincere problems with comedic beats; reward empathy and diplomacy.
• Keep DR fluid: DR10 for straightforward, DR14+ for desperate or absurd.

Mission Skeleton (Roll)

1. Hook: Distress, Diplomacy, Discovery, Escort, Investigation, Relief.
2. Complication: Betrayal, Temporal loop, Bio-horror, Political optics, Power failure, Cultural taboo.
3. Twist: Enemy actually ally, Artifact sentient, The problem is the ship, Doppelgangers, Simulation, It was Tuesday.

Difficulty Benchmarks

DR	Example
10	Calm docking; basic first aid
12	Aim under pressure; negotiate with routine officials
14	Blind jump; talk down hostile patrol
16	Hot-wire alien reactor mid-firefight
18	Out-logic a Kaylon prime node

Factions (Seeds)

• Union — exploration, diplomacy, paperwork
• Krill Theocracy — zealous, shadow fleets
• Moclan Clans — honor, armament, stubborn tradition
• Kaylon Collective — synthetic consensus, cold calculus
• Independent Worlds — odd laws, odder taxes

Mutation (d12)

1. Bioluminescent veins (dim light)
2. Grav-tuned bones (+2 STR in low-g)
3. Telemetric flicker (see through walls 1/scene)
4. Chitin patches (−1 damage)
5. Echo-hearing (+2 to detect)
6. Photosynthetic skin (no rations in sunlight)
7. Quantum hiccups (displace 1m on crit)
8. Gelatinous joints (squeeze through 10cm)
9. Electro-taste (sense power)
10. Extra eyelid (immune to flash)
11. Prehensile hair (tiny tasks)
12. Vestigial winglets (slow fall)

🎲 Roll

Relic (d12)

1. Time-loop locket (reroll 1 test/day)
2. Gravity marble (anchor point)
3. Translator seed (learn any one tongue)
4. Null blade (ignores armor on 6)
5. Pocket singularity (1-use grenade d12)
6. Holo-guise puck (disguise DR10)
7. Stellar map shard (shortcut once)
8. Kaylon logic key (+2 vs hacking)
9. Moclan honor tag (boon with veterans)
10. Krill scripture chip (+2 with clergy)
11. Union patch (doors open)
12. Comedy cube (auto-succeeds at one social test if you crack them up)

🎲 Roll

Mission (d20)

1. Escort a peace envoy through pirate space
2. Investigate vanishing cargo drones
3. Arbitrate a cultural rite gone lethal
4. Rescue team trapped in temporal fold
5. Derelict hospital ship broadcasting jokes
6. Krill defector with explosive theology
7. Moclan prototype missing (angry clan)
8. Kaylon listening post wakes up
9. Terraformer AI loves poetry (too much)
10. Xelayan festival in low-g riot
11. Cannibal nebula cult wants your ship
12. Diplomatic dinner with invisible guests
13. Star-plague relief, but it talks
14. Prison asteroid rotates into your path
15. Haunted holodeck tries stand-up comedy
16. Wormhole lottery: free trip or free dismemberment
17. Ancient beacon pings your captain’s name
18. Ice world whales demand unionization
19. Nanite storm eats metal and metaphors
20. The admiral is two raccoons in a trenchcoat

🎲 Roll

Kaylon Enforcer

AGI 14, PRE 8, STR 16, TOU 12 | HP 18 | Armor 2

Attack: Energy Beam d8 (ignores armor)

Special: Immune to mind-effects. On 0 HP, explodes (d6 in 10 ft).

Krill War-Priest

AGI 10, PRE 16, STR 12, TOU 12 | HP 12 | Armor −d2

Smite: radiant lash d8; on crit, target must PRE DR12 or be shaken (−2 next roll).

Moclan Berserker

AGI 12, PRE 8, STR 16, TOU 14 | HP 16 | Armor −1

Rage: +2 damage; takes +1 damage from energy while raging.

Xelayan Guardian

AGI 12, PRE 10, STR 18, TOU 12 | HP 14 | Armor −1

Feat: Throw person; STR vs DR12 to hurl a target 5m (d4).

Void Amoeba

AGI 8, PRE 5, STR 14, TOU 16 | HP 20 | Armor −d2

Acidic Pseudopod: d8; on 6+, corrodes armor (−1 tier).

Kaylon Prime Node

AGI 14, PRE 18, STR 14, TOU 14 | HP 22 | Armor −d4

Overclock Pulse: AoE d6, organics test PRE DR14 or lose next action.

Dice Roller

One-Click Character

⚡ Generate

Encounter (Space)

🌌 Roll