Bucket of Bolts - Bonus Content [PDF]

Zitiervorschau

Faces of Fiction A big ol' pile of names

SCOUNDRELS & RAKES

BLUE-BLOODS & BARONS

Forenames Surnames

Forenames Surnames

Arvo Brigadier Cash Danglar Echo Finch Gad Han Indoor Jerro Kilo Locke Maria Nix Orchard Pusher Queen Rusco Stylo Tesh Uwe Vincent Wild Xanadu Yan Zaeed

Alamo Bucklighter Cassini DeMoire Eshin Fineletter Gendarmo Huckleberry Ishmael Jailhouse Kentucky Li Murano Nikuri Ocelot Pickadine Quasar Rascal Storm Toucan Unch Valentine Wu Xi Yerrow Zero

Akbash Bellrose Ceylon Dominico Edgar Fenix Graham Hera Indigo Jacques Kind Lychee Minari Nobu Orla Palermo Quam Radgar Sayla Tombo Uriel Violet Wilhelm Xander Young Zola

Alabaster Brightline Canton Deacon Erstwhile Fenchurch Greere Highwater Ito Jazmere Keane Lamkin Maddox Naltrech Offerman Plume Quixada Renaud Sano Tanaka Urena Vale Wright Xun Yuan Zimmers

ALIENS & ABERRATIONS A'lok, Ache, B'zuz, Bau, Creeto, Charn, Dulch, Dakkish, Eptee, F'att, Gerank, Gorrok, Hrun, Ib-ba, Imiro, Jath, Jolly, Krios, Kirrahe, Larrot, Logos, Mreem, Nonoi, Opold, Ot'cha, Pria, Phuna, Quath, Qualeen, Rei, Solus, Sluumo, Theris, Usheel, Vass, Valern, Wiks, Xr'chin, Xictus, Yurrch, Z'Pale

NO GOOD WAYS TO GO Even the luckiest Captains don't live forever. When it's time to part ways, you may choose a prompt from this table to decide their fate.

No Good Ways To Go Twelve luckless fates

1.

In your final battle together, your Captain sustained mortal injuries while at the helm. What vital mission did they insist on seeing through despite the dire odds?

2.

Your Captain succumbed to intense cosmic stress while attempting to navigate an uncharted wormhole. What treasure or terror led them to take such a dangerous route?

3.

Ever confident of their prowess at the gambling table, your Captain wagered you on a bet. They lost. Was it all bad luck and bravado, or were they swindled?

4.

Your Captain entered the service of a cult of space witches, abandoning you for a life of uncanny servitude. What powers or promises convinced them to abandon you?

5.

A rare parasite infiltrated the ship during a visit to a remote world. Slowly, but irreversibly, your Captain was transformed into its plant-like vessel. Where does their blooming, viridescent corpse spread roots within your hull?

6.

Finances or felonies left your Captain exposed, and they were sentenced to jail. What was the worst of their crimes?

7.

Fame! After a lifetime of daring exploits your Captain now enjoys galactic stardom, and has left you behind. Which of their feats is best known—and most dreadfully exaggerated?

8.

Sick of subordination, your Captain's first mate murdered them amid a mutiny. What were the last words they shared?

9.

The Sable Targe are here. Describe their tender, fatal caress.

10.

With greying hair and slowing reflexes, your Captain resolves to retire to a quieter life. What hobby or low-key business do they pursue to fill their twilight years?

I

A NEW RECRUIT They are anxious, unprepared, and indoctrinated 4 Describe their dreams & ambitions for after the war is over. 4

How does life aboard most differ from their training?

A WAR HERO They are shining, inspirational, and molded into propaganda 4 Describe what their fame gained them—and what it cost them. 4

What empty symbols of heroism do you perform together? II

AN ENFORCER They are proud, dutiful, and irascible 4 Describe their reign of terror & fear. 4

Cavalier Commands Six ship captains by Riley Rethal (metagame.itch.io)

What acts of unneeded violence do you perform together?

A ROGUE AI They are experimental, algorithmic, and within your wires 4 Describe how they use you to subvert their original purpose. 4

How do they alter your systems & protocols to suit their needs? III

A WEALTHY NOBLE They are insecure, incurious, and ostentatious 4 Describe their vainglorious ambitions for power & prestige. 4

How does their polishing and adornment affect your hardware?

A THRIFT SCAVENGER They are discerning, obsessive, and in-demand 4 Describe their niche specialty and unusual customers. 4

Which of your anachronisms do they bring back into fashion?

I

A BUSINESS TYCOON They are wealthy, ambitious and driven 4 Describe their long-term project & what keeps delaying it. 4

Where on board did they stash a secret fortune?

A MILITARY OFFICER They are pompous, demanding and vain 4 Describe their two lieutenants & how they vie for attention. 4

Which scrappy underdog punctured their inflated ego? II

A SCIENCE EXPEDITION A studious crew, working to solve an enduring mystery 4 Describe their eccentric leader & why they won’t give up. 4

Big Shot Skippers Six ship captains by Jason Price (alwayscheckers.itch.io)

What makeshift contraption did they rig to aid their research?

A WANTED THIEF They are devious, skilful and slippery 4 Describe their preferred targets & their biggest heist. 4

Which of their getaways pushed you to the limit? III

A PEST CONTROLLER They are quirky, pragmatic and fearless 4 Describe their preferred currency & their most famous client. 4

What tenacious critters escaped and now live in your walls?

A TOURING BAND They are stylish, creative and perpetually broke 4 Describe their big break and why it provided false hope. 4

Why was the worst venue they played also the hardest to reach?

I

A SWASHBUCKLING HIMBO They are strong, less than academic and have a firm moral compass 4 Describe their imposing form, and what makes it friendly. 4

What small act of kindness did you perform together?

A YARNSPINNER They are charismatic, loud and live on attention 4 Describe a favoured anecdote about their most lauded triumph. 4

How was the embarrassing truth of it laid bare? II

A CARD SHARK They have won and lost more ships than most have had hot meals 4 Describe the dubious circumstances in which they won you. 4

Pop Culture Pioneers Six ship captains by Matt Sanders (sealedlibrary.itch.io)

Of all the debtors they owed, who was the most dangerous?

A SHOWBOATING GREASER They run their mouth, add stripes to everything and sure ain't chicken. 4 What infamous location do they claim to have braved victory? 4

Describe the tasteless "go-faster" features they add to your hull. III

A TELEPHATHIC BACTERIAL HIVEMIND They are purposeful, emotionless and socially inept 4 Describe how they manifest, both in form and in the psyche. 4

How did their inability to read social cues get you into trouble?

A NIHILISTIC ROBOT They are calculating, hell bent on destruction and low on fuel 4 Why did they break and begin to preach KILL ALL HUMANS? 4

How have they bent you towards their murderous agenda?

WAR & HEARTACHE Devastating battles, monotonous violence, meaningless sacrifice Choose one of the prompts below, answer its questions and then change something as you become scarred, hardened or wrathful.

War & Heartache Six memorable events by Riley Rethal (metagame.itch.io)

4

You participated in a large-scale attack against an enemy stronghold. What did you destroy? How did your Captain change after seeing the carnage?

4

You transported refugees from a war-torn planet to somewhere terrifying and new to them. Describe the refugees and their dire situation. What hope do they still carry with them?

4

Your Captain lost someone they loved. Who were they, and how is their loss felt in your halls?

4

Your Captain was dispatched to “take care” of a rebel insurgency making trouble on an occupied planet. What was left when you were finished with them? What were you unable to erase?

4

Your Captain was killed in a routine attack gone wrong. How did you narrowly avoid their same fate? Who in their crew piloted you in their stead?

4

You & your Captain ended up in the middle of a tense schism between factions. Whose side did your Captain take? What did it cost them?

DRIFTS & DESTITUTION Time stretches, meaning blurs, stars blink out into nothingness. Choose one of the prompts below, answer its questions and then change something as you become distant, obsessive or haunted.

Drifts & Destitution Six rest events by Anna Blackwell (blackwellwriter.itch.io)

4

You are left to float alone in the silent emptiness of space. What do you do to pass the time? What toll does this endless voyage take on your systems?

4

With your engines dead and no way to take off, you are left on an agricultural planet. Your hull is converted into a barn. Describe the farmer and the animals that call you home. If you once more take flight, what quaint changes remain?

4

A famous artist uses your hull as their canvas for a work of art. What does the artwork depict? What attention does it bring to you?

4

Some outlaw hackers use your computer systems as the launchpad for a super virus. What does it call itself? What changes does it make to your intelligence?

4

To show respect to the ships of the past, a documentary crew records an episode about you. What do they get horribly wrong about you? What do they get right about your Captain?

4

Your intelligence software suffers a catastrophic reboot and boots into a buggy beta version. What strange glitch do you develop?

ROOTS & COMPLOTS Naked opportunism, devious machinations and utter devastation. Choose one of the prompts below, answer its questions and then change something as you become embroiled, disgraced or symbolic.

Roots & Complots Six rest events by Anna Blackwell (blackwellwriter.itch.io)

4

History can be cruel to those that fall from favour. One of your Captains is branded a villain by historians. What crimes did they supposedly commit? Is there any truth to the claims?

4

A new religion spreads among the stars in the wake of a supposed prophet. What is most important to the believers? Why does the prophet sound so familiar?

4

The corporation that made you launches an upgraded model which quickly phases your line out of service. How do you feel about the new models? How does this affect repairs for you?

4

A planet you once knew is destroyed by a cataclysmic event. What happened? What familiar entity unexpectedly survives?

4

Strange new laws are passed by a far reaching and overbearing government. Which of these new laws affects you - for better or for worse - the most?

4

A descendent of one of your Captains gains a position of immense political power. How do they wield this power? In what way are they similar to your Captain?